Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner - The Professor's Week 1 Picks

After some high-level research and conversations with the who's whos of Big Ten football, may I present to you The Professor's Picks of the Week:

I talked to former Gopher coach/current Big Ten Network Analyst Glen Mason this week in preparation for my pick of the Ohio State vs. Minnesota game. He wouldn't give me a pick for the game (said something like, "I'm a professional. I have to be objective."), but he did refer me to a dentist with great veneers and a newer, bigger rack, and to some hot stock tips coutesy of Marquette Assets. Getting no help from Mase, I turned to my good friend Ken-Yon Rambo. He gave me plenty of nuggets, including the scoop on Beanie Wells' toe (it's been stapled together a la Curt Schilling's ankle), Tressel's sweater vest (he gets cold easily) and the complete and total ineffectiveness of Brian Robiskie (apparently he was seeing a woman who works in the OSU sports info office in the offseason, but she dumped him when she got engaged, so he's been down in the dumps). None of this adds up to a Minnesota win, but it does give the Goof Troop a chance of staying within 19 points. Final Score: Ohio State 34, Minnesota 24.

Next we have Wisconsin vs. Michigan. Otherwise known as Bret Bulimia vs. Dick Rod. If anyone has been following The Professor's picks in the past few years, you know I never pick the Stinkin' Badgers (I also always pick service academies. Go Army! Beat Navy!). That's not going to change here and the bye week does wonders for Dick Rod's spread offense. I talked to Lloyd Carr this week, but he didn't say anything. So I talked to Kevin Noth instead. Although he's probably going to pick a convincing Badger win, he seemed concerned about the health of his squad. Noth told me that Beckum, Clay, Casillas and several guys with Polish last names are still a little banged up. That's enough for me to go with the Wolverines. Badgers still win, but it's a field goal in the waning moments that does it. Final Score: Wisky 17, Meeeechigan 14.

15.5 points is an awful lot for Penn State to cover against the Fighting Wickstroms, but one look at Illinois' defense so far says JoePa just might have enough thugs (Scirotto, Hayes, King) and potheads (Wallace, Quarless, Evans, Koroma) to score a lot and stop the Illini. I talked to former PSU running back/alleged rapist Austin Scott this week and he talked about the Nits' new culture of "do whatever the f*** you want as long as you win." That's enough for me to take the Fighting Keisers over the Fighting Wickstroms. Final Score: Penn State 42, Illinois 21.

I talked to Antwann Randle El this week. He also saw the Ball State-Indiana game. He likes Michigan State. Final Score: Michigan State 28, Indiana, 17.

Here that sound? Eeeeeeeerrrrrr-plunk! Eeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! It's The Professor's Lead Pipe Lock of the Week. This is also the Snuggle Feel-Good Pick of the Week. One and a half points for the Irish? Who set this line. The Pope? Although Purdue's defense has looked pedestiran so far this season, Tiller Time's offense is plenty explosive enough to pile on the points against the Hobblin' Charlie Weises. I talked to former Purdue defensive coach Moe Ankney this week and all he wanted to know was if they were in "Cobra" or not. He also couldn't find Losli. That was enough for me to pick Purdue to win big on the road. Final Score: Purdue 36, Notre Dame 23.

I'm not sure what KCKCKCK is talking about with the Northwestern-Iowa game. I talked to nobody about this game because I, like a large portion of our viewing audience, don't care about the Wildcat-Hawkeye tilt. But I guess The Professor still has to make a pick. And what professor would I be if I didn't pick the smart kids to cover (and win!) against the Fighting S'felds. Final Score: Northwestern 24, Iowa 23.

Thus concludes The Professor's Picks of the Week. Remember, "The 'Smart' Money is Always on THE PROFESSOR."

Report: Mr. Heavyfoot a Blog of Satire, Not an Actual Source of Facts

Google-owned blog company Blogger of San Francisco issued a report today stating that the blog Mr. Heavyfoot (http://mrheavyfoot.blogspot.com/) is a site consisting primarily of satire, not a site that bothers itself with facts, accurate quotes or any other pillars of good journalism. Blogger released the report after several confused organizations used Mr. Heavyfoot as a source for background checks for various members of the Heavyfoot community.

"Apparently, there's some misconceptions about the definition of satire," Mr. Heavyfoot said. "This blog is all about irony, sarcasm, ridicule and caustic wit, not facts. I'm guessing the same people who use us as a source for legitimate information think The Onion is actually a newspaper filled with factual reporting."

As a disclaimer to visitors to Mr. Heavyfoot, the blog uses the sub-headline "All the fake news that really isn't all that fit to print," informing the misinformed web-surfer that Mr. Heavyfoot is nothing but a forum for the ramblings of a blogger with way too much time on his hands and a good imagination.

"From time to time, we'll post actual facts, but by no means is that a common occurrence," Mr. Heavyfoot said. "About the only time you'll read the truth on this site is when we post the score of Boom Goes the Dynamite softball games. By the way, if anybody reading this blog wants to hire me to write fake press releases, fake news stories or other pieces of satire, let me know. Please realize, however, that we here at Mr. Heavyfoot don't let the facts get in the way of a good story."

The Boom Box Score - Green Giants 8, Boom Goes the Dynamite 7

Boom Goes the Dynamite (7-4) failed to put a dent in the Green Giants' bid for a perfect season, falling 8-7 to the league leaders last night in St. Louis Park Mixed C action at Aquila Park.

Trailing 8-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Boom rallied with three runs on a bases clearing double by Meghan Potter to cut the Green Giants' lead to one. After holding the Giants (11-0) scoreless in the top of the seventh, Boom loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the inning on a single by Casey Kurtt and walks by Jim Strick and Alyssa Downing. Boom's then-leading hitter Matt Slieter had a chance to play the hero, but he hit a bad pitch that went to the Giants' second baseman who fired to first for the final out.

