minnesota

Restarting Government After Shutdown More Than Flipping Switch

by on July 17, 2011

Huffington Post…

The post and live blog below are a collaboration between Patch and HuffPost reporters. ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota may soon have an end to its government shutdown, but re-starting the machinery of the state will probably take a few days. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders were aiming for a special session as early as Monday to finalize a deal struck late last week. If rank-and-file lawmakers sign off on the deal, it will end a shutdown that’s the longest in recent U.S. history. But for residents whose lives have been disrupted, the relief won’t be immediate. “It’s not like we can just flip a switch,” said Doug Neuville, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, which has halted renewal of driver’s licenses and vehicle tabs during the shutdown. The computer systems used to issue renewals take time to bring back online, and the services won’t be immediately available, he said. Same goes for closed rest stops and state parks. State budget office spokesman Jonathan Pollard said those must be cleaned and thoroughly checked before people can use them again. Road construction projects idled by the shutdown are likely to require safety checks before work can resume. Licensing hang-ups for beer distributors could take several days to unsnarl as well, as returning state workers deal with backlogs that built up during the shutdown. “It depends on the level to which the services were down,” Pollard said. “If you have an agency that’s mostly been up and functioning, it may be easier than if you have an agency that’s been completely shut down.” The Dayton administration will likely consider the shutdown officially over once the governor signs new budget bills into law, Pollard said. Below, a live blog of the latest developments to unfold in Minnesota.

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Restarting Government After Shutdown More Than Flipping Switch

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Minnesota Shutdown Sees Light At The End Of The Tunnel (LATEST UPDATES)

by on July 15, 2011

Huffington Post…

The post and live blog below are a collaboration between Patch and HuffPost reporters. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and top Republicans struck a deal Thursday to end a budget impasse that prompted the state government to shut down, with the Democratic governor giving up on raising taxes. The agreement came after a three-hour negotiating session that followed Dayton’s announcement of his offer earlier in the day. If details are worked out and approved by state legislators, it would end the shutdown over how to resolve a $5 billion deficit that has lasted two weeks so far. Dayton said the government would be back in business “very soon,” but didn’t say exactly when. The two sides agreed on a proposal that would raise $1.4 billion in new revenue, half by delaying state aid checks to school districts and the other half by selling tobacco payment bonds. It was a big sacrifice by Dayton, who had made new income taxes a central plank in his campaign last year and the centerpiece of his budget. Republicans said they agreed to drop a list of policy changes and a plan to cut the state workforce by 15 percent. “It was about making sure that we get a deal that we can all be disappointed in, but a deal that is done, a budget that was balanced, a state that was back to work,” said Republican House Speaker Kurt Zellers, who appeared with Dayton and Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch after the private meeting. The glum looks on their faces testified to a hard bargain. “Nobody is going to be happy with this, which is the essence of real compromise,” Dayton said. The date of a special legislative session to pass a budget and end the shutdown has not been set. Some terms of the deal still need to be filled in. Below, a live blog of the latest developments to unfold in Minnesota.

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Minnesota Shutdown Sees Light At The End Of The Tunnel (LATEST UPDATES)

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Target Continues To Make Political Donations They Previously Apologized For

December 21, 2010

This past fall, mega-retailer Target caught a heap of bad publicity when it was revealed that they had made campaign donations in support of then-Minnesota gubernatorial hopeful Tom Emmer , whose hostility to the LGBT community began “with opposition to same-sex marriage and runs through to wholesale denial of equal rights and alliances with organizations whose takes on the gay community neatly align with those Ugandan madmen .” Target CEO Greg Steinhafel was forced to make an apology , and promised to begin a “review process for future political donations.” Over at The Awl, Abram Sauer, who covered this story thoroughly during the election season, has made a review of this review process. You’ll never guess what he found out ! According to documents filed with the FEC in October 2010, Target continued donating to a bevy of anti-gay politicians even after Steinhafel apologized and committed to reforming the review process for future political donations. These donations even included some of the same anti-gay politicians the company had already been criticized for supporting. Here’s a taste of the specifics: After Steinhafel’s August 5 letter, Target’s Political Action Committee, helmed by the former right hand of Senator Thune, Matt Zabel, recorded $41,200 in federal election activity. Of that total, $31,200 went to anti-gay rights politicians or PACs supporting those candidates. Supporters of gay equality did get some money. In September, Target PAC gave $1,000 to Chuck Schumer. It also sent a whole $500 to Keith Ellison, the Minnesota Congressman that anti-gay leader Bradley Dean accuses of supporting LGBT rights as a way to bring Sharia law to America. But donations such as $1,000 to Kelly Ayotte (reported on September 22), who resigned her state post in protest of the legalization of gay marriage and same sex adoption, are far more the norm. That same day, there is a record of a donation by Target PAC to Spencer Bachus, who voted to ban same-sex adoption. Michigan’s David Camp, who, in addition to supporting a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage, voted against protecting gays from job discrimination based on sexual orientation, also reported money. Through October, Target PAC thousands of dollars in donations were recorded to Michael Crapo and Dave Reichert, both supporters of anti-gay Constitutional amendments, and Rob Portman, a supporter of banning gays from adopting. Portman’s position on other gay rights won’t surprise. On October 4, a donation was reported: $2,000 to David Dreier, whose position on gay rights is quite a bit of theatre. Sauer also digs up this magical puff piece by Bill George at the Star Tribune , attesting to Steinhafel’s general wonderfulness as a CEO. Amid the assertion that Steinhafel is “always classy” and the insistence that it “isn’t easy being CEO of a public company,” (I mean, you try living off this pittance in America) there’s glancing mention of that minor dust-up over these anti-gay political donations: Suggestions that Target was somehow “anti-gay” cut deeply. The worst one could say about this incident is that Steinhafel may have been naive. But he admitted his mistake and reaffirmed the company’s long-standing support for gay rights. As he told me, “Target has the most gay-friendly policies in this state.” I don’t think the worst you could say about Steinhafel is that he is naive! More like, “is a liar.” But, as Sauer points out, this Strib handjob was written by a former member of Target’s board and the author of a book titled 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis that “just happens to count Gregg Steinhafel as one of its profiled ‘leaders.’” So, you know: hard-hitting . GO READ THE WHOLE THING: The Anti-Gay Donations That Target Apologized For? They Never Stopped [The Awl] [Would you like to follow me on Twitter ? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here .]

