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Jun 17, 2018

Sunday Roundup


Bison

Not much to report or react to about the town's top amateur operation but chief among the drips and drops is that Jacquelyn Sertic signed to play Softball professionally in the Netherlands. I continue to be surprised by all the professional leagues that there are in other parts of the world but it's all the better for the great players from NDSU. Not much else worth mentioning and it'll get even less over the next few weeks but Football is right around the corner so it will all change in a hurry. For now, go take a peek at my examination of the men's Basketball team facelift!

Vikings

The Purple & Gold have gone to dormancy. With the conclusion of their off season program this week, the Vikings now have a month & change until training camp. I didn't hear any overly preposterous statements this week but Zimmer did go very positive about the latest first round Cornerback, Mike Hughes. It's not Zimmer's way to blow smoke at the media so I don't think that he was trying to cover for his young guy, even though the team should have drafted more toward a position of need (offensive line). Maybe Hughes has just been as good as the coach said. When the curtain is drawn back we'll have a much better idea about #21's ability to play where and when called upon. It's all about Atlanta & February for the Vikings. That's what counts, but I don't want to put the cart before the horse, for now things are going dark for the Skol.

Twins

Just when I was ready to bust out the shovel and bury the Twinks for the year they come out against the Indians and win the series. They need to take the sweep to remain in spitting distance of the division but in a week that saw them throw one of their cornerstones back to Florida it's already a positive development.

Make no mistake, Sano getting set down seemed like the Straw to break the Camel's back...and it may still prove to be. The optimistic view is that this year's big move will have a similar sparking effect to the team that last summer's trade did. I haven't heard that tack taken yet by any of the beat writers or bobo's but it could happen that way. Only time will tell with regards to that but it would be fun to see.

As far as Sano goes, I don't think he should be seen on the big league level again this season. That may sound extreme but with the rumored total rebuild that the team wants of his approach and mentality, he's going to need months of work, not days or weeks. It's fairly unprecedented that a guy less than one calendar year removed from an All Star appearance would need this kind of retooling but that almost seems like a trend in Baseball these days. That a guy can go from an up & comer or even being an established great player to being a total non factor. The reasons differ player by player but the amount of guys who fit the billing is rising. Add that to the list of concerns that the commissioner has on his desk.

Anyways, the Twins may be able to finish a turbulent week off very strongly and that is good news indeed!

Timberwolves

It's draft week. Nothing I've heard has changed what I think the approach should be by the Wolves in the draft and off season. What could change everything though is what Jimmy Butler does after the 18/19 season. If he leaves then the hope of former days will leave with him. It was the gamble that the team made with the trade last summer but it could easily go very wrong, very quickly! Hindsight is 20/20 but I can't say with a lot of confidence that one more year of Butler is better than 3, 4 or 5 years of Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn & Lauri Markkanen. A week from now, the future could look very differently but right now there's a lot to be wary about!

Invaders

55 - 18. Looks like someone got their frustration out! Bad news first, the Invaders weren't in Fargo for this obliteration. Good news, they didn't need to be to dismember River City. More to the good, Ja'Vonte Johnson to Jon Baune continued to be one of the best combinations in the league. More: The defense returned to dominance with a defensive touchdown on one of the four interceptions that they collected. Even more: They're only one game away from a three game home stand to close out their season. That sets up very well for their push toward a championship. However those go though, they once against put on quite a show of offensive and defensive prowess!

Redhawks

Signs of life, that's the best way to describe the last two series that the Redhawks have managed to win. First against the Saints early in the week, then against Kansas City as the week waned. The pitching wasn't as capable of keeping the opponents down this week as it has been in the past but the offense managed to do enough to hold up their teammates. Complimentary Baseball. That works. That will work more often than not and hopefully can be the trend going forward through the Summer! Six straight days of games against Sioux City & Wichita represent the next chances to widen the sample size of complimentary play. That doesn't mean they'll win them all but would give them a great chance to win both series and keep the snowball rolling down the mountain!

High School Sports

Another week, another Summer All Star game. This week was Volleyball's turn to show out. After the East swept the pair in Softball, the West came back to take each of the two this week. The results pale in comparison to title's but whichever half of the state claims more ASG's this Summer does make for entertainment. As for the most recent one, you can see the best of gallery.

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