RIP: Mr. Wizard

Another small piece of Mr. Heavyfoot's childhood has gone quietly into the night. Following such beloved legends as Mr. Hooper, Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Wizard (aka Don Herbert) passed away Tuesday at the age of 89. A native of Waconia, Minn., Mr. Wizard was easily one of our favorite shows, right along with "You Can't Do That on Television," "3-2-1 Contact," "The Electric Company" and of course "Captain Kangaroo" and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

Here's the obit from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Rest in peace, Mr. Wizard. Bill Nye, the so-called Science Guy, can't hold a candle to you.

This Girl Owns and Manages a Sports Franchise

Laura Kurtt (Edina, Minn.), younger sister of Boom Goes the Dynamite shortstop Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.), is set to become the next in a long line of atrocious owners and general managers of sports franchises tonight when her expansion kickball team, The Kit Shickers, hits the field for its inaugural game. The Kit Shickers, a squad comprised of a bunch of people who don't know each other, faces Stop Drop and Roll tonight at 6:50 p.m., at Bassett's Creek Park Diamond #3.

"I'm excited to see my team in action," Kurtt said from her non-air conditioned Minneapolis apartment. "I've shelled out some big money to sign a bunch of former placekickers and punters to lucrative multi-year contracts. I expect immediate results for my investment. Otherwise, I may have to make some cuts and call my parents up from the retirement ranks. Believe me, I don't want to do that."

The kickball world is still buzzing from the surprising signings of Rick Gmitro and Julie Iskierka - two mediocre kickballers with a reputation for being team cancers on their former squads, The Recess Rejects and Ballsagna, respectively.

"Listen, I know I'm taking a risk by bringing on Gmitro and Iskierka," Kurtt said. "We're already looking for an out clause in Gmitro's contract due to some rumors of him being involved in a high-stakes gambling ring. Our lawyers are exploring our options. As far as Iskierka is concerned, we know of her history as an HGH (human-growth hormone) user. She's assured me that she's clean."

Players from up and down the Shickers roster are thrilled at the prospect of playing for an expansion franchise.

"I was a stud on the Concord Elementary School kickball fields," Jim Kohler said. "I'll admit my skills have waned since the third grade, but I can still kick me a mean ball."

"I haven't done anything remotely athletic since about 1999," Trent Ostman said. "So when Ms. Kurtt approached me with a one-year, $500,000 contract, I didn't hesitate. You think another team is going to offer me that sort of money? Ha!"

"I'm just excited to get out there and work on my tan," Lisa Carlson said.

Despite the general enthusiasm for creation of The Kit Shickers, some players have expressed disappointment in Kurtt's general lack of knowledge of kickball, in addition to her fiscal management skills.

"I've been playing this sport since I knew how to walk," Carol March said. "The roster that Kurtt has surrounded me with is a slap in the face to the years and years of dedication I have shown to kickball. I'm just glad I'm eligible for restricted free agency this fall. You're damn right I'll be keeping my options open."

"I'm not sure Kurtt knows what a kickball is and what it takes to win in this sport," Matt Hanson said. "I mean, she touted the acquisition of her five-months pregnant sister-in-law (Casey Kurtt) as a landmark deal in CSC Kickball League history. I don't think Laura has a clue what she's doing."

Kurtt remained blissfully unaware of growing criticism for her roster decisions.

"How stoked must my players be to call themselves a Kit Shicker? We're about to make history. When that first ball is kicked, people will remember our names. Now, can someone explain kickball rules to me? Is it like soccer?"

Steroids-a-Plenty Lineup Dooms Boom in Session II Opener

Two-time CSC Champion Boom Goes the Dynamite opened Session II of the 2007 season last night with its worst loss since playing under the team name I'm With Stupid, falling 16-6 to Chicks with RAC's, a squad comprised of serial anabolic abusers, some guy's mom and Enterprise Rent-A-Car employees. Chicks belted several home runs, including two over the left field fence, to hand Boom its first two-game losing streak since 2005.

"I don't want to talk about it," pretty much everyone on the team said, resulting in this short press release.

Notes
• Boom has out-scored its opponents 129-93 in 10 games in the 2007 season.
• Fans in attendance: Emily Wickstrom
• Fan standings: Emily Wickstrom (1 appearance)
• Mascots in attendance: Koda
• Mascot standings: Koda (1 appearance)

Ump Who Takes Himself Way Too Seriously Costs Boom a Title Shot

Boom Goes the Dynamite's quest for a third consecutive Cities Sports Connection Championship fell short Monday night when the lone CSC umpire who actually thinks his job is a big deal blew a call in an eventual 11-10 Boom loss to the Cleveland Steamers. Earlier in the night, Boom (6-3) edged hated archrival Yellow Snow, 13-11, to avenge an early-season loss and shut up Snow's annoying, is-he-wearing-a-toupee? third baseman.

Boom downed Yellow Snow despite some fielding, baserunning and coaching gaffes by veterans Alicia Jerome (Kirkland, Wash.), Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) and Steve Geller (Port Jefferson, N.Y.). Jerome allowed a Snow rally to continue in the third inning when she displayed her typical lackadaisacal play by dropping a throw at second base from shortstop Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.). Jerome failed to redeem herself at the plate on Monday, going oh-fer the entire night.

"Her laissez-faire attitude out there is getting tiring," replacement outfielder Matt Schroeder (Fond du Lac, Wis.) said. "It seems all she cares about is beating her dog and taking pictures of the Kurtt family. That pale girl needs to start taking this game as seriously as Keiser or that ump."

With Boom threatening to put the game on ice in the bottom of the fifth inning, Keiser and Geller displayed jaw-dropping absent-mindedness reminiscent of part-time outfielder, full-time caravaner Meghan Potter (Hibbing, Minn.). With one out and the score tied at eight, Keiser stood at third base with part-time powerhitter Kyle Coughlin (Golden Valley, Minn.) at the plate and Geller as third base coach. As Coughlin lifted a fly ball to right center field, Keiser headed for home with Geller failing to call him back to tag up. Predictably, Snow doubled-up Keiser at third, ending the rally and the inning.

"Oops," Keiser said. "If (Kevin) Noth was the third base coach, there's no question I would have known what to do."

Despite Jerome, Geller and Keiser's attempt to sabotage the quarterfinal contest, Boom held together, eventually shutting down the vaunted Yellow Snow offense. With the win, Boom ended Snow's season and thoroughly enjoyed the looks on Snow players in the handshake line.

"Remember the fourth inning when Keiser barrelled into their catcher?" a surprisingly argument-free Lisa Hardy (Hopkins, Minn.) said. "That play was by design. We do not play to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. A catcher confronts you, she is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy."

The win over Yellow Snow set up a semifinal contest against the only other team to defeat Boom in 2007 - the undefeated and poorly-named Cleveland Steamers. A defensive struggle between two evenly-matched teams, the Steamers broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning with eight runs to take a 9-1 lead into the sixth. The rally hinged largely on errors by wily journeymen outfielders Coughlin and Noth.

