Recent content from Jim Souhan
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Souhan: Bright lights of postseason again cause Twins offense to vanish
Seeking a recent trend for the Twins' playoff difficulties? Look at a lineup that can't generate anything.
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Souhan: Karma is a pitch for Twins' and Houston's playoff fortunes
The Twins' starting rotation, as underwhelming as it might seem to many fans, might be the deepest they have had entering a postseason since 1991.
Souhan: To erase past playoff debacles, Twins must draw on mental toughness
Twins players acknowledged their division title and home playoff berth in muted fashion Sunday, intent on bringing about bigger and better celebrations in the days ahead.
Souhan: Badly timed injuries could continue Twins' playoff curse
Luis Arraez returned to the Twins lineup Saturday and gave it a spark, but other key players were still out.
Souhan: Collier plays like a superstar as Lynx almost pull off shocker
At one point in the fourth quarter, Napheesa Collier blocked three shots by Seattle superstar Breanna Stewart in quick succession.
Souhan: Prep football on way back, Kirk Cousins on way down
A lot of news to catch up on, including the very quick and sudden end to the Vikings season and the belated start of high school football.
Souhan: Ngakoue arrives just in time to save Vikings' season
If we were going to identify the most pivotal non-quarterback in Sunday's Vikings game at Indianapolis, it might be Yannick Ngakoue, the lone blue-chip defensive lineman.
Souhan: 'I didn't want to go home' more than just words from Sims
Odyssey Sims gave birth to her son in April and planned not to play this season. She changed her mind, and changed the Lynx's prospects for success.
Souhan: Despite its words, NFL still lacks credibility on racism
This is why the NFL lacks credibility: Anyone can mouth a phrase or paint a slogan.
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Souhan: Vikings, Packers take different approaches to star players
The Vikings on Saturday made a huge investment in star running back Dalvin Cook, while Green Bay sent Aaron Rodgers mixed messages this offseason.
Souhan: more Lamars and Deshauns, fewer Kirks and Toms will define this NFL season
Quarterback play has never been better in the NFL, for a number of good and heartening reasons.
Souhan: Lynx have right stuff to make a WNBA playoff run
One of the reasons the Lynx boast so many possible WNBA award candidates is their ability to hang around the top of the league without their departed stars and their currently injured star — center Sylvia Fowles.
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Souhan: Picture not always rosy when it comes to Twins' Rosario
Somehow, Eddie Rosario went 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk and yet had a bad game because of other misadventures.
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Souhan: From Wolves to NBA playoff teams: 'You're welcome'
The Wolves' draft decisions have created something of a reverse curse in the NBA. Since Dallas won the NBA title in 2011, every NBA champion except once has featured a Wolves connection or benefited from a Wolves draft-day decision.
Souhan: Twins' ability to bounce back from adversity might be best trait
We might never see this team whole. But we might have already witnessed the most important bounce-back games of the season.
Souhan: Vikings managing array of on-field crises beyond virus
Without a normal offseason or training camp, and without preseason games, the Vikings will be trying to douse fires at a handful of key positions.
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Souhan: Trade benefits Vikings both obviously and cynically
The Vikings aren't in the business of paying players what they "deserve." They are in the business of winning games while staying under the salary cap, and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue's arrival could mean the end of meaningful long-term negotiations with running back Dalvin Cook.
Souhan: White men in power using their influence to combat racism
The power structure, for once, is paying it forward.
Souhan: Athletes threaten bosses' money as they sit out for justice
Black athletes have raised fists and boycotted anthems and broadcast their grief, but sadly they may never have mattered as much, in terms of social impact, as they did on Wednesday.
Souhan: Lynx, Twins lead the league in vulnerability
By admitting what they don't know and valuing input from employees at all levels, the Lynx's Cheryl Reeve and the Twins' Derek Falvey have built successful and progressive franchises in a complicated modern sports culture.
Souhan: Lynx keep winning with big contributions, not big names
Cheryl Reeve's work as Lynx general manager the past two years has allowed her to survive as a coach in the post-Maya Moore franchise mode.
Souhan: Moving Parise and keeping Dubnyk might help Wild
What Wild GM Bill Guerin does with Zach Parise and Devan Dubnyk this offseason will be telling, and perhaps pivotal for the team's future success.
Souhan: Voices of reason, not greed, led to right call by Big Ten's leaders
As college football goes on hiatus, it's not hard to separate the adults from the children. Most of the latter are highly paid college football coaches.
Souhan: New world champ from Minneapolis fights for title and for justice
As he returns to Minneapolis from Los Angeles with an interim World Boxing Association welterweight title, Jamal James is seeking "change as a society and a nation as a whole."
Souhan: Given chance to show unity with Dumba, players stumble
Matt Dumba stood alone in an arena and before the sports world, asking for equality and awareness, raising a fist to protest racism. His teammates and the NHL left him hanging.
