August 21 I was fortunate enough to get a tour of Augustana's new Kirkeby-Over Stadium. What a showplace that is and it's located on campus as well. It seats 6,898. There's a beautiful playing field. There is not a bad seat in the house. Work is still going on. The Vikings first home game on September 5 against Emporia State will be electric. The press box is impressive. On one level you have all the luxury suites. On another level you have the media level. A lot of great thought was put into this facility right down to the minor details. Augustana College can be proud of the facility as can the city of Sioux Falls. It is a win-win situation for everyone. Folks should come out and take in a game there. I guarantee you it will be an enjoyable experience.

August 11 I went to my first Knights of Columbus Football Coaches Roast last night. Brad Peterson was also there. It was a great event. I can see why it has gone on for some 95 years. It was neat to see both Ed Meierkort and John Stiegelmeier sitting at the same head table. Brad Salem and Kalen DeBoer were also there. High School Coaches from Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt, O'Gorman, Sioux Falls Christian, Brandon Valley and West Central were all present. The barbs were going back and forth all night. Mick Garry of the Argus Leader was a terrific emcee. If you haven't gone to that event, yet, you need to do so. It's only seven bucks for dinner. It's a steal!

July 30 Brad Peterson is taking today and tomorrow off. Dan Peters will be joining me for the Sports Buffet. Then, next week, Brad and I will both be taking vacation time. We will be back on August 10 ready to go!

July 29 Well, "As The Favre Turns" is officially over. Brett Favre has told the Vikings he is not coming out of retirement to play for them. I have to admit I was surprised by this. His side of it is that he didn't think his body could hold up to another NFL season. There has got to be more to it than that. I wonder what was going on behind the scenes. Maybe I am reading too much into it. Now, Head Coach Brad Childress has some huge damage control to do. Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels have got to be relieved. But, some of their teammates were trying to convince Brett Favre to join the Vikings. When they go into the huddle, there will be some teammates who tried to do that. It all makes for an interesting training camp and up-coming season. I would think that some Green Bay fans might be chuckling about this. To see the Vikings wait, wait, and wait for a Favre answer only to see their former quarterback reject the Vikings, has to bring some smiles.

July 27 There is a whole lot of softball being played this week in Sioux Falls. The 16-and-under Girls' Fastpitch Softball National Tournament got underway in Sioux Falls today. 164 teams will take part in it. Tournament Director Dave Nielsen and his staff deserve a lot of credit for this event. The first two days will be pool play. Double-elimination begins on Wednesday. The Championship bracket starts Friday. The Championship Game is set for Sunday at 4:00 pm. Nielsen wants to remind folks that the game on Sunday will not have an admission charge. Sioux Falls is fast becoming a softball hub. Sioux Falls is also reaping the rewards of the economic impact of this event.

July 24 Remember when we were given the impression that Brett Favre would let the Vikings know by today whether he was going to play for the Vikings this season? Well, don't bet the farm on that. Thomas George, NFL.com senior columnist says that a multitude of issues may delay his decision on a possible return. "As The Faver Turns," continues. One gets the feeling that patience is running out. George adds that even those closest to Favre are becoming frustrated. Count the Vikings in that group. I really feel for Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. How would you like to be them during all this? Granted, I don't think either one is the answer. But, if Favre drags this on further and then elects not to play for the Vikings, you have a huge damage control problem with them. There are other issues too numerous to mention I am sure. Let's cut to the chase. Brett needs to make a decision, one he can live with either way and then for crying out loud, move on. It's as simple as that.

July 23 Some red flags have gone up after what the A's did to the Twins. Oakland is not known for its hitting prowness. Yet, the Twins gave up 14 runs in their first loss to the A's after blowing a ten run lead only to be embarrassed yesterday 16-1. Thirty runs put up on them in only two games. That is a big cause for concern. You pretty much have to look at all facets of the game. Just when the starting pitching was looking good, then the two lopsided losses to Oakland. The bullpen has been up and down. Then, there's the hitting. And, next for the Twins, a four-game series against the AL West leading Angels. That won't be any walk in the park. And, yet, the Twins are only 2 ½ games back of Detroit in the American League Central. Sooner or later, this kind of stuff will eventually catch up with you. This is absolutely mind-boggling.

July 17 The HyVee/Sanford Legends event, of which Results Radio is a partner, was once again a huge success. It will give back $110,000. The total number of individuals who participated in this year's events and camps totaled 4,227. A total of 1,850 took part in the free legends clinics. This is impressive what with the economic times that everyone is experiencing. HATS OFF to everyone who took part in this. Mark your calendar. The Legends Clinics next year start June 9.

