Mike
Ankoviak is a resident of Champlin, MN. He was
raised in Albert Lea, MN where his father,
Bill Ankoviak, finished his career as a
professional baseball
player. Along with his 5 brothers and sisters,
Mike was brought up on a steady diet of baseball,
golf, basketball, tennis, football, and mumbley peg.
He would spend his evenings scouring the paper for
the latest sports box scores. Today Mike's
appetite for sports continues. He has been a
season ticket holder for most of our pro sports
teams in the Twin Cities. He has been a part
owner of a race horse stabled at Canterbury Downs,
and is an avid golfer and tennis player. You
may not agree with all of Mike's opinions but I
think you will agree that his insight into the
world of sports is always refreshing.
2/7/12 Football is
King, and Vegas Loves the Super Bowl!!!
There is not
much more of an exciting time to be in Las Vegas than
Super Bowl weekend. From my experience this past weekend,
Vegas is alive and well. The casinos, sports books, gaming
tables, restaurants and bars were jam packed.
We
stayed at Harrah's on the strip as some friends had some
comp'd benefits that we were able to share in. Its sort of
"old school" Vegas, but right in the center of the action.
And if you can get past the $40 room service breakfasts
(coffee not included), overall it's a pretty reasonable
and fun place to stay. Back to the Super Bowl. It turned
out to be an exciting game but there is no way I can be
convinced that the Giants are the best team in football.
They just got hot at the right time. Much like the Packers
did last year. And much like the Giants did a few years
back when they also knocked off the Patriots in the super
bowl, putting an end to the potential "greatest season
ever" by the Pats. Also keeping Miami's perfect season
record intact. Same thing this year, a close hard fought
game, with just a couple of key plays the difference
between winning and losing. I just wish I hadn't been
swayed by our cabbie from Wooster, Mass who was so intent
on the Patriots winning, that I switched off of the
Giants, and backed the Pats. Needless to say, shortly
after the game I was wandering the Vegas Strip in search
of a Wells Fargo cash machine. Ouch!!! I wish I had bet on
the coin flip, color of Gatorade dumped on the winning
coach, over/under on the national anthem, or whether
Madonna was going to appear in fishnet stockings (she
did), rather than the game's outcome. But being a huge Tom
Brady fan, I'll go on record now picking New England back
in the big game next year, but it will be against the best
team in the NFL, the Packers. Already put my money on it
in the sports book! And a side note, if Indianapolis can
host a Super Bowl, let's get a new downtown stadium with
some high profile corporate sponsors and get Minneapolis
on the list for the big game! The TV audience hit a record
111 million viewers, and was also the largest streamed
sporting event worldwide ever, so football fandom is at an
all time high. Let's hope we have a team in MN for all to
enjoy.
What
about the Wolves!! Just off a win at home against
Sacramento with Kevin Love on suspension. The win puts
them a game over .500 and currently sitting in the 10th
spot in the
Western conference, and continues what has been a great
start to the season under new head coach Rick Adelman. Can
the Wolves really be considered a Playoff contender? Well
if Rubio keeps playing like he has, and someone reminds
Love its not polite to stomp on your opponents chest, I
think they can!! And can there be any truth to the rumor
that the Twins are in talks with Rubio's people about a
possible tryout as a shortstop/pitcher based on his little
league highlights from back in Spain? We can only hope.
1/20/12 When Can I Go Back in the Water?
That’s what we used to ask Mom after wolfing down
our meals and then running down to the beach all ready to
dive in. But the answer was always the same. You can’t go
back in for at least an hour! And we’d whine and all that
stuff kids do, then run back into the water as soon as
that hour was up. Well that’s how I feel now about the
NFL. When can I go back to watching football? I hate
losing. I hate it when my team loses. When I was a kid I
hated to lose too. When I was a kid I hated when one of my
favorite teams lost. So I’ve pretty much sworn off talking
about or watching or listening to all the football chatter
this week…..since the Packers lost. I was probably 6 or 7
when we first passed through Green Bay on a road trip to
my Dad's home state of Michigan. We took a small detour by
Lambeau Field on that trip and I was hooked. Much to my
Dad's chagrin, I became a Packer fan and never changed
from that. I paid no attention when the Vikings brought
their funny looking purple uniforms and helmets to
Bloomington. If it wasn’t green and yellow (or gold
depending on the light of day), it didn’t matter to me.
The only thing that did matter during football season was
how the Packers did on Sunday. Well this past Sunday was
hard to digest. They lost a playoff game they should have
won. Sure the Giants were a hot team and I give Eli
Manning credit for his solid play. But the Packers
receivers dropped balls all over the field with two of
those drops for likely touchdowns. They also fumbled the
ball away a couple times and when the game was on the line
the defense played like a high school team. Basically they
played their worst game of the year, and at home for gosh
sakes! But I am slowly getting over it. Five days have
past and I was actually able to look at the sports section
of the star tribune today. I still haven't watched
SportsCenter since Sunday, and don't ever want to see the
replays or highlights on the NFL Channel of that game. But
the Pack will be back and I feel improved next year. As
will likely the Lions and possibly the Bears. Not sure we
can say that about the Vikings yet. But probably the
biggest news on the Vikings side of things will be if some
sort of Stadium bill gets passed. Here’s hoping the powers
that be get it right and get a new stadium in the works
soon. And as far as the NFL goes, New England is my pick
to win the Super Bowl. They’ll get a rematch with the
Giants and prevail this time. (we’ll see how that works
out on Sunday).
Meanwhile
on a much brighter note, the Twolves continue to impress.
A nice come from behind win over Detroit on Wednesday
brought their record to 6-8. I haven't checked into it to
verify, but I believe it's been quite a few years since
they have had 6 wins through 14 games of a season. The
young guys are showing lots of spirit and athletic
ability. Love is developing into a true NBA all-star and
Ricky Rubio is surpassing many of the tempered
expectations and getting a fair amount of national
recognition in the hoops sports world. There is definitely
more excitement down at Target Center than anytime since
KG left town. It will be fun to catch the game on tonight
out in LA against the Clippers to see how we stack up
against another team loaded with young stars. The Clippers
are trying to challenge the Lakers as the top team in LA.
