Vikings Disappoint

I really missed Case Keenum this season.

Cousins was so supposed to make us better. We were so clearly worse.

sigh

I wonder if the Eagles will ever figure out that the red-headed QB who looks like Prince Harry is NOT their best quarterback.

Two seasons of late season miracles is not a fluke.

Vikings

One last chance to prove they belong in the playoffs.

They still could get in if others lose, but let's face it, if they lose today, getting into the playoffs would be a gift they don't deserve.

I can't wait to see if their newly rebooted running game even has a chance against Chicago's rebuilt defense. I don't expect it to, but that's where most of the fun should lie to day.

If we can run the ball AND if Cousins isn't stupid AND if we don't miss any kicks, we have a real chance.

Thats a lot of ifs, though.

And I'm always wary of referee's calls...

Skol Vikings!

Alabama and Clemson

If nothing else, the college play-off system gives us a couple of more great games to watch.

Yesterday, number 1 and number 2 proved to everyone that they were the top two teams in college football this year. Oklahoma looked good in losing to Alabama, but number three Notre Dame looked soft against Clemson.

The battle for best is still a ways a way, but it should be a good one.

Wolves Lose

They had a big comeback but missed crucial free throws in OT.

Learn how to shoot under-handed if you have to. Missing free throws is stupid.

Stupid.

Nelson Cruz

Though I haven't heard anything official, Nelson Cruz, 38, former Mariner who has averaged around 40 homers the last few years, has posted a picture of himself in a Twins uniform on Twitter. Rumors say the Twins have signed him to a 1-year deal to be our new DH.

Just so he doesn't have to play in the field, this could be a good thing.

Wolves Win!

That's two straight.

Okay, they still haven't went on the kind of streak good teams go on.  At the same time, Golden State has LOST two in a row, so I guess not even great teams are great all the time.

16-18 on the season.

Still better than I expected at this point.

Go Wolves!

Gopher Football Shows Signs of Life

They beat Georgia Tech last night in another meaningless sponsor name game thanks to the incredible running skills of freshman Mohamed Ibrahim. 224 yards. His best.

The Gophers also finish with a 7-6 record on the season after winning 3 of their last 4 games,

Gopher football is not dead. It's been on life support for more years than I care to remember, but it's still got a heart beat.

Let's continue to improve next season!

Twins Note

It's interesting to note that Phil Rogers, of Forbes magazine, writes that the Twins have more flexibility with payroll than any team in baseball.

They have exactly ZERO dollars in guaranteed commitments for the 2020 season and beyond.

That means they could conceivably let anyone go or sign anyone they want between the end of this coming season and the beginning of the next.

Of course, it also means that they don't have anyone, currently on the roster, signed beyond this coming season.

That opens up a great deal many possibilities, more than any team in baseball history.

Or it could mean that the Twins aren't planning on doing anything other than bringing up cheap minor leaguers, and signing one-year free agents for the foreseeable future.

Which, I guess is one of those many possibilities.

Broncos Look Bad

A 99-yard punt return by Oakland illustrated  the Broncos season in one play last night.

A Raider picked up the ball on the 1-yard line after two Broncos failed to down it, and he basically just ran it all the way.

Case Keenum deserves a better team. Sadly, he doesn't have one.

Vikes, Eagles Win

With one week to go, the Vikes are still in the driver's seat.

The first half wasn't very good until that last pass.

The second half was much better.

Skol Vikings!

NFL

Adrian Peterson went over 1000 yards for the season yesterday, but the Redskins lost.

If Seattle and Minnesota win today,  Washington will be eliminated from the playoffs. Peterson proved this season that he can still go, but, as always, he's not good enough to get his team in the playoffs. That's why you can't rely on running backs, or a particular running back, for playoff success.

The Vikings must keep winning to have any hope themselves. They're heavily favored against the Lions, but we all know that means nothing. Experts don't know how football works. All it takes are a couple of turnovers or bad ref calls to make a  a certain win into a horrible loss. And let's not forget missed or blocked kicks.

I should see most of the game today, unless it turns ugly early. I'm not a die hard any more. I want to watch a winning team.

Skol Vikings!

Timberwolves Lose Again

Yep. Same old Timberwolves.

NFL

With two weeks to go in the season, there was no football last night.

The Saturday games will have to make up for it.

Other than that? It's a slow week for sports...

Writing This

I noticed that Google, which owns this site, has updated some of the software that runs it.

I hear that it works well with the Google Chrome browser.  But it's caused other browsers, like Safari, to have a few problems.

I use Safari exclusively, I feel it's safer, more secure, and less intrusive.

Google makes its money by being snoopy.

I don't fault them for that, it's just that I'm more wary of them.

Anyway, somewhere, in the not to distant future, I may not be able to write this blog anymore, because I won't be able to make it work.

That almost happened yesterday. Today seems to be better. This is just a warning. If you don't see me some day. Or if I don't post regularly. That could be the problem.

I don't want you to think I vanished without a reason.

Twins Retire Number 7

Joe Mauer was informed yesterday that the Twins feel he is worth something more than most players who have worn a Twins uniform.

No one will wear his uniform again.

A very nice move by the Twins.

Of course no one will expect anything out of the Twins for years to come, but that's a story for another day!

Wolves Score 132!

Even better? They won!!

That snaps another long losing streak. 14-16 on the season.

Not worth watching yet.

Vikings Wow!

The Vikings decided to go with a new offensive coordinator this week.

I'd say most fans would say he made a great deal of difference, especially in the first and 4th quarters.

I'd have to agree. BUT Miami has been a terrible road team the last couple of years (1-12 in their last 13) and despite having upset New England a week earlier, they looked terrible yesterday.

The only time they really looked good was when Cousins threw that awful interception.

However, I think the Vikes really are in the same position as they were going into yesterday's game. It's not about just getting INTO the playoffs, its about being good enough to beat the top teams in the league.

Winning the next two weeks would go a long way toward proving that.

Go Vikes!!

200 yards of offense in the first quarter.

WOW!

Football

With the Vikings season all but finished (yes, I know three straight wins will probably get them into the playoffs, but what are the odds of that happening?) I'm just looking for good match ups to watch the rest of the way.

Our best hope? The Vikes and Packers win today to make those last two weeks more interesting.

Even bad NFL is better than practically everything else. Just so it's not the Vikings getting beat. That's something I just can't watch...

Vikings Correct

The league finally ruled that blocked field goal by Seattle should have been a penalty on the Seahawks.

IF there was a penalty called, the outcome of the game could have been totally different. It was only at the end, in desperation, that the Vikes lost.

I've always said ref calls determine more wins and losses in close games than anything players do on the field. That's one of the many reasons I don't watch sports as closely as I used to.

Of course the league's admitted guilt changes nothing.

Isn't that great news?

Football

I'm over the idea that the Vikings aren't going to make the playoffs, and decided to watch a GOOD football game last night.

The Chargers came back and now they AND the Chiefs are both 11-3 with two games to play.

THAT'S what good football looks like.

The Vikings haven't resembled a team like that since last year.

When I was younger, I wanted the Twins, Vikings, And Wolves to make the playoffs.

Now that I'm older, I want to see them win championships. Making or not making the playoffs is no longer a big deal. If they aren't good enough to win it all, I just don't want to watch them that much.

I'm not a bandwagon fan, or a fair weather fan. I am a fan that likes to watch the very best.

It's like movies or TV shows. I don't watch all of them. I watch the ones that are great.

Why watch mediocrity?

Yes, my home teams have nostalgia value. Yes, I root for them. But watching a full game, especially when they're losing, is just a waste of time.

There's always something better to do, and that's what age has taught me.

Time is important. Losing teams are not. Even if they are home teams.

Wolves Score 130!

Lose by 11...

sigh

Smackdown

With the Vikings going nowhere but down, and the Wolves currently on a two game losing streak, I thought I'd talk about Smackdown last night.

I really liked it. Even the "rap battle" was entertaining.

They brought up one of 205's best to battle Daniel Bryan at the beginning and they ended with one of the few credible women's match ups on the roster.

RAW is still their worst show, but Smackdown surprised me. It was good for a change.

Vikings Lose

Anybody think the Vikings will win even one more game this season?

Me either.

Cable cancellation imminent...

Bears

It's funny.

Experts had the Vikings as NFC Super Bowl favorites before the season began.

I never fell for the hype. I was optimistic about Kirk Cousins, but had already watched an enjoyed Case Keenum have one of the best seasons ANY  Vikings QB had ever had, and thought he would have been the better choice.

Green Bay was supposed to give us a run for our money with Aaron Rodgers healthy once more while the hightest paid QB for the Lions was going to give both teams fits.

The Bears? They were going to be the also-rans in the division. Dead last, groveling at the feet of their more powerful North division foes.

The reality is that last night the Bears won again, against one of the leagues's best teams, the Rams, and they are decidedly in the middle of Super Bowl consideration.

And the Vikings, after getting beat (probably) by Seattle tonight, will have to face the same Miami Dolphins team that BEAT the Patriots yesterday. The same Patriots that just CLUBBED us.

Football is wackier than experts let on.

And preseason picks aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

Vikings

My prediction this week is pretty much the same as last week. I'm hoping for a Vikes win, but I don't really expect it.

I'm also expecting a tailspin by the Vikes to end the season.

I'm not saying we would have been a better team this year with a different QB, I'm just saying Cousins hasn't really helped us. Nothing about the Vikings this year gives me hope for next season.

Vikings

The Vikes have 4 games left.

To make the playoffs, they need 3 wins. Seattle, this weekend on Sunday night HAS to be one of those wins. The Seahawks will have wildcard advantage if they beat us.

Something they have been very good at the last few years.

Then we have Miami, the Lions and the Bears.

I don't see 3 wins out of those 4 games.

I see 2-2 or even 1-3.

This is NOT the Vikings year.

Twins Sign Second Baseman

In 2017 Jonathan Snoops had 32 homers for Baltimore. Last year he was awful.

Let's just say, the Twins got him on the cheap, hoping for more seasons like 2017.

We also got a utility infielder by the name of Ronald Torres from the Yankees. He doesn't have very much major league time so we got him cheap, too.

There's also a good chance that both players will be gone before I see them enough to remember their faces.

That's modern day baseball.

Wolves Win!

Again.

This is starting to become a habit. They're over .500.

