Thompson to Test Free Agency
Pat Thompson (Ohio State) Interested: Twins? Cubs? Brewers? Royals?
ESPN's Buster Olney reports that young marketing prospect Pat Thompson is opting out of his Ohio State contract to test the Free Agent Market at the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville next week. Thompson a hot prospect out of Iowa, is ready to make the leap to the pro's.
A source told the Chicago Sun-Times that the White Sox are not likely to pursue Thompson because he will cost more than the team is willing to spend. The Twins are expected to make a heavy play for Thompson, who is seeking a long-term contract with no-trade protection that could garner him up to double his age in salary.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Mama I'm Coming Home
As the great Ozzy Osbourn has stated "Mama I'm Coming Home." I will be heading home for a week and do not know if I will be writing anything for the holiday but if something good were to come up I will write something. If anyone is in the Twin Cities and wants to hang out let me know I will be home for a week.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Mirror Lake Jump
Thursday night was my baptism into THE Ohio State. Tradition has it that the Thursday before the Michigan-Ohio State football game, student go jump into Mirror Lake at midnight, which is located in the center of campus. I do not know why they do it this jump in every year, but it is tradition here and tradition is like crack to a crackhead here, they can not get enough of it. Seeing as I only live once I decided to join in on the festivities and jump in at midnight. Now the week before and even the day before the jump it was highs in the 50's and sunny and at night just maybe a low of 40. Basically not cold at all to jump in, well as luck would have it the night before and all day Thursday was a huge cold front that brought cold rain, sleet, and some snow. I spent all day at work on Thursday trying to bundle myself up and make myself warm enough, where I could not feel the near freezing temperatures of the lake. (side note: As a person from Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes, I know a lake when I see one and let me tell you this is no lake it is a pond at best, but don't tell that to the crack heads here because they will get defensive)
After work I got my wardrobe ready and went of to my friends house to get some liquid warmth (wink wink). We were getting anxious to jump in so we decided to go around 11:30pm, now I have never done this before and everyone was telling me stories about how many people do this and how you will get lost from everyone and might not find anyone, well I found a picture from last year to show how many people do this jump.
Well as we walked to the "lake" from my friends house which was about half a mile away we began to realize as the sleet was coming down that the run back from the "lake" was going to be freezing seeing as the temp was hoovering around 32 degrees. As we were getting closer to the "lake" it began to get louder and you saw people who were soaking wet and freezing running back the other way, one guy began tell people, "Don't do it, do not jump in, it is too cold!" This would have scared me a little bit if it was not for the liquid warmth I had been doing for the last 3 hours (wink wink). We finally reached the "lake" and there were thousands of people out there. As we got closer to the edge of the "lake" there was a stampede of people that were rushing into the "lake" and a stampede of people rushing out of the "lake", it was pure choas and I could tell we were going to lose our friends that were going to hold our warm clothes until we came out. We finally stripped out of our warm clothes and I was down only to shorts. Here is the picture before we took the plunge.
(For those who have not seen me in a while, I am the one on the right)
After the picture was taken we took our mad rush to the freezing "lake" and with out hesitation jumped in. The "lake" is only about 3 feet deep and once I was in I began jumping up and down and splashing myself and everyone around me for a good 2 minutes. After the warm adreline rush of jumping in it began to hit me that this water was cold and my feet were the first to tell me (I jumped in bare foot). I was in for about 4 min when I decided it was my time to get out and get warm. I fought the current of people rushing to get into the lake and finally out of the water began looking around for my friends with the warm clothes. I could not find them so I began looking for the people I jumped in with, after looking for a while I finally found Klye (the guy on the left of the photo). We both were freezing and were trying to find the people with our clothes, after about 10 minutes we gave up the search party of trying to find our clothes and made the decision to run back to the house half naked. That was the fastest I have ever run before, espically since I had no shoes on and I was running right through the downtown of campus, along the way people were high fiving me and cheering me on. We finally made it back the house and I quickly dried off and got warm clothes and I now can officially say I jumped in Mirror "Lake".
Monday, November 12, 2007
Looking Back
I got today off from work and it is probably a good thing that the Athletic Department got that day off so we can adjust to losing to Illinois. Now I am not really mad just disappointed because I would have been able to get tickets to the Championship game and I would have gotten the opportunity to purchase a exact championship ring if we won. I really just want to be with a winning team once in my life. With sports you may never have the opportunity to be apart of a championship team, I could be with the cubs my whole life and it could be another 100 years before they even get into the playoffs. I am also dealing with the Vikings get worked over from the Packers and Andrian Peterson getting hurt. Also my Ohio State Hockey team has not yet won a home game and there are reports of tension in the locker room, so overall it has been a terrible sports weekend. I have been getting some trash talk and some condolences from people, mainly both from my grandma.
