The Rake Magazine

Category: Blog Post

  • Babes Without Beards

    Schick got themselves into infernally hot water for this one. Apparently Turbo Terry has been sourcing her likeness out to more than one razor company and automotive resource.

    The good news for The Road Rake is that Turbo Terry (indeed the honey on the lower right) is no longer capable of suing me for creating a verbally accurate picture of her likeness.

    Schick, on the other hand, is about to be sued by Pontiac for essentially using the same model that is in discussions with Gillette to cross-promote the "smoothest handling on the planet."

    What a mess. I detest the Pontiac product in all its forms and much prefer a low-priced Schick to the Mach III Turbo (the razor not the car). I also know for a fact that cross-dressing tends to be more successful than cross-promotions with this coveted demographic.

    A stumble with stubble it seems.

  • Shopping for Carl Pohlad

    Every year I have the same dilemma: What do I get Carl Pohlad for Christmas?

    Now, many of you may wonder why I need to buy Mr. Pohlad anything. The truth is that I have known Mr. Pohlad my entire life, and he has been more than just a friend of the family and business partner to my father….. He set me up on my first date many years ago.

    Yes, you read that right: Carl Pohlad set me up on a blind date, and without giving away too much… let’s just say that the young man he set me up with years ago is still someone I consider a friend and was a great Senior Prom date!

     

    Every year a big box arrives at my house with a gift from Carl, and it’s always beautiful. This year it was this clock, which will sit next to this exquisite picture frame that I keep in my office to remind me of how lucky I am to have such a special man in my life.

    Many of you know the public persona of Carl Pohlad, but few know the private man. Out of respect for him and his family, I will tread lightly when it comes to sharing personal stories… except for this one, which seems very timely:

    Carl and I have had lunch together a couple of times in the recent months, and he shared a story with me that I think would be OK to share with you.

    I asked Carl after all of these years, and through all of his business dealings (including a behind-closed-doors business deal with the reclusive Howard Hughes), what has been his favorite business that he just couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning and get to.

    His answer? You won’t believe this one — running and owning a car dealership, something he did early in his career.

    I got a big kick out of watching Carl light up as he reminisced about those days; but I got an even bigger kick out of his special car selling tactics. Carl used to sell up to six cars a day, which, as you may or may not know, is a lot in the car business — which, of course, compelled me to ask him what special technique he used. Customer service? Sort of… Carl and his partner had an "arrangement." When a potential car buyer would come into the dealership, Carl would serve as the salesman, and his partner would… well… be the owner/hard ass.

    As soon as a customer was even close to buying a car… here is how Carl would seal the deal: He would tell the customer(s) that he had to run the offer by the owner. (What they didn’t know was that HE was the owner.) So, he would excuse himself, telling the customer he would be back shortly, and he would go to a corner and talk to HIMSELF. Then he would return and tell the customer that HE really had to work over HIS boss and would probably take a loss on his commission, but if the price was a deal breaker, he was willing to forego his sales commission.

    Little did the customer know that even in those days Carl Pohlad had a brilliant poker face and was already in the green. 🙂

    I love this story, because I just can’t picture Mr. Pohlad selling cars. But as he told me… He was HIS number one car dealer, and repeat customers only wanted to work with Mr. Pohlad because HIS commission was not as important as HIS relationship with his customers!

    So, back to what to get my dear friend Mr. Pohlad for Christmas…

    Last year I went with UGGS, and they were a big hit. But this year is tough. Any suggestions anyone? Let’s see… he has owned the Tropicana Casino, Banks, Pepsi Co, The MN Vikings, our beloved Minnesota Twins, B96, JB Hudson — What do you get a man for Christmas that has everything?

    I guess since this has been a wonderful year for all of Mr. Pohlad’s family….. I am going to go with the Christmas Wish of another Happy and Healthy year filled with more lunches and more great stories!!!!!

