If you drive they'll tax the street and if you walk they'll tax your feet.

Nobody likes paying taxes. That’s kind of a given. Of course I fully understand that taxes are important to pay for the police, our military, protecting the environment, road construction, et cetera. But maybe I agree with legendary radio broadcaster, Arthur Godfrey who said, “I’m proud to be paying taxes in the United States. But I could be just as proud for half the money.” In the last couple of years, the Minnesota congress has spent a lot of tax money on border line superfluous pork projects; including, but not limited to two new stadiums (one for the MN Twins and one for the University of Minnesota football team). Oh yeah! That 35W bridge project was kind of spendy as well. The Metrodome was home to not only the Twins and the Gophers, but also the Minnesota Vikings. By almost all accounts, the Metrodome is the worst baseball stadium in the country and I will happily pay more taxes just so we are not the laughing stock of the sports world. Almost daily I drive by construction and I beam with delight. The Gophers also unfortunately played on an off campus downtown Minneapolis site. This took away from game-time experience, and was unpopular with recruits. Also, there is a difference between an NFL stadium and a college stadium. The Metrodome has definitely a corporate, NFL feel to it. However, I have always enjoyed going to Vikings games at the dome. It’s loud, has had sellouts for over two decades, and is perfect for the Vikings. However, the owner of the Vikings hate it for reasons that only owners care about. (i.e. not enough luxury suites so they can make more money.) The Vikings have to play in Minnesota until 2011 and then they are free to move anywhere they want. Cities like San Antonio, Portland, and Los Angeles are all begging to have a football team. The owners could in theory, and probably will, blackmail the state of Minnesota into spending one billion dollars to build them a new stadium. A new stadium will of course make the team more valuable to future sellers. Zygmunt “Zygi” Wilf by all means is a likeable guy who is committed to winning a Superbowl. He has hired top free agents and has demanded a win-now attitude which I love. As much as I would dislike to have my taxes raised, I would absolutely hate the Vikings leaving for LA. I have posted a link below which has a great article on the subject but even if you don’t read the article. Take a look at some of the pictures of what it would look like. It would be the coolest stadium in the NFL.

http://www.minnpost.com/jayweiner/2008/07/17/2601/vikings_stadium_debate_takes_a_decidedly_new_turn

1. Speaking of the ridiculous cost of sports. Very few fans are as loyal as college football as University of Florida fans. However, guess what season tickets cost? For two season tickets for the 2008 football season, the price tag is an enormous $8,848! That comes out $640 per ticket for the season. That is more then ten times the cost of an Iowa State ticket. Unless this University of Florida student is sitting next to you http://www.bustedcoverage.com/?p=5887 it just isn’t worth it.

2. My belt broke. Before the fat jokes begin, it has nothing to with the waistline. Anyway, does anybody have any tips on where I should go? I am thinking Macy’s for the sole reason that it is convenient and I don’t know anything better.

3. My goodness is America fat. Mississippi came in as the fattest state in the country according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control with Alabama and Tennessee close behind. In those three states, more then 30% of the population is over 100 lbs overweight. In part, experts blame Southern eating habits, poverty and demographic groups that have higher obesity rates. The healthiest state in the country is Colorado. IN CO, “only” 19% of the population is more then 100 lbs overweight. That is amazing to me. Nationwide, 26% or basically one out of every four Americans is more then 100 pounds overweight.

4. According to the Des Moines Register, Jason Berryman's personal problems mounted today as he was charged with possession of marijuana after Ames police sought out the former Iowa State and Iowa Barnstormer football player on a charge of operating a motor vehicle without a license. Ames police reports disclosed that Berryman, 23, was arrested after police received a telephone call at about 2 a.m. Friday alleging Berryman had been seen "supposedly looking through the window watching a woman undress." Now in the past four years, Berryman has been arrested for theft, two separate assault charges causing bodily injury, marijuana, operating a motor vehicle without a license, not paying child support, and drinking underage. This was a guy who was the Big 12 freshman of the year in 2003 with incredible athletic ability but no common sense. He was 6’3, bench press over 300 pounds, run a 4.5 40 yard dash and I saw him dunk a basketball despite weighing in my estimation between 230 and 250 pounds. What a knucklehead. He could have been a first round draft pick and now he is facing prison time.