(dis)pencer has posted what is according to Tuffy, “The second funniest post ever next to Sarah’s race report.” I think that I agree with this post that. It is after all an attempt to mock the greatest blog ever and that is awesome altogether. Whooo hooo. Check it out here.
…
The Gophers play Indiana in their homecoming game on Saturday. It will be the last game of the year that Sarah and I will be attending as we have sold our Iowa tickets for well over the face value! I am really fed up with this season, but I am a fan nonetheless. This means that I will be missing the cross race on Saturday. As much as I want to do that I want to go to a football game that might actually be entertaining to watch. There is nothing better than a game against what should be an easy opponent and then losing to them. I have a feeling the Gophers are going to lose this game as well, but what can you do?
This time we are going to get down there a little earlier and watch the band play. I enjoy watching the band.
Go Gophers!
…
I am amazed how at how awesome our cycling community is. There are a ton of people that do a lot of work to make it better in every aspect of our sport. From the people that throw amazing races, such as the Loon State boys throughout the summer and the likes of the FCCC’ers and Hub Riders that put on Como and Powderhorn respectively.
This really shows that there are a lot of dedicated people out there that are willing to do their part in making local cycling better. One aspect of this are the people that are members of cycling clubs that help promote races. These people are the true champions in my mind. They are willing to sacrifice time and effort in order to make it possible for people to race. The riders from Loon State and Silver Cycling should be particularly proud for being partly responsible for over 45% of our racing schedule. Not enough credit can be thrown their way.
The best part about our cycling scene is that people seem to volunteer in every aspect. There are family members that help with registration and give water hand-ups during races and then there are countless photographers. I mean just look at all of the people taking pictures of our races; Jgrammond, Random Folks and the fantastic Skinnyski.
Miranda asked a good question in the comment section of my last post; Why can’t we all just get along? She is absolutely correct in asking this question. Even Skibby says, “cycling is just a marginal sport and in the great realm of things we are just a gnat on a horse’s ass, so people need to quit taking themselves so seriously.” I couldn’t agree more.
I do believe however that in order for us to get along we need to have an open form of communication. This open form of communication should encourage people to speak how they feel in a very public setting so everyone knows how people stand on the issues. An example of this is the MCF message board where people can post with their names being represented. That way we don’t get all caught up in “who’s who” in the anonymous game. For instance, Eurodog used to be a huge prick on the old message board in the MCF and called out National Caliber racers as being dopers although he had absolutely no grounds to do so. That just isn’t nice. If you are going to play, play fairly and stand by what you say publicly.
I do.
…
Now, lets move onto a completely unrelated matter.
Isn’t it great how the internet tracks where you have been and what your web activity is? I find it fascinating that you can come to one website and then go to another website within a given period of time and the same “footprints” will show up on both sites.
I believe this is called an IP address. I don’t know exactly how they work, but what I do know is that when someone comments on my site I get an exact ping on what their IP address is. Then when they go to another site and say something OR just log in they have a registered IP that gets logged in and this can be pinged against their registered name on that site.
What baffles my mind even more is how people can be so careless in how they try to hide on the internet and talk trash about people and call them things such as “fags” and “dooshbags” (ed-note the incorrect spelling of Douchebag). The best part about these careless people is that when you try to lure them out of their hole they keep on biting on the bait and you have that much more evidence against them for when they claim that it wasn’t them. I call it “idiot fishing” and I think I have caught me a musky.
…
We finally had another death in the 2006 Death Pool. Tuffy and I correctly picked Red Auerbach to kick the can in 2006. Red was the legendary coach of the Boston Celtics that dominated the league with 8 consecutive titles from ’59-’66. Always at the helm of the team either as a coach or a general manager for several years he was a legend in Boston and will be greatly missed. He was also integral in passing over the coaching duties to Bill Russell who became the first African-American coach in NBA history.
