Howard Sinker

I'm promising not to get carried away with Timberwolves enthusiasm based on one game. But, damn, the opener at Miami was fun to watch. I'm also making promises about JJ McCarthy, the Brewers and pro volleyball in Minnesota in a new Sports Take. The question: Will I be able to keep them?

The racing sausages have been liberated from the attic and are enjoying their newfound freedom. Left to right: Brat, Polish, Italian and Hot Dog. (Chorizo had not yet been born when these were acquired.)

Was at a DIII football game on Saturday and still a bit weirded out by the stadium sound system playing Dust in the Wind at the two-minute time out. Anyone with @sickoscommittee.org connections want to weigh in?

All clear has been sounded: J.J. McCarthy's last-second drive for a Giants game-tying touchdown has fizzled. Our Vikings Bye Week may now resume as scheduled.

Is this bad for the Gophers?

If you're in a mood, feel free to use this to share it. @sickoscommittee.org

It's a weekend without football, so what should we do? Sports Take has ideas. Also, an ugly memo about Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, why I called P.J. Fleck the "coach of the moment" and things are looking bleak in court for wanna-be Gopher Cade Tyson and wanna-be Tommie Kendall Blue.

Brewers 2, Dodger$ 1 Dodger$ were just shut down in the ninth inning by a failed Twins reliever -- Trevor Megill -- who had his mechanics fixed by the Brewers.

This story did not age well.

Tom Pohlad on Derek Shelton. If this is rare, that's a problem -- in sports & elsewhere Shelton “is an amazing communicator,” Pohlad said. “He is the rare leader, in my opinion, who commands respect and holds people accountable while still being somebody that people want to play for and be around.”

P.J. Fleck's success with Gophers football this season has created a media problem for several other teams at the University of Minnesota. It's playing out in real time at @startribune.com. Hint: It's kind of a throwback to the 20th century. That's Topic A in this week's Sports Take.

The "should have scored" camp had the Vikings giving 10.5 points while leading the Dolphins by five. #DontBetOnSports

Who did the Vikings sign to punt? Johnny Hekker or Denny Hecker? That last punt has me wondering.

I was hoping that Gus Johnson had finally grown out of referring to FOX sideline reporter Jenny Taft as "the All-American Girl." It took nine minutes into the Gophers-Michigan broadcast for my hope to be crushed. She's 39, Gus.

Oregon safety Koi Perich isn't getting the love he received when he played for the hometown Gophers. Post mortems on the Lynx and Twins argue they didn't back up their words with actions. A thought about P.J. Fleck's weekend bloodletting and a Nick Punto sighting are in this week's Sports Take.

Not thrilled that last week's post is looking like this week's reality. Lynx have 10 minutes to prove me wrong.

Blaming the Lynx's sloppy, shoddy play on anything other than the Lynx players is foolish.

Glad to see Macalester is at No. 645 going into Saturday's battle for the Paint Bucket against No. 746 Hamline. Saturday's trophy games: Paint Bucket > Little Brown Jug.

Twins firing their pitching coaches and an assistant trainer.

I give referees a log of slack, as a rule. But The relationship between the Liberty and the officials in the first half looked a lot like the relationship between Tr*mp and Todd Blanche.

Yo, Lynx. You're not playing Seattle.

Anyone in the @sickoscommittee.org universe know the last time a team lost 77-0 in consecutive weeks?

Thx @macalestercollege.bsky.social victory bell has entered the field with 1 minute left.

Feminize a band name: Georgia Thorogood and the Destroyers.

Confirming Jon “Boog” Sciambi, the great Cubs and ESPN broadcaster, will be one of the Timberwolves’ play-by-play announcers this year. He’s expected to call about 20 T-Wolves games for the upcoming season.

Sports Take features a major development in #Timberwolves broadcast plans for the coming season on DAZN and over-the-air TV that will be announced soon.

I'll say it: The Lynx' season could be over by this time next week.

Contemporary call to prayer.

Some very exciting personal news! I am overjoyed to announce that I have accepted the position as the new Timberwolves reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune! I'm so excited to be joining a staff of incredible journalists, to move to a wonderful city, and to cover a wildly interesting team!

I can't recall a time when sports has done so much to bring out the worst among us. Violence against women mocked, delusional parents, grifters using sports to beg for media attention. I shared my anger and annoyance in this week's Sports Take before getting to the stuff I'm happier to share.

Twins and Angels getting the umpiring they deserve.

This Twins game has gone on so long that insects are dying in the 200 level. It's a bug not a feature, I guess

I have now witnessed the last 2 Twins players to wear No. 21 *and* hit home runs in their first MLB at-bat Emmanuel Rodriguez today and Andre David vs. Detroit in 1984 Three things: 1. That was David's only career homer. 2. David's came off Jack Morris 3. I'm older than you may think

All of the games on the out-of-town scoreboard at Target Field are wrong. None of those teams are playing each other. Let's see if anyone who can fix it notices. (The only correct score is Gophers vs. Mississippi State.)

I saw a disgusting and racist meme on another platform about Saturday’s Gophers-Mississippi State game that I won’t dignify with oxygen here. But it did provoke me to share this: the first time I’ve ever shared from Christianity Today.

Sports Take: Separating contenders and pretenders in Minnesota sports, including a higher bar for Gophers football and volleyball. Plus, keys to the Vikings season, context for Lynx ticket prices, a new sport for gold medalist Jessie Diggins and (no joke) the Twins start selling playoff tickets.

I was a toll collector on the Tri-State Tollway after my 1st year of college, it was payoff for working on Illinois Gov. Dan Walker's election campaign. (He later served 17 months in prison in Duluth.) One supervisor was named John Christ. He hung office memos signed "J. Christ." Job best done high.

Playoff push? I believe the Twins were pushed out of the playoff picture with finality during Sunday's embarrassment in Chicago. Best Minnesota baseball today is the townball title game in Shakopee.

OK, who else remembers the ending of the USA-Soviet Union gold medal men's basketball game at the 1972 Olympics? It's the Michigan-Western Michigan ending on steroids. www.youtube.com/shorts/5HLED...

Watching livestream of a D3 football game: Excitable student announcers, one-camera video, accidental nuggets of wisdom, former student starting at QB. Plus a 10 a.m. kickoff because of the heat and humidity. Solid day starter. #d3fb

Never change, Canada. At the FIBA Women's World Cup.

Bonus for #Gophers football fans: Jason Benetti doing play-by-play for Minnesota vs. Eastern Illinois. I'm sure he'll bring the proper tone to Opening Night.

Chloe Johnson gets an offer from UConn. Looks like Game Over for the Gophers on this one -- if the game even started.

Have the Twins Rally Dancers been replaced by the Pest Control Posse? From tonight's pregame

Might be generational but the ESPN U.S. Open open ft. Billy Idol singing Hot in the City is 🔥🔥

Is Novak Djokovic's U.S. Open opponent on loan from the Savannah Bananas?

Handing out Twins-logoed Peanuts jerseys today is a pretty appropriate representation of the inept baseball the Twins have been playing to concuss themselves out of the playoff picture.