BEFORE YOU READ ANYTHING ELSE: Via Eli Radtke at Heavy Table. A huge sports week deserves a huge hot dog story to start it off. So here it is, courtesy of the St. Paul Saints and Minnesota’s best food blog. VERBATIM: “The Land of 10,000 Calories ($135, including four sodas) looks like something that a smokey room full of red-eyed college kids would come up with. This dish is so comically large, it belongs on a checkered tablecloth between Scooby-Doo and Shaggy. . . . Naturally, being the hot dog hound that I am, I woke up with a message from a friend with a link to the article and no text, just the link to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding out for a Hero”. Naturally, I immediately started planning to take it on.”
ONE MORE BITE FROM THE STORY: “I don’t think I will ever get closer to the feeling of being a celebrity than walking in front of that hot dog being wheeled out on a cart through a crowd of people. Fans stopped in their tracks and stared, some ran to get others from their seats to come and see. It was like I was in front of a float in a parade or something. The dog landed at our section mid first inning, and the game was on.”
READ THE WHOLE THING: https://fluence-media.co/bigdog0417
NOW, STICKING TO SPORTS: All six of our major pro sports team are making significant news right now, a rarity on the sports calendar. Here’s what’s biggest about each of them, with more to follow as you read on.
VIKINGS: The NFL Draft is the most riveting non-action event in pro sports. Round 1 is next Thursday and, even though the Vikings don’t pick until near the end, we’ll be glued. (Note: Next week’s Sports Take will publish on Friday morning so we can include first-round news and look ahead to the final two days.
WOLVES: Opening the playoff vs. the Lakers on Saturday night in Los Angeles (7:30 p.m., ABC). Denver would have been a better draw for the Wolves, but playing the Lakers brings better buzz. Beating them would bring even more.
TWINS: A disaster in the making. Could Should have seen this coming. Badly constructed roster and a manager who isn’t managing well.
LYNX: Worked the edges of the WNBA draft skillfully — both for the present and future — and look ready to play the role of chief pursuer to the New York Liberty.
LOONS: Four wins and three draws in their last seven matches. A dull 0-0 draw at Toronto in their last game was a setback. But on the scale of troubles, that doesn’t land hard. Or does it?
WILD: More of a struggle to make the playoffs than should have been necessary. But a hot goalie can carry a non-elite team through a Stanley Cup run. Can Filip Gustavsson catch fire? When will teenager Zeev Buium make this pro debut?
OVERALL: Gonna be a fun week with the possibility of added drama, for better or worse, for quite a while. Let’s get it started! No, let’s bring the Hammer and really get it started!
WOLVES OUT WEST: The Wolves didn’t catch a break in their playoff seeding — the sixth seed and a series against the Lakers, who are currently heavy (-200) favorites to win the series and 4.5-point favorites in the opener, according to BetMGM. The teams split their four games during the regular season. But the Lakers’ extreme roster makeover, featuring the addition of Luka Doncic, and playing at full strength gives the Wolves a bigger challenge than if they’d gotten Denver or Memphis in the first round.
SUPERSOFT: Via Jace Frederick at Pioneer Press. One reason the Wolves finished their season strong is their opponents were weak. VERBATIM: “The combined records of the teams Minnesota played over its final 21 games is 718-1004. That’s the equivalent of playing a 34-win team — effectively, the Spurs — on most nights. So, there were very few evenings in which Minnesota had its soft spots exposed. Does that mean those weaknesses no longer exist, or aren’t as problematic? Or will a team as good as the Lakers re-open scabs that might not actually have healed. Minnesota’s soft schedule played a large role in helping the Wolves dodge the play-in tournament. Only time will tell if it properly prepared Minnesota for the playoffs.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/soft0417
LUKA FACTOR. Via Shaun Powell at NBA.com. Powell picks the Lakers in six games, citing what Doncic did to the Wolves last season when his Dallas team beat them in the Western Conference finals. VERBATIM: “He has a great chance to endear himself to Lakers fans, as if they’re not already warmed up to him. And he can haunt the Wolves for the second straight spring. Who could forget how he chopped up the Wolves in the Western Conference Finals, and especially the 3-point dagger he dropped on Rudy Gobert — with a bit of trash talk tossed in? Minnesota might still be spooked by that.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/preview0417
RANDLE’S TIME? Via Jim Souhan at Star Tribune. For the last time, a deal needed to be made involving Karl-Anthony Towns in order to head off massive salary cap issues. While Julius Randle struggled to fit into Minnesota’s scheme for much of the season, here’s an argument that he’s the right player at the right time for the Wolves. VERBATIM: “As the Wolves prepare for a playoff series against the Lakers, Randle’s strength could play a major role on defense. The Wolves’ two best on-the-ball defenders, Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, aren’t strong enough to play physically against Doncic and LeBron James without fouling. Randle might not be an ideal match for either, but he won’t be overpowered by them.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/randle0417
WOLVES-LAKERS SCHEDULE: Via SI.com. https://fluence-media.co/wolveslakers0417
DRAFT OF ALL DRAFTS: Next week’s newsletter is almost certain to tip heavily toward what the Vikings did on the first day of the draft and what to expect for the final two days of what’s become a destination event for a certain kind of football fan. Here are tools to help you prepare:
TOP PROSPECTS: Via NFL.com. Here they are by (1) Overall draft grade. (2) Position. (3) School. Here’s a team-by-team look at top needs and where they pick. Gophers top prospects, topped by offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, are here.
