StribSports Daily Delivery

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with comments from Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the eve of training camp. Addressing the media in the wake of the death of Khyree Jackson and Jordan Addison's arrest, both key Vikings decisionmakers exhibited empathy. But in the case of Addison, are they being tough enough? Rand doesn't think so. Speaking of accountability,...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. The big story was Joe Mauer's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Reusse was on the scene in Cooperstown, N.Y., and offers his perspectives on the Mauer's big weekend and remarkable career with the Twins. Plus Reusse and Rand get into the Twins' disappointing two-game sweep at the hands of...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes note of Minnesota United's hopes of improving during this transfer window, a concerning injury to Dawson Garcia and an update from the Wolves in Summer League action. 7:00: Star Tribune Twins writer Bobby Nightengale Jr. joins Rand for a look at the Twins at the All-Star break. With a 54-42 record, they are in good shape to compete for a playoff spot. Whether...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with two teams going in opposite directions. The Lynx won a matinee to enter the Olympic break 17-8, which includes a 3-2 mark without injured star Napheesa Collier. Meanwhile, Minnesota United remained winless in its last nine matches. Surrendering two late goals on set pieces to a subpar D.C. United squad in a 3-2 loss Wednesday might have been the worst of...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand was not impressed with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's comments Tuesday about where things stand with the league's TV situation. By telling teams it is up to them to decide whether to either sign up to be distributed and produced by MLB or continue with the regional sports network model, MLB is admitting it doesn't yet have a viable product or solution. If the landsc...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with Knicks owner James Dolan's scathing letter to the league's board of governors complaining about several aspects of a reported new 11-year, $76 billion media/TV deal. Dolan, representing the large-market Knicks, worries that the NBA is moving toward a national broadcast model that will render regional sports networks "unviable." What might that mean for M...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports, which frankly didn't have a lot of great news for Minnesota sports fans. The Lynx lost to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday, showing they will struggle as long as Napheesa Collier is out. The game was a huge success from a business standpoint, with a sellout crowd and gate revenues t...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand begins with an appreciation segment on Willi Castro, the super utility man for the Twins who was named to the All-Star team Thursday as an injury replacement. He's played quite capably at five different positions and in all 93 games this year for the Twins, who quite honestly would not be where they are (53-40) without him. 6:00: Soccer writer Jon Marthaler joins Ra...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the suddenly and remarkably consistent Twins, who have won two out of three games in six consecutive series, needing to win the third game of the series each time to achieve the feat, and have also homered in 28 straight games. That sort of run would be good news in the postseason, but this isn't: a listener points out that if the season ended today, it...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Lynx, who earned an impressive 82-67 win at Los Angeles on Tuesday thanks in large part to a perfect 4-for-4 shooting night from three-point range by Bridget Carleton. It was Minnesota's second straight win without injured star Napheesa Collier, and their win total (16) has already reached preseason expectations for the whole year. 7:00: Star Tribune...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand has an early appreciation for Twins rookie Brooks Lee, who has the more RBI (eight) through six games of his career than any player in franchise history and who has the second-most hits (11) in that span, trailing only Kirby Puckett. Small sample sizes are dangerous, but Lee absolutely looks the part. Once (if) Royce Lewis gets healthy, can you imagine what these tw...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included another series win for the Twins -- this time over Houston, one of the other hottest teams in baseball. The Twins keep stacking up good performances, even if they only had one All-Star named to the AL team. Jose Miranda continued his torrid summer with 12 hits in 12 straight at ba...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with a nightmare scenario for the Lynx, who lost to Connecticut on Thursday and saw star Napheesa Collier leave in the third quarter with a left foot injury. We don't know the extent of the injury yet, but depending on the length it could impact Collier's chances of playing in the Olympics as well as the hopes for the Lynx this year. Plus Rand sizes up the NB...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the latest bad piece of injury news for budding Twins star Royce Lewis, who had to leave Tuesday's 5-3 victory over Detroit with left groin tightness. Even the usually optimistic Lewis sounded downtrodden after the game, with another injury threatening to derail yet another promising season. Plus Rand notes the departure of Kyle Anderson from the Wolves...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand breaks down the Wild's signing of forward Yakov Trenin to a four-year, $14 million deal on the opening day of free agency Monday. He's the type of solid player that doesn't move the needle in terms of excitement, but he will help the Wild. The problem is Minnesota doesn't have enough money to spend to shore up other critical areas of need. Plus Rand notes the Wolves...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included another good showing from the Twins. They won all three series during a 6-3 road trip and look very little like the team that struggled at the beginning of the season. As we turn the calendar to July, are we ready to say the Twins are good? Plus Reusse and Rand weigh in on the NBA...

Host Michael Rand starts with a recap of the NBA draft. Even though the Wolves ended up making a series of roster-clearing and salary-dumping moves Thursday and didn't use a second-round pick, they were the big winners this week. By getting two likely immediate rotation players in Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., they not only helped themselves but also re-imagined how teams will build ros...

In this bonus edition of Daily Delivery, host Michael Rand catches up with two honored guests from this week's Star Tribune All-Metro Sports Awards. First up is Timberwolves big man Luka Garza, who shared wisdom about basketball and life (plus of course Caitlin Clark) in an on-stage Q&A with Rand during the award show. Plus Rand had a chance to have an extended conversation with Mark "Dolo" Harris...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand breaks down a huge night at the NBA draft for the Timberwolves, who dealt away their 2031 first round pick to obtain the No. 8 pick Wednesday. They used that to take Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, then later chose Terrence Shannon Jr. at No. 27. It was a big swing for both the present and the future. 10:00: Jeff Day and Naila-Jean Meyers from the Star Tribune join R...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Lynx, who took a 94-89 win over New York in the title game of the Commissioner's Cup. Though the victory doesn't count in the standings, it was the seventh in a row for the Lynx. Players pocketed $30,000 each for the victory, and the Lynx served notice about their place in the league. Plus Rand gets into another frustrating Twins loss and a bad stret...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at the 14 coaches in Timberwolves history and has a hard time complaining much about current coach Chris Finch, who just signed an extension Monday that will keep him in Minnesota for the next four seasons. It's a coaching list filled with forgettable seasons. Finch, on the other hand, has built something very good here. 7:00: Star Tribune columnist Chip Scogg...

After a week off, the podcast returns with host Michael Rand and Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse catching up on all they missed. They start with the Twins, who Reusse boldly says are better than they were a year ago even if we haven't figured them out yet. More starting pitching depth and quality will be a key to unlocking their true potential this season. From there, it is quite a journey f...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins, who won again Thursday with a familiar recent formula. Carlos Correa has been on fire at the plate, and he delivered three more hits in a 6-2 win over Oakland. Joe Ryan, the Twins' best starting pitcher all season, added seven strong innings. The Twins need that from their elite players, and they have been delivering lately. Plus Rand gets int...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand wonders if Boston, which just took a 3-0 NBA Finals lead on Dallas with a road win Wednesday, could be the model for the Timberwolves to follow. The Celtics had a very good roster last year, but they shook things up with two big trades that have them on the cusp of a title. Does Minnesota need a similar approach this offseason after reaching the Western Conference f...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Lynx, who earned a decisive victory at defending WNBA champion Las Vegas on Tuesday. With a 9-3 record and several impressive victories already this season, the Lynx look not just like a competitive team but a true contender in the WNBA. Plus the Twins got everything they could have wanted from Louie Varland's spot start, but they couldn't take advan...