Hottest Celebrities 2017

Finally, the sun is shining, the temperatures are normal again, and the clothes are getting smaller. It must mean that it's time for the annual Hot Celebrities list from yours truly! Some major surprises this year on all sides of the spectrum. When I started this idea, there was no such thing as Snap Chat or Instagram and we were limited to what was posted in magazines or on television. Now, every attractive (or not so attractive) individual has time to filter pictures to put themselves in the best light possible, and share their poses with the world! I have tried to stay consistent over the years (at least beyond the selection - from 20 to 101 back to 20 and now 9 of my favorites and 9 of the consensus favorites), but I think this is going to get more difficult as time goes on. I would also like to share my plans for a "Hot Celebrities Retirement Party" which I am planning on having in 2021, the same year I turn 40. With Aiden turning 11 that year, I believe it is the perfect time to pass the torch, especially considering that he'll have a better idea on what's "hot" than what his old father will. For those that have forgotten, list is determined by beauty, relevance, and age requirements. No 17 year old's, no grandmothers, no 36 Twix bars in one sitting, and must have one accomplishment in the calendar year. Thanks for reading!

Thank you to those that always contribute beautiful men and women to this blog. I'm glad that this topic has evolved where we are all comfortable with my thoughts on the same gender attractiveness as I am for all the beautiful ladies in the world. Ladies, you were a great help. Gentlemen, I can't thank you enough. Every year, I'm introduced to individuals I had no idea about. My thanks is in the inclusion of your offerings. Finally, a shout out to my wonderful wife. While this is light conversation and fun bathroom reading for most of you, my commitment to it is very serious, and I'm glad that I have your unwavering support.

World's Top 9

9. Emma Stone. She has never been one of those beauties for me, but she keeps on gathering interest by churning out massive hits and new looks. La La Land was the biggest sensation of the 2016 year, and it helped that the main characters were very attractive. Locked in Stone for years to come?
   

8. Hailey Baldwin. Maxim's number one. They weren't wrong. Heading toward superstar status.
   

7. Beyoncé Knowles. Used to run rampant in my lists, still getting affection for the public list. Starting to get consideration for what we call "timeless beauty". I imagine we will see her again next year.
   

6. Gigi Hadid. In the world of modeling she is beloved by all. She can pull off all the great looks, but she is also adept at just simple photography as well. Check out her Instagram page, I think her best shots are the non-filtered, simple lighting ones. Also in an arms race for Baldwin for a future #1 spot.
   

5. Deepika Padukone. 12 months ago, I would've asked you to speak English. Now I'm just asking for more.
   

4. Margot Robbie. I would say that she slipped a bit due to irrelevancy, but it doesn’t really matter. Hailey Quinn will be back soon too, so things should be rectified by then.
   

3. Taylor Swift. When the Kardashian's can't keep your name out of their mouth, you must be doing something right. 250 million dollars in net worth, must mean you are doing something right. To have not released an album in almost 3 years, but still crushing the "world of trending" means you will always have a spot for millions of boys and girls everywhere.
   

2. Sommer Ray. Rookie of the Year? (I wasn't on Insta until 2016, so I don't know for sure.) What I do know is 15 million people can't be wrong. Motivating for all of those that want to get back to the gym. Hard work pays off here.
   

1. Hannah Jeter. I had a feeling this day would come. Personally, I think there are more attractive ladies. I think some have had to work harder to get to where she is. But, just like oceans are wet, the sky is blue, and space is vast, the royal crown was just meant to be Hannah's at some point. An SI cover. Derek Jeter at bedtime. Funnier than most comedians. More multi-purpose than the President. A real champion in the flesh.
   

Top 9 Boys

9. Liam Hemsworth. Lot of worthy replacements, but still so relevant, he has to hold on to this place.
   

8. Antonio Brown. While he is my favorite player in a non #12 jersey, I never thought to consider him until he started twerking and Dancing with the Stars.
   

Ryan Gosling. I had about 10 Ryan's when I started this list, but he's definitely the best one of them.

6. Lorenzo Insigne. Usually I don't go for the 5'4" guys, but Lorenzo has some serious skills, plays a ton of FIFA even though he has one of the hotter WAG's around, and he could literally step right into an Armani role when his playing career is over.

5. Chris Hemsworth. As long as he continues in the Thor role, I imagine he'll continue making this list.
   

4. Channing Tatum. His wife out danced his Magic Mike ass, and it just made him look all the more hotter for pulling such a winner.
   

3. Cristiano. First name basis status.
   

2. JT. Initials status.
   

1. Zac Efron. Taking the crown away from the greatest Mickey Mouse club member. I always imagined him here, but it wasn't until the perfectly coifed hair and the red swimsuit that he is able to take his place on the throne.
   

Nate's 9 Favorites

Before we start, I would like to address two situations. The first one is Lada Kravchenko. I stumbled onto her thanks to Playboy's announcement that they would go back to the complete undress magazines of year's past, as opposed to the almost version. Then within a few days, Kravchenko made the SI swimsuit casting calls (a group that I take very seriously, as Sports Illustrated never seems to get it wrong. Ever.) While she didn't make the final cut for the 2017 issue, I believe the future is bright and one of these 9 places should be open next year for this Russian.

Second, I would like to show some appreciation and love to Keira Knightley. Since the inaugural list back in 2003, there has always been a spot for my favorite Brit. It was very hard to get rid of her. She made great films (or if not great, I enjoyed the view), she is a big West Ham fan - any supporter of this sport is fine by me, and she could sing in addition to the rest. A match made. Well, due to unforeseen circumstances, namely a husband and child, Keira did not make the 9 this year. If I do decide to carry on and create a Hall of Fame of sorts, well, let me introduce you to the first inductee. Thanks Keira, for being my first, most and longest celebrity crush.