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Inder Sidhu: A Lesson in Education: To Save Failing Schools, Teachers Take Charge

September 21, 2010

“Where teachers lead, children succeed.” More than a feel-good sentiment, this is the actual philosophy of Barbara Jordan School in Detroit. There, educators, not traditional administrators, are in charge. The school has no principal, no traditional administrative hierarchy. Instead, teachers decide what students study–and so much more. The same is true at a growing number of public and private schools in Denver , Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Detroit and elsewhere. In these communities, teachers have taken charge of existing schools or helped create new ones from scratch. Instead of full-time administrators calling the shots at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, N.J., for example, teachers do. They oversee everything from operations to academics, community involvement to budgets. The radically different approach to school administration is as much a test of management models as it is a study of academic philosophies. Much like governments and big businesses, school systems have run like military organizations for decades. Most rely on a command-and-control leadership model that resembles a pyramid in which power and authority flow downward from top decision-makers to lower-level lieutenants. The structure depends on clearly defined lines of authority and equally precise measures of accountability. In many systems with school boards, superintendants and principals, this model produces a measurable level of excellence. But in other settings, particularly in disadvantaged schools, results have been disappointing. Dropout rates are higher. Scores are lower. And dreams go unrealized. Many educators believe the traditional management model is one reason why. Though effective for measuring results and ensuring accountability, it is inflexible and unwieldy. Rather than look for help from Washington or their state governments, progressive districts have taken matters into their own hands. By stepping up to take on greater responsibilities, they have been able to eliminate layers of bureaucracy and localize decision-making in many schools. Proponents of this new leadership model recognize that it threatens a lot of tradition in education. “You’re trying to run an upside-down pyramid in a pyramid structure,” says Tim McDonald, author and policy advocate with Education Evolving, an educational think tank based in St. Paul, Minn. In early September, he told The New York Times , “There is so much momentum against being completely different in most districts.” But “different” can produce measureable gains when properly utilized, says Linda Peters. A high-school English teacher for more than a decade, she is one of the founding teachers behind Advanced Language and Academic Studies High School Cooperative (ALAS) in Milwaukee. The dual-language high school has no principal or traditional administrative hierarchy. Instead, teachers collaborate to make key decisions and then carry them out. “We saw the waste and the very ineffective ways of doing things at a large high school, and we felt we could do it better ourselves,” Peters says in a video for Education Evolving.” After looking at several models, she and her peers chose a teacher-professional partnership. Initially, teachers accustomed to the status quo tested the limits of free-wheeling collaboration. “From a process standpoint, decision-making didn’t go smoothly in the beginning,” says Peters. But then the teachers identified a common set of objectives and established clearer lines of accountability. Leveraging the best of a command-and-control model with the most of a collaborative model produced better outcomes than before. Coming up with a budget this year, for example, was much easier than in previous years, Peters says. Without bureaucratic interference, teachers can tailor curricula to local needs and reallocate money where it is needed most. Take the Minnesota initiative to improve reading scores statewide. ALAS teachers realized that complying with state recommendations would burden its language teachers. Instead of piling on extra reading in just one class, ALAS teachers wondered if a more comprehensive approach would produce higher outcomes. So they developed a literacy strategy for all of their classes, including math, science and art. When students were tasked to read more in all of their classes, reading improved. So have the attitudes of teachers in schools where collaboration and authority mesh together. No longer told how to do their jobs, these professionals have made a greater commitment to their professions, their communities and, most importantly, their students. This is providing hope in places where it has been lacking for a long time. Inder Sidhu is the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Planning for Worldwide Operations at Cisco , and the author of Doing Both: How Cisco Captures Today’s Profits and Drives Tomorrow’s Growth . Follow Inder on Twitter at @indersidhu .

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Inder Sidhu: A Lesson in Education: To Save Failing Schools, Teachers Take Charge

September 21, 2010

“Where teachers lead, children succeed.” More than a feel-good sentiment, this is the actual philosophy of Barbara Jordan School in Detroit. There, educators, not traditional administrators, are in charge. The school has no principal, no traditional administrative hierarchy. Instead, teachers decide what students study–and so much more. The same is true at a growing number of public and private schools in Denver , Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Detroit and elsewhere. In these communities, teachers have taken charge of existing schools or helped create new ones from scratch. Instead of full-time administrators calling the shots at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, N.J., for example, teachers do. They oversee everything from operations to academics, community involvement to budgets. The radically different approach to school administration is as much a test of management models as it is a study of academic philosophies. Much like governments and big businesses, school systems have run like military organizations for decades. Most rely on a command-and-control leadership model that resembles a pyramid in which power and authority flow downward from top decision-makers to lower-level lieutenants. The structure depends on clearly defined lines of authority and equally precise measures of accountability. In many systems with school boards, superintendants and principals, this model produces a measurable level of excellence. But in other settings, particularly in disadvantaged schools, results have been disappointing. Dropout rates are higher. Scores are lower. And dreams go unrealized. Many educators believe the traditional management model is one reason why. Though effective for measuring results and ensuring accountability, it is inflexible and unwieldy. Rather than look for help from Washington or their state governments, progressive districts have taken matters into their own hands. By stepping up to take on greater responsibilities, they have been able to eliminate layers of bureaucracy and localize decision-making in many schools. Proponents of this new leadership model recognize that it threatens a lot of tradition in education. “You’re trying to run an upside-down pyramid in a pyramid structure,” says Tim McDonald, author and policy advocate with Education Evolving, an educational think tank based in St. Paul, Minn. In early September, he told The New York Times , “There is so much momentum against being completely different in most districts.” But “different” can produce measureable gains when properly utilized, says Linda Peters. A high-school English teacher for more than a decade, she is one of the founding teachers behind Advanced Language and Academic Studies High School Cooperative (ALAS) in Milwaukee. The dual-language high school has no principal or traditional administrative hierarchy. Instead, teachers collaborate to make key decisions and then carry them out. “We saw the waste and the very ineffective ways of doing things at a large high school, and we felt we could do it better ourselves,” Peters says in a video for Education Evolving.” After looking at several models, she and her peers chose a teacher-professional partnership. Initially, teachers accustomed to the status quo tested the limits of free-wheeling collaboration. “From a process standpoint, decision-making didn’t go smoothly in the beginning,” says Peters. But then the teachers identified a common set of objectives and established clearer lines of accountability. Leveraging the best of a command-and-control model with the most of a collaborative model produced better outcomes than before. Coming up with a budget this year, for example, was much easier than in previous years, Peters says. Without bureaucratic interference, teachers can tailor curricula to local needs and reallocate money where it is needed most. Take the Minnesota initiative to improve reading scores statewide. ALAS teachers realized that complying with state recommendations would burden its language teachers. Instead of piling on extra reading in just one class, ALAS teachers wondered if a more comprehensive approach would produce higher outcomes. So they developed a literacy strategy for all of their classes, including math, science and art. When students were tasked to read more in all of their classes, reading improved. So have the attitudes of teachers in schools where collaboration and authority mesh together. No longer told how to do their jobs, these professionals have made a greater commitment to their professions, their communities and, most importantly, their students. This is providing hope in places where it has been lacking for a long time. Inder Sidhu is the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Planning for Worldwide Operations at Cisco , and the author of Doing Both: How Cisco Captures Today’s Profits and Drives Tomorrow’s Growth . Follow Inder on Twitter at @indersidhu .

