StribSports Daily Delivery

Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend, and as usual Reusse is furious about something. This time: The Twins' decision to call off Saturday's game because of the threat of rain, which in his estimation was a thinly veiled attempt to rest pitchers and create more favorable matchups. Rand agreed, and both of them think it's a bad message to send to fans who showed up Saturday at Target Field, particularly those who traveled from far away to get there. 6:00: If the Twins are going to make the season interesting, they'll need to have a big series starting Monday in Chicago. Third baseman Josh Donaldson is trying to get them fired up, and he delivered Sunday with a home run as the Twins won the series against Cleveland and improved to 19-15 since a dreadful 14-28 start. 11:00: We got hosed! Sort of. And former Twin Hector Santiago ejected for sticky stuff in his glove. 20:00: Minnesota is the center of the Summer Olympics. With half of the women's gymnastics team and a host of others hailing from this state, it will be a Games to remember locally. 24:00: Stanley Cup Finals look ahead. 29:00: Sylvia Fowles appreciation after two monster games help get the Lynx back to .500 after their 0-4 start.

Intro: The Twins made a business decision in the offseason, cutting loose Eddie Rosario after a successful run in Minnesota's outfield. Saying the move backfired wouldn't be quite right because Rosario is having a pretty pedestrian season in Cleveland, but his value tends to show up in different ways. Among them: He tends to come up big, and he did that for Cleveland with a two-run single in the eighth inning of a 4-1 win over the Twins on Thursday. The game underscores just how much the Twins miss a durable, heart-and-soul player like Rosario. 5:00: MMA fighter and Minnesota native Tim Johnson joins the show in advance of the biggest bout of his career Friday in BELLATOR 261. His career was delayed twice by deployments with the Minnesota National Guard -- once to Iraq and recently as part of the Derek Chauvin trial -- but those seeming obstacles have only made him stronger. 19:00: Answering burning listener questions, including: Which Twins players are most likely to get traded in the next month? How soon before the Twins start making trades? What is my standard taco order? And if I could be any Twin Cities mascot for a day, which one would I pick and why?

Intro: Host Michael Rand takes a look at two big wins for local teams on Wednesday, with Minnesota United defeating Austin 2-0 in a full Allianz Field -- the first time the home of the Loons has had full capacity since the 2019 playoffs -- and the Lynx getting a big 87-85 road win over Atlanta. Both the Loons and Lynx started 0-4 but have rallied since then. Can they get their seasons back to level and beyond? 4:30: Rand is joined by three Minnesota sports fans -- Douglas Farmer, Corbitt Harrell and Tom Pederson -- to get their takes on both the ongoing inability to watch local Minnesota pro teams on Bally Sports North and what the future of watching sports on that channel (or any channel, if at all) might bring. All three shared their frustrations and perspectives as we head toward a time when sports viewing could become even more fragmented. 28:00: Are we heading toward a Hawks vs. Suns NBA Finals? As unlikely as that would have sounded a year ago, when neither team even made the playoffs, it's getting closer to a reality.

Intro: Major League Baseball's crackdown on pitchers using illegal substances on baseballs took a fairly dramatic turn on Tuesday when Phillies manager Joe Girardi and Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer had a confrontation over repeated checks of Scherzer. It led to the ejection of Girardi and is an example of how this won't be a smooth midyear transition for baseball to try to make. 5:00: Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins to talk about Tuesday's NBA draft lottery drawing, which saw the Wolves lose their 2021 draft pick because they didn't finish in the top three of the draft. Instead, the pick will go to Golden State as part of the early 2020 trade involving Andrew Wiggins and D'Angelo Russell. Any improvement the Wolves make this offseason likely will have to come either from development or trades. Hine also talks about the importance of NFL player Carl Nassib coming out as gay and shares his experiences and perspectives as a gay man. 26:00: There was major drama with the Badgers men's basketball program when a secret audio recording of a meeting between seniors and coaches was sent to the Wisconsin State Journal. Players were very critical of Gard during the February meeting, much of which was revealed on the audio recording.

Intro: Michael Rand stayed up for the longest game in MLB this season, and if you did as well there was a payoff: Unlikely heroics from Miguel Sano and Matt Shoemaker, two of the most disappointing Twins players so far this season, in an 7-5 win over the Reds that lasted 12 innings and more than five hours. The Twins have won five in a row and will need more heroics like that as they try to overcome their own 31-41 start and more adversity in the form of another Byron Buxton injury. 6:00: Gophers men's basketball beat writer Marcus Fuller joins Daily Delivery to break down a completely remade roster. With Ben Johnson's arrival as coach coinciding with the ramping up of the transfer portal, you won't recognize many players on this year's Gophers. Fuller evaluates who is coming in, who might help right away and what outgoing transfers surprised him the most. 28:00: Rand can't help himself and has to talk more about a possible Ben Simmons trade -- and how the Wolves can get into that mix. If you're a Wolves fan, you want to be in that discussion even after Simmons' postseason meltdown. But it would take a lot of assets to get a player like Simmons, flaws and all.

