StribSports Daily Delivery

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wolves, who have had a feel-good training camp but had a number of things exposed in a preseason tune-up against Detroit at Target Center. Plus the Twins hired a new pitching coach.

10:00: Cassidy Hettesheimer from the Star Tribune joins Rand for a breakdown of the WNBA Finals and a look ahead to looming roster decisions for the Lynx.

34:00: It's Gophers men's basketball season already?

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wild, who struggled in a 5-2 loss at Winnipeg. Jesper Wallstedt reinforced his value to the team by not playing, while injuries showed the fragility of the Wild's strong start.

6:00: La Velle E. Neal III joins Rand with some early Wolves thoughts, a take on scary injuries in the NHL and what the heck is going on with the Vikings WR room.

26:00: Are the Vikings for real?

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with Wild center Nico Sturm getting hit with a puck in an eerily similar play to the one that sidelined defenseman Brock Faber a few weeks ago. Minnesota won the game 4-2 and now we await word on Sturm, who was taken to a hospital. Plus the Wolves continued to look very good in the preseason.

7:00: Andrew Krammer joins Rand off the latest Vikings victory. The offense is joining the party. The defense and special teams are still dominant.

24:00: Award-winning Vikings poetry.

42:00: What's up with the Vikings WR...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. It includes a look at the 5-0 Vikings, some offensive improvement, a boneheaded coaching decision they were able to overcome and the dominance of Brian Flores' defense.

Shifting to the Gophers football team, the news was not good. A 41-13 loss at Purdue was not one of the best days of P.J. Fleck's life and it raised fresh questions about the program's ceiling.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wild on two fronts, including Thursday's loss at Tampa Bay and some listener emails about their TV situation with Comcast. Plus Rand explores the reasons why the Vikings might have signed receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the practice squad.

10:00: Meet the Star Tribune's new Wolves writer, Sarah Todd. She and Rand chat about her background as well as early observations about the team.

32:00: A Wolves TV thought.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wolves and Twins, both of whom are remaking their identities. The Twins want to get faster, younger and better on defense. The Wolves want to get faster, younger and better on offense.

8:00: Chip Scoggins joins Rand for a look at the contrasting vibes between the 4-1 Gophers football team and the 4-0 Vikings.

31:00: OBJ is on the Vikings practice squad.

Host Michael Rand starts with the Wild's TV situation. Three games into the season and their new TV plan, they don't have carriage agreements with Comcast or DirecTV. Fans are frustrated. Plus Rand has thoughts on the 4-0 Vikings and how strange this must all be for Kevin O'Connell.

11:00: Bobby Nightengale joins Rand for a breakdown of key decisions awaiting the Twins this offseason.

29:00: A key projection for one Twins pitcher.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with another bad marker for the Vikings' 2024 QB draft. He also is probably a little too giddy about what he saw in the Wolves' first preseason game Monday.

8:00: Andrew Krammer joins Rand in hopes of untangling these questions: Is Kyler Murray figuring some things out, and does Kevin O'Connell need to help him even more? Plus Vikings poetry in unconventional fashion.

31:00: The Yankees are almost gone.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in Minnesota sports. The Vikings are 4-0. The Gophers football team beat Michigan. The Wild are undefeated.

Is this the first-ever perfect ranking Reusse and Rand will ever dole out for a weekend? You'll have to listen to the end to find out.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand start with the Wild's 3-1 win at Nashville to start the season. After a few months of vibes that were taking the wrong turn, it felt like a much-needed good start to the season. Plus what does the future hold for Lynx star Napheesa Collier?

10:00: Fox Sports' Jenny Taft, an Edina native, joins the show ahead of her work here this weekend for the Gophers vs. Michigan football game. She and Rand explore all sorts of topics, including what it's like to be a working parent in the media business.

33:00: Gophers...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand started with a subdued start to the Wild season as the prepare to open Thursday in Nashville. The Quinn Hughes contract and Brock Faber injury situations hang over the team in different ways. Plus what to watch for as the Lynx enter the offseason.

7:00: NFL insider Tom Pelissero shares his thoughts on the J.J. McCarthy trade and other major Vikings storylines.

38:00: Are the Vikings headed for a trap game Sunday?

Intro: Host Michael Rand starts with the news that Wild defenseman Brock Faber has a skull fracture and is out indefinitely. Plus the Vikings have mounting injuries to go with their QB room shakeup.

7:00: Shelby Swanson joins Rand as they unpack the Lynx's meek playoff performance. The No. 1 seed was swept by No. 8 New York, and star rookie point guard Olivia Miles struggled mightily.

29:00: The Twins have big offseason plans.

It was a nice and normal Monday until the Vikings traded quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the Giants. Andrew Krammer and Michael Rand break down what went wrong in Minnesota and where the organization goes from here with Kyler Murray at the helm.

