IT’S HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE: Every time I think we can’t pack more things into the sports calendar, I get surprised. Look at this weekend. The NFL Draft continues today and tomorrow. The Wolves have playoff games in town tonight and Sunday. The Wild’s playoff series continues Saturday.
AND THERE’S MORE: The Frost returns after a month-long absence and is in danger of not making their playoffs after winning the PWHL title last year. The Loons will try to end one streak (more than 240 minutes without a goal) while keeping their unbeaten streak alive. The Gophers have an important weekend baseball series against an opponent they last played when the first George Bush was president. Oh, and the Twins are at home too, as their season of ineptitude continues its dismal spiral.
ALL OF THAT MEANS WHAT? We decided to delay Sports Take for a day. We did it mostly for the Vikings and the draft. But it feels right for a lot of reasons. Let’s go!
VIKINGS TAKE A LINEMAN. HUH? Conventional wisdom is that having only four picks limits the interest in what the Vikings will be doing this weekend, considering their track record of adding extra picks before and during the draft. But the opposite may be more true: Every pick brings added drama because this is still a team of many needs if it wants to take the next steps toward postseason success. You could say this is not a year for stocking stuffers, the late-round picks who typically bring interesting back stories but little chance of having a big impact. That’s the path GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks to have chosen by selecting Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson in the first round. Not a sexy pick but sexy doesn’t protect young quarterbacks or improve the running game, right?
THE GOLF ANALOGY: Via Alec Lewis at The Athletic. VERBATIM: “As part of the DRAFT planning, the general manager wanted to explain his mindset, and to do so, he harkened back to his days as a high school golfer. He learned back then that to improve, you had to eliminate the major mistakes, the big number on the scorecard. Faced with a shot from behind a tree, don’t try to do the improbable. Play it safe, punch it back into the fairway, take your bogey and move on. The analogy explained his thoughts about trading down on Thursday night. He could move back and recoup some of the draft capital he gave up last year to acquire Dallas Turner, but in doing so, he’d risk losing out on a player the Vikings coveted.”
MORE: Lewis’s story takes fans to the room where it happened, the meeting between Jackson and head coach Kevin O’Connell that apparently sealed the deal. VERBATIM: “As he did with Jordan Addison a couple of years ago, O’Connell sat with Jackson and watched film. They talked through Jackson’s matchups with fellow first-rounders such as Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Michigan’s Mason Graham and Oregon’s Derrick Harmon. O’Connell asked about Jackson’s development, going from a five-star prospect from Houston to a trusty vet for the national-champion Buckeyes. As if the consistency and athletic traits weren’t enough, Jackson validated the positive feelings about his character with comments about sliding out to left tackle during Ohio State’s postseason run. Jackson had never played the position. He knew he could be affecting his draft stock by playing out of position. That didn’t concern him as much as winning.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/jackson0425
GUARD OR TACKLE? Via Andrew Krammer at Star Tribune. The plan is for Jackson to move in at left guard. But the willingness to play tackle is a big deal. VERBATIM: “After starting 26 straight games at left guard in 2022 and 2023, Jackson moved to left tackle for the majority of the Buckeyes’ national title-winning season. He played 348 reps at left tackle and 286 reps at left guard, according to Pro Football Focus. Jackson slid outside to replace injured teammate Josh Simmons — the No. 32 overall pick by the Chiefs — in the middle of the season. Jackson made his first start at tackle against Penn State and edge rusher Abdul Carter, the No. 3 overall pick by the Giants. ‘Such an important year for [Jackson],’ O’Connell said. ‘To be willing to do that … speaks about who he is, his makeup.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/guard0425
THE LAST ONE? The last time the Vikings used a first-round pick on a guard? That was Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel in 1988. That’s a high bar.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Via Emily Leiker at Star Tribune. Jackson was asked about the difference between the two line positions. VERBATIM: “At guard you’re kind of fighting in a phone booth; at tackle you’re more on an island and you’re going against a rusher who’s obviously a lot faster." MORE: https://fluence-media.co/position0425
WATCH HIM WORK: Jackson is No. 74 in this highlight video. https://fluence-media.co/highlights0425
WHAT’S NEXT? Via The Athletic. The second and third rounds are tonight and the Vikings, as of now, only have one pick, which is No. 97 overall. Do they go for help on the defensive line, in the secondary or at wide receiver? Here are 10 players with a reasonable shot at being available when the Vikings choose.