Intro: Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand at the outset for a look at a U.S. Open that chewed up a lot of golf's biggest names on Sunday. Left standing at the end was John Rahm, who made two clutch putts while his nearest competitors faded. 8:00: The NBA playoffs have been as wide open as any in recent memory, with huge clutch performances and ... some not so good. Ben Simmons fits into that latter category after going 24-for-71 from the free throw line in the postseason and refusing to shoot in Philadelphia's Game 7 home loss to the Hawks. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, played all 53 minutes of Brooklyn's Game 7 loss to Milwaukee -- as did others in the game. Is that even safe? 16:00: Byron Buxton returned to the Twins lineup over the weekend and provided a spark in two wins that extended the team's streak to four games. But the mystery of what happened in Seattle isn't any clearer. 22;00: MLB is set to crack down on cheating pitchers starting today. What will that look like? And Reusse makes a great point: For a sport trying to improve pace of play, isn't this just another thing to slow the game down?

Intro: Michael Rand takes a look at the Clippers, who are trying to break one of the most dreadful streaks in pro sports history on Friday night. Yes, things have been bad in Minnesota with a lot of our teams. But in 50 years, the Clippers have never even advanced to the NBA conference finals. That can change with a win over Utah. 4:00: Star Tribune Twins beat writer Phil Miller joins the show to talk about his excellent story on three Twins pitchers who have overcome scary moments getting hit by baseballs. The mental side of recovering from a baseball hitting you in the head traveling more than 100 mph is as daunting as the physical side. And Miller also provides an update on Byron Buxton, who hasn't played for the Twins in seven weeks. What is his injury status? And is there some frustration between Buxton and the organization that could lead to bigger decisions ahead? 23:00: The value of interviews and a look at the Bears' QB situation.

Intro: The NFL has made it clear that players who aren't vaccinated during the 2021 season are going to have far less freedom than those who are vaccinated against COVID-19. With prominent Vikings players already saying they aren't vaccinated (yet), host Michael Rand wonders if there will be a locker room divide among NFL teams between this season. 4:00: Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins the show -- only fitting for the celebratory 100th episode of Daily Delivery. Hine, the first five-time guest in podcast history, breaks down the latest wrinkles in the proposed sale of the team to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, gives an Academy Award parallel for LaMelo Ball winning Rookie of the Year over Anthony Edwards, previews next week's draft lottery drawing and assigns Carole King songs to various Wolves players. 28:00: The Twins won on Wednesday, but they also lost two more players to seemingly minor injuries. The MLB leader in injury caution strikes again.

Intro: The Lynx fell to 4-6 with a 105-89 loss at Target Center to Chicago on Tuesday, and head coach/GM Cheryl Reeve was not happy about it afterward. She called out her players for not playing defense, she singled out her lineup for not showing up and she ripped herself for poor offensive coaching. Will this be a rallying point for a team with high expectations? 5:00: Vikings beat writer Ben Goessling joins the show to offer up early observations from a newsy week of minicamp. You'll hear his take on the Danielle Hunter contract restructure, what Sheldon Richardson's role might be after signing a one-year deal, how QB Kellen Mond looks and much more. 28:00: Kevin Durant had one of the greatest clutch games in NBA playoff history, playing all 48 minutes for the Nets in a must-win game over the Bucks while pouring in 49 points to go with 17 rebounds and 10 assists. Plus what do player attitudes about MLB pitchers cheating tell us about them?

Intro: The Vikings and Danielle Hunter reached a temporary solution in Hunter's quest for more money, with the Vikings giving him extra cash in 2021 and setting up a decision before 2022. It's another in a series of short-term moves for a team that seems to be loading up on defense for one season. Whether that's more than just an acknowledgement of how bad the defense was last year -- an attempt to save jobs, exploit a potential weakness in Green Bay or both -- is another question. 4:00: Musician Claire de lune joins the show for a discussion of the NBA, Lakers fandom and other topics. She'll help explain why she thinks so many artists are basketball fans, trash the Clippers at every possible moment and much more in an entertaining conversation. 30:00: Byron Buxton is traveling with the Twins but isn't playing yet after a rehab stint in St. Paul. That says about all you need to know about this season.

Michael Rand and Patrick Reusse look at an eventful recent stretch for the Twins, which included a 2-4 home stand against the Yankees and Astros while several of their key players continued to try to work their way back from injury. Both of them concluded that the Twins' pitching is to blame, and injuries don't tell much of the story -- just a bad plan and ineffectiveness. In a discussion about Byron Buxton rehabbing his latest injury in St. Paul while the Twins played key home games, Reusse said he senses Buxton is unhappy with the organization. As the trade deadline looms in about six weeks, there could be a purge of the Twins' roster. While Buxton is unlikely to be dealt midyear, don't rule out an offseason trade -- meaning none of the Twins' core of established players is untouchable. And a tribute to the life and career of Mudcat Grant, ace of the 1965 Twins, who died on Friday at age 85.

