It’s Valentine’s day. It’s a day when lovers rejoice and there is hope and happiness in the air. You are saying, “Hey, Simmons Says (purposely messing up the last name because of your angst at the opening paragraph), what the –Bleep- does Valentine’s Day have to do with basketball and my Wolves?! Plenty. The Wolves pre-V-day gift to fans might not have been a win but Rick Adelman’s optimistic outlook for the second half of the season might have been.  The Head Coach commented after the 97-93 loss to Utah that “great things are going to happen”. Adelman thinks that with the week of rest, getting back injured All Star and Olympian Kevin Love and forward Chase Buddinger that this Wolves team will be in a much better place for the final weeks of the season. Boy, a better place would be nice. Just ask any hoopaholic familiar with the rollercoaster...

It appears Percy Harvin may have worn out his welcome in Viking-land.  There were whispers that his ankle wasn’t the only reason that sidelined Harvin in December when Minnesota was pushing hard, ultimately successfully, for a playoff spot.  While not officially being benched for “contract detrimental” it seems that Harvin has repeatedly had heated exchanges with coach Leslie Frazier over various topics.  Harvin is as a dynamic of an offensive talent as there could possibly be in a 5’10” 190 pound receiver.  He is blessed with exceptional agility, speed and toughness that makes him a threat from anywhere on the field.  The Vikings have lined him up at both wideout positions, in the slot, in the backfield and has made gamebreaking plays at special teams.  Opposing defenses first focus on Adrian and then spend any additional energy and time making sure they account for number 12. Unfortunately, Harvin is basically a...

Last Friday marked the Swarm’s second home game of the season at Xcel Energy Center and also the franchise’s second victory of 2013. In the team’s first home game against the Toronto Rock since 2008, transition player Tyler Hass put forth a huge effort. The 6-foot-6 Victoria, British Columbia native posted the second hat trick of his career, including the first goal of the game in the third minute. However, it was Hass’s final goal that iced the overtime game for Minnesota as they came away with the victory 13-12. In the Toyota Postgame Report with the Swarm’s Howard Green, Hass claimed that he worked on his conditioning considerably in the offseason so that he could get back to taking advantage of fast break opportunities. “I felt real good today, I felt loose,” said Hass. “I felt like I’m ready, and I just needed to put the ball in the net...

Well, the lull is upon us. This is the time of year that most NFL fans dread - the time off between the Super Bowl and the NFL draft. Nothing to do but sit and wait and anticipate. This is when mock drafts start heating up, as each team's fans start to anticipate what positions their teams have needs for, what players are ranked in the upcoming draft, and who might be joining their team, or who may be leaving, via free agency. There are several intriguing possibilities for the Vikings. Number one has to start with WR Percy Harvin. In his time here with the Vikings, Percy has been both dynamic and enigmatic. A big playmaker, a game-changer, Harvin has also been trying for the Vikings' front office as well. From migraine headaches (and the time he's missed because of them) to various injuries (missing a good chunk of last...

Players weren’t sugarcoating this one after it was finished. Another 48 minutes. After it was all played out, it was another tough night at the office for the Wolves as they battled the San Antonio Spurs. A loss that dropped the home team to 10-games under 500 and work to do to reach their post-season goal. There was significant buzz heading into this one.  The Commish, David Stern, was in town to talk business with civic leaders. The Wolves big man, Kevin Love, was back on the bench (if not in street clothes) to cheer on his mates after rehabbing in New York. There were bright spots on the court too. The return of Ricky Rubio is progressing nicely as the point guard scored 9-points, dished out 11 assists and had four rebounds. In fact, Rubio tossed five assists in the Spurs game's first seven minutes; that effort followed up a...