July 16 Where has the first half of July gone? The All-Star Game has come and gone. That means the second half of the Major League Baseball season is ready to go. Some teams get back in action tonight. The Twins begin tomorrow night. I have heard some people say that the real start of the baseball season is always after the All-Star Game. I'm not so sure about that. When teams just lose out on making the play-offs, they can look back on some losses in April, May, or June that they should have won and say if we had just won a few of those games, we would be in the play-offs. The Twins start the second half with a challenging road trip...three games at Texas, three games at Oakland, and four games at the Los Angeles Angels. Then they come home for three games with the White Sox and three more with the Angels. I am a big believer in consistency. You need to be consistent in whatever you do in life. That pertains also to baseball. The pitching (starting and bullpen) needs to be consistent, so does the hitting which includes getting big hits when you need them. Defense is another key. The Twins have the third fewest errors in baseball with 35. It all comes back to the American League Central. The Twins have their shortcomings. And yet, they remain in striking distance. No team has really taken control of the division. It's there for the taking! Who will get hot the second half of the season? The up-coming 10 game road trip might offer an early clue for the Twins faithful. We all hope it will be the Twins. Give an extra tug on your seatbelt. We're about to find out. Let's hope it's not another rollercoaster ride like the first half of the season!

July 15 What an emotional moment at the All-Star Game when Stan Musial came out riding a small red car in the pre-game ceremonies. Class and consistency are the two words you hear the most about Stan "The Man." He played in over 3000 games. He didn't have all those gaudy numbers. Get this! He has 1,815 hits at home, and 1,815 hits on the road. Not once did he get thrown out of a single game in his career. He never once showed up an umpire. He never once treated the game of baseball with anything less than respect. He never turned down a child's autograph request. He didn't treat anyone as less than himself. Some say that no one ever played the game with more heart than Musial. "The Man" hit the ball hard and he ran hard. A person added because that's the way a man is supposed to play big league baseball. What a special moment that was last night.

July 14 Tonight is the All-Star Game in St. Louis. Will the American League continue its dominance? Will the National League finally win a game? If the American League does win, I hope that Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, or Joe Nathan (or all three) will play a big part of that happening. I just think that the All-Star Game in this day and age doesn't have the zip that it had years ago. There were just so many big names back then. Every time I watch the Home Run Derby I have to think back to the old Home Run Derby television show. The show was in black and white. It took part in an empty ball park. But, oh the big names that you saw. There wasn't any fanfare. Each week, it was just two big name players and now legends, just hitting the ball out of the ballpark. They even had an umpire working behind home plate. ESPN Classics used to show it. I don't know if they still do or not. It still brings back a lot of memories.

July 13 The first half of the major league season is over. Now we turn our attention to the All-Star Game. Should the All-Star Game continue to award the winner home field advantage in the World Series? An Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll released over the week-end shows that the majority of major league baseball fans by a 56-42 margin agree that there needs to be a better way to determine home-field advantage. They are questioning whether an "exhibition game" should do that or not. Some players like the fact that with alternating home field advantage it is more fair. The All-Star Game should be relaxing where you can go with zero pressure and just have fun. Don't expect a change anytime soon. The earliest it could occur would be 2011 because of a labor contract.

July 9 With word coming that Centenary has given notice it will be leaving the Summit League in 2011, it comes as no surprise. There have been rumblings about that. There has even been talk that they might be considering dropping down to Division III status. How about that! Centenary is a small school in the Division I realm. They are experiencing hard economic times just like everyone else is. Their size makes it more challenging for them. Their men's and women's basketball teams have just not been competitive in the Summit League. Shreveport is not a cheap place to get to or travel from when you look at the other Summit League members. It will be interesting to see what the Summit League will do based on this development.

July 8 Things are really jumping down in Vermillion these days. USD's summer football camp is underway. The impressive thing is the numbers. Over 1800 campers will take part this month despite hard financial times. It has got to be one of the largest Division I camps in the Midwest. The camp features seven schools who were state finalists a year ago, including four state champions. In addition, the camp also includes numerous Division I prospects. The campers come from a five state region. The camps are held for 11-man, 9-man, and 8-man teams. Techniques and fundamentals are stressed. Scrimmages are held so that teams can build chemistry and work on offensive and defensive schemes. Head Coach, Ed Meierkort, and his coaching staff, really have a good thing going! So do the campers who attend.

July 7 The Canaries start the second half of their season tonight. They won't have the luxury of having closer Kris Regas who is on his way to AAA Toledo. He is now a member of the Tigers organization. He's one step from the "Bigs." He had spent spring training with Detroit this year only to be cut by them. It was a tough pill to swallow. We had a great interview with him yesterday on the Sports Buffet. He told us that, at age 29, that can work against you. He considered going to Mexico to play where the money is better. But, he gives credit to his skipper, Steve Shirley, who advised him to skip Mexico, stay in the States, and that, sooner or later, someone would come calling for him. He stayed with the Canaries, and look what happened, the Detroit organization purchased him. That fact that he has gone from the American Association right to AAA speaks volumes about what Detroit sees in him. You can't help pulling for him to get to the parent club. He is not only a good pitcher but a good person, also. Good things happen to good people. Sometimes it doesn't always happen exactly when you want it to.

