StribSports Daily Delivery

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. The Gophers football team lost for the third consecutive week, a stunning turn of events after a 4-0 start that stirred national title talk. Even though the Vikings didn't play Sunday, they still gained ground on the bumbling Packers -- another team that lost its third consecutive game. Combined...

Introduction: A massive exhale from St. Paul as the Wild rallied for their first win of the season, 4-3 over Vancouver on Thursday. Still, head coach Dean Evason saw plenty of things to clean up -- with hopes that getting that first victory could be the key to unlocking better play. 6:00: Wolves vs. Jazz on Friday has plenty of intrigue. 9:00: Star Tribune men's basketball writer Marcus Fuller joi...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand has some expanded thoughts on the first of 82 Timberwolves games, including the notion that he can see this becoming Rudy Gobert's team. Everyone in the starting lineup reached double figures in shots and points, but it will be interesting to see how the pecking order is sorted out as the year goes on. 13:00: Gophers football beat writer Randy Johnson joins the show...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand dives right into Timberwolves talk with Star Tribune beat writer Chris Hine. With a season of great expectations set to begin on Wednesday, they try to discern just how good this team can be. The biggest question, of course, is how Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert will mesh. Plus you'll hear from third-year Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels. 21:00: Chicken Fingers 69...

Introduction: The theme of the first part of the show was a mess of their own making. Host Michael Rand picked apart the 0-3 Wild, who have given up 20 goals in their first three games. From benching Marco Rossi to having a shaky plan in net, it already seems like offseason plans are going awry. Is it just puck luck, as coach Dean Evason hopes, or is it something worse? Plus Minnesota United lost...

On Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse's 77th birthday, he joins host Michael Rand for a look at some of the biggest stories in Minnesota sports. The Vikings are 5-1 after another "horseshoe" game Sunday in which they were badly outgained but still defeated the Dolphins 24-16. It made Reusse think back to the Bud Grant days. The Gophers football team had no such luck in losing its second straigh...

Introduction: If you were hoping to see the Wild bring a tighter brand of hockey into the 2022-23 season, Thursday's opener was a disappointment. In losing 7-3 to the Rangers at Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota was outclassed in an up-and-down game. The lack of defensive acumen was a concern -- but perhaps more so was the play of veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Advanced numbers suggest the Wild cou...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes you back to October 15, 2017. That was the date the 3-2 Vikings faced the 4-1 Packers and came away with a victory after an Anthony Barr hit knocked Aaron Rodgers out for most of the rest of the year. That play led to the Vikings' 13-3 season and a rule change protecting quarterbacks -- both of which perhaps led the Vikings to sign and eventually keep quarterb...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand welcomes Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins for a three-pronged discussion. First, they get into the Gophers football team and a must-win game Saturday at Illinois. Then Scoggins shares some insights on his Football Across Minnesota feature before the two wrap up with skepticism about the Twins. 18:00: The end of the Jake Cave Era, why Minneapolis is a good host c...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand can see some of the logic in the Twins' approach to this offseason -- largely stand pat while hoping for improved health with a new head trainer -- but he can more easily see the flaws. Even with decent health in 2023, Rand sees a team that doesn't look to be much better than .500, and he sees a plan that is by default more than anything else. If Derek Falvey and co...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. The Vikings started fast and then needed more fourth-quarter magic to hold off the Bears. The end result, though, is a 4-1 start and a spot in control of the NFC North. Reusse then expands on his list of 62 Twins seasons, all of which he graded. The 2022 team was not spared in his assessment, ev...

