THE OPENER: This is the first week in quite a while that one or two major stories aren’t pushing aside the rest of Minnesota’s sports news. So we’re taking off in many different directions because lots of teams and athletes are still giving us something to talk about, ranging from Byron Buxton’s spectacular stretch to a 42-game unbeaten streak to a historic moment in college sports. (Headphones on when you click on that link, please.)
A LITTLE HISTORY: Today is the 44th anniversary of the start of the MLB players strike that canceled more than 700 games and kept us without baseball until the August. The season was broken into two halves, which allowed the Twins to leave behind their 17-39 first-half record. The second half didn’t go all that well, either. KEEP IN MIND: The current labor contract expires after the 2026 season and players are already thinking they’ll be locked out of spring training in 2027 as owners pursue a salary cap.
DEFENSELESS LYNX: Via Kent Youngblood at Star Tribune. Seattle destroyed the Lynx’s interior defense Wednesday night, ending the perfect start to Minnesota’s season. The Lynx went from 11 points up with six minutes left in the third quarter to a 94-84 loss that stopped their season-starting winning streak at nine. VERBATIM: “Seattle did a terrific job of playing to their identity,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We showed no understanding of what that identity was, and they scored 50 points in the paint. So, their will and determination to get what they wanted was much greater than ours.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lynx0612
REMATCH DEFERRED? The loss hurt Minnesota’s chances of a Commissioner’s Cup rematch with the undefeated New York Liberty next month. Both the Lynx and Seattle are 3-1 with two games left in the next week to determine the Western Conference representative. (A two-team tie goes to the head-to-head winner.) The cup-winning team splits $500,000 and a tournament sponsor is giving each player in the finals $5,000 in cryptocurrency. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/cup0612
VIKINGS MINICAMP: That uptick in Vikings stories this week? It’s because the team is wrapping up its mandatory three-day minicamp. There’s been contract talk, another season of defensive coordinator Brian Flores returning after unsuccessful head coaching interviews and lots of analysis about quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s second try at a first season on the field.
WATCHING McCARTHY: Via Chip Scoggins at Star Tribune. The columnist spent minicamp focused on McCarthy, who has been handed the starting job after last year’s preseason knee injury. It reads like Scoggins had fun watching the interplay with coach Kevin O’Connell, veteran running back Aaron Jones and others.. VERBATIM: “O’Connell and McCarthy have constant dialogue during practice. They often talk between drills and huddle after plays to dissect what just happened. It’s like watching a teacher and pupil go over a complicated math problem together. McCarthy quizzes teammates to glean insight, but also to see if they have the correct answer. He does that with every position, starter or backup. ‘He’s picking my brain — ‘What would you call here?’ ” Jones said. ‘He already knows the answer, but he’s picking my brain to see what I would call.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/scoggins0612
BYRON BUXTON! The Twins’ center fielder is having one of those stretches where you don’t turn away when he’s coming to bat — and you stop watching at your own risk when the Twins are in the field. In his last 10 games, Buxton is batting .350 (14 for 40) with a .438 on-base percentage, 14 RBI and a 479-foot home run. The homer was a three-run smash that was the only the 10th ever to reach the center field dining area. And that came just after a catch keeping the Twins from falling further behind in what turned into a 6-2 win over Texas. VIDEO:
STILL PERFECT (REGULAR SEASON EDITION): Minnesota Aurora’s all-time regular-season record in 39-0-3 going into tonight’s 7 p.m. game vs. Chicago City Dutch Lions at TCO Field (TV: FOX9+) and Saturday’s match at Rochester. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/tco0612 (Thursday). https://fluence-media.co/rochester0614 (Saturday)
DENIED! Via Zachary Pereles at CBS Sports. The New York Knicks are struggling in their search to even interview replacements for fired coach Tom Thibodeau — including a request to interview Wolves coach Chris Finch that was rejected by the team. VERBATIM: “It's not hard to see why the Knicks requested to talk with Finch. He has directed one of the league's best defenses for the past two seasons. The Knicks were a slightly above average defensive outfit during the regular season but struggled in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/finch0612
FINAL STATE TOURNAMENTS: We’ve reached the final days of high school tournament season. Finals in the MSHSL’s first-ever boys’ volleyball tournament (Eden Prairie vs. Rogers) are at 4 p.m. today at University of St. Thomas and track and field is in its final day at St. Michael-Albertville. Baseball and lacrosse semifinals are today at various venues in the metro area and St. Cloud and the state trap shooting tournament is next Friday in Prior Lake. Saturday would be a good day to park yourself at Target Field for the four baseball title games or at Eden Prairie for the lacrosse finals (Girls at 3:30 and boys at 6 p.m.) These are the tournaments that generally fly below radar in the media and school hallways compared to fall and spring tournaments, which can be frustrating to the athletes involved. TICKETS, SCHEDULES, STREAMING: https://fluence-media.co/mshsl0612
GAME TO WATCH: Edina is the No. 1 seed in boys’ lacrosse and plays Lakeville North in the semifinals at 5 p.m. today in Chaska. North is the “1” in Edina’s 16-1 record.