     

  • Forget about What Everyone Else Thinks

    BENEFIT
    Ain’t No Party Like a Film Trade Association Party

    One can never have enough holiday parties, right? Especially if they benefit causes such as Shoot in Minnesota and The MN Film and TV Board. Not only will your donation of $25 or more benefit local filmmakers, but you can also enjoy food, drinks and “big rockin’” performances by local favorites. You can even get in on the action as part of the open mic portion of the night. So dust off that guitar or warm up that singing voice, ’cause nobody parties like those film industry trade associations! —Kate McDonald

    5 p.m., CINEQUIPT, 2601 49th Ave. .N, Suite 500, Minneapolis;
    612-627-9080; minimum suggested donation of $25.

    DANCE
    A Wild Goose Chase in Cloggs to Hip-Hop

    Who doesn’t love a good banjo- and fiddle-driven clogging number once in a while? Combine that with some impressively intricate percussive stepping, and you have one hell of a high energy performance. The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers have put together a performance — as part of the Stepping Out series at the Southern Theatre — that combines traditional Appalachian-style clogging with African American-inspired stepping by none other than the DeLaSouljah Steppers and the Xi Chapter of
    Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Hop Team    . In addition to banjo and fiddles, the music will feature hip-hop artist RDM. This is a unique wild goose chase combination not to be missed. —Kate McDonald

    8 p.m., Southern Theater, 420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; $20.

    FILM
    All Talk and No Action Makes You a Dull Critic

    Well, if you read at all — which, clearly, you do — and you’re at least minimally up to date with what’s going on in town (and beyond), then surely you’ve had your fill of Juno talk. Enough is enough; forget what everyone else is saying, and just go see it for yourself. Certainly it merits that. I mean, biting as it was, even our November 2007 review by Rob Nelson made me want to see it. "Juno, which placed second among a hundred-odd movies in
    competition for the Toronto Film Festival’s audience award in September, isn’t just a fully formed creation," writes Nelson, "but
    practically the blueprint for a commercial comedy in the
    post-post-feminist aughts. Well-rounded enough to reel in multiple demographics, the title
    character is a sassy adolescent from suburban Minnesota (the movie was
    shot near Vancouver, alas) who digs Suspiria
    and the Stooges (raw power, grrrl), discovers she has a bun in the oven
    (that geeky track star was too sweet to resist!), and calls Women Now
    for abortion info (choice!). But by the time she meets the hopeful
    adoptive yuppies from St. Cloud, a.k.a. ‘East Jesus Nowhere,’ young
    Juno has agreed ‘this is one doodle that can’t be undid.’ (Bring the
    whole family!)" Don’t wait any longer; catch a final sneak preview tonight. And meet the fabulous Brook Busey (no-longer-Hunt), a.k.a Diable Cody, a.k.a. Whatever Lewd Names You Want to Call Her She’s Now a Lauded Scriptwriter.

    7:30 p.m., Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600; $12 (members $10).

    Fearless Listening Project

    Sometimes listening is a more difficult undertaking then speaking.
    It’s not just the act of devoting all our attention to someone else
    that is difficult, it’s confronting whatever opinions come our way.
    Local filmmakers Dominic Howes and Joel Weber haven’t set out to make
    our lives easier with their new documentary. The Listening Project
    forces us, however uncomfortable it may make us, to listen to outside
    views on a topic that hits close to home — in fact, it is home. The
    film follows four Americans — a middle school history teacher, a
    probation officer, a poet/spoken word artist, and a human rights
    activist — as they travel across fourteen different countries asking
    people one question: What do you think of America? Beautifully
    shot, The Listening Project gives us a stimulating visual buffet of images of the
    people and countries the Americans visit — from Russia to Brazil to
    Afghanistan to Japan. While the visual aspects of the scenes are
    incredibly moving, however, the interviews that go along with them seem
    to fall a bit short of thought provoking. Aside from two interviews
    that seem to give a slightly deeper and more honest opinion about
    America, most of the interviews are too brief, barely scratching the
    surface of the issues by broadly stating general and already familiar
    global opinions. The
    film’s more valuable and interesting perspective is that of the
    American listeners themselves — their reactions to their new, global
    experiences and the opinions of others from differing cultures. We get
    to know more about these listeners (as they are called) than we do
    about the people interviewed; we get to know their backstories, the
    reasons why they decided to travel and talk to people, and what they
    got out of the experience. This is the final film in the Fearless Filmmakers series for the year, and a two-year anniversary party — complete with birthday cake and guitar hero — will follow. —Kate McDonald

    7:30 p.m., The Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis, 612-331-3134, $9.

