Before I begin, I thought I'd start a weekly blog presenting my views on five Minnesota sports topics. Most will be current news, but I may incorporate some other random thoughts or memories that come to my mind throughout the week. I consider myself to be about as typical a Minnesota sports fan as it gets, and Just Win Minnesota is meant to be a brand that speaks the emotions of typical Minnesota sports fans, so although this blog is my viewpoints, I hope in some ways it speaks to what Minnesota fans are feeling right now as well. And if you disagree, leave a comment and share your ideas!
Giannis to the Wolves?
The hot topic in the NBA at the moment are the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, and all reports are that the Wolves are firmly in the mix to land Giannis. Rumors are that the Wolves would likely have to part with some of their fan favorite players to make the trade happen, which could include Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert or Mike Conley.
As a fan, it would be painful to see someone like Naz Reid or Jaden McDaniels playing anywhere other than Minnesota. Both players feel like they have been part of the heart and soul of this Wolves team the past few seasons. But let's be honest, this Wolves team feels like it needs a shake up if they want to get back to the Western Conference Finals. And Giannis is a once in a lifetime type player who already has a championship on his resume. If you can make this trade and pair Giannis with Anthony Edwards, you have to do it if you're Tim Connelly, no matter how much it may sting to lose a Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid.
Kwesi out as Vikings GM
It was somewhat shocking when it broke on Friday that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired by the Vikings after four seasons as GM. I say "somewhat" because I think it's fair to say most Vikings followers had grown skeptical of Kwesi's ability to get this team to the promise land, as the draft success has been a disaster, the current cap situation is a mess, and the guy you let walk at quarterback last year will be starting in the Super Bowl on Sunday. But I think for a lot of fans the thought was if any big changes were to happen, it would have happened by now, so it was still a bit of a shock to hear that Kwesi had been let go. I think this was the right decision by the Vikings brass as the reasons I laid out above are all giant red flags that made you wonder where this thing was headed. My hope for the Vikings is they get a GM with a strong scouting background to get our drafts turned around. And in the back of my mind I am wondering, what does this mean for KOC? What happens if next year the Vikings miss the playoffs again, will the new GM want to bring in their own head coach? Makes you wonder....
Falvey leaves the Twins
The other shocking news that broke Friday came when it was announced that Derek Falvey and the Twins had mutually agreed to part ways. This felt like it came out of left field as it was just a year ago that Falvey took over as President of the Twins. My opinion on Falvey has always been that I felt he was a good GM who wasn't given the resources to be successful in Minnesota. I'll be curious to see how he does if a team hires him to run their baseball department and gives him a payroll to build a true contender. In the meantime, I think Falvey's legacy in Minnesota will be that of many Minnesota sports GM's- he had a few teams that felt like contenders but never were able to do anything serious in the playoffs.
Same old Pohlads
Earlier this offseason when it was announced that Joe Pohlad was being relieved by his brother Tom Pohlad, my thought was "his last name is still Pohlad, so I am not expecting anything different." Tom's first few interviews gave me some hope as he seemed a little more connected with the fans and what we were feeling about the past 18 months of Twins baseball. But then Tom dropped the most recent Poland bomb that makes me believe nothing is ever going to change:
“At some point I'd love to get off this 'payroll' thing for a second and let's get halfway through the year, to the end of the year, and let's judge the success of this year on wins and losses, on whether we're playing meaningful baseball in September."
As fans, all we can ask for is ownership that is willing to do what it takes to win a championship. Has it happened in Minnesota in the past 34 years? No. But you can't point to the Wilfs or Craig Leipold and accuse them of not investing money towards trying to win a championship. The new Wolves leadership led by Arod/Lore and Tim Connelly at GM are doing everything they can to bring a championship to Minnesota. But the Pohlads have done nothing to make Twins fans believe they are truly invested in winning a championship, and for that reason I will not be renewing my TwinsTV subscription this season.
Wild red hot
The Wild beat the Canadiens last night in OT to 33-14-10, good for 76 points and 2nd in the Central Division. When the Wild made the Quinn Hughes trade, I thought it was a fantastic move by Billy G that was necessary if the Wild wanted to get to the next level. But in the back of my mind, I was still preparing myself for another first-round exit in the playoffs because, well, it's the Wild and that's what they do. But after watching their last few games, especially Saturday's beat down of the Oilers, I'm starting to think that this team might be different. This team is playing with so much confidence and swagger that I think not only could they win a series against the Stars, they might even do it in six games or less.
When they inevitably lose in the first round, I'll be sure to wear my "I knew not to get my hopes up" shirt all summer to remind myself not to do that again...
Until next week
Ben
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