Introduction: Yes, host Michael Rand is fully aware of the contradiction in that dual-purpose headline. He spends the first several minutes of the show talking about how a lot of games -- and by extension, a lot of NFL teams -- have been bad this year, including Thursday Night's 12-9 snooze-fest between the Colts and Broncos. How do we explain all the poor play? Rand has some ideas. 7:00: Nonethel...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes a moment to appreciate Luis Arraez, 2022 AL batting champion, and what it means to hit for a high average during an era that values power over all else. There is still value in hitters like Arraez, who make pitchers work hardest during high-leverage at-bats -- and get results like Arraez does in the clutch. 6:00: Star Tribune columnist La Velle E. Neal III joi...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the lineup the Twins put on the field at one point Tuesday. Mercifully, their season will be over on Wednesday, and fans have clearly already turned their attention to other things. Wolves fans? They might have been a little too giddy about preseason basketball Tuesday, but it'll be OK as long as they save some energy for th...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand notes all the whining from Yankees fans about Twins infielder Luis Arraez sitting out with a hamstring injury while he leads Aaron Judge in the batting race. Judge will need a very strong finish to catch Arraez, who is the only person standing between Judge and a Triple Crown. But you know what? Arraez is 9 for his last 22 since Sept. 24; Judge is 5 for 24 in the sa...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host host Michael Rand for a dissection of the weekend in Minnesota sports. The Vikings escaped London with a 28-25 win over the Saints with the help of several penalty flags, an upright and a crossbar. Rand makes the point that not much has changed with the Vikings except their record; Reusse notes that while that might be true, it's the nature of the N...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand isn't afraid to ask the tough questions, like this one: What did Vikings players think about the "buttpunt" that resulted in a safety on Sunday? Along the way, you might laugh. You might also gain a greater appreciation for special teams. 9:00: Vikings writer Ben Goessling joins Rand from London, where he is attempting to adjust his body clock in order to give you t...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand is not impressed by Aaron Judge's pursuit of the American League home run record, but he is VERY impressed by a possible triple crown. The main person standing in Judge's way? Twins infielder Luis Arraez, who is tied for the AL batting lead with Judge at .313. It's about the only drama left in the Twins' season, but it is intriguing. 7:00: Star Tribune Timberwolves...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand wrote about how few innings Twins starters have thrown in 2022, making him wistful for 2019. And then Bailey Ober threw a gem Tuesday, making Rand wonder if 2023 could at least have a hint of optimism from a depth standpoint. 7:00: Gophers WR Mike Brown-Stephens joins Rand for a wide-ranging conversation. He's the nephew of music mega-star John Legend, and Brown-Ste...

Introduction: Media day for the Timberwolves was Monday, and it served two purposes -- the first public, in-person comments from Anthony Edwards since his homophobic video surfaced and a big-picture outlook for what should be a team on a continued ascent. How Edwards and the Wolves grow this season will be stories to watch. 6:00: Vikings writer Andrew Krammer joins host Michael Rand for a film stu...

Host Michael Rand and Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse marvel at the two big Minnesota football outcomes from the weekend. The Vikings were outplayed against Detroit and didn't have a lead until the final minute, but they stole an important 28-24 victory with some clutch late plays. The Gophers, meanwhile, looked completely dominant against Michigan State and are now ranked in the Top 25. Reg...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand notes that the Gophers are a three-point favorite on the road against Michigan State this weekend -- a sign of respect for the program but an edge that might make longtime fans nervous about a letdown. We'll know more about just how good Minnesota is after Saturday's game. 6:00: Star Tribune Vikings beat writer Ben Goessling joins Rand ahead of Sunday's rather intri...

Introduction: If Patrick Reusse is buying into the Gophers and P.J. Fleck, perhaps more of us should as well. On today's show, host Michael Rand helps you get to know one of the key members of the defense: linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin. He was an Ivy League recruit before signing with the Gophers, and his intelligence plays a big role in his success. Sori-Marin has a fascinating family history tra...

Introduction; Before he dives into football talk, host Michael Rand notes that the Twins have been playing at a 91-loss pace since May 24, a span of nearly four months. That's a much larger sample size than their 27-16 start and should prompt a long look at organizational philosophy this offseason. 6:00: Andrew Krammer joins Rand for a Vikings film review. The big question after the Eagles went up...

Introduction: If you thought the Vikings had a chance to make a statement on Monday night against the Eagles, well ... they did in a sense. In letting the Eagles jump to a 24-7 halftime lead and then self-destructing with three Kirk Cousins interceptions in the second half, Minnesota showed it still has a long way to go if it is going to change its identity into a consistent winner under new head...