Twins 2013: Waiting For The Axe To Fall

The Minnesota Twins aren't the worst team in Major League Baseball, nor are they really a contender.  With a 39-53 record at the All Star break, twelve games behind the American League Central Division-leading Detroit Tigers, they're looking at finishing a third consecutive season with more than 90 losses.

Expectations have been considerably lowered since the boom times officially ended with the 2011 season.  You can't blame the pitching, which has improved with starters Kyle Gibson and Anthony Swarzak and reliever Glen Perkins.  You can, however, blame the weak hitting and suspect fielding that has contributed to long losing streaks and the inability to score runs in crucial situations.

If you watched the All Star game from New York (in which the American League shut out the National League, and is memorable only for Mariano Rivera's eighth inning curtain call), you probably noticed that the Twins' contingent of Perkins and Joe Mauer were outnumbered by former players, such as Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer, who now star for their current teams.  That certainly sticks in the craw of Twins fans.

With the exception of Mauer (and possibly Perkins), everyone on the current Twins roster is expendable as the trade deadline approaches.  This includes Justin Morneau, who has been slowly recovering from his concussion to once again matter on the field and at bat.  He is a free agent at the end of this season, which makes him the Twins' most valuable asset as trade bait.  That tells you a lot about the quality of the team's prospects present and future.  They just haven't found the type of player who could sustain his level of play in the majors without repeated pit stops in the minors.

Ron Gardenhire has been the Twins' manager since 2001.  This may be his last season unless the team starts playing better.  He's known for doing a lot with the talent that was put in front of him, leading to divisional championships during the 2000s.  In the last couple of years, as the talent got worse and worse, Gardenhire's luck has run on empty.  That's what happens when you hang around for too long.

With Target Field hosting the 2014 All Star Game, it has become clear that the ballpark that was supposed to bring years of stability and prosperity to the Twins can't hide the fact that they're still a small market team.  And they're acting the part by not signing big-name free agents and drafting prospects on the cheap.  The Twins are content to do this because they believe they have a chance of competing by the middle of this decade.  All we have to do is to be patient.  Until then, Joe Mauer can look forward to one year from now, when he's the only one from his team playing with or against a growing number of ex-Twins who became All Stars.  And he'll wonder what has happened to the franchise he grew up with.

Stanley Cup: The Originals in Six (Games)

Stanley Cup in Hockey Hall of Fame (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Until 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks had not had a Stanley Cup in its possession since John F. Kennedy was President (that would be 1961).  That was the longest drought between professional championships, unless you count the Cubs.  Now the Hawks have won the NHL title for the second time in four years.

After an amazingly close series in which three of the games finished in overtime, the Hawks stunned the Boston Bruins in Game 6 Monday night with two late goals with a minute to play in regulation, coming from behind to win 3-2 to take the series four games to two.  Then the Hawk players took turns lifting the Cup on the melting TD Garden ice.

In this shortened, post-lockout season Chicago ran the table, dominating its Western Conference foes during the 48-game regular schedule and in the playoffs with players Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and goaltender Corey Crawford leading the way.  The Bruins, were the only Eastern Conference team they've faced all season.  This was the first time since 1979 that two teams from the NHL's Original Six faced off for the Stanley Cup.

Now a little history lesson, which Mike Emrick of NBC may or may not have had time to pass along during the playoffs.  When people talk about the NHL's Original Six, this is what they mean:  From the 1940s (when the Montreal Maroons and New York Americans folded during World War II) to the 1960s, the NHL had six franchises--Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.  That era ended in 1967, when the NHL doubled in size to 12 teams and has since proliferated to the present 30.

The series was a relative TV bonanza for NBC and the NBC Sports Network, whose ratings were the best in years.  Then again, it's late June in what is hardly hockey weather across North America, and your competition is mostly reruns and reality shows.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was booed by the Boston fans--and not just because the wrong team had won--as he awarded first the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP to Kane, then the Stanley Cup to the Blackhawks.  And why not?  Bettman is a physical reminder that there would have been no hockey at all this season, had the owners not dragged their feet until January to get the deal they wanted from the players association to end the lockout.  In Bettman's two decades at the helm, there have been three work stoppages--one of which canceled an entire season.

Enough about the past.  The Stanley Cup will take up residence in the Windy City for the next year.  Then we'll see how dominant the Blackhawks can be over a full schedule.

NBA Finals: Another Title in South Beach

NBA player LeBron James answers questions during a press conference after a preseason practice session Sept. 28, 2010, at the Aderholt Fitness Center at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The Miami Heat used the fitness center for their week-long training camp. James is a forward for the Heat. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a series where no team had won consecutive games in the NBA Finals before Game 7, the Miami Heat won two consecutive games to win their second consecutive title.  They defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 Thursday night.  LeBron James, on the verge of not living up to the hype when it comes to winning championships (see:  Wilt Chamberlain), scored 37 points on his way to winning a second straight playoff MVP award.

The game was tight all the way, but the Spurs made too many crucial turnovers late to keep the Heat at bay.  And James had to will his team to play the way they did down the stretch.  That's what becomes a leader most.