"Coughlin let one get under his glove and Noth parked under a ball as it sailed over his head. That just can't happen," error-free outfielder Emily Wood (Wausau, Wis.). "I'll give credit to Noth, though. He owned up to his mistake. Coughlin, on the other hand, had more excuses than there are hot chicks on this team. He blamed the sun, the grass, the non-existent fog, the wind off the lake, his father, a missed chiropractic appointment, Mr. Wistrcill, immigrants, NAFTA and Keiser. You don't see me using excuses for never getting on base, do you? Well, do you?!?"

The top of the sixth inning saw Kurtt open with a stand-up triple that should have been a stand-up home run if third base coach Noth knew the difference between the stop and go signs. Nevertheless, in what would turn out to be her final at-bat of her distinguished career, with-child catcher Casey Kurtt (Lakeland, Minn.) knocked in her husband with a single through the middle to make the score 9-2. From there, the knocked-up Kurtt was stranded on base as the Steamer shortstop with calves bigger than third baseman Andrea Smith's torso did his best human vacuum impression to end the inning.

The Steamers, the lone Cleveland team capable of winning a playoff game, added a run in the bottom of the sixth to own a 10-2 lead and set the stage for a legendary rally, a controversial call, a death threat and still no argument from Hardy.

With their gloves tucked away and thoughts turning to the 24-hour offseason, Boom put together a rally for the ages by playing loose for the first time in the contest. Using multiple extra-base hits and superb baserunning, Boom came all the way back to knot the game at 10-10 before that sonofabitch umpire decided to take the game's result into his own hands despite being in terrible position to make a call in a crucial situation that Tim Tschida would have struggled to make even though it was obvious the guy never caught the ball and the Steamers acted like he never caught the ball.

With one out and Hardy on second, Keiser hit a shallow fly ball to right centerfield where a Steamer dove, appeared to trap the ball, rolled and picked the ball up off the grass before coming to his feet. CSC ultra-serious umpire [name redacted] hesitated before astonishing Boom and its legions of fans by ruling the ball caught for the second out. Unethically and against all moral codes, the Steamers threw to second base to double-up Hardy who had run to third when she witnessed the trap and the loose ball. Cue Keiser.

"You've got to be f***ing kidding me, you f***ing c*******ing a*****!!!" Keiser was quoted as saying. "What the f*** are you f***ing looking at?!? F***! I know where you f***ing live, you fat f***!"

Keiser was later fined $50,000 by CSC for his comments. He is appealing.

Boom played the bottom half of the seventh inning in protest, but it was to no avail as the Steamers knocked in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Steamers would go on to lose 16-15 to ERAC in the championship game.

On Tuesday morning, CSC announced the indefinite suspension of umpire [name withheld for fear that Keiser might hunt him down] for "failing to live up to the expectations CSC has set for our lone umpire who dresses in blue with umpire shorts and shoes and who seems to care about his job for this low-level, over-priced league."

Boom Goes the Dynamite opens Session II on Tuesday, June 12, with a contest against Chicks with RAC's at 8:20 p.m., at Diamond #1 of the University of Minnesota West Bank Softball Complex.

Notes
• Boom out-scored its opponents 123-77 in nine games in the first session season.
• Fans in attendance: Pam Hardy, Amber Hegland, Megan Higginbotham, Beth Kurtt, Jim Kurtt, Laura Kurtt, Michelle Train
• Fan standings: Michelle Train (7 appearances), Pam Hardy (4 apps.), Laura Kurtt (4 apps.), Emily Wickstrom (4 apps.), Beth Kurtt (3 apps.), Jim Kurtt (3 apps.), Shane Sandersfeld (2 apps.), Lori Noth (1 app.), Cameron Noth (1 app.), Lisa Carlson (1 app.), Tory's girlfriend Kate (1 app.), Tory's girlfriend Kate's sister Mary (1 app.), Amber Hegland (1 app.), Megan Higginbotham (1 app.)
• Mascots in attendance: Koda, Maggie
• Mascot standings: Cooper (5 appearances), Maggie (3 apps.), Koda (3 apps.)

An Homage to Brian Collins

A vast majority of Mr. Heavyfoot readers visit this site for updates on everyone's favorite slow-pitch softball team - Boom Goes the Dynamite, the two-time CSC Champion. Although one might be led to believe that the team is named after the powerhitting evident throughout the lineup, Boom actually is an homage to one of the greatest YouTube videos of all time.

With Boom's second session of the 2007 softball season set to begin tonight, we thought we'd reintroduce you to Brian Collins of the Ball State University student TV station. Our personal favorites of the video: "Oh no," "I'm so sorry" and "...passes it to the man...."

Take it away, Brian.

Casey Kurtt Prepares for Final Softball Game of Illustrious Career

The end of an era takes place tonight at the Lake Nokomis Athletic Fields in Minneapolis. Veteran catcher Casey Kurtt (Lakeland, Minn.) announced this morning that tonight's playoff game(s) will be the last of the diminutive hustler's illustrious career with slow-pitch softball franchises Boom Goes the Dynamite, I'm With Stupid and Gas on the Fire. Kurtt hangs up her cleats after a five-year career, citing an ever-expanding belly, increasingly sore pelvic ligaments and a general growing of a nesting instinct as the knocked-up wife of shortstop Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.) enters her fifth month of pregnancy.

"I had a good run even though this damn team takes the game and itself way too seriously," Kurtt said from a well-attended press conference at Hot Mama in Edina. "When I think of all I accomplished during my time with this franchise, it makes me want to throw up. Wait, maybe that's the morning sickness. Excuse me..."

Kurtt signed with the legendary franchise during its infancy in the spring of 2003. Then Casey Miller, the former star swimmer at Stillwater Area High School and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire was acquired by then-general manager and team president Kevin Kurtt in his attempt to get her to notice his extensive athletic prowess, well-toned musculature and overall great-guy qualities, while hoping she would overlook his tendency to exaggerate.

"I'll be brutally honest," Kevin Kurtt said while holding Casey's hair during a fit of nausea. "At the time, I didn't care a bit about her softball ability. I was just trying to get a date - not a small feat to anybody that knows me. It turned out that she was one of our best players and she astonishingly found me fetching. It was like one of those sappy Kevin Costner movies."

After briefly leaving Gas on the Fire to pursue a Master's degree at the University of Minnesota, Casey returned to the lineup to help Gas to a Session II record of 4-4, earning All-Rookie Team honors in the process. The following season with I'm With Stupid, Casey led the league's females in hitting with a .673 batting average, while continuing to stun onlookers by "under-kicking her coverage" by staying with and eventually getting engaged to Kevin.

"The 2004 campaign was a banner year for me," Casey said. "The least of my accomplishments was getting engaged. I mean, I carried that team with my hitting, I taught Lizzy (Bergren) how to throw, I signed Jeff and Jazz (Leach) to bargain basement contracts, and I finally came to terms with my lisp. Yeah, it was a good year."

Casey's 2005 softball season was overshadowed by the Kurtts' kick-ass May wedding, ensuing honeymoon, and Casey's decision to leave her God-forsaken job as an administrative assistant for volleyball and soccer at the University of Minnesota. The 2005 season also saw I'm With Stupid become Boom Goes the Dynamite, a move that would change the landscape of low-level coed slow-pitch softball for years to come.

