Dr. Dan's Inbox/Mike Conley/Russo Radio - Bumper to Bumper 10/30/25 Hour Two

We open "Dr. Dan's Inbox," talk with Wolves guard Mike Conley about the season so far and check in with Michael Russo for his regular appearance to talk Wild in the final hour and change of the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
It is probably worth noting, as we could have even
when we were chatting with Sean Salisbury, that according to
the Daily Injury Report, Christian Darisaw is listed.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
As d NP for his knee.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
This is not being classified as a planned rest. I
remember there was there's some days where he missed practiced.
He said, well, this is all part of the grant,
the master plan. In this case it is for the knee.
So again, what does that mean for Sunday? Maybe nothing,
but I think it's further indication that reality is setting

(01:03):
in on Darasong. And this again is not an accusation
that he's soft in any way, shape or form, but
as he's emphasized, and I think we're learning the hard
way just on the basis of when he's available, when
he isn't for on game day. This ain't going to
be linear where he you know he's back, and he's
back all the time. It's going to be an every

(01:24):
week kind of process of figuring out whether he's going
to be available or not.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Correct.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
I mean, that's I think what keeps being a saga reinforced.
It has been turned into a saga that this team
obviously can ill afford at this point, we've all talked
about the injury issues along the line of scrimmage. Mark
Craig had a terrific piece about Daniel Jones and his
success in Indianapolis that you can say that a lot

(01:50):
of that success is related to the fact that the
Colts have had greater stability along its offensive line front
despite losing two offensive linemen to US than any team
in the league. And I think I think Jones has
been sacked. What was the number, was it seven times?
It was a very low number. We were on Let's

(02:11):
put this way. They were on one end, we were
on another. And uh, it's always ends up being part
of the story no matter who's out there and how
much pain they happen to be in.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Daniel Jones laboram is fine.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
In other words, what you're saying that's exactly correct't been in.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
I'm I'm actually surprised Salisbury went.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
You know, I really fully expected Salisbury to say, no, no,
you don't get it. Then it's the code he's going
to play. The coach thinks he's the guy who keep playing.
So he surprised me a little bit. But I think
it was what happens is you watch it and you
go no, yeah, no, put him on the bench, right,
stop it.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
Well, I think the thing we haven't talked about enough,
and you brought it up a little bit in Salisbury,
just did he wasn't helping you if you want to
be that cynical, like he wasn't giving you the best. Yes,
forget about his own personal health and whether or not
his arm was going to fall off if you were
actually trying to win the game, which is what he
also told Pa right a couple of days ago during

(03:07):
Ex's as, saying, we always think we're gonna win. We
always feel like we can do it. Not with that,
not with the quarterback in the condition that he was in. No,
that wasn't gonna work. Across the board. We'll do a
couple of we can do two segments. Yeah, we can
even understand it. Sure, we got Mike Conley at four thirty.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Don't worry hockey fans, don't worry faullness, Well, actually work.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Fall us should worry.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
RUSHO radio from the UH the arena formerly known as
the Acts.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
YEP, if the audio works anyway, And we tested that
out about three thirty. Oh nice, but it's good when
it's just how when it's just falls.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yeah, so when you try.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
To add elements in haphazard fashion, that's what happens. So
we're good, dear doctor Dan. I was a warning sign
for things to come. Just a few days earlier, Minnesota
sports fans witness their team when one of the greatest
games ever played that gave them a world championship.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
But at what cost?

Speaker 3 (04:07):
A few days later, I showed up, followed by a
wide left, decades of baseball losses, a b balls basketball
injury thrown across the Bonnie. The list goes on and on.
Everything comes at a cost, Doctor Dan. Have Minnesota sports
fans finally paid enough the nineteen ninety one h Blizzard.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
So it's the curse of the ah Blizzard. We've never
called it that before, have we? I think this. I
think Clayton, one of our regulars. I think Clayton is
onto something here. Everybody's looking for the perfect curse.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
When did it? Sarties, Yeah, that's a great point. Three
days after Jack Morris.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
The curse of the Halloween Blizzard, the Halloween Blizzard was
dumped upon us. Yeah, and we haven't won a men's
championship since.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Never been the same, Never will you can argue we've
never frontally totally recovered.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
That's a good one. I like that. Good theory.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
The curse of the how do you reverse the curse
of the Halloween blizzard?

Speaker 4 (05:02):
Though?

Speaker 3 (05:03):
That's the question? Yeah, that's a great question. Ian Leonard
was listening earlier.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
He texted in he listens to the show every day,
fox Stein Weather genius.

Speaker 3 (05:10):
Right, maybe he has some idea. My idea is there
as the resident meteorology is.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Sort of a ritual, some sort of ceremony we can't like,
you know, Chicago was we're going to sacrifice a goat
or because the billy goat curse right with the Cubs,
or allow a goat to take a seat as he
wasn't allowed back in what year I think was at
nineteen forty five. This case, though, it's trickier because it's weather, right,

(05:36):
I know it blows all over the place.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
Wind.

Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah, it's a wind. We're going to straddle because we
have commonly at the bottom of the hour. Okay, so
let's do let's get ahead of it. And the fan
and two men and a junk truck want to give
you a shot to win bonus box. It is our
national cash contest. You can enter the keyword deposit at
kfan dot com. Go to KFA dot com and enter
the keyword deposit.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
All right, let's try to get maybe one or two
more inbox items in before Mike Conley joins us Russo
at five, it's time.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
For a doctor and box.

Speaker 4 (06:24):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
Lets dear doctor Dan, I know you'd love to see
me back behind the bench at Excel.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
They change the name.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Well, it's hard to keep up on what happens in
Mini from the comfort of my lazy boy down here
in sunny South Florida. Nevertheless, I'm flattered you think I'd
be able to pull the boys out of the first
round of the playoffs. But don't forget I was only
able to do that one time in my eight seasons
as coach. The grass is always greener, eh, Well, the
grass is always green down here in Florida. So I
think I'll stay here tell the boys to play hard.

(06:57):
Signed Jay Lemaire.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well, it is.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
Pop possible that it becomes easy to romanticize what he
did and the fact that there was there only the
one run. But Doctor Dan would like to add, in
fairness to Jay Lemaire, they were an expansion team We're
supposed to be long past that excuse being viable. Right,

(07:21):
So in the early years, you tend to grade on
a more generous curve, right, Well, except if you're Vegas.
I guess that's a different issue. Yeah, but they had
to take all our players, that's true.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
They did.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
We didn't have those advantages, that's for sure. I'm just
telling you that if you have in your history one
time where you reached the conference finals and he happened
to be the coach there, I'm gonna let them probably
coach another twelve years, just in the basis of the
desert that were in outside of that particular still incredibly

(07:56):
memorable season, I remember it like it was yesterday. Well,
somebody's saying, wondering if what we need then to break
the Halloween blizzard curse is another Halloween blizzard.

Speaker 1 (08:09):
I don't think we're gonna get that this year because
I don't think it's cold and it doesn't seem like it.
But does it have to be a Halloween blizzard? Could
it does? Yeah? I think that's it. Well, so we're
not gonna be able to break by that logic. We can't.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
We're not gonna be able to break the curse until
the earliest we could break it would be next October.
October of twenty twenty six. So should we just me
Should we just trade Julie get value? Should we trade
Justin Jefferson, all of them? Anthony Man, Yeah, the whole bit.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
Dear doctor Dan, the view of Chavez Ravine from d
Stadium was tremendous. Heading back to Toronto now to finish
the job and get a ring. Hope all is well
in Twins Territory. Say hello to my family. El Varland
one of us. Well, we've we've talked about this that

(08:58):
once it was fairly clear that we were not going
to get within a sniff of the postseason again, that
all you could do, if you want to pay attention
to baseball at all, was try to stay connected to
all the players who we've traded away or moved on from,
and Elvarland is in that classification. Every team ends up

(09:22):
with players who has some success on place else. Maybe
we just feel it more because we've had so little
postseason success to discuss. And again, here's where we're historic,
here's where we kind of deserve the curse. If indeed
it is Halloween blizzardeteen ninety one curse is that we
rewarded the one team that broke on a very low level,

(09:44):
the Twins losing streak, curse true, and immediately said, here's
your reward for doing something that you guys haven't done
in twenty years.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
We're slashing the payroll thirty million dollars. Congratulations. Oh and
by the way, in case you didn't get the message,
at the next trade deadline, in a season in which
we still surprised people and we're doing incredibly well, we said,
not going to work. We're not going to really add
anybody that might be at all helpful. So that you

(10:12):
could argue is a team that pretty much deserves whatever
curse we might be participating or performing under. It's maybe
the curse. We reverse the curse with a Halloween La Nina.
So what you need is the tropical opposite of the
blizzard of the Halloween blizzard. Well, I know my kids

(10:34):
would appreciate that. I think we all would, But I
don't think we're treating this year. I don't think we
got that going for us either. The last day of
October it is.

