BEFORE WE START: The video of Minnesotan Jessie Diggins curled up in the snow howling in pain from her bruised ribs after crossing the finish line in the 10K competition Thursday morning is both hard to watch and inspirational. That was a hard-earned bronze medal. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/diggins0212
THE OPENER: Shouldn’t we be feeling good about sports right now? The Olympics are going on and spring training, the most hopeful of sports rituals, is starting up. The Super Bowl at least gave us a super halftime show, in addition to vindication for Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold. The Wild are starting the Olympic hiatus tied for the second most points in the NHL and the Wolves are winning at more than a 60% pace. But things feel off-kilter right now. I’m hoping my annoyances are a passing thing. But you came here, so I’m going to share some of them. Then, we’ll get to the good stuff, I promise. — Howard Sinker
HOPE SPRING ETERNAL? Pfffft. That’s the traditional phrase cited by struggling baseball teams as their pitcher and catchers report to soring training, even if its proper roots trace back to the 18th Century English poet Alexander Pope as opposed to, say, the 1987 promotions department of the Twins. I don’t think I’ve ever felt less enthusiasm in my midst for the start of baseball. This Star Tribune player-by-player look at the 62 guys heading for Twins’ training camp is filled with these tidbits of mediocrity: “He didn’t play a ton at spring training but his attitude is rewarded . . . A .138 career hitter in the big leagues who can play shortstop and center field. . . . Nine homers and 28 doubles in 140 games for Miami last year while posting a below-average .674 OPS. . . . Excluding rehab assignments, he has played only 96 games over the past two seasons. . . . He didn’t play well when given the starting shortstop job last season.” You can find all those phrases here. ROSTER PREVIEW: https://fluence-media.co/roster0212
WHAT ELSE IS WRONG? How about the Timberwolves failing miserably last weekend in losses to horrible Utah (17-37) followed by a disorganized 19-point loss to the Clippers (25-27). Winning their next two games did little but cement the inconsistency that has them closer to the play-in tournament than the top of the standings table. The week-long All-Star break starts today and I’m coming off my previously stated position that all will be well in time for the playoffs. This team just may not be coachable, at least for any extended period of time before the bad habits return. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/nba0212
AND THE VIKINGS: One living-room discussion during the Super Bowl centered on how quickly and readily former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was bashed around by unnamed Vikings personnel after his firing. The organization appeared to go from standing-as-one mode to a free-for-all of criticism. How did this happen when the Vikings are the most closely covered team in Minnesota? Where was the source-informed speculation that something was amiss before Adofo-Mensah was let go? My comparisons are to the Rocco Baldelli firing by the Twins at the end of last season (most recent) and date back to run-ups in changes of head coaches by the Wild and Timberwolves, the firings of Gophers football and basketball coaches and the reporting that surrounded the Wolves ownership battle. Those were multipart dramas. The Vikings mess was a tornado that swept through with no time to prepare.
U HOCKEY COLLAPSE: Via Jess Myers at Pioneer Press. My vote for the most under-reported Minnesota sports story of the winter has been the brutal collapse of the Gophers men’s hockey team and the reasons behind it. In fact, until Wednesday’s Pioneer Press story, the U’s struggles had been pretty much an untold tale. CONTEXT: If the Gophers finish the season with their current .362 winning percentage, it would be their worst season since 1971-72, when they went 8-24 (.250). So we’re talking about multi-generationally bad season, right? WHAT HAPPENED? The Gophers failed to bring in fresh talent when college hockey eligibility rules changed to allow players from Canada’s top junior leagues to play. Also, six players left the team for pro hockey after last season, although only three are currently playing in the NHL. A case can also be made that Minnesota suffers compared to schools where hockey is the front-and-center sport and offering more in NIL and other financial benefits.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Gophers are planning on several top Canadian junior players joining the team in 2026 and 2027, including former Wayzata star Jacob Kvasnicka. Still, coach Bob Motzko doesn’t sound like a coach intending to take aggressive, if belated, advantage of the new rules. VERBATIM: “As college hockey evolves, Motzko sees the Gophers program evolving with it, for the better. ‘Is it changing? For sure it is. It just broadens where you’re looking and what you’re paying attention to. . . . Are we ever going to go heavy into all of it? No. We’re going to navigate the waters the way we need to navigate the waters.” STORY: https://fluence-media.co/uhockey0212
GOBERT VS. FINCH: Via Britt Robson at MinnPost. The lack of effort shown by the Wolves became a hissing match between center Rudy Gobert and coach Chris Finch during the homestand that ended Wednesday. Gobert went off after last Friday’s loss to Utah, saying that if players don’t hold themselves accountable, the coaches need to step up. GOBERT: “It should start with ourselves but it seems like we don’t have that, so at some point I think from the coaches, yeah. It is not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something that you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that you just can’t be a winning team. It starts with me. If I’m not showing effort, bench me. Take me out of the game. Everybody else will follow. Our best players, leaders, if you don’t show any effort, it doesn’t matter if you score 50, we’re not going to win. At some point, if we’re not mature enough to have that accountability ourselves, that might be a solution.”
