OPENER: There’s not much high-end sports watching this week. It was Wednesday’s game between the No. 1 Lynx and No. 2 Golden State, which the Lynx won 77-66, and not much more. I was reminded again that watching preseason football isn’t as interesting as the good stories about what’s happening on the training camp fields. But there’s still lots to talk about — including my new favorite Vikings player — as some seasons mature and other start up, Let’s get going! — Howard Sinker
HOTTEST TOPICS
McCARTHY’S TUMBLE: After losing the starting quarterback competition to Kyler Murray, is J.J. McCarthy even going to beat out Carson Wentz to be Murray’s back-up?
OLIVIA’S INJURY: Olivia Miles hobbled off the court midway through the fourth quarter vs. Golden State after hurting her left ankle. How badly is she hurt?
HUGE PREP TRANSFER: Junior guard Chloe Johnson, the state’s top player in the Class of 2028 and ESPN’s No. 2 prospect nationally, will transfer from Duluth Marshall to Proctor, in part because of concerns about whether Marshall will have enough players to field its own team this year.
TWINS STUMBLE AND ADVANCE: The Twins were swept by the Phillies and then swept Atlanta in their latest homestand. Their odds of making the playoffs careened from about 25% on Monday to almost 40% today.
MORE on those — and lots more — in this week’s Sports Take:
WHO’S REALLY NUMBER 2? Via Michael Rand at Star Tribune and Matthew Coller at Purple insider. When the Vikings season starts vs. Green Bay in three weeks, there’s a case for Carson Wentz to be Kyler Murray’s backup. RAND: “For a team trying to win, a backup quarterback is someone who ideally can come into a game for an injured or ineffective starter, run the offense and help a team win a game without having to be a hero. In 2025, the Vikings quarterback who fit that description was Wentz. He had a command of the offense that J.J. McCarthy lacked. He was able to get the ball to Justin Jefferson in a way McCarthy couldn’t. If Murray went down with a minor injury for a couple of games, which QB is better suited to keep the Vikings on track? It sure seems like Wentz is the answer.” COLLER: “It’s hard to use a handful of preseason reps to declare that Wentz is the better of the two options for backup quarterback but McCarthy has to earn the trust of coach Kevin O’Connell to be able to run the offense with the right rhythm and timing that the scheme demands and we haven’t seen that consistently in camp or in the game against the Giants.”
MJGA (MAKE JEFFERSON GREAT AGAIN): Via Coller. Strip away everything else and maybe the most intriguing question for Vikings fans and (fantasy football owners) is restoring Justin Jefferson to elite receiving status. All of Jefferson’s stats were down last year, mostly notably 485 fewer receiving yards and a drop in touchdown catches from 10 to 2. VERBATIM: “Throughout training camp, Murray and Jefferson have been largely on the same page, connecting on passes at the short, intermediate and deep levels on a regular basis. Jefferson had a ton of success playing with an anticipation passer Kirk Cousins early in his career and he has seemed to enjoy the opportunities to adjust to the ball in the air and catch jump balls . . . Historically, Murray has pushed the football to his No. 1 target. When he was with DeAndre Hopkins, the former Texan saw 160 targets in only full season in Arizona (2020). Superstar tight end Trey McBride had 147 in 16 games in 2024.”
MORE: RAND | COLLER | JEFFERSON STATS
BREAKTHROUGH! Women’s sports fans can get understandably annoyed when media and others discuss a talented female athlete and by default compare her to a male. So it was fun recently when I was at a prospect camp for high school boys’ basketball players to have someone make note of a point guard by saying, “He has handles like Olivia Miles.”
