As the famous soap opera intro states, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives” which has been heard on NBC on nearly every weekday since the show first aired in 1965. I have to admit, this has been my ‘soap’ for years. I got addicted to ‘Days’ when I was in just out of high school when a friend of mine introduced me to the show and for whatever reason the love triangles, the high volume of ‘near’ deaths and ‘long lost’ characters popping up at opportune times made for an interesting escape. Of course there was always the plotting and conspiracies, whether it was Stefano DiMera, Victor Kiriakis, or the pesky Sami Brady where secrets would always be discovered because of a penchant for no one being able to completely shut a door and the curiosity of other characters was a constant plot device. No one ever seemed to actually work all that much and anytime someone got into a car and drove it was always an accident waiting to happen. Ridiculous yes, overly dramatic acting yes, and plots moving very slowly from episode to episode except during sweeps where the twists and turns are abundant are all the hallmarks of any soap opera. For whatever reason, ‘Days’ became my soap of choice and I watched it almost daily throughout college. Now before anyone accuses me of being a fanatic; it certainly has its limits. I don’t DVR the episodes, I have never purchased a soap spoiler’s magazine. The last 5 years or so I’d say I’m a casual ‘Days’ watcher at best, where I’ll tune in if I have time to do so, and if I feel I’m in the mood for some drama. After all as any soap fan could tell you, you could not watch a single episode for years and then tune in and find out the same basic trials and tribulations, rivalries and love triangles are likely to still be in play. Sure you may have missed a few ‘near death’ moments for various characters and a few big secrets will be revealed but for the most part things stay remarkably the same.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio
However in a slightly different spirit, the drama between professional athletes and teams (including their ownership and management) can almost seem like a twisted soap opera. For a while in the State of Hockey, members of the local sports media couldn’t help but talk about the long drawn out saga between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Spanish phenom Ricky Rubio. The Timberwolves, no stranger to trades on draft day (especially with players they drafted in that same draft) traded former 1st rounder Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Washington Wizards for the 5th Overall pick, which it used to select Rubio. Rubio, in true soap opera like fashion accepted the jersey and got the team photos but did not attend his obligatory introduction press conference. While excuses about Rubio’s existing contract with the Spanish pro league team, DKV Jovetut as well as the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement communication between the two sides was murky at best. As time wore on, many really began to question (and still do) General Manager David Kahn‘s decision. After spending another season playing in Europe, Rubio did not seem particularly interested in joining the Timberwolves unless they were able to negotiate a buyout with his new team Barca. Rubio would spend another season in Spain and the pressure on Kahn and the Timberwolves continued to grow, just like any soap opera would simply draw out the storyline and milk all of the anticipation and hype that they could. Luckily for Kahn especially, Rubio finally decided to report and will be apart of the Timberwolves for the 2011-12 season. As a hockey fan I couldn’t careless if he ever reported to the ‘Wolves or not, I am just glad the ‘will he, or won’t he’ drama and the exhaustive amount of time spent on Minnesota sports talk radio covering this lame story is behind us. So what in the heck does this have to do with the Minnesota Wild?
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In all honesty Ricky Rubio has absolutely nothing to do with the Wild, but let me get to the point. The Wild will not have any such drama with its 1st round pick (10th Overall) from this year’s NHL Entry Draft as it signed Jonas Brodin to a 3-year entry deal yesterday. Like Rubio, Brodin is also expected to stay and play in Europe (with Farjestad of the Swedish Eliteserien) but he will have a shot to make the team out of camp and only if he makes the squad does his 3-year deal kick in. So there is no conspiracy, no forgotten twin, no love triangle, and no betrayal. Brodin’s signing happened so fast after being drafted that it makes it almost a non-story. At least they could’ve added a little drama, perhaps a jammed fax machine ala Kyle Wanvig or something to give fans something to (gasp) about.
I think Brodin’s chances of making the team are very slim for 2011-12, but by most expert reports they feel his high hockey IQ and excellent skating could have him NHL-ready by 2012-13. He certainly needs to add strength to his rather slight 6’1″, 169lbs frame and hopefully Brodin hits the weights hard in Sweden. The signing of Brodin just adds to Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher‘s list of accomplishments this off season which could be argued as one of the most impressive summer’s in the franchise’s 11 year history. Perhaps Fletcher’s most intriguing accomplishment isn’t a signing or a trade; but the way he’s managed to create a buzz about the team that hasn’t experienced in at least 3 years and I cannot remember so much activity and discussion on team-related message boards in July of any other year. Wild fans certainly have taken note of these moves, and while it may not be scientific in many cases fans that had long-since left some of these online discussion areas have now returned inspired by the deals (especially the Dany Heatley / Martin Havlat trade).
Wild Prospect Camp Opens
Yesterday, the team’s annual summer prospect camp opened at Xcel Energy Center with practices that were closed to the public. 42 Wild prospects, including the recently-signed Jonas Brodin were put through their paces by the Wild coaching staff, Aeros new bench boss John Torchetti as well as the Wild’s Director of Player Development Brad Bombardir. Minnesota’s news station KSTP interviewed newly acquired Wild prospect (in the Brent Burns trade) Charlie Coyle and Wayzata prep star Mario Lucia, which along with a little footage from camp can be seen here.
Kirk Olson
Wild hire Kirk Olson as Strength & Conditioning Coach
A familiar face returns to the Wild as Kirk Olson is hired on as the team’s Strength & Conditioning coach (hopefully Brodin quickly becomes Coach Olson’s best friend) after having served in that capacity from 2003-09. Olson left the team to work with the large retail hockey gear chain, Total Hockey as well as helping train athletes privately.
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