Fans News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/fans/ Minnesota sports, but different Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:57:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Fans News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/fans/ 32 32 MN Wild TV Broadcast Ranked Embarrassingly Low https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/tv-broadcast-ranked-low-nhl/ Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:55:01 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=65394 The Minnesota Wild are in the middle of a… less than interesting offseason. Of course, that’s not how it was supposed to be. But so far, president of hockey operations Bill Guerin has chosen not to spend any of the newfound cap space available now that the Parise and Suter cap penalties are off the books.

For now, Kirill Kaprizov remains unextended. Marco Rossi and the Wild haven’t spoken in months, either, after he and his camp felt lowballed and disrespected during the playoffs and earlier contract discussions.

So far, Minnesota’s only notable addition has been Vladimir Tarasenko, who’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his NHL career. Don’t fret though, MN Wild fans, because the Kaprizov deal will still probably get done.

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild
Credit: Bruce Fedyck-Imagn Images

And it doesn’t seem like other teams are jumping at the chance to get their hands on Rossi, so he very well may be on his way back to St. Paul by the end of the summer, too. Where Wild owner Craig Leipold should apparently focus his attention is on his team’s television broadcast.

Minnesota Wild TV broadcast ranked near bottom of NHL

This, after the Minnesota Wild TV broadcast on FanDuel Sports North was ranked near the very bottom of the NHL, in a recent fan study done by The Athletic. According to their report, Wild games on FSN rank 27th overall, among the 32 NHL teams.

Related: Report: Kirill Kaprizov Contract Talks with MN Wild Stalled Out

Worse yet, it’s local fans who hate it most. Minnesota scored a 3.91 “local score” among hockey fans who were surveyed. Outsiders who have seen Wild broadcasts ranked it 14th overall. Last year, the MN Wild ranked 25. Without a doubt, sports fans in this town are tired of Fox Sports North.

Not only have games become increasingly difficult to watch in recent years, but those who made their opinions known in this survey are also disgusted by the presentation itself. Everything from the look, to the lag, to the glitches. Fans are over it.

The Broadcast: FanDuel Sports Network North carries Wild games, with Anthony LaPanta on play-by-play. Wes Walz, Ryan Carter and Lou Nanne rotate on color.

Local score: 3.91 (29th

National score: 2.99 (14th)

Last season rank: 25

The results: Minnesota’s poor ranking is the culmination of a few issues. One of them is FanDuel Sports Network’s production and presentation. Some fans reported technical glitches related to lagging and audio sync, while others lamented the broadcast’s look.

“The graphics and studio setup for Minnesota is awful,” said a Wild fan. “Garishly green and red. When I see Sportsnet or the feed for the Canadian market local broadcasts, it’s such a cleaner look.”

The Athletic

Fans want major changes to Wild TV broadcasts

According to The Athletic’s survey, fans are fond of play-by-play voice, Anthony LaPanta, though they aren’t all that interested in his side-tangents and random statistics. The same cannot be said for LaPanta’s bevy of color commentating partners.

Apparently, fans want an end to the ever-flowing rotation in the booth. Through this poll, they are calling for Ryan Carter to be Anthony LaPanta’s permanent color commentator. Wes Walz, on the other hand, they want permanently delegated to the postgame show.

Anthony LaPanta drew mostly positive feedback on play-by-play — though some fans noted that he goes off on too many tangents where he’s telling stories or citing obscure stats — but the rotating nature of the color analyst gig didn’t go over well.

There were a lot of complaints about Walz specifically, who fans prefer in a studio analyst role. “It would be nice if they would just keep Ryan Carter in the booth as the color analyst and Wes Walz in the studio (as an analyst),” said one fan.

The Athletic

We’ll see if this fan study, along with other complaints they are surely receiving directly, move the Minnesota Wild to make any major changes to their TV broadcast for the upcoming 2025-26 season. In today’s day and age, this is the LAST poll you want to be ranked near the bottom of.

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Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:57:25 +0000 Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Vikings Wives Not Impressed by Detroit Lions Fans https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/minnesota-vikings-news/detroit-lions-fans-behavior-vikings-wives/ Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:39:56 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=58901 The Minnesota Vikings lost on Sunday Night Football against the Detroit Lions, in week 18. Not only did the loss cost them the No. 1 seed, a 1st round bye and home field advantage in the playoffs.