And
talk about teams moving in opposite directions, the Wild
have now lost 15 of their last 17 games and are just
trying to keep in contention for a possible spot in the
playoffs. Injuries and lack of scoring have brought about
a huge change of direction in the season, following their
hot start. There is still a long way to go so we’ll see if
coach Yeo can get his team back on track. This will be a
tough task for the rookie coach, but I’m hoping they can
crank it back up a few levels and make a playoff run. But
if they don’t get some kind of offense going, as their
scoring has been abysmal, they don’t stand much of a
chance.
So I'm making my way back into the water, albeit slowly.
If the AFC and NFC championship games were today, I
probably wouldn't be ready to watch them. But by Sunday
I'm pretty sure I’ll be ready for some football. Its just
not the same when your team isn't in it anymore. Now I
know what the Vikings fans go through most years.
12/28/11 Wolves Show Flashes.....But Can They Win?
The Monday night season opener brought back
memories of the best times at the Target Center. A packed
house and Rickey Rubio created a sensation we hadn't felt
for a long time. But in the end, it was another loss. I'm
writing this as I watch the Tuesday night game in
Milwaukee as the Wolves have rallied back from 20 points
down to make a seemingly out of reach game into a tight
battle in the waning minutes. Will it be the new-look
Wolves who pull out a victory, or more of the same old
stuff and another loss in a close game without the finish
needed.......same old Wolves. A loss to the same team we
beat last week in both of our pre-season games. Damn.
Close but no cigar. The Wolves go 2-0 in the pre-season,
but now face Miami, Dallas and San Antonio this weekend
and next Monday. There's a good chance we'll be staring up
at an 0-5 start. But all is not lost, the young guys look
like they can play with the big boys, and it's going to be
a fun ride.
And
like all good sports junkies, I was channel flipping and
caught the Gopher game also. As with the Wolves in the
regular season, wins are going to be tough to come by in
the Big Ten. No matter what you do in the pre-season or
non-conference, the regular season is all that matters and
it'll be a struggle the whole way. The Big Ten is loaded
with good teams and the Gophers would appear to be in the
middle to lower part of the pack. A loss to Illinois on
the road in the Opener isn't shameful, but the
Illini would seem to be a middle of the pack team also.
It's going to be one of those seasons where the Gophs will
need to win a majority of their home games, and beat some
of the lousy teams on the road to have any shot at being a
.500 ballclub. Losing Mbakwe sure didn't help, but the
other guys are stepping up so far so again it could be a
fun season.
And just when we thought the Vikings season
couldn't get any worse. They lose Adrian Peterson to a
season-ending and possible career threatening knee injury
in a meaningless game that no one wanted them to win
anyway. So now instead of having a shot at the #1 draft
pick and at least having that to look forward to, they'll
finish up the season in another meaningless game hosting
the banged up and beaten Bears on Sunday with nothing at
stake. I'm sure tickets are easy to come by, so get out
and watch Joe Webb and Toby Gerhart take on the Bears and
their 2nd or 3rd string quarterback along with a couple of
back-up running backs. If they aren't careful, they might
finish up the season with a 2 game winning streak! Does
anyone care?
12/8/11 The NBA is Back!! And Elvis has left the Building
With the NBA labor dispute settled, it's time to look
forward to a new beginning for the T-Wolves. A new coach
with a solid reputation and winning history, Rick Adelman
takes the helm. Practices start later this week and the
first game is December 26. Honestly I didn't think I'd
miss the NBA, but now that it's all settled I'm excited
about the potential that this team has. It's hard not to
get anxious to see Ricky Rubio finally in a Wolves
uniform. He hasn't exactly garnered rave reviews playing
over in Europe recently, but he's a classy young player,
and if he's anything like the player we thought he might
be, he'll be a great addition at least in terms of
marketing and fan appeal. Along with Kevin Love and
Michael Beasley, he'll be a great fit as one of the young
faces of the newly re-invented Timberwolves. Still yet to
sign rookie Derrick Williams is another bright spot and
should develop into a significant cog in the machine. I
think he’ll be a nice reward for getting that second pick
in the draft last year. I might be getting a little
ahead of myself, but I believe they'll be significantly
improved over last years team and it should result in more
wins for us fans to enjoy.
On
the other end of the spectrum, the Vikes, like Elvis, have
apparently left the building. They got derailed by the
Tebow Train this past Sunday. And while the somewhat
unorthodox southpaw is being scrutinized for his poor
passing statistics as well as his religious fervor, the
Broncos have ridden the Tebow Train to first place in the
AFC West. While the Vikings are more likely to be found
riding in a converted Blue Bird school bus halfway across
the north woods of Wisconsin on their way to Detroit.
Christian Ponder will win many more games in his
career, but maybe no more this year. They face Detroit
(albeit slumping) on the road, New Orleans here at home
(no chance), travel to Washington (should be a close
game), and then finish up with the Bears here in the dome.
Now that game could be interesting if the Bears are still
fighting for a wild-card spot and should also be a close
game, as most are with the Bears. Ponder is a bit banged
up and is questionable for the start this week anyway,
which might bring Joe Webb back into the QB picture.
Another question the Vikings face and will come into play
impacting potential wins and losses, is how much do you
run Adrian Peterson down the stretch in a lost season. Of
course he wants to play and is said to be about 70%
strength right now, but the Vikings need to be planning
for next year. And a healthy AP is a must to get back to
even thinking they can be a .500 team. That and a lot of
help in the secondary and likely the offensive line, might
get them there.
Hey, and
don’t forget the Tommies are still in the running for a
national championship in D3 football. After a couple of
very impressive playoff wins at home, they head out to
visit UW-Whitewater in a semi-final match-up. This will be
a lot tougher. Whitewater has won the last 2 national
titles and playing at home will be very tough to beat. But
it's great to see them get that far. You can catch that
game on WCCO radio Saturday afternoon also. Let’s see if
we can bring home another national championship to the
Twin Cities (remember the Lynx!).
11/23/11
That time of Year again… Salute the Turkeys,
and Give Thanks!