The loss, coupled with HGH's 15-3 win over The Chiefs last night, pushes Boom into a tie for third place with Skeet Skeet, entering the final week of the season. Boom faces HGH (8-3) next week, while Skeet Skeet takes on the Green Giants.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com; standings are available here):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Ryan Maus, 2. Jeff Keiser, 3. Jim Strick.
* Nick Joos/CoSIDA Goat of the Game: Matt Slieter.
* As a team, Boom hit a very pedestrian .400.
* Boom's seven guys went a combined 10-for-17 (.588) with three RBI, one walk, two doubles and a triple while Boom's six ladies went 4-for-16 (.250) with four RBI, one walk and one double.
* Boom's top of the order (spots 1-5) hit 8-for-14 (.571) with six RBI, three doubles and a triple, while the bottom of the order (spots 6-13) hit 6-for-19 (.316) with one RBI.
* Out of Boom's 14 hits, 10 were singles.
* Matt Slieter suffered his first loss as an active player. Boom is now 6-1 with Matt Slieter in the lineup (1-3 without).
* Production: Meghan Potter is averaging .714 RBI per at bat. The next best ratio is Cathy Behr at .621. No male player has better than a .481 ratio (Strick).
* Boom is 7-1 with Kieran Kurtt in attendance and 0-3 without the 8-month year old in the stands.
* Kevin Kurtt became the first Boom player with 10 doubles on the season. He had his fourth straight game with a double.
* Only Kevin Kurtt, Jeff Keiser, Kevin Noth and Steve Geller have played in all 11 games this season.
* RBI Totals (Female - 70, Male - 82)
* Run Totals (Female - 49, Male - 103)
* Kevin Kurtt has scored in all 11 games this season. He leads the team with 21 runs scored.
* Kurtt is the lone Boom player with multi-hit games in all 11 contests this season.
* With his 1-for-3 outing, Matt Slieter had his first game without multiple hits. He also failed to score a run for the first time this season.
* Jim Strick has two or more hits in all nine of his games played this season.
* Ryan Maus had his third straight two-hit, one-run game.
* Jeff Keiser had his first multi-RBI game since notching five on May 20 vs. Absolute Bail Bonds.
* Keiser hit his second triple of the season.
* Keiser now has recorded multiple hits in all but one game (June 24 vs. Myslajek Ltd, 1-for-2).
* Keiser had fans in the stands for the first time in his career as wife Leah and sister-in-law Sara made the game's attendance stand at two.
* Cathy Behr suffered her first hitless game of the season. She did, however, notched her ninth consecutive game with an RBI.
* Meghan Potter struck out twice last night, tying Casey Kurtt for the team lead (2).
* Potter has had multi-RBI games eight times this season, including last night's three RBI effort. She has had three or more RBI in five games this year.
* Potter failed to score a run for only the second time this season.
* Kevin Noth had his second hitless game of the season.
* Alyssa Downing drew her fourth walk of the season, tying her for the team lead with Casey Kurtt.
* Steve Geller failed to record a multi-base hit for the first time since May 27 vs. Skeet Skeet.
* Geller has scored in three consecutive games.
* Boom has drawn 16 walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 28 times.
* Kevin Kurtt now leads the team in runs, hits, singles, doubles and sacrifice flies.
* Keiser's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 1:1.714, while Steve Geller's is at 1:4.
* Jim Strick and Jeff Keiser are Boom's male leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Strick ranks first in RBI (13), and third in home runs (0) and batting average (.741), while Keiser ranks first in home runs (2) and RBI (13), and fourth in batting average (.667)
* Meghan Potter and Cathy Behr are Boom's female leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Potter ranks first in RBI (25) and home runs (0), and second in batting average (.629). Behr ranks first in home runs (0) and batting average (.655), and second in RBI (18).
* Jeff Keiser is Boom's leader in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (pitching), Keiser first in wins (5), ERA (6.25) and strikeouts (7). In second place, Steve Geller ranks second in wins (2), ERA (8.76) and strikeouts (4),
* Boom has not hit a home run since Jeff Keiser had two round-trippers in the 21-20 win over Absolute Bail Bonds on May 20.
* Boom's average margin of victory is 4.86 runs this season.
* Boom's average margin of loss is 2.25 runs this season.
* Boom averages 14 runs per game and allows an average of 11.7 runs per game.
* Boom is now 2-2 in one-run games this season.

The Boom Box Score - Boom Goes the Dynamite 17, Jobdig 5

Boom Goes the Dynamite (7-3) got back in the winning column with a convincing 17-5 win over Jobdig (0-10) on Tuesday night to hang on to second place in the St. Louis Park Mixed C standings. Boom out-hit winless Jobdig 24-11, and had a team batting average of .706 (24-for-34). Tied with HGH for second place, Boom remains three games back of the 10-0 Green Giants in the standings.

Against Jobdig, Boom Goes the Dynamite built a 10-0 lead after two innings to cruise to the five-inning victory. Pitcher/General Manager Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) returned to the mound with three scoreless innings to improve to 5-0 on the season. Keiser walked two, struck out two and allowed one home run.

Boom's offense was led by outfielder Meghan Potter's season-high five RBI. The Hibbing, Minn., native went 2-for-2 with two doubles and a sacrifice fly. Ten Boom players recorded multi-hit games, while only two went hitless (Casey Kurtt, Andrea Smith).

Boom Goes the Dynamite takes on the league-leading Green Giants on Tuesday, July 15 at 9:15 p.m., at Aquila Park Field #2. Boom then will take part in the St. Louis Park Softball Playoffs on Friday-Sunday, July 18-20. Details on Boom's postseason have not yet been made available by League Commissioner Sam Lombardo.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com; standings are available here):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Meghan Potter, 2. Ryan Maus, 3. Andrea Smith.
* Nick Joos/CoSIDA Goat of the Game: None.
* Boom's six guys went a combined 16-for-18 (.889) with nine RBI, three doubles and a triple while Boom's six ladies went 8-for-16 (.500) with eight RBI, two walks and three doubles.
* Out of Boom's 24 hits, seven went for extra bases.
* Steve Geller has eight consecutive hits. Geller is hitting .818 over his last four games.
* Boom is 6-0 with Matt Slieter as an active player (1-3 without).
* Production: Meghan Potter is averaging .688 RBI per at bat. The next best ratio is Cathy Behr at .653. No male player has better than a .529 ratio (Slieter).
* Boom is 7-1 with Kieran Kurtt in attendance and 0-2 without the 8-month year old in the stands.
* Kevin Kurtt recorded his first game-winning RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly in the second.
* Potter tied Boom's season-high with five RBI, tying Jeff Keiser's five on May 20.
* Kevin Kurtt became the first Boom player with 10 extra base hits on the season. He had his third straight game with a double.
* Only Kevin Kurtt, Jeff Keiser, Kevin Noth and Steve Geller have played in all 10 games this season.
* RBI Totals (Female - 66, Male - 79)
* Run Totals (Female - 47, Male - 98)
* Kevin Kurtt has scored in all 10 games this season. He leads the team with 19 runs scored.
* Kurtt is the lone Boom player with multi-hit games in all 10 contests this season.
* Kurtt has recorded an RBI in five straight games.
* Casey Kurtt went hitless for the first time since June 17, but walked twice and scored twice.
* Jeff Keiser failed to record an RBI for the second consecutive game.
* Keiser notched his first three-hit game since May 27.
* Keiser hit a season-high two doubles.
* Meghan Potter had her first two-double game since May 27.
* Potter had had multi-RBI games seven times this season. She recorded her first sacrifice fly of the year on Tuesday.
* Jim Strick has two or more hits in all eight of his games played this season. However, he failed to record an RBI for the second straight game.
* Cathy Behr notched her eighth consecutive game with an RBI. She now has six multi-RBI games this season.
* Behr recorded her third game with three or more hits.
* Steve Geller has now notched five straight multi-hit games.
* Geller had his second straight game with a triple.
* Boom has drawn 14 walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 28 times.
* Matt Slieter has two or more hits in all six of his games played this season.
* Kevin Noth had his first three-hit game of the season with three singles. It was his first multi-RBI game since May 27.
* Ryan Maus had his second straight two-hit, two-RBI game.
* Kevin Kurtt now leads the team in runs, hits, singles, doubles and sacrifice flies.
* Keiser's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 1:2, while Steve Geller's is at 1:4.
* Jim Strick and Jeff Keiser are Boom's male leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Strick ranks second in RBI (13), and third in home runs (0) and batting average (.720), while Keiser ranks first in home runs (2), third in RBI (11), and fourth in batting average (.667)
* Meghan Potter and Cathy Behr are Boom's female leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Potter ranks first in RBI (22) and home runs (0), and second in batting average (.656). Behr ranks first in home runs (0) and batting average (.731), and second in RBI (17).
* Jeff Keiser is Boom's leader in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (pitching), Keiser first in wins (5), ERA (6.40) and strikeouts (6). In second place, Steve Geller ranks second in wins (2), ERA (8.76) and strikeouts (4),
* Boom has not hit a home run since Jeff Keiser had two round-trippers in the 21-20 win over Absolute Bail Bonds on May 20.
* Boom's average margin of victory is 4.86 runs this season.
* Boom averages 14.7 runs per game and allows an average of 12.1 runs per game.

