Thank God for the Minnesota Lynx

2011 has been a terrible year for Minnesota sports. With Joe Mauer out of the picture for most of the season, the Twins lost game after game. The Vikings brought on Donovan McNabb in hopes of a comeback, and instead are sitting with a 0-4 record. Don't even get me started on the Timberwolves.

At a time when the rest of the Minnesota sports teams are falling apart, it is nice to know that the Minnesota Lynx have our backs. Having a team score 2-0 at the WNBA playoffs makes the bitter pill of Vikings failure easier to swallow. At least we don't have to be ashamed of all the Minnesota sports teams.

A sign picture on the front page of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says it best: "At least we got da Lynx." The thing is, even without mass failure in all other sports, the Minnesota Lynx would still be pretty remarkable. Their games have featured consistent shows of athleticism and intelligence.

I've never been huge on basketball. In fact, before this year, I'd only seen one Minnesota Lynx game on TV and none live. Ever since the Lynx began grabbing headlines right and left, I've discovered that the WNBA is actually kind of fun to watch. This is especially true of the Minnesota Lynx. They know how to make every game exciting. For example, in Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Dream, the Lynx trailed behind during the first half of the game, only to come back in the fourth quarter for an awe-inspiring victory. This is a refreshing break from the usual Minnesotan tendency to score dozens of points in the first half and then fall apart after halftime.

The only thing I worry about as the Lynx's amazing season comes to an end is that Minnesotans will forget all about them at the end of the season. I'd like to think that I won't be a fair-weather fan of the Minnesota Lynx, but when it's all said and done, basketball still isn't my favorite sport. That being said, I'm still happy to rally behind the Lynx and thank my lucky stars that Minnesota still has one winning team.

More from this contributor:

Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Football: Time to Ditch Donovan McNabb

Minnesota Vikings Battle the Second-half Blues: A Fan's Perspective