StribSports Daily Delivery

Introduction: Host Michael Rand came back from the brief holiday with a fresh set of eyes on the Timberwolves' future. Anthony Edwards' new contract brings even greater clarity to the need to trade Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason. It's just that simple for Tim Connelly. 5:00: The Twins are beating up on the Royals, which is good news. But they are increasingly beat up by injuries, a continuing s...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included one burst of offense from the Twins before a regression right back into futility. They did still manage to win two of three from Baltimore -- including a 1-0 win -- to claw back into first place, but how long will it last? 14:00: Listeners are upset that Twins games will be shown...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand appreciates the approach and honesty of the Wild, who addressed an organizational weakness by drafting centers with each of their top three picks in the draft on Wednesday and Thursday. They even skipped a player who was ranked higher on their draft board to make one of the picks, a rare admission for a team to make. 6:00: Star Tribune Timberwolves beat writer Chris...

Introduction: It's rare to hear Twins manager Rocco Baldelli forcefully criticize his players, but he did just that after another feeble offensive effort in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Atlanta that dropped the Twins out of first place. Now we wait and see: Are any meaningful and visible changes coming, either to the lineup or the staff? 6:00: Diamond Sports and the Arizona Diamondbacks released a join...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes note of Minnesota United's latest attempt to solve a five-year problem, the signing of Finland's Teemu Pukki to a designated player slot. Maybe, just maybe, Pukki will succeed where so many others have come up short. And the Lynx were energized by the return of Diamond Miller on Tuesday's win over the Seattle Storm. 7:00: Former Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski j...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand noted the introduction of Wolves second-round picks Leonard Miller and Jaylen Clark on Monday and how they were given what amounted to first-round pick treatment. Part of that is the absence of first-rounders, but part is also an increasing emphasis in the NBA on the value of second-round picks. Plus Rand was not at all surprised that a Twins lineup without Royce Le...

Host Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse for a look back at the weekend in sports. It was a newsy Sunday as we learned that Timberwolves big man Naz Reid is returning on a three-year, $42 million deal. Does that make it more likely that the Wolves run it back this season? Or is it foreshadowing for a Karl-Anthony Towns trade? The Twins won on Sunday, but their story rem...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at Thursday's short start from Sonny Gray (four innings, 79 pitches) and plays audio from the frustrated pitcher. It was the type of game where removing Gray looked especially bad in hindsight after the bullpen gave up six runs in an 8-4 loss. 5:00: Two big story lines with the Vikings involve the status of Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter. Might they be relat...

Introduction: Karl-Anthony Towns went on former teammate Patrick Beverley's podcast this week and had some interesting things to say about his legacy and trade rumors involving the Timberwolves. It was the second long podcast KAT has done this offseason, one that feels like a time of transition for him. 7:00: WCCO radio's Chad Hartman joins Rand and regales listeners with some great stories of the...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand watched Vegas players hoist the Stanley Cup on Tuesday and couldn't help but feel the pain of Minnesota fans. The collective playoff misfortunes of the Wild, Wolves, Twins and Vikings in the past three-plus decades make it hard to stomach success in less-suffering markets. 10:00: Carlos Correa delivered another big moment for the Twins in a walk-off win on Tuesday....

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at parallels between the Nuggets and Timberwolves now that Denver has won its first NBA title. The teams are being built by the same person in much the same way, but is the personnel in Minnesota good enough to replicate what Tim Connelly did in Denver? 8:00: Chip Scoggins joins Rand to dissect the news that Danielle Hunter is expected to skip mandatory minica...

Host Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included an untimely bullpen meltdown by the Twins. On the verge of an impressive sweep at Toronto, the Twins gave up a 6-1 lead -- including the decisive runs allowed by much-maligned reliever Emilio Pagan -- in a 7-6 loss to the Blue Jays. Meanwhile, Minnesota United lost 4-0 to M...