ELITE GOPHERS: Via Associated Press. The Gophers were not one of the eight Big Ten teams in the preseason AP Top 25 football poll. But they did receive five votes, technically putting Minnesota at No. 38. Voting is done on a 25-point scale with 25 points for a first-place vote down to 1 for a 25th-place vote. NOT A HOMER: Strib football writer Randy Johnson did not vote for the Gophers. Their votes came from two interesting places, though. Ralph D. Russo, a senior writer at the Athletic who previously was AP’s No. 1 national football writer, provided four of the points by putting the U at No. 22. The other came from Koki Riley, who covers LSU football for the Baton Rouge Advocate. BY THE WAY: Johnson has Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon in his top three spots and defending champ Indiana seventh. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/appoll0820 (There’s a dropdown box on the page that shows the vote from each poll member.)
MORE ON POLLS: The Gophers open their volleyball season a week from Friday in Sioux Falls at the State Farm showcase and are ranked 14th in the preseason coaches poll. They’ll play No. 12 Arizona State a week from Friday (8 p.m., FOX9+ and FOX) and No. 13 Creighton at 4 p.m. the next day (4 p.m. FS1). There are eight Big Ten teams in the Top 25, led by Nebraska at No. 1 and Wisconsin at No. 6. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/vbpoll0820
ROAD TRIP? Tickets to see the Gophers in Sioux Falls are here. No. 9 Purdue and No. 20 USC are also in the field.
FLECK VS. KILL: A line that jumped out at me in a recent Strib update on Gophers football camp was that second-year player Daniel Shipp has grabbed an advantage for a starting offensive tackle spot and that he was “wearing an orange ‘Juice’ jersey as a reward for hustle in a previous practice.” I flashed back to the coaching tenure of Jerry Kill (2011-15), who took a different approach and made players who didn’t meet expectations wear a pink-lettered T-shirt that read “I let my teammates down” on one side and “Minnesota Loafers” on the other. MY TAKE: Three things. (1) Even if I feel something’s cheesy, Fleck’s job is to vibe with teenagers and young adults, not with me. (2) He does that pretty well, based on the team’s reasonable amount of success on the field and meeting his expectations off the field. (3) Fleck’s methods > Kill’s methods.
MORE JUICE: I am pulling for 322-pound nose tackle Domonique Orange, a third-round draft choice from Iowa State, to make the Vikings roster. WHY? It’s the nickname, Big Citrus, which he got as a high schooler in Missouri when he weighed 400 pounds. Darn right I’m buying the Big Citrus hoodie for my new favorite Vikings player. COLLEGE BIG CITRUS HOODIE: https://fluence-media.co/bigcitrus0820
GOOD NEWS (FOR ME, ANYWAY): Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. Orange is on the writer’s most recent 53-man roster for the regular season. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/53man0820
GIVING UP: The Twins aren’t giving up. I’m giving up trying to explain and anticipate their season. With 34 games to play, the Twins now have a half-game lead for the final American League Wild Card spot and trail the White Sox by four games in the AL Central. Giving up is NOT disinterest, I promise. After a six-game road trip that starts Friday night in San Diego, the Twins start a stretch of 15 games — nine of them at Target Field — against division rivals Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland. If the Twins can put together a run of winning baseball over the next few weeks, we have a pretty good chance of seeing some playoff baseball. I buy into the frequent plea of radio commentator Dan Gladden, that the Twins focus on winning the division more than surviving the Wild Card race. The schedule makes that possible and falling short in that chase could still result in a playoff spot. DIVISION STANDINGS | SCHEDULE
HUH? Via AaronGleeman.com. Aaron Gleeman was trying to make sense of the Twins calling up a third catcher, Alex Jackson, when outfielder Austin Martin went on the injured list over the weekend with a strained hamstring. The best he could muster was that Jackson would get some playing time in the outfield, a position he’s played in the minors. But when Gleeman asked manager Derek Shelton, the response was that outfield time wasn’t part of the plan. VERBATIM: “At that exact moment, I went from being confused by the Twins’ decision to call up Jackson to seeing it in the far more damning light of a team simply not trying to do everything it can to compete for a playoff spot just two weeks after parting with several quality prospects as trade deadline buyers. . . . They called up Jackson because he’s a well-liked veteran who will have absolutely no issues collecting dust on the bench again. In a fight for their playoff lives, they called up Jackson to intentionally resume punting a roster spot.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/roster0820