  • Abbreviated Three-Pointer: Same Lesson, Another Loss

    Game #20, Road Game #10: Minnesota 94, Philadelphia 98

    Season record: 3-17
     

    1. This Just In: Al Jefferson Has Problems With Big Centers

    The most valuable player in last night Wolves loss to Washington was opposing center Brendan Haywood, who was too much to handle for the tandem power forwards, Craig Smith and Al Jefferson, Minnesota deployed in its frontcourt. Tonight’s most valuable player in the Wolves’ loss to Philadelphia was opposing center Samuel Dalembert, who was too much to handle for the tandem power forwards, Craig Smith and Al Jefferson, Minnesota deployed, albeit slightly less often, in its frontcourt. Believe me, reading those two redundant sentences is less annoying than watching two redundant losses.

    Dalembert had 9 blocked shots, tying a Wolves’ franchise record for an opposing shot swatter. Five of those rejections, including the play that could have tied the game for Minnesota in the final seconds, came on shots by Jefferson, the gifted power forward compelled to play out of position because coach Randy Wittman wants to use his little bucking bronco frontcourt of Jefferson, Craig Smith and Corey Brewer. Against some teams–Atlanta and Phoenix are recent examples–this is a fine strategy. But against those with large, strong centers–the Lakers, the Wizards and now the 76ers qualify–Minnesota is overmatched.

    Jefferson battled all night, finishing with 22 points (10-20 FG, 2-5 FT) and 11 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass. But once again, the plus/minus stat tonight is a reliable barometer of what really happened. Jefferson and rookie Chris Richard split the center position. In 31:49, Jefferson was a team worst minus -20 in a four point loss. In the other 17:11, Richard was a team best plus +16. He put that time to good use, with a pair a steals, a pair of blocks, and a pair of baskets in a pair of attempts. If only he had been paired with Jefferson once or twice so "Big Al" could have played the position he was meant to play.

    Is this the way it is going to be for the rest of the season? Of the four centers on Minnesota’s roster, Theo Ratliff may be taking millions in insurance not to play on that suspiciously balky knee; Michael Doleac is a journeyman; Mark Madsen is game but undersized; and Richard is a rookie. Nevertheless, it is unfair to Jefferson and to the team to ride the Smith-Jefferson power forward train when seven-footers are having a field day in the paint. Right now, I’d see if Richard’s past couple of weeks of impressive action in limited usage can be extended. I think Minnesota can get by with the two PFs against Seattle and Milwaukee. But when they go to Miami to meet Shaq and the boys, it would seem foolhardy not to go with a center by committee.

    2. Free throw woes

    With 1:15 left to go in the third quarter, the game was tied at 73. For the final 13:15, Minnesota shot 4-8 from the free throw line; Philadelphia was 7-8, according for 3/4 of its margin of victory. For the game, Minnesota had more field goals and three-pointers than the Sixers, but lost it at the free throw line, going 16-25 while Philly made 25 out of 31 attempts. When asked after the game how he would assess his squad’s 64% free throw shooting, Wittman responded, "There is nothing to assess. We’re a good free throw shooting team."

    Um, no they aren’t. Even before tonight’s clanking at the charity stripe, Minnesota ranked 23rd among the 30 teams in FT%, making a hair over 72% when the league average is better than 75%. Similar disinformation appears at nba.com, where Jefferson’s All Star credentials are buttressed with this statement: "Big Al has added a reliable free throw to his arsenal." Okay, if you count 69.1% as reliable. It is better than any of his previous three seasons, and he has shown steady improvement from 63% his rookie year to 64.2% and then 68.1% last year.

     

    Bottom line, despite everything else, if the Wolves make their free throws tonight they probably win the game.

