Three sports thoughts buzzing around my brain: 1. Will Byron Buxton find the love in Minnesota? 2. How good is Koi Perich . . . and the U’s newest quarterback? 3. Angel Reese vs. Alissa Pili needs a context warning.
LOTS TO TALK ABOUT: The caffeine is cold (I’m not a coffee drinker) and the Minnesota sports scene is hot, even without a lot of games being played right now. So Let’s Go! ←Headphones may be wise for the link.
BRUISED BUXTON BACK WITH A BANG: When we parted last week, I was concerned about how long Byron Buxton would be sidelined after he was hit on the hand by a pitch against the Cubs. Turns out the answer was about 48 hours — and then there was a bobblehead-day performance unlike any other: Hitting for the cycle over the weekend, the first time it had been done since Target Field opened in 2010. The performance was awesome. The joy from Buxton and his Twins teammates was even better. The fans left with more than a bobblehead as their memory of the afternoon.
COFFEE CONVERSATION: Does a healthy Buxton playing at the top of his game for an extended period of time change his relationship with Minnesota fans? My friend Jay Weiner, the former Star Tribune sportswriter and U of M speechwriter, raised that issue this week. Can Buxton turn a relationship that has been cooled by injury issues and skepticism about the team into the kind of love that existed between Twins fans and Kirby Puckett? There are signs that’s happening.
‘SUPERHERO WHEN HEALTHY’: Via Dan Hayes at The Athletic. Buxton’s joy and pain is captured in this story that focuses on the trust that’s been built between the player and trainer Nick Paparesta, who joined the club in 2023. VERBATIM: “Buxton is providing teammates with plenty to appreciate this season. They’re constantly in awe of what he can do when healthy. ‘You could see it in spring training,’ Carlos Correa said. ‘There was something different. He wasn’t aching as much and he was not sore after workouts. Recovery was a lot better. He’s a superhero when he’s healthy.’ “ STORY: https://fluence-media.co/buxton0717
HUMBLING NUMBERS: This is Buxton’s 11th major league season. At 100% health, he would have been eligible to play in 1,614 games. He’s played in 850 of them, which means he’s been out because of injuries or days off almost 47% of the time. This is likely to be only the third season in which he’ll play at least 100 games. No matter what happens during the rest of his career, it will always be appropriate to ask “what if . . .” I have more stat-based thoughts on Buxton but will save them for another time. CAREER STATS: https://fluence-media.co/buckstats0717
THE ANGEL REESE THING: When the Lynx released 2024 first-round draft pick Alissa Pili a few days ago, it rekindled much of the out-of-context discussion that has taken place about the trade in which the Lynx and Chicago Sky swapped draft positions (No. 7 and 8) so the Sky could take Reese. What went unmentioned — everywhere from a recent Star Tribune column to the clickbait sites (“Lynx Cut First-Round Pick That Could’ve Been Angel Reese” and “Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the entire WNBA are shocked by Alissa Pili’s sudden release by Lynx” ) — is how that deal (and a follow-up trade between the teams this year) resulted in the Lynx also getting Chicago’s first-round pick in the 2026 draft — a lottery pick if Chicago fails to make the eight-team playoffs. The Sky are currently 11th with a 7-15 record and lost by 37 points to Atlanta last night. REMINDER: Don’t click on Clickbait, unless you’re looking for one of the decade’s top runners at Canterbury Park. In that case, click here.
THERE’S MORE: I’m a Reese fan. Her game has improved even more this season by virtue of being a central figure on a losing team. TWO THINGS: (1) Her inside game, which is elite, wasn’t/isn’t a fit for the Lynx’s style of play. (2) Her time on the floor with the Lynx (and her development into a WNBA star) would have been more limited with the team’s veteran lineup. The fit wasn’t there.