Speaker 3 (10:41):
Dear doctor Dan, I can assure you that our Minnesota
audit team is working on the B. Shelton hiring we
have a great track record, as I'm sure you're aware,
and why not just see if the gov can influence
professional sports like they're trying to do in Louisiana. It
did seem fishy to us, and hiring a manager who
in his fifth year of a complete teardown, only won
one more game than our beloved m Twins.

Speaker 1 (11:03):
We're on it, Doctor Dan t aws.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Uh, doesn't he have enough problems right now? I mean
he's well, don't we have another fraud crisis to concern ourselves?

Speaker 1 (11:16):
I think we do well.

Speaker 2 (11:16):
We just shut down like fourteen companies, we actually shut some.
That's progress, is it not?

Speaker 1 (11:22):
For the moment.

Speaker 2 (11:23):
You'll see how long it lasts, and we'll see what
we're we're what we're still missing. That is an interesting
wrinkle we discussed yesterday. Would we have the stomach to
actually try to involve our politicians in fixing our sports teams?

Speaker 1 (11:38):
Well, the college level.

Speaker 2 (11:40):
They probably get away within the Louisiana because it's it's this,
it's the state.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
You know, it's the state.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
Steel tell us you, I don't think legally you can
do that, Although you could argue that the politicians could
do no worse than most of the the suits and
the Brain the chief Brain Wizards have done with several
men's sports teams the last twenty years.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
It's time for a doctor last one here.

Speaker 3 (12:07):
To lead into our four to thirty guests. Dear Doctor Dan,
who are you? My backcourt teammate A Reeves asked me
to send this. I'm not sure who you are, but
after last night's game, we're thinking of using the R.
Polenka jacket to put on a player after they make
a game winning shot a LA Baseball, after they hit dongs.

(12:27):
What do you think, doctor Dan? Jay Laravia that I
missed this whole story, the A. Edwards thing last night,
The A Edwards thing, Yeah it was it first, it's
somebody else. A fan, A fan basically asked, who is
this number twelve? And by the way, for the game,

(12:48):
if I have the box score right, uh, number twelve
was ten for eleven unconscious twenty seven points, yeah, eight rebounds.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
You killed us five of six from three, he killed us.
So the fan says, who is this guy? And Anthony
Edward says, that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
I don't know. You can't make up those.

Speaker 2 (13:10):
I gotta tell you, I don't know much about him.
Maybe our four thirty guests something about him. They certainly
know something about him.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
Now.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
It is a doctor Dan reminder though, that if you're
not knows to the grindstone about any league, every once
in a while you'll find out there's some talent out there.
Not not necessarily saying Hall of Fame talent, yeah, or
superstar talent, but there's some players you never heard of
that when you watch them, you go, it's kind of
a good player.

Speaker 1 (13:36):
He's kind of intriguing. It's hard to make the NBA.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
We need a couple of those guys to do the same,
reverse that and do it someplace else where they where
they ask us the same questions, players that maybe they've
never heard of or rarely heard of. We need some
of that juice that that sort of performance recommends. And
quite frankly, was probably as good as the Reeve shot
was late. Yep, he probably was the key to the

(13:59):
ball game right with. Without that contribution, there's no chance
for Austin Reeves to win the game, Like if a
player that no one has ever heard of, Yes, just
playing that hard like every Laker was last night.

Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, that's that's what I've talked about with them. Conley,
all right, let's make this the pause.

Speaker 2 (14:14):
Thanks for the text, Thanks for the emails, Russo at five.

Speaker 1 (14:18):
Wolves point guard Mike Conley is next.

Speaker 5 (14:22):
Time now for the Vikings Report on the Fan, presented
by Miller Lyte.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Vikings wide receiver Adam Feelin joins danbur Room next.

Speaker 6 (14:31):
And you know, we had a hard time making the
miss shots for a while. I mean I thought when
we and then when we did, we had a hard
time like finishing possessions. I thought that was the story
of the first half wash, you know, fouls, offensive rebounds
and kind of shot contests that were just not quite there.
And they got some they saw the ball go in
and then they got they got hot. That's how that's
how it happens in our league. I thought we got

(14:52):
to make them miss a little bit more and then, uh,
you know, yeah, so.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
Chris Finch after last night is very disappointing Wolves loss
to the Los Angeles Lakers. Mike Conley kind of have
to join us via the Connecticot Water Systems hotline.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Mike, thanks as always for the time.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
I'm wondering my concern I you know, you've been around
a long time, you could. There's a danger of ever
overreacting to any single game. I get that you got
to take the long view. On the other hand, I worry,
you know, they add up and so I look, I
worry that that's gonna be one of those games when
you guys look back, if you don't end up getting
the seed you want when you go, that's one of
those games that you just you got to win the game,

(15:35):
you know, despite the fact we're missing people. They're missing
a lot of people as well. How did you process
what took place last night?

Speaker 4 (15:44):
Uh? Yeah, I think for us at this point of season,
we process as you know, you lose a really tough game.
You know, it's a tough night in which one that
we thought that we should have been able to win.
And I don't think we think of it too much
about not too far ahead, you know, as far as
seatings concerned or anything like that. But we are, you know,

(16:07):
at that point of the year where you're trying to
establish yourself as as who you are, your identity, and
you know the positives that you can bring into the season,
and then tonight could have been you know, I mean,
the last night could have been one of those games
that you know, really could have been a good one
for us to kind of propel us in the right direction,
and for about six minutes of that game or ten

(16:28):
minutes of that game, I thought it was and then
you know, the outcome just wasn't what we wanted. And
so looking forward, you know, we just got to, you know,
figure out how we're going to sustain a level of
play that we want to you know, have for the
rest of the season, and then we'll worry about where
we end up at the end of the year.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
We have not I don't think talk since the regular
season began. You came in right before it, and obviously
I maybe you knew something was coming and it was
just not something to make a big issue of because
maybe you understood it. I don't know, but I was
a little surprised when I heard the decision was made
for that opening game that okay, we're making a change
to the lineup, and part of the way of finally

(17:03):
talked about it was why I can manage Mike's minutes
more easily that way if he's coming off the bench.
I'm wondering how if you were at all shocked taking
a back, is this something you had a conversation with
the with the coach about the sort of you know,
so you had a better understanding of it, give it,
take us back to win, all that stuff kind of

(17:24):
kind of changed.

Speaker 4 (17:26):
Yeah, you know, we we had spoke about it, maybe
I would say by three three days before four days
before the game for opening night game, and he had mentioned,
you know that I'd become off the bench, and you
know how you know it to be like you said,
to be easy to management minutes and benefit lineups and

(17:49):
give guys you know, a better chance to run a
different groups. So you know, I go told him then,
I was like, man, I'm all, I'm all for whatever
you know helps us, and you know, I'm sure it'll
be too perfect for our team. But you know, I said,
I was surprised at them at the moment because if
we hadn't there wasn't any kind of sign you know,

(18:10):
in the preseason for that necessarily. So but you know,
I guess I adapt, you know, really really fast, and
just trying to get used to that role as we
go further in the season.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
You know, there's there are players who seem to be
very good at mastering the art of coming in off
of the bench. But it is a different way to play, right.
It's a different and there are I think some players who,
if they too much of their careers have been starters.
It's a challenge because I'll just ask you, I mean,
does it feel different? Do you think there are some
challenges to to to getting into your rhythm if you're

(18:45):
not playing from the start of a game, given that's
sort of been you know, the role that you've had
for so long.