An
annual tradition in the StarTribune is Pat
Reusse’s “Turkey of the Year Award” which
salutes Minnesota’s most noteworthy
sportsman. But of course as the name implies
it’s for ineptitude, rather than winning
achievement. And Lord knows there’s been a
lot of ineptitude in the local sports’ scene
over the last several years. I’m not going
to attempt to pick out just one, there’s too
many to consider. How about our
multimillionaire Twin’s walking wounded? Of
course that’d be Mauer and Morneau. Shortly
after the Twins sunk half their payroll into
the M&M boys, they both have become so
fragile that their combined contribution
this past season would barely mount up to
what Nick Punto did for the Cardinals.
You
could also point to the Twin’s management in
general for their mishandling of the roster,
bungling trades and totally overestimating
the talent of several of the players they
did move into starting roles this past
season. Let’s hope they lose their passports
and don’t make any more talent scouting
trips to Japan in the short term after the
failed Nishi experiment.
And
the Vikings are a whole ‘nother story of
ineptitude. I have to admit I got a little
excited when Christian Ponder moved into the
starting role. I don’t think McNabb could
lead the Eden Prairie Eagles to the State
Championship so he’s definitely in that
“turkey” category. But now the realities of
being a rookie QB have set in and the rest
of the team, besides A.P. and Jared Allen,
is pretty darn mediocre. They have a chance
to post one of the worst records in Vikings
history. I’d say now’s the time for the
coaches to step up also as their performance
in getting the team prepared is probably
rated a D- at best.
Don’t
forget our Gopher football team in this mess
either. Coach Kill has had his hands full
dealing with his own health issues, and the
lack of talent on the field. Right now their
talent level would probably fall right in
the middle of the football pack…..if they
were playing a couple of divisions below
Division 1A. But they are not, so they rank
at the bottom of the barrel. They have a
chance to get a win in their final game of
the season, hosting the Illini at TCF Bank
Stadium on Saturday. I’d love to see them do
it for the Seniors, and then at least build
a little momentum and enthusiasm for next
year.
But forgetting all the bad things going on
in local sports, there are certainly
highlight as well. Undefeated St. Thomas is
hosting Monmouth in the second round of the
D3 playoffs, and they have a solid chance at
bringing home a national championship. The
Wild continue to excel, posting 27 points so
far which is tied with Chicago and Pittsburg
at this point in the season. The hockey
Gophers are near the top in the national
rankings after a split this past weekend
with St. Cloud. And the Wolves still haven’t
lost a game yet this year….oh wait, they
haven’t played a game. The NBA lockout
continues, in what is sure to unfold as one
of the worst business decisions in sports
history. I feel bad for all the local
businesses affected downtown as the Target
Center remains mostly empty now, instead of
bringing fans downtown for some Pro hoops.
However winning or losing, I’m always
thankful for the enjoyment that sports does
give us. It’s a great break from our
everyday life as we watch our favorite
teams. And I do mean win or lose. I’ve stuck
with my teams from the time I was a small
kid. And I continue to watch and enjoy many
of the lesser covered sports as well, thanks
to all the coverage afforded with satellite
TV. Hell, I’d probably watch Dancing With
The Stars if they figured out how to make it
an event that included betting, or let ESPN2
handle the coverage! Maybe next year I’ll
introduce a betting pool for that show,
similar to what we do for March Madness.
And
what a thanksgiving line-up of football
games we have on tap. Packers/Lions,
Dolphins/Cowboys and to cap it off, the 49rs
at Baltimore in the evening. Now that’s what
I call a holiday feast! Happy Thanksgiving
to all.
11/10/11 Say is ain't so JoePa
Is
nothing sacred?? Sex scandal rocks Penn
State and pushes Joe Paterno into "early"
retirement. But what's so unusual about
that? He's 84 years old for gosh sakes. And
probably should have retired years ago.
And is there really a difference between
being fired at age 84, or just quitting?
That being said, he's probably the greatest
college coach of all time and has been
throughout his illustrious career held in
higher esteem than probably the Pope and the
President combined! Plus his winning
percentage is much better!! But as the
story now unfolds, at one point quite a
number of years ago he was made aware that
"something bad" was going on. And all he did
was tell his boss (who basically did
nothing) and went on coaching. Now no one is
saying he was at all involved in any
wrongdoing, but the whole scandal stinks so
bad that his time has come to leave. We all
have the moral obligation to do what is
right, and it seems he, among others, failed
to do the right thing and now are paying the
price. Interesting enough Penn State hosts
Nebraska on Saturday so with this huge
subplot it should be a good game to check in
on.
It's
the first time I've mentioned hockey
yet, and we're well into the season in
MN! Who says we don't have teams
that can win! The Wild have
started out playing well as they learn
their roles under new Coach Mike Yeo.
They aren't the highest scoring team
around, but getting better as the new
players get accustomed to playing
together, and they are playing typical
good Wild defense. They continued their
nice hot streak Wednesday night with a
shutout win on the road over Calgary.
And on the hockey train, the Gophers
have climbed to the Number 1 rating in
the Nation. And that's a first for quite
some time, after enduring a number of
sub-par seasons with the Gopher faithful
even calling for Coach Lucia's ouster.
Amazing what some wins will do and with
the talent they have on this team, let's
hope we can get back in the mix for an
NCAA title run come post-season time.
What
about the Twins bringing back former GM Terry Ryan.
Since he was basically the architect of many of the
winning seasons and is widely recognized as one of
the great talent judges in baseball, it would seem
to be a wise move. And also probably a sign they
know how tough it is going to be to get back to
winning divisions with the rise again of the Tigers.
They need healthy players, and a lot more pitching!
And
finally, after a week off the Vikings and Christian
Ponder return to action with a possible game of the
year Monday night at Lambeau Field. No doubt Ponder
has re-ignited the fans, and the team with his gutsy
play. It should be exciting Monday night and I'm
thinking the Packers, while formidable on the
offensive side of the ball, couldn't stop Anoka from
scoring, and will give Ponder a lot of opportunities
to get the team in the end zone. I think it will be a
high-scoring, wide open affair. The Pack isn't likely
to go undefeated, so who knows, maybe the upset is
sprung this week! In any case, I think the 13 or 14
point line is too big, and look for the Vikings to
make it a close one.
