Sports

This past year the Minnesota Twins were on the path to the World Series, and the Vikings ended the season with a winning streak. The University of Minnesota Gophers hockey, golf, and wrestling teams secured three national championships. What's in store for Minnesota sports in 2003?

Snowmobilers and cross-country skiers are a little depressed about the lack of snow this winter. But downhill skiers and snowboarders are doing OK. They don't need real snow, because ski hills can make the stuff. Lutsen Mountains ski resort has several feet of artificial snow on the ground.

Baseball has a long history in Minnesota. The Twins have played professional baseball in the state for more than 40 years. Names like Kirby Puckett, Jacque Jones and Torii Hunter are familiar to most fans. But what about "Rat" Johnson, Bobby Marshall and Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe? They've been forgotten. Now a new book documents the contributions of the men who helped open the door to America's pastime.

The University of Minnesota should study building a Gophers-only football stadium now that the Minnesota Vikings have rejected a proposed shared stadium on campus, university president Robert Bruininks said Friday.

Ely's 11 story high ski jump towers above the forest just east of town. But it's been unused for almost 10 years. Officials worry it's become a danger to the public. Officials want to see it used, but might consider selling it, or just tearing it down.

Baseball hero Kirby Puckett is due to stand trial in February on charges he dragged a woman into a restaurant bathroom and groped her there. How does the dynamic of a trial change when the defendant is a celebrity?

Plans for a football stadium to be shared by the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings hit a snag when Vikings officials rejected a proposed on-campus site. The setback comes just as a design study is due to the legislature. It puts a partnership between the university and the Vikings on hold. The plan for a joint-facility would have been unique in the NFL and some say for a good reason: professional and collegiate sports don't necessarily mix.

The Minnesota Vikings, in a letter to the University of Minnesota Monday, rejected a proposed campus site for a shared football stadium as too small.

The home of the Masters golf tournament continues to feel the heat over its policy to exclude women from membership. The athletic community is divided over the issue as members of the venerable golf club work behind the scenes for change.

The excitement around the Minnesota Twins is generating new interest in ballpark plans, and the issue figures to resurface next year when a new governor is sworn in.