9. Ariana Grande. For a while, I thought she was going to challenge for the most important throne of all. She was generating hit after hit, staying ahead of the trend curve (which isn't easy to do), and giving just enough leg to keep all of us guessing. A little lull in 2016 caused for a dip in status, as well as the introduction of a few names but she's still an all-star. A strong 2017 should have her close to the top again.
   

8. Katherine McNamara. Another stumbling upon. Anna Kendrick used to make this position hers, but the emergence of this red head, knocked out another all-time favorite. I'm not sad about it. While flipping through television shows, I found a program called ShadowHunters and I watched it through to the end. Not because it was captivating per se. (Although it is a pretty good show). McNamara wouldn't let me turn away.
   

7. Ariel Winter. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be okay. She's like my favorite sister from Modern Family. She's my sons favorite princess on the Disney channel. There isn't supposed to be anything sexy about that. But she is a great Twitter follow. Not ashamed to post any pictures considering her roles on television, and a big supporter of loving yourself no matter what. I hate that public opinion dictates how people should look, and I'm pleased to say that I'm a fan because she doesn’t give a crap.
   

6. Hunter King. Almost got the boot. When I fell "in love" with Summer from the Young and the Restless years ago, I thought that King would have a year or two to shine, then she would disappear from consideration forever. Then she did a little guest modeling on The Price is Right, which gave her another year in this elite group. Now she's moved to comedy on Thursday night television and it's paying off. They brought her on for one reason only, but Life in Pieces is just a little funnier with all the boys lusting after this bombshell.
   

5. Zendaya. My LeBron James. When I first discovered her talents, she was a 17 year old dancer on DWTS. Not cool. But Sports Illustrated was touting LeBron when he was only 17. So I thought to myself, why not wait and see. Patience has paid off here. Zendaya is cute like a fox, but confident like a lady. She isn't able to skip part of the process like her comparison did, but I imagine when Zendaya leaves Disney, she'll elevate herself even higher.
   

4. Scarlett Johansson. Another Hall of Fame inductee. I've had her around since Tokyo (kudos if you know the reference), but she never locked in on the number one spot. It doesn't matter. Her evolution into a Julia Roberts type star hasn't gone unnoticed, and her diversity in work may be her most impressive attribute. She crushes the Black Widow role (and now no one else can play it). She is one of the staple hosts of SNL now in my humble opinion. She can pull off both beautiful and sexy. It's not her fault she fell a few places, but other ladies had better years.
   

3. Selena Gomez. It was always going to be tough to beat her perfect year. Hot album, hot videos trending most of the year, crushed swimsuits. It's amazing to look back and see where she came from. A somewhat awkward wizard on Disney that tried to be sexy but wasn't, and now I'm not sure that from a beauty standpoint that she can be surpassed this year. Plenty of time to get to the top again, and I'd be very surprised if she wasn't there.
   
   
   

2. Kate Upton. I thought she was going back to the #1 spot this year, because she did everything right. Back on top of the Swimsuit world with an SI Cover. Stud fiancée. Good Instagram. Didn't change for the mainstream expectation. Nothing wrong with #2 this year, especially considering my selection for #1.
   

1. Victoria Justice. I really didn't see this coming. I've always been a fan, but not to the point where I would put her in the group of the Upton, Knightley, Johansson triumvirate. She's pretty, but not in the sense of a knockout. More or less extremely elegant. Her ascension to the top begins with her personality. She might be the nicest, most genuine person in Hollywood. I've never really used that as criteria for a list that doesn't require that type of skill to reach the summit. But her persona is so warm, so real, that I can't not enjoy it and evolve in my thought process for picking the best. Victoria is changing the world.
   

Thomas Tuchel vs Hans Watzke

Tuchel vs Watzke

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

12:43 AM

I am little pissed off. Not that Tuchel was my favorite manager of all-time, because he wasn't. I didn't like his tactics, I didn't care for his over use on Gonzalo Castro in the midfield, and I didn't like his lack of conviction in getting victories at home (The unbeaten streak is great, but there are a lot of draws in that run). I just don't like when politics are involved in sport. Chances are if we like everyone that we work with, than something is very wrong. Some of the best people that I've ever worked with are people that I don't really enjoy spending time with, but they certainly get the job done. So then why, when the CEO of Dortmund says that expectations were met with the 3rd place finish, and the title in the German DFB Pokal, not to mention the longest home undefeated streak in club history, does a manager still get let go?

Watzke says it's because he felt that there was a lack of loyalty and trust in the ranks. I ask Watzke then, since when did he feel that way. Was it the bombing of the Dortmund bus? If that's the case, you have to look at that for what it was, and I think the unpredictability of it created a lot of chaos in the club and things may have been said that shouldn't have. Yet concerning the situation… it's tough not to share your true feelings when your life changes in a major way. I don’t have any recollection of a bus carrying athletes being bombed ever in Europe, if not Germany. Marc Bartra didn't know if he was going to survive the attack for the first couple of minutes. There was a lot at stake during that time, and I agree with Tuchel, it would've been a very difficult time to play, 24 hours after the attacks. Then, during the return visit to Monaco, the players were restrained on the bus again before the game began. Their heads clearly weren't in a state where they should have played, and Tuchel said as much. Now he is out of a job.

Let's assume for one minute that the bombing had nothing to do with Tuchel being let go. So then, what next? Was he released because of the team selection? Well that's not very fair, considering that management sold three of his best players during the off-season including the team captain. It's hard to maintain any continuity, no matter how much money Dortmund gave back to Tuchel to replace those players (although he did bring in 9 new faces). There was never any uprising in the locker room, at least to the point where the players would have gone public with their frustrations. It's a tough roster to rotate with 15-20 players all clamoring for places in the first 11. I thought Tuchel did a good job for the most part, especially considering all the injuries that he had to endure.

I think that it came to a genuine dislike for the coach. The board never liked him, and threw out terms like loyalty, trust, and the Dortmund Way to get the supporters to understand their decision for firing him. He never met with other clubs about potential openings, so I don't understand why loyalty is mentioned. He stood behind his players during the attack on the bus, so I don't understand why trust is mentioned. And the Dortmund Way has too always played an attacking style of football, while maintaining the clubs best interests at heart (no more close shaves with bankruptcy being numero Uno) and I thought Tuchel passed those tests with flying colors. It'll be interesting to see how Favre does things differently, but I have to believe, and I certainly will stand by this opinion, that the Dortmund board made the wrong decision here.

Edit: And now P-E Aubameyang is onto PSG. Going to be an interesting summer for the yellow and black. Big decisions at every corner...

Champions League Predictions

The quarterfinals of Champions League is my favorite event at any time across any sport. It's usually… usually the best 8 soccer teams in Europe if not the entire world, and in a sport with thousands and thousands of professional teams, 8 is a really small number. These matches are usually more exciting than the semi-finals and final, and I think so for 2 reasons. First, they are still relatively fresh in March as players aren't thinking about the end of the season and all the congested fixtures near the end. Second, the atmosphere isn't as nervous as a final or a semi-final, as every kick and tackle can have big implications (Roy Keane's yellow in '99). This year I'm more excited than most seasons, even though the great Manchester United is currently playing in that other European tournament. It has 8 teams that either have 2 things going for them: A great story, or tons of talent. I wanted to share my thoughts and analysis on what I think is going to happen, since I'm not sure of my wi-fi situation starting on Thursday night. 

Leicester City vs Atletico Madrid: This is actually one of the toughest matchups for Leicester, because they are pretty much a mirror image of Atletico, just a crappier version. Both teams play much better on the counter attack than they do when they try to control the game, and they rely on their front man to get them the goals that they need to thrive (Jamie Vardy in the case of Leicester, Antoine Griezmann in the case of Atleti). I think that Simeone is the key to this matchup, as he could lose it for Atletico. Instead of using their superior talent (which they have), I think he should let Leicester try and play, and then break them down in their own half. Atletico is one of the best teams in the world when they run at you, and I think they'll get to do a few of those opportunities in this tie vs Leicester.

Nate's Pick: Atletico

Logan's Pick: Atletico

Lucas's Pick: Atletico

Aiden's Pick: Atletico

Mother's Pick: Leicester City

BVB vs Monaco: I keep wavering on this matchup, because I don't know who is going to be healthy when the games kick off. If Dortmund can get Reus back and in full form, there's no reason to think that he and PE Aubameyang can't get it done against Monaco. I love Kylian Mbappe, and I think that Falcao has returned to the form that he had while he played at Atletico. Tiemoue Bakayoko is becoming one of the brightest talents in Europe. But that cup final against PSG makes me think that Monaco is vulnerable against aggressive pressing teams. Dortmund used to be one of Europe's best at that. As a fan, I hope they can return to that high press, and push through to the semi-finals one more time. I'm betting with my heart.

Nate's Pick: BVB

Logan's Pick: BVB

Lucas's Pick: BVB

Aiden's Pick: BVB

Mother's Pick: BVB

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich: One of the juiciest QF matchups I've ever seen. Bayern is on top form in the league (minus the hiccup vs Hoffenheim) and outside of the two matches against Atletico, have been humming along. They made Arsenal look like children and for the 3rd consecutive time, beat them in a match 5-1. Real Madrid has led the Spanish League all season long, which at this time is probably the most difficult league to do that in across Europe. Barcelona, Atletico and even Sevilla have played extremely well at times this year, and should push them until the end. (Sevilla beating Madrid was the highlight of my season so far, it was like a bank robbery and clean getaway). I think Zidane will outthink Ancelotti, play his midfield deep to eliminate and decisive Bayern attacks, but this matchup is very close to call.

Nate's Pick: Real Madrid

Logan's Pick: Real Madrid

Lucas's Pick: Bayern Munich

Aiden's Pick: Real Madrid

Mother's Pick: Bayern Munich

Juventus vs Barcelona: Lots of stories here. Gianluigi Buffon is missing one trophy in his outstanding cabinet. Messi's fallen off? (No, but the press love a story, he's just different now). Neymar is now the best player in the world, and this will be his stage (maybe, but I still like 3 better than him). I bet against Barcelona in the last round, and the most famous comeback maybe in the history of Champions League (down 5-3 with less than 10 minutes to go) kept me from getting 7/8 in the first round. Do I have the nerve to pick against them again now? I do not.

Nate's Pick: Barcelona

Logan's Pick: Barcelona

Lucas's Pick: Barcelona

Aiden's Pick: Barcelona

Mother's Pick: Barcelona

Ramsey Favorites

Reasons Why we'll Miss Ramsey

We're getting close to our final days in the Ramsey home. To sum it up, it's been an enjoyable 5 years, with some feelings as we leave that I wasn't expecting. When we first started the process to move out of our Brooklyn Park townhouse, our ideal thought was, get a house big enough for twins, raise them until kindergarten and get the heck out of dodge. While we seeked a community that would be enjoyable to raise our family, it wasn't really high on our agenda for a home, and while looking it just felt like we were looking for a place that we could "borrow" time until we moved back to Brooklyn Park to really settle down and thrive as a unit. So imagine my surprise while lying in bed last night that a few tears were shed, and there are many pieces of Ramsey and the Anoka-Ramsey community that I'm really going to miss. Here's what I believe are the top 9.

#9 - The Train. One of the things I'll miss the most even though I only used it a half a dozen times is the train that took northwest metro residents into downtown. The convenience for sports games was fantastic, and it was only a mile away from our home.

