WHAT A WEEK! The Twins made Rocco Baldelli the scapegoat for their organizational failures. The Lynx melted down in three different ways to lose the three games that eliminated them from the WNBA playoffs. Superstar Napheesa Collier put the WNBA commissioner on blast. The Vikings lost a winnable game and lots of questions to answer. The Kirill Kaprizov contract drama is over — happily for the Wild. We’ll get to all of that, I promise, even if it takes you a couple sittings to get through it all. There are things I won’t be able to get to that you may want to read. (I see you, Minnetonka football! You beat Eden Prairie for the first time in 21 years.) Give me a rain check on those. I also have something unconditionally uplifting. Last week, Sports Take was the first Minnesota media to introduce you to Jack Curtis, the standout Carleton College quarterback who is juggling football, a demanding major and chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. At the end of this week’s newsletter, there’s a short essay Curtis wrote about his battle. It’s smart, poignant and a couple of his thoughts will make you laugh. (“I feel like a Hummer. I may look big and strong, but I am getting about four miles to the gallon, and my tank runs out quickly.”) Thanks for reading. — Howard Sinker
THREE TO GET READY FOR . . .
GRANDMA’S: Registration opens at 7 p.m. today for the 50th Grandma’s Marathon, as well as the half-marathon and 5K races that are part of the weekend in Duluth. There are 19,000 spots available, and entrants can expect to spend hours waiting in queue on the web. The races are June 18 and 19 — and there’s a way to beat the Internet crush. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/grandmas1001
WORLD JUNIORS TICKETS: Single-game tickets for the IIHF men’s World Junior Championships are on sale at 10 a.m. today. The tournament starts Dec. 26 at Grand Casino Arena and Mariucci Arena, and tickets will be available for all but the medal round games. SCHEDULE AND TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/iihf1001
TWIN CITIES MARATHON WEEKEND: The races are this weekend with the marathon and half-marathon on Sunday morning. The schedule includes five races starting Saturday, including the Ultra Loony Challenge for runners who compete in the 5K, 10K and the Marathon. SCHEDULE, MAPS AND MORE: https://fluence-media.co/tcm1001
NOW, DOWN TO BUSINESS . . .
I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT YOU’RE FIRED: Via Betsy Helfand at Pioneer Press. That was essentially the message delivered by Twins president Derek Falvey during a press conference on Tuesday after he fired manager Rocco Baldelli. The media gathering turned over little in the way of new information. One person who attended said “word salads” were served. VERBATIM: “We didn’t perform, and I feel like I’ve let down the staff, the coaches, the fans and everybody in here when that happens,” Falvey said. “And if I don’t take that personal responsibility, then I feel like I’m not doing my job. And at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to keep motivating our group to continue to work, to try to put the team in a better position to be successful.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/twins1001
NOT REASSURING: Via La Velle E. Neal III at Star Tribune. VERBATIM: “The addition of two limited partners — whose identities remain unknown — will help them pay down the roughly $500 million in debt the club is carrying. How about that leading to a higher payroll? ‘[To] shoot you super straight. I don’t have that direction yet,’ Falvey said. ‘That’s a conversation that we’ll continue to have, certainly with the Pohlads and whatever conversation they would like me to have with the limited partners.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/falvey1001
MAD AT THE POHLADS: Via Adam Platt at Twin Cities Business. The Pohlad family, now in its third generation of twins ownership dating back to 1984, takes a disproportionate amount of grief compared to the owners of Minnesota’s other pro teams. (I’d that Glen Taylor was a close second when he owned the Timberwolves and Lynx.) VERBATIM: “Minnesota has a curious legacy of teams that can’t win. For some, like the Vikings and Wild, the playoffs are kryptonite. For the Twins and Timberwolves, it’s years of failure to draft or develop the right players. Add in bad luck, and injuries, and it’s Loserville, with the longest stretch without a championship of any four-sport town — 34 years. But rarely does a fan base and media place blame entirely on ownership the way we do the Pohlads. I grew up in Chicago, where the Cubs have been terrible most of my lifetime, and the ire is typically directed at players and management. In Denver, where frugal family ownership keeps the Rockies losers, fans still fill Coors Field. But here in the 612, the phrase ‘cheap Pohlads’ is as native to Twins fans as ‘Dollar Dog Night’ and ‘Bomba Squad.’ “
