I am going to try to make this survey as brief as possible because I have to get up early in the morning. And I know I should talk about the "Timberwovles" and the shitcanning of Gersson Rosas this Week, but I am just too tired, so hopefully I'll have time next week:
Positive Numbers: Lynx (Last Week: -2). The franchise that remains, Year in and Year out, the class of Twin Cities franchises finished the way they often have by winning four in a row, including a three-Game sweep of Indiana Friday and Sunday's 83-77 victory over the Mystic in Washington, D. C. that eliminated them from the playoffs. That spurt got the Lynx the three-seed and a bye from the First Round of the WNBA playoffs, a one-off which happened last/Thursday night. Both First Rounders went according to seed, so Minnesota faces sixth-seeded (and scrappy) Chicago at Target Center late Sunday afternoon. Assuming they win that one-off, they in all likelihood would face second-seeded Las Vegas, a club I think the Lynx match well with, in the best-of-three Semifinals.
#0: Gopher football (Last Week: -3). No, Colorado is not a College Football Playoff contender. And there was no way to project that the Gophers would do what they did after barely hanging on to defeat Miami of Ohio the prior Saturday. Nevertheless, it is mighty damn impressive to go into Boulder, Colo., and not only beat a fellow BcS school but blank the Buffaloes Saturday afternoon by a score of 30-0. It's the first time they shut out a fellow Power 5 school since 1977. The U. held the Buffs to just 63 total Yards of offense, the lowest output for any top-flight school since Kansas got only a third of that four Years ago. This could be the most ass-kickingest performance I've seen from a Twin Cities-based squad in decades. I'm serious, and that's why I pushed the Lynx up to Positive Numbers: The U. gridiron club hasn't racked up as many accomplishments this Year, unlike the Lynx, but this demonstration of dominance is worth putting them above negative numbers.
Oh, and it looked as if Gopher fans traveled. I swear that more former Minnesotans move to Colorado than to any other state, and that includes Wisconsin. Some accounts pegged the crowd at Folsom Field to be a third maroon and gold, and for a team that was 1-1 going into the contest, that is an eye-opening percentage. And they got to see a dominating win by the road team!
It's Homecoming in Dinkytown Saturday; they host Bowling Green early Saturday afternoon.
#-2: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -1). Well, this XI wasn't going to go undefeated. They got out to an early 1-0 lead at Robbie Saturday night vs. Wisconsin on a Goal by Izzy Brown in the 11th Minute. But the squad finally allowed a Goal for the first time all season about four Minutes later to level the tilt at 1. Finally, in the 82nd, the Badgers' Jenna Kiraly scored to hand the Gophs their first loss of the Year. But at least they followed that up last/Thursday night by crawling back from an early 2-0 hole in Columbus, Ohio against Ohio St. and tripping the Buckeyes, 4-2.
At Michigan St. Sunday, hosting Rutgers Thursday.
#-3: United FC (Re-Entry!). I knew I was going to leave a team out of last Week's WMNSS. I forgot that the Loons played a Match last Wednesday -- and seeing that it was a 4-0 beatdown at the hands of Sporting Kansas City, I think I had reason to forget it ever occurred.
But MNUFC followed up inarguably their worst Game this season to possibly their best Saturday night, toying with the Los Angeles Galaxy at Allianz Field, 3-0. Bebelo Reynoso braced and got named to the MLS Weekly XI, while Ethan Finlay finished the scoring. And they need every Point; that victory got them just on the right side of the playoff line.
Hosting Houston Saturday night before travelling midweek and facing a scary D. C. United at Audi Wednesday evening.
#-4: Twins (Last Week: -4). As I said before, the second-half Twins would actually be a decent outfit. Joe Ryan, in particular, looks to have the tools of an Ace, and a budding star, setting a record for most Strikeouts (eleven) through five or fewer Innings in Minnesota Twins History as he mowed down the Cubs at Wrigley Wednesday, helping the Twins win that Game and complete a mini two-Game sweep of the dismantled Cubbies. Even Nick Gordon, a rocket once destined for the big leagues but has since dimmed, has shone, with a three-Run Home Run and four RBI last/Thursday night in defeating Toronto at Target. Sure, they've been out of it for some time and only went 3-3 this screening Week, but trust me, they've played a hell of a lot better after the All-Star Break.
The season's almost over. The last home Games of 2021 are this Week, with the Blue Jays finishing a four-Game set and then Detroit coming in for three. I have a free voucher to a Twins Game, and I am going to use it for the final home date of the Year on Thursday.
#-5: Vikings (Last Week: -5). I was out of it (or trying to be out of it) early Sunday evening, and I just saw Dallas win their Game over The Los Angeles Chargers on a Field Goal at the buzzer when I toggled over to see Greg Joseph push his FG try at the buzzer wide right in sending the ViQueens to a second loss, 34-33 to The Bastard Chicago By-Way-Of-St. Louis Cardinals in a State Farm Stadium where I could, at one point, hear a very loud "SKOL" chant going on in the stands. Vikes fans travel well; too bad the club they're devoted to couldn't complete a road win they desperately needed.
There's been a lot of talk that the Vikes had numerous chances to put the Game away before Joseph's miss. While that may be true, and I certainly don't want Zimmer's choices to not come back to haunt him ... MAKE THE GODDAMN KICK. SERIOUSLY, WHY CAN'T YOU DO THAT?
I still think the season's over, but after that debacle last Sunday that put the Vikes in an 0-2 hole, I am now quite certain that Mike Zimmer is a dead man walking. And he could be put further into the dirt as they finally play at home late Sunday afternoon against a Seattle Seahawks team that has had Minnesota's number. This could get real ugly.
No comments:
Post a Comment