Twin Cities Guest Guide - Sports

Twin Cities | Guestguide 200982

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Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins

Twin Cities | Guestguide 2009 83

sportsIt’s no wonder why MInnesotans are sports-crazy; the Twin Cities area is home to every major sport from basketball to soccer. No matter what time of year or how pleasant or nasty the weather, fans will always be fired up and in a frenzy; in return, the teams and players give 110 percent on the playing field. Minnesota has been home to the best of legends and famous fresh faces such as the late Kirby Puckett, hometown hero Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings’ record-breaking running back Adrian Peterson. We’ve also seen some of the greatest moments in sports history and have hosted nationally known events such as the Super Bowl. With three professional arenas between the two downtowns and a slew of entertaining pre- and post-game hangouts nearby, the Twin Cities is a prime spot to get your game on.

The Minnesota Twins brought major league baseball to the Twin Cities after Calvin Griffith moved the Washington Senators to the area in 1960. Players like Harmen “The Killer” Killebrew and pitcher Jim Kaat (both players top the Twins all-time list with most home runs and most career wins), showed that the Twins could shine by becoming the American League champs and making it to their first World Series in 1965. But what the Twins lacked in the 1970s, they made up for in stellar players. Tony Oliva and Rod Carew (who won his seventh American League batting title in 1978) kept the Twins alive during the final years the team played at Met Stadium. With the new Metrodome stadium in the 1980s came new young players like Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Frank Viola and fan-favorite Kirby Puckett to bring the Twins their first World Series win in 1987.

TwinCities

Minnesota sports are about to get even better, with two new sporting venues to be ready for action in the next two years. The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team will start their 2009 season at TCF Bank Stadium. The new stadium, located on the university’s cam-pus, will seat 50,000 fans and will

have a horseshoe design, where fans walking on campus will be able to look inside the stadium. The Minnesota Twins will start their 2010 season in a new ball-park located in the Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis. The new ballpark will seat fans closer to the field than most other ballparks and “Knotholes” in the stadium will let fans take a peek at the game without buying a ticket.

new Venues Future Twins stadium

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The team proved their dominance by becoming World Champions again in 1991. With first baseman Justin Morneau (2006 American League MVP), pitcher Joe Nathan and other promising new players, the Twins are still hitting it out of the park; the team became Central Division champs in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. And with the team anticipating the start the 2010 season in a brand new outdoor stadium, the Twins are bound to bring more great baseball moments to the Twin Cities.

Red, white and blue aren’t the only colors that fill the Metrodome; there’s purple and gold, too. Even though they haven’t gripped the top title yet, the Minnesota Vikings are considered one of the league’s top powerhouses each year. The 1960s and ’70s marked four Super Bowl losses, and then in 1998, 2000 and 2003, the Vikings’ efforts led to National Foot-ball Conference title games. Past greats Fran Tarkenton and coach Bud Grant highlighted the team’s earlier success, while in more recent years the Vikes held their hopes in quarter-back Daunte Culpepper and wide receiver Randy Moss. Af-ter trades and drafts picks, the team has found exciting fresh talent, such as running back Adrian Peterson, who broke the NFL’s single-game rushing record during his rookie season in 2007. Head coach Brad Childress and the revamped Vikings’ team and staff hope to create a cohesive offense and defense to put the purple back in the playoffs.

After the 26-year-strong North Stars hockey team left the Twin Cities for Dallas in 1993, Minnesota waited seven years before the NHL returned to the State of Hockey. In 2000, the Minnesota Wild made a name and home for itself at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center. By the team’s the third season, the Wild made it to the playoffs and after the NHL cancelled the 2005 season, they brought the bite back by making the playoffs again in 2007 and 2008. In the top third of the NHL as far as season ticket base, season ticket holders fill more than 16,000

Å Not only did he break three records during his rookie season, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson received two Player of the Month and Rookie of the Year awards and was named the NFL’s Pro Bowl MVP in 2008. Ç The Minnesota Thunder faced David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy in November 2007, attracting 20,123 fans, the largest soccer crowd in more than 25 years.

Ñ Before they became the Minnesota Wild, the team tossed around the names Minnesota Blue Ox, Minnesota Northern Lights, Minnesota Freeze, Minnesota White Bears and the Minnesota Voyageurs.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves have lost a handful of familiar faces but have also acquired the ripe talent

of eager new players. After the 2007 draft, rookie Corey Brewer joined fellow young players Randy Foye, Craig Smith and Rashad McCants to form the new look of the Wolves. Right before the season began they partnered with the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade that brought them Al Jefferson who has anchored the team’s unity and leadership. But amidst myriad changes on the court and behind the scenes, the Wolves have embarked a journey to rebuild the franchise by taking a step back and nurturing a young team that is anxious to prove its power on the court.

Å After a slew of trades during the off-season, Rashad McCants has become a Timberwolves veteran and leader in only his third year in the NBA. Å Forward Craig Smith (a.k.a. Rhino) has been a dominating force for the Wolves. He was named to the 2006-2007 All-Rookie Team by the NBA and ended the 2008 season among the league leaders in field-goal shooting.

Å Crunch, the Wolves’ daring mascot, entertains fans throughout the game with his wild antics and stunts.É By the end of his rookie year in 2007, Randy Foye was named December’s T-Mobile Rookie of the Month and played in the NBA All-Star Game as part of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge in Las Vegas.

Rashad McCants

Craig Smith

Crunch

Randy Foye

Minnesota Timberwolves

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Ç Fans cheer on the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football team, which will play in the new TCF Bank Stadium in 2009.

of the Xcel’s 18,000 seats. Coached by Hall of Famer Jacques Lemaire, the Wild’s stick-wielding greats, such as Marian Gaborik, won’t let that fan enthu-siasm fall anytime soon.

Basketball fans had to wait much longer than Minnesota’s hockey fans when the Minneapolis Lakers moved to sunny Los Angeles in 1960. Fans waited nearly 30 years, but in 1989, the Minnesota Timberwolves emerged at the Metrodome. Al-though the Wolves ended their first season 22-60, it was the best record among the NBA’s four new-est teams. The Wolves moved to the Target Center the following year, and in 1995 they felt a change in the wind when the team drafted forward Kevin Garnett. During his second season, KG brought the Wolves to the playoffs for the first time in the team’s history, and it wouldn’t be the last. In 2004, Garnett earned the league’s Most Valuable Player award, helping the team reach the Western Conference fi-nals in the process. Last year, KG moved to the Boston Celt-ics, and recent changes on and off the court have momen-tarily cursed the Wolves in their playoff run. But starting a new season with a new team and outlook, they’re hoping to make Minnesotans fanatic about basketball again.

Our basketball talent doesn’t stop with the Wolves; we also boast the Lynx, top contenders in the WNBA. New Head Coach Don Zierden, former assistant coach for the Wolves, guides key contributors Nicole Ohlde and 2006 first overall pick Seimone Augustus.

Over the years, the University of Minnesota has had some tough times competing with other Big Ten schools like Ohio State and Michigan—until now. Before the 2007 season, the Gophers hired Denver Broncos tight end coach Tim Brewster and Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith to shake things up. With a new TCF Bank Stadium to be ready for football action fall 2009 and the Gophers basketball team fresh from a visit to last year’s National Invitation Tournament, Gophers fans definitely have great times ahead. Gg

Å The Swarm, Minnesota’s professional lacrosse team, has made it to the playoffs three times since coming to the Xcel Energy Center in 2005. They continue to be a fan favorite.

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Entertainment & Humor

Twin Cities Guest Guide - Sports