Failing to complete the mission in Detroit was bad enough. After all, it was only the most important regular season game in either organization’s history. But losing is worse when it happens at what has apparently become the Philadelphia of the NFC North.

Minnesota Vikings wives appalled by behavior of Detroit Lions fans

That’s right. Two nice seasons for the Kitties has quickly gone to the heads of their fans, and not in a good way. After the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Lions on Sunday, multiple wives of Vikings players took to social media to describe how brutally they were treated by Lions fans at Ford Field.

Dalton Risner and his wife Whitney Risner - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Andrew Van Ginkel’s wife said it was the worst she has ever experienced. Dalton Risner’s wife said she was inappropriately touched and heckled. Oh, and the same fans whose team has been decimated by injuries this season… are begging the football gods for the same thing on opposing teams.

“I’ve honestly never been treated so poorly by another team’s fan base as I was on Sunday… the other 13 girls said the same thing”

— Sam Van Ginkel (@Sam_VanGinkel) January 7, 2025

It’s sad to see such a small sliver of success reveal the true Lions fan, behind those brown paper bags. We’ve never written an article about Vikings’ wives complaining about how they were treated at a road stadium. Who would have thought that our first time would be in reference, not to Philly fans or New York fans… but Detroit fans.

Related: Slumping Kicker a Concern for Vikings Says Insider

Of course, creating a good home field advantage is important in the NFL. We know all about that, as Minnesota Vikings fans who use US Bank Stadium to rattle visiting teams. But the goal is to create a hostile environment for the other team… but not for their family members.

Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised, though. We are talking about a fanbase that has been openly celebrated player injuries since head coach Dan Campbell arrived on the scene.

Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions

Vikings vs Lions Part III…?

This may not be the last time Lions fans play host to the Minnesota Vikings, before the 2024-25 season/postseason is complete. It’s very possible these two teams meet again, for a third time this season, and it could happen as soon as the divisional round.

If the NFC wildcard round plays out the way it is seeded, except the No. 5 seed Vikings “upset” the No. 4 seed Rams, then Minnesota would be the lowest remaining seed, going into the divisional round. As the No. 1 seed, the Lions will play the lowest remaining seed in round two, after they enjoy a bye in the wildcard round.

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Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:39:59 +0000 Minnesota Vikings News Minnesota Vikings
Rudy Gobert Should Focus on Winning, Not Fans Booing https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/rudy-gobert-fans-boos-target-center/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 12:53:41 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=41160 The (9-8) Minnesota Timberwolves have won four-straight games, elevating them above .500 for the first time since November 1. But during their most recent contest vs a depleted Miami Heat team, they trailed by double digits early and fans at Target Center were frustrated. Consequently, boos rained down on Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards and the rest of the Wolves.

Thankfully, a 3rd quarter rally changed the course of the game for Minnesota. And a solid 4th quarter finish sent the Heat back to warm weather with an ice cold L on their record. So, all was good in the winning locker room postgame, right?

Well… not exactly. Because the boos heard earlier in the night were still weighing heavy on some of the Timberwolves roster. Most notably, Rudy Gobert.

Reminder for Gobert, Edwards

Why is Rudy Gobert so concerned about how fans at Target Center are fanning? Shouldn’t he and the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves be more concerned with their struggle to remain over .500? I mean, Gobert has yet to prove he was worth the plethora of draft picks and roster assets that new President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, gave up for him. And that’s a large part of why the boos are happening.

Lucky for Rudy, there’s an easy remedy for boo birds at Target Center: Play better.

Which the Timberwolves did later that same night. And guess what? The crowd responded immediately. In fact, Jon Krawczynski’s (The Athletic) question, which prompted Rudy’s complaints, actually surrounded how loud the crowd got in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

That’s when the Wolves turned things around and flipped the momentum in their direction. Jon asked about how that support felt during the run. It was one of the more raucous the home crowd has been all season.

But instead of answering the question as asked, Rudy (and Ant to a lesser extent) steered the conversation back to the boos heard earlier; trying to tell fans how to cheer, or in this case, when it’s ok to boo.

