01-24-2019, 10:30 PM
In case you somehow missed it, Marie Kondo is taking over the world one closet at a time. But what if she turned her attention to tidying up Minnesota's sports teams?Between her book and Netflix show — the latter just came out a few weeks ago and is titled “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” — her methods of minimalist-inspired decluttering as a means of transforming lives have become very popular.
While sort-of watching a couple episodes of her Netflix show and Kondo-ing my overflowing T-shirt drawer last weekend at the urging of my tidying up wife doesn’t qualify me as an expert, it does qualify me as someone who knows just enough to be dangerous.
Kondo is Japanese and her ideas are rooted in that country’s culture. Her KonMari Method is designed to, in its own words, “help more people tidy their spaces by choosing joy, and we are committed to developing the simplest and most effective tools to help you get there.”
Kondo encourages people to go through their belongings by category instead of by room and to ask themselves if these items “spark joy” in their lives. If they do, you keep as many things as you want. If they don’t, you thank them for the role they’ve played in your life and let go of them as part of a decluttering process.
Now, this usually is done with clothes, books and other mementos. But this here is a sports blog, and this blog post asks …
WHAT IF: The super-busy Marie Kondo, who no longer does the tidying up for you, was able to shake free and visit with key stakeholders in Minnesota sports. And also …
WHAT IF: She applied the KonMari method to the important decisions local teams have to make about their rosters?
This is a ridiculous premise, but I had the idea a week ago and I just can’t shake it. And it sparks joy. So let’s continue (all made-up Kondo dialogue is through her interpreter):
MK: I’ll start with you, Mike. What about football sparks joy to you?MZ: Complementary football. Running the ball well on offense. Controlling the clock. Flipping field position with efficiency and good punt coverage. A nasty defense. Scoring 21 points and winning.
MK: Good, good. Rick?
RS: Winning without killing the salary cap. Drafting and developing long-term players. Trying to bring this franchise the Super Bowl it deserves.
MK: What about a consistently good offensive line?
RS and MZ, in unison: I wouldn’t know.
MK: Well, here’s what I know. This roster needs tidying up. And even though your lines of thinking might not be on parallel tracks, your futures are very much tied to each other. And you both need to be happy. This is how I propose you spark joy: Mike, you get to keep both Anthony Barr and Sheldon Richardson. But that’s it. No more first-round cornerbacks. Coach the guys you have into a top-five defense. Rick, you need to hit a home run in the draft. Choose an offensive lineman in the first round. It will spark joy, I promise. Use another high pick on a lineman. Find low-cost help in free agency. Do your jobs as well as you’ve ever done them in 2019, or else someone else might be figuring out what sparks joy.
http://www.startribune.com/tidying-up-ro...504821682/
While sort-of watching a couple episodes of her Netflix show and Kondo-ing my overflowing T-shirt drawer last weekend at the urging of my tidying up wife doesn’t qualify me as an expert, it does qualify me as someone who knows just enough to be dangerous.
Kondo is Japanese and her ideas are rooted in that country’s culture. Her KonMari Method is designed to, in its own words, “help more people tidy their spaces by choosing joy, and we are committed to developing the simplest and most effective tools to help you get there.”
Kondo encourages people to go through their belongings by category instead of by room and to ask themselves if these items “spark joy” in their lives. If they do, you keep as many things as you want. If they don’t, you thank them for the role they’ve played in your life and let go of them as part of a decluttering process.
Now, this usually is done with clothes, books and other mementos. But this here is a sports blog, and this blog post asks …
WHAT IF: The super-busy Marie Kondo, who no longer does the tidying up for you, was able to shake free and visit with key stakeholders in Minnesota sports. And also …
WHAT IF: She applied the KonMari method to the important decisions local teams have to make about their rosters?
This is a ridiculous premise, but I had the idea a week ago and I just can’t shake it. And it sparks joy. So let’s continue (all made-up Kondo dialogue is through her interpreter):
MK: I’ll start with you, Mike. What about football sparks joy to you?MZ: Complementary football. Running the ball well on offense. Controlling the clock. Flipping field position with efficiency and good punt coverage. A nasty defense. Scoring 21 points and winning.
MK: Good, good. Rick?
RS: Winning without killing the salary cap. Drafting and developing long-term players. Trying to bring this franchise the Super Bowl it deserves.
MK: What about a consistently good offensive line?
RS and MZ, in unison: I wouldn’t know.
MK: Well, here’s what I know. This roster needs tidying up. And even though your lines of thinking might not be on parallel tracks, your futures are very much tied to each other. And you both need to be happy. This is how I propose you spark joy: Mike, you get to keep both Anthony Barr and Sheldon Richardson. But that’s it. No more first-round cornerbacks. Coach the guys you have into a top-five defense. Rick, you need to hit a home run in the draft. Choose an offensive lineman in the first round. It will spark joy, I promise. Use another high pick on a lineman. Find low-cost help in free agency. Do your jobs as well as you’ve ever done them in 2019, or else someone else might be figuring out what sparks joy.
http://www.startribune.com/tidying-up-ro...504821682/