When we first moved to Ramsey, I was irritated by the amount of times I had to stop for trains to pass through if I needed to get to the north side of Highway 10. In Maple Grove and Brooklyn Park, I don’t think I ever had to stop for a train in all my years of driving. While waiting at crossings, I started to daydream about how wonderful it would be to just hop on the train, and take a ride across the country. I could see the Rockies for the first time, maybe the pines in the northwest. It was having a huge effect on me. Now, I don't even get mad when I have to sit and wait for the train to pass at the tracks. It might even give me a chance to say goodbye.

#8 - $5 pizza. We've gotten much better about not eating pizza so much, but there was a time when we used to order $5 pizza every Tuesday. For the price, they really do make rocking pizza, and their thin crust version is tough to beat. The Macaroni and Cheese pizza is also quite ridiculous, albeit in a good way. Yet as we pack up to leave, it won't be the pizza with the lasting impression. Our frequent visits to $5 really rated for something, because the entire establishment knew who I was, I feel like the quality of "my" pizzas were better than what everybody else got, and occasionally, the price of the pizza would be a little lower than what I was quoted for on the phone call. Awesome.

#7 - Super Bowl. When we first moved into the neighborhood, I was most excited for the bowling alley. It's literally just a 3 minute walk away from my house, almost to the point that I could just wheel my balls (oh yeah, multiple) down the street and into the facility. I still didn’t get to use it as much as I liked (maybe 15-20 times in the almost 5 years), but I always enjoyed the quiet atmosphere that the place provided. They still take care of their lanes, which is more than a number of local bowling alleys can say for themselves.  The deals were great, and I still have that love affair with bowling that I did when I was 7 years old and in a bowling league for the first time.

#6 - Ramsey Days. This is probably the biggest surprise on the list. For me, it's always only been about Tater Daze. Even though I grew up in Maple Grove, from my very first visit to the Brooklyn Park summer affair at the ripe age of 16, I've just always really enjoyed the atmosphere and experience of the gathering in the Park. It's one of the things that I had looked forward to the most, once we would get back into Brooklyn Park (whoops).

Ramsey's is a little different. It's more beer and pickups. It's a lot of arts and crafts and other tent stations that I don't have much interest in. But their focus and effort to make the kids happy (you should see all the fire trucks and police cars in the parade), is what I enjoyed the most. They had enough blowups for the State Fair, and our candy bags were always full to the top on the day of the parade.

#5 - Our backyard. This house that we started the boys in didn't need to be "sold" to us, once we saw the backyard. We visited nicer homes. We found houses that suited our commute to our parents and work places in a more satisfying manner. But… whenever I needed a break from the 3 boys, I could just yell "why don't you all go in the backyard and play," and I would have 30 minutes of a respite. There was just enough room to run around without using the jungle gym, or they could play in the little sandbox with their dump trucks and sand buckets. It also had a rock climbing wall, 3 swinging stations, 2 slides and a mini-tower. It was and still is one of my favorite things about the place. If I didn't have to sweep and vacuum up rocks once a week, we would have spent every summer day out there.

#4 - Driveway Soccer. Some of you may not know this, but there's a teeny bit of soccer enthusiasm in our home. It didn't always start that way. Growing up, I thought soccer was a "perfectly good waste of time." I used to want to play goalie in junior high, so I wouldn't have to run around and kick the stupid ball. And then World Cup 1998, and then Germany. And bang, it's all I've ever known since, with a little sprinkle of basketball and football. In any case, when we used to live at the townhouse in Brooklyn Park, 12 month old Aiden and I would kick the ball back and forth across the living room for what felt like hours. It was our time, and some of my favorite memories in that place. Here in Ramsey, we've taken it to a whole new level. We set up goals. We set up cones. We ran 2v2 contests for hours at a time.  While I appreciate what the driveway did by allowing us to get our vehicles into the garage, it's main purpose over the last 5 years was to serve as a training ground to raise 3 even more enthusiastic soccer players than their father ever could be.

#3 - Franklin Elementary. First time I realized that Franklin would be our elementary school, I did the sarcastic eye roll. It is as old as it looks, and being so close to major roads (169 and Main) had me fretting that every kid would attempt to run across the street to get to Dairy Queen. Now, it's one of my favorite parts about where we ended up in Ramsey. Aiden has had 2 spectacular teachers, and made enough friends to last a life time. I know the test scores aren't ideal, and it looks like it could fall over at any time, but I'm just impressed by the overall spirit of the kids at the school. While being a part of Northern Lights soccer, you can just tell when you have a kid that attends that school, because they have a little bit more fire in them. While I know that you can find friends and comradery anywhere you can go, I don't think it's going to be just Aiden that misses the Franklin Elementary atmosphere.

#2 - My Neighborhood. The location is actually nice too, as we are 2 minutes from Highway 10, but far enough away so that we don't hear traffic, and don't have to worry about our children running into the road. (I still remember hearing sirens at 3 in the morning thinking it was a dream, only to hear about the crash at our intersection - breaks my heart) But for me it's always been about the people. From the first week of having world class soccer superstars next door that were very welcoming with Aiden and always let him play along (even though they had 6+ years on him) to only having to make a phone call and someone would come and offer their help and guidance with any sort of thing that I'm not able to do (my fingers are made for typing, not hammering). So many examples to mention. A neighbor giving us massive discounts on a new Air Conditioner when the old one crapped out on us 2 months after we moved into the house, and with Sara 8 months pregnant no less! A screen door fixed in a matter of minutes. Weed killing and yard tips.  Dropping of Aiden at a friend's, because pre-school decided to change their in-time to the exact same time I would need to be at the bus stop to get him on the bus. Teammates in sports, dinner at each other's houses, birthday presents, Halloween parties, tossing the football around, hanging out on the front steps, swimming in your pools, playdates, Christmas lights, garbage cans, cat feedings, and the list goes on. You guys were rock stars, and you'll be missed more than you know. If I could hand pick my new neighborhood, it would just be full of everyone that we're next to now, or used to be next to.

