Q102 Sports

Morneau powers Twins past Tigers (Detroit, MI)  -- 05-18-2012-- Minnesota's Justin Morneau clubbed a two-run homer in the third inning and Trevor Plouffe (PLOOF) followed with a solo shot as the Twins topped the Tigers 4-3 yesterday in Detroit.  Morneau added an RBI groundout in the fifth as Minnesota swept the brief two-game set at Comerica Park.  More.... Blackburn goes on DL, not Doumit (Detroit, MI)  -- 05-18-2012-- The Twins have placed pitcher Nick Blackburn on the 15-day DL because of a left quad strain.  Ben Revere has been called up to take Blackburn's spot on the roster.  Meantime, the Twins decided to keep catcher Ryan Doumit on the 25-man roster.  He is suffering from a right calf strain. (MNN) MLB begins inter-league play this weekend (Undated)  -- 05-18-2012-- Major League Baseball begins its first round of Interleague play for the 2012 season today.  Fourteen matchups between the National and American Leagues are on tap, including several traditional rivalries.  Among those are the Twins and Brewers.  The White Sox and Cubs open a three-game set at Wrigley Field this afternoon.  More... Pacers rout Heat, Spurs continue to roll (Undated)  -- 05-18-2012-- The Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs picked up big wins in the NBA playoffs last night.  In Indiana, the Pacers rolled to a 94-75 win over the Miami Heat in Game Three of their semifinal series.  The Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set with the victory.  More... USA bounced from World Championships (Helsinki, Finland)  -- 05-18-2012-- The United States men's hockey team let a 2-1 third period lead slip away and was eliminated from the 2012 World Hockey Championships by the host Finland team 3-2 yesterday.  Wild star Mikko Koivu scored the game-tying goal in the third period before a teammate netted the game-winner with only nine-seconds left in the contest, More... LA Kings on verge of Finals (Los Angeles, CA)  -- 05-18-2012-- The Los Angeles Kings are now just a win away from the Stanley Cup Final.  The Kings skated to a 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game Three of the Western Conference finals on Thursday.  Los Angeles improved to 11-and-1 in this year's playoffs with the victory.  More... Twins outslug Tigers for 11-7 win (Detroit, MI)   --05-17-2012--   Minnesota shortstop Brian Dozier cracked a three-run homer and Trevor Plouffe added a two-run shot to help the Twins take down the Tigers 11-7 last night in the Motor City.   It was the second home run of the year for Dozier and Plouffe, who helped the Twins snap a two-game losing streak.  More... Twins put Doumit on DL with strained calf (Detroit, MI)   -- 05-17-2012--  The Twins placed catcher Ryan Doumit (DOH-mitt) on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain.   Doumit suffered the injury during last night's 11-7 win over Detroit. Doumit drove in a run in the victory and had been hitting .264 on the season with five home runs and 24 runs batted in.  More... Vikings camp schedule (Eden Prairie, MN)   -- 05-17-2012--  The Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to report to training camp in Mankato on Thursday July 26th.   The first practice on the Minnesota State campus is July 27th and the team will break camp August 16th.   This will be the 47th straight year that the Vikings have had a presence in Mankato.  More... OKC rallies to beat Lakers, lead series 2-0 05-17-2012--Kevin  Durant scored  the  go-ahead  basket with  18.6  seconds  left and  the Oklahoma  City Thunder closed  on a 9-0 run to beat the Lakers 77-75 in Game 2 of  their  Western Conference semifinal  series. More... NHL Playoffs 05-17-2012--Martin  Brodeur  made 23 saves, David  Clarkson scored the winner early in the third  period and  the New  Jersey Devils  took a  3-2 win  over the  New York Rangers  in  Game 2 of the  Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night. More... If not for Target Field (Willmar, MN) --05-16-2012-- So if the Twins didn't have the most beautiful ballpark in America according to some national publications, would anyone be going to watch this awful team? There is no way I'd be spending my hard earned money to go to the Dome and watch the Twins lose three out of every four games. More... Veteran Lowe, Tribe blank Twins 5-0 (Minneapolis, MN)   --05-16-2012--   Cleveland right-hander Derek Lowe threw a six-hitter as the Indians blanked the Twins 5-0 at Target Field yesterday.   It was the first shutout for the 38-year-old since blanking the Cubs in 2005 as a member of the Dodgers.   More... Morneau activated, Parmelee optioned to Triple-A (Minneapolis, MN)   --05-16-2012--   Twins first baseman Justin Morneau will be activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to today's game against the Tigers. Morneau has been sidelines since May 1st due to a wrist injury.   Minnesota optioned Chris Parmelee to Triple-A to make room on the roster.   First-pitch tonight is at 6:05 p.m. (MNN) Vikings new stadium to bring Super Bowl with it? (Minneapolis, MN)   --   As the Vikings move forward with their new stadium plans they do so with a possible eye on hosting a Super Bowl game in the future.   Team president Mark Wylf says the Twin Cities would be wise in trying to secure a bid to host Super Bowl 51 in 2017.  More... Lynx throttle Chicago in exibition finale (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-16-2012--  Minnesota Lynx star Lindsay Whalen returned to her college roots by scoring nine points and handing out eight assists in an 82-61 exhibition win over Chicago yesterday afternoon.   The game was played at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion, where Whalen broke out as a star college player out of Hutchinson.   More... Pekovic surgery goes well, finishes third in Most Improved voting (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-16-2012--  Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (PECK'-uh-vitch) underwent successful surgery today (Tues) to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.   The procedure was done by Dr. Martin O'Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.   The ankle injury forced Pekovic to miss eight games this season.   More... Rubio second in R-O-Y voting (New York, NY)   -- 05-16-2012--  Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio finished second in voting for the Rookie of the Year Award yesterday.   The honor went to Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving.   Rubio averaged 10.6 points and 8.2 assists in 41 games before he tore his ACL on March 9th. (MNN) Former Viking QB selected for college HOF (New York, NY)   --   Former Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer was selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame yesterday.   Kramer, who starred as a college player at Rice, was fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting during his senior season of 1976 when he led the nation with 3,317 passing yards and 3,272 yards of total offense.  More... USA wins again at Worlds (Helsinki, Finland)   -- 05-16-2012--  The USA men's hockey team skated by Switzerland 5-2 yesterday in the final preliminary round game of the 2012 World Hockey Championships in Helsinki, Finland.   Alex Goligoski of Grand Rapids scored a goal for the U-S.   The Americans open the quarterfinal round of the tourney against the host Fins on Thursday.   More... Twins rally falls short in loss to Tribe (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-15-2012--  The Twins teased their fans by rallying from a three-run deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Indians last night at Target Field, only to lose the contest 5-4. Cleveland's Shin-Soo Choo's RBI single in the top of the ninth lifted the Indians to a win in the opener of a two-game set.  More... Governor signs stadium bill (St.Paul, MN)   -- 05-15-2012--  Governor Dayton signed the Vikings stadium bill into law yesterday during a state Capitol ceremony.   The governor was joined by Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, the stadium bill authors, Minneapolis Mayor R-T Rybak and other dignitaries.   More.... Greenway: Defensive strategy will remain the same (Eden Prairie, MN)   -- 05-15-2012--  Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway says he doesn't expect any major changes in the defensive schemes implemented this coming season for Minnesota.   After struggling much of last season, many outsiders figured the defensive strategies could shift away from the familar and famed "cover-two" defense employed under Leslie Frazier. More...  Asian carp on the way from Iowa (St. Paul, MN)   -- 05-15-2012--  The Minnesota D-N-R is concerned that Asian carp from Iowa may soon invade waterways along the state's southern border.   Commercial fishermen recently caught 82 bighead carp and 55 silver carp in northwest Iowa.   More... Twins beat Jays, split series at Target Field (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-14-2012--  Minnesota rookie shortstop Brian Dozier hit a solo homer and scored twice as the Twins took down the Blue Jays 4-3 yesterday at Target Field.   Ryan Doumit (DOE-mitt) laced a two-run single to help Minnesota jump out to a 4-zip lead, en route to salvaging a split of the four-game weekend set.  More... USA advances to World Championship quarterfinals (Helsinki, Finland)   -- 05-14-2012--  South St. Paul native Justin Faulk was one of five players to score a goal for the United State men's hockey team as the Americans skated by the host Finland club 5-1 at the 2012 World Championships in Helsinki.   The victory secured a spot in the quarterfinal round of the tourney for the U-S.   