How bad was it?
The question sounds like a lead-in to a comedian’s joke but few sports fans have found humor in the performance of local pro sports teams and the Gophers during the last several months. It’s been 16 years since the results were somewhat comparable but the 2011 situation is worse.
In 1995 the Vikings, Twins and Timberwolves didn’t qualify for the playoffs, nor did the football Gophers participate in postseason play. The 1995 Gophers men’s hockey team did lift spirits by advancing to the semifinals in the Frozen Four, losing 7-3 to Boston University. And the U men’s basketball team had a one-and-done in the NCAA tournament.
Other than the Twins’ three-and-out performance in the playoffs against the Yankees, only one other of our major teams has been in post-season play during the last seven months, and just barely. The U hockey team, once the most reliable postseason entry in town, lost a first round playoff series in consecutive games but for a third straight year didn’t qualify for the WCHA Final Five and the NCAA tournament.
Here’s how frustrating it’s been since last October: the Twins, Vikings, Wild, Wolves, and Gophers football, basketball and hockey teams have won 192 out of 424 games.
The Wild (franchise started play in 2000) and the Timberwolves ended regular season play this week while keeping their non-playoff streaks intact. The Wild have made the playoffs three times in franchise history and have missed the postseason three straight years. The Wolves haven’t been to the playoffs since 2004.
The 2010 Vikings weren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2007. The Gophers football team didn’t qualify for a bowl game after playing in the Insight Bowl for two straight years. The Gophers basketball team not only missed the NCAA tournament but didn’t qualify for the NIT.