The Wild and Timberwolves lost in the first round of the playoffs, but it seems that to the average Minnesota sports fan, these teams have nothing in common.
The Wild, they say, are a gritty, cohesive bunch led by the admirable Kirill Kaprizov.
The Timberwolves, they say, are a soft, divisive group hamstrung by the emotional outbursts of Karl-Anthony Towns.
For the past two weeks, virtually every Minnesotan I've encountered has complained about the weather, then Towns. Or vice versa. He complains too much. He's too erratic. He sounds too emotional during interviews.
Which is strange, because here is how these teams' seasons ended:
The Wild, playing against a team of similar capability, took a two-games-to-one lead, then choked, losing four of the next five and failing to even compete in the last two, including a Game 6 at home.