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MoveOn.Org Calls For Target Boycott In New Ad (VIDEO)

August 17, 2010

Progressive action committee MoveOn.org has released a TV ad urging Americans to boycott Target, in its latest swipe against the company for spending money on the Minnesota Governor’s race. “Target and other big corporations are trying to buy our elections,” the ad states. The 30-second ad calls for viewers to boycott Target for donating over $150,000 to conservative Rep. Tom Emmer’s bid for Minnesota governor. The money was reportedly put toward this political advertisement supporting the anti-gay-rights candidate , made by business interest group Minnesota Forward . “Target’s refusal to acknowledge its customers’ outrage at their attempt to buy elections is scandalous,” said Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn, in a statement. “Americans have spoken: we don’t want corporations meddling in our democracy. Corporate money in elections is nothing more than political bribery and we’re not going to stop targeting Target until they stop trying to buy our elections.” Last week MoveOn fulfilled a threat to launch a full-scale campaign against Target. So far it has circulated a petition– which has gained over 260,000 signatures– and started a heated Facebook group urging followers not to shop at Target until the retailer stops donating to political campaigns. The latest TV ad will run on national cable and Minnesota local channels for a week, or you can WATCH it below:

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Video: Paulsen Says Tech, Consumer Stocks May Be Poised to Rise: Video

August 9, 2010

Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) — James Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, talks with Bloomberg’s Susan Li about his investment strategy for U.S. stocks. Paulsen, speaking from Minneapolis, Minnesota, also discusses the outlook for the U.S. economy, Treasuries and Federal Reserve monetary policy. (Source: Bloomberg)

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Video: Favre Said to Decide Against Returning to NFL’s Vikings: Video

August 3, 2010

Aug. 3 (Bloomberg) — Quarterback Brett Favre told the Minnesota Vikings that he’s retiring after 19 seasons in the National Football League, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune said. Bloomberg’s Michele Steele reports. (Source: Bloomberg)

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David Berri: Why Macroeconomists — and Some Politicians — Should Watch Sports

July 29, 2010

Britt Robson of CNNSI.com recently wrote a column examining the worse offseason moves in the NBA. A perusal of the list reveals some familiar patterns. Decision-makers in the NBA have given significant dollars to scorers like Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, and Rudy Gay. Darko Milicic — a player whose “size”, “youth”, and “potential” hasn’t vanished yet — received $20 million from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Such moves illustrate documented biases in decision-making in the NBA. Specifically, scoring is overvalued and teams have trouble abandoning evaluations made during the NBA draft. These moves, though, also tell a different story. The column Robson offered is essentially written by sports writers each off-season in the NBA. In fact, similar columns are written in the off-seasons of each sport. Year after year, sports writers — and of course, the fans — are convinced decision-makers in sports are getting it wrong. Now sometimes the writers — and of course, the fans — are incorrect. But published research in economics makes it clear that some of the criticism of decision-makers in sports is on target. People in sports will make the make the same mistakes over and over again (shameless self-promotion — Martin Schmidt and I report many of these stories in Stumbling on Wins ). Obviously these stories are important to sports fans. But these stories also inform our understanding of macroeconomic policy. Yes, I know. That seems like quite a leap. A quick review of recent Congressional testimony by Nobel Laureate Robert Solow provides us with the connection. Solow’s testimony — “Building a Science of Economics for the Real World” — focused on how certain macroeconomic models inform the economic policies some people prefer. Here is a quick summary of what Solow had to say: Certain macroeconomic models — specifically the DSGE models — are based on the idea that the economy is comprised entirely of rational people. An implication of this approach: The DSGE story — as Solow emphasizes — “has no real room for unemployment of the kind we see most of the time.” In the DSGE world, the unemployed are people who are rationally volunteering to avoid work; because of a preference to consume more leisure or a desire to retain some flexibility for the future. In other words, there is no involuntary unemployment. Because everyone in the economy is rational and making the best decision given their circumstance, there is no room for government policy. In other words, stimulus packages and unemployment benefits are not necessary in the DSGE world. In fact, these policies can only make things worse. So if you believe people are perfectly rational, it leads you to a certain set of policies. But are people perfectly rational? Behavioral economists and cognitive psychologists have offered ample evidence from laboratory experiments that people are not perfectly rational. Sports fans, though, can see that these experiments may not have been necessary. To be clear, people who work in sports are not stupid. Decision-makers in sports are generally very educated and well-trained for the industry where they are employed. Furthermore, these decision-makers have an abundance of information and very clear incentives. Specifically, when you get it wrong in sports, you not only get fired, you also are the subject of public ridicule. In sum, if there was an industry where decision-makers should be perfectly rational, the sports industry should be it. But people in sports are not perfectly rational. Again, scoring is consistently overvalued by NBA decision-makers. Furthermore, on draft night, NBA decision-makers place too much emphasis on Final Four appearances and not enough emphasis on rebounding. And the NBA is not the only place where decision-making has problems. In the NFL, Cade Massey and Richard Thaler have offered evidence that first round draft picks are overvalued ; while David Romer has emphasized that coaches have problems with decision-making on fourth down . In Soccernomics – by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski – evidence is presented that decision-makers in soccer make systematic mistakes. One of my favorites: Kuper and Szymanski argue that scouts overvalue blond soccer players. And let’s not leave out baseball and hockey. In baseball, decision-makers historically undervalued on-base percentage and over-valued stolen bases. And on the ice, Stacey Brook and I have published research that argues the performance of goalies is not quite as different as their salaries would suggest. The examples cited are but a sample of what we find in the academic research. And one suspects that fans of any team can find more examples just thinking about the decisions made by their favorite team. Despite this evidence, some macroeconomists insist that decision-makers are perfectly rational. This suggests that these people are simply not sports fans. So if you meet one of these macroeconomists, please take them to a game. Remember, some policy makers listen to these economists. And maybe the advice they give would improve if they spent less time playing with DSGE models and more time watching sports.

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BRS Aerospace Appoints Sebastian Valdez as New CFO

June 29, 2010

SOUTH ST. PAUL, MN–(Marketwire – June 29, 2010) –  Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. d/b/a BRS Aerospace (“BRS” or the “Company”) of South St. Paul, Minnesota, USA ( PINKSHEETS : BRSI ) announced the appointment of Mr. Sebastian Valdez as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of BRS. Thomas H. Adams Jr., a member of the BRS board since 1986, is retiring effective immediately. Sebastian Valdez will take Adams’ place on the board.