But there’s one problem. Fans can boo whenever they want. They pay for the tickets, thus they decide when and when not to cheer or boo their team. If Rudy & Co play better, the boos go away. Just like they did on Monday night. Pretty simple.

Wolves Fans Called Out Again

Remember, this isn’t the first time Minnesota Timberwolves fans have been called out by a newcomer. Last season, it was D’Angelo Russell who called them out from the podium and challenged fans to stand up early at home games until the Wolves scored their first field goal of the day/night.

When DLo did it, the Target Center “quiet ass fans” weren’t loud enough. Now this year, their boos are too loud for Rudy Gobert. But here’s the thing. Professional athletes cannot have their cake and eat it too, in this situation.

If they want sports fans to invest themselves financially and emotionally, then they should expect negative ramifications when they play poorly. Because when you invest in something and it fails, that’s frustrating. If fans are uninvested, then failure is met with apathy.

It’s been a long time since the Minnesota Timberwolves entered a season with the high expectations they did this season. Fans were promised a winner, something they haven’t really seen in nearly two decades. If those expectations aren’t met, players shouldn’t point fingers at fans. They should look in the mirror.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Wed, 23 Nov 2022 06:53:49 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves
DLo Doubles Down on Quiet Wolves Fans, Suggests New Tradition to Help https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/dlo-doubles-down-on-quiet-wolves-fans-suggests-new-tradition-to-help/ Tue, 08 Feb 2022 18:27:21 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=37985 After the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Detroit Pistons at Target Center over the weekend, D’Angelo Russell was asked about Patrick Beverley’s importance to the team. He turned his answer, which began with Beverley’s consistent energy, into a plea to “quiet-ass” Wolves fans.

DLo wants more energy in the building, given how well the squad is playing of late. At 28-25, the Timberwolves are looking more and more like a playoff team as the season moves along. But basketball fans here have been mentally beaten, battered and assaulted by this franchise over two decades of embarrassment.

Russell Can’t Understand

Those who grew up in Minnesota and consider themselves a Timberwolves fan have had few reasons to cheer on their favorite team. Three games over .500 in February isn’t going to turn on a majority of fans who’ve been forced into Wolves impotence for most of two decades.

That was pointed out by Jon Krawczynski, who’s from MN and has covered the Wolves for much of their existence. He wrote a piece in The Athletic on Tuesday, trying to explain to Wolves fans and to Russell where each side is coming from.

DLo Doubles Down

Timberwolves color commentator for Bally Sports North, Jim Peterson, thought both sides could learn a lot from Jon’s article. D’Angelo Russell, however, wasn’t fazed. He doubled down on his ask for Wolves fans to be better and even had a suggestion.

DLo wants the crowd at Target Center to start a new game tradition, in an effort to pump up the energy early in games. He’s asking Wolves fans to stand up from first tip, until the home team scores their first basket.

As a Minnesota kid who was born in 1989, the same year the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise was founded, I rolled my eyes at Russell’s initial comments over the weekend. He doesn’t understand what we’ve been through.

But on the contrary, I’m impressed by his willingness to double down. At the end of the day, what happened in the past doesn’t matter when you think about the rest of this season. DLo knows what we all do. Loud home crowds can make a big difference on any given night. Naturally, he wants that home-court advantage as games start to matter more and more down the stretch.

Consider Me Impressed

I’ll also give him credit for working to find a solution. Way too many people complain without any solution in mind. But Russell didn’t just complain. He took a step forward in trying to help fix the quiet situation with a plausible ask of fans at Target Center.

So, I guess the ball is in the court of Target Center fans. The Wolves next home game is Tuesday, February 15 vs Charlotte at 7 PM. We’ll see how they react.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Tue, 08 Feb 2022 12:35:04 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves
Bears, Vikings Fans Unite in Anti-Packers Chants Leaving Soldier Field https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/bears-vikings-fans-unite-in-anti-packers-chants-leaving-soldier-field/ Tue, 21 Dec 2021 16:39:58 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=37543 Monday night’s football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears was difficult to watch on both sides. The Vikings won and kept their playoff hopes alive but posted just 17 points and less than 200 yards of total offense (Cousins threw for 87 yards).

