StribSports Daily Delivery

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts Part I of Friday's podcast with the Vikings. With less than a week to go before the draft, where are they at in their preparation? GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talked to reporters Thursday. Plus Aaron Rodgers also talked Thursday, shedding some light on his contact with the Vikings. 9:00: Chris Hine joins Rand to break down Wolves vs. Lakers. 28:00: A top prospect j...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at the latest Twins win and his own history of watching bad baseball. From the Atlanta Braves of the 1980s to the Twins of the late 1990s, some of his biggest investments have been with teams that had little to no chance of winning. 11:00: Claire de Lune, a musician and write who covers the Lakers for The Guardian, joins Rand to help set up the playoff series...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wild, who can't seem to do anything the easy way. But a goal with 22 seconds left in their final regular-season game clinched a playoff spot. Can they compete with Vegas, a team against which they went 0-3 during the regular season, in the playoffs? Plus a look at schedules reveals it is going to be bonkers around here next week between the Wild, Wol...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins, who lost again and now sit at 5-12. Three things stand out: Their pitchers have committed six errors this season, twice as many as any other staff in the majors; the smallest announced crowd in non-Covid Target Field history watched Monday's game; and the Twins are tied for their worst start in franchise history. Plus the Lynx made significant...

Chip Scoggins pinch hits for Patrick Reusse on Monday's episode with host Michael Rand. They start with the Wolves' win over Utah on Sunday, which set up a playoff matchup against the Lakers. Game 1 of the series is Saturday, with the Wolves needing to find a way to stop Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Can they stay composed enough to use their depth to their advantage? Plus the Wild had a huge win...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Timberwolves' big 141-125 win over Memphis on Thursday, which included a huge third quarter and a better finish than Tuesday's meltdown against Milwaukee. Mike Conley was the steadying force as the Wolves assured themselves of no worse than the No. 6 seed (and likely better) if they win their last two games. The Twins, on the other hand, dropped to 4...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wild, who really couldn't have asked for much more on Wednesday. Injured stars Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek returned and combined for six goals. The Wild needed everyone one of them, including Kaprizov's overtime winner, in a bonkers 8-7 victory. They gained ground in the playoffs and are close to securing a berth. Meanwhile the Twins had a n...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the epic meltdown by the Timberwolves, who lost a 24-point fourth quarter lead in a loss to Milwaukee. The Bucks threw a zone defense at the Wolves, who proceeded to look like a middle school squad. The most embarrassing part was that the Wolves, who desperately needed a win, didn't seem all that embarrassed. Plus the Twins lost a game with shoddy defens...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins, who fell to 3-7 with another sad loss to the Royals. Rocco Baldelli was ejected, bringing to mind another angry manager: the leader of the Durham Bulls in the fictional movie Bull Durham, who lamented that baseball is a simple game. "You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball." The Twins aren't good at any of those things right n...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse and host Michael Rand look at the weekend in sports, starting with the Twins. They were three outs away from mostly erasing the bad vibes from their 0-4 start, but a late Astros rally thwarted those vibes and put the Twins at 3-6. The pitching hasn't been nearly as good as advertised so far, and the defense is worrisome. On a happier note, the Wild got a huge...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with naming rights for Williams Arena, which the Gophers are pursuing as a revenue source. How much money would it bring in and what does it mean for the future of the building? Plus two listeners sound off on the idea of rehanging the 1997 Final Four banner. 8:00: The Wolves won in Brooklyn, keeping pace in the extremely competitive West. 12:00: Phil Miller...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins, who won their second straight game after four losses to start the year. Harrison Bader has three homers already, making a bid for some more playing time. Plus the Wolves and Lynx sale moved one step closer to being official. 8:00: La Velle E. Neal III joins for the Daily Delivery Debate on the Vikings, Twins and Wolves. 31:00: A championship f...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with two dramatic wins on Tuesday. The Wolves fended off Denver and some of their own mistakes to prevail 140-139 in double overtime. It was a huge win in the playoff race, and it came with more twists and turns than one could imagine. Plus the Twins finally got their first win of the season, rallying from a 3-0 deficit to beat the White Sox 8-3. 13:00: Kent...

