Took a game like this to bring us back to earth it seems. While this is certainly an improved team from last season, it is also not quite an NCAA Tournament level team. Losing to, quite frankly, a bad Michigan State team at home is a tell tale sign. If f we can't win games like this at home, going .500 the rest of the way is going to be tough if not darn near impossible. We simply don't have the bigs to compete at the highest level outside of Jordan Murphy, who arguably isn't a big. Our guys don't have that clutch factor to pull out big games. I think this team is a year away from going dancing, but even so, proceed with caution. See my next point.
*Last but not least, I do believe there is a curse on all sports in Minnesota. Right when you think things may be going well, the sports gods intervene and put us back on our butts. It's easier just to expect the worst when it comes to sports in this state, because since 1991 (or 1997 depending on how you look at it), there's been nothing to celebrate. Examples...
Timberwolves: No playoffs in 12 seasons. In a league where the probability of making the playoffs is 53%. By simple statistics, the odds that a team would go 12 years without making the playoffs is 0.01%. (That's a 1 in 10,000 chance folks!)
Twins: No playoffs in 6 seasons. Percent chance of not making playoffs 6 years in a row in the MLB? 12% ... But there's more. They've finished last or 2nd to last in the Central Division 5 out of the past 6 seasons. The percent chance of that happening? Approximately 1%.
Gopher BB: The Gophers have not made the Sweet Sixteen in 19 years. They've only made 4 NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 17 years. (And we wonder why recruits don't want to come here!)
Gopher FB: The Gophers have not had a 10 win season since 2003. The probability of this happening is 4.9% (Go figure)
Wild: The Wild have not made the Western Conference finals in 13 seasons. They have never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Vikings: The Vikings have won 1 playoff game in the past 11 seasons. That makes 1 playoff victory since 2005.
The odds that a state could be worse off at sports than Minnesota?? ZERO
*Last but not least, I do believe there is a curse on all sports in Minnesota. Right when you think things may be going well, the sports gods intervene and put us back on our butts. It's easier just to expect the worst when it comes to sports in this state, because since 1991 (or 1997 depending on how you look at it), there's been nothing to celebrate. Examples...
Timberwolves: No playoffs in 12 seasons. In a league where the probability of making the playoffs is 53%. By simple statistics, the odds that a team would go 12 years without making the playoffs is 0.01%. (That's a 1 in 10,000 chance folks!)
Twins: No playoffs in 6 seasons. Percent chance of not making playoffs 6 years in a row in the MLB? 12% ... But there's more. They've finished last or 2nd to last in the Central Division 5 out of the past 6 seasons. The percent chance of that happening? Approximately 1%.
Gopher BB: The Gophers have not made the Sweet Sixteen in 19 years. They've only made 4 NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 17 years. (And we wonder why recruits don't want to come here!)
Gopher FB: The Gophers have not had a 10 win season since 2003. The probability of this happening is 4.9% (Go figure)
Wild: The Wild have not made the Western Conference finals in 13 seasons. They have never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Vikings: The Vikings have won 1 playoff game in the past 11 seasons. That makes 1 playoff victory since 2005.
The odds that a state could be worse off at sports than Minnesota?? ZERO