Oh well, time to move on as we are about to face our biggest rival against Michigan. As part of the rivalry tradition, the Thursday before the big football game, Ohio State students go in at midnight and jump into mirror lake. Since you only live once, I have decided that I am going to do this Thursday. If I survive hypothermia I will try and get some photos up from it.
Oh well, time to move on as we are about to face our biggest rival against Michigan. As part of the rivalry tradition, the Thursday before the big football game, Ohio State students go in at midnight and jump into mirror lake. Since you only live once, I have decided that I am going to do this Thursday. If I survive hypothermia I will try and get some photos up from it.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Lesson Learned
Sorry for the delay from my next post, but I am still recovering from the epic posting on my Iowa City trip. That and I have been delaying posting this because I was peeved at what happen to me that I was debating posting it. Oh well I will post it any way...(it is not as good as you think, not quit a Pat Moment)
Last Friday I had a busy day with getting ready to coordinate an 80,000 Rally Towel giveaway at football the next day, plus I had a hockey game to work that night. I was dressed in my best for the Hockey game, but I had manual labor to do at the stadium with the towels so the day was starting out bad by getting my sports coat and dress clothes dirty. The rest of the day was getting ready for Hockey and working that game my marketing was sub par at best. The music was off, the promotions were not that good, and we lost 4-0. Basically it was a bad day already and after the game it was going to get worst.
After the game some of the interns were going to go out to drink, I decided to come along and have a cold won because after the day I was having I needed one. I did not have time to go home and change so I went out on the town in my sports coat and dress clothes. Normally I would look good but because of the manual labor early in the day and working a stressful hockey game, I looked like bum looking Freddie Prince Jr. Plus we went to college bars in which I was "that guy" who over dresses to try and impress the girls and just looks like a dork. Basically I did look like a dork who was overdressed. So striking out with the ladies was pretty common that night as we came back to my friends house where my car was, I looked around and could not find my car and I just realized that it was towed (I did not think it was stolen because honestly who would steal a Subaru Outback, a gang of soccer moms?). Well my friend knew where the tow place was but I had to go around trying to find an ATM at 3am to take out a lot of cash to pay for my fee. Finally find one and pull up to the tow place and I can see my Subaru in the fenced area, since I was still in my dress clothes I felt like a dad bailing out his son from prison, happy he is safe, but disappointed in him and will be punished later. I soon discovered that only the classiest people are at a tow shop at 3am and I was way over dressed to be here. I could tell that some of the employees in the back of the shop were making fun of me, either for me being in dress clothes this late or it was that they realized I was the person driving the Subaru Outback they towed.
Finally getting my car back for $150, I was so beaten down from the day that I could not get mad at the whole situation, could not yell or make any swears, just was flabbergasted the rest of the night. Fell asleep at about 4am and had to get up at 7am to work football. Basically this was one big lesson learned.
Last Friday I had a busy day with getting ready to coordinate an 80,000 Rally Towel giveaway at football the next day, plus I had a hockey game to work that night. I was dressed in my best for the Hockey game, but I had manual labor to do at the stadium with the towels so the day was starting out bad by getting my sports coat and dress clothes dirty. The rest of the day was getting ready for Hockey and working that game my marketing was sub par at best. The music was off, the promotions were not that good, and we lost 4-0. Basically it was a bad day already and after the game it was going to get worst.
After the game some of the interns were going to go out to drink, I decided to come along and have a cold won because after the day I was having I needed one. I did not have time to go home and change so I went out on the town in my sports coat and dress clothes. Normally I would look good but because of the manual labor early in the day and working a stressful hockey game, I looked like bum looking Freddie Prince Jr. Plus we went to college bars in which I was "that guy" who over dresses to try and impress the girls and just looks like a dork. Basically I did look like a dork who was overdressed. So striking out with the ladies was pretty common that night as we came back to my friends house where my car was, I looked around and could not find my car and I just realized that it was towed (I did not think it was stolen because honestly who would steal a Subaru Outback, a gang of soccer moms?). Well my friend knew where the tow place was but I had to go around trying to find an ATM at 3am to take out a lot of cash to pay for my fee. Finally find one and pull up to the tow place and I can see my Subaru in the fenced area, since I was still in my dress clothes I felt like a dad bailing out his son from prison, happy he is safe, but disappointed in him and will be punished later. I soon discovered that only the classiest people are at a tow shop at 3am and I was way over dressed to be here. I could tell that some of the employees in the back of the shop were making fun of me, either for me being in dress clothes this late or it was that they realized I was the person driving the Subaru Outback they towed.
