When president of hockey operations Bill Guerin will spend the Wild’s additional cap space, sans the Parise/Suter buyout penalties, is still a mystery. As are his plans for young centerman, Marco Rossi, who Billy claims he’d love to keep.

Actions speak louder than words, however, and there’s a reason Rossi has been on the trade block for years and why the Wild relegated him to the 3rd line during the 2024-25 NHL Playoffs. You don’t do that to a 23-year-old top 10 pick who you like and believe in.

For the most part though, we think we know what the 2025-26 Minnesota Wild will look like, even as major questions remain on the roster, both now and into the future. But if you’re worried about Bill Guerin’s sense of direction, those who have the their pulse on the NHL do not share those concerns.

Over the weekend, dozens of hockey writers over at The Athletic completed a poll trying to predict how the 2025-26 NHL season will turn out. The poll included about 10 questions ranging from who will win the Stanley Cup and which will lose it, to more abstract projections like “surprise playoff team” and “first coach fired”, etc.

NHL writers at The Athletic like MN Wild as Stanley Cup Dark Horse

Despite their underwhelming offseason and unanswered questions the Minnesota Wild did not show up in any of The Athletic’s negative survey results, like “first coach fired”, “fewest points” or “biggest disappointment”.

In fact, our favorite hockey team came out with the second most votes for “dark horse Stanley Cup contender”, finishing behind only the Winnipeg Jets, who received nearly 1/3 of the votes. To be included in this category, teams needed Cup odds between +2,000 and +6,000 at BetMGM.

I picked the Minnesota Wild here. They looked like one of the better teams in the West before the injuries last season, and gave the Golden Knights a good run in the first round despite just getting guys back into the lineup. With several key players in contract years, I feel like this could be the best Wild team we’ve seen in some time.

Jesse Granger – The Athletic

This poll tells us a couple of things. First, if the Minnesota Wild can stay healthy, they currently have a pretty good team. And that is before they spend their current $10 million in available cap space. But what the above poll results tell me, No. 1, is that those around the game of hockey hold Bill Guerin in extremely high regard.

Hockey people love Bill Guerin.

Locally, there are a lot of questions surrounding how Minnesota’s president of hockey operations navigated the Wild’s time in Parise/Suter cap purgatory, most notably, the numerous no-trade clauses he gave out to veterans he likes, including Ryan Hartman, Marcus Johansson, Marcus Foligno, among others.

Many also question why Kirill Kaprizov isn’t under a new long-term contract yet, not to mention the mystery surrounding why Guerin dislikes Marco Rossi so much, even as the 23-year-old‘s development continues to grow exponentially.

Related: Minnesota Wild Threatening to Leave St. Paul? Mayor Concerned…

But around the world of professional hockey, people trust Bill Guerin way more than most casual Minnesota Wild fans understand. That’s why he was picked to lead USA Hockey, even during a time when Billy’s his personal life and demeanor behind the scenes as a GM was under major scrutiny.

The above table shows that hockey writers at The Athletic believe Guerin will lead the Minnesota Wild out of this sort of fog they have been in for years… maybe even decades. Let’s hope they are correct.

The business plan, back then, was clear and extremely effective. Overpay the best local beat writers in sports to do the same job they were already doing for their previous employer, but with more freedom and without word limits. Then, pair those local writers with one or two of the biggest national news breakers from each sport (Shams -NBA, Rosenthal – MLB, Pierre LeBrun – NHL, etc).

Then, offer subscriptions for one low cost and give readers access to every story on The Athletic website/app. The monthly cost, depending on which promotion was running at the time, could get as low as $1 per month. That could be 300% less than that of a local newspaper subscription. Here’s a real-life example: I chose the yearly subscription for The Athletic and it costs $39.99. The Minneapolis Star Tribune charges me $62.27 every three months ($249.08 per year).

Every time my Star Tribune subscription hits I am reminded of why the newspaper business is dying.

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) June 7, 2023

The Athletic bleeding money…

But while the emergence of The Athletic — which was sold to the New York Times last year for $550 million — successfully changed the landscape of sports reporting forever and scared the shit out of legacy mainstream media outlets, it’s business plan has struggled to produce revenue. That’s why, earlier this week, they announced company-wide layoffs to their beat writer army.

According to an internal memo obtained by the Washington Post, The Athletic told employees that 20 writers would be laid off and 20 others would be re-assigned to a different beat. Soon after, In all, the company still plans to employ over 100 beat writers.

