Wow! What a great moment for Minnesotans with disabilities and the State in general! When I found out today that Governor Tim Walz announced that the Special Olympics USA Games would be coming to the Twin Cities in June of 2026, I was surprised, but gleeful. It is the opportune time to put adapted athletics even more in the mainstream so the public can get visibility of disabled athletes, how they take competing seriously, and learn more about modified events. 

As a disability advocate, I have communicated with a couple people about the possibility of bringing an adapted athletic event to a major venue and even building a facility specifically for adapted sports in Minneapolis. It is now confirmed that one of those will come true and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

Having various programming and resources for individuals with impairments, and world-class facilities, Minnesota is a perfect fit for the Games. The Twin Cities prides itself of having accessible arenas and stadiums, and that will cater nicely to all 4,000 athletes and nearly 75,000 spectators who will partake in 20 events. University of Minnesota’s President Joan Gable and the planning committee should really consider using U.S. Bank Stadium as a venue for certain sports, including the Opening Ceremony. That would be the utmost recognition to say that these deserving competitors are part of us and for them to have a memory of a lifetime.

This will be a great event that should receive outstanding media coverage. In recent years, ESPN has aired the Games, and that will continue in the coming years. Moreover, the Twin Cities media must form a plan to provide extensive coverage of the biggest Special Olympics event. As a suggestion, television personalities could be live and hold newscasts at the complexes that will host.

Thank you Walz, Gable, and UnitedHealth Group for bringing this six-day competition to Minnesota! Let’s start planning! 

Written by: Michael L. Sack

To put it simply: Metro Mobility needs more resources to be a beneficial service to the community.

On December 20, I was waiting at my day program in Crystal for my ADA-compliant bus, expecting it to arrive at 2:26pm; we departed an hour later. After making multiple stops, I returned to my south Minneapolis home just before five. A week earlier, I was on board Metro Mobility for two hours and 34 minutes.

This situation is totally unwarranted, especially in this day and age when Covid-19 is still running rampant. It is unfair to both drivers and passengers. Metro Mobility drivers would prefer not to pick-up so many people at once and passengers would prefer to get home faster. As the demand is quickly returning again, it is imperative that Metro Mobility finds a way to deal with their driver shortage and be more efficient with their routing system.

Metro Mobility has a chart on their website that has the maximum time allowed for passengers to be onboard. For example, my day program is 16 miles away, which means that I should be on the vehicle for no longer than 94 minutes. Other benchmarks include if a person is traveling just one mile, Metro Mobility can take up to 34 minutes to transport that individual!

At the other end of the spectrum, if someone wants to travel 30 miles or more on the bus, their maximum time riding the bus is a whopping two hours and 30 minutes. As you may have noticed, I was onboard a bus four minutes longer than a person who could be on board the longest. That is way too long and really dangerous in the era of Covid.

This has to change for everyone’s benefit and safety. There are several clients — for example, those with Autism or complex medical needs — who use Metro Mobility that could profit from shorter rides. Additionally, it is not healthy for passengers to be sitting on a bus for up to two or three hours. They could get stressed, develop pain, or get anxious and may have to postpone activities due to lateness. 

Likewise, drivers should be treated fairly too. Metro Mobility, possibly with the help of elected officials, needs to find a solution so that drivers do not have jammed packed routes that could cause them unnecessary stress and to feel rushed. They deserve breaks to stay even keeled and relaxed throughout the day.

Therefore, I strongly recommend that the Minnesota State Legislature delve deeper into Metro Mobility’s procedures and hold hearings to listen to people’s experiences and hear suggestions about what needs to change. More funding to hire drivers and gain more buses is a way to start. In the end though, if the findings show a change is necessary, conversations on how to transform the paratransit system should commence!

Both drivers and passengers should welcome a thorough investigation on all-things Metro Mobility and a discussion about how to move forward with making the transit system better for everyone. After all, we both want the same thing — a reliable, efficient, and world class transportation system that serves individuals with disabilities and seniors!

Metro Mobility’s heads, drivers, passengers, and advocates must come together to find impactful solutions that could pave a better path forward!

Written by: Michael L. Sack

2022 is just around the corner, which means a whole different looking City Council in Minneapolis is about to take over, albeit with a little less power. That does not mean that their voices won’t be heard. With all the new faces and prospectives, now is the perfect time to listen and discover fresh ways to make all residents feel that their voices are being heard in the City of Lakes. One of the many things on their list should be to revamp services and amenities that support the 11% of residents with disabilities that currently live in Minneapolis.

With that being said, the city council should look at making the Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities more prominent and rejuvenate it so that the group can be more useful. In addition, they should consider enhancing services to improve the lives of all residents with impairments: create more recreational activities, transportation and housing options, job opportunities, and improve the city’s pathways for those who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Now would be a great moment to start anew and really listen to all residents to see what they need to strive in everyday life.

One of my projects that I started this year was founding the Minneapolis Sidewalk Repair Hunters. The community-led effort asks residents to locate sidewalk and curb cut deficiencies and then we report them to the city for repairs once every month or so. The newly elected city council should find a way to improve city paths without having residents pay the bill for new sidewalks.

