Sports
Here are the top 10 “most unlikely” successful teams in Minnesota sports since 1960, as determined by the wisest and most objective source you could hope to find.
By Patrick Reusse
The year of 1960 remains the milestone in the history of Minnesota sports. There was an announcement in late January that we would be receiving an NFL expansion franchise for 1962 and, more dramatically, in late October that Calvin Griffith would be moving the Washington Senators here for the 1961 season.
In between, it became official in April that the NBA Lakers would be moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles.
The Minnesota football Gophers also went to California — to play in the Rose Bowl.
On Sunday, as the Vikings were defeating Green Bay 27-25 to reach 14-2 and set up a regular-season finale in Detroit for the No. 1 seed (and a bye) in the strong NFC, there was this thought up there in the nose-bleed press box at the Zygidome:
Where do these Vikings currently rank in the “most unlikely” category for seasons of notable success within major team sports in Minnesota history?
And history, in this case, would be defined as going back to 1960.
This is the top 10, as determined by the wisest and most objective source you could hope to find … me. And remember the key caveat before complaining: “most unlikely.”
Gene Mauch was in his fifth season as Twins manager when he was offered a contract extension in August 1980. Mauch decided on a better strategy: He quit.
Several years later, Billy (Slick) Gardner was the manager. He had a few beers on a return flight from Kansas City and later was stopped by a state trooper.
Legend has it the trooper asked, “Why were you drinking, Mr. Gardner?” and Slick responded, “I manage the Twins.”
Thus it was the Twins entered 1987 with five losing years and an 81-81 record in six previous seasons. Tom Kelly was in his first full year as manager, and they seldom won on the road and frequently in the Metrodome.
They defeated heavily-favored Detroit 4-1 in the ALCS with magnificent play. They used the help of the “Dome gods,” as pitching coach Dick Such called them, to defeat St. Louis in a seven-game, home-team-wins World Series.
Later that night, Bob Gebhard, the assistant GM in his first season, took a hit off his heater, shook his head and said: “We were just trying to get organized and we won the World Series.”
I was a sophomore in high school and visiting my brother (self-titled “Mr. Wonderful”) as he skipped classes to play gin rummy at the University of Minnesota. We attended the 1959 season finale, an ugly 11-7 loss to Wisconsin.
Coach Murray Warmath’s record over the previous two seasons was 3-15. He had been hung in effigy in a tree on campus, with a fellow nearby playing taps on a trumpet.
A season later, on Nov. 5, 1960, at Memorial Stadium, in the greatest game a Gophers team has ever played, they defeated Iowa, 27-10.
The Gophers ascended to No. 1, fell back after a Purdue loss, drubbed Wisconsin 26-7, and return to No. 1 in the Associated Press rankings.
This made the Gophers the national champion, since the final vote took place before bowl games (including the Rose: Washington 17, Gophers 7).
Bud Grant’s second Vikings team had squeezed into the playoffs with an 8-6 record in 1968, then were whupped by the Baltimore Colts. Grant had Gary Cuozzo start the 1969 opener and the Vikings lost 24-23 to Fran Tarkenton and the New York Giants.
Grant switched to Joe Kapp at quarterback for Game 2. The Vikings won the next 12, finished 12-2. Kapp rejected the team MVP award at a public banquet, offering the battle cry the Vikings were “40 [players] for 60 [minutes].”
OK, they were upset by the K.C. Chiefs in the Super Bowl, but anyone claiming they saw that regular season coming in August is fibbing.
Zany Norm Green was the new owner, there were under 5,000 people for a game vs. Montreal in January, and Norm called me (not exactly Mr. Hockey) at home the next morning, almost weeping, saying: “What am I going to do?”
Three months later, he was waving like Nero from his Met Center perch as the full house saluted him with “Norm” chants as his 15th-place team made a run to the Stanley Cup finals.
As the Judge of Unlikely, no matter what happens now, it will remain forever mind-boggling that this team — with a seven-win projection in preseason betting — stands at 14-2 at the New Year.
Lindsay Whalen returned from a broken hand to resume star production, Janel McCarville imposed her strength inside, and Williams Arena was full with new-found zealotry to start the NCAA tournament.
And as a No. 6-seed with a collection of personalities hard to match, the long-shot Gophers made it to the Final Four.
From the bottom of the Big Ten world when Clem Haskins arrived in 1986, the Gophers reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1989. A year later, they were there again, this time beating a collection of great Syracuse athletes. They then lost the regional final to ultra-talented Georgia Tech — with freshman Kevin Lynch having a tough shot in the air that would’ve sent Clem’s team to the Final Four. Amazin’.
Jacques Lemaire took this collection — extra- talented Marian Gaborik and a bunch of workers — and convinced them it was possible to rally from 3-1 deficits against two outstanding clubs, Colorado and Vancouver, to reach the Western Conference finals.
Andrew Brunette’s goal to beat the Avalanche and goalie Patrick Roy in Game 7 overtime in Denver remains the No. 1 moment for a franchise now in Season 24.
OK, those four championships in seven years with Maya Moore and Co. were good for the franchise résumé, but they were no surprise. We want unlikely here, and Napheesa Collier leading a team picked ninth in a 12-team league to within a few seconds of a title in October … that’s the ticket.
Kevin Garnett led the way to the Western finals in 2004. Anthony Edwards led the way to the Western finals two decades later.
And let’s talk straight here: Any moments of success for our NBA franchise deserve to be embraced as unlikely.
Patrick Reusse is a sports columnist who writes three columns per week.
Sports
Sports
Here are the top 10 “most unlikely” successful teams in Minnesota sports since 1960, as determined by the wisest and most objective source you could hope to find.
Gophers
Gophers
The Gophers women’s basketball team bolted to a 23-4 first-quarter lead and did what they needed to do defensively the rest of the way to end a four-game losing streak to the rival Badgers.
Colleges
Colleges
A year removed from winning the national championship, Michigan finished its first season under Sherrone Moore with a victory setting the tone for a bright future.
Sports
Sports
Here are the top 10 “most unlikely” successful teams in Minnesota sports since 1960, as determined by the wisest and most objective source you could hope to find.
© 2025 StarTribune.All rights reserved.