10/20/11 Finally...It's World Series
Time
I
swore off the season when the Yankees got
knocked out of the playoffs. But the World
Series is different. If you are a baseball
fan, you have to watch it. Two teams making
it through the marathon 162 game season and
a couple of playoff series to go head to
head for 7 games. There is no more a test of
champions than this. Forget about the
corporate hoopla that has become the Super
Bowl (think Jerry Jones hosting last year's
Super Bowl just because he built the biggest
stadium) and the NBA showcase for L.A. and
Kobe Bryant. This is the best pitchers
trying to outduel the best hitters and
managers trying to out smart the other guy,
juggling pitchers, trying to manufacture
runs and get the most out of their bullpens
and utility players. It looks to be a good
match-up with the Cardinals and Texas
Rangers. The first game turned into quite a
battle with St. Louis winning game 1 at home
by a score of 3-2. Good stuff and game 2 is
on tap for Thursday night. (Ya think Nick
Punto missed playing for the Twins this
season as he finds himself playing in the
World Series?)
NBA
Lockout.....Who cares! Head on over to Osseo
High School this Friday night and see some
of the best young stars of the NBA right
here in town. Michael Beasley has put
together a nice little showcase of some very
good players (himself, Kevin Love, Kevin
Durant to name a few). And it's all for a
good cause with proceeds going to well
deserving charities. Check out the
link right here on the
AnokaCountyOnline
site. But speaking of the lockout, it is
doubtful we'll have any regular season games
before the Christmas time frame as of now.
Going to miss heading down to the Target
Center for that action, especially with the
Wolves gathering some excitement with the
hiring of the new coach, Rick Adelman.
Here's hoping they get it figured out soon.
October
23, 2011. Green Bay Packers. Maybe 7 or 8
years and some playoff victories into the
future, and it'll be a nice Vikings trivia
answer. When did Christian Ponder make his
first start for the Minnesota Vikings
against which team. The future is now for
the young QB. It might take some time as
it generally does for rookie QB's in the
NFL, but it seems like the right time and
the right direction to take. All the best
teams that are the most consistent winners
and get to the playoffs regularly, (and more
importantly, win playoff games) develop
consistency at the QB position. So it's time
to see if Ponder can be that guy, and it
will give him a head start for the 2012
season. Obviously if the Vikings were in
contention in the division, it might be a
scenario where he waits until next year. But
if we've seen McNabb's best, then it isn't
good enough. And speaking
of consistency, those winning teams also
develop that at the head coaching position.
It's hard to develop a winning program with
a new coach every few years also. So it's
time for Coach Frazier to step up and show
he belongs in that spot. The honeymoon is
over. He needs to get better at motivating a
team to play 4 quarters, figure out how to
utilize the talent they have at key
positions (think AP and Percy Harvin),
improve the play calling and as a former
defensive guy, get the somewhat overrated
defense fired up to the point where they can
actually stop someone when it counts. But
for now, enjoy Sunday and let's see how they
fare against the undefeated Packers. I know
I'll have my regular $5 weekly bet on the
Pack this week to cover the 8 point line.
9/30/11 A Jammed Packed Weekend of Sports!
Too much to even go into any sort of detail,
but a sports junkies dream!
The
MLB Playoffs start up Friday night. It will be
hard to top the excitement of Wednesday's
season finale when the two wild card entrants
were decided in either the 9th inning or extra
innings in both the American League and the
National League. After leading the wild-card
races handily for nearly the last month, both
the Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves saw their
playoff hopes dashed with a combination of
their own futility, and dramatic comebacks by
the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis
Cardinals. And for local flavor, it was Coon
Rapids' own Dan Johnson who saved the Rays
season with a game tying homer in the
bottom of the ninth inning, enabling the Rays
to win in extra frames and advance to the
division series vs. Texas. Great stuff and
much more to come! (and a minor victory for
the Twins who ended the season with a 2 game
winning streak to avoid losing 100 games!)
A
huge weekend of football is on tap with more
games of interest than even I'll be able to
watch. How about starting out with our Gophers
on the road in the Big House as a 20 point
underdog to the Michigan Wolverines? I think
I'll take Michigan in that one (right
Wally?). Then when that gets out of hand, see
if you can find the St. Johns versus St.
Thomas game on the radio. These archrivals
meet for the 80th time spread over 110 years
at the campus in St. Paul. And if you can get
one, tickets are only $10 and for my dollar,
it doesn't get any better for the pure
enjoyment of college football than a match up
like this one. Saturday evening features the
national Big Ten debut of Nebraska as they
visit Camp Randall Stadium to take on the
Badgers of Wisconsin. A huge game with Big Ten
and possible National Championship
ramifications. I can't wait for that one. Of
course Sunday brings us the Vikings and their
quest for win #1. They are favored by 1 1/2
points over Kansas City down there, so maybe
it could happen?? For us Packer fans we get
one of the featured 3:15 games Sunday
afternoon. And if you still haven't had
enough, a tough AFC match-up featuring two
Super Bowl hopefuls, the Jets and Ravens
square off at 7:30 Sunday night. So I figure
you could watch games from 11 am on Saturday
till about 11 pm, and then on Sunday from Noon
until about 10 pm. No wonder I never get
anything done on the weekend!
And
don't forget the Lynx, who open the Championship
Finals hosting the Atlanta Dream, a team that reached
the finals in last year's WNBA championships. The best
of 5 series starts up at the Target Center Sunday
evening with the second game Wednesday here also. Good
luck to the Lynx and it would be great to bring any
sort of Championship Trophy back to the Twin Cities.
For
those that like to get up early on Sunday's
looking for something to do, head down to
various viewing points around the Lakes and
catch the excitement of the Twin Cities
Marathon. It's supposed to be a beautiful
weekend of weather, and believe it or not, it
really is fun to watch the race from some of
the really great vantage points the race
features. Check out the website and take in
part of this event and you'll find out why
it's referred to as the most beautiful urban
marathon in America.
https://www.tcmevents.org/events/medtronic_twin_cities_marathon_weekend/
9/16/11
How Bad Can It Get For Our Minnesota Sports
Teams!
How
bad can it get?? The Gophers not only lose the game
to one of the lowest ranked football schools in the
country, they lose their coach! Here's wishing good
luck to Coach Kill and I hear he may be back on the
sidelines Saturday after a frightening seizure towards
the end of last game. The Gophers are slight favorites
this weekend over Miami of Ohio, and maybe an inspired
outing for the Coach can get it done. However this
team is better than last week's opponents, so it may
be a battle to get that first win in the Kill Era.
