StribSports Daily Delivery

Chris Hine joins Michael Rand to dissect what turned out to be a very quiet trade deadline for the Wolves on Thursday. They decided to stick with their roster despite having the worst record in the league (10-34). The rationale -- that they need some stability and to find out how some of their better players fit together after a season of injuries and disarray -- makes sense, but they still lack a...

Phil Miller joins Michael Rand for a look at the Twins one week before the start of the regular season. What does Alex Kirilloff's demotion mean in the big picture, both in terms of his future and the Twins' outfield? Are Jose Berrios and Kenta Maeda going to form one of the best 1-2 top-of-the-rotation duos in the majors? And should we be concerned about the bullpen or lack of offense during spri...

Ben Johnson was hired earlier this week. Chris Finch took over a month ago. As head coaches of the Gophers men's basketball program and the Timberwolves, respectively, they are being tasked with major turnarounds. Both coaches joined the podcast on Wednesday to provide insights into how they want fix struggling teams. For Johnson, it all starts with recruiting. That is his main known strength comi...

Marcus Fuller and Chip Scoggins join Michael Rand for separate segments discussing the hire of Ben Johnson as Gophers men's basketball coach on Monday. Johnson, 40, is a former Gophers player and assistant coach known as a strong recruiter. But he has never been a head coach at any level of basketball. Can he succeed in leading his own program -- particularly one as large as Minnesota's, in a Powe...

Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand to break down the opening weekend of the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournament -- and to provide an update on where the Gophers are in their search for a new men's basketball coach now that a few seasons are over for prospective coaches. Puck Drop editor Randy Johnson also joins for a men's college hockey bracket breakdown. The Gophers got a No. 1 seed and...

Vikings beat writer Ben Goessling joins Michael Rand to recap what the Vikings have done in free agency so far -- namely moving a lot of money around in an effort to bolster a defense that sagged in 2020. What else might they be able to do? Look for at least one contract extension for a veteran, Goessling said, to free up some more money to perhaps address the offensive line. And don't forget: Kir...

Former Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, who gave the Vikings six seasons of stable kicking from 2006-2011, joins the show with insights into why the last several seasons have been so volatile in the kicking game -- and what the Vikings can do to fix it. What happens when you don't have stable kicking and every game is a struggle? "The coach is tight," Longwell says. "The GM is tight. The players play...

Michael Rand is joined by Gophers women's basketball coach Lindsay Whalen for an examination of her program. In her third year as head coach, the Gophers went 8-13 -- a record that doesn't reflect the progress that was made under difficult circumstances, Whalen said. An avid local sports fan, Whalen also takes a spin through some of what she likes in Minnesota sports right now. Also: Did the Gophe...

Michael Rand takes a look at five questions in the wake of Monday night's announcement that Richard Pitino has been fired as Gophers men's basketball coach. Rand is also joined by Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan for an overall look at the program and Pitino's tenure. How might this have turned out differently and what comes next? And he takes listener questions from frustrated fans who want to s...

Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand at the outset to discuss the latest reports that Richard Pitino could be headed to New Mexico to take the job there. Plus a look at what a return to having fans in the stands means to Minnesota sports and a report on how the Twins look down in Florida. At the start of the show, Rand breaks down what might be the golden age of young athletes in Minnesota -- from Ki...

Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins for a look at the Gophers men's basketball program. If the Gophers move on from Richard Pitino as head coach, as Scoggins expects them to, who are the front-runners to replace him? And a bigger-picture question: What needs to change within the program for any coach to find sustained success here? Also, Rand discusses a stunning 30-poin...

Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins Michael Rand on Thursday as the Timberwolves prepare to start the second half of their season. After a 7-29 first half that saw them fire head coach Ryan Saunders and play without several key starters for stretches, there is a lot to learn in the next 36 games. Will the Wolves make a major move at the trade deadline? Can Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Rus...

Michael Rand is joined by forward Marcus Foligno for a look at the somewhat surprising Wild. Foligno talks about the message of accountability coming from head coach Dean Evason and how the team navigated Zach Parise's one-game benching last week. Foligno also jokes about how he reminds Kirill Kaprizov that he's leading the rookie sensation in goals (7 to 6) and assigns a nickname to teammate Jord...