AND THIS: Pili didn’t come close to what the Lynx were hoping for before they released her. She was the team’s version of Ndudi Ebi, the Timberwolves’ horrible pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft. But look through the 2024 WNBA draft and find a player who would have been significantly better than Pili. Signing Emma Meesseman, the 6-foot-3 Belgian star who is a former WNBA Finals MVP and pondering a mid-season return to the league, would be a much better use of the roster spot.
ON MEESSEMAN: Via Elaine Blum at High Post Hoops. Here’s why the Lynx and other teams, including the Liberty and Mercury, are hoping she’ll join them. VERBATIM: “Emma Meesseman hasn’t played in the WNBA since 2022. In the WNBA, she has been a two-time All-Star, a champion, and a Finals MVP. She has done most of her damage in Europe and on the international stage. Meesseman is a six-time EuroLeague champion, a three-time EuroLeague MVP, a two-time EuroBasket champion, and a two-time member of the Olympics Basketball Tournament All-Star Five.” STORY: https://fluence-media.co/emma0717
GOPHERS STAR GOES HOME: Via Randy Johnson at Star Tribune. Gophers safety and special teams star Koi Perich returned to Esko recently to host a football camp for area youngsters and to “have a good time, help the kids get better and give a little back to the community.” Perich made himself a 19-year-old Minnesota sports icon by (1) committing to Minnesota and then fending off temptations from other schools, including Ohio State, to change his mind. (2) Winning first team All-Big Ten and second team All-America honors as a freshman. BEST DETAIL: His mother was among those who stormed the field after Perich’s interception sealed an upset win over USC last year. VERBATIM: “Perich leaped to deny Trojans receiver Duce Robinson the ball in the end zone. After a victory formation kneel-down, fans stormed the field and hoisted Perich on their shoulders. “That comes from your hometown, your home-state crowd,” said Danielle Perich, who was one of several members of the Esko contingent to storm the field. “He’s really proud to represent Minnesota.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/koi0717
HOW GOOD IS THE NEW QB? Via Sam Khan Jr. and Antonio Morales at The Athletic. All 136 presumed starting quarterbacks for major college schools are ranked and Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey is ranked 89th, which is also next-to-last among Big Ten starters. VERBATIM: “Lindsey will be one of the least experienced quarterbacks in the Big Ten. His main competition for the role, Zach Pyron, transferred out of the program during the spring, so he’s the overwhelming favorite to start. Max Brosmer was fine for Minnesota last year but had to adjust to the FBS level after five seasons at New Hampshire. There will be growing pains for Lindsey, who has attempted just five passes in his college career.” THE LIST: https://fluence-media.co/qbs0717
TWINS SELL-OFF? Whether the Twins deal key members of their team before the July 31 MLB trade deadline should hinge on how they do in the first nine games after the All-Star break. Those include three with the MLB-worst Rockies (22-74), three at NL-best Los Angeles (58-39) and three with NL East-trailing Washington (38-58). The Twins are four games out of the final American League Wild Card spot. But even if they don’t lose much ground in that stretch, struggling against two bad teams would be a sign that the end of the roster as we know it could be near.
ON THE WAY OUT? Via The Athletic. The latest list of baseball’s 40 most likely players to be traded* includes four Twins: Jhoan Duran (8), Griffin Jax (9), Harrison Bader (29) and Chris Paddack (33). (*Terms and conditions apply.) SEE THEM HERE: https://fluence-media.co/deadline0717
WOLVES SUMMER SUCCESS: The Timberwolves went 4-0 during the main part of the Las Vegas Summer League schedule, including a come-from-behind victory over Phoenix last night. But to be one of the four teams advancing to the semifinals, they’ll need both Toronto and San Antonio to lose their final games. Otherwise, one of those teams is almost certain to have a better point differential than the Wolves, which is the main tie-breaker. Minnesota is more likely to end up in a consolation game. TAKEAWAYS: Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. are ready for more minutes. First-round draft pick Joan Beringer was fun to watch, but needs lots of work to be NBA-ready. STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/wolves0717
STRIB WON’T SEND REPORTERS TO OLYMPICS AGAIN: After not sending staff to the 2024 Olympics in France, the Star Tribune discussed whether to change course for the 2026 winter games in Italy — and has opted against it, according to three company sources. That means no locally produced writing from the scene on men’s and women’s hockey, curling and cross-country skier Jessie Diggins — international stories with a huge local focus. Expect a combination of wire service reporting and stories written remotely from the Twin Cities. Sports editor Ryan Kostecka did not respond to an email about the decision that I sent on Wednesday.
