Recent content from Michael Rand
Wolves trade for Jimmy Butler still looks good year later
One year ago at the NBA draft, the Timberwolves pulled off one of the most significant trades in franchise history when they landed Jimmy Butler…
![Fans will able to have their photos taken with an NCAA trophy. ] GLEN STUBBE • glen.stubbe@startribune.com Thursday, June 7, 2018 Starting in June t](http://stmedia.stimg.co/ows_152937660314672.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
The Twin Cities seems to have everything when it comes to sports
Say this for the newly announced 3M Open, a regular PGA Tour event that will start in the Twin Cities in the summer of 2019:…
Wolves, Wild draft histories are ledger of hits, misses
The Timberwolves and Wild have draft histories that can politely be described as hit-or-miss.
Golfer Michael Lutgen gets two holes-in-one on the same hole at New Prague Country Club two days apart
Before Michael Lutgen hit his tee shot May 25 on the par 3, No. 14 hole at New Prague Golf Club — the same spot…
44 million reason$ to gasp
Even in this seemingly fictional world we have chosen to accept, where the top 1 percent of earners — of which many professional athletes certainly…
Wolves fans should root for LeBron James going anywhere but Los Angeles
Welcome to another Summer of LeBron.(And don't argue that summer technically hasn't started yet. Summer goes from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, regardless…
Ovechkin's joy shows value in ending title droughts the old-fashioned way
The genuine enthusiasm with which Alex Ovechkin is celebrating Washington's Stanley Cup title is a tribute to the power of success truly earned.
Keeping tabs on the Vikings quarterbacks of 2017, and 2018
One of the most potentially fascinating, fun and/or frustrating things to watch during the 2018 NFL season figures to be the play of four specific…
The 'other' Randy Moss says distance could hurt Justify at Belmont
Prior Lake's Randy Moss — the NBC horse racing analyst, who is not to be confused with the legendary former Vikings receiver - chatted about Saturday's race.
Wolves need to find immediate help in draft with 20th pick
On Monday night, the Twins chose (PLEASE UPDATE AFTER THE PICK IS MADE) with the No. 20 overall pick in the MLB draft. It will…
Fleck's miss on Viramontes is another lesson about hype
The seduction of possibility often leads to a harsh reality in sports, as Gophers football, the Twins and the NBA taught us this weekend.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a champion of young people
Her foundation is working with the Twin Cities-based Tony Sanneh Foundation on some shared programs
Fewer homers the biggest reason Twins aren't scoring as much this season
Tuesday night’s 2-1, 14-inning loss to the Royals was the breaking point — or at least the latest breaking point — for some Twins fans…
Being best of the worst may be winning strategy in mediocre AL Central
The good news for the Twins through roughly the first two months of the season — which have been filled with slumps, underachievers, injuries and…
Karl-Anthony Towns' big payday could come this summer
Bobby Marks, a front office insider for ESPN who used to be an assistant GM with the NBA's Nets, generated great interest in the Twin…
Hibbert, in retirement, plans to keep riding snowmobiles — for fun
Tucker Hibbert, 33, raced snowmobiles for 25 years and did it professionally for more than half his life before announcing last week he was retiring as a professional snocross racer.
The Vikings' Anthony Barr, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers and the Wolves' Karl-Anthony Towns involved in power plays of another kind
In whatever pro sports battles exist between the rich (players, coaches) and ultrarich (owners and the leagues themselves), the path to more money or power…
Two views: NFL may not have most to gain from regulated gambling
Michael Rand and Chris Hine weigh in in the week's hot sports topics.
Getting an interview is first step for women to coach a men's team
Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon reportedly interviewed for the Milwaukee Bucks' head coaching vacancy. She didn't get the job this week — former Hawks coach…
Las Vegas likely will take a hit from expanded gambling
The U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for widespread sports betting across the country with its ruling earlier this week that struck down a federal…
From Shakopee to Slovenia, Gophers create a men's tennis power
The Gophers earned their first spot in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 in 18 years when they beat host Oklahoma on Saturday.