OPENING DELAYED: Live Nation has informed officials at Canterbury Park that the Shakopee Amphitheater, located next to the race track, will not open until 2026. News reports had indicated the 19,000-seat venue would debut this summer. But the 40th anniversary Farm Aid concert, set for September 20, has been moved to Huntington Bank Stadium. Construction issues were cited as the reason for the delay.
RODGERS, McCARTHY AND THE VIKINGS: Via Matthew Collar at Purple Insider. This is the best analysis I’ve read about why the Vikings decided to pin their quarterbacking hopes on J.J. McCarthy without an Aaron Rodgers interlude. It stemmed from a comment on ESPN by NFL writer Jeremy Fowler that the Vikings see themselves in a “three-year window” to win the Super Bowl. VERBATIM: “To everyone who has been following the Vikings for the last three years, it would have been blatantly obvious that they were aiming to repeat the success of building around rookie QB contracts that teams like the Rams with Jared Goff, 49ers with Brock Purdy or Eagles with Jalen Hurts have had in the recent past. They moved on from a quality, expensive QB in Kirk Cousins and reset their salary cap and then spent like drunken sailors in free agency over the last two years.”
MORE: If McCarthy is a great quarterback, there is no such thing as winning windows. Every single year the Bills, Chiefs and Ravens kick off in September expecting to play in February. That’s also mostly true for the Bengals and possibly the Commanders. If McCarthy puts himself in that conversation, then rebuilds do not exist and his salary cap situation won’t keep them from competing for a Super Bowl. If he is one level down from those guys — say in the ballpark of Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, Brock Purdy — then you are talking about sustained yearly success with peaks and valleys. If he doesn’t reach that level, the Vikings are pretty much going to need miracles to be a Super Bowl contender. READ THE REST: https://fluence-media.co/mccarthy0612
ON THE HOUSE SETTLEMENT: After weeks of delay a federal judge has finally approved the “House Settlement,” which is the latest overhaul in how college athletes are paid for playing. TWO THINGS TO KNOW: 1. Schools that opt into the settlement, which is being required by the Big Four athletic conference (Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC), will have a cap of $20.5 million to spend on paying players in 2025-26. 2. This is most definitely not the end of outside NIL deals. Boosters and other school supporters, including Minnesota’s Dinkytown Athletes collective, will still be able to strike individual deals with players.