DEARLY BELOVED? There was an odd broadcast moment on Netflix during last week’s Field of Dreams game between the Twins and Phillies when announcer Matt Vasgersian referred to the Pohlad family as “beloved.” MY TAKE: At least Tom Pohlad knows that isn’t the case. I half-expected him to pop out of the cornfield beyond the outfield fence to correct Vasgersian. “If you want to know the truth, Matt . . .“
RATINGS BOMB: Via Associated Press. The Field of Dreams game drew only an average of 1.66 million viewers, according to the Nielsen ratings service. Network TV vs. streaming and the teams involved played factors in the drop-off. VERBATIM: “The first MLB game at the Field of Dreams site in 2021 between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox averaged 5.91 million on Fox while the Chicago Cubs-Cincinnati Reds matchup in 2022 averaged 3.10 million.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/ratings0820
ANNOUNCERS FINISHED 16TH: Via Awful Announcing. The twins broadcast crew finished 16th in the website’s annual fan survey, down from 15th in 2025. VERBATIM: “Many view the Twins’ TV broadcast as a ‘polished’ and ‘professional product’ that balances traditional play-by-play with modern insights. Graders widely agreed that lead announcer Cory Provus ‘is a pro’s pro’ who is ‘underrated.’ Former MVP Justin Morneau is celebrated as the team’s ‘best analyst,’ though some note that his delivery can occasionally feel ‘a little dry.’ All of the analysts received some form of praise. Some graders suggested adding the ‘fantastic’ Trevor Plouffe permanently to form a three-person booth. The ‘Players Only’ broadcast received significant praise as well, and many graders hoped that would happen more often. FULL RANKINGS: https://fluence-media.co/announcers0820
TOUGH BEING PABLO: Via Matthew Leach at MLB.com. Sidelined for the season by an elbow injury at the start of spring training, ace pitcher Pablo Lopez has looked for ways to make himself useful and to stay engaged with the team on a deeper level than most players who suffer a long-term injury. He’s made every road trip (unusual for an injured player), done radio/TV work, served as an interpreter for Spanish-speaking players and shadowed members of the organization. VERBATIM: “I live, I sweat, I breathe baseball. I live, sweat and breathe pitching. Well, guess what? That’s the one thing I don’t have this year. So obviously my identity felt shattered at the beginning. It’s like, 'Who am I? What am I going to do?' There’s so many identities, so many branches, even within that same identity. Even if that’s my main one, there’s so many branches that come from that. I’m a good uncle. I’m a good brother. I’m a good role model. I’m a veteran presence in this clubhouse.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lopez0820
TOUGH BEING BUXTON: Via Johnny Flores Jr. at The Athletic. Placing the Twins 22nd in its latest power rankings, the Athletic took note of Byron Buxton’s weak second-half performance, which has been hampered by a hip problem. VERBATIM: “In the ninth inning of Sunday’s 7-5 loss to the Phillies, with two outs and two men on, Buxton struck out on five pitches, none of which were in the zone, completing an 0-for-5 day and sealing a three-game sweep. It continued a season-wide trend for the 32-year-old. With runners in scoring position, Buxton has a .558 OPS; with two outs, he has a .483 OPS, and in late/close situations, it’s .546. Where Buxton goes, so do the Twins, and for a club that bought at the deadline and has postseason aspirations, that’s not ideal. Activated off the IL ahead of the Field of Dreams game, Buxton has a second-half slash line of .135/.220/.162.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/buxton0820
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL: Despite being second on the Twins with an .845 OPS and 133 OPS+, he’s had only three multi-hit games in his last 20 starts. During that span, Buxton has a .187 batting average with only five extra-base hits (four doubles and a home run) in 82 plate appearances. That stretch goes back to June 22 and includes two stretches of being sidelined that caused him to miss 29 games.
