It’s almost time to take down our 2023 calendars and put up ones for next year, now just two weeks away. But before we plan our New Year’s parties or memorize the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne,” let’s take one last look at the year that was and what topics intrigued Minnesotans the most.
Utilizing Google Trends, MinnesotaBets.com decided to switch up from our typical Minnesota sports betting coverage and analyzed the most searched terms in Minnesota from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 10, 2023. We finalized the Top 10 queries by utilizing the terms that have seen the biggest increase in search volume over the year of 2023.
Minnesota’s Most Searched Terms of 2023
Football, Entertainment Stories Dominate Searches
While the biggest story in the state did not directly involve Minnesota, it was one of the country’s biggest as it combined live television, sports and human interest.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin captured the nation’s attention when he went down early in the Jan. 2 Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Trainers and medical personnel rushed onto the field to render aid to the then-second-year pro, who suffered a cardiac arrest episode after trying to make a tackle. While the game was ultimately canceled, Hamlin’s life was saved and then celebrated in the months ensuing. He’s even made a comeback this season, having played in four games for Buffalo.
Wordle was a popular term in 2022, and this year, another online game captivated Minnesotans. Connections, ranked twice in the list, requires players to pick what four words out of 16 are connected in some fashion.
Another football player made the top 10 list thanks to his growing celebrity status. Travis Kelce parlayed his success for the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl into several big endorsement deals. The tight end also guest hosted Saturday Night Live and made even bigger news when he began dating a certain pop icon.
Minnesotans were also enthralled with the world of entertainment, especially with the top-grossing movie of the year (“Barbie”) and one of the more popular television shows of 2023 (“The Last of Us”).
Lastly, even though the beloved Vikings haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 1977, searches for this year’s big game shot up four-fold. Just think of how high the increase would be if the Vikes could somehow make this season’s championship game.
Sports betting is not yet legal in Minnesota, but Fanatics Sportsbook rates the Vikings Super Bowl odds at +17000 this season. Oddsmakers at Fanatics give the NFC North franchise a 50/50 shot of making the playoffs, with odds for and against a postseason berth at -115.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.