22 May 2024
Maybe it’s time for a new state slogan to go along with Minnesota’s new state flag.
After the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets and advanced in their NBA playoff run, commentator Charles Barkley told Wolves star Anthony Edwards he was coming to town and needed restaurant recommendations.
“Bring ya a**,” Edwards responded.
It appears Barkley listened: The former NBA star had dinner Tuesday night at Manny’s Steakhouse in downtown Minneapolis, according to the restaurant’s Instagram.
And Edwards’ spontaneous phrase has sparked a flurry of social media memes and responses from state agencies and leaders, along with ideas of where Barkley could find more memorable meals while he’s here.
Explore Minnesota, the state’s tourism organization, has launched a full-court press on the phrase as a draw for out-of-town visitors, redesigning their official website to prominently feature the phrase.
The URL bringyaass.com even redirects to the official Explore Minnesota site — a gambit that, as reported by Racket, was not an official act but instead the work of local comedy writer and Wolves fan Jon Savitt.
On Facebook, the Department of Transportation got in on the joke, too, telling folks to “bring ya gas” for a road trip route around the state: Bryn Mawr to Red Rock to International Falls… the first letter of each destination spelling out the infamous phrase. (The route also ends in St. Paul, so we approve.)
Could Edwards’ instant-classic phrase become the new state slogan after all? Gov. Tim Walz — who on Wednesday declared May 22 official “Wolves Back Day” in Minnesota — replied to the suggestion on X (formerly Twitter) with an excited-eyes emoji.
The NBA Western Conference Finals, between the Wolves and the Dallas Mavericks, begin this week at Target Center in Minneapolis. No ticket? No sweat: For Friday’s matchup, the team is holding an outdoor block party for fans in downtown Minneapolis.
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