Recent content from Jim Souhan
Souhan: Ant as the new Moss? Nope. The Lakers have that player
Dallas saw in Luka Doncic what the Vikings saw in Randy Moss: A destructive force best sent away. Nothing from Anthony Edwards can touch that.
Souhan: It's time to stop complaining about Wolves' Randle
When Julius Randle returned from injury in March, the Wolves were 33-29. They finished the season on a 17-4 run with Randle playing a larger role.
Souhan: Why this season's Wolves might be a better playoff team than last season's
Strong reasons run six deep: Depth, Julius Randle's adaptations, Anthony Edwards' shooting, experience, Luka Doncic's changes and LeBron James' age.
Souhan: McIlroy sets up his own Masters stress test, with DeChambeau serving as stressor
It's reminiscent of the 2016 Ryder Cup, when Rory McIlroy took on another emotional American at Hazeltine. It's familiar, too, because McIlroy has been in this spot before and flopped.
Souhan: Kirill Kaprizov's return gives hope to the Wild future
With Kaprizov leading the way, the Wild are a threat to anyone in the Western Conference playoffs — which is why the team can't let him leave in free agency.
Souhan: Why was Caitlin Clark a bigger deal in college than Paige Bueckers?
While they were both great with similar college basketball accolades, why was Clark more famous in the eyes of causal sports fans?
Souhan: Wild join Ovechkin in achieving a big moment
With Shooter McGavin suitably in the house, Minnesota busted loose for three goals and took an important overtime victory, then gushed about a record-breaking goal elsewhere.
Souhan: How To Be a Minnesota Sports Team Owner
Being a Minnesota sports team owner isn't for the faint of heart, but there are some things Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez should do if they want to win the hearts of Minnesotans.
Souhan: 2025 start might be bad, but it's not as bad as 2016
Byron Buxton was a part of that Twins team that started 0-9 in 2016 en route to finishing 59-103, so he understands there's no reason to panic ... yet.
Souhan: Twins' horrid finish in 2024 has bled into atrocious start in 2025
What's problematic for the Twins is that this embarrassing four-game stretch feeds into the existing negative narratives about the franchise.
Souhan: Wolves, Edwards belatedly wake up following skirmish
The second-quarter brawl at Target Center left the Pistons undermanned, and the Wolves took advantage. But should they, and Edwards in particular, have needed a scuffle to shake off their lethargic start?
Souhan: Vikings need a veteran QB ... but which one makes sense?
With J.J. McCarthy expected to be the starting QB, the Vikings need a backup plan. Do they go after Aaron Rodgers, bring back Kirk Cousins, or look elsewhere?
Souhan: Is López a true ace? The 2025 opener and details from 2024 say maybe not
Those same facts from last season, plus developments from spring training, indicate the Twins may have some competition for that title.
Souhan: Built like he was created via AI, Twins' López knows his legs are the key to success
Teammates and members of the organization also rave about Pablo López's attitude, coachability, adaptability and work ethic, as well as his charitable personality.
Souhan: Thirty years of Twins spring training memories
Despite the many changes at spring training over the decades, the local watering hole always remained the best place for stories.
Souhan: Gophers need Niko Medved as their next men's basketball coach
Colorado State's second-round loss in the NCAA tournament Sunday night should accelerate the Gophers' pursuit.
Souhan: Rocco Baldelli has learned from last year, which gives him faith for this year
While acknowledging how last year's collapse still hurts, Baldelli believes the Twins are finding a way to move forward for a big 2025.
Souhan: Except for Rodgers-generated quarterback drama, the Vikings did good work
The team's effort in March loaded the roster by filling the gaps. Now let's get on with the J.J. McCarthy era.
Souhan: Chris Finch has been the steadying force in Minnesota's turnaround
Instead of relying on the kinds of moves that might be popular with those outside the organization, Finch stuck to the real work of coaching.
Souhan: Vikings have signed an Aaron and a Rodgers, but thankfully not Aaron Rodgers
Keeping Aaron Jones in the backfield was a good move for the Vikings, but now what do they do about the backup position?
Souhan: Missing Kaprizov, Wild go quietly at X, where they've struggled all season
The slumping team is clearly frustrated, while its fans desperately seek moments to generate enthusiasm.
![As analytics continue to play a big role in MLB, do the Twins embrace the evolution of the game or roll their eyes and fight back?
] CARLOS GONZ](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/TNBMP3TUAZEPBF5JO6NVSDFL5E.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Souhan: Do the Twins roll with the changes or roll their eyes at analytics in 2025?
As analytics continue to play a role in MLB, the Twins have embraced it as a way to get the most out of their players.
Souhan: Remembering Jimmy Johnson... and what he did to the Vikings
Vikings fans know him for orchestrating one of the greatest thefts in sports history — the trade of Herschel Walker to Minnesota.
Souhan: More than her on-court skills, WNBA will miss Diana Taurasi's sniping
The greatest women's basketball player ever, Taurasi was a 14-time all-WNBA selection, 11-time All-Star, and called "The White Mamba" by Kobe Bryant.