More... Vikings vets continue working out at Winter Park (Eden Prairie, MN)   -- 05-14-2012--  Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway is one of many veteran players to be working out this offseason at team headquarters in Eden Prairie.   The NFL lockout prevented players from using team facilities at this time a year ago.  More.... Johnson delivers 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports (Darlington, SC)   -- 05-14-2012--  Jimmie Johnson drove the 48-car to victory lane in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday night, giving car owner Rick Hendrick his long-awaited 200th career win.   Johnson, the five-time Sprint Cup Series champion, led the most laps with 133 but had to gamble on fuel in the late-stages More.... Twins Lose To Bautista, Jays (Minneapolis, MN) -- Drew Hutchison tossed six solid innings and Jose Bautista laced a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth frame, helping the Blue Jays down the Twins, 2-1. P.J. Walters made his Twins debut and allowed two runs on six hits in six frames.  (more...) Duensing May Join Rotation (Minneapolis, MN) -- Twins pitcher Brian Duensing (DUNN-sing) may rejoin the starting rotation. Manager Ron Gardenhire hinted at the possibility of the lefty rejoining the rotation. Duensing came out of the bullpen on Wednesday against the Angels to throw three innings of shutout ball on 45 pitches.   (MORE..) MLS Could Head To Twin Cities (Houston, TX) -- Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber discussed the possibility of expansion in his league to the Minneapolis area. Garber was visiting the Houston Dynamo's new stadium Friday when he made the comments.  He added that in the next 20 years he hopes to have teams in all major markets across the country including Minneapolis, Atlanta and Miami. Swarm Falls To Edmonton (St. Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota Swarm fell to the Edmonton Rush last night, 15-3 in the National Lacrosse League West Division Championship. Nearly 6,500 fans were in attendance at St. Paul's Excel Energy Center. Minnesota tied a team record with 10 wins in the 2012 season. Twins Edge Jays (Minneapolis, MN)  --  Darin Mastroianni drove in three runs as the Twins edged the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-6.  Ryan Doumit drove in two runs while Denard Span and Joe Mauer each scored twice for the Twins, who had dropped five-of-six coming into the game.   (MORE...)  Vikings Working Out (Eden Prairie, MN)  --  The Vikings veterans continue to work out at Winter Park in Eden Prairie this offseason.  Several veterans are taking part in the Monday-through-Friday workouts that are designed to build strength and conditioning for the players.   (MORE...)  Swarm Hosting Edmonton in Playoffs Tonight (St. Paul, MN)  --  The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm host a playoff game tonight against Edmonton in the West Division Finals.  Minnesota is 10-and-7 and won at Colorado last weekend to advance to tonight's game.   (MORE...)  Jays beat Twins 6-2 (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-11-2012--  The Blue Jays topped the Twins, 6-2 in the opener of a four-game series last night at Target Field.   Josh Willingham belted a solo homer for the Twins, who have dropped five-of-six.   Jason Marquis (mar-KEE) allowed five earned runs in only four innings to fall to 2-and-2. More...  Lynx win exibition in Connecticut (Uncasville, CT)   -- 05-11-2012--  The defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx held on to win their first exhibition game of the preseason 87-85 last night at Connecticut.   The Lynx let a halftime lead slip away and needed to outscore the Sun by four in the fourth quarter to earn the win.   Seimone Augustus led Minnesota scorers with 12 points.   More... Garnett called dirtiest player in the league, Celtics win (Boston, MA)   -- 05-11-2012--  Former Wolves star and current Celtics standout Kevin Garnett poured in 28 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as the Celtics put away the Hawks with an 83-80 series-clinching victory in Game Six of their quarterfinal set. Garnett took umbrage with being called the dirtiest player in the NBA.   More... Wild sign Stoner to extension (St. Paul, MN)   -- 05-11-2012--  27-year-old Clayton Stoner signed a new, two-year contract with the Minnesota Wild yesterday.   The defenseman collected five points in 54 minutes last season with the Wild.   He ranked third on the club in plus-minus rating and penalty minutes.   Next season will be his fourth with Minnesota. (MNN) PGA Tour (Ponte Verdre Beach, FL)   -- 05-11-2012--  Wayzata's Tim Herron shot a two-under-par-70 in yesterday's opening round of the PGA Golf Players Championship Tournament in Florida.   That places the veteran in a tie for 28th place entering second round action today.   More... Angels handle Twins 6-2 (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-10-2012--  Los Angeles right-hander Ervin Santana tossed seven-and-a-third innings of two-run ball as the Angels hammered the Twins 6-2 last night at Target Field.   Mike Trout went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two driven in for Los Angeles, which has won four-of-five.   More... Twins send Valencia to Triple-A, Liriano out of rotation (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-10-2012--  The Twins made several roster moves after last night's loss.   Third baseman Danny Valencia, who is hitting only .190 in 27 games this year, was sent to Class AAA Rochester.   He says he was not surprised by the move and admits he needs to go get his hitting confidence back.   More... Peterson holds press conference, shows progress from surgery (Eden Prairie, MN)   -- 05-10-2012--  Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is on the mend.   Peterson held a press conference Wednesday to update his recovery from torn ligaments in his left knee.   The four-time Pro Bowler says he's feeling much stronger four months removed from surgery.   More.... Gopher women add 6 foot 5 inch Swedish star (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-10-2012--  University of Minnesota women's basketball coach Pam Borton has added a Swedish start basketball player to the team's roster. Amanda Zahui B. is a six-foot-five-inch center from Stockholm, Sweden who will be eligible when the season starts this fall.   More.... Fishing opener shouldn't be affected by early spring (Aitkin, MN)   --05-10-2012--   As anglers prepare for this weekend's fishing opener, many are wondering what kind of impact the early spring had on the fish spawn. D-N-R Fisheries supervisor Rick Bruesewitz says the ice went out on Lake Mille Lacs earlier than ever but then it got cool again and slowed activity down.   More... Diamond tosses a gem for Twins win over Halos (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-09-2012--  The Twins got a much needed pitching lift from Scott Diamond and cruised past the Angels 5-0 last night at Target Field.   Diamond was called up from Class AAA Rochester on Monday and started his first big league game of 2012 last night.   He worked seven innings of scoreless baseball, scattering four hits and fanning six.  More... Former Vikings star Carter says he was involved in bounties (Undated)   -- 05-09-2012--  Former Vikings wide receiver Chris Carter is admitting that he took part in bounties, similar to those used by the New Orleans Saints, during his 16-year N-F-L career.   During an E-S-P-N Radio interview, Carter said he was guilty of putting down money for his teammates to take out certain players.   More... Rangers Hamilton belts four HR's, ties MLB record BALTIMORE (AP)--05-09-2012-- Moments before he made history with his final swing in an incredible four-homer performance, Josh Hamilton stepped to the plate in the eighth inning with a surprising sense of calm. The Texas Rangers slugger had never before hit more than two home runs in a game, and he already had three. More... Lynx training camp continues (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-09-2012--  The defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx continue preseason workouts.   The Lynx play an exhibition game at Connecticut tomorrow and at the U of M Sports Pavilion on Tuesday in preparation for their regular season opener against Phoenix on May 20th at the Target Center.  More... Lynx star Whalen turns 30 (Minneapolis, MN)   --05-09-2012--   One of Minnesota's most popular sports figures turns 30-years-old today.   Basketball star Lindsay Whalen of the WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx first gained fame when she was a star player for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, leading them to the 2004 NCAA Final Four.    More.... Angels, Weaver beat Twins again (Minneapolis, MN)   --05-08-2012--   Los Angeles infielder Alberto Callaspo homered and drove home three runs to power the Angels to an 8-3 win over the Twins last night at Target Field in Minneapolis.   Angels right-hander Jered Weaver was on the mound for the first time since no-hitting Minnesota last Wednesday. More... Vikings cut Longwell (Eden Prarie, MN)   -- 05-08-2012--  The Vikings have released veteran kicker Ryan Longwell.   Longwell spent the last six seasons with the Vikings after a nine-year run with the Packers.   The 37-year-old made 22-of-28 field goal attempts last season and is the Vikings' third all-time leading scorer.   More... Team USA loses to Slovakia in Worlds (Helsinki, Finland)   --05-08-2012--   The United State men's hockey team was stunned by Slovakia during pool play yesterday at the 2012 World Championships 4-2. The Slovaks tallied three first period goals and never looked back.   