All posts by HPSH Plaid Line

Loot Boxes versus Battle Passes in games: Which is worse?

June 2, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Daniel Kendle

In a lot of multiplayer video games you’ll find 2 types of micro-transactional models: loot boxes and battle passes. They both have good qualities, but both also have negative ones as well. As someone who has experienced both, I’m here to answer the burning question: which is worse? Or, more importantly, which is better?

On that note I must say that I’m not the biggest fan of FPS shooters, in which these two models are most commonly found across gaming. I’m more of a fan of single-player games, and online battle royales aren’t really my thing, so take this article with a grain of salt.

To start, let’s give an overview of both options. Both loot boxes and battle passes involve you spending real-world currency to purchase various items that either affect gameplay or are purely cosmetic. However, how you go around receiving those items differs.

Loot Boxes are 1-use purchases that automatically give you some item or cosmetic. There are different types of boxes, with some games having a randomized system of boxes, and others not. When buying one, they usually only have 1 or 2 items, so you can expect to have differently-priced boxes for different rarities of stock.

Battle Passes are much different in that after taking your money, you don’t receive some reward immediately. Instead, you have a roadmap of unlockables that, after playing more of the game, you can unlock more for free. Many passes have free roads that have less items and lower quality in terms of looks. Also, many games have different “seasons” of battle passes, where you’ll get a new set of unlockables, sometimes themed around something different. These don’t come at any extra cost if you want the free gimmes, but if you want the road with the higher-quality items, you have to pay again.

Now that we have an idea of what each of our options look like, we can get into their upsides – and issues.

Starting with loot boxes, the one big upside they have is that they don’t take time to get. Battle passes have you play more of the game in conjunction with the pass, and therefore take a lot of time to keep progressing. Meanwhile, loot boxes are simple, automatic transaction models that either give you exactly what you want or a chance to, getting something else instead.

However, the issues stemming from these boxes are from this simplicity. One big thing is that for a lot of games you can’t necessarily get the exact item you want. This’ll be the last time I discuss this, but a bunch of loot boxes have a loot pool that the game randomly chooses from for your item, which can make your spent money either wasted or used for something you didn’t need. It’s also not that fun; a 1-1 purchase for whatever you want – or something close to that – doesn’t provide much in the way of interacting with the game more so than your wallet.

Next is battle passes. I’d say that there are 2 big pluses to these systems. The first is that having to work through the game, playing matches and whatnot, has you actually using the game. This is in contrast to loot boxes’ transactional module. The second is that you get more content for generally less-expensive prices, even if the cosmetics and items you earn aren’t able to be hand-picked.

However, there’s also a couple of problems with battle passes. For one thing, while the dull currency exchanging of loot boxes doesn’t give much in the way of game interaction, the ease can’t be understated. Imagine if a game you’re playing has you get weapons by defeating enemies, dropping only every few hundred kills. Well then, it’d be a slog to get through, and being able to simply buy the desired item is too convenient. This is the big obstacle with battle passes; playing the game over and over to work your way to nodes on a path can be monotonous and lengthy.

Nowadays we see battle passes more often used in games than loot boxes, so I’d say that the gaming industry has chosen their favored model. Personally, I’d say that both are better in different games, with loot boxes being best in games with gameplay focused more on repeatable gameplay loops, like many mobile games. Meanwhile, battle passes are seemingly best in longer campaigns, like shooters and open-world systems. Not that you can’t have a battle pass in a mobile game or loot boxes in longer campaigns, as hundreds have proven they’re perfectly viable options. However, I find that loot boxes are best in shorter experiences that can be easily picked up, and battle passes in either longer narratives or more complex systems.

If I had to pick a favorite, I’d say I prefer battle passes due to their inherent allowance of game interaction. I mean, why did you buy the pass in the first place? To play the game!

Of course, you can have instances where boxes and passes don’t work at all. A loot box in a single-player RPG would be decently-strange, and as for battle passes…

Yikes.