It all turned around when they got rid of Butler.

Go Wolves!!

Thoughts

The Vikes are at best average. Even if they make the playoffs as a wildcard team, they can't run the ball with that offensive line, and Kirk Cousins still looks like a QB who is not comfortable behind that same line.

So few people realize that your defense is only as good as your offense is at controlling the game and keeping the other team off the field.

When your running game is bad, your defense is going to look much worse than it is.

I have no hope for the Vikings this season.

The Twins?

Yuck.

Mauer retiring was a good thing. But, suddenly we have very little options at first, and those we do have strike out a lot and can't field. The Twins did not plan for any kind of smooth transition there.

I don't expect much from them this year either.

The Wolves.

Let's put it this way, if the the Wolves are the best option for Minnesota sports fans, it tells you how low our franchises have sunk.

The reason I used to like WWE was because they gave me fake sports I could enjoy in the meantime.

It's amazing how bad writing on fake sports shows can destroy your enjoyment of those as well.

Smackdown and Raw are both unwatchable.

So I've stopped watching those shows as well.

It's a good thing I have old Doctor Who reruns to watch.

Oh, and the NEW Doctor Who?

It's worse than the Twins, the Vikings, Wolves, and WWE combined.

Entertainment isn't as entertaining as it used to be.

Wolves Win!

That's 5 out of 6.

Worth keeping an eye on.

Green Bay Fires Head Coach

It was time.

Vikings Lose

See yesterday's Vikings post.

College Football

Even I have to admit yesterday's games were intriguing.

Number four Georgia lost to number one Alabama in their conference championship.

Ohio State should move up since they won the Big Ten Title.

Those top six are shifting.

Still not as cool as getting beat and being done, though...

Vikings Patriots

Hoping for the best.

Realistically, expecting the worst.

College Football

The new playoff system for college football has officially wrecked my viewing of college football.

Before the 4 -game playoff, I used to watch nearly every game featuring an undefeated major team.

I KNEW that a loss in any one of those games could cost the team a championship bid. Every single game like that was do or die. Every game could mean sudden death for the season. And watching a top team get upset was an unbelievable reason to tune in.

This year, after just a few seasons of the new play-off system, I haven't watched any big game for more than a couple of minutes.

Why?

Because nothing was at stake in any of those games.

A loss wouldn't hurt any of the top 4 teams.

It no longer mattered if they won or loss.

College football doesn't matter.

Maybe I'll watch the last game of the season.

Maybe.

Now only one game, the whole season matters. And that game isn't as cool as it used to be.

I knew this would happen.

Just When You Think You Understand the NFL...

New Orleans, the best team in football. The team that destroys you with the most potent offense this side of New England when it runs on all cylinders, got shut down last night by the Cowboys.

Wow!

Did not look for that.

Maybe the Vikes do have a chance on Sunday.

nah

just kidding...

Wolves Club Spurs

That makes four straight.

Again.

Without Jimmy Butler.

They are now .500 and just 4 games back.

I'm not saying I'm interested in watching them just yet. But I am enjoying what they are doing right now.

This could turn out to be fun season, yet!

Lars Sullivan

The WWE is scrambling a bit. They recently signed new television contracts for their most popular shows, RAW, and Smackdown. And make no mistake, those were record money deals for both.

The problem is the ratings for those two shows are down significantly. Most fans see the problem with the writing, but can't agree on the best way to fix it.

Vince's answer?

Bring in a new monster.

Lars Sullivan certainly fits the bill. At 6 foot three and weighing in at an incredible 330 pounds, the guy looks unbelievable. He's been featured on their NXT show the last couple of years, gaining experience. Personally, I think he's got a huge upside.

But so did all of the other performers they brought up from NXT the last few years.

Most have bombed on the bigger shows.

I do not blame the performers. I blame Vince and the writers.

You can't bring someone up and book (write) them like they are no big deal. It doesn't work. And a huge push for a month isn't the same as promoting them. Vince is still pushing established older stars like they are best he has to offer.

And fans have responded to that. The older guys are great. The newer guys are not.

The secret to successful writing in wrestling is to know that all wrestlers have a shelf life. If they are around too long, they get stale. And Vince's product today is as stale as it has ever been. The only thing that makes it worse is having authority figures that run the show as the bad guys.

That idea may have been fresh once. Now it merely stinks.

NXT is great because they have new top guys all the time. The bigger shows never get rid of the older guys. They no longer are just stale, they are starting to stink as well.

Why would anybody watch a show that stinks?

There's your ratings problem.

Twins

Have any of you ever heard of C.J. Cron?

Me either, until yesterday.

He's the Twins projected new first baseman, now that Mauer's retired.

He hit 30 home runs for the Rays last year and he's not quite 30.

The thing is, the Rays WAIVED him, thinking he wasn't worth the $5 million they were going to pay him this upcoming season. That also means they couldn't find anyone that wanted to trade for him either.

So they just let him go.

The Twins don't have Vargas anymore, he signed with a Japanese team. They still have Tyler Austin, but I guess the Twins figure Cron NOW is better than Austin in the future.

That kind of reasoning doesn't give me much hope for either.

sigh

Wolves Win Third Straight!

Getting closer to a .500 record again...

Vikes Win!

The Packers had so many people hurt that I would have been mad if the Vikings lost.

Yet, at halftime, it was tied.

Lots of early goofs by the Vikings kept the game close. I maintain those types of goofs are just bad coaching.

In the end, Cousins had one of his best games of the season. And by that I mean NO turnovers. His yardage and TDs don't seem to matter unless he plays an error free game.

The Pack is suffering. That's 7 straight road losses going back to last season. In there last 7 against the Vikes, they are1-5-1.

Hard to believe, but those injuries have taken their toll.

It doesn't get any easier for the Vikings. The Patriots are next.

The Pack has Arizona.

Vikings Packers

Prime time.

Tonight's winner will determine who has the best chance of making the playoffs this year. If it's any consolation for Vikings fans, this game is at Minnesota.

We all remember that Green Bay game. Two Vikings missed field goals in OT which resulted in a tie.

It doesn't get much worse than that.

Well, I guess LOSING tonight would be clearly worse.

Perspective.

Wolves Win

That snaps a two-game losing streak.

It's nice to see Derrick Rose contributing like he's healthy.

Bears Win With Backup QB

And The Saints have now won 10 straight.

Anybody else got the feeling that the season is over for both the Packers and the Vikings and they just don't know it yet?

Football and Turkey Today

We're actually bucking the trend. We'll have a hamburger, potato hot dish. With a side order of football and freedom.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sports Void

Wolves haven't played for three days. The Vikings and their O-Line need some work.

And the WWE can't decide if they want Charlotte to be a heel or not. At least Daniel Bryan established his heel turn with a great speech last night.

Maybe today will give us more sports news...

Super Bowl Preview?

Last night's Monday night football game was one of the best of all-time.

Two teams, both 9-1 squared off.

In the end, the team with the QB who had five turnovers lost.

Barely. 54-51.

In answer to the Super Bowl question posed in the headline.

Nah. New Orleans will mop the field with both of them.

Wolves, Vikes Lose

Q: How much are we paying Cousins?

A: Too much!

Vikings Bears

Primetime baby!

AT Chicago.

I guess we'll all see how good both teams are now that they are going against each other.

The Battle is for first place.

Wooo!

To: Tom The Twins Fan

I love analytics!

Playing the percentages is what gives you a chance to win in close situations.

I also apologize for the late post this morning. 2 hours of snow shoveling slows you down.

Packers Lose

AND they are now behind Seattle in the tie-breaker for wildcard possibilities.

There are 6 tough games left and Green Bay's hopes are fading quickly.

Wolves Win Without Butler, Again

Still just 6-9, but a two-game winning streak is a start.

WWE

It's amazing. No one cared about Survivor Series. Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousy was the only match people were talking about and then...

Becky Lynch gets her face smashed and a concussion during a fake brawl on Monday night, and just like that she's out of the one match people were looking forward to.

BUT...

Because it looked so cool, and people were SOOOO mad that an accident like that could even happen, AND Daniel Bryan turned heel and WON the WWE championship last night on Smackdown...

RAW and Smackdown were both better than anything the WWE has given us on television for years.

And now everyone is looking forward to Survivor Series, even with Becky Lynch hurt.

I'm included.

So now we have the NXT special on Saturday (and that's always better than the big 4 PPVs) and a Survivor Series PPV on Sunday that people actually want to watch.

Great job WWE.

Life handed you a bitter lemon, and you made the sweetest ambrosia out of it.

Those shows better be good...

Wolves Win Without Butler

And they snapped a 5-game losing streak.

Football

I watched parts of several games yesterday, but because they were so one-sided, I didn't watch long.

The Patriots got beat rather easily.  And my Packers had a very good game.

The Lions? Too little too late against the 1st place Bears.

It looks like the Bears are going to be a real problem this season.

Bummer.

Jimmy Butler Traded to Sixers

The Timberwolves couldn't win if they were the Warriors. With or without Butler, we'll pretty much be the same team.

Wolves Lose Fifth Straight

Does anybody else see a pattern here?

Joe Mauer

He's got twin girls.

I guess it's time for him to start enjoying his Minnesota Twins!

Happy Retirement, Joe!!

Steelers!

Wow.

That was one impressive team last night. And they did it against the 6-2 (now 6-3) Panthers.

Wow.

THAT was a Thursday Night game.

Wolves Lose 4 Straight

At least this was a closer game and it was to the Lakers in LA.

Wolves Lose Third Straight

Of course they did...

Election Day

As they say in Chicago, "Vote Early and Vote Often."
Rumor has it you no longer have to be registered (or even a citizen).

Sweet!

Ex-Vike Sues Dr. Andrews for $180 Million

Shariff Floyd was going to have some "routine" arthroscopic surgery in his knee two years ago, and be out for about a month.

Once they started operating they decided he needed micro-fracture surgery, which according to Floyd, was done poorly.

Long story short. His NFL career is over and he's suing the Andrews and his sports clinic for $180 million.

The 27-28 year old Floyd, who was outstanding, wants to be compensated for what happened.

THIS will be an interesting case.

How long before sports medicine becomes too expensive for the doctors to perform? Maybe athletes who get hurt will simply be done. No sane surgeon will want to touch them.

The financial risk will be too great.