Finally getting my car back for $150, I was so beaten down from the day that I could not get mad at the whole situation, could not yell or make any swears, just was flabbergasted the rest of the night. Fell asleep at about 4am and had to get up at 7am to work football. Basically this was one big lesson learned.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Pat's Odyssey Act III
Without further a due my running diary of Saturday in Iowa City.
7:30 a.m. CT: Woke up in Toby's house wondering why the hell I am up this early on a Saturday when I do not have to work.
7:45 a.m. CT: Now I remember why I am up this early after buying a 12-pack of beer at the local gas station.
8:10 a.m. CT: Parked the car and cracked open the first beer of the day, have not done this tailgating thing in about three years but after that first sip, this is something I could get used to.
8:20 a.m. CT: Arrived to Rally Alley in horror as the giant inflatable to welcome visitors to Rally Alley has already been put up without Russ and I helping out for old time sakes. I cry a little.
8:21 a.m. CT: Remember all the horrors about cleaning that giant thing on my last day of work and begin contemplating taking a leak on it.
9:00 a.m. CT: I love how you can just walk around with a 12 pack and an open beer drinking before noon and it is considered normal.
10:00 a.m. CT: After walking around looking for other tailgates, decide to come back to Rally Alley to bug everyone and get free food out of it.
10:50 a.m. CT: Now with a full belly of free food and a lot of beer in us, we decided to help out the marketing staff take down the giant inflatable, it got really emotional for Russ and I as we just help push it down and deflate it, after that we quickly ditched the marketing staff when it came time to pack and lift the inflatable in the van.
11:25 a.m. CT: Up in the Press Box watching the game, saying hi to old staff members, poor Russ was getting annoyed that no one remembered who he was and people were just doing those fake pretended to remember you talks without ever using his name. But everyone remembered me and missed me.
12:05 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes offense is sucking it up first half, thank god they sell beer in the Press Box otherwise why would anyone want to watch crappy football.
12:40 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes are down to the Spartans at halftime, the band is playing their traditional Halloween theme music, nothing special but the highlight was the announcer of the band using Halloween terms in the PA, example "The Iowa Marching Band is hoping you are having a spooky good time." "The marching band is led by our own ghoulish (golden) girl." Everyone in the stands did one of those "that was stupid" laughs, hehehehehe.
12:50 p.m. CT: Just like old times Toby makes me go and get some autograph of one of the TV announcers who won the Heisman Trophy, don't worry I am tacking on the hours to what they owe me for the Message Center work.
1:15 p.m. CT: Beer sales are ending, which is probably a good thing because the Hawkeyes are making a comeback, I think they know I am back in town and are giving one for the Gipper (that's me).
1:28 p.m. CT: Just love watching the 70,000 fans that can not sit in the Press Box like me, one of the few joys I get for knowing people in sports.
2:07 p.m. CT: Just got more bang for my free ticket, we are going into overtime.
2:40 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes just won in overtime and though Michigan State was not ranked or really considered a big upset for us, our fans decide it was appropriate to rush the field. I guess when you are having a terrible season you take the moments when you get them.
2:55 p.m. CT: You think our Hawkeye sports are done for the day, but the football game was just the tip of the iceberg. We head over the Carver-Hawkeye Arena to catch the basketball teams scrimmage against each other. I like our odds for this game, I think we can beat ourselves.
2:59 p.m. CT: Just got sneaked into the arena without paying for a ticket, when you know people they can help you get free admission to a $5 event. Just some more perks of the biz.
3:28 p.m. CT: Watching our team play against themselves is just as exciting as you would think.
3:35 p.m. CT: One amusing thing about the scrimmage was during a time out for the music selection they decided to play some Frank Sinatra, really do not hear a whole lot of Frank at basketball games anymore. It did not get the crowd pumped up or anything, but it was entertaining.
4:15 p.m. CT: Game Over, Black 42 Gold 26. I just lost a thousand bucks on that game, Gold just did not have enough hustle to beat themselves.
4:30 p.m. CT: You think our Hawkeye sports experience is now over, but guess what (what?) there is a volleyball game at 7 p.m. The Hawkeye Sports Marathon continues.
