The vanquished Vikings show up (or don’t) to be even as much of a vice as Powerball, but the Packers are nice and some people even cancel their theater plans because of them. Rather go to the sports bar instead, and spend your cash there, not on those $2 tickets, as that isn’t enough to get you inside to to see the musical revue anyway.
– Between taking care of a fairly busy bar for a Monday in late afternoon, (and it turns out for good reason), the bartender at Woody’s in Bayport said there were still people bemoaning the last-minute Viking loss in a less than PC way. Again, it seemed like the Minnesota football find-a-way-to-lose debacle had staying power beyond Sunday. Some Hudson patrons said it was just more of the same, and they saw it coming even partway through the game, and others added that it would have been even more upsetting if occurring later in the playoffs, after a win or two were under their belts, giving hope.
– There also may have been other ways to know what was coming as far as that loss — and the need to deal with it any which way you can. Lots of people were striving to win enough Powerball money so they could, if wanted, buy their own NFL team. To the point that people in a cashier line were talking about one local person who allegedly took out a loan so he could play more Powerball, but he’ll still have to worry when it comes time for any balloon payment, because the eventual winner was from LA, where they don’t even have a football team. So what’s the solution for More Powerball? “More cowbell,” an audience participation staple with the Jeff Loven one-man-band show, might have been a better weekend answer to get over the defeat dished out by Seattle.
– The sign outside of Kozy Korner in North Hudson said it all: “K-Fan is going to be great in the morning.” The message was still up as of Wednesday night. Again, the Viking stunning-style defeats having their staying power. The sentiment on the Agave Kitchen sign didn’t stay up as long, but was just as poignant, referencing as many have the football laces pointing toward kicker Blair Walsh to give the final blow. It makes the Agave message sound simply “blaring.”
– The above-mentioned Minnesota musician Loven, who was seen on the air with his kids while taking in a Minnesota Twins game last year, now will not have the chance for a repeat with a Minnesota Vikings game. Jeff is noteworthy enough for his guitar, but that clip gave him another 15 minutes or so of fame, which could have doubled to 30 when considering that its been that many years since he won his first really prominent guitar competition. The anniversary of that winning solo is noted by the Kahler instrument company, and also has him paired with the musicians from Ratt on a national music magazine cover, in what’s shown on Jeff’s most recent and glitzy gig-announcing placard. Ah, in all those cases, the company you keep. Jeff used some Kahler equipment to claim victory and the firm cited his versatility, range and originality.
– Apparently the Packers, at least in some people’s minds, trump the Phipps Center, as there were still a small number of tickets left as of Thursday for the special White Sidewalls revue on Saturday night. The reason? Some people had thought better of the live show in Hudson and opted to return those tickets so they could watch Green Bay play on TV instead. There was even a guy who had been on the waiting list for the White Sidewalls for quite some time, who when contacted recently passed on it because of the Green and Gold, the receptionist said. It would be better to get all your heads together and plan these things in advance, but that’s hard to do because it involves that pesky Washington team that chimed in by losing to the Pack in the first round.
– I poked a little fun at the end of the Picks of the Week department about Miller Beer, on a Wisconsin product that still could be a bit big and corporate, but maybe hold your horses. (OK that would be Budweiser). While at Buffalo Wild Wings, a man a few empty seats down offered to buy for me the beer I had just ordered, but there was somewhat of a condition: He was a Miller sales rep and had noted the variety that just moments ago had verbally flowed from my lips toward the bartender and now would be replaced by liquid going the other direction. Yes I had ordered a Miller Lite.