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All Day Podcast: 7/20/17
A trip to Minneapolis for the X Games
10:25 AM[wpvideo zDF8l69A]
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Your boy took a trip to Minneapolis last week and had a blast. We were there for the X Games, and I had the pleasure of hosting a couple of ESPN Radio shows while in town, which was fun too. U.S. Bank Stadium is quite the facility and certainly made a monster impact on the vibe of the event, in a great way. That place is beautiful.
As for the week, I went to the top of an 82-foot ramp, roamed the entire event and even got to see the bowels of the operation that gave an interesting perspective on how everyone interacted off the field. The sheer number of people involved in the undertaking was pretty staggering.
Outside of that, I caught up with Gary Rogers, whom you may remember from Skateline NBD, the best skate slash whatever show on the internet for my money. He was super chill, and ahead of his stint as a skateboard analyst for the telecast we got to meet and talk about the entire experience for him. For a dude from The Bay who really just loves to skate, he was having a great time.
After that, out at X Fest, there were tents galore with activities, giveaways and experiences of all sorts. There were skateparks for kids to hit and also an outdoor bar if you wanted suds. Across the plaza from there, I met Mark Rivard, an artist and educator who works with kids in Minneapolis. He paints and draws on skateboards and uses art the fun way to enrich lives.
In his booth, the works of his students were on display, coupled with drawing stations for anyone who wanted to get creative. We chatted about art, the event coming to his home state and his experience working with kids. I was a fan, and you can find more of his work on site at #doradthings.
Students from @TheFAIRSchool have their skateboard art displayed at the X Games! #doradthings pic.twitter.com/NUNWC5XkK0
— Dirk Tedmon (@DirkTedmon) July 15, 2017
Lastly, Russell Westbrook. The NBA MVP showed up on the Sports Illustrated red carpet rocking a T-shirt that says “Fight Racism,” a relatively benign but still rather forward statement. Westbrook isn’t just any ordinary basketball star, though. He’s also a fashion icon, so his message goes a little further than most. That’s a good thing, if you’re wondering.
It was a long trip but a fruitful one. Enjoy!
Photo by Clinton Yates/The Undefeated