ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE: Going somewhere different in this week’s Sports Take. Yes, there are bumps in the road — uncertainty about the Vikings, distress about the Twins the Gophers lopsided loss to Missouri in men’s basketball Wednesday night and a few other things — but there’s a lot of good going on. And some of it gets overlooked or travels below radar. So I’m starting with the good stuff and then circling back to things that are concerning. If you wanna be mopey skip ahead toward the end of Sports Take. Otherwise, let’s go — Howard Sinker
CULTURE BREAK: Where and when did the phrase “accentuate the positive” become a thing? Try the mid-1940s and as the title of an Academy Award-nominated song. HERE. Want a 2023 cover version? THAT’S HERE
THE BIG LIST RETURNS: The early signing period for college sports opens this week and I know from my time in the old job (running Star Tribune’s sports web site), that the Strib’s “Big List” of college commitments is one of the most clicked-on features in sports with its mix of news, local pride and curiosity over who’s going where. This first version of this year’s list has about 400 names. (It doesn’t include football, which has a separate signing period that opens next month.) But basketball, hockey and soccer are well represented, as well as rowing, equestrian and even a dancer committing to the U. Overall, you’ll find 21 future Gophers on the list. Remember, this is the list where the commitments go from verbal to written. So it carries some weight. HERE IT IS: https://fluence-media.co/biglist1113
WOLVES BACK? After a concerning start, the Wolves have won five of six games. Anthony Edwards has returned from his hamstring injury and the team looks more comfortable running its up-tempo offense. They’ve scored an average of 137 point in their last three wins. Point guard is still a problem and the defense needs to sharpen. STILL NEEDED: A point guard to make the show go even better. Mike Conley isn’t that guy and Dante DiVincenzo is better suited to come off the bench as relief for either guard spot. Coach Chris Finch needs to see progress from second-year player Rob Dillingham before he gets trusted with more minutes. NOTABLE: The difference between best and worst in the NBA is notable through the season’s first 3 1/2 weeks. Ten teams, including the Wolves, have a winning percentage of .636 or better. Seven teams have won no more than three games, with the bottom three in the East at 1-10 or 1-11. Tough to be a Pacers, Nets or Wizards fan right now. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/nba1113
GOPHERS WOMEN SMASH BIG EAST FOE: Via Patrick Reusse at Star Tribune. Marquette ranked second in the Big East preseason poll (behind superpower UConn) and came to Williams Arena on Tuesday to get a 90-47 butt-kicking by a Gophers team that’s two players short of where they expected with the transfer of Mallory Heyer (more below) and a season-ending knee injury to Taylor Woodson. The Gophers used eight players for 10 minutes or more and had four in double figures, lead by junior guard Grace Grocholski’s 19 points. So quality depth isn’t an issue as long as the current core stays healthy. VERBATIM: “Absolutely, it was a major point of emphasis to have a deeper team this season,” Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “We played hard up and down the roster tonight. We had to do that, because I do believe Marquette is going to be a good team.” NOTED: Shooting just over 50% from the field, 40% on three-pointers, 24 assists on 38 baskets and only right turnovers. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/uwomen1113
NEXT UP: Gophers vs. NJIT at 5 p.m. Friday. (BIG+). That’s the New Jersey Institute of Technology, by the way. (NJIT also plays St. Thomas at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Tommies’ new arena.) BETTER TEST: Gophers at Kansas next Wednesday (6:30 p.m., ESPN+. The Jayhawks are media picks to finish seventh in the 16-team Big 12.)
CRAZY SOCCER: The Loons survived a wild Game 3, beating Seattle in a 10-round shootout. QUICK RECAP: (1) They fell behind the Sounders 2-0 less than 10 minutes into the match. (2) They played more than half the time without midfielder Joseph Rosales, who was red carded for headbutting an opponent. (3) They survived a shootout that went twice as long as the regulation five rounds. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair was epic. (Note to Loons: He’s a free agent after the season. Pay the man!) NEXT UP: Loons at San Diego at 9 p.m. on Monday, November 24. Find yourself a friend (or a bar) with MLS Season Pass or Apple TV to watch.