And the days of billion dollar contracts will be over as well. What sane owner will pay that kind of money to a player who can no longer be fixed?

Vikes!

Offense was average.

Defense was spectacular. TEN Sacks!

My Patriots beat my Packers in the late game.

Ans New Orleans handled the Rams in the best afternoon game.

And the Saints play in that one made me realize that the Vikes loss to them  last week wasn't as bad as I thought.

Bye week, and then 4 straight tough games. The season is a bit over half over and the next four should determine how good or bad they really are.

Skol Vikes! (Arms in a safety position.)

Vikes/Lions

Still not sure what to think of this season.

Nobody in the NFC North looks like they are good enough to do anything. The Vikes and the Lions are just two of those teams.

I expect nothing today. Just like most weeks.

Warriors Over Wolves

As expected. No surprises tonight.

Thursday Night Football

On paper, the game was an absolute dud. Only one win  for each team going in.

SO, how do you make it interesting?

San Fran started a rookie QB, in his first pro game. AND had the best stats by a rookie starting in his first game, ever. And the 49ers rolled 34-3.

Nobody cares about those two teams, but they at least made the game watchable.

Wolves Win!

And Derrick Rose scored a career high 50 points!

8 games into the season the Wolves are sitting at .500.

THAT is a good start.

Go Wolves!!

WWE

With "real" sports on the back burner last night, I decided to watch WWE Smackdown.

It's amazing how real life news gets in the way of fake sports.

WWE has contracted with Saudi Arabia to present as many as 20 major wrestling events there over the next 10 years. All well and good. But when the crown prince has a dissident reporter executed by government goons, the world notices.

And now WWE has a major PPV scheduled there for Friday, and some of the bigger name wrestlers (John Cena and Daniel Byran) are choosing not to participate.

That gave me a great main event on Smackdown last night. A.J. Styles versus Daniel Bryan.

A different wrestler, Samoa Joe, is going to Saudi Arabia instead, taking Bryan's place in the co-main event there.

Politics is everywhere, nowadays. You can't escape the political ads. It's amazing how something scripted can't escape the real world either.

sigh

I can't even get fake sports without real world implications...

NBA

The Wolves BEAT LeBron and the Lakers last night.

Let me repeat that. The Wolves won. Against LeBron. And the Lakers.

This will probably be the highlight of the season for Wolves fans.

Enjoy it.


In other NBA news, the Warriors cruised past LeBron's old team, the Cavs. In that game, Klay "Trey" Thompson set an NBA record with 14-3 pointers. We live in athletic times.

My Patriots? After a slow start last night, they went on to beat Buffalo 25-6.

A very good night of sports.

Disappointing

Bears won.

The Pack, the Lions, and the Vikings lost.

The Red Sox won.

At least Thielen had another 100 yard receiving day. But his fumble was basically a 14-point turnaround. The difference in the game.

sigh

Red Sox Rebound Big Late

This Series is probably over...

Walk-Off Drama Classic

Now, that's a World Series game. Great pitching. 2-2 tie going into the bottom of the EIGHTEENTH inning.

BOOM!

Walk-off home run.

The problem?

Nearly everyone was in bed by then.

I know I was.

Wolves Offered 4 1st Round Picks for Butler

Houston wants him.

Randy Savage

I came across this photo the other day. When Randy was a minor league baseball player. Oh, yeah!!

Twins hiring 37 Year-Old Manager

Rocco Baldelli, who spent he last 4 years as a Tampa Bay coach, will be the youngest manager in baseball.

Personally, I like hiring someone younger. Old guys are usually stuck in old ways. How do I know this? I'm an old guy.

Boston Up 2 Games to None

As ESPN pointed out this morning, the Dodgers are wining on the strength of their free-agent spending.

That's how baseball works, now.

That's how most sports work, now.

sigh

World Series Game 1

I'm not used to this much hitting. Aces should pitch shutouts.

Sports

I was switching between an average Monday Night football game, (seriously, the Giants are featured on Monday night with a record of 1-6?) the Wolves at home (they won!) and Monday Night Raw ( the biggest shock of the night, Roman Reigns, their Universal Champion had to step down because his cancer is back.)

World Series tonight. I'm at least planning on watching some of it. Go Dodgers!

Vikings

The Vikings find themselves alone in first place after going 3-0-1 in their last 4 games.

The Saints are next, so that undefeated streak may very well end next week.

Yesterday's pluses? Thielen, Murray, and the defense.

Minuses? Cousins is still throwing a lot of balls batted down at the line. I've never seen anybody do that before. It's going to cause some major problems before long.

For now, it's nice seeing the Vikes at the top of the heap, seven games in. But everybody is "thisclose" to being in first place now. No time for a let down.

My Patriots and my Chiefs won, too, so it was a good day of football.

Saturday Night Sports

The Dodgers are going to the Series.

Both teams used something like 80 pitchers total in the seven games. I'm thinking we're closer than ever to teams planning on using 4 or 5 pitchers every game instead of just a rotation of starters. I've been advocating this for so long, and it seems like baseball has finally "discovered" that equipping a team with relief specialists is a lot easier than finding 4 or 5 elite starters and their immense salaries.

The Timberwolves scored 136 points last night and still lost.

sigh

Number 2, Ohio State, got blown out by unranked Purdue last night 49-20. And the Gophers looked pathetic against Nebraska yesterday afternoon.

Lots to watch. Nothing was good.

Except my Dodgers!

Go Dozier!!

Vikes/Jets at noon. A church business meeting will prevent me from seeing most of it. But the fellowship meal before the meeting will more than make up for it.

Go Vikes! Just don't embarrass yourselves!!!

Butler Booed, Leads Wolves to Win

Typical Minnesota crowd. They hate Butler at the beginning, but his great play gets them cheering shortly after the game starts.

If I were Butler, I would not want to play for Minnesota, either.

As a fan, I'd rather have Butler play for us than against us.

Wolves are 1-1 on the season. If history is any indication, it won't get much better.

It never does.

Boston Goes to World Series

The first 5 innings last night were good, solid pitching.

Boston took control after that. All I could think of that the two starters in last night's game were from the Tigers 4 years ago, and what Detroit fans must be thinking.

Dodgers Win

Go Dozier.

And fan interference took away a two-run homer in Houston. Maybe.

Baseball is back, baby!

Dozier!

Brian Dozier deserves a world title.

He drove in the first run of the game last night. Over 5 hours later, the Dodgers scored their second run of the evening and won the game.

I now have a rooting interest.

Go Dodgers!

My Packers!

I went to bed last night with two minutes left, the Pack at midfield trailing by 7. I figured they'd win in in OT.

I was wrong. They didn't even NEED OT!

The standings are tightening up...

Vikings!

Okay, beating the Cardinals may not be a big deal at this point, BUT they did win, and they won fairly easily.

Highlights?

Theilen. 6 straight games to start the season with at least 100 yards. Only one player in history has done more back in 1961. He had 7.

Theilen. His touchdown dance was a hoot. Catch it if you can.

Theilen. 58 catches through the first 6 games. NO ONE has ever had more.

Murray. 155 yards rushing. The best Vikings rushing day of the season.

The bad? As much as I enjoy Cousins, he sure throws a lot of balls into the hands of defensive linemen. I lost count how many were batted down yesterday at the line. 7 or 8 at least. PLUS and awful interception, and another fumble.

The Vikings defense was so good it didn't matter, but against a good team? It would have been a different story.

Speaking of good teams. The game last night between the Patriots and Chiefs was incredible. A 43-40 score only added. My Patriots won. But I'm probably going to be calling them my Chiefs before long. Patrick Mahomes ( the son of former Twins pitcher Pat Mahomes) is an outstanding rookie quarterback. He's going to be fun to watch in the future.

The worst? It looks like the Vikings lost their star rookie cornerback, Mike Hughes, to a torn ACL. A simple play and out for the season.

sigh

Astros Beat Red Sox

I don't hate the Red Sox, but they get to the playoffs every year like the Yankees, so I'm rooting for the Astros at this point.

It's something.

Vikes face the 1-4 Cardinals today. I don't expect anything, but I hope the Vikes play well enough to win. They have not nurtured any confidence in their fans so far this season. Maybe today they can start.

Go Vikes!

I didn't expect the Gophers to beat Ohio State yesterday. And they didn't, BUT they kept it close for 3 quarters and for a 3-3 team that never seems to get any better, it's not exactly like they disappointed me. It's not exactly like I want to watch them much either. I'm sick of waiting for them to get better.

Baseball

It's kind of weird, now that Yankees are eliminated, I've lost all interest in the baseball playoffs. I guess my dislike of the Yankees was way more important than having a rooting interest in any other team.

By the next round, something is bound to catch my attention.

Today? The Gophers have a prime slot against Ohio State. I'll try to watch the ending of that one if it's close.

Giants Lose

It was tough choosing who I wanted to lose most last night. I despise both the Eagles AND the Giants.

When it was all over the worst team lost, and I have no problem with that. I don't know why Eli is still playing. He should have retired last year.

Sano

I was waiting to see if anything else was reported about Miquel Sano before writing this.

4 days ago I read a story about how Sano was arrested for an incident down in the Domicican where he had a dispute with an officer, and by the time it was over the officer had two broken bones in his leg.

The whole story? Sano had borrowed a friend's truck to  go out to a nightclub with his wife. When he was ready to leave a policeman noticed that Sano's truck didn't have any license plates. Sano, when questioned didn't have his driver's license with him, either.

After talking to the officer, Sano got in his truck, with his wife to leave. He accidentally backed over the guy who had not yet left or moved his motorcycle. It was a dark parking lot. He stayed and assisted the officer until medical help could arrive.

One day later he was cleared of all charges. There was no fight.

Somewhere in all of this, the truth lies.

Sano ended up paying all the medical expenses of the officer.

We probably won't hear any more about this.

Yankees Eliminated!!!

That's all the good sports news I needed to start the day!

Yankees Clobbered 16-1!

Boston leads the series, now, 2 games to 1.

Go Sox!

I watched some of the Monday night football game last night because I wanted to see Drew Brees set the all-time passing yardage record. Of course, every time, from now on, when you watch him complete a pass, you will see him set the all-time passing record. So maybe it wasn't that big a deal...

Vikings Win!

Looks like I'll have to follow them a little longer now.

The Eagles are definitely NOT the same team that won the Super Bowl last year.

