Ache #37: Bill Masterton

Bill Masterton's dream was to play pro hockey. The native of Winnipeg, he played for the University of Denver from 1958-61 where he scored 66 goals and 196 points. He was a two-time All American, was a two-time WCHA All-Star, and won the 1960 NCAA Championship with the Pioneers with a record of 30-1-1.

Masterton graduated from Denver with an engineering degree, but decided to turn pro. He signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens in 1961. He was assigned to the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Eastern Professional Hockey League. In 1962, he was promoted to the Cleveland Barons of the AHL, where he led the team with 82 points.

After he failed to make the Canadiens roster in 1962, he decided to complete his master's degree at the University of Denver. He accepted a job at Honeywell in Minneapolis. After taking a year off from hockey, he regained his amateur status and played two seasons for the St. Paul Steers of the United States Hockey League. After becoming an American citizen, he joined the US National Team in 1966, where he served as the team's captain.

When the NFL expanded from six teams to twelve in 1967, Masterton had another chance to play pro hockey. One of the six new teams introduced to the league set up in Bloomington...the Minnesota North Stars. Masterton was the first player signed by coach and GM Wren Blair. As a 29 year old NHL rookie, Masterton debuted against another new NHL team: the St. Louis Blues. It was in that game, October 11 1967, that Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota North Star history in a 2-2 tie with the Blues.

"It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball." - North Stars teammate Andre Boudrias

Masterton was playing in his 38th career NHL game against the California Seals at the Met Center on January 13th 1968 when tragedy struck. While carrying the puck across the blue line, he was checked by Seals defensemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris. One of their sticks got tangled in Masteron's skate and the other defender hit him with a clean check that knocked him backwards. The impact of the hit caused Masterton to lose consciousness before hitting the back of his head on the ice.

He was rushed to Fairview Southdale hospital, where doctors determined the swelling in his brain was so severe that they couldn't operate. 30 hours after the hit, his family decided to remove him from life support and passed away on January 15th 1968. He is the only NHL player to die from an injury suffered during a game.

At the time, helmets were required in NCAA hockey, but not in the NHL. Masterton was not wearing a helmet when he fell. Only a handful of NHL players were wearing helmets at the time. It would take eleven years for the NHL to make helmets mandatory to incoming NHL players...players who had signed pro contracts prior to June 1 1979 were given the option not to wear a helmet. It wasn't until Craig MacTavish retired following the 1996-97 NHL season that every player in the league was wearing a helmet.

Ache #36: The Love Boat

The 2005 season was a rough one for the Minnesota Vikings.

A year after sneaking into the playoffs at 8-8 and winning a playoff game at Lambeau Field, the Vikings started the season 1-4. They had traded Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders the previous off-season, Daunte Culpepper was hurt in Week 7 as the Vikings saw their pass offense drop from 2nd with Culpepper and Moss to 20th with Brad Johnson and Travis Taylor.

While things did eventually turn around mid-season with a six-game winning streak, that's not what media outlets and fans were talking about.

The Vikings were 1-3 heading into their Week 4 bye. Newly signed defensive back Fred Smoot was the allegedly coordinated a group outing on Lake Minnetonka. He rented two houseboats from charter company Al & Alma for the get-together of an estimated 100 guests. Prostitutes were flown in from Atlanta and Florida.

Everything that happened next was taken out of police reports from the incident. 

The first call came into police around 9:20 on the evening of October 6th to report that "seven black men" had exited a "big shuttle bus limousine" and had urinated in her front yard. Once the boats left the docks, some of the sex acts alleged by witnesses during the party included "masturbation, oral sex, and anal sex"...among other things. The cleaning crew found used condoms, lube and wrappers for sex toys all over the boats.

Seventeen key members of the Vikings were charged in their role in the party including Smoot, Culpepper, Mewelde Moore, Pat Williams, Bryant McKinnie, Nate Burleson, Ralph Brown, Troy Williamson, Travis Taylor, Jermaine Wiggins, Kevin Williams, Lance Johnstone, Willie Offord and Moe Williams. Four of those players were eventually charged with misdemeanors while the other cases were dismissed.

When the "Love Boat Scandal" hit the media, the Vikings became the object of national ridicule from sports channels to late-night TV. Owner Zygi Wilf allegedly yelled at the team for 45 minutes, including threatening to cut any and all players who were involved. Wilf, who was seeking state funding for the new US Bank Stadium, publicly apologized to Governor Tim Pawlenty and other state officials before instituting a new team Code of Conduct.

Ache #35: Darrin Nelson

Nobody in college football had ever put up numbers like running back Darrin Nelson was putting up in 1977. In head coach Bill Walsh's revolutionary West Coast Offense at Stanford, he became the first freshman in PAC-8 history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He added 50 receptions out of the backfield and scored six touchdowns...three on the ground and three through the air.

In his sophomore season, he ran for another 1,000 yards with six touchdowns and caught another 50 passes for 4 touchdowns.

Nelson missed the 1979 season with a hamstring injury...the same year Bill Walsh left Stanford to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. When Nelson returned to the field for his junior season in 1980, he had future Hall of Fame quarterback sophomore John Elway handing him the ball. That season with Elway, Nelson ran for 889 yards and four touchdowns and caught 47 passes for four touchdowns. His senior year in 1981 was his best statistical season: 1014 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, 846 yards and five touchdowns through the air.