July 6 Three Twins made the American League roster for the All-Star game. There was no doubt that Joe Mauer would be the starting catcher or that Justin Moreau would make the roster. It was good to see that a Twins pitcher, Joe Nathan, would also be selected. I was hoping that Kevin Slowey would make the American League pitching staff with his 10-3 record. But, that went out the window, when Kevin was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right wrist. It was only a matter of time before Anthony Swarzak would be called up from AAA Rochester. He takes Slowey's place on the 25-man Twins' roster. The Detroit Tigers have purchased Canaries' closer, Kris Regas. It's no doubt why. He started with the Tigers this spring. And, his 2-0 record, 1.19 earned run average, and 15 saves with the Birds, didn't hurt his chances, either. Regas was just recently named American Association Pitcher Of The Month for the month of June where he was 1-0 with 11 saves and a 0.60 earned run average. We wish him the best!

July 2 I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe 4^th of July. In all your travels this weekend, please drive carefully.

6/30 The Coyote Golf Tour made a stop yesterday at Willow Run Golf Course in Sioux Falls. I am not a golfer but went out for dinner last night. They had a tremendous turnout. You could feel how excited folks were about Coyote athletics and the transitioning from Division II to Division I. People are also looking forward to USD's entrance into the Summit League. Head Coach, Ed Meierkort, spoke to the group. He gets everyone fired up! He is looking forward to the football season. He points out that this year's schedule is so much more better than last year's. And, looking ahead to future years, the Coyotes will be facing teams such as Minnesota, Central Florida, Wisconsin, and Northwestern. Athletic Director, Joel Nielsen, says things are progressing well. The Coyote women's basketball team will face South Dakota State in Brookings on February 15. The Coyote men ‘s and women's swimming and diving teams will get to compete in the Summit League Championships, February 18-20, in Indianapolis. There is a great deal of anticipations on the part of Coyote fans about the up-coming seasons.

June 26 This year's College World Series is history. It marked the final one to be played in Rosenblatt Stadium. I have talked with a lot of friends who travel from all parts of the country every year to take in the event. They are all bemoaning that the stadium on the hill will soon be no more. Instead, the College World Series will move into TD Ameritrade Park next year. My friends, including myself, loved Rosenblatt Stadium. It seemed like it was still a functional ballpark. Omaha did all it could to keep it in the eyes of the NCAA. But, with other cities bidding to get the Series away from Omaha, a new ballpark they will have. A person told me once that change can be good. I have found out Midwesterners for the most part do not like change. But, it's just like anything else, give it a chance and time will tell. There is one thing that the new ballpark had better have, another Zesto!

June 25 I was perusing through the Omaha World Herald today when I saw an article entitled "50 Years After Starkweather." That brought back some chilling moments. This is not sports related. Most South Dakotans probably don't remember this. Fifty years ago, Charles Starkweather, a 19 year old garbage man went on a killing spree in Nebraska. He killed eleven people and then fled with his 14 year old girlfriend Caril Fugate. During that rampage no one really knew where they were. We had just moved into our new house in Pisgah located in western Iowa. One early evening, our doorbell rang. My mother went to the door to find a young woman standing there. It was dark outside. There was a car in our driveway with someone in it. You couldn't tell who it was. My father had not come home from work yet. The young woman said she and her husband had recently gotten married, were thinking about building a new home, was driving by, and wondered if they could come in, and look at our house to possibility get some ideas for their home. Keep in mind nobody knew where Starkweather and Fugate were. My mother talked to the young woman through the storm door. She would not open the door. You could tell she was stalling for time. It was a very unsettling moment. Finally, my father came home. When he was told what was going on, he went over to the car and discovered that he knew the person who was sitting inside. What a sigh of relief! The young couple was invited in to take a look at our new house. This was the fear that was going on everywhere. Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate were finally caught in eastern Wyoming. He was eventually executed. Fifty years later, and Starkweather's name still gives you chills.

June 24 A lot of eyes have been opened by the Timberwolves trading Mike Miller and Randy Foye to the Washington Wizards. By doing that, new Wolves boss David Kahn now has four first round picks in the NBA Draft. The Timberwolves now have the 5^th, 6^th, 18^th, and 28^th picks of the draft. However, some people think that this year's draft is one of the thinnest they have seen in a while. One of the pluses for Mike Miller going to the Wizards is that he will be able to play for Flip Saunders. Such is life in the NBA.

Sioux Falls has another feather in its cap. The Summit League's Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament will be held for the next three years in Sioux Falls instead of just for one remaining year. It is a tribute to what was accomplished this year. I think one of the things that stuck out the most to Summit League officials was that everywhere they went in Sioux Falls during the tournament everyone new that the tournament was going on. I think Summit League member Oakland would have liked to have seen the tournament go to The Palace of Auburn Hills. No way were they going to draw people playing there not to mention the interest level in that kind of a market. You get the feeling that Tulsa would have liked to have gotten it back. All they have to do is look at the attendance at the Sioux Falls Arena and that takes care of that. Now, the challenge is to build on the success of this year's tournament to continue to go onward and upward. I have all the faith in the world that Sioux Falls will be able to do that.

June 22 Driving around Sioux Falls this past weekend, everywhere you went you saw soccer being played, tents everywhere, and vehicles parked all over the place. Someone told me there wasn't a hotel room to be had in Sioux Falls. I believe it. Another person told me some people were staying as far away as the casino at Flandreau. How about that! This U.S Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships is quite an event. It runs through Wednesday.

June 19 I can't believe we are already over halfway in June