Souhan: Minneapolis boxer James finally gets his shot at a title
Saturday night in Los Angeles, Jamal James will fight for the WBA interim welterweight title. For years, James' slogan has been: "Where's my belt?" Now, finally, it is an uppercut away.
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Souhan: Twins bullpen transformed from a liability to a strength
Last summer, when the Twins' bullpen was getting knocked around, the team started a flurry of moves that has paid off very well.
Souhan: Props to Bettman and the NHL for saving the season
Six months ago, the NHL seemed a long shot to become a model for COVID protocols. In an upset, the NHL is now winning the dangerous game of responsibly returning to action.
Souhan: In battle of No. 1 starters, true ace is not Twins' Berrios
Jose Berrios is a two-time All-Star, a maniacal worker, a career overachiever and the ace of a team coming off a 101-victory season. But he still has a lot to prove.
Souhan: Finau fails again by slipping into Sunday worst at 3M Open
He's a Ryder Cup player ranked 17th in the world, but when it comes time to win, he's more choker than closer.
Souhan: Tringale, with a 63 at the 3M Open, reminds us of realities
The world is loaded with excellent golfers, and it's a very close call who will win and why. Just ask Cameron Tringale.
Souhan: Wolff's confidence, crazy swing propel him to 3M Open success
Matthew Wolff, the defending 3M Open champion, is comfortable at TPC Twin Cities, and he's in contention again.
Souhan: Finau's polished swing has come a long way from the garage
Learning the game of golf in a garage produced Tony Finau's remarkably compact yet powerful swing. It was on point Thursday, leading him to a 6-under 65.
Secret to Mitch Garver's power? Crushing it with science
Mitch Garver blended science, baseball analytics and common sense to devise an approach that produced 31 home runs in only 311 at-bats last year.
Souhan: What I watched during the quarantine of 2020
Quarantine has created the opportunity and isolation for new diversions as live sports slowly return to our lives.
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Souhan: Edmonton Wild could be what's cool this summer
This might seem like a strange time for optimism about the Wild as the NHL season heads toward a restart. But there are reasins to feel good about the team.
Souhan: Fall football forecast sees maybe the NFL playing
Will there be football this fall? Should there be football this fall? Is football at every level below the NFL going to be called off due to the pandemic?
Souhan: Twins are back at Target Field but nothing feels normal
The crack of the bat is supposed to be accompanied by cheers or gasps, not resolute silence. The final words spoken on the loudspeaker should not be "Attendance: Zero."
Souhan: Mahomes' megabucks deal a reminder American sports flush with cash
The measure of any large sports contract is not whether the owner can afford it, but whether it makes sense within the salary and payroll structure of that team and league.
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Souhan: Sports world finds its voice in difficult times
There are examples everywhere of people trying to effect change.
Souhan: Restarting sports in virus-deep Florida was horrible mistake
Sports leagues should have ignored the welcome mat offered by the Sunshine State.
Souhan: 60-game version of Twins could be more dangerous
With ridiculous power and underrated pitching depth, the Twins were well-prepared to succeed over 162 games. As they begin workouts this weekend at Target Field, they may be even more formidable than they were a few months ago.
Souhan: A short, experimental baseball season? Bring it on
A universal designated hitter? Expanded rosters? Runners on second base to start extra innings? This MLB season could be loads more fun than the usual 162-game slog.
Souhan: Maya Moore more deserving than Cruz for ESPYs' Humanitarian award
Nelson Cruz was a deserving winner, but the Lynx star gave up her career to dedicate her life to criminal justice reform, and should have won the award.
Souhan: Pohlads weather storms to sit solidly in charge of Twins
Among many Twins fans, the name Pohlad is synonymous with cheapness. As the team prepares for a long-delayed Opening Day, this is a good time to ask whether the family deserves the reputation.
Souhan: Ex-Wolves coach Casey lauds strong words from white peers
It shouldn't need to be this way, but having Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr and others speak out has made a difference in the month since the killing of George Floyd.
Souhan: Owners to blame for baseball deal taking so long
MLB owners didn't want a regular season longer than 60 games. They slow-played the negotiations until imposing a 60-game schedule, finalized Tuesday, became more a matter of necessity than a matter of choice.
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Souhan: The biggest sports buffet ever could soon be served to fans
If baseball owners prove they care about their sport and other things go right, we could be approaching the most saturated nine-month stretch of sports in American history.
Souhan: A true patriot sees the American flag as more
It's time for Americans to choose: Do you care about citizens or symbols?
Souhan: U assistant Thibault-DuDonis leans on family of coaches
"Family" isn't a coaching cliché for Gophers women's basketball assistant Carly Thibault-DuDonis. Her father is in the WNBA and her husband is the head coach at Wisconsin-River Falls.
Souhan: 'The Match' made in golf/football heaven should get a sequel
The made-for-TV charity event was gobbled up by fans craving any sort of live sports, but it was compelling enough with personalities, banter and insight to merit imitators.
