Recent content from Jim Souhan
Souhan: $100 million deal is a win for both Buxton and the Twins
The seven-year contract makes all kinds of sense for both sides. Next up: Find a few pitchers so the Twins can be competitive in 2022.
Souhan: Cousins fails to meet moment against 49ers; Vikings really need him now
Quarterback Kirk Cousins no longer has the comfort of relying on a good defense or a great running back. Now it's time to earn his big salary.
Levi's Stadium has not been a good fit for the Vikings
If the Vikings are to win today, they'll have to avoid playing the kind of game where the 49ers' physical rushing attack and pass rush dominate the game flow.
Souhan: Vikings' vaccination stats continue to hang over the team in Week 12
Dalvin Tomlinson is the latest unvaccinated starter expected to miss a game because of COVID-19.
Souhan: 'Trying to be a legend': Jefferson proves worth yet again
Justin Jefferson wore a Randy Moss T-shirt in warmups on Sunday, proof that Minnesota greats appreciate history. That's called dressing for success.
What to watch during Vikings-Packers? Aaron Rodgers' toe
A toe injury kept the Packers quarterback from practicing much this week. And he looked rusty last Sunday, following 10 days on the COVID list.
Souhan: Flawed and fantastic, Aaron Rodgers' ride into Minnesota could be his last
Unless the Packers win the Super Bowl, he likely will play for a different team next year. Green Bay would be ridding themselves of a nuisance, and one of the best QBs ever.
Souhan: Whalen, Bueckers, Reeve. Great eras will mix in Bahamas this weekend
When Lindsay Whalen's Gophers play Paige Bueckers and Connecticut on Saturday, it will be easy to both reminisce and to see the future.
Souhan: Cousins can join NFL's top QBs and still lead Vikings to playoffs
Quarterbacks are the difference-makers again this season, and Kirk Cousins showed against the Chargers that he can turn that into good news for Vikings fans.
Souhan: Vikings play most complete game just when they needed it
This is what Mike Zimmer's Vikings were built to look like: a team featuring power running, excellent receivers and defensive grit and adaptability.
Souhan: Vikings' path to victory against Chargers centers on Cook
The Chargers are terrible against the run. A big day from Dalvin Cook could control the ball, the clock and the scoreboard.
Souhan: Giving up on the Vikings? Chargers are worthy of your cheers
They have sharp uniforms, maybe the best young quarterback and an admirable coach.
Souhan: Is Gophers' future as bright as Fleck's new contract suggests?
P.J. Fleck signed a new deal just before had a chance to increase his leverage with a strong finish to the season and a possible high-profile bowl victory. That raises some questions.
Souhan: Whalen, Johnson attached, despite different Gophers timelines
The rookie men's basketball coach and the famous women's coach should come to success at different times, but one Minnesota native can pave the way for the other.
Souhan: Vikings offense, Smith deserve blame for latest loss
The offense continued a seasonlong trend of not putting the game away on a day when starting safety Harrison Smith was not available at all.
Souhan: There's a blueprint to beat Ravens for Vikings
For all of their struggles, the Vikings should be able to make big plays against the Baltimore defense.
Souhan: Vikings spend too much on players who give them too little
Their opponent Sunday, the Ravens, do the opposite. They are ruthless in some ways — and in first place.
Souhan: Rodgers' arrogance in full view while Packers' season suddenly in jeopardy
It used to be fun to think about Aaron Rodgers possibly following Brett Favre's footsteps to Minnesota after Green Bay boots him. Now: no thanks.
Souhan: Loss to Cowboys exposes Vikings' nepotism problem again
With Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator and Adam Zimmer as co-defensive coordinator, the Vikings do not have the coaching chops of a serious contender.
Souhan: Vikings' frustration evident after loss. So what's next?
The Sunday night loss is the kind of game that unravels a season, that destroys confidence, that leads to firings and organizational overhauls.
Souhan: Vikings' goal for 11 games? Be better than average
The Vikings have to prove they are capable of winning important games. And Kirk Cousins has to prove he's capable of elevating the franchise in a way that justifies his contract.
Souhan: James has a 'new temple' but same outlook ahead of boxing title defense
Jamal James has more financial stability, a world title belt, a measure of fame, and the pressure of defending his title. And his Minneapolis gym, the Circle of Discipline, is moving into a new and much-improved space.
Souhan: Seven things the WNBA can address as it rises in popularity
The league certainly needs to find its own niche when it comes to TV exposure. And it needs to answer a question posed to Cheryl Reeve by new Lynx and Wolves co-owner Marc Lore.
Souhan: Make-or-break stretch of games coming up for Vikings defense
They'll face Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson, and their offenses' array of bells and whistles.
Souhan: It's a losing play for Fleck to tout Gophers' 'culture' over talent
P.J. Fleck's postgame comments Saturday after a win over the Cornhuskers insulted Nebraska's coach and his own Gophers players, plus his recruiting.