LATEST MOCK DRAFTS: There are a bazillion on the web. Here are a half-dozen to take more seriously than others. The Athletic just published a mock draft that includes all 257 picks over seven rounds. ESPN has a mock draft that covers the first three rounds. USA Today used ChatGPT (with a human overlord checking on its work) to pick the first round. Here are more tradition first-round mocks from NFL.com, The Ringer and CBS Sports.
RABBIT HOLE: Unlike most recent drafts, there’s little consensus about what the Vikings will do with their first pick, which is No. 24 overall. The Athletic has them picking cornerback Jahdae Barron of Texas. HIS STORY: https://fluence-media.co/jahdae0417
THE QUOTE: “Mock drafts can be like steak. Many people love consuming them, but each one is made a little differently.” — Jack McKessy, USA Today
HE SAID IT SO WE DON’T HAVE TO: “It feels exactly like late last year.” — Carlos Correa after the Twins bumbled to a loss this week against the Mets in their series opener.
HOT SEAT ROCCO: Via Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic. Rocco Baldelli tops this list of nine MLB managers whose employment looks tenuous. VERBATIM: “The Twins, fighting declining attendance and trying to sell a new direct-to-consumer streaming product, were perhaps the team most in need of a strong start. They changed hitting coaches. Baldelli took a firmer approach. Yet . . . their malaise from the end of 2024 has extended into the start of ‘25. Fans are frustrated with the lack of commitment by the Pohlad ownership. Injuries . . . are part of the Twins’ problem. But for arguably the most talented team in the AL Central, the injury excuse goes only so far.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/rocco0417
MY TAKE: Almost every game brings new troubles. One day it’s Jose Miranda’s boneheaded baserunning fail that got him sent to the minors. Other days it’s the inability to make basic fielding plays. Most of the time it’s batters who have apparently blown off (or can’t execute) the team’s revised approach to hitting. The Twins don’t have a real leadoff hitter or much power in the middle of their batting order. Byron Buxton, Correa and the bullpen have been unreliable. Management did nothing to make the 2025 Twins better than the 2024 version — and the real ‘24 version appears for now to be the team that finished by spitting up a playoff spot by losing 27 of its final 39 games.
FALLOUT: The opening game of the Tigers series was among the most dispiriting games I’ve ever attended. The Twins blew a 4-1 lead, stayed close and blundered their way to defeat. The bench is so shallow that with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and runners on first and third, Baldelli didn’t feel he had a better choice than to stay with DH Mickey Gasper, who brought his 2-for-36 career bat to the plate and grounded out weakly to end the 7-6 loss. Baldelli’s only option after earlier bench moves? Miranda.
SAD ENCORE: The Twins announced a crowd of 10,240 for the series-opener against the Mets, their smallest ever in a game at Target Field that was played without COVID restrictions. REMINDER: That total includes all tickets sold, including those who had them and didn’t show on a chilly, drizzly night. But there have been other chilly, drizzly nights in Aprils past, so it’s not just the weather.
