THE OPENER — Not long ago, you could pretty much count on following Minnesota sports news (men’s sports news, anyway) by reading one of the daily newspapers (or their web sites) and supplementing that pretty casually with other media. That’s not how things are anymore. Inconsistent coverage — deep dives on some subjects, little or nothing on others — is now the norm. An avid reader needs a plan. I’m doing a check-in to share some ways to survive the current “pay more, get less” sports news environment in Minnesota. There are many writers with excellent stories to share and local teams that deserve to be followed. I hope I can help you do that. Stay warm — Howard Sinker
SOLID YOUNG MEN: Via Jim Souhan at Star Tribune. Two sophomore wrestlers at Mounds View High School combined to do a great thing for a River Falls opponent. Competing against a wrestler with Down syndrome, Christian Uy and Julian Sherman grappled with their opponent for almost their entire matches before allowing Kolton Claflin to pin them. Uy’s loss got Claflin into the winners bracket; Sherman’s resulted in Claflin finishing in third place. VERBATIM: “I thought they’d let Kolton get to the end and then pin him, so their wrestler would get third place,” Claflin’s mother said. “Then he let Kolton pin him. Kolton was so happy. He went around high-fiving everybody, and when we got in the car, he said, ‘Mom, that’s the best day of my life.’ In a world where everything is so messed up, my son got to feel like everybody else feels when they win.”
MONEY QUOTE: “I just felt like it would be a nice little deal,” Uy said. “I felt, during the match, that it’s just a match and I’ll have more. This kid, I believed that he should win. It would make him really happy.” TWO THOUGHTS: Some folks taught the Mounds View wrestlers well. Also, when Souhan goes into storytelling mode, his columns are a must-read. FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/wrestle0122
ADRIAN HEATH KIDNAPPED: Via Paul Tenorio at The Athletic. “As the sun disappeared beneath the horizon on a drive across the northern tip of Morocco, Adrian Heath couldn’t help but think of the places football had taken him. . . . Then he turned to look at his kidnapper in the driver’s seat of the four-door sedan and wondered whether it would be football that now ended his life.” That’s the opening of an astonishing story about former Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath, who though he was going to Morocco in November 2024 to sign a contract to coach a football team in Saudi Arabia. It was a scam. Heath was being kidnapped and held for a six-figure ransom. Instead of a five-star hotel, he was taken to an apartment and held at knifepoint. “You obviously realize that this isn’t what you thought it was going to be. This is how it’s going to work: You’re going to send us money.” Extraordinarily quick and smart thinking by his wife, Jane Heath, and other family members led to his release without paying up 24 hours later — events that also involved a stunning mistake by the kidnappers. The Heaths told their story to Tenorio, the Athletic reporter, last month after hearing from the FBI that the scam had been pulled on another coach.
VERBATIM: “When Adrian thinks back to that final drive in Morocco, he realized how much the sport still means to him. He wants to work again, if only to have football bring something positive to his life, as it has for so long. ‘I’ve got a new respect for how good our life is and how good I’ve had it,” he said. “I’ve worked hard, but I’ve had a great life. We’re talking about a year ago, virtually now, and I was sitting there that night thinking, ‘This is it and I’ve still got so much I want to do. And so I still want to coach. I still want to get back out there. I’ve still got the enthusiasm. I know it sounds stupid, I’m thinking this is it, this is the end of it all. But the next part of it is really me talking about it and then getting back into it now.’ For Heath, it’s a mission to reinforce what he felt that night when he imagined the worst: that he wasn’t done yet” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/heath0122 (If the link hits a paywall, another version of the story is here.)
CONSUMING SPORTS: The two stories above are prime examples of why it’s necessary to make the pivot from the old ways of following sports. The old ways are gone. Stack them with your DVD player, checkbook register and COVID vaccine card.. My last full-time job was editing the sports web site at Star Tribune, and I still get asked how I follow Minnesota sports. It took a while to figure things out, but I think what works for me can work for you. It’s a shift, but only a seismic one if you’re still stuck wholly in the past.