     

    3. Quick hits

    Another double-digit assist outing for Sebastian Telfair, with 11 dimes versus only two turnovers. And Marko Jaric bounced back from an off night in Washington to put up 14 points on only 7 shots (4-7 FG, 6-8 FT).

    The general consensus is that the bench did a great job, and it is true that McCants, Gomes, Walker and of course Richard all had strong moments. But only McCants really seems to have consciously improved his ball movement recently, and even he is prone to egregious lapses where he starts firing away. The beautiful offensive flow of the last three quarters of the Atlanta game and the Phoenix upset has been pretty much absent.

    There’s plenty more to say: Have at it, and I’ll be back with a look at Friday’s tilt versus Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and the Sonics sometime over the weekend.

  • The Listening Project

    Sometimes listening is a more difficult undertaking then speaking. It’s not just the act of devoting all our attention to someone else that is difficult, it’s confronting whatever opinions come our way. Local filmmakers Dominic Howes and Joel Weber haven’t set out to make our lives easier with their new documentary. The Listening Project forces us, however uncomfortable it may make us, to listen to outside views on a topic that hits close to home — in fact, it is home.

    The film follows four Americans — a middle school history teacher, a probation officer, a poet/spoken word artist, and a human rights activist — as they travel across fourteen different countries asking people one question: What do you think of America?

    Beautifully shot, the film gives us a stimulating visual buffet of images of the people and countries the Americans visit — from Russia to Brazil to Afghanistan to Japan. While the visual aspects of the scenes are incredibly moving, however, the interviews that go along with them seem to fall a bit short of thought provoking. Aside from two interviews that seem to give a slightly deeper and more honest opinion about America, most of the interviews are too brief, barely scratching the surface of the issues by broadly stating general and already familiar global opinions. Many of the conversations — quick on-the-street interviews or bar-room chitchat — produce only safe and diplomatic answers that simply rehash viewpoints that the typical, globally conscious American viewer has already heard.

    The film’s more valuable and interesting perspective is that of the American listeners themselves — their reactions to their new, global experiences and the opinions of others from differing cultures. We get to know more about these listeners (as they are called) than we do about the people interviewed; we get to know their backstories, the reasons why they decided to travel and talk to people, and what they got out of the experience.

    Overall, The Listening Project effectively demonstrates how traveling changed these four different Americans, how it opened them up to new experiences and made them reevaluate their country’s role in the world. The only problem is that we as the viewer do not get to share in their enlightenment.

    While the film doesn’t expose any mind-blowing or unique insight into the world’s view of America, it certainly proves the general power of travel and cross-cultural communication.

    Midwest Premiere, Thursday, December 13th at 7:30 p.m., The Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, 612-331-3134, $8.

  • My blog

    Thanks for checking out my new venture. Feel free to give

    me feedback and if you have any suggestions as to what you
    think I should "blog" about…… I am open:) 

  • Cheap Date

    It is that time of year when we pause and give thanks for small blessings. And among these I count Uptown, where my husband and I (who are saving up to send a kid to college) have had a succession of brilliant but inexpensive Saturday night dates.

    In this era of Transformers on 16 screens, where else can you find FIVE quality first-run films playing in a space of three blocks? Parking is free if you’re willing to walk a quarter-mile or so. And after the movie, there are no less than a dozen dirt-cheap places serving hot, tasty (mostly Asian) food. In the past couple months alone, we’ve seen Into the Wild, No Country for Old Men, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, and I’m Not There. We’ve eaten at the Lotus, Kinhdo, and Tum Rup Thai. Movie tickets are $8.25 apiece; and dinner usually costs less than $35, wine, tip and all.

    Last weekend, we went to Amazing Thailand for the first time. It was after No Country and there were many things to discuss: What was the significance of Tommy Lee Jones’ dreams? Was the dark mood of the film ironic or merely dystopian? Did the sinister-yet-clever airgun bit hold up over a period of two hours? Was the taciturn anti-hero evil, amoral, or simply a man with a solid work ethic, getting the job done?

