Who else is REALLY tired of the....

[Calinks]

question the media ALWAYS asks our possible prospect players.

"So, how do you feel about the possibility of those freezing Minnesota winters!?"

They always ask that damn question in some form or another. I swear they are trying to scare them off of something. They act like nobody else has winter or snow. I wish they would let me ask some questions, people would look at me like I am an idiot if I went up to various players and was like.

"So how do feel about the California earthquakes? How do you feel about Wildfires?"

"How do you feel about broiling desert in Arizona?"

"How do you feel about hurricane's destroying your property in Florida?"

"Mr. Wall, how do you feel about getting capped in your own team's locker room?"

The day we get a player who makes someone feel stupid for asking the "devastating winter" question, I will instantly move them up on my draft board. LOL.

[revprodeji]

Flynn and Johnson both explained that Cuse had just as nasty of winters.

[lobishome]

No offense, but I prefer 10 seconds of earthquake and go to the beach all the year.

[Esohny]

No offense, but I prefer 10 seconds of earthquake and go to the beach all the year.

Earthquakes last longer than that, and actually kill people. And people on the west coast can't go to the beach all year, it gets too cold in the winter, especially for california sallys.

[LordBaldric]

Those other place have cold and snow, but not the same degree of soul crushing bitter cold snaps that Minneapolis has. People complain about the winter here in Chicago, but it's a total joke compared to Minneapolis. The dumping of 20" of snow followed immediately by one of those cold snaps is the ultimate middle finger.

Northerly city + smack in the middle of the continent + no large body of water nearby = bad news.

[cpfsf]

Be lying if I said that wasn't something I'd consider if I was a free agent. I used to be a cashier when I was in high school and I remember customers always talking about the weather (and I live in Iowa btw).

[shangrila]

Isn't that what everyone who doesn't know each other talks about? The weather?

[cpfsf]

I used to live in OKC and I didn't get nearly as many snow comments. Not really the biggest sample size, but it just seems to me that snow is the "it" thing to talk about up here. Personally I don't talk about weather, I talk about stupid drivers. In the south, people can't drive at all during winter weather. I live in Iowa now, but it seems like I'm always stuck behind the driver who goes 50 in a 70 mph zone. I get more angry when it's a grandma for some reason.

[Saltine]

Well if they had better Souls they wouldn't get crushed, it's that simple

[thewolf94]

Yeah, remember when Mario Chalmers (who is from Alaska, mind you) said that he had never experienced anything as cold as MN when he visited his rookie year? Dude, you're from Alaska. It's a media game. The media has had a vendetta against MN forever. They all have big-market attitudes and totally disregard the fact that Chicago and New York are almost as cold.

[thewolf94]

No offense, but I prefer 10 seconds of earthquake and go to the beach all the year.

Yeah, until you are gobbled up by the quaking earth. Then how would you like it?

[LordBaldric]

Yeah, remember when Mario Chalmers (who is from Alaska, mind you) said that he had never experienced anything as cold as MN when he visited his rookie year? Dude, you're from Alaska. It's a media game. The media has had a vendetta against MN forever. They all have big-market attitudes and totally disregard the fact that Chicago and New York are almost as cold.

Coast of Alaska has much more mild winters than Minneapolis. Seriously guys, admit that it's a real factor. The only comparable big cities that are as cold are Russian.

Minneapolis climate = Moscow

[jade_hippo]

Pretty much every city in the NBA has some nasty weather problem. I'd be much more scared of being sucked up by a tornado in OKC or having no power for a week because another ice storm hit the east coast. The snow sucks worse in NYC because they have no where to put it. In Minneapolis, you could probablly get anywhere in town without actually having to leave the comfort of a building or the skyway or the lightrail if you didn't want to, so the argument is kinda dumb if thats your hang up

[cpfsf]

What do Minnesotans do during summer? They have a picnic that day.

[horaceworthy]

Of course it's a real factor, particularly due to the time of year pro basketball players would be required to spend time here. Minneapolis isn't the only cold weather city in the NBA, and it may not matter as much from player to player, but it's certainly a factor.

It does get more media play than it warrants. I don't blame them, because the Wolves aren't worth paying attention to for the vast majority of people, so it's much easier for them to play word association with Minnesota=cold than it is to find something nice to say about the team. Hopefully that changes in the not too distant future.

[shrink]

I don't think the weather is so extreme, and enjoy the change of seasons. Personally, I love Spring and Fall, but with all the lakes, even a warm summer at the beaches are fine. What surprised me about winter was how the city embraces it.

If a free agent hated the winter, he can get to work by driving from heated garage to heated garage and get to Target Center by heated skyway. He could get through the winter without a coat, as long as he had someone else gas up the car. However, many many people in Minnesota actual embrace winter. Ice hockey is huge. Cross Country skiing is big. Snow-mobiling. How about the concept of ice fishing?

I love the seasons far more than I did before.

[Breakdown777]

I think most cities get stereotyped for one or two things because of the location. I'm sure the New york questions are about the city that never sleeps and partying. I'm sure that miami always mentions the beach. Frankly, I'm glad we have something to talk about, because I'm pretty sure OKC has absolutely nothing after Durant and the fanbase.

[John Doe [MIN]]

Those other place have cold and snow, but not the same degree of soul crushing bitter cold snaps that Minneapolis has. People complain about the winter here in Chicago, but it's a total joke compared to Minneapolis. The dumping of 20" of snow followed immediately by one of those cold snaps is the ultimate middle finger.

Northerly city + smack in the middle of the continent + no large body of water nearby = bad news.

So you're saying that NBA players would prefer Milwaukee over Minneapolis/St. Paul because they factor in its proximity to Lake Michigan? Not sure I buy that.

[jade_hippo]

Those other place have cold and snow, but not the same degree of soul crushing bitter cold snaps that Minneapolis has. People complain about the winter here in Chicago, but it's a total joke compared to Minneapolis. The dumping of 20" of snow followed immediately by one of those cold snaps is the ultimate middle finger.

Northerly city + smack in the middle of the continent + no large body of water nearby = bad news.

So you're saying that NBA players would prefer Milwaukee over Minneapolis/St. Paul because they factor in its proximity to Lake Michigan? Not sure I buy that.

I think he's talking about "the lake effect" where the large body of water makes summers cooler and winters warmer. thats partly why winter isn't nearly as bad in Seattle, Portland and the Atlantic places.

[Dewey]

If you tell people something enough, they eventually believe you. Needless to say most of the basketball players are not from the north central region of the US ... so when they start to listen to opinions coming from people who have never lived here, they are not going to get a rosey picture on most occasions. It's just reality.

As far as I'm concerned, winter in MN weeds out the week, plus, it's clearly one of the healthiest and wealthiest states in the continent and I see no need to defend it's draw. If a professional athlete can get past the popular personna's painted by media, agents, etc and gives it a shot, I think most will find it to be a great place to live. The 4-seasons are what makes the world go round in my book ... I don't see how basking in the heat 365 days a year is so attractive.

In the end - don't kid yourself - it's still about the money.