Travel/Food

‘Plátanos Flameados’ recipe

June 2, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Pablo Contreras

I have never made Plátanos Flameados but from the video that I watched I can see that this recipe is definitely interesting and slightly unique. This recipe requires using fire and alcohol so be careful in that part if you are doing those steps.

I’m pretty sure that we all have tried Platanos flameados, I know you can find them in buffets, and me personally, I have never liked the taste and texture of them. I don’t like how soft the banana is and the taste of the banana.

Now here are some warnings before we start the recipe:

This recipe is not mine it belongs to ‘Cocina Como Se Hace’
The photo on this article also belong to ‘Cocina Como Se Hace’
This recipe does have alcohol in it but you can skip that part, if not then have an adult help you

‘Plátanos Flameados’ Ingredients:

2 Bananas
Brown sugar
Butter
2 sliced oranges
Whisky or cognac
1 cinnamon stick

Steps:

The first thing that you need to do is put your pan on the stove on medium heat, and add in the brown sugar and wait for your sugar to get caramelized
While waiting for your sugar to get caramelized peel your bananas and cut then in half
Now, once your sugar is fully caramelized then add in your butter and your 1 stick of cinnamon and mix thoroughly
Next squeeze the juice of the oranges in the pan and mix
Once everything is mixed thoroughly then add in your sliced bananas
Leave your bananas to cook in the caramel for a little while and then flip them

(For this next part I don’t recommend doing this without an adult because it requires you using alcohol and a lighter. You can skip if you want, if not make sure you have an adult help you)

You are going to add in the whisky and turn your heat all the way up and use a lighter to light the bananas on fire
Wait for the fire to stop and then you will know that they are ready

Now that you are done you can enjoy 🙂

Here is the link to the original recipe, beware the video is in Spanish ‘Canal Cómo Se Hace’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKtbJArs23s

Editorials/Student Voice

Florida had become hostile to African Americans

June 2, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Jasmine Williams

Photo by Guillaume Hankenne on Pexels.com

According to ‘Rolling Stone,’ the NAACP had issued a travel advisory warning Black Americans who were thinking about going to Florida. The NAACP has said, “[Florida is] openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.” This is surprising because of how many people actually would or would have gone to Florida.

About 34.6 million domestic people went to Florida from January 1st to March 31st for vacation. The NAACP had stated, “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

Ron DeSantis, the Florida Republican governor, is against diversity and inclusion. In 2022, he signed a bill that executed a ban on race topics being taught in schools. AP African American studies are inaccessible to students because he thinks it’s a political agenda. DeSantis said, “[T]he country is rotten and that our institutions are illegitimate.”

DeSantis had tried to cover up the truth of discrimination of Black Americans now and in the past. DeSantis neglects Black Americans struggles and their history, showing how inconsiderate he is about Black people. Since they would ban AP African American studies, others would not be able to learn about the history behind African Americans and their struggles and be able to help them.

The president and CEO of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, had said, “Let me be clear — failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all.”

Just before this advisory for Black Americans came, the LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, had announced an advisory to Latinos. DeSantis had put into place cruel penalties for undocumented people. It may be better to book your next flight to another place next vacation.

For more information, please go to:

● https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/21/us/naacp-florida-travel-advisory/index.html

● https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-issues-travel-advisory-florida

National

With the U.S. facing a looming debt default, the race is on to raise the debt ceiling before the June 5th deadline

June 1, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By Aeden Evenson-McDermott

Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels.com

After the past few weeks of going back and forth between reaching the settlements and negotiators hunkering down, Biden and McCarthy’s teams finally struck a deal to raise the debt ceiling.

There were many consequences to the situation and if a deal wasn’t reached it would be quite catastrophic for the U.S. but also the world markets and economy overall. As for the U.S., inflation would continue to rise, prices for almost everything would be higher, health and social security benefits would be in limbo, and military personnel could go unpaid along with millions of jobs being lost.

Thankfully, in recent days, Biden and McCarthy struck a deal to avoid a default but still need the house and senate on board. Moderate Democrats and many Republicans are against the deal as they feel they lost important things in the bill. When you have two sides hammering out measures, both sides won’t be able to get everything, it’s just a part of the process which is inevitable.