South St. Paul native Justin Faulk scored one of the U-S goals.   More.... Lynx training camp (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-08-2012--  The WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx continue training camp as they look toward defending their title.   The Lynx open the exhibition portion of their schedule with a preseason at Connecticut on Thursday.   Last night, star players Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson threw out the first pitch at the Twins-Angels game. (MNN) Mayweather's haul....$32 million for Coto fight (Las Vegas, NV)   --05-07-2012--   Floyd Mayweather Junior's win over Miguel Cotto (KOH-toh) has earned him the largest payday in boxing history.   Mayweather walked away with the WBA Super Light Middleweight title at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday night, along with 32-million dollars.   More.... Vikings Rookies Continue Mini Camp 5-6-12  A weekend mini-camp designed only for Viking rookies continued at Winter Park in Eden Prairie yesterday.  The mini-camp helps get the rookies integrated into the system and helps the coaches get an early read on how the rookies might stack up.  The team drafted ten players late last month in the NFL Draft and have added several free agent rookies as well.  MNN Morneau Goes on DL with Sore Wrist 5-6-12   The Twins are putting Justin Morneau on the 15-day disabled list due to a sore left wrist.  Morneau will see team doctors when the Twins return home Monday to start a nine-game homestand.  The Twins have called up Brian Dozier from Triple-A Rochester to take Morneau's place in the lineup. MNN Seattle Tops Twins 5-6-12  Felix Hernandez sparkled and his offense backed him up as the Mariners blanked the Twins, 7-0.  Jason Marquis took the loss for Minnesota, allowing two runs over six innings. The Twins have dropped four of their last five games.  Minnesota sends Nick Blackburn to the hill this afternoon in the series finale against Hector Noesi.  Game time is 3:10 pm.  MNN Yankees great Mariano Rivera tears ACL KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Mariano Rivera's career may have ended Thursday night, not while basking in the glow of adoring fans at Yankee Stadium, but in agonizing pain on the outfield grass before a few thousand fans in Kansas City.  Baseball's greatest closer tore a ligament in his right knee while shagging balls during batting practice before a game against the Royals, more... Twins open series in Seattle (Undated)   --   The Twins have not recorded a hit in 15 consecutive innings, having been no-hit by Angels ace Jered Weaver Wednesday night, and not collecting a hit in the final six innings of Tuesday's loss in Anaheim. Since 1974, that is the most consecutive innings without a team collecting a hit in American League play.  More... Vikings rookie mini-camp this weekend (Eden Prairie, MN)   --05-04-2012--   The first rookie mini-camp of 2012 is set for later this morning for the Vikings first-year players.   There will be two practices today at Winter Park in Eden Prairie.   The mini-camp will help get the rookies integrated into the system and help the coaches get an early read on how the rookies might stack up.   More... More game times set for Gopher Gridders (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-04-2012--  Kickoff times for two more University of Minnesota football games have been set.   The Golden Gophers will kick off at 11 a.m. for their September 29th game at Iowa and for their October 13th game at home against Northwestern.   More.... Fishing, hunting license fees increase (St. Paul, MN)   --05-04-2012--   Governor Dayton has signed into law a game-and-fish bill that increases the cost of hunting and fishing licenses in Minnesota.   The fee increases were generally supported by a broad range of sportspeople's and environmental groups.  More... Angels Weaver no-hits Twins (Anaheim, CA)   --05-03-2012-- Angels pitcher Jered Weaver threw a no-hitter in Wednesday night's 9-0 win over the Twins in Anaheim.   Weaver struck out nine and walked only one en route to improving to 4-and-0 on the season.   Weaver's no-no is the 10th in franchise history.  More... Morneau rejoins team, may play Friday (Anaheim, CA)   --05-03-2012--   Twins slugger Justin Morneau rejoined his teammates in Anaheim yesterday, but did not play in last night's 9-0 loss.   Morneau had returned to Minneapolis to get an exam done on his ailing left wrist. Doctors found nothing more than inflammation, so Morneau returned to California.   More... Vikings vets working out at team HQ (Eden Prairie, MN)   --05-03-2012--   The Minnesota Vikings veteran players are mostly all taking part in offseason workouts, which began last week and continued today.   Rookie players will report for a special rookie mini-camp this weekend.   More... Former NFL Star Seau found dead (USA Today) --05-03-2012--Former NFL star Junior Seau, 43, apparently took his own life at his Oceanside, Calif., home Wednesday. Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy said authorities received a call from Seau's girlfriend at approximately 9:45 a.m. PT. Seau suffered what seems to be a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest in his bedroom. First responders were unable to revive him. More...  Halos blank Twins 4-0 (Anaheim, CA)   --05-02-2012--   Los Angeles' Howie Kendrick and Torii Hunter both blasted solo homers to back a complete-game shutout from Jerome Williams as the Angels shut out the Twins 4-0 last night in Anaheim.   Williams struck out six and allowed just three hits and a walk on 109 pitches to improve to 2-and-1 on the season.   More... Morneau MRI clear (Minneapolis, MN)   --05-02-2012--   The Twins got a dose of good news yesterday, when an MRI revealed no structural damage to the sore left wrist of slugger Justin Morneau.   Team officials say the injured wrist is simply inflamed and has a fluid buildup.   Morneau is expected to return to the west coast as soon as today and be ready to play by Friday in Seattle.  More... Mauer has sore knee, Butera gets the call (Minneapolis, MN)   --05-02-2012--   With catcher Joe Mauer still suffering from an ailing knee, the Twins called up reserve catcher Drew Butera from Class AAA Rochester prior to last night's game.   Manager Ron Gardenhire says the move is to provide some insurance at the catcher position since Mauer's sore knee doesn't allow him to catch.   More... Gophers win last game at Siebert Field (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 05-02-2012--  The last college baseball game ever played at old Seibert (SEE-bert) Field on the University of Minnesota campus will go down as a Golden Gopher victory.   Minnesota knocked off St. Thomas last night 9-2 in a game that nearly 15-hundred fans saw in person.   More... Vikings workout this week (Eden Prairie, MN)   -- 05-02-2012--  Offseason workouts for the Minnesota Vikings continue this week at team headquarters.   Veteran players have been working out at various times in recent weeks, while the recently-drafted rookies will have a weekend mini-camp beginning on Friday. (MNN) Pettitte testifies in Clemens perjury trial WASHINGTON (AP) Andy Pettitte looked like he wanted to be anywhere but on the witness stand in the Roger Clemens perjury trial. During breaks Tuesday when the judge and lawyers haggled over legal procedures, Pettitte looked down or straight ahead, never in Clemens' direction. He rested his head in his palm, yawned, looked at his watch and sighed. More.... Twins rally falls short in loss to Angels (Anaheim, CA)   --05-01-2012--   Los Angeles outfielder Torii Hunter hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBI as the Angels held off the Twins 4-3 last night in Anaheim.   Chris Iannetta (eye-uh-NET-uh) also homered and Albert Pujols had a double with a run scored for Los Angeles, which has won two-of-three following a five-game skid.  More... Pujols not happy with hitting coach (Anaheim, CA)   --05-01-2012--   The early-season struggles of Angels first baseman Albert Pujols have him feeling the heat from the media.   Following Monday's 4-3 win over the Twins, Pujols expressed his displeasure with comments hitting coach Mickey Hatcher made to the the team's beat writers.   More.... Delmon Young suspended seven games (Detroit, MI)   --05-01-2012--   Tigers outfielder Delmon Young, a former Twin, has been suspended without pay for seven days by Major League Baseball and will undergo a treatment program following an incident in New York City.   Young was arrested early Friday morning for allegedly attacking a man outside of a hotel in Manhattan... More... Gophers say goodbye to Siebert Field (Minneapolis, MN) --05-01-2012--   The final college baseball game scheduled to be played at old Seibert (SEE-bert) Field on the University of Minnesota campus is tonight.   The Golden Gophers will host St. Thomas is a 6:35 p.m. game.  More... Study: Fewer knee injuries on grass vs turf (New York, NY)   --05-01-2012--   Playing football on grass rather than artificial turf appears to be easier on the knees.   A new study finds that college football athletes who play the game on artificial surfaces have 40 percent more knee injuries than those who play on grass.  More.... Willingham leads Twins past Royals (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-30-2012--  Minnesota's Josh Willingham finished with a pair of runs, two RBI and a home run short of the cycle as the Twins took down the Royals 7-4 yesterday at Target Field.   Willingham was playing for the first time since he took three-days off to be with his wife, who delivered the couple's third child.   