This is the slowest pro sports week of the year in Minnesota.
The Twins are off until Friday because of the All-Star break. The Lynx are off for a month because of the Olympics. Minnesota United doesn't have a game scheduled until Sunday. Vikings training camp doesn't open until the end of the month.
Sports fans can be bored . . . or they can do something they ask from the teams they follow: Dig deeper.
Here's a guide to some things that you may not know about, and a reminder about a few that could be worthy watching.
The Twin Cities Pro-Am Basketball League started over the weekend and plays three times a week at Minnehaha Academy in south Minneapolis. No, you won't see Redhawks graduates Chet Holmgren and Jalen Suggs. But others with name recognition from high school and college careers are on the rosters of the six teams, including former Gophers center Reggie Lynch and several former Wisconsin Badgers from the Twin Cities. (Tyus Jones sponsors a team and suited up for the league opener on Saturday.) Games are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights for the next five weeks, including the finals. Admission is free. Rosters, schedules and more are here. And video highlights are on the league's Twitter feed.
Da Beauty League returns on Wednesday night at Braemar Arena in Edina with three games per night and tickets at $15 each. The league, started in 2015, gives pros and near-pros a place to play over the summer. Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins lead the league in scoring last season with 29 points in nine games. Rosters haven't been posted yet but the link to the 2019 statistics gives a good idea of the types of players to expect. Think of it as pick-up hockey with statistics and an end of season trophy – the John Scott Cup. Tap here for more about the league.
There are several summer women's hockey leagues in the Twin Cities. Two that feature the highest quality of play begin this week at Pagel Arena in Minnetonka (on Monday nights) and Parade Ice Garden (in Minneapolis) on Wednesdays. More information about the leagues is here. Some of the leagues still have openings for players – and you get a discount if you're a goalie.
Need baseball? This is a reminder that Town Ball games are abundant this time of year. There are games around the metro area on most any night and the weekend is a good time for road-tripping. We recommend Stearns County or southern Minnesota for a Sunday drive. If you're in northern Minnesota, our favorite is the Lake and Pine League, featuring the Nimrod Gnats and the Midway Snurdbirds. (Midway, by the way, is midway between Wolf Lake and Menagha.) More information and links to schedules are on the Minnesota Bseball Association web site.
Ultimate. Don't call it Frisbee. The Minnesota Wind Chill is one of 22 teams in the American Ultimate Disc League and plays its home games at Sea Foam Stadium at Concordia University. The Wind Chill's 12-game schedule includes home game the next three Saturday nights. The League was founded in 2012 and the Wind Chill started play the next year. A one-sentence description of Ultimate: A mash-up of lacrosse, football and acrobatics. Here's a look. If you need a winner to follow, The Wind Chill is 5-1 this season. If you need a Border Battle, the season ends next month with a match against the Madison Radicals. Tickets start at $5, with $16 getting you into the Sideline Beer Garden and two beers.
Stakes races at Canterbury Park. The best races at Canterbury are run in the middle of the week and four stakes races for Minnesota-bred horses, each with a $50,000 purse, are scheduled for Wednesday. The first race on the card is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. There are a pair of turf races and two races for 3-year-olds at six furlongs that set up bigger days of stakes racing in August and September.