Intro: Michael Rand was three outs away from completely burying the Twins. And then four lasers -- two of them no-doubt two-run homers -- gave them a 7-5 walk-off win over the Yankees and closer Aroldis Chapman. It probably doesn't mean anything in the big picture of a lost season, but small moments along the way are still worthwhile. 7:00: Columnist La Velle E. Neal III joins the show to talk about baseball's longstanding culture of cheating and the latest scandal involving pitchers using illegal substances on the ball to improve performance. And Neal and Rand talk about bad fan behavior at games, a problem that has reared its head in recent NBA playoff games. 28:00: Trading Danielle Hunter would be the easy solution for the Vikings, but not the best one. And farewell to the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL playoffs.

Intro: Host Michael Rand listened to Kirk Cousins' session with Vikings reporters on Wednesday and couldn't help but notice how drama-free things are in Minnesota right now -- particularly compared to the situation in Green Bay. Cousins talked about watching film of every game he's played in the NFL in an attempt to get better and also welcoming new QB Kellen Mond with open arms. No game shows. No missing practice. Just a nice quiet June. 6:00: Rachel Blount joins the show to talk about Minnesota's Olympic hopefuls and what to watch for in key U.S. trials in swimming + diving, track + field and gymnastics in the next couple of weeks. Blount and Rand also look into the big question overshadowing the games: Should they even be happening given the state of COVID-19 in Japan and fears of an outbreak? 28:00: Josh Donaldson vs. Gerrit Cole ended with a fizzle on Wednesday, especially if you're a Twins fan. Cole got whatever revenge he wanted by striking out Donaldson in his first two at-bats.

Intro: Aaron Rodgers didn't show up for the first day of "mandatory" minicamp with the Packers, adding another layer to his ongoing standoff with the organization. Teammates said they have his back while also hoping that he will return. In the mean time, the QB drafted a year ago to replace him -- Jordan Love -- had his share of struggles running the offense Tuesday. 6:00: Hall of Famer Rod Carew joins the show to talk about his new book, his impending new podcast and modern hitting. The former AL MVP and seven-time batting champion thinks hitters these days are trying too hard to hit home runs, which has as much to do with low batting averages as anything else. 22:00: Gerrit Cole addressed the media Tuesday and sure didn't sound like an innocent bystander in the illegal substances scandal. All eyes will be on Target Field on Wednesday when Cole pitches against the Twins and Josh Donaldson, the third baseman who named Cole as one of the pitchers doctoring the baseball. 28:00: Nikola Jokic, from draft afterthought to NBA MVP.

Intro: Michael Rand takes a spin through the NBA playoffs, where the Nets are cruising past the Bucks even without James Harden. It shows the value of having a Big Three -- and being able to withstand injuries to one of them as a result. It's what the Lakers couldn't do, and it's what the Wolves hope to build. 5:00: Twins beat writer Phil Miller joins the show to preview the upcoming Twins vs. Yankees series, to give an update on the Twins' returning to health in some key areas and to set up the likely big showdown of the week: Josh Donaldson vs. Gerrit Cole. The Twins third baseman has implicated Cole as a main offender in MLB's emerging controversy about pitchers using foreign substances to increase the spin rate on their pitches. Cole is slated to pitch Wednesday's game.

Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend, which included a dramatic collapse at the U.S. Open by women's golfer Lexi Thompson. It brings to mind two things: 1) Golf is the loneliest sport and most agonizing to watch when a player falls apart; 2) Minnesota fans are no strangers to watching such performances. Also on the show: A discussion of the resurgent Lynx, who won their third consecutive game Sunday after an 0-4 start. And a look at the Twins, who start a series with the Yankees on Tuesday but who also could soon be in "sell" mode with some of their key players -- including pitcher Jose Berrios.

Intro: Host Michael Rand takes a look at Wild GM Bill Guerin's end-of-year comments and takes issue with Guerin's assertion that this year proved the Wild doesn't need a No. 1 center. Maybe that was true in the regular season, but in the playoffs top-end center play was absolutely a glaring weakness that needs to be addressed at some point. 5:00: Tyler Dunne, who covered Aaron Rodgers for four seasons and now writes about a variety of in-depth NFL topics at golongtd.com, joins Rand for a breakdown of what's going on between Rodgers and Green Bay. Who's to blame, how did we get here, and how does Dunne think this will ultimately play out? 27:00: The Twins have been decimated by injuries, but don't let that steal the narrative around their pitching staff. It's been flat-out bad, as evidenced by an overall 4.68 ERA that ranks No. 25 in the majors, and that's come with many of the organization's preferred pitchers working at the start and end of games.

Intro: Joe Mauer joins Michael Rand to talk about his charity softball home run derby at Target Field on June 15, which will feature plenty of other notable Twins greats like Jim Thome and Justin Morneau. Mauer has been keeping plenty busy since retirement with his three kids, but he's looking forward to crushing some softballs over the fence for a good cause. He gives thoughts on this year's Twins, dad life and the trash talk between teammates. 8:00: Using the Mauer segment as a jumping off point, Rand talks about the 2011 Twins and how this year's team has some unfortunate parallels. Among them: What might be the start of a decline in the play of Nelson Cruz, much like we witnessed with Thome a decade ago. 13:00: Marcus Fuller joins the show to talk about Gophers men's basketball recruiting, the transfer portal and what to expect now that new coach Ben Johnson can start meeting with recruits face to face during a critical period in the program's future.