Champs win in various ways
If you follow the narrative that defense wins championships, you can find repudiation — but then validation — in the story of the Golden State…
Baseball card experts (mostly) hit a home run in ranking Twins' 'most legendary'
As part of a promotional effort to generate interest in the Topps and Beckett brands, the two leaders in the trading card industry have teamed…
Wild gamble pays off for Vegas
Few people could have seen any of this coming — not even the biggest Vegas Golden Knights optimist or the biggest Minnesota Wild pessimist.This time…
Twins' key offseason acquisitions show signs of turning corner
Plenty of things contributed to the Twins' 10-17 record through 27 games, including slow starts and subsequent injuries to Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton as…
Stats overload making sports so predictable, fans losing out
The narrative of the Wild's trip to the NHL playoffs and the Wolves' trip to the NBA playoffs this year was basically written and decided…
Vikings among favorites to win Super Bowl by Las Vegas oddsmakers
Super Bowl odds released shortly after the NFL draft 1) are pretty useless and 2) still managed to catch my eye this week.The useless part…
Vikings' draft failed to fill their biggest immediate need
It's partly true and partly a cop out to say we can't evaluate how teams perform in the NFL draft until a few years down…
![Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau in the second quarter. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ ï cgonzalez@startribune.com ñ April 21, 2018, Minneapolis,](http://stmedia.stimg.co/ows_152504583157026.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Tom Thibodeau and Bruce Boudreau: Two years, two coaches, two evaluations
Almost exactly two years ago, the head coaching landscape in Minnesota sports changed considerably.On April 20, 2016, the Timberwolves announced they were hiring Tom Thibodeau…
RandBall: Local pro teams, beware of flying objects
My wife often teases me about my ability to see plausible paths to victory or success for Minnesota sports teams when the reality tells us…
RandBall: NFL draft success sets the table for winning seasons
Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said all the right things in his pre-draft news conference with reporters Tuesday, including this: "Every year is a big…
Vikings' schedule may not be as tough as originally thought
The caveat before we get started with this exercise is to point out Mark Craig's very good Star Tribune piece last week about how the…
1.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Postseasons of Wild, Wolves offer some parallels
The middle class of sports — being good enough to reach the playoffs but not good enough to do much once you get there — can be a frustrating place.
Timberwolves offense this postseason can only go up
Mitch Hedberg's excellent and hilarious comedy routine about what happens when escalators break down aside, there is a certain strangeness and discomfort I encounter in…
Stanley Cup visits Minneapolis, nears tough transition time
In order to keep the Stanley Cup from getting too unwieldy, bands at the bottom need to be removed and replaced as more teams win.
Why didn't Towns get more shots vs. Houston in Game 1?
In the aftermath of the Wolves’ 104-101 loss to the Rockets on Sunday, there were a lot of big opinions. You could trash the Wolves…
The 'green files': If there's a job opening, Gophers AD Coyle has names ready
U athletic director Mark Coyle says: "If you came to my house in St. Paul, I can open up a desk drawer and I've got green files of every sport, coaches we want to go after."
Wolves spared Minnesota sport fans more agony
The 2003 Vikings started the season 6-0 and appeared destined for the playoffs. They then proceeded to go 3-6 in their next nine games, many…
That's a billion-buck ballclub
The Twins are worth $1.15 billion, according to a new valuation released by Forbes this week, ranking No. 22 among major league teams. There are…
Departure of Gophers' Marlene Stollings has echoes of Brenda Frese's
The last time a Gophers women's basketball coach known for an up-tempo, offensive style bolted town for a job that looked like a lateral move…
Four NBA games this weekend all hurt Wolves playoff chances
The top three teams in the West could have helped the Wolves over the weekend in their quest to end 14 years of playoff futility.
Two views: Who is the most important player for the Timberwolves?
Each week, Michael Rand and Chris Hine weigh in on Twin Cities sports topics.
RandBall: Lynx seem most likely to win title soon, Loons least likely
A couple of months ago, this question was posed to me: Out of the Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild and Twins, which is the team most likely…
Twins need to perform better, especially their pitchers, at Target Field
For all of their offseason additions aimed at improving on last year's 85-win season and surprise AL wild-card playoff berth, the Twins could do one…
Quite the changeup: Twins starting pitchers strong out the gate
Jake Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson and Jose Berrios threw 21 shutout innings over three games against the Orioles. Who was the most impressive?
Two views: Wild in line to be latest victim of playoff seeding system
Michael Rand and Chris Hine weigh in on hot sports topics of the week.
Wild-card spot gives fringe playoff teams hope
Major League Baseball added a second wild-card playoff team to each league in 2012, at a time when making the playoffs was not a realistic…
Color commentator Bert Blyleven will keep 'circling' fans this season
It started organically and modestly, as most traditions do. Back in 2002, Twins color commentator Bert Blyleven started circling Twins fans via Telestrator during a…
Page 2: Brief loss of cool costs Cretin-Derham Hall's Daniel Oturu
Daniel Oturu, as he has done all season, showed in his final three high school games why Gophers fans are so excited to have the…
Siemian offers familiar risks, welcome security as Vikings' backup QB
Two views: Michael Rand and Chris Hine weigh in on hot sports topics of the week.
