Well, good morning.
I’d like to tell you I am at the downtown Four Seasons having brunch and mulling my upcoming week while on my fourth mimosa. Ha!
Instead, I am sipping an Ice Mountain and contemplating whether to do an all-day fast. After all, there’s no “football feast” with the Vikings laying low this weekend after last Thursday night’s 37-10 loss to the Chargers.
So, without distractions from the Four Seasons buffet or a kickoff approaching with the Purple, I offer another “buffet.” Here’s to a Sunday scattergun of comments to enjoy with your mimosa. …
As the years go by, I’ll never think of Carson Wentz without seeing that expression of agony on his face shown multiple times in Thursday night’s game. His lame left shoulder will become part of the 32-year-old’s legacy which includes quarterbacking North Dakota State to two FCS national championships and the 2017 Eagles to NFC glory when he was an NFL MVP candidate.
It’s controversial why coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t pull Wentz earlier in the game given his pain and suffering.
After seven games who is the Vikings MVP? Place kicker Will Reichard? He has 55 of the team’s 155 total points.
Talented second-year edge rusher Dallas Turner continues to be an enigma. Performance hasn’t matched the hype and that was a poor decision he made Thursday night arriving late to deliver a blow to Charger quarterback Justin Herbert resulting in a personal foul.
The Vikings were 9-1 in one score games last season. Through seven games this year they’re 2-2 in one score games.
Three years ago, there was debate about whether Vikings safety Harrison Smith would be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after retirement. Now, at 36 and with additional playing longevity, his tenure and accomplishments look more Hall of Fame worthy. Could this be his last season? He will have to wait at least five years after retirement to be eligible for the hall.
It’s been true for a long time now, the public’s interest in the Vikings dwarfs the Gopher following. Even if the Gophers made three consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoffs, and the Vikings took up residence in the NFC North cellar all those years, the Purple would still remain a bigger deal in the state.
The last time the Gophers had moved into possible position to become the state’s football darlings was the mid-1980s when Lou Holtz was at the U. In his two seasons he mesmerized the football fandom, and when he left the Gophers were at about 56,000 season tickets. The Vikings were so concerned after one season of Holtz they brought Bud Grant out of retirement to coach the 1985 team.
After the Gophers played their best game of the season at home on October 18 in a win over Nebraska, they were awful in just about every way yesterday in a 41-3 road loss to Iowa. The Gophers, 5-3 on the season, are 0-3 in road games. Best guess here is for a 6-6 finish and low-profile bowl invite.
Grumbling fans can take positive action by contributing, or increasing, money for Name, Image and Likeness via Dinkytown Athletes.
The Gophers are overdue in erecting statues outside Huntington Bank Stadium for their football immortals. A good place to start would be with coach Bernie Bierman who led Minnesota to five national titles and the legendary Bronko Nagurski who was recognized as the greatest college football player of the first half of the 20th century.
Shame on me for never driving to Grand Forks to watch the Gophers and Fighting Sioux…um Fighting Hawks play hockey.
Feeling good about arranging a Tuesday get together with new Golden Gophers basketball coach Niko Medved, 52, and former coach Jim Dutcher, 92. Dutch’s 1982 team won the Big Ten title.
On that team was Jim Petersen who has made a career of color analysis on Timberwolves TV games. He had a health concern this summer but is well now.
Happy 82nd birthday this month to former Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckowski. At the request of Tubby Smith, Dick used to tell the Gopher basketball coach a joke close to tip off.
A Tubby favorite was about Dick dating a homeless woman. How did that go? Great, Dick said. “I can drop her off anywhere.”
Does the NBA’s alleged gambling scandal come as a surprise? It shouldn’t if you acknowledge the lack of accountability and restraint over the years by so many players in their on-court and personal lives.
Timberwolves fans couldn’t ask for more than seeing two of the NBA’s top MVP candidates during the opening week of the home season with the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic at Target Center Monday and Wednesday nights respectively.
BTW It was 65 years ago this month the Lakers, having moved from Minneapolis, played their first game in Los Angeles.
Casual baseball fans are more likely to be watching the World Series with the opportunity to follow the game’s “new Babe Ruth.” Pitching or hitting, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani can have everyone shaking their heads in amazement.
Awareness of Japanese born or Japanese American baseball players has greatly increased this millennium. High profile players include Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Former Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki, a Japanese American, was just named Angels manager. Back in 2008 Don Wakamatsu, hired by the Mariners, became the first MLB manager of Japanese descent.
Local fans will root for St. Paul-born and former Twin Louie Varland coming out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays. He was roughed up by the Dodgers last night in a Jays loss, giving up two hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
It’s easy to anticipate the Twins opening day lineup and starting pitcher (Pablo Lopez or Joe Ryan) next March. But who will be the closer and what will the overall bullpen look like?
All-time favorite Twins clothing: cream colored Twin Cities jersey.
All-time favorite Wild sweater: MPLS. St. Paul 2022 Winter Classic jersey.
Look for an announcement in November of who the Pohlad family is bringing in as minority owners.
Don’t think business and sports leaders aren’t highly anticipating the results of the city council and mayoral elections in Minneapolis next month.
Take it from this keyboard, two of the best sports reporters around are Andy Greder from the Pioneer Press and Michael Russo of The Athletic. Both are worth the money for subscriptions.
Sorry to see the local golf season coming to an end. Was hoping to make a career season high three hole-in-ones.
Ha!