OT: Non-Hockey Sports Thread XIII - The Minnesota Lynx Dynasty Edition

[Generic User]

Continue. How 'bout dem Lynx!?

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Aaaaaaaand go!

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[Avder]

I shoulda watched their game yesterday. Need to actually watch a Minnesota team win the championship and the Lynx are by far the best bet.

Too bad it's a basketball team.

 

[llamapalooza]

So, my Giants fandom notwithstanding, can we all agree this is the best baseball postseason in a really long time?

Out of all the remaining field, the most recent WS winner is ****ing Toronto. Only one series didn't go five games and somehow the team to pull off the win in four was the ****ing Cubs! Who have somehow turned into a home run blasting juggernaut!

And that seventh inning last night...

 

[Uberdachen]

1. Vikings





2.Twins

3.Wild





4.Wolves

I don't see a 1a/b situation at all. Vikes are the superpower in town, and there is no other.

It's not, they just seem closer because of the difference in the length of their seasons. You get some Twins coverage pretty much all year.

Also the Wild and the Wolves are closer than any state of hockey resident wants to admit. Three playoff appearances by the Wild while the Wolves Edmontoned it up is what has created a little space right now. Maybe if it keeps up long enough that gap will be insurmountable.

 

[llamapalooza]

IMO it all comes down to casual fans. The whole state tunes in on Sundays for Vikings games, because they want to be able to talk about it at the watercooler on Monday morning. Likewise, the Twins don't have a super devoted fanbase, but it seems like most people try to get out to a few games a year, and a lot of people leave the games on in the background in the summer. In my experience, the average Wild fan is more invested, and follows a whole lot more closely, than the average Vikes or Twins fan. (That's not to say there aren't Vikings die-hards, or hardcore Twins fans, for that matter. Just that most fans of those teams watch more socially/casually.) But because of that difference, I think it's hard to do an apples-to-apples comparison.


The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are and always have been a joke. They had a brief run with KG where people vaguely paid attention, but it coincided with the hype of the first few years of the Wild, so even at their best they were second fiddle. To call them close is ridiculous. They lose by literally any metric except perhaps "media attention outside Minnesota."

Wild avg. attendance last year: 19,023
Wild avg. ticket last year: $67
Wild avg. Nielsen rating last year: 4.2

Timberwolves avg. attendance last year: 14,528
Timberwolves avg. ticket last year: $37
Timberwolves avg. Nielsen rating last year: 1.2

 

[Generic User]

I shoulda watched their game yesterday. Need to actually watch a Minnesota team win the championship and the Lynx are by far the best bet.

Too bad it's a basketball team.

I watched the game last night specifically so I could see a Minnesota sports team win a championship. Hey, it's something..

 

[Avder]

IMO it all comes down to casual fans. The whole state tunes in on Sundays for Vikings games, because they want to be able to talk about it at the watercooler on Monday morning. Likewise, the Twins don't have a super devoted fanbase, but it seems like most people try to get out to a few games a year, and a lot of people leave the games on in the background in the summer. In my experience, the average Wild fan is more invested, and follows a whole lot more closely, than the average Vikes or Twins fan. (That's not to say there aren't Vikings die-hards, or hardcore Twins fans, for that matter. Just that most fans of those teams watch more socially/casually.) But because of that difference, I think it's hard to do an apples-to-apples comparison.


The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are and always have been a joke. They had a brief run with KG where people vaguely paid attention, but it coincided with the hype of the first few years of the Wild, so even at their best they were second fiddle. To call them close is ridiculous. They lose by literally any metric except perhaps "media attention outside Minnesota."

Wild avg. attendance last year: 19,023
Wild avg. ticket last year: $67
Wild avg. Nielsen rating last year: 4.2

Timberwolves avg. attendance last year: 14,528
Timberwolves avg. ticket last year: $37
Timberwolves avg. Nielsen rating last year: 1.2

And yet the Wolves have their own show on FSNorth and the Wild get treated like a redheaded stepchild.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Everyone uses that excuse.

Everyone in Minnesota or everyone as in everyone? Every Minnesotan can say it because it is absolutely true.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/sports/four-sport-cities/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/sports/wp/2015/04/14/where-the-games-always-on/

 

[00xtremeninja]

So, my Giants fandom notwithstanding, can we all agree this is the best baseball postseason in a really long time?