That strategy marks a departure from the outlet’s onetime mission, which was to cover every team from every major league across the country with a dedicated reporter. The Athletic has been successful editorially, with millions of subscribers, but that coverage — and the travel and staffing associated with it — is expensive.

“The Athletic has generally viewed every league in a similar manner, with similar beats and offerings. But our growing body of research and our own understanding of the sports we cover compel a more nuanced approach,” the note said. “There is no perfect formula for determining which teams to cover, but we are committing dedicated beat reporters to the ones that most consistently produce stories that appeal to both large and news-hungry fan bases, as well as leaguewide audiences.”

The Washington Post

The Athletic takes over Minnesota sports scene

The Minnesota sports scene was one of the first to be majorly affected by The Athletic’s initial takeover. That’s because they immediately targeted and brought aboard the Star Tribune’s longtime Wild beat writer, Michael Russo, one of the best and most respected media voices in all of hockey.

From there, they snagged Jon Krawczynski, who covered the Timberwolves for Associate Press. They weren’t done, though. Popular podcast host and trusted Twins writer, Aaron Gleeman, soon joined the crew, too. All three have huge local followings and are regulars on the only mainstream FM radio outlet in town, 100.3 KFAN, which only amplified The Athletic’s reach locally.

And just like that, The Athletic became one of (if not THE) most trusted sports news outlet in Minnesota. Since, they’ve cycled through Vikings and Gophers writers and the Twins paired Dan Hayes with Gleeman, to cover the Twins. Joe Smith was recently added to their Wild coverage, too.

What happens to their local sports coverage now?

So what do these beat writer layoffs mean for all the Minnesota sports fans who rely on The Athletic for their mainstream sports coverage throughout the year? Senior writer and The Athletic original, Michael Russo, told MinnesotaSportsFan.com on Thursday that The Athletic (New York Times) has no plans to eliminate local beat writer positions in the Minnesota market.

Why? Because according to Russo, sports fans in Minnesota buy up The Athletic subscriptions and read its stories at a much higher rate than that of other markets.

“Minnesota shouldn’t be affected at all because the market has been so successful thanks to the thousands of subscribers that support us. We’re still all here and covering the local teams here like a blanket.”

Michael Russo via email response to questions regarding The Athletic’s layoffs possibly hitting Minnesota sports coverage

While this may be the case for now, I’ll be interested to see if that’s remains the plan going forward. Sure, this local market might read The Athletic more often than others. But will that matter, if more cuts eventually come?

And if you’re Jonny K or Aaron Gleeman, are you passing up other job opportunities should they present themselves? Probably not. And losing any of Russo, Krawczynski or Gleeman would take a huge chunk out of that readership.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Could that change in 2022? Well, there’s a lot of hype building around Minnesota’s chances, of late. Like, Stewart Mandel (The Athletic), who picked the Gophers to finish 9-3, tied with the Iowa Hawkeyes atop division.

Mandel isn’t the only Big Ten writer who believes in PJ Fleck & Co this season. 10 of 11 took the over on Minnesota’s over/under win total of 7.5. The same 10 that picked Nebraska to fall short of the same mark.

Stewart Mandel’s Big Ten West prediction. pic.twitter.com/Hjk65Kh5an

— Huskers Gameday (@HuskersGameday) August 23, 2022

Win total o/u is the same for both Minnesota and Nebraska FB this season (7.5).

10 of 11 The Athletic B1G writers see the #Gophers hitting the over and the Huskers falling short. pic.twitter.com/VUmiQi2JYu

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 26, 2022

Last Chance at Big Ten West Crown?

This is one of the last seasons where Big Ten divisions will exist, at least in their current form. Rumors have swirled that the West and East divisions will be eliminated, as early as next season. In 2024, USC and UCLA enter the picture.

Currently, the Big Ten’s expansion plans include 20 total teams. So whether it happens next season, or shortly thereafter, the route to a division championship in the Big Ten is going to change.

The Athletic isn’t the only media outlet hyping the 2022 Minnesota Gophers. Big Ten Network is all over the them too.

“I just don’t see another team that is as complete as the Gophers.”

???? @BigAntHerron, on his pick to win the Big Ten West#B1Gtoday x @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/yETg2yxgd0

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) August 24, 2022

We've added @JakeButtTE to the family, and the former @UMichFootball TE is answering some fan questions before the season kicks off. ????

