My Top 10 Minnesota Sports Moments of 2008

Posted at 6:54 AM on January 2, 2009 by David Zingler

10. July 14: Justin Morneau wins Homerun Derby.
Josh Hamilton got the hype, but Morneau won is his typical understated way.

9. October 4: Gophers defeat Indiana 16-7.
The only reason this made the list is because it was the U's first Big Ten win since November 18, 2006.

8. April 3: Wild win Northwest Division title.
It was the franchise's first division crown. Let's not talk about the playoffs.

7. May 7: Carlos Gomez hits for the cycle.
The enigmatic rookie became the first Twin since Kirby Puckett in 1986 to turn the trick.

6. June 26: Wolves swap O.J. Mayo and others for Kevin Love, Mike Miller and others.
The latest (and hopefully last) of Kevin McHale's blunders deprived Minnesota basketball fans of a dynamic, exciting player and an actual reason to watch the Timberwolves.

5. November 9: Vikings beat Packers 28-27.
It's always good to beat the Pack, but the fact this win ended an embarrassing five-game losing streak to our biggest rival made it even sweeter.

4. April 22: Vikings acquire Jared Allen.
After the free agent pool of DEs dried up, the Vikings aggressively pursued Allen, giving the Chiefs a 1st round pick and two 3rd rounders for the All Pro. Allen also got a huge signing bonus and is the Vikings best outside pass rusher since Chris Doleman.

3. November 30: Bernard Berrian catches 99-yard TD vs. Bears.
Gus Frerotte's bomb to Berrian tied an NFL record, ignited a 34-14 route and put the Purple in first place.

2. September 23-25: Twins sweep White Sox and take over first place in AL Central.
What a series! The Twins won the first game 9-3, the second 3-2 and rallied from a 6-1 deficit to win the third game 7-6 in 10 innings. If the team had not dropped the next two against lowly Kansas City, this would have been No. 1.

1. December 28: Vikings clinch NFC North.
It was the first time in 8 years the Vikings won a division crown and posted a double digit win total. Can't you just hear that Vikings horn sound in your head right now? OK, maybe it's just me.

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