DEFINITIONS: SLASH LINE | OPS | OPS+
KAT’s WEDDING: Via Sadiba Hasan at New York Times. Sports Take doesn’t consider itself a hub for society news, but we’re making an exception for last weekend’s wedding of former Timberwolves (and current Knicks) star Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordyn Woods. VERBATIM: “Knicks players and reality stars descended on Malibu in all-black attire to celebrate the couple’s union in an outdoor ceremony. The guest list, which had about 250 people, included Justin and Hailey Bieber; Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow Smith (the bride’s late father was a sound engineer on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”); the groom’s teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart; Ben Stiller, a courtside fixture at Knicks games, and his wife Christine Taylor; and Timothée Chalamet, another Knicks superfan, and Kylie Jenner. (The latter had a public falling out with the bride in 2019, but the two have since reconciled.) Nicolas Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen, a power couple from “Love Island U.S.A.” who announced their split last month, were also spotted together at the wedding. The event was orchestrated by Mindy Weiss, a celebrity wedding planner behind the nuptials of the Biebers; Ciara and Russell Wilson; and Brooke Shields and Andre Agassi in 1997.” WHAT THEY WORE AND MORE: https://fluence-media.co/kat0820
IF YOU MISSED IT: Via Chris Hine at Star Tribune. Anthony Edwards and his longtime partner Shannon Jackson got married last month. STORY: https://fluence-media.co/edwards0820
BIG WIN, MILES HURT: Via Cassidy Hettesheimer at Star Tribune. The Golden State Valkyries made their third try at taking down the Lynx on Wednesday, and for the third time they failed. The best part of their night was defense, which helped kill a Golden State comeback that took them from 22 points down in the third quarter to seven down in the fourth. Golden State shot only 32% from the field and missed 30 of 37 three-pointers against Minnesota defense, which finally lived up to coach Cheryl Reeve’s expectations. The Lynx had ranked among the WNBA’s worst defenses since the start of July — outscoring their opponents to win — while the Valkyries brought the No. 1-ranked defense into the game. VERBATIM: “I was really appreciative that our defense rivaled that of Golden State’s in our passion, our intensity for what we were doing, and our commitment to things that we weren’t willing to give up,” Reeve said. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lynx0820
OLIVIA’S ANKLE: The injury came with 4:49 left in the game when Miles stepped on Napheesa Collier’s foot while playing defense. She hobbled off the court and returned to the bench after a brief trip to the locker room. It was the second time she left a game after hurting her left ankle. The first time, in June, she returned for the next game. We probably won’t know much about the severity of this injury until close to Friday’s game time in Washington (6:30 p.m., ION). SILVER LININGS: The Lynx have three more games, including a rematch with Golden State on Monday at Target Center, before a two-week break for the FIBA World Cup in Germany. They also have a four-game lead over second-place Golden State with seven games until the playoffs. INJURY VIDEO: https://fluence-media.co/ankle0820
NIGHT-NIGHT: Miles felt good enough to crash the Lynx’ postgame press conference to ask Kayla McBride a question, and got trolled a bit in response.
PREP SUPERSTAR TRANSFERS: Via Marcus Fuller at Strib Varsity and Jamie Malcomb at Duluth News Tribune. Last season, point guard Chloe Johnson scored 49 points for Duluth Marshall in an 81-73 victory over Proctor in a section semifinal. This season, Johnson will be playing for Proctor after a coaching change at the Duluth private school and concerns over Marshall’s ability to field its own team. Heather Johnson, the player’s mother, told the Duluth News Tribune in a written statement: “There were two girls basketball players left enrolled at the school (Chloe and one other). So, although this school change was unexpected, she’s excited to continue representing Northern Minnesota well. Her goal remains the same: winning a State Championship and doing whatever her team needs her to do to achieve that.” Johnson told Fuller in a text message: “I’m excited to get in the gym with the girls. They are all my friends, and we already work out together all the time. They all have the same goals as I do. We want to be the best we can be and win a state championship together.”
