HOPE COMES ALIVE: If you’re a Minnesota sports fan, you can’t help but be enthusiastic about what could be ahead for your teams of choice (with the ugly exception of the Twins). The Vikings start play Monday night with a roster upgraded for lifting up rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Lynx will be entering the WNBA playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Minnesota United is in the hunt for two trophies. The Gophers have created postseason expectations in football, volleyball and soccer. Look further ahead and the Wild will be out from under their years-old salary cap limitations and the Wolves will try again to take next steps toward being among the NBA’s elite. If you can’t find something to be excited about, I don’t think you’re trying.
ON THE VIKINGS: There is a disconnect I find intriguing between how we view the Vikings locally and how they’re seen nationally. The Athletic surveyed fans in its “Hope-O-Meter” about their favorite NFL teams and 90% of Vikings fans said they were optimistic. Denver ranked at the top with 99% and the Colts were last at 7%.
McCARTHY FILE: Via Emily Leiker at Star Tribune. Obviously, McCarthy’s play will be among the biggest factor — and is for sure the team’s biggest uncertainly. Players had enough faith to select him as one of eight team captains. VERBATIM: “He knows he’s definitely not gonna be alone out there from the standpoint of the coaching staff and myself right there with him, maybe me too much sometimes in his ear, being able to coach the quarterback system,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I know those 10 guys in the huddle, regardless of who’s in the game, those guys are excited for No. 9 to come in and call that first play.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/jj0904
PESSIMIST’S VIEW: Via Bill Barnwell at ESPN. Barnwell cites McCarthy’s inexperience and the team’s wildly vacillating record in one-score games over McCarthy’s three seasons (9-0 to 4-8 to 8-1) as reasons they won’t be among the 14 teams in the playoff field. SALT IN WOUND: He’s picking all three other teams in the NFC North — the Packers, Lions and Bears — to make the playoffs. VERBATIM: “One of the places where the team will get younger . . . is at quarterback, with J.J. McCarthy taking over as the starter after missing all of his rookie year with a knee injury. The Vikings invested heavily along the line of scrimmage this offseason, and they probably won't need to lean on their quarterback as much as they did on early downs with Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins. But we just don't know whether McCarthy will be an upgrade on the passers who preceded him. My instinct is that he's something close, but instead, a defensive decline and a less fortunate year in one-score contests push Minnesota back toward the middle of the NFC pack. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/barnwell0904
VIKINGS READING: Get ready for the season-opener in Chicago with these:
Ten Biggest Questions Facing the Vikings, via Matthew Coller at Purple Insider.
How Justin Jefferson has become a face of the NFL, via Alec Lewis at The Athletic.
Carson Wentz fulfills his prophecy, via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press.
2025 Bold NFL Predictions (including a Viking being named Defensive Player of the Year), via Mark Craig at Star Tribune.
New NFL rules (including replay, kickoffs, measurements and overtime), via Josh Dubuw of Associated Press.
Vikings vs Bears info: Vikings depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Bears web site
ON THE LYNX: Clinching the regular-season title with two weeks left in the season has given Coach Cheryl Reeve luxuries and questions. And they’re intertwined. How much do the regulars play to stay sharp? (Kayla McBride was rested during Sunday’s game against Dallas) How much should she try new combinations and give time to the end of the bench? (Little-used point guard Jaylyn Sherrod played most of the second half against the Wings) What are the best and most troublesome playoff matchups? (Would a first-round series vs. Indiana be a dangerous trap, especially if injured Caitlin Clark returns? Same for the Liberty in the second round.) MY TAKE: These are exciting questions to have, right? For Lynx fans — veteran and recent — it means following the WNBA’s final week of the regular season beyond what the Lynx are doing. Standings shuffles have been a near-daily thing. MY ADVICE: Here it is. (Headphones recommended if you’ve been required to return to the office.)
WATCH TONIGHT: Just over a month ago, the Lynx demolished the Las Vegas Aces 111-58, in a nationally televised embarrassment for the losers. Since then, however, the Aces have won 12 straight games and are in a third-place tie heading into tonight rematch (9 p.m., FSDN and Prime Video). There’s nothing at stake for the Lynx, so the game is more interesting than important for them. Minnesota won their other two games by scores of 76-62 and 109-98. Atlanta is in second place with the Aces and Phoenix a half-game behind. THE BIG DEAL: Finishing second or third means being able to avoid the Lynx until the WNBA finals. The Lynx will play the winner of the series between the fourth- and fifth-place finishers — barring the unthinkable, of course. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/wnba0904
WHAT ABOUT THE LIBERTY? Injuries (especially to superstar Breanna Stewart) and inconsistent play have dropped New York to fifth place and without much hope of moving into the top four. IT MATTERS: If the Liberty finish fifth and win their first-round series (along with the Lynx), the teams would have their 2024 title-series rematch in the semifinals.
