I have to say it, but this is going to be a real bare-bones, half-ass WMNSS. I had to work the Vikings game both yesterday and today, I had to host my alumni club's game last night, and I had to report at U.S. Bank Stadium this morning at 5:30. Suffice it to say, my mind's kind of shot. So this is going to be real short. Oh yeah, since I'm doing this so late Sunday night, I am including all Sunday games:
Positive Numbers: Vikings (Re-Entry!). I don't remember this team having a better 1-2 punch than the Vikings. Thoroughly dominating Washington on the road last week, and then in a vaunted matchup between 7-2 teams (which, surprisingly, was not the top game on Fox), these guys pulled away from The Bastard Cleveland-by-way-of-St. Louis Rams today, a very impressive win. They still have to wrest themselves from Detroit, but they can take a big step towards sealing up the NFC North (and a playoff spot, let alone a first-round bye, which they still have after beating the Rams) by traveling to the Lions and beating them there for the first time in three years on Thanksgiving.
#0 (tie): Gopher men's basketball and Gopher women's basketball (Last Week, respectively: -3 and -4). Can you see the similarities? Both teams went to the state of Rhode Island and won Monday (Providence for the men, Rhode Island for the women). They then come home and win easily versus pasties on back-to-back midweek days (men over Niagara Wednesday, women over VCU Thursday). Finally, in a special Williams Arena doubleheader today, the men cruised over Western Carolina and the women defeated Boston College. I really can't decide which squad had a better screening week, so in an extreme rarity, I give both of them a tie beyond -Infinity because their seasons ended the same week.
#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -1). Early losses keep them behind the eight-ball in the WCHA, but at least they didn't lose further ground by sweeping St. Cloud St. at Ridder. I don't know if they've ever played Lindenwood University, but next week they head to the St. Louis suburb of Wentzville, Mo. for a two-game series.
#-2: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -7). Swept Harvard at Mariucci. (Did not go to Friday's game; was just too tired.) But Saturday's game had to go to Overtime, even if it was only 35 seconds before Tyler Sheehy got them the win. It was two victories over a fellow ranked team, however. Next week they play a pair at Notre Dame, the first time they face the Fighting Irish as members of the Big Ten.
#-3: Timberwolves (Last Week: -8). Oh, they were so close! The club rolled up three victories this week, most notably a 98-86 win at Target over San Antonio, the first time they've beaten the Spurs in 13 games and about three years. (They also outlasted Utah and trounced Dallas around that San Antone win; both the Jazz and Mavericks wins were on the road.) Yet somehow, they lost at home to the Detroit Pistons, 100-97. They now have been swept by Detroit. WTF? The rest of this week: They hopscotch road (Charlotte) and home (Orlando) for the fifth and sixth games, then continue a four-game homestand Friday vs. Miami.
#-4: Wild (Last Week: -6). They extended their winning streak to four games with home victories over Philadelphia (giving them the season, home-and-home-type sweep of the Flyers) and Nashville before laying a turd in Washington, losing 3-1. Despite their better recent form, they are still dead last in the Central Division. Four points behind third, but still. This week the club's busy, and they, like the Wolves, alternate between home and road games for six games: home against New Jersey, at Buffalo, home to Colorado, in St. Louis (the last two games coming back-to-back).
#-5: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -5). Won at Northwestern in four Sets Friday, then lost at Illinois in four Sets Saturday. The Illini are unranked, too. Again, I think losses will do this club good, but ... losing at unranked Illinois? This week they finish up the regular season. They host Rutgers for Black Friday, then play #1 ranked team in the nation, Penn St., Saturday night. I plan on going to my only volleyball match for that contest vs. the Nittany Lions. But will I need to scalp a ticket for a game, like I did last year? And if so, will it cost me $40 like it did last year -- or will it cost me more?
#-6: Gopher wrestling (Re-Entry!). Hey, the Gopher grapplers are back! And they began their year by trouncing the Air Force Sunday, 29-6. And then they went to Stillwater (Oklahoma, not Minnesota) today ... and Oklahoma St. beat the absolute shit out of Minnesota, 30-3. The only match the U. won was at 125, and that happened because fifth-ranked Gopher Ethan Lizak came back from an 8-1 deficit heading into the Third Period to tie third-ranked Nick Piccininni, and then beat him in Overtime. One hell of an effort ... yet it took that herculean effort to avert a complete shutout. Is this the best we can look forward to from this once-proud program from now on? They're off until the Cliff Keen Invitational Dec. 1 and 2.
#-7: Gopher football (Last Week: -2). Yeah, I kind of thought these guys had a ghost of a chance to beat Northwestern at Northwestern. Uh, nope! Didn't notice the Wildcats were ranked, and proved it by shutting out the U., 39-0. So, after finishing the year getting their asses kicked at TCF Bank Stadium this Saturday, they will assume (or hope) their high APR backdoors them into a bowl as a 5-7 squad.
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