MORE: Platt suggests the anger is misdirected. VERBATIM: “We can stipulate that it was garbage optics to cut payroll after the ‘23 playoff run, whatever the team’s finances. But the community’s ire might be better directed at baseball leadership, which has produced only two teams with more than 87 wins in the Target Field era and a gaudy 0-18 playoff record from 2005-2022.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/fired1001
FALVEY’S ‘LAST SHIELD’: Via Cody Christie at Twins Daily. VERBATIM: “With the sale off the table, Derek Falvey’s position as president of baseball operations seems secure for now, but the pressure has never been greater. Ownership has little appetite to hit reset at the top of the front office, after already committing to him as their lead decision-maker. That left one final ace card to play: firing the manager. Baldelli’s dismissal was as much about optics as performance. The reality is that Falvey is now running out of levers to pull. His influence spans both baseball and business operations, meaning that dwindling attendance and sagging revenue will be directly tied to him moving forward. Baldelli’s exit removes the last convenient shield, leaving Falvey as the ultimate target if things don’t turn around soon.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/next1001
MY TAKE: The only acceptable thing right now is if the Pohlads have put Falvey and his “team” on notice that whatever comes next must lead to quick and significant improvement. I wouldn’t tolerate increments. I’m old enough to remember how the 1986 Twins finished 20 games below .500 and the 1990 Twins were 14 games below. And you know what happened in 1987 and 1991, right?
NEXT TWINS MANAGER? Here are lists from Star Tribune and Twins Daily. One name on both lists: Torii Hunter. BIGGER PICTURE: ESPN has a league-wide “manager tracker” that includes potential replacements for every team with an opening. Drew Butera, anyone? TRACKER: https://fluence-media.co/managers1001
POHLADS FINALLY TALK: After a summer of silence, Joe and Tom Pohlad did interviews with Star Tribune for a pair of stories. Joe is executive chairman of the Twins; Tom is executive chair of Pohlad Companies. The stories were rooted more in history than looking to the future and didn’t offer much insight into what fans can expect if the pending sale of part of the franchise to still-unidentified minority partners is approved by MLB. TOM POHLAD: "It’s understandable for fans to say, ‘You haven’t gotten the job done.’ It’s been 34 years since the World Series, and, up until 2023, 21 years since we had a playoff win. And that’s unacceptable. The fans are totally justified to think it’s unacceptable. You want to question the wisdom of our investment? Great. But don’t question [our] commitment to investing in the Twins.” JOE POHLAD: “I’m trying to get my head out of all the negativity. But I am overwhelmingly confident about Twins baseball. I’m confident because we have got all the right [pieces]. . . . And we have the resources that we’re ready to invest when needed. Read the stories here and here.
MY TAKE: Guys, those resources are needed now.
LYNX DID IT TO THEMSELVES: The officials and injuries in the playoffs are clouding the fact that the Lynx did themselves in during their semifinal playoff loss to Phoenix. They blew a 20-point lead in the last 18 minutes of Game 2 with sloppy play and bad decisions. Several of their top players contributed nothing in Game 3. Having only seven usable players — thanks to the Napheesa Collier and DiJonai Carrington injuries — was a blueprint for defeat in Game 4 no matter who was coaching the team.
COLLIER TORCHES WNBA COMMISSIONER: Lynx superstar and MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier began Tuesday’s postseason media gathering by reading from a prepared statement, directing her strongest criticism at Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. VERBATIM: “We have the best league in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But we have the worst leadership in the world. If I didn’t know exactly what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn’t feel that way. But unfortunately for them, I do.” AND THIS: “We go to battle every day (in a league) that doesn’t value us. The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them.”