Speaker 4 (18:51):
Yeah, it's it's definitely different. You know, it's especially get older,
I think it gets a little different. You know, you
get the warm up for a game and then you
know you're you go right back to sitting down and
you have to warm up again to get back in,
you know, for your first time out in the court,
you know where whenever you get called in the games.
So it's just a different routine, a different warm up,

(19:14):
pre game. All that stuff is all things you just
gotta get used to. And you know, there's there's challenges,
there's there's pros, there's cons with everything, and those are
all things that I'm just adjusting to at the moment
and trying to get used to and you know, and
and seeing how it goes and how to play out
going forward. I'm sure, like I said, it'll be perfectly fine.

(19:36):
And something that is a guy that's played, you know,
majority of his career starting and getting kind of lumped
into that routine of you know, how you know, how
you manage yourself going in and out of games, and
from that standpoint, it's just you're kind of have to,
you know, switch that a little bit and and figure
out how you can be effective in the minutes you

(19:57):
do get.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
How have you how would you evalue the way you
have played in this new role thus far?

Speaker 4 (20:05):
I think I have not been in myself per se,
especially earlier the first few games. So I think it's
the last few. In the last couple of games, you know,
I've gotten to play a little bit. The men's have
been a little bit more obviously with the injuries, but
you get a little bit better rhythm, you get a
little bit better flow of the game. But the first

(20:25):
few games were a little a little off. You know,
you play probably ten to fifteen minutes in those games,
and some of that I'm not used to necessarily, you know,
being in that kind of situation and role. So, like
I said, it's something that I'm definitely welcome, welcoming to
and I you know, love the opportunity to help the
team have or I do and and you know, going forward,

(20:48):
I think it just it'll get better as I get
adjusted to it.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
Did Finch?

Speaker 2 (20:52):
I assume Finch she's asking that he wants the same
things from you that he always does. Right, that doesn't
change or does it at all, depending on who else
you're coming on the court with. What do you think
they're looking for from you now as opposed to when
you're starting.

Speaker 4 (21:06):
Yeah, I think it's a lot of the same things,
you know, kind of managing the game, be more aggressive
if I have opportunities, you know, have the ball in
my hand and make plays for guys and score, do
whatever I have to do to you know, help you know,
maintain the lead, build a lead, or bring back a
lead or whatever we're doing at that time. And they say,

(21:29):
it's just doing it in a shorter time frame and
with a different unit of guys. And and that's a
big thing for all of us, is you know, we've
got a group of guys now just into basically playing
alongside me and me alongside them who we haven't really
spent a whole whole lot of time with the certain
five guys at a certain time, So it's an adjustment

(21:52):
for all them as well as this for me. So
it's just it's just something that we're getting used to.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
Reeves.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
You guys make a great comeback and seem to be
in position to steal the damn game, and then obviously
Reeves scores getting going down the lane for the game winner.
You know, Lebron is obviously out, Luca is out as well.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
We know Reeves can score. I don't remember.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
Maybe you can refresh my memory in the series you
guys had, I don't remember if he did all that
much offensively. I felt like in that series, you guys
did a good job on him and seem to go
at him, make him work defensively because he's not, you know,
considered to be a great defensive player. What what is
he's had this emergence with the injuries? I guess is
he this skill to score? What do you see in

(22:37):
Austin Reeves?

Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah, and he's an amazing player, and I think he's
a guy that has been working on this game year
after year, and every year he's gotten better. And it's
one of those cases where you know, you're on a
team with other guys that are featured before him, and
he gets the opportunity to showcase who he is and

(23:02):
what he you know, he can bring in a in
a role that requires him to be more aggressive, and
he's answering the bell. I mean, it's not a surprise
to us as competitors against him. And what he's capable
of doing is you give a guy more opportunities. He's
got that kind of guy's gonna take advantage of it.
And he's done that. And he's a really really tough

(23:24):
cover for most guys, you know, night in, night out.
So it's, uh, you know, it's going to be interesting
to see how they continue to kind of add everybody
back in when they're healthy.

Speaker 2 (23:35):
Ant said famously from the bench last night that he
didn't know. I guess A Wolves fan said who's number twelve?
And Aunt asked the same question. Did you know who
Jake Laavia was? Before he finished with ten for eleven
from the floor last night?

Speaker 4 (23:53):
Yeah, we knew, so Ann did too. He's not gonna
tell you, but you know he knew Jake Lavia was
and in the you know, I'm sure it was funny,
funny little bit for everybody. But now he's he was
well well aware on our scout report and you know
he's he's you know, talented and can do all the

(24:14):
things he did. Obviously we didn't play on that kind
of night coming from him, but you know, it happens
when you when you let people get comfortable, and he's
playing the comfortable zone all games, so it was it
was one of those one of those nights for him.

Speaker 1 (24:26):
Defense.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
The the early frustration we've heard from Finchy has been
more about I think the defense. There's been some other
things that he's he's been unhappy with, but the defense,
you know, I know, I think we talked about this
when you came in. The mantra was that we got
to try to get back to the defense. Uh, from
a couple of years ago. It doesn't feel like you've

(24:49):
gotten there yet. And obviously Anthony Edwards being out has
something to do with that because he's such a good
two way player. So what have you seen defensively and
and it you subscribe to the theory that eighty eight
percent of good defense's effort or do you think it
has more to do with executing whatever on a given
night your defensive plan is that you and you guys

(25:12):
haven't done enough of that.

Speaker 4 (25:15):
Yeah, I think the majority of defense in general, it's
about how much you want it, Like, how much you
compete on the ball, how much you compete off the ball,
all these things that you know you require yourself to
just do whatever it takes to get to stop and
and the rest. You know, there's obviously a big portion

(25:36):
of it that is is game plan oriented, a discipline
aspect of it, because we can go out there and
play hard and pick up full court. If we don't
have a you know, any kind of direction of what
we're doing and why, then you know, it's it's wasted
energy against some of the teams that have the elite
scoring and playmaking and high IQ players. So for us,

(26:00):
it's it's it's being able to kind of marry marry both,
you know, getting back to aggressive style defense, physical picking up,
doing what we do on that in but also being
able to close out the possession smartly without failing, without
giving up you know, multiple rebounds, second chance opportunities, getting
back in transition, eliminating easy opportunities to get people comfortable

(26:25):
you know, in their in their games. So you know,
something that we're that balance we're trying to strike and
you know, hopefully we can get there as soon as
we can.

Speaker 2 (26:34):
One of the other challenges I think that that your
team has going forward is this year, especially with not
being elsewhere, is that you are going to be forced
to a certain extent to play at least one or two,
probably younger players right out of necessity as much as anything,
And on different nights it might be different people. It's
kind of the way it's played out thus far. And

(26:56):
there's that age old question of whether a team that
has high aspirations, which you guys clearly have, can live with,
can tolerate some of the mistakes the young players almost
to a certain degree, have to be allowed to play
through to get to that better place later in the season.

(27:17):
How does Finchy thread that needle?

Speaker 4 (27:21):
Yeah, you know there is that balance as well. You know,
we need our young guys like we need them to
be ready and to you know, figure it out as
fast as they can. The hardest way to do it
is by watching. Sometimes you need them out there to
learn on the fly. They have to learn through mistakes
and be able to fight through it. And I think

(27:44):
Finchy's you know, trying to strike that balance by trying
to find you know, minutes for guys, trying to find
different lineups and opportunities, and I think it makes it
easier for them if our you know, say top five,
six seven guys are playing like themselves and doing what
we're supposed to do, you know, handling our business as
far as leading the team defensively and and and setting

(28:07):
a good blueprint, and you know, for those guys, so
when they get in the game, those mistakes that that
will happen, they're not as you know, elevated or you
know what I mean, Like it's not it's not such
a you're not looking at that like, oh man, the
big a big possession, We really really really needed that one.
Now the game might be going either way instead it's oh,
you know, it's frustrating, but yeah, we know it's going

(28:29):
to happen, and let them move forward and keep going
because we have a more comfortable leader, more comfortable feeling
towards the rest of the game because of the way
you know, the other guys are playing. So we're gonna
rely on them and we're going to keep trusting them,
and then we're gonna.

