Minnesota: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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The Good: Gophers Hockey

The Minnesota Golden Gophers remain undefeated, starting their season with an 8-0 record! After starting the season out of the top 10, they have climbed up to the number 1 spot in just over 3 weeks! So many other things are falling apart at the seams (more on that), but at least MN can take pride that we’re number 1 at something!

USCHO Rankings – Dec. 14th, 2020

I’ve written about the Gophers a few times already this year, and the tone has not changed. From the beginning, the Gophers had high aspirations for their 100th season on the ice. It’s nice to finally see a team in this state realize their potential and play to that level. The Vikings and Gopher Football teams had essentially crushed any hopes for success from the beginning. The Loons waited until the last minute (extra time actually) before ripping the hearts out of that fan base. It’s sad to say, but it’s a weird feeling seeing a Minnesota team climb the ranks with success and a positive outlook. Now, the spotlight is where it belongs in the State of Hockey…on the ice.

A little bonus to add here: The Lady-Gophers are #2 in the national polls as well. I know that the Basketball team is off to a hot start and Chris Long (@ChrisLongKSTP on Twitter) may not agree, but Minnesota is a hockey school, in a hockey state.

The Bad: Referees (Again)

I feel like a petulant child when complaining about referees in sports, but sometimes there’s a case to be made. I’ll be the first to say that calls are usually missed on both sides of the ball and it USUALLY evens out. With that in mind, the following is presented without further comment.

The Ugly: Dan Bailey

RIP Dan Bailey.

The Circus was in town on Sunday

Not much more really needs to be said about the kicking woes that continue to plague the Minnesota Vikings. There’s a long history of kickers coming to Minnesota, only to have their careers derailed. Some burn out before they can start their professional journey as a kicker while others have their established records come to a crashing halt. Gary Anderson, Blair Walsh, Daniel Carlson, Kai Forbath, and now Dan Bailey are just a few names that come to mind.

Vikings Kicker Lineup

Bailey may have been a special teams Hall of Fame candidate if he just called it quits instead of coming to the Vikings. It’s weird to say it, but he’s gone from one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, to outside the top ten in a little over one season. After missing 3 FG’s and an extra point on Sunday, Vikings fans all over are saying their goodbyes to Bailey. Cue the Sarah McLachlan music.

I Will Remember You