THE OPENER: This week in sports has been filled with things that are fun, interesting, unexpected and troubling. A few days back, I couldn’t have imagined so much love for the Gophers, a former Vikings player dragged out of a city council meeting, an area college shutting down and a thrilling high school basketball game marred by what happened at the final buzzer. A Semisonic video and a beautiful story about a Minnesota musher weren’t on the list, either. Hope you enjoy reading this week’s Sports Take as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let’s go! — Howard Sinker
MIKE IN CALIFORNIA ASKS SPORTS TAKE: “If the Gophers men’s team wins its last five games (all are winnable), would Minnesota make the NCAA tourney?”
WELL… The team many of us have trolled for most of the season is making some noise. Can the Gophers men pump up the volume enough to do what we couldn’t imagine until now: make a run that lands a spot in March Madness? We couldn’t have made a case before Minnesota rallied twice from double-digit deficits to upset USC on Saturday and UCLA on Tuesday. With five games left before the Big Ten tournament, here’s what’s up:
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Minnesota’s next two games are at The Barn against the bottom two teams in the league: Penn State on Saturday (1 p.m., BIG) and Northwestern on Tuesday (6 p.m., Peacock). They also close the regular season on March 8 at Rutgers, another team that may not make it into the Big Ten tournament. The Gophers must win those three.
CHALLENGES: The Gophers play at Nebraska — currently one game ahead of them — on March 1 and No. 11 Wisconsin at the Barn on March 5. The Badgers humiliated the Gophers at Madison in January, the season’s lowest point, and Minnesota has won six of 10 games since. Winning out would put the Gophers at 11-9 going into the Big Ten tournament and a 6-8 record against “Quad 1” teams — a measure used in determining the NCAA field. Add in a respectable showing at the Big Ten tourney and some breaks involving schools in other conferences and an NCAA berth isn’t unreasonable.
NET AND QUADS: What are NET rankings and Quads? GO HERE: https://fluence-media.co/netquad0220
REGRETS? They’ve had a few. Losing in double-OT to Quad 1 Ohio State, a game blown by mental mistakes, was a big hurt. Losing to weak Washington at the Barn and mediocre Wichita State on Thanksgiving were also turkeys. Turn those two conference losses into wins and Minnesota is in the top half of the Big Ten.
MY TAKE: Beat Penn State and Northwestern and we can go full hype for the Nebraska and Wisconsin games. Lose one of the first two and we can talk NIT, which is still more than you were expecting a few weeks back, right?
ALSO: There are lots of seats still available for the Gophers-Badgers game. If Minnesota wins its next three and brings a five-game winning streak into the Border Battle, the U should go full hype with deeply discounted tickets to fill the arena. You know, show the kids what it used to be like. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/borderbattle00220
ANOTHER TAKE: Via Tony Liebert at SI.com. VERBATIM: “It's important to not get too ahead of yourselves with this Gophers team, but their sweep in Los Angeles against Southern Cal and UCLA has opened a box of opportunities. With a favorable schedule to finish the regular season, they now have a possibility of a Cinderella story.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/madness0220
DEFENSE! There were some huge offensive performances vs. USC and UCLA, especially Dawson Garcia’s 27 points in the second half vs. the Bruins. But Minnesota wore out its California rivals with smothering defense. It showed against the Trojans when they went from shooting 54% in the first half to 33% in the second. A sign of how the Gophers exhausted UCLA? The Bruins don’t shoot free throws well, averaging 70%. In Tuesday’s second half, they didn’t even come close to that, going 5-for-15. I’m calling it the difference in a pair of three-point wins.
