For those who enjoy a good underdog sports story and also root for Minnesota teams, there was a thin but prominent overlapping slice of Venn diagram in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The 1987 Twins, with just 85 regular-season wins, dispatched the mighty Tigers in the ALCS and then the Cardinals in the World Series to stun the world.
That same year, the 8-7 Vikings (really 8-4, but 0-3 with replacement players) upended New Orleans and San Francisco in the playoffs to nearly reach the Super Bowl.
The 1988-89 Gophers men's basketball team reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 11 seed; a year later, Clem Haskins' crew reached the Elite Eight as a No. 6 seed.
Throw in the worst-to-first 1991 World Series champion Twins and the North Stars reaching the 1992 Stanley Cup finals after winning just 27 of 80 regular-season games and it is more than clear: That was quite a five-year run of success, much of it of the unexpected variety.
Surprise success is often the sweetest for fans. With limited expectations, any time a season is extended feels like a gift.
For the last three decades or so, though, Minnesota teams haven't really been in the spirit of giving.
There are a few notable exceptions: The Twins dispatching the A's in 2002; the Wild reaching the Western Conference finals in 2003 and winning a couple first-round series under Mike Yeo; the Gophers women's basketball team reaching the Final Four in 2004. The Vikings upsetting the Packers in the 2004 playoffs and upending the Saints just a year ago.