With the deal being passed, it would create some time until after the next presidential election in 2024, and in 2025 it would expire.

Some of the issues at large that were in the deal will be examined. Caps on spending would be in the ballpark of $1 trillion less and no budget caps are in place after 2025. Defense spending would slightly increase and more protections for medical care of military veterans would also increase. Unspent COVID funds from the pandemic would be returned and are estimated to be at a value of $30 billion. Welfare of food stamps were protected but stricter work requirements were instituted. Further funds to tax the rich resulted in $80 billion for IRS funding. Energy projects would become more mainstream and projects would begin faster.

A few important clauses that were not included in the deal were student loan relief, tax hikes, and clean energy.

Overall, both sides came together at the bargaining table and got somewhat of what they bargained for. It remains to be seen on how the deal will be passed through the house and senate but both sides seem optimistic.

Editorials/Student Voice

McCarthyism and the demolition of progress in the United States

June 1, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Charlie Boone

Welch-McCarthy Hearings: Image via Wikimedia Commons

Wisconsin Senator, Joseph McCarthy’s corrupt and unfounded attacks on communism during the 40s and 50s, portraying the ideology as a vague, amorphous enemy have both directly and indirectly halted societal progress within the United States and influenced the right wing’s focus on culture war issues.

While a majority of McCarthy’s attacks were rooted in white supremacy, homophobia, and anti-semitism, many modern anti-communists lead with a different approach, depicting all socialization as tyrannical; typically citing nations with downfalls directly related to U.S. imperialism and intervention i.e. coups, sanctions, banana republics, etc. and blaming it all on the bogeyman of socialism. This depiction has done arguably the most damage, as it’s a very regular talking point to say that free healthcare and education are too radical, from both the left and the right. This is an intentional move from establishment capitalists, as well as the corporations in their pockets because, for example, if you explained to the average person that the LAPD was just given an extra $3.2 billion, as reported by the LA Times, and there are over 420,000 homeless people in the United States, and 37.9 million people live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, I think they would agree that there’s a problem.

According to the right, America is a meritocracy, and your material conditions are exclusively a product of how hard you work, rather than an amalgamation of systemic, historical, and personal circumstances. This characterization is very obviously not true, as a person born into a wealthy family will experience distinct advantages, both economically and socially, despite not working any harder than someone born into poverty or homelessness.

It’s also important to mention that in our current economic state, upward-class mobility is nearly impossible, despite the exceptions that are often highlighted to try to dismiss the problem. Obviously, hard work is important but if you looked at two people born in completely different economic situations, both working as hard as one another, their outcome is likely going to be drastically different, which again, most people would agree is a problem. With all of the barriers set up to avoid hiring people in poverty, as well as it being pretty much impossible to find a job if you are homeless, the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality simply does not work, especially in the United States where just under 900,000 Americans die in poverty, as cited by the University of Columbia in 2010, and 45,000 Americans die as a direct result of lack of access to healthcare each year according to a 2009 report by the Harvard Medical School.

The fundamental idea of capitalism is the maximization of profit for the corporation while spending the least amount of money on labor. This is important because the capitalist does not necessarily hate the worker, they simply view them as disposable, and a means to make a profit. This inevitably leads to an insane gap of wealth between the working class and the CEOs, where the workers are barely making a fraction’s worth of their labor.

My point here in explaining the exploitation and inherent inequality of capitalism is to say that without McCarthy and the general right’s demonization of communism and socialism, a much larger number of Americans would agree that the current system at the very least needs serious reform. I also believe that there would be a much larger number of prominent socialist politicians that aren’t constantly bogged down by the Democratic party without McCarthy’s direct career-ruining actions toward anyone who presented views anywhere close to anti-capitalist.

McCarthy’s accusatory and defamatory tactics have also proven to be incredibly influential in shaping the right wing’s focus on the “culture war’”. If you’re not familiar, the term culture war is used to describe a general polarization and stark divide between societal values, typically to distract voters from the fact that a majority of their frustrations are a direct result of capitalism. One of Joseph McCarthy’s commonly used tactics was to accuse his ideological enemies of not only being communists but also homosexuals, expanding the evil, amorphous fog sent out to destroy your family and attack your children.

