OPENER: It’s funny the range of expectations we have for our local teams. The Twins want to win back their fans almost as much as they want to win games. The Vikings want to win a Super Bowl. But are we even sure they’re a .500 team? Can we please talk (mostly) about basketball when the Lynx and their 25-6 record are up for discussion. This week’s Sports Take is filled with expectations, outcomes, controversy, Bananas and books. Thanks for reading. — Howard Sinker
COMING UP ON 50 YEARS. FIFTY! Via Judd Zulgad on Substack. It’s been that long since the last of the Vikings four unsuccessful trips to the Super Bowl in the 1970s. So it was good Vikings owner Mark Wilf hijacked attention from the daily quarterback updates to address a more substantial issue: Expectations for success need to be met. And, unlike some other local pro teams, the goal isn’t just making the playoffs or getting out of the first round. The Vikings have made eight playoff trips in the 21 years since the Wilf family bought the team and have won only three games. But Wilf wants more than incremental improvement.
WILF’S MONEY QUOTE: “Ultimately, it's about not just playoff wins, but championships, and that is the ultimate measure. We know that. We try to be patient as an ownership (group), and that, we know, is the ultimate success. But, of course, patience isn't infinite. We understand that, but I feel really good about the direction of this football club, and we're going to get those benchmarks checked off here.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wilf0806
BEGGING A QUESTION: Via Ben Goessling at Star Tribune. This year’s major move was the firing of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and replacing him with Nolan Teasley, hired away from Super Bowl-champion Seattle. As much as anything, will Teasley’s fresh set of eyes be strongly focused on head coach Kevin O’Connell? Wilf’s analysis of O’Connell sounded flattering, but I felt a conditional chill when I read it. VERBATIM: “Coach O’Connell knows the expectations as well as anyone,” Wilf said. “We’re thrilled with Coach O’Connell and everything he’s brought, the culture he’s brought here, but also great improvements to the coaching staff this year. I know Kevin, in the midst of a GM [hiring] process and a challenging offseason, really enhanced not just the coaching staff but what they bring in terms of scheme and teaching. . . . We evaluate everything in totality, and where Coach O’Connell has brought this team to now, we’re extremely pleased.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/oconnell0806
MY TAKE: Choosing a starter from two flawed quarterbacks and having them improve is a big challenge. I have an unsettling feeling that Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy will be chosen as much by default as anything. What’s the timeline for becoming an legit Super Bowl contender? The Vikings are a 40-1 longshot to win the Super Bowl (per FanDuel), the longest odds of any NFC North team. Is winning a playoff game enough to keep McCarthy’s job secure? Is a sub-.500 season his cue to exit? Those questions won’t get straight answers in August. But they’ll be appropriate to ask come November and December. There’s more drama than hope right now.
NON-QUARTERBACK NEWS: Via The Athletic. In choosing one potential breakout player for every NFL team, The Athletic picked defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. VERBATIM: “Redmond played for the Arlington Renegades in the formerly-named XFL. The Vikings signed him on a whim. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores took to his intensity and commitment almost immediately, and Redmond has shown why in the last couple of seasons. He holds the point of attack against the run. He wins with quickness in one-on-one pass-rush situations. Because the Vikings got rid of veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, they’re relying on Redmond to set the standard for a unit of talented youngsters like Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/redmond0806
MORE BREAKOUTS: The Star Tribune’s list has four players, with outside linebacker Dallas Turner being the most intriguing. Vikings Wire touts Tyrin Ingram-Dawkins, who may be moved from the interior of the defensive line to edge rusher, among its three picks. ESPN likes veteran cornerback James Pierre, who signed a two-year free agent deal. DETAILS: STAR TRIBUNE | VIKINGS WIRE | ESPN
TEARS FOR TIERS: Via The Athletic. This ranking of NFL quarterbacks by tier doesn’t flatter either of the Vikings starting candidates. https://fluence-media.co/tiers0806
RECOMMENDATION: Most in-depth daily training camp reviews? They’re on Matthew Coller’s Purple Insider.