MORE: Tonight’s pick comes at the end of Round 3 and is compensation for losing Kirk Cousins to free agency. So it’s already a win, right? Right? MY FAVORITE: Cornerback Nohl Williams, who played at Cal after transferring from UNLV. VERBATIM: “Because Brian Flores dialed up so much man coverage in Miami, most evaluators think he prefers long-armed cornerbacks schooled in press coverage. Really, though, Flores has majored in zone since he arrived in Minnesota. Williams is everything he would want. He played with his eyes on the quarterback in college and recorded seven interceptions last season. He’s a willing tackler who could become a surefire starter.”
WILD THRILLS: What did we forget when so many of us assumed the Wild-Vegas playoff series would be pretty much of a walkover for the Golden Knights? How about the fact that the Wild’s key players were healthy for only a small fraction of the season — and the roster is at full strength right now? That goes a long way toward explaining the Wild’s 2-1 series lead after Thursday’s 5-2 win at the X.
ONE KEY FACT: Via Randy Johnson at Star Tribune. VERBATIM: “During the regular season, Vegas’ top line of Jack Eichel centering Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev combined to produce 70 goals and 142 assists while amassing 475 shots on goal for a Golden Knights team that won the Pacific Division and earned the No. 2 seed in the NHL’s Western Conference. Through the opening two games in a first-round playoff series against the Wild, that trio’s total was zero goals, zero assists, only nine shots on goal and a plus/minus rating of minus-7. That was a big reason why Minnesota and Vegas were tied 1-1 entering Game 3 at Xcel Energy Center. Thursday night, the Wild did a number on Vegas’ top guns once again in a 5-2 victory that gave Minnesota a 2-1 series lead.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/why0425
LAUDING THE COACH: Via Joe Smith at The Athletic. Credit goes to Wild head coach John Hynes for decided he’s made — and something he didn’t do. VERBATIM: “Hynes has pushed the right buttons during the series. He made the decision to put touted prospect Zeev Buium in for Game 1 for his NHL debut and stuck with him, and the former University of Denver star picked up his first point Thursday. Hynes elevated Ryan Hartman into a top-six role for Game 2, and the veteran forward has been arguably the team’s best forward outside of Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov in the first three games. Hynes considered making changes on the fourth line and third defense pair for Game 3, but stayed with the same lineup. Marco Rossi, demoted to the fourth line, scored his first NHL playoff goal.”
MORE: “Every coach looks smarter when they get strong goaltending, and Filip Gustavsson has remained the team’s backbone and MVP. His mental toughness showed after giving up that “soft” goal in the first. The Swede got mad, but then shrugged it off, shutting the door with nine short-handed saves, including several in the final minutes.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/coach0425
THE BACKBREAKERS: The Wild’s goal at the end of the second period, which gave them a 4-1 lead, may be the offensive highlight we remember when the series is over. And Filip Gustavsson has been the goalie the Wild need him to be.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Vegas is a heavy favorite to win Game 4 and even the series.
