Howard Sinker

sports take | Edina Tourney Canceled, Holiday Gifts & What Ifs 12.11.25

Sports Take: A big prep basketball tourney in Edina is canceled, a big Gophers hoops upset goes up in flames, a group of Minnesotans qualifies for the Olympics, a bunch of holiday gift ideas, another coaching prospect list that includes you-know-who at the U & a good take on women's sports coverage.

Some great stuff at the end of @howardsinker.bsky.social's Sports Take today, talking to Dunja Antunovic from the U of M who's researched women's sports coverage, which has a growing interest:

"Women's sports are rarely a 'beat.'"

www.thedailyagenda.com/p/sports-tak...

‘Twas the day after Christmas,
And all through the town,
Fans pondered the Rate Bowl,
“New Mexico?” They frowned.

I feel this way -- as soon as I pull into the driveway!

First set NCAA volleyball: St. Thomas 25, Iowa State 21, Dr. Drew Pinsky drug hustling ads 11.

I feel that way about sports in general. Your team winning should be a +10 in your life. Losing should be a -1. Or a -2 if it's particularly painful. Curse and brood for a few minutes and then move on. Save any real anger for inept ownership and management.

sports take | Vikings Spread Gloom, Gophers Lower Boom on Opponents 12.4.25

New Sports Take: A link between Trump's latest pardon and the Timberwolves that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere. Also, Gophers bring joy while Vikings bring pain. Thoughts on Byron Buxton and some snark about reporting on college football "commitments."

www.thedailyagenda.com/p/sports-tak...

The difference is that most Gophers fans act like being a middle-third team in the Big Ren is just fine and shouldn't be grounds for criticism. 🏈🏀

By the end of the season, I won’t be surprised if Seahawks fans and front office are asking the same question and draw the same conclusion about Sam Darnold that led to his departure from the Vikings: “Good QB. But can he take us as far as we need to go?”

Second place finisher:

It's over. No further Max Brosmer posts are necessary because you won't do better than this.

Max threw to the wrong Jones.

I have become super appreciative of the recuperative powers of days to relax, as the spouse of a first-year kindergarten teacher. Enjoy the calm before the next storm!

Not to be confused with the weird time at the Star Tribune when they decided copy editing was a luxury, Gophers home games could be 'covered' by someone sitting in the office and . . . (Finish this sentence as you see fit.)

Mexico City Cafe in St. Louis Park.

Plus, the city has sidewalk plows, which is a nice touch for those of us who don't score 100% on the mobility scale.

I work my coffee/lunch-with-friends circuit hard and spend time with a college basketball team as its faculty advisor/liaison. I can’t oversell how fortunate I feel to be in an orbit that included my peers, coaches (typically a generation younger) and college students.

Nelson Cruz

I was imagining more empty seats than I'm seeing and hearing about. I'm not a freeze-my-feet-for-football guy.

Thanks, Andrea. That’s a good turnout — and it looks like selling tickets in the student section for today was a strong promotion.

Was in Northfield to see them in the D3 men’s soccer tournament last Saturday. (I highly recommend men’s basketball. We put 126 on Grinnell a couple weeks ago.)

Well, Macalester isn’t playing today. That’s my excuse.

Thanks! The U was selling discounted tickets to fans for the student section as part of a promotion, which was a good idea considering the holiday weekend. That’s probably boosted the look.

Gophers fans at the Minnesota-Wisconsin game help me out: Haven't seen a crowd shot since I started watching. Given TV's obsession with showing fans in crummy weather, I'm assuming the turnout is pretty thin and FS1 is trying to be polite. Is my suspicion correct? Anyone?

Men's Basketball The official Men's Basketball page for the Macalester College Scots

Elliot and Will, Here’s the team page on the web, which includes the schedule. We’re 4-3 this season and play a fun style to watch. (Check the Grinnell box score.) We also have nine first-years on the roster. (Abe and Connor did an awesome recruiting job.)

athletics.macalester.edu/sports/mens-...

You have to disregard this season. Niko was forced to do his recruiting in the Aldi Aisle of Shame. The Gophers are a mismatched, overmatched team. I was at the Gardner-Webb game, which they won by 27. But G-W is 0-8 and has lost half those by over 30.

Hosea Crittenden would start on this team.

To be honest, I watched a few minutes in the first half and have been checking in a few times since. It's pretty painful. You are always welcome to join me to watch the @macalestercollege.bsky.social men's team. That's my "group!" 🏀🏀🏀

Screenshot showing the score: Santa Clara 71, Minnesota 40 in the second half.

It's not getting better.

This Gophers men's basketball game is not going well so far.

This time last year, there was a pretty significant group of Bears fans who thought Caleb Williams was awful. It's too soon for that judgment. The rush to blame McCarthy has let too many others off the hook.

The Bears celebrate their 24-15 victory over the Eagles in the end zone after the final play of the game

I believe the first-place Bears just showed the last-place Vikings what they could have been this season with (1) better personnel decisions, (2) better game-planning and (3) better play. The beatdown of the Eagles made the "Blame it all on McCarthy" crowd look even sillier.

Prayers up for Brosmer