Over time, the fog continued to grow, collecting more marginalized groups to scapegoat issues onto, as is always the case with fascism. In 2023 alone, the republican party has passed 75 anti-trans bills with 555 proposed in total, some being as egregious as making providing gender-affirming care to someone under 26 years old a felony for healthcare providers (OK SB129). Most Americans see this as ridiculous and fascistic, the same way they looked at Joseph McCarthy, but the rapid influence of far-right legislators and echo chambers continues to push culture war issues to the point of genocidal rhetoric.

Fascism is still very much alive and well in the United States, and the lack of action from the Democratic party is worrying. It’s becoming more and more apparent that many establishment Democrats would rather have a fascist in office than a progressive, and the continued push for “business as usual” neoliberal politics is going to swing that door wide open.

For more information, please visit:

Football

Minnesota Vikings 2023 Schedule Preview

June 1, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Toby Martin Kohls

Photo by Terrance Barksdale on Pexels.com

Week 1: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay is projected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year, after the retirement of GOAT QB Tom Brady. The storyline for the Bucs will be which QB wins their starting job between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, and what draft pick the Bucs will get. The home opener should be an easy win for the Vikings here.

Week 2: @ Philadelphia Eagles

Seriously, do the Eagles ever play in Minneapolis? This will be a tough one, another away game in Philly taking on Jalen Hurts and the Super Bowl runner-ups in a hostile prime-time environment.

Week 3: vs Los Angeles Chargers

We’re playing the AFC West this year! Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams come to town in what should be a good battle of great offenses.

Week 4: @ Carolina Panthers

The Vikings travel to Carolina to face the new-look Panthers with QB Bryce Young at the helm. The Panthers are actually supposed to be a middle-of-the-road team this year with Vegas setting their win total at O/U 7.5 wins. If the Vikings want to make the playoffs, they should win this game.

Week 5: vs Kansas City Chiefs

Fun fact: Patrick Mahomes has never beaten the Minnesota Vikings in his career, which is the only team he hasn’t triumphed over. Seems not true? It should. The Chiefs and backup QB Matt Moore beat the Vikings in November of 2019. I expect to get blown out here, but who knows?

Week 6: @ Chicago Bears

I’m sure Justin Fields will run all over our defense but I somewhat trust that new DC Brian Flores will have all our issues figured out by now and this is a must-win division game. At least it’s not in prime time.

Week 7: vs San Francisco 49ers

Monday Night Football primetime Kirk Cousins against a ferocious 49ers defense. Need I say more? Ouch.

Week 8: @ Green Bay Packers

I’m going with JJ and Flores traumatizing the Packers’ defense and QB Jordan Love. Packers fans will wish Rodgers stuck around.

Week 9: @ Atlanta Falcons

Sure, they drafted Bijan Robinson in the first round to pair with fellow first-round picks Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but they still don’t have a QB (Desmond Ridder you are significantly below league average). I’m sure Cordarelle Patterson will make us regret not keeping him as a returner. Expect a win here.

Week 10: vs New Orleans Saints

I think this Saints team is actually underrated if their players play up to their potential. Carr, Kamara, Thomas, and Olave on offense, and Jordan, Davis, Mathieu, Maye, and Lattimore highlighting the defense. In a toss-up, I still like the Vikings to get the job done at home.

Week 11: @ Denver Broncos

I’ll be attending this Sunday Night Primetime game at Mile High! Of course, that means they will lose. I’m sorry in advance.

Week 12: vs Chicago Bears

An important game against a division rival at home in prime time. We should have more clarity by this week of the playoff picture. This game should be won.

Week 13: Bye Week

I think this is the latest bye week in the team’s history. It might be sorely needed due to inevitable injuries.

Week 14: @ Las Vegas Raiders

Revenge game for former Vikings CB Duke Shelley and K Daniel Carlson. However, I don’t believe in this Raiders squad with Jimmy G, Jacobs, and Adams. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Carlson kicks a 55+ yarder to win the game or something in true Minnesota sports fashion.