    It turns out Amazing Thailand is a wonderful place to deconstruct: garishly neon on the exterior, it’s actually soft and dim and acoustically pleasant inside. We ordered stuffed chicken wings with broccoli in garlic sauce and pad thai with mock duck at their top spice level (5). Tucked snugly into a back corner, we held hands and ate off a single plate. The dishes were robust: not nearly so fiery as promised (we asked for extra chile sauce) but warm and good and full of flavors as obvious — and as comforting — as colorful baby blocks. And the total for our late meal? Twenty-six dollars, with enough food left over to feed a nearly college-age kid his hefty midnight snack.

    I lived in Providence for a year, where I had to drive to Seekonk, Massachusetts, and pay $10 a ticket (in 2002), in order to catch an independent film. Parking was impossible. The theater was surrounded by Applebee-like chains. I learned how hard life can be.

    So today, I give thanks for rugged, snow-covered Minnesota with its accessible culture and incredibly cheap pad thai.

  • Cookie Party

    Do you have a cookie party in your future?

    Is there a massive plan afoot to organize friends/co-workers/relatives/cellmates for a gathering in which an inordinate amount of cookies is exchanged?

    I have a love/hate thing going for the cookie party. The premise is a bit appealing, bake dozens of one kind of cookie and bring it to a social gathering where there will be dozens of other cookies for which you make an even swap: Ta-daa, now for the price of one recipe, you have a huge variety of cookies.

    But (and here comes the Scroogey part) most of them suck.

    Yes, we all know I am a control freak and a bit of a food snob, but I enjoy an M&M cookie just as much as the next coiffed Super-mom. Neither at issue are traditional cookies: iced gingerbread, frosted sugar cookies, spritz or the like. And ugly cookies are always welcome in my house, if it looks like a toddler iced it, great.

    It’s the non-cookies that bother me. Melting a Rolo on top of a bell-shaped pretzel does not a cookie make. Mixing cornflakes into melted chocolate and dropping them into blobs does not a cookie make. Dipping an Oreo halfway into white chocolate? Come one, why don’t you just kick me in the gut. If I’ve spent a whole afternoon mixing and baking and cutting and sandwiching and frosting for you, the least you can do is turn off Guiding Light, put down the Arbor Mist and dust off the Kitchenaid mixer you got as a wedding present.

    I’m not asking for anyone to go overboard, just cream a little butter, throw a little sugar, break an egg or two. Don’t hand me "busy", we’re all busy, there’s maybe two or three people in the state who aren’t. But it doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to be elaborate, it just has to be real.

    Just try it this year, go for the real:

    Shortbread is easy and rich and seems like you worked really hard.

    Cranberry Hootycreeks are simple, and fun to say!

    Lace cookies are ridiculously good.

    Mini Black and White’s are worth the effort.

    Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches would be a welcome sight.

    There are those who can’t resist Chocolate and Mint or Chocolate and Ginger.

    When in doubt, go classic. Your house will smell amazing.

     

     

  • The Three Pointer: Matchup Problems

    Game #19, Road Game #9: Minnesota 88, Washington 101

    Season record: 3-16

    1. Live By the Boards, Die By the Boards

    We’re not in Atlanta or Phoenix anymore, Dorothy. After utterly dominating the rebounding against two teams that don’t play anyone over 6 feet, 10 inches tall, the Timberwolves were mauled tonight, 57-35, by the bigger, stronger, Wizards frontcourt. Washington essentially did what Minnesota executed on its last two foes, getting 20 of the 45 boards on their offensive glass and 37 of 47 at the defensive end.

    The problem is pretty simple. Al Jefferson went off for 32 points and 20 rebounds Saturday against Phoenix. Tonight, Craig Smith had a career high 36 points. But both of these players are indisputably power forwards. Neither is remotely quick enough to play the 3, and neither is really tall and/or strong enough to cope with legitimate NBA centers. Fortunately there aren’t that many such centers around, but the Wizards have Brendan Haywood, and that’s plenty enough to stymie Jefferson.