Intro: The Wild had a series of end-of-year interview sessions with players on Tuesday, including forward Zach Parise. His future will be a big question during the offseason -- even after he said Tuesday that he plans to be here for the foreseeable future. You'll hear Michael Rand's thoughts as well as audio of several interesting things Parise had to say. 8:00: Twins outfielder Rob Refsnyder has been one of the feel-good stories on this year's team. The journeyman, playing for his fifth MLB team since 2017, is hitting .320 and has provided a spark for a team decimated by injuries. He joins the podcast to talk about his approach to hitting, how grateful he is for this season and being a new dad. 25:00: The Blazers lost an all-time classic to the Nuggets on Tuesday, with Damian Lillard scoring 55 points in the double overtime defeat. The game should make you long for the Wolves to be a true playoff contender -- and Nikola Jokic's overall excellence should make you want more from Karl-Anthony Towns.

Intro: Minnesota's summer teams are starting to win a little more after very slow starts, but host Michael Rand says their struggles are a cautionary tale for the Wild going forward. Expectations were high for the Twins, Lynx and Minnesota United, but all three have struggled. Expectations for the Wild will similarly be high next season, but sports keeps proving that we should take nothing for granted. 5:00: Patrick Reusse joins the show. He and Rand talk about Tom Thibodeau's struggling Knicks and what seems to be their inevitable pursuit of Jimmy Butler plus the legacy of local sports media personality Dark Star, who died nine years ago today. 29:00 Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open offers a lesson in how media access should be handled.

Michael Rand breaks down the Wild's 6-2 loss to Vegas in Game 7 of their opening round playoff series, then is joined by Star Tribune beat writer Sarah McLellan for a bigger picture look at what the Wild learned during the playoffs and what roster decisions are looming going forward for a team that hopes to take another step next season. Who will the Wild lose in expansion? How does it afford free agents? And does Zach Parise still have a role?

Intro: Baseball has another cheating problem, and it's starting to come out more into the open: pitchers across the sport are reportedly doctoring baseballs with sunscreen, rosin and other substances to increase spin rate, movement and strikeouts. The issue became more public after Cardinals pitcher Giovanny Gallegos was asked to change his glove in a game earlier this week. St. Louis manager Mike Shildt was livid and called out cheating he says is widespread. Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson tweeted that he has "an entire catalog of video of these guys cheating." 5:00: A quick update on Jhoan Duran, the Twins prospect who had another eye-popping night pitching for St. Paul on Thursday. 6:00: Former Wild playoff hero Wes Walz joins Michael Rand for both a look ahead at Friday's Game 7 between the Wild and Vegas and a look back at the Wild's pair of Game 7 road wins back in 2003 when Walz was a player. Come for the great insights. Stay for the fantastic Todd Bertuzzi story. 28:00: The Heat is in trouble, down 3-0 to the Bucks. What does that mean for Jimmy Butler's future?

Intro: A 3-0 victory by the Wild over Vegas in Game 6 of their playoff series on Wednesday had plenty of drama and momentum plays, but the biggest key according to Michael Rand was head coach Dean Evason pushing all the right buttons and outpacing Vegas coach Pete DeBoer. Evason stayed the course with his lineup and was rewarded. He kept faith in his best players and was rewarded. And he put Vegas in a desperate situation -- enough so that DeBore made an emotional challenge to a disallowed goal that went in the Wild's favor and changed the game. Plus, plenty of talk about Zach Parise's big game -- and his future -- and postgame comments from Evason, Marcus Foligno and goalie Cam Talbot. 15:00: Randy Johnson joins the show to talk about the Gophers football team being able to hit the road recruiting next week for the first time in a while -- and the opportunity for P.J. Fleck's team in opening against Ohio State. 27:00: Remember the 2003 playoff run and setting up Friday's podcast appearance from Wes Walz.

Intro: The Twins are on a mini-streak with five wins in their last six games, and a big part of their success is thanks to journeyman Rob Refsnyder. He cracked two doubles and a home run in a 7-4 win over Baltimore on Tuesday and is hitting .438 with a 1.191 OPS in 32 at bats this season. Refsnyder's run is a reminder that unexpected success is the best kind for a sports fan and team. Also, strange injury alert: A Cleveland pitcher broke his thumb taking off his shirt? 6:00: Minnesota United head coach Adrian Heath joins the show to talk about the team's 0-4 start despite massive expectations, his continued optimism after two victories and some key additions to the team, criticism from fans and plenty of other subjects. 27:00: Game 6 of Wild vs. Vegas will quite possibly turn in the second period. The Wild has been outscored 8-1 in that period in the series as Vegas has taken advantage of the "long change" and hemmed the Wild in its own defensive zone.