*Print newspapers are dead to me. There were early deadlines and smaller sections before Star Tribune shut down its presses last month and moved printing the paper (and the Pioneer Press) to Iowa. The “print edition” had already become useless for late news and for a comprehensive report. Now, it’s even more so. The daily sports section has become a news magazine of stories, many of them having appeared on web sites days earlier. And it’s only a matter of time before daily print disappears entirely. As a former Twin Cities news executive recently said on social media: “You need to make digital king for sports and breaking news. That requires a different staffing model. The print product should look like a NEWS magazine. But the bottom line, folks, is yesterday’s gone.”
*The problem: Shrinking staffs mean less quality coverage. Sports departments at the Strib and PiPress aren’t automatically staffing events – Gophers home games, pro teams on the road – that used to be routinely covered. Other topics are ignored or covered sporadically. As their replacement, web coverage still hasn’t filled the void. Some days, for example, I can find a St. Thomas basketball result. Other days, I can’t. Adequate staffing is a problem. Resistance to change is still an issue. Each web site has its strengths: Star Tribune has a larger staff and goes deeper on Vikings and high school coverage; Pioneer Press writers pinball from topic to topic and the section makes better use of part-time staff to cover local stories. That’s why I need to read both daily.
*The solution: Well-read Minnesota sports fans need to diversify their portfolio and look for value while doing so. (Sorry to sound like my financial advisor.) The regular rate for a Star Tribune subscription, for example, is $260 per year. But there are frequent discounts, most recently a $50 offer for one year. The Pioneer Press offers even more deeply discounted introductory rates for one year. You need to track your expiration dates and cancel before a full-price automatic renewal. Going through that process may result in another discounted offer being made. Or cancel and start over with a new discount.
*Other stuff: I use ESPN for national news and subscribe to The Athletic, which also offers discounts, and regularly read several strong local sites. The Athletic is tough competition for the locals on men’s professional sports and national WNBA news, in part because its Twin Cities-based staff is backed up by a team of national writers. I read MinnPost for its sports analysis; Matthew Coller’s Purple Insider for its Vikings coverage, and Twins Daily. I follow Charles Hallman at the Minnesota Spokesman Recorder. Gophers pages operated by Sports Illustrated are a mix of commentary and links to stories on other sites. Heather Rule’s hockey Substack is the best source of Minnesota Frost game coverage. Some things I pay for; others I go as far as free versions will allow. And, yes, I go to team and league sites – knowing that objectivity isn’t king. I use my social media feeds, especially Facebook, to take me to stories I might not otherwise see. That’s where I first saw the Heath story posted above.
*Overall: Legacy media isn’t doing itself any favors with its hit-or-miss approach to many sports topics, but subscribing and using their web sites supports talented writers and resourceful reporting that isn’t available elsewhere. (I’d pay just to read Chris Hine cover the Wolves for the Strib and Andy Greder breaking Gophers and Minnesota United news at the Pioneer Press.) As readers, we’re not being dealt a great hand anywhere right now. Until that changes — and it needs to — we need to forage to feed our sports appetite and pay for things we find satisfying.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU READ?: Share with me. sportstake100@gmail.com
ANOTHER ANNOYING LOSS: Following a pattern discussed in last week’s Sports Take, the Timberwolves folded at Utah on Tuesday night, their third loss in a row. The Jazz are 15-29 and were playing without several key players. The Wolves were at full strength and looked disinterested on defense, blowing a 15-point lead in the second half — a season-worst breakdown. The Wolves were outscored 43-26 in the fourth quarter. I’m still reasonably certain the Wolves can make a strong playoff run, but that’s down from the total certainty I’d like to carry.