SOLUTION? Because of the distance between venues (Milan and Cortina), it would take two reporters to staff the 2026 games. I’ve been told that could be done for about $30,000. Last year, the Star Tribune announced the formation of its Local News Fund, which has hundreds of contributors. (I’m one of them.) If 300 “News Fund” members gave an extra $100 apiece, that’s $30,000. (I’d donate.) Make it more attractive by holding an event with the writers and some of the athletes after the Olympics — or during the games via Zoom — and you’ve put your fund-raising apparatus for local news to good and creative use.
LET’S SOLVE ANOTHER ONE: Timberwolves announcer Michael Grady has been chosen by Amazon Prime as one of four play-by-play announcers for its NBA package of 66 games. That will take him away from his Timberwolves announcing duties, probably for a dozen games or slightly more. Star Tribune’s Chris Hine has reported that the team hasn’t made a decision about who will fill in when Grady’s gone SOLUTION: Move the excellent Alan Horton from radio to the TV table to work with analyst Jim Petersen and bring Lynx radio announcer Sloane Martin to fill for Horton. Martin might need to hand off some of her volleyball and women’s basketball calls on Big Ten Network, which has a deep bench of potential replacements.
Any other problems I can solve? Or anything I should know? Email: sportstake100@gmail.com.
LYNX ‘SOLVE’ THEIR OWN PROBLEM: Losing games to Chicago and Phoenix dropped the Lynx from the No. 1 spot in two WNBA power polls. They dropped to second behind Phoenix in The Athletic’s latest poll and to third behind the Mercury and Liberty in the Yahoo! poll. Thumping the Mercury by 13 on Wednesday, their last game before the All-Star Break, should rectify that situation next week.
TWINS GET SPONSOR PATCH: Via Twins media release. VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Twins today announced that St. Paul-based Securian Financial has been named the club’s first Official Jersey Patch Partnership. . . . Beginning with the club’s Friday, July 18 road game in Colorado, the Securian Financial logo will appear on the sleeve of all Minnesota Twins home, road, alternate and City Connect jerseys throughout spring training, the regular season and the postseason. This integrated partnership also features a prominent Securian Financial presence at Target Field and across Twins television and radio broadcasts, with plans to broaden the reach and impact in future seasons.”
