Recent content from Jim Souhan
Rose grabs the lead at the Masters with a 7-under 65
Justin Rose, back under the guidance of his swing coach, birdied seven of his last 10 holes after an eagle at No. 8.
Souhan: So-called favorites stray early at the Masters
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, among other big names, struggled Thursday and might not make it past Friday at Augusta.
Midday at the Masters: The greens are fast and tricky
The weather is ideal — mostly sunny, with temperatures creeping into the 80s. The biggest names go off late in the day.
Souhan: Seeking to overcome its history, Masters opens by honoring Lee Elder
Elder, 86, was the first Black player to participate in The Masters, in 1975, and his presence is the latest sign that Augusta National is trying to distance itself from its discriminatory past.
Souhan: DeChambeau and Mickelson? A great pairing for the Masters
Big-swinging Bryson DeChambeau and sage veteran Phil Mickelson got together Wednesday at Augusta. Their differences are obvious. Their similarities are more interesting.
Georgia voting law brings mixed reaction from those at the Masters
Some responses were muted, but Black golfer Cameron Champ voiced strong opposition.
Souhan: Spieth practicing patience to emerge from 4 years of struggles
After youthful success was followed by an extended slump, Jordan Spieth is back at the Masters with a win in hand and surrounded by familiar people.
McIlroy looks to Masters to end majors slump
Rory McIlroy pointed to Tiger Woods' trophy case for perspective.
Souhan: This state hockey tournament brings unique pathos to the losing sides
Four championship games in one day in an empty Xcel Energy Center on Saturday introduced a unique combination of urgency and quiet to the tournament, but the pathos really began on Friday night.
Souhan: Twins build camaraderie, despite the masks and social distancing
Developing relationships and even holding meetings gets complicated for teams in the COVID era, and players and executives reacquaint themselves with simple pleasures such as the sound of fans returning to the ballpark.
Garlick provides spring surprise by making Twins' Opening Day roster
Caleb Thielbar beat out Derek Law and Brandon Waddell for the last pitching spot.
Souhan: The morning Kirby Puckett woke up with blindness, 25 years ago, changed everything
The Twins superstar was still at the top of his game when everything changed the morning of March 28, 1996.
Souhan: Running the Twins, Baldelli always has his eyes on the long game
Twins manager has succeeded in large part because of his emphasis on the big picture in a business where every decision is fraught with risk.
Souhan: For the love of Buxton, add extra padding to outfield walls
The Twins center fielder keeps crashing into them, and better protection could serve him well.
Souhan: Silly rule makes sending Kirilloff down right move for Twins
Major League Baseball's service-time rules are so silly that the Twins spent this week refusing to admit that they made a sound decision.
Souhan: NCAA contempt for women's basketball shows in weight room debacle
When NCAA women's basketball players showed up in San Antonio, they were reminded that they are afterthoughts.
Souhan: Want Minnesotans to cheer? Look to a Pennsylvania school
Lehigh University won the Patriot League tournament to earn a berth in the NCAA women's tournament. The team has six Minnesota players on its roster.
A look at Lehigh's Minnesota connections
The Mountain Hawks are seeded 13th and open up against West Virginia on Sunday. This is what coach Sue Troyan had to say about the six Minnesotans on the team.
Souhan: If not now, Mark Coyle, when will you diversify U's leadership?
Coyle needs to hire a coach who will be a distinct upgrade from the fired Richard Pitino. And he knows this might be his last chance for a while to hire a person of color.
Souhan: Pitino should be thought of as an overachiever. Here's why.
Hired before he was ready, Richard Pitino was asked to compete with the titans of the Big Ten when he should have been apprenticing for one of them.
Souhan: They haven't met, but a north Minneapolis doctor thanks Matt Dumba
Chris Williams was the rare youngster in his neighborhood who felt drawn to hockey. To paraphrase NBA coach Doc Rivers, he loved the game, but the game did not love him back.
Souhan: Vikings' mistake was in overvaluing Rudolph
When the Vikings signed Kyle Rudolph in 2019, he was three years past his high-water mark as a receiver. As such, they carry a $4.35M dead cap hit by releasing him.
Souhan: Under all that losing is a potential bright future for Wolves
The Wolves right now are a bad team playing as badly as ever. But assuming that their losing ways are predestined ignores the realities of modern sports.
Souhan: More than talk, ex-Lynx guard Montgomery effects change
Renee Montgomery, who played for the Lynx from 2015-17, is part of the three-person team that bought the Atlanta Dream, making her the first WNBA player to move into ownership.
Souhan: They can wear red, but golf at a loss without Tiger on Sundays
The final round of Sunday's tournament brought back memories of a Tiger Woods moment that was all about stars of his magnitude.
