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Michael Rand and Andrew Krammer dive into a wild 24 hours. On a Thursday night filled with story lines in the NFL draft, the real story emerged hours earlier when it was reported that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is disgruntled and doesn't want to return to Green Bay. Though nothing has happened yet -- and the Packers have said already they aren't trading him -- the fracture in the relationship raises...

Ben Goessling joins Michael Rand for a full breakdown of his seven-round Vikings mock draft. What will they do with all 10 picks? What are their biggest needs -- both obvious and not-so-obvious? How surprised would Goessling be if they use their first two picks on something other than offensive or defensive linemen? Is this the year the Vikings break with their own habits and draft a real developm...

Michael Rand wonders at the outset how Twins manager Rocco Baldelli can justify using Alexander Colome in a one-run game Tuesday, with predictably poor results. And he explains how the Wolves -- who are no longer the worst team in the NBA nor the worst team in sports history -- can change perceptions about their draft pick by winning, even if it means slightly decreasing their chances of keeping t...

Longtime Star Tribune Vikings and NFL writer Mark Craig joins Michael Rand to give a sneak peek at his first-round mock draft. He has a whopping five quarterbacks going in the top eight, which should help the Vikings get a quality player at No. 14 -- if they stay at that spot, that is. Will they remain where they are and draft an offensive lineman? Will they look to trade down and recoup the secon...

Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse for a look at the weekend in sports. If you thought the Twins were going to turn things around back at Target Field, two losses to Pittsburgh didn't give you much confidence. Reusse says its time to panic about a team that just doesn't look like it's very good and has a lot of holes on its roster. Plus Rand and Reusse praise the team...

Michael Rand is joined by incoming Gophers men's basketball player Jamison Battle and Star Tribune men's basketball beat writer Marcus Fuller. Battle, a former DeLaSalle star -- just like new Gophers coach Ben Johnson -- is transferring from George Washington, where he averaged 17 points and five rebounds last season. Hear Battle's thoughts on getting more local talent to join the Gophers, college...

Michael Rand is joined by Twins beat writer Megan Ryan after what can only be described as a disaster of a road trip. The Twins had three games postponed because of COVID spreading through the team, and they lost all four games they did play -- including Wednesday's in spectacularly excruciating fashion on a pair of 10th-inning, two-out errors. The Twins have gone 1-9 in their last 10 games and si...

Michael Rand takes note of the continued intersection of sports and social justice with reactions all around the world of sports -- particularly in Minnesota -- to Tuesday's guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. The key word mentioned by LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns and others: accountability, which carries particular weight with athletes. You'll hear Towns and the Wolves' Josh Okogie exp...

Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins joins Michael Rand for a breakdown of the Gophers football team in the midst of spring practice. As a result of planning, one-time transfers and extra eligibility because of COVID, the Gophers have an abundance of experienced players on their roster this season. While other Big Ten teams could have the same benefits, the Gophers should be primed for big things...

A busy weekend in local sports became considerably lighter, unfortunately, when the Twins went into a COVID pause after three players tested positive. Patrick Reusse and Michael Rand talk about that and the fact that before this pause -- which has postponed three games so far -- the Twins weren't playing all that well. A chief culprit in their woes: The decisionmaking of manager Rocco Baldelli, wh...

Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins Michael Rand for a long discussion of the impending sale of the team to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore and what that means for the long-term future of the franchise. Fans are worried that the non-local ownership group will want to move the franchise to a different city. While those concerns are valid, there are roadblocks to prevent that from happening -- mo...

Star Tribune beat writer Jerry Zgoda and Minnesota United midfielder Wil Trapp join the show for a season preview as the Loons prepare for their opener Friday at Seattle. Expectations are high, both externally and internally, after MN United narrowly missed making the MLS Cup final last season. Will the addition of several veterans and the continued ascendance of Emanuel Reynoso propel the Loons t...

The Star Tribune's Sarah McLellan joins Michael Rand for a look at the Wild and how it didn't make any moves at the trade deadline. While that seems out of character for general manager Bill Guerin -- and might be disappointing to some fans given the Wild's playoff position -- it is reflective of an overall philosophy of patience and even better times to come. Plus: What does the Wild need to fine...