Max Kepler could be another big bat in Twins' lineup this season
As several young Twins hitters ascended last season, particularly in the final two months when Minnesota sprinted to the finish and grabbed a wild-card playoff…
Rodney Smith says to teammates he's here for advice this spring
Running back Rodney Smith just turned 22 a few weeks ago. But on the young and inexperienced Gophers football team, Smith talks — and acts…
Schedules may decide fate of Vikings, Wolves and Twins
Local fans and media members have spent countless hours dissecting moves made by the Vikings, Twins and Timberwolves in recent months.But for better or worse,…
Vikings and GM Rick Spielman learning from past mistakes
Recent weeks have offered pretty consistent evidence on a few fronts that the Vikings are trying not to repeat their previous miscues.
Case Keenum, Sam Bradford reflect on 2017 with the Vikings
Keenum finds Broncos welcoming; Bradford calls his knee "not an issue."
Q&A: Minnesota golf official talks about the game's new rules
Doug Hoffmann, the rules and competitions director for the Minnesota Golf Association, chatted with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand about the national and local impact of the changes.
Twins' acquisition of Lynn rewarded patient strategy
The Twins are shelling out $12 million for one season of pitcher Lance Lynn's services, but they're clearly counting on a bigger payoff down the road.
Two views: Morrison can solve the Twins' troubles at DH if ...
Each week, Michael Rand and Chris Hine weigh in on the week's top Twin Cities sports issues.
Former Gophers coach Tubby Smith has a double standard when it comes to player transfers
Former Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith, now with Memphis, got going pretty good Sunday when a reporter asked him after a game if he…
Augsburg basketball turns switch, makes NCAA D-III basketball field
With Harry Sonie switching to point guard for his senior season, the Auggies made a strong run through the MIAC postseason tournament and have earned a berth in the Division III field.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer's comments about Kirk Cousins fuel speculation
If you are looking for a defining date in this whole confusing and wonderfully speculative Vikings QB situation, try this one: Nov. 8, 2017.Here in…
'LoMo' left Twitter behind
If you're an active Twitter user who likes to check out the social media accounts of local athletes — particularly ones you don't know very…
Page 2: FBI's findings expose an NCAA mired in corruption
For the second consecutive week, Yahoo.com's Pete Thamel delivered a story chronicling just how widespread the corruption in NCAA college basketball really is.
Watching Olympics on television tiring, but well worth it
The Winter Olympics this year are exhausting to watch, aren't they?OK, before you answer, let's back up. First and foremost, they're exponentially more exhausting for…
Diggs' TD and Diggins' medal-winning race shared some striking similarities
Just two weeks into 2018, Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs delivered what seemed like would stand as the signature moment in Minnesota sports for the…
Page 2: Jets' offer to Kirk Cousins may set bar too high for Vikings
If you believe the Vikings should at least be considering a run at free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason — and you will find me…
Andrew Wiggins' improvement hasn't kept up with Wolves'
The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 119-111 on Thursday, giving them a 36-25 record at the All-Star break.Jimmy Butler filled up the stat sheet, finishing with…
Two views: Trading is the Twins' best bet, and Archer is a great target
Star Tribune sports staff Michael Rand and Chris Hine take a stab at assessing the Twins' search for starting pitching help.
Wolves helping to build bridges between youths and police
Not long after their practice Monday at Mayo Clinic Square, Timberwolves players Karl-Anthony Towns, Jamal Crawford and Cole Aldrich returned to the court for an…
Winning comes at a cost for Timberwolves ticket holders
Enticed by the prospect of an exciting season and lured by rock-bottom prices, Melissa Berman took the plunge and bought Timberwolves season tickets this year.Her…
When you shoot for the stars
Let's assume, for the sake of argument and positive thinking, that the Twins' offseason pursuit of pitching is not akin to Elon Musk's pursuit of…
Two views: No trades is the right move for young Timberwolves
Michael Rand and Chris Hine weigh in on this week's hot Minnesota sports topic.
NBA and MLB teams are spending their boatloads of money more wisely
There has never been more money rolling through major U.S. sports, and there has seldom been more of a reluctance to spend it — or…
Even before Ervin Santana's injury, Twins' rotation was fragile
Panic isn't quite the right word to describe the reaction of Twins fans Tuesday to the news that Ervin Santana, their best and most dependable…
More from Star Tribune
StarTribune.com welcomes and encourages readers to comment and engage in substantive, mutually respectful exchanges over news topics. Commenters must follow our Terms of Use.
Comments will be reviewed before being published.