For those who don’t know, Carlson was drafted in the 5th round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He won the Vikings K job against incumbent Kai Forbath and then against the Packers he missed one FG in regulation and two in OT resulting in a 29-29 tie. The next day the Vikings signed Dan Bailey (at the time Bailey was the second most accurate kicker in NFL history) and cut Carlson.

Carlson then went on to be the 2x NFL Scoring Leader (2020, 2021), Second Team All-Pro in 2021, and First Team All-Pro in 2022. He also set the NFL record for most 50+ yard field goals in a season in 2022 with 11 made. God, I hate Minnesota sports.

Week 15: @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Vikings travel to Cincinnati to take on Super Bowl hopefuls Joe Burrow and company. This matchup pits the electric JaMarr Chase and Justin Jefferson together in what should be a good game. However, I still give the edge to Cincy here.

Week 16: vs Detroit Lions

Wow, the first game against Detroit in week 16? NFL scheduling madness. This could very well be a crucial deciding game for the division title. The Lions are favored to win the division with their young core but have not won it since 1993.

Week 17: vs Green Bay Packers

Easy W. Enough said. Jordan Love ends up a bust and the Vikings beat up Sean Clifford or Danny Etling.

Week 18: @ Detroit Lions

The NFL made changes in recent years to schedule more inter-division games late in the year to make them more important for the playoffs. This could be the game for the division title or it could be one where both teams rest their starters.

Advice/How To

Summer jobs

June 1, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Greta Johnson

Summer jobs are an important part of making money as a teenager. Most people in high school get a job for the summer to make money to spend and save.

If you are 14 or 15 you cannot work past 7:30PM, but if you’re 16 or older you’re free to work as late as you like.

Jobs in fast food and food service are easier to get and will hire you for the summer. Usual pay is minimum wage or about 11 to 15 dollars an hour. Some jobs in food service you will also receive tips that depend on the restaurant, but tips can range from 2-20 extra dollars per hour.

If you don’t want to work a traditional job or are too busy to get one, another good option is yard work. Many people don’t like to mow or weed wack or garden and will pay a good amount of money to you if you do it for them. It’s a good side hustle, or summer job, and it doesn’t take up a ton of your time. Self employed jobs like this are great for teenagers or younger people because it’s hard to find work at a younger age, lots of businesses won’t hire you if you’re under 16. With jobs like yard work, mowing and babysitting, all you have to do is make an agreement with whoever you’re doing the work for in regards to pay. This cuts out the issue of labor laws and getting hired.

The first challenge with getting a job is actually getting hired. Most of the time there’s at least a couple candidates and when you’re younger, companies and businesses are less likely to hire you. This is where a resumé would come in. A resumé is usually a paper about your information, skills, experience and previous employment. A résumé is important to the hiring process because it shows your possible employer that you are serious about getting this job.

Advice/How To

Pros and cons of starting your own business

May 31, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Yumna Abajebel

Starting your own company could benefit you in many different ways. You could control your own lifestyle and work at your own pace.

You’ll still have to do work, but it’s on your own time and terms. Mainly you don’t have to answer to anyone or be stressed over deadlines.

Starting up at first may seem a little difficult but it’s worth it after the company is up and running.

Business owners have the option of selecting whichever passion and dream they wish to pursue. Before they might have not been able to do that due to having to support family or it wasn’t financially stable.

People like being their own boss; for some they might have been working in corporations for 10-20 years. Business owners have the luxury of being independent and having flexibility with their schedule.

If you decide that you want to work with other people, it could be people you’re comfortable with, which is beneficial for you and your company in the long run.

Running your own business isn’t easy financially or mentally. If you work alone that means you would have to be the salesperson, accountant, customer service representative, and marketer all as one person, which can be very difficult at times.

Starting your business has its pros and cons which you should think about. But should consider the benefits.

Sports

History of Minnesota sports misery since our last major championship win (Twins, 1991 World Series)

May 31, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Toby Martin-Kohls

There has been a long history of disappointment in Minnesota sports since our last win in a major sports championship. From terrible decisions to highly improbable events, this article will (painfully) give you a refresher on Minnesota sports history. This article will go in chronological order, so younger readers might only be familiar with events further down the list. If you manage to make it to the end, kudos to you! Buckle up.

1996: Wolves draft Ray Allen, and immediately trade him for Stephon Marbury

In a move that still haunts Minnesota fans, the Timberwolves drafted future Hall of Famer Ray Allen in 1996 but immediately traded him for Stephon Marbury. Marbury’s tenure with the team was brief and fraught with controversy; a disappointment compared to Allen’s outstanding career.

1998: 15-1 Vikings lose NFC Championship Game on Gary Anderson’s first missed FG

Despite an impressive 15-1 regular season record, the 1998 Vikings lost the NFC Championship Game when reliable kicker Gary Anderson missed his first field goal of the year, in true disappointing fashion.

2000: Vikings lose 41-0 to Giants in the NFC Championship game

Two years later, the New York Giants humiliated the Vikings 41-0 in the NFC Championship game, destroying them once more. The defeat adds yet another episode of postseason heartbreak for the Vikings.

2002: Twins win division, losing to Los Angeles in ALCS

Despite winning the division, the 2002 Twins lost to the Angels in the American League Championship Series. The loss put the Twins’ hopes of winning the World Series on hold once more.

2002: Wild swept by Anaheim in Western Conference Finals

The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild in four games on their first-ever trip to the Western Conference Finals. This marked the sudden end to what had been a thrilling playoff journey, after coming back from two 3-1 series deficits.

1997-2003: Wolves lose in the first round of playoffs for seven consecutive seasons

Between 1997 and 2003, the Timberwolves had seven consecutive first-round playoff exits, which highlighted the team’s lack of postseason success throughout that time span.

2003: David Ortiz leaves Twins for Red Sox

Losing David Ortiz to the Red Sox in 2003 was a painful blow to the Twins. Ortiz continued to rise to fame in Boston and serves as a daily reminder of what might have been. One of the most beloved players to play the game.

2003: Twins win division, lose to Yankees in ALDS

The Twins lost in the postseason following yet another division victory, this time to the Yankees in the American League Division Series. The Twins’ reputation as a team that struggled to make the playoffs was further solidified with this defeat.

2004: Sam Cassell hurts his hip doing big-balls dance, Wolves lose to Lakers in WCF

Sam Cassell hurt his hip in the 2004 Western Conference Finals during a celebratory dance, which was a particularly upsetting event for Wolves fans. The Wolves hopes were hampered by the injury, and they fell to the Lakers.

2005: Vikings lose NFC Divisional playoff game to Eagles

The Vikings continued their trend of postseason disappointment in 2005, losing the NFC Divisional playoff game to the Eagles.

2005: Randy Moss traded to Oakland, Vikings get No. 7 overall pick, which they use to take Troy Williamson

The Vikings dealt superstar Randy Moss to Oakland in 2005 in exchange for the top pick, which they then used to choose Troy Williamson. Williamson fell short of supporters’ expectations, further disappointing them.

2006: Twins win the division with AL Cy Young, MVP, and batting champ; swept by A’s in the first round

Despite winning the division and receiving individual recognition, the 2006 Twins’ playoff struggles continued when they were swept by the Athletics in the first round.

2007: KG forces trade to Celtics

The Timberwolves suffered a great deal as a result of Kevin Garnett’s demand for a trade in 2007, losing their franchise player and finding it difficult to fill the void.

2008: Wild win a first division title, lose to Avs in the first round

After securing their first division title, the Wild lost to the Avalanche in the first round of playoffs, once again failing to capitalize on regular-season success.

2009: Vikings lose NFC Wild Card game to the Eagles

The Vikings’ loss to the Eagles in the 2009 NFC Wild Card game added to the ongoing narrative of postseason underachievement.

2009: Wolves draft Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry and DeMar DeRozan

Fans have often pondered what might have been when the Timberwolves selected Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry and DeMar DeRozan in the 2009 NBA Draft.