Souhan: Still too soon to say Gophers QB Morgan has turned the corner
Tanner Morgan followed a strong first half Saturday with a confounding second half, but the Gophers' defense closed the door on Nebraska.
Souhan: Wild's Guerin doesn't care about your feelings (and that's good)
The 2021-22 Wild team will be younger than its recent predecessors and general manager Bill Guerin is betting on it being better.
Souhan: Lacking second-half scores, Vikings need to unleash stars
An offense featuring an excellent running back, two of the NFL's best receivers and one of its highest-paid quarterbacks hasn't scored a touchdown after halftime since Week 1.
Souhan: Awkward Cousins-Zimmer moment perfect snapshot of Vikings season
The Vikings had just pulled off a victory made miraculous by their own ineptitude, and now Kirk Cousins and Mike Zimmer were feeding raw video evidence of … something.
Souhan: If Vikings lose to Lions, light the match
Historically, Vikings teams that don't beat Detroit fail to make the playoffs. And if this team fails to make the playoffs, changes will come top to bottom.
Souhan: Phenom golfer McCauley has LPGA in mind after Gophers
Isabella McCauley became the first woman and youngest player ever to win the Minnesota Golf Champions tournament last weekend.
Jamal James will defend boxing title in Las Vegas vs. Radzhab Butaev
The Minneapolis boxer will fight an undefeated opponent from Russia the day before Halloween.
Souhan: Money for proven closer must be high on Twins priority list
A bad closer doesn't just lose games — he destroys morale. When a team works to build a lead and the closer can't do his job, over and over again, players feel helpless.
Souhan: Final score doesn't reflect how Browns dominated Vikings
This was the first time the Vikings had to face a contender that would rather run through you than throw over you, and the Vikings turned into saloon doors.
Souhan: What makes NFL football great? Let's count the ways
Most of it has to do with weekly, built-in suspense factors. How so, you ask? You just proved the point.
Souhan: Twins can't let Buxton leave and become their new-age David Ortiz
Letting Byron Buxton leave the Twins as a free agent would be a disaster. Signing him would be a signal that they are willing to take an intelligent financial risk.
Souhan: New owners have wild ideas — like turning Wolves into winners
Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez offered thoughts on management philosophies and team culture, but turning the Wolves franchise around won't be easy.
Souhan: After shining on big stages, Collier disappeared in playoffs
The Lynx's loss in a single-elimination WNBA playoff game to Chicago at Target Center was directly related to Napheesa Collier's unusually lackluster performance.
Souhan: Can these Lynx win it all again? Playoffs-ready Powers might have the answer
A fifth title could come, if the Lynx can get healthy enough together in time. Aerial Powers is healed, and that's a really big deal.
Souhan: Americans have better Ryder Cup team, but Europe has better teamwork
The USA has entered virtually every Ryder Cup with a stronger lineup than Europe, in terms of world rankings and majors won. But the Europeans have an advantage that goes beyond the numbers.
Souhan: Rosas failed for Timberwolves. What should they do next?
With ownership changing, the answer to Wolves' leadership problems, at least for now, is still in the organization. But if they want a model, they don't have to look far
Souhan: Who to blame for Vikings' loss? Always follow the money
Anthony Barr, Harrison Smith and Kirk Cousins are making millions, they're supposed to be the key to big victories, not a temp placekicker.
Souhan: Kepler deserves some of your Twins exasperation, too
Why does Max Kepler seem to get a free pass from the summer of 2021 criticism party? He's failing too often at the plate, plain and simple.
Souhan: Leaked! Rodgers plan to ruin Pack, escape to Vikes! (Maybe)
Columnist Jim Souhan tests your appetite for dark-web satire on a moody first Monday of the NFL season.
Souhan: In losing a crucial season opener, Vikings' flaws are exposed
While there is plenty of precedent for NFL teams rallying from slow starts, the 2021 Vikings are in a dicey situation after their season-opening loss to the Bengals. Here's why.
Souhan: Draft misses mean Vikings fans can't ridicule Packers picks
Minnesota fans may find it hard to tease their neighbors to the east about bad logic when their favorite team keeps trying to fill areas of need and failing.
Souhan: On Mac Jones and why the 2021 draft could haunt Vikings for years
Minnesota traded down and left two players who will start elsewhere Sunday on the table, and picked a lineman still recovering from injury.
Souhan: Opportunity is there for Lynx going into WNBA's stretch run
Several of the league's best teams are surging as they push for the precious top two playoff seeds and the breaks they include.
Souhan: How do you replace Gophers running back Ibrahim? You don't
Mohamed Ibrahim was off and running in 2021 until an injury against Ohio State.
Souhan: Zimmer tries to maintain wry smile as Vikings drama swirls
The 65-year-old Vikings head coach enters his eighth season of putting out fires in Minnesota. "Everybody has their trials and tribulations, I guess," he said.