4:45 p.m. CT: Russ and I decide to go to the Wig and Pen for a flying tomato pizza, on the way out some drunk was trying to get into Carver with an open beer. I explained to him that he could not go into Carver with an open beer, he did not care. He kept trying to get around me to get in, but I kept telling him he can't with that beer. He decides to set it down and go inside we start walking away from him when we see he turns around to go get his beer, now I am pissed. So he is walking away from me in Carver with his open beer and I tell him I am going to call security and proceed to take out my cell phone and pretended like I am calling someone. He finally says fine then tells me to hold his beer for him, I do and he stumbles his way to the bathroom. I take his beer outside and just chuck it on the ground and dust my hands in a cool way. (man I am such a bad ass)
5:00 p.m. CT: Walking towards the Wig and Pen, keep checking my back to make sure no pissed off drunk is charging at me because I chucked his beer on the ground.
5:11 p.m. CT: The lady at the restaurant ask for my name to put on the waiting list, I tell her Pat Thompson and she stares at me with confusion and ask me if I am the same Pat Thompson from Facebook. I said yes and realized this girl is some random friend on Facebook page but we have never met before, small world.
6:30 p.m. CT: After a few beers and a full belly of pizza we say good bye to my random Facebook friend and head to the final Hawkeye sporting event for the day.
8:30 p.m. CT: Iowa Volleyball got worked by Penn State, saved you some reading.
9:15 p.m. CT: Head out to a house party to see some old friends, forget that it is Halloween weekend which everyone dresses up in a costume and of course I did not bring my costume, (side note: my costume this year was going to be a flying monkey from Wizard of Oz)
9:17 p.m. CT: I tilted my trucker hat to the side, had a scruffy beard, and decided I was going as a college student because I am no longer one, that it would make a perfect costume. I kept talking about how much I was looking forward to the new Dave Matthews Band album and talking about how that mid term last week kicked my ass. Everyone thought my costume was stupid.
9:55 p.m. CT: Just saw a penguin and a bunny win in a game of beer bong and I was not drunk.
10:25 p.m. CT: Getting really tired, been up and drinking for over 12 hours and just do not think I can make it out to the bars the rest of the night, we decide to go back and crash at our friends place and finish the night by watching the Disney movie Hook.
11:10 p.m. CT: RU-FIO! RU-FIO! RU-FI-OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
11:54 p.m. CT: Finally going to sleep and realizing I did not get to hang out with everyone at the bars, so feel bad, but then realize I have to be in a car for over 10 hours while listening to the Vikings lose to the Eagles with an Eagles fan in the car.
Amazing weekend, glad to see everyone and hand out my business cards, sorry to everyone that I could not spend more time with, but people are more than welcome to come out here and visit me. You know where I live, you have my business card.
7:30 a.m. CT: Woke up in Toby's house wondering why the hell I am up this early on a Saturday when I do not have to work.
7:45 a.m. CT: Now I remember why I am up this early after buying a 12-pack of beer at the local gas station.
8:10 a.m. CT: Parked the car and cracked open the first beer of the day, have not done this tailgating thing in about three years but after that first sip, this is something I could get used to.
8:20 a.m. CT: Arrived to Rally Alley in horror as the giant inflatable to welcome visitors to Rally Alley has already been put up without Russ and I helping out for old time sakes. I cry a little.
8:21 a.m. CT: Remember all the horrors about cleaning that giant thing on my last day of work and begin contemplating taking a leak on it.
9:00 a.m. CT: I love how you can just walk around with a 12 pack and an open beer drinking before noon and it is considered normal.
10:00 a.m. CT: After walking around looking for other tailgates, decide to come back to Rally Alley to bug everyone and get free food out of it.
10:50 a.m. CT: Now with a full belly of free food and a lot of beer in us, we decided to help out the marketing staff take down the giant inflatable, it got really emotional for Russ and I as we just help push it down and deflate it, after that we quickly ditched the marketing staff when it came time to pack and lift the inflatable in the van.
11:25 a.m. CT: Up in the Press Box watching the game, saying hi to old staff members, poor Russ was getting annoyed that no one remembered who he was and people were just doing those fake pretended to remember you talks without ever using his name. But everyone remembered me and missed me.
12:05 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes offense is sucking it up first half, thank god they sell beer in the Press Box otherwise why would anyone want to watch crappy football.
12:40 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes are down to the Spartans at halftime, the band is playing their traditional Halloween theme music, nothing special but the highlight was the announcer of the band using Halloween terms in the PA, example "The Iowa Marching Band is hoping you are having a spooky good time." "The marching band is led by our own ghoulish (golden) girl." Everyone in the stands did one of those "that was stupid" laughs, hehehehehe.
