#-1: Twins (Last Week: 0). I say that overall, this was a bad screening week for local sports. No one had a great week. So in cases like this, I am looking at where all the teams stand in the standings. And while their lead on Cleveland has trimmed to three, the Twins still, somehow, remain in first place in the A. L. Central, and thus will take first place (albeit at -1) in the WMNSS.
But there is a hell of a lot of regressing to the mean that's going on right now. They actually went 3-4 this week, starting off with a horrible two-Game home sweep at the hands of the, erg, New York Mets. Then came a four-Game split of The Bastard Philadelphia-By-Way-Of-Kansas City Athletics (also at home) over the weekend, the last two of which featured some of the wildest late-inning heroics you will see in baseball -- in their favor Saturday, in ours Sunday. A notable feature these past seven games is the conspicuous leaking of the bullpen, which choked away two late leads over the week. And yet there is still no talk of bringing in a reliever.
While this ballclub is having a dramatic regression to the mean, The Tribe continue to catch fire. All is not lost yet, especially because of yesterday's/Monday's taut 8-6 at Target over the New York Yankees, which featured a Twins Triple Play and five Home Runs. But there are two more contests vs. the dreaded Bronx Bombers before they hit the rock and play four at the White Sox.
#-2: United FC (Last Week: Positive Numbers). Technically, this side didn't lose this past week. But they did lose Wednesday, in a friendly against visiting EPL squad Aston Villa, 3-0. To me, all exhibition wins shouldn't count, but those that end up in defeat are. So this is a big reason why the Loons sit behind the Twinks in this week's survey.
Well, that and the fact that they are not leading the Western Conference but are nonetheless hanging tough in fourth place. And, well, they did have a match that mattered on Saturday, and they tied at Salt Lake at 1. Darwin Quintero scored in the 57th Minute (off a Corner Kick started by Jan Gregus that was headed by Mason Toye to El Scientifico), but Real Salt Lake's Marcelo Silva tied it up in the 70th, so this feels like a loss, and that's another reason why MNUFC are here in second. Meanwhile, the organization signed a Midfielder and a Wingback during this transfer window.
So they wrap up a series of two-Game weeks still unbeaten in their least five matches. Next up: An important home tilt vs. Vancouver Saturday night.
#-3: Lynx (Last Week: -1). And the Jynx are back in trouble again. This time last week they sat second in the West. But back-to-back losses to Seattle (at home by 11) and in Vegas (by 5) have sunk them all the way down to fifth in the conference, and it's only by the grace of God that, if the season ended right now, they would get the last spot in the playoffs. The good news, such as it is, is that budding rookie Napheesa Collier will be at the All-Star Game after all because budding superstar and hometown Ace (the Game's being played in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon) A'ja Wilson injured her left ankle and can't play (and might not be able to play for weeks, they say; that could sink the breakout season the Aces are having right now, for they lead the West as of press time).
But the Lynx need to get to the All-Star Break ASAP, and they can do that right after hosting deadly Washington in the team's annual basketball camp Game; it's being played at high noon on Wednesday.
But there is a hell of a lot of regressing to the mean that's going on right now. They actually went 3-4 this week, starting off with a horrible two-Game home sweep at the hands of the, erg, New York Mets. Then came a four-Game split of The Bastard Philadelphia-By-Way-Of-Kansas City Athletics (also at home) over the weekend, the last two of which featured some of the wildest late-inning heroics you will see in baseball -- in their favor Saturday, in ours Sunday. A notable feature these past seven games is the conspicuous leaking of the bullpen, which choked away two late leads over the week. And yet there is still no talk of bringing in a reliever.
While this ballclub is having a dramatic regression to the mean, The Tribe continue to catch fire. All is not lost yet, especially because of yesterday's/Monday's taut 8-6 at Target over the New York Yankees, which featured a Twins Triple Play and five Home Runs. But there are two more contests vs. the dreaded Bronx Bombers before they hit the rock and play four at the White Sox.
#-2: United FC (Last Week: Positive Numbers). Technically, this side didn't lose this past week. But they did lose Wednesday, in a friendly against visiting EPL squad Aston Villa, 3-0. To me, all exhibition wins shouldn't count, but those that end up in defeat are. So this is a big reason why the Loons sit behind the Twinks in this week's survey.
Well, that and the fact that they are not leading the Western Conference but are nonetheless hanging tough in fourth place. And, well, they did have a match that mattered on Saturday, and they tied at Salt Lake at 1. Darwin Quintero scored in the 57th Minute (off a Corner Kick started by Jan Gregus that was headed by Mason Toye to El Scientifico), but Real Salt Lake's Marcelo Silva tied it up in the 70th, so this feels like a loss, and that's another reason why MNUFC are here in second. Meanwhile, the organization signed a Midfielder and a Wingback during this transfer window.
So they wrap up a series of two-Game weeks still unbeaten in their least five matches. Next up: An important home tilt vs. Vancouver Saturday night.
#-3: Lynx (Last Week: -1). And the Jynx are back in trouble again. This time last week they sat second in the West. But back-to-back losses to Seattle (at home by 11) and in Vegas (by 5) have sunk them all the way down to fifth in the conference, and it's only by the grace of God that, if the season ended right now, they would get the last spot in the playoffs. The good news, such as it is, is that budding rookie Napheesa Collier will be at the All-Star Game after all because budding superstar and hometown Ace (the Game's being played in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon) A'ja Wilson injured her left ankle and can't play (and might not be able to play for weeks, they say; that could sink the breakout season the Aces are having right now, for they lead the West as of press time).
But the Lynx need to get to the All-Star Break ASAP, and they can do that right after hosting deadly Washington in the team's annual basketball camp Game; it's being played at high noon on Wednesday.
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