The Boom Box Score - The Chiefs 16, Boom Goes the Dynamite 14

Boom Goes the Dynamite (6-3) lost 16-14 to the 3-6 Chiefs, and that's all we're going to say.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com; standings are available here):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Alyssa Downing, 2. Steve Geller, 3. [redacted].
* Nick Joos/CoSIDA Goat of the Game: Emily Wood.
* Geller made his first start at pitcher since May 27, picking up the loss to move to fall to 2-3. He walked four and did not record a strikeout.
* Boom's six guys went a combined 13-for-18 (.722) with seven RBI, three doubles and a triple while Boom's six ladies went 8-for-17 (.471) with seven RBI, one walk, one double and one triple.
* Out of Boom's 21 hits, 15 were singles.
* Alyssa Downing had her fourth 3-for-3 game of the season, hitting a single, double and a triple with 2 RBI.
* Downing reached base for the ninth consecutive game.
* Boom lost its first game with Kieran Kurtt in attendance. Boom is now 6-1 with Little KK present and 0-2 without the 8-month year old in the stands.
* Kevin Kurtt has scored in all nine games this season. He leads the team with 18 runs scored.
* Kurtt is the lone Boom player with multi-hit games in all nine contests this season.
* Alyssa Downing became first Boom player to be named first star of the game twice this season.
* Lisa Hardy had her second hitless game of the season.
* Jeff Keiser failed to record an RBI for the first time since the fourth game of the season.
* Cathy Behr notched her seventh consecutive game with an RBI. She now has five multi-RBI games this season.
* Jim Strick has two or more hits in all seven of his games played this season. However, he failed to record an RBI for the first time this season.
* Andrea Smith had her second consecutive multi-RBI game.
* Fleet-of-foot Kevin Noth hit only his third double of the season.
* Steve Geller had his second three-hit game of the season. He has now notched four straight multi-hit games.
* Geller had a season-high 3 RBI and hit his first triple of the season.
* Boom has drawn 12 walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 26 times.
* Keiser's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 1:2.5, while Steve Geller's is at 1:4.
* Jim Strick and Jeff Keiser are Boom's male leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Strick ranks first in RBI (12), and third in home runs (0) and batting average (.727), while Keiser ranks first in home runs (2), second in RBI (11), and fourth in batting average (.633)
* Meghan Potter and Cathy Behr are Boom's female leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Potter ranks first in RBI (17) and home runs (0), and third in batting average (.633). Behr ranks first in home runs (0) and batting average (.696), and second in RBI (15).
* Jeff Keiser is Boom's leader in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (pitching), Keiser first in wins (4), ERA (7.00) and strikeouts (4). In second place, Steve Geller ranks first in strikeouts (4), and second in wins (2) and ERA (8.76).
* Boom has not hit a home run since Jeff Keiser had two round-trippers in the 21-20 win over Absolute Bail Bonds on May 20.
* Boom's average margin of victory is 3.67 runs this season.
* Boom averages 14.4 runs per game and allows an average of 12.8 runs per game.

Kieran is sooooooo big

What Kieran fails to recognize is that he is, in fact, quite small for his age (8 months as of yesterday).

The Kyle Coughlin Fence of Remembrance

Above is an actual photo of The Kyle Coughlin Fence of Remembrance (link).

The Boom Box Score - Boom Goes the Dynamite 13, Myslajek Ltd 11

Boom Goes the Dynamite stayed in second place in the St. Louis Park Mixed C League standings with a 13-11 win over Myslajek Ltd. last week. Boom (6-2) hit .613 as a team, including a 12-for-16 (.750) effort from the guys, to push Boom's winning streak to four games.

Leading 13-3 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Boom pitcher Jeff Keiser proceeded to walk four to help Myslajek rally with eight runs to cut the lead to two. The sixth inning began with Boom up to bat, but misguided umpire Sammy H. Keller made his second boneheaded call of the night, ending the game due to time limit after two Boom batters. According to USSSA rules, the inning, once started, should have been completed to its entirety (both the top and bottom halves of the inning). Myslajek has filed a protest with St. Louis Park Softball Commissioner Sam Lombardo, while Boom has asked for clarification on the rule, as well as a suspension of Keller.