➡️ Sleeper contenders to win @B1GFootball?
➡️ Michigan rematch vs. @HawkeyeFootball at Kinnick?
➡️ Best OL in the conference? pic.twitter.com/ygGFa68xK0

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 25, 2022

Still not convinced? How about Barstool? They have two CFB experts picking PJ Fleck as coach of the year. Kayce Smith might as well buy shares in Dinkytown the way she’s obsessing over maroon and gold. She has the two above picks, along with the Gophers as “Most Underrated Team”.

On our MEGA Season Preview Pod (PART 1) we broke down:

???? Champ
???? Division Winners
???? Most Disappointing Team
???? Most underrated team
???? Player of the year
???? Coach of the year
???? Upset of the year

Here is the result for THE B1G! pic.twitter.com/vTTWH7edz4

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) August 24, 2022

Hype Overload

Not a fan of Barstool? I get it (no I don’t). Then, how about ESPN? Senior writer, Mark Schlabach didn’t have the testicular fortitude to outright pick the Minnesota Gophers as West champions. But he did include an entire paragraph about how badly he wanted to. Mark also wrote about how Scott Frost wouldn’t make it through the season. And after an week one loss to Northwestern, he’s looking pretty smart on that prediction.

Minnesota wins the West: I went with Wisconsin, which seemed like the safer pick, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Gophers in the Big Ten championship game, either. Minnesota has to throw the ball more than it did last season — only Navy, Army and Air Force attempted fewer passes in 2021. Quarterback Tanner Morgan should be better under offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who was there when Minnesota won 11 games in 2019. Tailback Mohamed Ibrahim, the Big Ten running back of the year in 2020, is back after tearing his Achilles in last season’s opener. – Mark Schlabach (ESPN)

Why so much hype?

The hype building around the Minnesota Gophers is based on a few things. First, the West division is one of the more wide open in all of college football (Wisconsin fans may disagree). And that is more true this season, than in any in the division’s 9-year history.

Second, this is the deepest team since Fleck took over, even more so than the 2019 squad. On his weekly radio show / podcast, PJ talked about his comfortability playing 10-11 defensive linemen. And DL may not be the deepest position group on the team. Tanner Morgan has Athan Kaliakmanis and Cole Kramer biting at his heels. Dylan Wright, Chris Autman-Bell and Michael Brown-Stephens make the best threesome of wide receivers in the division.

Linebackers run four to five deep. The secondary has four starters with a ton of experience and two transfers that would start on most Big Ten teams. Mo Ibrahim, Trey Potts and Zach Evans might make up the best running back group in the West, too.

Lastly, the schedule. Minnesota is slated to play just two top-25 teams all year. Michigan State in week 4 and Wisconsin in the season finale. Penn State, in week 7, will be a challenge as well. But most importantly, there’s no contact with Michigan or Ohio State.

The @bigten has modified Minnesota's 2022 schedule. New schedule ⤵️

???? https://t.co/7NGvN8lhJq #RTB // #SkiUMah // #Gophers pic.twitter.com/otu1PIEgGw

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) January 12, 2022

Rose Bowl Dreams

A Big Ten West championship would also bring a very good likelihood that the Gophers return to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1962, a historic postseason dream for Minnesota football fans, that may cease to exist after next season.

So can the Gophers, who once dominated the nation in college football, win the Big Ten West and find their way back to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 60 years? Yes, they can. And I’m not the only person who thinks that.

So… Row the boat. Ski-U-Mah. Go Gophers.

SEVEN DAYS TILL GOPHER GAMEDAY! #Gophers pic.twitter.com/c3rmlefkbJ

— Noel Thompson (@N0ELTHOMPSON) August 25, 2022

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Every year in March, hundreds of thousands… ok maybe 13-14 hundred people come together for a Minnesota spring tradition like no other. The KFAN Preposterous Statement Tournament, hosted on 100.3 FM by “The Common Man” Dan Cole and his interim-producer, Brandon Mileski, is in its VVIII’s year of collecting all of the ridiculous sports takes uttered by (mostly local but some national) celebrity-types throughout each year.

Then during March Madness, they run a 64-statement bracket where KFAN listeners vote on their favorites in a head-to-head style tournament. Some of the statements they’ve collected over the years are so ridiculous that you wonder what goes through someone’s mind when a microphone is put in front of their face. This year’s winner came via Dan Hayes of The Athletic and should immediately be inducted into the PST HOF (which is a thing… kind of).

The Statement

Hayes was on the radio giving an interview about the upcoming Twins training camp, which was used to prep players for the MLB restart last season after league play was originally postponed due to COVID-19.

“How do you get a position player ready to stand for 9 innings in the outfield? That takes a little time to build up.”