How
about the Vikings mustering less than 50 yards
in the air in the loss to the Chargers? And yet
with only a play or two going their way in the
second half they could have had a win. This week
the Bucs come to town and there is reason for
optimism. We'll see, but I'm not betting the
farm on it. Maybe $5 with my buddy Doug, but
certainly not the farm! After watching the
first weekend of games, I'd say the NFC's most
impressive teams were the Bears, Eagles and
Packers. And in the AFC the Ravens, Patriots and
Texans looked good. Let's see how they all hold
up this weekend.
And
one last note on the Twins.....last place behind the
Royals??? How the mighty have fallen. Last year they
were on the way to winning the division. Now that
really is my last take on the Twins for the season.
Spring training will be here before you know it!
Now
on the positive side, the Wolves sign Rick Adelman
as coach, and that is great news. If they can get
the NBA lockout settled and get this coming season
back on track, maybe this will truly be the start of
building a team with long-term goals and a winning
tradition. I'm tired of the "re-building" phases
we've been in for how many years now??
And
good luck to the Lynx as they enter their
playoffs as the number one seed. Opening at home
tonight in a best of 3 series against San
Antonio, a team they should dominate. But this
is Minnesota, so again we won't count our
chickens before they hatch when it comes to the
playoffs.
9
/8/11
It's Finally Football Season...
As
I anticipated, the Gophers gave a spirited effort
out west (after a sluggish start) and were in a
position to pull off a major upset in the waning
minutes of the game against USC. An interception
dashed those hopes, but in the end it may spur
them on to work harder and be better prepared to
close the deal in the next close game. I was
impressed by the effort and look forward to a
couple of wins in the next few non-conference
games. They should win handily over New Mexico
State this weekend and follow that up with 2 more
home games (NDSU and Miami of Ohio) before the
start of the Big Ten season. That will be a huge
challenge playing the likes of Michigan, Nebraska
and Wisconsin among their first 6 Big Ten
opponents. I'd say a realistic (and somewhat
optimistic goal) may be a season record of 6-6.
And to get that they'd likely have to win the next
3 non-conference games, then find a way to get 3
more W's in the Big Ten. It won't be easy, but I'm
looking forward to seeing them progress through
the season.
Turning
to the Pro's and the NFC North, I'll pick the
Packers to top the Division this year with
something like a 11-5 or 10-6 record. The wins
come tough when you're the defending champs. The
Pack return several of the key injured players
from last year and if they can develop some sort
of consistent running game, and the line can
protect Rodgers, 11-5 or potentially better is
attainable. The Bears (remember they won the
division last year) should still be strong enough
to get into second place and I'd target a 9-7 or
8-8 record for the Jay Cutler led bears. They
added a couple of veterans (Marion Barber and Roy
Williams) and they should continue to play tough
defense, so they could be in contention for a
wild-card spot. Detroit is a popular pick as a
much improved team, loaded with offensive talent
led by Matthew Stafford and a developing
defense. I would still be surprised if they can
get to .500 for the season, so would pick them to
be somewhere around 6-10 or 7-9. And right about
that same territory the Vikings should fit in,
with McNabb and the boys picking up some wins
against the weaker teams on the schedule, but
still overmatched against the top teams in the
league. With 4 games versus the Bears and Packers,
then throw in San Diego, Atlanta and New Orleans
and the improving Bucs, it will take a pretty
solid effort the rest of the games to get to the
.500 mark. So I'll project them to be right around
where the Lions come in, something like 6-10 or
7-9. There are so many variables here with the
Vikings what with the new QB plus Coach Frazier's
first full season that maybe there is upside
potential, but there's probably as much downside
risk to achieving that record and that's why they
could be bringing up the rear in the division. I
may have to eat my words (plus pay out plenty in
bets) if they do finish above .500 so we'll be
keeping a close eye on the Purple, along with the
entire division. I know there are plenty of folks
looking forward to the opening weekend of football
and I'm certainly one of them! From now till World
Series time is the best portion of the sports year
in my book.
And
let's not forget the St. Paul Saints are in the
American Association league championship series.
They won the first game last night in the best of
five series versus the Grand Prairie Air Hogs. The
second game of the series is tonight at Midway
Stadium and I hear tickets are still available. So
if you want to catch outdoor baseball at its
finest (or funniest?), check out the Saints down
by the railroad tracks in the Midway area. I
believe the promo for tonight's game is Thirsty
Thursday, so it's bound to be a good time, win or
lose!
8/30/11 The Great Minnesota
Get Together and Other Sports Stuff
Now
that we're right in the middle of the State Fair, it
really means that it's back to school time,
and it's time to get serious about the football
season. We can kiss the Twins goodbye, but a note of
thanks to Jim Thome for giving us the lone Twins
highlight of the year with his 600th home run. And
now he's playing in Cleveland (some reward) as they
try and catch the Detroit Tigers. An exercise in
futility I believe. I guess we also did have
Francisco Liriano tossing a no-hitter way back in
May, but most have forgotten about that long ago.
Not much more to say except wait till next year. I
may jump back in with baseball news or updates as
the playoffs approach since I do have a major
rooting interest to follow. More on that later.
As
evidence of how important football and
specifically the Vikings are in this town, every
TV channels' highlight of their State Fair
coverage on Sunday was Christian Ponder walking
around the grounds, sampling the fair food. But
I'll bet you as of now, he doesn't know the
difference between a pronto pup and a corn dog.
He was however, carrying a big oversized stuffed
animal around the whole time, like it was one of
his offensive lineman he just helped up off the
turf. Nice that he was wearing a Twins cap which
is a great way to endear himself to the hometown
crowds before he takes over the reins of the
Vikes. That could be a year or two off, or maybe
not depending on how successful McNabb and/or
Webb are in putting games into the win column.
The Vikings faithful aren't going to have too
much patience with another sub-.500 team as the
defense ages, and AP heads into free agency. The
Vikings appeared to make some progress in
pre-season game 3 so there are some reasons for
optimism. Any offense with AP and Percy Harvin lining
up in the backfield has a chance to explode from
any point on the field. I'll preview the North
teams in my next article.
