October 9, 2025 • 58 mins
Michael Russo joins from St. Louis to preview Wild opening night and the upcoming season before Dan does a brief A-Section roundup with topics outside the world of sports.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:14):
The National Hockey League season is upon us. I think
there was. Was it yesterday? Three games? Wild open tonight?
Right here on the flagship FM one hundred point three,
the fan on the road against the Saint Louis Blues.
At I said earlier the Checker Dome. That was just
a joke. I missed the Checker Dome. I love that place. Checkerdome,
(00:37):
Russo Radio, I assume has been imploded. It's not up
any longer, is it?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I got to hear. I'm sorry. I thought he was
on the special system. My bad, Sorry about that, Russo.
The Checkerdome does it still exist?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
The Ram Stadium? Uh?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
No, the old hockey arena that the Blues used to
play in back in the Dome.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, I was. I was thinking because I'm looking out
the window and I see the football stadium. So I
was like, I'm like, no ite exists. And last time
I thought you were making a joke, because one of
the last times I was here, i'd put out a
picture and I said nice football stadium, and Blues fans
wanted to string me up from the arch. I know
the checker is long gone, and this is uh, it's funny.
(01:22):
I've never I was never at that, you know, there
at all, and this arena has had about twenty five
games since I started coming here. It was a Keel
Center and Scott Trade Center and now at the Enterprise Center.
But yeah, it's long gone.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, I figured it was all right, let's get the
injury stuff out of the way early. Who's available tonight,
who isn't, and who's going to be out for how long?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
U Niko Sturm. It sounds like he's gonna go U
under the night for for a back injury. You know,
most they basically are saying six to eight weeks. So
that's that's really disappointing. You know, he was there, their
guy that was supposed to really help cure a lot
of their l's on their their penalty kill and face offs,
and you know, brought up a couple of Stanley Cup
(02:07):
rings of experience since he last played here, and I
know he was super excited to get going here and
he got hurt first day of camp, so they really
haven't had him all up training camp and Zukerella is out.
He's going to see the doctor tonight to try to
get an update. I know that he was quoted in
Norway saying that he thinks he'll be back sooner than
the two months that the Wild say he's going to
(02:27):
be back. He's thinking, you know, early to mid November.
So we'll see what the doc says tonight. And Brodein
is not going to play tonight, but it sounds like
he's very, very close. I'm probably going to play on
the home stand against Columbus on Saturday or LA on Monday.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
All right, fair enough. I don't have we talked since
the the Gushers contract extension. I don't think we have.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
So did we assume this was coming? Is this something
the Wild kind of had to do? Are they doing
it sooner than they really need to? And what are
the larger ramifications regarding how we feel about the kid goaltender? Well?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah, I mean no, this was definitely a well well
uh telegraphed route camp even before camp or I did
a story in August where I sat down with gus
and he talked about wanting to get an extension done,
and I put in there that you know, sources told
me it was going to get done at some point
in camp, and then you know, Bill Garon usually works
fast on these things, and this one was super fast.
(03:29):
It took a couple of days to get it done.
And you know, I know it's a sticker shot to
some fans to give him six point eight million and
in this damn economy after the Caprese bout field, but
that is actually under market value for what goalies are
going for right now. So he wanted to stay the
wild needed to get on the goalie market next summer
(03:50):
is absolutely barren. Obviously, Bebrosky's going to stay, figure out
a way to stay in Florida. Jacob Markstrom is gonna
is going to resign, and knew your most likely and
then you know it's pretty much Skinner or Pickard and
Skinner's obviously you've taken the Edvents into a couple Stanley
Cup finals. But I think most people will tell you
that that he's a dangerous goalie at times, and he
(04:12):
showed it a little bit last night in the Edmonton game,
So there really was it was. It was kind of
like Caprice offten, the fact that you know, what's the
alternative if you don't have them? Obviously, you know, some
fans could say, well, jessper Valstadt and Jess, we're still here.
I mean, he's he's signed for two years at two
point two. It's not illegal to have two really good goalies.
(04:32):
As I just said, goaltending. There's a dearth of it
right now. There's just not a lot of these guys
right now that are upper echelon goalies in the NHL.
