Recent content from Michael Rand
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…
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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…
I'm nearly positive about who should be the Vikings quarterback next season
The goal at the start of Tuesday was to settle once and for all what I think is the best course of action for the…
Where does this Super Bowl rank among other big local sporting events and among all Super Bowls?
Nothing will give you a lesson in recency bias more than to declare something that just happened is the best of its kind to ever…
Some former NFL players used platform to educate
In the midst of the NFL's weeklong product placement extravaganza that culminated with Sunday's Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium, a recurring theme kept putting…
Mall of America is place to be this week for NFL fans
It was a dizzying day at Mall of America. Here is the best of what we heard and saw out walking around and on radio…
Teddy Bridgewater's comeback inspires book by his girlfriend
Current and former athletes, marketers and handlers hustled briskly from spot to spot on Mall of America's Super Bowl radio row Thursday, promoting everything from…
Q and A with Vikings great Carl Eller
Vikings legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Carl Eller was making the media rounds Wednesday at Mall of America and promoting a few projects,…
Media stars Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen rise above the stresses of Super Bowl week
Rich Eisen, Dan Patrick rise above anxiety of big game.
Yep, Super Bowl LII Opening Night was as wild as rumored
Tom Brady likes tequila, one Star Tribune reporter might be brothers with an Eagles coach, and Super Bowl LII Opening Night was as crazy as we thought it might be.
Super Bowl fun on a budget
Plenty to do at the NFL's interactive pop-up museum, the Super Bowl Experience.
Former NFL stars to play wounded vets for charity
Charity flag football game will feature Vikings greats.
It might be tough for Vikings to reach 13 victories again next year
The disappointment for the Vikings and their fans of missing out by one game on a chance to not only play in a Super Bowl…
It's time to move past sorrow over Vikings and embrace state's other pro teams
It's hard not to wallow in Sunday's Vikings loss, and it's going to be even harder as signs of a Minneapolis Super Bowl between the…
Vikings' offensive line, quarterback Case Keenum both crumbled under Eagles' pressure
On Friday, about 48 hours before the kickoff of the NFC Championship Game between the Vikings and Eagles, I spent entirely too much time fixated…
Vikings' most pressing question: Who will be this team's quarterback in 2018?
Keenum, Bradford and Bridgewater are pending free agents, so the Vikings face a big decision
Kyle Sloter is Vikings' only signed QB for 2018
When considering the Vikings' quarterback situation heading into 2018, much of the conversation — and rightfully so — is focused on Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater…
Pain, on so many levels, for Vikings season
The Vikings last went to the Super Bowl following the 1976 season. I was born during that season — a day before their first regular-season…
Buzz about Vikings a positive for Twins as well
Twins pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers on Feb. 13, just nine days after the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
Eagles fans could end up worse off than Vikings fans
Vikings fans are so well-versed in their favorite franchise's, ahem, difficult playoff history that they sometimes wear it as a badge of honor. Ask them…
This Vikings win tops them all — at least for now
I don't know the last time a single sporting event — or a single play, even — made the entire state of Minnesota so happy.Maybe…
Wolves guard Jamal Crawford reflects on judging Black History Month essay contest
It's generally a good idea to start an interview with a uncontroversial opening question to get a reasonably friendly dialogue going. With that in mind,…
Five Minnesota teams making the playoffs this year still a possibility
Starting in the Year 2000, there were five Minnesota professional sports teams playing in the top league in the United States: The Lynx (debuted in…
Juggernaut … for naught: Vikings fans still haunted by memories of 1998
The 1998 Vikings went 15-1 and set a record (at the time) for points in a season. That team's overtime loss in the NFC Championship Game to Atlanta left a mark that remains today.
The Eagles aren't dead yet
On this week's Access Vikings podcast — available on startribune.com and iTunes, in case you shamefully haven't listened to it before — I was asked…
Amid uncertainty, a new home for Gophers men's basketball practices
There might not be a perfect word to describe everything that is happening with the Gophers men's basketball program right now, but star forward Jordan…
Vikings have a chance to exorcise two playoff demons
If you are the kind of Vikings fan who is willing to look ahead more than one game and also can stomach looking back —…
Dream takes flight for Gophers gymnast/drone pilot
Jack Kramer is a senior on the gymnastics team who specializes on the high bar. And he's a certified drone pilot with a burgeoning business that could help finance his ability to fly real airplanes someday.
Vikings' 2018 opponents pose many challenges, especially on road
The NFL regular season concluded a few days ago, which meant all 32 teams pretty much immediately knew their entire 2018 home-and-away schedule.The NFL follows…
Which type of Vikings fan are you?
As the Vikings stacked up enough wins to earn a 13-3 record and the No. 2 seed in the NFC this season (and the bye…
![A Superbowl LII ice sculpture outside the IDS Crystal Court 100 days before the Super Bowl . ] GLEN STUBBE • glen.stubbe@startribune.com Friday, Oct](http://stmedia.stimg.co/ows_151477165624093.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Ten Minnesota sports story lines to watch in 2018
Welcome to 2018. How does it feel to know that someone born Jan. 1, 2000, is now old enough to legally vote? Wait, don't answer…
Are Philadelphia Eagles weakened enough to prefer playing them on road?
Sports Illustrated's Peter King pretty much nailed it Tuesday morning when writing about how bad the Eagles looked Monday, even in defeating the Raiders 19-10.…
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