Speaking
of optimism, how about the Gophers football team. I
really do think Jerry Kill can be the guy who can
instill some Gopher pride back in the program and
get this thing turned around. Forget the rah-rah
hype of the Brewster era, Kill is of mid-western
stock who was the classic undersized, yet
overachieving football player in high school and
college. And he has the work ethic and the kind of
grit we haven't seen around here for a while. Now it
won't be easy with the talent that is here yet.
Coach Kill himself, rather than blowing smoke after
the spring practices, came out and said the team
isn't good enough, strong enough or fast enough at
this time. But he's working them harder than they're
used to and will make positive strides. The Big Ten
is probably stronger than it was last year,
especially with Nebraska on the slate so getting
wins is going to be tough. But I think they will be
fun to watch and I'm looking forward to seeing them
in action against USC this Saturday on ABC. It will
be a tough task, but we'll get to see right off the
bat how they stack up against the big boys.
I,
along with a great group of friends, witnessed the
coolest hole-in-one this past Saturday at our nearly
20th annual Mille Lacs/Ruttgers golf outing. With
the entire group of about 30 of us gathered around
the 18th green, and another 20 plus folks up on the
clubhouse deck observing, John Horita scored the Ace
with a 4 Iron covering 194 yards over the lake
protecting the elevated green. A soft bounce and a
short role and it dropped quietly into the hole. And
the whole place erupted with a roar! Not quite like
the ones that have echoed around Hazeltine when the
PGA was here, but just as exciting nonetheless.
Congrats to John on a truly spectacular shot! (and
if you don't know the difference between a pronto
pup and a corn dog, just Google it sometime).
8/15/11 - It's A Cruel, Cruel Summer....The
Twins and Tiger Go Missing...
The
Twins are 11 1/2 games out of first place with 7
weeks left in the season. I'm always the optimist,
but the best thing that's happened to them lately is
a rain out in Cleveland on Sunday. On the off day,
maybe they had time to take in the Rock & Roll Hall
of Fame. I'm pretty sure Bananarama isn't in it, but
their hit song from the 80's "Cruel, Cruel Summer"
about sums it up for the home town boys. Hot summer
streets..., the pavements are burning..., the air is
heavy and dry. The balls aren't carrying out of
Target Field, the team can't play defense, the
pitchers look like they should be playing in the
Northern League and Gardy is looking more and more
like a Christmas Elf caricature every day.
But fortunately this season isn't the norm around
here as we've come accustomed to being in the thick
of the pennant race and generally about this time
are looking forward to the playoffs. They'll be back
with a couple new faces next year and a couple
familiar ones likely gone. Let's hope Jim Thome gets
his 600th home run here this year as it would be the
only real highlight of the season.
Tiger
Woods heads into an early end of season retirement
of sorts, after an embarrassing comeback attempt in
the PGA Championship in Atlanta over the weekend.
And he fails to make the cut as I'm sure all are
aware of. But I do believe he'll dedicate himself to
getting back on track and I look forward to watching
him the next time it really matters, at the 2012
Masters. The PGA was still fun to watch with several
new faces battling it out in extra holes, but the
high drama that these Majors have had over the last
10 years simply doesn't exist when Tiger isn't in
the mix. Some of the names on these recent leader
boards may become household names in the golf world,
and some, like Bananarama may be one or two hit
wonders. Have to wait and see.
And for those serious 80's music
enthusiasts, check out the video and see if these
really do look like the good old days! I'm not
so sure...
8/4/11 - Football Takes Center Stage
Does
anyone even remember what the NFL Lockout was all
about? Does anyone care? Football is back and it is
King again as it moves most other sports news right
off the front page. The pre-season is in high gear
as teams have spent the last week scrambling to sign
their rookies and free agents. The Vikes made the
move to bring in Donovan McNabb (call it a youth
movement) as they transition to the Christian Ponder
era. Doesn't seem like a terrible move considering
they face a formidable and immediate challenge to
remain competitive in the Division and need an
experienced QB to even hope to be in the race. Odds
makers favor the Patriots and Packers (7-1) to come
out on top and meet in the Super Bowl. The Eagles
who made significant free agent moves are rated
right behind the Pack in the NFC. Chicago, Detroit
and Minnesota are all right around 30-1 odds in
early Vegas lines. We'll go more in depth into the
North Division teams as the pre-season moves along.
Also I'll get into two of my favorite topics as it
relates to football, and that's betting and fantasy
football on a weekly basis once the regular season
starts up on September 8th.
Tiger
Woods returns to action today in Akron, Ohio at the
historic Firestone Country Club. It's a no-cut event
so he'll get 4 rounds in (assuming he's healthy and
doesn't withdraw) as preparation for next week's PGA
Championship in Atlanta. No doubt his return will
spark TV ratings as there are many casual golf fans
who still tune in to see what Tiger does and don't
even turn to the event if they realize he's not
playing. It will be interesting to see how
competitive he is after nearly a 3 month layoff due
to injury. He'll also have a new caddie on the bag
(a long time friend of his) so that also is a change
that may have an impact on his overall performance.
Also
in golf, the Champions Tour is in Blaine at the TPC.
Golf greats who will be here include Arnold Palmer
and Chi Chi Rodriguez along with top current players
Fred Couples and Tom Lehman. Tournament play starts
Friday and wraps up on Sunday. And remember it's
free parking and admission, so take advantage of the
chance to see some great golf on a great course, all
for FREE.
The
Twins are somewhat treading water, or some may say
taking on water. Its a very tough part of the
schedule playing the Angels now, White Sox this
weekend, Red Sox next week and the Yankees still to
come in a couple weeks. I haven't seen enough
improvement in the offense or the starting pitching
to think they can really challenge Detroit in the
Central Division. But I won't give up hope just yet.
There are plenty of games left and it just takes one
really hot streak to get back in the race.
And
lastly, gotta salute the Lynx, since its often hard
to find them mentioned in the sports page. They just
won their 7th game in a row and now have the best
record in the WNBA. It's almost the halfway point in
the season so its quite an accomplishment. I'm going
to make an effort to get to one of their games yet
this season.
7/25/11 - Bono and Bert Blyleven! Weekend
Wrap-up
TCF
Bank Stadium hosted nearly 60,000 screaming
fans....and it wasn't for a Gopher Football game!