Chicago mustered 9 points, six of which came on a last-second heave, but went for nearly double the yards on offense (370) and had way more opportunities in the red zone. But Fields & Co turned the ball over three times and made huge mistakes in the worst-possible situations, costing the Bears any chance they might have had at victory.

There wasn’t a fan leaving Soldier Field last night, for either team, who felt confident about their squad going forward. So instead of fighting each other on their way out of the stadium, opposing cheering sections united in their hatred for a common enemy. The Green Bay Packers.

Luke Braun covers the Minnesota Vikings for the “Locked On” Podcast Network and has written about them at ZoneCoverage.com, among other outlets. Lucky for us, he made the trip to Chicago and got to take in this disaster of a game in-person and got to participate in the exit festivities.

Awesome or Sad?

Is it sad and a bit depressing that Vikings and Bears fans have to stoop this low? Yes, chanting about a common rival who’s already clinched the North Division (and didn’t even participate in the night’s contest) is nothing to brag about. But there wasn’t much else to cheer about leaving Soldier Field, especially for Bears fans who made up the majority of the crowd

And if you’re a Chicago Bears fan then this sort of thing isn’t that out of the ordinary. Apparently, anti-Packers chants can bust out at any time in the Windy City. Sports are fun.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Tue, 21 Dec 2021 10:47:44 +0000 Minnesota Vikings
Under Review: Brian Robison Rips Packer Fan’s Cheesehead in Half https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/under-review-brian-robison-rips-packer-fans-cheesehead-in-half-minnesota-vikings/ Mon, 22 Nov 2021 16:31:01 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=37231 Sundays are better when the Minnesota Vikings win and the satisfaction reaches even higher levels when the victory comes over a division leading Green Bay Packers team. I’ve written about why the purple/gold won this weekend over the green/gold and, hopefully, we all saw what Adam Thielen had to say about Kirk Cousins and much more in one of the greatest <2 minute postgame interviews in sports history.

But what I didn’t see until later in the night was what happened on the US Bank Stadium big screen during a Brian Robison feature cutaway early in the 1st quarter. The former retired, former Vikings defensive end was in attendance so they put him up on the “jumbotron” to rally the crowd. Then, this happened.

This scene is under further review.

I saw Robison rip that cheesehead and throw it off the balcony in the above video at 9 PM Sunday night, just before this old 32-year-old man’s bedtime. But even then, I had my doubts about the legitimacy. You can’t just go around ripping people’s hats in-half in 2021. Companies get sued for things like that.

But, nothing about the above video really screams fake. So I tweeted “WHAT A LEGEND” with the video, then watched some TV and went to bed.

But shortly after logging into Twitter on Monday morning, I found the full video. With the discover came a little bit of embarrassment, maybe some shame, for my tweet the night before. I felt kind of bamboozled… led astray? Because after further review (seeing the full scene up on the Vikings official Twitter account), it quickly became clear that the bullying scene was all an act. Not just an act, but a really bad acting job on all accounts.

Look, I get it. Nobody wants a lawsuit on their hands and the Vikings organization can’t afford to have a former player walking around and physically destroying the cheesehead property of opposing fans while at US Bank Stadium. But couldn’t they have fixed a better scene than this?

Who did this?

How far did the Minnesota Vikings promotional staff actually go to make this bad SNL skit into reality?

Is that even a real Packer fan or some ($15/hour + commission) member of the Vikings sales team who was just happy to hang out with Brian Robison for a few minutes before the game to go over the script a few times? I mean, that guy’s shirt isn’t even a Packers shirt. It’s a poop green “Gridiron Duel” shirt fresh out of the Packers team store in 1996.

