#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -3). I don't want to downplay any road sweep of a ranked squad, which is what this team did in crushing then-#7 Ohio St. by scores of 7-2 and 7-1. But that still proves that top-flight women's college hockey remains lopsided, and that this year, Minnesota remains a stalking horse to Wisconsin, which leads the U. in the rankings for yet another week. It really is going to boil down to the NCAA Tournament, if not the final, no?
They host Minnesota-Duluth this Saturday and Sunday.
#-2: Wild (Last Week: -2). Finished the first half of their year soundly beating a squad hot on the Wild's heels, The Bastard Quebec Nordiques, 5-2 in Denver on Wednesday. For a team that has run hot and cold so often and is barely above .500 (26-24), their three-game winning streak has them clinging to third place in the Central. There are worse places to be this time in the year.
This team's All-Star break is a glorious eight Games long. But they plunge back into play with a back-to-back -- at The Team That Was Stolen From Us (another team nipping at Minnesota's heels) Friday, home to Chicago Saturday.
#-3: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: 0). Crushed Wisconsin in Madison Friday night, 27-13, despite #8 Mitch McKee getting Felled by #16 Tristan Moran in an upset at 141. These grapplers also participated in something called the North Country Open, which appears to be an invitational featuring schools from the local area. The U. isn't winning NCAA titles anytime soon, yet I think it's kind of sad that the Division I school in the state is picking on guys from the likes of Augsburg.
Whatever. Hosting Purdue at Maturi Super Bowl Sunday afternoon.
#-4: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -4). I don't really want to count moral victories, but this club did go on the road and lost Tuesday to Michigan, a Final Four contender, on a buzzer-beating basket, 59-57. They then outlasted Iowa at Williams Sunday afternoon, 92-87, the third ranked team they have beaten. The adage goes that Big Ten teams make the Big Dance if they reach 20 wins, and these guys are on their way to doing that, provided that they beat the teams they are supposed to beat.
Jordan Murphy remains a beast, BTW, receiving B1G Co-Player Of The Week honors after rising to second all-time in Rebounds in the conference during the win over the Hawkeyes.
This week: Hosting Illinois Wednesday (a winnable game), then visiting Purdue Super Bowl Sunday early afternoon (a non-winnable game).
#-5: United FC (Re-Entry!). Finally, this side is having a good off-season. And finally, this organization is paying serious attention to its deficiencies. Front office and ownership are doing that by holding up their end of their promise and finally -- at least on paper and at least for now -- spending now that they have a home stadium to call their own and, presumably, they are raking in the dough that was so unfairly denied them their first two years at TCF Bank Stadium.
And unlike past years, where they decided they wanted a surplus of Wingers and Forwards, they finally took steps to shore up the back half of their XI. Back on the 10th they signed off waivers Ozzie Alonso, a proven, if injury-hobbled and past-his-prime, Defensive Midfielder. On Friday they signed Right Fullback Romain Metanire, who has spent time in Ligue 1.
But late last/Monday night was the kick in the ass. MNUFC traded up to $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money to Sporting Kansas City in exchange for Ike Opara. When I went to the Major League Soccer website and saw the headline, I thought, "Hey, Ike Opara -- I've heard of that name!" And then I got unduly excited for a man my age. But this is the superstar guy that also fills a position of need for the Loons.
In Opara, they get a shutdown Centerback who was the 2017 MLS Defensive Player Of The Year. He missed significant time due to injury last year, and late in the season he demanded SKC either give him a raise or trade him. Well, the Sporks did the latter -- and to United FC's gain. Actually, it might be a win-win; $100,000 in Garber Bucks gives Kansas City flexbility. In any case, the additions of Alonso and Opara provided this team with much-needed league experience. Now, they have been injured in the past, so if the bug hits these two again, MNUFC is right back in the toilet. But if they are healthy -- shoot, the Defense with this team will finally be competent. And maybe, just maybe, Opara, Alonso and Metanire are the final pieces of the puzzle that helps get this team into the playoffs.
Let me take a flight of fancy here and compare and contrast this Opara trade with the Twins. United FC has just made a move (actually several moves) that address a position (or positions) of need. The Twins have steadfastly refused to do that in signing an ace Pitcher. Then again, maybe the better comparison for this club isn't the Twins of 2019 but the Twins of 2010. The baseballers finally got the stadium they wanted after promising that the greater revenue generated from Target Field will be plowed back into signing better players. Once they got the stadium, what's the first thing they did? Sign Joe Mauer to a long-term deal, the last year of which finally ended last year. Is it quite the same thing as a trade? No. But it is a splashy move that showed that the franchise was going to hold up its end of the bargain for getting a brand-new stadium all its own. Now, the team has not shown any continuous desire to sign free agents to a lot of money in the years since, thereby betraying fans by not holding up its end of the bargain. And come to think of it, there's no guarantee MNUFC won't do the same.
Oh, and hey, all of this does not make up for trading Christian Ramirez. But for all of the team's efforts this January, I can at least give them a middle-of-the-survey honorific for the screening week.
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -6). Started off the week by completing a home-and-home sweep (surprising, at least to me) of the Suns in Phoenix Tuesday by 27, then beating The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers in Los Angeles Thursday by 15. They then finished off the week getting swept in a home-and-home with The Bastard New Orleans Jazz. Friday's road loss was closer, only by four.
Quick observation: Seeing Jerryd Bayless play is startling. Seeing Bayless play pretty well -- he led the Wolves in Assists in the road tilts vs. the Lakers and Jazz -- is heartening, especially knowing that he may be a third-teamer on the squad. But it also shows that they are a severely compromised unit right now, with Robert Covington and Tyus Jones still out injured.
This is a relatively quiet week for the Woofie Dogs; they finish their three-Game homestand with contests Wednesday against The Bastard Vancouver Grizzlies and Saturday versus Denver.
#-7: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -7). I was at Saturday's contest at 3M, which commemorated the 1979 Minnesota championship hockey team. Really cool. What wasn't cool was the 4-3 loss they suffered at the hands of Wisconsin. But it was nice to see the arena filled. In fact, Mariucci had the highest-announced crowd in its history, with 10,686 tickets sold (there's no way there were that many people there; I saw scattered open seats in an arena that seats 10,000). It was also nice to see some border battle fisticuffs; the game started out with the makings of a line brawl, with four players, two apiece, going into the box for Roughing After The Whistle. The U.'s Blake McLaughlin was called for Slashing just before the brouhaha, so the Gopher penalty box was totally full, which amused me.
What was not amusing, however, was the continued inability for this team to play defense. Most, if not all, of the Badgers Goals came via defensive breakdowns. A further sign that the current iteration of #PrideOnIce is all O and no D? All three of their Goals came on the Power Play, while all four of Wisky Goals came on Even Strength. You get your Goals when you can, but being able to score 5-on-5 is a sign of strength, and this year, the Goofs don't have it. But like I've said before -- Motzko, first year, mulligan.
By the way, I've been to three University of Minnesota men's hockey games this season, versus St. Lawrence, Ferris St. and Wisconsin. The Gophs lost all three. So even though a couple other teams went .500 this week, that accursed streak is the reason why these guys bring up the rear.
Hosting Michigan this weekend.
#-8: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -5). Yeah, again, I know that I keep saying that a first-year Head Coach always gets a mulligan from me. And yet, goddammit, I'm afraid that this fucking club is starting to piss me off. I know that is not a rational emotion to have, but after starting out like gangbusters, they have free-fallen out of the NCAA Tournament ... and probably the WNIT as well (like that anybody gives a shit about that).
Nothing is winnable when it comes to this team anymore, but this team may be the worst in top-flight women's college basketball right now after dropping both games this screening week, both my eerily similar scores, to a decent Purdue team and an Ohio St. team that was, on paper, worse than these Golden Goofers, both at home. And both matches had the same sorry blueprint that has happened way too often this year: Starting out well, then sinking like a stone in the back half. The loss to the Buckeyes last/Monday night was textbook: The U. led by three, but Ohio St. tied it at the end of three, then the Bucks blitzed them 22-12 for a ten-point win. There could be, like, a half-dozen games this year where they've just choked on leads they build up in the First Half.