The Vikings looked good in the first half and then looked really bad in the  second. It's a good thing Philly didn't know how to work it all to their advantage either.

Green Bay should have won yesterday but THEIR kicker missed 4 field goals AND an extra point. He's been great for them for over a decade, but sometimes it's best to say good-bye before it gets worse.

The Vikings kicker missed two field goals, too.

I'm puzzled as to why kickers are becoming so inconsistent. It's just weird.

At least football will be fun to watch for another week or two...

NFL

I'm not exactly rooting for the Vikings to LOSE today, but if they lose a few more times in the next couple of weeks it will be very "freeing" for me. Once the Twins started losing this season, it became easy to stop watching them.

The same thing is already happening for me with the Vikings who I don't expect will win today against the Super Bowl champs who clubbed them in last year's NFC championship game.

A 1-3-1 record, five games into the season, will make it nearly impossible to get back into the the playoff picture, especially with the Bears playing so well AND the Packers also ahead of us.

Sure, I'll watch until it gets painful. But I will no longer be sitting around watching the pain continue. There's plenty of stuff more enjoyable than watching your team lose.

That really is freeing.

Go Vikings! But if you lose, it will be me leaving!

UFC Has WWE Break Out

Last night Conor McGregor was choked out by undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

THEN it got good. Khabib jumped over the cage to attack another fighter from McGregor's stable while two of Khabib's stable entered the cage and started a beatdown on the already fallen McGregor.

That's what WWE would do. I have not seen everything that occurred but Vince McMahon couldn't have written any better. The lines are starting to blur between sports and entertainment.

And the UFC has never been popular. Dana White says he may strip Khabib of the title because of the incident.

That's just what Vince McMahon would say.

This is starting to get good...

Go UFC!!!

Yankees Lose!

Is there any sweeter news during playoff season?

Sports!

You know, just when I thought I was growing tired of sports, Thursday happened.

The Brewers/ Rockies game was fantastic last night, especially when I saw the Brewers implement my "perfect pitching plan". 4 relievers pitching a couple of innings each to keep the Rockies hitters off balance for 8 innings and just ONE hit.

The commentators actually said how great the idea was! Oakland had tried the same thing against the Yankees the day before, but when you have a starting line-up that averages 30 home runs per position player for the year, it really doesn't matter who you pitch or how you pitch them.

THIS could be the start of the trend that I have been pushing for over a decade. Starters aren't nearly as important as great relievers, short stints, and reasonable rests between appearances.

Go BASEBALL!!!

Then later last night, Brady got his 500th TD pass and the Patriots started to look once more like the team that everyone is afraid to face. My Patriots were good last night.

So was the game.

Yankees Win One Game Playoff

Of course they did.

sigh

Boston versus New York next.

This rivalry is renewed almost every year.

Money talks

Almost every year.

Baseball

Molitor is gone.

That move was not totally unexpected. The new front office boys had the largest payroll costs in Twins history this season, and they expected to compete.

They didn't. So the easiest thing is to blame the manager. Me? Those awful free-agent signings and Santana's finger caused more problems than anything Molitor did or did not do.

I don't care as much as usual, though. My guess is that by the beginning of next season, we won't even recognize the Twins.

This organization is going to get an overhaul, from the minors on up.

And THAT is not necessarily a good thing.

AS to the playoffs-

WOW! Last night's National League Wild Card game was amazing. 13 innings and FIVE hours of pitchers keeping batters off the bases.

I feel sorry for the Cubs. No baseball season should end with a single playoff game loss like that. Baseball IS a series sport.

Here's hoping they figure out how to make every playoff at least series best of 5 again.

Those poor Cub fans.

KC Beats Denver Late

Case Keenum was good for Denver last night.

Mahomes was better for KC, including a left-handed pass for a 1st down as pressure was coming.

THAT was a very good Monday Night game.

There were TWO sudden death playoff games in baseball yesterday. I didn't feel like watching either. Baseball just doesn't hold the appeal for me that it used to.

Two more one and done Wild Card games are next. THEN the postseason can really start.

Twins Win 6th Straight!!

That was a nice way to end the season. Joe Mauer getting to catch one pitch in the ninth was a super nice gesture as well, and then leaving the game with a standing ovation after that one pitch, was a very classy move by both teams.

I've been extremely vocal about my dislike of Joe Mauer's salary the last several years, but I've aways liked Joe Mauer the ball player. He was paid too much for what he gave back to the Twins. But he was a very good ball player. His defense at first was under-rated.

IF he decides to play a couple of more seasons, no one is going to pay him anywhere near what he made the last few years on his current contract.

He did lead all of baseball this year with a .410 batting average with players in scoring position. That tells me he IS still Mr. Clutch. But his home run power vanished along with his knee and leg strength many moons ago.

I actually hope he decides to leave the game at this point. He's got nothing else to prove.

And I'm looking forward to seeing what the Twins do with the freed up money from his contract...

Twins Win Again!

It's hard to believe we are 1/4 of the way through the NFL season, and I'm more excited talking about the Twins on a Sunday morning than the Vikings.

The Twins won their fifth straight yesterday. Yes, It was again against lowly Chicago, but wins like this, late in the season, show something.

They clearly are not going anywhere this season, but they still care. ESPECIALLY at home.

My math says there is one game left in the season. Today. Here's hoping they go out on a high note today.

Go Twins!!

Yankees To Host Wild Card Game

AND they hit 265 home runs as a team this year.

The more money you spend, the more things stay the same.

The Twins? They swept a double header yesterday. Berrios looked great, collecting his 200th strikeout of the year. No Twin has done that since Liriano back in 2010.

There has been a lot going right for the Twins this season. Berrios is one of those things.

Even Joe Mauer, who is thinking about retiring, is batting .362 over his last 14 games.

Astudillo now has 16 RBI in his last 15 games.

The Twins are also 47-32 at home this year (28-12 since late June).

Yes, the season is ending. But there is hope with their current line-up and pitching staff.

We're not the Yankees. We have to figure out how to do it without as much money.

Go Twins!

Twins Club Tigers

There's a lot of virtual unknowns doing very well for the Twins as of late.

I'm more enthusiastic about them than the Vikings at this point.

Vikings Defense Fails Again

You know, The Vikes defense looked awful against  the Eagles in last year's NFC championship game.

It really has not looked good since. Last night was just another example of a team that does not have the proper tools or coaching.

Whatever the Eagles did last year against us is still being exploited this year.

I don't think there is an easy fix. We simply aren't as good as we thought we were.

Last night? Offense was a solid B+. The defense gets another F.

Coach Zimmer should be concerned. He booted a place kicker after one bad game. How many more bad games is this defense going to have before management starts seeing the real problem?

Zimmer is a one trick pony, and that trick has been exposed. Let's start cleaning house.

Twins Crunch Tigers

It would be nice to see lots of wins to end the season.

Twins Lose

Six games left.

It's almost over.

NFL

Watching last night's game was almost impossible.

All the penalties for roughing the QB are getting out of hand.

I know they want to protect him, BUT hitting him while he has the ball, and landing on him in the process, is now a penalty. Or running in to him just after release is a penalty, or one of any number of touching him funny penalties are called.

I just can't watch it.

And not just last night's game.

The Viking sacked a QB on the first drive, on third down, on Sunday, and it was called a 15 yard penalty. So instead of fourth and long, the Bills had a first down at the 50. They went on to score a TD on the drive and dominated field position after that.

They effectively emasculated the Vikings vaunted defense, and the whole game went south.

That's not football.

IF you want to end violence against the QB, here's what you do.

LET the quarterback have the option of intentional grounding without being penalized. IF he chooses not to ground the ball to protect himself, then he is like any other player on the field and he can get hit.

It's that simple.

Yes, sack totals will go down, but real sacks in the pocket will still be rewarded. And defenses won't have to be so ridiculous.

Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers is right. The league is wrong. And football will soon be unwatchable for fans.

I might stop watching completely. I never thought I would say that.

It's not fun any more.

Twins Win!

And the Vikings disappoint.

Before the season began I made one clear comment: I hate it when a successful team like the Vikings get a different quarterback and a different place kicker at the same time. You end up with two really important wildcards who may very well NOT live up to expectations.

Last week it was the kicker, whom we simply released.

But what do you do about a $200 quarterback with a Joe Mauer-like commitment?

You watch the first few minute of yesterday's game and hope that "Fumble Fingers Cousins" isn't the worst starter the Vikings have had since Ponder.

Otherwise, it's going to be a LONG several seasons.

And my Patriots? They looked worse than the Vikings.

I think I'm going to become a Chief's fan this year. Now, THAT is a team.

I've always wanted an excuse to cut the cord with cable TV. The next few weeks of Vikings football with Fumble Fingers at the helm may be just be the final straw...

Twins Lose

In the bottom of the ninth this time.

Vikings today! Okay, I'm still excited about this season. We now have a kicker who can reportedly kick AND the team is supposed to be pretty good. I expect a win today.

If not, this season is going to turn pretty stinky, pretty quick with the the Rams and the Eagles the next two weeks.

Go Vikings!

And new kicker? A word of advise. We don't tolerate incompetence in your position. If you don't boot it straight we will boot you outta' here!

Twins Lose

In the bottom of the tenth.

BUT, I want to talk more about NFL Thursday night football.

You know primetime football has come a long way from Monday Night Football in the 1990's when your featured match-up on Thursday night is a team that hadn't won a game in 1 1/2 seasons AND the team that got BEAT by them.

I don't even know what channel the game was on, but I do know that it wasn't a game that I was looking for.  I'll tell you that.

Let's just say it wasn't the best of the best. Primetime is no longer prime real estate.

Browns Win!

I like to feel sorry myself as a Minnesota sports fan, but the Cleveland Browns won their first game of the season last night. That snaps a 635 day winless streak.

Yes, the Twins have had a few bad seasons. The Vikings haven't won a Super Bowl. But nothing compares to 635 days without a win.

How they even have fans any more is beyond me.

Go Browns!

Twins Sweep Tigers!

That's four straight wins. Fantastic pitching and hitting for the series.

Go Twins!!

Twins Win Third Straight

At least they have me switching to them during commercial breaks again.

Vikings Get New Place Kicker

As my brother mentioned in a comment to  yesterday's blog. "lol."

My favorite part was the reporters asking Zimmer questions.

"Why?"