He graduated from Stanford as the program's all-time leader in rushing yards, receptions, touchdowns and scoring, while also setting the NCAA record for all-purpose yards. Nobody had ever ran for 1,000 yards and caught 50 passes in a single season. Nelson did it three times.

Nelson entered the 1982 NFL Draft as triple-threat running, receiving and returning back.  and was the first running back off the board: the seventh overall pick to Bud Grant and the Minnesota Vikings.

Nelson wasn't terrible in Minnesota. He played in 129 games over 10 seasons in Minnesota, had 10,377 all-purpose yards and scored 23 touchdowns. He was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Vikings during the teams 50th Anniversary in 2010.

But there are three things that Darrin Nelson is remembered for in Minnesota Vikings lore:

The 1987 NFC Championship Game Drop

The Vikings finished 8-7 in the 1987 strike-shortened NFL season and backed their way into the playoffs after a 27-24 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 15. The Vikings found themselves in a rematch with the Redskins in the NFC Championship Game with a trip to San Diego and Super Bowl XXII on the line. The game was a defensive battle, with Vikings quarterback Wade Wilson getting sacked eight times. The Vikings were down 17-10 with 53 second left in the game, facing fourth down on Washington's six yard line.

"One play. Nelson. Through his hands. And the Redskins will go to the Super Bowl." - Pat Summerall on CBS

Needing a touchdown to tie, Wilson threw the ball to Nelson, who dropped it in the end zone before being hit by defensive back Darrell Green. Washington would beat Nelson's former Stanford teammate John Elway in the Super Bowl 42-10.

With the tenth pick, the Los Angeles Raiders select...

There's always a lot of second guessing that happens in the years following a draft. At the time, Darrin Nelson was the top running back prospect in the draft. The Vikings needed a running back...never mind the fact that Hall of Fame guard Mike Munchak was taken by the Houston Oilers the pick after Nelson. Nelson was the first running back off the board. The second one was selected three picks later out of USC...the 1981 Heisman Trophy winner, 1982 Offensive Rookie of the Year, 1985 NFL MVP and six-time Pro Bowler Marcus Allen.

The Trade

Nelson had a contract dispute with the Vikings prior to the 1989 season and subsequently lost his starting job to D.J Dozier. He was then packaged with Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Issiac Holt, Alex Stewart and eight draft picks to the Dallas Cowboys for Hershel Walker. When he refused to report to Dallas, the San Diego Chargers were added as a third team to the deal. Nelson went to San Diego for a fifth round pick.

Ache #34 : Wolves Pass on Giannis Antetokounmpo...twice

Benny Sieu/USA Today

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a beast. 

In his first five NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, the two-time All Star averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds and four assists per game. The 6' 11" foward/guard is nicknamed 'The Greek Freak' because a) he's from Athens and b) he has freakish athletic ability.

In 2012, he was an 19 year old kid playing in the Greek A2 League. He played in 26 games, averaged nearly 10 points and 8 boards per game. That year, he was a 'special participant' in the league's All-Star game...not because he was selected to the team, but because the coaches let him play as a special treat to the fans because Greece had never seen anything like him before.

The next year, Antetokounmpo declared for the NBA draft. 

His 2013 Draft Profile wasn't that impressive. He was listed at 6' 9" and only 196 pounds (he is 6' 11", 222 lbs today). He was knocked for his inexperience, his ineptitude on defense, consistency, lack of a jump shot and the adjustment needed moving from overseas competition to the NBA.

One anonymous Western Conference executive told Sports Illustrated "I wouldn't touch him. I don't even know how good he is going to be once he reaches his potential." 

There's a decent chance that the exec was Timberwolves General Manager Flip Saunders, who had just rejoined the team after an eight-year absence. But considering he took a risk on a certain 6' 11" high school kid out of Farragut Acadamy High School with the fifth overall pick in 1995, I doubt that it was him.

The 2013 NBA Draft was Flip's first as an NBA General Manager, and he and head coach Rick Adelman had the ninth overall pick in the draft. 

After seeing Anthony Bennett, Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter, Cody Zeller, Alex Len, Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope taken off the draft board, flip had options with the pick. Flip could select the National College Player of the Year in Trey Burke from Michigan, or another guard like Michael Carter-Williams from Syracuse or CJ McCollum from Lehigh. The unproven Antetokounmpo was on the board yet, too, but probably not worthy (at the time) of the ninth pick. Or he could trade the pick.

Utah and their two first-round picks (14th and 21st) called and offered both picks if the Wolves would select Trey Burke for them. Flip agreed.

Trey Burke (3) and Gorgei Deing (10) were part of

a trade package between the Wolves and Jazz

(John W. McDonough/SI)

When it was the Wolves pick again at 14, McCollum and Carter-Williams had both been taken. As had a pair of big men in Steven Adams and Kelly Olynyk.

An enticing player sat on the board at 14. Shabazz Muhammad, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, averaged 18 points and 5 boards at UCLA that season. Although he was a forward in college, he planned on transitioning to shooting guard in the NBA. Character issues had taken him from a top three pick to a mid-first round grade (after he was drafted, he was sent home from Summer League due to rules violations) but there was no question the talent and drive were there.

Shabazz Muhammad with UCLA in 2012

(Porter Binks/SI)

Saunders passed on the unknown Antetokounmpo again and selected Muhammad with the 14th pick. The Wolves used the other pick acquired in the Burke deal to select center Georgi Deing out of Louisville.

Antetokounmpo was taken off the board by the Milwaukee Bucks at 15.