The most excitement the new stadium has seen since
it opened was the U2 concert Saturday night. Even
the rain couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of this
packed house. Let's hope we can see that sort
of thing this fall. Maybe an upset win over Iowa or
Wisconsin could get the home crowd that jacked up
(especially if they allowed beer sales). A great day
followed on Sunday in Cooperstown, NY as Bert
Blyleven was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Congrats to Bert as he makes it 4 Twins in the Hall,
joining Harmon, Kirby and Rod Carew!
The
State shutdown finally ended! We can buy lottery
tickets and scratch-offs again! Even better, the
horses are running at Canterbury and Running Aces,
the dealers are again dealing blackjack and hold 'em.
Canterbury had over 21,000 paying customers for the
4 days since Thursday's re-opening weekend. Both
tracks put a couple thousand folks back on the
payroll. So that's a good thing!
We're
not quite that far along with the NFL lockout. But
the players association executive committee votes on
Monday and if all goes well, players could be in
training camp later this week. Then we can get on
with figuring out more important things like who
might the Vikings go with at Quarterback if they're
going to try and be respectable, while chasing the
Packers, Bears, and Lions in the division. Plus for
us fantasy footballers, draft time is barely a month
or so away, so we need to get the free agents signed
and give us time to study for the draft. Did anyone
else hear the news Sunday that the Eagles are
actually considering old #4 for a role as back to
Mike Vick in Philly? Like a bad cold, some things
just won't go away.
The Twins
stumbled a bit in the 4 game series with the Tigers,
losing 3 of 4 and falling 7 games behind the
division leading Tigers. Looks to me like the Tigers
are the class of the division, with a more potent
line-up in both batting average and power, a pretty
strong starting pitching rotation led by Justin
Verlander and a solid closer out of the bullpen.
They will be tough to catch. But as I've said, the
Twins still have a lot of positives as they get
their starters healthy (nice to see Kubel back in
the line-up) and Span still to return. Baker looked
good back on the mound and Nathan appears to be
ready to fill the closer's role permanently. I still
have the feeling that Gardy will keep them in the
race. A tough schedule lies ahead as still not a day
off until August 1, as they hit the road for 4 games
in TX followed by a 6 game trip to Oakland and Los
Angeles before heading back home to host the White
Sox on August 5th.
And
don't forget the Lynx. They are now in first place
at the WNBA All-star break. Not quite halfway
through their schedule they find themselves 10-4 and
on top! So there is a MN team that's on top of their
game! The Lynx sent 3 players to the All-Star game
also, which was nationally broadcast on Saturday on
ABC. Remember with the NBA lockout this may be the
only pro hoops we get this season...so you might
want to start paying attention.
7/18/11 - Weekend
Wrap-up.....
1)
The Twins can be frustrating (Friday night's loss in
the 9th) but also so much fun! Two great wins
followed that Friday night disappointment so let's
not dwell on that one. Joe Nathan takes back the
closer's role and gets back to back 1 run saves
Saturday and Sunday. They move to within 5 games of
the first place Indians and Tigers. And guess who's
coming to town for 8 games in 7 days??? The Indians
starting Monday with a day-night doubleheader and
then single games on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed
by the Tigers for a four game set starting Thursday.
Gardy will have more juggling to do with the
line-up as both Kubel and Span continue their rehab
in the minors and could be up within the week. The
pitching staff will be stretched to the limit with
this 7 day stretch, so Gardy and his staff will have
their hands full in that regards also. So let's hope
a week from now we can talk about them being even
nearer the top of the standings.
2.)
The Open Championship was a classic. Young guns
versus the veterans. Rory McIlroy couldn't quite
overcome the sometimes nasty weather conditions, and
the pressure of coming back after his US Open
triumph. Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson made runs
at the lead, only to falter down the stretch. In the
end Darren Clarke turned back the challengers and
was a very popular winner. Another of the Northern
Ireland elite golfers, and at 42, he's had his share
of hardship both on and off the course. A great win,
especially with the weather conditions they play in.
And not to be overlooked was an excellent outing by
Tom Lehman. He fell back a bit in the end, finishing
in a tie for 22nd. We'll get a chance to see him up
close, because the recent word is that he's
committed to playing in the 3M Champion's Tour event
here the first weekend of August. This will be at
the TPC in Blaine, and again this year, admission is
free. So come out and salute Lehman for his
really solid performance at The Open.
3.)
And finally it was a topsy turvy, and ultimately, a
dramatic loss for the U.S. Women's soccer team to
Japan in the World Cup final. I do believe the USA
would win 7 out of 10 times playing Japan, but you
only get one chance in a single elimination format.
Japan appeared to play loose and looked like they
were having fun, while the USA looked tight and
appeared to be playing more to avoid the loss...so
it wasn't to be. It was an exciting event
nonetheless. Probably followed more closely in other
parts of the world that stateside, but it's
always nice to see women's sports take center stage
once in a while. We won't hear much more
about women's soccer until we get nearer the 2012
Olympic Games in London.
07/13/11 -The Wide World Of Sports ...and Hoosiers!
Just finished watching Hoosiers, one of the great
sports movies (and movies in general) of all time.
It leaves you with the feeling that anything is
possible in the world of sports, as in life itself.
Funny how it applies to some of our sports scenarios
today too. The long shots can surprise you.
1)
Take the Twins for example. At the all-star break
they now find themselves now only 6.5 games out of
first place. And that's following a first half of
baseball that saw them play arguably the worst
they've played in years. But as I have said, don't
count them out. I think their best ball is ahead of
them.
2)
The US Women's soccer team pulled off a dramatic
come from behind victory over Brazil last week, and
today plays France. It may even be over by the time
you read this. They are trying to duplicate the
miraculous feat of the '99 team that won the World
Cup. Let's HOPE that they can do it again.
3)
The (British) Open Championship gets underway very
early Thursday a.m. Most of the golf world is
wondering if Rory McIlroy can follow-up his first
place performance in the US Open and repeat as a
major champion. But beware, someone showed me the
history of first time major winners their next time
out in a major event, and many of them failed even
to make the cut. Something about the hype and then
the letdown factor. But I'll be cheering for Rory
because he is the classiest young player out there
and golf needs a new hero!