FINCH’S REBUTTAL: “Anybody who knows how we do things knows there is a high degree of accountability. Secondly, I handle all my conversations with ourselves in-house. It’s disappointing he felt the need to go outside. Nonetheless that’s been addressed already today. There’s never been a team who’s won anything meaningful that has substituted their way there.” ROBSON’S TAKE: “Gobert’s postgame sentiments were borne of understandable frustration and ratified what any longtime viewer of Wolves basketball has seen, particularly this season. Before Gobert spoke, the status quo was a preseason of this team thumping its chest over its commitment to the focus and accountability necessary to compete for a championship, followed by steady, intermittent bouts of them blatantly reneging on that pledge out on the court.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/conflict0213
ALEXANDER-WALKER’S GRATITUDE: Via Jace Frederick at Pioneer Press. It was a sweet moment at Target Center on Monday when Nickeil Alexander-Walker came to town with the Atlanta Hawks and received both a warm ovation and a scoreboard tribute video. Considering his status as a reserve in Minnesota, the video was above and beyond what he expected. VERBATIM: “Alexander-Walker noted it was ‘pretty cool’ to see a tribute video dedicated to him. It’s an honor for anyone, but particularly for someone who describes himself as a ‘role player.’ He wasn’t drafted by Minnesota, and spent just two and a half seasons with the organization. Yet he received a hero’s welcome. ‘It was just really cool, you know? You dream of those things as a kid, getting the tributes, getting the love from the fans, the standing ovations. Minnesota has been nothing short of amazing to me, from the organization to the city, everything. Honestly, watching (the video), it was hard not to smile and just appreciate it.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/naw0212
THIS IS BLEAK: Via USA today. A five-person panel posted their MLB predictions for 2026 and picked the Twins to (1) finish last in the AL Central and (2) have the third-worst record in MLB at 65-97. VERBATIM: “Hard to believe the Minnesota Twins could supplant the White Sox in the cellar with Joe Ryan and Pablo López still around. Then again, maybe they won’t be in July.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/predict0212
THIS IS BLEAK, TOO. Via Bobby Nightengale at Star Tribune. I would recommend that Tom Pohlad not hold his breath when it comes to waiting for the ask he’s making here. VERBATIM: “The Twins are carrying an estimated $103 million Opening Day payroll, their lowest figure since 2017. That is about $25 million under where they ended last year and nearly $60 million lower than where payroll sat in 2023 when the Twins earned their last playoff appearance. ‘I’d love to get off this payroll thing for a second,’ Pohlad said during a recent news conference. ‘Let’s get halfway through the year to the end of the year, and let’s judge the success of this year on wins and losses and whether we’re playing meaningful baseball in September.’ Pohlad’s quote will likely hang over the season, either a prescient or foolish outlook from the new principal owner.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/pohlad0212
BUT THERE’S BEER AND ICE CREAM! Via Twins media relations. The Twins are selling $2 beers to fans with My Twins ticket packages before every home game and $2 beers to all fans on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, there’s free ice cream for kids on Sundays. Cheap beer and bad baseball could be an interesting brew. FINE PRINT: “Pregame deals are available from gate open through scheduled first pitch at select concession stands throughout Target Field. $2 beers are 12-ounce cans of select varieties.”
FLECK GETS A RAISE: Via Randy Johnson at Star Tribune. Combining his $6 million salary, $1 million retention bonus and $100,000 for getting the Gophers to a bowl game, Coach P.J. Fleck hauled in $7.1 million for Minnesota’s 7-5 football season. That was enough to earn an annual $700,000 “management bonus” that will increase his pay to at least $7.9 million in 2026, in addition to revised incentives. Won’t share them all here. But Fleck would have gotten $100,000 for winning eight regular-season games last season and another $100,000 for a ninth victory. Starting this season, he’ll get $150,000 for winning five of the team’s nine Big Ten games, $500,000 for winning six and $750,000 for seven. He is signed through 2030. MORE CONTRACT TERMS: https://fluence-media.co/fleck0212
ONE MINUTE OF DARNOLD: Via Seattle Seahawks. Super Bowl-winning (and Vikings castoff) quarterback Sam Darnold was lauded for his low-key classiness after his team defeated New England. He told fans at his victory celebration, “A lot of people didn’t believe in me. But it didn’t matter because the ones that are close believed in me, including you all. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/sam0212
BE LIKE SEATTLE? Via Purple insider. This podcast features former Vikings lineman Jeremiah Sirles visiting with host Matthew Coller to talk about what the Vikings could learn from the Super Bowl champs. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/insider0212
OLDEST WINTER OLYMPIAN: During Team USA’s one-sided loss to Switzerland in the opening men’s curling match Thursday, alternate Rich Ruohonen was inserted late in the match and became the oldest person to participate in the Olympics at age 54. He replaced team skip Danny Casper. The personal injury attorney from Brooklyn Park also made headlines earlier this week when he spoke out against the ICE surge in Minnesota. VERBATIM: “I’m proud to be here, to represent Team USA and to represent our country But we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention what’s going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it’s been for everybody This stuff is happening right around where we live. And I am a lawyer, as you know. We have a constitution. It allows us freedom of the press, freedom of speech, protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures, and makes it so we have to have probable cause to be pulled over. And what’s happening in Minnesota is wrong. There’s no shades of gray.”
MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE RINK: Team USA’s all-Minnesota crew of skip Tabitha Peterson Lovick, Tara Peterson, Cory Thiesse and Taylor Anderson-Heide won its opening match 8-4 against South Korea on Thursday. The women had their second match vs. Sweden, which started at noon Minnesota time. The men play Canada at 2 a.m. Friday.
MORE MINNESOTA OLYMPIANS: In addition to the athletes, three former state college hockey players are serving as officials during the women’s ice hockey tournament. They are Sarah Buckner (Augsburg 2012-2016), Melissa Doyle (Gustavus 2010-14) and Alex Clarke (St. Scholastica (2011-15). All three work at various levels of hockey, including the PWHL. READ ABOUT THEM HERE: BUCKNER | DOYLE | CLARKE
OLES HUGE TURNAROUND: St. Olaf’s men’s basketball team had a 4-21 record last season — including a dozen by 15 points or more. This year, with largely the same group of players, the Oles are 11-2 and second to Gustavus in the MIAC. I asked the Oles coach, 32-year veteran Dan Kosmoski, what went right. VERBATIM: “Our team last year had 10 new players on a roster of 15, and of the five returning, Kobe Kirk was a returning all-MIAC player, and only two others had any actual game experience. I knew last year we were going to have to face some tough days. Maybe not as tough as they actually were. Many times last year you could find us playing with four first-years on the floor at the same time. It was one of the most difficult coaching years that I’ve had for a number of reasons. Despite the record, the Ole players became a family that knew there was a bright future ahead. The players bought into the journey in training, both in and out of season. They were ‘all in!’ “
MORE FROM KOZ: “I took the team to Italy in late May for an educational/game experience. Along with the historical experience, we played two games and won both of them. A team that was decimated in many games last year had to learn how to win again. I felt that was the beginning. I can honestly tell you that the Ole basketball team is building this year and for years to come. Many of last year's practices and games were challenging; we have not had one bad practice to date! Maybe a couple that fell below the competitive line, but they have brought it to the hardwood every day. I have been blessed with great young men to work with and build around our senior leadership in Kobe! They are dedicated and are currently in a season where ‘who knows where it goes?' There is no magic formula. It’s recruiting smart, talented players that can come together as a team.”
SATURDAY: St. Olaf plays at Augsburg, one of the teams that beat them, at 3 p.m. in Minneapolis. TICKETS | LIVESTREAM
NDSU STEPS UP: Via In-Forum staff. As noted previously in Sports take, it was only going to be a matter of time before North Dakota State was going to make the leap to the Football Bowl Subdivision. That time came this week when NDSU was announced as a football-only member of the Mountain West Conference starting immediately. The school will remain in the Summit League in all other sports except wrestling, where it is a member of the Big 12. The move will cost the school $17.5 million in fees to the NCAA and Mountain West, all of which will be privately raised. VERBATIM: “We’ve built something special here by being thoughtful, disciplined, and willing to take bold steps when the time is right,” said outgoing NDSU president David Cook, who is leaving to become Iowa State’s president. “We’ve made a move like this before, and it strengthened our university in lasting ways. Joining the Mountain West builds on that legacy and reflects our confidence in the people, programs, and purpose that define NDSU. It allows us to extend our impact, expand our national connections, and create new opportunities for our students and community while staying true to our mission.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/ndsu0212
WHO’S IN? NDSU is one of three schools joining the Mountain West for football. The others are Northern Illinois and Texas-El Paso. Holdover members are Air Force, UNLV, Hawai’i, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico and San Jose State. Five schools — San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State and Fresno State — and leaving to join the reconfigured Pac 12.