LUKA VS. RUDY: Via Chris Hine at Star Tribune. As much as anything other than the play of Anthony Edwards, the story line to follow in game 3 and 4 at Target Center is what happens when Rudy Gobert gets matched up against Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. VERBATIM: “Some of the times they score, some of the times I do a pretty good job. … But there’s always things that I’ve got to do better, we’ve got to do better,” Gobert said. “But overall, as a defender, that’s what I enjoy. I enjoy guarding the best players in the world, and I always embrace that challenge.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/rudy0425
GOOD NEWS, KINDA: Via The Athletic. Gobert dropped from first to second this year in The Athletic’s anonymous most overrated poll. VERBATIM: “I don’t (understand) the Defensive Player of the Year stuff when you don’t guard the people who have the ball most of the time, the ones who are making most of the decisions,” a player who chose Gobert for most overrated said. “I just don’t see it, nor does he strike any fear in me in my heart as a defender.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/poll0425
HOME COURT DISADVANTAGE? Via Jace Frederick at Pioneer Press. The Wolves lost two of three games to Denver at Target Center in the Western Conference semifinals last season and lost all three to Dallas in the conference finals. VERBATIM: “It’s kind of difficult because you are at home, so you are a little bit laxed,” Naz Reid said. “But it’s the playoffs. Have that sense of urgency, being mindful and understanding of the time and situation we’re in right now. I think we’ll all be all right. The fans are great. They have been great, and I think playing in our home environment is definitely (helpful), especially when you’re in the playoffs.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/home0425
FORGET ABOUT THE REFS, OK? Via Chris Hine at Star Tribune. Veteran Mike Conley took note of the fact that the Wolves lost their focus in the Game 2 loss in Los Angeles. VERBATIM: “There’s been some times where we lose our minds, rightfully so, and there’s been times where we’re just overly concerned with it and giving up fast-break points on the other end. There’s got to be a much stronger effort to leave the refs alone and keep playing through it, because we know we’re going to be kind of behind the eight ball in that aspect of the game. So what. Go play through it and figure it out.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/refs0425
TWINS TROUBLES: I’m going to go easy on the Twins right now, except to again note how much they struggled to beat a terrible team — the White Sox — in two of three games this week. How hard did they make it? On Tuesday, they needed a spectacular game-ending catch by Byron Buxton to keep from blowing a lead in the ninth inning. On Wednesday, the offense gave away at-bats and needed late-game home runs by Trevor Larnach and Buxton to pull ahead and win. On Thursday, they were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position in their loss to Chicago, which has now won six games this season.
TEN KEY GAMES: After three games at home against the Angels starting tonight, the Twins take a seven-game road trip to Cleveland and Boston. If things get any worse than they are now, the hot-seat talk about manager Rocco Baldelli could well become ejector-seat talk. By then, the Twins will be closing in one the 40-game mark of the seasons, where struggling teams usually feel more comfortable making changes if they think there’s a season to be salvaged.
SHOW SOMETHING GOOD, OK? Here’s the Buxton catch that sealed Tuesday’s win. Not many of us were on hand to see it.
HOTTER TICKET? The X wasn’t a sellout for Game 3 of the Wild-Golden Knights series until shortly before puck drop and there were still about 350 (non-resale) tickets left for Saturday afternoon’s Game 4 as of 10 a.m. Friday. By comparison, the only tickets available for Game 3 and 4 of the Wolves-Lakers series on Friday and Sunday are available on the resale market. What gives? I asked veteran hockey writer Heather Rule, who edits Minnesota Hockey Magazine for her take. Rule cited several factors, ranging from the price of going to playoff games ($169 is the minimum to get into the lower level), to the overlap with the Wolves in their first-round series to the Wild’s struggles on home ice. VERBATIM: “If fans made it to a couple of regular-season games this season only to see some duds, it's understandable they'd want to sit at home for a playoff game.”
ANOTHER THOUGHT: “The Wild has also lost its last seven playoff rounds and haven't made it to round two in a decade, since 2015. In some ways, it seems wild that it's been that long. But perhaps there could be some apathy from Wild fans. OK, so the team made the playoffs — and even that was in doubt until the last game of the season after the Wild had other opportunities to clinch a spot and failed to do so. But will the Wild win a round? That's the $64,000 question, and maybe some fans are waiting to see if this team can get over that hump.”
GOPHERS BATTLING BIG MONEY: Via Matt Norlander at CBS Sports: When Gophers boosters talk about raising more money to pay athletes, it’s good to keep in mind what the U is battling. Let’s use men’s basketball as an example. There are reportedly 10 teams that will have a player payroll of at least $10 million, including Big Ten rivals Michigan and Indiana. Keep that in mind when you hear athletic director Mark Coyle and others talk about next season’s men’s basketball payroll being in the $5 million to $6 million range. VERBATIM: “Approximately a dozen schools are inflating the market because they have the capital to do so and the thirst to chase almost any player, regardless of how big the price tag. This dynamic has fattened in a matter of months. A year ago, a handful of schools were able to easily clear $5 million. But now? That budget number has doubled — minimally — as has the quantity of programs with eight-figure accounts.”