Souhan: Cousins is the Vikings' quarterback, for better or for worse
The rumors of Kirk Cousins potentially being traded away from the Vikings are out there. But unlike up to 18 other teams in the NFL this offseason, the Vikings won't be making a change under center.
Souhan: Kaprizov already proving to be best reason to watch Wild
Kirill Kaprizov is not just good. He may be transformative. He may be changing the way the Wild looks and plays.
Souhan: Whether star-crossed Woods golfs again is unimportant
If he never plays again, Tiger Woods will remain the most compelling American athlete of the past 20 years for making golf history while bouncing between heroism and villainy.
Souhan: Timing is bad, but firing Saunders an inevitable decision
Ryan Saunders was hired because of who he was instead of what he had done. Then he was never put in a position to succeed.
Souhan: Even Gophers volleyball can have an off day
Despite losing to Nebraska, watching the Gophers was a reminder of what a dynamic sport volleyball is, and what a pleasant counterpart it is to so many other sports.
Souhan: Championship-caliber Lynx keep doing non-Minnesota sports things
Minnesota sports fans are accustomed to the same pleas from local teams: Rebuild. Patience. Future. But the Lynx have not taken this path.
Souhan: Don't worry about the postseason . . . until the postseason.
Some advice for fans: Pack away those negative thoughts for now and look forward to when we can gather again at Target Field and watch entertaining baseball.
Souhan: 'GOAT' debate. LeBron makes case again in win over Wolves.
The Greatest Athlete of All Time is a category created to create debates, not end them. Those who think it's LeBron James could enter Tuesday's game as evidence.
Souhan: A dozen dreams of better times for Minnesota sports teams
Better times are ahead, and in sports as well as life, better times require health and normalcy. Here's a list of what could make 2021 an uncommonly good sports year.
Souhan: NFL predictions for 2020 were correct except on a few ...
Once again this NFL season, this columnist was correct about everything. Well, almost - er, maybe not.
Souhan: Take it to the bank. Carr epitomizes Gophers at their grittiest.
Call Marcus Carr's winning shot vs. Purdue lucky if you must, but the junior point guard paid for it by enduring hard fouls and floor burns.
Souhan: Bueckers is an athlete like few others. You gotta watch.
Paige Bueckers, the UConn freshman from Hopkins, already is a can't-miss superstar. Like so many great athletes before her, she appears to be unique.
Souhan: Vikings' hiring of younger Zimmer, Kubiak is part of problem
If you're a coach and the son of a coach, those family connections come in handy. Just look at the Vikings, who are an example of a problem in the NFL.
Souhan: Mahomes still has Brady as the measuring stick for greatness
After Sunday's loss, Patrick Mahomes would need to win six more Super Bowls to tie Tom Brady, the only quarterback to have ever won more than four.
Souhan: Freedom of quarterback movement can be fascinating; why limit it?
Many teams wanting to change quarterbacks may have to wait until the salary cap hit on their quarterback is reduced in a year or two. Who does this system benefit?
Souhan: If Twins didn't reward drug cheaters, would that really be better?
Should the Twins stop signing players who have been caught using performance enhancing drugs? That would be an admirable stand — and also get the entire front office fired.
Souhan: Simmons, Buxton will improve Twins by leaps and dives
When Byron Buxton and Andrelton Simmons are on the field together, every ball hit anywhere near them will become an object of suspense and entertainment.
Souhan: Is Reed a Ryder Cup hero or PGA Tour zero?
Patrick Reed's rule-bending reputation resurfaced over the weekend while he won the Farmers Insurance Open.
Souhan: Lynx get in on the 'fireworks' in the WNBA offseason
Some of the WNBA's best players will be wearing different uniforms in 2021, and the Lynx will sign at least three free agents
Souhan: Falvey values flexibility in players, contracts in reshaping Twins
In these unpredictable times, Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey is always looking for the pieces to an ever-changing puzzle.
Souhan: Most thrive after leaving Wolves, but Rubio came back worse
Wolves fans should not have mourned Ricky Rubio's first departure, nor his second when it comes. He's a bad fit.
Souhan: The GOAT meets the Kid in the Super Bowl
Tom Brady, 43, will face 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes in two weeks in Tampa.
Souhan: Hank Aaron overcame hatred to reach historic heights
Hank Aaron, who dealt with hate mail and death threats, showed toughness and perseverance in his Hall of Fame career on and off the ballfields.
Souhan: Eriksson Ek should get next tryout as Wild's No. 1 center
Joel Eriksson Ek's developing game could be the best bet to get the puck on the sticks of goal-scoring threats Zach Parise and Kirill Kaprizov.
