Twins/Vikings/Wild/Wolves Championship appearance drought tracker

Donate To GopherHole
Ope3 said:
I don't know about that. While the odds are not great on the Wolves there is at least some hope that a small market/non-traditional power can get to the Finals (based on teams getting there in the past few years like Miami, Phoenix and Milwaukee). If Golden St/Phoenix gets bogged down with an injury or two, why not.

FiveThirtyEight gives them a 3% chance this year. Doesn't sound like much, but when they have been in the Blutarsky (zero point zero) range for nearly 2 decades, that's a huge leap forward.

The core is young, so perhaps it's sustainable for a few years as well. My ranking would be the same as Facts.

1. Wild
2. Wolves
3. Vikings
4. Twins

For the Wild though, I think it rests with the hopes this year. Game on.

The Vikings are hard to slot with the unknowns of Free Agents being finalized and the Draft.
Click to expand...

I pretty much agree with this as well. I think the Vikings have a chance to surpass the Wolves on this list, but there are still unknowns there.

We know that the Wolves will at least make a play in game in the playoffs, and the Wild are likely to make the playoffs. That automatically rises them to the top.

We're just hoping the Vikings and Twins can approach that level later this year.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I pretty much agree with this as well. I think the Vikings have a chance to surpass the Wolves on this list, but there are still unknowns there.

We know that the Wolves will at least make a play in game in the playoffs, and the Wild are likely to make the playoffs. That automatically rises them to the top.

We're just hoping the Vikings and Twins can approach that level later this year.
Click to expand...
I think the big difference between the NFL and NBA is that it's exceedingly rare for a lower-tier NBA playoff team to be a legitimate contender and have a chance at a title. In the NFL, we've seen 6th seeds go all the way. If the Vikings would barely make the playoffs, they'd be more of a contender than if the Wolves were the 6 seed or whatever.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I think the big difference between the NFL and NBA is that it's exceedingly rare for a lower-tier NBA playoff team to be a legitimate contender and have a chance at a title. In the NFL, we've seen 6th seeds go all the way. If the Vikings would barely make the playoffs, they'd be more of a contender than if the Wolves were the 6 seed or whatever.
Click to expand...
No. 5 or No. 6 seeds to ever win the SB:
- 2005 Steelers (6 seed), QB: Roethlisberger, future HOF
- 2007 Giants (5 seed), QB: Manning, future HOF
- 2010 Packers (6 seed), QB: Rodgers, future HOF
- 2020 Bucs (6 seed), QB: Brady, future HOF

There just happens to be one thing that all these teams have in common....

You could probably argue that Manning wasn't spectacular during his career, and his 2 SB's and overall stats due to longevity are probably what will put him in the HOF. Even with that argument, he is the only QB on that list that wouldn't be described as "elite" in his prime.
 

Ope3 said:
I don't know about that. While the odds are not great on the Wolves there is at least some hope that a small market/non-traditional power can get to the Finals (based on teams getting there in the past few years like Miami, Phoenix and Milwaukee). If Golden St/Phoenix gets bogged down with an injury or two, why not.

FiveThirtyEight gives them a 3% chance this year. Doesn't sound like much, but when they have been in the Blutarsky (zero point zero) range for nearly 2 decades, that's a huge leap forward.

The core is young, so perhaps it's sustainable for a few years as well. My ranking would be the same as Facts.

1. Wild
2. Wolves
3. Vikings
4. Twins

For the Wild though, I think it rests with the hopes this year. Game on.

The Vikings are hard to slot with the unknowns of Free Agents being finalized and the Draft.
Click to expand...
Has a 6 or 7 seed ever won the NBA championship in the 16-team format? I don't believe so. So even 3% seems high to me. If we're talking winning in the next 5 years, I agree with your list. But in the current CY, I'd put the Twins and Vikings ahead of the Wolves.
 

howeda7 said:
Has a 6 or 7 seed ever won the NBA championship in the 16-team format? I don't believe so. So even 3% seems high to me. If we're talking winning in the next 5 years, I agree with your list. But in the current CY, I'd put the Twins and Vikings ahead of the Wolves.
Click to expand...
The 3% is just getting to the Finals, not winning the whole bowl of Tostitos. Thread title is just getting to the Championship Game/Round.