BETTER THAN A PRESEASON GAME: The Vikings host Baltimore in their second preseason game on August 22. But if you’re looking to take an after off or want one more outing before school starts, the joint practices with the Ravens at 2:30 on August 19 and 20 should be far more interesting. TICKETS
WANT MY OLD JOB? Want to be the Audience Editor at Star Tribune sports? It’s a new title for the “web sports editor” job I left — and the updated description is looking for candidates with solid journalism, multimedia and social media skills. If you know someone else who may be interested, pass it along. GUARANTEE: You’d be working among good people. POSTING: https://fluence-media.co/stribjob0806
TIPS AND THOUGHTS: sportstake100@gmail.com
STAGE TOO BIG FOR TWINS? Losing four in a row to Seattle and last-place Kansas City is no way for the Twins to head into a thornier part of their schedule. Offense has evaporated and the defense has been marred by poor plays from players still trying to master positions they weren’t playing at the start of the season. Adding two relievers and a starter at the trade deadline becomes moot when the offense goes dark. Wednesday’s 2-1 loss included only two hits — one of them a bunt single — with the run scoring on a double play grounder after the Twins had loaded the bases with nobody out.
POHLAD KEPT HIS WORD, BUT: Via Bobby Nightengale at Star Tribune. Tom Pohlad provided the pitching resources he promised with a silver lining that the newly acquired starter Dean Kremer and reliever Jeff Hoffman can expect to figure prominently in 2027 plans because of their contract status. So they’re likely more than just rentals for the final push of this season. VERBATIM: “I certainly hope that it’s another small step to earning back the trust of the fanbase,” Pohlad said. “What I like to believe happens is that as a result of these moves, more people come out to the ballpark and support a team that I think has the earned the right to be supported.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/twins0806
MY TAKE: This is still an aspirational position for Pohlad. Those who follow the Twins closely understand the team is operating differently than before. But that hasn’t yet broken through to more casual fans. Regaining trust will be a lengthier process predicated on being more than an accidental playoff contender and Friday Night Happy Hours. The Twins have still not rebuilt what management tore apart last season, and it’s good to hear Pohlad use the phrase “another small step to earning back” trust. ROADBLOCK? Whatever gains made this season will be washed away — perhaps in a worse way than 2025 — by a work stoppage that cuts into the 2027 season.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH RYAN? Via Dan Hayes at the Athletic. In addition giving up more than a run per inning in three starts since the All-Star Break, Joe Ryan has a 6.57 record in his last seven starts, with his only strong performance in that span being seven shutout innings against the Yankees on July 5. Manager Derek Shelton said Ryan is pitching without “the sharpness that I think we’ve seen previously.” What was called “arm fatigue” a couple weeks ago has morphed into something more, has put Sunday’s scheduled start at Milwaukee in doubt and caused Ryan to leave the team to be evaluated for lower body issues (back and buttocks) by a team physician. Placement on the injured list, which happened in 2023 and 2024, wouldn’t be a surprise. VERBATIM: “(Ryan) agreed a mechanical issue is part of his struggles before conceding: ‘I don’t know what’s necessarily causing that side of it.’ The team’s ace then agreed he’s not fully capable of executing what he wants with his pitching delivery. ‘It’s been frustrating for sure.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/ryan0806
LYNX BIGGEST WEEKEND: If the Lynx beat Los Angeles tonight at Target Center (8 p.m., Prime), they’ll bring an 11-game winning streak into home games on Saturday afternoon vs. Las Vegas (noon, CBS) and Sunday afternoon vs. Dallas (2:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock). The Lynx (25-6) could have a playoff spot clinched by the end of the weekend and would set sights on holding first place through the final 10 games of the regular season. TICKETS | SCHEDULE
CLEAN-UP AT TARGET CENTER: Thoughts on the Sophie Cunningham silliness that was inflicted on fans at last weekend’s Lynx-Fever game. There were a small group of protesters outside Target Center, trans-basher Riley Gaines sitting near courtside getting her photo taken with some fans, Cunningham getting booed most times she touched the ball and the Lynx winning a superbly-played 108-100 game that deserved more attention than it got. Cunningham, an Indiana reserve, was barely a factor on the court (23 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, lots of passive play). A Target Center source told me the game was followed by a couple of days of phone calls to the Lynx office from people spewing about “protecting their daughters” and so on. (Phone numbers were forwarded to the team’s IT department to be marked as spam.) MY TAKE: Cunningham has staked out a position that is slightly naive and mostly disingenuous. Her claim of being “full of love” is hijacked by emoji-spewing and poster-carrying followers who have little or no interest in the WNBA, and she does a disserve by sucking oxygen away from her excellent basketball team. Fever and WNBA leadership could do everyone a favor by making it clear that using Indiana’s games as a staging ground for a fringe crusade is unwelcome.
TOO LATE, SOPHIE: Via Katie Barnes at ESPN. On Wednesday in Las Vegas, Cunningham told reporters "I'm going to let people just do the speaking for themselves, but for me, I want to get back to basketball. It’s always been about basketball.” But rallies supporting her views are planned for the Fever’s game on Saturday in Chicago and later this month in New York. And Vice President J.D. Vance went pot-stirring on Fox News by telling Cunningham to “keep speaking your mind.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/cunningham0806
ON CAITLIN CLARK: Via Awful Announcing. The political right generally wants athletes to “stick to sports” or “shut up and dribble.” The exception is when they want an athlete to amplify its point of view and it doesn’t happen. Caitlin Clark felt that scorn after she refused to defend Cunningham and dismissed the circus surrounding the Fever by saying, “It’s not really a discussion we really have in our locker room.” In response, noted right-wing “sports authorities” (sarcasm font) Megyn Kelly and Matt Walsh dismissed her as a coward. Awful Announcing’s Sean Keeley wrote about it. VERBATIM: “Caitlin Clark is a generational talent only just starting a historic run in one of the hottest sports leagues in the country. Being a fan of her is supposed to fill one with joy, excitement, and awe. Choosing to sacrifice all of that because she walked into the trap you intentionally set for her seems like a waste of one’s time and a depressing use of one’s life, whatever your beliefs.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/clark0806
RETURN VISIT: The Lynx end their season with home-and-home games against the Fever on Sept. 22 in Indiana and at Target Center on Sept. 24.
HEY! Anyone wanna see the WNBA standings? They’re here. What about the league leaders. They’re here. There’s lots of WNBA stuff about basketball on the web, and it’s not to hard to find.
KEEPING UP WITH THE CULLENS: This was a big week for Cullen family news, and a good one for Gophers hockey. Over the weekend, junior-to-be Joey Cullen announced his commitment to play hockey for the U. Cullen helped the Spuds to the Class 2A title in March, will play in the U.S. National Team’s developmental program this season and is already among those thought to be candidates to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. His brothers Wyatt and Brooks will be in their first year of college hockey for the Gophers this season. Wyatt was the No. 10 overall pick, by Nashville, in the June draft; Brooks played for the Fargo Force in the USHL last season and had flipped his commitment from Michigan State last summer. THERE’S MORE: Another brother, Max, was traded to the Force by the USHL’s Muskegon team this week. It’s not known yet whether Max will leave the Force when the Moorhead High season begins. The Spuds will have Will, a 10th grader, on the roster. Their father, former NHL center Matt Cullen, was named the U’s director of player development a few months back after Brett Larson was named head coach. Got that straight?
NON-CULLEN RECRUITING NEWS: White Bear Lake’s Nash Roed also committed to the U over the weekend. He’ll play in the U.S. development program this season. So did Henry Maier of Woodbury, who has played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault for the last two seasons and will skate for Everett of the Western Hockey League in 2026-27.
NON-VIKINGS QUARTERBACK NEWS: Via Marc Raimondi at ESPN. With the Atlanta Falcons’ two veteran quarterbacks — Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. — recovering from injuries, most of the first-team quarterbacking work in training camp has gone to undrafted free agent Jack Strand from Minnesota State Moorhead. Strand was a Division II All-American last season and finished his career among the Top Ten all-time in passing yards and completions at that level. He’s impressed head coach Kevin Stefanski. VERBATIM: "It's not perfect as you would not expect any rookie to be perfect, but I think Jack continues to impress with his ability to command the offense, the ability to get in and out of the huddle, get us in and out of run plays to pass plays," Stefanski said. "He's a very, very bright young man."
