It hasn't even happened yet, and already I'm excited about the change.
For every Minnesota pro sports team, here's a wish list from RandBall
If P.J. Fleck's Gophers really commit to a passing game, we will check one thing off the list. But there are many more items on the local sports agenda wish list. Here's one for every pro team.
August 15, 2023 at 6:23PM
P.J. Fleck's Gophers football offense has either been stuck in a bygone era or playing to its strengths, depending on your perspective, for six years.
Regardless of how you frame it, the reality is the same: In six seasons under Fleck, the Gophers have never ranked even the top 100 in pass attempts per game. There are currently 133 Football Bowl Subdivision schools, and the Gophers are often down by the run-happy service academies when it comes to the forward pass.
But there are hints that things could be different this season, as Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins wrote about recently and talked about on Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcast.
A more diversified offense is a necessary ingredient in the Gophers becoming a true contender in the Big Ten and beyond.
The prospect of Athan Kaliakmanis slinging the ball around the field got me thinking, though: What do we want to see from other teams in Minnesota in order for them to take a step forward? Let's see . . .
Vikings: Make a smart decision at quarterback. I think the Vikings need to move on from Kirk Cousins after this season, as they are set up to do. A young, cost-effective, multi-threat quarterback is a clearer path to a Super Bowl than an aging, above-average one. The question is what the Vikings think. What they must not do is this: Stick with Cousins simply because they are afraid of what might happen without him.
Twins: Win a playoff game. That is all.
Wolves: Figure out an organizational direction. If the grade from last season is incomplete because Karl-Anthony Towns was injured for 51 games, a similar grade this year can't happen. The Wolves need to know if KAT and Rudy Gobert can work together. And if not, they need to deal KAT by this year's trade deadline.
Wild: Keep Kirill Kaprizov happy. There is nothing to suggest the biggest star in franchise history is unhappy. But he's been to the playoffs three times without getting out of the first round. The Wild have two more years of cap purgatory, and there's no clear path to a frontline center to pair with Kaprizov.
Lynx: Find a franchise point guard. The Lynx have tried several options since Lindsay Whalen retired after the 2018 season, but they are still searching for a permanent solution.
United: Get out of the middle. Like a lot of Minnesota teams, the Loons have been good enough to make the playoffs in many seasons but not great enough to go all the way. This year shows a similar story: a 7-7-8 record that has them on the fringes of the Major League Soccer playoff race.
When he was hired after the disastrous 2016 season to reshape the Twins, Derek Falvey brought a reputation for identifying and developing pitching talent. It took a while, but the pipeline we were promised is now materializing.
