Commenter Stu writes about former Minnesota sports figures each week in this space, using nothing but his wits to give you an update on what they are doing. This seems to work out well. In a bit of serendipity, we had a request to also provide some information on the mysterious Stu. So that will follow below the regularly scheduled Hunt Down he has provided. Stu? --------
The Huntdown
Name: Bob Martin Claim to Fame, Minnesota: part of an unparalleled run of homegrown tall guys who played forward/center for the Minnesota Golden Gophers (roughly starting with Kevin McHale and ending with Spencer Tollackson; see full list below), Martin manned the post from 1988-1992. As noted in the Willie Burton Hunt Down, I remember the Apple Valley grad most fondly for his performance in the Gophers' Sweet 16 upset of the mighty Syracuse Orangemen in 1990. If we're not allowed to count the Clemson or UCLA games from the 1997 Final Four run, this was the best Gophers tournament game of my lifetime, and Bob Martin was a somewhat integral part of it. Never forget. Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: Martin played just over one season for the Los Angeles Clippers, and had at least one more encounter with a Derrick Coleman-led team. Where He Is Now: selling real estate in the metro area. His website is the apt www.7feet.com. Is He On Twitter: there are hundreds of Bob Martins on Twitter, but none appear to be him. The Homegrown Tall Guy List: McHale, Chris Engler, Randy Breuer, Jim Petersen, David Holmgren, Paul VanDen Einde, Ernest Nzigamasabo, Trevor Winter, Kyle Sanden, Kevin Loge, Joel Przybilla, John Aune, Rick Rickert, Jeff Hagen, and Tollackson. That's 30 uninterrupted years of awkward-to-awesome greatness from places like Thief River Falls, Lake City and Chaska. Before you start yelling in the comments, John Shasky and Jim Shikenjanski were from Michigan and Illinois, respectively, and only became ONE OF US once they attended the U; Nzigamasabo, although a Burundi native, is included because he went to Mound-Westonka. Chad Kolander and Kris Humphries are excluded due to being just a smidge tinier than the gentlemen above. If you wish to point out anyone I missed or dispute someone's inclusion/exclusion, please respond in the space provided. *Much thanks to Star Tribune copy and news editor Casey Common for the suggestion and links. -------- Have you ever wondered just who this Stu character is? Well, at the urging of the previously Hunted Down Holly Manthei -- who is VERY excited to meet Stu at her going-away party this evening -- and with the approval of Stu himself (minus one very incriminating photo), we want to tell you a few things we know about the esteemed long-time commenter and writer: *Real name: [Redacted] *Lives in: The St. Cloud metroplex *Family: Married, two kids (both daughters) *Originally from: Hector, Minnesota *Age: 41 *Target demographic: Gracefully aging hipster *Wishes it was always: 1989, during a Replacements concert *What he brings to the table: Sharp wit, hilarity, all-around good guy, thirst for beer *He almost certainly: Will order a black coffee at some point tonight in the midst of the drinking *RandBall commenter history: Has been around almost since the get-go of RandBall, becoming a trusted source of comedy and eventually being granted license for a weekly guest post called The Hunt Down, where he does Internet research on former Minnesota sports figures. Notable episodes include a Hunt Down on Scott Erickson one on Rashad McCants (which led to a shouting match on Twitter between us and Rashad) and a recent one on Holly Manthei, a U.S. Soccer legend and soon-to-be Hop-Slinging Coordinator at Flying Dog. *Is he on Twitter: Of course. And you must follow him. *Glorious randomness: Participated in a round of golf while dressed as a clown at some point in his life.