Host Michael Rand starts with the 0-4 Twins, who have been outscored 28-6 to start the season. Manager Rocco Baldelli was preaching patience after the latest drubbing, a 9-0 loss Monday to the White Sox, but this season is already at an urgent point before April began. 8:00: Jon Marthaler joins Rand to break down the good start by Minnesota United, to talk about the U.S. Men's National Team and to...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. They started with the Twins, who had about as bad an opening series as possible in getting swept by the Cardinals. The starting pitching was largely bad. The offense was nonexistent. And the defense was suspect. We shouldn't overreact, Reusse says, but we also shouldn't underreact. Plus a discus...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Gophers men's hockey team, which neither made its own luck nor received any good fortune in the third period and overtime of a 5-4 NCAA tournament loss to UMass that ended their season Thursday. Was their passive approach or officiating to blame? Two things can be true at the same. Rand also dives into the Twins' opener and their brave new world of t...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins TV situation, which frustratingly went down to the wire but was resolved just before this episode went live. We know what channels and carriers they will be on for Opening Day today and beyond. Plus Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah discussed J.J. McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday. We know where they stand, but the situation is still fluid. 1...

Host Michael Rand starts with Niko Medved's opening news conference. He came off as a genuine person and certainly didn't shy away from how much money it takes to win in college basketball these days. But the big question came late: Will you play St. Thomas? He seems open to it, which is a good thing. Plus, former Gophers coach Richard Pitino reportedly is on the move, too. 10:00: Star Tribune Twi...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Timberwolves, who lost for the third time in four games. While this one was more forgivable in result (at Indiana), the style of play and focus lately have been lacking. It's a bad development for a team trying to fight for a playoff spot. Plus the Wild also lost. They have a very tough week coming up. 11:00: Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins join...

On a special Monday afternoon edition of the podcast, host Michael Rand and columnist Chip Scoggins break down the news that the Gophers men's basketball program has hired Colorado State's Niko Medved as the next coach.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in Minnesota sports, which starts with a game between Colorado State and Maryland. A buzzer-beater loss for Colorado State on Sunday means head coach Niko Medved is available. Will the Gophers hire him as soon as Monday? Plus a larger look at big schools dominating the NCAA men's basketball tournament and...

Host Michael Rand starts with the dominance of Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M) and Elijah Hawkins (Texas Tech) on the first day of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Both ex-Gophers left for more NIL money this past offseason, which had a direct impact on Ben Johnson eventually getting fired. 10:00: Minnesota United soccer manager Eric Ramsay joins the show to talk about adjusting to Major League Soc...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Timberwolves, who gave away another game to an inferior opponent on Wednesday in a 119-115 loss to the Pelicans. Turnovers and rebounding did the Wolves in, which speaks to a lack of maturity. Plus the Wild had a completely opposite game and the Gophers lost a player to the transfer portal. 10:00: La Velle E. Neal III joins Rand for their weekly deba...

Host Michael Rand starts with a bit of a curious rant about the flexibility MLB managers seem to crave when it comes to carrying a third catcher. It was a popular thing during Ron Gardenhire's time with the Twins, and now it seems Rocco Baldelli has been inflicted with the virus. Plus Rand looks at some fresh reports about Aaron Rodgers and the Vikings. 10:00: Star Tribune writer Randy Johnson joi...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with two big games Monday, which saw the Wild and Wolves change course. The Wild had been struggling to hang on through key injuries, but they managed an important (if boring) 3-1 win over the Kings. The Wolves let a banged-up Indiana team snap their eight-game winning streak, a game that brought the return of some bad habits. 9:00: Marcus Fuller joins Rand f...