Recent content from Chip Scoggins
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.
Scoggins: Ibrahim's relentless running traces back to one moment
Sophomore year in high school, his second game as a starting running back, facing one of the best teams in the state of Maryland. Mo Ibrahim remembers it vividly.
Scoggins: All that talk about not paying Dalvin Cook sounds silly now
A strong case can be made that Cook is the best all-around running back in the NFL. That's why the Vikings signed him to a big contract before the season started despite his injury history.
Scoggins: Don't let beating Packers fool you. Vikings should be active traders
The NFL trade deadline is 3 p.m. today and if the Vikings can move a veteran or two in exchange for draft picks, they should go for it. Trade veterans, commit to young players, stockpile draft picks.
Scoggins: Maligned Vikings defense comes through despite more trauma
Another batch of injuries during Sunday's game forced the Vikings to make some moves on defense that not even Mike Zimmer could have imagined.
Scoggins: A Packers week without intensity, animosity doesn't feel right
Remember when Packers week meant something? The excitement, the animosity, the extra significance of those two games each season?
D-II, D-III sports restart could rest on NCAA testing rules decision
If the NCAA mandates that colleges test athletes three times per week, Minnesota schools will need to figure our how to get access and pay for thousands of tests.
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Scoggins: Things may get weird, but it's good to have college football back
Every scout team member is a potential starter. The No. 3 quarterback might be running onto the field at some point. It's not ideal, but this is what we wanted.
Scoggins: For starters, Gophers' defense, special teams weren't remotely capable
An overmatched defense and absurd special teams — caused by COVID-19 absences and injuries — turned a highly anticipated opener into a one-sided contest. Michigan's offense basically did whatever it wanted all game.
Scoggins: New faces, external factors bring uncertainty to U defense
Defenses in college football already play on a slanted field. How quickly the Gophers' new-look unit matures will determine whether P.J. Fleck's program takes the next step and wins the Big Ten West.
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Scoggins: Gophers, Big Ten about to join football's season of chaos
"This is a completely different animal," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. "It's preparing for ghosts, preparing for the unknown. You just have to be ready for it."
Chip Scoggins' 20 thoughts on the 2020 college football season
Welcome to the weirdest college football season on record.
Scoggins: What was Sid like? There's no simple way to answer
There is no adequate way to describe what it's like to work with Sid Hartman, but he was certainly a special colleague.
Scoggins: Vikings can't convert fourth down ... and down to defeat they went
The game offered a basket full of headline-worthy developments, but coach Mike Zimmer's decision with two minutes to play will receive the most scrutiny.
Scoggins: Kendricks is a rock in the middle of Vikings defense
Any down, any situation, Eric Kendricks is the rock in middle of Vikings defense
Scoggins: NFL's COVID outbreak inevitable, but a bubble is unrealistic
The weekend's on-the-fly schedule changes were an inevitable outcome in the precarious pursuit of playing a full pro football season, however crass that might sound.
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Scoggins: Two plays from two special players lead Vikings to victory
Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson on Sunday gave the Vikings' offense life and got the team into the win column for the first time this season.
Scoggins: Record NFL scoring pace is foreign, unwelcome territory for Zimmer
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer dreams at night about winning games 13-10. But low scoring isn't realistic right now, meaning his teams will have to win shootouts until the defense gets healthy and more experienced.
Scoggins: Victory in their grasp, Vikings throw it away
The Vikings on Sunday found a new way to lose as a slapstick finish wasted brilliant performances by Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson.
Scoggins: It's a lengthy to-do list for Zimmer, the Vikings' 'Fixer'
Mike Zimmer billed himself as a 'Fixer' when he was hired, and at 0-2 heading into Sunday's date with Tennessee this feels like a hefty repair job.
Scoggins: Letting U's Bateman play should be easy call for the NCAA
This isn't complicated: The Big Ten flip-flopped on whether it is safe to play football this fall. Why can't Gophers star Rashod Bateman do the same?
Scoggins: Zimmer on offense, 'Right now we're not very good at anything'
Kirk Cousins on Sunday finished with a 15.9 passer rating, the ninth-worst in team history. "It was just a poor day," he said. And it was. For him, his team, the whole operation.
Vikings fans find their way to Indianapolis
Plenty of Colts season-ticket holders who were able to score tickets to Sunday's game vs. the Vikings sold them on the secondary market. At a premium, in some cases. Capacity was capped at 2,500
Scoggins: Trip to sports cathedrals Wrigley, Notre Dame is lacking
The thrill of attending a sporting event is enhanced by the noise, the energy, the smells, the claustrophobic nature of fans cramming into a confined space. Remove all that and here's what it feels like.
Scoggins: Think Donaldson's ejection was funny? Think again
Josh Donaldson's post-home run antics Thursday were selfish, completely unnecessary and hurt the Twins' chances in a crucial game.
Scoggins: Big Ten made right call, but now the onus is on players
There's no wiggle room on personal responsibility if the season is to play out properly.
Scoggins: Streveler goes from Gophers transfer to NFL quarterback
The Gophers coaching staff had so little faith in Chris Streveler's skills that they ultimately moved him to wide receiver. Now he's Kyler Murray's backup with the Arizona Cardinals.
