Weekend Links with Jon Marthaler: Gearing up for the Stanley Cup

Jon Marthaler bakes up a batch of delicious links just for you. Other times, you can find him here and here. Jon? --------------

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Today marks the beginning of summertime in Minnesota, despite our ridiculously nice spring. Here's hoping you have a chance to head to the pool or the lake or the cabin, or at least a chance to get outside and fire up the ol' grill. America demands this much of you.

Then, of course, you'll want to head back inside to watch the Stanley Cup Finals. What's better than watching hockey on a beautiful summer -- oh, forget it. Even I know that it's ridiculous for the biggest non-Olympic hockey series of the year to be starting today. I don't know what the answer is -- starting earlier in the fall, playing fewer games, five-game playoff series, fewer teams in the playoffs, or what -- but there's just no way the NHL season should extend into June. It's silly.

On with the links:

*Continuing with the hockey theme, the Sports Media Watch blog interviews Barry Melrose. In a related story: I think I'd pay to watch Melrose and Don Cherry argue, especially if poor beleaguered Ron MacLean has to try to moderate them.

*Oh, Stu - you do make us laugh.

*Also at Twinkie Town, it's the Twins' 12-step plan for dealing with elbow injuries! Clay Condrey is on step 6, and if the plan holds, he'll be back a good eight months later than he should have been.

*And finally: it was a big week for writing about how great Justin Morneau is. Nick Nelson says he's a student of the game; Parker Hageman says it's because he's being more patient. Plus: he's hit into only one double play, making him twelve times as valuable as Joe Mauer or Michael Cuddyer, at least in terms of remote controls thrown angrily at my house.