READING 1: Via Eddie Pells at Associated Press. Ten basic questions about the settlement. VERBATIM: Grant House is a former Arizona State swimmer who sued the defendants (the NCAA and the five biggest athletic conferences in the nation). His lawsuit and two others were combined and over several years the dispute wound up with the settlement that ends a decades-old prohibition on schools cutting checks directly to athletes. Now, each school will be able to make payments to athletes for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). For reference, there are nearly 200,000 athletes and 350 schools in Division I alone and 500,000 and 1,100 schools across the entire NCAA. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/house0612
READING 2: Via Michael McCann at Sportico. A deeper dive, including who’s enforcing the new rules. VERBATIM: “NIL collectives have been criticized for offering athletes what are termed ‘NIL deals’ but are essentially pay-for-play arrangements. With colleges now able to pay players directly, collectives will likely shift to marketing and booster activities on behalf of athletes. Collectives can still strike NIL deals with athletes, but deals that exceed $600 will be subject to review . . . to ensure they reflect fair market value.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/questions612
READING 3: Via Randy Johnson at Star Tribune. Who gets the money at the U? Athletics Director Mark Coyle isn’t saying, but . . . VERBATIM: “Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told the Minnesota Star Tribune that athletes in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s hockey and volleyball will receive the funds.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/gophers0612
READING 4: Via Ben Nuckols at Associated Press. Don’t be fooled into thinking all problems are solved. VERBATIM: “Eight female athletes filed an appeal Wednesday of a landmark NCAA antitrust settlement, arguing that women would not receive their fair share of $2.7 billion in back pay for athletes who were barred from making money off their name, image and likeness.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lawsuit0612
MINNESOTA’S NBA FINALS CONNECTION: The Indiana Pacers have been on a spectacular postseason run, featuring game-closing comebacks and buzzer-beaters that have brought them three games deep into the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City. A Minnesota connection? Before the season started, the Pacers hired Dr. Jaimie Rubin as their “Director of Sports Psychology and Team Wellness,” a job that ranges from working with individual players to advising on ways to minimize the effects of the NBA’s grueling travel schedule. Previously, Rubin worked on a contract basis for the Lynx, Twins and Macalester College. She also worked at Premier Sports Psychology in Edina, where she was the subject of this Q-and-A: https://fluence-media.co/rubin0612
GOLDY GOPHER, ALLY: Via Jay Boller at The Racket. VERBATIM: “As corporate cowards flee from anything underneath the DEI umbrella, it's nice to see University of Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher is still a loud, proud LGBTQ+ ally. We learned as much over the weekend, when critic/journalist Emily St. James posted a semi-viral photo of Goldy rocking a gold sequin tuxedo at a lesbian wedding. ‘The wedding was at the Campus Club, and my understanding is that you can have Goldy attend an event there!’ St. James tells Racket. ‘One bride graduated from U of M's masters program, and I believe her dad is an alum. But I think it was just because of that. I was baffled for a second and had to figure out what was going on.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/goldy0612
GET GOLDY: The Goldy Gopher Appearance Request Form is good reading, even if you’re not going to pay $400 per hour (plus travel, parking and “processing”) to hire the mascot. Keep in mind these two things: 1. “Goldy will need to take breaks for water, restroom visits, and general cool down, and hosts must plan the event activities accordingly.” 2. Goldy in a tuxedo “may only be requested for weddings or events where formal attire is expected of guests.” FORM: https://fluence-media.co/request0612
GOPHERS LOSE TOP BASEBALL PITCHER: The U baseball team hasn’t had a winning record in Big Ten play since 2019 and, after a 10-20 conference record this season, its leader in innings pitched and strikeouts is gone to a league rival. Kyle Remington announced he’s moving to Illinois. Leading hitter Drew Berkland, a former Wayzata star, and ERA leader Noah Rooney of Perham are in the transfer portal.
MOCK DRAFT SEASON: Via ESPN and Bleacher Report. The latest ESPN mock draft doesn’t traffic in behind-the-scenes reporting. Instead, writers Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo make first-round picks based on biggest need and best value. For the Wolves, that translates into Minnesota picking 7-foot forward Danny Wolf from Michigan for need (based on an assumption that Julius Randle and Naz Reid won’t both return) or Georgia 6-foot-11 forward Asa Newell for longer-term value. The pick, No. 17 overall, comes from Detroit as part of the Randle-KAT trade. Bleacher Report has them taking 6-foot-9 point guard/small forward Egor Demin with that pick and small forward Adou Thiero of Arkansas with the 31st pick, which opens the second round and comes via the D’Angelo Russell deal. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/espn0612 and https://fluence-media.co/bleacher0612
MACALESTER NAMES COACH: Rich Glesmann, an assistant at Dartmouth, has been named the new men’s basketball coach at Macalester. He replaces Abe Woldeslassie, who left after seven years to be an assistant at Denver University under Tim Bergstraser, who compiled a 75-22 record in three seasons at Minnesota State Moorhead. Before Dartmouth, Glesmann was a head coach for seven years with two professional teams in Japan. The school is also hiring a women’s coach to replace Katie Kollar, who resigned last month.