That season also saw the newlyweds contemplate an annulment of their marriage after a tense game in which the Kurtts were paired at the middle infield positions. "I don't know whose idea it was to put me at second base with Kevin playing shortstop," Casey recalled. "He can be a real bastard out there. He called me off a pop fly that I was going to catch easily, and what does he do? The clown trips over his own feet and drops the ball, allowing Weber Shandwick to score. Then he had the audacity to yell at me for not letting him catch every ball hit within a 100-foot radius of him. Yeah, I threw my ring at him and I don't regret it to this day."

The 2006 campaign saw Casey pursue a career as an elementary school teacher, precipitating her departure from the Boom Goes the Dynamite roster. Perhaps not coincidentally, the franchise captured back-to-back CSC Championships in Casey's absence.

"It was good to take a break from the team," Casey said. "I mean, they took wins and losses as seriously as Shane at a sports book in Vegas. The t-shirts, the press releases, the game notes. I mean, c'mon, get a life."

This season, Casey has endured a rollercoaster season while seeing her belly expand to Kirby Puckett-like levels.

"It's been tough," Casey said. "I don't think anybody has noticed, but I've been puking in between pitches and hitting the port-a-pottie every chance I get. My fielding has waned because my balance is out of whack, but all this extra weight has translated into some damn good power this season. That must be why Kevin is hitting so well this year. He calls it 'sympathy weight.' I call it being a fat ass."

Team management and Boom players reportedly have a retirement party slated following tonight's final contest when Casey is expected to receive a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a case of Miller Lite, a supply of Huggies and an invitation to play in Tuesday night's season-opening game at the U of M West Bank Fields.

"I'm going to miss having another short person around here," third baseman Andrea Smith said.

"Her hustle is going to be missed. Wish I could say the same about (Lisa) Hardy," team president Jeff Keiser said.

"I'm not going to miss that strike zone," opposing pitchers said.

"I'm going to miss that little ass shake she does at the plate," her husband said.

"Thanks for the memories, Casey," team management said in a statement. "And thanks for letting Kevin out-kick his coverage. Why you married him is beyond us."

These kids just got...JACKED UP!!!

Continuing in the Mr. Heavyfoot tradition of laughing at kids getting injured in hilarious fashion, we give you the following two videos. We are aware that Mr. Heavyfoot's wife is currently pregnant and that sometimes karma can be a bitch. Oh well.

Dodgeball just isn't dodgeball without an undersized child getting absolutely rocked in the face by an oversized ball.

This one's a classic. The odds that the timing worked out the way it did must be astronomical.

Complaint Alleges Irish Maloney Family Not Actually Irish

A complaint lodged with the National Equal Opportunity Commission and the Celtic/Gaelic Anti-Defamation League by Mike Miller (Lakeland, Minn.), Scott Hinz-Reynolds (Louisville, Ky.) and Marc Williams (Alexandria, Va.) alleges that a self-proclaimed Irish family, the Maloneys of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, is not actually Irish.

The complainants allege that the Maloney family, under the direction of Donald "Bill" and Winifred Marguerite Maloney, have faked their Irish identity to hide the fact that they are descendants of Giuseppe Marconi - a family with origins in Montevergine di Mercogliano, Italy. The complaint contends that the Maloneys have posed as an Irish family in an effort to "deceive legitimate Irish families into believing the Maloney clan was from Éire in order to take advantage of various Irish stereotypes."

Miller, the chief complainant, said he came forward with the allegations when he realized he was having the wool pulled over his eyes during his entire 35-year association with the Maloney family. "I finally recognized that this family has been simulating Irish heritage ever since I met my wife, Mary. How did I figure it out? I showed up early for Marguerite's 78th birthday party on Tuesday and found the soon-to-be great-grandparents eating lasagna magnifico, while watching The Sopranos and wearing AC Milan and Juventus FC soccer jerseys. I felt like Dorothy peeking behind the wizard's curtain in Oz."

Upon discovering the apparent widespread deception, Miller recruited fellow brothers-in-law Hinz and Williams to explore the possibility of filing a complaint with the government and various Irish anti-fraud advocates. What the in-law family members found looks to establish a seemingly damning case for the Maloneys (aka Marconis).

"That family has been faking their Irishness for years," Williams said. "How? By drinking vast amounts of beer (especially Guinness) and whiskey. By constantly talking about leprechauns and some pot of gold. By wearing lots and lots of green. By speaking in limerick form. It's a travesty, a sham and a mockery. It's a traveshamockery."

"They can try to use their faux Irishness to take advantage of me," Hinz said from the WAVE 3 TV newsroom. "But they've deceived the grandchildren. Maggie Miller is so convinced she's Irish that she practically lives at The Liffey [an Irish pub in St. Paul]. It seems every school project Frankie Utech does has to do with the potato famine or the IRA. And don't even get me started on Katie Paulson. That girl celebrates St. Patrick's Day like it's Christmas and New Year's wrapped into one. The fraud has gone too far. The Maloneys must be stopped."

In addition to the evidence that seems to show that the Maloneys have been faking their Irish heritage, the complainants posited several more questions that further casted doubt on the legitimacy of the Maloneys as Irishmen and Irishwomen.

"Where's the red hair and freckles?" Williams asked.

"How come in my 35 years around this family, I have never once seen a Maloney or a descendant of the Maloney family engage in drunken fisticuffs?" Miller said.

"If they're so Irish, why aren't there any policemen or bartenders in their ranks?" Hinz asked.

When reached for comment at their New Richmond, Wis., home, Bill Maloney said, "Mama mia bambino, what's-amatta you-a?"

"Well, the Maloneys have one thing going for them that looks Irish," Miller added. "They all seem to be raging alcoholics."

There once was a family named Maloney
Said they were Irish, but that was baloney
They drank too much beer
And whiskey, I fear

And never admitted their name was Marconi

Noth, Replacement Players Pace Boom to 21-11 Playoff Win over Foul Balls

Behind the strength of an unprecedented offensive performance from strikeout leader Kevin Noth (Norwalk, Wis.) and oustanding showings from an incredibly short female replacement-player lineup, two-time defending CSC Champion Boom Goes the Dynamite opened the playoffs Monday night with a 21-11 rout of woefully outmatched Foul Balls. Boom (5-2) now advances to the quarterfinals to take on arch-rival Yellow Piss (nee Snow) (5-2) next Monday at 6:05 p.m., on Diamond #4 at the Lake Nokomis Athletic Fields in Minneapolis.

Noth was the star of the night, going 4-for-4 from the plate with a previously-thought-to-be-impossible-for-the-whiff-prone-new-dad home run in the third inning, but the story of the game centered around the overhauls to the playoff roster. Boom rolled to the 10-run win despite utilizing a revamped lineup due to the absence of several players that management had thought were important and cared about the word "team." Boom veterans Kyle Coughlin (Golden Valley, Minn.), Lisa Hardy (Hopkins, Minn.), Alicia Jerome (Kirkland, Wash.) and Meghan Potter (Hibbing, Minn.) each missed the playoff contest in favor of self-serving activities.