    The last time the Wolves played Washington on November 16, Theo Ratliff suffered that fateful and mysterious knee injury that may represent his last appearance in a Wolves uniform. At any rate, Jefferson shot 3-6 FG when Ratliff was beside him at center, and 2-10 FG when he himself was forced to play the pivot, usually against the seven-foot, 263-pound Haywood. Tonight, Jefferson shot 5-14 FG and grabbed 7 rebounds. Haywood was 5-9 with 14 rebounds. In the two Washington games, Jefferson has shot a combined 10-30 FG (awful for such a paint-oriented player), has gone 9-10 FT, but has 17 rebounds (3 on the offensive end), zero assists, six turnover and is a combined minus -41 in a combined 75:53 minutes. Haywood is 9-16 FG, just 1-5 FT, but has 25 rebounds, a whopping 12 of them on the offensive end, 2 assists, four turnovers and is a combined plus +28 in a combined 61:02 minutes. The statistics that really count here are Jefferson’s shooting percentage and Haywood’s offensive rebounds. As was proven with Lakers’ Andrew Bynum earlier in the season, Jefferson has a lot of problems jousting with legit centers at both ends of the court. Look at it this way: Tonight the Wolves were minus -23 in the 39:25 Jefferson played, which means they were plus +9 in the 8:35 he was on the bench.

    But to be fair to "Big Al," it wasn’t just Haywood vs. Jefferson. In a television interview after the game, Wizards guard Antonio Daniels revealed that they watched plenty of tape of Jefferson’s monster game against Phoenix on Saturday, and Washington set its gameplan on ensuring Jefferson wouldn’t beat them–a significant factor in Smith’s breakout performance.

    In fact, the subplots on all three front court matchups tonight were fascinating. Could Jefferson handle a big center like Haywood? (No.) Could Craig Smith guard a perimeter-shooting power forward like Antawn Jamison? Well, given that Jamison needed 22 shots to register 22 points (7-22 FG, 2-6 3ptFG, 6-7 FT), and that Smith went off for 36 in just as many FGA, the answer is complicated, and necessarily incomplete. Jamison outrebounded Smith 13-9, and matched him on Smith forte of offensive rebounding (they both grabbed 4), plus chipped in 5 assists to Smith’s donut.

    The other frontcourt matchup was a reprise of Corey Brewer vs. Caron Butler. After the first Minnesota-Washington game, I cited Butler’s manhandling of Brewer as evidence that the rook simply couldn’t guard the bigger, stronger small forwards in the league. But tonight Brewer showed continued growth. Butler got 20 points (10-20 FG), 10 reboundsx and 4 assists, but he’s been doing that against everybody, especially since Gilbert Arenas went down in mid November. Brewer was much more judicious with his shot selection, going 3-5 FG while registering 9 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. It could have been worse.

    2. Terrific Telfair and Miserable Marko

    Jefferson wasn’t the only goat of this game. After two or three solid weeks of inspired play, Marko Jaric has a very tough night. There were two crucial tipping points in the game, and Jaric helped swing it toward the Wizards on both occasions. Just 1:21 into the second quarter, Wittman subbed in Jaric for Sebastian Telfair, who’d had a brilliant first quarter with 11 points and 5 assists. The score was tied at 26 with Jaric came back in (he’d sat with 3:38 to play in the first) and was 29-28 Washington when the Wizards brought Deshawn Stevenson in for Antonio Daniels, pretty much ensuring that Jaric instead of Ryan Gomes or Rashad McCants would be on backup point guard Roger Mason much of the time. Mason, an undistinguished 6-5 combo guard, proceeded to score 8 points in less than 2 minutes, boosting Washington’s lead to 6. It was 8 when Wittman finally brought Telfair back in alongside Jaric with 3:40 to play in the half, and 10 at the break.

    Then, in the 4th quarter, Minnesota had cut an 18 point deficit down to 79-85 with a little more than 8 minutes to play. Once again Jaric was operating in the backcourt without Telfair. This time, Marko bricked two jumpers while the Wizards converted at the other end, kicking the lead back to double digits. One problem was that, in trying to get Jefferson some help in the paint, Wittman was playing the offensively challenged Chris Richard. But the other problem was that Marko could neither get the ball to anybody nor get off a good shot.