COMMISSIONER’S JOB AT RISK? Via Tom Friend at Sports Business Journal. In a story published Tuesday evening, multiple sources said Engelbert will be removed from her job after a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached. (A WNBA spokesperson said comments from the sources were “categorically false.”) VERBATIM: “Well before Napheesa Collier said today the WNBA had ‘the worst leadership in the world,’ multiple sources had told SBJ that Cathy Engelbert would likely exit as commissioner sometime after the current CBA negotiations due to pressure inside NBA and WNBA circles. The sources said Engelbert’s presumed departure, six years after arriving from Deloitte, is relationship driven, tied to the way she has dealt with colleagues and players amid unprecedented growth within the league. . . . ‘She hasn’t connected; she’s not a relationship builder, which you have to be in that job with the teams, with the players,’ a source familiar with league office dynamics said last month. ‘I think she’s a wicked smart business person, and the success she gets a lot of credit for. But a commissioner has to have a personality element that can touch every constituent that they have. I think she’s just lacking in it.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/engelbert1001
SUPPORT FROM PLAYERS, COACH: Via Alexa Phillipou at ESPN. Collier’s words went over well with players and with Indiana coach Stephanie White, who talked before Game 5 of the Fever-Aces semifinal. WHITE: “I have a lot of respect for Phee. . . . I’m thankful that we have strong women that are willing to say the things that matter and say the things that will move the needle for change.” PLAYERS ASSOCIATION STATEMENT: “When Phee speaks, people listen. We are confident that her words today speak to the feelings and experiences of many, if not most or all of our members. The leaders of the league and its teams would benefit from listening to her powerful statement. The players know their value even if the league does not. They are fighting for their legacy and the future of basketball.” STORY: https://fluence-media.co/reaction1001
ENGELBERT’S RESPONSE: Via WNBA Communications. VERBATIM: “I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game. I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”
REEVE ON REEVE: Via Cassidy Hettesheimer at Star Tribune. VERBATIM: “When asked whether she regretted any of her actions or statements after Game 3, Reeve said she wished she was ‘in the trenches’ with the team in their final game, but ‘I can only be me. I never apologize for being me. I do think it’s important to grow and understand consequences of actions, for sure, but I will always stand up for our players’ health and safety and the fair treatment of our organization, and I will try to continue to grow.’ ”
MORE: Reeve also pointed out one shortcoming that hurt the team as the season wore on. The Lynx didn’t have enough “physicality.” VERBATIM: “When I say physicality, I just mean when players are generating an energy. Our roster wasn’t necessarily completely equipped to handle that, and that was something we were very self-aware of . . . and we tried to add in our trade for DiJonai.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/reeve1001
ON THE COURT: There’s a good chance the 2026 Lynx will not resemble the 2025 Lynx. Yes, players have professed their affection for the roster Reeve put together. But the Lynx will likely lose two players in the expansion draft — and others through free agency. Almost every established player in the WNBA is on an expiring contract, a strategy based on the collective bargaining agreement’s expiration, and the expectation that future salaries will be larger than allowable under the current agreement. This is a case where money trumps love. But it’s also a case where some established veterans around the league may jump at the opportunity to play for Reeve.
LYNX CONTRACTS: Via Hettesheimer. VERBATIM: “The entirety of Minnesota’s starting five — Collier, McBride, Courtney Williams, Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton — set to become unrestricted free agents. Key reserves Natisha Hiedeman, Jessica Shepard and DiJonai Carrington will also be UFAs. But the Lynx’s core eight won’t be alone in the free-agent pool. They will be joined by all of the league’s biggest names, excluding those still on their rookie contracts like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers.” MORE: “For the Lynx, Anastasiia Kosu is still on her rookie contract, as is center Dorka Juhasz, who remained in Europe during this WNBA season. Deeper bench players Masha Kliundikova, Jaylyn Sherrod and Camryn Taylor are all ‘reserved players,’ meaning their three or fewer years of experience in the league gives the Lynx exclusive rights to negotiate new contracts, unless released.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/players1001
WHAT DO THEY MAKE? Lynx contracts, what they pay and when they expire.
VIKINGS HOPES DERAILED? Via Ben Goessling at Star Tribune. The Vikings stumbled through Sunday’s loss to the Steelers in Dublin and are looking at a season where the best-intentioned plans of the off-season are being smacked around by injuries that have left the offense, in particular, in a fragile state. VERBATIM: “It might be premature to say the plans haven’t worked. In a sense, the Vikings are still waiting for the day they are healthy enough to put them into action. But through the first month of the season, the pass protection problems the Vikings paid to fix are as big a liability as ever. According to Pro Football Reference, Vikings quarterbacks have been sacked on 13.95% of dropbacks this season, the highest rate in team history (beating the 1964 team by more than a percentage point) and the 12th highest in NFL history.”
