Recent content from Chip Scoggins
![Minnesota Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (2) warmed up before Wednesday's game.
] Aaron Lavinsky • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com
The M](https://chorus.stimg.co/22732951/merlin_57394165.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Scoggins: Knowing his purpose, QB Morgan ready to lead Gophers after father's death
Ted Morgan was so proud of his son — and it wasn't just because Tanner Morgan overcame long odds to become a standout Big Ten quarterback.
Scoggins: Wild's big mistake with Parise and Suter? There wasn't one
Wild owner Craig Leipold did what fans should hope pro sports owners do: invest, roll the dice and try to win the big one.
Scoggins: If current Twins management fails, it'll be because of pitching
The Twins have nose-dived from fourth in team ERA last season to 27th so far this season. Their pitching woes and self-inflicted mistakes were highlighted again this week.
Scoggins: Inside the incredible leap happening in St. Thomas sports
Recruiting, coaching staff, facilities, ticketing, sports medicine — you name it, St. Thomas is changing it. The Tommies are officially Division I now.
Scoggins: Stuck. How else to describe these Twins?
A major rebuild would be tough sell to the Twins' fanbase, so keep your expectations at the trade deadline modest.
Scoggins: Score one for the NCAA resisters with Supreme Court's unanimous decision
The U.S. Supreme Court essentially told the NCAA to shove it this past week, too, voting 9-0 against the governing body in an antitrust case that will change the way college sports operate.
Scoggins: Sports as they should be. Full house lights the night at Allianz Field
Take a can of soda, shake it for 15 seconds and then open it. That's how the stadium looked when Minnesota United scored two early goals in Wednesday night's victory.
Scoggins: Minnesotan Aaron Pike is a competitor for all seasons
Summer and winter, the Park Rapids native vies for spots on U.S. Paralympic Teams. His calendar looks like a slacker's worst nightmare.
Scoggins: Zimmer takes stick of dynamite to defense after dreadful 2020
Adding 11 defensive free agents gave coach Mike Zimmer everything he wanted to reconstruct the Vikings defense, including the return of Danielle Hunter.
Scoggins: 'Super exposed.' Garver shares the pain of a catcher's life
Catchers accept a certain degree of occupational hazard. Foul tips are going to sting body parts. Mitch Garver knows both the risks and the rewards.
Scoggins: Yankees' Cole uses his best stuff, sticks it to accuser Donaldson
Gerrit Cole on the mound, Josh Donaldson in the batter's box and a week's worth of headlines about sticky substances and spin rates ended in a mismatch.
Scoggins: Minnesota's 2021 seniors reach finish line in a class all their own
High school seniors in the class of 2021 hold a special place, with a pandemic testing them in ways we can't fully comprehend.
Scoggins: Unending recruiting battles ahead as we enter transfer portal era
Fail to lure top recruits out of high school? Be patient, coach. You might woo them on the second or third time around as the traditional recruiting model has suddenly become obsolete.
Scoggins: Next Wolves owners may seek new arena or move
Will the Wolves new owners really want to spend winters living here and view this opportunity as a chance to establish deeply connected civic roots? That likely hinges on the arena situation.
Scoggins: Big-boy hockey by Wild gives team momentum for Game 7
If you ever want to see what a team that doesn't want its season to end looks like, just watch a replay of the Wild's 3-0 win over the Golden Knights.
Scoggins: If the Twins become sellers, where do they start?
It's hard to know who are the Twins' core players to keep for the future.
Scoggins: An ode to Kirill Kaprizov, from his Russian countrymen
A group of fans who share the Wild rookie's homeland pay tribute on social media and in gatherings.
Scoggins: Goalies put on master class with Talbot as the grandmaster
One goaltender was spectacular. The other was perfect. Game 1 was a master class of puck-stopping with Cam Talbot doing what the Wild were hoping for when he was signed as a free agent.
Scoggins: With dynamic Kirill Kaprizov aboard, forget the Wild's playoff past
The rookie has an ability the team has lacked: He can change the game in a heartbeat.
Scoggins: It's tanking time in the NBA, and Wolves refuse to play along
The whole objective of the Timberwolves master plan is finding out how well the pieces they have acquired can fit together — even in the final week of a disappointing season.
Scoggins: Wild GM Guerin found 'his guy' right down the hall
Bill Guerin's decision last summer to buck convention and stay in-house to hire a full-time Wild head coach looks smart so far. The team is 42-21-5 in one-plus seasons under Dean Evason, and it will finish the regular season this week as one of the three best teams in its division.
Scoggins: For Twins' latest total system failure, check out the bullpen
The makeover hasn't worked; Twins relievers so far this season are putting up some of baseball's worst numbers.
Scoggins: Don't buy the subterfuge: Vikings must draft for quality
Given GM Rick Spielman's propensity for draft maneuvering, does anyone really believe he will be able to sit patiently between picks 14 and 78 and do nothing?
Scoggins: St. Thomas coach Tauer's family story is tough to top
Making the big leap from Division III to D-I basketball might be the easy part of life for St. Thomas men's coach Johnny Tauer.
Scoggins: Vikings won't attend OTAs. Are they missing anything vital?