Out of all the remaining field, the most recent WS winner is ****ing Toronto. Only one series didn't go five games and somehow the team to pull off the win in four was the ****ing Cubs! Who have somehow turned into a home run blasting juggernaut!

And that seventh inning last night...

My dad and I have never had this kind of bonding experience over a sports team before where we are both so stoked about the Cubs and their performance this year.

GO CUBS GO!

 

[Slick Willy*]

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are and always have been a joke. They had a brief run with KG where people vaguely paid attention, but it coincided with the hype of the first few years of the Wild, so even at their best they were second fiddle. To call them close is ridiculous. They lose by literally any metric except perhaps "media attention outside Minnesota."

Wild avg. attendance last year: 19,023
Wild avg. ticket last year: $67
Wild avg. Nielsen rating last year: 4.2

Timberwolves avg. attendance last year: 14,528
Timberwolves avg. ticket last year: $37
Timberwolves avg. Nielsen rating last year: 1.2

Sooooooo, why did we lose the North Stars again, then?

Because our people/fans/residents are such ardent supporters of NHL hockey, eh?

I stand by my previous statement that MN "fans" are (in general) not good. Of course there are exceptions like the majority of us who post on this forum, and some others, but in general we're a fairweather lot.

 

[Avder]

Sooooooo, why did we lose the North Stars again, then?

Because our people/fans/residents are such ardent supporters of NHL hockey, eh?

I stand by my previous statement that MN "fans" are (in general) not good. Of course there are exceptions like the majority of us who post on this forum, and some others, but in general we're a fairweather lot.

Because Norm Green got his wife pissed enough that she told him he better damn well move.

 

[llamapalooza]

Sooooooo, why did we lose the North Stars again, then?

Because our people/fans/residents are such ardent supporters of NHL hockey, eh?

I stand by my previous statement that MN "fans" are (in general) not good. Of course there are exceptions like the majority of us who post on this forum, and some others, but in general we're a fairweather lot.

Well, they lost the North Stars because Norm Green said he was moving the team without a new arena and the state called his bluff. (He also refused a lease at the Target Center because he didn't like the Timberwolves' soda sponsorship.) There were also sexual harassment lawsuits pending against Green, and it was widely rumored in the media at the time that the attention these suits generated was part of the decision to move the team.

In fact, the attendance was quite good. If you look at the charts, it's solidly near capacity[sup]1[/sup] for most of the team's life, with only two real notable dips. Yes, it dipped for a few years in the late 80s--but it was sort of understandable after the 87-88 season when they only won 19 games, and then again after the league destroyed the team by letting the expansion Sharks choose half the North Stars roster in a dispersal draft. Then it went back over 13k again for the last two years.

Here's the thing. Minnesotans in general aren't bandwagoners--they just sort of don't care about sports in general when the teams are a tire fire. Which is often. (I still say that doesn't fully explain the Timberwolves--this just isn't an NBA market, period.) But even if they aren't always following the team closely, MN fans aren't the type to, say, jump ship to the Yankees or the Blackhawks just because they're winning. They just go hit the pond themselves instead.

---
[sup]1[/sup] Met Center capacity was an even 15k. I'm considering 13k+ to be a solid year.

 

[TaLoN]

IMO it all comes down to casual fans. The whole state tunes in on Sundays for Vikings games, because they want to be able to talk about it at the watercooler on Monday morning. Likewise, the Twins don't have a super devoted fanbase, but it seems like most people try to get out to a few games a year, and a lot of people leave the games on in the background in the summer. In my experience, the average Wild fan is more invested, and follows a whole lot more closely, than the average Vikes or Twins fan. (That's not to say there aren't Vikings die-hards, or hardcore Twins fans, for that matter. Just that most fans of those teams watch more socially/casually.) But because of that difference, I think it's hard to do an apples-to-apples comparison.


The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are and always have been a joke. They had a brief run with KG where people vaguely paid attention, but it coincided with the hype of the first few years of the Wild, so even at their best they were second fiddle. To call them close is ridiculous. They lose by literally any metric except perhaps "media attention outside Minnesota."

