Winning in the Minne

Minnesota has always been a favorite state of mine. My annual July vacation to Maddens Lodge in the Brainerd Lakes area, is something I still count down the days to at 23 years old. Two of my dear roommates and friends from my college days also hail from the this lovely state Up North. Now, never a state to disappoint, Minnesota has once again provided me with a wealth of entertainment this week, but from an unlikely arena. The Twin Cities have never been known for much of a sports town, but both Monday and Tuesday night they played host to two of the biggest and most exciting games of the month.



Monday night the big green machine, Green Bay Packers came to town to battle their former quarterback, Brett Favre, and his Minnesota Vikings. The game proved to have all the energy and makings of a Super Bowl matchup. It also proved to a lot of critics that good vintage is always in style. The game was classic Favre, who outplayed Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, 14 years Favre's junior. Tuesday night I once again found myself clamoring for my remote and glued to my couch watching the one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins for the American League Central Division title. Two teams could not have been more evenly matched, as the game lasted 12 innings until the Twins' Alexi Casilla hit a single and brought in Carlos Gomez to win the game. You know it's good baseball, and even better fan energy when as sad of a baseball stadium as the Metrodome is, can look rocking. So maybe, just maybe Minnesota can start putting in its bid for that oh-so elusive reputation of a "sports town." Oh, and if they decide to keep Brett Favre around those parts for good, we here in St. Louis will gladly take Tarvaris Jackson to free up the Vikes roster.



*Photos courtesy of The New York Times