Intro: Michael Rand dives into the Wild's Game 5 victory over Vegas, a 4-2 win in which Minnesota was outshot 40-14 but nonetheless prevailed. Zach Parise had a huge goal in his second game after being reinserted into the lineup, helping the Wild build a 3-1 lead and then hang on for dear life. You'll hear postgame clips from both Parise and head coach Dean Evason as well. 11:00: Rand welcomes a couple of Wild fans onto the show to hear their perspectives on Game 5 -- and to gauge where there overall confidence in the team is now compared to just before puck drop on Monday night. 19:00: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers made an appearance on SportsCenter anchor Kenny Mayne's final show Monday, helping clarify his situation with Green Bay. It sure sounds like he has already moved on from the organization in his mind. 26:00: Don't look now, but the Twins are starting to play better and win more. We're still at "enjoy any positive" instead of "check the standings" mode, but we'll see if that can still change.

Intro: Michael Rand examines the Wild's ongoing ability to score in the playoffs, a problem that goes back several periods, several games or an entire franchise history depending on how you want to look at it. But there is some hope: The Wild has rallied twice from 3-1 playoff deficits to win series. 5:00: Patrick Reusse joins for a breakdown of the weekend, including Phil Mickelson's stunning PGA Championship victory at age 50. Reusse might not like Mickelson, but he has to respect the accomplishment. Plus the Twins finally won an extra-inning game -- and they did it while Rand was scouting their next pitching prospect over in St. Paul. 28:00: 2020 NFL Draft regrade somehow finds the gap between the Vikings and Packers is even larger. Will that year go down as a huge Green Bay blunder?

Intro: Michael Rand breaks down the Wild's 5-2 loss to Vegas in Game 3 of their playoff series on Thursday night, which put Minnesota in a 2-1 hole and restored home ice advantage for the Golden Knights. How did a red-hot start and 2-0 lead Thursday give way to such an utter collapse? Can the Wild expect anything different in Game 4 -- and who will be in the lineup for that game? Forward Marcus Johansson was injured early in Game 3 and isn't likely going to be available for Game 4 on Saturday. Does that mean Zach Parise re-enters the lineup? Rookie Matt Boldy? Maybe even both of them? 12:00: Local author Greg Larson joins the show to talk about his new book, "Clubbie: A Minor League Baseball Memoir" and the experiences as a clubhouse attendant in the minor leagues that led to the material for the book. It's all about the clubhouse spread. 27:00: Where would the Twins be in the last week without Miguel Sano?

Star Tribune columnists La Velle E. Neal III and Jim Souhan join host Michael Rand for a special edition of the podcast and an exploration of where the blame lies in a season that has gone off the rails at the one-quarter mark for the Twins. After entering the year with clear World Series hopes, the Twins instead have fashioned a 14-27 record -- the worst mark in the American League. Is it manager Rocco Baldelli's fault? Have players underperformed? Did Thad Levine and Derek Falvey put together a flawed roster? Are injuries the culprit? The answer is yes to all of them, but we try to get to the heart of the biggest problems.

Intro: Michael Rand doesn't like gimmicks in sports ... and yet he loves the NBA play-in tournament, which started Tuesday. He lays out the reasons why: It gives more teams something to play for (including potentially the Wolves next season); it gives a greater reward to the truly elite teams in each conference; and it creates immediate postseason tension. 5:00: Columnist Chip Scoggins joins Rand to talk about his latest column on a group of local fans from Russia that have made rookie Kirill Kaprizov feel particularly welcomed and adored in Minnesota. He also helps set up Game 3 of the Wild vs. Vegas playoff series. Scoggins isn't as concerned as Rand is about the Wild's lack of goal scoring so far in these playoffs. 21:00: We check in with local Twitter personality ChikenFingerz69, a regular contributor to The Sportive podcast, for the latest installment of "Have you ever been more angry." This one finds him particularly chagrined about the direction NHL officiating has gone lately.

Intro: Host Michael Rand talks through what was ultimately a fair split of Games 1 and 2 of the Wild's playoff series against Vegas. Minnesota might be disappointed it couldn't take a commanding lead in the series following Tuesday's 3-1 loss in Game 2, but it could also feel fortunate to have taken Game 1. That said: Two goals in two games is starting to feel all-too-familiar compared to other series in which the Wild has struggled. Maybe a familiar face -- scratched forward Zach Parise, with 101 career playoff games -- should be back in the lineup for Game 3? 5:00: Was a manufactured controversy just what the Twins needed? At least for one game it was. Miguel Sano blasted three home runs, including the tying two-run shot in the eighth inning, after Rocco Baldelli and Tyler Duffey were ejected in an escalation of Tuesday's late home run by Yermin Mercedes off of Willians Astudillo. Jorge Polanco's walk-off hit in the ninth gave the Twins a 5-4 win. At 14-26, it's probably just a moment of isolated joy. But it was fun for a night at least. 7:00: Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins for a breakdown of that team's season, which ended Sunday. Will the Wolves mature enough in the offseason to have more success next year? And what are the other summer priorities? 29:00: Not even the Lynx are immune to these slow starts.