MORE: "It's not real NIL," one head coach with Final Four experience said, speaking to the obvious. "It's donors just paying out there to get the best team." AND MORE: "The guys aren't worth the money they're going for," one high-major coach in the Midwest told CBS Sports. "I could spend $15 million, but the roster I'd put together wouldn't win a national championship. There are bad players going for big money." FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/nil0425
ON THE LIST: Texas Tech is among the schools said to be in the $10 million range. All-American JT Toppin is staying in school rather than entering the draft in return for a reported $4 million. GOPHER ANGLE: Orono’s Nolan Groves, the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year, committed to Yale as junior and then changed his mind. He was offered deals by the Gophers and Wisconsin and chose . . . Texas Tech. Groves told Star Tribune’s Marcus Fuller: “I like what’s going on over at Tech. They almost took down Florida, the national champs. Texas Tech had a phenomenal team last year. They have lots of studs returning and coming in out of the transfer portal.”
MY TAKE: As part of every “signing story,” reporters need to ask about terms of the deal — and report that they weren’t available, if that’s the case. In a longer lens, money that will go directly from Minnesota’s public colleges to players as the result of NCAA rules changes should be publicly available.
TRACKING MINNESOTA TRANSFERS: Via Star Tribune. Here’s the updated chart of where Minnesota players in the transfer portal are ending up. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/mnportal
DISAPPOINTMENT: Via Michael McCleary at Badger Extra. Daniel Freitag, who had a disappointing freshman year at Wisconsin after leading Breck School to the 2024 Class 2A title, has transferred to Buffalo, which went 9-22 in the Mid-American Conference. Freitag said Wisconsin’s staff offered a grim look into his future if he stayed. VERBATIM: “After playing just 27 minutes across 14 games in his first and only season with the Badgers, Freitag said he was told by Wisconsin's staff that the incoming freshman and players the program is bringing in via the transfer portal will make it ‘very, very hard for me to carve out a role in their eyes. I think their answer to what I could do to help my situation for next year, it kind of ended up being pretty much: nothing.’ " MORE: https://fluence-media.co/freitag0425
FROST DRAMA: After an awkward month-long schedule break for women’s world championships, the Minnesota Frost returns to action Sunday for its final regular-season home game against New York. Drama? The Frost are fifth in the six-team league, one point out of the four-team playoffs, with three games to play. If they make it, keep in mind that the Frost won the PWHL title after starting the postseason as the No., 4 seed. The regular season ends with games at fourth-place Ottawa on Wednesday and third-place Boston a week from Saturday. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/pwhlstandings
WILD VS. THE RANGE: The Minnesota Wild has proposed moving the U.S. Hockey Hall of fame from Eveleth to the soon-to-be-renamed Xcel Energy Minnesota. The Iron Rangers are not happy with the idea and, in a show of political unity, have scheduled an event for Saturday to rally support against the Wild idea. BACKGROUND: https://fluence-media.co/hall0425
CAN ANYONE SCORE? Via Jon Marthaler at Star Tribune. The Loons extended streak is at eight game and their goal-scoring drought reached the four-hour mark in their 0-0 tie with Dallas. Their next chance at a tally will come against Western Conference-leading Vancouver on Sunday (2 p.m. at Allianz Field). THE ISSUE: “Early in the year, the Loons were able to draw the opposition forward, sit in a compact defensive shape, and then have big spaces for forwards Kelvin Yeboah and Tani Oluwaseyi to run into when they won the ball back. Not surprisingly, after Minnesota’s success with that plan, the opposition is turning the tables on the Loons and doing the same thing to them.” THE RESULT: “Suddenly, it’s the opposition that’s sitting in compact defensive shapes. It’s the Loons struggling to play through the middle of the field, to create chances, to find spaces for attack.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/loons0425
KENTUCKY DERBY, MINNESOTA ANGLE: When Bob Lothenbach of Wayzata died in 2023, Canterbury Park lost one of its top owners and breeders. Family member opted against staying involved in horse racing and Lothenbach’s horses were dispersed at auction. One of those horses, Sandman, is among the favorites in the Kentucky Derby, which is a week from Saturday. The horse is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and has won three of his eight races including the Arkansas Derby last month. Early wagering has Sandman — yes, named for the Metallica song, at odds ranging from 8-1 to 12-1 depending on the betting site.