4)
And finally can you believe this damn state shutdown
is still going on? But does anyone care? I do for
the fact that it is putting people out of work, at a
time when we need jobs and paychecks the most. Very
sad situation and our leaders in St. Paul are
letting us down big-time. The impact may be
fatal for our struggling horse racing industry as
both Canterbury and Running Aces sit idle as this
continues. They are both regulated by the State's
Racing Commission, which has been closed, and
therefore can't operate according to current rules,
which is totally nonsensical since they both
generate revenue for the State. Now with their
employees out of work and attempting to draw
unemployment, they act as another drain on state
resources. Oh well, let's hope they make some sense
out of the budget mess soon. We could use some good
news around here!
07/08/11 - Observations from the World of Sports 1)
The Twins are still 8 games out of first, trailing
Cleveland. But following the nice win over the White
Sox, are just 2.5 games behind the Sox for third place.
They could potentially catch them with 3 games remaining
in Chicago over the weekend leading up to the All-Star
break. And Mauer makes the transition to first base with
ease. For Twins fans, it's the biggest celebrity move
since Simon left Idol. Look for much more of Joe playing
first base in the coming months, especially if Morneau's
return is delayed.
2)
Derek Jeter moves closer to becoming the first pinstriper
to get 3,000 hits in a Yankee career. Now just 2 short
and a lock to get it this weekend at home. One of the
few stats I care about, as he has done it with class,
without steroids and as the consummate team player, the
Yankee Captain! He will be on top of greats such
as Ruth, Mantle, Gehrig and DiMaggio.
3) Has
anyone noticed that the MN Lynx are quietly in second
place in the Western Conference?? Sure they're only 9
games into a 34 game schedule, but they are playing
well. The Lynx host Connecticut at Target Center this
Saturday in case that's been overlooked also. It's not
all together impossible to think they are the best team
in Minnesota to play on that floor. What with young
stars Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus along with Lindsay
Whalen, they have a legitimate chance to make the finals
this year. We'll follow their progress over the next
month and see how they are doing.
4)
And for golf fans, don't miss the LPGA US Open
Championship from the storied Broadmoor in Colorado
Springs. A fantastic course to watch golf played on, and
a great tournament as Paula Creamer defends her title.
She might be our best hope to instill some life into the
LPGA giving the Americans someone to really get behind
and cheer for. Also for the guys who are out there
trying to bang the ball 300 yards every time they take a
swing, you can learn from the rhythm and tempo of the
ladies' golf swing, and see that accuracy wins over
haphazard length nearly all the time.
6/29/11 -
Don't Give Up On Our Twins!
Of course I picked the
Monday night massacre at the hands of the Dodgers to
attend. I was heading for the exits as the Dodgers were
scoring the last of their 15 runs in the top of the 8th
inning en route to the 15-0 final score. Bemoaning the
fact that the Twins couldn't hit a lick, were sloppy in
the field, were getting shelled on the mound and
generally seemed to be disinterested in the outcome! So
just as about 40,000 Twins fans were giving up on the
hometown lads, even booing them Monday night, they
bounce back and win Tuesday night and then again on
Wednesday afternoon. The sun was shining on them for
sure as Baker and the relief corp combined for a 1-0
shutout win. So there is hope. Forget the fact they rank
near the bottom in nearly every offensive category, are
playing their worst defense in years and the bullpen has
been spotty at times, and miserable at other times, they
are still not out of the race in the Central Division.
They're only a short weekend winning streak out of 3rd
place, and only 8.5 games out of first place. If anyone
can do it, the Twins can! Gardy has a history of shaking
them up and getting players to perform above
expectations. And there is a lot of room for
improvement. The injured players should be rested and
could come through in the second half. Mauer can only
get stronger and his bat will return. Nathan looks like
he may be ready to assume a role of prominence in the
bullpen again. At some point we'll get Kubel, Span and
Morneau back in the line-up. And maybe even Nishioka
will prove that he does belong in the major leagues.
They have so many guys barely hitting their weight that
they can only get better! Right?? Well that's the belief
I'm holding to. So get ready for a great baseball
weekend with the Brewers in town for 3 games (fireworks
Friday night) and then Tampa Bay follows right on their
heels for 3 more. And then without a day off they head
to Chi town for 4 games with the hated White Sox. That's
a huge 10 game stretch that will go a long way to
determining if the Twins are still in it when they get
back to Target Field on July 14 to host the Royals. I'm
hoping they are!
6/27/11 - It's "The Game" that matters
By way of introduction, I'll just confirm that I am a
huge sports fan. But I'm not necessarily a "sports trivia
guy" or someone who gets so wrapped up in the details they
miss the bigger picture of just sitting back and enjoying
a game. I don't know how many singles Pete Rose hit in his
best season, I've already forgotten who won the 2008 Super
Bowl and don't care who led the NBA in rebounding in 2010.
I also don't get wrapped up in the stuff that occupies
half of the sports page content these days. Things like
who's getting busted for steroids or other off the field
indiscretions, which major leaguer has the biggest
contract or is holding out for more money, or whether the
owners or the players are right in the NFL lockout mess.
That's not important to me. What I care about is "the
game". We have such a huge range of sporting activities in
today's environment, and I try to take in as much as I
can. Over the weekend, as I'm trying to digest the
Timberwolves and the Wild draft (do either of them know
which way they are going?), I also took some time to watch
the grace and athleticism of several Wimbledon tennis
matches, enjoy portions of the PGA and LPGA tournaments,
catch my nephew Jack's little league victory in the
playoffs and watch parts of each of the Twins 3 losses to
the damn Brewers! And still had time for a couple of
rounds of golf. So you can see sports is pretty much what
I do! Tonight I'll be sitting down the first baseline at
Target field trying to see if the Twins can snap their 5
game losing streak as they take on the L.A. Dodgers.
And I'll try and ignore the headlines about the Dodgers
owners' messy divorce and the fact that they might not be
able to meet their team payroll this week and that
the Dodgers themselves are filing for Chapter 11
Bankruptcy. I'll just sit back and enjoy a couple of $7
Coors Lights at Target field and cheer for the hometown
Twins. Because to me, it's "the game" that matters.
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