LOONS LIBRARY: Game 3 analysis from Jon Marthaler at Star Tribune and Andy Greder at Pioneer Press MLS playoff schedule
MORE SOCCER THIS WEEKEND: Six MIAC teams have qualified for the NCAA men’s and women’s D-III tournaments. Macalester, Augsburg and St. Olaf will host three matches EACH this weekend; Gustavus will play at the Augsburg site. Carleton and St. Catherine’s are headed to Illinois for their opening games in the women’s tournament. SITES: Macalester (15-6) hosts Illinois Wesleyan (13-2-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday with the winner playing at 3 p.m. Sunday against either UW-Eau Claire or Milwaukee School of Engineering. St. Olaf (16-2-3) hosts UW-Superior (16-6) at 11 a.m. Saturday. The winner plays either lake Forest or Luther at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Augsburg (16-2-2) hosts Occidental (11-5-4) at 11 a.m., Saturday and Gustavus (14-5-1) plays Edgewood University (15-3-2) right afterward. The winners play at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Macalester upset regular-season champ St. Olaf 4-1 in Northfield for the postseason title. WOMEN: St. Catherine (17-3) plays UW-La Crosse (18-2-1) at 1;30 p.m. Saturday at the University of Chicago; Carleton (16-2-2) plays John Carroll (13-5-1) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Lake Forest College. St. Kate’s won the MIAC regular season; Carleton won the postseason tournament. LIVESTREAMS | TICKETS: Macalester | St. Olaf | Augsburg
WILD RECOVERING: Via Sarah McLellan at Star Tribune. After a sloppy season start — featuring a five-game losing streak — and despite a 2-1 overtime loss to San Jose on Tuesday, the Wild are 4-1-1 in their last six games, yielding just 12 goals. VERBATIM: “We’re playing with a defensive conscience,” coach John Hynes said. “We’re putting ourselves in positions where we can defend and be in a good defensive posture. The details are strong. It’s something that we talked about as we move forward here is tightening up some areas. The guys have done a good job of that.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wild1113
GOPHERS MEN’S HOCKEY SWEEP: After an ugly 2-7-1 start, the Gophers swept Notre Dame 3-0 and 4-1 last weekend. We’ll try not to remember that Minnesota and the Fighting Irish are the only two of the seven Big Ten teams not getting any votes in the current USCHO hockey rankings. The Gophers play Long Island at Mariucci this weekend. (7:30 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday. Both FOX9+)
PREP FOOTBALL IN THE DOME: The state football semifinals move into U.S. Bank Stadium today through Saturday with 14 games in seven classes. THREE GAMES WE’LL FOLLOW: Edina (7-4) vs. Minnetonka (9-2) in Class 6A at 7 p.m. today. The Skippers were undefeated until losing 27-20 to the Hornets in Week 7. Jackson County Central (11-0) vs. Eden Valley-Watkins (9-2) in Class 2A at 9 a.m. Friday. Jackson County features Roman Voss, the future Gopher and state’s top 2026 prospect, and hasn’t won by less than three touchdowns this season. Voss is JCC’s quarterback but is more likely to be a tight end or linebacker at the U. Minneapolis North vs. Annandale at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Both teams are 11-0. North scored 164 points in its three section games; Annandale has allowed 10 points or more to only two teams all season. SCHEDULE | TICKETS | LIVESTREAM | PROGRAM
NAILOR’S DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD: Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. Wide receiver Jalen Nailor had a breakout game against the Ravens, catching five passes for 124 yards. They included a 62-yarder and a touchdown catch. His work helped the Vikings stay close to Baltimore in a 27-19 loss. It bodes well for the team during the second half of the season — and for Nailor, if not the Vikings, after the season is over. VERBATIM: “The only problem with Nailor balling out for the Vikings is that they most likely won’t be able to keep him. He is set to be a free agent in the offseason, and he should be in line for a significant pay raise. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Nailor to garner a deal that pays him somewhere near $15 million per year when comparing his skill set to the rest of the market. Baltimore Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman’s contract has an average annual value of $12.25 million, Atlanta Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney’s contract has an average annual value of $13 million, and Buffalo Bills receiver Khalil Shakir’s contract has an average annual value of $13.25 million. There’s a chance Nailor’s contract could clear those numbers if he continues to produce at a high level.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/nailor1113
WATCH: Nailor’s catches against Baltimore are here.