Intro: Host Michael Rand pauses to reflect on the Dalvin Cook era, which sounds like it will be coming to an end officially very soon via either a trade or release by the Vikings. The former second-round pick has been a 1,100 yard rusher and Pro Bowler each of the past four seasons, production that should be getting more praise than it seems like it is. 6:00: Two quotes about the Twins -- an absur...

Introduction: In their last 13 games, the Twins have been truly all-or-nothing on offense. They've scored at least seven runs in five of them; in the other eight, they've been held to two or fewer. And in their last five games, including four consecutive losses, they have just five runs combined. That recipe has the Twins back to even at 31-31 and in danger in the weak AL Central. 8:00: NBA Inside...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts the show with a look at the Timberwolves and Vikings. The Wolves' GM job was recently called one of the worst in the NBA, while a detailed piece about the Vikings shows how hard it will be for them to replicate last year's success this year. 10:00: Star Tribune columnist La Velle E. Neal III joins Rand for a longer examination of the disappointing career arc...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand was intrigued and maybe a little alarmed recently when he was playing around with artificial intelligence and the 1998 NFC title game. Basic facts were completely wrong, but the emotion of the day was spot-on. Plus a former Vikings owner was sentenced to more than six years in prison. 11:00: Answering an important listener question about the future of the Twins on T...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look at Minnesota sports, including the continued fall of Twins outfielder Max Kepler. Reusse is out of patience and thinks the Twins need to be done with Kepler now, particularly with multiple left-handed hitting options ready to take his place. Plus Reusse and Rand run down a list of bullpen villains for the Twins over the years...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at the latest Lynx loss, which dropped them to 0-6, and the mounting frustration expressed afterward by head coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve. 6:00: Star Tribune Twins writer Phil Miller joins Rand after spending a lot of time in Houston -- some of it in bankruptcy court -- to unpack all that is going on with the Twins. A judge ruled T...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand brings you the latest on the ongoing legal battle between the Twins and Bally Sports North, with fresh reporting from colleague Phil Miller at Wednesday's bankruptcy court hearing in Houston. We should know today whether the Twins will stay (for now) on Bally Sports North or whether an in-season change is coming. 9:00: Jeff Day joins Rand for a discussion of Minneso...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand digs into Tuesday's news that Bally Sports intentionally missed a payment to the San Diego Padres, allowing broadcast rights to revert to Major League Baseball. Starting Wednesday, MLB will produce and show the games, offering them through a number of cable/satellite providers as well as in-market streaming for $19.99 a month. With the Twins potentially facing the s...

Host Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse for a look back at the weekend in sports and a look ahead to the future of sports on TV. Royce Lewis helped rescue the sagging Twins offense Monday in his return to the team, belting a three-run homer and a ninth-inning, game-tying single in a 7-5 win over the Astros. What's the one thing that sets Lewis apart from his peers? Reu...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand had an inkling the Celtics could still make it a series against the Heat even after falling behind 3-0. Now the series is 3-2 after another Boston win, and Game 6 will tell us a lot about whether the Celtics can make history and become the first NBA team to rally all the way back in series. 7:00: Jeff Day joins Rand to talk about his deeply reported story on the hug...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand recognizes that we can all be critical of trades that don't work out, so he decided to start Thursday's show by acknowledging a big deal that did work: the 2021 Twins trade for Joe Ryan, who is now 7-1 after Wednesday's win over the Giants. 7:00: Vikings writer Andrew Krammer joins Rand for an examination of the team's defense and just how much is being put on the p...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at the struggles of the Twins, Lynx and Loons on what was a rough Tuesday in Twin Cities sports. The Twins in particular have lost six of eight and are now just 25-24 -- still good for a lead in the American League Central but just the ninth-best record overall in the American League. 7:00: Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins joins Rand for a deeper look at w...

Michael Rand is joined by Bally Sports North host and play-by-play voice Marney Gellner for a wide-ranging interview touching on a number of subjects. Gellner, who revealed earlier this year that she had breast cancer but is now cancer-free, talked about the struggle of dealing with that diagnosis and the good that she tried to create from it in her own life and for others. She also talked about h...