Coughlin, a wily pitcher/infielder, stupidly scheduled a golf outing in Chaska, Minn., for 1 p.m., and predictably failed to ever show up at the field, claiming he had to hurry home "to finish updating golf results on gophersports.com."

Meanwhile, Hardy - apparently some sort of legend in Hopkins from grades K through 5 - skipped out on her team to speak at the closing of her fiscally-mismanaged elementary school. "I just told those kids that, in everything you do, hustle," Hardy said following the speaking engagement that reportedly netted the erstwhile Boom first baseman a Hopkins school district approved $13,000. "I told them when you hustle, you succeed. But if you somehow don't succeed, argue that you should have. That's always worked for me."

Instead of representing Boom in the playoffs, Jerome left the state in favor of a money-making photography job in the part-time second baseman's former home state of Arkansas. Details were unclear, but reports out of Fayetteville, Ark., indicated that Jerome was actually in town to get a better tan.

Potter also missed the contest, failing to earn her third consecutive Nick Joos/M. Lochrem Goat of the Week Award in the process. The outfielder who missed 40 games of her senior season at North Dakota State due to mononucleosis was absent this Monday in order to serve as the chief organizer of the Tom Wistrcill Homecoming Celebration in Winona. "It was better than I thought it would be," Potter said of her third Coaches Caravan. "Why? I met some really arrogant hockey players in the bar in Kasson. They seemed to enjoy my company and God knows I love me some arrogance on skates."

Upon learning Boom would be without four of its stalwarts, team president and general manager Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) was initially upset, but changed his tune after the replacement players out-hit, out-fielded and out-hustled the absent veterans. "What we have with Coughlin, Hardy, Jerome and Potter is a collection of viruses. Coughlin has that me-first attitude. Hardy infects our team with a culture of non-hustle and argumentative behavior. Jerome still says y'all too much for our Minnesota tastes. And Potter? Well, let's just say that we couldn't have made a bigger mistake in offering her that one-year, $17.2 million contract. Shouldn't she show some commitment and live up to those dollar figures? Thank heavens I'm an outstanding judge of replacement player talent. The signing to 10-day contracts of Emily Hennen (Prior Lake, Minn.), Matt Schroeder (Fond du Lac, Wis.) and Emily Wood (Wausau, Wis.) was a stroke of genius on my part."

The impact of the replacement players was felt throughout the evening as Hennen legged out a pair of infield hits, Schroeder gave Boom some pop from the left side of the plate that had been missing as fellow lefty Tory Kukowski (Lewiston, Minn.) continues to suck, and Wood aroused the team with exceptional all-around play to earn 5•8 Club Co-Player of the Week honors with Noth.

"Those scabs gave us more than we can ever expect out of Coughlin, Hardy, Jerome or Potter," Noth said while cleaning up baby puke from his sofa. "Heck, Hennen alone hustled more in one game than our notrorious non-hustlers Potter and Hardy. And how good is Wood?"

The game was not all sunshine and lollipops as aging hurler Steve Geller (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) was atrocious, allowing a season-high 11 runs while allowing a franchise-record nine walks, including two with the bases loaded. Geller couldn't blame the defense behind him as he accounted for as many errors (two) as the rest of team combined. With his piss-poor performance, Geller was named the Nick Joos/Mike Lochrem Goat of the Week. The soon-to-be free agent embarrassingly blamed jet lag for his awful play, eliciting memories of various injury-related excuses that Coughlin has used to explain past bad performances.

In roster news, Keiser announced that Wood and Schroeder have been signed to new 10-day contracts for Boom's quarterfinal contest next week. Wood will replace Caravan-bound Potter, while Schroeder takes the place of soon-to-be Sooner Kukowski.

Notes
• Boom has out-scored its opponents 100-55 through seven games this season.
• Injury report:
- Catcher Casey Kurtt (Lakeland, Minn.) avoided injury in the second inning when she did not do a barrell roll into the dugout to chase a foul pop.
- Pitcher Steve Geller skinned his knees and elbows after crawling down the third baseline in a humorous attempt to make a limp-wristed throw to home.
• Boom opened the postseason with a female lineup consisting of women 5-foot-2 or shorter. The Smurfettes were 4-11 outfielder Emily Wood, 5-1 second baseman Emily Hennen, 5-1 1/4 catcher Casey Kurtt and 5-2 third baseman Andrea Smith (Golden Valley, Minn.)
• Fans in attendance: Michelle Train (season-low attendance)
• Fan standings: Michelle Train (6 appearances), Emily Wickstrom (4 apps.), Laura Kurtt (3 apps.), Pam Hardy (3 apps.), Beth Kurtt (2 apps.), Jim Kurtt (2 apps.), Shane Sandersfeld (2 apps.), Lori Noth (1 app.), Cameron Noth (1 app.), Lisa Carlson (1 app.), Tory's girlfriend Kate (1 app.), Tory's girlfriend Kate's sister Mary (1 app.).
• The Kurtt family continued their boycott of Boom games until past Jeannie/Cowboy Bob Superfan Laura Kurtt is added to the team poster.
• Mascots in attendance: None
• Mascot standings: Cooper (5 appearances), Maggie (2 apps.), Koda (2 apps.)

Breaking News: Boom to Use All-Smurfette Lineup Tonight

In lieu of a steady stream of departures from the playoff roster, Boom Goes the Dynamite General Manager Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) announced this afternoon that the two-time defending CSC Champions will open the postseason tonight with a female lineup consisting of women 5-foot-2 or shorter. The Diminutive Dames will be 4-11 outfielder Emily Wood (Wausau, Wis.), 5-1 second baseman Emily Hennen (Prior Lake, Minn.), 5-1 1/4 catcher Casey Kurtt (Lakeland, Minn.) and 5-2 third baseman Andrea Smith (Golden Valley, Minn.)

Wood and Hennen were late additions to the roster as relative giants Lisa Hardy (Hopkins, Minn.), Alicia Jerome (Kirkland, Wash.) and Meghan Potter (Hibbing, Minn.) pulled themselves out of the lineup for a myriad of reasons.

"One thing's for sure. The sightlines for this game will be terrific," Jeannie/Cowboy Bob Superfan of the Year frontrunner Michelle Train (Taunton, Minn.) said. "I'm short, but not that short. I won't have any trouble seeing over the heads of those little peanuts."

"You can call us whatever you want," the self-proclaimed Lilliputian Ladies said in a press release. "Call us dwarves, midgets, munchkins, shorties, half-pints, knee-highs, little people, peewees, pygmys, runts, shrimps, squirts or tots. It doesn't matter to us. We may be short, but don't sell us short. Sure, we need phone books to see over the dashboard, but we'll kick your tall asses."

Keiser recognized the historical significance of an all-gnome lineup, but did not want to make a big issue out of it, saying, "At least we're not a coed basketball team."

