Sam Darnold- Super Bowl Champion QB
It's my belief that the overwhelming majority of Vikings fans were rooting for Sam Darnold last night in the Super Bowl. Darnold hasn't said a bad word about Minnesota or the Vikings organization, didn't push his way out or force a trade, and by all means I believe he wanted to come back.
But the Vikings letting Darnold walk could go down in Minnesota lore like the Herschel Walker trade or the Wolves passing on Steph Curry twice. Even if the Vikings had Sam Darnold this year, I don't think they would have been good enough to get to the Super Bowl. The offensive line was too much of a liability and we have seen what Darnold looked like with little protection. Darnold proved, however, that he has what it takes to win a Super Bowl, and that's the big question that follows every quarterback until they actually win the big game. And right now, the gap between Darnold and JJ McCarthy is about the size of the Grand Canyon.
I was okay with the Vikings letting Darnold walk after his performance against the Lions and Rams to end the 2024 season. I thought he crumbled when it mattered most and as a scarred and battered Minnesota fan, I wouldn't tolerate that. It felt like he was another Minnesota athlete who couldn't get it done when it mattered, and we've seen that too many times in the last 25+ years.
I can now admit I was wrong. And I suspect many Vikings fans, as well as the Vikings organization themselves, are also admitting this morning that they were wrong as well. We should have brought him back.
(And for the record- I am happy Darnold won. He persevered through a lot, and seems like a great dude).
Dreaming of a Vikings Super Bowl
Anytime I watch a championship like the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup Final, World Series, or NBA Finals, I can't help but imagine what it would be like to watch Minnesota in one of those championships. And I was doing the same on Sunday night watching the Super Bowl.
It still blows my mind that I am 32 years old and have never seen one of the big four Minnesota teams even play in a championship, let alone win a championship. That was one of my biggest reasons for starting Just Win Minnesota, so fans could express their frustration and tell our teams that we just want to win!
I can only imagine what the buzz would be like in the Twin Cities if the Vikings ever played in the Super Bowl. Purple as far as the eye can see. Skol chants everywhere. And the crippling anxiety every Vikings fan would have watching the game, waiting for that catastrophic mistake to happen that would cause the Lombardi Trophy to slip from our grips.
Unfortunately, as things stand right now, I don't think that scenario will be taking place next year. Maybe whoever is GM can make some moves and make the Vikings more competitive, but with the QB situation and cap mess, it feels like the more likely outcome at the moment is another missed playoffs.
What's going on with the Wolves?
What is it with the Wolves struggling against bad teams at home? The Wolves lost to the 13-40 Pelicans on Friday night, and followed that up with a 19-point loss to the Clippers on Sunday. One of the most predictable outcomes the past few years has been the Wolves losing to bad teams at home, as it has happened time and time again.
Following the Pelicans loss, Rudy Gobert called out the teams effort and called on the coaching staff to start holding players accountable by benching players not playing hard. Many people interpreted that he was specifically calling out Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards.
But while Gobert called out the players, my interpretation is that the real message from Gobert was actually being sent to Chris Finch. And it feels like the first signal that maybe Chris Finch's voice is growing stale in the Wolves locker room.
After the loss to the Grizzlies last week, Finch criticized the players effort and basically said "it's on them to figure it out." Anytime a coach is shrugging his shoulders in regards to effort and attitude of his team, that feels to me like a coach that is out of answers. And now one of his star players is calling him out and accusing the coaches of not holding them accountable for poor effort.
Am I calling for Chris Finch to be fired? No. Do I think he should be fired? No. But this past week has my antenna up that there may be a growing disconnect between Finch and the players. And the Wolves next three games are against the Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Mavericks, all teams with losing records. What happens if the Wolves lose those three games? Might it be time to shake things up? Tim Connelly and Mike Malone spent time together in Denver, and Malone is currently available...
Wild in the Olympics
Unlike the Wolves, the Wild are buzzing heading into the Olympic break. I have to imagine the Wild brass are wishing they could keep playing with how well they have been playing of late. Especially as they are starting to close the gap with the Avs in the standings.
The Wild have eight players playing in the Olympics. Every Wild fan should be crossing their fingers that all eight players come back healthy and are ready for the final 6 week push to the end of the regular season, and that the Wild can pick up where they left off once the Olympics are over.
And as much as I wish Russia was playing in the Olympics, I'm glad that Krill Kaprizov is going to get a much needed 3 weeks to rest and recover. I expect him to have a big end to the regular season. Let's see if he can make a push to 50 goals.
Go USA!
Gopher Basketball ups and downs
And finally, the ups and downs continue for Niko Medved and the Gopher men's basketball team. The Gophers got a huge win at home against #10 Michigan State on Wednesday night, but followed that up with a disappointing loss against Maryland on Sunday at the barn.
Regardless, I love what I am seeing from Niko Medved and the Gophers this year. Although they have had some disappointing losses, the fact that they have been competitive in just about every Big Ten game with the lack of depth is astounding. Niko is proving that he is a damn good coach and I can't wait to see what he can do with a full bench and a couple recruiting classes under his belt. I stand by my prediction that he will get them back to the Sweet 16 before his Gopher tenure is over.
Also, quick shoutout to Gopher Women's basketball team. They get a massive win on the road over #10 Iowa, follow that up with a win over Rutgers, and should be ranked in the Top 25 tomorrow. Dawn Plitzuweit has the Gopher women on track to get their first berth in the NCAA tournament since 2018.
Until next week.
Ben
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