In five short seasons, Antetokounmpo has gone from green prospect to All-NBA. The player who was once questioned for experience and defensive abilities won the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017. He frequently plays that point, even at nearly seven feet tall, because of his ability to handle the ball.

In 2018, his Milwaukee Bucks have their sights set on an Eastern Conference Championship.

Meanwhile, after a playoff appearance in 2017, the Wolves are back to being bottom-feeders in the West.

Ache #33: Jonny Flynn

The 2009 NBA Draft was loaded with guard prospects: James Harden from Arizona State, Tyreke Evans from Memphis, Stephen Curry from Davidson, DeMar DeRozan from USC, Jrue Holiday from UCLA, Ty Lawson from North Carolina, Terrence Williams from Louisville, Jeff Teague from Wake Forest, Jonny Flynn from Syracuse, and tantalizing EuroLeague star Ricky Rubio.

Coming off a 24-58 season that saw Randy Wittman fired after only 19 games (the Wolves were 4-15), the Timberwolves front office was looking for some back court help for the upcoming 2009 season.

The Wolves had re-acquired their 2009 first round pick from the Boston Celtics (6th overall) after they had sent traded in 2006 with Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi and Dwayne Jones for Ricky Davis, Marcus Banks, Mark Blount, Justin Reed and two second-rounders. It came back in the Kevin Garnett trade in 2007.

Wolves GM David Khan's wanted two of the guards in the draft. His trade target? Flip Saunders and the Washington Wizards.

Washington finished with the league's second-worst record in 2008, but had fallen out of the top three on NBA Lottery night and had the fifth overall pick. Khan traded guards Randy Foye (61 starts, 16.3 ppg) and Mike Miller (47 starts, 9.9 ppg) to the Washington for the Wizards' first round pick and three players (Etan Thomas, Darius Songalia, Oleksiy Pecherov).

The Wolves also had the Miami Heat's first round pick (18th overall) from an October 2007 trade that sent Davis and Blount to South Beach for Antoine Walker, Wayne Simien and Michael Doleac.

Oklahoma's Blake Griffin was the conscientious best player in the draft, and we went first overall to the LA Clippers. Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet went second to Memphis. Two guards went of the board with the third pick (James Harden/OKC) and fourth pick (Tyreke Evans/Sacramento).

With the fifth pick, David Khan took Spanish superstar Ricky Rubio.

And, with players like DeMar DeRozen and Stephen Curry still on the board, he took Jonny Flynn.

At the time, it made sense to take Flynn. While Curry was the best pure shooter in the draft, he flat out said that he only wanted to play for the Knicks (The Knicks had the eighth pick. Golden State had the seventh and didn't give a crap where he wanted to play...).

Flynn was impressive in college for the Syracuse Orange. He showed his scoring ability (16.6ppg over two seasons), conditioning (played 67 of 70 minutes in a 5OT game against UConn), clutch free throw shooting (was 16/16 from the line in that UConn game), and was known for his lock-down defense on the perimeter.

Flynn showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie year with the Wolves. In an October game against the New Jersey Nets, he sparked a rally and led the Wolves back from a 19-point deficit, scoring 13 fourth quarter points. In December, he hit the game winner in a 28 point effort against the Utah Jazz. In January, he scored 29 points in an overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

He started all 81 games his rookie year while averaging 13.5 ppg, 2.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and shot 35% from beyond the arc...good enough to make the All-Rookie Second Team.

After hip surgery following the season, Flynn wasn't the same player. He played in 53 games (started eight) and his numbers dipped dramatically: 5.3 ppg during his sophomore season. He was traded to the Houston Rockets during the 2011 NBA Draft for Brad Miller and three draft picks.

Following the trade, Flynn would only appear in 29 more NBA games between the Rockets and Portland Trailblazers.

The fact that Flynn's success only lasted for one season is just the tip of the iceberg here. Sports fans know the success that Steph Curry has had in Oakland. But in 2010, the year after Flynn's rookie season, the Indiana Pacers offered their 10th overall draft selection in exchange for Flynn: Paul George.

David Khan turned it down.

Ache #32: Daniel Carlson vs Green Bay Packers

Photo / Morry Gash | AP

September 16, 2018. The 116th meeting between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. Both teams entered the Week 2 match up 1-0. The Vikings had beaten the San Francisco 49ers 24-16 at US Bank Stadium the week before. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers stunned the Chicago Bears, overcoming a 20-0 deficit to win 24-23.

The good news for Vikings fans coming into the game was that Rodgers sprained his MCL in the Bears game and was questionable the entire week leading up to the game. Rodgers did start the game and a lot of analysts assumed the injury would affect his mobility, leaving him a sitting duck for Everson Griffin, Linval Joseph and company.

Rodgers was good, but not "Aaron Rodgers good". He did finish with 281 yards passing and a touchdown. But the Packers built their lead around their special teams: a blocked punt touchdown and two Mason Crosby field goals gave Green Bay a 20-7 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

That's when Captain Kirk took over.

Kirk Cousins, the Vikings key off-season acquisition, began doing what the Vikings brought him to Minnesota to do: put up points against the Packers.

Cousins began the fourth quarter with a three-yard touchdown pass to Stephan Diggs to cut the Green Bay lead to 20-14.

The Vikings held Green Bay to a Crosby field goal.

Cousins then found Diggs again, this time for a 75-yard touchdowns strike to cut the Green Bay lead to 23-21.