This is the opportune moment for Minneapolis to be put in a better direction. This must involve council members communicating with all their constituents to find out what is important to them!

Written by: Michael L. Sack

*A note to our readers: If you see an advertisement below, it is automatically generated by WordPress and is not from us.*

We haven’t written in a while, and I wish we had better Twins news. Before the start of this season, the Twins had high hopes for 2021 after division titles in 2019 and 2020. And having fans (actual people, not cardboard cutouts!) in the stands figured to energize the team. After a pretty good 5-2 start to this season, the Twins went downhill fast and are now 28-41 (after three straight wins, actually) and are in last place in the AL Central, 14 1/2 games out of first place.

Although the offense generally has been far from great this season (they can’t seem to do much toward the end of games), the main problem for the Twins has been pitching. Their starting pitching was supposed to be good this year, but it hasn’t other than Jose Berrios. The starters are 26th out of 30 MLB teams with a 5.00 ERA. The relievers are also 26th out of 30 teams with a 4.96 ERA.

Of course, all the injuries don’t help. It seems as though all of the outfielders have been hurt at some point this season. That includes Byron Buxton, who was having a great season until he got hurt once again about a month ago. He might come back this weekend, but no one seems really sure. Third baseman Josh Donaldson, who has a history of leg injuries, injured his leg again this past Wednesday.

Because the Twins are basically out of the playoff race, they will likely trade some players for prospects before the MLB trade deadline on July 31. Nelson Cruz, who is 40 and not part of the team’s future, will likely be traded. I don’t like it, but that’s what teams do when they have no real chance at making the playoffs. Jose Berrios has also been mentioned as a possible candidate to be traded, as he will be a free agent after the 2022 season, but I think and hope they will try hard to sign him to a new contract during this season or next offseason. Reliever Taylor Rogers may also be traded.

Hopefully, the Twins can turn it around and finish at least .500. I hope they make the playoffs of course, but they have hardly any realistic chance of doing that at this point. They have won three straight games though, so who knows?!!

Written by: Sam Graves

First and foremost, I would like to give my sincere gratitude to Governor Tim Walz for keeping all Minnesotans safe during the first ten months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Walz has had to deal with a lot of unnecessary pushback, he has done everything right within his power to prevent the spread of this nasty virus.

With that said, as we head into the next phase of the pandemic, I wholeheartedly want to remind the Administration that individuals with disabilities should be on the priority list to receive the COVID-19 vaccination for a couple of reasons. Those with moderate or severe disabilities are at a higher risk of exposure and infection, and that could lead to hospitalizations that are tougher on those individuals than others. In addition, quite a few have weaker immune systems that could lead to troublesome side effects if they catch the virus. 

Plus, many of us with impairments live in group homes, attend day programs which results in close contact with others, and attend appointments where the virus could possibly spread more easily. By vaccinating them, families would not fear doing daily necessities since they would have protection.

The Administration has a great task ahead of them; every decision needs to be made diligently. Two factors should be considered who gets the vaccine first. Who is most susceptible to getting the virus, and if they get it, how bad could their symptoms be. Those two ingredients make the argument of vaccinating those with impairments a slam dunk.

While I ultimately agree that frontline workers should get the first shot, those with moderate or severe disabilities should be next in line. We must protect our most vulnerable first.

I hope to see an announcement from Walz about that important cluster of individuals shortly.

Written by: Michael L. Sack

P.S. As difficult as this year has been, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And welcome to the St. Paul Saints, as they are now affiliated with our beloved Minnesota Twins!

Minnesota Twins second baseman Luis Arraez was tagged out at home plate in Game 2 against Houston [Photo: Star Tribune]

Last Sunday, Twins fans were thrilled that Minnesota was going to play Houston, who finished the season with a mediocre record of 29-31, in the first round of the playoffs instead of the dreaded Yankees. But the Twins lost on Tuesday and Wednesday, so their season is over. They have lost 18 straight playoff games, a North American sports record!

Both of the Twins’ starting pitchers in the series, Kenta Maeda and Jose Berrios, pitched well, but Manager Rocco Baldelli inexplicably took both pitchers out after only five innings! Shortstop Jorge Polanco also made a bad error in Game 1. The real problem though was that they only scored 1 run in each game against pretty good but not great Houston pitching. Third baseman Josh Donaldson didn’t play in either game because of a calf injury, and center fielder Byron Buxton only really played in Game 1 because of concussion-like symptoms.

So it’s on to thinking about 2021 for the Twins, and who will and will not be on the team. I like Eddie Rosario, but I think the Twins will try to trade him because he can make bad decisions in the field. The pitching was a lot better this year, but it would be nice if the Twins could add another good starting pitcher. It sounds like both Nelson Cruz and the Twins are interested in him coming back for next season, which is a good sign. I’d be fine with them trading Miguel Sano because he strikes out WAY too much, but I’m almost sure they won’t.