P.S. At final inspection before we moved to Ramsey, our previous home owners had mentioned Halloween being a thing, and I just want to say it was one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of as a parent. Growing up in a neighborhood that had 50% participation, to see the lights on in almost every house, to receive king size candy bars, and be invited into homes… it's really awesome and one of the things I'll miss the most.

#1- Northern Lights. Growing up, there was a difference between the Confer boys in Minnesota, and the Confer boys in Pennsylvania. In Minnesota, my brother and I just tried to fit in, and be a part of the community. There weren't many awards, people didn't flock to watch us play sports, and we just had our tight group of friends, and never really asked for anything more. In Pennsylvania, we were treated like royalty. It was a small town (maybe 1,000), but every summer the expectation was that when something was going on in the community, my brother and I were going to be there. Swimming, football, listening to music in the park, going to the beach, etc. I wanted the same thing for my Confer kids. And with the soccer program, I feel like we had it. These boys have so much pride, so much enthusiasm, so much love for the game of soccer and I believe that everyone in the Northern Lights community could feel that when they saw us playing on the field. Two examples: I remember overhearing a parent say "oh crap, not these guys again" when having to deal with playing the twins for a second time last summer. Not out of animosity (they said it with a smile), but just because these two never quit. The other example was when Sara was coaching the twins, so I got to go around and mingle as director of the rec side. Former parents had come back to watch some of the kids play (their kids moved to travel) and one of them couldn't get over how well Logan was playing on the field. I remarked, "wait until you see the other one," and Lucas came on and scored 3 goals in under 2 minutes. The parent responded, "I've never seen anything like this!" So for that, Northern Lights and Ramsey, thank you. The privilege of raising these kids on your streets and using your fields and running your program is my favorite memory, and I hope I was able to provide for you what you gave to me and my family. We may be joining a new community and eventually a new soccer club, but Northern Lights will always be our team.

P.S. I know a few of you may read this, and I'm glad to call you guys my friends, and your children my pupils, but my fall team of the 2015 season was one of the great coaching experiences of my life, and the reason why I want to continue doing it in this sport. I am so thankful that your 8 children (including Aiden) were a part of that group. There was a lot of talent in that team, but more importantly to me, a lot of character and leadership qualities and I know that each one of those kids is going to grow up to do something special. I hope I get to continue to see them grow.

Best Moments During our Disney Vacation

         I realize that it's been quite some time since I've written a Nate's 9 blog, and I could blame it on a few things. A little bit has been laziness, a little bit of it is due to a wonderful college, NFL and soccer season (think about this - Penn State only lost one game after Halloween, Green Bay has won 7 in a row, and Manchester United has run off 9 consecutive wins and is unbeaten in 15? 16? games, heck, even the Timberwolves are beating the Rockets right now), my kids activities have been many in the fall and winter season (soccer, swimming, karate and now basketball), and my writers block has kicked up a notch. I have come up with some beautiful Nate's 9's: Influential Wars, Sports Dynasties, Presidents, Star Wars films (although there is only 8, but whatever), yet I couldn't get anything interesting down when I started to type. Then, it came in a flash - the vacation. Of course.



Honorable Mention:

Daytona Beach: Not bad. It wasn't the Mediterranean, but I still had fun.

Space Mountain: Either I had never ridden it, or I had forgotten, but that sucker was a blast. First thing I'll fast pass next time we go to the Kingdom.

Thinking our Stroller was Stolen: Only sad part, but that was scary. So we, along with about a dozen others had lined up our strollers right outside the "It's a Small World" ride. When we got back out, all the strollers were gone. And replaced with other strollers. So, of course I'm thinking, crap there goes a ton of water bottles, Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, other miscellaneous snacks, and Oh Shit! My prescription sunglasses! We kick it into high gear, running all around the area, only to realize an employee had moved all of them to a more specific "stroller parking" area since it was getting dark out. Not cool.

Animal Kingdom Africa: Better than I remember. Lion King was fantastic. The Safari was fun, and the animals out there gave us a good show. A zebra was about 6 inches from our jeep, just throwing his rear end in the air. Food was good. No complaints.

Magic Kingdom: When I was 21, I thought it was kind of lame. Some of that was misfortune: the NFL had parked themselves at Hollywood Studios the week we went there with Aiden in 2011. It was always going to be an uphill battle when you're matched up against: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Tim Tebow, DeAngelo Williams and Jason Taylor among others. This time around though, I can appreciate the Magic. The photographers in front of the famous landmarks was a nice touch. Ariel was way nicer than the last time I remember. Dumbo didn't suck. Way to go Magic Kingdom, you're moving up.

#9 - The Minivan Experience: So, once we decided that my mother was going to come with us on the trip, which was awesome for many reasons including but not limited to: equal riding partners, adult time, quiet-ish bedtimes, and for the love of it; we had to trade out any idea of driving an SUV for the week, into a mini-van. I was a little disappointed; not going to lie, they don't look nor sound very exciting. Well, I was wrong. With the push of a button, side doors and the back door opened right up. There was enough room to seat 6 people, place a stroller and go shopping at Target and Costco, and still have room to spare. It drove okay, but I can't say that it was bad. It gets twice the amount of gas mileage that the Yukon gets. Seats go into floors. 3 different layers of speaker fade (For all you backseat headphone listeners… I will never, ever have one enter my garage, but I will say that for 7 days on any future family vacations, I'll be the first to sign up to drive another.

