Minneapolis Official Visitors Guide - Fall/Winter 2007 - (Page 53) SPORTS Torii Hunter of the Minnesota Twins Manny Fernandez of the Minnesota Wild University of Minnesota Golden Gophers T H I S PA G E ( L - R ) : P H O T O © 2 0 0 7 B R U C E K L U C K H O H N ; P H O T O © 2 0 0 3 B R U C E K L U C K H O H N ; P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I N N E S O TA C O L L E G I AT E AT H L E T I C S Get your game on in one of the few metros to have all major sports teams represented. M OPPOSITE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP L): PHOTO BY RICK A. KOLODZIEJ; PHOTO COURTESY OF NBAE; SWARM PHOTO © 2005 BRUCE KLUCKHOHN innesota sports fans love traveling downtown for games, taking full advantage of the pre- and post-game dining and nightlife options. With the new open-air baseball stadium underway for Minneapolis and talks of a football-only Metrodome renovation, our pro teams won’t be leaving Minneapolis-Saint Paul anytime soon. No matter your sport of choice—hockey or football, big league or Big 10—you’ll find MVPs and all-around all-stars gracing our fields, courts and ice rinks. The Target Center sits across the street from Block E and near the entertaining Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis. Inside you’ll find the Minnesota Timberwolves cruising up the court, shooting and blocking against the best in the NBA. Hoping to make up for some of last season’s missteps, the team once again follows its fearless leader Kevin Garnett and makes a run for the playoffs. NBA City, an all-sports-all-thetime eatery located in the Target Center, welcomes basketball fans for food, interactive games and high-def games on more than 30 big-screen TVs. The MLB 2006 American League Central Division champs should once again play well into October. With players such as 2006 MVP Justin Morneau and local boy and batting champion Joe Mauer on the field, the Minnesota Twins keep America’s favorite pastime alive and well in the Metrodome, a mere five-minute train ride from the Target Center. The purple and gold also play in the Dome and all eyes focus on the Minnesota Vikings this year. Always considered an NFL powerhouse, the Vikes—led by newbie quarterback Tavaris Jackson and tougher-than-nails running back Chester Taylor—hope to put the past behind them and come out on top. Vikings tailgaters pre-game every home-game Sunday, making Minneapolis a football city September to January. Historical landmarks, restaurants and bars surround Saint Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, providing plenty of places for fans to hang before or after a hockey outing. The Minnesota Wild came to Saint Paul in 2000, and made the playoffs for the second time in 2007. The Wild consistently sell out every game, and with Hall of Famer Jacques Lemaire coaching stick-wielding greats like Wes Walz and Olympian Brian Rolston, the team continues to fire up the ice this season. Though its season usually wraps up in late September, this October the Minnesota Thunder, our pro soccer team, is proud to present “Copa Minnesota,” an international match of great proportions, featuring world soccer superstar David Beckham. MINI ITINERARY MORNING: Get your heart pumping right away at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. In the fall, hike through the Elosie Butler Wildflower Garden or the park’s off-road hiking and cycling trail. If snow covers the ground, check out the park’s brand new snowboard park or rent a snow tube and sail down the 10th fairway of its golf course. NOON: If you’re lonesome for the golf course in the height of winter, take your driver to Braemar Golf Dome in the neighboring suburb of Edina. The longest and largest hitting dome in the metro area, the facility houses 46 tee boxes on two levels (open November through mid-April; call ahead for reservation, 952-826-6799). NIGHT: After dinner at neighboring pubs such as The Liffey or Great Waters Brewing Company, catch some hockey—and maybe a flying puck—at a Wild game at the Xcel Energy Center. For single game tickets, head to the Xcel’s box office, call 651-989-5151 or visit www.ticketmaster.com Fall/Winter 2008 Minneapolis&Saint Paul 53 http://www.ticketmaster.com
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