More.... Vikings Grade a B+ in draft by Yahoo! Sports Picks: OT Matt Kalil, SS Harrison Smith, CB Josh Robinson, WR Jarius Wright, TE Rhett Ellison, WR Greg Childs, CB Robert Blanton, K Blair Walsh, OLB Audie Cole, DE Trevor Guyton. Grade: B+ Analysis: The Vikings did a good job of getting some value out of the No. 3 overall pick by convincing Cleveland to trade up one spot (Minnesota got three late-round picks in the process). More... Wolves have 18th pick in draft (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-30-2012--  The Minnesota Timberwolves will have the 18th selection in the NBA Draft this June.   The NBA conducted a drawing to determine the draft order of the three teams that finished 36-and-30.   The Knicks won the three-team drawing and earned the 16th pick.   More... Kyle Busch wins in Richmond (Richmond, VA)   --04-30-2012--   Kyle Busch continued his dominance in the spring at Richmond International Speedway on Saturday night by winning the Capital City 400.   Busch beat Tony Stewart off the pits after a late-race caution to take over first.   More.... Vikings Finish Off Draft (New York, NY)  --  The Vikings closed out the NFL Draft Saturday by selecting seven new players.  In the fourth round, Minnesota selected a pair of Arkansas wide receivers, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs.  Minnesota also picked USC fullback Rhett Ellison.   (MORE...) Twins Get Rained Out (Minneapolis, MN)  --  Yesterday's game between the Twins and Royals at Target Field was rained out.  The contest will be made up on June 30th as a part of a doubleheader.  The first game will start at noon while the nightcap gets underway at 6:00 p.m.   (MORE...)  Vikes King Arrested on Assault Suspicion (Oak Grove, MN)  --  Vikings running back Caleb King was arrested yesterday morning on suspicion of assault at a birthday party.  The 24-year-old spent most of his first season with Minnesota on the practice squad last year.  According to police, the victim of the alleged assault was hospitalized with skull and facial fractures. Vikings Draft Cornerback With Third Round Pick (Eden Prairie, MN)  --  The Vikings selected Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson with the 66th overall pick in the third round of the 2012 N-F-L Draft.  The five-foot-ten, 199-pound junior was the fastest player at this year's Combine running the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds.   (MORE...)  Vikings Welcome First-Rounders To Minnesota (Eden Prairie, MN)  --  The Vikings welcomed first-round draft picks Matt Kalil of U-S-C and Notre Dame's Harrison Smith to Minnesota Friday afternoon.  Coach Leslie Frazier introduced Kalil as the Vikings "starting left tackle."   (MORE...) Willingham To Return From Paternity Leave (St.Paul, MN)  --  Outfielder Josh Willingham will be back in the Twins lineup for game two against the Royals this afternoon.  Willingham missed the past two games for the birth of his third son Wednesday and has been reinstated from the Paternity List.    (MORE...)  Royals Edge Twins (Minneapolis, MN)  --  The Minnesota Twins are on a six-game losing streak after a 7-6 setback to the Royals in the series opener at Target Field.  Starter Carl Pavano allowed five runs over six-plus innings before the Twins bullpen gave up two more runs in eighth running.  (MORE...)  Vikings make trades, take USC T Matt Kalil (Eden Prairie, MN)   --04-27-2012--   The Vikings made a pair of trades to get an offensive lineman and a defensive back in the first round of the 2012 N-F-L Draft. Minnesota selected U-S-C tackle Matt Kalil fourth overall and took Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith at number 29.  More... Nuggets blow out Wolves in season finale (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-27-2012--   The Nuggets rolled over the Timberwolves 131-102 in the season finale last (Thurs) night at the Target Center.   J-J Barea led the Wolves with 20 points and five assists, Nikola Pekovic added 18 and ten rebounds and Michael Beasley scored 13 points.  More... Twins open three game series with Royals (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-27-2012--  The Twins and Royals open a three-game series tonight at Target Field (7pm).   Minnesota looks to snap a five-game losing skid while Kansas City has won two in row.   Right-hander Carl Pavano is scheduled to start for the Twins.   More.... Parmelee day-to-day after beaning (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-27-2012--  Twins first baseman Chris Parmelee is doing well after getting hit in the head by a pitch in Wednesday's loss to Boston.   Parmelee was re-examined by doctors Thursday and is listed as day-to-day.   He was on the ground for several minutes when Red Sox pitcher Justin Thomas beaned him in the helmet with a 93-mile-per-hour fastball. More....  Twins rally falls short in loss to BoSox (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-26-2012--  Boston's Mike Aviles (ah-VEE-less) hit a three-run homer and the Red Sox held on to beat the Twins 7-6 last night at Target Field.   Dustin Pedroia finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs for Boston, which swept the three-game series.   Clay Buchholz (BUCK-holtz) lasted five-and-a-third innings for the victory.   More... Vikings would like to trade down in draft (Eden Prairie, MN)   -- 04-26-2012--  The Minnesota Vikings continue to analyze the NFL Draft and figure out what they want to do with the No. 3 overall pick in tonight's first round.   General manager Rick Spielman says there's a chance they will trade the pick to another team in order to stockpile additional selections in this year's draft, as well as future picks. More...  No Gophers expected to be drafted (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-26-2012--   There are no former Golden Gopher football players projected to be selected in the NFL Draft.   However, several players are expected to latch onto teams after the draft to get their shot to make teams as free agents. More.... Gopher LB Tinsley dies of natural causes (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-26-2012--  The official word from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office is that Gary Tinsley died of natural causes.   The 22-year old former U-of-M football player was found dead in his dorm room nearly three weeks ago.   Officials say Tinsley had an enlarged heart, and that foul play or drugs and alcohol had been ruled out.  More.... Wolves close out season vs Nuggets at Target Center (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-26-2012--  The Timberwolves wrap up the regular season against the Nuggets at the Target Center this evening.   Wolves star Kevin Love has been cleared to play, but the team is holding him out for precautionary reasons.   Love suffered a concussion against Denver back on April 11th. Tonight's season-finale is at 7 p.m.   More... Caps knock off defending champs in Game 7 OT (Boston, MA) --04-26-2012--  The  Stanley Cup will  be hoisted by a different team this season. Joel Ward's goal  2:57  into overtime gave Washington  a 2-1 win  over Boston in Game 7 of an  Eastern Conference  quarterfinal series.  Boston came  into the  series as the  defending  Cup champions  More.... Red Sox give Twins a beat down (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-25-2012--   Boston's Mike Aviles (ah-VEE-less) went 4-for-5 with a homer, scored three runs scored and had two RBI as the Red Sox routed the Twins 11-2 last night at Target Field.   Former Twin David Ortiz homered and plated three for the Red Sox, while Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI for Boston.   More... Willingham taking paternity leave (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-25-2012--   The struggling Twins will be without their hottest hitter over the next several days.   Outfielder Josh Willingham was placed on the Three-Day Paternity Leave List so he could be with his pregnant wife as she is soon going to having a baby.   The team recalled outfielder Ben Revere from Class AAA Rochester to take his spot.  More... Twins will skip Liriano's turn in rotation (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-25-2012--   Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters yesterday that Francisco Liriano will miss his next scheduled start in order for the struggling lefty to "clear his mind."   Liriano is expected to start next on May 1st.   More... Vikings sign troubled WR from the Bengals (Eden Prairie, MN)   --04-25-2012--   The Vikings have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with wide receiver Jerome Simpson, who caught 50 passes for Cincinnati last season.   The news cames on the same day that it was reported he would receive a three-game ban under the league's substance abuse policy.   More... Wolves end season tomorrow night (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-25-2012--  The Timberwolves will wrap up the regular season against the Nuggets at the Target Center tomorrow night.   Wolves star Kevin Love has been cleared to play, but the team is holding him out for precautionary reasons.   Tomorrow's season-finale is at 7 p.m. (MNN) Red Sox nip Twins on 9th inn HR off Twins closer Capps (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-24-2012--   Boston's Cody Ross hit a pair of homers, including a solo shot in the ninth to send the Red Sox to a 6-5 win over the Twins last night at Target Field.   Ross finished with three RBI and Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer for Boston, which snapped a five-game skid.   More... Love won't play in season finale (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-24-2012--   Timberwolves star Kevin Love has been cleared to play in Thursday's season-closing game against Denver, but the team will not play him as a precaution. Love continues to recover from a concussion suffered in an April 11th game.   