ONE MORE THING: Current NET rankings. Minnesota 89, St. Thomas 110. We were mocking the Gophers when the Tommies were ranked higher. So it’s only fair . . . FULL NET RANKINGS: https://fluence-media.co/net0220
AT SPRING TRAINING: Via Star Tribune and The Athletic. Opening Day roster projections are being made following the first few days of workouts and prior to Saturday’s first game against Atlanta. They’re pretty similar, different in only two of the 26 roster spots. The Athletic has infielder Edouard Julien and reliever Justin Topa filling spots that the Star Tribune has taken by outfielder Austin Martin and reliever Louie Varland.
INTERESTING: In the Athletic’s breakdown, writer Aaron Gleeman makes this note about the bullpen. VERBATIM: “This is where I note that FanGraphs projects the Twins to have the best bullpen in baseball this year, with the potential for four high-end options in Duran, Jax, Sands and, if healthy, Stewart. But this is also where I note that FanGraphs projected the Twins to have the second-best bullpen in baseball last year, and instead it ended up 19th in both ERA and Win Probability Added.”
PROJECTION ARTICLES: Star Tribune is here; The Athletic is here.
TWINS UNCAGED: Via Bobby Nightengale at Star Tribune. As the Twins overhaul their hitting approach, one of the differences is players are being told they’ll take batting practice on the field more often than in recent years, when many of them opted to hit only in the batting cage near the clubhouse. VERBATIM: “There are advantages to both settings, but it’s one of the priorities that shifted when the Twins replaced all their hitting coaches following the epic collapse in the final six weeks of last season that cost the club a spot in the postseason.”
PLAYER’S VIEW: From Ryan Jeffers. VERBATIM: “When you do hit on the field, there is a little bit more of an emphasis on moving the ball around the field, not just hitting homers to pull side. Homers are great. Homers get you paid. A lot of big games are won by homers. But there are going to be a lot of games where a single through the four-hole is going to score the run when it matters.” STORY: https://fluence-media.co/hitting0220
TWINS ON THE WEB, RADIO: All but two of the team’s 32 spring training games will be streamed and/or on radio. You can create a free account on MLB.com to stream 18 games, including fives that will be part of the 2025 Twins.TV package. Fourteen games will be on WCCO-AM and 102.9 FM and six other will have audio exclusively on the Audacy app. For cable and satellite subscribers, there will be four games on MLB Network and one on ESPN. Keep in mind that games will no longer be free when the regular season starts. SET UP AN ACCOUNT: https://fluence-media.co/mlb0220
TV? Details not ready to be released. But a Twins official told me this week: “We fully expect that come Opening Day, the linear version of Twins.TV will live on the same packages and tiers that FanDuel Sports Network currently reside on.
TWINS.TV FAQ: Details about how it works, what it costs and more. https://fluence-media.co/twinsfaq0220
KLUWE ARRESTED AT COUNCIL MEETING: Via Matt Szabo at Daily Pilot. Former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe was arrested during a city council meeting on Tuesday in Huntington Beach, Calif., after speaking in protest of a plan to install a plaque outside of the city library that includes MAGA references. VERBATIM: “Kluwe, 43, started approaching the dais where the City Council was seated. He was subdued by several officers and carried out of the council chambers. ‘I made sure I warned the officers I was going to the ground,’ Kluwe said. ‘Then I told them, ‘I’m going to stay limp, you guys got to carry me out of here.’ Kluwe said he was held in the city jail for about four hours before being released late Tuesday night, adding that he was cited after being arrested for disrupting an assembly. Kluwe commended the Huntington Beach Police Department’s handling of the situation but said he felt something had to be done to amplify his concerns. During his comments before approaching the dais, he was critical of several Make America Great Again policies, calling it ‘explicitly a Nazi movement.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/kluwe0220