MORE: “The Vikings have more than $348 million of salary cap commitments on their roster for next season, and even if they roll over most of their remaining $16 million of cap space into next year, they will still be looking for cap savings after this year’s spending spree to fortify both lines of scrimmage and retain cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. on a three-year extension.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/vikings1001
NO SILVER LININGS: Via Brian Murphy at Vikings Insider. Quarterback broken, pass-protection shattered, play-calling mangled, defense collapsed. That’s the quick version of the loss to Pittsburgh and its ramifications. VERBATIM: “This is the bed of nails Minnesota built when they jettisoned experienced starters Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones for McCarthy and used the contract savings to invest in experienced but aging veterans along the offensive and defensive lines. Seventeen game seasons are a battle of attrition. Right now the Vikings’ overflowing infirmary looks like it’s mid-December. ‘It’s not really the other team outplaying us or out-coaching us,’ Justin Jefferson insists. ‘We’ve got to look in the mirror and figure out how we’re going to stop that from happening, how we’re going to come out fast and swinging and carrying out that consistency.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/problems1001
SCHEDULE AHEAD: The Vikings were supposed to take advantage of the early games on their schedule because, after a bye week upon their return from London, they start a challenging four-game stretch against the Eagles, Chargers, Lions and Ravens. Even if they beat Cleveland, it’s not hard to imagine their 3-2 record becoming 4-5, giving credibility to some of the national skepticism the Vikings faced before the season started.
VIKINGS (2-2) VS. BROWNS (1-3): 8:30 a.m. Sunday kickoff on NFL Network, Fox9, KFAN and the Vikings Audio Network. Vikings depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Browns web site
FOREVER WILD? Via Jessi Pierce at NHL.com. Kirill Kaprizov says his goal is to score goals for the Wild for his entire career, and that notion took a hue step toward reality Tuesday when he signed an eight-year, $136 million contract extension that starts with the 2026-27 season and runs through 2034. It ended a drama that began earlier this year and went from GM Bill Guerin expressing confidence a deal would get done top Guerin going silent when things didn’t go as smoothly as he would have hoped.
KAPRIZOV SAYS: “It’s long, so many years, and I’m not too young and it’s probably . . . my last contract in hockey. “I don’t know, we’ll see, but it’s great. Sometimes you watch guys, like say (Sidney) Crosby or (Alex) Ovechkin or whatever. Guys stay with (the) same team their whole career and it’s pretty fun. . . . Minnesota has always helped me so much . . . in life and hockey. I’m just happy to keep doing what we do and just winning here. I believe one day [the Stanley Cup] is coming.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/kaprizov1001
TERMS OF THE DEAL: Via Michael Russo and Joe Smith at The Athletic. Here’s the breakdown of Kaprizov’s contract, which is the richest in NHL history in total amount and average annual pay. VERBATIM: “Even though the contract starts in 2026-27, the max that Kaprizov could have gotten annually was $19.1 million, 20 percent of the 2025-26 salary cap ceiling of $95.5 million, because that’s the signing year. The Wild gave him that in salary and signing bonuses in each of his first four years, league sources told The Athletic. Kaprizov will earn a $1 million salary in each of the eight years, with July 1 signing bonuses of $18.1 million, $18.1 million, $18.1 million, $18.1 million, $16 million, $14.2 million, $12.7 million and $12.7 million, starting in 2026. The contract also comes with a full no-move clause.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/deal1001
WILD TEAM SALARIES: Via Spotrac. You can tap on individual players to see their contract terms. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/contracts1001
KAPRIZOV CAREER STATS: https://fluence-media.co/stats1001
MATS OUT: Via Jess Myers at Pioneer Press. Wild veteran Mats Zuccarello, who suffered a lower-body injury during an informal workout, will be out seven or eight weeks with a lower-body injury. Zuccarello, 38, had 19 goals and 35 assists in 69 games last season — missing the other 13 with an injury suffered when he was hit by a puck in an early-season game vs. Montreal. VERBATIM: Coach John Hynes said there is “some ramped-up competition for Zuccarello’s spot on the team’s first or second line, mentioning veterans such as Marcus Johansson and Marcus Foligno and younger players such as Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov who could potentially fill in during Zuccarello’s absence.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/mats1001
SEASON OPENER: The NHL regular season opens for the Wild on Sept. 9 at St. Louis. The home opener is Sept. 11 vs. Columbus. FULL SCHEDULE | TICKETS
AS EXPECTED: The Gophers lived up to my schedule projection with its rally past Rutgers last weekend, winning 35-31 in one of the five games I considered a toss-up on their way to the 7-5 record I predicted after watching the season’s first three games. The next two games feel predictable. A loss at No. 1 Ohio State this Saturday followed by a Homecoming win over lackluster Purdue.