VOTE BELOW! #KFANPST VVIII is presented by @PilotGamesMN! https://t.co/vxEsvgLmRI pic.twitter.com/cSRivrhI9O

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) March 26, 2021

We're down to the DOH-KAY DUO!!!

It's the #2 seed from the VIKINGS VICTORY REGION @DanHayesMLB taking on the #3 seed from the PILOT GAMES REGION @Meatsauce1! VOTING CLOSES MONDAY at noon, VOTE NOW in the poll below…#KFANPST VVIII is presented by @PilotGamesMN!

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) March 26, 2021

You really have to respect the absurdity of this statement, which is why it won. Baseball players sit for approximately half of a 3-hour baseball game. The rest of the physical exertion involves A LOT of standing (as Hayes referenced), jogging and maybe a few sprints that last a few seconds each.

Out of all the sports followed by major sports fans in the USA, baseball takes the least amount of physical activity.

Campaigning for victory

Hayes has been on Twitter all month trying to will himself to this iconic victory and the hard work has obviously paid off. I would reach out and ask him for a statement on this high honor but Dan and I are still recovering from our own Twitter misunderstanding that took place this morning.

But he will be on KFAN Radio (100.3 FM) tomorrow at 1:45 PM to talk about his PST Tournament victory and he’s already taken to Twitter to celebrate too. Enjoy the moment, Dan. Soak it up. You’re living the local celebrity dream today.

Hey @MeatSauce1, glad you decided to dribble out the contest instead of fouling and extending it with free throws. Classy move.

— danhayesmlb (@DanHayesMLB) March 29, 2021

pic.twitter.com/9i6cX5j4QW

— danhayesmlb (@DanHayesMLB) March 29, 2021

@Melissa_Berman was the greatest campaign manager. @AaronGleeman provided me with the inspiration to make this happen. I did the rest.

— danhayesmlb (@DanHayesMLB) March 29, 2021

If you were looking for an early favorite that you can lock in good odds for in the 2022 PST, look no further than Golden State Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr.

⁦@BMileskiKFAN⁩ ⁦@KFANPST⁩ ⁦@CommonManKFAN⁩ Steve Kerr enjoyed finish last over going to the NBA Finals…DOHKAY pic.twitter.com/AvmQBM8i6Y

— Fred (@Vikes_Guy1) March 23, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Athletic does power rankings like a crack head does crack. They’re addicted. Much like Oregon, I’m all for feeding into it too. It helps me compare my expectations with others around the sports media world. And sometimes, like today with the Minnesota Twins, they make me re-examine my outlook completely.

Today, the major online subscription-based sports outlet released a well-written (per always) power rankings piece on the MLB. I almost flipped past the Twins because I wasn’t expecting to see them at #6. Nick Groke wrote the article.

6. Minnesota Twins

2020 record: 36-24, wild-card loss
What could make them rise: Bring back Rich Hill for the fun of it
What could make them plummet: Doing something rash
One big question: Will they field a DH or leave that spot to rust?

Minnesota has a thousand free agents to worry about, give or take. But that should offer the Twins an opportunity. If owner Jim Pohlad doesn’t cheap out and overstate his 2020 losses — and he’s already hinted he won’t — the Twins have room to get even better. Their foundation is set. If they’d just signed 2017-18 Marwin González instead of his 2019-20 version, maybe they’d have found an opportune spark here or there. They can take that kind of swing again this winter, maybe with a Tommy La Stella type or maybe actual Tommy La Stella.

They had the best pitching staff in the American League, led especially by the best bullpen. So what did Twins fans complain about on Twitter this year if not for the bullpen, like every other fanbase? What’s left after that? There’s so much going right in Minnesota we can start to have some fun, just for the oddities. We can root for Rich Hill and Nelson Cruz to return, just so the Twins can brag about the best 40-something tandem in baseball.

I wish Twins fandom was as stress-free as Nick Groke believes it is

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could, as Minnesota Twins fans, breathe an easy sigh of relief this offseason? It’d just tickle me pink if our favorite baseball team was coming off of another deep playoff run where our offseason moves paid off in the ultimate way, finally ending our 479-year playoff losing streak… but that’s not reality.

Groke glazes over one of the unknowns Falvine faces, that makes me nervous. A lost or aging Nelson Cruz is nothing to joke around about, like Nick does in his article. Cruz has single-handedly drug this Minnesota offense to victories during his first two years in a Twins uniform. That especially held true in a 60-game 2020 season, when the rest of the lineup was riddled with injuries and hitting slumps.

