Big Ticket’s big regrets. Jace Frederick at the Pioneer Press reports on Kevin McHale’s recent interview with Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett: “How they was doing Sam, how they fired Sam on the day of a game, you don’t do that. You don’t do that,” Garnett said. “And you know what? There’s certain things that I was taught in this league – professionalism, loyalty, those things taught to me by the league, that’s what kind of person I am, I felt a certain way. So I started to take the steps to remove myself.”
Disgusting. Tom Scheck at APMReports shares the disturbing findings released last week about the dangerous conditions and neglect going on at Mesabi Academy: “The final investigation into Mesabi Academy, concluded and made public last week, shows that an employee allowed boys as young as 12 to fight one another in what was known as a “fight club,” one of five instances of maltreatment. … Other maltreatment findings, according to documents from a 16-month investigation, include an employee ignoring one boy punching another boy in the face, an employee sleeping in the gym when residents were fighting, an employee breaking a resident’s clavicle and unsafe restraint procedures on boys.”
If only there were some amazing technology that could be used to find people. A.J. Lagoe and Steve Eckert from KARE 11’s investigative unit reveal numerous Minnesota crime victims are not receiving restituion they’re owed: “Hundreds of Minnesota crime victims are not getting their court ordered restitution because officials are failing to search for them. Records obtained by KARE 11 reveal that over a three-year period, more than a million dollars in restitution collected from convicted con-artists, sex offenders and other criminals failed to reach the money’s rightful owners because officials made little or no effort to find them.”
Straight shooter. Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune interviews former Lynx star Candice Wiggins, who describes a culture of bullying in the league: “‘Me being heterosexual and straight, and being vocal in my identity as a straight woman was huge,’ Wiggins said. ‘I would say 98 percent of the women in the WNBA are gay women. It was a conformist type of place. There was a whole different set of rules they (the other players) could apply. There was a lot of jealousy and competition, and we’re all fighting for crumbs. The way I looked, the way I played — those things contributed to the tension. People were deliberately trying to hurt me all of the time. I had never been called the B-word so many times in my life than I was in my rookie season.’ “
Related Lynx news: “Minnesota Lynx Seimone Augustus goes deep on why WNBA players go overseas to make more money” [The Undefeated]
Chord progression. Solvejg Wastvedt has a piece on NPR about Spring Lake Park High School’s commitment this year to only purchase music from composers of color for the band: “‘I really, really want other students of color to be able to feel like they are welcomed and appreciated anywhere,’ says Kia Muleta, one of [Brian] Lukkasson’s students, ‘that they don’t have to check themselves at the door.’ Muleta is a junior, she’s been playing the clarinet in since fifth grade and she says the students sitting around her are usually white. She is black. And she says it bothers her that the composers they used to play were usually white.”
Testing for growth. KSTP-TV has a report on the state Department of Health’s announcement to add three new diseases to its mandatory screening list: “The update means Minnesota newborns will be tested for 60 different conditions within the first day or two of life with one blood test. Dr. Marcelo Vargas with Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota says months and even weeks can make a difference when it comes to detection and treatment.”
In other news…
R.I.P.: “Twin Cities sports personality Rod Simons passes away at age 56” [KMSP]
Would you like a pink slip with that? “Dino’s Gyros cans employee who took off for ‘Day Without Immigrants’ protest” and Dino’s owner’s response [City Pages]
Moving the conflict to avoid other conflicts: “Minneapolis DFL to move citywide convention to July 8” [Star Tribune]
The scramble for Jacob Frey’s council seat: “Open Ward 3 seat draws a crowd” [Southwest Journal]
Students claim their input was ignored: “UMN student leaders decry legislators’ picks for Board of Regents finalists” [Minnesota Daily]
Minnesota connection: “Slap Shot, Miracle the best hockey movies of all time” [ESPN]
Would he be allowed in the Osakis prom? “N.D. Gov. Doug Burgum kicked off Senate floor for wearing jeans” [The Bismarck Tribune]
Of course: “More record warmth in Minn., then ‘potent’ snowstorm” [Star Tribune]
KG Shameful Treatment
Like failed states, there are failed franchises too.
KG is pure class, and will long be remembered after Glen Taylor is gone.
KG got paid an absurd amount of money to not play. And terrible coaches get fired, even if you like them.