2009: Twins win the division in game 163, swept by Yankees in ALDS (Ump Phil Cuzzi blows easy foul ball call in Game 2)

The Twins were defeated by the Yankees in the 2009 ALDS despite winning the division in an exciting Game 163 of the series. During Game 2 of the series, umpire Phil Cuzzi made a terrible foul ball call.

2010: Vikings choke against Bountygate Saints in NFC Championship game

The infamous “Bountygate” controversy tainted the Vikings’ loss to the Saints in the 2010 NFC Championship game. They were doomed by notable errors like Adrian Peterson’s fumble, the 12-men-on-field penalty, and Brett Favre’s late-game interception.

2010: Wolves draft Wesley Johnson with 4th overall pick over Cousins, Hayward, and George

The Timberwolves chose Wesley Johnson with the fourth overall pick in the draft, passing over future All-Stars DeMarcus Cousins, Gordon Hayward, and Paul George in another dismal decision.

2010: Twins win division, swept by Yankees in ALDS

Despite having won their division, the Twins’ postseason troubles continued in 2010 when they were swept by the Yankees in the ALDS.

2011: Wolves, (worst team in the NBA ) lose lottery (and Kyrie), pick Derrick Williams at No. 2

By losing the NBA draft lottery in 2011 and missing out on Kyrie Irving, the Timberwolves lost a significant opportunity. Derrick Williams, who was chosen with the second selection, performed poorly.

2013: AP misses single-season rushing record by 9 yards; Vikings lose to Packers in the first round

Adrian Peterson came just 9 yards short of breaking the single-season rushing record in 2013, which was a disappointing moment in a campaign that ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Packers.

2015: Wild lose to Blackhawks in the second round

The Wild were defeated by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2015 postseason, adding to Minnesota’s ongoing playoff woes. This was the last time the Wild have progressed past the first round.

2016: Blair Walsh shanks 27-yard FG and Vikings lose to Seahawks in the first round

Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal against the Seahawks in the first round of the 2016 playoffs, creating a scary déjà vu similar to Gary Anderson’s miss.

2017: Wild set a franchise record in points, lose to Blues in the first round

The Wild lost to the Blues in the opening round of the playoffs despite setting a team record for points during the regular season, failing to translate their regular-season success into postseason advancement.

2017: Twins blow 3-0 lead to Yankees in AL Wild Card game

In the 2017 AL Wild Card game against the Yankees, the Twins blew a 3-0 lead, leading to yet another sad postseason defeat.

2018: Vikings blown out in NFC Championship game one week after Minneapolis Miracle

After the legendary “Minneapolis Miracle” a week prior, the Vikings’ hopes of hosting a Super Bowl were dashed as they were routed in the NFC Championship game.

2019: MN United gives up two goals in the closing minutes and loses 3-2 in the semifinals to the Seattle Sounders

MN United fell to the Seattle Sounders 3-2 in a heartbreaking 2019 playoff after allowing two goals in the closing minutes.

2020: Vikings lose in NFC Divisional playoff game to the 49ers

Despite beating the Saints in the Wild Card round, the Vikings’ playoff problems continued as they were defeated by the 49ers in the 2020 NFC Divisional playoff game.

2021: All five men’s hockey teams in the state make the NCAA tournament, three reach the Frozen Four, and UMass wins it all

All five of Minnesota’s men’s hockey teams qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2021, with three of them making it to the Frozen Four. However, UMass went on to win the title.

2021: Wild lose in 7 games to Golden Knights in the first round

The Wild’s postseason ended in disappointment once again in 2021, losing in seven games to the Golden Knights in the first round of playoffs.

2022: Wild lose in 6 games to Blues in the first round, blowing 2-1 series lead

The Wild continued the trend of losing in the first round for the 6th straight time, despite setting another franchise record for points with 113.

2022: Timberwolves lose in the first round to the Grizzlies in 6 games, with only their second playoff appearance in the previous 18 years

At least they made the playoffs and even won the play-in games! Alas, it was not enough to advance in the first round over the Ja Morant-led Grizzlies.