STRAND’S VIEW: The 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback knows his situation is temporary, but that making an impression counts. VERBATIM: "My expectations were just whatever role that I was given on the team, whether that was going to be taking a few reps in practice or I was going to be taking the majority of reps in practice. Wherever that fell, my mentality was not going to change. It was just going to be keep attacking, keep getting better every day." MORE: https://fluence-media.co/strand0806
LOONS LOSING CONTINUES: Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press. Winless in their last eight matches — four losses and four draws — including a 2-1 Leagues Cup loss to Juarez, the last-place team in Mexico’s top soccer league, has raised questions about the job security of Minnesota United coach Cameron Knowles. But according to the Pioneer Press, “Time will be granted to the first-year head coach.” The Loons are in transition to Knowles’s more aggressive style of offense and are in a three-way tie for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference of MLS with half the season remaining. VERBATIM: “We know because of the run we are on, we are going to have to put so much into the way that we train and into our performances in order to bring that back,” Knowles said. “Fans have every right to be disappointed. They should be. But I know that there is a group of guys in there that are going to work hard, that are going to dig deep and are going to do everything they can over the next couple games and, as we start back up the (MLS) regular season, to bring back energy and joy to the stadium.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/loons0806
COMING UP: The Loons continue Leagues Cup play vs. Mexican teams Tigres at 8 p.m. Friday and Atlante at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Allianz Field. (Both on Apple TV.) The regular season resumes Aug. 15 at Real Salt Lake. STANDINGS | SCHEDULE | TICKETS
BANANAS AT TARGET FIELD: The Savannah Bananas’ combo-platter of baseball, comedy and audience participation is at Target Field for a three-game series this weekend that is sold out except for secondary markets. As of 9 a.m. Thursday, the cheapest resale tickets on StubHub were $168 on Friday and $178 for Saturday and Sunday. WHAT IS THIS? Either the ruination of baseball or a bold alternative, depending on who you ask. Games feature acrobatics, dance moves by on-field personnel (players and umpires), celebrity appearances and unique rules. Games have a two-hour time limit, each inning counts as a point for the team scoring more runs and a batter is out if a fan catches a foul ball. Here’s the full list.
MEET A BANANA TONIGHT: Via Destination Woodbury. Bananas players are having a meet-and-greet at the Dairy Queen in Woodbury (7450 Currell Blvd) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. There will be game ticket raffles. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/dq0806
GOPHERS LOSE THIS ONE: Via On3. Mya Wilson of Hill-Murray, the No. 1 or 2 ranked Minnesota player in this year’s senior class, said she’ll play next season for Ohio State. The 6-foot-1 guard’s other finalists were the Gophers, Iowa and TCU. She averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game as a junior. VERBATIM: “I can get to the hoop, and I can also distribute the ball and also play defense – so I feel like I’m just a very versatile player.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/mya0806
NO. 1 OR NO. 2? Depends on who’s ranking. Prep Girls Hoops has Wilson at No. 1, ahead of Rosemount’s Amisha Ramlall, who has committed to the Gophers. ESPN has Ramlall ranked above Wilson in its Top 100 nationally.
JOHN ANDERSON SERVICES. Via University of Minnesota and Star Tribune. Funeral services for former Gophers baseball coach John Anderson, who died on July 26, will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Saint Olaf Catholic Church in downtown Minneapolis. A celebration of life will follow at 6 p.m. at Maturi Pavilion on the U campus. VERBATIM: “Semi-formal, maroon and gold attire is encouraged.” MORE: U of M | STAR TRIBUNE
ON THE RADIO: Former Star Tribune reporter and occasional columnist Myron Medcalf launched a new afternoon show on ESPN radio from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays with cohost Matt Jones. Locally, the show is on 1500AM and Ch. 80 on Sirius/XM, as well as the ESPN app. Jones is based in Kentucky. LISTEN
BOOK CLUB: Dwight Lundeen is entering his 57th and final season as Becker' High School’s football coach, starting at the school when Becker was a community of about 380 people and winning four state titles with what is now a traditional Class 4A power. Son Matt Lundeen, starting his 28th season as football coach at Redwood Valley in southwestern Minnesota, has written a book about his father that goes on sale Monday. As much as he knew about his father, Matt said there were discoveries made during the research for Success is Temporary, Impact is Forever. VERBATIM: “My dad had a time in his early life when he was not in a good place mentally. Instead of keeping it to himself or going deeper into that bad place, he took action and got himself the help he needed. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. It is a sign of courage and wisdom.” INFO: The book will be available on Amazon.