#8 - Boys Differences Shining Through: One of the things that I hoped for, but didn’t necessarily expect, was that each one of my kids could appreciate a different park based on their personality. So what happened? They each loved a different one, and it didn't correlate to the park that I had expected of them. Which in my opinion was pretty awesome. Aiden loved Magic Kingdom and that makes sense because he's a big rider guy. I thought he'd appreciate Epcot a little more, because he's already so interested in other cultures at 6, but what I didn't expect was his excitement for Space Mountain, the Future Race Cars, The Jungle Cruise and the Monsters Laugh House. Those were just his favorites. He also for awhile (we overloaded them), enjoyed taking pictures with the Princes and princesses, but that wore a little thin. Lucas, who I thought would be the Hollywood Studios guy, because he's a little engineer/strategist, had really enjoyed Epcot. Loved seeing all the countries -especially France, and after we walked through the World Showcase, he wanted to do it again. Just like his father in that respect. And Logan, who is so "go with the flow" that I didn't really expect any passion out of him either way, said that Animal Kingdom was his favorite. Another surprise in my book, especially when he said that the rapids were his favorite ride. We got soaked, and he wanted more. I'm pleased to know that even though they're still brothers and considerably best friends, that they each have their own interests that they can grow and learn with.

#7 - Autographs with the Princesses: They really do a good job, and those are some long days. All those gross and germy children (and adults), and they just keep going through with a smile on their face for every kid and hugs when so required. Some of those lines we waited 45+ minutes for them (especially Jasmine which probably pushed 60), and they made my kids feel like the only people around. It must have really gotten to Lucas though, because he was never super shy around girls before we went on the trip; even considered a classmate his girlfriend. Then after all the princesses were fawning all over him, he hasn't said a word to a girl since. But Kudos to the ladies (and the rare instances of boys). My boys loved you.

#6 - Epcot Day: It started out with 15 MPH winds and a temperature of 47 degrees. I thought I was back in Minnesota, and worse, thought that the boys would be unenthusiastic for my favorite park. And in the morning it was rough. We ran around from facility to facility trying to stay out of the cold. I decided to ride the Spaceship Earth ride; not because of any enjoyment for something I've seen twice before, but to get out of the damn cold. In future world we encountered some pretty great rides, and there may be more on them later. The boys also got in a relatively short line for Goofy, Daisy and Minnie and that was nice, considering some of their other waits. It really got lit though, once we got to England in the world showcase. They probably played soccer in the English Department Store for about 20 minutes, got to see Christmas Lights with Santa on the shopping main street, and even took a picture with a phone booth (What's that, Dad?) We also enjoyed France, Germany, Japan, China, Norway and Italy. When I ordered my beer in Germany, my bartender was from a town in Germany that was literally like the Plymouth to our Maple Grove as to where I stayed when I was an exchange student. They had the German Grapefruit beer, which you may or may not know is the only one that matters. Our only disappointment was that we didn't get to have a nice dinner, because it was a Friday night and all the restaurants were booked (who knew?). Cold pizza wasn't great, but the beer and wine were plenty enough.

#5 - Soarin': Wasn't quite sure why a ride that I wasn't familiar with from my 2011 experience would be so low on fast passes when we signed up a month before the trip, but I was curious to find out. I certainly wasn't disappointed. I don't want to offer any spoilers on here, just in case you get the chance to do it someday, but it really is a thrill seeker of a ride. All 3 kids loved it, and it's still the only ride that all 6 of us really enjoyed. I'll throw in a youTube for all you fun seekers.

#4 - Tower of Terror: While we were in line, I was a little nervous for the twins, because they still don't do well with Haunted Houses, scary clowns, things like that. The size requirement said they could ride, but I thought maybe we'd regret it by the end. Lucas was starting to get his anxiety when we got close, and I had to explain that everything was pretend, and they are just actors that are doing it just for fun. So imagine my surprise when we did the playback at the airport and we ask the kids what their favorite rides were. Logan said the water rapids, Aiden says the Himalayan roller coaster ride, and Lucas says the Tower of Terror. Overcoming his fear was one of my favorite moments.

#3 - The Great Train Robbery: So I don't remember riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad when I was there in past visits. It always looked great, but the first time I was there, we didn't know what fastpass was, and the line was 90 minutes if I remember correctly (that was 13 years ago). The second time, I don't think our party was interested in going on it, as Aiden was 1, and Sara's dad was riding around in a scooter. No harm, no foul. This time, we walked past the entrance to the "train ride", and it said it was only 20 minutes. Crazy! For one of Disney's most popular rides, that wasn't bad at all. We parked the stroller and away we went. And then we got on, and it was one really long train. That was the moment I didn't think all was well. I realized we got on the "Disneyworld" train, and we were going to be whisked away to another end of Magic Kingdom. The ride time to get back to pick up the stroller? Almost a half hour. Well, that wasn't bad, but we had a fast pass due for Mickey in 30 minutes. So, while the family got off at Main Street to make it on time, I got to ride around the park twice in that damn, slow train, and made the undeniable decision that I will never ride a train at Magic Kingdom ever again.

#2 - Sheraton Vistana Villages in Orlando, Florida: Costco had dreamed up our vacation, and I decided to put all of my trust into them, as I've heard that they can plan quite the beautiful getaway experience. Lots of options to consider like staying on property or nearby; dinner plans or Target runs; Character meet and greets or run like hell. In any case, the villages didn't let us down at all. (Except for the security encounter at the end of the trip in trying to deal with Lucas's stitches. That was brutal). Our room was beautiful with a Jacuzzi tub just off the side of the bed, our own private deck that was attached to the room so we could have some quiet time away from the boys. The boys (and grandma's) room had 2 queen size beds, and a rather nice bathroom size with 2 dressers and a closet. Kitchen, dishwasher pantry, washer and dryer, 3 televisions made for some nice living space.  But that wasn't even the best part. They also had 3 different pool areas, and each offered unique experiences so you weren't just getting the same thing wherever you went. One had a pirate ship, another had volleyball matches. One also had an adult pool, where no kids under 13 could partake in swimming (For the boozers, I'm guessing). They had a full court basketball court that we turned into our very own indoor soccer match, 2 fitness centers and a grocery store. It was 2 miles from Disney, and half the price of staying on the property. Hats off to you, Costco.