Boom looks to add to its winning streak against The Chiefs on July 1 at 7:15 p.m., at Dakota Park West. Boom rolled to a 14-10 win over The Chiefs on June 3.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com; standings are available here):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Alyssa Downing, 2. Andrea Smith, 3. Casey Kurtt.
* General Manager Jeff Keiser's selections of a trio of Boom ladies for the three stars of the game have been called into question as the ladies as a whole hit a pedestrian .467 (7-for-15) on the night.
* Keiser made his fourth straight start at pitcher, picking up the win to move to 4-0. He walked a season-high four and recorded one strikeout.
* Boom's six guys went a combined 12-for-16 (.750) with five RBI and six doubles, while Boom's six ladies went 7-for-15 (.467) with eight RBI, two walks, four doubles and a triple.
* Out of Boom's 20 hits, 11 went for extra bases.
* Keiser hit his first sacrifice fly of the season.
* Alyssa Downing reached base for the eighth consecutive game with a triple and a walk.
* Boom improved to 5-0 with Kieran Kurtt in attendance. Boom is 0-2 without the 8-month year old in the stands.
* Casey Kurtt broke out of a 0-for-9 hitting slump with a 2-for-3, one double, one RBI, tworun output.
* Kevin Kurtt has scored in all eight games this season. He leads the team with 17runs scored. He has scored two or more runs in the last four games.
* Kurtt is the lone Boom player with multi-hit games in all eight contests this season.
* Alyssa Downing became the eighth different first star of the game in seven games.
* After going 13-for-15 (.867) in her first five games, Downing is hitting just 1-for-8 (.125) in her last three games. Downing does, however, lead the team with three triples.
* Ryan Maus had his first hitless game of the season.
* Lisa Hardy was recorded a walk in two of her three games.
* Keiser failed to record a multi-hit game for the first time this season.
* Jim Strick has two or more hits in all six of his games played this season. He notched his first game with multi extra-base hits on Tuesday.
* Matt Slieter has two or more hits in all five of his games played this season. He failed to knock in a run for the first time on Tuesday.
* Steve Geller has notched three straight two-hit games.
* Andrea Smith hit her first two doubles of the season. She also had a season-high 3 RBI (her first multi-RBI game of the year).
* Cathy Behr missed her first game of the season due to work obligations.
* In Keiser's four starts on the mound, Boom has committed just three errors. During Geller's four starts, Boom committed 22 errors.
* Boom has drawn 11 walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 22 times.
* Keiser's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 1:2.5, while Steve Geller's is at 1:3.
* Jim Strick and Jeff Keiser are Boom's male leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Strick ranks first in RBI (12), and third in home runs (0) and batting average (.737), while Keiser ranks first in home runs (2), second in RBI (11), and fourth in batting average (.630)
* Meghan Potter and Cathy Behr are Boom's female leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Potter ranks first in RBI (17) and home runs (0), and second in batting average (.633). Behr ranks first in home runs (0) and batting average (.700), and second in RBI (13).
* Jeff Keiser is Boom's leader in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (pitching), Keiser first in wins (4), ERA (7.00) and strikeouts (4). In second place, Steve Geller ranks first in strikeouts (4), and second in wins (2) and ERA (7.86).
* Boom has not hit a home run since Jeff Keiser had two round-trippers in the 21-20 win over Absolute Bail Bonds on May 20.
* Boom's average margin of victory is 3.67 runs this season.
* Boom averages 14.5 runs per game and allows an average of 12.5 runs per game.

The Boom Box Score - Boom Goes the Dynamite 10, Absolute Bail Bonds 9

Boom Goes the Dynamite held on to second place in the St. Louis Park Mixed C League standings with a nailbiting 10-9 win over Absolute Bail Bonds last night. Boom (5-2)hit a pedestrian .514 with only one extra-base hit, but pitcher Jeff Keiser and the Boom defense blanked Absolute (3-4) in three innings to push Boom's winning streak to three games.

Boom led 10-6 entering the bottom of the seventh inning before Absolute slugger Melvin Fenstermacher hit a one-out, three-run home run to pull Absolute to within one run. From there, Boom shut down the rally, capitalized by a game-saving fielding gem by second baseman Emily Wood to end the game.

Boom looks to add to its winning streak against Myslajek Ltd. on June 24 at 7:15 p.m., at Dakota Park East. Boom rolled to a 15-9 win over Myslajek to open the season.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com; standings are available here):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Emily Wood, 2. Steve Geller, 3. Lisa Hardy.
* Jeff Keiser made his third straight start at pitcher, picking up the win to move to 3-0. He walked two and did not record a strikeout.
* Boom's six guys went a combined 11-for-20 (.550) with eight RBI and a double, while Boom's six ladies went 8-for-17 (.471) with two RBI and five walks.
* Steve Geller hit Boom's lone extra-base hit on the night with a double which was completed with an awkward head-first, semi-rolling slide into second.
* Alyssa Downing had her second consecutive hitless game, but did reach base for the seventh consecutive game with a walk.
* Boom improved to 4-0 with Kieran Kurtt in attendance. Boom is 0-2 without the 7-month year old in the stands.
* Boom team sponsor Bob Swoverland made his first appearance of the season
* Casey Kurtt tied a Boom franchise record with two bases on balls.
* Casey Kurtt became the first Boom player to bleed profusely this season after a slide into second base following a run-down.
* Casey Kurtt is mired in a 0-for-9 hitting slump after beginning the season with a .462 batting average through three games.
* Kevin Kurtt has scored in all seven games this season. He leads the team with 15runs scored. He has scored two or more runs in the last three games.
* Kurtt and Keiser are the lone Boom players with multi-hit games in all seven contests this season.
* Doug Vose is now the Boom career leader in batting average at 1.000 (minimum 4 at bats). However, Vose's stats are unofficial this season until he plays in 33 percent of Boom's games.
* Emily Wood became the seventh different first star of the game in seven games.
* Wood is hitting 4-for-5 in her last two games.
* The No. 2 spot in the Boom batting order is a combined 7-26 (.269) and 1 for last 13.
* Geller has scored a league-high three runs on sacrifice flies. Three of his eight runs have come on SACs.
* Meghan Potter did not record an RBI for the first time this season.
* Kevin Noth went hitless for the first time this season, but picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
* Lisa Hardy gained her first hits of the season with a 2-for-3 showing.
* Matt Slieter hit a career-high three singles.
* Boom improved to 1-1 with Jim Strick and Ryan Maus out of the lineup.
* Cathy Behr missed her first game of the season due to work obligations.
* In Keiser's three starts on the mound, Boom has committed just one error (Noth). During Geller's four starts, Boom committed 22 errors.
* Boom has now committed one error in its past three games.
* Boom has drawn nine walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 18 times.
* Keiser's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 1:2, while Steve Geller's is at 1:3.
* Jim Strick and Jeff Keiser are Boom's male leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Strick ranks first in RBI (10), and third in home runs (0) and batting average (.750), while Keiser ranks first in home runs (2) and RBI (10), and fifth in batting average (.640)
* Meghan Potter and Cathy Behr are Boom's female leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting, minimum 33.3 percent of games played). Potter ranks first in RBI (15) and home runs (0), and second in batting average (.667). Behr ranks first in home runs (0) and batting average (.700), and second in RBI (13).
* Jeff Keiser and Steve Geller are Boom's leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (pitching), Keiser first in wins (3) and ERA (.00), and second in strikeouts (3). Geller ranks first in strikeouts (4), and second in wins (2) and ERA (7.86).
* Boom has not hit a home run since Jeff Keiser had two round-trippers in the 21-20 win over Absolute Bail Bonds on May 20.
* Boom is now 2-1 in one-run games this season.
* Boom's average margin of victory is two runs this season.
* Boom injury report from last night's game:
- Steve Geller: mild shoulder separation following humorous head-first, rolling slide into second base
- Andrea Smith: pulled hamstring while legging out one of her two singles
- Matt Slieter: sprained finger while attempting a diving catch in left center field
- Emily Wood: thigh contusion while making the game-ending out by blocking a grounder at second with her leg
- Casey Kurtt: knee and leg lacerations and abrasions following slide into second during a run-down
- Emily Wood: sunburn
- Doug Vose: ego when not named one of the Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game

