Sorry for not checking in for a while.

A lot has changed in the sports landscape in the last two months. While it's a transition period in the high school season, college and pro sports are going full throttle, so I'll try to touch on a couple things today.

•I've got to start with the Minnesota Wild, who won their first Northwest Division championship.

That title helped Minnesota get home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff series with Colorado.

Even though the Wild lost 4-3 in a shootout Sunday in Colorado, I like their chances in the best of seven series.

Niklas Backstrom played his best the last 12 to 15 games of the regular season, Marian Gaborik has had multi-point games in five of his last eight and role players (Todd Fedoruk, Sean Hill, Stephane Veilleux) seem to supply offense when needed.

Lots of writers and fans like to talk about the Wild's tough guys – Derek Boogaard, Fedoruk and Chris Simon – and how they will keep the team from getting pushed around in the postseason.

While they can be a factor, it really all comes down to goal scoring. Backstrom played great against the Ducks last year, but Minnesota couldn't get the two or three goals they needed to win each night.

They do this time around. I like the Wild in 6 games.

•I could only laugh at all the varied opinions on the Minnesota Twins start to the 2008 season.

After watching Carlos Gomez fly around the bases and Livan Hernandez strong seven-inning start, there were many optimistic reviews after the opener.

Then Anaheim won the final three games of the series and that was all it took the have the pundits saying, 'The Twins aren't going to be any good,' or 'Wait for 2010.'

In a sport where it takes 162 games to decide who make the playoffs, making judgements on a game-to-game basis can be dangerous.

Even after seven games (the Twins are 3-4 as of April 7), it's hard to come to any concrete conclusions.

Here's what I like:

Anything Carlos Gomez is doing. Catchers are not going to throw this basestealer out very often. Gomez could score 100 runs and steal 50 bases as a rookie if he can put the ball in play.

The pitching staff. Hernandez is the innings eater. Scott Baker is your No. 2 guy, Boof Bonser slots in nicely at No. 4 and then you can have your pick of Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins or Phil Humber at No. 5. This group will be better than expected if/when Francisco Liriano regains his form from 2006.

Here's what I don't like:

The Twins inability to have a big inning. I've seen some sacrifice bunts and even a squeeze play to manufacture a few runs. This team needs to do some of that to be successful, but every team needs put a crooked number on the scoreboard once in a while. Minnesota's lack of power (and too many solo home runs) seems to be a never-ending problem.

The bullpen depth isn't what it used to be. The Twins are counting on Juan Rincon and Jesse Crain to get a lot of outs in the sixth and seventh inning this year. Rincon had his worst statistical season in 2007 and Crain is coming off arm surgery. If the starters can't consistently get to Matt Guerrier, Pat Neshek and Joe Nathan, Rincon and Crain have to bridge the gap.

Best case situation for the Twins, I see them becoming an average offensive team and a slightly better than average pitching staff and they win 85 games. Maybe they challenge Detroit for second in the division.

Worst case, the inexperienced rotation has some struggles or is hit with injuries and the team bottoms out. I could seem them finishing with about 71 wins and battling Kansas City and Chicago to stay out of the cellar.

When the dust settles, I've got the Twins going 80-82 and in third place in the division. Ahead of Chicago and Kansas City and behind Cleveland and Detroit.

Last year I picked Boston to beat the New York Mets in the World Series.

Before the season started, I picked Cleveland to beat the L.A. Dodgers in the 2008 Fall Classic. I have god (and Kristin Holtz) as my witness.

•Even though my wife needs a Kansas victory over Memphis to win her NCAA men's basketball office pool, I've got to go with the Tigers to win tonight.

Memphis beat UCLA (the team I picked to win it all) and has been the best from the start of the season to the finish.

If they can turn in one more consistent performance, Memphis will be cutting down the nets tonight.

•The Minnesota Vikings made their mark in free agency signing a new receiver (Bernard Berrian), safety (Madieu Williams) and fullback (Thomas Tapeh) in February.

Minnesota made a few other lesser signings in the weeks to follow, and on paper the 2008 squad looks stronger.

It's been a rough offseason for the Vikings defensive ends.

Kenechi Udeze was diagnosed with luekemia, while former first-round pick Erasmus James is recovering from his third knee surgery in less than 18 months.

Brian Robison, Jayme Mitchell and Ray Edwards are the only healthy players returning at defensive end, so there is a lot of speculation that the Vikings address that need with the 17th overall pick in the draft.

Don't be surprised if the team bolsters it's offensive line, though, especially at tackle.

Ryan Cook was the weak link in the unit last season on the right side, while left tackle Bryant McKinnie has underperformed his massive contract and has some pending legal issues stemming from an offseason incident.

I have questions whether Cedric Griffin is a starting cornerback, too, so plucking a premiere cover man is another option for the Purple.

Of course there's also Litchfield's own John Carlson waiting to see where he'll be taken in the NFL Draft later this month.

Carlson improved on his NFL Combine workout during his pro day last month, which seems to have solidified his stock as a second- or third-round selection.

It will certainly be interesting to see where he ends up.