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Bad game plan, awful execution doom Vikings in familiar blowout loss Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

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 coach Kevin O'Connell. Host Michael Rand also has exclusive audio of what was going on inside Kirk Cousins' head Monday.

16:00: Gophers football beat writer Randy Johnson joins Rand to discuss the impact of Chris Autman-Bell's injury and the opportunity ahead for Minnesota as it enters Big Ten play.

28:00: Five players who you never would have thought would be playing in a meaningful September game were part of a sequence that sealed the Twins' fate Monday. That is all you need to know about this season.

Patrick Reusse: Twins need to re-evaluate and make some changes this offseason Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

Host Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse give a eulogy of sorts for a Twins season that isn't officially over but might as well be after they lost the first three games of a critical series against Cleveland. The opening game of the series was another dominant but short start -- this time by Bailey Ober -- wasted by a poor finish. The sum total of a 73-73 season-to-date has Reusse thinking the Twins need to re-evaluate and make some changes after the year is done.

Plus Rand and Reusse talk about the dominant Gophers football team and set up the Vikings' Monday Night Football game, noting that both teams have a great opportunity against weak competition this season. And what has happened to Minnesota United?

Vikings ready to make a statement? + Twins are pulling us back in Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand was ready for a clean break from the 2022 Twins after they were swept last weekend by Cleveland, but three wins in a row and the Guardians' loss Thursday breathed a little bit of new life into them. They are now four games back heading into a five-game series in Cleveland. Simple math tells us there's still a path to the playoffs over the last 20 games for a team whose best quality is resilience.

9:00: Ben Goessling joins Rand for an extended discussion about the Vikings. Monday Night Football in Philadelphia will be a significant test, but if Minnesota can go on the road and get another win, there will be a buzz around this team that hasn't been felt for years.

33:00: Scott Frost getting fired is a reminder of the relative calm in Minnesota.

Twins pitching ... optimism? + A conversation with the new Timberwolves play-by-play voice Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: The Twins have received back-to-back starts of seven innings and no runs from their two most consistent rotation members, Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray. It's enough to make host Michael Rand look ahead to 2023 and think optimistically about what the rotation might look like with reasonable health and continued minor league development -- even if it is probably too late in 2022.

8:00: Rand welcomes new Timberwolves TV play-by-play voice Michael Grady to the show. They caught up at the State Fair a couple weeks ago, with Grady sharing his passion for basketball and his enthusiasm for his new job.

27:00: Brett Favre is in trouble; Patrick Peterson's PFF grade matched his play on Sunday.

Are the Gophers the Big Ten West favorites; Removing Joe Ryan after seven no-hit innings Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: If you missed it Tuesday, Twins rookie Joe Ryan had a no-hitter going through seven innings and 106 pitches before being removed by manager Rocco Baldelli. These sorts of things happen frequently enough that they aren't huge debate points any more, but that doesn't change the "what-if" quality and disappointment.

6:00: A well-earned draw for Minnesota United, but some drama along the way.

10:00: How Gophers football players prepare for games and watch games, with perspectives from defensive lineman Thomas Rush and quarterback Tanner Morgan. Then beat writer Randy Johnson joins host Michael Rand to talk about the Gophers being No. 1 in total offense and total defense in FBS.

31:00: Revisiting the Monday Night Football finish.

Inside Justin Jefferson's big day; How the Twins lost the AL Central in June Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand wants listeners to hit rewind on the Twins season before it gets too late and we all move on to other things. Sure, this past weekend against Cleveland was disappointing. But the AL Central race was shaped in June, with five excruciating bullpen meltdowns against the Guardians that kept the Twins from taking control of the division.

7:00: Star Tribune Vikings writer Andrew Krammer joins the show for the first Vikings film review segment of the season, helping Rand break down Justin Jefferson's big day. Plus, what better way to express feelings about the 23-7 victory over Green Bay than with poetry.

33:00: A curious ending to Monday Night Football and an apology from Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.

Patrick Reusse on the Vikings' dominance, Twins' flop and Gophers' opportunity Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at an extremely busy weekend in sports. Like ships passing each other in the night, the Twins drifted toward irrelevance while the Vikings bolted into the spotlight with a 23-7 win over the Packers in Kevin O'Connell's coaching debut.

The Twins getting swept by Cleveland provided a microcosm of all that has been hurting them lately -- injuries, ineffective pitching and a punch-less offense -- while the Vikings got about everything they could have hoped for and more.

Plus thoughts on the Gophers being in prime position in the Big Ten West and the Loons suddenly stumbling.

Why I'm pessimistic about the Vikings; Twins are in AL Central race, like it or not Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand lays out why he is far more pessimistic about the Vikings' season than his colleagues. He predicts the Vikings will go 7-10 this season, while six other Star Tribune Vikings writers and columnists all think they will go at least 9-8. The bottom line: This team has perilously thin depth and too many unknowns to get the benefit of the doubt.

10:00: Star Tribune Twins beat writer Megan Ryan joins the show for a look at the home stretch. With 26 games left, the Twins are tied with Chicago and 1.5 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central Race. Do they have one good stretch left in them?

Sports are fun, but Twins are not; Patrick Reusse tells some great stories Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand runs through the latest frustrating night for the Twins, a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Yankees. They are now 1-15 against the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers this season, often playing a joyless brand of baseball in those games and others. We know what to expect from these Twins at this point, and even though they are still very much alive in the AL Central race it doesn't seem nearly as fun as it should.

11:00: Star Tribune columnists Chip Scoggins and Patrick Reusse join Rand for a discussion of their book collaboration on Reusse's life and career, "Tales From the Minnesota Sports Beat." Anytime Reusse starts telling stories, you want to listen.

30:00: An interesting moment from a recent Russell Wilson story; is Kirk Cousins really a top-10 quarterback?

Kevin O'Connell vs. Mike Zimmer; Lindsay Whalen on her Hall of Fame induction weekend Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: While host Michael Rand is feeling increasingly pessimistic about the upcoming Vikings season because of the team's lack of depth, he does acknowledge that those who are more optimistic are likely placing their faith in an improved relationship between quarterback Kirk Cousins and the head coach (now Kevin O'Connell, previously Mike Zimmer). Two stories this week underscored just what a difference it will be.

7:00: Gophers women's basketball coach and legend Lindsay Whalen joined the show to talk about the upcoming season and her impending induction Saturday into the Basketball Hall of Fame. You'll hear just how nervous Whalen was to ask her favorite player -- Charles Barkley -- to be one of her presenters.

31:00: A low-tech Spygate controversy in soccer.

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