Positive Numbers: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: Positive Numbers). I don't know if there is a team in College Volleyball Nation playing better right now that the University of Minnesota. On Wednesday they crushed Wisconsin (then ranked fifth to the Golden Gophers' sixth) in three Sets. They then went to Indiana Saturday night and crushed the Hoosiers in three as well. That means they have won five in a row, all sweeps.
This club is getting so popular that I can't even get in. I tried getting into Wednesday's match with my student ID, and I was turned away because they already filled up the student section. I think this was 7:25 or 7:30 before the match was supposed to begin a bit after 8. And you know what? Unlike the students behind me who were expressly pissed about that, I didn't mind. First of all and possibly most of all, I had a feeling that this could happen; the volleyball team has gotten to be a much harder ticket to get in recent years, if resorting to scalped tickets is any indication. Also, I may regret saying this, but if this program is to finally get over the hump and win an NCAA Championship, they'll need even more revenue to attract the right coaching staff, upgrade the infrastructure and, most importantly, award scholarships. If they maneuver the seating arrangement at Maturi Pavilion so that more seats have to be bought ... well, I'm OK with that, at least for now. And finally, I got a good walk home and was able to eat at this poke place I sampled over the summer. Not bad, although it was a bit pricey. And I think I got my cold during this walk, but that's OK, too.
How long can this squad roll? They have road games versus Northwestern Wednesday and (and this will be a huge one) Nebraska Saturday.
#0: Gopher women's hockey (Re-Entry!). It's weird, but it's been more than a year since this program has won a title. I remember them going a year without winning a 'Chip, but two?
The squad started their season ranked third and playing a pair against Mercyhurst, who started the season ranked tenth. And they swept the Lakers, by scores of 4-2 and 5-0.
Out of curiosity I looked at the roster to see how many players on the team are not from the State Of Hockey. Of the 27 players listed, only eight are listed as born outside of Minnesota. (Many of those from out-of-state hail from British Columbia, a province both the women's hockey and softball teams have mined for, uh, "ringer" talent.) By contrast, Clarkson, the defending NCAA Champion and a team and school I have grown to hate, has a team almost exclusively made up of Canadians, although one of them actually hails from my own high school. What are you doing there? The Golden Knights, BTW, come into the season ranked first in the nation. The team that is second, Wisconsin, has only four women who hail from Wisconsin. There are more Minnesotans on the Wisconsin women's hockey team than Wisconsinites. That's fucking embarrassing, and that makes me think that the only way the other contenders for the title can compete with Minnesota is by recruiting outside of their home area because their own area is completely barren with local women's hockey talent. Clarkson and the Badgers have the right to do that, of course, and the Golden Knights have used that strategy with fantastic effect. I just like to think that Minnesota does it a little more, uh, honestly.
This weekend they visit Minnesota-Duluth, who is ranked ninth in at least last week's poll.
#-1: United FC (Last Week: -1). Didn't make it out to Saturday's match vs. NYCFC because my alma mater's game was later that night. But even though it settled into a strong start/hold on for dear life in the Second Half pattern like the game against Portland, the Loons have now strung together a two-game winning streak (and a three-game unbeaten streak) after beating the Cityzens, 2-1, at Das Bank. Too little, too late, but it could be worse. Both Goals came from the foot of Angelo Rodriguez, who finally earned his keep. Still bitter over Christian Ramirez, but it could be worse.
That's all I've got. Visit Philadelphia Saturday.
#-2: Gopher soccer (Last Week: 0). After bursting through Maryland 3-0 Friday (which was delayed a day because the Terrapins had trouble getting out of the East Coast) at home, the side's unbeaten streak ended at four with a 2-1, Double Overtime defeat Sunday afternoon to Rutgers, also at Robbie Stadium. And a second conference loss slices this club's margin for error even thinner as they head on the road this screening week to a dangerous two-fer against the Indiana schools (Purdue Friday, Hoosiers Sunday).
#-3: Vikings (Last Week: -4). I turned the game off after The Bastard Cleveland-By-Way-Of-L.A.-Then-St. Louis Rams threw that Touchdown pass before Halftime. Apparently the ViQueens got back into it on the strength of a very potent offensive attack, but at least for this game, it was the Defense that sunk the team, and they are now only a two-game losing streak with a road trip to Philadelphia coming Sunday.
I didn't realize this, but before the season began I was telling some people I thought these guys were going to go 8-8 and some others that I thought they were going to the Super Bowl. I hope I don't see anyone whom I told the latter, because this once again looks like a Vikes team that showed surprising success and carried expectations into a second year where they did nothing about underachieve. Some advanced metric mavens saw that, in particular because of the tougher schedule, the still mediocre Offensive Line and the fumbling tendencies of Kirk Cousins. But no, us Vikings rubes (and I have to include myself) got sucked into the hype. Stupid us.
#-Infinity: Twins (Last Week: -2). I really didn't think about going to the Twins' last game of the year on Sunday, even before I got sick and thought I need to cocoon myself in heat. I wanted to just sit at home and watch football, plus I had a free Hooters coupon that was going to expire that day, aka the 30th. But I was driving down 94E, past Target Field, just as I was listening to the radio broadcast in the Seventh Inning, just as Joe Mauer was stepping up to bat for the fourth time that day and, possibly, the last time ever as a Twin ... or ever. And the man who holds the franchise record for most Doubles in team history deposited a Double into left-center. Then, to start off the Eighth, he came out in Catchers' gear, and he got a huge ovation from the sparse crowd. And then, and only then, did I regret not even thinking about going.
I don't remember ever hating Joe Mauer, or at least bagging on him whenever he was playing (or not) during this huge contract that has just wound up with the season ending yesterday. If I ever did, Mr. Mauer, I'm sorry. Because all you did was all you could. You were not super-human; the chronic wear-and-tear as a Catcher caught up to you to the point where the organization had to cut its losses and the value they got from the contract they gave you as they moved you out to First Base. And yet you still remained patient at the plate, drawing Walks and the occasional Hit. And, not for nothing, you stayed out of trouble and remained an affable (if somewhat invisible) face of the franchise. If you retire as a Twin this year, and if you get elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame (some think you're a lock, some are not sure), this has been worth it. So, sorry I didn't think about going to the game yesterday. If I were not as sick, and if I thought about the enormity of the moment, I would have. And, thanks, Joe.
Oh, and the Twins finish up the 2018 season with a 6-1 screening week, cementing a second-place finish in the American League Central.
No comments:
Post a Comment