LACK OF LISTENING: Via Chris Hine at Star Tribune. In Hine’s weekly newsletter, Anthony Edwards admitted “most of the time, we don’t listen to the game plan.” Mike Conley, the 38-year-old point guard, said: “It's just maybe the day and age of young players now. But it’s something that, all jokes aside, we have to be better at; we have to be more serious collectively.” Coach Chris Finch offered an admonition and some spin. VERBATIM: “Certainly part human nature. Part of it’s just in our DNA. As much as we want it to be different, every team has its own personality. This team has shown the ability to get bored at times. We got to do a better job of meeting some of the lower moments. This team always meets the high moments. And I think what Ant was really saying is not that we disregard [the] game plan, it’s that sometimes we look for shortcuts and easy ways out, and that’s not going to get it done on a night-to-night basis.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wolves0122
HOT NEW RIVALRY: Via Jared Weiss and Jon Krawczynski at The Athletic. If you watched Saturday’s Wolves-Spurs game, you probably remember that the Spurs won 126-123, snuffing out a huge Wolves comeback try. More memorable, though, was the late-game shot-making-battle between Anthony Edwards and San Antonio’s 7-foot-5 Victor Wembanyama. Edwards scored 55 points, Wembanyama scored 39. The rivals traded clutch fourth-quarter baskets that turned the arena rowdy. Is Ant vs. Wemby going to become the newest NBA rivalry following the path Bird vs. Magic, and Kobe vs. Shaq, among others? VERBATIM: “It’s an honor and it’s the best thing to have the best players go as hard as they can,” Wembanyama said. “First of all, it makes us better, it makes me better. And it’s a show of respect, of progress stepping up because now the standings make us that we are a respectable team.” STORY AND HIGHLIGHTS: https://fluence-media.co/rivals0122
STICKER SHOCK: Via Michael Rand at Star Tribune. Wolves season-ticket holders received their renewal notices this week and several reported steep increases. VERBATIM: “Two different fans who have season tickets in the lower bowl said they saw increases of 25% and 37%, respectively. Fans with upper bowl tickets reported smaller increases. The cheapest season ticket, in the upper level, is now $21 per game.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/tickets0122
BRIAN FLORES TRACKER (WEEK 2): Via Andrew Krammer at Star Tribune. The drama appears to be over. Brian Flores signed a new contract Wednesday to remain as Vikings defensive coordinator — unless he leaves to become head coach for Pittsburgh or Baltimore, two teams that have interviewed him for their openings. VERBATIM: “The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “On a personal level, I’ve really valued the relationship we’ve built over the last three years, and that shared trust, alignment and high standard will continue to be critical to our success.”
STAFF CHANGES: “There will be changes to the Vikings’ coaching staff regardless of Flores’ status. O’Connell is searching for a new offensive line coach after letting Chris Kuper’s contract expire at the end of this season. Safeties coach Michael Hutchings left to be Cal’s defensive coordinator. Defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Daronte Jones has been requested for four interviews for defensive coordinator openings.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/coach0122
BIGGER PICTURE: Via Matthew Coller at Purple Insider. Keeping Flores is especially important because their NFC North rivals — Chicago, Green Bay and Detroit — all have elite offenses. His return will compel the Vikings to turn the majority of their attention to the offense. VERBATIM: “The consistency of the defense makes it easier to focus efforts on the offensive side. The historical data suggests that teams who reach the Super Bowl generally outscore their opponents by somewhere in the ballpark of 100 points or more over a season. This year’s four finalists produced +191, +172, +170 and +90. The Vikings were +11 as Flores’ defense held up its end of the bargain by ranking seventh in points allowed. But the 26th ranked offense would need to gain at least 90 more points to put them in serious discussion as a contender. With Flores back, the onus turns to Kevin O’Connell to get much greater production out of the quarterback position.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/offense0122