#1 - Himalayan Expedition Everest Roller Coaster: Oh my! So most of you know by now, that we love us some rides. Valleyfair, Mall of America, wherever, we'll do it. Roller coasters especially, and this year was special because Aiden was finally tall enough to ride all the big coasters at the parks. Another pleasure that I didn't get the benefit of experiencing was this ride at Animal Kingdom during the last visits to Florida. I'm a bit of a roller coaster snob, so if it's been done before, I don't really care. That's why Renegade and Steel Venom get so much of my love from Valleyfair, they're both really unique. Well, take a back seat fellas, this ride was no joke. No spoilers again, but if you have to know, please click on this youTube video that I would like to extend as an offering. Unique was its middle name.

NBA Stories 2016

Nate's 9: NBA Stories 2016

Hey Fam…

No. That's not okay. I'm too old for Fam. I am however, impressed that it's a part of the Microsoft dictionary. How quickly things change in today's verbal generation.

It's been a long time since I've gotten this excited for the NBA season. Not including my Minnesota Timberwolves, there's a ton to get excited about for the new season, among them, how long it will take for Golden State and Cleveland to plow through the playoff process for a rematch. A suggestion? Let's make all the games a best of 5 series, so that the finals can be a best of 15. (First to 8 is the champion!)

There are plenty of stories within the NBA season, including those two talented franchises though. Here are my 9 to watch for over the next six months!

#9. Who is the East's 2nd best team? I think the #1 seed has already been locked up, but I believe Atlanta and Toronto have gotten a little bit worse, while 5-6 eastern conference teams got better. Boston and Indiana improved the most, but any of the playoff teams could get to the #2 seed. My hope is that Jason Kidd starts to get the most out of a really talented Milwaukee Bucks team, but my guess is that Scottie Brooks does it in Washington, or Toronto gets back with their all-star back court.

#8. Orlando has one of the best defenses around? Of all the teams to spend money on Bismack Biyombo, I certainly didn't think it would be the Magic, especially when their best player last year was Nikola Vucevic and they traded for Serbe Ibaka in the off-season. Tyler Johnson, maybe, but certainly not Biyombo. With that said, if there is room for all three of them on the floor, they all stay motivated and Frank Vogel gets the best out of them, then they will be extremely hard to score against. They also won't score very much either…

#7. Trade possibilities. I think three things need to happen this year. All involving big men. 1st - The Brooklyn Nets should trade Brook Lopez for future parts and just completely blow it up. They are likely to be historically bad this season, and don't have a lottery pick to make things better. They may as well keep sucking until they get back into the lottery, which is why they should give Lopez to the Portland Trailblazers for Ed Davis and a couple future firsts. Portland's ownership is already paying the league's 2nd highest payroll, so what's one more large salary, plus he could really open up the floor for their great shooters. 2nd - The Lakers finally gets Cousins. I've wanted this for years; not because I'm a Lakers fan, but because I think it's meant to be. All I've known are dominant centers and the Los Angeles Lakers… okay that's not true, Dwight Howard. But it's close. Sacramento is garbage, but Willie Cauley-Stein is probably their 2nd or 3rd best player. They can move Cousins now, and not feel awful about it. The Lakers are dying to rebuild with Ingram and a big man, so trading Russell for Cousins could be something that would interest both players, and both teams. 3rd - Philadelphia. Any big man, for any backcourt player. Seriously. (Not Ben Simmons though. I think they know that.)

#6. Philadelphia's Frontcourt. Segway style. This is going to be a great story, all the more so when Simmons recovers from his injury. See the problem is, they have too much "talent" in the front court, but hands down the worst back court in the NBA. Why they wouldn't draft a guard when this was the case? One isn't sure. It's especially odd considering that Dario Saric might be the best of the front court bunch, and he was drafted the lowest. In any case, I'm curious to see what works, what doesn't, who gets traded, and what they get traded for. I'm also ready for when they want to do a Nerlens Noel for Ricky Rubio swap.

#5. Portland's money. I alluded to this earlier, but yes, the Portland Trailblazers will have the second highest payroll in the NBA this year. Higher than the Warriors, higher than the Clippers, higher than the San Antonio Spurs. They gave Damian Lillard the money he deserved a while ago, and CJ got his over the summer. But to give Evan Turner 70 million!? 70!? Meyers Leonard got $40 and Moe Markless got $40. I guess the good news for them is it's probably enough to win the Northwest division, but the bad news is this is the team they're going to try and overtake the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs with. As a Minnesota Timberwolves fan, I think the division could be ours in a very short period of time. Thank you, Portland.

#4. Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks Rebuilds. I feel bad for Fred Hoiberg. I think when he got to Chicago, he thought he'd be pursuing Eastern Conference championships. Now, he's got to figure out a way to make Rajon Rando and Dwayne Wade great again without upsetting these two veterans, all the while figuring out which players are going to be in the rotation down the road. It's not a task I would enjoy, and for such a nice man. That said, I'm going to go grab some popcorn and see how Hoiberg handles his business. As for the NY Knicks, I don't much care for any of the veteran additions, but if Carmelo is ever going to get a taste of the conference finals, they've got to do it now. Derrick Rose never stays healthy, Joakim Noah looks aloof at times, Brandon Jennings is a cannon on the court and from what I hear, off of it as well, and Courtney Lee is, well, a nice pick-up actually. He plays great defense, and I'm guessing won't mind that the other starters on the floor won't. Just seems like a really good teammate. That won't be enough though, and I wonder what happens if the Knicks miss the playoffs in this watered down east. A fully healthy Knicks squad will make the playoffs, but the minute someone goes down…

#3. Harrison Barnes. The player that I felt could be a superstar, but because he was surrounded by superstars, had no chance of doing so. Now he's with the Dallas Mavericks, at a superstar price, and should be given the keys to figure out what I had thought all along. In the ridiculous west though, it might not be enough to make the playoffs. Just looking forward to finally getting the answer I've wanted to know since high school in Iowa.

