A lot of good things have happened recently in the wide world of Minnesota sports. Maybe it's enough to overshadow the fact that the Vikings went from being oh-so-close to a Super Bowl last season, to finishing last in their division in the very-odd 50th season.
But back to the good news. The Wild have turned things around a bit, at least for the moment, as the halfway mark of the season arrives. To add to the rejuvenated excitement, Brent Burns was named to the NHL All-Star game.
St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso was honored as the Division III Coach of the Year. Bert Blyleven finally received the call to the Hall. Yes, there is a lot to celebrate these days and take our minds off the snow that seems to be stuck in the 'on' position.
Wild are showing some life
It's a good time to be following the Wild right now. They are playing well on the road, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins (minus an injured Sidney Crosby) and the sliding New Jersey Devils (with former coach Jacques Lemaire).
Their record is 8-3-1 in the past 12 games to put them in the thick of things in the extremely tight points race in the Western Conference. As of Tuesday, they are sitting in the middle of their Northwest division with 47 points.
The funny thing about this season has been the role reversal of playing at home versus on the road. Last season, the Wild got off to a horrible start on the road and never fully recovered. This season, they are playing much better when they are away from the X, which is not helpful for the paying customers at home games.
If one thing has been clear, it's that the Wild are an inconsistent team. They win a couple here, lose a couple there. This is the first real sign of life for them, and a sigh of relief for coach Todd Richards. Let's keep those fingers crossed that the Wild can ride this high wave a little longer.
Burns is an All-Star
Defenseman Brent Burns at one point was leading the team in goals. Currently, his 12 tally trails hitter Cal Clutterbuck's 13 goals. Burns also has 14 assists for 26 points and is having a great year. He will be representing the Wild as the organization's sixth-ever All-Star.
Apparently, he had a trip planned to Mexico with his wife over the All-Star break. I guess he'll have to cancel. I'm sure his bride will understand.
Deserving award for Caruso
Before the BCS football game took place Monday night in Phoenix, St. Thomas head football coach Glenn Caruso was named the 2010 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year for NCAA Division III. In his third year at UST, he is the youngest coach to win the award.
He turned a 2-8 football team in 2007 into a MIAC and DIII powerhouse team. This season, the Tommies snapped a long losing streak to the rival Johnnies, as they made their way to a perfect 10-0 regular season. They lost to Bethel at home in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Caruso has given St. Thomas football a complete makeover and is very deserving of this award. Bob Nielson of Minnesota Duluth was the top coach honored in DII football.
It took 14 years, but he's in
Bert Blyleven now has another countdown to keep track of, besides the number of days until his next birthday. The date now circled on his calendar should be July 24, when he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Fourteen years may seem like a long time to wait, and I'm sure Bert is relieved to finally be part of the elite class of Hall of Famers. Certain stats, like his win-loss record, were arguably holding him back from being a clear candidate as considered by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
But hey, at least he got in. That should be all that matters, right?
The pitcher in the 70s and 80s is well-known now for his color analysis for FSNorth on the Twins broadcasts. For someone of my generation, this is how I am most familiar with Bert. It's unfortunate that I can't recall his playing days.
He spent half of his career with the Twins, during two different stints. He was here to be part of the 1987 World Champion Twins team. He pitched in an era before there was so much weight put into closers, middle relievers and set-up guys. He went to the mound intending on finishing eight or nine innings.
One piece of sad news from the Twins family
The legendary face of the Twins, Harmon Killebrew, announced that he has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. This was quite sad and unexpected news that came to light recently. The Killer, a Hall of Fame veteran who still has deep ties with the Twins organization, is thought of fondly by many fans.
His spirit seemed very high in his released statement, where he gave every indication he would be beating this illness. The entire Twins and baseball community will be wishing for a speedy recovery for Killebrew.
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