…
I turned in my mid-term paper for my African-American history class tonight. This is the first paper I have written in over 2.5 years for a college course. I don’t think I have ever worked so hard and diligently on any paper I have ever done for school. I am that dedicated to getting done with school in a timely manner. I even went to the studio on Saturday night avoiding a bunch of Halloween party invitations to get it done. Although, I wasn’t completely finished on Sunday I finally wrapped it up at about 9PM after receiving a bunch of help from Sarah. I think I am going to get a good grade on it. Sarah deserves an A for all of the work she did to help me correct it…I have crappy diction and grammar as you know. For example, “to” and “too” and “two” are all completely different.
I want to start off by telling everyone that I knew it was daylight savings time on Sunday morning. The Little Guy didn’t remember and got up an hour earlier than he needed to. Let’s have a collective laugh…
The cross race on Sunday was at the Como Park Pool. I was going to attend the race in my sweet letter jacket, but I decided not to. I ended up getting right in the middle of the pack in the “B” race so I am slowly improving. It wasn’t so long ago that people called me a “mid-pack C rider.” So, I guess I am getting a little bit better. I am having fun and that is what counts.
The Little Guy got 9th place to make it two top 10s on the weekend! He is really good at cross. (dis) had an unfortunate mechanical prior to the start of the race and didn’t get to put the hurt on. This course would have been perfect for him and Little Guy Racing would have likely had two top 10s.
The course was insanely awesome and featured this nasty run-up that was a lot of fun to watch. The “A” racers were able to manhandle the climb and made all of the rest of us look like jokes. You can learn a lot just by watching some of these guys race. It is actually quite fascinating how smooth they are on the mounting and dismounting of the bicycles and the pure power that they put into the climbs throughout the course. There was a big size crowd throughout the day and everyone had the opportunity to stand in one place and see the race from several vantage points which is a big plus!
…
Timmer! showed up and raced in the “A” race. He did really well considering that A) he didn’t have an aero helmet on, B) he wasn’t riding on Black Dog Rd. C) His back wasn’t very flat. It was a lot of fun seeing him throw down for the first time this year in a cross race. It kind of made me get all teary eyed like the first time he came back to the track.
…
Who remembers EuroDog on the old MCF message board?
I went to a cross race and won….granted it was for best outfit, but at least I won something. The last time I won something it was the State Keirin Chumpionship in the Cat3s. It has been a long time since I got to taste victory. I still have yet to try on my t-shirt, drink the red bull or use the Park Bottle Opener, but I assure you that I am stoked that I won.
Photos from Skinnyski…
I won…..best costume.
I didn’t have the best costume for the race. That belonged to the Red Lantern and Skibby.
Red Lantern
Skibby
I gave this devil dude some Ninja Fuel.
This dude has no idea that he is about to get cut by a ninja. I assure you that it was quick and painless.
Hey there! It’s me again. Sensei John Kreese. It has been some time since I have posted on this crappy blog. The last time I came out of my dojo to waste my time AND yours was when that piece of crap Mr. Miyagi died and went to hell. You may remember my eulogy I wrote about that fortunate event.
Ever since Jonny failed to sweep the leg I have been searching all over the country for an individual that possesses the same amount of skill as Jonny without the mental breakdowns of that worthless piece of shit. I have been looking for someone that will follow the Kobra Kai motto of “Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.”
I am proud to announce that after months of searching I have found a pupil that has laid dormant for sometime learning the wise ways of me, Sensei John Kreese. I don’t teach my pupils how to wax a car or do some pansy one leg kick called “the crane.” Because in the end the crane is no match for a bazooka. That is why I taught my new pupil the “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Donkey.” It is out of this world and you may just have to see it to believe it.
Don’t mess with me, or my dojo.
My new pupil will be attending the Taylor’s Falls Cross Race this weekend to kick that Nazi’s ass that is to much of a wanker to post by his real name on here. One thing that no good Nazi fuck doesn’t know is that Sensei John Kreese knows who he is through secret dojo methods. How do you think Mr. Miyagi died?
My new student is 20 times better than this piece of crap that failed to follow the Kobra Kai secondary motto of “Sweep the fucking leg!”
While my pupil may not win the race, we don’t care. What we care for is that he goes all Kobra Kai style on the lame folks on all of the other teams, except the California Raisin.
There will be a race report later. Till that time wait paitently. The Kobra Kai is watching you.