Speaker 2 (28:44):
Need it well I chuckle, just because I mean, Finci
strikes me as a guy who's pretty impatient. You know,
He's got a high standard, and it just there's times
where I just feel like if he doesn't feel like
he's getting stuff out of the young guy, he just
he ain't gonna play him that it's it's hard for
him to want to extend the rotation. I'm not saying

(29:04):
he's TIBs exactly, but he's got a little of that
in him, I think. And that's what's interesting to me
to see because in his mind, I'm sure he's saying, well,
I've got standards, so I don't want to have to
tolerate stuff that that. You know, players need to earn
their time. But it's such you know, dilling Ham to
me is a good example of this where he can
have some moments you go what are you doing? But
then you say, well you got to give him a

(29:25):
little bit of rope to see what he can develop
into a legler. I think it was the last night
of the broadcast said he thinks the key with Dillingham
in his mind is that even though he's a good scorer,
obviously said, look, he's got to do what he did
a few times early in his time yesterday, distribute, get
into the paint and get the ball to other people,
and that eventually the scoring part will come easily off

(29:47):
of that. But that really his next step in development
is more getting in to give the ball up.

Speaker 1 (29:53):
Do you agree with that?

Speaker 4 (29:55):
Yeah? You know, when I talk to Rob all the time,
it's you know, it's it's a about you know, the
small things that is going to keep him on the
floor and allow him to then, you know, as he
continues to develop game by game, you know, show the
rest of his game, Like he doesn't need to be
all world Rob building him every time he steps on

(30:17):
the floor, But can you do the top two or
three things that are asked of you from coaches perspective
or our team's perspective, and what we need you to
do on that night or a nightly basis, you know,
every time you've done on the floor, be consistent with that,
and then eventually get that rope to to you know,
move on to doing the other things that we know

(30:38):
you can do as well, that we see in practice
of those sparks and games and things like that. And
it's hard for him, obviously, because he believes in himself.
We all believe in him and want him to succeed immediately,
but you still have to you know, there's still gathers
of the coach. You got to follow game plans, you
got to do all things that kind of come with
that whole role. And he's done a great job of

(31:02):
sticking with it and being focused and locked in every
day and working towards, you know, getting himself, you know,
more and more playing time.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
Wolves veteran Mike Conley kind of enough to join us
a couple more things with him Russo Radio to talk
hockey at the top of the hour. I'm seeing a
lot of fifty point games. I feel like a lot
of forty nine to fifty one, fifty two point games.
And then when I'm looking at a lot of those games,
I'm seeing like twenty one for twenty two from the
free throw line, eighteen from nineteen from the free throw line,

(31:30):
which is good efficiency, which you can appreciate, is a
great free throw shooter. But I guess what I'm leading towards.
Are we seeing early in this season more fouls called?
Is the game being called tighter to that extent? This
often happens, and then it gets loose loosened up. But
what what do you see any trend so far in
terms of the officiating approach early in the season.

Speaker 4 (31:51):
Mike, Yeah, you know, just noticing from those bigger games.
I'm thinking those bigger games, I've noticed it not so
much ethically.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
In our games.

Speaker 4 (32:01):
I don't think we've had too many guys go through
the line that many times, so I haven't really paid
too much such to it. But yeah, I think as
a whole, guys are you know, each year you come
in with you know, the endpoint of emphasis for the
NBA and the rest and what they're going to start
calling early and they normally you know, bloil a whistle
a lot more early on to try to emphasize those things.

(32:22):
And and then you get the players who understand those
you know, what's being emphasized, and and they're really smart
high IQ and they you know, exploit it a lot
of times. So you know that it's something that you know,
kind of happens a lot during the course of you know,
ebbs and flows of years of in the NBA, and
it'll you know, work its way into the game and

(32:44):
you know, by the end of the year we'll be
back being physical and you know, doing a lot of
a lot of extra hand checking and stuff that that
they might not allow right now.

Speaker 2 (32:53):
I appreciate the time they have a good the safe
travels on the to the game to Charlotte, which I
think is coming up next, and we will talk soon.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
Thanks Mike, all right, sounds good. I appreciate you. Mike Conley,
Timberwolves point guard.

Speaker 2 (33:08):
On the wolves disappointing setback last night, one hundred and
sixteen to one fifteen, Austin Reeves hits the twelve footer
driving to the basket.

Speaker 1 (33:18):
A terrific play.

Speaker 2 (33:20):
It was good, very well played, and I as I
don't know, maybe it wouldn't have mattered what kind of
defense that the Wolves play in that situation, because as
you heard, you know, Conley was very effusive in his
praise of the offensive skill that Reeves represents. And of
course the interesting thing will be he's got free reign
right now, right, and and that's going to obviously change

(33:43):
when lifts some Luca.

Speaker 1 (33:45):
And Lebron come back.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
I don't even know what's Lebron's wass be out a month, right,
I'm not sure how Luca was like a couple of weeks,
a couple of weeks. Was he there, by the way,
I didn't even notice him.

Speaker 1 (33:55):
Was he on the bench?

Speaker 2 (33:56):
I don't know. I know Lebron was not. Yeah, he
was at the World Series game a couple of nights.
And I see Lebron has kind of like a Phil
Jackson style chair because there was sciatica where you know
where it's like, you know, it kind of sits up
higher and it's a little more cushiony than everybody else's chair.
I'd say, I see that in La Probably he deserves it. Well, yeah,
I have no problem with it. I'm just curious because
it looked like I'm wondering if it's literally the Phil

(34:18):
Jackson chair.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
The Jackson they had it right there.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
Yeah, they had it at Staples or I mean, you're
not gonna throw that.

Speaker 1 (34:25):
Kind of chair away. It's an expensive chair.

Speaker 2 (34:27):
Probably got a new book out, by the way, Phil,
he does, he got a new book out with saying
our guy Sam Smith formerly Chicago try being. What else
did he have to say? I twelve rings? Didn't I
guess this is? I guess this the uh, the steam
on it is. There's a lot of carmelo ripping in
it that they didn't coexist all in York.

Speaker 1 (34:46):
Yeah, I always forget he was forgot. It was a
forgettable time Nicks.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
And then also he there was almost the intimation.

Speaker 1 (34:57):
That the league.

Speaker 2 (35:01):
Frowned upon or was discouraging his continuing his relationship with
Genie Buss interesting, which I find their business. Yeah, that
was kind of kind of shaky to me about getting
in that business.

Speaker 1 (35:13):
But I don't know.

Speaker 2 (35:14):
I'd have to maybe look, you know, these books to
get sold, you gotta you gotta get you gotta get
some voltage and some juice, and so maybe those are
the things that can we.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
Get Phil on. That's what I want to know.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
I'd love to get a great, great big chief trying
along with basically one of us.

Speaker 1 (35:29):
He's from North Dakota. He should want to come on
with us, he is.

Speaker 2 (35:31):
I how old is Phil Jackson? He's got to be
good in his seventies probably, don't you think? No, he's
older than nah?

Speaker 1 (35:37):
Is he?

Speaker 2 (35:38):
Well, I'm gonna be seventy one. He was playing when
I was was in high school. Like you gotta be,
I've got to be. I'll double check it. I gotta
believe he's around eighty, Okay, but we'll find out. Phil
Jackson I think our chance would be good to get
Sam Smith. Probably not as good to get we had
Sam Smith on in the Last Dance, right, We've had
him on over the decades. Yeah, a decent amount, although

(35:58):
it's been a while. We used to have him on
a bus when he was still covering the last I
knew he was like the Bulls historians. That's right, working
for the Bulls, right. I don't know if he's still
doing that. Any final thoughts on last night's ball game,
because it I really only have one thought. First of all,
I know we were having fun with Reddick during the

(36:20):
playoffs last year because he was all mad about you
know the Yeah, he made a mess of the playoffs, right,
he overthought the playoffs playing you know, my team's on
the floor, Norman Dale.

Speaker 3 (36:29):
You know, just giving him no chance to win. I
get he was shorthanded. He's got those dudes playing hard man.
And that's what bugged me last night. I just thought
I was saying to someone's earlier today. The Wolves to
me feel like, now you have a teenager, so maybe
you would you could know this. They feel like a teenager,
and that you never know what you're gonna do. They're

(36:49):
just like Moody, like they played thirty minutes where they
don't even look.

Speaker 1 (36:52):
Like they like each other.

Speaker 3 (36:53):
There's dribbling, they're not helping each other out on defense,
they're not connected, and then all of a sudden, the
balls flying around all over the place. They're making the
extra pass, they're helping the helper, they're guarding everybody. Conley's
playing well, he's dropping dimes to Jaden for dunks. Jayden's
offensively by the way, It's like the one bright spot
of the season. But games like last night, just for

(37:14):
a team that wants to talk about continuity and being
ready for the moment, like just be connected from the
go last night and I know ants out, but just
go handle that because the Lakers just played harder.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
How many to other.

