Minnesota Timberwolves fans haven’t had a whole lot to cheer about since Kevin Garnett left (the first time). So the hundreds of fans that would attend these games would need something to entertain them and distract from the pathetic brand of basketball by the home team. The entertainment would largely come from the mascot Crunch the Wolf, and one of his most popular stunts is to slide down the stairs on a sled. After 20 years of Crunch sledding without incident, that came to an end at the Target Center on January 26.
Entertainment turns to accident
As Crunch was flying down the aisle, he hit an empty row of seats, knocking the seats into Karl Towns Sr.’s leg. Karl Towns Sr. is the father of the budding superstar Karl-Anthony Towns on the Minnesota Timberwolves, and is a regular spectator at the Target Center. After the incident, Towns was seen leaving the arena on crutches, and was also seen on crutches during the All-Star Weekend. Towns Sr. is reportedly considering filing a lawsuit against the team his son plays for because of his injury.
The Timberwolves are in the middle of fighting for the final playoff spot in the West. Currently they are in the 11th position, but they are only three games behind the Denver Nuggets for that final spot.
Towns has had a huge part in attempting to make the Wolves competitive again. So far this season Towns is averaging 24 points 12.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 blocks. If there was ever a time for Towns to show his mental strength it would be now. No matter what he says, having his own father potentially filing a lawsuit against the team that he plays for would be a distraction.
It is all about how he can deal with the distraction.
Crunch is the real villain
Towns Sr. has not filed a lawsuit, and the general consensus is that the two parties will settle out of court. The main party to blame in this situation has to be Crunch. As a mascot of the team he is supposed to be getting people excited about the team, instead he takes out the leg of the dad of the best player on the team. This is the last thing the Wolves need in the playoff race, a rogue mascot. In the future Crunch, sled cautiously.
