A Rare Glimpse Of Optimism In Minnesota Sports Fans
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's no secret that success on the field, turf, ice, or court translates to a successful bottom line for sports bars.
"The sports in this town make a difference to our business here. The better they do the better we do," said Tom Manley.
And given Minnesota's sports history, things are much better than usual at Bunny's Bar and Grill where Manley is the co-owner.
"You can feel the mood increase in intensity as the better they do and for a lot of Minnesotans it's a pleasant surprise that they're doing as well as they're doing," he said.
It starts with the Twins -- a team looking at a postseason berth for the first time in seven years.
"It's been awhile so we're really looking forward to some good news on the Twins side especially after finishing last year with the worst record in baseball," fan Jeff Peterson said. "Hoping this year it's turning out to be a better thing for us."
Then there's Lynx fans who once again get see their team in the WNBA finals.
The Vikings are known for their defense, but the team showed it can move the ball well offensively even with a backup quarterback.
"[The Vikings] really throttled them," fan Brian Smith said of the team's win over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Even teams not playing, like the Minnesota Timberwolves, are attracting attention and giving out hope.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Butler playing for us and the other guys they brought in as well," said Peterson.
It's almost enough to convince fans that the Minnesota sports trend of losing late is a thing of the past.
"The Lynx changed it all," said Smith.
"I'm hoping they [win] because we've had enough negative, we need some positive and it's going that way right now," said Peterson.