UPSETTING THE BUCKEYES? Via Joe Nelson at SI.com. Ohio State is 87-7 on its home field since 2012. Virginia Tech (2014) and Michigan (2024) are the only unranked teams to win at Columbus. Minnesota has beaten Ohio State only twice since 1966. VERBATIM: If the Gophers learn anything from teams that won in Columbus before, it’s that it’ll take one of four things to pull off a stunner: 1) Ohio State having a bad day; 2) A heroic performance from a superstar player; 3) Inclement weather evening the playing field; 4) Ohio State injuries. NOTED: In 2022, Ohio State lost 45-23 to Michigan, ranked No. 3 at the time. J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdown passes in the Wolverines win. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/buckeyes1001
STOPPING SMITH: Via Randy Johnson at Star Tribune. To have a chance, the Gophers will need to neutralize Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has 396 yards and four touchdowns on 28 catches through four games. VERBATIM: “He’s a phenomenal football player,” P.J. Fleck said. “He can stretch the field vertically. He can work in the screen game. He can work underneath. . . . Fifty-fifty balls are really not 50-50. They’re 90-10 balls.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/gophers1001
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press. Quarterback Drake Lindsey’s play in the 35-31 win over Rutgers earned the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week award — and love from Fleck. VERBATIM: “A lot of times when you play a young player, they play not to lose, and they don’t want screw it up. Drake is fearless. Drake knows he’s going to fail, he’s going to grow, he’s going to succeed, he’s going to have the process of growth. And he’s a process-driven kid. He has a lot of confidence in the people around him, and they have a lot of confidence in him.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lindsey1001
WATCH THIS GUY: Phillip Daniels was a starting offensive tackle for the Gophers last season. The junior from Cincinnati high entered the transfer portal after starting the last four games of the 2024 season for Minnesota. This year, he’s a starter for Ohio State.
GOPHERS (3-1) VS. OHIO STATE (4-0): 6:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff on NBC, Peacock, KFAN and the Gophers Radio Network. Gophers depth chart | Real-time betting info, match-ups | Ohio State web site
LOONS HOME STRETCH: Minnesota United is pretty much assured of home-field advantage for the first round of the MLS playoffs. In theory, it’s a good thing but the Loons have played better away from Allianz Field with a nine-game road unbeaten streak. The final two games of the regular season are at home Saturday vs. Kansas City and on the road Oct. 18 vs. LA Galaxy — the two teams at the bottom of the Western Conference. PLAYOFF FORMAT: The first two rounds involve 16 teams and are best-of-three. The semifinals and finals are a single match. The round of 16 is set to run from Oct. 24-Nov. 9. The MLS Cup is Dec. 6 at the home of the higher seed. December soccer in St. Paul? Bring it! TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/loonstix1001
MASSIVE MIAC BATTLE: Saint John’s plays at Bethel at 1 p.m. Saturday in what’s likely to be the biggest MIAC football game of the season, with the winner a solid bet to go undefeated in conference play and get the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Johnnies are ranked No. 4 by D3football.com. Bethel is 12th. Saint John’s has outscored three opponents 171-0. The Royals have outscored theirs 153-22. LIVESTREAM | RADIO | TICKETS | D-III POLL
MEN’S HOCKEY POLL: The Gophers are ranked seventh in the first USA Hockey men’s poll released this week. North Dakota is tied for 10th. Minnesota State is 18th and St. Thomas, one of two teams that wasn’t ranked at the end of last season, is tied for 20th. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/poll1001
OPENING WEEKEND: The Gophers open their men’s hockey season with a Friday-Saturday series vs. Michigan Tech at Mariucci. (7 p.m. Friday on Fox9 and 7 p.m. Saturday on Fox9+) The Tommies open with a Saturday night game at St. Cloud State and play at North Dakota next weekend. St. Thomas opens its new arena on Oct. 24 vs. Providence. TICKETS: Gophers | Tommies
ANNIVERSARY OF NOTE: Via Matt Vines at Society for American Baseball Research. Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax’s refusal to pitch for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series against the Twins because of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Koufax had the blessing of the team’s owner, Walter O’Malley, and was replaced by fellow Hall of Famer Don Drysdale. The Twins won both of those games before the Dodgers rallied to win the series in seven games. Koufax was the winning pitcher in Games 5 and 7, pitching the latter vs. Jim Kaat. Both men were starting with only two days of rest.
