2011, a sports travesty: Can Minnesota teams rebound in the new year?
2011 has been a trying year for sports fans of Minnesota’s big four. The Twins somehow managed to be the worst team in the AL after repeating as Central Champions the year prior. The Wild failed to make the playoffs for the third year straight. The Timberwolves—my God, the Timberwolves—were statistically the worst team in professional basketball with a 17-65 record. And Donovan McNabb couldn’t throw a ball no matter how much Chunky soup he poured down his mouth hole. Truly, a dark year in the North Star State.
But lo! There breaks a yet more glorious day, as off-season wheelings and dealings are sure to spell success for these struggling franchises. And really, it’s hard to imagine these teams doing any worse.
The Vikings
The Draft: Let’s face it, the Vikings season is down the tubes. By this point, diehard fans are having trouble watching games without hurling their remotes at the television. But a terrible season means high draft picks, which could bolster a lackluster receiving core or a secondary that a toddler could evade. Though, as my Jock Itch predecessor has publicly noted, the Vikes are not known for stellar drafting abilities.
Adrian Peterson: Though currently sidelined by an ankle injury, Purple Jesus has been killing it all year, averaging 4.7 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns in the bank. September saw Peterson, arguably the best running back in the league, sign a seven-year, $100 million contract. So rain or shine, at least Minnesota fans will have something to cheer about for years to come.
Christian Ponder: “Hunky” Ponder has shown flashes of talent throughout this season, but whether or not he’s got “the right stuff” has yet to be seen. With the better part of a season under his belt, we could see the young quarterback coming into his own next year. Or we could see another quarterback swallowed up by a franchise that’s become known for its problems with that position.
The Timberwolves
Season length: The NBA lockout has effectively shortened the 2011-12 season to 66 games, which means that it’s almost impossible for the Timberwolves to lose as many games as they did last year. In order to pull off such a shitty feat, the Wolves would have to lose every single game of the regular season. Call me optimistic, but I think they’ve got what it takes to at win at least one game.
Kevin Love: The Love Doctor was the one shining light in the Wolves otherwise bleak season, managing 53 consecutive double-doubles and thereby topping the great Moses Malone. In the off-season, Love shed a few pounds, meaning a slimmer and sleeker power forward. And after going to the All-Star Game as a replacement for Yao Ming, Love undoubtedly wants to get there on his own merits (which he probably should have last year).
Ricky Rubio: Seemed like a dumb move to draft Rubio fifth overall in 2009. Contract issues and Rubio’s own personal choices made it look as though the Timberwolves were pissing away a pick. But now that Rubio’s officially in Minneapolis, fans are getting optimistic. Rubio is known for his strong passing tendencies, which will undoubtedly give the Wolves’ scorers some much needed help. The key complaint, as every media outlet in the world has noted, is that it will likely take some time before Rubio adjusts to the NBA style of play.
Derek Williams: There’s a lot of hype surrounding D-Will, the second overall draft pick out of Arizona. The trouble here is that the Wolves roster is piling up with small forwards, which doesn’t necessarily bode well for an untested rookie.
Rick Adelman: It was pretty clear after two seasons that Kurt Rambis was not the guy to save this sinking ship (should have never shaved the mustache). Enter Rick Adelman. Though he hasn’t been doing it in the last couple years, Adelman knows how to win. He’s been to the big show twice and in 20 years of coaching in the NBA has only missed the playoffs four times.
The Twins
Player health: Studs Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau missed huge chunks of the 2010-11 season due to serious health concerns. Mauer’s mysterious leg ailment is apparently a thing of the past and it’s unlikely he’ll get season-ending pneumonia again, while Morneau has reportedly recovered from post-concussion syndrome.
Fluke mentality: Though far from winning the World Series, the Twins have more or less dominated the Central division in the new millennium. With the success they’ve had in recent seasons, it’s easy to write off last year as fluke misfortune. But the front office is going to have to do some serious signing if it’s going to land the pieces necessary to win it all.
The Wild
Standings: Finally, the State of Hockey’s professional team starts living up to our expectations. The Wild are (at the moment I’m writing this) in first place in the league with 43 points. After so many years of Minnesotans being “meh” about the Wild, we’re seeing some actual excitement surrounding a franchise whose consistency has been a huge issue from year to year. It’s far too early to say, but this team could make a run for the playoffs.
Mike Yeo: Yeo’s won a Stanley Cup as an assistant for the Penguins, so while this is his first stint as a head coach in the NHL, Yeo knows what it looks like at the top of the mountain. Clearly, whatever he’s doing is working, as the Wild have lost just eight games out of the first 31.
Team chemistry: The Wild’s roster boasts a couple of big names; however, the team’s current standing has much more to do with teamwork than star power. Mikko Koivu is at the front of the pack with 27 points, which puts the Wild’s leading scorer at just 27th in the point standings. That means that it’s no one player carrying the team, and that’s a recipe for long-term success.