LYNX RELEASE SCHEDULE: The Lynx announced their 44-game schedule Wednesday. The opener is May 10 vs. Atlanta at Target Center. Obviously, the schedule is contingent on a labor agreement being reached, but the release allows WNBA teams to sell tickets, create ticket plans for 2026 and formalize arena dates. WORTH NOTING: 1. The Lynx host Caitlin Clark and Indiana on Aug. 2 (a Sunday noon) game and on Sept. 24 to close the regular season. 2. Paige Bueckers comes home with her Dallas team on June 9 and Aug. 9. 3. The Lynx have consecutive home-and-away games against Washington, Connecticut, Toronto and Indiana. 4. The Commissioner’s Cup series will be played from June 1-17 with the championship game on June 30, Minnesota won the cup in 2024 and lost in the title game to Indiana last season. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/lynx0122
NEGOTIATIONS: Via Jackie Powell at NBC Sports. Here’s a big-picture view of the issues and where each side stands. https://fluence-media.co/labor0122
BUECKERS CASHES IN: Via Cat Ariail at Swish Appeal. In addition to being the third-leading scorer in Unrivaled, Paige Bueckers won $50,000 by winning the league’s free-throw competition that was held over the first two weeks of the season. She hit all 13 of her free throws during the season’s first five games. Bueckers is averaging 23.4 points per game and leads the three-on-three league with 6.8 assists per game. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/paige0122
TOO COLD FOR HOCKEY? Via Joe McCoy at KARE-11. Organizers of the U.S. Pond Hockey championships have cancelled the opening party scheduled for tonight on Lake Nokomis and Friday’s games because of the big chill coming through Minnesota. Games are still set in the 250-team tournament for Saturday and Sunday. In 2024, the tournament was also called off — because it was too warm. VERBATIM: “It definitely poses logistical challenges, but condensing the event into two days is the best option,” said tournament commissioner Scott Crowder. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/pond0122
OR IS IT? Via Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Most Hockey Day Minnesota events scheduled for today through Saturday on an outdoor rink in Hastings were still a go, as of Thursday morning. That includes a minor-league game between the Iowa Wild and Milwaukee Admirals set for 5 p.m. Friday. There are six other games scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The story includes a note from a Hockey Day post on Facebook. VERBATIM: “Fans attending Hockey Day Minnesota games on Friday and Saturday are encouraged to dress appropriately with multiple layers and blankets. Heated tents and fire pits will be available for fans to use throughout the complex.” STORY: https://fluence-media.co/hockeyday0122
ONE CHANGE: The Hockey Day game scheduled for Thursday afternoon between girls’ teams from Edina (No. 5 in Class AA) and Warroad (No. 1 in Class A) has been moved to Edina’s Braemar Arena at 2:35 p.m. LIVESTREAM
WEB UPDATES: Hockey Day Minnesota | U.S. Pond Hockey
TWINS ROASTED: Via Chad Jennings at The Athletic. In an article headlined, “Which teams are actually trying this winter, and which are sitting it out,” the author divided the 30 MLB teams into 10 tiers. Guess who’s among three teams in Tier 10. VERBATIM: “Last year’s trade deadline was a masterclass in fire-sale rebuilding. But rather than continuing full-steam in that direction, the Twins have held onto their remaining trade chips (starters Joe Ryan and Pablo López) while adding some third-tier free agents (first baseman Josh Bell, catcher Victor Caratini and infielder Orlando Arcia). If the rebuild is over, is this how the actual building begins?” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/twins0122
ROGERS RETURNING: Via Bobby Nightengale at Star Tribune. The Twins are bringing back former closer Taylor Rogers, who has pitched for five teams since being traded with outfielder Brent Rooker for pitchers Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan ar the start of the 2022 season. Rogers had 28 saves for the Padres that season, but hasn’t been used as a closer since then. He split 2025 between the Cubs and Reds. The 35-year-okd lefty had a 3.38 ERA in 58 games.