TRUMP DECLINES WILD GM’S INVITATION: Via Fox News. Wild GM Bill Guerin, who is also GM of the United States team for the 4 Nations NHL tournament that ends with tonight’s title game vs. Canada (7 p.m. ESPN), said he would welcome it if President Trump attended the game. Trump declined and said he would make a phone call to the team instead. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/guerin0220
JEFFERSON PLAYS GM: Via Andrew Elmquist at Browns Nation. Cleveland ‘s standout defensive end Myles Garrett wants to be traded and Justin Jefferson wants him in Minnesota. Here’s his pitch: “Myles, you know where to go my brother. We need about one, two extra pieces, and you’ll fill in that piece. We need you.” VERBATIM: “The Vikings have several pieces that are effectively untouchable, but they might have some expendable players that could help pave the way to acquire Garrett.” MY TAKE: Don’t bet on this one. The Vikings are well set at edge rusher with Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. There are more pressing needs — and salary cap money to pay for them. Still it’s fun to see players shoot their shot. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/garrett0220
REALISTIC OPTIONS: Via Matthew Coller at Purple Insider. The Vikings need secondary help and there will be available talent. No. 1 on Coller’s list is cornerback DJ Reed, who is projected by Pro Football Focus to be signable for $42 million over three seasons. VERBATIM: “When Reed faced off with the Vikings, he might as well have been saying, “come get me.” He was arguably the best player on the field during the Vikings’ matchup with the Jets, allowing just two catches on seven targets for 16 yards into his coverage that day.” MORE NAMES: https://fluence-media.co/freeagents0220
BIG LIST: Pro Football Focus list of the Top 100 free agents. There are three 2024 Vikings in the Top 25. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/pff0220
TIMELINE: The NFL Scouting Combine starts Monday. The period to designate franchise players runs through March 4. Free agents can be signed starting March 12, after a two-day “tampering period” when teams can talk directly to available players and their agents.
COMBINE GOPHERS: QB Max Brosmer is among six Gophers — the most in the 40-year history of the Combine — who will attend. The others are wide receiver Daniel Jackson, offensive lineman Aireontae Ersery, defensive lineman Jah Joyner, defensive back Justin Walley and linebacker Cody Lindenberg. Offensive lineman Grey Zabel of North Dakota State also will be there.
BAD BEHAVIOR: Via Darren Wolfson at KSTP-TV. Hopkins defeated Wayzata 77-76 last Thursday in a boys’ basketball game between two of the state’s elite teams that pretty much went off the rails.
VIDEO: Via Chad Mootz at CCX Media: WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/video0220
TAKING STOCK: According to those who were on the scene the game featured (1) bad calls by the officials, (2) coaches and fans behaving badly, (3) the Wayzata team blowing off the postgame handshake line, (4) head coaches Ken Novak of Hopkins and Bryan Schnettler of Wayzata arguing after the game, (5) Hopkins fans following Wayzata players off the court.
OUTCOMES: More from Wolfson via X, including this statement from Hopkins officials directed toward their fans. FULL TEXT: https://fluence-media.co/hopkins0220
MY TAKE: My youngster grew up going with me to games between North and Henry (now Camden) when it was one of the state’s hottest rivalries. (To get a seat, you had to be there for the JV game.) Nothing like this ever happened. I attended a game last season between North and Breck — at Breck but with most of the fans rooting for North — that was super-intense. (Their rematch later in the season was for the section title.) Supporters of both schools sat together without regard for “home” and “visiting” sections. It was a community gathering as much as a basketball game. Hopkins simply shouldn’t have to reinforce “expectations for all attendees at our basketball games.” Reinforcing expectations is for preschoolers.
IDEA: Hopkins and Wayzata are section rivals who have split their Lake Conference games and could meet for the 6AAAA title. The game is scheduled to be played at the gym of the higher tournament seed. It would be worth it for section officials to find a neutral court to host the game.