The Vikings held Green Bay to a Crosby field goal.

On the first play of the Vikings' next drive, a Cousins pass intended for Laquan Treadwell (who scored his first NFL touchdown in this game...the second game of his third NFL season...) ricocheted off Treadwell's hands into the hands of Green Bay safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix with just over two minutes left in the game and Green Bay leading 26-21.

The Vikings held Green Bay to a Crosby field goal.

Now down by eight points, Cousins led the Vikings into Green Bay territory again, and hit a double-covered Adam Thielen with a 22 yard touchdown with 90 seconds left in the game. The two-point conversion attempt was a complete on a beautiful fade route to Diggs.

The game was tied at 29-29.

Rodgers drove Green Bay to Minnesota's 35 with :31 seconds left. Mason Crosby's first attempt at the game winning field goal was good, but a Vikings timeout before the snap negated the try.

Crosby's second attempt at the 52 yarder was no good.

The Vikings got the ball first in overtime, driving down to the Green Bay 35 yard line.

Enter rookie kicker Daniel Carlson.

Carlson was the top kicking prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft. The former Auburn kicker was a three-time All-American, three-time All-SEC, and the all-time leading scorer in SEC history. The Vikings traded two picks to the New York Jets to move up and draft him in the fifth round. Carlson won the Vikings kicker job over Kai Forbath in training camp. He hit four of six field goals in the preseason, and was 1/1 in 2018 with a 48 yarder against San Francisco the week before.

Carlson had already missed one against Green Bay: a 48 yard field goal in the second quarter.

And here was his chance to redeem himself and give Minnesota the lead with a 49 yard field goal.

Carlson missed wide right, giving Aaron Rodgers the ball at the Green Bay 35.

Rodgers and the Packers played conservative, setting up for another potential Crosby field goal...and why not? The guy was 5/6 already.

On third and four from the Minnesota 32, Rodgers was sacked by Mackenzie Alexander, pushing the Packers out of Crosby's field goal range. Green Bay punted the ball back to the Vikings.

Again, Cousins and the Vikings drove deep into Packers territory, this time setting up Carlson with a 35 yard field goal to send the Vikings home with a win.

He missed right. Again.

The game finished tied at 29-29.

The Vikings cut Carlson the next day.

Ache #31: Boston's Impossible Dream

Jim Lonborg and the Twins celebrate a win on the final day of the 1967 season to win the pennant

Photo / Brearley - Getty Images North America

The 1967 American League Pennant race was one of the most exciting finishes in the history of baseball.

For Boston Red Sox fans.

Two years removed from their Game 7 loss to the Dodgers in 1965, Harmon Killebrew and the Twins were looking to return to the World Series. They finished 9 games behind the eventual World Series champion Baltimore Orioles in 1966.

There were no divisions in the 1960s; just two leagues with the winner of each league facing off in the World Series.

There were a couple new faces poised to make an impact for the Twins in 1967: the Twins traded Pete Cimino, Jimmie Hall and Don Mincher to the Angels for 20-game winner Dean Chance. They also added reliever Ron Kline in exchange for Camilo Pascual and Bernie Allen.

But most notable addition to the big league roster was the unveiling of a lanky second baseman from Panama named Rod Carew.

The 1967 season got off to a rough start for the Twins. They were 5-10 at the end of April, and 20-22 at the end of May. The rough start cost manager Sam Mele his job as owner Calvin Griffith sought a fresh look to the team. He promoted longtime minor league manager Carl Ermer to the skipper of the big league club. Under Ermer's direction, the Twins won 66 of the last 112 games of the season to jump back into a four-team pennant race.

Ermer's Twins went 66-46 after taking over

the Twins in June 1967

Surprisingly, one of teams was not the 97-win Orioles from 1966. The defending champs only won 76 games in '67, opening the door for the AL Pennant to fly in a new stadium.

On September 6th, four teams were tied atop the American League standings. While Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals were running away with the NL Pennant, the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Twins were fighting for the chance to head Busch Stadium for a World Series matchup with the Cards.

The White Sox hadn't won a World Series since 1917. Boston hadn't won since 1918. Detroit hadn't been champions since 1945. And though they had appeared in the World Series in 1965, the Twins hadn't won one since they were the Washington Senators in 1924. (Between 1919 and 1966, the New York Yankees won 29 AL Pennants and 20 championships...)

The race stayed tight the entire month. After being swept in a three-game series by the White Sox in the middle of September, the Twins won six of their next seven games to take a half game lead into the final five games of the year. 

But the team to shake up the standings during the last week of the season wasn't even in the race. It was the California Angels.

The Angels, who would finish 5th in the American League, took two of three games from the Twins in the second-to-last series of the year. The Twins weren't able to take advantage of Boston losing back-to-back games in Cleveland. Despite that, the Twins were still held a one game lead in the standings over both Boston and Detroit with two games left.

Detroit played back-to-back double headers with the California Angels. The Twins headed to Boston with the pennant on the line.

Only needing one win to take the AL Pennant and return to the World Series, the Twins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a Tony Oliva RBI single that scored Zoilo Versalles. Twins starter Jim Kaat was unhittable the first two innings of the game. Kaat was 7-0 with a 1.51 ERA in September, and looked set to send Minnesota back to the Fall Classic. But, after striking out Jose Santiago to start the third inning, Kaat felt a searing pain in his pitching elbow. He had to be taken out of the game, and was replaced by Jim Perry. Perry would retire the side, then continue in Kaat's place.