And so if you can you know, let's just say
Volstat pops, you know, all of a sudden you have
another really good trade asset. So and even on his
next contracts will be coming out of the second one,
and you can probably resign them pretty affordably in a
(04:54):
rise of cap world. So I don't think this is
a big deal on the short term that any wild
stand should be like, well, how do you resign? And
gust that's in if you have this, you know, so
called goalie of the future. Right now, we still have
to see a lot of Wally. He's had a really
good training camp, but as we've talked about, you know, endlessly,
his first two or three years North American pro hockey
didn't go nearly according to plan. And so right now
(05:16):
they don't know what they have in him, but they
know what they haven't got.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
The wild as you know, you well know better than
most got off to a terrific start last year and
then a lot of things interceded at that point. So
given the injury list as it's currently understood and who's
out for you know, how long on the basis of
the best estimates, is it going to be close to
(05:39):
impossible to match that start? How concerned are you about
this team stubbing its toes right out of the gate
because of the injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I'm concerned. I don't love their depth right now. Plus
they have, you know, on their at least their opening
night roster, they have ten guys twenty four and under,
And I know fans have long wanted a youthbeasment here,
but you know there's always grown pains youth movements, and
and look they have. They have a you know guy
tonight and in Ziboya making essentially his NHL debut obviously
two games in the playoffs. They've David Yuricek, who was
(06:12):
high risk, extremely high risk, high reward in the preseason.
So he sometimes just scares you with his turnovers, you know,
within the real danger areas in front of the net
and both blue lines. And then you know, a lot
of their young kids that they were there, you know,
Ogrin and z' off. They won one of these two
to really secure that second line left wing spot, and
(06:35):
they gave him ample opportunity in camp, and neither of
them produced. And right now one starting on the fourth
line tonight, and one's going to be in the press
spots with me. So that's a bit of a concern.
And so with Nico out now you have Hunter Hate
coming up making his NHL debut tonight. And as I
reported in the last two days in the Athletic a
(06:55):
couple of days ago, on Monday, when the Wild got
the prognosis for Nico Sturm, they called free agent Jack
Rossive that can offer him a million bucks he wanted
to two and a half, wouldn't come here. He's since
signed for Edmonton at one and a half. But just
the fact that Bill Garren tried to do that tells
you right now that he's concerned. And so I don't
know how much leeway these kids are going to get,
(07:17):
you know, especially as you mentioned, if they get off
to a tough start last year, they needed every ounce
of that big start to make the playoffs. Remember, they
made it on a tiebreaker, and so they almost collapse.
And so you know that big starts are very very
important in the National Hockey League. And so I really
do think that Bill right now is already scouring the
(07:38):
free agent market, or sorry, the trade market to try
to see if he can maybe get some center help.
But for now, you know, Ogen's gonna get a chance,
Hate's going to get a chance. You're up. Eventually we'll
get a chance. And if these guys can make an impact,
that would lower the you know, you know, the urgency
for Bill to address the situation. But I think it's
something that he's already looking around about because he knows
(07:59):
that he can an award with this team to have
a slow start.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
I've heard you talk about this, but maybe even earlier
today that another maybe alarm bell within the hockey community
might be And again, lines can change very quickly, right,
we certainly know that. But is it a kind of
a signal that you could get a little squeamish about
(08:24):
that you got Fellino at least starting on the second line.
I mean, is that that doesn't seem like that's where
he belongs on a good team that's going places.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah, I mean, that's definitely not what his cup of
tea is now. He had a really good camp. He
definitely has the ability to score. He brings a different
element to that line. But he's not a second line player,
and Stanley Cup teams don't have a player like him
on the second line usually. I mean, Sam Bennett's a
different animal and he is a absolute stud center, different position,
(08:54):
but you know, you don't usually have this type of
player in that capacity, and he's there by default. He's
there because they want to immediately go back to the
old well and put Marcus Johansson there. And he's there
because Liam Ogrean and Denal e're Off in camp didn't
produce and they were given every opportunity in top six
roles and middle six roles to produce. Liam Ogrin had
(09:14):
seven shots, no points in his five preseason games. Eure
Off had one assist in seven shots and six preseason games.
And so they now are starting in the fourth line.
You know, I'll just be interested. Let's just say if
they fall behind tonight or Marcus just isn't fitting there,
what's next. Do they go back to that old well
and did they put Joe Hanson there or do they
(09:35):
elevate an Ogre or eventually, you know, on the homestand
put in a you're off in that situation. But the
fact that these two at twenty one years old, I
don't think this is anything that anybody needs to panic about.
