To be completely honest, I have nothing to write about. Sitting at my computer watching episodes of ‘Lost’ on Netflix, I have isolated myself from the world of sports. Long gone are the days when I could distract myself by watching Anthony “Unibrow” Davis block every shot in March Madness and Bubba Watson chip his way into the hearts of fellow Americans. I simply can’t avoid the glaring truth: the past month for Minnesota sports has been one of the most pitiful and uninspiring periods in the last decade.
Sure, we’ve had rough spots in the past, but those moments seemed to be the exception instead of what is now the norm. Here are just a few examples of why it might be better for someone to watch Jack Sheppard running through an island forest rather than the junk we’re stuck with.
Gophers Basketball – After a lackluster Big Ten season, the men’s basketball team had a strong surge during the NIT, but looked dumbfounded in the championship game against Stanford. The Gophers’ hopes to turn it around next year will be determined by how their star big-man Trevor Mbakwe’s repaired ACL can hold up and whether or not Arizona State’s Trent Lockett transfers to the team.
Timberwolves – Similar to the Gophers, the T-wolves were derailed by injuries. Uninspiring effort and bad luck tends to be a bad combination, and it has resulted in a growing list of consecutive losses. With Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, and Luke Ridnour out of the picture, April has transformed into a month in which the squad looks like the Timberwolves of 2009. The Wolves are still a young team and have a strong potential to make the playoffs next year.
Wild – After what started as a season of surprise success, the Wild’s huge collapse finally completed its crawl to the finish line. Coach Mike Yeo’s program appeared to work so seamlessly during November before it fell apart out of nowhere. It looks as though the Wild are desperate to throw the monkey off its back and secure a playoff berth that the “state of hockey” deserves.
Twins – Optimistic fans brushed 2011 off as a slight blemish to the great reputation of the Twins. Realistic fans, such as myself, view it as an omen for the years of ineptitude to come. So far, the 2012 team looks competent but will never amount to anything. The Twinkies need to turn things around quickly and preserve the successful environment that was built through years of hard work.