SIX THINGS TO SEE: Gophers football at No. 8 Oregon (8 p.m. Friday, Fox); Three days of high school semifinal football at U.S. Bank Stadium (14 games, Thursday-Saturday); NCAA D-III men’s soccer (9 games Saturday-Sunday at Macalester, Augsburg and St. Olaf); Grinnell College’s unique high-scoring men’s basketball team (a 161-130 winner over Greenville on Wednesday) plays at Macalester (4 p.m. Saturday); No. 3 ranked Augsburg women’s hockey vs. Concordia in Minneapolis (7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday.) Tickets and Livestream; Vikings vs. Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium (Noon Sunday, Fox).
COMPETITIVE, FOR A WHILE: Via Tony Leibert at Sports Illustrated. Minnesota led Missouri by nine points in the first half and trailed by two in the second before falling victim to a 21-1 run and finishing with an 83-60 men’s basketball loss to the Tigers. In the middle of the run was a horrific 75-second stretch in which Missouri blew open the game with eight points. VERBATIM: “Missouri hit a jumper to go up 53-47, then immediately hit a three on the next possession, and an off-ball foul gave them an opportunity for a four-point play. They missed the free throw, then got a three-point play opportunity off an offensive rebound. Another missed free throw and offensive rebound led to another Missouri three. Cade Tyson turned the ball over on the next possession, and the Tigers added one more layup.” MY TAKE: After lopsided wins over two lightweight opponents, the game was a look at what could be ahead for Minnesota when the schedule gets real. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/mizzou1113
IS THERE A BUXTON PROBLEM? Via Dan Hayes at the Athletic. A report from MLB’s general managers meetings in las Vegas. VERBATIM: “From the All-Star Game through the end of the regular season, Byron Buxton told anyone who listened he was a Twins player for life and unwilling to waive the no-trade clause in his contract, even after the club dealt 10 players at the deadline. But a major-league source indicated Tuesday that Buxton, who turns 32 next month, wants to play for a winner and may reconsider his stance for certain clubs if the Twins continue breaking up their roster, potentially by trading starting pitchers Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez. The two-time All-Star center fielder has three years and $45 million remaining on his current deal, one which grants him full no-trade protection through next season, and the ability to block trades to five clubs in 2027 and 2028.”
FALVEY’S VIEW: It’s heartening to see Twins president Derek Falvey give Hayes a direct answer when asked about the 2026 roster and Buxton, which runs counter to the word-salad answers that too frequently come from the Twins. VERBATIM: “Falvey said Tuesday he doesn’t want to further tear apart the club’s roster. While acknowledging he’s actively listening to all teams’ trade concepts to determine the best direction for his club, the Twins president wants to build around a roster featuring Buxton and fellow All-Stars Ryan and Lopez if he can. ‘I remain personally committed to figuring out what are the ways we can add to this group to make it better,’ Falvey said from the general managers meetings. ‘That is my goal. It was my stated goal before and remains my stated goal until I’m told otherwise. … My focus for now is figuring out ways we can add to the group.’ “ FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/buxton1113
MY TAKE: This reads like a message to the Pohlads and the still-mysterious minority partners who are buying into the team. The Twins have a track record of signing players to long-term deals when they’re developing and letting them go rather than signing a follow-up deal. It’s hard to imagine a bigger buzzkill that Buxton wanting out — and the Twins obliging. ALSO NOTED: A friend reports that one of his neighbors, a long-time season ticket holder with front row seats, had the option of moving “20 seats closer to home plate” because of people who didn’t renew their tickets for 2026. BUXTON CONTRACT: https://fluence-media.co/deal113
VIKINGS PLAYOFF CHANCES. Via The Athletic and ESPN. Uhhh, they’re not good. The Athletic gives the Vikings an 11% chance at making the playoffs and a 2% shot at winning the NFC North. Even the Bears are given a 33% chance at the playoffs going into Sunday’s game between the teams. ESPN’s calculations give the Vikings only a 7.1% shot at the playoffs and a 0.3% chance (That’s 1 chance in 333) of being in the Super Bowl. VERBATIM from ESPN: “Tangible second-half goal: See what they have at QB. The Vikings entered this season hoping to thread a needle. They wanted to develop McCarthy in real time while also using their $350 million roster to compete for a playoff berth. Both remain possible, but the former is more realistic and achievable. The franchise’s top priority is to get McCarthy as many snaps as possible during the second half of the season. MORE: The Athletic | ESPN