    Now there are occasions when plus/minus numbers can be misleading, as in merely circumstantial evidence that fingers the wrong culprit or elevates a benign bystander. But check this: In 25:41 tonight, Jaric was a minus -31. In 38:01, Telfair was a minus -1. In the 16:35 they shared the backcourt, the Wolves were minus -18. That means Telfair was plus +17 in the 21:26 he played without Jaric and Marko was minus -13 in the 8:59 he played without Telfair.

    For the game, Telfair dropped a dollar’s worth of dimes versus only one turnover. He continues to work well with Brewer, assisting on two of the rook’s three baskets, and fed Smith three times for hoops in the game’s first eight minutes. Whereas Jaric is more inclined to pick up assists either by dumping it into the low post to Jefferson (with whom he has good rapport) or, increasingly, off dribble penetration, Telfair seems more adept as rifling passes inside or operating the quick, bounce-pass pick and roll, which is where he and Smith were particularly effective tonight. Bassy also shot 5-12 FG, further solidifying that plus 40% accuracy. The news today of more rehab time for Randy Foye gives Telfair another toehold on that mountain he is climbing to become a reliable backcourt fixture in the Wolves’ rotations. Tonight was another significant step up in that process.

    3. Quick Hosannahs and Brickbats

    Yes, the Wizards were focusing on Jefferson, but 36 points from anybody at anytime is worth a closer look, eh? Vexing as it is to have Smith duplicate Jefferson’s power forward slot, let’s dwell instead on what fabulous hands the guy has for such a beefy build. Most of the time he is snagging balls on the move, be it the high pick and roll with Bassy or flashing in from the weak side, or corralling offensive rebounds with people pounding on his back. How often does the Rhino drop a pass? I didn’t see it happen tonight, and there were at least a half-dozen tough chances he handled. Second, after shooting just 62.4% from the free throw line last year, and 17-30 FT to begin this season, he is 17-19 FT thus far in December, indicating that either he is in a marvelous groove or has been diligently practicing–probably both. Finally, although the Jamisons and other perimeter guys still will give him trouble, Smith does seem to cover more range this season, without losing the ability to recognize and execute the right rotations down in the paint. In my NBA season preview this season, I said that Craig Smith’s potential was overrated. I was wrong.

    Rashad McCants had an interesting, mostly positive, night. Joining
    Antoine Walker as the first guys off the bench with 3:38 to play in the first, Shaddy went nearly 12 minutes (11:58) without an official shot, preferring to emphasize ball movement and moving with or without the ball, drawing fouls and sinking 3 of 4 FTs on his only two attempts. But with 5:24 to play in the 3rd and the Wolves down 16, his resolve weakened, and he jacked up 4 attempts in three minutes, making a trey and then quickly taking a heat check by driving in traffic for a miss, enabling a fast break bucket the other way, following that up with a missed trey and commiting a stupid foul that yielded another pair of points. After that spasm, he settled down, and doled out four assists in the next nine minutes, finishing with 6 dimes and zero turnovers along with 5 rebounds, 8 points and a team high plus +4 in 32:25.

    At the same time, color commentator Jim Petersen did a great job of telestrating a play where Shaddy’s lackluster perimeter D plus a belated gamble resulted in a rotation scramble and a Wizards slam dunk. It was a superb, teachable moment by J Pete that just happened to come at McCants’s expense. Then, in the postgame report, the FoxSports desk, particularly analyst Mike McCollow, openly wondered whether Shaddy’s knee was restricting his movement and hurting his ability to get down in his defensive stance and to get back in transition. Frankly, I didn’t notice these things, but do think McCants has done too much reaching on defense at times this year. Then again, he did less of it last season–his best defensive year thus far–and that was when his knee was most problematical.

