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Dissecting Carlos Correa leaving the Twins; La Velle E. Neal III on the Twins, Vikings and Wolves Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: The big news we had been waiting for arrived Tuesday night, with Carlos Correa making his free agency decision. The shortstop, who played one season for the Twins at $35.1 million, ended up agreeing to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants -- a deal that will weaken the Twins in the short-term but might be the best thing for them in the long run, host Michael Rand says.

7:00: Rand and La Velle E. Neal III talked about the Twins, Vikings and Wolves. Fans of "A Christmas Carol" might either be delighted or horrified by how Rand decided to edit their Correa conversation, but please say regardless for insights into what the Twins might do next and how to fix the leaky Vikings defense.

32:00: Appreciating Mike Leach.

Vikings defense at a crossroads + Twins get a catcher + Wolves can't defend Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: In a jam-packed episode, host Michael Rand looks at the dismal Timberwolves perimeter defense after another loss to Portland. These are the times when the Wolves miss Patrick Beverley, whether they want to admit it or not.

4:00: The Twins signed a new catcher, Christian Vazquez, to shore up what became an overlooked weakness last season.

8:00: The Vikings are at a crossroads on defense, with coach Kevin O'Connell offering a tepid endorsement of coordinator Ed Donatell. Andrew Krammer will help Rand break that down.

32:00: A new Gophers volleyball coach.

Patrick Reusse on the anger at the Vikings, Gophers futility and Carlos Correa Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look at the weekend in sports, which included a rare loss by the Vikings. Rand notes that they were set up to fail from the start by resting some players with minor injuries, while Reusse takes the pass rush to task. It added up to a lot of fan anger for a team that is still 10-3 and very much in control of its season.

Plus thoughts on P.J. Fleck, the Gophers men's basketball team and Carlos Correa.

Ben Goessling on teams the Vikings want to avoid + Would you still make the Rudy Gobert trade? Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand revisits the trade that brought Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves ahead of his Friday return to face his old team in Utah. Would the Wolves still make the trade if they knew things would look so clunky so far this year? Would the Wolves have made the trade if someone other than Tim Connelly had been running the team? And would the trade make more sense if you knew another big move was yet to come?

11:00: Vikings writer Ben Goessling joins Rand for a look ahead to Sunday's matchup against the Lions. With a win, the Vikings would clinch the NFC North title. That allows us to look ahead to discern which teams Minnesota might want to face -- and avoid -- once the playoffs come around.

33:00: The Baker Mayfield game was better than the Josh Freeman game.

P.J. Fleck's extension; Rudy Gobert's block; Gophers volleyball's opportunity Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes a spin through a very busy day in sports, touching on a lot of big subjects. Among them: P.J. Fleck's contract extension, which includes a $1 million annual raise; Carlos Correa's place in the market now that several players have signed; Rudy Gobert's big game and how it impacts the Wolves; the Wild losing a two-goal lead in a loss to Calgary.

12:00: Jeff Day joins Rand for a thorough discussion of the Gophers volleyball team, which faces Ohio State on Thursday in the NCAA Sweet 16.

29:00: The Vikings are being hit by illness at a bad time.

Chip Scoggins and Aaron Lavinsky go deep on their Red Lake football story Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes a look at the state of leadership on Minnesota sports teams, noting that the void with the Timberwolves stands out just as much as the strong leadership the Wild and Vikings seem to have. The Twins, meanwhile, continue to pursue Carlos Correa -- with leadership being a big piece of his value as well.

7:00: Star Tribune sports columnist Chip Scoggins and photojournalist Aaron Lavinsky join Rand for an extended conversation about their excellent story on the Red Lake football program that ran in Sunday's paper. What goes into a story like that? Scoggins and Lavinsky offer numerous insights.

32:00: The Twins moved up eight spots in the very first MLB draft lottery.

Vikings step up red zone defense, could use offensive help; Carlos Correa update Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand notes a few developments that could impact the Twins' attempt to retain shortstop Carlos Correa in free agency. First, Trea Turner agreed to a massive 11-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies. Plus the Yankees said they aren't going to rush Aaron Judge and the Cubs reportedly met with Correa. What does it all mean for the Twins, who have money to spend?

6:00: Vikings writer Andrew Krammer joins Rand for a film review from Sunday's victory. Why was the Vikings' red zone defense so good after being bad much of the year? And should there be a bigger offensive role for Jalen Reagor?

21:00: Your favorite poetry segment is back, with the proper syllables and perspective on the Vikings.

Patrick Reusse on the dramatic Vikings, troubled Timberwolves and more Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports.

The Vikings are now an unbelievable 9-0 in one-score games, displaying not just a flare for drama but a knack again for winning in the critical moments of a game. Their latest high-wire act came Sunday with a 27-22 win over the Jets that required two late defensive stands.

The Wild and Gophers women's basketball teams also won in dramatic fashion, while the Timberwolves came unglued in a loss to the Thunder. For the Wolves, it's starting to look like real trouble is settling in.

Ben Goessling on the Vikings; Wolves and Wild are the same team Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: If we look at pure wins and losses, the Wolves and Wild both have identical 11-11 records. Both of them also have transcendent young players (Anthony Edwards and Kirill Kaprizov) who played major roles in encouraging wins this week. Can either or both of these teams generate the type of consistency needed to live up to lofty preseason expectations.

9:00: Vikings writer Ben Goessling joins host Michael Rand on a number of subjects, including the ongoing extra point woes of Greg Joseph and the unclear strengths of the team even at 9-2. Rand later takes note of the Patriots not moving the ball nearly as well against the Bills as they did last week vs. Minnesota.

31:00: The U.S. getting through group play in the World Cup seems even more impressive now.

With KAT away, Ant steps up play; Marcus Fuller on Gophers men's basketball Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: It was just one game, but Anthony Edwards looked like a different player without Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor during Wednesday's 109-101 victory over Memphis. We'll need to see a larger sample size before we overreact, but host Michael Rand has a couple of theories about why we saw a different Ant without KAT.

9:00: Star Tribune Gophers men's basketball writer Marcus Fuller joins Rand for an early look at Ben Johnson's team. They've struggled on offense so far, but there are signs of better times ahead.

30:00: Vikings corner Patrick Peterson took another shot at Kyler Murray; Will Aaron Rodgers finish the season?; A 12-team college football playoff could only help the Gophers.

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