LOONS BEST IN THE WORLD? Via The Guardian. Minnesota United has developed a unique distinction among soccer supporters who study their analytics: The most aggressive team in the world when it comes to set pieces — the planned plays from free kicks, corner kicks and throw-ins. The Loons scored twice on corner kicks in their 4-1 win over San Jose last weekend, for example, and it’s not uncommon to see goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair approach midfield to boom a set-piece starter toward the goal. VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s oddball tactics aren’t just outliers in MLS. According to an analysis by Soccerment, a soccer data company, they take more long throws and deep free kicks than any other club in 30 of the world’s top leagues, from the Bundesliga to the Brasileirão. The low-budget overachievers sitting third in the MLS Western Conference just might be the most aggressive set piece team on the planet.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/set0717
BUT EVEN THE BEST STRUGGLE: Via Jon Marthaler at Star Tribune. Minnesota United lost 1-0 to LAFC last night, raising a concern despite their third-place standing in the MLS West. VERBATIM: “The Loons have been in the top three of the standings for months, but they’ve now lost at home to all of the other three teams in the West’s top four. Of Minnesota’s 11 wins in MLS this year, just one — away at Seattle — has come against a team in the West’s top seven spots. Given that six of the Loons’ final 11 league games are against those top seven teams in the West, Minnesota is going to have to figure some things out when they’re playing teams that aren’t struggling in the lower half of the standings.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/loons0717
STUDENT FEES-FOR-SPORTS BAN? Via Associated Press. Last week, Sports Take noted that the University of Minnesota plans to add a $100 student fee this year to help minimize the athletic department’s budget deficit. But part of a recently introduced bill in Congress to help regulate NIL payments and other financial aspects of college sports also calls for a ban on such fees. VERBATIM: “The ban on using fees to offset costs strikes to the core of some schools’ plans to fund athletic programs, which are looking at ways to pay for the up to $20.5 million they’ll share with athletes” under new NCAA rules. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/fees0717
BIG COLLEGE HOCKEY PAYDAY: Via Jess Myers at Pioneer Press. A couple of years ago at the Frozen Four, Gophers coach Bob Motzko was asked how NIL money was impacting college hockey. His reply: “You’re hearing million-dollar deals for football and basketball. Our players get burritos. But I think times are changing.” FAST FORWARD: Gavin McKenna, a 17-year-old Canadian forward who is viewed as a potential No. 1 overall draft candidate by the NHL in 2026, visited Michigan State recently, where he was reportedly offered $250,000 to play for the Spartans. VERBATIM: “After visiting campus and mulling their official bid, McKenna handed Michigan State a polite ‘No thank you,’ and instead opted to skate for conference rival Penn State next season. That decision came after the Nittany Lions – who are coming off the program’s first Frozen Four appearance – were able to reportedly triple Michigan State’s monetary offer.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/motzko0717
FROM MIAC TO DIVISION I: Via Tony Liebert at Sports Illustrated. After one year of hockey at Augsburg, forward Graham Harris will transfer to the Gophers. Harris played for Minnetonka and spent three years in the North American Hockey League before his season with the Auggies, where he led the team with 22 points in 25 games. He has three years of eligibility left. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/harris0717
ALSO MOVING ON: Kaden Holdbrook, a 6-foot-1 guard who averaged 15.8 points per game for Macalester and hit 34% of his three-point tries before an injury ended his sophomore season, is transferring to Denver University. He’ll be joining assistant Abe Woldeslassie, who left the Macalester head coaching job in May. Denver plays in the Summit League.
MAKING THE LEAP: I emailed St. Thomas coach John Tauer about the biggest adjustments making the leap from D-III to D-I, in part because he’s had 11 players do that for the Tommies, and because his replies are 99.9% coach-speak free. The answer has been edited lightly for length (and to remove an Oxford comma). VERBATIM: “I think some of the common themes were adjusting to the pace and athleticism of play, the realization one is good enough to play at that level and playing in a system that valued the skills these players possessed. Basketball is a beautiful game in part because the synergy between five players is more important than sheer physical talent, and the former D-III players we have seen make the jump to D-I were acutely aware of their skills, humble and hungry to compete at a high level and grateful for the opportunity to play college basketball.”
MORE TAUER: “As a former D-III player at UST who went on to coach 21 years in Division III, I think our program and these 11 players have highlighted just how good the best players and programs are at the D-III level.”