#2. Dub Nation. I'm not looking for another 73. I just want to watch this offense and enjoy.

#1. Timberwolves Youth. For having their four best players all be under the age of 23, the time will be coming soon. Nothing would make me happier than for soon to happen this season. I understand that this team is nowhere near ready to challenge for an NBA Title as a lot of things need to fall in place, defense needs to be played, and close games need to be won. But from a talent standpoint, I've only witnessed something like this a handful of times while watching the NBA throughout its history. The Detroit Pistons as a youngster. The Chicago Bulls during my impressionable years. The Houston Rockets when I really fell hard for the sport after the Clyde Drexler trade. Jordan's 72-10 Bulls. Shaq and Kobe's Lakers. The last few years of Dub Nation and the talents in Miami. And maybe, maybe the Boston Celtics when they traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. That's it. And every single aforementioned team won an NBA Championship. I'm excited for this youth movement, because I can put these type of expectations on them, and also because I think they can achieve them. It should be a great NBA season.

Memories with my Loved Ones

Goodbye Donnie. Glad you have found some peace after a wonderful life.

At times I’ve thought that life was unfair. I feel like I’ve lost my loved ones a lot earlier than what could be considered normal. My dad before my wedding and children. A grandparent in my teens. Two others before my birth. And another a few days before his daughter’s (my mom) visit, and the announcement of his second great-grandchild. Maybe I’ve been unlucky, but it’s always eaten away at me a little bit. After thinking these memories through, I know I’ve been lucky. Cherish your loved ones.

#9. Naked Gun 33 1/3. This is the first time I remember going to the movies with my grandparents and just myself. Usually my brother or cousin went with, and that’s if we ever did so. I got to pick the movie, and without really knowing, I picked this “classic”. The car ride home was sensational. It was my grandmother complaining about how crappy movies have become, and how there’s nothing funny about that day’s humor. I thought the movie was hilarious.

#8. Birthday Checks. I’m now closer to 40 than I am to 30 (ahhhh!!!!), and I still received a birthday check from my grandmother (Donnie) at least up until this year. But that’s only because she forgot. And only forgotten because she found out that she had cancerous cells. If I can push 90, I’d like to think that I will certainly do the same for my grandchildren. And that they will use the money to purchase my favorite liquor the same way I liked to do for them. (The Goose).

#7. Spaghetti with my Dad and his Mom (Nan). I just remember the smells now, but I used to remember the shadows of my dad and my Nan as they would make spaghetti together in the kitchen while my brother and I played. My dad had a tough time in a lot of his relationships, but their love for one another was a blessing to me, and taught me something about my own relationship with my mom. While I have no business being in the kitchen, I think I can draw a lot of parallels from the happiness that each of us had spending time with our mothers.

#6. Texas Trip to say goodbye. Some things are better left unfinished. But I’m so glad I got to go to Texas and say goodbye to my grandma. She wasn’t the same; it was tough to be there at times. For someone who was usually so vibrant and commanded attention, she didn’t really say much at all for our stay. But I had my mother, brother, aunt and cousin all there with us, and it was nice to be able to do that as a family. It won’t change the way I see her in my eyes.

#5. Grocery Shopping with Nan. Ha, I use the same tactics. While most of the time growing up I was reserved or accommodating to all situations, when my brother and I were together as kids, it was modern warfare. We just never got along, and would always get into verbal and sometimes even physical altercations. (It’s so much better now, just the verbal). So when she would take us shopping, like clockwork she would tell us that we could each get a toy as long as we behaved. Every single time. I can’t imagine the bins of toys that she must’ve had accumulated during our trips to Pennsylvania. But it worked.

#4. Neil O’Donnell with Dad. He might not be the worst QB of all-time but it’s close. Or so we thought. A majority of our conversations over the phone during my teenage years were about football, and while he loved the Steelers and I loved the Packers, we both were able to agree on one thing. Neil O’Donnell sucked. We used to joke that the Steelers would have been as dominant as the Cowboys if we could just talk Jerry Jones into trading Neil O’Donnell to the Cowboys for Troy Aikman. And the funny thing is, he wasn’t that bad. He just cost them one Super Bowl once he got there.

#3. The Vikings/Packers game with Poppa. (Donnie’s husband). I never really got the chance to know my grandfather on a personal level, because during family events the kids were all together and the grown-ups were all together, and I just felt like he didn’t share my passion for sports. What I didn’t know is how much fun he was. This was either in 2003 or 2004 and the first game of the season was the Packers/Vikings game. I had invited my friend Harland (Geez, half this group is gone, I still miss you bro) and while the game was a disaster (for me – Packers were down 21-0 at one point), we had so much fun there. I had my first Grey Goose Martini with my grandpop, and we all just shot the crap (my Uncle Nate hosted), and watched football. Wish we could’ve had more fun like this..

#2. September 11^th phone call with my dad. Last time I talked to him. I know that the planes brought despair and sadness to a lot of people, but I was able to talk to my dad one last time. It went something like this.

“Hey, heard that a plane went down in rural Pennsylvania. Thought it might have hit you.”

“Nope, just missed.”

“Darn. Well you would have been famous anyway.”

“Time for me to go back into the army and kick some ass.”

“That’s another way to become famous.” …

Still miss him.

#1. Jeopardy and Vodka/waters with Donnie this year. While it isn’t DNA or environment related, my grandmother and I share a lot in common. Vodka, sports, black history, our dislike for stupidity, and no talking during Jeopardy. A bonding moment I’ll never forget. I love you.