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Brown & Brown, Inc. Promotes Linda S. Downs to Senior Executive Vice President

April 16, 2010

DAYTONA BEACH, FL and TAMPA, FL–(Marketwire – April 16, 2010) – The Board of Directors of Brown & Brown, Inc. ( NYSE : BRO ) today announced that Linda S. Downs, CPCU, has been elected as Senior Executive Vice President of the Company. Effective immediately, Ms. Downs will assume responsibility for the oversight of certain of the Company’s retail operations in Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Additionally, she will continue to be responsible for retail operations in Delaware and South Carolina, programs operations in Florida and Missouri, and Halcyon Underwriters, Inc., a wholesale brokerage division operation in Orlando, Florida. Ms. Downs will also continue to oversee certain corporate matters, including the Corporate Benefits Department and the Company’s Leadership Schools.

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Petters Should Get 335 Years for $3.5 Billion Fraud, Prosecutors Recommend

March 9, 2010

By Bob Van Voris March 8 (Bloomberg) — Petters Group Worldwide LLC founder Thomas Petters , convicted of running a $3.5 billion fraud, should be sentenced to 335 years in prison, U.S. prosecutors recommended. Petters, 52, was convicted in December of 20 criminal counts in what prosecutors said is the biggest fraud in Minnesota history. In a sentencing memorandum filed today, they asked U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle in St. Paul to give Petters the maximum sentence, more than twice the 150-year prison term given to Bernard Madoff . “The defendant’s fraud is staggering and unprecedented in size and impact on victims and the community,” prosecutors argued in the court filing. Petters ran a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based business empire that bought companies including Sun Country Airlines Inc. and Polaroid Corp. until federal agents raided his home and offices on Sept. 24, 2008. Petters used one of his companies, Petters Co. Inc., or PCI, in an illegal scheme that raised cash to support his money-losing businesses and lavish personal lifestyle, prosecutors said at his trial last year. Petters was convicted of all of the counts against him, including fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, by a federal jury in St. Paul. ‘Not Evil’ “Petters is imperfect, yes, but not evil,” said Paul Engh, one of Petters’s lawyers, in court papers also filed today, urging Kyle to sentence his client to less than 13 years. Prosecutors claim Petters used PCI to lure hedge funds and other investors into giving him money to finance non-existent deals to buy shipments of consumer goods. Government lawyers argued in their papers today that Petters defrauded his best friend, his father-in-law and a long- time business partner to keep his illegal scheme afloat. Other victims included “at least 10 pastors, three missionaries and dozens of retired, elderly individuals,” they said. Petters, who testified in his own defense, claimed he was innocent and that the fraud was committed without his knowledge by former company Vice President Deanna Coleman and Robert White , the company’s former chief financial officer. Petters also told jurors that the 2004 murder of his son forced him to rely on Coleman instead of paying attention to the affairs of his company. Secret Tapes During the trial, prosecutors played tape-recorded conversations secretly made by Coleman, who turned in Petters to the authorities and testified against him. “That Mr. Petters sprinted out from St. Cloud and a small stereo store, that his reach would exceed his grasp, that he over-promised and underperformed, that he loved his life and his family and his employees and the memory of his murdered son, that he gave millions away, that he acted as a mentor, bought businesses and was visible in the community are all true,” Engh said, in papers quoting Albert Camus , F. Scott Fitzgerald , Walt Whitman and Joan Didion . Engh said Petters has a tumor on his pituitary gland and described him as a “marked man in prison” based on the notoriety of his case. Engh also cited the non-violent nature of the crimes, Petters’s philanthropy and the demands by his hedge- fund victims for unreasonable rates of return. “The victims’ conduct contributed to the loss,” Engh said. “By requiring inordinate returns, the hedge funds and their investors assured themselves a failed business model.” Petters is scheduled to be sentenced April 8. Madoff, 71, pleaded guilty last year to running the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. He is serving his 150-year sentence in a federal prison in North Carolina. The case is U.S. v. Thomas Joseph Petters, 08-00364, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (St. Paul). To contact the reporters on this story: Bob Van Voris in St. Paul, Minnesota, at rvanvoris@bloomberg.net .

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New York Jets’ Super Bowl Odds Are Cut to 18-1 as Colts Remain Favorites

January 10, 2010

By Erik Matuszewski Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) — The New York Jets’ odds of winning the Super Bowl dropped to 18-1 after their playoff victory, while Las Vegas oddsmakers still favor the Indianapolis Colts to win the National Football League title. The Jets were rated a 25-1 chance to win the Super Bowl before beating the Cincinnati Bengals 24-14 two days ago in the first round of the playoffs. New York still has the longest championship odds among the NFL’s eight remaining teams, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which advises Nevada sports books on gambling lines. The Colts have 2-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, followed by the Jets’ next opponents, the San Diego Chargers, at 11-4. “It breaks down to this: If we can win three games, we are world champions,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said last night during a media conference call. “That’s all you need for motivation.” The Jets (10-7) opened as nine-point underdogs against the Chargers, who are 13-3 and riding an 11-game winning streak. They’ll meet in San Diego on Jan. 17, playing the last of this weekend’s four playoff games. The Colts, who have an NFL-best 14-2 record, host the Baltimore Ravens (10-7) on Jan. 16 and are seven-point favorites. The Ravens, who yesterday beat the New England Patriots 33-14, have the second-longest Super Bowl odds at 14-1. NFC’s Top Contender The New Orleans Saints, the top seed in the National Football Conference, have 3-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, meaning a winning $100 wager would return $300 along with the initial stake. The Saints host the defending NFC-champion Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 16. Although New Orleans has lost three straight games after a 13-0 start, the Saints are seven-point favorites against a Cardinals team that gave up six touchdowns in a 51-45 overtime playoff win against Green Bay yesterday. The Cardinals (11-6) are given 10-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl, behind the Minnesota Vikings at 11-2 and the Dallas Cowboys at 6-1, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants. The Vikings (12-4), led by quarterback Brett Favre , host the Cowboys (12-5) on Jan. 17 and are favored by 2 1/2 points. To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Cardinals Defeat Packers in NFL Playoff Record Win, Ravens Beat Patriots