Plus Vikings poetry, some Vikings QB history, good Timberwolves vibes and a must-win Lynx game.

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

They start with the 3-0 Vikings, who are looking like the Vikings of Rand's youth. Stout defense, unsettled QB play, and winning. They will need more from Kyler Murray going forward, but a win is a win. Plus the Gophers pulled a big upset in Washington while the Lynx are suddenly on the brink of seeing their season end.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with two outcomes Thursday that caught him by surprise. First was the Packers getting trounced 35-14 by the Falcons at home. Atlanta had 242 yards rushing to just 17 for Green Bay, exposing multiple weaknesses for the Vikings' rival. Plus the Lynx routed the Fever in their final regular-season game, getting their mojo back just in time for the playoffs.

7:00: James Plowright, a Charlotte Hornets podcaster from England, provides great insights into LaMelo Ball.

29:00: Some broadcast news for the Wolves.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with some good news for the Twins, bad news for the Vikings and pretty good news for the Gophers.

7:00: Sarah McLellan on the Wild and all the big training camp storylines.

29:00: The Lynx opponent is set.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with a trade idea floated by a longtime football writer by which the Giants, who might be without Jaxson Dart for the rest of the season, would make a deal for J.J. McCarthy. Plus a contract extension for Wild GM Bill Guerin.

7:00: Star Tribune Lynx writer Cassidy Hettesheimer joins Rand to break down a wild Tuesday night. Olivia Miles sat out with a calf injury. The rest of the starters were benched after a poor first half of a blowout loss to Indiana. And the Lynx still clinched the No. 1 seed...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with Kyler Murray clearing concussion protocol and how that will impact the Vikings. Plus Rand wonders if we have been paying enough attention to the Wolves' roster at center.

7:00: Andrew Krammer joins Rand for five key takeaways from the Vikings' win Sunday.

26:00: An altogether different look at the game via Vikings poetry.

41:00: The Lynx could use a win Tuesday.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. Included in the rundown: How the Vikings moved to 2-0 with a stout defensive effort against the Bears, a Gophers football win with bigger games ahead, a scoring record for Olivia Miles and some optimism for the Twins.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with mounting injuries for the Vikings. Their starting QB, a key running back and now right tackle Brian O'Neill are all banged up. Plus some thoughts on Quinn Hughes and Dylan Larkin, who have nowhere to hide now that NHL training camps have started.

7:00: Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd joins the show and offers great insights into the team's roster-building plan as well as how the LaMelo Ball trade came together.

36:00: The Lynx return to action for a critical stretch.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with Wednesday perhaps being the final game in Twins-Yankees history played under MLB's unfair economic system. Will a new CBA mean different results for the Twins, who are 49-130 against the Yankees in the last 25 seasons? Plus trying to answer a big question about when to expect Kyler Murray to return from his concussion.

7:00: St. Thomas head football coach Glenn Caruso joins Rand for a thoughtful discussion on the big picture of coaching.

34:00: An intriguing Dylan Larkin development.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the utter disappointment of the last six weeks for the Twins. Once 56-55 and armed with reinforcements after the trade deadline, Minnesota is now 70-81. Do they need to trade Joe Ryan in the offseason? Rand says yes.

6:00: Former Penn State assistant football coach Jay Paterno, son of Joe Paterno, joins Rand for a discussion of where college sports are headed. Paterno has been on the Penn State board of trustees for almost a decade.

30:00: Bill Guerin addressed Quinn Hughes negotiations as training camp is set to begin.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the resurgence of the Kansas City Chiefs, a Quinn Hughes milestone and the continued slide of the Twins.

7:00: Andrew Krammer joins for five big Vikings takeaways from Sunday's win.

26:00: Award-winning Vikings poetry is back.

38:00: Wouldn't it be great to own an NBA franchise?

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse and host Michael Rand take you on a football journey. It was a tale of two halves of the weekend and a tale of two halves for the Vikings. Ultimately, a win over the Packers was a balm that helped sooth everything after a bad Gophers loss on Saturday.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Rams getting crushed 27-7 by the 49ers in Australia. Did the teams' travel plans impact how they played, or are the Rams not who we thought they were? Plus Rand begs the Vikings to do one thing Sunday and examines an interesting subplot to the Wolves' youth movement.

10:00: SKOR North's Judd Zulgad joins Rand to break down what Quinn Hughes might be thinking as Wild training camp approaches.

30:00: Is the Twins' infield defense getting better?

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the NFL opener, Sam Darnold's hip injury and the idea that it's hard to make a plan in sports.

6:00: Rand is joined by Drew Magary of Defector for a long look at everything that could go right this season for the Vikings. It's a great time of year for optimism.

40:00: Quinn Hughes and the Twins.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with a common sense guideline that the NCAA should follow when determining which athletes are eligible. Plus a Twins comeback win that keeps them at least on the fringes of the playoff race.

