Simons Says - Aug. 31, 2012

Waiting has never been one of my finer attributes. I was always the kid, squirming in line, itching to get out the door or get to whatever it was I just had to do. Wanting to do that now. Never at ease with holding off or being patient. Ugh. That “finer point” of mine is something I’ve carried with me through all the years. OK, I made it but I did it carrying that baggage. From High School student body President (my campaign promise was to lower chocolate milk by 5 cents and pipe in rock & roll during lunch time in the cafeteria), to college graduate (my alma mater off to another blazing start in losing to BYU on opening night) and then big time broadcaster (tongue firmly planted in cheek), I’ve always been looking ahead. So, add sports and some of my favorite events to the hot dish and we’re in trouble. Case in point (I can hear you now, “Rod, thanks for g-e-t-t-i-n-g to the point”). I’m having a heck of a time waiting for the NBA camps to open now that labor strike is out of the picture. Bummed for the big time hockey rube (because the NHL appears headed for a work stoppage) after the Wild made such a splash in free agency with signings of Parise and Suter, impatiently waiting for the NFL season to kick-off now that the end of exhibition play has arrived so all that noted, I want to see the Wolves and the new look line-up. I’ve been busy with the glass-half full, pumping up the team and the prospects for the season ahead. At our GameON! TV tapings, at the great Minnesota get together, there are many questions for fans of the team. I thought I’d pass along a few of those: Benjamin (9-years-old) from Waconia: “Is Ricky Rubio going to be OK…will he play this season?” This was one cute little man. He had a hand-me-down Garnett t-shirt on with slick Nike’s as he navigated food booth after food booth at the fair. My answer, yes. And yes. Rubio will play this season and with the best doc’s money can buy keeping watching over him, he’ll be back and better than ever. Rubio has an intangible working for him. Confidence like few others. Rubio is a twin-son of a different mother with Kevin Love. They both have the drive to succeed and will settle for nothing short of a title.   Jerry from Maple Grove: “What was your favorite basketball moment from the Olympics?” If you get me in regular conversation, you’d think it was the USA’s gold medal performance. It’s not. I actually have two faves (by the way, the USA women’s hoops gold stands on its own). 1.) The emergence of LeBron James. A long time fence sitter when it comes to King James, his playoff performance and in particular the NBA Finals against a better OKC team, made a believer and admirer of his game. James had a couple of pivotal moments in the Olympics when he took over the game, against Lithuania and Spain, and guided the Americans to wins. James made a silly move with “The Decision” and a few other things but that’s old news. He’s serious. James got it done. He’s number one from my Olympics memory. One-point-two has to be thinking of the possibilities while watching the Russians play hoops. The combination of Kirilenko/Shevd with Minnesota has me stoked. AK-47 played magnificently in the London games and the pair looked solid and seasoned. They will make strong contributions. When fans watch Kirilenko team up with K-Love, they will see what Coach Rick Adelman was missing last season. Getting complimentary contributions on the court…that is, not just Love doing all the heavy lifting. Kirilenko will rebound. He’s a sweet passer and he will be a dynamic shooter. Just watch. Shevd didn’t seem as consistent as AK but with Coach Rick working the roster, it’ll get better. Annette from Roseville AND Eric in Stillwater with the same sentiments: “I still think you guys (the media) don’t give the attention deserved to the Lynx. You never have them on that show of yours.” I thanked them both then coughed up my sip of coffee. Can’t talk for the other shows in the market but GameON! represents the Lynx like no other. Mama Taj, Candice Wiggins, R-Brunson and Monica Wright to name a few have been with us recently, rooftop SKYBAR AT SEVEN Steakhouse, for GameON! TV tapings and they’ve been delightful. The Lynx deserve all the attention we can muster. Three Olympic gold medalists, the WNBA title and a strong run at back to back championships and a roster of nearly all star proportions. We give the Lynx love. Make no mistake about it. And in the defense of those two long time fans, it’s easy to lump “the media” into the same dish. But it’s not accurate. That said, look for a Lynx dash to another ring. It’s a sweet thing. So, I’ll continue to wait and go over and over the roster while watching NBA re-runs on NBA TV. It’s medicine for the hoopaholic. It’s a practice in patience. It’s what players always say these days, “It is what it is.” So it is. Next week, we’ll start our pre-camp chatter with plenty to kick around regarding Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, JJ Barea, Nicola Pekovic, newcomer Andrei Kirilenko and Russian teammate Alexey Shevd and Brandon Roy. Drop us your thoughts on the upcoming season. Love to hear from you! Who doesn’t like a “deal” With more than 9,000 season tickets, there’s more room on the bandwagon and the Wolves are making it possible for you to be there and at a great price point. The Timberwolves are now offering fans customizable ticket packages and back by popular demand, fans will once again have the opportunity to create their own multi-game ticket package at the prices they want. Through the Flex Pack, fans can build a personalized ticket package by selecting 12 or more games of their choice, with the flexibility to change seat location, the number of tickets per game and price point based on the matchup. They start as low as $108! Additionally, fans that purchase 16 games will receive 5% off their total order, while buyers of 20 games will receive 10% off. Flex Packs are on sale and will be available at the Minnesota State Fair before it ends next week. To purchase a Flex Pack, log on to www.timberwolves.com or call 612-673-1234. TV Time You know that GameON! is on FOX’s MY29 and now the Wolves tell us that a franchise-record 78 regular-season games will be televised locally, including 50 on Fox Sports North and 25 on the Wolves' exclusive over-the-air broadcast home, WFTC My29. For the second consecutive season, every Wolves regular season contest will be carried live on News Radio 830 WCCO-AM. The 2012-13 Wolves home opener against Sacramento will be broadcast on WFTC MY29, beginning a string of 36 consecutive televised games to start the season. See you on TV You don’t want to miss GameON! powered by SEVEN Steakhouse/Sushi/Ultralounge & Skybar this Sunday morning on FOX’s My29 at 10:30AM. Our special guests include Vikings defensive lineman Fred Evans, Olympic hopeful and Eden Prairie gymnast Julia Garbuz, OKC’s Kevin Durant is spotlighted in a movie review of Thunderstruck by TV’s John Henk and our new Fantasy Football insider Jeremy Johnson all in house! All shows are broadcast in High Definition and can be found on ITunes and online at www.gameontvmn.com. GameON! powered by SEVEN allows you the opportunity to get up close and personal, to meet your favorite players and fellow fans at our weekly tapings next door to Target Center at SEVEN (7th and Hennepin). GameON! offers in-depth interviews with the top players, great food, sports newsmakers and we get you inside your favorite teams(including the Wolves). You can friend us on Facebook at GameOnTvMN and drop me a note, Rod@GameOnTvMn.com. We reserve the right to use your e-mails here in SimonsSays at Timberwolves.com. Keep your GameON! See you soon!