January 10, 2010

By Erik Matuszewski Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) — The Arizona Cardinals extended their season with a 51-45 victory over the Green Bay Packers, as a defensive touchdown ended the highest-scoring playoff game in National Football League history. Karlos Dansby returned an Aaron Rodgers fumble 17 yards for a touchdown on the first overtime possession in Glendale, Arizona, capping a game that featured 96 points, 13 touchdowns, 1,024 yards and 62 first downs, all postseason records. “That’s got to be one of the best games ever played in the playoffs,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said during a news conference. “That was really a battle, with a lot of ups and downs. This is what football and the playoffs are all about.” The Baltimore Ravens beat the New England Patriots 33-14 in yesterday’s first playoff game after taking a 24-0 first-quarter lead in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The wins by the Cardinals and Ravens complete the NFL’s second-round playoff matchups. In the National Football Conference, Arizona advances to face the top-seeded New Orleans Saints on Jan. 16 and the Dallas Cowboys visit the Minnesota Vikings the next day. The Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles 34-14 two days ago. In the American Football Conference, the Ravens will visit the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 16 while the New York Jets face the San Diego Chargers the following day. The Jets were 24-14 winners over the Cincinnati Bengals two days ago. Cardinals Win In Glendale, the Cardinals and Packers totaled 96 points, one more than the previous postseason record set in 1995 when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Detroit Lions 58-37. Kurt Warner , who led the Cardinals to the NFC championship last season, passed for 379 yards and five touchdowns, including two each to Larry Fitzgerald and Early Doucet . Rodgers, making his first playoff appearance for the Packers, finished with 422 passing yards and four touchdowns. All four came in the second half, when Green Bay erased a 31-10 third-quarter deficit. After Spencer Havner caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers with 1:52 left to tie the score 45-45, Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers missed a 34-yard field goal attempt with nine seconds remaining. In overtime, Rodgers fumbled on a 3rd-and-6 play when he was hit by Cardinals cornerback Michael Adams . Dansby snatched the ball out of the air and raced for the winning score. “It was kind of like whoever was going to win the toss was going to win the game, but I really felt that our defense was going to make a play,” Whisenhunt said. “I just believed that because we missed the field goal where we had a chance to win, maybe destiny was going to smile on us.” Ravens’ First Quarter At Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Baltimore’s Ray Rice had an 83-yard touchdown run on the first offensive play of the game to spark the Ravens’ early 24-point burst. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had three first-quarter turnovers that led to 17 points for Baltimore. “We got off to a terrible start and never really could get back in the game,” Brady said during a news conference. “That’s the way it is in the playoffs when you play good teams. We just made too many mistakes.” Rice rushed for 159 yards, while Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain added rushing scores for Baltimore, which finished with 234 rushing yards. Brady threw for 154 yards, with two touchdown passes, three interceptions and one fumble as New England suffered its first home playoff loss since Dec. 31, 1978. The AFC East champions, who won Super Bowl titles after the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons, went 8-0 at Gillette Stadium during the regular season. “We will always remember this win,” Rice said. “It’s hard to win on the road, especially here. They expect the playoffs every year and I am sure they are expecting Super Bowl. That’s the same mentality the Ravens need to have — the ultimate goal is the Super Bowl. Beating them up here really puts us toward that goal.” To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Seattle Seahawks Fire Coach Jim Mora After One Season, Fox Sports Reports

January 8, 2010

By Aaron Kuriloff Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) — The Seattle Seahawks have fired coach Jim Mora after one season with the National Football League team, Fox Sports reported. Mora was fired after the Seahawks finished 5-11, one win better than a year ago, with a roster depleted by injuries, Fox Sports said. Candidates for his replacement include Leslie Frazier , defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, the network reported without saying where it got its information. Mora joined Seattle after serving as coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he led the team to the National Football Conference championship after the 2004 season. He previously spent seven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, including five as defensive coordinator. To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Kuriloff in New York at akuriloff@bloomberg.net .

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Browns’ Eric Mangini Is NFL Coach Most Likely to Be Fired, Oddsmakers Say

December 30, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) — Odds are that Eric Mangini won’t be back for a second season as coach of the Cleveland Browns. Mangini is given a 3-2 chance of being fired before the 2010 National Football League season, the shortest listed odds for any coach according to BetUS.com. The online gambling Web site didn’t post numbers for Washington’s Jim Zorn because the Redskins have already conducted interviews for a new coach. Mangini’s fate will be determined by Mike Holmgren , who last week was hired as team president to restore a franchise that’s made the playoffs once in the last decade. The Browns have a 4-11 record under Mangini and Holmgren has said he is undecided on whether he’ll make a change. “I wouldn’t be a big fan of just allowing a guy to coach one year and out, but having said that, I haven’t made any decisions yet,” Holmgren said during a conference call on Dec. 28. Mangini, 38, was among six NFL coaches fired after the 2008 season, when his New York Jets lost four of their final five games to miss the playoffs. There were two head coach firings after the 2007 NFL season and four the previous year. At odds of 3-2, a winning $100 bet on Mangini being fired would return $150 along with the initial stake. Raheem Morris , who has a 3-12 record in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the second most-likely coach to lose his job at 2-1, according to Costa Rica-based BetUS.com. Behind him is another rookie coach in the St. Louis Rams’ Steve Spagnuolo , who has a league-worst 1-14 record. Vikings’ Childress Jim Mora Jr . of the 5-10 Seattle Seahawks has 7-2 odds of being fired, as does Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings. Although Minnesota has an 11-4 record and won the National Football Conference’s North Division title, the Vikings have lost three of four games and Childress had a well-publicized sideline dispute with quarterback Brett Favre . While that incident came after Childress sought to remove the 40-year-old Favre from a game the Vikings were losing, ESPN reported there’s also been tension between the coach and quarterback about play- calling. Childress said this week that the disagreement was behind them and that he has a “good relationship” with Favre. Norv Turner of the San Diego Chargers is among a group of five coaches with 4-1 odds of being dismissed. The Chargers have a 12-3 record and won the division title for the fourth straight year, including a third time under Turner. San Diego has had a 3-3 record in the playoffs during that stretch. Others with 4-1 odds of being fired are Carolina’s John Fox , Jacksonville’s Jack Del Rio , Houston’s Gary Kubiak and Buffalo interim coach Perry Fewell , according to BetUS. Wade Phillips of the Dallas Cowboys follows with odds of 6- 1. Phillips has a 32-15 record in three seasons with the Cowboys but has yet to win a playoff game. Dallas hasn’t won in the postseason since 1996. To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net .