Are we sure that’s a real cheesehead that got ripped in half? Can we even be sure that’s actually Brian Robison? I would have liked to believe that the real Brian Robison would be a much better actor than this. There’s no WWE in that dude’s future.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Mon, 22 Nov 2021 10:33:24 +0000 Minnesota Vikings
WATCH: Vikings Fans Take on Panthers Fans in Huge Brawl https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/watch-vikings-fans-take-on-panthers-fans-in-huge-brawl/ Mon, 18 Oct 2021 19:13:07 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=36678 The Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers weren’t only fighting it out on the football field this past Sunday. Fans of both teams, after a few drinks, were ready to rumble too. The concourse was their octagon and there were no rules. The fight lasted about three minutes and it was the ultimate test of each competitor’s world class athleticism.

The entire scene was action packed. Punches and kicks were thrown, jerseys and cargo shorts were everywhere. It was intense. Then at about 1:20, tensions boil over and erupt into utter chaos. There’s a Vikings fan in a purple t-shirt who seems to drive most of the violence and take most of the beating… but he may have had good reason.

Watch for yourself and then read below for some details on the melee, that have come out since.

What happened?

The main Vikings fan in the video (purple t-shirt guy), who gets knocked out while on his knees at the 1:40 mark, had a reason to be so upset, according to Outkick.com. Before the camera started rolling, his mom was apparently “sucker punched”. That according to an off-duty police officer who saw it happen and tackled the alleged assailant (watch in the background at the 0:09 mark).

“He kept getting up attacking. For some reason the video portrayed as if he stayed on the ground. He actually was taken down multiple times. Idk why be he was mad at an elderly woman.”

Off-Duty Officer Goins (via Outkick)

Much like the Minnesota Vikings on the field, purple t-shirt guy refused to give up! That brutal shot purple he took to the face was similar to the Sam Darnold touchdown that sent the actual game to overtime. But just when the fight felt over for the Vikings, purple t-shirt guy wakes from the dead and chases down the “sucker punch” artist who started all of this.

Yes, the same “sucker punch” artist who was tackled at the 0:09 mark by the off-duty police officer finally resurfaces at 02:00 of the video and purple t-shirt guy takes off after him. You’ll see him catch and land a haymaker of his own six seconds later that finally puts some justice into this video. Finally, purple t-shirt guy was able to honorably defend his mom, his wife (who got knocked to the ground in this video too) and the honor of all Vikings fans.

Encore

The last of the melee happened up where “sucker punch” artist was laid out to end the last video. These Carolina fans really like to take out their anger on middle-aged women. This time, it’s a young and very fit female Carolina fan who commits the crime on the innocent Vikings fan. Has Carolina become the new Philadelphia?

Cooper Carlson | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Mon, 18 Oct 2021 14:20:24 +0000 Minnesota Vikings
Twins Will Ramp Target Field Up to Full Capacity Using 3-Stage Plan That Starts Friday https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-will-ramp-target-field-up-to-full-capacity-using-3-stage-plan-that-starts-friday/ Thu, 13 May 2021 15:15:54 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=35007

The Minnesota Twins are expanding their capacity limit at Target Field to a full house and it will happen in three steps. Starting immediately (May 13), capacity limits will increase to 60%. Then in June, they’ll ramp it up to 80%, before giving it the full-go on July 5. That will give the Twins 40 games with the possibility of a full stadium. But they might want to start winning if they want to see that dream come to fruition.



Team Statement (via press release)

“Our fans are what make baseball great, as they truly transform Target Field into our home ballpark, and a day or evening at the Twins game into lifelong memories,” said club President & CEO Dave St. Peter. “To that end, we are grateful that our state and region continue to be on a path toward improved health and a return to normalcy, and we are absolutely thrilled to begin our measured, responsible and safe ramp up to 100 percent capacity at the ballpark. We look forward to continue bringing our community together through Twins baseball this season, and we cannot wait to see – and hear – a full house at Target Field.”


If interested in buying some of these newly available seats, here’s a link to the Twins’ official ticket sales page.

Minnesota Sports Fan

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Thu, 13 May 2021 10:20:55 +0000 Minnesota Twins
Governor Walz Finally Allows Fans Back in Minnesota Sports Venues https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/governor-walz-finally-allows-fans-back-in-minnesota-sports-venues/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/governor-walz-finally-allows-fans-back-in-minnesota-sports-venues/#respond Fri, 12 Mar 2021 15:20:56 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=33730

Pressure has been mounting for Tim Walz to make a decision on whether or not he would allow fan back into the large sports and event venues in the state of Minnesota. Most notably, the Minnesota Twins have been hoping to host 10,000 fans at Target Field on Opening Day.