Which moves would you like the Twins to make this offseason?

Written by: Sam Graves

*A note to our readers: If you see an advertisement below, it is automatically generated by WordPress and is not from us.*

Photo: Star Tribune (Photo from 2019 clinch, no celebrations in 2020 because of COVID-19)

Due to COVID-19, nobody knew if MLB would be able to finish its 60-game regular season this year. But MLB did finish the regular season today, and even though the Twins lost today, the team won its second straight AL Central division title, since the White Sox lost as well!

Because the regular season was so short, MLB decided to have 16 teams in the playoffs this year instead of the usual 8. Minnesota will play Houston in a best-of-3 series (all games at Target Field) starting this Tuesday, 9/29. The game times are TBD, and we will post the game times on our Facebook page when they are announced. You can see the other first-round matchups here. After the first round, teams will play the rest of the playoffs at neutral sites (AL in California and NL in Texas).

Even though Houston made the playoffs, they finished the season two games below .500, so this seems like a favorable matchup for the Twins, especially since the games will be played at Target Field where the Twins have been very good this year. Houston’s star pitcher Justin Verlander is injured and won’t pitch. Still, it is the playoffs and it won’t be easy, especially in a short series.

We have made it through an extremely weird regular season that looked like it might not be played, and then looked like it might be stopped before the 60-game schedule ended. Let’s hope MLB is able to complete the playoffs and that the Twins finally win a playoff series (no Yankees in the first round this year!) and win the World Series!

Written by: Sam Graves

This past Wednesday, the Twins played an intrasquad game at Target Field. The game was shown online, and it was the first time in about four months that people could watch the Twins play a “game,” which was more like a scrimmage. The game ended in a 3-3 tie, but I didn’t care about the final score. The highlight of the game for me (other then watching live baseball for the first time in about four months) was how weird it was to see players playing what seemed somewhat like a normal game, but without fans. I took several screenshots during the game, which are included throughout this post, to show how strange it was.

To prepare for the season opener next Friday, the Twins wanted to make this intrasquad game as much of a real game as possible. The players were introduced before the game, the scoreboard was used, there were inning breaks and walk-up music for the hitters, and there was built-in crowd noise. I wasn’t sure about the built-in crowd noise before the game, but I actually liked that.

It was definitely not perfect, but it was a sign that baseball is back! Below are more screenshots from the intrasquad game. Make sure to watch the Twins season opener next Friday at 7:10 pm on Fox Sports North against the White Sox!

Written by: Sam Graves

*A note to our readers: If you see an advertisement below, it is automatically generated by WordPress and is not from us.*

Photo: startribune.com

After MLB spring training was suspended March 12 because of COVID-19, the 2020 MLB season is set to return on July 23 or 24! After VERY disappointing negotiations between MLB and the Players’ Association, in which the two sides couldn’t even come to an agreement for the 2020 season, MLB owners voted unanimously to implement a 60-game season, without fans, for 2020.

These tense negotiations shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place. Other than the virus (which could still threaten this season), the main thing keeping MLB from returning seemed to be the issue of money. The players and owners (who make millions and billions of dollars) arguing over money, especially during a global pandemic, is super greedy!! The fact that the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement is a bad sign for baseball’s long-term future.

But a baseball season, even a short one, is a lot better than no season! To limit travel, each team will play only teams in the same region. So, the Twins will play teams from the NL Central (Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Pirates, Reds) and AL Central (Indians, White Sox, Royals, and Tigers) divisions. The players will report to training camp at their home ballparks by July 1. There will be some rule changes, such as having the designated hitter in both leagues and putting a runner on second base at the start of each extra inning during the regular season. Click here for more on the 2020 season.

Now that MLB and the Players’ Association has finally stopped fighting (for now at least), and although this season will be far from perfect, it’s time to play ball and get ready for the return of the “Bomba Squad!”

Written by: Sam Graves

Hello, Twins fans!

We wanted to check in to see how everyone is holding up in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic. There’s certainly some baseball withdrawal, but there is some good news. Starting this week, ESPN will be airing six live (yes, LIVE) games per week from the Korean Baseball Organization. Although they will air live in the middle of the night, ESPN will re-broadcast the games the next day.

With that said, be sure to tune into ESPN2 today at 2pm as they will show the first official baseball game since the pandemic grounded a halt to every major sporting league!

I have inserted this week’s schedule for you on the right, in case you are bored in the middle of the night and itching to watch baseball again. Unfortunately, I have not come across a full re-broadcast schedule. Say, you can even watch the Twins on May 6, 9, and 10!

Hopefully, we will be watching our Twins live in short order! Personally, I was looking forward to watching Nelson Cruz and third baseman Josh Donaldson smash balls out of Target Field. We may have to settle watching them do it from afar (ESPN has reported that Major League Baseball could resume in one centralized location in May or June, most likely Arizona).

Enjoy the games! Please feel free to talk some baseball in the comment section.

Stay safe!
Michael L. Sack

*A note to our readers: If you see an advertisement below, it is automatically generated by WordPress and is not from us.*