More... Teague introduced as new Gopher AD (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-24-2012--  New University of Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague says he has the ability to raise funds and make friends in order to propel the Golden Gopher programs to a higher level.   Teague, who will take over for the outgoing Joel Maturi sometime early this summer, says any successful athletic director will have to be a good fundraiser. More...  Alexandria loses Junior hockey league team (Brookings, SD)   --   A blizzard is on its way out of Minnesota into a neighboring state.   The North American Hockey League has approved moving the Alexandria Blizzard to Brookings, South Dakota.   The Brookings Blizzard will begin play in the 2012-2013 season -- while the fate of an Alexandria team remaining in the league is still uncertain. (MNN) Cook your catch before eating (St.Paul, MN)   -- 04-24-2012--  The state Health Department is out with a reminder that some fish taken from Minnesota waters have contamination, including mercury.The levels are not alarming but residents are advised to periodically check contamination levels via the Internet.   More... U of M has sights on new AD (Minneapolis, MN)   --04-23-2012--   The University of Minnesota is poised to name a new athletic director later today.   Virginia Commonwealth athletic director Norwood Teague (TEEG) was named as the finalist for the Golden Gopher position yesterday and it is expected he will be introduced as the school's new A-D at an afternoon news conference today.   More... Rays beat Twins, win series (St. Petersburg, FL)   -- 04-23-2012--  Tampa Bay's Desmond Jennings hit a two-run homer and Jeff Niemann didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning as the Rays defeated the Twins 6-2 yesterday in St. Petersburg.   Jennings finished with three RBI and B.J. Upton knocked in a pair for Tampa Bay, which has won five of its last seven games.   More... Wolves blow 20 point lead in loss to Warriors (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-23-2012--  Golden State's Charles Jenkins scored 24 points as the Warriors used a second-half surge to sink the Timberwolves 93-88 last night at the Target Center.   Brandon Rush collected 19 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Golden State, which outscored Minnesota 54-33 after intermission.   More.... Hamlin wins Sprint Cup race in Kansas (Kansas City, KS)   -- 04-23-2012--  Denny Hamlin claimed his second Sprint Cup Series win of the season by taking Sunday's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway.   Martin Truex Jr. dominated the race by leading 173-of-267 laps, but Hamlin grabbed the top position with 31 laps remaining and took the checkered flag by 0.7 seconds.   More... Swarm Clinch Playoff Spot The Minnesota Swarm clinched the number three seed in the West Division of the National LaCrosse League following its 15-10 victory over MORE ..... Maroon Tops Gold In Minnesota Spring Game The Maroon team claimed a 3-0 win over the Gold team in the Minnesota Spring Game yesterday.MORE .... T'Wolves In Action The Timberwolves play their second-to-last game of the season tonight at home against Golden State. MORE ... Rays Roll Twins James Shields threw eight innings off one-run ball with seven strikeouts as the Rays defeated the Twins, 4-1. Josh Willingham scored and extended his hit streak MORE ....  Lawmakers Back to Work on Vikes Stadium Monday  Lawmakers will start wrangling with the Vikings stadium issue again Monday morning. MORE .....  Twins Top Rays (St. Petersburg, FL)  --  Josh Willingham had a three-run double to in the seventh inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.  Joe Mauer was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two walks, while reliever Matt Maloney grabbed the win and Matt Capps nailed down his fourth save.   (MORE...)  Vikings Schedule (Eden Prairie, MN)  --  Here is the 2012 schedule for the Minnesota Vikings: Friday, August 10th - at San Francisco, 8pm (PRESEASON) Friday, August 17th - vs. Buffalo, 7pm (PRESEASON) Friday, August 24th - vs. San Diego, 7pm (PRESEASON) Thursday, August 30th - at Houston, 6pm (PRESEASON)  (MORE...)  Swarm In Action (St. Paul, MN)  --  The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm are scheduled to host Philadelphia tonight at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  Minnesota has clinched a playoff spot and enters tonight's game with a 7-and-7 season mark.  Philadelphia is also 7-and-7.  The match starts at 7 p.m. Granderson, Yankees hammer Twins (Bronx, NY)   --04-20-2012--   New York's Curtis Granderson went 5-for-5 with three home runs and four RBI to lift the Yankees in a 7-6 win over the Twins last night at Yankee Stadium.   The two teams split the Four-game series.   Mark Teixeira (tuh-SHARE-uh) added a two-run dinger for the Bronx Bombers, who split a four-game series with Minnesota at Yankee Stadium. More...  Gopher football spring game Saturday at "The Bank" (Minneapolis, MN)   -- 04-20-2012--  The University of Minnesota football team is scheduled to practice today as it winds down the spring practice period. The Golden Gophers will host their annual spring football game tomorrow morning at TCF Bank Stadium at 11 a.m.  More.... Wolves whip Pistons, end long April losing streak (Auburn Hills, MI)   -- 04-20-2012--  Minnesota's Nikola Pekovic (NEE-koh-luh PECK-oh-vitch) posted 23 points and nine rebounds to help the Timberwolves defeat the Pistons 91-80 last night in Michigan.   J.J. Barea added 13 points and 12 assists for Minnesota, which snapped an 11-game slide.   More... Xcel Energy Center will host Big Ten Hockey Tournament (Park Ridge, IL)   -- 04-20-2012--  The Big Ten Conference announced yesterday that St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center would be the host to the inaugural Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in 2014.   The Big Ten will begin sponsoring men's ice hockey as a conference sport in the 2013-14 academic year.   More... NASCAR Sprint Cup in Kansas City (Kansas City, KS)   -- 04-20-2012--   NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series makes its way to the Kansas Speedway this weekend for Sunday's STP 400.   Greg Biffle won last week in Texas to take a 19-point lead over Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. atop the Cup standings.   Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick round out the top-five.  More... Morneau bashes the Bronx Bombers in Twins win (Bronx, NY)   --04-19-2012--   Minnesota's Justin Morneau went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI to lift the Twins in a 6-5 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium last night.   Jamey Carroll, Joe Mauer and Sean Burroughs also drove home a run for Minnesota, which has won two-of-three on the heels of a three-game slide.   More.... Hughes designated for assignment (Bronx, NY)   --04-19-2012--   To make room for starting pitcher Jason Marquis (mar-KEE), who was recalled from Double-A New Britain yesterday, the Twins designated Luke Hughes for assignment.   The Twins designated Luke Hughes for assignment to make room on the roster. (MNN) Gopher baseball, softball teams win (Minneapolis, MN)   --   The University of Minnesota baseball won its fifth consecutive game with a 1-0 victory over Nebraska-Omaha yesterday at the Metrodome.   The lone run of the game was scored in the bottom of the first inning for Minnesota and it was unearned.   More.... Wolves in Detroit tonight (Auburn Hills, MI)   --04-19-2012--   The Timberwolves will try to put the brakes on their 11-game losing streak when they face the Pistons at The Palace this evening.   Minnesota's streak was extended with a 91-84 loss to the Grizzlies on Tuesday.   Tonight's affair tips off at 6:30 p.m. (MNN) Legendary coach Pat Summit retires (Knoxville, TN)   --04-19-2012--   Pat Summitt is retiring as women's head basketball coach at the University of Tennessee.   The 59-year-old revealed last August that she was diagnosed with early onset dementia, but finished one final season on the bench.  More.... Rangers Top Twins 6-2 (Minneapolis, MN)  --  Josh Hamilton finished 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three runs scored to help lift the Rangers over the Twins, 6-2.  Brian Duensing [[ DUN-sing ]] suffered the loss in relief of Nick Blackburn, who left in the top of the sixth inning with shoulder stiffness.   (MORE...)  Twins Option Revere to Rochester (Minneapolis, MN)  --  The Twins have sent outfielder Ben Revere to Triple-A Rochester.  Clete Thomas was claimed off waivers from the Tigers and will take his place.  The 23-year-old Revere was projected as the starter in right field coming out of spring training but the lineup was shifted around after Ron Gardenhire moved Justin Morneau to designated hitter. Wolves Fall to Thunder (Minneapolis, MN)  --  Kevin Durant scored 43 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Thunder dropped the Timberwolves, 115-110.  Michael Beasley had 26 points for Minnesota, which has lost nine in-a-row.   (MORE...)  Hundreds Mourn Gophers' Tinsley (Jacksonville, FL)  --  Hundreds of mourners turned out to say good-bye to University of Minnesota football player Gary Tinsley in Florida Saturday.  The 22-year-old Tinsley was laid to rest in his hometown of Jacksonville as family members, coaches and teammates paid their final respects.   (MORE...)  