Boom Goes the Dynamite, featuring The Smurfettes, takes on Foul Balls tonight at 6:10 p.m., at Lake Nokomis Diamond #7.

Boom Gets Wood Again

Playoff-bound Boom Goes The Dynamite, the two-time defending CSC Softball franchise with links to the now-defunct teams of Low Expectations, Gas on the Fire and I’m With Stupid, has announced the signing of utility player Emily Wood (Wausau, Wis.) to a 10-day tryout contract. Wood, a 5-foot-nothing sparkplug, agreed to terms with team president, general manager, director of player personnel, chief scout and Fox 9 News personality Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) last week.

Wood was called up from the inactive list due to the expected absence of second baseman Alicia Jerome (Kirkland, Wash.) and outfielder Meghan Potter (Hibbing, Minn.). Jerome will be making money off of the dentally-challenged people of Arkansas, while Potter will be a chief organizer of the Tom Wistrcill Homecoming Celebration in Winona today.

"I was minding my own business in my spacious cubicle, when out of nowhere, Keiser comes running out of his office screaming, 'I got Wood! I got Wood!'" lame duck intern and wannabe Sooner Tory Kukowski (Lewiston, Minn.) said. "At first I thought he had popped some Viagra or Cialis, but then I realized that he was yelling about the acquisition of Snickers (Emily Wood). Phew."

Wood, formerly Emily “I see your” Schranz “is as big as mine,” has been penciled in to start in right field for Boom Goes The Dynamite’s playoff-opener against Foul Balls at 6:10 p.m., tonight at Lake Nokomis Diamond #7.

"Wood caught the eye of my scouts at the Rodents vs. Chipmunks game last month at Siebert Field," Keiser said. “From what I hear, that munchkin caught everything that came her way in right field. The crazy and possibly drunk secrataries in the press box gave her the game MVP award even though she was on the losing team. That was all the evidence I needed to welcome her back to Boom. Plus, we get rid of two of our biggest lazy-asses in Jerome and Potter. It's a win-win."

“I’m just glad they overlooked the fact that I’m associated with Jim Praska,” Wood said from a sparse press conference from her dungeon-like office. “Having your name associated with Praska cannot be good for an athlete’s career, but Mr. Keiser gave me a chance. I’m just going to work hard for Boom Goes The Dynamite and prove that getting Wood is always a good thing.”

In other news, Boom is expected to welcome back first baseman and team hot-head Lisa Hardy (Hopkins, Minn.) to the lineup tonight. Hardy missed Boom's regular season finale after having a good portion of her neck removed in the interest of science (edit: never mind; Hardy apparently was a legend at her elementary school; who knew?) . Also, Keiser just announced that one-time replacement slugger Matt Schroeder (Fond du Lac, Wis.) will join the Boom Goes the Dynamite roster in an emergency fill-in role. Schroeder was added to the lineup when wily journeyman Kyle Coughlin (Golden Valley, Minn.) stupidly scheduled a tee time for 1 p.m., in Chaska.

A Plea to the Heavyfoot Community

Mr. Heavyfoot comes to you with a heavy heart. So many of you who visit this site for information and updates on Boom Goes the Dynamite softball and other newsworthy topics are getting only half of the information. People from all over the world active on the internet are visiting this site and posting comments that reflect their observations on the various and sundry fake news releases available only on Mr. Heavyfoot. If you do not review the comments and add your own, you are missing the impact that Boom is making on the international stage and therefore getting only half of the story. So fans of Mr. Heavyfoot and followers of the Boom, we implore you to comment.

Breakdancing, Soccer Hazardous to Your Health

Mr. Heavyfoot enjoys a good breakdance from time to time. Usually without punting toddlers, though.


Mr. Heavyfoot does not enjoy a good soccer ball to the seeds. It's funny when others take a soccer ball to the seeds, though.

(special thanks to With Leather for the heads-up on the videos)

Miller Girls Vying for Most Favored Daughter Status

Michael and Mary Miller of Lakeland, Minn., have announced the creation of an exploratory committee to determine which of their four daughters – Casey, Jesse, Maggie and Molly – will achieve Most Favored Daughter (MFD) status. The competition is expected to be hotly-contested between the it's-hard-to-believe-they-all-came-from-the-same-gene-pool daughters. Michael and Mary will chair the committee, and will be joined by neighbor Boogie, Most Favored Uncle Mike Maloney, family matriarch Winifred Marguerite Maloney and one member of the Paul Lake-loving family, the Bordenaves.

MFD Status will afford the awarded daughter with special and exclusive privileges such as a one-year exemption from unannounced parent drop-ins, an increased ration of Mary-produced caramel rolls, no-strings-attached viewings of sporting events on the big-screen HD TV in Lakeland, an embargo on all Shania Twain songs and references, and free babysitting/dog-sitting/boyfriend-sitting for three different weekend nights. It's unclear if the exploratory committee will also reveal which Miller girl owns Least Favored Daughter status.

"Listen, we love each and every one of our daughters a lot," Mary said in a carefully-worded statement. "We just want to determine which daughter we love the most. From time to time in the last 30 years, we've vascillated between adoring our daughters to considering a clandestine getaway to a distant country. We just feel it's time to, once and for all, make clear which one we love the most. It's pretty straightforward."

"I'm excited to see what the committee concludes," Michael said from a press conference at Curtis 1000 headquarters. "I love my girls as much as fantasy football, golf and John Gagliardi. Would I love a son more? Sure. But that's not what we're talking about. We would be if Mary would have blessed me with a boy. **sniff** Does anybody have a Kleenex?"

The creation of the Most Favored Daughter Committee produced a variety of responses from the Miller daughters and observers of the Miller family. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was eldest daughter Maggie, 30, who was the most willing to give her opinion on the creation of the MFD Committee.

"This is a complete and utter sham," Maggie said from a sparsely-attended press conference at The Liffey. "We all know that Molly has been and always will be their favorite daughter. Do you honestly think they're going to award my single, curly-haired and key-losing butt Most Favored Daughter status? Ha! You think Casey and Jesse have a chance? Yeah, right. I have three letters for you. I-B-S. Their gassy asses pretty much doomed them from day one. Congrats, Molly. You won this title at birth. Way to go."

The other Miller daughters had unique feelings about the Most Favored Daughter development.

"Need I remind my parents that I'm going to make them grandparents first?" Casey, 28, said before downing a peanut butter, pickle, pistachio and cheese sandwich. "It was I who got married first. It was I who got knocked-up first. It should be I who gets this toast-flavored stratus thing."

"I couldn't give a rat's ass about this competition," Molly, 26, said while trying to remember the address of her realty company's website. "I have a prom staircase. And an Audi. And my baby is going be be damn cute. You think I care about this MFD thing. I have bigger fish to fry, thank you very much."

"I love you, Mom and Dad," a brown-nosing Jesse, 22, said during a commercial break while watching America's Next Top Model.

"This might be the best idea to ever come out of 16087 North First Street," neighbor Jenny Keller said. "Those chicks all walk around here like they own this podunk town. It's about time they ranked those big-chested bee-yotches. Unfortunately, someone has to win."

