Before we look ahead to a rapidly-approaching 2025 football season, a look back — over beers and with a background of classic country music at the Gateway Lounge, of course — at pop culture titans from our youth who left us this past week.
Gen X'ers John Gaskins and Matt Zimmer put the latest local sports buzz on hold for a bit to reminisce about the essence of Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Ozzy Osborne, Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, WWE GOAT Hulk Hogan, and "Cosby Show" heart throb Malcolm Jamal-Warner (Theo Huxtable). They all died this past week, and their legacies are all in the wheelhouse of the two hosts.
John and Zim next look back on last week's MVFC Media Days. Zim's biggest takeaway was the response and tone of North Dakota State head coach Tim Polasek regarding one particular touchy topic affecting all FCS teams in 2025. Plus, what do we make of the health of the league, with a currently clear two-tier system — The Big 3 of NDSU, SDSU, and USD... and then everyone else?
Then, a look back at the short-lived but memorable tenure of South Dakota State running back Nate White, the Wisconson transfer who made an instant impact on the practice field and instant friends in the locker room before his tragic death in his sleep at the age of 20 last month.
White's now-well-documented happy time in Brookings is a testament to the culture fostered within the Jackrabbit program over the last 20 years, a feature also well-established with the Sioux Falls Canaries. While "culture" and "family" are attainable cliches in prep and college sports, they are difficult to come by in minor league baseball. But the Birds clearly have it with manager Mike Meyer in a season that is escalating into a bonfire of big offense and big wins. How and why did the inferno grow?
Finally, now that it is obvious the Minnesota Twins aren't championship contenders, what moves should the front office make for an organization that is for sale, but not in the bottom of the barrel?