Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trailblazers

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trailblazers

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for November 8, 2015

The NBA is back in business and the Swank Family was there Monday night for the Minnesota Timberwolves home opener.

We were pretty excited to go to the game.  It was our first time seeing Kevin Garnett back in action for the Wolves.  He was always one of our favorite players.

When we walked to our seats, we were surprised to see Joe Schmit from KSTP interviewing someone in the row behind us.  Turns out, it was Karl Towns, father of the Wolves #1 Draft Pick, Karl Anthony Towns.  I found this clip of the interview online:

Meet Karl-Anthony Towns' Biggest Fans

Mr. Towns was a very nice man and very proud of his son.  I've never sat in front of an NBA parent before, but it was much like sitting in front of a parent of a high school athlete.  He was shouting instructions to his son throughout the game and lamenting every time he'd get a foul or if he didn't feel he was getting the ball enough.  His wife seemed to be much more interested in hanging out with the other player's families and going down to the family room which apparently is outside the player's locker room.  She brought her husband a plate of food at half time and he waved her off.  He exclaimed that "Anybody can eat.  We've got business to do up here!" I'm sure his son appreciates his dad staying so focused on keeping his head in the game!

This home opener was bitter sweet as it marked the first home game since long time coach, Flip Saunders, had passed away.  The team had a beautiful tribute to Flip which brought a lot of tears to a lot of eyes.  We always enjoyed watching Flip be the team's coach.  He will definitely be missed!

Team owner, Glen Taylor, seemed excited to see someone when he got there.  I'm not sure if it's a good thing when a billionaire smiles at you like this, but just once I'd like to try it.

Everyone was pretty excited about the home debut of our new #1 draft pick, Karl Anthony Towns.  He didn't seem to be too stressed by all the attention.

Hi, Karl.

Hi, Crunch.

Luke and Avery were pretty excited for the game to begin.

The Wolves started out pretty hot building a 17 point lead over the Trailblazers.  Unfortunately, that momentum wouldn't last throughout the whole game and they ended up losing in the end.

"Hey, Guys.  Where do I stand again?"

  It was good to see Kevin Garnett back in action with his usual intensity.  Unfortunately, he didn't have his usual minutes any more.  He only plays a few minutes each half I assume to keep the old man fresh for the entire season.  It's kind of weird to think of someone several years younger than me as an old man.  Well, I guess that's my problem.

Ultimately it looks like they brought back Garnett to be a coach and positive influence to all the young players on this team.  I think that's a great strategy.  He's definitely inspirational.

 My wife took this photo.  I sure do love that woman.

On Tuesday night, I connected with my old buddy, Tom Gray.  We reminisced about my two years at Equus and he updated me on all the latest gossip.  I miss seeing this guy every day.

On Thursday night, we hooked up with our friends Mark & Heidi Wojahn for some Rock Bottom Brewery action and a little bit of comedy.  I had some Pumpkin Ale which made me feel like it was Halloween all over again.

They invited Miss Sheri and I to go see Jim Gaffigan.  Miss Sheri fussed a bit about going to a 9:30PM show on a school night, but we twisted her arm a bit.  I'm glad we did because we had a really great time.

I had never been to the State Theater before, but was really impressed by it's ornate furnishings.  I'm sure this place has a pretty rich history.

Todd Glass was the opener and seemed like a good guy.  He's got a great name at least.

Jim Gaffigan made us laugh several times, but if I'm being honest I wasn't blown away by his performance.  In his defense, though, three beers and a 10PM starting time on a school night probably wasn't the best mix for me.  I found myself nodding off several time throughout his performance.  I did enjoy his bit on  Hot Pockets though.  It made me hungry for a late night snack.