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Souhan: Strong statement needed, and Vikings signing Kaepernick would do it
Signing Colin Kaepernick would signal the Vikings care about social justice, and that the NFL acknowledges its wrongful blackballing of a talented quarterback. It would also make football sense.
Souhan: Major League Baseball can't afford to take season off
If players and owners can't agree on salaries this year, it would be another blow to the game
Baseball was Hunter's safe haven, and he grew into a star
Torii Hunter listened to veteran teammates and slowly learned. He progressed from a talented youngster who couldn't identify the spin of offspeed pitches to a slugger who crushed them.
Souhan: Black athletes call out again for justice. Will we listen this time?
For many white Americans, exposure to what it is like to be black in the United States often comes through black athletes and entertainers. We should listen to them.
Kicker Reveiz never made excuses as he found footing with Vikings
Born in Bogota, Colombia, his family moved to Miami when he was 11. A friend saw Fuad Reveiz kicking a soccer ball and talked him into trying football.
Souhan: Darrell Thompson expects Gophers to have even greater success
But the former standout running back is worried about his mentoring program for at-risk kids and troubled by the NFL's apathy toward former players with needs.
Souhan: With more controls, 'Wild West' feel gone from sports reporting
Sports coverage will never be as wild and personal as it was when an angry Wolves player walked into the media room and announced he was calling his own press conference.
Souhan: Ignoring blacks for top NFL jobs is racist and stupid
If you're not angry about discrimination, you should be angry about so many teams breaking the golden rule of sports. They're not doing all they can to win.
Souhan: Public should side with rich, not wealthy, in MLB pay debate
We are in danger of returning to the bad old days of sports-talk debate, where fans conclude that millionaire players are greedier than billionaire owners.
Souhan: Ban spitting. Dial down celebrations. Bring on robot umps.
When Major League Baseball games return post-pandemic, there are a handful of changes that should be made - for the better.
Souhan: MJ making it to the majors would have been a minor miracle
Some believe NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan could have eventually played baseball in the major leagues. Former Twin Gene Larkin and manager Tom Kelly are not among them.
Souhan: Teerlinck had knack for motivating Vikings players he coached
John Teerlinck spent just three seasons with the Vikings, but columnist Jim Souhan considers him one of the great characters and coaches in a franchise history filled with high achievers and great characters.
Souhan: Rodgers to the Vikings? Weirder things have happened
Remember, there was never any way Brett Favre could ever play for the Vikings ... and then we had Brad Childress picking him up at the airport.
Souhan: Interim coach Evason deserves shot to stick with Wild
He has only had 12 games under his belt filling in for Bruce Boudreau, but his relationship with Kevin Fiala is a critical factor.
Souhan: Building Gophers through transfers has merit for Pitino
While not getting the state's best high school players, Richard Pitino could be devising a strategy that could allow the Gophers to compete with better Big Ten programs.
Souhan: By not making mistakes, Vikings lead NFC North in draft success
While none of us can predict the future, we can always assess real-time logic. The Vikings made use of it during the 2020 NFL draft. Their closest competitors did not.
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Souhan: Selecting Jefferson won't repeat Williamson fiasco
Troy Williamson was fast and raw. Justin Jefferson is built like a prototype NFL receiver, he has excellent hands and he excelled in the biggest games in college football last year.
Souhan: The NFL draft is all-important. (Here's why that's a lie)
The draft feels important because the NFL has made it feel important, and because the draft is filled with mystery and speculation, and every once in a while your team drafts the perfect player.
Souhan: Lynx's draft picks point more toward the long term
The Lynx could have taken a more polished player or a pure point guard at No. 6. Instead, they gambled on upside. They are hoping to position themselves for next year's free-agents, and get back to taking swings at a title.
Souhan: Tamara Moore well-prepared to be a men's basketball coach
Tamara Moore, who has played against and coached men before, will be the only woman coaching a men's college team next season at Mesabi Range.
Souhan: In this WNBA mock draft, Lynx go big and with a winner
Many national mock drafts have the Lynx taking a point guard to fill the void left when Lindsay Whalen retired. But draft wisdom tell us that what you hear and what really happens don't always match up.
Souhan: Jamal James ready for WBA title fight — whenever it happens
Jamal James' title bout was supposed to have taken place Saturday at the Armory. Even after the fight was canceled because of COVID-19, with no makeup date, James maintained his grueling training regimen.
Souhan: Masters memories never fade for St. John's star Schmitz
In 2015, Sammy Schmitz, the former All-America from St. John's, won the U.S. Mid-Am to earn a berth in the 2016 Masters. He played two rounds at the Masters, missing the cut but gaining lifelong memories.
Souhan: Is MLB so desperate for games it would put lives at risk?
COVID-19 isn't just a disease. It's an intelligence test. If baseball tries this, its entire management team will get a failing grade.
