2010: The Year That Almost Was

As you may know, well, you wouldn't if you didn't have a calendar, but tomorrow is New Years Eve as we say goodbye to 2010, and hello to 2011.

One year ago from tomorrow night, I was sitting in a River Falls bar when the clock struck midnight, everyone kissed each other and I just sipped on my beer and watched the ball drop...well an hour late of course. That's when things got interesting.

A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, came up and asked why I wasn't kissing anyone. I smiled and said it was no big deal and then...MWAH! (On the cheek folks...) "The Year of The Crishad" was on!

Personally, I had a great year. I met two of the best friends I'll ever have, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and many other great things happened. But, if I continued to talk about that, you'd get really bored and probably wouldn't want to read the rest of this blog. From a sports standpoint, this was the year that almost was.

The Minnesota Vikings started the year by looking like they were going to end a magical season with a trip to the Super Bowl. All was well until the 2nd half of the NFC Championship game as the ball was thrown on the turf of the Superdome with wreckless abandon. Still, the Vikings had a chance to give Ryan Longwell a chance to win the game with a field goal. Instead, 12 men in the huddle was called, and then Brett Favre, although we didn't know it at the time, had the carriage turn back into a pumpkin, the horses turn back into mice, and the glass slipper turn into a shattered mess.

The Vikings window of opportunity had closed, but nobody knew it at the time. From there, the Vikings ran into Favre being the Favre they thought they would get in 2009, and a stubborn Sidney Rice opting not to have surgery until weeks before the season. Some say it was to get a new contract, but we'll never know the truth. Then there was Brett Favre's sexting scandal, the four week test run of Randy Moss, the firing of Brad Childress, the deflation of the dome, and the beginning of a lengthly rebuilding project.

But, as the Vikings season came to a screetching halt, the Minnesota Twins looked to have a lot of promise. They picked up veterans who would lead the team in 2010. Jim Thome was supposed to be a pinch hitter extraordinare, but instead, he cranked 25 home runs. Orlando Hudson had an off year, but was pretty stable defensively.

Yet, the season didn't quite go according to plan. Joe Nathan got hurt before he even threw a pitch and needed Tommy John surgery. The Twins used Jon Rauch and Matt Capps to cover up that, but then on July 7, Justin Morneau went down with a concussion, which because of previous concussions, caused him to miss the rest of the season. The Twins perservered and made it to the playoffs, but once again, they fell to the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

There was one thing that went right for the Twins though. Target Field opened its doors and the Twins played their first outdoor home game since the 1981 season (Ironically, the Vikings would follow suit later with having a home game moved to TCF Bank Stadium). The ballpark was stunning, and a whole new experience for Twins fans who had never seen an outdoor major league game. There were all sorts of food options, and a beautiful view of downtown Minneapolis. It was highly praised and was probably the biggest story of 2010.

This could also be the year the Timberwolves got off the mat so to speak. The summer was supposed to be filled with big free agent moves, but Rudy Gay decided to stay in Memphis, and David Lee decided, justifiably, to get overpaid in Golden State. So Khan had to opt for a plan B. After getting screwed over in the draft lottery again, he picked up Wes Johnson with the #4 pick, as he looked like he would be a solid player. Then, Kahn wheeled and dealed and picked up Michael Beasley for a pair of second round picks. Throw in the trade of Al Jefferson to Utah for picks and a trade exception, and the Wolves, with the emergence of Kevin Love, may have laid the foundation for a solid team in the future.

And there was more going on than just what was in Minnesota. Michael Vick had resurrected his career on the football field, but was still being judged for his dog ring sins. (Execution? Really?) LeBron James had a jester like showing in the playoffs, and then left town to join up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. The World Cup was...the World Cup, I guess. And many things could happen going into the next year.

Most importantly though, my friends and family are all healthy and happy. I guess that's a good thing, but sports always keeps things interesting. So for those reading this, I'll just say that I hope you had a great 2010 and hopefully things will continue in 2011. Happy new year!