MORE MIRANDA MISERY: Via Bobby Nightengale at Star Tribune. After being sent to the minors, Miranda found himself on the Saints’ injured list from a Monday trip to . . . Target. VERBATIM: “A case of water slipped from his grasp, and he felt pain when he re-grabbed it before it fell.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/miranda0417
LOOK, A WINNING STREAK! Yes, the Twins won the last two games against the Mets. But neither was easy. In the 6-3 game on Tuesday, they made baserunning and fielding mistakes, and two key players (Correa and Matt Wallner) left with injuries. On Wednesday, star reliever Griffin Jax (7.04 ERA in 7 2/3 innings) struggled again, letting the Mets turn a 3-0 deficit into a 3-3 tie before the Twins won in the 10th on Ty France’s single. Willi Castro left early with an injury and Wallner went on the injured list. Solid teams make most of their victories look routine and battle through to win when they struggle. The Twins struggled to win two among a batch of bad performances and have the second-worst record in the American League.
IS THERE A CHANCE? Via Sarah McLellan at Star Tribune. The Vegas Golden Knights won all three of their games against the Wild this season, including two at the X, and should be strong favorites when their first-round Stanley Cup series begins. But the Wild is banking on fielding a healthier roster than Vegas saw in those games. VERBATIM: “The Wild are preparing for a first-round matchup against Vegas expected to start Sunday that looks lopsided at first glance after they were swept in the regular season, but the Wild are encouraged because the Golden Knights haven’t faced them the way they are now, and that’s healthy. ‘To do it with a full lineup, that’s the most exciting part,’ alternate captain Marcus Foligno said. ‘We’re all ready to go and feeling good going into the playoffs.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wildpreview0417
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE (UPDATED): Get ready to stay up late. Game 1 is set for a 9 p.m. faceoff on Sunday and Game 2 is scheduled for a 10 p.m. start on Tuesday. Both games will be on FDSN and ESPN. It will be announced after Thursday’s season-ending games are played. FULL SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/wildsked0417
CLASSY EXIT: Via Heather Rule at Minnesota Hockey Magazine. When the Wild forced overtime against Anaheim on Tuesday, they knew the regulation tie clinched the playoff spot. At that point Gustavsson suggested that retiring goalie Marc-Andre Fleury play the overtime period. Meaningless in the standings; meaning for everyone at the X. VERBATIM: “His saves helped keep overtime alive, and the Wild eventually won the game 3-2 on a Matt Boldy goal with 18 seconds left. While it’s traditional to mob the player who scored the game winner, Fleury’s teammates mobbed him near center ice. ‘I think our fate was winning the game like we did,’ said Wild defenseman Jake Middleton. ‘Maybe it was fate to go to overtime and get Flower in net the way we did, too. What a all-class move by Gus there, too. Very cool.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/fleury0417
TROUBLE WITH THE OFFENSE? Via Wes Burdine at Wes’s Substack. Reader David Zeller cited Burdine’s MNUFC blog as a good read in last week’s newsletter and his thoughts on the Loons’ 0-0 tie with Toronto over the weekend can educate both soccer supporters and new followers. For one thing, there’s this description of winless Toronto FC. VERBATIM: “A team abjectly terrible at soccer, whose stars are more concerned with whether or not they can vape in the locker room than they are with putting ball in net.”
SERIOUSLY NOW: Burdine explained why MNUFC’s counterattacking style will win games — until it probably won’t. VERBATIM: “We should start with the premise that the system Loons play can and likely will succeed in most cases. It’s really original and manager Eric Ramsay seems to be able to tweak it so far. And hey, look at us, we’re second in the West! However, there are two important caveats. 1. Loons have not yet beaten a top team (so let’s have a conversation after we play Vancouver, Austin, then Miami). 2. Teams that cede possession and let other teams control the tempo and tenor of the match may succeed over a season, but struggle in high-pressure, knockout games. It’s this second caveat that interests me about the Toronto match, because — and Ramsay knows this — there are going to be games where the Loons have to adjust, step forward, and control a game more. What does it look like and how good are they at adjusting?” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/loons0417
LYNX POLISH ROSTER, LOOK AHEAD: Via Terry Horstman at The Next. It may not have looked like much, but the Lynx made a move intended to bolster their 2025 title chances and another that could make a big impact on their future in the WNBA draft. After swapping their first-round pick with Chicago for the Sky’s 2026 first-round pick, the Lynx traded their own 2026 first-round pick to Washington for Karlie Samuelson, a career 40% three-point shooter who will also bring tough defense. VERBATIM: “Samuelson adds even more sweet shooting and tenacious defense to a team that prides itself on doing both. Playing under new assistant coach Eric Thibault, Samuelson had the best season of her professional career last year with the Mystics. She’ll enter camp as a prime candidate to fill the void left by Cecilia Zandalasini, who was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in December’s Expansion Draft.”