Kieran Laughs at "Uh-Oh!"

Who knew the sound of mom saying, "Uh-oh" could be so funny.

The Boom Box Score - Boom Goes the Dynamite 12, Jobdig 4

Boom Goes the Dynamite has its first winning streak of the season in St. Louis Park Mixed C League action after a 12-4 win over Jobdig on Tuesday. The night did not begin well as GM Jeff Keiser put his foot in his mouth during the pregame meeting with umpire Sammy H. Keller. Keiser mentioned to the teenaged umpire that he was glad "to have a different ump this week...the woman we had the last two weeks was terrible." The young man in red then informed Keiser that that woman was his mother, Susan H. Keller. To Keller's credit, the game was called fairly and without any controversial decisions.

Despite the auspicious start to the night, Boom (4-2) cruised to the easy win as Keiser did not allow an earned run in seven innings of work. Keiser and the Boom defense played shutout softball for three innings and nearly moved the blanking to the fourth, but first baseman Kevin Noth dropped an Andrea Smith throw from third base that would have ended the inning. Jobdig (0-5) went on to score its only runs of the game in the fourth. By the top of the fifth inning, Boom led 11-4, adding an insurance run in the top of the sixth.

Boom looks to add to its winning streak against Absolute Bail Bonds on June 17 at 6:15 p.m., at Dakota Park East. Boom edged Absolute 21-20 on May 20.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Matt Slieter, 2. Jeff Keiser, 3. Ryan Maus.
* Jeff Keiser made his second career start at pitcher, picking up the win to move to 2-0, walking none and striking out three.
* Boom's seven ladies went a combined 4-for-19 (.211) on the night. Meghan Potter (1-3), Cathy Behr (1-3) and Emily Wood (2-3) accounted for the hits.
* Alyssa Downing had her first hitless game of the season, but did reach base for the sixth consecutive game with a first-inning walk.
* Boom's seven guys went a combined 15-for-20 (.750). Each guy had at least two hits with Matt Slieter leading the team with a career-best 3-for-3 effort.
* Boom improved to 4-0 with Kieran Kurtt, Beth Kurtt and Laura Kurtt in attendance.
* Kevin Kurtt drew only the third walk of his softball career.
* Kurtt has scored in all six games this season. He leads the team with 13 runs scored.
* Kurtt and Keiser are the lone Boom players with multi-hit games in all six contests this season.
* Kevin Noth recorded Boom's lone error. Boom has now committed one error in its past two games. Jim Strick has had multi-hit games in all five of his games played.
* Matt Slieter notched his first two-double game of the season.
* Potter notched her fifth consecutive multi-RBI and multi-hit game.
* Noth began re-growing his goatee and went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
* For the second straight game, Matt Slieter led the team with a 1.667 slugging percentage.
* Boom has drawn four walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 16 times.
* Keiser's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 3:4, while Steve Geller's is at 1:3.
* Jim strick is Boom's male leader in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting), ranking third in home runs (0), RBI (10) and batting average (.750).
* Potter and Behr are Boom's female leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting). Potter ranks first in RBI (15) and home runs (0), and third in batting average (.696). Behr ranks first in home runs (0), second in RBI (13) and batting average (.700).
* Jeff Keiser and Steve Geller are Boom's leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (pitching), Keiser first in wins (2) and ERA (5.00), and second in strikeouts (4). Geller ranks first in wins (2) and strikeouts (4), and second in ERA (7.86).

Fun with Mascots

We've got two big deadlines this week, so no new press releases until at least this afternoon or tomorrow. (There's so much to write about, too). Until then, we give you a blooper/highlight video of mascots. Most of the Heavyfoot community knows that we once donned a furry mascot suit during our college years. We still jump at the chance to get sweaty while dressed up as an oversized animal (did that sound dirty?), so if you ever have any need for someone to get in a mascot suit, you know where to go. We're not kidding. We had Goldy at our wedding.

Mascots we've been: Goldy Gopher, Crunch, Prowl, Bruegger's Bagel Guy, Fairborne, Fairchild, Cheapskate the Chicken, Cookie Monster, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Huckle Cat, State Fair Recycle Trash Can, State Fair Cup, RBC Dain Rauscher's Leo the Lion.

Slowly-Weathering Section of Fence Reminding Area Man of Departed Colleague

A nondescript section of a slowly-weathering wooden fence on the north side of Highway 5 in Eden Prairie, Minn., is more than just a nondescript section of a slowly-weathering wooden fence to one former University of Minnesota Athletic Communications staffer. To Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.), that section of fence is a twice-daily reminder of the absence of erstwhile coworker, now Big Ten Network Assignment Editor Kyle Coughlin (Golden Valley, Minn.).

"I drive that stretch of road twice every day, and I'm instantly reminded of Kyle every time I pass between Dell Road and Eden Prairie Road," Kurtt said. "I see the section of fence that Kyle was responsible for originally destroying and I can't help but think of him. My heart breaks a little more each day I see that fence and am reminded that Kyle is so far away now."

According to Eden Prairie Police documents obtained by Mr. Heavyfoot, Coughlin was involved in a car vs. fence accident on Highway 5 on February 23, 2007, resulting in the destruction of a section of fence along with some roadside shrubbery. The former U of M Interim Director of Athletic Communications was cited and later acquitted on charges of leaving the scene of an accident (MN Statute 169.09), reckless driving (MN Statute 169.13) and criminal stupidity (MN Statute 169.28) - for leaving the scene of an accident but also leaving his bumper with attached license plate at said accident scene.