Yes I have Delmon Young (Willmar, MN)   Last week was a great week for the sports fan, started with the Final Four and ended with Bubba winning The Masters. In between the major league baseball season got underway and with that my rotisserie baseball auction. It's like fantasy baseball but for more serious players who want a more realistic representation of what it would be like to put together a major league team...More....  Coyotes Clinch Pacific, Oust Wild 4-8-12  Taylor Pyatt scored a pair of goals to help the Coyotes clinch the Pacific Division with a 4-1 win over the Wild.  Phoenix will be the third-seed out West and host Chicago in the first round of the playoffs.  Dany Heatley notched the lone goal of the game for the Wild.  Niklas Backstrom turned aside 24 shots for Minnesota, which ends the season at 35-36-and-11 MORE...  Hornets Sting Wolves 4-8-12  Jason Smith went off for 26 points and 10 rebounds as the New Orleans Hornets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 99-90.  Kevin Love posted 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Michael Beasley added 20 points off the bench.  The T'Wolves dropped their fifth straight game as they continue to spiral out of the Western Conference playoff race.  The Wolves return MORE...  Twins Lose in Baltimore 4-8-12   Tommy Hunter allowed six hits and two unearned runs over seven-plus innings as the Orioles took down the Twins, 8-2.  Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters all bashed solo home runs for Baltimore, which has taken the first two games of a three-game set with Minnesota.  Francisco Liriano gave up six runs over four innings to take the loss for the Twins. MORE... Twins open 2012 season tonight in Baltimore Twins righthanded pitcher Carl Pavano will get the Opening Day start when Minnesota visits Baltimore for a matinee. Pavano says he has learned as a veteran to handle all games the same and he will try to manage each batter he faces as opposed to letting the game overwhelm him. The Twins are coming off of a 99-loss season and he says they can't wait to put that season behind them and move MORE...  Wild beat Blackhawks in shootout Minnesota forward Devin Setoguchi scored in a shootout, while Josh Harding stopped three Chicago shootout attempts and the Wild won 2-1 last night in St. Paul. Minnesota was playing in its franchise record fifth consecutive overtime game. The Wild won four of those OT games. Chicago's only goal came in the first period when Jamal Mayers found the net. Minnesota's Cal Clutterbuck tied MORE...  Gophers clobbered by Boston College The Gopher men's hockey team's dreams of a national championship were put on ice last night, as they were blasted by Boston College 6-1 in the Frozen Four. The -U- had plenty of scoring chances early but couldn't cash in -- while top-ranked B-C found the net four times in the same time frame and never looked back. Minnesota ends the season with a 28-14-and-1 record. Boston MORE...  Red Sox beat Twins, three sent to minors 4-2-12     The Twins suffered a 5-1 loss to the Red Sox in Grapefruit League play yesterday.  Chris Parmelee smacked a solo homer for the Twins.  Carl Pavano allowed four runs in five-and-two-thirds innings.  The Twins take on the Rays this afternoon.   The Twins sent pitcher Casey Fien, catcher J.R. Towles, infielder Brian Dozier and outfielder Wild beat Blackhawks in shootout 4-2-12     Minnesota's Erik Christensen and Devin Setoguchi each scored in the shootout to give the Wild a 5-4 win over the Blackhawks last night in the Windy City.  Setoguchi provided a goal and a pair of assists in regulation.  Dany Heatley added a goal and a helper for Minnesota, which has won three straight.  Kyle Brodziak and Clayton Stoner also lit the MORE...  Portland beats T-wolves 4-2-12     All five Portland starters scored in double-figures as the Blazers took down the Timberwolves 119-106 last night in Oregon.  LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 26 points and eight rebounds.  Minnesota's Kevin Love scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Derrick Williams and Luke Ridnour each finished with 21 points.  Williams hauled MORE...  Wild Outshoot Kings (St.Paul, MN)  --  Erik Christensen and Mikko Koivu (MEE-koh KOY-voo) scored in the shootout as the Wild rallied past the Kings 4-3 last night in St.Paul.  Niklas Backstrom stopped both of L-A's shoot-out attempts and finished with 26 saves.   (MORE...)  Wolves At Blazers (Portland, OR)  --  The Timberwolves go for a season sweep of the Trail Blazers tonight at the Rose Garden.  Minnesota earned its first win in 12 tries at Portland on March 3rd and then beat the Blazers four days later at Target Center.   (MORE...) Twins Rock Pirates (Fort Myers,FL)  --  Brian Dozier and Ryan Doumit homered as the Twins crushed the Pirates 15-3 in a split-squad game Saturday in Fort Myers.  Denard Span had four hits, Trevor Plouffe and Dozier had three each and Joe Mauer drove in four runs.   (MORE...)  Twins Option Butera To Minors (Fort Myers, FL)  --  The Minnesota Twins will start the 2012 season with two catchers on the Major League roster.  The club optioned Drew Butera (byoo-TAIR-uh) to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.  Butera had been the primary backup to starting catcher Joe Mauer for the past two seasons but he's struggled with his bat.   (MORE...) Gophers Hockey Faces UND 3-25-12   Minnesota defeated Boston University yesterday, 7-3, to advance to the second round of the Division One Ice Hockey Championship.  The Gophers will take on North Dakota this evening at The X.  With a win, Minnesota would advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Florida. Wolves Face Nuggets 3-25-12  The Timberwolves return home this afternoon to take on the Denver Nuggets.  Minnesota lost to Oklahoma City, 149-140, in double overtime on Friday despite a career-high 51 points from Kevin Love.  The T'wolves have fell in five of their last six contests. Sabres Slice Wild 3-25-12   Marcus Foligno's power-play tally early in the third period gave the Sabres a lead as Buffalo went on to top the Wild, 3-1.  Steve Kampfer had the lone score for Minnesota and Josh Harding made 34 saves in goal.  The Wild had their modest two-game winning streak ended and lost for the fourth time in six games.  The Wild are back in action this evening at MORE...  BBE wins Class A State Tournament Congratulations to the BBE Jaguars. Saturday afternoon they defeated Southwest Minnesota Christian 54-45 at Target Center. BBE earned the Class A State Championship Title. Everyone is invited to a welcome home celebration for BBE tonight (Saturday) at BBE High School at 7 pm. Litchfield in Class AA Title Game (03/23/12) The defending champion Perham Yellowjackets resorted to a deliberate keep-away game late in the game, but one turnover and a failed jumper underneath doomed the strategy. Litchfield took final possession and employed the same strategy until calling a timeout with 14.6 seconds left.  more... BBE to Play for the Class A State Title (03/23/12) The top seed in the tournament, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, continued their perfect record with an 56-36 victory over Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin on Friday afternoon in the MSHSL Class A semifinals at Target Center.   more... Belgrade-Brooten Elrose 85, Lakeview Christian Academy 72 The top seed in the tournament, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, defended their perfect record with an 85-76 win over Lakeview Christian Academy on Thursday in the MSHSL Class A Quarterfinals at Williams Arena.  B-B-E jumped out early as they pushed the tempo and used an aggressive half court trap zone defense to 19-point first half lead over Lakeview.  MORE... Hurricanes Clip Wild (St. Paul, MN)  --  The Hurricanes scored three times in the final period to drop the Wild, 5-3.  Kyle Bodziak recorded a goal and two helpers for Minnesota, which has lost three in-a-row.  Erik Christensen and Nick Johnson both found the back of the net in defeat.  Matt Hackett turned aside 29 attempts in the loss.  The Wild host Vancouver tomorrow night. Twins Beat Marlins (Jupiter, FL)  --  Danny Valencia had two hits, including a solo home run, as the Twins defeated the Miami Marlins 5-2 in Grapefruit League action.  Pedro Florimon added two hits and scored two runs for the Twins.  Carl Pavano allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over four-and-two-thirds innings.  The Twins are back in Fort Myers today to take on the Pittsburgh Timberwolves Battle Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)  --  The Timberwolves are back on the floor tonight in Sacramento.  Minnesota fell to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday, 97-92.  It was the second straight loss for the Wolves and their fourth in five games.  Gophers Battle Miami in NIT Action Tomorrow (Coral Gables, FL)  --  The Golden Gophers are back in action tomorrow night at Miami.  Sixth-seeded Minnesota earned a 70-61 win in the first round of the NIT against La Salle on Wednesday.  The Hurricanes are the two-seed and advanced past Valparaiso.   (MORE...)  Twins Win One, Lose One (Fort Myers, FL)  --  The Twins got two solid pitching performances from two separate starters in Grapefruit League spring training play yesterday.  The team played a pair of split squad games in Fort Myers.  The first was a 3-1 loss at home to Orioles.  (MORE...)  Gopher Hockey Stumbles (St. Paul, MN)  --  The first 30 minutes of last night's WCHA Final Five contest between Minnesota and North Dakota was dominated by the Golden Gophers, who held a 3-0 lead just more than halfway through the second period.   (MORE...)  Wolves Fall in LA (Los Angeles, CA)  --  Laker star Kobe Bryant made five three-pointers en route to a 28-point night as Los Angeles held off the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-92 at Staples Center on Friday night.   (MORE...)  Wild-Carolina (St. Paul, MN)  --  The struggling Minnesota Wild host Carolina for a Saturday matinee on the ice today at the Xcel Energy Center.  The Wild are in 13th place in the NHL Western Conference, 13 points out of playoff position.  The teams face off at 1 p.m. Girls State Tournament (Minneapolis, MN)  --  Here are results from yesterday's semifinal games at the 2012 Girls State Basketball Tournament at the Target Center: Class 1-A:  Mountain Iron-Buhl 49, Ada-Borup 45 (final) Class 1-A:  Maranatha Christian 65, Spring Grove 61 (final) Class 2-A:    (MORE...)  Vikings Stadium Bill Staying Alive at the Capitol (St.Paul, MN)  --  The Vikings stadium bill will stay alive at the state Capitol beyond last night's deadline for the measure to pass out of committee.  House Speaker Kurt Zellers brushes aside the issue of the midnight deadline, saying that isn't the problem.   (MORE...)  Twins split two games in Florida --03-05-2012-- The Twins split a pair of Grapefruit League games on Sunday.  J.R. Towles hit a two-run homer in the ninth to give a split-sqaud Twins team a 5-3 win over the Rays in Port Charlotte.  And, the Red Sox beat Minnesota 8-3 in the other split squad spring training game in Fort Myers.  More... Apple Valley beats Willmar 58-12 This morning Apple Valley beat the Willmar Cardinals 58 - 12 at the 2012 State Wrestling Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  Colten Carlson, Martin Cabrera and Cass Herzog all had wins for the Willmar Cardinals.  Willmar will wrestle at 11 am in the consolation bracket against White Bear Lake. The tournament trail starts tonight (hopefully) Here we go, March madness starts in February for high school sports teams. It's a very exciting time of the year but quite busy. I'm hoping to be in Marshall tonight for girls Section 2AAA basketball for the Cardinals. We'll have that game on KWLM. I'll get a chance to ride the team bus down to Marshall and enjoy the ride, More.... Tiger Woods misses a putt on No. 18 to lose the match to Nick Watney during the Match Play Championship golf tournament, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, in Marana, Ariz. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Broken mind Watching Tiger Woods now is not nearly as much fun or as fascinating as it once was. People want to watch greatness. They want to see someone special, it elevates them in a way that watching failure doesn't. We don't want to come away from a sporting event saying "too bad they/he blew that one." We want to say "wow! Did you see that shot to win the game." It's just Tribune file photo by Rand Middleton Honoring a friend Sometimes I get to do things as the sports guy here at the station that are truly an honor for me, tonight is one of those things. I get to introduce Cardinal Girls Basketball Coach Brad Atchison to the crowd tonight as part of his appreciation night. Not sure I'm the most qualified guy but as soon as I was asked I said "absolutely!" More....  Wild 0, St. Louis 4 2-19-12 (St. Louis, MO) -- The skid continues for the Minnesota Wild, as they drop their seventh straight game Saturday in a 4-0 loss to St. Louis. The Blues' Brian Elliott needed to make just 13 saves to record his sixth shutout of the season and 15th of his career.  (MORE...)  Wolves Host Philadelphia Tonight 2-19-12 (Minneapolis, MN) -- The Timberwolves take the floor this evening to host the Philadelphia 76ers. Minnesota has won two straight following Friday's 1-98 win at Houston. The Wolves are 15-and-16 this season and sit last in the Northwest Division. Tip off is at 6 pm. Timberwolves 111, Houston 98 2-18-12 (Houston, TX) -- Kevin Love scored 33 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead Minnesota to a 111-98 win over Houston. Nikola Pekovic (NEE-koh-luh PECK-oh-vitch) added 30 points and 12 boards while Ricky Rubio added 18 points and nine assists. (MORE...) Hockey: Gophers 3, Bemidji State 0 2-18-12 (Minneapolis, MN) -- The seventh-ranked Gophers scored within the first minute and went on to skunk Bemidji State 3-0. Sophomore Zach Budish scored two first-period goals. Nick Bjustad also scored for the Gophers on a powerplay in the second period.  (MORE...) Wild At Blues 2-18-12 (St.Louis, MO) -- The Minnesota Wild look to end a six-game winless streak when they play the Blues this afternoon in St.Louis (12:30 pm). The Wild fell to the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in a shootout Thursday night in St.Paul.  (MORE...) What a shocker! Not Is anyone really surprised the Vikings finally had to admit they will be playing in The Dome for at least another year? If you are and thought for sure they would be out of here after this season then you've been missing some of the signs from the NFL that they want the Vikings to stay right where they are.  More....  Gophers host #3 Ohio State tomorrow (Minneapolis, MN)   --   -02-13-2012 -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers continue Big Ten play tomorrow evening as they host third-ranked Ohio State at Williams Arena. The Gophers suffered a 68-61 overtime loss to number-22 Wisconsin last Thursday to fall to 5-and-7 in the Big Ten.   More.... Wild host Anaheim tomorrow night (St. Paul, MN)   --   The Minnesota Wild continue a four-game homestand tomorrow evening as they host the Anaheim Ducks at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.   The Wild have lost four straight games to fall to 25-22-and-8 on the season.   More.... Cardinal girls BB Coach Brad Atchison with KWLM's Todd Bergeth On the Road 02-09-2012-- As part of my job here at the radio station I travel to many communities around the state to cover Cardinal and other teams as they travel. I was asked if doing games at night after starting my day early in the morning was a "drag" on my energy. "Not at all," I said. "Doing the games is what keeps me going, More... Love Suspension 2-6-12 (New York, NY)  --  The N-B-A is suspending Timberwolves forward Kevin Love two games for an incident involving Houston's Luis Scola.  Love stepped on Scola's chest and face in the third quarter of Saturday's victory over the Rockets at Target Center.  Minnesota's leading scorer and rebounder will miss tomorrow's home game against Sacramento and More...  Area Basketball Scores (Willmar, MN)  In Boy's Basketball Saturday night, Montevideo beat Willmar in a hard-fought game, 69 to 64 and New London-Spicer dominated Sebeka, defeating them 89 to 39. Wild Go Down in Defeat to Dallas (Dallas, TX)  The Minnesota Wild can't seem to win in Dallas and last night was no exception.  Jamie Benn scored in the second round of the shootout and the Dallas Stars continued their home dominance over the Minnesota Wild with a 2 to 1 defeat of the Wild last night.   (MORE...)  Timberwolves Beat Rockets (Minneapolis, MN)  Kevin Love scored 25 points and had 18 rebounds and Luke Ridnour added 22 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Houston Rockets last night, 100 to 91.  Minnesota is now 12-12 and have won five of their last seven games. Swarm In Action (Rochester, NY)  --  The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm play in Rochester, New York tonight to take on the Knighthawks in a 6:30 p.m. game  Minnesota is 1-and-1 this season, while Rochester is 1-and-3.  Minnesota returns home for a home game next weekend against the Edmonton Rush on Friday. Minnesota At Dallas (Dallas, TX)  --  The Minnesota Wild have won three of their last four games and will try to continue their recent fine play with a game tonight at Dallas.  The Wild beat Colorado 1-0 on Thursday behind goaltender Niklas Backstrom.  He will get the start in tonight's 7 p.m. game. Wild Make Trade (St. Paul, MN)  --  The Minnesota Wild acquired New York Ranger center Erik Christensen in exchange for forward Casey Wellman.  The transaction was completed yesterday.  The 28-year-old Christensen has played in 20 games for the Rangers this season and has one goal and four assists.   (MORE...)  Timberwolves 108, Nets 105 (Newark, NJ)  --  Kevin Love scored 20 points and hauled in 10 boards as the Timberwolves held off New Jersey, 108-105.  Nikola Pekovic (NEE-koh-luh  PECK-oh-vitch) scored 27 to go with 11 rebounds while Ricky Rubio had 10 points with 10 caroms and six assists.  Minnesota has won two of its last three games.   (MORE...)  Tark fires a pass in Super Bowl XI Super Bowl prediction and memories 02-03-2012----My Super Bowl prediction is the Giants 30, Pats 28 on a last second field. Mainly because I really don't care who wins and I just want to see a good game. Plus if Belichik and Brady have to suffer another last second loss to the Giants it adds some human suffering and as a Minnesota Vikings fan I want some company. More....  Big signing day for Coach Kill and the Gophers (Minneapolis, MN)   --   The University of Minnesota football team's 2012 recruiting class includes 31 new players.   Nineteen signed National Letters of Intent Wednesday, eight are already enrolled in classes at the U of M and four signed Acceptance of Admission forms.   More..... Cardinals fall to Sauk Rapids 4-3 (The Willmar Civic Center) 02-01-2012 -- The Willmar cardinals were just 1:33 from knocking off the Sauk Rapids Storm when things turned against them. Sauk Rapids two leading scorers rarely left the ice in the third period as the Storm staged a furious fore check and netted a pair of goals in the last minute and a half to beat the Cardinals 4-3. Luke Richardson scored at the 15:27 mark and Tyler I love a good tennis match, Beasley?! 