Wolves Media Profile: Drew Mahowald

Posted By: Dan Slaubaugh

The Minnesota Timberwolves community is extremely fortunate to have a large collection of dedicated, knowledgeable Wolves writers who cover the team year in and year out. Here at OTP, we are giving fans an opportunity to find out more about these talented individuals. Our seventh profile feature is the lead writer at yours truly. 

Name: Drew Mahowald
Affiliation: On The Prowl
Web Address: www.ontheprowlmn.com
​Twitter: @DrewMahowald

Drew! I appreciate the time! Should be fun!
 
This is an awesome series being put together and I'm glad I'm a part of it!
 
How long have you been covering the Wolves for On The Prowl?
 
I jumped on board with OTP at the beginning of the 2015-16 season. It has been a really cool experience and I'm glad I decided to join!
 
What sparked your interest in journalism and how did you get affiliated with OTP?
 
I was a sports editor for my high school newspaper as a junior and senior and that's when I realized I not only enjoyed it, but I had some ability as well. Since then, I've written for various websites and I've realized that if it's possible, this is something I want to do for a living.

I got connected with OTP through the site's founder, Dan Slaubaugh (who is presumably the person asking me these questions, so this is a little awkward). When I was at Dunking With Wolves as a co-editor, I noticed Dan's motivation and rapid growth he had created for OTP, so I had to jump on board. I'm not just saying this because I'm affiliated with OTP, I'm saying it because it's true -- On The Prowl's audience is growing rapidly and it's pretty incredible where it is now after beginning as a simple Twitter account a couple of years ago.
 
What will viewers find by reading your content?
 
When viewers read my content, my goal is to entertain. If readers aren't entertained, then I have failed. Sometimes I'll entertain by using information and statistics, sometimes I'll use storytelling, and sometimes I'll try humor -- which usually fails. 

The content I publish for OTP is of all forms, including game recaps, columns and features. I try to do it all, like prime Kevin Garnett. Only, he actually did it all, I just try to.
 
What keeps you driven and motivated to cover the team with excellence?
 
As someone who aspires to make a career in sports media, that in itself is enough to keep me motivated. There are so few opportunities for people who want a career in this field, and so many people that are vying for those opportunities. I'm just trying to get a head start on others my age who probably aren't gaining the type of experience I am.

Aside from that, this Timberwolves team is poised to rule the NBA in a few years and that definitely adds to the motivation. 
 
Do you have any interest in possibly moving up in the sports media world to cover the team at a bigger platform?
 
A dream job of mine would be to be able to go watch a professional sports event and then write or talk about it. Obviously, an ideal situation would be in Minneapolis watching the teams I grew up rooting for, but I won't be picky about it given the aforementioned lack of opportunities.

The Wolves are one of the NBA’s best young squads. Why should fans be sure to follow the team next year?
 
At the very least, fans should watch for entertainment. Karl-Anthony Towns is already a proven generational talent. Andrew Wiggins is a budding superstar and apparently pulling off 720 dunks in the offseason, which is borderline asinine. Zach LaVine is not only a two-time defending slam dunk champion, but also showed glimpses down the stretch last season of becoming an elite three-point shooter -- the perfect combination for entertainment. Ricky Rubio's harassing defense, uncanny vision and passing flair make him a must-watch point guard. Tom Thibodeau is a basketball genius and was a wonderful addition to tutor the young core, even if he does look like a thumb.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Whether the Wolves can put it together and make a playoff run this season is yet to be seen. But whether they win a ton of games or they don't, they'll genuinely be one of the most fun teams to watch in the NBA.
 
Do you have a favorite Wolves memory in the time you’ve been covering them?

I've only really been covering the Wolves for about a season and a half, so this doesn't give me a whole lot to work with. But, Kevin Garnett's posterization of Blake Griffin a season ago was probably my favorite memory thus far. It was as if Prime KG reentered the building disguised as old KG to energize the entire arena. The fact that KG earned a technical foul after the dunk for saying things to Griffin that probably should never be repeated by anyone is just icing on the cake. 

Plus, Blake Griffin isn't exactly my favorite person, so it was just the perfect storm for me.
 
What was the most enjoyable storyline in the past NBA season and why?
 
This has to be LeBron bringing a title to Cleveland, and doing so against an all-time great team. Whether you hate or love LeBron, you have to recognize greatness and King James exhibits it. He is officially cemented as a top five player of all-time, and more titles will only bring him closer to Michael Jordan. 

Also, Cleveland winning a title vaults Minneapolis to the title of most depressing sports city (of the four major sports) in the country, so that's cool too.
 
Which are some of your favorite NBA and Wolves related writers you follow?
 
Oh man, I don't know where to begin here. Basically, everyone being featured in this profile. It's too hard to pick from such a talented group. This has become so cliche, but it's true -- Timberwolves fans are lucky to have such a great nucleus of writers, bloggers and other media members covering their favorite team.
 
Rapid Fire (Flame Emojis)
 
Favorite sports movie? Benchwarmers

Favorite food? Pizza

Favorite weather/season? Fall

Favorite TV show? The Office, without question.

Hidden talent? This is like super weird and creepy, but I have this thing where I remember license plate numbers. Instead of looking at the color or model of a vehicle, I look at the person's license plate to remember whose car it is. True story: last fall, I had seven friends ask me what their license plate ID was for their college parking pass.

'95-'96 Bulls or '15-'16 Warriors? Regular season: Warriors. Overall: Bulls.

Favorite NBA player of all-time? Kevin Garnett.

Space Jam or Like Mike? Ohhhhhh this is tough. Like Mike was the movie that made me love basketball in the first place, so that's my pick. No discredit to Space Jam though.

When do the Wolves finally end NBA's longest playoff drought? 2017-18 season. ​