WATCH: Sandman, the gray horse, enters the action after starting from the back of the field at the Arkansas Derby.
BIG U BASEBALL SERIES: Minnesota had a nine-game winning streak snapped at Rutgers last weekend and opens a big three-game series against USC tonight at Siebert Field. It will be the first time the teams have played since 1989, when the Gophers beat the Trojans, who were ranked seventh in the nation. The Gophers need to finish among the top 12 teams in the 17-team Big Ten to make the conference tournament for the first time in six years. They’re currently tied for 12th with Rutgers and Nebraska. First pitch is at 6 p.m. tonight and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday on BIG+. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/ubaseball0425
RETIRED: Cade Conzemius, son of star Gophers linebacker Justin Conzemius, has left the Minnesota team after three seasons without appearing in a game. Conzemius was a star receiver at Minnetonka and came to the U as a preferred walk-on.
HOW MUCH TO SEE CAITLIN CLARK? Lynx single-game tickets are now on sale, with variable pricing depending on the opponent. Want to see Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in August? The lower level is sold out and an upper-level seat will cost at least $97, which will land you in the top few rows. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/clark0425
SOFTBALL POWERHOUSE: St. Mary’s of Winona brings a 23-game winning streak to the Twin Cities this weekend for season-ending doubleheaders at Augsburg (1 p.m. Saturday) and Hamline (1 p.m. Sunday). The Cardinals, ranked 13th in the national D-III poll, have already clinched their second straight MIAC regular-season title after sweeping closest challengers (St. Benedict and Macalester) in the last week. TEAM STANDOUT: Makayla Steffes, a sophomore pitcher and infielder from Winona, has a team leading .496 batting average and nine home runs. She also has 34 steals in 35 attempts and a 15-2, 1.78 record with five shutouts. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/miacsoftball WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/watch0425
MACALESTER LOSES BASKETBALL COACH: Abe Woldeslassie has resigned to become an assistant at D-I Denver, where he’ll join the staff of former MSU Moorhead coach (and St. Cloud State graduate) Tim Bergstraser, who was named to that position last week. After reaching the Summit League title game in 2024, Denver fell to an 11-21 record this season and lost to St. Thomas in the first round of the conference tournament. Woldeslassie, a Macalester alumnus, took over the program seven years ago after it had posted a 19-181 record in MIAC play over the previous 10 seasons. His teams reached the conference playoffs twice, including a title-game loss to St. John’s in 2022. The college will conduct a national search. Associate head coach Conner Nord, a 2015 St. Thomas graduate, is expected to be a candidate. MY TAKE: I have a bias here. I teach part-time at the school and worked with Woldeslassie as faculty advisor to his team. Really good coach, even better person.
WOMAN DRESSED AS A COW: Via Jessica Van Egeren at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. What was it like to be among the 200,000 or so people who gathered in Green Bay for the first round of the draft? VERBATIM: “Yes, the draft is about which player is going to which team. Put that aside, and this draft was so Green Bay. So Wisconsin. A woman dressed as a cow, offering free cheese curd samples. Beer truck after beer truck. The Lombardi Trophy on display. Championship rings on display. Access to parts of Lambeau Field. Former Packers linebacker Clay Matthews reading a fake message from President Trump, screaming ‘The Bears still suck,’ to kick off the draft. You won't find a Packers fan who doesn't agree that is true.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/greenbay0425
AND FINALLY: Here’s what it looked like. Should this craziness really come to Minnesota some time? Of course it should.
Thanks for reading. Back with more next week.
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