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Get to know Wild defenseman Brock Faber; Kirk Cousins ruined my Immaculate Grid Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand explains how Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins -- inadvertently and no, not really -- ruined his chance at perfection on Wednesday's Immaculate Grid. Along the way, Bob Schnelker makes an appearance, obviously.

12:00: Former Gophers defenseman and current Wild defenseman Brock Faber joins Rand to catch up on a whirlwind four months and a look ahead to an important 2023-24 season. Faber will also reveal all of the cooking secrets that he and teammate/roommate Sammy Walker have discovered.

26:00: Diamond Sports is suing Sinclair; Twins lose but stay the same; Aaron Rodgers is not happy with the Jets offensive line.

Twins we gave up on; Chris Hine on NBA in-season tourney, Wolves summer questions Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: Matt Wallner's grand slam was the biggest hit Tuesday in the Twins' 5-3 win over the Tigers, but two players we were all ready to give up on also played key roles again. Max Kepler was on base twice and scored during the five-run fifth, while Emilio Pagan had another effective relief outing. Both have been excellent for the last two months, much to the surprise of almost everyone.

8:00: Star Tribune Timberwolves writer Chris Hine joins host Michael Rand for a breakdown of the NBA's new in-season tournament. Group play schedules were released on Tuesday. Plus what are the benefits and drawbacks of all the Wolves participating in international play this summer? And is a Jaden McDaniels extension coming soon?

32:00: The Twins have three of MLB's top 33 prospects.

Chip Scoggins on Gophers passing game, Vikings and Twins; Dalvin Cook joins Aaron Rodgers Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand breaks down the news that former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is joining forces with Aaron Rodgers on the Jets. A deal that could be worth as much as $8.6 million in 2023 feels like a reach for a player who had so many negative plays last season.

6:00: Chip Scoggins joins Rand for a wide-ranging look at multiple topics, including whether this is finally the year that P.J. Fleck's Gophers throw the ball more. Scoggins has some Vikings and Twins thoughts as well.

34:00: Michael Oher alleges in a lawsuit that "The Blind Side" isn't the story you think it is.

Patrick Reusse on three levels of baseball: Twins, Saints and townball Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joined host Michael Rand for a three-pronged look at baseball in Minnesota.

They started with the Twins, who won the final two games of their series in Philadelphia -- aided by superb starting pitching from Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray -- to restore faith and a 4.5-game lead in the American League Central. Reusse asks an interesting question: Why not bring back Gray, an impending free agent, for 2024 and beyond?

Next up are the Saints, and a history that goes back to Midway Stadium and years of independent baseball. A recent documentary helps tell that story, and Reusse gives his review.

And finally, it's townball time in Minnesota. The small town tradition has a large anniversary -- 100 years -- and Reusse has some great stories to tell.

Explaining the fan angst over the first-place Twins; Five Vikings takeaways Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand stayed up to watch almost all of the Vikings' 24-13 preseason loss to the Seahawks and came away with five thoughts after the game. On the plus side, the initial depth -- particularly running back Ty Chandler -- looked solid in building a 10-0 lead. But the rest of an anonymous roster needs work.

12:00: Twins Daily co-founder Nick Nelson joins Rand to break down the reality of this Twins season -- a frustrating lesson in inconsistency that could still very well end with the franchise's first playoff victory in almost 20 years.

33:00: A tough loss for the Lynx.

Johnny Manziel, the Vikings and my worst sports opinion ever Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: In an upside-down show, host Michael Rand starts with guest ChikenFingerz69 of social media and The Sportive podcast fame in a sort of cleansing segment. They talk about Rand and his bizarre, completely wrong opinion from nearly a decade ago that the Vikings needed to draft quarterback Johnny Manziel -- a decision that, had it been made, would have been a disaster. A new Netflix documentary on Manziel provides the humorous opportunity to revisit this history.

18:00: More bad sports takes? Oh, Rand has had those over the years.

23:00: Aaron Rodgers is concerned about the Jets' offensive line, the Vikings have some interesting position battles, a former Viking got in major trouble and Anthony Edwards got a slap on the wrist.

Infuriating conference math and geography; Meet Wolves coach Corliss Williamson Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand goes on a rant of sorts talking about conference realignment and the mess it has made of math and geography. Eighteen teams in the Big Ten? Pacific Coast teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference? What are we doing here? Plus thoughts on the Lynx, Loons and Twins.

12:00: Rand welcomes in former NCAA and NBA champion Corliss Williamson, a new Timberwolves assistant coach. They get into the evolving role of the big man in the NBA, what it takes to carve out a niche in the NBA and how Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert can fit together.

29:00: The Saints are retiring the number of a short-term legend.

Vikings running back depth, U.S. women's soccer and a Matt Dumba appreciation Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand notes the Twins' upswing, which included a rout of the Tigers on Monday that boosted their division lead to 5.5 games. Ryan Jeffers was key with a three-run home run, and catching depth -- much like goalie depth in the NHL -- appears to be a team strength.

6:00: The Vikings released their first depth chart Monday, and even though head coach Kevin O'Connell cautioned us not to read too much into things the battle at backup running back is intriguing.

10:00: Local soccer writer Jon Marthaler joins Rand for a discussion of the U.S. Women's National Team and Minnesota United.

28:00: The Wild will miss Matt Dumba.

Patrick Reusse on the frustrating first-place Twins, frantic Big Ten expansion and women's soccer Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Host Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included a sweep by the Twins of the Diamondbacks that pushed their AL Central lead to 4.5 games. After writing about how frustrating the Twins are to fans, Reusse admits he isn't quite sure what to think of them week to week.

Plus the Big Ten just added two new members -- again -- pushing their footprint to 18 teams. With Washington and Oregon set to join the fold, a decision that seemingly happened overnight late last week, will there be any end in sight to the greed? Best guess: No.

And the U.S. Women's National Team was bounced from the World Cup in the round of 16.

Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter and the Vikings' salary cap; Joe Ryan didn't bother to disclose injury Aug 04, 2023

Show notes

Introduction: It was a newsy Thursday for the Twins, as Sonny Gray won for the first time in 15 starts to snap a bizarre streak that had seen him pitch quite well with very little run support. We also found out that Joe Ryan -- a starter who had been rocked for 19 home runs in his last seven outings -- was pitching through a groin strain that he didn't tell anyone about. And Brooks Lee was promoted to Class AAA St. Paul.

7:30: Vikings writer Ben Goessling joins host Michael Rand for a look at where the Vikings stand with both their roster-building and salary cap after details of Danielle Hunter's new deal were released.

35:00: The Vikings like their corners, they say, but they still brought in a veteran for a free agent visit. That's been a theme this week.

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