8:00: La Velle E. Neal III joins Rand for a spirited discussion of where things stand with Quinn Hughes. Plus they get into the Vikings and whether this Twins season feels different than last year.

30:00: Baker Mayfield broke the bank.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. Among the topics in focus: The controversial end of the Western Michigan vs. Michigan college football game, the Twins' continued slide and Quinn Hughes' status.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand invites you to enjoy the Gophers football team's blowout win in Thursday's opener -- and then forget all about it because it doesn't matter going forward. Plus a big weekend for the Twins.

7:00: Mitch Helgerson, the Minnesota Wild's chief revenue officer, joins Rand for details about the team's new TV plan.

24:00: Rand has more TV thoughts.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with an update on J.J. McCarthy's ankle injury and long-term Vikings outlook provided on Wednesday by general manager Nolan Teasley. Plus a rough loss for the Twins after a big comeback and a Clippers punishment that will feel very familiar for vintage Timberwolves fans.

10:00: Five captains from the Lakeville South football team join Rand at the Minnesota State Fair for a great conversation.

26:00: More details on the new Wild TV deal and a Gophers football season about to begin.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with news that Victory+, which had been carrying Lynx games locally this year, has abruptly stopped operating. Plus we'll get Wild TV news soon. Will we get Quinn Hughes news, too?

9:00: Chip Scoggins joins Rand to break down the Gophers football outlook heading into Thursday's opener.

28:00: Where does NBA luxury tax money go?

Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins, who won a second straight game to remain on the edge of the wild card race. Plus Rand has a thought on one thing Kevin O'Connell should do about Vikings quarterbacks.

9:00: Yossi Gozlan from The Third Apron joins Rand for a deep dive into the Wolves' current and future salary cap. How much will they need to spend to contend under new owner Marc Stad?

38:00: Young players could hold the key for the Wolves.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. In focus: The Twins' bright future, a mini-slump for the Lynx, the Vikings keeping four quarterbacks, a big payday ahead for Quinn Hughes and a more.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Vikings and whether they will be more exciting this year than they were a season ago. Plus are the Packers the most boring team in the NFC North? And is Kirk Cousins going to be a Week 1 starter for the Raiders?

10:00: Bobby Nightengale joins Rand to break down the Twins' recent struggles and their promotion (finally) of prospect Walker Jenkins.

32:00: Will Cale Makar's expected new contract Friday set the market for Quinn Hughes?

Introduction: Host Michael Rand breaks down the Wolves' signing of forward Jonathan Kuminga. He fits their timeline and risk-reward approach to roster building, but how will he fit on the court? Plus Reusse was right about the Twins.

11:00: Justin Giampietro from The Hockey Writers joins Rand to break down the Wild's window of contention, the Quinn Hughes question and more.

33:00: J.J. McCarthy missed a key practice Wednesday.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the latest Quinn Hughes rumblings. It's hard to separate fact from fiction this time of year, but the fact that he hasn't signed an extension yet means the chatter about his future with the Wild will continue. Plus will Byron Buxton's latest injury lead to a Walker Jenkins call-up?

9:00: Gophers volleyball coach Keegan Cook joins Rand ahead of Minnesota's season opener on Friday. A year after going to the Sweet 16, the Gophers are aiming even higher.

24:00: Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy are splitting reps.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Lynx, a loss to Golden State and how both teams are part of a very healthy WNBA on and off the court. Plus the Twins found a soft landing with the A's.

8:00: Matt Brown from the Extra Points newsletter joins Rand to discuss several key aspects of the college sports landscape. Where do the Gophers and St. Thomas fit in, and to what level should both programs expect to compete?

33:00: An early NFC North thought.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports. Reusse starts by declaring the Twins unofficially cooked after being swept by the Padres. We'll see as the schedule lightens up.

Plus the boredom of NFL preseason football, lingering Vikings questions, the sale of the Wolves and Lynx and St. Thomas football.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with an update on the Wild. As we get into late August without resolution on their biggest pieces of business, it's natural to be worried. Plus another key leadership departure for Minnesota United and some Twins optimism.

11:00: Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber joins Rand on a number of big topics, including what we want to see still from Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, what makes Brian Flores' defenses so good and how a player knows when it's time to retire.

36:00: The only Vikings home preseason game is Saturday.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand start with another impressive win for the Lynx over another top WNBA contender, 77-66 over Golden State on Wednesday. At 30-7, Minnesota is clearly ahead of the rest of the league. Will that translate into a championship? Plus a rough loss leaves Minnesota United's MLS playoff outlook looking bleak.

5:00: Baseball writer and podcaster Aaron Gleeman joins Rand for an extended look at the Twins, their playoff chances and what their resilience this year means in the big picture.

35:00: Vikings joint practices show some offensive struggles.