ON THE LOONS: Second-place Minnesota United is on an international break that runs until a Sept. 13 game at first-place San Diego, and they are two of only three teams that have clinched playoff spots in MLS with five regular-season games remaining. Also, the Loons play host to Austin on Sept. 17 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup and would play for the trophy at Allianz Field on Oct. 1 if they win. The final four MLS games are at home, too. That’s good for fans, but the Loons need to improve on their home record (7-4-4), which is worst than their record on the road (7-2-5). SCHEDULE, TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/schedule0904
BIG PICTURE: Via Jon Marthaler at Star Tribune. Coach Eric Ramsay knows his good team needs to be better. VERBATIM: “We need to get stronger as a club. We need to have more depth. We need to have more options. We need to be at our fullest when it comes to our players who can come on and change games, because ultimately that’s what the top teams do, and the top teams have in this division. That’s, of course, only one side of it. I’m not pointing solely to individuals and personnel, but that is a big part of moving forward and being able to compete with the very top teams.”
MORE RAMSAY: “We’ve done a very good job of grinding out lots of points through what, I would say, is a very effective playing style. Sometimes I feel we find ourselves at our limit in certain situations. Sometimes we can do better as a team. Sometimes I can do better as a coach in terms of finding solutions to unlocking teams.” MY TAKE: Great to have a coach who routinely says something meaningful. FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/loons0904
GOPHERS: A friend asked me for a record prediction for the football team and I’m going to hold off until after the game a week from Saturday at Cal. I’m incredibly disappointed (for reasons laid out in the next item) that Minnesota scheduled Northwestern State on Saturday. At best, it should give Coach P.J. Fleck a chance to use players who may not get on the field in any other games. At worst, it’s a waste of time. I won’t learn anything useful from watching.
HOW BAD? THAT BAD I: There are 129 teams in FCS football. Northwestern State moved up from 128th all the way to . . . 124th by beating Alcorn State in its opener. So, yeah, the Gophers had to work very, very hard to schedule an opponent this weak. And it’s not like they were any good when the game was set. Northwestern State hasn’t had a winning season since 2008. FULL RATINGS: https://fluence-media.co/fcs0904
ONCE UPON A TIME: I don’t like telling stories from the past too often, but sometimes I can’t resist. In 1982, the Gophers got off to a 3-0 start under Joe Salem, were ranked 19th in the nation and created enough buzz that a radio host in Fargo asked me on as a guest to talk about the team. (I was covering outstate Minnesota sports at the time, so I was kind of a big deal, in Fargo-Moorhead anyway.) Something seemed amiss about the U’s success — details escape me — and I said I wouldn’t be surprised if the Gophers didn’t win another game. They finished 3-8. Don’t interpret that as pessimism about the 2025 Gophers. I just need some time to decide how optimistic I can be.
SPIKING, KICKING, WINNING: The Gophers volleyball team is 3-1 and ranked 14th headed into matches in Nashville vs. Vanderbilt on Friday (7 p.m, ESPN+) and Lipscomb on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+). They host the Diet Coke classic next Friday-Sunday with matches against South Florida, No. 25 Dayton and South Dakota State. The killer Big Ten schedule (seven teams in the Top 25) begins Sept. 25 at home vs. Michigan State. The soccer team, which advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament last season, is 4-1 and hosts Milwaukee on Friday (7 p.m., BIG+). VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE, TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/vball0904. SOCCER SCHEDULE TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/soccer0904
ON THE TWINS: I’m not giving them grace. I’m giving us grace for not going there this week. It’s grotesque at Target Field, on the field and off — and I promise to get back to it in the coming weeks. The Twins have the fourth worst record in the majors and are in danger of getting swept in a four-game series by the lowlier White Sox tonight at Target Field. THREE STATS AND OUT: 1. The White Sox are 0-13 on the road against the other three teams in the AL Central. 2. Until they rallied to beat the Twins 4-3 last night, the White Sox were winless in their last 205 games when they trailed going into the ninth inning. 3. The Twins are 5-16 in their last 21 games. Somehow, they are undefeated in three games I attended during that stench stretch.