    Antoine Walker didn’t have it; tried to do too much too soon after returning from ankle problems and hurt the time. Petersen mentioned that the ankle was still bothering him, which prompts the question of why the hell was he playing then–the Wolves have done pretty well with him out of the rotation lately. And the doldrums continue for Ryan Gomes, who clearly was trying to go strong to the hoop with the ball this game instead of settling for jumpers, but his rhythm is still way off and his defense likewise isn’t what it was in the preseason or with the Celts a year ago.

    Finally, Randy Wittman also didn’t distinguish himself in his first game back from back surgery. I understand the dilemma Witt was facing: Jefferson and Jaric were being killed by matchups and both have been warriors both most of the season and in the past few games. Meanwhile, Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair deserved mucho time in the power forward and point guard spots. In 20/20 hindsight, Witt should have bit the bullet and played a legit center next to Smith more often, instead of giving Jeff an ineffective 39:25. And if having Richard or Doleac in the game more often meant more focus on Smith, then swap in Jefferson with a big and see what happens.

    More intangibly and yet more obviously, the Wolves didn’t seem like they were laying it out full bore for Wittman the way they had for Sichting the past two games. Most likely it was the disadvantageous matchups at work. But Wittman was right to dwell on the lack of effort in his postgame analysis. He just has to hope his presence isn’t a factor somehow in the lethargy.

  • Nude Trivia with Your Neighbor's Wife

    BENEFIT
    Rock and Burlesque Help Kids with Not-So-Nice Parents

    Sometimes winter provides the best opportunities to get loud, sexy,
    and…serendipitous. Check out the scatter shot benefit show at First Avenue this evening, featuring
    a melange of admittedly disparate, yet equally worthy bands — ranging from morose balladry to ferocious hip-hop to
    artsy post-rock     and bombastic instrumental rock.
    And the kicker will be a saucy performance by the tarts of Minneapolis’ own Le Cirque Rouge Burlesque and Cabaret show.
    This is the 4th annual benefit show hosted by LCR, and judging by the
    popularity
    of the wildly idiosyncratic variety show, it should be well worth the eight bucks. If that’s not enough to drag you out on a
    Wednesday, then you must really not want to
    help kids with "fucked up parents"… whatever that means. —Christopher Hontos

    8 p.m., First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-332-1775; $8.

    TRIVIA
    Science Trivia Meets Its Rapping Match

    Calling all trekies, seashell enthusiasts, and rap fans…? Yes, you read right; tonight’s science trivia at the Nomad World Pub (put on by the Bell Museum of Natural History) will test your knowledge of all things science — from the compounds that make up sea shells to what type of pet Captain Archer has on the Enterprise. And to top off this cornucopia of fun, the event will be hosted by none other then Doomtree MC and local rapper Dessa Darling. So, get four other people together, and compete to win a number of different gift certificate prizes. —Kate McDonald

    8 p.m., Nomad World Pub, 501 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-388-6424; $10 per team office.

    COMEDY
    Covet Thy Comedian

    Jack Black “covets his fucking brain." What more evidence do you need of Todd Glass’s comedic abilities? The fact that he made it to the finals of Last Comic Standing? Had his own Comedy Central special? Performed on Leno and Letterman? Guest starred on the Sarah Silverman show and toured with David Spade? Sure, that’s all good. But the most overwhelming evidence of the substantial clout that Todd Glass holds in the world of stand up is the fact that Jack Black “covets his fucking brain.” Though thou may not be able to covet thy neighbor’s wife or house, it would be a sin NOT to covet Glass’s brain tonight at Acme Comedy Club in Minneapolis. —Kate McDonald

    8 p.m., Acme Comedy Club, 708 N. First St., Minneapolis; 612-388-6393; $15.

    MUSIC
    Bring Your Harmonica and Songs of Americana

    It is not often that the Cedar Cultural Center opens its stage to general public performances. Rarer still is the opportunity to perform alongside local bluegrass legend John Rou. And perhaps best yet for the thrifty among us is the fact that the whole event is free. So bring your harmonica and songs about Americana down to the Cedar today to take advantage of this rare opportunity. —Kate McDonald

    7 p.m. (sign up at 6:4 p.m.), Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-388-2674; free.