EX-TWINS PITCHER GUILTY OF MURDER: Via Jeff Day at Star Tribune. Sports Take was the first local media to report on the murder case involving former Twins No. 1 draft pick Dan Serafini. He was found guilty Monday of murder and attempted murder of his in-laws in California. Sentencing is scheduled for next month. VERBATIM: “Video of closing arguments . . . showed Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Rick Miller arguing that Serafini despised his in-laws and had motives to carry out the killing. ‘It’s a person with a decades-long history of fights over money, fights over children,’ Miller said. ‘The person who makes threats, the person who began talking almost a decade before about wanting them dead.’ “ VIDEO: https://fluence-media.co/court0717. STORY: https://fluence-media.co/serafini0717
BRIDGEWATER SUSPENDED: Via Andy Villamarzo at Rivals. Ex-Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said he’s been suspended from his head football coaching job at Miami Northwestern High School in the aftermath of making a social media ask for fans to help him cover expenses for his players. Last year, those expenses included a four-day football camp, Uber rides and team clothing. Bridgewater, who coached the team to a state title last season, played 30 games for the Vikings after being their No. 1 draft pick in 2014. VERBATIM: “Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) confirmed it is looking into allegations that Bridgewater provided impermissible benefits to his players last season. Those allegations came from one of Bridgewater's own social media posts in which he detailed several of the benefits he allegedly provided while seeking support from benefactors to cover similar costs for the coming season.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/teddy0717
VIKINGS ROSTER PROJECTION: Via Matthew Coller at Purple insider. Training camp opens next Saturday and Coller offers up his list of who’ll make the 53-man squad. NOTES: There’s a Max Brosmer mention. Also, his offensive picks are free but you’ll need to subscribe for the defense. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/vikings0717
LOCAL TEAM, FLAG FOOTBALL NATIONALS: Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. Rosemount High, which was one of four teams in the Vikings’ flag football start-up in 2024 will be playing today through Sunday in the NFL Flag Football Championships in Canton, Ohio. Parts of the tournament will be on ESPN and other platforms. The Minnesota league grew from the original four to more than 50 schools this year, a story highlighted in last week’s Sports Take. VERBATIM: “Honestly, seeing the growth of the sport at such an exponential level has been more than we could’ve hoped for,” said Emily Weinberg, coordinator of youth and high school football for the Vikings. “It’s been really inspiring to see how much passion there is for it across the state. I can’t even predict what next year is going to look like. We’re so excited about where we’re at, and where we’ll continue to go.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/flag0717
WALK YOUR DOG, RAISE MONEY: The annual Page Education Foundation “Doggie Walk” starts at 8 a.m. Saturday at Lake of the Isles Park. Tickets are $25 and you can do the three-mile walk with the main pack around the lake or walk in your neighborhood and send along photos. The foundation was created by Hall of Fame football player and retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page. There will be music, as well as treats for dogs and their walkers on site. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/page0717
AND FINALLY: Via Katrina Pross and Becky Z. Dernbach at Sahan Journal. The writers tell a complex and chilling tale of former youth and school basketball coach Aaron Hjermstad, who was found guilty of sexually abusing several young boys who he worked with while he was a coach and teacher at two charter schools with majority Black enrollments. The focus of the story is on a survivor who first reported the abuse when he was 15 and follows a trail of investigations and reasons given by authorities for why they declined to charge Hjermstad several times over a five-year period. In 2021, he was found guilty by a Hennepin County judge of abusing four boys and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
MORE CHARGES? An investigation is ongoing, based on information found in Hjermstad’s car when he fled the state before sentencing in 2022. He was apprehended in Idaho. VERBATIM: “A list of about 200 boys’ names was also found in Hjermstad’s car; nearly 30 of them had notations that they had ‘slept in Aaron’s bed,’ according to Idaho State Police Corporal Jared Shively, who pulled Hjermstad over and testified at a recent hearing in Hennepin County District Court. Jill Oliveira, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, told Sahan Journal the agency is investigating the evidence collected from Hjermstad’s car. ‘We have been able to positively identify 43 of the victims,’ Oliveira said in an email statement. ‘Based on the evidence obtained during our investigation we believe that there were approximately 80 additional victims. Any additional information is part of the ongoing investigation.’ ” STORY: https://fluence-media.co/sahan0717
ON THE WEB:
Bluesky: @howardsinker.bsky.social
Instagram: @howardsinkermn
Tips and thoughts: sportstake100@gmail.com
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