Speaker 2 (37:26):
Teams in this league, including the Lakers last night, do
we see when they have their best or second best
player or both out.

Speaker 1 (37:35):
A lot actually become more dangerous for the reasons you
laid out. Because they play hard.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
They're playing hard, and they are playing connected. And that's why,
as odd as this sounds, I think it would have
been an injustice if the Wolves would have won that game.
I was not bothered going to send the wrong message that,
like you said, while we're going to turn it on
for twelve minutes, yep, and we're going to steal this
ball game. I don't think they deserve to be rewarded.
I think the basketball God said, we're gonna make sure

(38:01):
Reeves scores on this last possession, and that Finchy's gonna
call the wrong defense. Yes, because the Wolves do not
deserve to win this game. And there's one guy.

Speaker 3 (38:09):
And this is what really bothers me about the team,
because they all talk about how much they love Mike
and they want to win for Mike.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Yes, and everybody loves Conley.

Speaker 3 (38:17):
Conley's the one guy that's like grinding his ass off
the whole time. And I know he's not playing forty minutes,
but he's battling. No, he's definitely well, but he's battling.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
But yes, like last night, it's sloppy one handed passes,
it's lazy passing the post, it's getting beat to loose balls.
It's all of that stuff that so you know me,
I'm loath to give the Lakers. And and even even
though I like JJ and I we've said it for
a year, Austin Reeves is the you know, the third
best option in the NBA.

Speaker 1 (38:45):
We had a lot of fun with that.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
It's like the dude's playing really hard and all the
other guys are playing hard too, and it's it's almost
like the Wolves are too cool to do that if
they're playing a scrappy underdog team. And that's what bugged me,
because I should remind them even at for people to win,
Laker tickets are expensive. There are any cheap tickets to
go even if Lebron and Luke aren't playing. They didn't

(39:06):
know Jack Nichlinson's not going anywhere. They didn't know that
in August when they when the single games went on sale.
It costs a lot of money to go to that
game last night, and people should be pissed if they
went and watched the first three quarters.

Speaker 2 (39:16):
Phil Jackson turned eighty years old on September seventeen. Born
in Deer Lodge, Montana. Oh, deer Lodge. That sounds like
a made up place. Deer Lodge, Montana. What is this
some kind of fiction novel you just read at Barnes
and Noble.

Speaker 1 (39:33):
It's possible.

Speaker 2 (39:34):
Deer Lodge, Montana. Yeah, here's your most headline. Phil Jackson
blames Carmelo Anthony for drama, or blames Carmelo Anthony drama
or failed mixed tenure.

Speaker 1 (39:44):
That's probably oversimplified.

Speaker 2 (39:46):
But I've never loved Carmelo Anthony as much as basketball
people think I should.

Speaker 1 (39:51):
I don't know why.

Speaker 2 (39:52):
He's always bugged me just a little bit, even though
he was undeniably skilled. I I don't know, that's just
something about him.

Speaker 1 (40:01):
I always thought he was slightly overrated.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
No Top five at five today because we go to
Russo Radio, who tweeted out to seven minutes ago, hurry,
I'm getting lightheaded in Fallness's cave. And then a picture
of a cereal milk soft served candle. So we better
get to him otherwise we're going to lose them. All right,

(40:29):
It is indeed time to check in with Russo Radio
from the historic Kevin Fallness studio, where allegedly all technical
issues that had you sounding like you were speaking into
a speakerphone last time have indeed been resolved.

Speaker 1 (40:45):
Is that accurate, Russo Radio? Yeah? Because guards yep, sorry,
I'm just messing around. I have you had me?

Speaker 5 (40:57):
I thought, yeah, good, you missed the punchline. To go ahead,
let's start over. I said it was because guards he's
back on the clock.

Speaker 1 (41:08):
An a professional. You're throwing under the bus that.

Speaker 5 (41:12):
Yeah, apparently Fawmless was the least responsible of the Yeah,
of course he was. How he was like fast asleep,
Bread apparently didn't feel like it was necessary to tell.

Speaker 1 (41:24):
Anybody that there was an issue.

Speaker 5 (41:26):
So, uh, you know, fawmnss was just kind of clueless
in there, which is, you know, his normal, normal standard
but default. But this time I don't blame him as much.

Speaker 1 (41:36):
Which can't. What's the scent than the candle?

Speaker 5 (41:38):
Cereal milk sauce serve was definitely, I will say it's
the best sense that he's had ever.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
I don't want my candle to smell like something I
want to eat.

Speaker 1 (41:48):
I don't know, does that to be that exotic? It is?
It is?

Speaker 5 (41:51):
It does smell like ice cream. And I will say,
I don't know if you've been to that. There's a
like an ice cream shop on I think it's Grand
episode St.

Speaker 4 (42:00):
Paul.

Speaker 5 (42:00):
Yeah, and I would know about it smells like you
when you walk in there.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
Sis. It's pretty good. Yeah, No, it's it's good.

Speaker 5 (42:08):
It's definitely of all the fall Less candles, this is
by far the best, so so good.

Speaker 1 (42:12):
I'm going to look it up on Amazon and maybe
get a couple.

Speaker 2 (42:15):
Well, you could make the argument that right now, what
falls should have is candles that smell really bad, because
if he wants to really reflect the odor emanating from
your favorite hockey team, let's be honest, that's what it is.

Speaker 1 (42:28):
We're not sailing along, are we. No.

Speaker 5 (42:31):
No, they've won three out of eleven games, so they're
certainly not that. And they're playing a team tonight that's
got a point streak in nine straight games. By the way,
if you start to lose me, how these just walked
into the studio, So there's a good chance that, uh,
something's gonna get unplugged.

Speaker 1 (42:48):
But no, they're they're not playing well.

Speaker 5 (42:50):
And I remember talking to you before opening night when
we were in Saint Louis and.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
You asked me about the season.

Speaker 5 (42:55):
I just said I was concerned, just because you know,
they an audible happened right going into training camp, where
Zucarello reported heard, and that obviously was a situation where
I think coming into camp, we all knew that that
this team really lacked depth in the top six and
couldn't really afford losing that right off the hop if

(43:15):
Liam Ogrin and Danelo You're off didn't show that they
were ready right away. And I think they're gonna be
good players, but they didn't show that they're ready to
grasp that right away. And and then Yuko Sterm gets
hurt as well. Who was the person that was supposed
to come here and cure all their face off troubles
and penalty killed troubles, and and and he gets hurt
the first day of camp, and so it's it hasn't
been a good, good start to the season. I think

(43:37):
guys are starting to really try to do too much
on the ice. They've come close to the last couple
of games to getting themselves out of it and getting
a win, and obviously lost both games in overtime. But
you know, at this point, it's not about the process anymore.
We're at a tipping point. They got to get they
got to get some w's.

Speaker 2 (43:55):
Yeah, it is sadly at that point, and I I
would will far be it from me to be presumptuous
enough to tell you how to do your job, because
nobody does it better than you do. But I'm hoping
that you and Joe and whoever is covering this team
on a given night, even if they hear a player,
a wild player say we really think we deserve to

(44:18):
win or got the better of it, that you guys
will dutifully, you know, take the note as if you're
writing it down and nod your head, but not included
in the story because Russo, in all honesty, does it
not reach a point where it's utterly meaningless. And I
don't know why any fan would sit there and say, oh, okay,
I feel a lot better now.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
That explains it.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
There's just not enough equity on this club to me
to go down that road, even if on a given
night there might be some truth to it.

Speaker 5 (44:44):
Yeah, no, you're right. I mean, you know, almost beating
the San Jose Sharks is not something to you know,
lay your hat on, and you know, if you were
the San Jose Sharks, there's time for moral victories. But
right right now, this team, this is not the way
this season was supposed to start. You know, fans and
this organization have been waiting for years for the for

(45:06):
the buyout trouble to go away, and they come into
this year and they went for three of their first
eleven games, and what what to me is more concerning
is is how they get out of this because, uh,
you know, save for the Winnipeg game, which which you know,
I think is a team that still probably lacks speed,
the three the three games before that, you know, Utah

(45:28):
and San Jose and New Jersey really skated circles.