Intro: Michael Rand goes on a journey from blown saves to Robert Palmer in an attempt to help you, the listener, figure out how to watch a 13-26 Twins team for the rest of the summer. In short: The trip the Twins are on went off the rails at a number of places already this year. Analysis of what went wrong is fair, but at this point they are just bad. The only hope if you want to watch is to recalibrate your expectations away from imagining some grand turnaround and instead just allowing yourself to be occasionally pleasantly surprised. 9:00: Wild center Nick Bonino joins the podcast in advance of his 100th career playoff game on Tuesday night. What has he learned about postseason hockey in his path from 1 to 100 games? Is there certain wisdom he can convey to less-experienced Wild teammates? And can the Wild solve Marc-Andre Fleury -- Bonino's former Cup-winning teammate in Pittsburgh -- any more than they did Sunday? 15:00: Wild writer Sarah McLellan helps set up Game 2 of Wild vs. Vegas with an examination of what the Wild wants to keep doing after Sunday's 1-0 overtime win and what it might change in Game 2. 28:00: Unfortunate news for Ben Johnson and the Gophers: one of their most intriguing transfers is out 6-9 months.

Intro: The Star Tribune's Sarah McLellan joins Michael Rand to break down the Wild's 1-0 overtime win over Vegas in Game 1 of their playoff series. Veteran goalie Cam Talbot was perfect in net, turning away 42 shots and helping the Wild calm its nerves early on. Joel Eriksson Ek provided the only offense necessary with a deflected shot from close range in overtime. Can the Wild carry that momentum into Game 2 and take a huge series lead in Vegas? 10:00: Patrick Reusse joins the show for a little more Wild talk, plus thoughts on the Twins continuing to invent ways to lose games. If Saturday's comeback win gave you thoughts that the team was going to start a streak in the right direction, Sunday's disappointing 7-6 loss will leave you thinking otherwise. Plus the Wolves finished their season Sunday with much more promise than how the started -- but Rand argues there is still a lot of work to be done before anyone can be happy with this roster. 30:00: Minnesota United scored a huge stoppage time goal to win over the weekend while the Lynx lost a tense opener. Could anything more possibly have happened?

Intro: The Wild's playoff opponent wasn't determined until the final day of the regular season, but now we know it's Vegas -- a team Minnesota went 5-3 against this season. Can the Wild win a playoff series for the first time since 2015? 5:00: The Wolves ran into a quality opponent and a familiar problem in a 114-103 loss to Denver: They lack size, and Karl-Anthony Towns lacks in-game maturity. 8:00: Going deep on the Twins with beat writer Megan Ryan, who was in Chicago for all three games of the sweep against the White Sox. She talked with GM Thad Levine, and it's still clear that the Twins are hoping to improve from within. How long can they wait? 28:00: Vikings trade Mike Hughes, a minor move that reinforces a major problem in a recent stretch of draft picks.

Intro: The fatal flaw in a Pro Football Focus piece about Kirk Cousins being an MVP candidate. 6:00: Two struggling teams, two different outcomes for Twins and United plus a new "Spin Rate" feature with Twins GM Thad Levine. 10:00: Lynx season preview with Kent Youngblood: Can Minnesota add another title to its impressive legacy after remaking its roster? 28:00: Former Vikings coach Jerry Burns, who died Wednesday at age 94, was more than just a rant.

Longtime Timberwolves executive Jeff Munneke joins the show to talk about his favorite memories of Kevin Garnett, whose induction ceremony into the Basketball Hall of Fame is coming this weekend. KG made it cool to be a Wolves fan, Munneke said, and he was one of the rare athletes people still rooted for after he was traded away. Garnett also shaved Munneke's head completely bald as part of a promotion back in the day. At the start of the show, host Michael Rand talks about the Twins' disappointing 9-3 loss to the White Sox on Tuesday -- another game that followed an all-too-familiar script this season. The Twins led 3-0 and it was 3-3 going into the sixth inning, but a combination of lackluster starting pitching, low offensive output and a shaky bullpen doomed the Twins again. Plus: The Wolves jumped all the way up to the sixth-worst record in the league. What does that mean for their future and the draft lottery?

Vikings rookie defensive back Cam Bynum joins the show to recount how he jumped into a lake a couple weeks ago after getting the good news that Minnesota drafted him in the fourth round. He also talks about his transition to safety in the NFL after playing cornerback for four seasons at Cal -- a switch that should be easier because he is constantly dreaming up and drawing up new defenses on the white board in his room. Star Tribune outdoors writer Bob Timmons also joins to talk about two different groups led by Minnesotans that are trying to set a record for fastest canoe trip down the length of the Mississippi River. It's a journey that takes more than two weeks and over 2,000 miles to complete. At the start of the show, Michael Rand cuts through the negativity and finds five things that listeners are excited about or looking forward to in Minnesota sports. Among them: the Wild in the playoffs; the start of the Lynx season; and Wolves rookie Anthony Edwards.

Columnist Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. The Twins were mercifully rained out Sunday, giving them two off days to prepare for a suddenly very important early series against the White Sox. At 12-20, the Twins can't afford to fall much further back, but the truly alarming thing is how few good options they have coming up from the minor leagues at this point. Reusse and Rand also marvel at the woeful Orlando Magic, blown out Sunday by the Wolves. And does the Wild have a long playoff run in it? At the start of the show, Rand breaks down a team struggling even more than the Twins: the 0-4 Loons, the only Major League Soccer team without a point this season. Which team do you have more faith in at this point in the season?