GOOD READING: Via Jim Souhan at Star Tribune. Lindsey Young, the veteran editor and writer for the Vikings team web site, has authored a children’s book — Olivia the Brave: A Children’s Book on Anxiety and Worry — that mirrors some of her mental health issues and draws upon the experiences of others. Young also produced an 11-part series on mental health issues for the Vikings’ website. VERBATIM: “I feel like there has definitely been a shifting of the tides. People are realizing that it’s a strength to be open and honest about what you’re dealing with and seek support. There’s no stigma attached to an athlete having a sprained ankle, or even cancer. Why can’t we have the same conversations about anxiety, depression or OCD?” COLUMN: https://fluence-media.co/young0612
ORDER THE BOOK: https://fluence-media.co/oliviathebrave
NOT GOOD READING: When “hot takes” aren’t enough, beware of web sites that create “news” by citing “predictions” by other “web sites.” EXAMPLE: The Sporting News pushed a headline to my phone that read: “Timberwolves predicted to part ways with former Sixth Man of the Year for Ja Morant in blockbuster trade.” The prediction, from a site I’d never heard of (I’m not subjecting you to the links), proposed a deal that would bring Morant and bit player John Konchar to the Wolves for Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and the Wolves’ two picks in this year’s draft (No. 17 and 31). Huh? These things show up in my news feeds several times a week — headlines with the word “prediction” or “idea” in them and written by people who don’t cover the teams they’re writing about. QUICK TAKE: Take seriously the work of the local writers from The Athletic, Pioneer Press, Star Tribune and sites that actually follow the team — and treat the others like blind squirrels who once in a great while find an acorn.
DON’T VOTE FOR HIM: Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press. Fan voting for the MLS All-Star game is going on and Michael Boxall of the Loons doesn’t want your vote for the match against the Liga MX All-Stars on July 23 in Austin, Tex. VERBATIM: “Midseason awards: it’s not why we play this game. I think you want to be up for the awards at the end of the season. So we just need to keep pushing and make sure we are improving.” TOO BAD, PAL: Boxall is second among center-backs in the voting. (Minnesota United’s Dayne St. Claire is the leading vote-getter among goalkeepers.) Results and the link to vote are here. STORY: https://fluence-media.co/boxall0612.
HOW GOOD IS MLS? Via Jon Marthaler at Star Tribune. It’s better than a lot of people think — and definitely better than it used to be. Global Football Rankings placed MLS ninth among the 76 pro leagues in its rankings — in a second cluster behind the top five European leagues. It is just ahead of England’s second-best league and, for local purposes, five spots ahead of Liga MX, which is Mexico’s best league. VERBATIM: “Not that long ago, it was pretty easy for those same people to dismiss MLS as a nouveau-riche soccer backwater, in the same category as today’s absurdist Saudi Pro League. David Beckham, the man for whom the designated player rule was created way back in 2007, was the shining example of this view of MLS: It was a league that was just a place for aging European stars to pick up some paychecks, without much in the way of competition.” WHAT’S CHANGED? Player development and full-roster spending, among other things. STORY: https://fluence-media.co/mls0612
IN GOOD HEALTH: Via Kent Youngblood at Star Tribune. After missing most of the last two seasons with a broken (and re-broken) foot, Gophers star Mara Braun is among 21 players trying out next week for the U.S. team that will play in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup tournament that starts June 28 in Chile. VERBATIM: “You have to go out and play with confidence. Not think about (the injury). Anything can happen, at any time, but you can’t play with fear. You just go out and enjoy it.” STORY: https://fluence-media.co/braun0612
BASEBALL RABBIT HOLE: The Athletic has a page of surveys in which 135 unnamed players were surveyed in spring training on an assortment of topics. TWINS HIGHLIGHTS: Two players said that Byron Buxton was the player they most enjoy watching play. Rocco Baldelli’s name didn’t come up at all on the list of managers players most (or least) want to play for. And three of 50 players said Jhoan Duran is the pitcher they’d least want to face in game 7 of the World Series. VERBATIM: “I faced him in the minors when he was a starter and he was electric then — but now that he’s throwing just one inning and giving it everything he’s got? He’s just taken it to another level.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/polls0612
GOPHERS QBs TO SPORTS DADS: Via Marcus Fuller at Star Tribune. Former U of M quarterbacks Bryan Cupito and MarQueis Gray have moved from the playfield to the sidelines, watching their children this summer on the AAU basketball circuit. Shakopee one weekend, Chicago the next . . . with more miles to come. Caputo’s daughter, Ava, will be a junior at Hopkins in the fall and already has scholarship offers from St. Thomas and several other schools. Their sons play football, too. VERBATIM: “Cupito and Gray said they haven’t pressured their kids to play one sport over the other. One day, their boys will decide if they want to pursue basketball or choose football like their fathers did.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/dads0612
Thanks for reading. More fun and mayhem 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