Zimmer, "Did you see the game?"

and, "was it a difficult decision?"

Zimmer, " No, it was very easy."

The replacement? It looks like Baily from Dallas. Baily hurt his groin last year and missed some games. He says he healthy now. IF he's healthy, he's been one of the games best kickers, and he's only 30.

It is definitely not a step down.

A good call.

The Twins beat the Tigers last night 6-1.

(Not that most care anymore.)

Twins Actually Win One

The pitching wasn't great, but four home runs makes a difference  on the scoreboard.

Go Twins!

Vikings Miss Win Wide Right...

Three times.

Green Bay fans must have a new hero this morning.

The last time the Vikes had a kicker this bad, they released him the next day. I'm hoping that happens again.

I don't care if he is the highest placed kicker we have ever drafted, there HAS to be someone more consistent than that inside 50 yards available.

I've ragged on our choice of kickers every year I've had a blog, I told myself to be patient this year.

BUT so MANY games are decided by just one player. So many SEASONS are decided by one player.

And that player is your field goal kicker.

Or in our case, a kicker who can't seem to kick field goals.

Twins Kicked By Royals Again

I skipped it all.

The Gophers looked great again yesterday. Non-conference does that for you.

Vikings/Packers today.

MOST say the Vikes are better at every position except one. That one will probably make the difference if he's healthy.

I'm hoping to see most of it.

Go Vikes!!

Twins Give Up Grand Slam in Ninth, Lose

I'm so glad I didn't finish that one.

Twins Lose Late

sigh

To the Royals.

double sigh

Twins Beat the Yankees Again!

I don't mind playing the roll of spoiler in the Yanks play-off plans.

ANYTHING to keep them from advancing is a very good thing.

Go Twins!!!

Twins Win!

10-1 lead ended up a 10-5 win.

Two grand slams in the game were the highlights. Mauer got one of them.

I still enjoy a Twins win. I hope there's still a few more of them coming.

NFL

The Lions and Raiders were embarrassed in their games last night.

Matthew Stafford, one of the highest paid athletes in the history of sports, looked as bad as any quarterback has ever looked.

snicker

People are quick to award QBs with long-term, big-money deals, then, as quickly, realize the error of their ways.

Oh, and the Twins? They got clubbed by the Yankees last night.

As if anyone still cares...

Twins Win!

But I'm going to talk about the Vikings, today.

The Vikings won the first game of the season yesterday by looking great in the first half.

The second half. Not as great. BUT the defense came through with several monster plays when needed, and the offense moved the ball well until stalling midway through the third quarter.

Let's face it. Based on what we all witnessed yesterday, the Vikings are going to have a hard time next week with Aaron Rodgers and that incredible Packer comeback yesterday.

Down 20-0 at one point, the Packers came back, led by their field general's gutsy second half return from injury. It wouldn't have surprised me if many Packer fans went to bed early last night after that first half injury.

If they did, they missed one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.

I did go to bed early, but not after acknowledging that the Packers were most likely going to win.

You just don't bet against Rodgers.

Hoping for a great game next week.

Twins Lose, Vikings!

How bad were the Twins last night? A perfect game against them through eight.

It doesn't matter. The Vikings play at home today. Will their new QB be as good as experts predict.?Will they manage to put together an offensive line to protect him with all the injuries? Will their new place kicker miss the game-winning field goal?

Those in the know say the Pack, Vikes, and Lions are going to be among the elite this year.

We'll see.

I'd love to see the Vikes win a few a  row to start the season.

I just hope they make it through the day with a good win and no injuries.

Twins Win!

The five-game losing streak is now just a distant memory.

Best baseball news story of the day? The two primary Detroit Tigers TV announcers got suspended for the rest of the season for a fight they got into just before a game a few days ago.

17-year veterans in the booth. I can't wait to hear more about that one...

Football!!

The NFL season is upon us.

Philly won with their back-up Super Bowl QB.

Waiting 'til Sunday.

Five Game Losing Streak

9-1 blowout.

Anyone else still watching?

Four Game Losing Streak

See yesterday's advice.

Three Game Losing Streak

Just keep repeating, "It's almost over, it's almost over, it's almost over..."

Twins Clobbered

Aren't you glad it's September?

The Twins gave up 6 home runs and 18 runs total.

I decided to skip that one, as did most.

sigh

Rangers End Five-Game Losing Streak

Against the Twins.

I skipped the whole thing last night.

Twins Win!

I started watching at the right time last night.

The Twins were down 6-0 after four innings, but it was 6-3 with the Twins having the bases loaded in the top of the fifth. That's when I came in.

20 minutes later is was 8-6 Twins, and they went on to win 10-7.

THAT was a fun inning.

Go Twins!!

Kyle Sloter

I know he's a third string back-up QB for the Vikes, and he's playing against backups as well, but he's been the only guy worth watching this preseason for the Vikes.

The Vikes appear to have some great receivers and running backs. I'm just wondering how good the injured O Line will be in front of a high-priced QB that didn't  show much this preseason.

I guess we'll all know in a few days.

Twins Win!

ANY Twins win at this point is cause for celebration.

Go Twins!

Twins Clubbed

I tried to watch for awhile last night and then just quit. No entertainment value at this time at all.

Twins

Mauer passed Rod Carew on the Twins career hit list Friday night. He needed 500 more at bats (about a year's worth) to do it.

At 35, he's had one of his worst seasons this year. That includes missing a month with concussion problems.

I would like this to be his last season.

I don't even think he knows what he's going to do next year.

Twins Lose Third Straight

Thankfully, the season will be coming to end soon...

Twins Lose, But Sano Launches One

And I really liked the Twins' jerseys last night.

Vikings

The Vikings released kicker Kai Forbath this week, giving the job to rookie Daniel Carlson.

Carlson missed two 42 yard field goal attempts in the first half wide left.

sigh

The Vikes went on to win the game when backup QB Kyle Sloter threw a couple 4th quarter TDs.

At least they looked better than last week. AND Seattle kept their starters in into the third quarter.

I hate new kickers and new QBs after a great season.

A lot depends on how the new guys perform. If they're bad, there's not going to be much of a season.

The Twins played as expected last night losing 7-1.

Twins Beat Solid Oakland Squad!

I admit, I'm more curious to see how the Twins do this weekend against a playoff contender like the A's than how they perform against fellow losers like the White Sox and the Tigers.

It will give me a good indication of their base for next season.

So far, they are off to a good start.

So far.

Twins Lose

I'm not into the Twins at all right now.

Twins Win!

In the rain.

Twins Lose

In the rain.

Twins Power Continues

They've now won 5 out of 6 with 13 homers in the last 4 games.

It's like the guys who were supposed to hit home runs finally are.

I'll take it.

Twins, Too Little Too Late

The streak is over.

Vikings Lose, Six Hurt

That was a difficult game by any standard.

Cousins looked awful, and some of those injuries looked season ending.

sigh

Mauer Power! 4-Game Win Streak!

A three-run pinch-hit home run late and good pitching. Just like that, I'm really enjoying the Twins again.

Who would have thunk it?

Santana Awful, Twins Win Anyway!

Santana was saying how much that the Twins got rid of their support system when he lost his last start. Well, let's just say he doesn't have much to talk about.

The Twins staked him to a 8-2 lead last night, AFTER he gave up two runs in the first.

And he STILL had a lousy night. The Twins won 15-8 long after he was gone.

Logan Forsythe? FIVE hits.

Maybe getting rid of Dozier wasn't such a bad idea...

Go Twins!!

Twins Win

Logan Forsythe, a guy we got in the Dozier trade, had three RBI last night, and is batting .386 since we got him.

The bullpen also pitched 5 plus innings of shutout ball.

Go Twins!

Twins Win

It was Polanco and Sano stepping up last night.

They need that.

Go Twins!

Logan Morrison

Logan is done for the season. He needs hip surgery. I seriously doubt that the Twins will pick up his $8 million option for next year with how disappointing he's been this year.

They'll pay him an extra million as a buyout, and Twins fans won't have to suffer through another Logan Morrison at bat.

Ervin Santana Hates the Twins

"They took away all the pieces that made us good." Is a summary of his feelings.
I agree with Santana.

I'm sick of the Twins as well.

And yes, the Twins lost yesterday because they have too many missing pieces.

Vikes Look Good

It's preseason, but WOW, everybody looked really good.

Roc Thomas has afterburner speed. Diggs looked as good as last year. And ALL the QBs looked good.

All that and the Twins won, too.

A good day for Minnesota sports.

Tigers Snap 6-Game Losing Streak

Against hapless Twins.

sigh

Vikings O Line

Three starters are hurt including Nick Easton who is officially out for the season with neck surgery.

sigh...

Bottom of the Ninth...

Indians win.

Again.

And the Twins traded closer, Fernando Rodney.

Let's call it a wrap, shall we?

Bottom of the Ninth...

..Two outs.

A three-run homer.

Twins lose 5-2.

sigh

Twins Look Good

They beat the Indians with very good pitching and Rosario's 4 for 5 hitting.

If the Twins can somehow manage to crawl back to a .500 mark by the end of the season, I'd be happy. I don't expect it, but it'd be enough to keep following.

Lance Lynn Gets Win

For the Yankees.

The Twins without Lynn, lost 10-0 to Cleveland.

sigh

Cave!

Jake Cave has effectively replaced the often injured Byron Buxton in the outfield.

His fielding has been stellar.

Yesterday, he hit a grand slam.

40 games do not a prediction make, but I'd take him over Byron Buxton for the foreseeable future.

The wins swept the Royals this weekend.

Cleveland, still NINE full games ahead of us, is next.

Berrios!

Berrios looked good. The Twins showed some power.

And the guy that closed the game for us, Oliver Drake, played for his FIFTH team this season. No other player, in the entire history of the game, has had major league service for five different teams in one season before.

Go Twins!!

A Long Game

But it was a win. Just waiting for the Vikings now.

Dozier

Brian has two homers and 4 RBI and is batting over .500 in his two games with the Dodgers.

sigh

Twins Lose Again

When your two biggest spark plugs are gone, your going to see more shutouts.

sigh

Twins Lose Game and Dozier

We all knew this day was coming.

Yesterday was the trade deadline. It was the end of Dozier's tenure as a result.

Twins Beat Indians

And traded a couple more guys away.