Wild avg. attendance last year: 19,023
Wild avg. ticket last year: $67
Wild avg. Nielsen rating last year: 4.2

Timberwolves avg. attendance last year: 14,528
Timberwolves avg. ticket last year: $37
Timberwolves avg. Nielsen rating last year: 1.2

Disagree with you on the avg Viking's fan not being invested as much as the avg Wild fan.

The Vikings fans stormed the capital is droves when the stadium issue was on the line. All the reps and senators had their emails flooded over the issue to get a stadium deal done. The people were very invested and determined not to let the largest sports asset leave town.

On top of that...the Vikings have averaged a larger season ticket base (2 to 2.5 times larger) than the Wild could dream of, and trust me, they aren't mostly corporate suits.

There may be a larger casual fanbase as well over the Wild, but with the massive dedicated fanbase, the amount of those truly invested is astronomically higher than the Wild.

At Wild games I'm always astounded by the lack of team knowledge the average fan has about the team. When the game isn't on, it seems most fans don't pay much attention. A season ticket holder in full Wild fan gear (hell he even had one of those annoying goal light helmets on to look hard core), actually was surprised when the pa announcer said "The State of Hockey would like to welcome back Kyle Brodziak!" And the jumbo tron showed him on the Blues bench. He actually said he just thought Brodziak was injured, and that's why he wasn't dressed for the Wild.

 

[Wild11MN]

Wish I could have caught that whole Toronto game. I just saw the 9th inning of that one. Really glad it's Toronto-KC, both the teams I wanted to win. Glad for the Cubs as well, just don't like the Dodgers or the Mets.

So I'm hoping for a Toronto-Chicago WS.

 

[gphr513]

Out of all the remaining field, the most recent WS winner is ****ing Toronto.

That is a mind blowing stat. Could have won a lot of money if you would have bet in April that Toronto would be in the LCS, and they'd be the most recent WS winner of the 4 remaining teams.

 

[Generic User]

Not a fan of Chicago-anything but I would love to see the Cubs win a World Series. As far as significance goes, it would be right up there with the best of em. It would be cool to be able to see that kind of sports history happen.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Not a fan of Chicago-anything but I would love to see the Cubs win a World Series. As far as significance goes, it would be right up there with the best of em. It would be cool to be able to see that kind of sports history happen.

Also back to the future 2.

 

[Generic User]

Also back to the future 2.

Oh god that's right.. Could you imagine. That series has an impressive track record.

 

[gphr513]

Also back to the future 2.

Did they say the Cubs would win in 2015 or something?

 

[Avder]

Did they say the Cubs would win in 2015 or something?

Yes. Against Miami.

So that's not quiiiiiiiite happening.

 

[llamapalooza]

There's a timeline where the ALCS is all Texas and the NCLS is Dodgers-Cards. Mercifully, this is not the darkest timeline.

Couldn't be happier with these matchups. (Unless the Twins or Giants were involved ) It's gonna be a fun last two rounds.

 

[gphr513]

There's a timeline where the ALCS is all Texas and the NCLS is Dodgers-Cards. Mercifully, this is not the darkest timeline.

Couldn't be happier with these matchups. (Unless the Twins or Giants were involved ) It's gonna be a fun last two rounds.

Ugh yeah, that would have sucked. A Texas series, and a NY-LA series. Barf.

Really looking forward to both LCS series!

 

[00xtremeninja]

would rather the Cubs played the Dodgers as their pitching is the lesser of the two evils, but with how they handled themselves against the big bad Cardinals, I am hoping for a repeat performance.

 

[Slick Willy*]

Not a fan of Chicago-anything but I would love to see the Cubs win a World Series. As far as significance goes, it would be right up there with the best of em. It would be cool to be able to see that kind of sports history happen.

I kind of like the Cubs...but the media [mod] of their little one-game win to get into the NLDS rubbed me the wrong way...I didn't like it.


And because of that I kind of want them to fail...but I guess I'd be alright with it if they did win it over the rest of the teams (truth be told I think I'm rooting for the Royals).

 

[BurnsyMN]

I'd love to see the Cubs win just so the Back to the Future prophecy comes true.