Introduction: Host Michael Rand liked a lot of what he saw in Wednesday's men's basketball game between the Gophers and rival Badgers, even if Minnesota came up just short in a 68-67 loss. Moral victories aren't a thing in the standings, but you can see the foundation being put in place by head coach Ben Johnson. Plus, Rand takes a second-day look at the Wild's budding goalie situation, fresh with remarks from head coach Dean Evason shifting blame away from Cam Talbot.
Border Battle thoughts, Wild goalie concerns, Wolves drive to playoffs
9:00: Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins the show as the Wolves prepare to play the final 23 games of their post-All Star schedule. It starts with four tough games, including Thursday against Memphis — a possible playoff preview if things go well for the Wolves down the stretch. What are realistic expectations, and what does Hine want to see from this team as games become more meaningful?
29:00: A quick run through three interesting stories: Troy Aikman reportedly is going to join Monday Night Football; Aaron Rodgers reportedly wasn't promised a trade,and MLB has set a Monday deadline for a resolution to its labor standoff or else regular-season games will be impacted.
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Questions? Comments? Long-winded diatribes about nothing in particular? E-mail me at michael.rand@startribune.com. Follow me on Twitter @RandBall and Star Tribune sports @StribSports
Talk of competing for the best players or of a potential new owner wielding big bucks doesn’t change this: They are last in popularity among the four major men’s pro sports.