This week: Thursday at Northwestern, home Sunday to Rutgers. Since neither team is named Wisconsin, expect the losing streak to stretch to five games.
They host Minnesota-Duluth this Saturday and Sunday.
#-2: Wild (Last Week: -2). Finished the first half of their year soundly beating a squad hot on the Wild's heels, The Bastard Quebec Nordiques, 5-2 in Denver on Wednesday. For a team that has run hot and cold so often and is barely above .500 (26-24), their three-game winning streak has them clinging to third place in the Central. There are worse places to be this time in the year.
This team's All-Star break is a glorious eight Games long. But they plunge back into play with a back-to-back -- at The Team That Was Stolen From Us (another team nipping at Minnesota's heels) Friday, home to Chicago Saturday.
#-3: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: 0). Crushed Wisconsin in Madison Friday night, 27-13, despite #8 Mitch McKee getting Felled by #16 Tristan Moran in an upset at 141. These grapplers also participated in something called the North Country Open, which appears to be an invitational featuring schools from the local area. The U. isn't winning NCAA titles anytime soon, yet I think it's kind of sad that the Division I school in the state is picking on guys from the likes of Augsburg.
Whatever. Hosting Purdue at Maturi Super Bowl Sunday afternoon.
#-4: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -4). I don't really want to count moral victories, but this club did go on the road and lost Tuesday to Michigan, a Final Four contender, on a buzzer-beating basket, 59-57. They then outlasted Iowa at Williams Sunday afternoon, 92-87, the third ranked team they have beaten. The adage goes that Big Ten teams make the Big Dance if they reach 20 wins, and these guys are on their way to doing that, provided that they beat the teams they are supposed to beat.
Jordan Murphy remains a beast, BTW, receiving B1G Co-Player Of The Week honors after rising to second all-time in Rebounds in the conference during the win over the Hawkeyes.
This week: Hosting Illinois Wednesday (a winnable game), then visiting Purdue Super Bowl Sunday early afternoon (a non-winnable game).
#-5: United FC (Re-Entry!). Finally, this side is having a good off-season. And finally, this organization is paying serious attention to its deficiencies. Front office and ownership are doing that by holding up their end of their promise and finally -- at least on paper and at least for now -- spending now that they have a home stadium to call their own and, presumably, they are raking in the dough that was so unfairly denied them their first two years at TCF Bank Stadium.
And unlike past years, where they decided they wanted a surplus of Wingers and Forwards, they finally took steps to shore up the back half of their XI. Back on the 10th they signed off waivers Ozzie Alonso, a proven, if injury-hobbled and past-his-prime, Defensive Midfielder. On Friday they signed Right Fullback Romain Metanire, who has spent time in Ligue 1.
But late last/Monday night was the kick in the ass. MNUFC traded up to $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money to Sporting Kansas City in exchange for Ike Opara. When I went to the Major League Soccer website and saw the headline, I thought, "Hey, Ike Opara -- I've heard of that name!" And then I got unduly excited for a man my age. But this is the superstar guy that also fills a position of need for the Loons.
In Opara, they get a shutdown Centerback who was the 2017 MLS Defensive Player Of The Year. He missed significant time due to injury last year, and late in the season he demanded SKC either give him a raise or trade him. Well, the Sporks did the latter -- and to United FC's gain. Actually, it might be a win-win; $100,000 in Garber Bucks gives Kansas City flexbility. In any case, the additions of Alonso and Opara provided this team with much-needed league experience. Now, they have been injured in the past, so if the bug hits these two again, MNUFC is right back in the toilet. But if they are healthy -- shoot, the Defense with this team will finally be competent. And maybe, just maybe, Opara, Alonso and Metanire are the final pieces of the puzzle that helps get this team into the playoffs.