BOOK CLUB II: I’m about halfway through former Star Tribune writer and MSHSL media guy John Millea’s anthology, Prepville MN. It’s good, and scheduled to be released on November 10. DETAILS, ORDER: https://fluence-media.co/prepville0806
LITTLE LEAGUE, BIG DREAMS: Coon Rapids-Andover is representing Minnesota in the Little League Midwest Regional starting Friday in Indiana. First opponent is Columbia, Mo., at 4 p.m. Friday followed by a game Saturday or Sunday depending on that outcome. There are also teams from Fargo and Sioux Falls in the field. Coon Rapids-Andover was the last state team to advance to the Little League World Series in 2019. NOTE: Most communities don’t have “Little League” programs because of the increased popularity of other youth baseball options. But the media attention — with regional and World Series game on ESPN and ESPN+ — still shines a spotlight on traditional Little League. TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/little0806
LeBRON’S UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD: Via Brendan Marks and Joe Rexrode at The Athletic. When he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, LeBron James took a deal worth about $3.8 million this season and $4 million for 2027-28, if he decides to return. That’s less than half of what University of Florida forward Thomas Haugh, who withdrew from draft consideration in June, is expected to make for staying in school. There are at least 17 other college players who should make more than James. VERBATIM: “Haugh is expected to be the highest-paid player in college basketball next season after he withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft despite being projected a first-round pick. Matt Norlander of CBS reported Haugh’s earnings could exceed $10 million this season with the Gators, which is more than double what James will make. Following discussions with multiple college coaches, general managers and NBA scouts . . . we know these 18 players will all be making at least $3.9 million as members of their respective teams.” STORY, LIST: https://fluence-media.co/pay0806
ALSO GOING TO PHILLY: Star Tribune pro basketball writer Chris Hine is leaving to cover the 76ers for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Hine joined the Star Tribune after covering the NHL in Chicago and will be a tough act to follow. One reason for the move: Hine’s family lives in Pennsylvania.
THE PIG’S LIFE: Via Anya Armentrout at Pioneer Press. A behind-the-scenes look at the newest St. Paul Saints ball pig, HaMELO BALL, who has doubled his weight from 11 pounds to 22 in the past week. He replaced Chat BLT, who was retired halfway through this season. The new pig had an issue with some fans at a recent game. VERBATIM: “Midway through the game, a VIP group comes down for a meet-and-greet, and HaMelo is immediately unsettled. Something about them doesn’t sit right, so he starts screaming. It’s a sound unlike an oink: something closer to a broken electric mixer at full speed. (Death-metal vocalists actually train to produce a similar “pig squeal,” curling the tongue behind the teeth, jutting the jaw and adding a scream.) HaMelo screams for about two minutes, though it feels longer, inconsolable even with a bottle, while the VIPs look on in confusion. He eventually settles enough for a quick photo. . . . A second group comes down a few minutes later, and HaMelo is an angel for them, taking pets and posing for pictures without complaint.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/pig0806
PREP BASKETBALL IN APRIL? That’ll happen this season when the boys’ state tournament will be pushed back to March 31-April 3 at Target Center and The Barn (formerly known as Williams Arena). The girls’ tournament will be March 24-27 at The Barn. The delays are because the U has reserved the arena for the previous two weeks in March in hopes of hosting the NCAA women’s basketball tournament and an NCAA men’s regional is set for March 19 and 21 at Target Center. FULL 2026-27 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
ALSO: With the shutdown of the U’s Les Bolstad golf course, the state cross country tournament, set for Nov. 7, will be held at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake.
NEW BOOTH AT THE FAIR: The Minnesota Frost will have a booth at the State Fair for the first time. In the past, players have done autograph signings and visited with fans at the Wild’s booth.
AND FINALLY: Via Carlo James Lamanna on YouTube. Want to follow the Stanley Cup on its trip to Eden Prairie? Here you go. It arrived with Carolina Hurricanes player Jackson Blake . . . on a party bus.
THANKS FOR READING.
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