Still 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Perry allowed a lead off double to Reggie Smith. He then fanned Santiago and Mike Andrews before giving up back-to-back run-scoring singles to Jerry Adair and Triple Crown winner Carl Yastrzemski, giving Boston a 2-1 lead.

The Twins tied the game at two in the top of the sixth on a Rich Reese single. the Twins had runners on second and third with two outs before Santiago got Zoilo Versalles to pop out and end the Twins threat.

In the sixth, the Twins turned to Ron Kline, who was 7-0 in 54 relief appearances on the season. Kline made one bad pitch during his relief appearance. On a 2-2 pitch to the first batter he faced, George Scott hit a home run for a 3-2 Boston lead. Kline would settle down and retire five of the next batters he faced. 

In the seventh, Kline gave up a one-out single to Mike Andrews. After Adair reached on an error by Versalles, Ermer lifted Kline in favor of starter Jim Merritt. Merrit was 13-7 with a 2.53 ERA for the Twins that season.

The first batter he faced, Yastrzemski, hit a three run home run on a full count to give the Red Sox a 6-2 lead. 

The Twins mounted a small comeback in the ninth with a two-run Harmon Killebrew home run, but the Twins lost 6-4 to move into a tie for first place with Boston and a potential winner-take-all game the next night.

Meanwhile, Detroit split the first double header with California to move half a game back.

Detroit would have to sweep the second doubleheader to force a one-game playoff for the World Series berth. California took care of those dreams with a win in the first game.

That left the Twins and Red Sox for a virtual playoff game for the pennant. 

The Twins sent 20 game winner Dean Chance to the mound, while Boston countered with eventual Cy Young Award winner Jim Lonborg.

Again, the Twins scored in the top of the first. They added an insurance run in the third to take a 2-0 lead. But everything fell apart in the sixth when five Boston runs crossed the plate. The Twins added another run in the eighth, but the Twins fell short of returning to the World Series by a final score of 5-3.

The Cardinals would win the World Series in seven games.

The Twins were never more than one game out of first the last month of the season, and had at least a share of first place 26 days in September.

Ache #30: November 1 1998 - Vikings @ Tampa Bay

Mike Alstott (40) runs for a touchdown against the Vikings at

Raymond James Stadium

Mention "1998" to a Vikings fans, and they're instantly taken back to the Metrodome on a dreary January afternoon in the NFC Championship game.

But that loss to the Super Bowl-bound Atlanta Falcons wasn't the only tough loss the team suffered that season.

In 1998, only one team had finished the regular season with an unblemished record: the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were 14-0 en route to a Super Bowl Championship. When the league expanded to a 16-game season in 1978, the closest anybody had come was 15-1...the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears. Both of those teams won the Super Bowl.

The Vikings finished the 1998 regular season schedule

with one loss and the first 15-win NFL season since 1985.

On November 1st 1998, the 7-0 Minnesota Vikings headed to Tampa to play in the brand new Raymond James Stadium for the first time. The Vikings had destroyed the Buccaneers in Week One 31-7. Randy Moss had caught two touchdowns in his NFL debut, and Hall of Fame teammate Cris Carter added two of his own. Fans and analysts alike predicted similar results in the second match up.

Even though Randall Cunningham had taken over for the injured Brad Johnson in Week 2, the Vikes hadn't missed a beat. Heading into the game in Tampa, the Vikings were averaging 34 points per game. Tampa was looking to even their overall record at 4-4 against their NFC Central division rival.

Tampa Bay scored first on a ten yard Warrick Dunn touchdown before Robert Smith scored from nine yards out to tie the game at 7-7. Dunn's touchdown was the first opening half touchdown for Tampa Bay that season...coming in their eighth game of the year. Bucs QB Trent Dilfer added a second with a touchdown pass to Reidel Anthony to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

Unlike the first meeting between these two teams, it wasn't Carter or Moss that dominated this game offensively for the Vikings. It was Jake Reed, who was on the receiving end of a 44 yard touchdown to tie the score again. Michael Hustad and Gary Anderson exchanged field goals in the last fourty seconds of the first half for a 17-17 halftime score.

Jake Reed finished with six receptions for 117 yards

and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay

Cunningham found Reed in the end zone again in the third quarter, giving the Vikings their first lead of the game. But Mike Alstott and the Tampa Bay offense were moving the ball at will. Up to that point in the season, Trent Dilfer's play had been inconsistent. In this game, they relied on Mike Alstott, who ran for a career high 128 yards, and Warrick Dunn, who added 115 of his own. It was the first time in franchise history that Tampa Bay had two 100+ yard rushers in the same game, and set their single-game rushing mark with 246 yards.

Dilfer did a good job limiting turnovers, as did Randall Cunningham, who finished with 291 yards and two touchdowns. Cunningham's one mistake of the game was a fourth quarter Derrick Brooks interception that led to a 38-yard Hurstad field goal and a 24-20 lead.

The Vikings were unable to capitalize on their two possessions. After scoring on their first four possessions, they had thrown an interception and now had to punt. A booming 54 yard Mitch Berger punt was called back after Mike Morris was called for a holding penalty. Berger's second punt only went 38 yards, and was returned for 10 yards by Jacquez Green.

The holding call on long snapper Mike Morris was a 26 yard swing

Photo / Craig Lassig, Getty Images

Tampa Bay had the ball on the Minnesota 43 yard line, and seven plays later they had taken the lead on a six-yard Alstott touchdown.

The Viking's final possession began with a 21 yard catch by Cris Carter before a Robert Smith no gain, an incompletion to Greg DeLong and an 11 yard sack by Brad Culpepper before Berger had to punt again.

The Vikings needed a quick three and out to get the ball back. With 3:00 and on their own 38 yard line, the defense knew they were going to get a heavy dose of Alstott. And they weren't able to stop him. He had gains of eight, three and five yards before ripping of a 37 yard run to seal the win for Tampa Bay.

The Vikings would later become the first 15-1 team not to win a Super Bowl.

Ache #29: Teddy Bridgewater's Knee

Photo / Bruce Kluckhohn, USA TODAY Sports

The 2015 NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings had high expectations heading into 2016. Still recovering their heart-breaking loss to Seattle in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the team had high hopes for Teddy Bridgewater, who was coming of his first career Pro Bowl season.

August 30, 2016 seemed like a normal day at Winter Park.  Bridgewater was coming of an impressive showing in a 23-10 win over San Diego in the first ever game in the brand new US Bank Stadium and was going through the motions at practice as he prepared to take the final game of the preseason off.

But then, his career derailed.

As Bridgewater dropped back in a non-contact drill, his left knee buckled and snapped. Bridgewater went down, yelling in pain. Players within earshot of the snap were visibly upset. While Mike Zimmer updated the media and the state of Minnesota on Bridgewater's condition, an ambulance pulled onto the field to rush Bridgewater to the hospital.

All-Pro Safety Harrison Smith was covering a receiver downfield when the injury happened. He had his back to the play. He didn't see the injury happen, but he could gather from the reactions of his teammates that something was wrong.

"I thought he pulled a hammy," Smith said. "And then I heard the screaming."

Running back Jerrck McKinnon was in the backfield with Bridgewater.

"I saw it all" he said. "I ain't going to go into it. I don't have any words to describe it."

An MRI revealed that he had a complete tear of his ACL and had suffered other structural damage, including a dislocation of the knee joint. It was later revealed that Bridgewater was lucky that he sever any arteries during the injury because he could have lost his leg, or even his life.

With Bridgewater's career in jeopardy, the Vikings had three options at quarterback: veteran Shawn Hill, rookie Joel Stave, or make a personnel move to bring in somebody else.

The Vikings elected to trade a first-round pick and a conditional fourth to the Philadelphia Eagles for former first overall pick Sam Bradford.

The Vikings, in desperation mode with a win-now team,

drastically overpaid for Sam Bradford

After a Week 1 start and win by Shawn Hill, Bradford took over in Week 2. The Vikings were 5-1 at their Bye Week, but would only win three of their next seven games to drop to 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

Bridgewater would not appear in an NFL game until Week 15 in 2017. After months of rehab, Bridgewater attempted two passes in the Vikings 34-7 win against Cincinnati, a game at US Bank Stadium and a game where the Vikings would clinch the 2017 NFC North title.

He would sign with the New York Jets prior to the 2018 season.

Ache #28: Twins trade Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps

Photo / Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

In 2010, the Minnesota Twins were in the thick of the AL Central race. After leading the division for most of the first half, the Twins had dropped 13 of their last 19 heading into the All Star Break and trailed the Chicago White Sox by 3.5 games.

The Twins' offense was solid, led by reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer (.327, 75 RBI), Michael Cuddyer (.271, 81 RBI), Delmon Young (.298, 21 HR) and Jim Thome (.283, 25 HR) . The starting rotation featured Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75), Kevin Slowey (13-6, 4.45) and a comeback year from Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.62).

But the Twins knew they could improve. And they needed to if they wanted to win the division.

There were a number of prospects the Twins could use as trade bait to make an upgrade somewhere, none as valued as highly as catcher Wilson Ramos. 

In 2010, Ramos was an expendable piece. He had batted .296 in 28 plate appearances for the Twins in 2010 after batting .332 at AA the year before. He was the 59th best prospect in baseball and the 5th best catching prospect in baseball.

But the Twins had an MVP catcher behind the plate that had just signed a 10-year contract extension. Twins GM Bill Smith knew he had a valuable piece to deal and took a long, hard look at the Twins bullpen. Jon Rauch had taken over the closer role for Joe Nathan, who was out for the year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The bullpen also featured guys like Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares and spot-starter Brian Duensing.

The Twins went 22-12 after acquiring the 6'11'' Rauch

from Arizona in August 2009. He was 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA.

Photo / Ed Wolfstein, Icon SMI

Smith decided the weak link was at closer, despite Rauch's good numbers (2.38 ERA, 20 saves at the All Star Break).

On July 29th, and a game out of first place, Smith traded Ramos, along with Joe Testa, to the Washington Nationals for All-Star closer Matt Capps (2.74 ERA, 26 saves at the time of the trade). Smith also brought in guys like Brian Fuentes and Randy Florew to shore up the bullpen for the playoff push.

Capps had a great second half for the Twins (2-0, 2.00 ERA, 16 saves) to solidify the bullpen. The Twins finished 36-22 and won the AL Central title for the second time in as many years.

And then were swept by the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

The Ramos/Capps looked good at the time, but, like many Bill Smith moves, crippled the franchise for years to come.

The Decline of Matt Capps and Joe Mauer

A lot of fans don't remember how good Capps was for the Twins in 2010. He had an ERA of 2.00 and only gave up one home run in 27 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Jon Rauch struggled and posted a 4.18 ERA in the second half.

A 4-7 record and 4.25 ERA in 2011 earned Capps

a one-year deal in 2012

Photo / Hannah Foslien, Getty Images

Rauch signed with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 2010 season. Meanwhile, struggled was 5-11 with a 4.07 ERA with 15 HR allowed in 99 appearances in 2011 and 2012. The Twins went from a 94 win team in 2010 to a 100 loss team in 2011. Not only was Capps in a funk, so was Mauer. After batting .365 with 28 HR and 96 RBI in his MVP season in 2009, Mauer only hit 12 home runs total in 2010-11 as he battled various injuries from complications from off-season knee surgery to bilateral leg weakness to pneumonia and had the worst season of his career. It wouldn't have been a bad time to have a 23-year-old prospect at catchers instead of trotting Drew Butera and his .197 average out there every night.

The fall-from-grace that the Twins experienced in the 2010s can be traced directly to the Ramos trade. With Mauer's struggles and eventual move to first base, would the decline have happened with Ramos with the Twins? Throughout Twins history, the good runs in the 1960s and 2000s had catchers who could play defense and hit (Earl Battey, AJ Pierzinski, Joe Mauer). Instead the Twins have started guys like Steve Holm, Josmil Pinto, Bobby Wilson, John Ryan Murphy, and Drew Butera at catcher. The Twins learned the hard way that if you have a young catcher who can catch, hit and is major-league ready, do not trade him...no matter how good your number one catcher is.

Cliff Lee and the Seattle Mariners

Cliff Lee, two years removed from winning the AL Cy Young Award, was being shopped by the Seattle Mariners. At the time, Lee was 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA for an eventual 100-loss Mariners club.  It was reported at one point that the Mariners wanted Ramos and either a prospect (outfielder Aaron Hicks) or an MLB-ready pitcher (Brian Duensing) for the aces. The Twins decided not to pull the trigger. Hicks was being groomed to take over an outfield spot, and Duensing was a key member of the bullpen (the rookie Duensing was 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA down the stretch for the Twins in 2009).

The Twins balked, even though the move would have given the Twins an elite playoff rotation. Lee was eventually traded to the Texas Rangers and led the team to their first ever AL Pennant. He was 3-0 in the first two rounds of the playoffs, including a two-hit, 13 strikeout performance at Yankee Stadium in the ALCS. He also beaten the Yankees twice in the World Series with the Phillies in 2009.

Cliff Lee devastated the Yankees in the 2010 ALCS

Photo / Marc Carig, The Star-Ledger

Meanwhile, Aaron Hicks was eventually traded to the Yankees for catcher (ironically) John Ryan Murphy (.146, 3 RBI in one season with Minnesota). Brian Duensing, who was 0-2 with an 11.25 career playoff ERA against the Yankees, had a 4.68 ERA over the next five seasons and left via free agency after the 2015 season. Meanwhile, Hicks posted career-highs in average, home runs and RBIs while playing in New York.

Ramos Flourishes

Although he's battled injuries throughout his career, when Ramos is healthy he is very good. In his first full season in Washington, he hit .267 with 15 HR and 52 RBI and finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. The two-time All-Star (he was the starting catcher for the American League in 2018) also won a Silver Slugger award in 2016.

Ache #27: Holy Cross

Photo / Associated Press

"Do you believe in miracles?!?"

"Yes! Yes, I do!" 

- WCHC 88.1 College of Holy Cross Student Radio

The 2005-06 Golden Gopher Men's Hockey team was one of the best in program history. The team featured four first round picks in the 2009 NHL Draft: defenseman Erik Johnson (1st overall to St. Louis), center Phil Kessel (5th overall to Buffalo), forward Kyle Okposo (7th overall to New York Islanders) and defenseman David Fischer (20th overall to Montreal). Ryan Potulny was an All-American, Kessel was also the WHCA Rookie of the Year, and Don Lucia was named WCHA Coach of the Year. Danny Irmen, Chris Harrington and Alex Goligoski were also key contributor for the 27-9-5 Gophers. Despite winning back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2002 and 2003, this was the Gopher's first WCHA Regular Season title since 1997.

The Gophers were a number one seed (2nd overall) heading into the NCAA tournament, and heavy favorites against #15 Holy Cross, who were making their second tournament appearance in school history (their first was a 3-0 loss to North Dakota in 2004).

In the first three-plus years of the 16-team NCAA format, the number one seeds were 15-0 against number four seeds...most of those games blowouts.

The 2005-06 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament bracket

Despite winning at least a share of the WCHA regular season championship for the first time since 1997, the Gophers limped into the tournament on a two-game losing streak and finishing fourth in the WCHA Final Five tournament, losing to St. Cloud State in overtime 8-7 and getting shut out by Wisconsin 4-0.

The Gophers out-shot the Holy Cross Crusaders 13-10 in the first period but didn't score. The two teams were a combined 0-5 on the power play (Minnesota was 0 for 2). 

Holy Cross struck first in the second period at 8:49 on a Dale Reinhardt goal from Blair Bartlett and Tyler McGregor. At 13:15, Minnesota tied the game on a shorthanded goal by Mike Howe. The tie lasted only 41 seconds however, as the Cruisaders re-gained the lead on a 5-on-3 power-play goal by McGregor from James Sixmith and Jon Landry. Phil Kessel scored the equalizer at the 15:45 mark from Evan Kaufmann and Chris Harrington. The Gophers out-shot Holy Cross 14-6 in the second period.

Freshman Phil Kessel and the Gophers out-shot Holy Cross

38-28, but were 0-7 on the power play.

Photo / Scott A Schneider, Getty Images

The Gophers took their first lead of the game at 2:17 in the third on a Alex Goligoski goal from Blake Wheeler. The Crusaders struck back at the 7:53 mark when a Sean Nappo hit the pipe and the puck landed in the crease behind Gopher goalie Kellen Briggs. Pierre Napert-Frenette got behind Briggs and knocked the puck in to tie the game at 3-3. Minnesota out-shot Holy Cross for the third consecutive period, 11-10 as the game headed to sudden death overtime.

"I saw a side open net. That's when it becomes a blur." - Holy Cross captain Tyler McGregor on the game-winning shot via NCAA.com

Just 53 seconds into overtime, Tyler McGregor (who already had a goal and an assist) streaked down the left side and had his attempted pass deflected by a Gopher skate. It popped right back to him, and he fired the game-winning shot to Briggs' stick side to complete the biggest upset in College Hockey history.

Goalie Kellen Briggs stopped 24 of 28 shots

To make matters worse, the game was played at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks...home of the Sioux.

Ache #26: Derrick Williams

Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images

The Timberwolves finished an NBA-worst 17-65 in 2010. They were going through the growing pains of a young roster. Only four members of the squad (Martell Webster, Sebastian Telfair, Luke Ridnour and Darco Milicic) had more than four years in the league.

There were two elite prospects in the upcoming draft to add their young core: Duke G Kyrie Irving, despite only playing 11 games his freshman season and Arizona F Derrick Williams, who many analysts thought should be the top pick in the draft. 

It seems silly now, but there was a lot of debate on who the top

pick should have been in the 2011 NBA Draft

The Wolves, with the worst record in the league, had a 25% chance of getting the top pick, but their bad lottery luck struck again. The top pick was awarded to the LA Clippers, who had a 2.80% of being awarded the top pick. But LA had traded their first rounder pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Baron Davis in exchange for Jamario Moon and Mo Williams.

The Wolves were awarded the second overall pick.

The Cavs, still reeling from LeBron James' move to Miami, took Irving as the next star of the Cavaliers.

Irving was Rookie of the Year, a 4-time All Star and an NBA Champion in six seasons with Cleveland

Photo/David Richard, USA TODAY Sports

The Wolves had a variety of options for the second pick. They didn't necessarily need to draft a forward at number two. They had a blossoming Kevin Love on the roster, as well as other young assets like Michael Beasley, Corey Brewer, Wesley Johnson and Anthony Tolliver. In addition, they were still invested in the often-injured Martell Webster, whom they had acquired in a trade from Portland. 

Other than Irving, there weren't any really any standout guards in the draft worthy of the second overall pick. Plus with In hindsight, somebody like Kemba Walker or Klay Thompson would have been a great pick at two (Walker went 9th to Charlotte, Thompson went 11 to Golden State).

Oh yeah, Tom Thibodeau and the Chicago 

Bulls drafted Jimmy Butler 30th overall

The Wolves had used five consecutive first-round picks on guards: OJ Mayo (who was traded for Kevin Love) in 2008, Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington in 2009 and Wesley Johnson (who was converted to SF) in 2010. 

Or, they could do what Wolves GM David Khan did best, they could trade back in the draft and amass picks.

Khan went with his 'asset accumulation' strategy and selected who he thought was the best player available: Derrick Williams.

Not many people thought Williams would be in Minnesota for very long. The sophomore had a very high ceiling. He was a critical part in knocking defending NCAA Champion Duke from the NCAA tournament that year, plus he had a great blend of size, athleticism and scoring ability. He was named PAC-10 Player of the Year, averaged nearly 20 points per game and shot 60% from the floor including 57% from beyond the arc.

But Khan kept him on the roster and the 20-year old Williams broke camp with the Wolves. 

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

Photo/Leora Miriam Maccabee

Williams had a disappointing rookie campaign, averaging 8 points per game off the bench while shooting 41% from the floor and only 26% from three point range. While he was able to assert his 6'8" 240 lb frame in college, it wasn't working in the NBA. He showed glimmers of potential, but nothing consistent. His speed was an issue on defense because he wasn't fast enough to guard Small Forwards, and not big enough to handle Power Forwards in the paint.

His sophomore season was better averaging career highs in points (12.0), minutes (24.6) and three point percentage (33%) and started 56 games, but his consistency was still an issue.

After appearing in only 11 games for the Wolves in 2013, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Luc Mbah a Moute. New Wolves GM Flip Saunders said the while he liked Derrick, he didn't think he could fit in as a small forward in Rick Adelman's system. He started to find his niche as a rotation guy off the bench for the Kings. In his sixth game as a King, he scored a career-high 31 points against the Mavericks and then dropping 26 against the Wolves a a couple months later, it looked like the Wolves had given up on him too early. 

Photo/Getty Images

But he showed he would have one big game, then disappear for the next six or seven. He began to see fewer and fewer minutes once the Kings traded for Rudy Gay.

He averaged 8 points and 22 minutes per game during his year and a half in Sacramento.

His rookie contract expired after the 2013 season, and he bounced around the league with the New York Knicks, Miami Heath, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers before disappearing completely.

Once heralded as the top prospect in the draft, Williams was out of the league by the time he was 27 years old.