This was kind of a bookend series, with four blowouts sandwiched in between three great games:  Tony Parker's buzzer beater to win Game 1 for the Spurs, the Heat coming back with a Ray Allen three pointer with seconds left in Game 6 to later win in overtime, and then the almost-anticlimactic Game 7.

The Heat had been expected to win another title, and in beating the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers during the Eastern Conference playoffs, they didn't always look dominant until it was time to assert themselves.  And again it was LeBron James who pulled his teammates through to get here.

The Spurs, with their aging lineup of Manu Ginobli, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, dominated the Western Conference during the regular season.  Then they went through the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies during the playoffs.  Given the fact that, with Gregg Popovich at the helm, the Spurs have won four NBA titles since 1999, this might very well be the last roundup.

So now King James sits atop the NBA throne clutching two Larry O'Brien championship trophies, ruling all he sees with sand and palm trees in the background, and Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Shane Battier as his royal princes.  How long will it be before James seeks out a new fiefdom, with more riches to behold and more titles to bestow upon him?  But that's for another day.  Right now in the NBA, hoops royalty resides in South Beach.

Changing Nicknames, Changing Attitudes

Former alternate logo for the Washington Redskins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Washington's National Football League franchise, known as the Redskins, has been in business since the Great Depression of the 1930s.  That was an era when few folks cared about the impact a sports nickname can have on certain ethnic groups.

Its original owner, George Preston Marshall, reflected the racism of professional sports at that time.  While other NFL teams brought in African-American players after World War II, for example, Marshall's team was the last to integrate--in 1962.

In the last couple of decades, movements to rid athletic programs of offensive nicknames considered demeaning to Native Americans have had mixed success.  High schools and universities have done the most in that department, exchanging Indians and Redskins for the more benign Blaze or RedHawks.  The NCAA forced the University of North Dakota to drop its Fighting Sioux nickname, but has allowed Florida State University to keep the name "Seminoles".  It seems that the Seminole tribe gave their blessing to the name, while North Dakota's tribes did not.

As for the pros?  In the NFL, we still have the Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs.  In Major League Baseball, there's the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians.  The National Hockey League has the Chicago Blackhawks.  Despite protests, no real effort has been made to change those names.

The most recent attempt to get rid of the Redskins nickname is apparently going to fall flat.  Ten members of Congress, including Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), have urged the NFL to force the Washington team to find another name.  NFL commissioner Roger Goodell replied that the Redskins' name "is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect".  How patronizing.

Current Washington owner Dan Snyder's response can be summed up in one word:  Never.

It's not hard to see why.  Names like Braves and Redskins are too well-established in the public's mind and make too much money to make a change for the sake of the political correctness crowd.  The owners don't care whether their fans are black, white or yellow.  All they see is green, as in the color of money.

These same owners complain that name-changing will cost too much.  Let's see . . . In the NBA alone, the Washington Bullets became the Wizards.  The New Orleans Hornets became the Pelicans.  The Charlotte Bobcats want to change its name back to the Hornets.  And there have been several relocated franchises that have had to change their identity, such as the original Cleveland Browns becoming the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Oilers turning into the Tennessee Titans, and the Seattle Supersonics morphing into the Oklahoma City Thunder.  So it can be done.

Changing offensive nicknames is one thing.  Changing the attitudes we have about Native Americans is quite another.  From the day white Europeans first landed in North America, Native Americans were vanquished and sent to reservations.  In the movies and on TV, if they're not portrayed as savages who kidnap white women and children (only to be rescued by the likes of John Wayne), they could also be portrayed as simple-minded dunderheads who say nothing but "how" all the time. (Some of these actors weren't even actual Native Americans.)  More often than not, they're ignored and called names.  They don't have the political or financial clout needed to get more respect in Washington, unless you count the few tribes who have profitable casinos on their reservations.

Is it too much to ask professional sports owners to get rid of nicknames that claim to "honor" Native Americans, but really don't?  And for the rest of us to have an attitude check regarding the people who inhabited North America first?  Don't hold your breath.

Lynx 2013: Third Time the Charm?

English: Maya Moore, at Championship Dinner (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As the only Minnesota-based pro sports team to win a league championship in this century (2011), the WNBA Lynx are making another run for a banner to put atop Target Center with much of the same cast of characters.

Returning this season are (among others) Seimoine Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsey Whalen.  Not returning are Taj McWilliams-Franklin (retired) and Candice Wiggins (traded to the Tulsa Shock).

One of the newcomers is Janel McCarville, who once teamed with Whalen to put University of Minnesota women's basketball on the map.  She was rescued from "whatever happened to . . . ?" status when the Lynx got her from the New York Liberty, where she last played a couple of years ago.  Though they hardly need to, the Lynx will sell a few tickets on the nostalgia factor of seeing Whalen and McCarville on the same court and the same team again.  It remains to be seen if McCarville can still play.