I WAS looking forward to this series with Cleveland a little over a week ago, but now that the Twins have officially given up, AND they'll probably make more trades today, I've kind of went into "eh" mode.

Unless something beyond reason happens over the next couple weeks, I'll be content to check the scoreboards the morning after from now on.

No sense following the Twins live once they admit that they're dead.

sigh

Twins Lose Third Straight

No Escobar for three straight. Not a coincidence.

Twins Lose Again

It's hard to watch the Twins without Escobar. I know WHY the trade was made. I just hate not seeing my favorite player.

More trades are sure to come.

Twins Comeback, Lose In 10

You know, losing this way to one of the very best teams in baseball, is nothing to be ashamed of.

Great game. Disappointing ending.

Go Twins!!

Gibson!

The Twins beat the Red Sox!

At Boston!

FOUR Straight Wins!

Woo!!

Twins Sweep Jays

6 runs in the 11th.

That's kind of unusual. The Twins are now exactly where they were a week ago. 6 below .500 and 7 1/2 games back.

They can tread water with the best of them!

Nice to see that Santana is back.

The schedule gets decidedly more difficult with the Red Sox up next.

Twins Look Great!

Another  fantastic pitching performance. Another night that showed us why Escobar is so valuable.

5-0.

A very good game. Bonus? It was in Toronto, so the game was over by 8:45.

I made by bedtime.

Twins Win

I have to admit, I was pretty close to quitting the Twins this season after the weekend sweep, and with so many Twins projected to leave over the next couple of weeks.

BUT last night's game was fun again. Power and pitching dominated.

This time of year, you just want to see YOUR team win.

Last night they did just that. I'll hang on awhile longer...

Twins Swept By Worst Team In Baseball

The Royals had not swept a series since last year at this time.

I'm done.

Royals Beat Twins Again

sigh

Twins Start Second Half With Loss

To the Royals.

sigh

Cleveland Just Got Better

During the break, the Indians strengthened their bullpen, acquiring both a closer and solid middle relief man, from the Padres.

That kind of cements the division for Cleveland.

The Twins made no moves at all, probably showing us they are going to be getting rid of players and contracts, not keeping them.

Though anything could happen. The probability of the Twins getting back into the race changed dramatically during the break.

That's baseball.

Machado

During the All Star game, Manny Machado was asked about his trade to the Dodgers while standing in his Orioles uniform.

Everybody knew that it was happening, though it hadn't officially happened YET.

Now it's happened. And the Dodgers are once more showing they have more money and power in this game than anyone.

I used to like baseball, but teams like the Dodgers make me like it less than I used to.

It doesn't help than typical 9-inning games last upwards of 4 hours now.

It used to be my favorite sport.

I'm just glad there is still football.

A.L. Wins

It was a typical All Star Game (2-1 through 6 innings) and then...

BOOM

final 8-6 in 10.

Twins had no impact. I went to bed after 6.

The outcome doesn't matter any more.

For those who stayed up, it was fun.

Break Thoughts

The Twins had a great home stand before this week's break, going 9-2 against primarily weaker opponents.  They picked up 4 games in the standings by doing this.

BUT Twins management is realistic. They are still 7 1/2 games back of Cleveland with a more difficult schedule coming in the next few weeks. My guess is that they start dumping contracts and making trades over the next few weeks realizing this season is over. Cutting costs and preparing for next season is what teams like ours do. That's the way they survive.

Logan Morrison has been an absolute bust for the Twins this season. He's currently on the DL.

Logan Morrison is who the Twins, as a team, have been this year. A bust. Expectations were so much higher than the results.

We'll see when the changes start taking place.

sigh

Dozier!!

Brian Dozier produced a benches clearing altercation with a balk call, and later finished the game with a bases clearing grand slam in extra innings.

All in all, it's been a really good couple of weeks for Twins baseball.

Rays Club Twins

The less said the better.

Twins Out-Club Rays

Tampa Bay has been a bit of a hot streak lately. The Twins have, too.

Last night the bats came out to play, and the Twins outlasted the Rays 11-8.

It's one thing to beat teams like Baltimore and KC, but it's something else entirely to beat the red-hot Rays. That makes two straight with two more to go.

Go Twins!!

(AND have I mentioned lately, how much I'm actually enjoying Joe Mauer? Yes, we're paying him too much, but the last season and a half he looks like someone who knows how to play the game again. His bat, last night, was outstanding.)

Go Twins!!

Twins Win Again!

Despite the rain delay, Kyle Gibson was superb.

Rosario hit another homer as well.

Keep going Twins. Now 7 1/2 games out and 7 below .500.

Twins Win!

Cleveland won, too. Still 8 1/2 back.

Dozier's bat is looking better as of late.

Streaks Ended

The Royals had lost 10 straight.
The Twins had won 5 straight.

Something was bound to give.

FIVE Straight Wins!

Escobar and Berrios, the two Twins All-Stars, led the way.

Yes, KC is as bad as Baltimore, but winning against bad teams is what you have to do to get back in the race.

Go Twins!!

Twins Club, Sweep Orioles!

Okay, the Orioles are one of the worst teams in the league. BUT, it was a four game sweep, and that six game losing streak doesn't look as serious, now.

AND 10-1 is not a bad score.

Go Twins!

Gibson Makes It THREE Straight for the Twins!

breathing easier these days

Twins Have 2-Game Win Steak!

A few more of those would get me interested again...

Twins Win

The 6-game losing streak is over.

They are still 11 1/2 games back however. What's weird is that they are STILL in second place in the division.

3-2 Loss, Late

sigh

No Runs

Just two hits.

sigh

Twins Lose

A bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th.

sigh

LeBron a Laker

We'll see if they make more moves as well.

LeBron is good, but he's always needed lots of help.

Arrggh!!

Down 9-1 after 4.

Lose 11-10.

heavy sigh

sigh

You play over 4 hours and score 9 runs and you still get clobbered?

Berrios and Twins Have Rough Night

sigh

Thirteen Innings

2-1

WIN!

It's something.

Twins Lose

8 1/2 back

Anybody else got the feeling that it's over?

Twins Lose

7 1/2 games back

sigh

Buxton

Byron Buxton's toe is healed but the Twins are keeping him on his AAA assignment a bit longer. We're scheduled to face 4 right-handers in a row the next 4 games, and Buxton couldn't hit them if his life depended on it.

He'll come up when lefties are scheduled.

I think...

Berrios!!!

7 innings 12 strikeouts

2-0 win

contented sigh

Twins Clobbered Again

I try not to think about it.

sigh

Texas Wins SIX Straight

And the Twins were their latest victim collecting just 3 hits.

sigh

Twins Clobbered, Escobar Plunked

They were only down 2-0 early.

9-2 was the final. Escobar getting hit by a pitch in the first certainly didn't make things easier.

sigh

Kepler!

The Twins beat another top pitcher last night with power added from Kepler and Grossman.

The biggest problem? Cleveland has 4 straight wins. We're still 5 1/2 games back.

little sigh

Our starting pitching has been good as of late. Cleveland has got to start losing. We are not in a strong division. I seriously doubt a wild-card team is coming from the A.L. Central this year...

Escobar! Berrios!

Chris Sale is Boston's best.

Berrios matched him last night. And Escobar's bat game to life, late leading the Twins to a 6-2 win over the Sox!

WOOO!

Go Twins!

Cleveland Wins

The Twins find themselves further back in the standings...

Twins Lose

It doesn't bother me that we lost, but Cleveland just brought their pitcher up from the minors, and we only scored ONE RUN.

sigh

5 games back again.

Rosario!

Four hits, all on the first pitch.

Twins club Cleveland two games in a row. They go for the series sweep this afternoon.

Sadly, the Sleepy Eye boys lost in the championship yesterday. The golf team? They WON the state title this week. A good year for Sleepy Eye sports.

Twins Clobber Kluber

Clubbing Kluber is not a common experience, but the Twins clubbed Kluber like a baby seal last night, embarrassing the A.L. Cy Young winner. The Twins are 5 back again. Gibson, despite his win total, has been pitching great for the Twins. Last night they finally gave him some run support.

In other baseball news, the Sleepy Eye Indians are in the state final today after having pitched a no-hitter and a two-hitter in the first two games of the tournament.

Go Sleepy Eye!!!

You can see highlights at KEYC.com if you wish.

sigh

1-0 lead after 6.
Lost 3-1.

sigh

2-1 lead after seven.

5-2 final.

Adrianza!

The Twins didn't do much offensively last night, but what they did do left its mark.

Adrianza hit a grand slam. The rest of the Twins offense got another couple runs and the Twins went on to win 6-4.

The Tigers lost the game and Miguel Cabrera last night. Miguel ruptured his left biceps tendon and will be out the rest of the season.

With Cleveland losing, the Twins find themselves alone in second place, 5 games out.

Go Twins!

Twins Now 6 Games Back

Cleveland shut out the White Sox last night 4-0.

Twins Win

The ending was a little sketchy, but they held on to win 7-5. Escobar leads the majors with 26 doubles!

5 1/2 games back in third.

2-1

sigh

Our pitching is great, but our hitting is poor. That seems to be the story league-wide. These types of games determine the winners versus the also-rans.

sigh

Justify

Though I still think horse racing is way too dangerous to the animals involved (literally thousands of deaths every single year world-wide), I have to acknowledge the horses that perform exceptionally.

Justify won the Triple Crown yesterday with a wire to wire race. An amazing animal. American Pharoah did it in 2015. Before that, you have to go back 40 years or so.

I just wish that so many horse didn't have to break their legs and be put down for this "sport" to be successful.

Twins Lose Late, Warriors Squash the Cavs

For the first time in many years, I decided to watch most of the NBA's last game of the season.

Why? Because the Warriors were winning, and then started piling it on.

Yes, my favorite team won, but it's so much more than that. I wasn't forced to sit through the final five minutes of a close game, where there's nothing but timeouts, fouls, and downtime. A game like this? You can ENJOY instead of tolerate.

A bad ref call at the end, or a questionable foul late didn't cause LeBron and the Cavs to lose.

Golden State did.

And THAT is the way it should be.

Go Warriors!!!

The Twins? Good pitching early. Not so good late. The Twins are not one of the elite teams in the league. They can hold their own against most division foes, but they play in one of the weakest divisions in baseball. And at best their bullpen is suspect. Last night they lost to a better team.

