Wait a sec. Did you feel something? I thought I felt it several times in the Wild's brave series against the world champs last week. They were supposed to fold-up faster than my college softball lawn chair and they didn't. The young players dug deep and skated fast and they almost took it to the house.
Then, when the Viking muckety mucks hired Zimmer, I felt it again. A no-nonsense taskmaster who won't suffer fools gladly and who seems hell-bent on creating an atmosphere of character, not just characters. Will this be the year the franchise won't let their players throw punches off their heels late in the 4th?
Then last week the Twins brass has a come-to-Jesus with Aaron Hicks, and if it wasn't exactly a trip to the woodshed, it was a wake-up call to start hacking and stop standing there. The young boyz are learning to win a few at home, Hick's hits a walk-off single, and Hughes is starting to pitch like our first real Ace in years. What's up with that?
I felt a little something when Pitino's chippy youngsters started to cop a 'tude late last season, going on a roll to win the B-squad Title with an class "A" heart. Having lost several of their top Minnesota recruits, it still might be a winding road to prosperity. But we know Pitino's teams-and for sure Kill's-will not be conference doormats.
So is something up that's good with Minnesota's main sports teams, something so subtle we can't quite discern a trend? If we listen carefully, pay attention to the vibrations that tune the music of sports, there might, just might be a whisper of a melody that sings, the winter of our sports is over. We are here to play. We are here to win.