Are those workouts really that essential? Couldn't players get all the preparation needed during training camp. Here are some answers, on a scale of 1 to 10.
Scoggins: This Gophers football team is old — and that's good
Circumstances have combined to make the Gophers football team experienced at some key positions. "Depth changes a lot of things," coach P.J. Fleck said.
Scoggins: Twins sticking with Sano. But how long can that last?
Miguel Sano's at-bats have become frustrating to watch. His batting average is the worst in the league and he has six times as many strikeouts as hits.
Scoggins: Minnesota basketball and its kids deserved these moments of joy
Unlike last year, when COVID-19 was still in its beginning stages, both the boys' and girls' basketball tournaments crowned champions this weekend.
Scoggins: Twins fans, sit back and enjoy Buxton's versatility during the home opener
As the Twins open another schedule at Target Field, it offers promise of a new season and the multiple talents of Byron Buxton.
Scoggins: Sea change benefiting athletes is brewing in college sports
Amateurism, transfer portals and pay are among issues that need sorting out.
For Paige Bueckers, no stage is too big and no brother is too small
Her basketball skills and personality have attracted over one million followers on social media. But she always has time for a kid brother who calls her "Paige-y."
![Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Alex Colome (48) in a portrait made on the team’s Spring Training Photo Day. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@start](https://chorus.stimg.co/22409220/ows_4437b6f0_e06e_4b90_8ac5_bbfe041228f7.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Scoggins: Will Twins bullpen makeover work? We'll know quickly
Going to the bullpen, now the most common exercise in modern baseball, will have fresh drama for the Twins this spring.
Scoggins: Difficulties or not, make Edwards, not Russell, the sidekick for KAT
Ignore the struggles and count on the rookie. He's the 1A of the future.
Scoggins: Hiring Johnson is rebuke of Pitino's years coaching Gophers
What was the biggest criticism of Richard Pitino? That he took a detached and inconsistent approach to recruiting Minnesota despite this state's reputation as a hotbed for prep talent.
Scoggins: Teams losing fans fast in the FSN-streaming fight
Multiple people familiar with the situation said local franchises with FSN ties are looking at viewership losses of between one-quarter and one-third of their audience. That's big, and sobering.
Scoggins: Vikings must fix offensive, defensive lines, or brace for change
The Vikings so far have improved the defense in free agency, but it is only a small start toward repairing two inadequate position groups.
Scoggins: Coyle needs OK to spend what's needed to hire right coach
Hiring a cheap replacement for Richard Pitino likely will put athletic director Mark Coyle and Gophers men's basketball back in this same spot in another few years.
Bracket breakdown: Chip Scoggins picks winners, players to watch
What to watch and who to watch now that the brackets have been revealed for the tournament, which starts with Thursday's play-in games.
Scoggins: Fans, Williams Arena are a part of Gophers men's basketball coach's challenges
Four Division I coaches offered their thoughts on the difficulties for Richard Pitino or any potential successor.
Scoggins: Sports makes a comeback, after a year of weightier concerns
Last March, the coronavirus ushered in a time of confusion, loneliness and sorrow in all of our lives and interrupted sports as we knew it. This March, as the winter tournament season launches and Opening Day approaches, it's time for a new emotion: Hope.
Scoggins: Basketball coaching change next logical step for Coyle
Following an uneven, unsuccessful season for the Gophers men's basketball team, a coaching change is inevitable.
Scoggins: Parise's benching was about more than one bad shift
Seeing Zach Parise benched certainly was jarring considering his stature and salary, but it really shouldn't be all that surprising. This isn't his team anymore.
Scoggins: With Saunders gone, Wolves mess now belongs to Rosas
There is no one but Gersson Rosas to blame if the team doesn't soon show significant improvement. The firing of Ryan Saunders means the team's punching bag has been removed.
Scoggins: Gophers second-half play against Illinois an embarrassment
The rest of this season feels doomed. Maybe the Gophers can rally and find a spark, but what evidence is there that something unexpected is right around the corner?
From South America to Wirth Park, the trail of a world-class skier
Eduardo Arteaga moved from Venezuela to Minneapolis, discovered winter and became a world-class skier. He's in Germany competing in the Nordic World Ski Championships.
Scoggins: Can't even tell if Gophers are overachieving or underachieving
The Gophers men's basketball team has completed three-quarters of its season, and never has one of Richard Pitino's squads been this maddening to figure out.
Scoggins: Twins look good again on paper, but a higher bar is in play
If the Twins stay relatively healthy they should be in contention to three-peat the Al Central division title. But are they constructed in a way that makes them a legitimate World Series contender?
Scoggins: Super Bowl champ Johnson celebrated on sweet day in north Minneapolis
Buccaneers rookie receiver and former Gophers star Tyler Johnson added another chapter to his story, one we should keep repeating for all ears (especially the young ones) to hear.
Scoggins: Some pandemic-driven changes in sports are worth keeping around
Some rule changes in sports in response to COVID-19 have improved the product, so much so that some should be permanent, not temporary, when life returns to "normal."