If you are a frustrated Twins fan after their 11-19 start, you came to the right place. Chip Scoggins joins the show as he recalls the column he wrote almost exactly five years ago after the Twins started 8-20. That year, he called Twins owner Jim Pohlad, who offered up the now-infamous quote about how the organization was experiencing "total system failure." That team went on to lose 103 games; this year's team figures to be much better than that, but with losses mounting -- and no relief in sight after another extra-innings loss Thursday -- there are some unfortunate parallels. Frustration at Target Field boiled over during three losses to Texas this week, including a fan who displayed a "Fire Rocco" sign behind home plate during Wednesday's loss. That fan joins the show to explain what prompted him to bring that sign, how he got it into the game and what his particular gripes are with Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. At the outset of the show: Host Michael Rand explains why this Aaron Rodgers story isn't going away anytime soon and advises Vikings fans to enjoy it while it lasts.

Timberwolves President Gersson Rosas joins the show for the first time. His vision for what the Wolves could be with D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns paired up is starting to take shape, but many questions about the future remain. The biggest immediate question: Will the Wolves keep their 2021 draft pick or have to give it up to Golden State as part of the Andrew Wiggins trade for Russell? Rosas revisits that deal, whether he would still make the swap now if he knew how this year would play out, and much more. At the outset, host Michael Rand talks through an 0-for-3 night in Minnesota sports. The most disappointing loss was another Twins setback, dropping them to 11-18. A sight to behold, particularly for TV viewers who saw it directly behind home plate: A "Fire Rocco" sign. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is becoming the symbol of all that is going wrong, much like Kirk Cousins in the early part of the 2020 Vikings season. And at the end: Happy birthday Willie Mays, a legend who turns 90 today.

Another night, another blown Twins lead. They're now 11-17, which includes an 0-6 record in extra innings after a 6-3 loss in 10 innings to Texas. Michael Rand runs down the chain of events that led to this loss and takes a bunch of your angry Twitter questions as well. In far more upbeat news, Wild forward Nick Bjugstad and Star Tribune beat writer Sarah McLellan join the show to talk about a Wild team that comes back from deficits instead of blows leads -- and is gearing up for what it hopes is a playoff run. Bjugstad also sings the praises of rookie Kirill Kaprizov and talks about what makes him so special.

The Wild and Twins are playing games that you can't look away from right now until the very end -- but for much different reasons. Both were illustrated by 6-5 wins on Tuesday, which Michael Rand talks about at the start of this episode. Plus: The Packers take a lot of the blame in the deteriorating relationship with QB Aaron Rodgers, but Rodgers is also at fault. Later in the episode, Star Tribune Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins to talk about whether the team's recent stretch of improved play is sustainable or merely a blip on the radar while the pressure is off. Hine and Rand discuss which players might be around next season and beyond to try to see the improvement through in a meaningful way. And: Tuesday is the first game for the St. Paul Saints as the Class AAA affiliate of the Twins.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins Michael Rand for a rundown of the weekend in sports, including a home run outburst from the Twins and a restoring of order with the Timberwolves and Wild. Also: Is Minnesota United panicking too much during an 0-3 start? At the start of the show, Rand explains why he thinks the Vikings drafting QB Kellen Mond is a really big deal. The upshot: For the first time since Kirk Cousins arrived, he has a backup behind him that fans -- and coaches -- will genuinely be interested in seeing play. That probably won't matter in 2021, but it will create a new dynamic.

Michael Rand and Andrew Krammer dive into a wild 24 hours. On a Thursday night filled with story lines in the NFL draft, the real story emerged hours earlier when it was reported that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is disgruntled and doesn't want to return to Green Bay. Though nothing has happened yet -- and the Packers have said already they aren't trading him -- the fracture in the relationship raises the possibility of a breakup that would have a seismic impact on the future of the NFC North. With that story still percolating, the Vikings entered Thursday's first round with the No. 14 pick. The player some expected them to take -- Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw -- was available, but they traded down to No. 23 with the Jets and picked up two third-round picks in the process. When Darrisaw was still there nine spots later and the Vikings nabbed him, it seemed like a shrewd move from GM Rick Spielman. Adding to the drama of the night: Marshall, Minn. native and former North Dakota State QB Trey Lance went No. 3 to the 49ers; the Bears moved up to No. 11 to take another QB, Ohio State's Justin Fields; and Gophers WR Rashod Bateman landed near the end of the first round with Baltimore. And oh, by the way: The Wolves won their fourth consecutive game for the first time since 2018 and the Wild forced overtime after trailing St. Louis 3-0.

