Everything but the NFL (and of course NFL picks)

As a dedicated (some might say demented) follower of all things sports, particularly the local variety, my favorite place on Earth is a bar called Joe Senser's in Eagan, MN.  With 4 x 6' screens ringing the inside and every sports package known to man, it is truly a sportsfan's paradise if you catch it on the right evening. Tonight, with the Wild facing the Red Wings, Wolves playing the Lakers, and Gopher hoops squaring off against North Carolina, happens to be one of those evenings.  Heck, there's even a Duluth-Wisconsin college hockey showdown thrown in to boot.

Although these winter sports teams have been in action for a few weeks, tonight feels like the true lidlifter on the season.  Perhaps it's the first meaningful college hoops game, first Timberwolves game that is actually being broadcast (more on that later), or just the fact there's snow on the ground, I'm ready to embrace the Boys of Winter.  So far, they're making it seem like that love may not be squandered. 

The Wolves are what they are, a team that we're simply not expecting much from in terms of results.  The success or failure of the season will hinge on intangibles: Staying competitive, finding an identity, young players improving.  So far, with the emergence of Michael Beasley as an elite scorer, Kevin Love's amazing rebounding and Wes Johnson's promise, they're delivering in spades.  I've been a big critic of GM David Kahn the past couple of years, due to the arrogance I perceived from him and some flat-out preposterous statements he's made.  It must be acknowledged that we are only 13 games into this thing, but based on the early returns, we could be a few months away from an official apology being issued.  The bar is low, and the first steps are always easiest, but for the first time in a very long time, I'm intrigued by Timberwolves basketball.  And that's really all I was asking this season.

The Wild had more expected of them this season, and haven't exactly gotten off to a blazing start.  But things certainly haven't been bad either, and some of the keys to success I addressed way back in June have shown promise.  The bottom line is they're going to need more goals, period.  But with Nicklas Backstrom returning to form to steal a few games in the earlygoing, Brent Burns looking like his old self and the addition of Matt Cullen proving to be a revelation, things are looking up a bit.  Even my nemesis Halfthat has looked suprisingly competent.  Are there concerns?  Heck yes.  The ridiculous powerplay percentage won't hold up, last year's leading goal scorer is on the shelf with an injury and the goaltenders can't keep this up all season.  But the good news is, so far so good, and after a 2009-10 season in which an early hole was dug, leaving the team trying to claw out of it all season, we'll take it.

Gopher hoops was to be the savior this winter.  No national, or even Big Ten, title aspirations, but a fun team with talent up and down the lineup that closed out last year on a high note.  College basketball is a fantastic sport, consistently exciting, with wild swings of momentum and scoring, played in historic venues in front of rabid crowds, I just can't say enough about it.  The Gophers have never been a star-studded group of high-achievers, but they've always been competent, save the dark days of the Muson Era.  But now, in year 4 of the Tubby Smith Revolution, the team seemed poised to make a leap.  Frankly, it was a leap that was supposed to be made last season, before a rash off suspensions and ineligibility derailed everything.  So you can imagine the foreboding that was being felt when the teams best guard, Davoe Joseph, was suspended for a violation of team rules last week.  We still don't know what he did, or when he'll be back, but we do know one thing: When (if?) he returns, this team could be really good.

Now I don't want to get too far down the road on you, but is there any event that packs more excitement per minute than March Madness?  With a whole season of ups and downs, wins and losses, avoiding injury and other missteps, still to come, it's way early to be chatting about this.  But I can't get the thought of making it through that first weekend out of my head, and from what I can see (knock on wood) this team could have the pieces to do it.  Of course that whole opinion might get turned on it's ear after watching them play the #8 team in the country tonight, but I love that this matchup is happening.  Beyond the experience of simply facing good competition, these games have a way of hanging around all season.  The past two years is't been early-season upsets of ranked opponents that helped the Gophers earn tourney berths, and while I hope that's not necessary this season, a good showing is always nice to have.  I don't expect a win by any means, but I am hoping for one.  At any rate, hope you can enjoy a great evening of sports.

(Closed-circuit to Fox Sports North, it doesn't wreck my night that you're not showing the Gopher hockey game tonight, but did you really have to show a home game of a hated rival?  Don't get me wrong, I'm always a fan of a good college hockey game, and being that I can't watch my Sioux in the wilds of Omaha tonight, will be casting an eye toward the Bulldogs and Badgers.  But if I was a Gopher hockey fan, or a Timberwolves diehard who missed K-Love's 31-31 game or Beasley's last second winner on Sunday, I'd feel pretty jerked around. 

I know it's a rough economy and all that, so not sending a production crew to Houghton, Michigan might be excusable, but the simple fact is we've got too many things going on in this town to live with your paltry bandwith.  Sports stations in other cities have alternate channels that pop up when games conflict, so with two professional teams and a popular college program colliding at least once a weekend for nearly half the year, I gotta ask, where are you at on that one?  And don't tell me to get a life and not worry about watching all three at once, I'm your bread-n-butter consumer here folks.)

NFL Picks

Last week: 9-4 (I believe 'scintilating' is the word you're looking for)
Overall: 61-51-3

Ben
Last week: 6-7 (Thud)
Overall: 22-15-1

Brent
Last week: 6-7 (Double thud)
Overall: 20-18-1



MIAMI -1.5 over Chicago (Little hiccup there, don't ever pick Miami at home, lesson learned)
PITTSBURGH -7 over Oakland
NY JETS -7 over Houston
Baltimore -10.5 over CAROLINA
TENNESEE -7 over Washington
Detroit +6.5 over DALLAS
Green Bay -3 over MINNESOTA
Buffalo +6 over CINCINATTI
Cleveland +1.5 over JACKSONVILLE
KANSAS CITY -8 over Arizona
Seattle +11.5 over NEW ORLEANS
Atlanta -3 over ST. LOUIS
Tampa Bay +3.5 over SAN FRANCISCO
NEW ENGLAND -3.5 over Indianapolis
NY Giants +3 over PHILADELPHIA
SAN DIEGO -10 over Denver