But he’s right about one thing… DH is the least of our worries.

Pitching Unknowns

Groke talks about the Minnesota Twins pitching staff, both starters and bullpen, like they just Tampa Bay Rays’d us to the World Series.

I’m glad the Twins pitching numbers looked good through 60 regular season games in 2020… but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before we crown pitching as a strong-suit for this team in 2021.

Starters

As of now, Baldelli will likely throw Kenta Maeda out for Opening Day 2021. Jose Berrios will follow, and then into Big Mike Pineda. On paper, that looks solid, especially if you can coax back Jake Odorizzi for another season (since he won’t get any big offers in a dead free agency this offseason).

Even if Maeda does regress after his Cy Young candidate 2020, I agree that the Twins starting pitching is enough to lead them to the playoffs. Without the addition of a proven playoff shutdown-type guy, though, that’s all we know about this starting staff. They’ll help get us to the playoffs but you’re on your own after that.

Bullpen

I’d feel good about the Twins bullpen, if we knew it was coming back for 2021 in-tact. That’s far from a certainty, however. 3 of the Twins’ 5 most trusted bullpen arms are currently set to leave in free agency (Trevor May, Sergio Romo, Tyler Clippard).

If Falvine turns around and signs May, Romo and Clippard to new contracts before 2021 starts then I won’t be worried about the bullpen either. Until then, there’s plenty to be nervous about, since it currently only houses TWO pitchers that the Twins deemed “high leverage” last year.

Josh Donaldson

I’m worried about Josh Donaldson and his calf problems. We paid this dude a lot of money to come and improve our middle of the lineup, offensively, and our infield on defense. He can’t do either if h’s in the training room and I’m starting to lose confidence in his abilities at 3rd base, even when he does play.

When the baseball is hit to Josh Donaldson, he will make the play more often than just about any 3rd baseman in baseball. He has an elite glove. His range, however, is one of the worst across baseball. Josh isn’t going to go barrelling after foul fly balls anymore and he has talked about how much he dislikes shifting on defense (even though the Twins shift more than just about any team in the league).

Donaldson needs to prove he can stay healthy next season and I’m not sure how we fix the issues on defense, which are only going to get worse as he ages over the next few years, even if he does remain in the lineup.

Plenty of Positives

The goal of this blog wasn’t to throw Minnesota Twins fans into the dumps over their baseball team. I am excited about the future of this squad and I think they are playoff bound again in 2021.

They are loaded in the outfield with power-hitting young bats that could continue the “Bomba Squad” slogan for a decade. Some of those names will be added to a roster already riddled with young budding stars, who aren’t due massive paychecks for a few years still.

This blog isn’t “doom or gloom” and nobody in the Twins fan base should feel that way. But when you currently look at next season, there’s no chance anyone should rank the Twins as the 6th-best team in all of Major League Baseball, until a few of these questions are answered.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Athletic released a predictions piece earlier today where all of their senior writers and editors filled out their MLB playoff brackets and shared them with the world… or the ones who are willing to pay the monthly subscription. One thing became clear, as I thumbed down the page…. these writers really like the Minnesota Twins.

At the top of The Athletic’s list of established media talents, is Ken Rosenthal. When Ken isn’t writing, he’s doing TV for FOX or MLB Network. He’s a “Jack of all trades” baseball legend. He’s worked for Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News, just for national references. When you open the article, the 5-time Maryland Sportswriter of the Year’s 2020 Playoff projections are the first to slap you across the eyeballs.

Queue the goosebumps…

*heart-rate increases… pic.twitter.com/ibmkP7IGpw

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 28, 2020

Ken Isn’t the Only Senior Athletic Writer Who Likes the Twins

The love for the Minnesota Twins, in this article, doesn’t stop with Ken Rosenthal. In fact, out of TEN editors and senior writers who participated in this piece, NINE picked the Twins to beat the Houston Astros in their best-of-3 series that starts tomorrow and move onto the ALDS bubble in California.

FOUR more go onto pick the Twins to advance to the American League Championship, Keith Law being one of them, and then Rosenthal is one of TWO who pick Minnesota to advance to the World Series. Unfortunately, nobody (man or woman) has the balls to pick a Minnesota Twins World Series winner.

ESPN Also Likes the Twins a Little Too Much…

The self-proclaimed “Worldwide Leader in Sports” did a predictions article that hit a little different. I kind of like it. Instead of having a couple handfuls of writers post their postseason bracket, they held a vote and posted the results of each round in a very clean way.

