Minnesota

The Blackhawks added one more to their losing streak Friday night as the Minnesota Wild came to town to beat Chicago 5-2, putting the losing streak at eight. But Sunday night the Hawks were able to top the Nashville Predators in overtime, 3-2. It was a big win for the morale of the team.

Why They Might Be Good: Over the summer, future first-ballot Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett told the entire Wolves roster, "I know you guys stink, and you know you guys stink, so I intend to shoot the second the rock touches my hands. This sharing-the-ball thing ain't working. If you don't obey me, I'm going to shove the $1.5 billion I'll earn this year right down y'all's throats."

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson was seen collecting change in the parking garage of the Mall of America on Wednesday. Witnesses say the 15-year veteran was sitting on the floor of the concrete lot near the entrance into the mall, with his Vikings helmet overturned, taking any and everything the mall goers would discard.

The Minnesota Vikings and women's active wear marketer Activa announced a five-year deal to outfit the team with its purple tops and spandex pants. The Vikings originally unveiled new threads from Reebok in April but because players complained those uniforms were "too rugged," the team switched to Activa.

Former Minnesota Timberwolves guard and noted coach-choker Latrell Sprewell ducked into the St. Mary Magdalene soup kitchen last week and was scolded by volunteer staff for trying to steal a five-gallon pot of minestrone.

JULY 15, PITTSBURGH PIRATES @ CHICAGO CUBS, WRIGLEY FIELD Things went so bad for the Pirates that even Jerry Hairston Jr. contributed to the onslaught with a grand slam (albeit off the foul pole), and then got into a heated, bench-clearing exchange with Pirate reliever Jose Mesa after his next at-bat. Of course, 39,000 suburban frat guys home for the summer left happy after the Cubs' 11-1 win, many of them singing the world’s most annoying tune. I’d appreciate the song much more if the lyrics "Go Cubs go! Go Cubs go!" were a command relating to the franchise’s geographic location. Chicagoans: There’s only room for one playoff team in this town, and we all know who it is in 2005.