I know even as a #8 seed the Knicks made it to the Finals in 1999, albeit that was a lockout shortened season. Heat made it as #5 just 2 years ago, but that was in the bubble and all games in their home state for that matter.

FiveThrityEight gives the Wolves a 0.6% chance to win it all this year.
 


Thanks to Bev, Ant & Russ only 12 away from ending this thing.
 






Ope3 said:
My optimism is waning that the Timberwolves can end this streak in 2022.
Click to expand...
I didn't really think they had a chance. Wild have everything they need to win it all. Just need to figure out how to beat the Blues.
 

Nax5 said:
I didn't really think they had a chance. Wild have everything they need to win it all. Just need to figure out how to beat the Blues.
Click to expand...
Yes, it was a facetious statement. The 538 odds gave them a 3.8% chance (to win the West) as I posted above, which felt about right, so yeah not a great chance. A win last night, maybe would have increased it to 5 or 6%? Now it's 1%.

As for the Wild, after the Blues it would get even tougher with the Avs presumably, though no gimme for them either whomever they draw. 538 gives the Wild an 11% chance of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
 
Last edited:





Ope3 said:
Yes, it was a facetious statement. The 538 odds gave them a 3.8% chance (to win the West) as I posted above, which felt about right, so yeah not a great chance. A win last night, maybe would have increased it to 5 or 6%? Now it's 1%.
Click to expand...

538 has bumped the Wolves odds to win the West to 2%. To quote the great optimist Lloyd Christmas..."So you're telling me there's a chance!"
 

What's tragic about the Vikings is the high number of times they have played in the NFC/NFL championship game and years made the playoffs. Vikings are top-5 for being one of the best teams. Just not that last one.

Bud Grant was a great but treated the big game as just another game. There was no intense prep. Players got some time off.
 

howeda7 said:
Has a 6 or 7 seed ever won the NBA championship in the 16-team format? I don't believe so. So even 3% seems high to me. If we're talking winning in the next 5 years, I agree with your list. But in the current CY, I'd put the Twins and Vikings ahead of the Wolves.
Click to expand...

You'd have to go back to 1995. Then #6 Houston Rockets beat a #1 Orlando Magic 4-0.
 

Bfan said:
What's tragic about the Vikings is the high number of times they have played in the NFC/NFL championship game and years made the playoffs. Vikings are top-5 for being one of the best teams. Just not that last one.

Bud Grant was a great but treated the big game as just another game. There was no intense prep. Players got some time off.
Click to expand...
Even if he had won 2 out of 4, the last one would've been the 1976 season, or 46 seasons ago.

That feels like practically the same thing as having never won one. Vikings have to be near last (I know Detroit has never made it, for example) in number of seasons since winning one.
 





Why is the NBA in so many "small" markets that don't have any other pro teams and probably/maybe never will?

For sure:
Sacramento??
Oklahoma City??

Maybe (growth could possibly lead to more pro teams in the future):
Portland (they want MLB, but so far it isn't happening)
Salt Lake City
San Antonio (have wanted NFL forever, but are blocked by Cowboys/Texans)
Memphis (also probably blocked forever now by Nashville)
 
Last edited:






Keep in mind, we're talking about not even appearing in the championship round in 114 seasons. The randomized chance of that? Now less than 1 in 1,500.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Keep in mind, we're talking about not even appearing in the championship round in 114 seasons. The randomized chance of that? Now less than 1 in 1,500.
Click to expand...
In those 114 seasons there were 7 times that the Minnesota teams were in the Conference or League Championship.

Vikings - '98, '00, '09, & '17
Twins - '02
Wild - '03
Wolves - '04

Odds of dropping all 7 were 1 in 128 (or less than 1%)
 

Ope3 said:
Should have also included the '92 North Stars who lost to the Red Wings.

Other multiple losses off the top of my head Blackhawks (3), Rockets, Lakers, 49ers, Eagles (3) & NY Giants,
Click to expand...
Went back and looked, also fell victim to the Ducks twice.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom