The Big Weekend

Finally, the first truly huge sports weekend of 2010 has arrived, with the Vikings taking on the Cowboys in a divisonal playoff game, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux squaring off against the Golden Gophers in hockey, along with various other happenings throughout the weekend. College hockey is a big deal around these parts, and in the name of full disclosure for the uninitiated, I must admit that I will be rooting for my alma mater UND this weekend, and hoping the Sioux exit Mariucci with a pair of victories.

This allegiance has caused a fair degree of friction over the years (addmittedly most of that was my fault) as I run with a crew of hardcore Minnesota sports fans, many of whom have Gopher hockey at the top of their list. The Golden Gopher hockey team is the only Minnesota team I'm not a fan of, that being a byproduct of the years following their back-to-back NCAA championships in 2002 and 2003, when their fans were at the height of insufferability. However, in recent years I've come to realize that there is a big inconsistency between being a person who is quick to tell Packer fans to go back to Wisconsin whenever I encounter them in this city, yet bristles when North Dakota hockey isn't respected. You can't have it both ways.

Fortunately for me, the Sioux have held their own in the last half a decade while the Gophers have struggled. The number of people chirping at me on a Friday such as this has dwindled significantly during the last few years, to the point where it's only a few diehards that still make the effort. As for the problems and solutions facing Gopher hockey that's a topic for another day, but their struggles have made me realize the value of rivalry, and wish it woudl return. The losses may be crushing and the taunting that follows them merciless at times, but it also raises the wins to another level, and make the whole thing feel that much more worthwhile.

Now on to the Vikings, which is a much more complex and painful can of worms to open. All of my life I have been a huge Vikings fan, and all my life they have failed me. If the professional sports teams in Minnesota were the Corleone brothers, the Twins would be Michael, savvy, patient, successful; the Wolves would be Fredo (sorry, not up for debate) and the Vikings would be Sonny, bold, flamboyant, and likely to be found riddled with bullets outside a tollbooth. (Because I need a fourth, the Wild are Tom Hagen in this analogy, the clever consigliere with an eye on the bottom line, but who will never truly be part of the family, due to his Irish blood/late arrival on the scene).

The virtues of Sonny, like the Vikings, are many: Successful, bold, willing to shed blood for their family/fans. Unfortunately another trait they share is meeting a horrible end every time you watch them on film. I will be cheering passionately for the Vikes this Sunday, and I do believe that one day they will capture the title that has eluded them so far; whether or not I will live to see that day is another question. In the meantime I will just be trying to avoid falling back into that old trap of believing this week, and simply say the game will be what it will be, so no use trying to tie myself up in knots over it. Frankly I think Dallas is due for a clunker and we've got a good shot, I just hope any Vikings loss does nto involve the words "first time in history" or "missed 35-yard field goal as time expired"; that would be a bit much to take.

So, predictions for this weekends games:

Hockey
Sioux 4, Gophers 2
Gophers 3, Sioux 1
Wild 4, Phoenix 3

Basketball
Gopher 72, Indiana 66

Football
Saints 42, Cardinals 38
Colts 33, Ravens 24
Jets 23, Chargers 20 (The grand tradition of Divisional upsets continues, followed by the grand tradition of said upset team rolling over the next week)
Vikings 27, Cowboys 23 (Yes, you read that correctly, real Vikings teams wait to blow it on the big stage)