Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 9.08.25

Sep 8

Mon-Tue-Fri Takeouts this week.

Let’s gooooooo! Vikings at Bears tonight, finally, after watching football for four days. Harrison Smith is out (“personal medical”, we’re still not quite sure what’s going on there). J.J. McCarthy returns to his hometown to make his NFL debut, with his fiance ready to give birth at a moment’s notice.

Naz Reid’s sister was killed in a domestic violence crime in New Jersey.

Second-place Loons begin preparations to play at first-place San Diego FC this Saturday. Five points separate the teams with five games to play. Minnesota has never won a conference championship.

We’re an F1 family now, at least until the fix was in with McLaren yesterday.

Lynx Top Valkyrie; Fever on Tuesday in Possible Playoff Preview

WNBA Playoffs are less than a week away, and all that’s left to figure out for the regular season champion Lynx is who will be the first-round opponent. Minnesota has a say in that as well, as they play seventh-place Indiana on Tuesday and sixth-place Golden State on Thursday. Both teams are still a possible first-round opponent, as is eighth-place Seattle.

The Lynx beat expansion Golden State on Saturday, 78-72, behind 24 points from Natisha Hideman and 20 from Napheesa Collier.

It’s that fine line the last week of the regular season, making sure no one gets hurt, that the game is played with integrity for the other teams still playing for something, and staying sharp for the playoffs.

Gophers Blast Northwestern State

I’m not sure what the Gophers paid FCS school Northwestern State to come to Minnesota, but it wasn’t enough.

The Gophers took Northwestern State to the woodshed, scoring five first quarter touchdowns and 59 points in the first half en route to a 66-0, rain-shortened win over the Louisiana school.

At one point, the yards were 288 to minus-one. Northwestern State got a nice payday, and the Gophers got to give their back-ups a lot of time. Max Shikenjaski replaced Drake Lindsay at the QB position midway through the second quarter.

You’ve got to love P.J. Fleck. Up a billion in the second half, he just ripped his punter because he put a ball in the end zone, breaking Fleck’s “rule”.

The Gophers opened a two-point favorite over Cal in a road game this Saturday. The teams haven’t met since 2009. The game won’t start till after 9:30 Minnesota time. Then they’ve got a week off, they host Rutgers and could be 4-0 heading into Ohio State on Oct. 4 (they won’t beat the Buckeyes, sorry Gopher fans).

Twins Lose Two of Three in KC

All I’ll tell you about the Twins is they lost two of three at Kansas City, and they play three games in Anaheim starting tonight. Can’t imagine those ratings opposite the second half of the Vikings will be much.

I guess I will tell you more - Byron Buxton hit his 30th home run before leaving the game after getting hit by a pitch.

Ok, even more. Joe Ryan told reporters this weekend that letting Sonny Grey leave two seasons ago was the Twins’ “biggest mistake.” You have to wonder when Ryan proclaims he wants out…

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