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Favre, Vikings Boost ESPN’s Ratings in Monday Night Overtime Loss to Bears

December 29, 2009

By Mason Levinson Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) — Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, overtime losers to the Chicago Bears last night, were winners with television viewers again. The game, which the Bears won 36-30 at Chicago’s Soldier Field after surrendering a 17-point lead, was seen by 10.9 percent of U.S. households in the top 56 media markets, Walt Disney Co .’S ESPN said, citing Nielsen Media Research. That’s almost 2 percent more than Chicago’s Monday night game against the Green Bay Packers the same week last season, which drew a 9.0 rating. Favre, a three-time National League Most Valuable Player, has been a boon to National Football League ratings this year after coming out of retirement for a second time to join the Vikings. His Oct. 5 game against the Packers, for whom he played from 1992-2007, was seen in prime time on ESPN by 21.8 million viewers, setting a cable television record, beating “High School Musical 2.” That game’s big-market rating was 14.2 percent of U.S. households; the national rating was 15.3 percent. The national rating for last night’s game may be available later today, ESPN said. The Nov. 1 rematch between Minnesota and Green Bay on News Corp .’s Fox drew a 17.4 rating and 30 million viewers, the second-most for a Sunday NFL game behind a San Francisco-Dallas contest in 1995 that drew 32 million. Comeback, Loss Last night, Minnesota fell behind 16-0 at halftime. Trailing 23-6 in the third quarter, Favre led the Vikings to 17 unanswered points to tie the game. Chicago responded with another touchdown, and then Favre engineered a last-minute drive, finding receiver Sidney Rice in the end zone on fourth down for a six-yard touchdown with 22 seconds remaining, forcing overtime. Chicago’s Jay Cutler threw to Devin Aromashodu for a 39- yard score to give the Bears the win and raise their record to 6-9. It was Cutler’s fourth touchdown of the game. The Vikings fell to 11-4, losing a chance to finish the season with the No. 1 seed in the National Football Conference playoffs. Favre, 40, went 26-for-40 passing for 321 yards and two touchdowns in defeat. To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net .

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Bears Beat Slumping Vikings 36-30, Giving New Orleans Saints Top NFC Seed

December 29, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) — Jay Cutler threw a 39-yard touchdown pass in overtime as the Chicago Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings 36-30, a victory that gives the New Orleans Saints top playoff seeding in the National Football Conference. Cutler’s fourth touchdown pass of the game came one play after Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson fumbled in Vikings’ territory at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Vikings (11-4) lost for the third time in four games following a 10-1 start and slipped into a tie with the Philadelphia Eagles for second place in the NFC. The Saints, with a 13-2 record, are assured of having home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Minnesota’s loss also puts the Eagles in position to clinch the NFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye with a victory at Dallas in their regular-season finale on Jan. 3. Philadelphia has won six straight games. The Vikings host the New York Giants in their final game on Jan. 3 and would clinch the NFC’s second seed with a win and a loss by the Eagles. “We can’t control anything that happens with Philly or Dallas, so we have to take care of business with the New York Giants,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said during a news conference. “We’ve got to keep working to find ourselves.” Minnesota fell behind 16-0 at halftime last night before rallying for 30 points in the second half. Brett Favre threw two touchdown passes for the Vikings, including a six-yarder to Sidney Rice on a fourth-down play with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Peterson Fumbles Favre finished with 321 passing yards, while Peterson rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns. On the fourth possession of overtime, Peterson fumbled after a 16-yard reception and the Bears recovered on the Vikings’ 39-yard line. Cutler threw downfield on the next play and connected with Devin Aromashodu for the winning score. The NFC’s six postseason participants have been determined, while two playoff berths are available in the American Football Conference heading into the final week of the regular season. The New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans are tied with 8-7 records. To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Giants on Edge of NFL Playoff Elimination After 41-9 Loss to Panthers

December 27, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) — The New York Giants moved to the edge of elimination from the National Football League postseason with a 41-9 loss to the Carolina Panthers in their final game at Giants Stadium. Two seasons after winning the Super Bowl, the Giants fell to 8-7 with one game remaining, against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis next week. The Vikings are 11-3 going into tomorrow night’s game against Chicago and assured of a playoff spot. The Panthers moved to 7-8 for the season. The Giants started the season 5-0. With the Green Bay Packers leading the Seattle Seahawks late in their game in Wisconsin, the Giants’ only postseason chance lies with the Dallas Cowboys (9-5), who can clinch the final National Football Conference playoff spot by beating the Washington Redskins (4-10) tonight. If the Cowboys lose tonight, the Giants still can claim a postseason spot if they beat the Vikings and the Cowboys lose to the Philadelphia Eagles next week in Dallas. The Eagles have clinched a postseason spot. Today’s game was the final regular-season contest for the Giants at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants and New York Jets are moving to a new stadium next door for the 2010 season. The Jets play a home game against Cincinnati on the final day of the regular season next week. For related news & information: To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Giants on Edge of NFL Playoff Elimination After 41-9 Loss to Panthers

December 27, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) — The New York Giants moved to the edge of elimination from the National Football League postseason with a 41-9 loss to the Carolina Panthers in their final game at Giants Stadium. Two seasons after winning the Super Bowl, the Giants fell to 8-7 with one game remaining, against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis next week. The Vikings are 11-3 going into tomorrow night’s game against Chicago and assured of a playoff spot. The Panthers moved to 7-8 for the season. The Giants started the season 5-0. With the Green Bay Packers leading the Seattle Seahawks late in their game in Wisconsin, the Giants’ only postseason chance lies with the Dallas Cowboys (9-5), who can clinch the final National Football Conference playoff spot by beating the Washington Redskins (4-10) tonight. If the Cowboys lose tonight, the Giants still can claim a postseason spot if they beat the Vikings and the Cowboys lose to the Philadelphia Eagles next week in Dallas. The Eagles have clinched a postseason spot. Today’s game was the final regular-season contest for the Giants at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants and New York Jets are moving to a new stadium next door for the 2010 season. The Jets play a home game against Cincinnati on the final day of the regular season next week. For related news & information: To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Yankees May Only Use Sabathia, Burnett Pettitte as Starters Against Angels

October 14, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) — The New York Yankees may use only CC Sabathia , A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte as starting pitchers during the American League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Angels. Opting for a three-man rotation would mean Joba Chamberlain and Chad Gaudin would pitch in relief for the Yankees and Sabathia would come back for Game 4 on short rest after starting the opening game on Oct. 16. The Yankees would be able to use Burnett, Pettitte and Sabathia on regular rest for the fifth, sixth and seventh games if the Major League Baseball playoff series goes that far. “We’re definitely considering going to a three-man rotation in this round,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said yesterday during a media conference call. “But we’ll have to take a look at it and see how it goes.” Sabathia will pitch the opening game against John Lackey at Yankee Stadium and would be followed by Burnett on Oct. 17 in New York and Pettitte on Oct. 19 in Anaheim, California. Should the Yankees decide to pitch Sabathia in Game 4, he’d be working on three days of rest, instead of the usual four or five. While Sabathia had a 19-8 record with a 3.37 earned run average for the Yankees this season, he was 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in two starts against the Angels. “We told him to concentrate on Game 1,” Girardi said. “That’s the most important game and we’ll go from there.” Chamberlain made 31 regular-season starts for New York, going 9-6 with a 4.75 ERA. The Yankees used Chamberlain out of the bullpen in the three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins in the AL division series and he pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings. “Joba has positive experiences out of the bullpen and, if you go to a three-man rotation, obviously he stays in the bullpen,” Girardi said. “If you go to a four-man rotation, then we have to weigh the benefits of either putting Joba in the bullpen or Chad in the bullpen.” The Yankees and Angels split their 10 meetings during the regular season. To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Phillies’ Playoff Run Changes Start of NFL’s Giants-Eagles Game on Nov. 1