EPIC COLLEGE HOOPS WEEKEND: Via Marc Hugunin at Northstar Hoops. There’s a five way tie for first place going into the final weekend of the Northern Sun men’s basketball season. Concordia (St. Paul), Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota State, Winona State and St. Cloud State are all 14-6. MSU Moorhead and UMD are 13-7. How have things been recently? VERBATIM: “Moorhead is the hot team at 5-0 in February. Mankato and UMD are 5-1, St. Cloud and Winona 4-1, CSP 3-2 and Southwest State just 2-3. Still, I think CSP and Southwest State will win out to get the #1 and #2 seeds. Mankato and St. Cloud will each split a pair to get the #3 and #4 seeds and the 3rd and 4th 1st round bye, while UMD and Moorhead will win out and claim #5 and #6. . . . What a beautiful mess.” SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/sked0220. WATCH THE GAMES: https://fluence-media.co/stream0220
STAKES INTERESTING, BUT . . . This weekend mainly sets up the conference tournament, which starts Wednesday at home sites and moves to Sioux Falls next weekend. Twelve of the NSIC’s 15 teams make the tournament and the top four get first-round byes. Mankato is the defending Division II national champion. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/nsic0220.
UMAC JAM-UPS: For men’s teams are tied first place at 9-4 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and each plays one of the teams they’re tied with on Saturday to end the regular season. UW-Superior plays at Minnesota Morris and North Central plays at Bethany Lutheran. Games start at 3 p.m. Northwestern and UW-Superior women are tied for first at 10-3, with Bethany Lutheran and Morris at 9-4. LIVESTREAMS: https://fluence-media.co/umac0220
MORE HOOPS STANDINGS: Concordia-St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State are tied for first in the NSIC women’s race with 18-2 records. Minnesota State Mankato is 17-3. Both Mankato teams are defending their D-II national titles. In the MIAC, St. John’s men will finish tied for first with Gustavus at 15-1 if they beat Bethel on Saturday. The Gusties will get the top playoff seed after beating St. John’s last weekend — and then being upset by Carleton on Wednesday. Gustavus and Bethel women are tied at 16-1 going into Saturday’s final regular-season games. The team split their two meetings.
UMAC SCHOOL CLOSING DOWN: Via Northland College and Semisonic. Northland College announced Wednesday that it will shut down at the end of the year. The Ashland, Wis., school is a member of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and its final basketball games will be Saturday vs. Martin Luther of New Ulm. The men will be trying to avoid their 54th straight loss; the women have lost 42 in a row. Both teams include several Minnesota players. VERBATIM: “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
U WOMEN STOP SKID: Via John Shipley at Pioneer Press. After losing five of their last six games, the Gophers women slogged to a 74-61 must-win at 2-13 Purdue on Wednesday. Minnesota is 8-8 with two games before the Big Ten tournament and still on track for an NCAA bid, even if recent results have made its trek more perilous. VERBATIM: “There were moments of beauty to be found, mostly courtesy of Sophie Hart and Grace Grocholski. Those Gophers teammates combined to score 49 points while shooting a combined 19 for 26 from the field as Minnesota earned an otherwise ragged Big Ten Conference victory over the Boilermakers.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/uwomen0220
GIRLS’ STATE HOCKEY STARTS: The Class 1A quarterfinals were Wednesday and Class 2A started this morning. Quarterfinals and consolation games are streamed on NSPN. The semifinals and finals are the first winter tournament telecasts from Ch. 45. BRACKETS: https://fluence-media.co/gpuckbrackets0220. STREAM: https://fluence-media.co/gpuckstream0220.
BEST IN THE STATE: Star Tribune’s 25 best girls’ hockey players. MEET THEM: https://fluence-media.co/25best0220.
