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Denver executive calls Wolves 'desperate'; Gophers AD Mark Coyle; Did Twins know what was coming? Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: It's been a mixed bag over the last two weeks for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The Avalanche are on a major upswing, having swept Edmonton to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. But the Nuggets, another Denver team owned by the group, lost executive Tim Connelly to the Timberwolves. And that led vice chairman Josh Kroenke to ramp up the rhetoric in a recent media session, calling the Wolves "desperate" for how they pursued Connelly. Is there a budding rivalry with the two Western Conference teams, host Michael Rand wonders.

12:00: Gophers Athletic Director Mark Coyle joins the show to talk about his philosophy for hiring coaches, the plan for the department as it hopefully emerges from the COVID era and the daily impact of name, image and likeness on all schools. Plus he deftly dodges one final question about athletic facilities.

24:00: Rand takes note of the Twins' success against Toronto pitcher Kevin Gausman on Sunday, which prompted an examination of whether Minnesota batters had detected something in his delivery.

Patrick Reusse on the Twins miracle in Toronto, the rise of Arraez and yelling at the kicker Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included the Twins taking two of three from Toronto after coming into the series ice-cold while the Blue Jays were red-hot. Part of what sparked the Twins was the continued production of Luis Arraez, who had four hits Sunday and is hitting .358 on the season.

Plus thoughts on Rafael Nadal, yelling at Vikings kickers and the NBA Finals.

A new Timberwolves arena? + Twins vaccination status and Celtics stun Warriors Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: The Twins head to Toronto in free-fall mode after losing seven of their last 10 against bottom-feeders Detroit and Kansas City. Will they get enough key players back -- and simply start playing/hitting better -- to compete with Toronto, New York and Tampa Bay in the next couple weeks? Or is this the start of a plummet out of first place?

6:00: La Velle E. Neal III joins host Michael Rand for an extended look at the Twins and the prospect of a new Timberwolves arena on the horizon. We're already overbuilt. Can we really do this again? La Velle says we might have to given the ambitions of the Wolves' new owners.

24:00: The Celtics blitzed the Warriors with a 40-16 fourth quarter in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, while Rand takes issue with All-NBA processes.

The tragic death of Marion Barber III; Josh Donaldson still doesn't get it Jun 02, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at the latest punchless Twins effort -- two hits, no runs in a second consecutive shutout loss to the Tigers -- and notes that there is some urgency in Thursday's series finale against Detroit. A loss Thursday leading into a tough nine-game stretch could send the Twins into a spiral with so many key players out.

5:00: But as rough as things have been lately, the Twins are still in first place. And they have to be elated with their offseason trade of Josh Donaldson to the Yankees. Not only did Minnesota get two productive players -- Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela -- in return, but more importantly the Twins shed themselves of Donaldson's baggage. He proved again with comments Wednesday about the Tim Anderson "Jackie Robinson" situation that he still doesn't get it.

9:00: Star Tribune Vikings writer Ben Goessling joins the show to talk about Vikings offseason observations of note, including more autonomy for QB Kirk Cousins.

25:00: The tragic death of former Wayzata and Gophers great Marion Barber III.

The three biggest Timberwolves takeaways from Tim Connelly's introduction Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand explores three paths the Wolves could go down this offseason as they look to improve on last year's 46-win team. Will they run it back? Will new President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly look to reshape the core of the team by trading D'Angelo Russell? Or is blowing up the roster something to consider?

10:00: Chip Scoggins joins Rand to dissect three key things Connelly said during his introductory news conference on Tuesday, which illuminated how Connelly thinks of the Wolves' roster and how he might approach this job.

24:00: The Twins are 3-5 in their last eight games, a rough end to a very good month ... Dustin Johnson had a golf surprise ... and a must-read Patrick Reusse column.

Patrick Reusse on possible Twins June swoon + to-do list for Timberwolves May 31, 2022

Show notes

Host Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse who -- you might not believe this -- is not optimistic about how the Twins are doing even though they are in first place. He sees a June swoon coming as their pitching comes back down to earth, players miss time for various reasons and the schedule gets tougher.

Plus Rand and Reusse talk through the Wolves' offseason to-do list for new President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, who will be introduced to the media on Tuesday. And they set up the NBA Finals, which begin this week.

Twins due for a regression? + Chris Hine on big decisions for the new Wolves boss May 27, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand laments the Twins' missed chances in a bad 3-2 loss to the Royals on Thursday and takes note of how during their hot streak the Twins went 14-2 in games decided by one run or two runs. They have dropped two close games since then, and that might happen more as the year goes on. The Twins will hope that Byron Buxton is due for a progression, not more regression, after finally snapping his 0-for-30 skid.

10:00: Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins the show to talk about the significance of hiring Tim Connelly as the new President of Basketball Operations and all the big decisions ahead for Connelly this offseason.

26:00: Three big decisions in this market ... Aurora soccer starts with a tie ... Golden State is back in the NBA Finals.

Buxton and Loons swoon + a much-anticipated women's soccer debut May 26, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Minnesota United lost 2-1 at home in a U.S. Open Cup match to third division Union Omaha on Wednesday, a defeat Loons manager Adrian Heath called "embarrassing." It was another inconsistent performance from United this season, and it probably won't lead to more playing time for the Loons reserves who had a chance to play.

6:00: Minnesota Aurora President and co-founder Andrea Yoch joins the show to talk about the debut of the women's soccer club Thursday at TCO Performance Center in Eagan. The amateur club has sold out all 5,600 tickets for its debut, part of what Yoch terms a "magic carpet ride" or support so far.

20:00: Byron Buxton went hitless again on Wednesday, and it's time to wonder if his balky knee is at least partly to blame for his 0-for-26 slump. Plus a throwback NBA playoff game and a huge NHL comeback.

Slumping Byron Buxton + taking pressure off Kirk Cousins May 25, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand can't help but notice that Byron Buxton is 1 for his last 24, with the slump coinciding with the Twins disclosing a little over a week ago their plan to rest him so he stays healthy enough to play 100 games this season. Buxton's batting average is all the way down to .211. But the Twins have continued to win even without Buxton contributing at the plate, in large part because of pitching outings like the one they got from Sonny Gray (seven innings, zero runs) on Tuesday.

9:00: Star Tribune Vikings writer Andrew Krammer joins the show with observations from watching the new-look Vikings in their early offseason work. The defensive changes stand out, but so does the offensive philosophy -- including a big change that might take some pressure off Kirk Cousins.

26:00: The Warriors are on pace for a gentlemen's sweep of the Mavericks, while the Lynx got a big comeback win.

Pros and cons of Wolves hiring Tim Connelly as President; Inside the Gophers volleyball team May 24, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: The Timberwolves hired executive Tim Connelly away from Denver to be their President of Basketball Operations for a reported 5 years and $40 million plus an ownership stake in the team. It's a big-time move, but it's not without risk. While Connelly has a track record of building a team primarily through the draft, the Nuggets haven't even played for a championship let alone won a title in recent years.

8:00: The Star Tribune's Jeff Day joins host Michael Rand for an examination of his story on the inner workings of the Gophers volleyball program.

32:00: The Twins won again, and the vibe in the clubhouse is positively giddy.

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