BASEBALL DIASPORA: Via Will Ragatz at Sports Illustrated. You don’t have enough fingers, toes, arms, legs and facial features to count the number of players who appeared in a game for the Twins last season who are no longer in the organization. A total of 31 players left in varying ways and 10 are still looking for work. Here’s a list of their current situations. VERBATIM: “If you recognize all of those names, you are officially a Twins sicko.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/extwins0122
SADLY FOR THE TWINS: While the team’s ownership situation was in flux, other teams got a head start on pursuing relief pitchers, which is Minnesota’s biggest need. VERBATIM: “In most years, free agent relievers are typically the last position group to see much movement during the offseason because so many of them sign one-year contracts. This winter was different. Teams prioritized the top bullpen arms, especially ones with experience as a closer. Team President Derek Falvey acknowledged the Twins had a late start to their winter because ‘we were still trying to work through where we were organizationally, transition with ownership and lots of things going on.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/rogers0122
LOONS GETTING DEFENSIVE HELP? Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press: VERBATIM: “Minnesota United is interested in signing 20-year-old Dutch right back Cherrion Valerius from club NAC Breda, a source confirmed to the Pioneer Press on Thursday. MNUFC’s preseason pursuit of a right back could be filled by Valerius, a 6-foot-4 prospect with 34 games experience in the Dutch top flight, the Eredivsie. The Loons have been targeting a new player for that defensive position, which, in turn, would allow last year’s primary right back, Bongi Hlongwane, to return to more-natural attacking positions. . . . Dutch reporter Joost Blaauwhof first reported the Valerius news on Thursday. He said Valerius has drawn interest from Scotland and Spain’s La Liga, but the Loons came first with a ‘substantial amount.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/loons0122
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE: The Gophers women’s hockey team, ranked third in the nation, takes on No. 15 St. Cloud State in a home-and-home series this weekend — 6 p.m. Friday in St. Cloud at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ridder Arena. Both games are on BIG+. Things get spicier next weekend with a home series against No. 1 Wisconsin and in three weeks at No. 2 Ohio State. AND THE MEN? Unranked and with a six-game winless streak, the U men are at No. 2 Michigan State this weekend. (6 p.m. Friday on BIG+, 5 p.m. Saturday on BIG.) POLLS: WOMEN | MEN
OLYMPIC COUNT HITS 35: Via Star Tribune. When Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson Lacombe, from Eden Prairie and the U, was added to the men’s hockey team, he became the 35th athlete with Minnesota ties to join Team USA. UPDATED LIST: https://fluence-media.co/teamusa0122
GAME TO WATCH: No. 3 Wayzata plays at No. 1 Hopkins in Class 4A girls’ basketball at 7 p.m. Friday. Wayzata has a nine-game winning streak, including wins by more than 30 points in its last two games against Eden Prairie and St. Michael-Albertville. Hopkins is 15-1 with its only loss by one point against Dowling Catholic of Iowa — Caitlin Clark’s alma mater — in a Thanksgiving tournament. TICKETS | STATE BASKETBALL POLLS
NEW SUBURBAN SPORTS COMPLEX: Via Mars King at Pioneer Press. A $7.1 million youth sports complex is scheduled to open next year in Apple Valley. It is a partnership between the city and the area’s school district. Funding was approved by voters in a 2023 referendum. Part of the land for the project is owned by the school district that includes Apple Valley, Rosemount, Eagan and Eastview High Schools, said Eric Carlson, Apple Valley’s parks and recreation director. VERBATIM: “The land provided by the district is part of the Westview Elementary School site. . . .Once the project is completed, Westview students will have access to the new facilities for gym class and recess. High school sports teams for ISD 196 will use the facilities for softball, soccer, lacrosse and football, Carlson said. Also using the new facilities will be Valley Athletic Association, a nonprofit organization that serves students of ISD 196 communities, and Eastview Athletic Association, which offers sports programs to families living within the Eastview High School enrollment boundaries as well as the city of Apple Valley.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/complex0122
BUZZER-BEATER: Via Red Lake Youth Sports. Maybe it was that four players touched the ball in five seconds with only one dribble . . . or the team running over to greet a fan and then circling back for the handshake line. But I’ve watched this game-winning shot from a JV game between Red Lake and Nevis a bunch of times — and it keeps making me smile. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/shot0122
GOPHERS WIN NATIONAL TITLES! Via University of Minnesota. Wait, you didn’t know the U is a cheerleading and dance powerhouse? The Gophers just defended their national cheer and dance titles in Orlando, Fla. Minnesota has 30 national titles, 24 of them in the dance competition. The only injustice was Goldy Gopher finishing second to Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye in the mascot contest. More NIL money for Goldy, please! Also, Minnesota State won a national dance title in its division. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/cheer0122
AND FINALLY: Via Madeline Hill at Impersonal Foul. What’s it like to compete at the dance nationals. VERBATIM: “Think of UDA Nationals as the dance world’s Super Bowl.” STORY AND MORE VIDEOS: https://fluence-media.co/dance0122
THANKS FOR READING, WATCHING AND DANCING: Back with more next week. Stay warm and safe.
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