The Most Favored Daughter Committee has its hands full as each of the Miller girls brings a unique set of pros and cons to the table. An insider source who asked to be referred to as M. Maloney or Mike M. revealed some of the issues the committee is taking under consideration.

"Well, they're all hot. So they have that going for them. Beyond that, we're looking at financial matters. Did they attend an expensive private school or an affordable public institution? Do they own a McMansion or a run-down townhouse? We're talking about their significant others. What can their husbands or boyfriends do for Mike and Mary? Can they get them tickets to sporting events, free golf or cheap meat products? Does having a significant other help them or hurt them?

"Then there's the ancillary issues. How cute or well-behaved is their dog, if they have one? Does it shed its fur like the bejeezus? Is the daughter going to bleed the Millers' savings account dry with another wedding? Do they have a Master's degree from an evil school to the east? Were the sports they competed in entertaning or incredibly boring? Do they live too close or too far away? Do they talk about bras or mentrual cycles or flatulence at family dinners? Wait, they all do that. Well, regardless, we have a lot to consider."

The MFD committee is set to meet over the Memorial Day weekend and issue its decision whenever it gets around to it.

Boom Overwhelms Outlawz, Casey Kurtt Risks Life, Limb and Unborn Child for Foul Ball

Two-time defending CSC Champion Boom Goes the Dynamite wrapped up the regular season in the first session of the 2007 season with a 12-2 rout of woefully-outmatched Outlawz last night at the Lake Nokomis Athletic Fields in Minneapolis. The win clinched Boom (4-2) a spot in the playoffs, but it was not without a sense of drama as knocked-up catcher Casey Kurtt (Lakeland, Minn.) risked the health and well-being of her 5-foot-1 self and that of her unborn child during an essentially meaningless play in the second inning.

Wife of dashingly handsome shortstop Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.), Casey attempted to make a catch of a short fly ball near the Boom dugout, but came up short, falling forward before going into a barrel roll in an apparent effort to shield her ever-expanding belly from an impact with the infield dirt. Kevin was not pleased with Casey's utter disregard for human life, whether born or unborn.

"If there's no bun in the oven, she can run head-first into a light pole for all I care," Kevin said between gloats about his third consecutive game with a round-tripper. "But that's my handiwork she's lugging around in that cute little belly. I don't even know why she's playing. If (Lisa) Hardy didn't totally puss-out with her little neck problem, my sugar mama would be cheering us from the stands, not putting my future heir's life at risk. I do appreciate the hustle though."

Team management also appreciated the diminutive veteran infielder's hustle and her husband's 4-for-4 performance from the plate, awarding the First Couple of Bierman the 5•8 Club Co-Player of the Week Awards.

"Aside from Casey's flop, drop and roll, that little peanut sure showed our team what hustle is all about," team president, general manager, chief scout and director of player personnel Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) said. "A few of our ladies should take some notes. I'm looking at you (Alicia) Jerome, (Meghan) Potter and Hardy. But the Kurtts really carried our play today. It's a shame they had to have their great performances without family members in the stands. Where the heck were all the Kurtts?"

According to insider sources, Laura Kurtt and parents Jim and Beth Kurtt, former frontrunners for the Jeannie/Cowboy Bob Superfan of the Year Award, are contemplating a boycott of all future Boom Goes the Dynamite games and team functions in response to Laura being omitted from the team poster. Jim and Beth, along with fans Michelle Train and Shane Sandersf***, were included in the Keiser-produced, Bob Swoverland-printed poster.

"I demand a reprint," Laura said after a practice with her expansion kickball franchise, The Kit Shickers. "To include Train and leave me out is a travesty. I cheered for this team when they were Low Expectations with (Mike) Lundberg tripping over himself and The Fridge getting thrown out at first from left field. And this is how they re-pay me? I've got five words for you: Jeff Keiser is a jerk."

In a related development, Goldy's Gang Mascot of the Year candidates Cooper and Maggie were also noticeably absent. MOY dark horse Koda made her second appearance, but chewed through her pricey leash, jeopardizing her postseason award hopes.

In on-field news, outfielder Meghan Potter (Hibbing, Minn.) earned her second consecutive Nick Joos/M. Lochrem Goat of the Week Award after doing her best impression of Lisa Hardy running lackadaisically on the basepaths. Twice last night, Potter failed to hustle, resulting in a second inning-ending double play and a preventable fourth inning out at second base.

"Maybe the people doing the stats were drunk, because I have a hard time believing that Potter had five stolen bases and two triples during her freshman season at North Dakota State," team hustler Casey Kurtt said. "I don't care if she can out-hit (Kevin) Noth. She has to understand she's a rookie on this team, and rookies need to earn their keep. Why team management is paying her what they are is beyond me."

In addition to the Kurtts' standout performances, several Dynamiters broke out of week-long slumps with strong showings against the Outlawz. With a confirmed appearance of his girlfriend Kate (last name withheld), Tory Kukowski (Lewiston, Minn.) successfully avoided popping out at every at-bat, going 2-for-4 with a double in the fourth inning.

"It wasn't a vintage Kukowski night," third baseman Andrea Smith (Golden Valley, Minn.). "And that's a good thing. I just didn't need to see those two lovebirds playing kissy-face before and during the game. Yuck."

Despite receiving a harsh public admonishment from popular Minneapolis Star Tribune gossip columnist CJ, wily journeyman Kyle Coughlin (Golden Valley, Minn.) also broke out of a hitting slump, showing power from both sides of the plate and displaying outstanding fielding prowess not previously seen at first base this season.

"Put that in your column, CJ," Coughlin barked.

After a week off for Memorial Day, Boom Goes the Dynamite enters the postseason with the 2007 CSC Playoffs on Monday, June 4. Boom takes on Foul Balls (2-4) at 6:10 p.m., on Diamond #7 at the Lake Nokomis Athletic Field. Foul Balls is a team comprised of ethanol salesmen, skanky strippers, an ultimate fighter and retired home economics teachers

Notes
• Boom has out-scored its opponents 79-44 through six games this season.
• For the first time this season, third baseman Andrea Smith showed up early to the field.
• Kyle Coughlin appeared at first base for the second time this season.
• An angry Steve Geller (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) had to be restrained after getting called out at first base to complete a controversial double play. Amazingly, team hot-head Lisa Hardy did not argue the call.
• Injury report:
- In garbage time, substitute shortstop Tory Kukowski took a hard ground ball which nearly took off his fingernail on his right pinky.
- Koda's ego was bruised after owner Alicia Jerome (Seattle, Wash.) beat the dog's ass after chewing through its leash.
- The hole in inactive Lisa Hardy's neck looked painful.
• Tory Kukowski's girlfriend, Kate, made her first career appearance at a Boom game, leading none to question her actual existence.
• Fans in attendance: Michelle Train, Emily Wickstrom, Pam Hardy, Tory's girlfriend Kate, Tory's girlfriend Kate's sister Mary.
• Fan standings: Michelle Train (5 appearances), Emily Wickstrom (4 apps.), Laura Kurtt (3 apps.), Pam Hardy (3 apps.), Beth Kurtt (2 apps.), Jim Kurtt (2 apps.), Shane Sandersfeld (2 apps.), Lori Noth (1 app.), Cameron Noth (1 app.), Lisa Carlson (1 app.), Tory's girlfriend Kate (1 app.), Tory's girlfriend Kate's sister Mary (1 app.). Tory's girlfriend Kate and Tory's girlfriend Kate's sister Mary now eligible for the Jeannie/Cowboy Bob Superfan of the Year Award.
• Mascots in attendance: Koda
• Mascot standings: Cooper (5 appearances), Maggie (2 apps.), Koda (2 apps.)