Souhan: Twins can't afford 'rebuild' if they want to avoid being a punching bag
The problem is that the Twins rarely rebuild quickly. They fall off a cliff, then spend years looking for an extension ladder. There's a better path for them to take.
Souhan: Lynx need their Huskies to have more bite in home stretch
Sylvia Fowles remains incredible, but if the Lynx want another title they need more from young stars Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield.
Souhan: Re-signing Griffen is good, and the quintessential Vikings move
There are risks to signing Everson Griffen, and his return is as fraught with drama as just about everything else that has happened to the Vikings since the start of camp.
Souhan: Are Twins managers at their best when the expectations are low?
Since the 1980s, the best managerial performances by the Twins have come from teams that appeared to be flawed in some way. Here's a ranking of the five best.
Souhan: Sure, it's preseason, but maybe Vikings should start to worry
The Vikings offseason began with optimism, but they have discovered more problems than they have solved this month.
Souhan: Reeve in charge, Bueckers at guard? U.S. women's hoops likely to improve
If Cheryl Reeve is promoted to Olympics head coach, she will face pressure of winning an eighth gold medal in a row. But the 2024 team should be better than the current one.
Souhan: Profoundly human stories lift the Tokyo Olympics
The people who ran and jumped and the ones who cleaned and drove and smiled made these complicated Games a success.
Olympic Diary: Team USA basketball star Griner inspires a new motto
After winning the gold medal, the 6-9 Griner had words of advice for girl athletes: "Love being different. ... Own it."
Bird, Taurasi keep the party going with another gold for USA women
Brittney Griner finished with 30 points in Sunday's gold medal game vs. Japan, the second most in one game in U.S. Olympic women's basketball history.
USA coach Staley to step down; touts Lynx's Reeve as replacement
Dawn Staley said of Cheryl Reeve, "she'd get my nod, for sure" as the next USA women's basketball coach.
Souhan: USA takes silver with baseball team of willing and available
Players head back to the minor leagues or independent leagues, their Japanese teams or retirement.
Souhan: Winning their 54th in a row, U.S. women again show dominance
There are dynasties, and then there is utter world dominance. The 54-game women's basketball winning streak at the Olympics is a mark of the latter.
USA men's basketball topples France to win gold medal at Tokyo Games
Kevin Durant's 29 points led the U.S. to its fourth straight gold medal with a 87-82 victory over France.
Souhan: What struggles? Gold medal game awaits USA men's basketball
Team USA was missing key players in Tokyo and has suffered some losses. But the Americans will be favored in Saturday's gold medal game, probably by a lot.
Twins present and past team up to lead USA into gold medal game
Pitcher Joe Ryan got Team USA off to a strong start and infielder Tyler Austin had a hit that helped break open the 7-2 victory over South Korea.
Rosemount's Otterdahl finishes 10th in shot put; Crouser sets Olympic record
Payton Otterdahl, who competed for and now coaches at North Dakota State, had his best throw on his first attempt, then scratched on his second and third.
This time, when it mattered, U.S. pummels Australia, makes semifinals
With aggressive half-court defense and a dominating performance from Breanna Stewart, the U.S. went on a 17-0 run in the first quarter against Australia and was never threatened.
Souhan: 'Two kids from the north' (border) battle it out in Olympic 200
On Thursday morning in the Twin Cities, Joe Fahnbulleh's extended family put together a watch party. Kenny Bednarek's people did the same in Rice Lake, Wis.
On the big stage, Hopkins sprinter Fahnbulleh bolts into 200 final
Racing for Liberia, Joe Fahnbulleh showed he can compete with the best in the world. His eye is on a gold medal in Tokyo, and on something even bigger down the road.
Rosemount's Otterdahl believes he has more to give in shot put final
Payton Otterdahl's final toss was his best, 20.90 meters, but he had to wait for a second qualifying group to complete their competition before he found out he had qualified 12th and made the final.
Souhan: Rubio's spectacular effort vs. Team USA comes up just short
Even though the United States won the game to advance to the Olympic semifinals, the story of the game was Ricky Rubio's 38-point performance for Spain.
Olympic Diary: Track and field has purity that eludes other events
Track measures the units of the Olympic creed -- faster, higher, stronger. It's quite the spectacle, even in a stadium without fans.
Souhan: The good, the ugly and the imminent in the Tokyo Games
Hundreds of amazing tales have emerged from these Olympics, from the heartwarming to the head-scratching.
Farmington's Sunderman sets his sights on returning to next Olympics
Patrick Sunderman finished 12th in the men's 50-meter three-position rifle competition. Only the top eight advanced to the final, but he savored every bit of the experience — even the pressure.
Fahnbulleh is from Hopkins, a Gator, a flagbearer — and really, really fast
Former Hopkins star Joe Fahnbulleh takes to the track for the first time on Monday in the 200 meters as he lives out his Olympics dream.