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The other day I was walking down Grand Avenue and my shorts fell down nearly to my ankles. There were lots of people sitting on the sidewalk drinking coffee at the time. None of them said anything. I've got to sew that button back on, or at least wear a b

Filed under: Imported

On Saturday afternoon my friend Andy and I stumbled into the Nomad World Pub. There were several tables of patrons inside watching the Iowa-Iowa State football game on the TV. They were all, it was eventually discerned, natives of Dubuque, Iowa. Apparently these Dubuqians get together in Minneapolis annually. This was the first time the event had been held in a bar, rather than in someone's home. There was a guy in a coon-skin hat who was supposed to be "Julian Dubuque"--apparently the founder of Dubuque. There was also a massive casserole dish filled with what I was told was "turkey dressing." Apparently this is a long-time staple of Dubuquian cuisine. The stuff looked a bit like mashed potatoes. It tasted like turkey in wet concrete. The only way I could finish a respectable amount of my turkey dressing sandwich--which I felt compelled to do since it had graciously been given to me for free--was to cover it in several tablespoons of mayonnaise. There was also free Summit beer, which I had no trouble stomaching. This event left me with mixed feelings about Dubuque.

The Minnesota's Thunder's regular season ended Saturday night in quite dismal fashion. They lost 3-1 to the Atlanta Silverbacks. It was a pitiful game. Neither team really had anything to play for (since both had already been knocked out of the playoff picture) and their play reflected this reality. Given that it was the legendary Buzz Lagos' last game as head coach of the Thunder, it would've been nice to see the players show a little guts and get him a win as a parting gift. Instead they played like there'd been a mass outbreak of lupus in the locker room. It was sad, really.

But there's no time to dwell on that miserable affair. That's because on Wednesday night the Thunder will play arguably the biggest game in franchise history. They will take on the Los Angeles Galaxy in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. This is the farthest the Thunder have ever advanced in the 91-year-old tournament. Along the way they've secured three stunning upsets over MLS squads, outscoring their supposedly superior soccer opponents by a combined score of 13-6. Wednesday's game, unfortunately, is in L.A. And I, unfortunately, do not own an airplane or posses much money at present, so will therefore not be attending. Luckily there will be a video feed, organized by the Thunder, shown at the lovely Sweetwater Grille & Bar. Cost of admission is $10. Kickoff is 10 p.m. CST. Details here. See y'all there.

Posted by Paul Demko at September 12, 2005 5:56 PM

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