MISSING MAN: Via Mark Craig at Star Tribune. The veteran NFL writer is wondering what’s going on at tight end for the Vikings. VERBATIM: “ Is T.J. Hockenson still on the team? You remember T.J., right? Tall guy. Long hair. Good hands. Makes $16.5 million a year, fourth highest among NFL tight ends behind San Francisco’s George Kittle ($19.1 million), Arizona’s Trey McBride ($19 million) and Taylor Swift’s Travis Kelce ($17.1 million). Yes, we have confirmed that Hockenson is indeed still a Viking. The NFL says he played 60 snaps on Sunday, good for 91% of the Vikings’ offensive plays. He was targeted twice. He caught both, for a combined 8 yards. And that, folks, brings his totals over the last three games to eight targets, six catches and 45 yards. What. The. Heck?!” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/tj1113
BEARS IN CONTEXT. Via Mike Pendleton at Bears Wire. Yes, the Bears are 6-3. Yes, they could be playing a lot better, according to coach Ben Johnson. VERBATIM: “We take a step back in terms of converting on critical downs, you know, things of that nature. And so we still haven’t put that whole collective 60 minutes, three phases together yet. We’ve seen glimpses of it throughout the season so far, and I’m happy with the fact we’re winning games and we’re finding a way to win games, and the guys are believing in what we’re doing. Yet we still have so far that we can still go and how much we can still accomplish as a whole team.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/bears1113
VIKINGS (4-5) VS. BEARS (6-3): Noon Sunday kickoff on FOX and the Vikings Audio Network. Vikings depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Bears web site.
MEANWHILE, IN OREGON: The Gophers are 25-point underdogs in Friday night’s game at eighth-ranked Oregon (8 p.m. Fox). I can’t make a great case for the Gophers springing an upset, but I’ll argue that 25 points looks like a steep hill for the mighty Ducks. (1) The Gophers were off last week, giving them extra time to rest and prepare. (2) Oregon escaped Iowa last weekend with a 18-16 victory that wasn’t decided until a field goal with three seasons left. Combine that with a short week of preparation and consider me your investment advisor.
WOUNDED DUCKS: Via Caden Handwork at Sports Illustrated. Three of Oregon’s top receivers — wide receivers Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr, and tight end Kenyon Sadiq — are injured and have uncertain status for the Minnesota game. Moore leads Oregon with 28 catches, 443 yards and three touchdowns. Coach Dan Lanning offered little this week when asked about his plans. VERBATIM: “We’ll continue to be creative. I’m sure we’ll see some stuff out there that’s different.” MORE ON OREGON: https://fluence-media.co/ducks1113
FEAR THE RUN: Via Zachary Neel at USA Today. VERBATIM: “The Ducks racked up 261 rushing yards on 36 carries, which is the most Iowa had allowed since 2022, when it gave up 312 yards to Minnesota. Noah Whittington led the way, pounding his way to 118 yards. . . . In a game where efficiently passing the ball was out of the question — quarterback Dante Moore finished with 112 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception — it became clear the Ducks were going to have to run the ball to win. They did it better than anyone has all year against a stingy Iowa defense that ranked 12th in the nation against the run, allowing 87 yards per game.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/offense1113
IS THERE A CHANCE? Forget the point spread for now. The “money line” on the game — picking the winner straight up instead of with the points is -3000 for Oregon( Bet $3,000 to win $100) and anywhere from +1400 to +1600 on the Gophers. (Bet $100 to win that amount.)
GOPHERS (6-3) VS. OREGON (8-1): 8 P.M. Friday kickoff on FOX and the Gophers Radio Network. Gophers depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Bears web site.
ARE WE REALLY READY FOR WINTER SOCCER? Via Alex Silverman at Sports Business Journal. MLS owners are expected to vote at a meeting today on whether to radically shift the league’s season to a fall-through-spring schedule that would be similar to leagues in Europe. Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire has not weighed in on the proposal, which has been in the works for a couple years. The revamped schedule would likely include a break from mid-December through the end of January. VERBATIM: “It’s still unclear whether the league’s first season on the European calendar would be 2027-28 or 2028-29. While most teams are motivated to make the move as soon as possible, a source said some clubs in cold-weather markets would prefer to have more time to make necessary infrastructure changes. Some teams may have to construct new indoor training facilities that they can use during winter months.”