Souhan: St. Peter retiring as Twins president ... kind of
The longtime Twins executive has been lauded for passionate management.
Souhan: Women from the Lynx's past and present make Unrivaled a business matter that's personal
The women's three-on-three basketball league, co-founded by Napheesa Collier with Clare Duwelius as GM, is off to a fascinating start.
Souhan: Twins shortstop Correa eyes a path towards the Hall of Fame
With the blueprint set by Joe Mauer, Carlos Correa understands the analytics needed to make his case to gain baseball immortality — but it won't come at the price of sacrificing time with his family.
Souhan: There's no place like Minnesota for Terry Ryan and Derek Falvey
Even with the Twins in flux amid the selling of the franchise, GMs Ryan and Falvey remain committed to the team due to loyalty and a desire to win.
Souhan: Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax to lead talented Twins bullpen
With Duran and Jax battling for the Twins closing role, the rest of the bullpen is shaping up to be among the MLB's best.
Souhan: Last season's struggles proved valuable for Twins' Lewis
His worst month as a big-leaguer coincided with, or helped cause, the Twins' epic September collapse — but now he's better for it.
Souhan: What other pro leagues can learn from NHL's successful All-Star break
Here's how each major American sports league can improve its own All-Star presentation and why such improvements might never occur.
Souhan: Leaving ESPN is a bad idea for Major League Baseball
The greatness of the network's "Sunday Night Baseball" and "Baseball Tonight" and its use of the nation's best writers invited fans to the game.
Souhan: What Finch must do for the Wolves to win
After four games against teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings, the Wolves will face a remarkably easy schedule.
Souhan: Jessie Diggins and the author telling her story
The skiing star from Afton hit it off with Minnesota writer, Todd Smith, whom she shares a commonality with a willingness to work overtime to achieve a dream.
Souhan: Bueckers assists big UConn blowout that ends South Carolina's home winning streak
The Huskies on Sunday ended the Gamecocks' 71-game home winning streak in a game filled with milestones.
Souhan: Count Naz Reid as a Timberwolves cornerstone and nothing less
The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year last season is in his team's top two this season.
Souhan: Timberwolves leave a reminder of their erratic selves and head into the All-Star break
In a surprising victory Thursday over Oklahoma City, they showed depth and talent. But their other side showed just the day before.
Souhan: Are Wolves, Lynx trading stability for excitement with A-Lo in line to be new owners?
The ownership group of Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore — let's call them A-Lo — is popular with Wolves fans for its risk-taking and aggressiveness. Is the glee over an ownership change justified?
Souhan: Super Bowl champion Eagles were built with brilliance
Howie Roseman, the architect of the NFL's best roster, should take a bow following Sunday's rout of Kansas City.
Souhan: Look closely at J.J. McCarthy. See that resemblance to Mahomes?
The Vikings have the right kind of quarterback to succeed in the NFL and the right formula to make it happen.
Souhan: Minnesota has seen a deal like the stunner that sent Doncic to the Lakers
Saturday night's blockbuster NBA trade is remindful of the Vikings ditching star wide receiver Randy Moss in his prime in 2005.
Souhan: Tommies show off their first-place stuff for Wolves bosses
"The coolest story in college basketball" got cooler Sunday, when St. Thomas reached the Summit League's peak.
Souhan: Eye test says Barkley deserves to be in the GOAT conversation
Proclaiming the Eagles star the best running back of all time may seem presumptuous … but calling his 2024 season the greatest ever by a running back is not.
Souhan: Grading which Minnesota owners have thrived and which have stumbled
What the Twins and Wolves have to hope for is ownership that is rich enough to fund a winner, and humble enough to let the experts run the show.
Souhan: Wolves near two big deadlines that will affect season and franchise's future
The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 6. Even bigger, in the next two weeks, the arbitrators' decision on the dispute between Wolves owner Glen Taylor and prospective owners Marc Lorre and Alex Rodriguez is expected to be made public.
Souhan: Vikings can feel Bills' pain following Buffalo's latest playoff exit
Running quarterbacks, running backs highlight the conference championship games.
Souhan: Twins will sell, soon, for big bucks, and then we'll learn the full cost
Team executives are balancing the promise of change with the comfort of stability as TwinsFest and other winter activities remind us baseball is ahead.
Souhan: Gophers basketball surging at the perfect time
There's hope at Williams Arena because the Gophers men are leaning on their star, and the Gophers women are learning to play without theirs.
Souhan: Dr. King would have approved of the rise of women's sports
Women's sports have grown so quickly the last two years that their current challenge is maintaining pace, but Minnesota continues to be among the front-runners in creating and supporting women's sports teams.
Souhan: A Vikings observer's view of the NFL's final foursome
We saw over the weekend promising precedents for young, mobile quarterbacks. The Minnesota roster includes one of those, J.J. McCarthy.
Souhan: In Minnesota men's sports, sequels just don't measure up
The Wolves' struggles this season are familiar to any who ever figured success in this state would lead to more. Here are 10 other times when running it back became running for cover.
Souhan: Trade that sent Towns to New York looks terrible … for now
As the Timberwolves and Knicks play Friday, the Wolves are struggling to incorporate Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo into their lineup and falling in the standings. Karl-Anthony Towns is thriving in a basketball mecca for a superior team.
