The Agony of Defeat

Chicago Cub fans have long been the poster children for the suffering sports fan. The Cubs won the 1907 World Series and repeated in 1908. They were looking like a dynasty with Three Finger Brown and the double-play combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance, immortalized by a Franklin Adams poem.  Actually, that infield was no better than any other but the 2-2-1 syllable mix rolls off the tongue and fits the poem's need. And Harry Steinfeldt became a trivia answer. Then, placed under "The Curse of the Billy Goat" by a fan ejected from Wrigley Field when he brought his pet goat to the stadium, the Cubs proceeded to lose 7 World Series over the course of 108 years, finally breaking the curse with a World Series win in 2016. Ironically, they defeated the Cleveland Indians who had last won in 1948. They are still waiting.

The Red Sox, a close second in woe to the Cubs, were the most successful team in the early years of the World Series play, winning 5 times between 1903 and 1918. But in 1919, the Red Sox sold the Babe to the Yankees and as a result played thereafter under the "Curse of the Bambino".  Ted Williams, perhaps the best hitter in baseball history, never got a ring. The curse was finally broken after 86 years in 2004, the Sox avenging their 1946 and 1967 losses to the Cardinals. To make matters worse, the fans were punished with agonizing season ending losses. Think Enos F Slaughter, Bucky F Dent and Billy F Buckner.

So who's next in line for the pity party. 

I would argue it's the Minnesota Sports Fan. We are rarely surprised  by joy. It would be nice to be on the front end of the Wide World of Sports slogan occasionally. 

Metropolitan Stadium

I am old enough to remember when the Washington Senators moved  in 1961 to Minnesota and Metropolitan Stadium with vaunted pinch hitter Elmer Valo and a bunch of other over-the-hill players. Met Stadium, built in Bloomington in 1956 had housed the Minneapolis Millers Triple A team, a farm team of the NY Giants. It looked like a steel mill. A deal was almost made to lure the Giants to Minnesota, but San Francisco offered a sweeter deal and we ended up with the lowly Senators. But with the coming of Killebrew, Allison, Oliva, Battey, Versailles, Kaat and Pascual, we witnessed a World Series in 1965.  

Unfortunately, the other side had Sandy Koufax & Don Drysdale.

1961 was also the inaugural season for Minnesota Vikings in that same Met Stadium, a season highlighted by a scrambling Fran Tarkenton engineered victory over the Chicago Bears in their inaugural game, however finishing out at 3-11. Bud Grant coached this team to 4 Super Bowls in the 70's, sadly finishing second in all four. And nothing but dashed hopes since then.

Hubert Humphrey Metrodome

In 1982, the Twins & Vikings moved downtown to the horrendous Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome, perhaps the worst baseball venue ever built - and not much better for football. But, finally, in 2010 the Twins got their own ballpark again, Target Field, still downtown but tucked into the Warehouse District, perhaps the finest fan-friendly ballpark in the majors.

Target Field

US Bank Stadium

The Vikings, of course, could not be slighted, so we tore down the Metrodome and put up a new Vikings stadium, a monument to Ziggy - US Bank Stadium - praised to the moon by football aficionados as the ultimate football palace. The Vikings had to play in the (new) Minnesota Gopher's TCF/Huntington Bank Stadium) for a couple years while construction went on. But the palatial digs have not improved outcomes.

Huntington Bank Stadium

Met Center

I can also remember when the NHL expanded to Minnesota in 1967 with the Minnesota North Stars and the new Met Center built in the Twins parking lot to house them. It looked to me like a Greek Temple compared to the Met. Minnesota legend Glenn Sonmor coached North Stars to second place in the Stanley Cup finals of 1981and they had the same runner-up result in 1991. Nothing since. 

The North Stars were spirted away to Dallas by Norm Green in 1993. Never liked that guy. And ..  Dallas Stars - really?

Xcel Energy Center

But we did get the Minnesota Wild in 1997 - and another new arena, the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  But 3 years without NHL - in Minnesota?  Someone should be fired. But on the other hand the Wild haven’t had a Stanley Cup sniff in 27 years,

Target Center

The NBA expanded to include the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989 and their spanking new Target Center Arena - of late declared antiquated I hear. Another build it or I will leave situation I suspect. I also remember the ABA Pipers and the Muskies.  TWolves - 35 years - no titles.

Allianz Field

And the Kicks, Thunder and now Loons in soccer now in the spanking new Allianz Field. No titles.

And, at last, it is with great appreciation, and a joy to be a fan, I welcome women's pro-sports, the Lynx in 1998 and the Frost in 2024.  Our great success stories. We've expended a good deal of coin on stadiums over the years, but at least the addition of women's pro teams was with no stadium construction costs - the Lynx and Frost are willing to play in previously men-only venues. (See Target Center & Xcel Energy Center above)

So, I submit that Minnesota sports franchises have offered the most agony of defeat to their fans of any city, surpassed only by the aforementioned Cubs & Sox folks. (Cleveland may file a protest)

To wit, here's our return on investment: 

• Minnesota Vikings.  In 63 years, 4 Super Bowl appearances, all in the 70's,  all losses, the last 47 years ago. 
• Minnesota North Stars / Minnesota Wild.  In 57 years, advancing to the Stanley Cup finals twice. Lost both.
• Minnesota Timberwolves.  In 35 years, never a NBA finals appearance.  For those old enough, you will remember Minneapolis had a dominant NBA team, the Minneapolis Lakers in the 40's & 50's, winning 5 titles before Bob Short moved them to LA in 1960. (Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers - did you think a LA team would get a nickname like "Lakers" if it weren't inherited?) The Minneapolis Lakers had no arena of their own, rather played in the Minneapolis Armory and Minneapolis Convention Center bandboxes which probably made a move inevitable
• Minnesota Twins. In 63 years, 2 World Series rings. The last 33 years ago. And before that, as the Washington Senators, 1 World series win in 58 years, acquiring the moniker "First in war, first in peace and last in the American League."
• Minnesota Kicks / Thunder / Loons. Nada.  However, we did get another stadium built. Allianz Field.

But .. all this woe has been somewhat mitigated by great successes from the women's teams.

• Minnesota Lynx.  Our greatest success story ... 8 WNBA finals appearances and 4 titles in 25 years
• Minnesota Frost.  PWHL championship in the first season of the league's existence

Just for the record, here are the stadium outlays over the years:

You should check my math, but that's approximately $2.5 billion worth of stadium over the years.  Costs a lot not to be a cold Omaha. 

You of course realize that investing too much of your emotional capital in your favorite sports team is a prescription for unhappiness. So enjoy the game for the entertainment that it is. There are 30 MLB teams, 32 NBA teams, 32 NFL teams and  32 NHL teams. All but 1 in each league will be disappointed losers each year. All things being equal - which they are not - you have a 3% chance for the thrill of victory. It is only a game after all.  And, please, please avoid the lure of Fanduel et al which offers you a 100% chance of woe, not just emotional.

... I didn't get to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers saga. Perhaps we save that for another day.

Have you ever wondered why all our teams are Minnesota <this or that>?  Me neither.

Copyright ©  2025  Dave Hoplin