12:50 p.m. CT: Just like old times Toby makes me go and get some autograph of one of the TV announcers who won the Heisman Trophy, don't worry I am tacking on the hours to what they owe me for the Message Center work.
1:15 p.m. CT: Beer sales are ending, which is probably a good thing because the Hawkeyes are making a comeback, I think they know I am back in town and are giving one for the Gipper (that's me).
1:28 p.m. CT: Just love watching the 70,000 fans that can not sit in the Press Box like me, one of the few joys I get for knowing people in sports.
2:07 p.m. CT: Just got more bang for my free ticket, we are going into overtime.
2:40 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes just won in overtime and though Michigan State was not ranked or really considered a big upset for us, our fans decide it was appropriate to rush the field. I guess when you are having a terrible season you take the moments when you get them.
2:55 p.m. CT: You think our Hawkeye sports are done for the day, but the football game was just the tip of the iceberg. We head over the Carver-Hawkeye Arena to catch the basketball teams scrimmage against each other. I like our odds for this game, I think we can beat ourselves.
2:59 p.m. CT: Just got sneaked into the arena without paying for a ticket, when you know people they can help you get free admission to a $5 event. Just some more perks of the biz.
3:28 p.m. CT: Watching our team play against themselves is just as exciting as you would think.
3:35 p.m. CT: One amusing thing about the scrimmage was during a time out for the music selection they decided to play some Frank Sinatra, really do not hear a whole lot of Frank at basketball games anymore. It did not get the crowd pumped up or anything, but it was entertaining.
4:15 p.m. CT: Game Over, Black 42 Gold 26. I just lost a thousand bucks on that game, Gold just did not have enough hustle to beat themselves.
4:30 p.m. CT: You think our Hawkeye sports experience is now over, but guess what (what?) there is a volleyball game at 7 p.m. The Hawkeye Sports Marathon continues.
4:45 p.m. CT: Russ and I decide to go to the Wig and Pen for a flying tomato pizza, on the way out some drunk was trying to get into Carver with an open beer. I explained to him that he could not go into Carver with an open beer, he did not care. He kept trying to get around me to get in, but I kept telling him he can't with that beer. He decides to set it down and go inside we start walking away from him when we see he turns around to go get his beer, now I am pissed. So he is walking away from me in Carver with his open beer and I tell him I am going to call security and proceed to take out my cell phone and pretended like I am calling someone. He finally says fine then tells me to hold his beer for him, I do and he stumbles his way to the bathroom. I take his beer outside and just chuck it on the ground and dust my hands in a cool way. (man I am such a bad ass)
5:00 p.m. CT: Walking towards the Wig and Pen, keep checking my back to make sure no pissed off drunk is charging at me because I chucked his beer on the ground.
5:11 p.m. CT: The lady at the restaurant ask for my name to put on the waiting list, I tell her Pat Thompson and she stares at me with confusion and ask me if I am the same Pat Thompson from Facebook. I said yes and realized this girl is some random friend on Facebook page but we have never met before, small world.
6:30 p.m. CT: After a few beers and a full belly of pizza we say good bye to my random Facebook friend and head to the final Hawkeye sporting event for the day.
8:30 p.m. CT: Iowa Volleyball got worked by Penn State, saved you some reading.
9:15 p.m. CT: Head out to a house party to see some old friends, forget that it is Halloween weekend which everyone dresses up in a costume and of course I did not bring my costume, (side note: my costume this year was going to be a flying monkey from Wizard of Oz)
9:17 p.m. CT: I tilted my trucker hat to the side, had a scruffy beard, and decided I was going as a college student because I am no longer one, that it would make a perfect costume. I kept talking about how much I was looking forward to the new Dave Matthews Band album and talking about how that mid term last week kicked my ass. Everyone thought my costume was stupid.
9:55 p.m. CT: Just saw a penguin and a bunny win in a game of beer bong and I was not drunk.
10:25 p.m. CT: Getting really tired, been up and drinking for over 12 hours and just do not think I can make it out to the bars the rest of the night, we decide to go back and crash at our friends place and finish the night by watching the Disney movie Hook.
11:10 p.m. CT: RU-FIO! RU-FIO! RU-FI-OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
11:54 p.m. CT: Finally going to sleep and realizing I did not get to hang out with everyone at the bars, so feel bad, but then realize I have to be in a car for over 10 hours while listening to the Vikings lose to the Eagles with an Eagles fan in the car.
Amazing weekend, glad to see everyone and hand out my business cards, sorry to everyone that I could not spend more time with, but people are more than welcome to come out here and visit me. You know where I live, you have my business card.
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