The question for the Lynx is not whether they'll make the playoffs, but whether they can get back to the Finals for the third consecutive year.  There won't be the long Olympic break to contend with this year, with Moore, Augustus and Whelan seeing extra playing time on the gold medal-winning U.S. team.  But all bets are off if injuries and poor play dominate the season.

As for the rest of the WNBA, which has a new TV deal with ESPN, there's an air of stability that's been lacking in the past.  No teams went bankrupt or were forced to move.  None were added either.

New stars have come in fresh from the college ranks:  Brittney Griner now plays for the Phoenix Mercury, Skylar Diggins for the Shock, and Elena Delle Donne for the Chicago Sky.

But on some WNBA teams, nicknames on the uniforms have been replaced by corporate logos, which makes it hard for casual fans to figure out which team is which.  Are we supposed to root for the Phoenix Mercury or the Phoenix Lifelock?  Seattle Storm or Seattle Bing?  Los Angeles Sparks or Los Angeles Farmers (as in the insurance company)?  Is the WNBA that hard up for money?  Yes.  They are.

Most of the players in the league play overseas during the winter months because the WNBA doesn't pay them enough.  LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant don't seem to have that problem.

Oh, one more thing:  Why are Lynx games still broadcast on an obscure FM country music radio station?

Wild 2013: One Round and Done

Alternate logo since 2003. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Minnesota Wild's first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2008 ended Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago, where the Blackhawks quickly disposed of them in five games of the first round with a 5-1 victory.

The Wild finished 8th in the Western Conference standings during the abbreviated regular season, just barely getting in to the playoff dance.  They could have had a better position if they had played better down the stretch, instead of letting teams like the Edmonton Oilers run all over them on their home ice.

Instead, the Wild got the Blackhawks, the best team in the post-lockout NHL and a Stanley Cup favorite.  With the exception of Game 3, where they played their best game in an overtime win, the series was a microcosm of Minnesota's entire season.  The high-priced offense failed to show up at the most crucial time, and so did the goaltenders.  Niklas Backstrom injured himself just before Game 1.  Josh Harding, who doesn't use his MS as an excuse for how he plays (but national sportscasters were quite willing to point that out), gave a good account of himself--until he got injured, too.  Which brings us to Darcy Kuemper, a minor-league goalie clearly in over his head in a playoff situation.

Now that that's over, it should be noted that a 50-game season wasn't the true test of the Wild's ability to pull themselves up from their mediocrity.  You need a full season to truly evaluate the players you have, with a coast-to-coast schedule (which this year was mostly restricted to west of the Mississippi) and a few breaks in between.

The Wild, moving into a more travel-friendly division next season with teams like the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, might wish they were back in a weaker division with the likes of Edmonton and Calgary.  To compete with their new rivals, they need more of everything--more scoring, better defense and more consistent goaltending.  Fortunately for the Wild, owner Craig Leipold isn't afraid to spend money.

Mike Yeo should keep his job as Wild coach for at least another season, and so should general manager Chuck Fletcher.  But don't be surprised if Leipold decides to go in another direction before next season.

This may have been the first step in the Minnesota Wild's quest for a brighter future.  But the way they've been playing this past season, they've got a long way to go.

Vikings Punt Chris Kluwe

Chris Kluwe (Photo credit: rburtzel)

Chris Kluwe, the best-known punter in pro football, is out of a job.  He was dropped by the Minnesota Vikings Monday in favor of Jeff Locke, a draft choice they picked up from UCLA.

Kluwe had been a relatively decent NFL punter before he became known for something other than football.  He wrote a highly profane letter in support of  Brendon Ayanbedejo to a Maryland politician, who wondered why the Baltimore Ravens didn't discipline the player for his advocacy of same sex marriage.  It went viral, and suddenly Kluwe became a nationally-known expert on the subject.

While Kluwe made many personal and media appearances to take advantage of his newfound fame, his punting suffered to the point where it was only a matter of time when he and the Vikings would part ways.

We will never know if the Vikings letting Kluwe go was a football decision, or if they simply got tired of all his off-the-field activism.  For a franchise that has survived Brett Favre, Randy Moss and a party boat scandal, they're now focused on getting rid of players whom they consider distractions.  You'll notice that they passed on Manti Te'o, famous for having a fake dead girlfriend, three times in the first round of the NFL draft before he was taken in the second round by the San Diego Chargers.

Kluwe has become the NFL's version of Natalie Maines.  You remember the Dixie Chicks?  They were a country music trio that sold millions of records in the 1990s and early 2000s with hits like "Landslide", "Goodbye Earl" and "Wide Open Spaces".  Then Maines made a disparaging remark about President George W. Bush at a 2003 London concert prior to the Iraq War.  Almost overnight, the Chicks became radioactive in the conservative country music establishment, and a lightning rod for other right-thinking, flag-waving, support-the-troops zealots.

Kluwe might find another NFL team to kick footballs for before next season starts.  Then again, he might not.  Ayanbadejo, by the way, has since been cut by the Ravens and remains unemployed. 

For the Dixie Chicks, it was "shut up and sing".  For Chris Kluwe, it's "shut up and play football".  Are either of them ready to make nice?