Here is how the ESPN voting broke down. The bottom table only included the SIX teams who got votes to win the American League Championship. A couple voters even projected the impossible…

At the least, most writers expect the Twins to make an appearance in the American League Championship Series. Could you imagine? That would be a full October of baseball bubble fun. The two AL Champion favorites, according to ESPN, are both coming out of the same top-side of the bracket (TB and CLE).

The Dodgers got, by far, the most World Series winning votes, with 16. The Twins, however, finished with 3rd-most World Series Champion votes out of all playoff teams, with 2. The Rays finished 2nd, with 6 WS title votes.

World Series Champion Twins?

Why did you pick the Twins to bust up their postseason jinx and take home the title?

Avoiding the Yankees until the League Championship Series — if such a matchup happens at all — shouldn’t be a big deal, but I think it’s a very big deal, considering how much the Yankees seem to be in the Twins’ heads for the past decade-plus. Instead, the Twins draw perhaps the most advantageous Wild Card Series matchup, and their roster is well balanced between offense, defense and pitching, with the latter particularly important in a postseason that doesn’t provide midseries days off. Kenta Maeda is probably the postseason’s most underrated staff ace, and how great a story would it be if the guy who couldn’t crack the Dodgers’ rotation in postseasons past tosses a pair of gems against them as a starter in the World Series?

Tristan Cockcroft – ESPN

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

There is content of all kinds floating around the internet sports world, in these days of worldwide quarantine… Some is good… and some isn’t.

What “The Athletic” released yesterday was awesome. They named the top player to wear each uniform number, throughout NFL history. When going through the list from 1-99, you are reminded how many greats have been though the Vikings organization.

It also makes you wonder how we are still void of Super Bowl rings. We’ll cry together about that later. For now, let’s get to the list of Vikings’ greats to wear these uniform numbers. There are shades of purple at the top of the list, and throughout most of it.

1: Warren Moon

Moon spent six seasons in the Canadian Football League and still earned Hall of Fame honors for his work in the NFL. Eight consecutive Pro Bowl seasons from 1988 to 1995 paved the way. — MS

Honorable Mentions:

Cam Newton, Gary Anderson, Jason Elam

The Athletic

Sure, Warren Moon didn’t play his best years in Minnesota… but he did play 2.5 seasons here and still stands 6th in Vikings history for both yards and touchdowns (see chart above). Gary Anderson (5 seasons w/Vikings) also came in as an honorable mention for #1… which isn’t surprising.

4: Brett Favre

Not much competition for Favre, even if Adam Vinatieri winds up in the Hall of Fame. Favre retired as the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. A three-time MVP, he still holds the record for most consecutive starts. — MS

The Athletic

I mean, what else is there to say about Vikings Hall of Famer, Brett Favre? He’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. I’m just proud to call him a Viking. A real purple legend.

10: Fran Tarkenton

Tarkenton’s credentials endure even if we eliminate his first five seasons, which predate the Super Bowl era. From 1966 until his retirement, Tarkenton was the runaway passing leader in yards, completions, attempts and touchdowns. He retired as the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes and was a dual threat, having run for 32 touchdowns. Nineteen seasons passed before Favre overtook Tarkenton as the all-time leader in passing yards. — MS

Honorable Mentions:

Eli Manning, Trent Green, DeAndre Hopkins

The Athletic

Fran Tarkenton doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves. He was the modern quarterback (both passing and throwing), before there were modern quarterbacks. The man was incredible and most of the praise given above, speaks to his greatness. It’s too bad the Vikings couldn’t keep him in Purple and Gold for his entire career. He still owns all of the Vikings’ passing records and it really isn’t even close…

64: Randall McDaniel

He combined athleticism and power like few interior linemen. McDaniel played in 12 straight Pro Bowls. — DP

The Athletic

It took awhile to get back onto the SKOL train but it picks up steam from here. Randall McDaniel is one of the greatest guards of all-time and, growing up in the 90’s, I didn’t realize how good the Vikings had it. I was too busy watching Moss and Carter catch the touchdowns and Robert Smith run through the holes he helped create.

69: Jared Allen

He finished his career with 136 sacks and tied records for most times leading the league in sacks (twice), most safeties (four) and most consecutive games with a sack (11). — DP

The Athletic

The most iconic number in the history of numbers, goes to a Viking great. Jared Allen is one of the greatest additions in Vikings history. He completely changed the defense, the moment he stepped into Vikings facilities.