Souhan: Let's be clear. The problem with the Wolves is not Ryan Saunders
In a normal season, the Wolves' 3-9 record might be justification for making changes. In 2021, this would be the wrong time to bow to fan anger and fire Saunders
Souhan: Vikings absent, but Minnesota connections have big weekend in the playoffs
Scoring, playing solid defense and making key decisions on the sidelines, Vikings and Gophers connections played key roles all weekend in the NFL.
Souhan: At .500 over rugged stretch of schedule, Gophers basketball has reason to be optimistic
The skill set the Gophers' men's basketball team showcased against Michigan on Saturday should hold up well the rest of the way in the Big Ten.
Souhan: Kaprizov offers hope for Minnesota's ever-disappointed sports fans
Minnesotans have gotten excited about foreign players before only to be let down. Will this time be different with Kirill Kaprizov?
Souhan: Parise-Suter? Time for Fiala-Kaprizov to become Wild's go-to stars
The Wild has had talented players in the past. But never two players like Kevin Fiala and Kirill Kaprizov who have such elite skills and speed to create goals.
Souhan: Kalscheur's shot is pure, but he can't buy a basket for Gophers
The Gophers have no one else who can do what Gabe Kalscheur does when he's at his best — make treys, be productive without dominating the ball and play outstanding perimeter defense.
Souhan: Amid challenges, Big Ten's Warren stays true to his upbeat self
The former Vikings executive maintains a positive outlook despite being bombarded with criticism for how he has handled the pandemic.
Souhan: How WNBA players past and present keep proving their power
This weekend, former WNBA star Becky Hammon will coach at Target Center as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs. Another former WNBA point guard found herself nodding in approval.
Souhan: Zimmer's optimism must be tempered
Assuming better defensive health is fair. But so is assuming less good fortune in terms of offensive health, which is worrisome because of the Vikings' lack of quality depth at wide receiver, offensive line and quarterback.
Souhan: Where would Vikings be without rookie sensation Jefferson?
Is Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson the NFL offensive rookie of the year? And did he have a better rookie season than Randy Moss turned in?
Souhan: Will Cousins have big game vs. Lions?
The quarterback has been excellent of late, but the Vikings have missed the playoffs in two of his three seasons.
Souhan: A string of December failures threatens to put Zimmer on notice
Mike Zimmer is in the midst of negative trends that extend beyond this season. He has entered his past three Decembers with contending teams carrying championship aspirations. The past three Decembers his teams are 5-9.
Souhan: The sports hero of 2020 is the activist athlete
Black and women athletes especially laid themselves on the line for their causes over the past 12 months.
Souhan: Sad performance by Vikings in a city usually teeming with joy
As their team bus glided from an empty stadium into New Orleans' dark and empty streets Friday night, all the Vikings had to show for this season was excuses.
Souhan: Star running backs in the spotlight in New Orleans
The Vikings' Dalvin Cook and the Saints' Alvin Kamara were taken in the same 2017 draft. Who is more valuable right now?
Souhan: When Jefferson yells at Cousins, better to listen than to judge
Kirk Cousins' decision-making skills often make everyone scream. So are you surprised that rookie receiver Justin Jefferson let Cousins know what was on his mind last weekend?
Souhan: Culver, Edwards are the Wolves' two most pivotal players
The two high draft picks need to develop into top players if the Wolves want to stop drafting in the top slots.
Souhan: Zimmer keeps losing the matchups that matter most
Mike Zimmer is the longest-tenured coach in the NFC North, but his team falters too often in divisional games. Sunday's loss was the latest example.
Souhan: Vikings offensive line vs. Bears' Akiem Hicks is a matchup to watch
The last time the teams played, Hicks was ruining the Vikings' running game until he got hurt. What will happen Sunday?
Souhan: Sunday's Vikings-Bears game is more nothing than something
Two losing teams can play a meaningful game, but they can't play a big game, no matter how hard the NFL tries to sell it as such.
Souhan: It may be time for Vikings to get a new kicker. Again.
When a player has one job and loses confidence in the mechanics that allow him to do it well, he leaves you little choice.
Vikings-Bucs pregame: Being in the presence of greatness
Let's relish the excellence on the field in Tampa: Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Dalvin Cook are among the best in the NFL.
Souhan: Which way will the Cousins pendulum swing for Vikings?
Sunday's showdown with one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history might define what has been an up-and-down season.
Souhan: Brady will provide toughest test for Zimmer's improving defense
The Vikings defense has stopped allowing opposing stars to operate at will, and that has given their offense chances to win shootouts.
Souhan: For Twins, life after Rosario means more youth, possible trade
The slugger was a throwback player and served them well. But change is here, and more of it could be on the way.
Souhan: Loons' devastating loss can't dull Reynoso's ascension
It would be tempting Minnesota-style sports fate to predict future playoff success, but there is no question Minnesota United has found its franchise player.