2023: Minnesota Golden Gophers Men’s hockey suffers late collapse vs Quinnipiac in NCAA Championship game

Minnesota blew a 2-0 lead starting with 13 min to play in the second period. Collin Graf managed the game-tying goal with an extra attacker 17:13 into the 3rd period to force OT. Jacob Quillan scored the game-winner just 10 seconds in the OT period, gave Quinnipiac their first title, and left Minnesota searching for another since their last win in 2003.

2023: Wild lose to Stars in 6 games

In a revenge series against the team that was originally the North Stars and relocated to Dallas (screw you Norm Green), the Wild again blow a 2-1 series lead. This marks the 7th consecutive first-round exit.

Congratulations if you made it this far! I’m sure this list will only grow in future years. Perhaps the Twins will finally win a playoff game for the first time since 2003. Of course, cautiously optimistic, you can’t expect much.

Getting To Know/History

Frankie Macdonald

May 31, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Mae Skold and Audrey Smith

Frankie Macdonald is a Canadian weatherman born on April 24, 1984. He is from Whitney Pier, an area in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He is also known for his humorous videos as a comedian. He makes online weather forecasts and meteorologist reports. He often posts them on YouTube, but he is also known for TikTok and Instagram. His YouTube channel handle is: dogsandwolves.

He is pretty popular and has received more than 32 million views on YouTube. He has been a popular creator since 2007 on YouTube. His father, Finneas Macdonald was also a weather reporter in Canada in his time, reporting on well known Canadian weather events such as Winnipeg’s “Snowstorm of the Century”, “Greatest Rainfall in One Day”, and “Hurricane Beth terrorizing Nova Scotia”. Hurricane Beth was widely reported by Finneas MacDonald at the start of his career, due to the fact that he inhabited Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Frankie has said in his videos that his father was the one who got him involved in weather reporting and content creation. Ever since Frankie was younger, he said, he has wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps of weather reporting. Along with this career as a weather reporter, Frankie Macdonald owns a bakery in his hometown of Sydney, Nova Scotia called “McKayla Smiths.” This bakery was run by a friend of his in Sydney, but has been turned over to him. He has decided to keep the name of the bakery the same in order to keep the original charm of the bakery.

In one of Frankie’s videos, he goes through his favorite activities to do in Sydney, Nova Scotia, including taking a visit to “Mckayla Smiths.” He also discusses his other favorite things to do in the area of Sydney. He mentions that you can visit the “Largest Ceilidh Fiddle in the World” at the Sydney waterfront. There are many boardwalks and waterfront stores along the cape.

The “Celtic Colors Festival” according to Frankie MacDonald, takes place every October at the cape, with some concerts performing in Sydney.

Though Frankie is living his best life now he comes with a troubling past. Before fame he was heavy into drugs and the world of prostitution which he is very open about on his platforms. He shares his story to empower others to pursue recovery and that a future is possible after the streets. His podcast “Meth to Mr. Mac D” offers a lot of self help advice to those struggling, and he features guests frequently to get other stories shared.

Frankie is a very versatile influencer sharing everything from books to video content to owning a bakery. How does he manage all of this you may ask? The answer is his family and friends. You can see them frequently featured on the YouTube channel as they vlog their lives managing all of Frankie’s successful businesses. His cousin Bobby plays a big role in the YouTube side of things and even collaborates with him and Frankie’s channel together to put out gaming content along with the vlogs. This just further diversifies the Macdonald family industry.

Frankie has a line of merchandise available for his fans for any of his many businesses. Anything from bobble heads to Nike tracksuits; he has it all. He recently has worked on a collaboration with famous influencer Irissa Darizz. Their merch line sold out instantly but is getting restocked Summer 2023. Fans will be waiting patiently to get their hands on one of their limited edition Nike techs.

Frankie Macdonald is certainly an entrepreneurial prodigy and his success is nothing to be looked over. We hope you will check his content out and enjoy it with the world. As Frankie would say from his signature YouTube videos, see you later Senkies!