Now, he is trying to reach the 2022 Winter Olympics as a curler. The man does it all.

76: Steve Hutchinson

He was one of the top guards during his 11-year career with the Seahawks and Vikings, earning seven Pro Bowl nods. Hutchinson did not miss a single start during a seven-year span from 2003 to 2009. — SK

The Athletic

Another dominant offensive lineman makes the list for the Vikings at #76. Steve Hutchinson came over from the Seahawks, and like Jared Allen, made a difference immediately. Hutch ended up with the Vikings for 6 seasons, where he blocked for Adrian Peterson, went to 4 Pro Bowls, and was named 1st-Team All-Pro 3 times. Typing about Randall McDaniel and Steve Hutchinson makes me depressed, given what we’ve been exposed to for the last decade…

84: Randy Moss

One of the most electrifying wide receivers, Moss is fourth all time in receiving yards and second to only Rice in touchdown receptions. — SK

Honorable Mentions:

Antonio Brown, Shannon Sharpe, Sterling Sharpe

The Athletic

The GOAT-iest of WR GOATs…. Randy Moss is the greatest Viking in history. He completely changed the future for the Minnesota Vikings. Many of the Vikings fans who currently exist around the globe, wouldn’t be cheering for our favorite franchise, if not for Randy Moss. He is the biggest reason for how global the Vikings’ fan base stretches.

Look at the list of honorable mentions… It might be the greatest number on the list, but nobody hesitated in putting Randy at the top.

88: Alan Page

Page was a six-time first-team All-Pro selection with the Vikings and twice won Defensive Player of the Year. The durable defensive tackle appeared in 238 consecutive games (playoffs included) and played in four Super Bowls. — SK

Honorable Mentions:

Marvin Harrison, Tony Gonzalez, Michael Irvin, Lynn Swann

The Athletic

This one surprised me a little bit. Not because Alan Page doesn’t deserve any award he gets, but because of the greats who have played and worn the #88. That list includes all of the greatest Dallas Cowboys wide receivers of history. But Page, was a monster on the football field and has been a mentor since. He is one of only 2 defensive NFL players to win an MVP. Since then, he’s done nothing but become a MN Supreme Court Justice… no big deal.

93: John Randle

He went from undrafted free agent to Hall of Famer, amassing 137.5 sacks during his 14-year career — tied for 10th all time. Randle was the face of the Vikings’ defense in the ‘90s before finishing his career in Seattle. He was a six-time first-team All-Pro selection. — SK

Honorable Mentions:

Dwight Freeney, Kevin Carter, Kevin Williams

The Athletic

John Randle fits directly into the prime of my Minnesota Vikings fandom. He was terrorizing QB’s across the NFL in the late 90’s while his offense was terrorizing every opposing defense they faced.

I will never forget the war-paint style eye-black for every game. Great teams need a guy like John Randle, who can lead by voice and by action.

That’s NINE Vikings that made this list. I have no idea how that compares to other teams and I don’t have time to figure it out. I can tell you that our franchise will be near the top. We’ve been around since the NFL and AFL merged and we have the 5th-most playoff appearances in league history… but still ZERO Super Bowls. You think we’d just stumble into winning one, by this point.

Find more statistics at Statista

via GIPHY

Vikings snubs:

Alright, I have to go before my wife murders my kids or me… here is the list of honorable mentions for the Vikings. I’ll let you get an Athletic Subscription or guess at who beat them out for the top spot at each number..

• 22: Paul Krauss
• 26: Antoine Winfield
• 28: Adrian Peterson
• 34: Herschel Walker
• 53: Mike Tinglehoff
• 56: Chris Doleman
• 62: Jeff Christy
• 70: Jim Marshall
• 80: Cris Carter
• 81: Carl Eller
• 93: Kevin Williams

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Athletic has completely changed the journalism game around the country, since hitting the scene a few years ago. While other sites like Barstool Sports broke through with no-namers and small budgets, writing laid back comedic blogs with curse words; The Athletic did the opposite… and they did it faster.

They got deep-pocket investors, before they even got started, and devised a plan that would lure all of the best writers around the country, to this new shiny app-based sports media outlet. They charge a very small monthly amount ($4-$9/mo) and NO ADS. It’s the cleanest way to read about sports in the world.

It was a genius move. What writer (many of them coming from newspapers) wouldn’t want more freedom, more money, less deadlines, and an unlimited amount of space in which to write? Just in the Minnesota market alone, they’ve gobbled up many of our favorite writers, securing Michael Russo, Jon Krawczynski and Aaron Gleeman.

If you like long-form articles, there’s no better place to read about sports, than The Athletic. So, I expected nothing less when I saw this article and hastily clicked into it…

Obviously, I was excited to see where they drafted PJ Fleck. Would he make the 1st round? I didn’t want to get my hopes up… but in a 7-pick/round draft, he can’t go past the 2nd round, right? I mean, we are talking about coaches you get for the next 10 years. There aren’t 14 coaches you’d take ahead of PJ Fleck if planning for the next 10 years…..RIGHT?

I won’t list all of the coaches but, by pick #2, I have questions.

1. Dabo Swinney – Clemson
2. Ryan Day – Ohio State
3. …
4. …
5. Luke Fickell – Cincinnati

Ryan Day has coached one year at Ohio State, where he took over a team that was built into a top-5 powerhouse by Urban Meyer. I know, I know… he’s an offensive “genius”. It helps when you inherit all of the best offensive players in the country. This isn’t a shot at Ryan Day. I’m sure he’s a great coach… but picking him #2 overall to coach a team that isn’t Ohio State… is comical…

Luke Fickell? Are we talking about the guy who has led Cincinnati to a couple of 11-win seasons? Is that the same Cincinnati that plays in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), with the University of South Florida, East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa…? Ok, just checking.

Let’s skip ahead on this list a little bit. Oh yeah, still no PJ Fleck yet…. 2 rounds in.

• 12. Scott Satterfield – Louisville
• 13. Matt Campbell – Iowa State
• 14. Bryan Harsin – Boise State
• 15. Kyle Whittingham – Utah (3rd Round | #1 Pick)
• 16. PJ Fleck – Minnesota

All of the coaches from #12-#14 should be disqualified for the conferences they are playing in. Why would you trust any coach at Louisville, Iowa State, or Boise State before you trust PJ Fleck? He is already beyond repairing a low or mid level program to success, with Western Michigan.

He is turning around the un-turnable at Minnesota. He led us to to our first 11-win season since 1904, when college teams were playing local high schools to fill schedules. He did it in the Big Ten…

Here is what they said about the PJ Fleck pick at #16:

Round 3, Pick 2 (No. 16 overall): P.J. Fleck, Minnesota

How was this guy still available 16 picks in? By now it should be abundantly clear he’s the real deal. As if leading Western Michigan from 1-11 to 13-1 wasn’t miraculous enough, he goes to Minnesota and, three years in, leads the Gophers to their best season since the 1960s. He’s unusual. He gets under rivals’ skin, and it works. We also know that Fleck, 39, is a climber. He, too, will be at a blue blood soon enough (again … USC?), and I’m sure he’ll do the same thing there. Row the Boat! — Mandel

The Athletic – Stewart Mandel

Well, at least the first couple sentences of Mandel’s writing were correct… when he lays out all of the facts. But then, he starts thinking his own thoughts, and that’s when you start getting dumber, the more you read.

“We also know that Fleck, 39, is a climber. He, too, will be at a blue blood soon enough (again … USC?)…”

No Stewart, you don’t know what PJ Fleck is…. clearly. Those who don’t know Fleck very well; those who haven’t watched and/or sat in all of his press conferences since he arrived in Minnesota, seem to think PJ is the type of guy who wants to claw his way to the top of USC or Notre Dame or [insert your favorite helmet school here].

The more you get to know PJ Fleck, however, the more you realize he might not be the next up-and-coming coach to eventually land on one of the same teams, where so many great coaches before him have already coached. PJ Fleck is a climber but not a “traditional” climber. PJ wants to be different.

I’ve written about it before but maybe someone will hear me this time. Fleck wants to be bigger than what other great coaches already are or what others before him, have already been. Fleck wants to be a legend.

Coaching the University of Minnesota for the next 10 years and building it up to a perennial power, winning National Titles and Rose Bowls in the process, is what makes a legend.

Some people will laugh at that last paragraph… but their laughing proves my point. Nobody thought he’d turn that same program around and win 11 games in just 3 seasons and nobody thought he’d make a Cotton Bowl at Western Michigan.

Last time I checked, the University of Minnesota is still in the Big Ten and still has a chance to play for the FBS Playoff, if they win the Big Ten Championship. The path is there and impossibility of doing it, is what would make it so legendary.

As long as the University is willing to pay him like a top coach, as time goes on and wins pile up… I think PJ stays and becomes the Coach K of college football.

That’s the type of legend I see.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan