Jon Marthaler bakes up a batch of delicious links just for you. Other times, you can find him here and here. While he didn't specifically supply the image of that hipster dinosaur, we think he would approve of our choice. Jon?

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It's supposed to rain today, here in the Twin Cities, and there is a minor chance of midweek snow in the forecast. All good things must come to an end, and this stretch of weather we've had lately is one of the nicest ever. I am hoping to remember this wonderful unexpected October in two months, when we're all freezing and buried and spring is five months away.

And now, a whole heap of links:

*Rand is ignoring hockey, which apparently means that he'd fit perfectly in Phoenix. Columbus and Atlanta also couldn't crack the 10,000 mark for official attendance (which has to mean that maybe 5,500 people showed up in both places.) The best part, as the article notes: though the NHL wouldn't let the Coyotes move to Canada, but Phoenix just got almost out-drawn by the Hamilton-Manitoba game in the AHL. There could well be an NFL and an NBA lockout next year, perhaps the perfect storm for hockey; Gary Bettman has one year to get things straight. (Confidence level: low, of course.)

*In other business news: Congratulations, Twins fans - not only did you show up in huge numbers at Target Field, you tuned in from home, too. The Twins had the second-highest local TV ratings in baseball, behind only the Cardinals. The Sports Media Watch blog notes that the Twins drew better average ratings than any NBA or NHL team last year, which - given that there's 162 games and 38 were against the Royals or the Indians - is pretty darn impressive.

*The Timberwolves finished off the preseason with an overtime win over Milwaukee last night, but perhaps the best summation of the preseason I've seen came earlier in the week at Canis Hoopus. I'm actually excited for this season to start. I know they probably will not be very good, but I think for the first time in a long time, the Wolves will be fun to watch. Plus I can't wait to get a Darko jersey.

*And here's this week's two best Twins links: John Sickels of Minor League Ball has an early look at the team's top prospects for next year. Meanwhile, Parker Hageman looks at recent Tommy John-related history - and says not to count on Joe Nathan to be dominant next year.

That'll do it for me. If you're stuck inside, why not watch an hour-long documentary about the state of cricket in the USA? No? Well, just enjoy your Saturday, then - even if it rains. We've had a good run.