Golden Knights Lose

Until this morning, I didn't even know the NHL had a team from Las Vegas called the Golden Knights.

The same thing happened a few years ago when I found out about the Columbus Blue jackets.

To say I am out of touch with the league would not be inaccurate.

Go Wild, though!!!

Escobar, Rosario, Berrios!

WIN!!!!

Warriors Take 3-0 Lead In Series

Durant had 43!

I don't know how Houston had the best record in the NBA this year. The Warriors have so much talent, I don't even know how they lose.

Speaking of losing.

Twins.

sigh

Twins Split, 4 Games Back

Still in it. Escobar was the hero of the first game.

Still interested and it's June.

Go Twins!

Casey Mize

The Tigers picked first in the baseball draft yesterday. As expected, they chose Casey Mize as baseball's top pick.  Scouts have really praised this pitcher, saying he's the best starting candidate they've seen in a long time.

His splitter gets the most notice. The Twins should see him more than most over the years being he's A.L. Central bound. I admit I'll be watching for him.

Curry Drains 9 Threes!

Golden State leads the series 2-0.

Go Warriors!

Eddie!

The Twins look pretty good when one one of their players hits 3 homers in one game.

Rosario now leads the Twins in every meaningful offensive category.

Go Eddie! Go Twins!

Lynn!!

Lance Lynn has three straight wins. The Twins are 4 1/2 back again.

Even with the depressing news about Santana's finger and Mauer's continuing concussion problems, the Twins are still trying.

A 7-1 win against the division leading Indians? That's a good start.

Go Twins!!

Escobar!!!

I admit, having no internet for 4 days (while the Twins were losing) put me in a bad mood about sports.

BUT

I watched the game last night and saw some pretty good pitching and hitting. The Twins won.

AND

I'm back on board. I just needed something positive to get me interested again.

Go TWINS!!!!!!

Twins Lose Again

I'm kinda' done here. Down 8-0. They come back and tie it. And then lose 9-8.

Cleveland is on a roll. The Twins are rolling down hill.

Fast.

Until there is something more to talk about, I'm not doing much with this blog anymore.

At least the Warriors won. It sounds like quite a game at the end of regulation. OT is where the Warriors put it away.

Sigh

For anyone that stayed up to 1 a.m. this morning to watch, you got to see the Twins beat with a home run in the 12th.

Another well pitched game by both teams.

Another loss by the Twins.

Twins Lose

2-1

Pitching duel.

Again.

sigh

NBA

I haven't been following the playoff games too closely this season. It appears Houston is the better team this year against an ailing Warrior line-up. And it looks like the young Celtics are giving the aging Cleveland team a run for their money, even with the renewed LeBron.

IF it's Warriors-Celtics, I'll probably watch some of the finals. If its anything else, probably not.

You actually have to have a reason to watch...

Twins Lose

They pitched better than we did.

The funny highlight? Dozier getting a ball stuck IN the centerfield wall. 3 inches from being a home run.

It ended up being a ground-rule double.

Lance Lynn!!

Another day, another great pitching performance.

And the Twins picked up Chris Carter (2016's NL home run champ) yesterday after dropping Hughes.

Interesting season so far. Just one game back.

Berrios!

Another great start. Another late win.

Go Twins!!

Jake Odorizzi!

Yes, Morrison had that big bases loaded double, late, but Jake Odorizzi's starting performance is what kept the game in hand.

Fun game. Good win.

Go Twins!

Twins Lose

And Mauer's out. (Concussion protocol)

They are gradually fading again.

Twins Clobbered

It's a long season.

I tuned in late. Saw we're down 5-0. And decided I can try again tomorrow.

Lance Lynn

The Twins picked up the veteran right-hander this year knowing his career WORST ERA was 3.97.

So far this year with the season about 1/4 over? 7.47, with 29 walks in 37 innings.

sigh

The Twins keep pitching him because Ervin Santana' finger rehab (which was supposed to keep him out a "couple of starts") is ongoing. He hasn't even officially started a rehab assignment yet.

double sigh

Why is Lynn still in there with so many younger options available?

Lynn's $12 million contract.

triple sigh

Twins Lose

I realized something yesterday. I can no longer watch a Twins game when they get behind early.

This is a radical paradigm shift for me. I used to at least keep it on as background so that I could see any possible comebacks, but now I turn it off and check every half hour or so on the internet to see if I should start watching again.

Since they never did come back yesterday. I never felt compelled to turn the game back on.

I guess with so much more to do, the Twins aren't as big a deal as they used to be for me.

Perhaps I'm growing up.

Or perhaps other interests have grown.

I still like watching when they're winning. And as of late, that's been more frequent.

Go Twins!

Twins Win!

Berrios looked great.

Cleveland lost.

1/2 game back again.

WOOO!

Twins Lose Pitcher's Duel, Again

1-0.

Sigh.

Twins Lose Pitcher's Duel

I can't complain. It was close. They split with a very good Angels club. AND, most importantly, they seem to be playing very well again.

Go Twins!

Twins Win In 11

I didn't stay up to finish it, but what I saw was very good.


Go Twins!!

Just half a game back!

Rosario! Rally! Win!

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

Twins Lose To Angels

Ohtani hit his fifth homer and pitches on Sunday.

Cleveland won, too.  1 1/2 games back again.

Twins In California This Weekend

I'll miss most of these games sleeping.

Sunday: Romero Vs. Ohtanhi is scheduled.

I'm betting we see a lot of fastballs.

Ordorizzi Makes It FIVE Straight.

And the hitting was good.

AND Cleveland lost!

1/2 game back!!

Wooooo!!!!

Romero Makes It FOUR In A Row!

Romero has made 2 starts for the Twins, now, and both have been shutouts.

The Twins are definitely back on my radar.

(smiles all around)

1 1/2 games back...

Three In A Row!

TWO back!!!!

Twins Win TWO In A Row!!

Not a misprint.

AND, because the division is SO POOR, they are only 3 games out of first.

Maybe they could get me interested again.

Go Twins!!

Twins Lose On Walk-Off Home Run

I think I'm going to do something else with my time this summer.

Fernando Romero!

Major league debut.

Twins win!

Shutout.

Only 4 1/2 games back...

Twins Lose In 10th

sigh

Twins Lose

Again.

I stopped watching and reading about, BUT I'm fascinated by how bad they got so quickly...

Courtney Cronin

You may or may not recognize the name, but Courtney is an ESPN staff writer that followed the Vikings draft.

All I can say is, "Wow! She knows her stuff."

Her analysis  of our offensive line needs , and the draft overall was amazing and spot on. If you have a chance look her articles up. She covered this better than anyone.

Twins Blown Out

Again.

Twins Win One!

And Buxton is out with a broken big toe.

8 Straight Losses

This looks like it's going be a nightmare season...

Rodney Painful

When a 60-year old (or so) closer comes into the ninth with a 3-1 lead, you shouldn't expect more than what you get.

The final 4-3. The losing streak is now at 7.

heavy sigh

Minnesota Sports

The Wolves eliminated. The Twins on a 6-game losing streak.

Not much to talk about.

Twins Lose Again

8-3.

The pitching is dead.

Twins Blasted by Yankees

14-1.

sigh

Wolves Blasted by Rockets

Ricky Rubio?

His new team, the Jazz, now have a 3-1 lead in their playoff series with the Thunder.

sigh

Twins

26 runs given up on the weekend. They lost all three.

sigh

Twins Tanked

Just awful.

Wolves Sink The Best Team In the League

AND...

...they looked GOOD doing it.

That's the first playoff win for the Wolves in a really, really long time.

More, please!

Twins Comeback, Lose Stupidly

sigh

And the Wild were eliminated last night, too.

sigh

Pujols

Albert Pujols got his 600th homer last year, and he's within 10 hits of 3,000. He'll probably get his 2,000th RBI this year, too.

But reading an article about him, yesterday, made me admire him more.

He has never struck out 100 times in a season.

For a guy known for his power, that stat is amazing. Yes, he's more than a power hitter. His .305 lifetime batting average tells us that. But when guys that big swing that hard and don't have a 100 strikeout season on their resume, that's really impressive.

17 years in the majors and no failed drug test, either. I'm rooting for this guy. I always have.

Twins win 2-1 in 16 innings!

Lots of pitching. Nobody even scored until the 14th!

Houston Crushes Wolves

It's nice to get to the play-offs, but it'd be even nicer to do something with the opportunity.

Wild Lose

They're down 3 games to 1 to the Jets. I don't think they're coming back from this.

Twins Lose

No big deal. Cleveland is great and they had three days off, too. Corey Kluber and a rested Indian bullpen.

The Twins didn't have a chance.

Baseball

With the Twins held hostage by winter, I figure I'd talk a little about Bartolo Colon.

The Twins got the biggest, oldest pitcher in baseball last year as a stop-gap. I questioned the decision, but his last few starts last year were spectacular. He's pitching for the Rangers this year, and had a perfect game going into the eighth inning against Justin Verlander and the Astros Sunday night on ESPN.

Neither stater got the win as the game went 10 innings.

But Colon this year? 1.45 ERA in 18 innings so far. Still throwing primarily fastballs.

He'll wear out someday. Not just yet, though.

Not just yet.

Wolves Lose

They outscored Houston in the second half, though...

Snowed Out

As I type this at 7:05 Sunday morning, it's still snowing. Snowblowers went through late yesterday by friendly neighbors and it is all blown in again.

Best guess at this point? Well over a foot of snow, which makes over 2 feet of snow in April, with another 6 inches or so predicted for Wednesday.

It took President Trump a year to fix the economy and only two years to fix global warming.

Go Trump!!!

Twins

Because of weather, the Twins didn't play last night. They most likely won't play today, and they might not get tomorrow's game in either.

And they have Monday AND Tuesday scheduled as off days.

And then they play Cleveland on Wednesday in Puerto Rico!

Baseball is not what it once was.

On the other hand, the Wild finds themselves down 2-0 in their playoff series.

Somethings never change.

The Wolves? They start their series with Houston, the team with the best record in the NBA this season, on Sunday night.

Does anybody REALLY expect an upset in that one?

Minnesota Sports

It's been a nice run for Minnesota sports lately. EVERYBODY made the playoffs in the last year.

The Wild and Wolves are still playing. The Lynx took the WNBA crown. The Vikings made it to the NFC championship game. And the Twins are taking up where they left off last season.