AND THE FUTURE? Down the road, if things work out, fans will share the story of how the Lynx made a steal in the second round. VERBATIM: With pick No. 15, Reeve and the Lynx brought in one of the youngest and most intriguing prospects in the draft, Anastasiia Olairi Kosu from UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League. Kosu, a Russian player of Nigerian descent, is one of the most decorated 19-year-olds around. At 14 years old, she represented Russia at the 2019 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship. At 15, she became one of the youngest players ever to play in EuroLeague, and at 16 she represented the national team at the 2021 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. Now 19, Kosu is arguably the most athletic player in this year’s draft class and has a real chance to make her WNBA dreams come true.” FULL REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/lynxdraft0417
WHO IS KOSU? Via Hunter Cruse at The Next. The Russian-born Kosu is a 6-foot-1 forward. Her father, who died when she was six years old, was born in Nigeria and played pro basketball in Spain. VERBATIM: Kosu is one of the best athletes in this year’s draft. . . . With a 6’5 wingspan, she has the potential to be a defensive chess piece who can switch onto wings, blitz ball screens, and play a helper role as a secondary rim-protector. ‘Each coach has their own defensive principles, but it’s easy for me to adapt to it,’ Kosu said. ‘I can guard players in different positions, big and small. It’s a plus for me and allows me to get easy points in transition after a good play on defense.’ On the offensive end, Kosu is a great cutter, paired with impressive mid-air finishing (55.2% from 2 on the season) and a knack for drawing fouls. She is also a rebounding mismatch, averaging 4.3 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/kosu0417
STYLING: Via Vanessa Friedman and Thea Traff at New York Times. The basketball drafts — WNBA and NBA — are about dressing up in a way that other drafts can’t match. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, whose Game 5 fashion choice last season annoyed Lynx fans, said: “These girls sit at the intersection of sport, culture and fashion.” The Times talked to the 15 players who were invited to attend the draft about what they wore. If you were watching, you saw that No. 1-pick Paige Bueckers switched outfits midway through, going from sparkly to boxy. VERBATIM: “I’ve gotten really into fashion these past couple years. Coach and I worked together this past week on this amazing idea. I wanted it sparkly, bedazzled, and just a little pop, but nothing too crazy, and I felt like the oversize-suit look is trending. When I put it on, it fit like a glove.” PHOTOS AND STORY: https://fluence-media.co/style0417
WHAT ARE THE TWINS WORTH? Via CNBC.com. CNBC released its list of MLB team evaluations and the Twins came in at $1.65 billion — 22nd among30 teams. That’s up from the $1.5 million that Forbes placed the Twins value at in 2014. Debt currently comprises 24% of the teams value, according to the rankings. That’s fourth highest in baseball behind Miami, Washington and Texas. Previous media reports have said the Pohlad family, which put the Twins on the market last year, has been hoping for a $1.7 billion sale price. The Pohlads bought the team in 1984 for $41 million, the equivalent of $126.2 million in 2025 dollars. CHART: https://fluence-media.co/mlbteams0417 VALUATION METHOD: https://fluence-media.co/method0417
MOTZKO TO COACH WORLD JUNIORS: Gophers coach Bob Motzko will lead Team USA in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, which will be played at the X and Mariucci Arena in December and January. Motzko coached the under-20 team to a gold medal in 2016 and a bronze in 2017. The United States has won the last two tournaments and will be going for its eighth gold. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/juniors0417
LASTEST BIG LIST: Via Jake Epstein at Star Tribune. 100 more high school athletes announced their commitments to Division I and II schools this week. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/list0417
AND FINALLY, A 100-GAME LOSING STREAK ENDS: Via Mark Puleo at The Athletic. Yeshiva University of New York defeated Lehman College in the second game of a doubleheader to end a 100-game losing streak that stretched back to 2022. And Lehman’s win in the opener ended its own streak of 42 losses in a row. The doubleheader received major media attention in and around New York City. ODDITY: One reason the Yeshiva streak reached 100 was a can’t-make-this-up-loss last month — in which the game-ending run scored on strike-three passed ball. Was that bizarre defeat, which brought extra attention to the eventual streak-buster, preordained? VERBATIM: “I could tell you it’s math, but as a believer in higher authority, I believe the math led us here to do good things and show off our university and the things we like to do well. God works in funny ways,” Yeshiva coach Jeremy Renna said. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/streaks0417
Thanks for reading. Back with more next week.
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