MORE: Marshall has a new activities director and, since the 2025-26 school year ended, has replaced girls’ basketball coach CJ Osuchukwu, as well as coaches in boys’ basketball, girls’ lacrosse and baseball. Johnson’s coach at Proctor, Matt Solberg, is president of the state coaches association for girls’ basketball. VERBATIM: “Obviously we’re excited. . . . We did [the transfer] by the book and all the boxes were checked in my mind. From my perspective, we are good to go.”
FULL REPORTS: STRIB VARSITY | DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE
VIKINGS BASHING: Via Matt Ufford at Defector. The annual takedowns of every NFL team are outrageous, off-color and annoying to humorless partisans. This year’s report on the Vikings goes especially hard after the entire quarterback crew and their head coach. VERBATIM: “O’Connell is about what you can expect from someone who came from Sean McVay’s coaching tree: A good play-caller, white, and blandly attractive in an unblinking, smooth-groined Ken doll sort of way, with a jaw on a mission to grind molars into flour. He won Coach of the Year honors after Sam Darnold’s year under center; he also went 13-4 in 2022 with a negative point differential, a season-long statistical aberration so offensive to the football gods that the bubble popped with a Wild Card loss to the Giants. . . . Outside of those two years, the Vikings are 16-18 under O’Connell. He seems fine as a quarterback-developing, offensive-minded head coach, as long as you don’t need him to win a playoff game, or develop a young quarterback, or accept any fault for failing to develop a young quarterback.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/vikings0820
WHY EVERY TEAM SUCKS: https://fluence-media.co/defector0820
WHY ARIZONA QUIT MURRAY: Via Mark Craig at Star Tribune. Kyler Murray went from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft to being cast aside by the Cardinals midway through a contract extension that was intended to keep him there through 2028. Murray got Arizona into one playoff game (which they lost) and burned bridges with two head coaches who were fired. There were questions about his leadership skills and a skirmish over a contract clause that required him to do “independent study” — a clause that was removed but soured relationships. VERBATIM: “Leadership, like work ethic, has long been a hot-button issue with Murray. Those close to him in Arizona say he’s naturally introverted. Quiet. Private. Sometimes perceived as aloof or uncaring. He prefers to lead by example on the field and go home. Those traits might go unnoticed at another position. At quarterback, they helped make Murray a divisive figure in Arizona.”
MORE: Interviewed by Craig for his story, Hall of Fame receiver, Minneapolis native and former Cardinals standout Larry Fitzgerald Jr., spoke highly of Murray’s football skills. VERBATIM: “Kyler is immensely talented. He’s a terrific athlete. He processes information quickly. He’s smart. The Vikings got a guy who is fully capable. If things don’t go the way they want, it’s not because Kyler doesn’t have the physical attributes.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/kyler0820
LOONS FLOP: Minnesota United extended its MLS winless streak to nine games Wednesday with a 2-1 loss to Atlanta, the last-place team in the MLS East. The loss dropped the Loons two points out of the last playoff spot in MLS West and came on a night when several dozen team alumni returned to mark 10 years since MNUFC joined the league. The Loons play next on Saturday at San Diego (9:30 p.m., Apple TV), which is two spots below them in the standings. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/mls0820
APPROPRIATE UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES: Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press. While the Loons honored the best players in their decade in MLS, Greder took another route, noting the team’s biggest disappointments. “HONORED”: His list includes Emanuel Reynoso, who “racked up 24 goals and 37 assists in 95 MLS games. But he went AWOL from the club on three occasions over two years.” Vadim Demidov, the team’s first captain, “became synonymous with how ill-prepared MNUFC was coming out of the starting blocks.” Thomas Chacon came from Uruguay as a much-hyped teen. “Upon arrival, the club had a welcome party for him at the airport and handed out cardboard cutouts of his head before a home match in 2019. But Chacon never logged a goal or assist across three seasons, and MNUFC bought out his contract in 2022.” There are more, including the Loons’ first goalkeeper and latest superstar flop. FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/flop0820
THE OFFICIAL TEAM: MNUFC’s team of the decade chosen by fans is here.