I used to blog every morning before I went to work. This was mostly put to an end when everyone in my department got a note from our manager reminding us to come to be at work at 8am. I had the tendency to show up at 8:04 everyday so I don’t think it was directed at me, but some of my co-workers who like to roll in at about 20 past the hour everyday. Since I have been responsible I have lacked in the blogging. While the world has continued on the blog-o-sphere hasn’t been the same.
The plan was to sit down and write before I went to bed, but since I have a couple of busy days that for the most part has been lacking. Can you really blame me for not posting after I got a 1 hour massage from Body-Of-Knowledge? Seriously, it was awesome and the best part about the massage is that it takes place in a dome home. Sarah also enjoyed her massage which was part of a birthday present. I can guarantee that we will be going back out.
Yesterday evening I went to “Borat” with the Little Guy who had somehow secured tickets to a free preview. The catch was that the movie was playing way the hell out in Maple Grove, the Little Guy’s stomping grounds. After the long drive to the fake downtown we parked the car and then preceded to wait in line as they wanded us like we were going into the courthouse. If you had a cell phone with a camera you weren’t allowed in. As you can imagine this was over 90% of the people in Maple Grove. The movie was really funny, but it was kind of ironic that we were watching it in the heart of conservative Minnesota/Americana and this was half of the movie was critiquing. At times the movie was SOOOOOO painful to watch because some of the people had no clue what was going on. Some of the scenes were obviously rigged, but for the most part I would recommend it. The only thing that I wish would have been different, was if the movie would have featured Ali G.
I am off. Production levels depend on it.
I got to meet someone at Morton’s for a steak sammy today.
The title sponsor for the team is Grumpy’s Bar. We don’t think there is a better business to be the top sponsor for our team and our vision for cycling. Grumpy’s has been at the forefront of the cycling community for many years. Grumpy’s hosted the very first Stupor Bowl 10 years ago and was also on the very first Minneapolis Bicycle Messenger Association jerseys. This place has had our back from day one. It is only fitting that they are willing to step-up and put their money where their mouth is and help promote bicycle racing in Minnesota. If there is ever any type of cycling on TV Grumpy’s NE is the place to be!
Our shop sponsor is Behind-Bars. This shop is the best bike shop Northeast Minneapolis has ever known, and is the best in the Twin Cities. You don’t have to just take my word for it. Even City Pages named it the best bike shop in the Twin Cities in 2005. The best part about the shop is the people that work there and their dedication to helping you fulfill your cycling goals. Another cool factoid is that Chuck and Stephanie (the shops only employees) just had a baby girl about a year ago so it truly is a Mom and Pop store!
Moose and Sadie’s has signed on to be a sponsor as well. They have the very best breakfast in town and from what I hear the coffee is fantastic. A newly remodeled shop has increased their capacity for food and lounging capabilities. When we first approached Moose they jumped on board before we could even finish our presentation. They are excited to be with us and just might want to take on Peace Coffee and Birchwood in some kind of Coffee Duel or something! I bet Moose would win.
Through its different companies the Araz Group helps connect health care providers, patients, employers and payers with one another utilizing some of America’s very best values: honesty, integrity, hard work, and a commitment to serving others. The founder of the Araz group was excited to see our dedication to Women racing and all of the exciting possibilities that it could bring to the community and immediately decided to join our other sponsors in making our vision a reality.
Our bicycle sponsor is none other than Masi Bicycles. Since 3 of the 4 founding members of our team have already been racing on Masi’s in the 2005 season it was a no-brainer to approach the MasiGuy and see if his company was willing to sponsor a new team in Minnesota. Since, Behind-Bars is the areas only seller of these sweet racing machines it became a natural fit. You will be able to see these sweet rides all over the MCF calendar at all of the venues since the company makes some of the best cross, track, time trial and road bikes around. The best part about it is that you can get these sweet bikes at a decent price (you think we are pro and get bikes for free?).
