This is the last Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey of 2016. It will start up again in 2017; however, as I always have, I select a new day of the week to publish the WMNSS based on what day January 8 is. I do that to rotate the days I do the survey every year, which I think is good for me and my writing. Therefore, for next year the survey should be done every -- gulp -- Sunday, and should cover the previous seven days. For the first installment of the New Year, however, the WMNSS will cover the events from December 30-January 7.
They did it -- they crushed the Rangers, squeaked past Nashville in Overtime, and outlasted the Islanders to extend their franchise record winning streak to a dozen games. Therefore, the New Year's Eve tilt at the Xcel Energy Center may be The Most Anticipated Regular-Season Game In National Hockey League history, as the opponent is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, as the Wild were putting the finishing touches on the Islanders last (Thursday) night, beat the Jets in Winnipeg at the same time. That extends the BJ's winning streak to, get this, 14 in a row. (The league record, by the way, is held by Pittsburgh, with 17 in a row.)
Statisticians and historians say that Saturday's game is the first in NHL history to feature two teams with winning streaks of ... well, ESPN says of at least 12 games, but I heard earlier in the week of consecutive double-digit victories. Whatever the case, it'll be a hell of a night, because someone's 0 has got to go! And I wish I could be there, but I have to work Vikings weekend, then I have to go home to eat, then I have to rest, then I have to go to my friends' place to enjoy New Year's festivities. Oh, after that game they head to San Jose and Los Angeles.
#-1: Gopher men's basketball (Re-Entry!). See, pissing away a 13-point lead at Halftime, failing to close a game out in regulation, and then eventually losing in Overtime, 75-74, to an extremely vulnerable Michigan St. team only reinforces how substance-less this program has become. They have some talent, especially inside; I've seen it with my own eyes. So why did these guys pee down their own legs when they had the Spartans by the short hairs? Well, there's coaching ... yeah, I guess that could be it.
Bracketology projections have these guys playing the Play-In Game. In other words, in an ideal world, they would be one of the four #1 seeds in the NIT. That projection probably takes a hit with this defeat, and if not, they have road contests vs. a very good Purdue squad and an improving Northwestern team that could throw them off the NCAA brackets entirely. (Oh, they beat Arkansas St. on Friday.)
#-2: Timberwolves: (Last Week: -1). My God, this squad is the sports equivalent of having blue balls. They play excellently in dispatching Atlanta at home, yet they look mediocre in allowing Russell Westbrook to get another triple-double as OKC trounces them in the Christmas Day showcase, and try as they might, they lose close ones at home to Sacramento and in Denver. Defense, apparently, remains the bugaboo with this club.
I am at the point with the Woofie Dogs like I was with the Lynx around the 2010 season, before they became one of the WNBA's elite franchises: They have amassed so much talent that you have to think they'd be better than their record indicates. Fuck, we're still waitin'.
They have home games against Milwaukee and Portland, the latter of which tips off New Year's Night. They then travel to Philadelphia and Washington before hosting Utah on the 7th.
#-3: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -2). Last week I talked about how deceptive the team's 9-4 record could seem. The rubber meets the road in conference play, and in the opener of that part of the schedule ... woof, they lose at 14th-ranked Ohio St. Wednesday, 87-62.
OK, I'm prepared now to say that these players aren't going anywhere except the WNIT. And I don't know if the athletic department knows that interest in this team has waned so far that it's gone to the pre-Whalen and -McCarville days, when they were playing at the Sports Pavilion. Really, this program has reverted to such a middling state that they have to be losing money hand over fist playing games at The Barn. It would behoove them to move games back to the Pav, just to save money.
They play at Williams New Year's Night. That's the day they will retire Rachel Banham's #1 jersey. I don't know why they scheduled that beautiful ceremony when their opponent is fourth-ranked Maryland. There's a chance the Goofers will lose by more than 25. After that they play at Indiana and then come home to play Wisconsin.
#-Infinity: Vikings (Last Week: -3). Well, that does it; the collapse is complete. With Christmas Eve's listless loss in Lambeau, the Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from playoff consideration. Worse yet, they become, I believe, the eighth team since The Merger to start a season 5-0 and miss the playoffs. But, worst of all, if they lose this Sunday afternoon at home to the Chicago Bears, they will be the first team in National Football League history to begin the season 5-0 and finish with a sub-.500 record.
And with what appears to be an open revolt on Mike Zimmer's hands, I don't doubt that they could do it. Inexplicably after the loss, Cornerback Xavier Rhodes admitted to reporters, on the record, that the gameplan as instructed to them was to play man-on-man coverage against the Packers' Jordy Nelson. But the Secondary got together and decided they were going to ignore that plan and instead play zone. Nelson ripped through the Vikings' defensive backfield to the tune of 154 yards and two Touchdowns. Afterwards, Rhodes said that they were instructed, again, to play man on Nelson in the second half. In the day-after news conference, Zimmer said they manned up on Nelson after the first Green Bay series. Regardless, Nelson was locked down after Halftime -- which, of course, was too late, seeing that the drive Minnesota had going for them late in the Second Quarter ended with a fumblesack, and Aaron Rodgers was able to drive the offense to the end zone just before the half ended. That made it 28-13 Pack, and that spelled curtains for the ViQueens.
The DBs going off on their own is only the last domino in a series that started tipping over when Teddy Bridgewater torn up his ACL in the pre-season. The organization traded a first-round draft pick for Sam Bradford, whose achievements, if not his numbers, could've been duplicated by another journeyman Quarterback they could have picked up off the waiver wire. The Offensive Line was a failure whenever it wasn't hurt. Adrian Peterson never was able to shake off his injury and, sadly, might have already played his last game as a Minnesota Viking -- and maybe as an NFL player, period. And the defense as a whole turned south after Harrison Smith twisted his ankle. And my friend thought this season was entire the offense's fault.
There are a million things that are currently wrong with this franchise. I can't detail them all; maybe after I put these guys down next survey. But right now, even though Zim wants to downplay this, he's got a goddamn mutiny in his hands. I'm not saying I'm totally with the Head Coach; after all, they lost a few games close, which usually means coaching moves played an outsize part in the result. But ball don't lie, and the ball clearly was in Jordy Nelson's hands when the Vikings Secondary decided they were going to freelance and let Nelson find soft spots inbetween them. I think Vikes fans would be on the side of Zimmer, too. But will it be serious enough to trade or let go of Rhodes, who many say made strides this year? I don't know if you'd risk keeping him around if he thinks he can openly defy his boss.
My, my, my. What. A. Mess.
No comments:
Post a Comment