GOPHERS ANGLE: Via Tony Liebert at SI.com. NDSU becomes the second closest program to the Gophers in terms of distance at 240 miles. Only Iowa State is closer. There are 30 players from Minnesota on the Bison’s 2026 spring football roster and the school should become a bigger competitor now for Minnesota high schoolers and transfers looking for a new home. In addition, there’s the prospect on a renewed rivalry between the U and NDSU. The teams have played three times after NDSU joined FCS from Division II, with the Bison winning twice. The last meeting was in 2011. Minnesota’s nonconference schedule is booked through 2028. VERBATIM: “There's not an opponent Minnesota could schedule out of conference that would generate more buzz locally than NDSU. It's almost guaranteed to be a sellout, and it would result in a lot more interest than playing an FCS team like Eastern Illinois or a MAC team like Akron, which are two games currently on Minnesota's 2026 schedule.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/rivalry0212
U WOMEN’S HIGH STAKES: the Gophers go for their seventh victory in a row at 7 p.m. Thursday vs. Nebraska at The Barn. Minnesota is 9-4 in the Big Ten and trail Iowa by one game for fourth place. Finishing fourth or higher in the conference would earn the Gophers a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament, which runs March 4-8 on Indianapolis. The Gophers defeated Iowa last week in Iowa City and hold the tie-breaker advantage if the teams end up with the same conference records. TICKETS | SCHEDULE
TOP 25? The Gophers received the most votes of any team that didn’t make the Top 25 in the last NCAA poll. Beating the Cornhuskers and Wisconsin on Sunday could result in them finally being ranked. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/poll0212
MAVERICKS NO. 1: Minnesota State’s women’s basketball team is 24-0 and is within four games of an undefeated regular season. The Mavericks, who received all 23 votes in the latest D-II poll, will face their biggest obstacle in the final game at second-place Concordia-St. Paul a week from Saturday at 1 p.m. Minnesota State won the Division II title in 2024.
HALL OF FAMERS: Sports journalists Charles Hallman and Larry Fitzgerald Sr. are among five people selected to the inaugural class of the Southside Sports Hall of Fame in Minneapolis. Also selected were Bob Williams, the first Black player on the Minneapolis Lakers; retired Boys and Girls Club executive John Hardemann III and G. Sankara Frazier, CEO of the Circle of Discipline boxing gym. A ceremony is set for 6 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Sabathani Community Center. INFORMATION: https://fluence-media.co/hall0213
AURORA’S TICKET CHALLENGE: Minnesota Aurora season tickets went on sale this week, with a donation of $5 for every ticket sold going to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. $1 will come from the team and $4 from Twin Cities Realtor Nate Pentz and Pentz Homes. Aurora plays in the Heartland Division of the USL-W and have a 43-0-5 regular-season record since their 2022 inception, with the side’s only losses coming in the postseason. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/aurora0212
SOCCER AND ACTIVISM: Via Theo Lloyd-Hughes at The Athletic. No sports team in Minnesota is as much about activism at the Aurora. Team president Saara Hassoun explained how she and others in the organization are juggling their business roles with reaching out to the community during the current ICE action. VERBATIM: “Hassoun calls it ‘cognitive dissonance’ to swing like a pendulum back and forth — from meetings about ticket sales, budgets and scouting reports to checking in to make sure people made it back safely from being out in the streets. However, in her view, that’s what makes putting on the Aurora jersey different from many other teams. ‘When you come to play on this team, you are joining a community, you are representing something that means a lot to people, and there’s a responsibility that comes with that.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/community0212
GIRLS’ HOCKEY FINALS: The field for next week’s state girls’ hockey tournament will be set by the end of Friday night. Four teams — Lakeville North in Class AA; Breck School, Luverne and Proctor-Hermantown in Class A — have already qualified. BIGGEST BATTLES: No. 1 Hill-Murray vs. No. 6 Woodbury in Section 4AA, 7 p.m. Thursday at Aldrich Arena; No. 5 Edina vs. No.8 Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Section 6AA, 7 p.m. Friday at Parade ice Garden; No. 3 Warroad vs. No. 12 East Grand Forks in Section 8A at 7 p.m. Thursday at the EGF Civic Center. Tournament seeds will be announced Saturday and the quarterfinals are Wednesday in Class A and Thursday in Class AA at Grand Casino Arena. LIVESTREAMS: 4AA | 6AA | 8A
WINTER STATE TOURNAMENT DATES, RESULTS AND SECTION INFORMATION: https://fluence-media.co/state0212
OLYMPICS LINK FARM: Rerunning this from last week because watching and following the Olympics can be like a game of Whack-a-Mole.
OLYMPIC SCHEDULE GRID | RESULTS AND STANDINGS
TV AND STREAMING LISTINGS | STAR TRIBUNE LIVE BLOG
NBC OLYMPICS COVERAGE | MEDAL COUNT
BEFORE YOU GO: After watching Bad Bunny’s fabulous halftime show at the Super Bowl, I felt compelled to remind you of the 1992 Super Bowl entertainment at the Metrodome. Times change, kids.
THANKS FOR READING AND WRITING: Back with more next week.
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