Are you a KG fan or a T'Wolves fan?

For some reason it wasn't until yesterday that I thought of those two things as separate parts. Probably because of Garnett's undying loyalty, and his repeated demand for moves to be made around him, not for him to be the piece moved (an article on CBS Sportsline captures this well: http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/10028471). Maybe it took a backhanded slap from the Mavericks at home to bring me to this boiling point, or maybe it was 29.6% shooting from the field. Then again it was probably the play of Yugoslavian-all-star Marko (heretofore: YASM). Who knows? at this point there is so much poison in the water that we'll never know who really pissed in it first. McFail probably forgot to wash his hands though.

I think this question is similar to the kinds you should have been hearing in Philadelphia this year, or in New Jersey just before the trade dealine came. Are you a 76'ers fan or an Allen Iverson one? A Nets fan, or a Carter-Kidd one? In Philadelphia it's easy for me to say; I loved the 2001 Sixers, but not as much as vintage A.I. Who's a fan in Philly anymore? Newer and younger A.I. (Andre Iguodala) is athletic and fun to watch, but come on, that team is crap. The thought of post-KG Minnesota is painfully disparaging, and unfortunately similar to post-AI Philadelphia, similar to post-Saddam Iraq. Minny and Philly ironically could have helped eachother out this year if only McHale hadn't already given away our draft picks and Cassell for the YASM. There is no doubt now as to which direction we're heading, and which team we're seeking to emulate, and it's this that has pushed me into this radical and introspective territory.

With post-season hopes dwindling, and no clear end in sight to Miss Minny Misery (heretofore: 3M), I guess I'm a KG fan; because for the first time in my sports-mature life, I want what I believe is best for KG, not what is best for my team. What's best for Ticket is obviously to get out of Minnesota, to play for a team like the Heat (who seem to attract all the old senile has-beens--not that KG is one of those though), or the Bulls, or even the despised Lakers. I really see those three situations as the only financially reasonable ones likely to yield Finals hopes. Would I become a Lakers fan or a Heat fan then? Maybe, but only because I want to see my boy succeed, not because I want Phil Jackson to further inflate his successes, and not because I want Jason Williams and Antoine Walker to get their second championship rings.

Minnesota, we've reached the end of the line. There's one stop left, 2008, and only because the opt-out can't happen until then. Trust me, there's no reason to be encouraged by 2008, and not really any reason to hope that 2009, '10, or '11 will be any good. I mean how good will a team of overpaid second-rate guards (save Foye and Hassell) and Mark Madsen be down the line? Will Lamar Odom or Antonie Walker really make us a playoff team in the West? Will Jordana Brewster marry me?

Forecast of rain and prolonged darkness, apocalpytic style darkness.