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U SCHEDULE SILLINESS: Minnesota has a nonconference football game set for the 2027 season against Lindenwood University, the same Missouri school that St. Thomas defeated in its football opener last week. As Fleck and the Gophers seek to be taken more seriously on a national level, dumping that game from the schedule would be a wise move. I’m not asking for the Gophers to take on an uphill challenge — even though that would be nice) as much as I’m asking for a more interesting and challenging opponent. Right now, for example, North Dakota State has room for one more nonconference game on its 2027 schedule — and the Bison’s success has made it difficult for them to schedule FBS teams. (Their only FBS opponent currently on the schedule for the next fives seasons is Oregon in 2028.) Yes, it would take pivoting to make it happen. But conference shifting and scheduling is making it more possible to make such moves on short notice.
CHARMAR SUPERSTAR: Via Eric Peterson at InForum. After winning the Jerry Rice Award as the national’s top player in the Football Championship Subdivision and helping NDSU to another national title, running back CharMar (Marty) Brown left for Miami and played a key role in its 27-24 season-opening upset of Notre Dame. Brown scored a touchdown in the third quarter and played a big role in the drive that led to a game-winning field goal. VERBATIM: “Miami head coach Mario Cristobal wasn't surprised with the redshirt sophomore's performance in his first game with the Hurricanes. ‘Actually expected, because of what he’s done in practice,’ Cristobal said. ‘He’s built as well as anybody in college football. . . . He doesn’t get hurt and it’s hard to tackle the guy.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/brown090425
PLAYING EVERY PLAY: Via Tony Liebert at Sports Illustrated. Ohio State tackle Phillip Daniels, who transferred from Minnesota after last season, was on the field for every offensive play in his team’s 14-7 win over Texas last weekend in the game between the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 teams. Former Gophers QB Athan Kaliakmanis started his second season at Rutgers by throwing two touchdown passes in a 34-31 win over Ohio. ALSO NOTED: Zach Pyron, the quarterback who came to Minnesota from Georgia Tech last winter and then bolted for South Alabama, didn’t play in his new team’s season-opener against Morgan State. MORE UPDATES: https://fluence-media.co/transfer0904
HOCKEY HALL OF FAMERS: Via Associated Press. VERBATIM: “Longtime NHL players Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise and Scott Gomez headline the United States Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2025. Olympic gold medal-winning women’s defender Tara Mounsey and photographer Bruce Bennett are also set to be enshrined at a ceremony in St. Paul (on December 10).” Parise, of course, is the big name for Minnesota fans. He grew up in the Twin Cities and played two seasons at North Dakota before his 19-year NHL career, including 2012-21 with the Wild. He scored 199 of his 434 career goals for Minnesota. Gomez was one of the NHL’s first Latino players and the first NHL player from Alaska. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/hall0904 PARISE STATS: https://fluence-media.co/parise0904
GOPHERS RECRUTING WIN: U women’s basketball has gotten a commitment from Wisconsin’s No. 1 recruit in this year’s class — 5-foot-10 shooting guard Natalie Kussow, who is also ranked the nation’s No, 4 shooting guard by 247 Sports. She was the Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year in Wisconsin, is ranked No. 47 in the nation by ESPN among recruits and joins Tori Oehrlein of Crosby-Ironton, who is ranked No. 62. RANKINGS: https://fluence-media.co/top100. VIDEO: https://fluence-media.co/kussow090425
NEXT BIG THING: Via Star Tribune. Vienna Murray of East Ridge, a 6-foot-1 guard and the No. 3-ranked prospect in Minnesota, has narrowed her college list to six schools: Arizona State, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Florida, which she visited last week. Florida is led by former Hopkins star Liv McGill and coached by former Breck School standout Kelly Rae Finley. The state’s top two players are Maddyn Greenway of Providence Academy, who is committed to Kentucky, and Oehrlien. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/vienna0904
GOD’S PLAN? Via X. Our occasional reminder about the fickleness of “verbal commitments.” Offensive tackle Daniel McMorris of Norman, Okla., has broken his promise to play for the Gophers. VERBATIM: “After long talks with my family and God, I’m ready to announce that I will be de-committing from The University of Minnesota.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/mcmorris0904
