We have a tendency to endure athletic droughts in the Midwest. Some teams never seem to have success, and will go decades and generations without a championship. You may note examples like the Chicago Cubs (no World Series wins since 1908), the Minnesota Vikings (no Super Bowl victories), or the city of Cleveland (no major professional titles among any of their teams since 1964).

Even Eau Claire was exhibiting Saharan Desert tendencies with its three decade-long streak of no major-sport state titles for its public high schools, mercifully ended by the 2008 Memorial Old Abes boys’ hockey squad. This spring’s baseball championship by the North Huskies makes me question how we ever went as long as we did on the north and south sides of this city without hoisting a gold trophy. When you throw in the Eau Claire Express 2010 championship, the place is becoming awash in athletic prowess.

Which makes my favorite athletic state’s misfortune of the last year seem all the crueler with which to deal. It may be short by historical standards, but it felt like a curse had been cast upon the Minnesota sporting scene. I think I may blame Brett Favre for this one. I was concerned the arrival of Favre to the Vikings in 2009 would bring bad karma, but I could not anticipate how pervasive the effect would become.

Let us start with the aftermath of the NFC Championship Game of January, 2010 for the Vikings: The team goes 6-10 the following season with arguably one of the more talented teams in the NFL. The roof of their stadium collapses, they have to play a home game in Detroit, then are left with no viable “Quarterback Of The Future” by season’s end. 

Their arch-rivals (the Packers and Bears) play each other for the NFC Championship, with the staunchest-rival Packers winning their fourth Lombardi Trophy. Meanwhile, the Vikings are considered most likely to occupy the bottom of their division for the foreseeable future. Oh, and a new stadium has not yet been approved by the state legislature, meaning the “Los Angeles Vikings” is a possibility for 2012.

In those same 18 months, the Twins, despite a seemingly charmed debut season in Target Field, effortlessly rolled over to the Yankees in the playoffs, then got chomped by the injury bug this season, leading to one of their worst starts in franchise history. The Wild squandered a playoff spot in their final month-plus, and the Timberwolves were, well, the Timberwolves, finishing with the worst record in the NBA and STILL not getting the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery. Also, both teams fired their coaches.

The U of M was not immune, either. Not only did the Vikings fire their head coach last autumn, but the Gopher football team did so weeks earlier, once that squad effectively gave up during their second year in their new stadium. The Gopher basketball teams had dismal conclusions to their seasons, with the men falling from one of their highest rankings in recent memory to no postseason appearance, while the men’s hockey team continued to underwhelm.

Combine these facts with the good vibes from Wisconsin (the Packers Super Bowl win, always-high-quality Badger football and basketball, the Brewers returning to form, the Bucks … well, forget that one), and you can see why we Minnesota fans feel under siege. Even legendary Minnesota columnist Sid Hartman talked about Minnesota sports being as bad as he has ever seen, and he’s been covering sports since the 1940s.

If you’re a fan of Wisconsin sports, you have never really had to endure such a period of athletic misfortune. The closest example – the maudlin 1977 seasons of the Packers, Brewers, Bucks, and Badgers football and basketball teams – is balanced by the 77 Badgers men’s hockey national championship. Wisconsin fans can always know some degree of success.

Maybe the Favrian karma is fading. The Twins have played better of late, the Lynx have had one of their best-ever season starts, and the Metrodome roof got fixed ahead of schedule.

The cure to future funks is simple. Minnesota teams: avoid signing successful Wisconsin athletes. Pass on Prince Fielder; Minnesota already has a star with the name of “Prince.”