The final non-equipment sponsor of the team is Body of Knowledge Therapeutic Massage. The company’s owner is none other than Tom Hagerty, who just happens to be my Madison partner up in Blaine. We are super stoked to have a certified massage therapist on board in order to help us recover in a timely manner. Plus, it never hurts to know somebody that can provide an awesome birthday present when you need one. Just ask Sarah about her gift!
The team also has a few equipment sponsors that have decided to join up with us:
TIME USA: Although Tom Boonen won’t be sporting TIME next season the company has picked up Grumpys/LGR as a replacement. We are very excited to be using the very best pedal and shoe systems the industry has to offer. The TIME Atac pedal has been the industry standard in the messenger world for quite sometime. Plus, the big man at TIME USA beat me in a match sprint once so I think he feels sorry for us.
As you can see our team is ready to roll for the upcoming 2007 season. It is our first year so we don’t expect the world to roll over and let us walk right in, but with this impressive line up of sponsors we have more than enough support to make inroads for our future.
It was a blast over at Powderhorn. Head over to (dis)pencer to read a write up about the day. The only thing missing from his report is that Skibby took a pizza handup from me in the feedzone. That was amazing when he did that.
My race went relatively well. I didn’t have a good result so I am sure the Nazi is going to “out me” for not having a good result (my sources tell me that this coward didn’t have good form either), but I had fun. I think I could have picked up a few more spots and I am improving, albeit very slowly at this whole cyclocross thing. I think that by the end of the year I will be able to place in the top half of the “B’s” which would be a good goal considering yesterday was just my 5th cross race.
The Hub did a fantastic job and pulled off a sweet race at a sweet venue with a ton of sweet sponsors! (including Free Pizza and a frame give-a-way!).
…
I am off to work and look forward to another week of sitting in a nice climate controlled area.
…
Tainter showed up to Powderhorn Park yesterday. He was all dressed for the cold, but he didn’t have his National Chumpionship jersey on as a baselayer. It was kind of disapointing.
I love getting comments on my blog. It is a highlight of the job. This feedback makes the blog better and all that much more entertaining.
Here is a sampling of comments I have been getting from a loyal reader that posts under the name of “Gestapo”
“Get a life dooshbag!”
and my two favorite identical comments on different posts;
“There has to be a better way for me to bring up my disagreements with an established practice and system”
Earn some credibility dooshbag before you roll into town from Shitcago and start trash-talking everyone. This is a pretty unforgiving bike community so you’ll wear out your welcome damn fast. On top of that you have zero talent on the bike, so prove yourself elsewhere
The best part about getting comments is when the commenter tells me to get a life. They obviously don’t have a life either if they are commenting on my blog.
I just wish the commenter who likes to hide behind a real tactful Nazi moniker knows some facts before they start to type. So, I just want to clear some things up for them.
First, I am not from Chicago. While I agree with you that it mostly sucks I only lived there for a year and was active in Minnesota prior to my brief stay over the past year.
Second, while I am not the best on the bike I do encourage you to come out to the track and race. You obviously aren’t one of the 10-12 cat1/2s that are regularly better than me, because they have the balls to say who they are. But, I am decent on the track…which is where I care to focus. I do the rest of the racing because it is fun and have never said I am that good.
Thirdly, I hate fucking Nazis.
Fourth, you obviously don’t know me. I follow through with what I say I am going to do. You may laugh now, but you have no idea of the resources that my team has and what we are going to bring to the table.
Fifth, finish your damn sentence. I am sitting on the edge of my seat.
Sixth, thanks for reading my blog. When you say, “Go get a life dooshbag!” I find it hilarious that you are actually reading my blog and finding the time to comment AND hide behind a name…you sir, are a dipshit.
NDSU outplayed and deserved this game. The got screwed on a tripping call late in the 1st half that would have been enough for the victory.
While I am happy the Gophers won I hope that this will be just enough to get Mason fired!
…
I had been thinking for sometime of buying the domain Fireglenmason.com, but it had been bought for the past three years. It finally came up for renewal a few weeks ago and I went to pay for it today, but someone has already beaten me to the punch. So I present to you Fire Glen Mason.
…
Do you know what I do when I am down and out after a Gopher game. I watch an old man diss a newby in the political game.