ROMAN’S PLAN: Via Marcus Fuller at Strib Varsity. A road trip to the southwest corner of Minnesota yielded a deep profile of Jackson County Central’s Roman Voss, the state’s No. 1 recruit who chose the Gophers over Alabama. He’s in his fifth year starting at quarterback for the defending 2A football champs, but projects as a tight end in college — and maybe beyond. VERBATIM: “A few days after being doused with mayonnaise when the Gophers won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. Virginia Tech in January, Fleck came with his entire offensive staff to Voss’ home. ‘They wanted to recruit an athletic guy like me who could catch the ball, get outside and not always be attached to the tackle. You’ve got to get to a spot that is going to have the best chance for you to play in the NFL. And you need the best people around to support and believe in you.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/voss0904
CARLETON’S CHALLENGE: D-III football teams open this weekend and Carleton is taking on a big challenge by playing at No. 24 Wisconsin-Whitewater, which struggled to a 6-4 record last season but is a frequent D-III postseason entrant. In their last games against MIAC teams, Whitewater defeated St. John’s 56-28 at the start of the 2023 season and Bethel 42-14 in the first round of the ‘23 playoffs. ALSO: Gustavus opens at Whitworth, which beat the Gusties 40-7 in St. Peter to open last season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. MIAC SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/miacsked0904. MIAC NETWORK: https://fluence-media.co/miacnetwork0904
HIGHLY RANKED: Here’s how football teams around the state (and on the border) are ranked in NCAA polls. FCS: 1. North Dakota State; 2. South Dakota State; 6. South Dakota, 22. North Dakota, which led Kansas until the final minute last weekend before losing 38-35. D-II: 3. Minnesota State. D-III: 5. St. John’s; 11. UW-LaCrosse; 12. Bethel; 19. UW-River Falls. POLLS: https://fluence-media.co/polls0904
GELLNER ANNOYS CARRINGTON: Via Will Ragatz at Bring Me the News. Lynx announcer Marney Gellner poked fun at a bad pass by forward Dijonai Carrington during Monday’s game against Dallas and the recently acquired defensive standout didn’t take it well. STORY AND VIDEO: https://fluence-media.co/dijonai0904
EXSTED AT U.S. OPEN TENNIS: Max Exsted, 18, of Savage — one of the top tennis players in the world in his age group — was eliminated from the U.S. Open Juniors competitions in the Round of 32 in both singles and doubles. Exsted lost to No. 1 seed in singles 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday and in a tie-breaker in the double competition on Monday. He is the two-time defending double champion at the Australian Open with partner Jan Kumstat of the Czech Republic. MORE ON MAX: https://fluence-media.co/max0904
SATURDAY AT THE TRACK: The state’s richest day of horse racing — the 32nd Minnesota Festival of Champions — is Saturday at Canterbury Park. The 11-race card includes nine stakes races and is exclusively for horses bred in Minnesota. The richest races are the $75,000 Northern Lights Futurity and $75,000 Northern Lights Debutante. There are four more thoroughbred stakes races and three for quarterhorses. Post time is 5 p.m. HORSE TO WATCH: Minnesota Derby winner Sushi Man is unbeaten in three races at Canterbury this summer and has won twice on the turf by a total of 16 1/2 lengths. He’ll be the favorite in the Blair’s Cove Minnesota Turf Classic. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/canterbury0904
STATE CHAMPS: Via Minnesota Baseball Association. A walkoff home run by Joey Werner gave the Miesville Mudhens an 11-9 win over Champlin Park in the Class A title game of the state townball tournament over the weekend in Gaylord. It was the ninth state title for the Mudhens, who rallied from an 8-1 deficit to win their semifinal game. Delano defeated Nisswa 8-2 for the Class B title and Pierz defeated Le Sueur 11-1 in Class C.
SCAM ALERT! Via Patrick Reusse at Star Tribune. Reusse writes that his father ran quite a ruse to raise money for his townball team back in the day in tiny Fulda. READ: https://fluence-media.co/townball0904
READ BEFORE LEAVING: Via Joe Christensen at Strib Varsity. I talked to a high school activities director this week whose school has been looking for a girls’ basketball coach this summer without much success. That’s not unique. Over the past three years, 72% of girls’ hockey head coaching jobs have come open and 52% of girls’ basketball jobs. For boys’ hockey, the number is 39%. VERBATIM: “Coaches are dealing with players and parents that have unrealistic expectations of where they fit in, how good they are, the playing time that should be afforded them,” Stillwater girls’ hockey coach Tim Morris said. “In many cases, the athletic directors struggle to back their coaches … if parents don’t get their way, they go to the school boards or the superintendents or the principals.”
UGLY DATA: “Of the 492 schools in the state with an AD position, 17% had AD openings two years ago, 14% last year and 12% this year. Dan Johnson, executive director of the Minnesota Interscholastic Activities Administrators Association, said 29 of the state’s 59 incoming AD’s this year are new to the position. ‘Already this year, we’ve had two or three that have quit since the first day of fall practice.’ “ FULL REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/coaches0904
THANKS FOR READING: Back next week when we’ll see if there’s still as much optimism in the crisp September air.
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