Souhan: Late-season collapse didn't damage O'Connell's credibility
If the Vikings' Kevin O'Connell was a favorite to win coach of the year before this two-game collapse, he should be a lock now, because we can see what he was working with and fighting against.
Souhan: No QB controversy here. Vikings must dump Darnold and develop McCarthy.
The guy who played quarterback the past two games should be no part of the team's future.
Souhan: Circumstances insist Vikings will have their usual not-a-bit-normal playoff experience
Minnesota would like to alter a history that shows no playoff win since the 2019 season, but the various oddities in place now indicate nothing will happen simply.
Souhan: What happened in October, and how the Vikings can avoid a repeat
Monday's Vikings-Rams rematch will come in the first round of the NFL playoffs ... and if Minnesota has its way, they'll have learned from those mistakes back in Week 8.
Souhan: Instead of stewing in your fears, open your eyes. Vikings' path to Super Bowl remains clear.
Those other times when things went wrong — we're talking four Super Bowl losses plus 1998, 2000, 2009 and 2017 — weren't solid opportunities. This time, the NFC playoff field is flawed.
Souhan: Kevin O'Connell's task this week is to fix Sam Darnold... and fast
Darnold knows he is playing for his future. He is playing for tens of millions of dollars, a spot on the Vikings' roster, and, should he win the Super Bowl, eternal fame.
Souhan: Summarized simply, how can we trust Darnold again?
We've seen this. Add Sam's Swoon to the list that starts with Drew Pearson's push-off, runs through Gary Anderson's miss, stumbles at 41-donut and stretches to a flop at Philadelphia.
Souhan: Is Sunday the biggest Vikings regular-season game ever? It just might be ...
In the first game ever to feature two teams with 14 regular season victories, Sunday's Vikings-Lions is a matchup of likable coaches, altered cultures and outsized ambitions.
Souhan: Another coach in town reminds us it's too early to give up on Finch
The criticism we're hearing is the same stuff we heard when Kevin O'Connell was coaching a 7-10 Vikings team last season.
Souhan: There's no rush to decide Darnold's future with Vikings
Calls for the Vikings to urgently sign quarterback Sam Darnold to a long-term contract are premature. As Andy MacPhail once said, "Never make a decision before you have to."
Souhan: Darnold lifts Vikings again; teammates return the favor
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell trusted quarterback Sam Darnold to seal a 27-25 win over the Packers. In the postgame locker room, his teammates showed him what he means to them.
Souhan: Sunday Vikings-Packers showdown is proof of better times
What Sunday's Vikings-Packers game will be, no matter the outcome, is spectacular entertainment, and a scene that Vince Lombardi and Bud Grant probably couldn't have imagined 50 years ago.
Souhan: What should Minnesota sports fans be wishing for this holiday season?
Widely known that Minnesota sports fans are among the most suffering in the nation, this holiday season has the chance to become special, given the recent success of the Vikings, Wolves, Lynx and Wild.
Souhan: Time for Vikings to lock up their future
Following Sunday's dramatic victory, the Vikings control their own destiny to the NFC's top seed — but now it's imperative that ownership locks up the former journeyman quarterback.
Souhan: Darnold's big moment — the biggest of his life, perhaps — sets everything up
When quarterback Sam Darnold hit Justin Jefferson for the winning points against Seattle, he put himself and his team in position for big things.
Souhan: Now the real drama of the Vikings' season begins
Beginning Sunday in Seattle, the Vikings embark on a three-game journey to culminate what could become the most endearing season in the long and unconsummated history of the franchise..
Souhan: Reunion with Towns comes amid emotion and uncertainty
When Kirk Cousins made his return to Minnesota, we already could see his future and that of the Vikings. Nothing about Towns' or the Wolves' situation is as clear.
Souhan: The difference-maker wore a ballcap and headset, not a helmet. Kevin O'Connell, take a bow.
The head coach's work, particularly with quarterback Sam Darnold, is the reason the Vikings are winning. A lack of coaching is the reason the Bears are losing.
Souhan: Are the Bears a challenge for the Vikings, or just challenged?
Enjoy these four takes on Monday's game, starting with the realization that the Purple is positioned to go all season without a bad loss.
Souhan: A modest proposal to improve baseball, because the Golden At-Bat rule doesn't go far enough
We start with a warning to bad pitchers and bad owners: Beware the trap door. And yes, we are considering moats around infielders.
Souhan: Wolves should sit out the NBA trade period
Fans shouldn't let the uneven performance of the current roster fool them into thinking that there is a magic trade available that will improve this team; What this Wolves team needs is patience and stability.
Souhan: Where do the Vikings rank among the NFL's best?
If it's not the Vikings, currently 11-2 and one game back from owning the best record in the NFL, then who is it? The injured Lions? The offensively-challenged Eagles? The lucky Chiefs?
Souhan: Give Kevin O'Connell (or just call him KO) credit for that knockout
A football coach, especially one bearing the label of quarterback whisperer, could not have had a better day.
