Ten Minnesota sports story lines to watch in 2018

Welcome to 2018. How does it feel to know that someone born Jan. 1, 2000, is now old enough to legally vote? Wait, don't answer that. Instead, think about all the potentially great and/or interesting things that are on the horizon this year in Minnesota sports. There were literally hundreds of possibilities for this list, but I've narrowed it down to 10 things you should watch for when it comes to Minnesota sports in 2018. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Super Bowl LII

OK, I lied just a little. While there is no discernible order to the rest of this list, the possibility of the Vikings playing a home game in the Super Bowl is front-brain for a massive amount of the local population right now.

In case you've forgotten — which means you don't know any Packers fans, who are always there to bring up this fact — the Vikings have never won the Super Bowl. Not only that, but they haven't even played in a Super Bowl in more than 40 years. I was 2 months old the last time it happened.

We'll find out soon if this is the year — but hopefully not until Feb. 4 if you're a Vikings fan. Regardless, the Super Bowl being in Minneapolis is going to be a massive event.

2. Winter Olympics

Five days after the Super Bowl marks the date of the Opening Ceremony for this year's Winter Olympics in South Korea.

3. Twins

The Twins made a big leap from 59 wins to 85 wins between 2016 and 2017, but that doesn't guarantee anything about 2018.

Twins bosses appear intent on adding front-line talent this offseason, but the resolution of their pursuit of pitching aces such as Yu Darvish remains to be decided.

There is also the question of third baseman Miguel Sano. He had surgery in November on a stress reaction in his shin, and last week he was accused by a Twin Cities photographer of grabbing her and trying to kiss her at a 2015 event. Major League Baseball is investigating.

4. Gophers basketball

The Gophers women, meanwhile, scored enough impressive wins in the first two months to show they might belong in the March Madness conversation as well.

5. Lynx

The Lynx have had odd-year magic working for them this decade, winning WNBA titles in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

That means they won an impressive four championships in seven seasons. It also means, though, that a repeat championship is the one thing that has eluded them. Minnesota's veteran core should be focused and more than capable of adding one (ring) for the thumb in 2018.

3. Vikings in Eagan

The new facility boasts six fields, including a 6,500-seat stadium for high school sports. It will also be the year-round training home of the Vikings, meaning training camp — which had been in Mankato for more than 50 years — will now be in Eagan.

7. Timberwolves

Led by newcomer Jimmy Butler, the Timberwolves have been transformed from a rebuilding team to one that looks nicely built.

They are on a path to reach the postseason for the first time since 2003-04, but — with more than half the regular season still to be played — nothing can be taken for granted.

8. Wild

As other local squads have caught up, though, the Wild has slipped back a little this season. Simulation data says making the postseason is pretty much a coin flip proposition at this point for Minnesota. But if the Wild can get healthy and get hot, a deep playoff run is very much still possible.

9. Gophers football

A quick look at the 2018 schedule suggests Fleck's Gophers could and perhaps should improve on their five-win total from 2017, but it's also important to remember that building a college football roster takes time.

It will be interesting to see how patient fans are — and how patient they are asked to be.

10. Vikings QBs

There might not be a more fascinating offseason question than the dilemma of how that situation will play out. I suspect some of it might yet be determined by how the rest of this season winds up.