Being a Packers and Twins fan, in 2024 as a Packers fan and this season as a Minnesota Twins fan. One common theme I have noticed with both is that both teams are both young and skilled. However, it is the youth that is one of their biggest downfalls. In 2024, all but one of the Packers losses were to the Philadelphia Eagles on week 1, and a sweep to the hands of both the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings who both at the time held the top 2 records throughout the whole regular season. The coping point for the Packers week 1 loss to Philly was that it was a game in Brazil and Green Bay didn’t capitalize on early opportunities. Then in the first loss at Lambeau to the Vikings, despite Green Bay falling down 28-0 early, the talking point was that it was Jordan Love’s first game back from injury and that the kicker missed two field goal attempts which would’ve been the difference in a score where Green Bay lost 31-29. Then in a 24-13 loss at Lambeau to the Lions, in a game that happened in a monsoon, again Love came back from an injury and that hampered him but Green Bay had chances and couldn’t capitalize falling down 24-6. When Green Bay started the road games against the two starting at Detroit, Green Bay had missed reffing calls go against them. But, that also doesn’t affect how the Packers couldn’t take advantage of Dan Campbell getting awarded for being reckless in situations. Then at U.S. Bank Stadium, Green Bay lost the game 27-25 to the Vikings. There was a bad call where Edgerrin Cooper was wrongly called offsides, negating a Will Reichard missed field goal that score wise would’ve been the difference. What that doesn’t show is how again, Minnesota built a commanding lead because of Green Bay mistakes from turnovers or too aggressive or conservative play calling. The Wildcard game at Philadelphia started off with Keisean Nixon fumbling a ball off a helmet to helmet hit from former Packer Oren Burks. While that might have been a missed call, again, Green Bay had opportunities. Philly only led 10-0 at halftime, but Green Bay had two interceptions and a missed field goal in the 2nd quarter. So while you can say that who knows what would’ve happened had Nixon’s hit been called or even called a recovery as it looked like he might have recovered it. That was only at the start of the game, and with how it went it wasn’t a guaranteed.
With all the what if’s that season brought, one of the annoying things that made it hard was fellow Packer fans on twitter had a delusionality that they really were the best team and bad luck and refs kept them from the Super Bowl. Yea no, Green Bay albeit was talented and deserved that spot just didn’t have the experience. Sure one or two losses like that are bad luck, but when all of your losses especially to the elite teams are like that. What is confirmed by that is you’re just not fundamentally sound enough to win a championship.
Being a Twins fan I am noticing the same thing this year, although different circumstances ownership wise which has caused some fan apathy. This Twins team is alive for the playoffs because of the help of a really really bad American League. The biggest thing that shows however is against the National League’s elite teams that the Twins have played in Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago. the Twins are a combined 3-13 against those teams. Minnesota in a lot of those games have competed, but in the Brewers series, all four of Milwaukee’s came off the Twins not capitalizing on opportunities and the Brewers do. The two losses at Wrigley, one was a 10-1 blowout, but the other was a 6-2 game where Minnesota had a chance in the ninth loading the bases. The hit that loaded the bases, Minnesota ran themselves into a double play immediately ending that threat. Then the Dodgers had everything they could handle at Target Field, but elite defense in key situations by LA and the Twins not being able to capitalize again on opportunities haunted them. The first two games against the Phillies were blowouts, but the Twins shot themselves in the foot in the finale. Minnesota had a 5-0 lead thanks to a grand slam from Brooks lee and a homer from Kody Clemens. a 4 run sixth inning by Philly got the Phils right back in the game and in the eighth. They completed the comeback by scoring 3 runs on two singles from Alec Bohm and Bryan De La Cruz. Minnesota had a chance in the 9th off old friend Jhoan Duran by getting two on which was aided by an impressive at bat by Kaelen Culpepper. But Ryan Jeffers and all star Byron Buxton both struck out to end the game. Like that my friend told me to stop complaining because we were “unlucky”, at what point again does it go from unlucky to that’s who they are.
I used to be that type of fan, in middle school my friends hated how I believed the Packers should win every game and only lost every game cause of the refs. But growing up, especially being a better fan and wanting to be a sports journalist. I realize that is the furthest thing from the truth.
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