Positive Numbers: Lynx (Last Week: -3). For this Week's Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey I am a bit torn. Two of the three Twin Cities clubs had unbeaten screening Weeks (I'll leave it up to you to deduce which squad did not go the Week unbeaten). However, neither of those teams have really done anything season-wise, at least not yet. But then again, well, one team, if you step back, is in very good form. However, if my main determinant in ranking the WMNSS is, uh, weekly performance, the other team should get the nod.
It is that precedent that leads me to give the top spot this Week to the Minnesota Lynx. However, as a compromise, I will forgo being, um, realistic about how good these top two clubs are and elevate both above negative numbers. Grade inflation to avoid the perception you're criticizing a team that is playing well -- yippee!!!
Isolating the sample size, what the Lynx pulled off over the past seven calendar Days is great -- and, well, what I would expect from the Lynx squads of their dynastic Years. Somehow, they held off the Las Vegas Aces last Friday at Target Center, 90-89. Then, they went to Phoenix and beat a fellow veteran team that has not brought their pieces together, the Mercury, by a score of 82-76 on Wednesday. I don't know, nor think, this is a start of a run. But it's important to bank victories over good and mediocre teams like this, and it shows the Lynx are capable of winning against the best. I just don't know what it would take for them to beat those teams consistently.
Meanwhile, I became hep to a phenomenon that reared its ugly head this past Week. What I believe are salary cap concerns is the reason the WNBA has this rule that all contracts are not guaranteed until Monday. Therefore, if a team waives a player, that team does not have to pay off the rest of that contract. Instead, those players are put into basically a carousel of contracts that last only seven Days, and a maximum of three for the same team for the rest of the season. That's the reason why the Lynx waived former Gopher great (and One Of Us) Rachel Banham. Don't know if they've signed her back yet. Also, I don't know if massaging the cap is the reason they released Layshia Clarendon yesterday/Thursday, even though Clarendon was the subject of a huge story on ESPN.com just over a week ago. Bad timing, Lynx.
Minnesota plays the second of two at Phoenix Independence Eve. They then come back to Minneapolis to face The Bastard Detroit-By-Way-Of-Tulsa Shock.
Don't look now, but they are unbeaten in their last six. And I don't know if you can say they've climbed out of the hole they dug themselves to begin their Year, but if the playoffs were to start right now, they'd be in. That's a turnaround.
I have to mention that the Match was marred by an accusation made by Portland's Diego Chara that an MNUFC player called him by a racial epithet. It was later determined that player was Fragapane. Right now, Major League Soccer is investigating, Fragapane denies saying anything, and the organization is backing him. I hope it didn't happen. And I hope the franchise isn't supporting Fragapane just because he is on the team.
The Loons have what counts for busy for a soccer side -- Hosting San Jose Independence Eve (in a Match I regret buying a ticket for, and am pricing it to move on Seatgeek and still no one wants to buy it), then traveling to Commerce City, Colo., to face the Rapids, the last team to beat United FC, Wednesday.
#-1: Twins (Last Week: -2). And now we come to the Twinks, which get lifted up to #-1, a spot that normally denotes the team that had the best Week, but this Week means they're dead last. And with good reason: After taking the series at home versus Cleveland (the Saturday Game of the four-Game series was rained out), they traveled to Comiskey and lost two-of-three vs. the Division-leading White Sox (the Monday Game of the four-Game series was rained out). Symbolically and literally, there is no race this season between the two.
Are you entertained by the theatrics by Josh Donaldson? I've gone from hating him to liking him to hating him to liking him to (shrug). He has continued his anti-Spider Tack Pitchers rant, going from Gerritt Cole to Lucas Giolito of the ChiSox. Too bad for him that, after going yard against Giolito Tuesday and mentioning that "it's not sticky" (to, by the way, not in Giolito's direction, even though he of course was on the mound because he gave up the Home Run), he and the Pale Hoes came back and beat the Twinks, 7-6, and Giolito stated, for the record, that he got the Win and the Twinks are in last place in the AL Central. And Giolito, I'm afraid, he's totally right. Just fucking win, Bringer Of Rain.
But then, if he's telling the truth, Donaldson took up Giolito's invitation to say whatever Donaldson had to say to his face and confronted him in the parking lot before Wednesday's Game. And now I'm thinking, Good, just be a crazy asshole and start picking fights off the field! The Twinks got crushed that Game, by the way, 13-3.
But then Donaldson continues to call people out, taking out not just Giolito but also legendary Manager Ozzie Guillen. Guillen now works as a studio analyst for NBC Sports Chicago or something, and when asked to comment, he, like Giolito, just said scoreboard, pointing to the World Series rings he has won and Donaldson, obviously, has not. Maybe I should think that Donaldson should stop getting dunked on by people who are more successful than him, both now and overall. But, well, shit, the Twinks got swept by Chicago, they're not going anywhere -- if I were in his position I'd be just starting beef with everybody. If Donaldson is doing this to motivate his team into playing better, well, good luck with that. But even if he is, petty back-and-forth is fun for fans who have nothing else to look forward to. And are also, well, over this season.
This weekend they're in Kansas City. They then host Chicago for four. That might be fun. Also I want to note that they play Independence afternoon in K. C., then play the White Sox Monday night. So, are there going to be fireworks?
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