Romo Opens Defense of MIB Award with Subpar Performance

Former Minnesota state free throw champion John Romo (Hutchinson, Minn.) opened defense of his 2006-07 Minneapolis Bowling Congress Most Improved Bowler award last night with a subpar performance at Doyle's Bowling Alley & Lounge in Minneapolis. Romo began the night with a respectable 176 in the first game, before causing nearly $1,200 in damage to the ceiling tiles above lane 6 with a misguided throw of his 14-pound Brunswick Fury (video below). From there, the brains behind the not-your-daddy's gophersports.com rolled a 133 and 112 to finish 47 pins behind his 2006-07 MIB three-game average.

"It just wasn't my night," Romo said between sips from his Jack & Coke. "Maybe the award went to my head or maybe I'm feeling the pressure of my coworkers to live up to what they think of me, but I thought I had my alcohol intake-to-bowling performance ratio down to a science. When my ball hit the ceiling, I knew it was back to the drawing board. I just hope the Minneapolis Bowling Congress and Doyle's lets me come back next week."

Longtime Romo adversary and runner-up to last season's MIB award, Lawrence T. Goodnough, was none too pleased with the distraction on lane 6. "I had a good thing going in the seventh frame when ceiling tile comes raining down in the lane next to me. I was going for my second turkey of the night and Romo does that. I don't want to go as far to say he did it on purpose, but it sure smells fishy to me."

This is not the first time that Romo has been accused of potentially throwing athletic contests. In 2003, Romo allegedly attempted to shave runs in a Marketing vs. Media Relations softball game when the graduate of Bemidji State University appeared to intentionally boot thrown and hit balls at first base. Despite his statements that he didn't care about the game, Romo's actions were spurious to say the least.

Romo's ceiling tile-related meltdown last night comes just a week after another embarrassing moment at Doyle's when the former hockey SID dumped a pitcher full of Grain Belt Premium beer on an unnamed underachieving teammate.

"I was just trying to show him the proper bowling technique that led me to the MIB title when my hand accidentelly hit the pitcher," Romo said after downing an order of Cajun fries. "Sure, he was dragging the team down with his awful bowling, but does anyone honestly think I'd waste good alcohol like that?"

Romo and his cellar-dwelling bowling team, I Can't Believe It's Not Gutter, takes on the Holy Rollers next Wednesday at 8 p.m., at Doyle's

Two Dynamiters to Appear in Siebert Field All-Star Game

A pair of Boom Goes the Dynamite standouts, salary cap hog Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.) and up-and-comer Tory Kukowski (Lewiston, Minn.) were named to the Siebert Field All-Star Game to be played at 2 p.m., today. For the first time in their respective careers, the duo will be split up as Kukowski will be play for the Gold Chipmunks, while Kurtt will sport the Maroon Rodent colors.

Controversy has been sparked by the lack of Dynamiters selected to the game, circumstances surrounding the players selected and the perks received for their participation in this yearly contest.

“If you ask me, the whole selection process is a joke,” said wily veteran Kyle Coughlin (Golden Valley, Minn.), whose named was removed from the ballot prior to the season in favor of Leo Lewis in the pitcher’s spot by University of Minnesota athletics adminstration.

Several other Dynamiters did not comment on their All-Star snubs. However, when approached about the selection of All-Star Team, representative Jeff Seifriz said, “That squad is completely overrated. For years, Boom has picked on the bottom-feeders of Minneapolis softball to claim a lot of those victories. Teams such as McWalstein’s No-Talent Ass Clowns, Lucky Strikes and that group of misfits they beat by 30 last year in the playoffs don’t give them a very high RPI. Therefore, how can we compare players from that team against legends like Mike McDonald, Scott Ellison and Kathy Anderson?”

Another controversy surrounding the game was the new fan voting system implemented by Tech Services this year.

“First of all, the server has been down for three days now. so none of our fans could vote,” Boom general manager Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) said.

Another mysterious development had superfan-in-training Emily Wickstrom logging on a surprising 1,500 times on May 13 to vote for Kukowski. Along with that development, Kurtt seemed to have received most of his votes from e-mail accounts attributed to Boom Mascot of the Year contenders Cooper and Maggie.

“I knew that this voting was open to citizens from around the world, but when Maggie and Cooper start pushing the voting over the top, we have to pretty much call this process a joke,” former Siebert Field All-Star Shane Sanderseld said.

Commenting about the number of Kukowski’s votes coming from her household Wickstrom said, “That Lewiston basketball team was pretty much comparable to mid-1990s Chicago Bulls, and Tory was the Scottie Pippen of that squad. I was just making sure he got his deserved recognition.”

Another issue of contention, were the perks that were received by Kukowski and Kurtt for making this All-Star team.

“We are already paying this clown $114 million over six years, and I come to find out that Kevin Kurtt gets an All-Star bonus of $3 million on top of that," Keiser said. "I blame these awful contracts on the Geller era. We need to get rid of some of these albatross contracts and soon.”

On another note, Kukowski received six free meals at the Steak Knife for his All-Star appearance, per the wording of his contract set up by former agent Michael H. Lochrem.

The brightest note of the afternoon is with Kurtt and Kukowski playing on opposite teams, one of the players will snap Boom’s 0-75 collective record compiled by its members that have played in this game.

“You think Geller is washed up now. I could have told you that two years ago when I watched his performance in the All-Star game,” former Maroon Rodent All-Star manager J.T. Bruett said.

As a sidenote, Geller was left off the All-Star team after it was determined that Sue LaTrendese would be a better late-game defensive replacement. At the time of this story, Geller had no comment regarding this matter.

Bunt Sign Just an Excuse for Third Base Coach to Touch His Crotch

Members of Boom Goes the Dynamite are starting to think that the bunt sign is just an excuse for their third base coach to play with his crotch. Players say the coach, Kyle Coughlin (Golden Valley, Minn.), calls the bunt sign five to six times per at bat, even though CSC league rules don’t allow for bunts.

“He’s got a problem, I think,” first baseman Lisa Hardy (Hopkins, Minn.) said. “The first game we made four and five outs per game from illegal bunts. We finally caught onto it that he’s just playing with himself.”

Boom players confronted their coach to get him to change the bunt sign to something other than a touch to the crotch but he refused. “If I change it to something else, then it’s going to be really obvious that I can’t keep my hands off myself and I don’t need that embarrassment,” Coughlin admitted. “The only thing I’ll consider doing is making a tap to the crotch the indicator sign and then a full hand down the pants the bunt sign.”