A short time later, the fence was repaired with new, non-weathered wood, thanks to a settlement between Coughlin, the City of Eden Prairie and the Friedman family whose property lies adjacent to the damaged fence. Coughlin left the Twin Cities a few months later for Chicago to pursue a career in the television industry.

"It's amazing the memories that a slowly-weathering fence conjures up," Kurtt added. "I remember Kyle's amazing potato-sack racing ability (photo at left). I remember his softball performance as the wily veteran that he is (link). I remember him soaking his bloody leg in a kiddie pool after sliding into a wooden home plate (link). It's really sad to think that, in time, the weather will render that section of fence indistinguishable from the rest of the fence. So, too, will fade the memories if something is not done."

In an effort to permanently and officially establish the section of fence as a memorial to Coughlin, Kurtt has submitted a proposal to the Eden Prairie City Council to rename the fence the "Kyle Coughlin Fence of Remembrance."

"I know Kyle's not dead, but I just feel that something needs to be done to recognize Kyle for all that he brought to the Twin Cities area, namely a bad back, a weak heart, and an uncanny ability to spurn his job duties in favor of going golfing (link)," Kurtt said. "The Kyle Coughlin Fence of Remembrance is modeled after the Shane Sandersfeld Memorial MVP (link) or the Tory Kukowski Memorial Internship (link). It's a great honor. Just ask the still-living Shane and Tory. What else do we have to remember Kyle by? Well, aside from that awesome t-shirt, of course (photo at right)."

Kurtt's intentions to honor Coughlin with the Fence of Remembrance have brought mixed reactions from former coworkers. Shane Sandersfeld (Williamsburg, Iowa), a one-time neighbor of Coughlin's, has been a staunch opponent of Kurtt's proposal.

"I, too, drive Highway 5 twice a day, but due to my medical condition, I'm thankfully not able to turn my head to see that section of fence. But that's irrelevant. Kyle's gone. Let's move on and forget the guy. Once he sells his townhouse, I want nothing around to remind me of Kyle. I swear his realtor brother is just keeping that place on the market to taunt me."

Former coworker and golfing buddy Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) stood firmly in favor of the memorial fence proposal.

"When Kyle left, my world crashed," Keiser said while choking back tears. "Establishing the Kyle Coughlin Fence of Rememberance won't bring him back, but it will give me a place to go and reflect on just what Kyle meant to me."

When asked why Kurtt and Keiser don't just make a road trip to Chicago to visit Coughlin, they cited rising gas prices and disapproving wives who never really took a liking to Coughlin.

Coughlin was unavailable for comment as he took a day off from work to go golfing.

Lagasse, 23, Continues to Bring His Glove to Baseball Games Despite the Fact that He's 23

Reports out of the University of Minnesota Athletic Communications office indicate that second-year Assistant Creative Director Chris Lagasse (Crookston, Minn.), 23, continues to bring his glove to Twin Cities area baseball games despite the fact that he's 23 years old. Lagasse (wearing hat in above photo) has been seen toting his Tom Brunansky Signature Series Spalding glove to Minnesota Twins, St. Paul Saints, and various townball and youth baseball games since the 2008 season began.

Lagasse has had to endure entirely-justifiable criticism, harassment and merciless taunting from Athletic Communications staffers since longtime U of M baseball SID Steve Geller (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) spotted Lagasse in the stands at a St. Louis Park 11AA youth baseball game in late May.

"I was just going for a walk at Rotary Northside Park when I saw Lagasse watching a kids' baseball game," Geller said. "Any ball that was hit over the backstop he went after. He was battling preschoolers for foul balls. I've never seen anything like it. "

Just days later, photographs surfaced on Lagasse's Facebook page of the Bemidji State graduate at a Minnesota Twins game, sporting his Spalding in hopes of catching a foul ball. Upon investigation of the photos, Mr. Heavyfoot experts determined that Lagasse was sitting in section 236 or 237 (seating chart at left), an area no foul ball has ever, or will ever, reach. Those photos have since been removed.

"Once I heard about Lagasse bringing his glove to baseball games, I lit into him," Lagasse's supervisor Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.) said. "I mean, what guy over the age of 12 brings his glove to a baseball game? Listen, I know Lagasse is our office dork (link), but really, this is taking it too far. I've tolerated the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures, the Star Wars dolls and all the other nerd-related paraphenalia, but I just cannot let him get by without me ridiculing him for being a grown man with a glove at a baseball game."

Apparently, Keiser's incessant taunting has not led to any significant change in Lagasse's glove-wearing behavior. In fact, it appears Lagasse has stepped up his efforts to catch foul balls at as many baseball games as possible. According to a document found in the garbage by Bierman Field Athletic Building janitorial engineer Mahdi Ali (Mogadishu, Somalia), Lagasse has compiled a schedule of youth, semi-pro and professional baseball games at which he plans to attend with his Spalding. The schedule unearthed by the one-time U of M Athletics Teammate of the Month also spells out plans to enlist his fiancee Megan Carlson and unemployed former Athletic Communications intern Ryan Maus (Northfield, Minn.) in Lagasse's quest for foul balls.

"I find paper with baseball games on it," Ali said. "It look like Mr. Chris really want to catch ball bad. I don't know what his problem is. He really big dork, huh? Hello, prospect!"

In addition to bringing his glove to every baseball game he attends, Lagasse allegedly brings his own scorebook, foam "We're #1" finger and "Circle Me Bert" sign.

(The below video IS NOT of Chris Lagasse at a baseball game. It is a video of a fan who DID NOT bring his glove to a baseball game.)

The Boom Box Score - Boom Goes the Dynamite 14, The Chiefs 10

Boom Goes the Dynamite got back in the win column in St. Louis Park Mixed C League action with a 14-10 win over The Chiefs on Tuesday. Tied 9-9 entering the fourth inning, Boom proceeded to out-score the Amanda Hoehn-led squad of heavy drinkers and former semi-pro hockey players 5-1 to cruise to the win. Eight of Boom's 12 players registered multi-hit nights, led by three-hit games by the middle of the lineup (Meghan Potter, Jim Strick, Cathy Behr, Ryan Maus and Alyssa Downing). Boom moved to 3-2 in the league despite another atrocious showing by umpire Susan H. Keller. For the second consecutive game, Keller blew a pair of obvious call, leading Boom general manager Jeff Keiser to consider filing an official protest with league commissioner Sam Lombardo.

