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Items included in this column are things that I have heard, seen or have been reported to me. I cannot vouch for their veracity.

Playoff Football

Except for the outcome, I really enjoyed the Chisago Lakes - Mahtomedi game last Friday night. It had everything a football fan could want. Even the weather was reasonable, for November. The atmosphere was great. The stands were full, the band played as loud as it could and the Wildcat fans sang the school song.

The crowd went wild when the local boys took a first period lead. Mahtomedi came back to tie it at seven. The Wildcat rushing attack took the lead back in the middle of the second quarter. Once again, like their namesake, the west wind, the Zephyrs were persistent and knotted it up at 14.

Things looked to be going well for the green and gold as time ran low in the first half. The Wildcats mounted a well-designed, time consuming drive that stalled when Mahtomedi stopped the home team on third and fourth down to take control of the ball with 17 ticks on the clock.

Instead of running out the clock, the Zephyr QB threw a long pass, into the wind, down the north sideline. A Wildcat defender was in good position, but an athletic, lanky Zephyr made a juggling catch and raced down the sideline, putting his team up by seven at the half.

Another Wildcat drive was snuffed by a stubborn Mahtomedi defense on the first CL possession of the second half. That second defensive stand seemed to give the Zephyrs the momentum and have the Wildcats reeling. Two long runs, totalling 60 yards, gave Mahtomedi a 28-14 lead.

Chisago Lakes could have folded, but they didn't. They kept fighting back, but were never able to get the tying TD. The outcome was not determined until the Zephyrs converted a couple of crucial first downs on the last drive of the game.

Fans saw a lot of good hits, some nifty ball handling by the quarterbacks and a raft of big, explosive plays, including four scoring plays of more than 30 yards.

Congratulations to both teams for a hard-hitting, exciting section championship game and good luck to Mahtomedi in its pursuit of a state championship.

Veterans Day

November 11, 1918 is generally recognized as the end of the "war to end all wars" because that is the time that an armistice, a temporary cessation of hostilities, between Germany and the allied nations went into effect. A year later, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles June 28, 1918.

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the original concept was to observe the day with a temporary suspension of business, beginning at 11 a.m., parades and public meetings. By 1926, a score and seven of the 48 states had declared November 11 as a legal holiday. On June 4 of that year, Congress requested that the President proclaim November 11 as a day when flags should be displayed and churches, schools and other suitable places should hold appropriate ceremonies in honor of peaceful relations with other peoples.

On May 13, 1938, an Act of Congress made 11/11 a national holiday. Armistice Day was primarily set aside to honor WWI veterans. In 1954, the 1938 act was amended to replace "Armistice" with "Veterans." With that change, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In 1968, The Uniforms Holiday Bill was passed and Veterans Day, along Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day and Columbus Day, was moved to Mondays. Many states disagreed with this decision and continued to celebrate Veterans day on November 11. In 1975, President Ford signed Public Law 94-97, returning the holiday to November 11, beginning in 1978.

Whatever date or day, the VA describes Veterans Day as, "A day to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."

Please take the time to say thanks to a vet for his or her service and sacrifice.

Purple Hearts

I just heard on the radio that, in October 07, "at least" 38 American service members were killed. That number is the lowest in 19 months.

Of course, many others have been wounded or injured. Those wounded or killed in combat are honored with the Purple Heart. The medal is modeled after the Badge of Military Merit, established by George Washington in 1782. Purple Hearts have a profile of the first president and his family's coat of arms on one side. The name of the recipient and the words " For Military Merit" are on the back.

The medal fell into disuse after the Revolutionary War. War Department (today known as the Department of Defense) General Orders Number 3 revived the Purple Heart February 22, 1932, the 200th anniversary of Washington's birth. Soldiers wounded after April 5, 1917, the day before the US entered WWI, are eligible for the award. General Douglas MacArthur. was the first recipient of the modern award.

I Shall Return......To Sports

One of the events at the 12th Annual Redneck Games in East Dublin Georgia in July 2007 was a modified horseshoe tournament. Instead of shoes, the participants threw toilet seats. Other events included seed spitting, a big hair contest, an armpit serenade, hubcap hurling, dumpster diving and, the big one, a belly flop contest.

This event, featuring flops into a pit of mud, was won by a 17-year old flopper from Pennsylvania. His reward was a trophy topped by a crushed beer can.

Minnesota Vikings

Two letters - AP

Minnesota Timberwolves

The 15 players on the Wolves' roster average less than 26 years of age. In the mid-90's when the Minnesota team drafted high-schooler Kevin Garnett, it was considered a big gamble. The Big Ticket turned out to be a big-time player and a 10-time NBA All-Star for the Minnesota squad.

Al Jefferson, the 22-year-old, 6-10 post player who was the big prize when the Wolves traded Garnett to the Boston Celtics, didn't play college basketball either. A few years after playing high school hoops for his home town in Mississippi, the 265 pounder signed a $245,283 per pound contract (that works out to $13,000,000 per season for the next half decade). This, apparently, is way less than Garnett would have made.

It's conceivable that the Timberwolves could put five players on the court at the same time who average less than 22 years old, including three who came to the NBA directly from high school.

Jefferson plays mostly on the inside and could be joined by 6-9, 22 year old Chris Richard and 6-8, 21 year-old Gerald Green on the front line. The backcourt might be 21 year old, 6-9 Corey Brewer (who can also play "small" forward) and 21 year old, 6-0 Sebastian Telfair. Green and Telfair skipped college to come to the NBA and Brewer and Richard are both rookies out of the University of Florida. Four players ranging in age from 23 to 25 might be left sitting on the bench.

You are invited to send interesting, unusual and/or humorous items that could possibly be used in this space. If you choose to do so, please send it to [email protected].

If you prefer, you may send it to

Chisago County Press

Attn: Dave

12631 Lake Blvd.

Lindstrom, Mn 55045

or, you may bring it in to the office.

Sports stuff would be great, but, please do not limit yourselves. Politics, religion, culture (pop or otherwise) are welcomed. Please do not feel offended if your contribution is not included

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