Michael Rand is joined by Minnesota United beat writer Jerry Zgoda for a look at where the Loons are in their roster building after a successful 2020 season. Minnesota United came within minutes of playing for the MLS Cup just a few months ago. Can they get back at least far this year? Rand also reveals his latest Wolves obsession: trading for the Hawks' John Collins. He offers three Trade Machine...

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson joins the podcast to talk about his big rookie season and how those who doubt the Vikings in 2021 are motivating him to be even better next year. He also has a TV recommendation and gives you the list of his funniest Vikings teammates. Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse also joins to talk through his bid to become the next, ahem, Gophers football writer an...

Har Mar Superstar (Sean Tillmann) joins host Michael Rand on today's show for an interview as wide-ranging as his musical offerings. Information about his new release "Roseville"? Of course. Pandemic life for a touring musician? You bet. Becoming a postal carrier? Why not. The time he played "Pink Cadillac" with Joe Piscopo after a St. Paul Saints game? Um, yes. New Twins beat writer Megan Ryan al...

Michael Rand is joined by Andrew Krammer as they set up the start of Vikings free agency in a couple of weeks. Krammer reported on general manager Rick Spielman's long session with reporters on Wednesday and distills that information into some big takeaways as the Vikings face a lot of decisions and a shrinking salary cap. At the outset of the show, Rand breaks down what could be a defining night...

Twins general manager Thad Levine joins the podcast to talk about the team's offseason moves (which included his son giving him the "stink eye" because of a slow start to free agency), their transition into being a team that can win with pitching and defense plus an update on what 2021 has in store for injured 2017 No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis. La Velle E. Neal III then joins for a deeper look a...

Fresh off of reporting that Gophers players took Richard Pitino's postgame comments after a loss Saturday to Nebraska as a sign that his coaching tenure is about to end, Marcus Fuller joins Michael Rand for a breakdown of what has gone wrong during Pitino's eight seasons. The short answer: Missteps in recruiting and a lack of player development left the Gophers without much depth, a story that pla...

Michael Rand is joined by Jason Gurwin from The Streamable for an update on the ongoing battle between Sinclair-owned regional sports networks like Fox Sports North and streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu. The upshot: Don't expect to watch the Twins (or Wild or Wolves) on those services in 2021. Gurwin helps explain why and tries to give you some options. Columnist Patrick Reusse also join...

Michael Rand breaks down Minnesota's 67-59 loss to Northwestern -- a team that entered on a 13-game losing streak -- on Thursday. It could spell doom for their NCAA tournament chances and spark even more talk of a coaching change. Rand is also joined by Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine for a look at a very eventful week. On Sunday the Wolves fired Ryan Saunders. On Monday they officially hired...

Former Gophers defensive back Brock Vereen joins host Michael Rand to take listeners behind the scenes of everything that happens as a young player tries to get drafted and make it in the NFL. Vereen, a fourth-round pick of the Bears in 2014, said the mental grind of the scouting combine -- which normally happens this time of year -- is far more excruciating than anything on the physical side. Ran...

Chip Scoggins joins Michael Rand as they answer the four biggest questions in Minnesota sports: Will the Wolves ever get it right? Are the Twins a serious October threat? Will the Gophers make the NCAA men's basketball tournament? And should the Vikings pursue a Kirk Cousins trade? Rand also picks apart the Timberwolves after a 139-112 loss in Chris Finch's coaching debut, offering a pointed criti...

Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune reporter Rochelle Olson as they talk through the Twins' proposal to have around 10,000 fans per game at Target Field at the start of the season in April. Is that realistic? What hurdles are in place? And most importantly the fundamental question: When can fans expect to safely see games in person? Nick Kelly also joins to talk about his story in the Star Trib...

A full episode on the Timberwolves' decision late Sunday to fire Ryan Saunders after a 7-24 start and hire Chris Finch off of the Raptors' staff. Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins to help break things down and assess where the Wolves go from there, and several reader questions are answered as well.