I want to use today as an opportunity to write about more than basketball, so let's get some formalities out of the way.
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Today, the Minnesota Timberwolves tip-off against the Charlotte Hornets at 1:00 PM Central Time.
Like the victory on Saturday over the Denver Nuggets, Monday's game will not be televised. League Pass and Ball Streams subscribers should be OK, and Alan Horton will be performing the radio broadcast on AM 830 WCCO for those in or around the Twin Cities. The First Row is always an option, too.
When Jerry Zgoda told Mo Williams in Denver that Saturday's victory wasn't aired on local television, Williams responded by asking if the game was on TV at all.
"OK, was it on [NBA] League Pass? Yes? All right, we cool."
The Wolves could finish their current four game road trip 3-1 with a win on Monday.
Charlotte, meanwhile, is in the midst of trying to recover from a disastrous 4-15 start to the 2014-15 season. They've held opponents under 100 points in eight consecutive games, tying the longest streak in the NBA this season, and have won six of their last seven. Kemba Walker has led the way offensively for Charlotte and scoring at least 28 points in each of his last six games played, the longest streak of his career and the second-longest streak in the NBA this season behind only Russell Westbrook's nine straight games back in December.
Still shorthanded, the Wolves will need additional, quality performances from Williams, Robbie Hummel and Andrew Wiggins in order to defeat Charlotte.
Kevin Martin is listed as questionable, Nikola Pekovic is doubtful and Ricky Rubio remains sidelined until further notice. Shabazz Muhammad will not play for the fifth consecutive game as he is still recovering from a strained oblique. Wiggins averaged 21.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 37.6 minutes per game over the previous five matchups. Williams produced per game averages of 24.8 points, 7.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds during that same stretch.
The Wolves are 3-18 in games where they score less than 100 points and possess an overall record of 7-32 this season.
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Today, to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr., we should acknowledge his work and promote the positive impact he left on American society. King's role in the Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1950's and 60's has been well documented. He spearheaded the Montgomery Bus Boycott in '55, organized and led peaceful protests in Birmingham in '62, delivered the famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington D.C. in '63, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in '64.
King continued finding ways to combat racial injustices non-violently, and orchestrated voters rights marches from Selma to Montgomery in '65. There, hundreds of protesters were attacked by Sheriff Jim Clark and his posse of more than two hundred armed volunteers during the demonstrations. Subsequently, national outrage provoked Lyndon B. Johnson into enacting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- considered one of the most effective pieces of civil rights legislation in American history.
King continued fighting for civil and human rights until he was assassinated in '68.
He wanted equality between for all people, and that battle continues to this day.
I don't know if I'm disappointed, scared, upset or all of the above. pic.twitter.com/fMc8cnXrKm
— Shahbaz Khan (@UMN_SK) January 19, 2015
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I lost my cousin to a motorcycle accident in '08. His name was Nick Fix, maybe some of you know him.
The day he died myself and a group of friends slept over at his place. When we woke up we walked outside to find that someone had written "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice" on the driveway using chalk.
He certainly wasn't an activist like Martin Luther King Jr. I don't meant intend to seem like I'm making that comparison, but Nick always made it a point to respect people. All people.
You'd think this wouldn't be a tall order, but you also know better.
Collectively, as humans, we need to try and do better.
Yes, we're going to make mistakes.
We won't always be perfect.
There will be times where we disappoint ourselves and the people around us.
The message that was written on my Aunt and Uncle's driveway on April 18th, 2008, is one I will always live by. Call it corny, whatever. I don't care.
I'm thankful that there is a place for me to share a metal song with people on the internet every Monday. Here's today's track.
Stick to Your Guns can probably project what I want to say, better than I can, anyway.
History repeats itself again.
When will this all end?
And when will we begin?
I guess until you have no one left to offend.
Why must we be left alone?
We'll never make it on our own.
One mind; one heart; one soul to find another way for us to see eye to eye.
When will understand we let ourselves down again?
And the time it takes for us to hate - is the time it takes for this to end.
Why can't we set aside these differences placed In our minds, why can't we close our eyes and live our lives colorblind?
Look at the mess we've made.
We let ourselves be ruined by our hate, but it's never too late to change.
Look at the ruins we create. One another we underestimate.
But, it's never too late to change.
What do we need to do to live in sanctuary, is this all really necessary?
To discriminate based on race, our steps we must retrace, and put ourselves in each others place.
Our hearts have been misplaced.