Let me take a flight of fancy here and compare and contrast this Opara trade with the Twins. United FC has just made a move (actually several moves) that address a position (or positions) of need. The Twins have steadfastly refused to do that in signing an ace Pitcher. Then again, maybe the better comparison for this club isn't the Twins of 2019 but the Twins of 2010. The baseballers finally got the stadium they wanted after promising that the greater revenue generated from Target Field will be plowed back into signing better players. Once they got the stadium, what's the first thing they did? Sign Joe Mauer to a long-term deal, the last year of which finally ended last year. Is it quite the same thing as a trade? No. But it is a splashy move that showed that the franchise was going to hold up its end of the bargain for getting a brand-new stadium all its own. Now, the team has not shown any continuous desire to sign free agents to a lot of money in the years since, thereby betraying fans by not holding up its end of the bargain. And come to think of it, there's no guarantee MNUFC won't do the same.
Oh, and hey, all of this does not make up for trading Christian Ramirez. But for all of the team's efforts this January, I can at least give them a middle-of-the-survey honorific for the screening week.
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -6). Started off the week by completing a home-and-home sweep (surprising, at least to me) of the Suns in Phoenix Tuesday by 27, then beating The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers in Los Angeles Thursday by 15. They then finished off the week getting swept in a home-and-home with The Bastard New Orleans Jazz. Friday's road loss was closer, only by four.
Quick observation: Seeing Jerryd Bayless play is startling. Seeing Bayless play pretty well -- he led the Wolves in Assists in the road tilts vs. the Lakers and Jazz -- is heartening, especially knowing that he may be a third-teamer on the squad. But it also shows that they are a severely compromised unit right now, with Robert Covington and Tyus Jones still out injured.
This is a relatively quiet week for the Woofie Dogs; they finish their three-Game homestand with contests Wednesday against The Bastard Vancouver Grizzlies and Saturday versus Denver.
#-7: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -7). I was at Saturday's contest at 3M, which commemorated the 1979 Minnesota championship hockey team. Really cool. What wasn't cool was the 4-3 loss they suffered at the hands of Wisconsin. But it was nice to see the arena filled. In fact, Mariucci had the highest-announced crowd in its history, with 10,686 tickets sold (there's no way there were that many people there; I saw scattered open seats in an arena that seats 10,000). It was also nice to see some border battle fisticuffs; the game started out with the makings of a line brawl, with four players, two apiece, going into the box for Roughing After The Whistle. The U.'s Blake McLaughlin was called for Slashing just before the brouhaha, so the Gopher penalty box was totally full, which amused me.
What was not amusing, however, was the continued inability for this team to play defense. Most, if not all, of the Badgers Goals came via defensive breakdowns. A further sign that the current iteration of #PrideOnIce is all O and no D? All three of their Goals came on the Power Play, while all four of Wisky Goals came on Even Strength. You get your Goals when you can, but being able to score 5-on-5 is a sign of strength, and this year, the Goofs don't have it. But like I've said before -- Motzko, first year, mulligan.
By the way, I've been to three University of Minnesota men's hockey games this season, versus St. Lawrence, Ferris St. and Wisconsin. The Gophs lost all three. So even though a couple other teams went .500 this week, that accursed streak is the reason why these guys bring up the rear.
Hosting Michigan this weekend.
#-8: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -5). Yeah, again, I know that I keep saying that a first-year Head Coach always gets a mulligan from me. And yet, goddammit, I'm afraid that this fucking club is starting to piss me off. I know that is not a rational emotion to have, but after starting out like gangbusters, they have free-fallen out of the NCAA Tournament ... and probably the WNIT as well (like that anybody gives a shit about that).
Nothing is winnable when it comes to this team anymore, but this team may be the worst in top-flight women's college basketball right now after dropping both games this screening week, both my eerily similar scores, to a decent Purdue team and an Ohio St. team that was, on paper, worse than these Golden Goofers, both at home. And both matches had the same sorry blueprint that has happened way too often this year: Starting out well, then sinking like a stone in the back half. The loss to the Buckeyes last/Monday night was textbook: The U. led by three, but Ohio St. tied it at the end of three, then the Bucks blitzed them 22-12 for a ten-point win. There could be, like, a half-dozen games this year where they've just choked on leads they build up in the First Half.
This week: Thursday at Northwestern, home Sunday to Rutgers. Since neither team is named Wisconsin, expect the losing streak to stretch to five games.
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