Ben Goessling joins Michael Rand for a full breakdown of his seven-round Vikings mock draft. What will they do with all 10 picks? What are their biggest needs -- both obvious and not-so-obvious? How surprised would Goessling be if they use their first two picks on something other than offensive or defensive linemen? Is this the year the Vikings break with their own habits and draft a real developmental quarterback in the middle rounds to serve at least as this year's backup? And do they dare draft an SEC kicker again? At the start of the show, Rand takes a few minutes to praise one player who has delivered time after time this season for the Twins: Byron Buxton. Even through this 8-15 start -- a record that improved Wednesday with a 10-2 victory in Cleveland -- Buxton has been everything fans have always wanted him to be. That brilliance was punctuated by a 5-for-5 game in Wednesday's win that had all the elements of vast skill set. And the Wild lost 4-3 to St. Louis after holding a 3-1 lead in the third period -- a setback that could be damaging to Minnesota's hopes to earn home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

Michael Rand wonders at the outset how Twins manager Rocco Baldelli can justify using Alexander Colome in a one-run game Tuesday, with predictably poor results. And he explains how the Wolves -- who are no longer the worst team in the NBA nor the worst team in sports history -- can change perceptions about their draft pick by winning, even if it means slightly decreasing their chances of keeping that pick in 2021. Blake Baratz, founder of the Institute For Athletes -- an agency that represents Vikings WR Adam Thielen and impending Gophers draft pick Rashod Bateman -- joins the show for an inside look at what happens in the time leading up to and during the draft for a high-level prospect like Bateman. There will be nervous moments starting Thursday, but it's just the start of a long journey for Bateman and countless others.

Longtime Star Tribune Vikings and NFL writer Mark Craig joins Michael Rand to give a sneak peek at his first-round mock draft. He has a whopping five quarterbacks going in the top eight, which should help the Vikings get a quality player at No. 14 -- if they stay at that spot, that is. Will they remain where they are and draft an offensive lineman? Will they look to trade down and recoup the second-round pick they dealt away last season? We're a couple days away from finding out. At the beginning of the podcast, Rand remains aghast at the Twins' bullpen and ongoing woes for the team overall. At 7-14, they are dealing with adversity unlike anything else during manager Rocco Baldelli's tenure. And he is not handling it well. Plus, the Wolves completed a season sweep of Utah -- which still has the best record in the NBA -- and won two in a row for the first time since the beginning of the season. Is this just a matchup thing, or are the Wolves finding their stride late in the year? And a bunch of your hot takes addressed with care and oven mitts.

Michael Rand is joined by Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse for a look at the weekend in sports. If you thought the Twins were going to turn things around back at Target Field, two losses to Pittsburgh didn't give you much confidence. Reusse says its time to panic about a team that just doesn't look like it's very good and has a lot of holes on its roster. Plus Rand and Reusse praise the team the Wild has built this season and the seven-game winning streak that has Minnesota surging toward the playoffs. And are the Wolves ... actually building something? At the outset, Rand takes a look at the possibility that both the Wolves and Wild will have rookies of the year this season with Anthony Edwards and Kirill Kaprizov -- something one market hasn't had with its NBA and NHL teams in more than 40 seasons. And an 0-2 start for Minnesota United is a concern -- and a disappointment for Loons fans who finally got to see their team in person again during Saturday's home opener.

Michael Rand is joined by incoming Gophers men's basketball player Jamison Battle and Star Tribune men's basketball beat writer Marcus Fuller. Battle, a former DeLaSalle star -- just like new Gophers coach Ben Johnson -- is transferring from George Washington, where he averaged 17 points and five rebounds last season. Hear Battle's thoughts on getting more local talent to join the Gophers, college athletes making money off their image and likeness and his many interests outside of basketball. At the start of the show, Rand breaks down the injection of youth heading to the Twins roster with Alex Kirilloff and Nick Gordon on the way to join the team after a disappointing 6-11 start. And Rand runs down three intriguing draft trade ideas for the Vikings courtesy of ESPN's Bill Barnwell.

Michael Rand is joined by Twins beat writer Megan Ryan after what can only be described as a disaster of a road trip. The Twins had three games postponed because of COVID spreading through the team, and they lost all four games they did play -- including Wednesday's in spectacularly excruciating fashion on a pair of 10th-inning, two-out errors. The Twins have gone 1-9 in their last 10 games and sit in last place in the American League Central. So what is going on here? Why is a team that has won back-to-back division titles and had high hopes to contend for a World Series this season stuck in such a rut of poor performance? There isn't just one culprit, but Rand and Ryan offer up a number of things that have not gone the Twins' way. At the start of the show, Rand offers up an impressive Marcus Foligno stat after another Wild victory and tells you not to blame the Wolves' bench players after the team blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead in a loss to Sacramento on Wednesday. And what Minnesota teams would make the cut if North American sports tried (foolishly) to start Super Leagues?

Michael Rand takes note of the continued intersection of sports and social justice with reactions all around the world of sports -- particularly in Minnesota -- to Tuesday's guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. The key word mentioned by LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns and others: accountability, which carries particular weight with athletes. You'll hear Towns and the Wolves' Josh Okogie express that in their own words following Tuesday's win in Sacramento. Rand is also joined by Tru Pettigrew, the Timberwolves vice president of player programs, diversity and inclusion for a discussion of the heaviness of the moment -- and what players have been able to do in an attempt to foster positive change. Near the end of the show, Rand breaks down the Wolves' win on the court and a pair of shutout losses for the slumping Twins.