October 13, 2009

By Michael Buteau Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) — The New York Giants game at the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 1 will start at 1 p.m. instead of 4:15 p.m. to accommodate a possible World Series matchup. The Philadelphia Phillies, whose Citizens Bank Park shares parking with the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field, would host Game 4 of the World Series at 8 p.m. if they defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The NFL shifted a 1 p.m. game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers to the 4:15 p.m. time slot. Moving the start time of the Giants-Eagles game will “help ease the burden” on city service and law enforcement personnel who work at both Philadelphia stadiums, the NFL said. The winner of the Phillies-Dodgers series, which starts Oct. 15, will face the winner of the New York Yankees-Los Angeles Angels American League Championship Series, which starts a day later, for baseball’s championship. To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Buteau in Atlanta at mbuteau@bloomberg.net

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Willing buyer has trouble finding willing sellers: Some real estate investors see opportunity in distressed real estate loans, but bankers balk at…

October 11, 2009

via COMTEX) — Jim Stolpestad, head of St. Paul-based Exeter Realty Co., is raising $10 million to buy distressed real estate assets from Minnesota banks scrubbing their ledgers. He’s got money, real estate expertise — Exeter affiliates are major

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Willing buyer has trouble finding willing sellers (MalaysiaNews.net)

October 11, 2009

Jim Stolpestad, head of St. Paul-based Exeter Realty Co., is raising $10 million to buy distressed real estate assets from Minnesota banks scrubbing their ledgers. He’s got money, real estate expertis…

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Favre-Led Vikings’ Win Seen by 21.8 Million, Most-Watched in Cable History

October 6, 2009

By Mike Buteau Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) — Brett Favre’s performance in the Minnesota Vikings’ victory over the Green Bay Packers on ESPN’s Monday Night Football was the highest-rated show in cable- television history. Following is a list of the 10 most-watched cable TV shows:

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Favre Completes Sweep of NFL Teams as Unbeaten Vikings Top Packers 30-23

October 5, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) — Brett Favre led the Minnesota Vikings to a 30-23 victory over the Green Bay Packers to become the only player to win against all 32 of the National Football League’s current teams. Five days shy of his 40th birthday, Favre threw three touchdown passes at the Metrodome in Minneapolis last night against the Packers, where he spent 16 of his 19 NFL seasons. “This one carried a little more weight,” Favre said in a televised interview after helping Minnesota improve to 4-0. “It was everything it was billed to be.” Favre won three NFL Most Valuable Player awards and a Super Bowl title with the Vikings’ division rivals before being forced out in 2008 as the Packers transitioned to Aaron Rodgers . Facing many of his former teammates for the first time, Favre completed 24-of-31 passes for 271 yards. He threw touchdown passes of one yard to Visanthe Shiancoe in the first quarter, 14 yards to Sidney Rice in the second and 31 yards to Bernard Berrian in the third quarter. “I was probably more nervous than I’ve been before any game,” said Favre, whose tally of 472 touchdown passes is the best in NFL history. “I’m so thankful the way this game went and we were fortunate enough to win it.” Eight Sacks Rodgers, who replaced Favre as the Packers’ starting quarterback last season, threw for a career-high 384 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception, had a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and was sacked eight times, including once for a safety. Jared Allen was credited with 4 1/2 sacks and recorded the fourth-quarter safety that gave the Vikings a 30-14 lead. The Packers scored nine points in the final 3:49 to pull within seven points, but failed to recover an onsides kick with 55 seconds left and Favre ran out the remaining time on the clock. “I wasn’t out to prove anything. I knew I can play,” said Favre, who spent last season with the New York Jets before joining the Vikings in August. “I just wanted to do everything I could help this team win. It’s sweet, but it has nothing to do with revenge.” The Vikings join the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos on 4-0 records. Minnesota holds a one-game lead over the Chicago Bears in the National Football Conference’s North Division, with the Packers two games back at 2-2. “Some games tickle you a little bit more than others,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said. “It’s a good win, and I’m sure (Favre) is glad to have it, just like all of us are.” To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Tigers, Twins Win to Force One-Game Playoff for AL Central Division Title

October 4, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) — The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins will meet in a one-game playoff to determine the final spot in Major League Baseball’s postseason after both teams won on the final day of the regular season. The Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 at Comerica Park in Detroit, while the Twins were 13-4 winners over the Kansas City Royals at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Detroit and Minnesota will have their one-game playoff on Oct. 6 in Minneapolis to decide the American League Central Division champion after finishing the regular season with 86-76 records. The winner will play the New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Oct. 7. The AL Central playoff can’t be contested tomorrow because the National Football League’s Monday night game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers is at the Metrodome. The Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak with today’s win, yet are just 11-15 since Sept. 6, when they led the division by seven games. The Twins have won four straight games and 16 of their last 20 to force a one-game playoff for the second consecutive year. Minnesota lost a one-game playoff to the Chicago White Sox for the division title in 2008. This will be the eighth extra game to decide a division title since baseball expanded its postseason format in 1969, according to MLB.com. The others were in 1978, 1980, 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2007. To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

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Detroit Tigers, Twins May Need One-Game Playoff to Determine AL Central

October 4, 2009

By Vince Golle Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) — Wins today by the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins would force a playoff for the American League Central Division title that will determine who makes Major League Baseball’s postseason. The Tigers, who on Sept. 6 led the Central Division by seven games, host the Chicago White Sox this afternoon. Detroit lost to the White Sox yesterday and is now in a tie for the division with the Twins, who are at home in Minneapolis’ Metrodome against the Kansas City Royals. The Twins and the Tigers are both 85-76. Detroit today will try and rally around pitcher Justin Verlander , who is 18-9, while the White Sox begin with John Danks (13-10) on the mound. In Minnesota, Carl Pavano (4-4) will start for the Twins and Luke Hochevar (7-12) for the Royals. If the Tigers and Twins both win or both lose, their playoff fate won’t be determined until Tuesday at 4 p.m. local time in Minneapolis because of tomorrow night’s National Football League game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings in the Metrodome. The AL playoff schedule also hangs in the balance. One AL divisional series will begin Oct. 7 and the other on Oct. 8. The New York Yankees, with the league’s best record at 102-59 heading into today’s finale at Tampa Bay, determine which day they play the AL Central winner in Game 1. The Boston Red Sox (94-67), the AL wild card team as the second-place club with the best record, and the Los Angeles Angels (96-65), winners of the AL West, start on the day the Yankees reject. Late Decision The Yankees can wait until an hour after the last out of the final regular-season game, which would include a Twins- Tigers playoff, to decide what day they will play the Central Division winner. Because Verlander is pitching today, he may not be available for Game 1 of the best-of-five postseason series if the Yankees chose a Wednesday start. The Tigers had the division lead since May 10 and had been alone in first place since July 23. No team has led a division or league since May 10 and lost it in the final week, and no team has led a division or league by three games with four games to play and not won, according to MLB.com. To contact the reporter on this story: Vince Golle in Washington at vgolle@bloomberg.net .

