Howie
Howie: Strib Varsity aims to own Minnesota’s Friday nights
“This is more than just coverage. It’s a place for fans to connect, celebrate, and experience the thrill of high school sports like never before.” -- Chris Carr, who’s running point on Strib Varsity
Howie: Vikings’ depth chart looks like a Jenga tower — one bad pull and it’s over
Houston shows up Saturday afternoon to see if the foundation is as wobbly as it looks on paper.
Howie: Bulldogs men's hockey nation restless for more W's
The same folks who used to grumble when the Bulldogs only made the Frozen Four are now pretending a seventh-place finish in the NCHC is just the league being “tough.” That’s not tough. That’s losing dressed up in an alibi.
Howie: Sandelin bets local to lift Bulldogs back on their feet
And that’s Sandelin’s magic trick. No slogans, no gimmicks. Just a quiet confidence that the right kids — his kids — can still win the biggest games on the biggest stage. You just have to trust the process. And, maybe more importantly, trust your backyard.
Ryan Kern’s vision took flight — and Duluth’s sky hasn’t been the same since
At a time when the city was searching for ways to reinvent itself beyond shipping and snow, Kern dared to see Duluth as a destination. The airshow he created has now become a staple of the summer tourism calendar, injecting millions into the local economy year after year.
Travis Whitlock — The Harbor Monsters' center, enforcer and fan favorite
Whitlock might be the league’s last blue-collar folk hero — playing for free so his younger teammates can earn more. “I just want the other guys to get paid and have a shot at their dreams,” he said. “I play because I like it.”
Howie: Hold the line, Roger. And council, don’t flinch.
Because Duluth doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending addiction — one enabled for years by a City Council that rarely met a levy increase it didn’t like. That can’t happen again.
K.J. Felder Jr. might just have one of the biggest hearts in Duluth
“Oh, my biggest strength is my speed. Knowing how to hit gaps, vision, and just being a playmaker. Being a dog. My size doesn’t stop me from doing anything.” -- K.J. Felder Jr.
Howie: Trust and integrity are cornerstones of public education
Multiple referendums have been floated in recent years asking voters for more funding — and taxpayers have responded with a clear and resounding no. Not because we don’t support kids. We do. But because we no longer trust the system to spend responsibly.
Howie: Duluth's billion-dollar hospitals — and the neighborhoods left behind
Duluth’s health care transformation didn’t come free. It was paid for with public subsidies, neighborhood sacrifice, and long-term tax invisibility. The systems at the center of it all proudly proclaim their commitment to the community — even as the community quietly disappears around them.
Howie: An open letter to Justin Jefferson
The Wilfs — and let’s just call it like it is — chose not to invest in your prime. They picked the cheaper path, then wrapped it in branding and buzzwords and Kevin O’Connell’s “quarterback lab” fantasy. You’re now the face of a franchise that seems more focused on optics than outcome.
Howie: The quiet collapse of the Vikings brand — and the question every fan should be asking
Are the Wilfs actually in this to win? Because if you strip away the branding, the marketing jargon, and the empty optimism, the facts paint a troubling picture: the ownership group is acting like financial strategists, not football visionaries.
Howie: The Wilfs are budgeting. Jefferson is bleeding
Let’s start with the truth no one in Eagan will say out loud: the Wilf family doesn’t want to spend real money on a starting quarterback. Not this year. Not when they can pitch a rookie lottery ticket, cash in on “development” buzz, and pocket the difference.
Howie: McCarthy starts, wallet stays shut — welcome to the new Vikings
But let’s not pretend McCarthy walked into this job. The Vikings didn’t sign a bridge quarterback to block him — they didn’t even really try. They rolled the dice on him winning the job by default, not dominance. And in 2025, that might be enough.