We'll spare you the long-windedness and jump into three things you should know about today: TUCKER TO PUSH TEEN FITNESS

1 Former Gophers and NBA player Trent Tucker will be at Minneapolis Roosevelt High today as part of a fitness-based partnership between the Body By Milk campaign and NBA FIT.

The program is called "Get Fit By Finals," and it encourages physical fitness and good nutrition to combat a surging adolescent obesity rate. Tucker will present the school with $1,000 in grant money to jump-start wellness activities.

WHERE ARE WOMEN COACHES?

2 The Tucker Center will tackle the question of why so few women are coaching youth sports during its Distinguished Lecture Series tonight.

The event, featuring USC professor and author Michael A. Messner, is at the U of M's Humphrey Center. It starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

SEEKING A LINK, ANY LINK, TO THE POSTSEASON FUN

3 Not to spend too much time on the NBA and NHL playoffs for the second consecutive day, but Minnesota fans feeling left out of the process can take heart -- or not -- in knowing there are plenty of local connections playing on this very night. One can practically fill out two starting lineups, in fact. NBA: Chauncey Billups, ex-Wolves guard (Denver); Mario Chalmers, guard and Wolves draft pick (Miami); Maurice Evans, ex-Wolves guard/forward (Atlanta); Donyell Marshall, ex-Wolves forward (Philadelphia); Theo Ratliff, ex-Wolves center (Philadelphia). Keep in mind this doesn't include the injured Kevin Garnett or Brandon Roy, Ray Allen and others playing on different nights.

NHL: Saku Koivu, brother of Mikko and a player coveted by Wild fans (Montreal, C); Phil Kessel, ex-Gopher (Boston, RW); Aaron Voros, ex-Wild (N.Y. Rangers, LW); Jordan Leopold, ex-Gopher (Calgary, D); Manny Fernandez, ex-Wild (Boston, G). Sure, Fernandez has been a playoff backup. But you get the point.

MICHAEL RAND