My wife often teases me about my ability to see plausible paths to victory or success for Minnesota sports teams when the reality tells us the alternative is — if not assured — then at least far more likely.
A voicemail from a random reader left on my office phone the other day reinforced that idea, at least when it comes to what have traditionally been considered the four major men's professional sports in the United States.
With the Wolves losing their playoff series to the Rockets on Wednesday, the caller noted, Minnesota teams in the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL have now gone 100 combined seasons since any even played in the championship game or series of their league, let alone won it. Yes, it's been since the Twins won the World Series in 1991 — 26 seasons of the Twins, 27 for the Vikings, 27 for the Wolves and 20 combined for the North Stars (two) and Wild (18).
When does Lynx training camp open again? Sunday! Good! The WNBA dynasty has been the pro sports antidote to all of this gloom and doom.
But first, I want to circle back on the misery because my brain made a very strange connection the other day (as it often does). While I don't technically believe in "curses," it's hard not to believe in this:
In 2018, Minnesota teams have been subjected to the Curse of the Flying Objects.
The Vikings had one of their best regular seasons in history and advanced all the way to the NFC title game, where they were one game away from playing in the Super Bowl in their home stadium. Instead, they were crushed 38-7 by the Eagles.
The Wild and Wolves then made the postseason in the same year for just the second time ever. The giddiness quickly dissipated, though. First, it was the Wild getting bounced in five games by the Jets. The Timberwolves' series followed the same pattern, and they, too, lost — to the Rockets.