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Detroit Tigers Win to Stay Alive in AL Central Race, Await Twins’ Outcome

October 4, 2009

By Vince Golle Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) — The Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 and may meet the Minnesota Twins in a playoff in two days to determine the winner of the American League Central Division. Ryan Raburn hit two home runs and Justin Verlander, who improved to 19-9, struck out five and allowed six hits for the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Twins are leading the Kansas City Royals 8-1 through five innings in Minnesota. The Tigers and Twins were 85-76 before today and tied atop the Central Division. A victory by the Twins will set up a playoff at 4 p.m. local time at the Metrodome in Minneapolis in two days for the Central Division title. Detroit is seeking its first division title in 22 years, while Minnesota is looking for its first since 2006. The winner of Tuesday’s game will play the New York Yankees in an AL divisional series matchup. The Boston Red Sox will play the Los Angeles Angels in the other AL divisional series.

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Bobby Cox to Retire After One More Season as Manager of Atlanta Braves

September 23, 2009

By Larry Siddons Sept. 23 (Bloomberg) — Bobby Cox will manage the Atlanta Braves for one more season and then retire, ending a 20-year run in which he helped turn one of baseball’s doormats into a World Series champion and perennial contender. Cox, 68, signed a one-year contract extension through 2010, the Braves said in a news release. He then will become an adviser to the Major League Baseball club under a five-year agreement. The manager of mediocre teams in Atlanta and Toronto for seven seasons, Cox got hot with the Blue Jays in 1985, winning the American League East Division and capturing the AL Manager of the Year award. He retired from managing after that season to become the Braves’ general manager, then returned to the dugout midway through 1990 to manage the club. That team finished last in the National League West with a major-league-worst 65-97 record, but went 40-57 under its new manager. The next season, the Braves became the first team to reach the World Series a year after posting baseball’s worst mark, falling in seven games to the Minnesota Twins. That started a run of 14 straight postseason appearances for Atlanta and Cox, including the World Series title in 1995. The postseason run stopped in 2006 and the Braves haven’t returned to the playoffs. They are in second place in the NL East this season with an 81-70 record, 7½ games behind Philadelphia in the division and 4½ behind Colorado in the race for the league’s wild-card playoff spot. Cox has won four Manager of the Year awards and is fourth in baseball history with 2,408 regular-season victories. To contact the reporter on this story: Larry Siddons in New York at lsiddons@bloomberg.net .

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Jets, Sanchez Beat Patriots, End Streak of 8 Home Losses to New England

September 20, 2009

By Erik Matuszewski Sept. 20 (Bloomberg) — The New York Jets snapped an eight- game home losing streak against the New England Patriots as rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez threw the game’s only touchdown in a 16-9 victory. The Jets outscored the Patriots 13-0 in the second half at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets had been held to minus-2 passing yards in the first half. The Jets, who missed the playoffs last season, are 2-0 for the first time since 2004. The Patriots, who entered the National Football League season as Super Bowl favorites among Las Vegas oddsmakers, fell to 1-1. “We’re a football team that should be respected,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said at a news conference. “Sometimes we talk a little bit, but only because we have confidence in our football team. We have to go out and show it every week.” Ryan said he wouldn’t be intimidated by the Patriots when he was hired as coach in the offseason and this week sent a recorded telephone message to fans, urging them to make things “miserable” for New England quarterback Tom Brady . Safety Kerry Rhodes said during the week that the Jets wanted to embarrass the Patriots, who have won three Super Bowls and six American Football Conference Eastern Division titles since 2001. Sanchez finished with 163 passing yards and tossed a 9-yard scoring pass to Dustin Keller on the Jets’ first drive of the second half. The touchdown came two plays after Sanchez, the Jets’ top choice in April’s NFL draft, opened the third quarter with a 45-yard pass to Jericho Cotchery to the Patriots’ 11-yard line. Losing Streak The victory was the first for the Jets over New England at Giants Stadium since Sept. 11, 2000, and gave them the lead in the teams’ all-time series, 50-49-1. Brady completed 23-of-47 passes for 216 yards and an interception. “Any time you can hold Brady to under 50 percent completions, that says a lot,” said Ryan, in his first season as the Jets’ coach. “It’s a great win. Our offense was struggled there early, but we found our rhythm.” Brett Favre , who played for the Jets last season, tossed two touchdown passes to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 27-13 win over Detroit, the Lions straight loss dating back to the 2007 season. Adrian Peterson rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (2-0). Favre also set an NFL record with his 271st consecutive regular-season start, breaking the mark he shared with former Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall from 1961 through 1979. In other Week 2 results, it was Oakland 13, Kansas City 10; Houston 34, Tennessee 31; Cincinnati 31, Green Bay 24; Atlanta 28, Carolina 20; New Orleans 48, Philadelphia 22; Washington 9, St. Louis 7; and Arizona 31, Jacksonville 17.

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Minnesota Republican Kline Says Health Bill Won’t Pass for Lack of Support

September 12, 2009

By Carol Wolf Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) — Republican Representative John Kline predicted that health-care overhaul legislation now before Congress won’t pass. “It has no Republican support and no support from a lot of Democrats,” Kline said in a conference call with reporters. Kline is from Minnesota, where Democratic President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at a rally today in support of his administration’s effort to improve the U.S. health-care system. To contact the reporter on this story: Carol Wolf in Washington at cwolf@bloomberg.net

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Regulators Close Bradford Bank

August 29, 2009

Bradford Bank in Maryland and Mainstreet Bank in Minnesota were closed by regulators, marking the 82nd and 83rd U.S. bank failures of 2009.

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Video: Minnesota On Health Care

August 28, 2009

Analysis and discussion with Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty. He says Minnesota is a model for the nation and he looks at what he can do to offer a better direction. (Political Capital)

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