Boom looks to start a winning streak against Jobdig on June 10 at 6:15 p.m., at Dakota Park West.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Meghan Potter, 2. Kevin Kurtt, 3. Cathy Behr.
* Jeff Keiser made his first career start at pitcher, picking up the win, walking a Boom season-high four batters.
* Cathy Behr was named a star of the game for a team-leading fourth time in five games.
* Alyssa Downing was 3-for-3. She is 13-for-15 on the season and has posted a perfect 1.000 batting average in four of the five games this season.
* Meghan Potter is the only Boom player to have at least two RBI in every game this season. With 14 RBI, she has more runs batted in than Steve Geller, Kevin Kurtt and Kevin Noth combined.
* Boom improved to 3-0 with Kieran Kurtt, Beth Kurtt and Laura Kurtt in attendance. Boom is also 1-0 with Cathy's guy, Greg, in the stands.
* Ryan Maus had a career-high three hits.
* Geller ended an 0-5 skid with a double.
* Kevin Kurtt recorded his first multi-double game of the season.
* Boom did not record an error for the first time in team history.
* Noth took a ball to the back of his leg while legging out an infield single.
* Matt Slieter and Keiser recorded their first doubles of the season.
* Potter notched her fifth consecutive multi-RBI and multi-hit game.
* The DiNardo/Glen Mason Comeback Player of the Year frontrunner, Potter leads the team in at bats (20), hits (15), doubles (6) and RBI (14).
* In the last three games, Behr has gone 10-for-11 with nine RBI and seven runs scored.
* Maus failed to score for the first time this season.
* Noth shaved his goatee and went 1-for-2 with zero RBI.
* Matt Slieter led the team with a 1.500 slugging percentage.
* Casey Kurtt and Emily Wood went hitless on the night in seven combined at bats. It marked the first time this season that Kurtt and Wood failed to reach base safely.
* Boom failed to record a strikeout for the third consecutive game.
* Boom has drawn two walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 16 times.
* Keiser's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 0:4, while Geller's is at 1:3.
* Keiser is Boom's male leader in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting), ranking first in home runs (2) and RBI (8), and fourth in batting average (.667).
* Potter and Behr are Boom's female leaders in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (batting). Potter ranks first in RBI (14) and home runs (0), and third in batting average (.750). Behr ranks first in home runs (0), second in RBI (12) and batting average (.765).
* Geller is Boom's leader in the John Miller Enterprises Race for the Triple Crown (pitching), ranking first in wins (2), ERA (7.86) and strikeouts (4). Keiser is second, ranking second in wins (1), ERA (10.00) and strikeouts (0).

We Dream of Someday Building Our Very Own Wiffle Ball Park

What is it about Wiffle Ball that just seems to conjure up pleasant memories of childhood days gone by? Days when organized sports didn't dominate the summer schedule. Days when the most fun was had by making up games with your friends in the backyard. There's something magical about Wiffle Ball that we can't quite put our finger on.

Whatever it is, the above video and this photo gallery from a story that appeared in the Star Tribune (and video and corresponding web page) has made us put one more thing on our list of things to do before we die. We now pledge to build a Wiffle Ball field in our yard at some point in the not-too-distant future (we live in a townhouse now, so we don't technically own our yard...otherwise we'd be designing the field dimensions as we speak). And we'll start a Wiffle Ball league. As long as you can walk, you can play. Start forming your four-player teams now.

We don't, however, have any aspirations (nor chance) of being able to throw a Wiffle Ball like these guys:

The Boom Box Score - Skeet Skeet 18, Boom Goes the Dynamite 13

Boom Goes the Dynamite moved its St. Louis Park Mixed C League record to 2-2 with an embarrassing 18-13 loss to Skeet Skeet on Tuesday. win over Absolute Bail Bonds on last night. Leading 13-10 entering the top of the fifth, Boom apparently decided as a team to forget how to catch and throw a softball, allowing Skeet Skeet to plate eight runs. The scoring rally was augmented by a flat-out godawful call by USSSA umpire Susan H. Keller. Mentally fried from the beatdown suffered in the top half of the inning, Boom failed to mount any sort of rally in the bottom of the fifth to hand Skeet its first win.

Boom looks to get back in the win column against The Chiefs on June 3 at 6:15 p.m., at Dakota Park West.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com):
* Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game: 1. Cathy Behr, 2. Doug Vose, 3. Meghan Potter.
* The following Boom players committed one or more errors: Kevin Kurtt, Jeff Keiser, Meghan Potter, Kevin Noth, Steve Geller.
* Kevin Kurtt saw his hitting streak come to an end at seven at-bats.
* Cathy Behr posted a 2.000 slugging percentage with her single and triple. Kevin Kurtt followed at 1.333 with a double and a pair of singles.
* Kurtt and Behr recorded Boom's third and fourth sac flies of the year.
* Behr took a ball to the back of her neck while stretching a double into a triple.
* Behr and Keiser recorded their first triples of the season.
* Behr earned her team-leading third Duffy's Pizza Three Stars of the Game accolade.
* Meghan Potter made her first appearance in the infield this season.
* Potter notched her fourth consecutive multi-RBI game.
* Alyssa Downing and Kevin Kurtt failed to record an extra-base hit for the first time this season.
* Steve Geller was the lone Boom player without a hit on the night at 0-for-3.
* Doug Vose went 3-for-3 with 3 RBI in his Boom debut.
* For the first time this season, aging hurler Steve Geller did not allow a home run.
* Geller failed to record a strikeout for the second consecutive game.
* Though he allowed 22 hits and four walks, Geller was only charged with three earned runs.
* Boom has drawn two walks this season, while Boom's opponents have reached base on balls 12 times.
* Geller's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 1:3.
* Former Boom Goes the Dynamite "slugger" Tory Kukowski made an appearance as a fan.

The Race That Was Never Run

Approximately four years ago, one of this nation's most significant sporting events was conceived during lunch in Dinkytown on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Billed as a showdown between former college track athlete turned athletic communications staffer with little to no life skills Shane Sandersfeld and former very mediocre high school track athlete turned athletic communications staffer with grandiose opinions of his athletic abilities Kevin Kurtt, the event came to be known as the Race of the Decade. Then the Race of the Century. Then the Race of the Millenium. Then Just Run & Be Done.

That race was never run. Here's a brief history of The Race...