Scoggins: Top draft choice's illness is reality check on athletes and COVID
The news hit with a somber jolt when the Wild announced that first-round draft pick Marco Rossi had returned to Austria to recover after experiencing complications from COVID-19.
Scoggins: Two communities come through for athletes to show us what's possible
When coaches in southern Minnesota were quarantined by COVID, players dressed the part and in filled in. In northern Minnesota, parents created a special night to recognize an opponent's star player.
Scoggins: Gophers fans need to get used to annual rumors for Fleck's departure
A young, energetic coach that has a good track record? Yes, other teams are going to express their interest in hiring him.
Scoggins: Pitino must address the Gophers' poor shooting liability
Saturday's home loss further exposed a glaring Gophers basketball deficiency that can only be fixed in recruiting. They took 23 three-point shots, made only five and the offense deteriorated.
Scoggins: Pitino's weekend of joy included too many moments of sorrow
Richard Pitino watched his team play its best game of the season at a largely silent Barn. Then he almost teared up watching his 9-year-old daughter play in her game.
Scoggins: A Grimm look at broadcasting sports 300 miles from the action
Gophers men's basketball voice Mike Grimm has four camera angles on his monitor when calling road games, and hopes one is clear enough to show who has the ball.
Minnesota teams pledged $40M for justice. Where is it going?
George Floyd's death spurred aggressive commitments of financial support and team involvement. Recipients sense a new desire from owners and athletes to create genuine relationships that go deeper than in the past.
Scoggins: It's time College Football Playoff expands to eight-team field
Reruns are for sitcoms, not sports. Now after Alabama has yet another national title, let's freshen up the field and invite more than the same small set of power schools each year.
Scoggins: Wild's changes met with excitement, not trepidation
Bill Guerin's roster makeover rings of a major shift from business-as-usual for the organization.
Scoggins: Zimmer's legacy as Vikings coach hinges on this offseason
The Wilfs should start by issuing an edict to their coach and GM Rick Spielman: Missing the playoffs again next season won't be acceptable.
Scoggins: Towns needs to lead Wolves' defensive revival
Karl-Anthony Towns, so skilled and important, needs to stop being awful on defense for the team to have a chance at being successful.
Scoggins: After all those mistakes, Gophers suffer well-deserved loss in Madison
Even when the Badgers seemed intent on gift-wrapping the Axe to the Gophers with one of the most bizarre play-calls you'll ever see, Minnesota did nothing with it. This was a game of failed execution.
Scoggins: In this border battle, former Gophers player backs the Badgers
It took some getting used to but former Gophers football player Ron Mertz has all his support behind son Graham, the starting quarterback at Wisconsin.
Scoggins: Giving Gophers football special treatment right call, even if it looks unfair
Other Gophers head coaches heard "No" on extra scholarship spending this year. P.J. Fleck will hear "Yes." That decision is necessary if the university wants to keep pace with other schools.
Scoggins: Gophers' Morgan shows passing skill that Huskers' Martinez lacks
The Gophers asked their QB to throw when necessary. The Huskers avoided that option.
Scoggins: College football taking on pandemic, in retrospect, worthy of a few cheers
Everyone is making sacrifices right now. College athletes included.
Scoggins: Final act will define this strangest of Vikings seasons
With a record of 6-6, things feel like ... what, exactly? Not a lost cause but not raging optimism as the Vikings prepare for the final four games of the regular season.
Scoggins: Vikings should target passes to Jefferson more, more, more
However many times rookie receiver Justin Jefferson gets targeted each game — that number was 12 on Sunday vs. Jacksonville — it's probably not enough.
Scoggins: Give us Gophers-Badgers on Dec. 19, Big Ten
Rather than play a Big Ten East Division team, the Gophers should be allowed to make up their canceled game with the Badgers instead.
Scoggins: Kicking in glass ceilings made for a November to remember
Girls all over this country were inspired when kicker Sarah Fuller took the field for Vanderbilt to open the second half of Saturday's game with another piece of sports history.
Scoggins: Canceled game cancels trip from Singapore (and other odd Axe stories)
University graduate Neil Mumm is among the fans who are missing the annual Paul Bunyan Axe rivalry this weekend. So is a guy who turned heads and found a new friend by walking into a bar with his own Axe.
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Scoggins: Pitino has built strong U roster for strange season ahead
Add this to the list of unexpected things of 2020: Gophers men's basketball has a deep, stable roster.
Scoggins: When COVID hits college football, to play or not remains confounding
A controversial finish by the Gophers over Purdue overshadowed the main topic pregame: 22 players did not suit up, leaving them with only 61 scholarship players available. Is this worth it?
Scoggins: U's defensive drop-off was expected, but not this calamity
From 10th to 93rd in total defense. From 36th to 99th in scoring defense. This has been a staggering U-turn for the Gophers' defense in only one season.
Scoggins: Poised Cousins comes through and season feels relevant again
The maligned quarterback more than filled in the gaps on a night when other parts of the Vikings' game weren't as good as they needed to be.
Scoggins: Blown-out Gophers badly overmatched by Iowa
Outplayed and outcoached are just two words that apply to what transpired Friday night at TCF Bank Stadium, where the Gophers lost yet again to rival Iowa.