Speaker 1 (45:32):
Around them at times in those games and.

Speaker 5 (45:34):
Look like they are the younger, fresher legs and and
the reality is that the Wild have married themselves to
this core. And yeah they have some young kids coming,
but none of them are really high, high end guys.
So these players on the ice, when Bill Gerran says
it's fixable, it has to be fixable through the team
that he has he is constructed here and right now

(45:58):
it looks like a lot of these teams are on
the sort of passing them by, and that's you know, look,
there's a lot of reasons for that. The teams that
have sort of had you know, a huge young core,
especially the ones like in Utah, these teams have been
terrible for a long long time and have gotten top
five picks routinely, where the Wild never seemed to get that.

(46:18):
And you know, right now, as good as the Wild
really believe their prospect pool is if you look at
anybody in their system. Nobody is like a Macklin Celebrini
or a Logan Cooley or a Dylan Gunther or JJ Patka.
They don't have that coming. And that's concerning because a
lot of these teams that have been terrible for a

(46:39):
long time. We've seen Chicago get off to a great start.
We've seen what maclan Celebrini could do. We're gonna see
eventually what the byproduct of Anaheim. Detroit's gotten a rough
to a really good start, even though it's a different conference.
There's just a lot of teams here that have been
able to because they've been terrible, get these high, high picks.
And I think it's you know, eventually that bill comes due,

(47:01):
and I think the Wild's core have gotten as they've
just routinely gotten older, you know, are starting to look
that way on the ice.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
What was the message that you took out of Garren
meeting with the captains?

Speaker 1 (47:12):
What was that all about.

Speaker 5 (47:13):
I think it's, you know, it's kind of the complete
opposite of what he did a couple of years ago
when he fired Dean. You know, the monday before we
went we all went to Sweden, he went into the
locker room and tore the paint off the wall, so
to speak, and went one by one and just ripped
into everybody. And you just knew at that point that
that that Dean was really on a short lease, even

(47:35):
though Billy was doing everything possible not to fire him
this time. I think he is realized and kind of
what I just told you is that it has the
answers have to be in the room. So I think
he's trying to, you know, one, get information, but also,
you know, explain to these players just the urgency of
the situation to get them out of it, and how
much they need all three of those guys, Capri, Sauspurgeon

(47:57):
and Felino to play better. But also the fact that
that they are in this together and you know, trying
to find out what they could do to make it
easier for this team to start winning. And so you know,
obviously those are private conversations, and building give me a
big rundown of exactly what was said. I know, you know,
Spurge and Felino, We've talked to them and I've gotten

(48:19):
sort of a gist of it. But I think it
comes down to, again what I've been saying is that
I think that their you know, Bill came into this
season thinking that they were going to be a really
good team and that eventually he would accrue cap space
and really go for that big big fish in some
sort of capacity in a trade. And I don't think
he ever envisioned that he might have to make some
trades to save the season. The reality, though, is I

(48:42):
think that what that tells me is that Bill has
done a lot of due diligence in the last couple
of weeks to try to figure out what the landscape
is out there. And not only is it hard to
make a trade, there hasn't been a significant trade in
the NHL in months, But I think he realizes that
right now there's really no great players available. You know,
he's not going to trade for Nozm Kadri and take

(49:02):
three years of a thirty five year old at seven
million dollars. You know, Nick Robertson is you know, might
be available in Toronto, But this is a twenty four
year old undersized winger that really is that the type
of thing that's gonna make an impact enough to save
your season?

Speaker 1 (49:16):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (49:16):
Could he trade right now for probably fifteen bottom Yeah,
you know, fourth line you know what, what's that do?
So I think he's realizing that there's at this juncture,
really nothing out there that that is going to make
the impact that this team needs. And when it comes
down to it, especially when you look at that Winnipeg
the other that game the other night, they need to

(49:38):
save from Gustafson, they're not getting it.

Speaker 1 (49:40):
Analytically.

Speaker 5 (49:41):
In seven to the last eight games, they've had the
second best goalie on the ice between Gustafson and Walstad
and whoever they're playing against.

Speaker 1 (49:47):
That's not a good thing.

Speaker 5 (49:48):
The other night against Winnipeg, it was a three goal
swing between the saved above expected for a guy like
Hella Buck and Gustuson. So he's got to be better
the sant game. Valstat's got to be better. Then then
you're you're superstar. I mean, you know, there's a lot
of issues on this team right now, and I know
that Wild fans seem to be sensitive to anybody criticizing

(50:13):
Carill according to uh whenever we do it and the
comments that we get back. But I'm sorry, Like he's
turning the puck over ten times a game, and look,
don't ever look at the giveaways on the stat sheet.
You know, I know that they have him like top
five in the league with nineteen giveaways. He's had nineteen
giveaways this week. It is it is, It is not
a stat that is treated, that is that is recorded

(50:34):
accurately in the National Hockey League. You know, two games
ago in San Jose, he turned the puck over twice
for goals and once leading to a penalty.

Speaker 1 (50:42):
That that that led to a goal.

Speaker 5 (50:44):
Last game in overtime, a blind pass in the neutra
zone turned the game upside down. Power plays almost every
single night or ended because he's turning the puck over
on an east to west play in the high slot.
That is clearly starting to be anticipated by penalty kills
because they picking him off constantly in games. And he
just is a player, I mean, like a lot of

(51:05):
Russian players that likes to play in East West brand
of hockey. But it's starting to become problematic when you
can't stop a puck. And right now, the Wild they're
one of the worst defensive teams in the league. They've
they've trailed more than every team in the league but
two by but one. And so you know, when you're
not good defensively or you're struggling to that point. You've
got to play a simple game and try to eke

(51:26):
out some victories and be careful with the puck, and
he's not doing it right now. So again I don't
mean to just pick on him. There's a lot of
problems on this team. Fellino has n't been good, Spurgeon
hasn't been great. You know, there's a lot of a
lot of passengers right now, Yakov Trenyon. I'm not positive
exactly what he's doing out there. There's a lot of issues,
but they you know, carill like it or not.

Speaker 1 (51:48):
When you're now.

Speaker 5 (51:50):
The highest paid player in the NHL for a long
long time and by a wide margin, the standard is
higher for you. And he's got to be better than
he's been. You know, he's got to be better at
even strength offensively, and he's certainly got to be better
defensively and taking care of the puck.

Speaker 2 (52:07):
Yeah. I was chuckling listening to you talking about, especially
about doing the little things defensively and so forth, when
you don't have much margin for air. And I admit
this is silly sentimentality, but what I got triggered when
when Lemaire part of the twenty fifth anniversary, said when
he came back, I got triggered.

Speaker 1 (52:23):
I'm not lying to you. I'm going.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
You know, he's got that unmistable, unmistakable grin, that look
that he has on his face. He's aged a little,
but he still looks pretty much the same. Still to me,
sounds the same.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
And I'm going.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
I told Louis, I said, no offense on Heinz. This
is even about Hines at all. But if you could
hire an eighty year old coach and he'd be willing
to do it, I'd do it in a minute, because
I do harken back to that time, because you did
at least feel like then they may not have been
interesting to watch, but that they knew their limitations and

(52:53):
he had a standard, and by god they were gonna
have to abide by it.

Speaker 1 (52:56):
I missed Lamaire.

Speaker 5 (52:57):
Yeah, you know, I look, I mean, first of all,
he doesn't want to do it, so it's right, that's
not happening.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
But you're right.

Speaker 5 (53:04):
I mean that opening night, he must have had a
heart attack watching that, and the you know, it's just
the way the Wild War. Look, you know, I think
Falmness had Mary and Gabrick on the pod. The other
day and Gabrick said it's the best. And remember they
had their battles. I mean, you know, there's a lot
of people that felt that that, you know, Lamaire is
the reason why Gabrick maybe didn't hit that fifteen old
more fourteinely or forty more than the one time he

(53:25):
did in this organization that he was, you know, had
the handcuffs on him. And yet when when Falmness asked
them about Lamaire, I again, correct me if I'm wrong,
Fawmless if I'm misquoting him, but he said he's the
best coach he's ever had. And this is a guy
that won a Cup in LA and has had a
lot of good coaches in the National Hockey League.

