The last 10 years of Minnesota professional sports has been a slippery slope to say the least. Having your favorite team finish the season off with a losing record was just another typical year for a Minnesota fan. The Washington Post did a study on States with a professional sports team in all five major sports leagues and Minnesota ranked dead last in winning percentage. However, Minnesota sports finally achieved their greatness in the 2017-2018 season.
“I expect every team other than the twins to make it every year,” Minnesota fan Lucas Jorgenson said.
Not only have these expectations been met, but they have been exceeded. The 2017-2018 is the first time in history when the Wild, Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves and the Lynx all made the playoffs in a one-year span. As you dive into each team specifically, you can see how they created history in Minnesota sports.
The fan favorite Minnesota Wild have been no surprise in making a postseason appearance. Including this year, the Wild have made the playoffs for the last six years straight. In the 2017-2018 season the wild finished fourth place in the Western Conference with forty five wins and twenty six loses. With high hopes heading into the playoffs, the Wild were eliminated in the first round to the Winnipeg Jets. The state of hockey will have to wait until next season for a chance to hoist Lords Stanley’s Cup.
“I was shocked as a wild fan to be eliminated in the first round, but at least we’re contending for the cup,” junior Sam Bazil said.
The Minnesota Vikings had very high expectations coming into the season. And, quite frankly, they met these expectations with thirteen wins and three loses during the regular season record. Sam Bradford, Vikings 2016 star quarterback, ended up getting injured the first game of their season and in replace of him was Case Keenum. Keenum lead the Vikings into the NFC championship where Vikings fans across the state had their hearts broken in a tough loss. However, in the game before, the Vikings successfully launched the first walk-off touchdown in the fourth quarter of a postseason game. This play will forever be etched into Vikings history as the Minneapolis Miracle.
“It would have been really cool to watch the Vikings in the super bowl playing at their own stadium,” Alex Danielson said
Next up to bat, come the Minnesota Twins. The Twins had one of their biggest comeback seasons in the history of their organization in 2017. In 2016, they finished dead last in the entire league with fifty nine wins and a franchise record of one hundred and three losses. However, with a bunch of additions to their coaching staff the Twins caught fire. They finished the season second place in the American League central division and made the wildcard game in the playoffs. They lost that game, but made MLB history by making a playoff appearance after losing one hundred games or more in the season prior.
“I’ve always been disappointed by the Twins, but they really surprised me last season,” Mitch Adams said.
Keeping all eyes north, the Minnesota Timberwolves made their first playoff run since 2004. The Wolves added shooting guard Jimmy Butler from Chicago to their already stacked lineup. Butler ended up leading the team in points and provided the Wolves with some veteran presence. The team constantly moved up and down the conference standings and finished off in eighth place. Unfortunately they had to play the Red Hot Houston Rockets and could not shut down their star point guard James Harden who single handedly won the series 4-1. Even though they got out earlier in the playoffs, they proved that they will be able to contend in the NBA for years to come.
Last, but definitely not least comes one of the most dominant teams in the last decade for the WNBA. The Lynx have had more success than any other Minnesota team since their creation in 1999. They have secured four championships in just seven years. They lost in the championship two seasons ago to the Los Angeles Sparks, but took their revenge by winning the championship against them this year. The Lynx might not be the most popular team in Minnesota, but they are for sure one of the best.
“It is sad to see a dynasty like the Lynx not receive as much recognition as they deserve in Minnesota,” junior Danny Eckerline said.
You couldn’t ask for more as a Minnesota sports fan when all the teams receive such amazing success. With relatively young players on the teams across the board, the future for Minnesota professional sports is very bright.
