Minnesota sports fans, the long-suffering bunch that we are, apparently have to suffer through another rough winter season of mediocrity. Actually, that word doesn’t apply to the “professional” basketball team. That’s just one big bucket of suck.
Wild hockey. It’s not fantastic. Watching the Bruins school the Minnesota “professional” hockey team 4-0 after two periods of play. I shudder to think how much further ahead Boston would be if the Wild hadn’t blocked 10 shots through two periods. This team cannot score goals consistently enough to win.
But how do you go about finding good offense to add to the roster with the salary cap situation and two contracts that are taking up more of that cap than they should? Minnesota sports STARTS with hockey. We call ourselves the “State of Hockey” for a reason, right?
What is it with Minnesota sports? The Wild are stuck in neutral and multiple games away from the playoffs. The Timberwolves aren’t even a blip on the sports radar in the Twin Cities. Oh my goodness, are they bad.
I know Gersson Rojas and Ryan Saunders have a plan that involves a lot of threes. It’s an offense tailored to the modern NBA game. But they don’t have players talented enough to play that system well. Isn’t that like trying to force a square peg through a round hole? As a coach, don’t you want to at least somewhat build your offense based on the skillset of your current roster?
Minnesota sports confuse me, especially when it comes to the professional football team. An 11-win season and the second round of the NFL playoffs look good on paper. They beat precisely one team with a winning record, and we were all impressed with that win in New Orleans. But then you don’t put up any kind of a fight in San Francisco? It took me back to the Philadelphia fiasco and the day the Vikings laid one of their biggest eggs in a long line of said eggs. They didn’t show up at all when they had a chance to be the first team in the NFL to HOST a Super Bowl in their home stadium.
I’d say there’s a pattern forming in which the Vikings aren’t prepared for their biggest games. Is that coaching or is that on the players?
I’m starting to sour on the purple. So, Mike Zimmer wants to run the ball? Fine. Then WHY did you invest $84 million in a quarterback who breaks when a defensive lineman gets within ten yards and put him behind an O line that can’t block elite pass rushers? Why did we invest around $30 million in two wide receivers? I’m seeing some mixed messages there. You tailor your offense to play off the strengths of your roster, right?
Maybe it’s just me. Man, I used to schedule my Sundays around Vikings games. Now it’s kind of blasé. I’m sure I’ll keep watching but with much less interest than ever before. If you believe what you see on social media (be careful about that), I’m starting to wonder if the NFL might be looking for some new fans within 5 to 10 years?
Things like this are why I’m more interested in watching college sports than a professional event. They’re still kids out there having fun. The atmosphere is more upbeat as well.
Maybe I’m just mellowing in my middle age. Sports aren’t quite the be-all, end-all that they used to be. Is that normal as fans age?
At least spring training is coming up quickly.