01/31/2012-- I had to get up early and watch the finals of the Australian Open on Sunday morning. While I thought the tennis couldn't be any better than when Roger Federer was at the peak of his powers, Novak Djokovic can bring it. I've always enjoyed watching the show that is Rafa Nadal too.  More.... The Wrath of Kahn and Cardinals stuff As a Timberwolves fan I'm extremely happy they were able to sign Kevin Love to a four/three year contract extension. As details of the deal have come out we find that Love could leave after just three years if he decided. While I hope that doesn't happen and it sounds as if that's not the intent of the rebounding machine it really menas he's just signed for three years. Why? Wild 5, Dallas 2 (St. Paul, MN)  --  The Wild set a franchise-record, scoring three goals in a 59-second span to beat Dallas, 5-2.  Dany Heatley had a goal and two assists while Devin Setoguchi added a goal and a helper for Minnesota, which put the brakes on a four-game slide.   (MORE...) Wolves 98, Jazz 108 (Salt Lake City, UT)  --  The Timberwolves fell to the Jazz last night in Utah 108-98. Kevin Love had a rough shooting night, going 5-for-21 and 1-for-7 from 3-point range.  Ricky Rubio had 17 points and 11 assists for the Wolves, who had won their previous three.   (MORE...) Twins Caravan in Red Wing (Undated)  --  The Twins continue their Winter Caravan today (SUN) in Red Wing.  The celebrity group makes a stop at a casino near Red Wing.  Glen Perkins, Drew Butera, and team broadcaster Dick Bremer are the featured Twins celebrities on the stop.  Timberwolves-Clippers (Los Angeles, CA)  --  Kevin Love hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the Timberwolves to a 101-98 victory over the Clippers.  Love finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota.  Darko Milicic (DAR-koe  MIL-ih-chitch) scored 22 and Luke Ridnour added 13 for the Wolves, who have won three straight.   (MORE...) New Gopher Uniforms Unveiled (Minneapolis, MN)  --  The University of Minnesota football program unveiled newly-designed uniforms at a private gathering yesterday  at TCF Bank Stadium.  Quarterback MarQueis (mar-QWEES) Gray was one of several players who modeled the new-look football jerseys and pants.  (MORE...) Twins Continue Caravan Sunday (Undated)  --  The Twins continue their Winter Caravan tomorrow in Red Wing. The celebrity group will make a stop at a casino near Red Wing.  Glen Perkins, Drew Butera, and team broadcaster Dick Bremer will be the featured Twins celebrities on the stop.  (MORE...) Wild-Flames (Calgary, Alberta)  --  Two struggling teams hit the NHL ice tonight in Calgary when Minnesota visits the Flames.  The Wild have lost ten of their last 11 games and have gone from leading all of the NHL in the point standings to now barely hanging on to second place in the Northwest Division.   (MORE...) Timberwolves 87, Cavs 98 (Minneapolis, MN)  --  Antawn (ANN-twan) Jamison scored 22 points and hauled in six rebounds to lead Cleveland to a 98-87 victory over the Timberwolves.  The Cavaliers have won three-of-four.  Kevin Love did his usual double-double damage with 29 points and 14 rebounds.   (MORE...) W-C-H-A (Kalamazoo, Michigan) --  After a one-month break, the University of Minnesota Duluth men skated to victory Friday over Western Michigan, 4-1.  The number-one ranked Bulldogs came back after falling  1-0 in the first period, scoring four unanswered goals.  (MORE...) Minnesotans Litter NDSU Roster (Frisco, TX)  --  When North Dakota State takes the football field today in the NCAA FCS National Championship Game in Frisco, Texas, there will be 35 Minnesotans in uniform for NDSU.  The Bison take on the Sam Houston State Bearkats in the championship game.   (MORE...) Vikings Win, Peterson Hurt (Landover, MD)  --  The Vikings say running back Adrian Peterson suffered a tear to the A-C-L of his left knee in yesterday's 33-26 win over Washington.  Head coach Leslie Frazier is expected to give more details Monday afternoon.   (MORE...) Packers vs. Bears (Green Bay, WI)  --  It's the Packers versus the Bears on Sunday night football.  The Bears have lost four straight and need two wins to have an outside shot to make the playoffs.  The Packers are playing for home field advantage throughout the playoffs and coming off their only loss of the season at Kansas City last week. Timberwolves Open Season Tomorrow (Minneapolis, MN)  --  The Timberwolves open their N-B-A season against the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow night at Target Center.  Then they take on the Bucks Tuesday night and the Heat Friday night. Wild Host Avalanche Monday (St. Paul, MN)  --  The Wild get back into action late tomorrow afternoon when they host the Avalanche.  Colorado has won four straight, while the Wild have been winless in their last six games.   (MORE...) Wild Beat Coyotes 4-1 (Phoenix, AZ)  --  The Wild scored three times on the power play to beat the Coyotes 4-1 in Phoenix last night.  Kyle Brodziak had two of those goals and Dany Heatley the other.   (MORE...) Vikings At Lions (Detroit, MI)  --  The injury-riddled Vikings secondary will have its work cut out when they play at Detroit this afternoon.   The Lions have one of the top receivers in all of pro football in Calvin Johnson and a hard-throwing quarterback in Matthew Stafford.   (MORE...) W-C-H-A (Undated)  --  In men's W-C-H-A action Saturday....the Gophers beat Michigan Tech 6-2, U-M-D beat Wisconsin 4-2, Bemidji State over Denver 2-1, Minnesota State rolled past Alabama-Huntsville 9-1,  (MORE...) Gopher Men's Basketball (Minneapolis, MN)  --  The Gopher men's basketball team improved its record to 10-and-1 by beating St. Peter's 69-47 Saturday.  Senior forward Ralph Sampson had a big day, his best so far this season, with 15 points, eight rebounds,  (MORE...) Wild At Phoenix (Glendale, AZ) -- The N-H-L's hottest and best team is in action tonight at Phoenix. The first-place Minnesota Wild have won six consecutive games and have accumulated more points in the standings than any other pro hockey team.   (MORE...) N-C-A-A Volleyball (Minneapolis, MN) -- The season is over for the Gopher women's volleyball team. They were beaten by Iowa State in the N-C-A-A Regional semi-finals last night. St. Thomas Readies for Playoffs (St. Paul, MN) -- The St. Thomas football team can earn a spot into the N-C-A-A Division III National Title game with a win today at UW-Whitewater.   (MORE...) Lions Look to Get On Track Vs. Vikings (Detroit, MI) -- The playoff-hopeful Detroit Lions will look to get back on track when they host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The Lions looked very sloppy in a 31-17 road loss to the Saints on "Sunday Night Football."  (MORE...) Minneapolis puts $300M On Th Table For Stadium 12-6-11 (St. Paul, MN)  --  Mayor R-T Rybak told a Senate committee today that Minneapolis is "prepared with existing revenue streams to put 300-million dollars on the table" toward a new Vikings stadium.  Ramsey County officials told lawmakers they're still working on a financing plan after legislative leaders took a sales tax increase out of the mix.  More... Thousands Of Tickets Remain For Vikings Games 12-6-11 (Eden Prairie, MN)  --  There are still thousands of tickets remaining for the Minnesota Vikings final two home games of the season.  The team hopes to sell out the Metrodome both Sundays and avoid its first T-V blackout since 1997.  More... Vikings Seel Out McNabb Waived 12-1-11 (Eden Prairie, MN)  --  Good news for Minnesota Vikings fans.  The team announced that Sunday's home game against the Broncos is sold out and will be shown on local television (12pm).  The Vikings have sold out 142 consecutive games at the Metrodome.  Meanwhile, the Donovan McNabb era is over in Minnesota. More... Vikings Proposal Surprised Bill Sponsor 11-28-11 (Fairmont, MN)  --  Vikings stadium bill sponsor, state Senator Julie Rosen, says she's anxious to talk with the Vikings about a stadium funding plan they're touting in newspaper ads.  The Fairmont Republican says she's "a little surprised" and didn't know about the ad until she saw it last night. More... Mbakwe Out For Season 11-28-11 (Minneapolis, MN)  --  It marks the premature end of Trevor Mbakwe's (em-BAHK'-wayz) basketball career at the University of Minnesota.  M-R-I testing shows Mbakwe, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, has a torn A-C-L and will miss the rest of the season.  The senior injured his knee during the Gophers' 86-70 loss to Dayton on Sunday. Peterson Out Against Falcons (Atlanta, GA)  --  The Vikings look to win their second road game of the season today in Atlanta, but they'll have to do it without Adrian Peterson.  He's out with a high ankle sprain.  (MORE...) Wild To Remember Boogaard (St. Paul, MN)  --  The Wild will remember the late Derek Boogaard tonight during their game against the Flames at the Xcel Energy Center.   (MORE...) Gopher Basketball (Orlando, FL)  --  The Gopher men's basketball team plays for the Old Spice Classic title tonight (6:00) against Dayton in Orlando.   (MORE...) Tentative N-B-A Deal (New York, NY)  --  Timberwolves fans will be back at Target Center if a tentative deal between N-B-A owners and players is approved.  Commissioner David Stern said early this morning there's optimism that play will start December 25th which would result in a 66-game season. Gophers beat DePaul 86-85 (Orlando, FL)   --   The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher men's basketball team is off to a five and oh start after defeating DePaul University 86-85 in the first round of the Old Spice Classic tournament yesterday (Thursday). Minnesota was led by the play of their forwards, Senior Trevor Mbakwe scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds More... Archive

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