[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Gopherville: Chapter Six

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Gopherville: Chapter Six
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1209169946.shtml


   Previously: [1]1 [2]2 [3]3 [4]4 [5]5
   "I'm serious!" thundered Elmer Ganty, new majority owner of the
   Minnesota Vikings. "I am absolutely serious!"
   "You are out of your ever-loving mind, Elmer!" said Bob Shayne, his
   minor partner and head of Football Operations.
   "I tell you, this is one for the ages if it works."
   "Finally! The word 'if' appears!"
   "We could get nuked tomorrow. I could have a stroke. Hit by a comet.
   Nothing is dead certain, nothing except that we are no closer to a new
   stadium than the last two owners. Unless you brought in a new idea
   with you, I'm going ahead with this."
   "Elmer, these things take time, and you have to do them at the right
   time."
   "And that time is when? The lease is damn near up and we couldn't even
   pry a bleeping study out of those preening peacocks!" shouted Gantry,
   obviously referring to the Legislature. "Look, Bob, tell you what.
   I'll fund the this out of my own pocket. Just keep it under your hat
   for now." Gantry smiled, walked around his desk and sat down. "Let me
   have my fun. Maybe you're right. Hell, you probably are. But I
   remember when cell phones looked impossible. I took that chance and
   half a dozen other crazy ideas since then. I figure I'm about a .333
   hitter." Raising his hands toward the walls he said proudly, "It works
   in baseball and it got me here, too."
   "You're swinging for the fences on this one. Betting the franchise
   even."
   "Not at all. We'll know early on whether we have anything or not. I
   can laugh it off if need be."
   "OK, OK, it's your dime. Coates and Neill again?"
   "No, this isn't their sort of project. I sent for Dave Fleischer."
   "And he is?"
   "Of Fleischer, Fleischer, and Freleng, in Chicago. John Hamilton
   recommended them. They've done some kooky things he says, just the
   kind of architects I'll need. I'll only get one chance at this. Dave's
   the kid, Max Fleischer's son. It's perfect for him, a chance to really
   step out of his old man's shadow. I'll know soon enough if he's the
   one."
   Shayne walked to the door, then turned around. "Ever hear of the
   butterfly effect?"
   Gantry looked up. "Yeah, somewhere."
   "Some guy said a butterfly's wings flapping could disturb the air
   enough and somehow that gets bigger, maybe creating a tornado or a
   hurricane."
   "For the want a nail, the shoe was lost. For the want of a shoe, the
   horse was lost. For the want of a horse, ..."
   "The rider was lost. Yeah something like that."
   "I get it. Some guy in Hooterville makes a joke in a school board
   meeting. My ex-wife's nephew's son, a Poli-Sci major at the community
   college, is in the audience. He calls Nora. She calls me and puts him
   on the line. I'm distracted but polite. An hour later it hits me. And
   it just might happen!"
   "Might. You know, it's starting to hit me now, too."
   Ganty laughed and gave Shayne his famous finger pistol gesture. "Like
   I said, it'll be one for the ages. Or I'll be a shoo-in for Bellevue."

References

   1. http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1207374623.shtml
   2. http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1207774475.shtml
   3. http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1208057658.shtml
   4. http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1208671051.shtml
   5. http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1209093505.shtml