RANDY SHAVER RETURNS: Strib Varsity, the Star Tribune’s high school sports platform, is bringing back former KARE11 anchor Randy Shaver for a second season of “Strib Varsity Live with Randy Shaver” livestreams that will feature game highlights and analysis similar to what he did at the TV. Strib Varsity will also debut “Varsity Insiders,” a YouTube podcast featuring Shaver. The platform will also add regular “Hockey Across Minnesota” and “Recruiting Across Minnesota” reports to a lineup that currently has similar coverage of football and basketball.
PELISSERO’S NEW JOB: Via Sam Neumann at Awful Announcing. Edina native Tom Pelissero, who lost his job when the NFL Network was swallowed up by ESPN, has joined Netflix as a sideline reporter and league “insider.” The first NFL game on Netflix is opening weekend between the Rams and 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/tom0820
ST. THOMAS QB BATTLE: Via Ren Clayton at WCCO-TV. A transfer and a 2025 backup are competing to be the starting quarterback for St Thomas. Both Ryan Jackson and Anthony Policare say they’ve struck up a good friendship in the process. Policare is a transfer who didn’t play at the University of Buffalo; Jackson played in five games for the Tommies and threw 24 passes. The Tommies open their season next Thursday at home against Division II Winona State. VERBATIM: "When you have a battle like this, it's easy to start thinking about what the other guys are doing, trying to compare yourself. But you just have to take it day by day," said Policare, a western New York native. "There's days where you're super competitive and every rep feels like it's the Super Bowl. But then you got to look back at it, you know, what would your 3-year-old self think of you right now? You'd be pretty proud of yourself." SCHEDULE | TICKETS
SIGNING WITH UNRIVALED: Via Nick Schultz at Yahoo Sports. Former Benilde-St. Margaret’s star Olivia Olson is one of nine college players to sign NIL deals with Unrivaled. Olson, a third-year player at Michigan, is a 6-foot-1 guard who averaged 19 points and six rebounds per game last season. In addition to NIL payments, the players will take part in a program at Unrivaled headquarters in Miami that includes skill development sessions and photo shoots. The league, cofounded by Lynx star Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, will play its third season in 2027. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/unrivaled0820
TOWNBALL TOURNAMENT BEGINS: The state amateur baseball tournament begins Friday night with games in Shakopee and New Prague and runs through Sunday, September 6. Games will also be played in Jordan and Chaska in the three-class tournament that includes 80 teams. Tickets are available at all sites for $5 for single-game sessions and $10 for multiple games. 18-and-under tickets cost $1. Games will also be streamed without charge on NSPN. BRACKETS, STREAMING AND TICKET INFO
AND FINALLY: Via Adam Platt at MplsStPaul. Lots of people know townball exists without knowing much about it. Not many people know as much about townball as Platt, who sweetly lays out both the charms and the realities. VERBATIM: “Explaining the appeal of townball is not entirely simple, because it’s a different experience in every town. The game is the same throughout: wood bats, metal bleachers (by and large), and a mix of fans of the home and visiting teams, who sit behind their squad’s dugout. But there are a lot of differences. Joe Schleper Stadium in Shakopee is a Taj Mahal compared to Goenner Park in Clear Lake (Sherburne County), which is basically amenity-free. The ballpark in Winsted (McLeod County) has a concession menu that rivals The Cheesecake Factory, while some offer nothing. And as far as the actual baseball is concerned, both the pace and the style of play are different than anything on television. First of all, townball does not use a pitch clock or instant replay or any of the innovations of modern baseball. Pitch speeds aren’t in the triple digits; infield play is variable. A good third baseman probably means a good team. Some clubs play with an alacrity that rivals the low minor leagues of pro ball, while at others, the game can be a bit of a mess, and the players’ paunches imply ‘beer league.’ “
THANKS FOR READING. I hope Sports Take give you something to talk about.
EMAIL HOWARD: sportstake100@gmail.com
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