The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

My annual, end-of-year reminder that, because I want to keep some part of The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey fresh, it will be published at a different day of the week for 2026.  It is always the day of the week January 8 falls under, so for next year, expect to see the WMNSS up every Thursday.  To catch up, next Week's survey will encompass Games from today, December 31, through Wednesday, January 7. 

#-1: Wild (Last Week: -5).  They have nipped that two-Game losing streak by winning both Games they had this Week, both of which were on the road because they're vacating the GCA so that the World Juniors could use the arena.  Minnesota crushing The (Last) Vegas Golden Knights, 5-2, Monday at their place was *chef's kiss*.  I liked their Win Saturday at The Bastard Atlanta Thrashers, too, but I wish it didn't have to go into Overtime to prevent Winnipeg from picking up a loser Point.  Alas -- Mats Zuccarello tied it up with 32 Seconds left in the Third Period, then Matt Boldy potted the Game-winner 39 Seconds into Overtime.  If they couldn't beat them in regulation, winning this way is kind of the next best thing.

It is confounding that the Wild may be both the third-best team in the NHL and the third-best team in their Division, but here we are ... even though they are creeping up The Team That Was Stolen From Us.  They continue their long road trip through the New Year by continuing out west: San Jose this/Wednesday/New Year's Eve afternoon; Anaheim Friday; then a pair of contests in Los Angeles Saturday and Monday night.

#-2: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -1).  OK, so this is what I want to see: This club with so much talent and promise going into hostile territory and not only winning but wiping out the home team.  I don't know how good Indiana is or isn't supposed to be, but I did not expect the U. to come away from Bloomington with a 71-48 shit-kicking of the Hoosiers.  This is kind of what I expect from a Dawn Plitzuweit-led team.  But a much taller task awaits to begin the New Year: At Michigan Monday.  Experts say that it'll be the Wolverines and UCLA atop The Big Ten, with UConn, Texas and LSU forming an unstoppable "Big Five" in women's college basketball from which one will almost assuredly win this Year's championship.  An upset Win there and ... hoo, boy.

#-3: Vikings (Last Week: -3).  Yeah, I have a sneaking suspicion the Vikes are playing harder than many other squads, including the ones on their schedule.  They actually won going away at home versus Detroit Christmas afternoon, 23-10, in a most inexplicable way possible: Detroit giving away six Turnovers.  I never imagined the Lions imploding like this, but their vaunted, high-flying Offense essentially shot itself in both feet.  And no offense to Max Brosmer, but if you can't beat a guy who went nine-for-16 for 51 Yards in the tilt -- and got sacked seven times in the Game -- you done fucked up.

I might touch more on this some other time, but right now, I can't stand the people who hate the Vikings for not tanking in order to secure a higher draft pick.  They reflexibly call the team (or the front office or the coaching or the players ... hell, why not all of them?) incompetent.  Well, winning four in a row, and possibly finishing the season above .500 if they beat the injury-racked Packers early Sunday afternoon, is very, very competent.  Don't you want your team to show you they might know what they're doing?  My belief that the Vikings could run the table remain very much in play.  I don't remember the last time, if ever, I have ever felt so good about a club that got eliminated from postseason contention so early.

#-4: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -2).  Finished the non-conference part of their schedule by routing Fairleigh Dickinson Monday night by 17.  FDU upset Purdue a few Years back in only the second #16-over-#1 upset in men's college basketball tournament history, but this current team is no great shakes, so the victory doesn't have that much juice.  Now, at Northwestern late Saturday afternoon, or home to Iowa Tuesday night?  I might start caring.

#-5: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4).  Of the five Twin Cities teams to play this screening Week, it's only the Timberwolves who lost.  Their defeat Christmas night in Denver is forgivable: The Nuggets remain a formidable opponent, Anthony Edwards hit a quick, spinning 3 to send the Game to OT, and even though the Wolves had a huge lead in Overtime, they only lost by four on the back of a superlative performance from Nikola Jokic.  I was able to catch the end of the Game, and people are calling it The Game Of The Year.

However, their Loss to Brooklyn Saturday, at home by 16, is much less acceptable.  The Nets are third from the bottom in The Eastern Conference.  And you get blown out?  I don't care how much of a comedown those players were on after that insta-classic two Days before; do they have any idea that they might not be able to take Games off, especially if the consequences might be losing to a shitty squad at home?

The T-Wolves were able to bounce back and finally win this Week by annihilating the Bulls in Chicago by 35 Points on Monday.  (Side note: The Timberwolves, Wild, and both Golden Gopher basketball clubs all played Monday, and they all kicked ass in their respective Matches.  It may be The Most Dominating Day In Minnesota Sports History.)  But they sit in a virtual tie with The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers for fifth in the West.  Getting into a groove and stacking victories would do a lot, promise.

This Week: They complete their four-Game road trip with visits to Atlanta (this/Wednesday/New Year's Eve afternoon), Miami (late Saturday afternoon), and Washington (early Sunday evening) before coming home and hosting the Heat Tuesday.