MORE: The MLS Players Association would need to give its approval to the change, and the union could delay a decision as part of negotiations for a new labor agreement. The current deal expires in January 2028. VERBATIM: “Regardless of when the change occurs, multiple sources said the league plans to play a 14-game ‘sprint season’ between the last full season on the current calendar and the first full season on the new calendar. The abridged season will be held from roughly February through May of the transition year.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/mls1113
HEYER GOING TO OREGON: Mallory Heyer, who surprised the Gophers women’s basketball team by quitting a couple weeks before the start of the season, posted on social media that she’ll use her final year of eligibility in 2026-27 as a graduate student at Oregon. Heyer started 102 consecutive games for the Gophers and averaged just under 10 points. Oregon went to the second round of the NCAA tournament last season.
CANTERBURY 2026 SCHEDULE: Canterbury Park has proposed a 51-date racing calendar that would run from May 23 through September 19. It’s the same number of dates as this year, but without the Wednesday/Thursday cards that were run for a portion of the 2025 schedule. Post times would be 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays. There would also be racing on Memorial Day and Friday, July 3. NOTE: The track is required by law to hold a 50-date season in order to maintain its ability to operate a casino. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/canterbury1113
ANOTHER YEAR THEN GONE: Via Jim Paulsen at Strib Varsity. Dwight Lundeen has announced that he’ll retire next year after his 57th season as football coach at Becker High School. After winning the Class 4A title in 2024, the Bulldogs slipped to 5-5 this season. VERBATIM: “Lundeen is the only head football coach Becker has had in its nearly 60-year existence. He’s No. 2 in coaching victories in Minnesota history, with a record of 417-172-3. The Bulldogs won state championships in 2005, 2014, 2015 and 2024.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/becker1113
AND FINALLY: In a media climate in which good storytelling and in-depth reporting is being crowded out for reasons ranging from “people don’t read long stories” to increasing workloads, it’s nice to come across unexpected gems. Here are two recent from Star Tribune.
MISSING TEETH: Via Sarah McLellan: After reading this, I’ll don’t think you’ll fear your next trip to the dentist for a cleaning as much. VERBATIM: “Mike Pelke has been a Wild team dentist since 2004, and he or another dentist is at every home game at Grand Casino Arena. That’s standard in the NHL. The Wild have four team dentists listed on their medical staff. Pelke’s priority is to ensure players are comfortable and that their dental injury isn’t affecting their availability. ‘There’s the pain,’ said Pelke, who practices at Woodbury Dental Care. ‘But there’s also the pressure that this may be a young guy that only plays a shift or two a game and if he’s not out there, he doesn’t get that opportunity. You can’t make the team in the locker room, so they’re tough and they want to make sure they’re out on the ice as much as possible.’ The hockey term for players losing teeth during the game is ‘spittin’ chiclets,’ a throwback to when tooth-sized Chiclets was a popular brand of gum.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/teeth1113
MORE THAN A RUNNER: Via Chip Scoggins at Star Tribune. Mohammad Bati of Augsburg is the first runner to win four MIAC men’s cross country titles. I’m betting his schedule is busier than your schedule. VERBATIM: “Mohammed Bati is chasing something. A goal, a dream, a belief. It’s always there, a desire he feels deep inside his soul that pushes him through a daily routine that sounds incomprehensible. He works at an assisted living facility five days a week, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. He then drives directly to the Augsburg campus, changes into workout clothes inside his car and runs 10 miles. Then he goes to classes as a full-time student. Then another 10 miles in the evening, dinner and back to work for the overnight shift. He calls his routine a ‘circle.’ He doesn’t sleep. He naps. When he should rest, he runs. The Augsburg senior made history last week as a competitor, becoming the first men’s athlete in MIAC history to win four conference titles in cross-country. He ran 20 miles at a 6-minute, 22-second pace the day before as a warmup. He celebrated his historic achievement by running 10 miles later that evening. And then woke up and ran 17 miles the next morning.”
THE QUOTE: “I’ve learned to accept the reality of pain,” he said during a break in his schedule. “It’s about having that ambition. I’m fighting for that dream and desire. You have to pay something to get somewhere. Nothing comes free. I just have a reason to fight every day.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/runner1113
THANKS FOR READING: There’s so much going on. Hope you know a bit more than when you started today’s Sports Take.
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