Race of the Decade
- Originally set for May 18, 2004
- Came about when Sandersfeld claimed he could beat anybody in the office in any race over any distance
- Kurtt called him out on his claim
- Race distance was set at 400 meters - a distance both Sandersfeld and Kurtt ran in high school
- John Miller Enterprises signs on as chief promoter of Race of the Decade
- Victory Sports agrees to broadcast Race of the Decade...tape-delayed
- Race of the Decade PR Director Jeff Keiser creates and distributes promotional materials to BFAB staff
- Hype reaches an apex a few days before the race
- A survey is conducted in the office to determine who will win, based on a number of factors (weather, cardiovascular strength, experience, girlfriend, etc.)
- Sandersfeld is installed as the pre-race favorite by a small margin
- Then-Gopher running back Laurence Maroney backs Sandersfeld as his favorite
- The day before the race, Kurtt decides to test his fitness by running a 400 around the Edina Community Center track
- Kurtt runs a decent time, but comes up lame the next morning with a pulled calf muscle
- Controversy ensues when the race is postponed due to injury
- Sandersfeld claims Kurtt is faking it
- Maroney calls Kurtt a quitter
- John Miller Enterprises pulls out of The Race of the Decade, never to return
- Victory Sports remains steadfast in their dedication to broadcast the event
- A year goes by

Race of the Century
- Originally set for May 18, 2005
- Keiser, in conjunction with Nick Joos Studios, revives the race, renaming it the Race of the Century
- Despite not in existence any more, Victory Sports stays committed to televising the event
- Keiser re-creates promotional materials for the race
- Marc Ryan signed as official timer for the race
- A new survey is conducted in the office to determine who will win - Kurtt is the runaway winner of the survey as voters cited Sandersfeld's poor eating habits and overall lack of quality life skills
- For some reason, May 18, 2005, comes and goes with no race
- Every so often during the summer, the race gets brought up, but fails to materialize into anything
- Idea of a race between Sandersfeld and Kurtt fades away
- Early 2006, Sandersfeld breaks neck

Race of the Millenium
- Despite broken neck, Sandersfeld wants to revive the race upon his return to the office
- More controversy ensues as staffers debate whether or not Sandersfeld running is a good thing given his condition
- Sandersfeld puts the race ahead of his well-being, saying he wants to run just to put the event in the past
- Kurtt wants no part of the race, telling Sandersfeld, "I will not be a part of your death"
- Risk of death, or at the very least paralysis, results in the presumably permanent cancellation of the race

Just Run & Be Done
- Keiser, in conjunction with Mahdi Marketing & Promotions, revives the race, renaming it Just Run & Be Done
- In favor of running, Sandersfeld continues to put the race ahead of his life
- Kurtt mulls it over, still not wanting to be a part of Sandersfeld's death
- Big Ten Network, in an effort to fill the massive holes in its broadcast schedule between actual present-day sporting events, signs on as the official television partner of the race
- Former U of M employee and current BTN staffer Kyle Coughlin named sole talent for broadcast
- Kurtt agrees to race, knowing full well it's never going to happen

Boom Goes the Dynamite Makes Pages of Tabloid Rag Again

For the second time this season, Boom Goes the Dynamite has appeared in an issue of Let's Play Softball/Let's Play Baseball. Boom, featuring photos of game 3 star Cathy Behr (Willmar, Minn.) and veteran utility player Kevin Noth (Norwalk, Wis.), graces page 13 of the May 22 edition of "Minnesota's premier softball publication" (phrase used courtesy of Ryan Maus).

Boom originally appeared in the April 24 edition of the tabloid rag (link). Hmm, we wonder who the editor of that publication is...

The Boom Box Score - Boom Goes the Dynamite 21, Absolute Bail Bonds 20

Boom Goes the Dynamite moved its St. Louis Park Mixed C League record to 2-1 with a nailbiting 21-20 win over Absolute Bail Bonds on last night. Trailing by one run entering the bottom of the seventh, Kevin Kurtt (Edina, Minn.) led off the inning with a triple to complete a 4-for-4 night. Meghan Potter (Hibbing, Minn.) drove Kurtt in for the tying run and was followed on the basepaths with a single by Jeff Keiser (Avon, Ct.). Keiser’s single was his third hit of the night, following his first two career home runs. The stage was set for Cathy Behr (Willmar, Minn.) to cap a 5-for-5, four RBI night with a liner to left center to score Potter from second for the game-winning run.

Boom looks to start a winning streak against Skeet Skeet on May 27 at 6 p.m., at Dakota Park East.

Game notes from the above box score (season stats are below and also available at slowpitchstats.com):
* Cathy Behr's five-hit game set a 2008 season record.
* Behr recorded her second career walk-off game-winning hit. She had one three years ago with the Gas On The Fire.
* Jeff Keiser's two home runs and five RBI set 2008 Boom season records.
* Jeff Keiser recorded the Boom family of franchises' first-ever two-home run game.
* Kevin Kurtt has six consecutive hits, tying Boom's season-high
(Alyssa Downing).
* Keiser posted a 2.250 slugging percentage with his two dingers and one single. Kevin Kurtt followed at 1.750 with a triple, double and pair of singles.
* Kevin Kurtt nearly injured Andrea Smith in the on-deck circle with a wayward, haphazard toss of his bat after hitting a double in the fourth innning, striking the star third baseman in the right shin. X-rays were negative on the shin after the game.
* Kevin Noth maimed the Absolute Bail Bonds pitcher with a screaming liner, forcing her from the mound. Showing no care or remorse, Noth proceeded to take second base on an errant throw after her teammates were clearly shaken.
* Andrea Smith recorded Boom's second sac fly of the year. Steve Geller has scored on both sac flys this season.
* Alyssa Downing's three-game, six at-bat hitting/on-base streak came to an end as the rookie utility player went 2-for-4.
* Downing hit her team-leading second triple of the season, only to get tagged out between third and home on a baserunning gaffe.
* In his first action as a Boom member, Matt Slieter went 2-for-3 with three RBI on a bases-clearing triple. Slieter was administered oxygen immediately.
* Boom recorded a team record four triples.
* Aging hurler Steve Geller allowed a grand slam home run for the third consecutive game.
* Geller has now allowed five home runs in his last three starts.
* Geller failed to record a strikeout for the first time this season.
* Boom has drawn one walk this season (Andrea Smith last night), while Booms opponents have reach base on balls eight times.
* Geller's strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 1:2.
* Geller hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth, but the round-tripper was disallowed due to Boom exceeding its home run limit (2).
* Boom Goes the Dynamite enjoyed its largest fan base of the season as Katie Fornasiere, and Jim, Beth, Laura and Kieran Kurtt witnessed last night's win.
* Maggie made the first appearance by a mascot this season.
* With the win, Boom Goes the Dynamite earned an article in this week's Let's Play Softball. On page 13, Cathy Behr and Kevin Noth are featured with photographs in Minnesota's premier softball publication.