Those That Go Boom - The 2007 Boom Goes the Dynamite Roster

The 2007 Boom Goes the Dynamite roster has been released by team president and general manager Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.). The The companion piece to the Boom Goes the Dynamite team poster (see below) is available by clicking on the above photo. The roster includes all the pertinent information on all of your favorite Boom personalities, including the controversial contract terms.

Corrections to the roster:
Steve Geller's uniform #: 4
Steve Geller's high school: Earl L. Vandermeulen Port Jefferson
Casey Kurtt's uniform #: 10

Boom Announces Landmark Marketing Deal, Releases Team Poster

In a move that will surely shift the culture of slow-pitch softball from that of laid-back, beer-swilling friends out for a good time to that of washed-up athletic communicators and aging softball veterans taking themselves and this coed sport way too seriously, two-time defending CSC Champion Boom Goes the Dynamite has announced a landmark marketing, promotions and broadcast deal with a variety of major organizations.

A cornerstone of the deal is the release of the 2007 team poster (click photo above for hi-res version) and the announcement of a fan-fueled voting system to choose the Boom Goes the Dynamite marketing slogan. Candidates for the slogan include "Boom-Shacka-Lacka!", "Feel the Boom", "A Culture of Mediocrity", "The Steve Geller Experience" and "Insert Catchy Slogan Here." Fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite slogan (or come up with one of their own) by commenting at the bottom of this release.

"When attendance at Boom games dips to that of the I'm With Stupid era and interest in your team wanes to Minnesota Lynx-levels, you know it's time to take some drastic measures," new Boom Goes the Dynamite director of marketing, promotions, ticket sales and broadcasting Aaron DeBerg of Dubs Marketing announced at a press conference in Fairmont, Minn. "Boom is just not attracting the fans like they did in its hey-day. We need to bring the Laura Kurtts, the Shane Sandersf***s, The Noths, the Lisa Carlsons, the Kodas and the Tory Kukowski's real or imagined girlfriends of the world back to the bleacherless ballfield. We're hopeful this deal will do that."

In addition to the team poster and marketing slogan, Dubs Marketing also announced the following corporate partnerships:
• craigslist - official footwear sponsor of Boom Goes the Dynamite
• University Printing Services - official provider of Bob Swoverland, purveyor of team posters
• Fairview Southdale Hospital - official provider of orthopaedic surgeons (deal negotiated by Shane Sandersf***)
• Meshbencer & Spence - official arbitration attorneys for Lisa Hardy's weekly arguments and Cooper's legal troubles
• RC Cola and Old Milwaukee beer - official beverage provider (deal negotiated by Steve Geller and Kevin Noth)
• Fantasy Tan - official spray-on tan supplier (deal negotiated by Meghan Potter and Alicia Jerome)
• Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference - official sponsor of the Nick Joos/M. Lochrem Goat of the Week and Disappointment of the Year awards

"Adding these corporate partners to the Boom family will allow us to do some monumental things," Boom vice president for corporate communications Alicia Jerome (Kirkland, Wash.) said. "We'll be able to get Kukowski, Geller and Lady Kurtt some cleats; we'll be covered when Coughlin inevitably gets hurt again; we'll keep Hardy and Cooper out of jail; and we'll continue to disparage the name of Mike Lochrem. What more can you ask for?"

In conjuction with Boom's corporate sponsors, the franchise announced several promotional events that will surely bring fans back to the Lake Nokomis Athletic Fields this summer:
• Aging utility player Steve Geller (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) will be making several public appearances in the next few weeks and months to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and do household chores. Already the featured guest at the May 4 grand opening of the University of Minnesota boat house, Geller will appear at the House of Hanson on May 17, superfan-in-training Emily Wickstrom's 23rd birthday party on May 22, Tory Kukowski and Shane Sandersf***'s going-away parties on June 1 and 15, and the birth of Kevin and Casey Kurtt's first child on Nov. 4.
• Kevin Noth Bobblehead Night, presented by Curtis K. Walker Law Offices
• Cooper Frisbee Show and Law Enforcement Appreciation Night, presented by Wham-O
• Run the Bases with Lisa Hardy Postgame Party, presented by Pam
• Remembering Shane Sandersf***, emceed by Mike Max and presented by Brew's Crew, free neck braces to first 10 fans
• Cooper vs. Koda Dogfight Match, presented by Ron Mexico & Associates (cancelled)
• Bloody Kiddie Pool Night, presented by All-American Recreation, free Kyle Coughlin Celebri-lame-ducks to all fans in attendance
• Arrogant Hockey Player Night, presented by Maynard's Restaurant
• Bob Swoverland Appreciation Night, presented by Bob Swoverland, free team poster to the first fan

"We're going to ignite the excitement of Boom Nation with these promotions," adjunct promotional director Deb Diamond said. "Who wouldn't want a Kevin Noth Bobblehead? Who wouldn't want to run the bases with Lisa Hardy? Who wouldn't want a Shane Sandersf*** Memorial Neck Brace? Well, I wouldn't, but I hear the Kurtt family would and they know good freebies when they see them. If the Kurtts aren't a good barometer of the public's interest in Boom Goes the Dynamite softball, then I shouldn't be in the marketing and promotions business."

The final piece of the major announcement revolved around the addition of several broadcast partners for Boom Goes the Dynamite games and ancillary events. Through negotiations with Dubs Marketing, Victory Sports announced it will televise the 2007 season in its entirety and will dig into its archives to broadcast Classic Boom Contests from previous seasons.

"We'd like to welcome Victory Sports to the Boom family," team president Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) said. "With Dave Lee on play-by-play and Sara Berhow on color, we know we'll be getting top-notch announcing at every game. I, for one, can't wait for the Classic Boom Contests against Yep, Capella and the Humpday Hackers. This is the greatest television deal in the history of the world."

Boom's extended the contract of its long-time radio partner, La Mera Buena 107.5 FM, to last through the 2011 season, not coincidentally the final season of two-time MVP/salary cap killer Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.). In addition to broadcasting all games live, La Mera Buena will produce weekly shows for the Boom Radio Network, including Gabbin' with Geller (Tuesdays at 3 p.m.), The Meghan Potter/Kyle Coughlin Relationship Advice Hour (Wednesdays at 11 a.m.), Keiser Say So (Thursdays at 11 p.m) and the Shane Sandersf*** Dance Party (Fridays, 2 a.m.). The Doritos & Coke Pre- and Post-Game show, hosted by Rita Maloney and Mike Grimm will continue to provide the Boom fan with interviews, postgame reactions, feature stories and made-up stats.

"With La Mera Buena on board, everyone within a three-square-mile radius of the station in St. Bonafacius will be able to hear Boom games in digital radio quality, both in English and Spanish," Keiser said. "Calling the games will be the ubiquitous Tom Witschen with up-and-comer Cameron Noth as analyst. Tony Oliva will continue to call the games in Spanish."

Boom's internet partner, Mr. Heavyfoot, has and will continue to be the ultimate destination for all things related to Boom Goes the Dynamite.