Go Minnesota!

Twins Win! Mauer number 2000!!

Berrios had 11 strikeouts in 7 shutout innings.

The other three games with the Sox this weekend? We'll see what the weather produces.

Bottom Of The Ninth, Two Outs...

...Kepler hits his second home run of the game.

Twins Win! Twins Win! Twins Win!

A pretty good start to the season. Now if the weather would only start cooperating...

Wolves!

For the first time in 14 years, the Wolves have clinched a playoff spot. In OT, on the last day of the season, against the other team going for that same spot. The last 6 minutes of game time and 5 minutes of O.T.? That took 47 minutes of real clock time.

That really needs to be fixed.

But congrats to the Wolves. 14 years is a long time!!

Seniors in highschool ready to graduate weren't even in kindergarten yet the last time the Wolves made the playoffs.

It's no wonder an entire generation of Minnesota fans had lost interest.

Odorizzi, Twins Win

That was a real long, cold game, but Odorizzi got his first win as Brian Dozier walked 4 times.

I'll take it. Today's game should be much warmer.

Minnesota Sports

The Wolves won last night. Wednesday is their last game of the season. Only ONE playoff spot is open, and that spot will either go to the Wolves or the Nuggets.

Did I mention the last game of the season is at home against the Nuggets?

It's basically a one game play-off to see who makes it to the post season. The loser is done for the year.


The Twins lost on the frozen tundra again last night. Their games would be much more comfortable to watch if the temperature was above freezing.

Japanese Babe Ruth

I mentioned that he had hit home runs in three straight games a couple of days ago,

He gave up one hit in seven shutout innings yesterday.

This guy is so cool...

Minnesota

The Twins got clobbered in the cold yesterday.

The Wolves still have not secured a play-off spot. And may not, with the Nuggets on such a roll.

The Wild have secured a spot in the play-offs and have had a winning record, now, for six straight seasons. They never get far enough to brag, though.

Minnesota Duluth? They won the NCCA hockey championship last night! Go Bulldogs!!

Japanese Babe Ruth

During the off-season, I mentioned that the Twins were after Japan's greatest prospect in years. Not only could he hit, he was very good at pitching as well. As a result he was nicknamed the Japanese Babe Ruth.

He ended up signing with the Angels.

His home run streak is now 3 games.

sigh

Twins!

Three more home runs. A bullpen that hasn't given up a run in 4 games!

All that and the men's gold-medal Olympic curling team throwing out the first pitch (all five of them, horribly)!

Go Twins!!

Dozier!

The Twins rallied to win yesterday and Dozier now has 4 homers in five games.

It was cold and snowing most of the game. I guess that gets them ready for the upcoming home stand.

Lots of Cold And Snow

The Twins home opener is tomorrow. Predicted high? 37.

I still think they should have a dome. This next week is going to be rough baseball weather.

They finish with Pittsburgh today. I still don't understand planning a day off between a two-game series, especially this early in the season. Today should have been the travel day...

Twins 2-2 On The Season

That first inning was disappointing.

The Twins outscored the Pirates 4-0 the rest of the way.

And Dozier blasted another one.

But we still lost.

sigh

Berrios!

Complete game, 3-hit shutout.

4 more home runs! Dozier got TWO.

STILL no runs given up by the starters.

Go Twins!

Twins!

A no-hitter into the eighth. No earned runs by starters so far.

And the offense is showing some life with THREE solo homers: Sano, Castro, and Kepler.

WHOOO!!!

Wolves Win Two In A Row!

With 5 games left in the regular season, the Wolves are still hoping for a play-off spot. They are sitting pretty good right now.

Go Wolves!

Twins Lose

The new starter was great!

Hitting?

Late inning pitching?

161 games left.

Opening Day!

I like that baseball is starting early and for everyone. More days off. More resting starters.

2:05 (Central) at Baltimore.

GO TWINS!!!

Hughes On DL

The Twins say he will be eligible to pitch as the fifth starter when he returns, so hopefully the oblique strain is not too serious.

Vikings Third In ESPN Power Poll For Next Season

Behind the Patriots and Eagles.

Which, when you think about it, is where they were when the season ended, too.

Yankees Have 7th Highest Payroll!

Red Sox top the list with $223 million.
The Giants are second with $203 million.
The Cubs are third with $183 million.

The Yankees? Only $167 million.

Considering that the Twins border on $100 million every year, I find that Yankee figure absolutely amazing. BUT, teams did make an honest effort this year not to break the bank on free agent spending. Good for them.

Baseball doesn't have to make average players rich. The guys with good stats all get paid very well.

That's the way it should be.

Kennys Vargas

You remember how the Twins waived Vargas?

Well, Cincinnati  claimed him and immediately put him on waivers so they could send him to their Triple A affiliate. They hoped that no one else would claim him.

But the Twins had Polanco suspended since then so they had a spot open on their 40-man roster.

Guess who they claimed off waivers from the Reds?

Yep, you guessed it.

Vargas is now on the Twins 40-man protected roster again.

It's a whole new game of musical Vargas...

Wolves Lose

Minnesota teams down the stretch.

So Close

My nephew had 20 points on 10-14 shooting. He held the best player in Division II in check defensively when he was in there.

But they missed a 3-point play on the last shot of the game and lost to the number 1 ranked division II team in the country by TWO.

sigh

Were there a couple real iffy calls? Of course.  It was basketball after all.

Great game. Disappointing outcome.

Delighted with my nephew's performance either way.

Wolves Win!

That guarantees them their first winning, above .500 season, since 2005.

And they could still do a lot more. I'm hopeful but not overly optimistic.

Still their best season in more than a decade. AND they do have a much better team this year.

Go Wolves!

Division II Championship Game Today

It's rare that my family and a major sporting event go hand in hand, but today MY nephew is starting in a National Championship game ON a major network.

CBS. 2 p.m. (Central)

I'm pumped. They are 37-3 so far this year and are as good as any team in the country.

The only possible drawback? We are having a major blizzard here today and that may cause some localized power outages. It's happened before during big storms. Barring  catastrophe, I'll get  to see MY nephew play for the title.

How cool is that?

It seems like only yesterday I was playing one-on-one with him in his backyard. He was in fifth grade at the time and he clobbered me. It was his long shots that killed me. I just couldn't defend him. It didn't help that he was taller and faster than me as well.

When he was born, days after birth. he looked like a long mutant bodybuilder. No kidding. And I mean that with all cute sincerity. He was the most naturally muscular kid you ever laid eyes on.

I had a snowball fight with him when he was four and he nailed me so hard with a throw from fifty feet away that it took my breath away. Right in the stomach. And I was in my prime back then.

He was, and continues to be, a great kid.

Like I said, I'm pumped.

Go 6 foot 11 Carter Evans! Win that national championship!!

WHOOO!!!!

Northern State University Wolves

I know most of you have never heard of this team, but my nephew, 6 foot 11 inch, Carter Evans, plays for them.

Last night on the CBS Sports Channel (CBS version of ESPN) which is on my cable system, Carter's team won their semi-final Division II game in double overtime 105-99. Saturday he and the Wolves go for the National Championship!

Co Carter! Go Wolves!!

WHOOO!!!!!

WWE

I was waiting to see if the return of Daniel Bryan would have a major impact on Smackdown's ratings before writing about it.

There was an uptick of about 100,000 viewers this week once word got out that he had been cleared after 2 years of concussion watch. The ratings rise was good, but, being this is Wrestlemania season, the ratings may have gone up this week without him.

Personally, Daniel Bryan is my favorite WWE performer since the Rock was in his prime. His impact last time around was felt by some very vocal fans, but the WWE (Vince) never fully embraced him as the company's face. I'd be more enthusiastic about his return if I knew the WWE would push him as hard as they have pushed Roman Reigns the last two years.

Bryan got over naturally. Reigns still isn't over.

I don't see the WWE changing their stance on Bryan this time around, though. I'm thrilled he's back, but I won't enjoy him being back unless they allow him to be one of the top two or three guys.

For the first time in about 2 years, I'm looking forward to the the WWE product. I hope they don't disappoint me.

Wolves Win

After losing 5 of their last 6.

Vikings Cut Jarius Wright

They thought that they'd re-sign him with a better restructured contract, but Jarius had other ideas.

The first loss because of the big QB contract.

That's how it works. Latavius Murray IS coming back for a year (at least) with HIS restructured deal.

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose.

Polanco

Those home runs came with a price.

Wolves Lose

A pattern is developing.

Wolves Lose

Anybody else get the feeling they aren't going to make much of an impact this season either?

Vargas

As I predicted a couple of weeks ago, Kennys Vargas has been sent back to the minors. At this point, any team can claim him off waivers.

There's just not a need for 12 or 13 DH/first basemen on your team.

Vikings Just Got Better

With some  free agent money still burning a hole in their pocket, the Vikings picked up the top defensive tackle on the market, Sheldon Richardson. Many call this move a game-changer

Cool.

The Vikings and the Super Bowl are now occurring in the same sentence for a lot of commentators.

We'll see. I'm not counting any chickens just yet.

It Finally Happened!

I make fun of the NCCA basketball tournament on a regular basis. Too many teams. Too many games. And too many one-sided losses.

But given enough monkeys and enough typewriters, some monkey is bound to write a Shakespeare play...

Last night it happened. A number 16 seed beat a number 1 seed, and they did it rather handedly, 74-54.

 UMBC (don't ask me what it stands for) beat Virginia.

The tournament is still too long with too many teams, but if anyone was watching last night, they got a real treat.

Go UMBC!!

And if you win enough games, I'll look up what those letters stand for.

Maybe!

Buster Olney: ESPN quote

"By getting a lot done at a low cost, the case could be made that Minnesota spent this winter becoming the most improved team in all of baseball..."

Me: Our latest cheap acquisition, Lance Lynn. struck out five and gave up no hits in three innings in his Twins debut yesterday.

(smiles all around)

Siemian

It LOOKS like the Vikings are going to sign a pretty good back-up QB in the next day or so. Denver, now that they have Case Keenum, are going to trade their starter, Trevor Simian to the Vikes. He's had some shoulder surgery as of late, so he's a little risky.

Of course, the Cousins deal isn't done just yet, the Vikings hope to have THAT deal finished today.

We're all just waiting.