BOYS’ SECTIONS OPEN: There are 29 games around the state tonight. Most fun matchup could be St. Louis Park vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s in Class 2A, Section 6. Two schools, five minutes apart, at the St. Louis Park Rec center, which is home ice for both teams. Game time is 6 p.m. Another Section 6/2A quarterfinal: Hopkins vs. Wayzata at the Plymouth Ice Center. Rooting interest? Good behavior and sportsmanship. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/bpucksked0220. SECTION BRACKETS: https://fluence-media.co/bpucksections0220
LOONS START SUNDAY: At least Minnesota United doesn’t open the season in winter weather, starting out on Saturday against LAFC in Los Angeles (3:30 p.m., FOX). The home opener, complete with a Trapper hat giveaway, is a week from Saturday vs. Montreal — and next game at Allianz Field isn’t for another three weeks. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/loons0220
OPTIMISM ABOUNDS: Via Ryan Rosenblatt at ESPN. Following last season’s strong finish — only one defeat in their last 10 matches and a run to the Western Conference semifinals, the Loons are a genuine candidate to finish in the top three of the conference. VERBATIM: The Loons have been crying out for an impact central midfielder for years, and it appears as if they finally have that in Jung Ho-yeon. The South Korean was one of his country's best young players and starred on its U23 Asian Games-winning team before making his senior international debut last year. Now he's tasked with driving the Minnesota midfield. 2025 will be a success if they crack the top three in the West and look like a serious threat to make an MLS Cup run.” LEAGUE PREVIEW: https://fluence-media.co/mlspreview0220.
LOONS EYE VIEW: Via Kyle Hayward at MNUFC.com. Normally we wouldn’t pay much heed to an in-house predictor. But Hayward’s view is pretty consistent with the ESPN report. He picks the Loons third in the West behind Seattle and LAFC. VERBATIM: Yeah, they pay my checks, but I’m not a fan; I can remain impartial here. They can, however, buy reinforcements to finish the project they started last summer, and with Ho-Yeon Jung and Nicolás Romero coming in, the Loons have finally got the well-rounded roster they’ve been building toward. In a weaker West, I think this group could thrive. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/loonview0220
AURORA SCHEDULE SET: Minnesota Aurora released its 12-game schedule this week, with the opener set for May 22 against Rochester at TCO Stadium. The Aurora hasn’t lost a regular-season game in its first three years (33-0-3), but has yet to win a title in the USL-W preprofessional league. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/aurorasked0220. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/auroratix0220
TEAR DOWN THE BARN POLL: From last week’s Sports Take. 72% of those who voted said they favor replacing Williams Arena.
CALENDAR: A Bar of Their Own, the Minneapolis women’s sports bar that opened last year, is celebrating its one-year anniversary on March 1 and 2. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/aboto0220
STREAMING NOTE: If you’re interested in high school sports, NSPN’s streaming service costs $30 for the year and will have all the state tournament games that aren’t on Ch. 45. Today’s Class 2A quarterfinals are available at no charge. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/nspn
AND FINALLY: Via Bob Timmons and Anthony Souffle at Star Tribune. It has been quite the journey from Brooklyn Park to Willow, Alaska, for 32-year-old Emily Ford, who will race for the first time in the fabled Iditarod dog sled race, a 1,000-mile trek that starts on March 3. VERBATIM: “Ford says she is ready for the obstacles and hardships that come with it. But if the Iditarod is not just another race, Ford is not just another competitor. If she crosses the finish line, she would be just the second Black female musher to do it, a feat that would also cap an extraordinary period in which Ford has continued to push her limits through a series of ever longer, colder and more dangerous outdoor adventures. ‘If she has fear about doing something, she will put it in a compartment,’ her mother, Paula Ford, said. ‘She doesn’t let the fear of the unknown control her. She is able to put that fear in a place that a lot of people can’t put it and move forward.’ “ FULL STORY AND PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/iditarod0220
Thanks for reading. Back with more next week.
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HOW TO WATCH ALMOST ANYTHING
ESPN's guide to sports on about 250 channels and streaming services: https://fluence-media.co/3T4rYw4
Minnesota Division II and III sports: MIAC Network | Northern Sun Network | Upper Midwest Network
NSPN Minnesota high school livestreams: https://fluence-media.co/3My8Tyv
NFHS Minnesota high school livestreams: https://fluence-media.co/3MvFSU6