After a month of silence, the Governor announced today that the Twins, along with other large venues around the state, can resume hosting patrons at a limited capacity. In fact, every business that hosts guests got some good news this morning.





Finally. This was a long time coming. Other states have had fans back in stands safely at this capacity for months and are getting ready to ramp up. But, I’ll take what Walz has given. At least we aren’t California.

There hasn’t been anything posted by the Minnesota Wild or Timberwolves on when they will start allowing fans. But based off the new guidelines, we should see a few thousand people in both the Target and Xcel Energy Centers ASAP.

UPDATE:

The Minnesota Wild and St. Paul Saints have announced when and how many fans will be allowed at Xcel Energy Center and CHS Field, respectively.




Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fans

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https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/governor-walz-finally-allows-fans-back-in-minnesota-sports-venues/feed/ 0 Fri, 12 Mar 2021 12:10:11 +0000 Minnesota Twins
Pressure Mounting on Walz to Put Fans Back in Stadium Stands https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/pressure-mounting-on-tim-walz-to-put-fans-back-in-minnesota-stadium-stands/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/pressure-mounting-on-tim-walz-to-put-fans-back-in-minnesota-stadium-stands/#respond Sat, 06 Mar 2021 01:53:47 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=33601

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen fans in Minnesota’s vast and expensive professional and major college stadiums. In fact, it’s been about one year exactly, since the Timberwolves hosted the Pelicans on March 8, 2020 in front of a supposed sellout crowd of 18,978 people at Target Center (according to ESPN).



But with vaccines ramping up and COVID numbers falling, cries to open the billions of dollars worth of stadiums around the Twin Cities are growing louder. I was calling for fans over Christmas weekend but nobody cares what I think.

Now, names with much louder voices are beginning to finally be heard by Governor Walz at the Capitol.

Pro Teams Making Push

The push to open stadiums at a limited capacity begins with the professional teams around the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Twins sent plans and a request to the Governor’s office a couple of weeks ago, asking for 26% capacity (10,000 fans total).

But they aren’t the only ones. LaVelle E. Neal of the Star Tribune is reporting heavy pressure on Walz coming from the Wolves and Loons. Beating down Timmy’s door harder than anyone else though, are the Minnesota Wild, who are desperate to get fans into Xcel Energy Center to see Kirill Kaprizov in the flesh.


The Wild, in particular, is pushing hard to bring fans back to Xcel Energy Center. And barring unforeseen developments, doors could be unlocked on some local venues within the next six weeks.

LaVelle E. Neal – Star Tribune

Media Turning Too

Speaking of public pressure and LaVelle E. Neal…

Walz’ greatest ally is the media, which has stood by his side through most of this pandemic. That tide might also be turning, however, when it comes to this topic.

Just weeks ago, the aforementioned LaVelle was tweeting about how afraid he was to be sent down to Florida to cover the Minnesota Twins during Spring Training.



Tonight, that same guy dropped a piece titled “Minnesota should join other states in opening doors back to pro sports fans”. In the column, LaVelle reveals that the Governor is on the verge of agreeing to the Twins proposal for 10K fans at Target Field.

But as you can see from the title, his article is much more than that. If the sports media is turning on Tim Walz, then this issue will be all but solved shortly.


He can start with allowing more fans into Xcel for the final games of the state hockey tournaments (April 1-3), and the same for Target Center for state hoops (April 6-10). We can watch the All Hockey Hair Team videos online, but the games deserve to be seen in person by more than just a couple hundred people.

LaVelle E. Neal – Star Tribune

Pat Garofolo

On top of all this, State Representative, Pat Garoffolo introduced a bill today that would allow the Minnesota Twins (and other businesses) to operate home games in Wisconsin if Governor Walz doesn’t allow fans in Minnesota.



Time to open things up, Timmy.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/pressure-mounting-on-tim-walz-to-put-fans-back-in-minnesota-stadium-stands/feed/ 0 Fri, 05 Mar 2021 19:53:49 +0000 Minnesota Wild