Speaker 1 (53:43):
So I think that says a lot. And it's the
age old.

Speaker 5 (53:46):
You know, how many times do you talk to a
professional athlete years and years and years after their ending
their career ends and they realized, you know what, that
guy to get it really rode me hard. Was actually
the best thing that ever happened to me and helped
me learn about life and the game. And that's what
Jacques did. And you're right, I mean, no, they've had
a lot of great teams here since Shaq as well,
and Mike yelwa is the only coach in Wild history

(54:07):
that got them past the first round twice, and they
were a really good defensive team under Mike. And but
I think what's perplexing about the last three years with
the Wild is that this organization has always been a
really good home team and a really good penalty killing team.
And the Wild have been a really awful home team
the last few years, and their penalty kill is beyond

(54:27):
god awful. And the thing that concerned me the last
game here that we're seeing now is empty seats. You know,
this has not been a fun place to watch the
Wild play for too long here. You know, they were
one of the best road teams in the league last year,
but a really mediocre home team until the end of
the season. And fans here are starting to get tired

(54:50):
of coming out here and not having fun and not
seeing victories. And and last game, the amount of empty
seats in the upper Bowl is very, very concerning. And
so and that was a game where you know, Gabriick
and Bouchard and Ralston and Veyu came back, and you know,
and that wasn't enough to sell the place out. So
this team to start off a six game homestand after

(55:10):
such a bad road trip with no victories so far
in three games, is very, very concerning.

Speaker 1 (55:16):
What else do we need to know about the Pens
tonight's opponent.

Speaker 5 (55:19):
Well, they're playing well, and you know, Sidney Crosby always
turns back the clock. It's not like this is a
resurgence of him. He's had an unbelievable start to the
year sixteen points. Fifteen points in eleven games. Malkin is
the one that's absolutely turned back the clock. You know,
this is somebody that the last two or three years
really look like he's slowing down. He leaves the league

(55:39):
and assists and has sixteen points in eleven games. How
about this one for you. Matt dumbe is in the lineup,
Connor Doors in the lineup. But the one guy that
has had a great, great start for the Pittsburgh Penguins
is Justin Brazoh, the Wilds trade deadline pickup last year
that really wasn't very good here. And you know why
was he not very good here? Well, he's not checker.

(56:00):
He's a scorer. He's always been a scorer. He was
a scorer in juniors, he was a scorer at times
in Boston. Well, the Wild acquired him to put on
the fourth line and he just didn't have that type
of impact. Well now he's playing with Malkin and he
has six goals and twelve points in eleven games. So
Braso is just put in a position that he wasn't
able to play here because of the Wild's top six.

(56:23):
But it also shows that when you make a trade
deadline pickup, you gotta you can't just you know, as
I wrote today about or the other day about David Yurchek,
a leopard doesn't change his spots. Braso might be huge,
but he's not a checker. He doesn't hit. He scores,
and David Yurachek same thing at six', four he's one
hit this. Season you, know He's he's not the type
of player that that's going to add a lot of

(56:45):
physicality on a blue line that has no physicalities or little.
Physicality so there's there's some issues right now in This
wild line.

Speaker 1 (56:52):
Up have fun, tonight good check good checking in with
you as.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
Always we will we'll chat next week and say how
to falls tell him that the sound QUALITY i thought
was superb.

Speaker 1 (57:02):
Today you're, welcome. Everybody great. Job guardsey did a great. Job.

Speaker 5 (57:05):
Adults, yeah it's it's about. Time it just shows that
you can't take any time off. Guardsy, well it's job.
Security it's job.

Speaker 3 (57:14):
SECURITY i got to let other people try to do
WHAT i do and make it seem you, know so,
easy so.

Speaker 1 (57:18):
Difficult it's. DIFFICULT i have to come. Back, yeah, yeah
they can't do it without.

Speaker 5 (57:21):
You if it sounded LIKE i was on a phone,
booth there's no doubt you would have said. Something but
apparently that was fine With Blake.

Speaker 3 (57:27):
Moore he was probably Watching Jordan love highlights and wasn't even.
Listening that's a good.

Speaker 1 (57:30):
Point very. Possible, Thanks, ma would be, good all, right
see It Russo, Radio thanks. Everybody The.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
WELL i used to be called THE. X what's it called?
Now Grand? Casino is? It have we shortened that to anything?

Speaker 3 (57:41):
Yet that's some people have it's not appropriate for a
family friendly.

Speaker 1 (57:45):
RADIO i have heard that.

Speaker 3 (57:46):
One, yeh shout out to ten thousand.

Speaker 1 (57:49):
Takes that's very. True.

Speaker 2 (57:50):
Guys is there a clean shortened one? Yet, no not
really to call it The Grand if you, WANT i
guess you can call it.

Speaker 1 (57:56):
The Grand, yeah that's, very very.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
True how can there be empty seats in the state of?
Hockey good. QUESTION i don't. KNOW i MEAN i like to.
Think actually it's it means the state of hockey is
finally trying to adhere to some standards and, saying come,
on come, on, guys let's get. This let's get this thing.
Going who's to say.

Speaker 3 (58:13):
It's also tryout season for all the youth, teams you,
know so we're, crazy all all hockey families And i'm
in that all us time.

Speaker 1 (58:20):
Earlies we've got stuff to. Do, yeah that's What i've.

Speaker 2 (58:22):
HEARD a couple quick texts, Share, hey, well let's go
ahead and, break and then we'll have one more. Segment
we're out early today For vikings, programming followed by as
should be A parent by Now Minnesota Wild hockey hosting
The Pittsburgh.

Speaker 1 (58:35):
Penguins back in a, Minute.

Speaker 3 (58:37):
Fan and two men and a junk truck want to
give you a shot to Win bonus. Bucks it is
our national cash. Contest final keyword of the evening is.
Check go to KFA n dot com and enter the keyword.
Check the show rap presented By American pressure commercial grade
pressure washer since nineteen seventy.

Speaker 1 (58:53):
Five it's The bumper To Bumper Show.

Speaker 2 (58:55):
Wrap vikings podcast is preempting the rest of this, show
or at least much of, it and that'll be followed
By Minnesota Wild hockey and The fan the afore we
mentioned moments, ago The penguins The opponent will see if
The wild can get something. Going Tonight, friday of, course
is The Football Beast picks With, Gerby Ben, gesling And

(59:17):
lavelle are all on the docket for tomorrow's. BROADCAST i
intended as we say thank you very much To Mike
conley who joined at four, thirty we say thank you
very much To Sean salisbury who joined at three, thirty
and thank you To Russo radio who joined from the
fall in the studio moments ago THAT i really wanted
to spend a little more time on This university Of minnesota.

(59:39):
KERFUFFLE i have not found myself over the years necessarily
defending The university Of minnesota all that MUCH i piled
on when they've been. Vulnerable BUT i am perplexed at
this notion that The university Of minnesota is somehow obligated

(01:00:00):
to take care of every high school graduation in a
six state. AREA i don't know where you are on this,
subject but they made the big announcement and people are.
JOLTED i mean here They're. JOE i, Mean i'm hearing
these these these comebacks of how dare? They what's wrong with?
Them that's their. Responsibility who decided it's their. Responsibility it

(01:00:24):
is the story.

Speaker 1 (01:00:24):
That they're telling.

Speaker 2 (01:00:26):
ACCURATE i don't know basically what the university is saying
is it's too. Much it's it's too much stress over
too short a period of. Time, yeah we make a
little bit of money off of. IT i think they
make according to the. Story is it like two thousand
bucks twenty thousand bucks? Total, OKAY i don't know what
that is for. Graduation, well it's a decent amount of.

(01:00:48):
Money that's not a, lot but it's not enough for.

Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
Me And i'm.

Speaker 2 (01:00:51):
Assuming also they've got just because they were, shooting was their?
Shootings were their shootings once or? TWICE i, thought just the,
yeah that means that that that that's going to happen
all the. Time but in their mind they, say we
don't need that. Headache we don't need because let's be
clear about. Something if there's if there's another problem like
that we even had heard it. Then but if it happens,

(01:01:13):
again guess who's gonna get ripped for your? Security university Of.
Minnesota So i'm i'm how did we? Get how did
graduation get so out of control that every the, parents, grandparents, uncles,
cousins distant, cousins, friends all decide they have a right

(01:01:39):
to be, there and by, god you're not going to
stop me.

Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
Llage i'm.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
SORRY I i do. NOT i do not find this
as scandalous as other people. Do AND i don't know
what their real reasoning, is BUT i think they have
a right because how many of these are that we.

Speaker 1 (01:01:53):
Doing they're doing a bunch of.

Speaker 2 (01:01:55):
These because all the big schools are, doing and it's
convenient they've been. There but because they've they've made themselves.
AVAILABLE i don't think that means that they're obligated to
continue to make themselves. Available, sorry go back to what's
about this novel. Concept go back to doing it in
your high. Schools and if you have to limit because
you've got bigger, enrollments limit. It it's gonna be. Okay

(01:02:17):
in all, honesty the most boring thing to go through is.
Graduation it Is it's it's it's it's not Even AND i.

Speaker 3 (01:02:24):
Only graduated, once So i'll, allow DON'T i remember a good?

Speaker 1 (01:02:28):
Point but, no you're, RIGHT i.

Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
DON'T i Guess I've i've read so many people who are,
like oh, this what are they?

Speaker 1 (01:02:34):
Doing how dare?

Speaker 2 (01:02:35):
They do you realize the difficult position this puts a
lot of these school districts tough deal with. It be,
Inventive be. Creative why does The university Of minnesota have
to bail them? Out AM i being too easy on
The university Of, minnesota which is rare for.

Speaker 3 (01:02:48):
Me, no because there's also some places have USED Us.
BANK i Think, minetaka our high school's done. That at your,
time there's other. Options there's plenty of other, options and
they just don't want to deal with the. Headache that's their.
BUSINESS i would also say they should never have Allowed
Lakeville north to have graduation.

Speaker 1 (01:03:03):
There they can go do it In madison if they.

Speaker 3 (01:03:06):
Want to, go if they want to have their, graduates because's.

Speaker 1 (01:03:08):
Convenient you tempt, Them you could do move in.

Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
Weekend they might just bring all your stuff and every
all the graduates can just go. There this is for,
you by the, Way Deer Lodge montana is a real.
Place not everyone lives in a. Dina, okay it's just,
saying all, right that's what we're. Doing we just thought
it was too, exotical so. Mythical it sounds. AMAZING i
want to Visit Deer, Lodge. Montana it sounds it might
be a good place to.

Speaker 1 (01:03:29):
VISIT i. DON'T i don't.

Speaker 3 (01:03:31):
Know apologies to The Deer, Lodge montana community for doubting.

Speaker 1 (01:03:36):
Them who. Knew, YEAH i had no. Idea but have
you noticed the, blowback the pushback on.

Speaker 3 (01:03:43):
This i've just noticed that the fact that there's a
big story about, it and that it's one of the
most READ i think tells.

Speaker 2 (01:03:50):
You, YEAH i just don't understand, it especially for. Criticize,
yeah it's it's it's not that much. Money and by the,
way even though we've not exactly had an endless number of,
Shootings i'll be honest with, you if you already aren't
sure you've got the manpower to devote to taking, care you,
know to dealing with the numbers that are that attend these. Events,

(01:04:12):
Right if you have to have some, responsibility it's at
The university Of. Minnesota if you already have some concerns
about this being out of. CONTROL i have no problem
if it only took one shooting incident and they, say
you know, what we don't need this.

Speaker 1 (01:04:27):
Now that doesn't mean we're.

Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
LETTING i, mean it doesn't mean we are assuming that
every time something like this is going to. Happen BUT
i can see a school saying we're. Good this is
something we're not required to. Do there's a lot of
stuff we are required to, do which we do whether
we like it or, not because we have.

Speaker 1 (01:04:43):
To this ain't.

Speaker 2 (01:04:43):
It we don't need that headache, because AS i, said
if there's another incident and it's as bad Or god forbid,
worse believe, me the same people who are whining now about,
hey we should be able to send seventeen relatives to
my little Kid johnny's graduation will be, said where's the?

Speaker 1 (01:05:00):
Security how does this get this out of?

Speaker 2 (01:05:02):
Control SO i got, NO i don't think the university
has anything to apologize for in this.

Speaker 1 (01:05:06):
Case none. NOTHING a lot of these big.

Speaker 3 (01:05:08):
SCHOOLS i know it's hard to do outdoors because weather's,
unpredictable but just do it at your own football.

Speaker 1 (01:05:13):
Stadium.

Speaker 2 (01:05:13):
Exactly It's, june, right there's a million. WAYS i think
even at bigger, SCHOOLS i think you. Can you, can
you can find ways to. Do and WHAT i love
about this is now they're going to have.

Speaker 3 (01:05:23):
To you do have to make the. Cut when you
do it in an indoor, building you. SHOULD i remember
how tight it was making the tough decision on which
aunts and uncles got to use our six tickets or
whatever it was for. Graduation something has again happened culturally
about this. Event i'm Not i'm not criticizing the. Event
i'm not pretending that it is not an important right of.

(01:05:46):
Passage but there's something that's gotten grandfathered in, again which
is everybody gets to go THAT i, have THAT i
should have that, right and once upon a, time for
whatever i'd like to, THINK i don't remember these same,
problems in part because every aunt and, uncle Every, Tom
dick And harry didn't, say you're not stopping me from

(01:06:10):
going to see my distant cousin. Graduate in all, HONESTY
i think back then a lot of these relatives were
relieved that they couldn't.

Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
Go they, said, well, okay so that's, nice it's, cute
we're happy that he. Graduated at the, party were at the,
party and it's not that big a deal to actually
have to attend the.

Speaker 3 (01:06:25):
Event i'll actually tell you there's a lot of relatives
right now that are relieved that they.

Speaker 1 (01:06:29):
Might have to go. Back oh, okay, yeah there's no.
Tickets oh, no not. That how about that exactly, Right,
yeah because they don't love their it's not that a.
Party it's it's.

Speaker 2 (01:06:40):
Fine we don't need every form of. Inflation this is a.
Graduation inflation is out of. Control they, AGAIN i think
these schools should actually be thanking THE u because it's
going to force them a to either be creative or be,
say we're just cutting.

Speaker 1 (01:06:56):
Back we out of. Necessity this is just what we're
gonna have to.

Speaker 2 (01:06:58):
Do and you, know but everybody will be, fine like you,
said they can all show up at the.

Speaker 1 (01:07:02):
Party, yeah live stream it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:04):
Too that's where the food, is, Right usually live stream
they usually do that kind of stuff and and everything is,
good and you, know, SO i don't, Know i'm JUST
i GUESS i was just stunned that it has become
such a a massive talking.

Speaker 3 (01:07:18):
Point the statement you think there'll be protesters from high
schoolers at the game this, Weekend Like i'm going to
be doing the show On Oak. Street you go for
pregame show at twelve thirty Against Michigan state right, here
And i'm going to be fighting Off minnetaka, You Dina
Wisetta mounds, you you Know woodbury. Protests i'll be ready for.

Speaker 2 (01:07:35):
Sure hosting more than twenty outside of eventsure thousands of
attendees over two week period represents a significant strain of
the university's limited resources that is no longer.

Speaker 1 (01:07:43):
Sustainable could they be fudging on? That could they?

Speaker 2 (01:07:46):
Possibly but that doesn't sound Like that's that such an
outlandish statement to.

Speaker 3 (01:07:51):
Me, WELL i assume they're talking about security for. Sure
it has to be part of. IT a lot of
especially like right, now a lot of the security PEOPLE
i know it At Huntington. Bank you, know it's the
same company that works At, mariucci that works At. Williams
like they work a, Lot AND i imagine that this
is a way to give them a break.

Speaker 2 (01:08:09):
TOO a bunch of shrieking aunts and uncles and parents
who refuse to abide by the rules which just, say
don't go crazy when your kid gets. Announced, yeah you,
know maybe if people would comport themselves, better you would, say,
yeah let's do. IT i any EXCUSE i would have
to get out of, It i'd have no.

Speaker 1 (01:08:25):
Problem i'm on the use side on this. One and
AS i, said that's fairly.

Speaker 3 (01:08:28):
Rare i'm gonna invite you to our, kids give you
one of the. Tickets there you, go just a hoot and.

Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
Holler Vikings, podcast Then Minnesota Wild hockey And The, beast
The Friday Football beast tomorrow three will talk to you
then