The Twins, Wild and Timberwolves were all supposed to have home games Monday. Instead, those three teams led the late "SportsCenter" because they were postponed in the wake of the police shooting of Daunte Wright. Michael Rand samples some of the nationwide reaction to Wright's death and is joined by Star Tribune columnist La Velle E. Neal III for a broader discussion of how local teams have respo...

Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand at the outset of Monday's show to talk about the big news of the weekend: Glen Taylor is selling the Timberwolves to a group led by former MLB star Alex Rodriguez and billionaire Marc Lore. Aside from the stunning nature of the news, what does it mean for the future of the franchise? Plus Reusse and Rand lament the Twins' nagging issues -- and sagging late-inning...

Michael Rand dives right into the Twins' 10-2 home opener win over Seattle, a day that couldn't have gone much better and showed the Twins flexing all of their strengths. Among them: the continued hot start of Byron Buxton, which Bally Sports North's Roy Smalley helps explain. Later on, Randy Johnson joins the show from Pittsburgh to break down the NCAA men's hockey Frozen Four, which saw St. Clou...

Twins beat writer Phil Miller joins Michael Rand after a 4-2 road trip sets up Thursday's home opener and a return of 10,000 fans to Target Field. What did we learn about the Twins in the first six games? It might be too early to draw conclusions, but it seems like their identity might go something like this: Above average at everything with no glaring weaknesses. That should lead to a lot of wins...

Timberwolves podcaster Dane Moore joins Michael Rand for an examination of what we learned from D'Angelo Russell's first game back from knee surgery Monday, just the sixth game he's played with Karl-Anthony Towns since Russell was acquired 14 months ago. The Wolves have 21 games left this season. What can they hope to accomplish with the KAT/D-Lo pairing intact? How does Anthony Edwards fit into t...

Star Tribune men's college basketball writer Marcus Fuller joins the show to break down Baylor's 86-70 win over Gonzaga in Monday night's NCAA title game. While Gonzaga came up short in its pursuit of a perfect season, freshman Jalen Suggs from Minnehaha Academy scored 22 points and has a bright future ahead of him. What is his next move? And can the Gophers under new head coach Ben Johnson recrui...

Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand to talk through an amazing weekend of sports. The men's and women's basketball Final Fours have been nothing short of spectacular, led by the heroics of Minnesotan Jalen Suggs for Gonzaga in Saturday's semifinal win. Plus the Twins rebounded from a tough loss in the opener to look quite impressive Saturday and Sunday. And what's up with the Thibs-like 44 minutes f...

Chip Scoggins joins Michael Rand from the NCAA Women's Final Four in San Antonio to talk about his big story on former Hopkins standout Paige Bueckers, whose stardom has only continued to ascend in college. She was named the national women's player of the year -- the first freshman to win that award -- and has embraced everything along the way. How does she do it? And why aren't women's players ab...

Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist and longtime Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal III for a look ahead to the Twins season that starts Thursday in Milwaukee. Who will lead the Twins in a lot of different categories? What should we be concerned about? Did you know La Velle could do a pretty good impression of fellow columnist Patrick Reusse? Also, Rand takes a look at a Wolves win fu...

Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune Wild beat writer Sarah McLellan for a look at the team's recent play. While Minnesota has still managed to secure wins lately, the Wild has been outshot -- often badly -- in seven consecutive games. Can the Wild regain the form that made this look like one of the NHL's top teams for a long stretch this season? Has Cam Talbot reclaimed his spot as the No. 1 go...

Michael Rand is joined by Mike Dimond, longtime senior VP and general manager at Fox Sports North, to talk about the rebrand and transition to Bally Sports North coming to your TV screen on Wednesday. What will change about the viewing experience? What about games within the games -- including the potential for sports wagering if it becomes legal in Minnesota? Dimond also gives his thoughts on the...

Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand to talk about the men's college hockey scene -- and how St. Cloud, Minnesota State (Mankato) and Minnesota-Duluth are all represented in the NCAA Frozen Four while the Gophers were bounced. It's been quite a journey for several of the non-metro men's hockey programs to get to this point. Reusse also sounds the alarm on the Twins -- especially the offense -- after...