THE MYSTERY: What did Koufax do on Yom Kippur 1965 in the Twin Cities? VERBATIM: “For years, there has been much speculation about where Koufax spent October 6, 1965. Koufax never disclosed where. Rabbis throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul area claimed to have seen Koufax at their synagogues that day. The late Rabbi Bernard Raskas of the Temple of Aaron Synagogue in St. Paul maintained until his death in 2010 that he brought Koufax into his synagogue through a side door and sat him in front where almost no one saw him. Koufax biographer Jane Leavy is skeptical. She believes Koufax never left his hotel room on October 6.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/koufax1001
IN HIS WORDS: When I contacted Dave Pape, the sports information director at Carleton, about Jack Curtis and his cancer battle, I asked if Jack could write something to describe what it’s been like. Jack agreed. Submissions like this are always subject to editing. But I revised less than 10 words. Curtis throws well and writes well, too. Thanks to Jack and Dave for making this happen.
I first started noticing lumps in the winter of 2025, but thought they were muscle contusions or knots, as they were in my throwing arm. Towards the end of baseball season and into spring practices for football, I started to develop a mass growing in my right underarm, but once again, there was no pain, so I didn’t think much of it. Once I returned home for the summer, that’s where the problems ensued. I started to have “heart attacks,” but on the right side of my chest, not the left, randomly throughout the day and night. The pain was so immense that, after the worst one happened, I even drafted letters saying goodbye to my loved ones. Within the next few days, I saw a multitude of doctors. The diagnosis process culminated in a biopsy where they removed an egg-sized cancerous lymph node from the roughly mango-sized tumor in my underarm. The final diagnosis was “Late stage 2 unfavorable Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” meaning that the cancer had spread throughout the entirety of my chest and had begun to grow around my heart.
The pain was from the tumor pushing my internal organs out of the way.
Once we had the diagnosis, the treatment began as soon as possible. I had a port placed the following Tuesday, and I began chemotherapy on Wednesday. The first two cycles were rough, often leaving me bedridden and nauseous for days. However, as I continued to receive the treatment, I was responding well. After completing the first two cycles (months) in August, due to my response to the treatment, I was able to talk to my doctors about the possibility of playing. Their main concern was my blood counts and my ability to recover after the treatment and games. Ultimately, however, they left it to me to decide, and that was an easy choice. To come back for my senior year at Carleton with my best friends to play this game one last time is a blessing.
I am not going to let cancer define who I am.
My schedule now that I am in season is rough. I receive chemotherapy every other Monday and play each Saturday. During treatment weeks, I cannot attend practice or class all week and have to do my best not to let that change the outcome on Saturday or on my transcript. To even be able to play, I have to pass a weekly blood test at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
The hardest part is the fatigue and nausea; I barely eat all week during the treatment, mostly soup and white bread to avoid an empty stomach. The best analogy I have is that I feel like a Hummer. I may look big and strong, but I am getting about four miles to the gallon, and my tank runs out quickly.
The other part is the cravings and lack of appetite for my favorite foods. I despise Chipotle now, which takes many people by surprise. Grilled cheese is utterly repulsive as well. On the flip side, I crave Taco Bell and white rice dishes.
As of last week, I have three infusions left, and then radiation is scheduled for December. I still have a long road ahead of me, but thanks to the support of my family, friends, and team, I know that I can beat this and still achieve all of my dreams.
MORE ABOUT JACK:
WATCH: Ren Clayton’s report on WCCO-TV. https://fluence-media.co/wcco1001
READ: Patrick Reusse’s Star Tribune column. https://fluence-media.co/reusse1001
LISTEN: MIAC Weekly podcast with Andy Tellijohn and Rich Larson. https://fluence-media.co/miac1001
DONATE: GoFundMe page. https://fluence-media.co/gofundme1001
THANKS FOR READING AND SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS.
EMAIL HOWARD: sportstake100@gmail.com
ON THE WEB:
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Instagram: @howardsinkermn