You know, there are a lot of people that labeled
Marco Rossi at bus too, but look, these guys are young.
In Eurof's case, he hasn't been you know, he's not
used to North American hockey. It's going to take a
(09:55):
while for them to adjust. But what that Zukrello injury
definitely did to this team is, you know, in a
in a market creation market this summer where there were
really no guys to go after. After they lost out
on their targets and they traded for Tarasenko, they really
felt comfortable about their top six. And now they've loaded
up their top line, and I just wonder, especially with
(10:17):
a bunch of road games coming out. They have a
five game road trip after this two game homestand coming up,
if you can always afford to have Boldy and Caprice
up on the same line, you might have to spread
the well soed a bit, maybe even put a Felino
on the on the Rossi line and get a boldie
on the second line, because they are gonna need on
the road a couple of lines to produce. And if
that third line is not producing and the fourth line's
(10:38):
not producing, it's going to put a lot of pressure
on that top line. So this is another reason why
I just think that that Bill Gerin's already gonna have
probably sooner than later, start to look around the league
unless again Ogrin and You're off look like they are
going to be able to produce at the beginning of
the season.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
All right, give me a player who the wild is
whole thing can re emerge this season, and that you
feel pretty much has to emerge to be a big
time contributor if this team's gonna really have the sort
of successful season that everybody's been clamoring for.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I really think that Ryan Hartman is going to need
to really start the way that he finished last year.
He was one of their best players in the playoffs.
He usually is always one of their best players in
the playoffs, and he showed it again. And look with
Nico sturm Out. Remember the entire goal this offseason was
to quote help Joel eric Annette, and one big reason
was because Ryan did not have a good last good
(11:37):
year last year, and they really didn't like anything that
they had on their fourth line, which is one big
reason why they they traded Marat Juzandina. So, you know, Ryan, now,
especially if he's in a third or second line role,
is going to have to produce. He's coming to camp,
he's looked really good, he was fit, and he's got
to be disciplined. He can't take bad penalties, you know, sometimes,
(11:58):
especially in this building, he has that tendency to do that.
But I really just you know, he's gonna have to
take huge draws now that he goes out. You know,
they were gonna Eco is going to be so much
more to this team beyond the fourth liner from a
penalty kild standpoint. Hey, face offs late in games, and
now Ryan's probably gonna have to take a lot of
that load. And I think he's capable of it, but
(12:20):
he's got to. He's got to do it or this
team is gonna, you know, have it, just have some
trouble up the middle.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
What is in your mind fair and rational to expect
from taras angle at this point?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You know, I'd love to see him get twenty and
twenty five goals. I you know, to me, he didn't
have the greatest end of his training camp. He looked
really good in the practices, not great in the games.
But he is a veteran, and I'll tell you, uh,
you know, veterans don't like playing in the preseason. You
know a lot of times they just are and do
not get hurt mode and don't exactly you know, try
(12:59):
and even strength to go into the dirty areas. On
the power play in Chicago, he was sensational and that's
where you really want it. Especially that he's taken at
Zucarello spot on the number one unit. You really hope
that he and Boyam could have continue to have the
chemistry that they seem to show that night against the
you know, a Chicago team that doesn't have the greatest
penalty kill of the world. So we'll see if that happens.
(13:22):
I do think he's extremely motivated this year. He'll be
definitely motivated tonight coming back to Saint Louis. But look,
he knows this could be his last chance to continue
to play in the NHL. He's not old by NHL
standards by any stretch, but his game has definitely taken
a step back the last couple of years. And you know,
when you ask out of a place like Detroit and
(13:44):
you are a future former star that's traded for quote
future considerations, which it means absolutely nothing, that's humbling. And
I think that that is a humbling thing when all
of a sudden, you know, Detroit's basically like here, take
him for nothing, and we're going to retain money. So
I think he's going to come in. We're really ready
to go this year, and man, they are going to
(14:05):
need it because as we mentioned, you know they've already
with that second line absence in Zukerello, they just are
lacking some scoring depth in that era.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
RUSSO Radio Live from Saint Louis Wilde opener tonight right
here on the fan Size up for us for the audience,
I guess I should sand for us. The division going
into this season, well, I.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Think that a lot of teams have taken a little
bit step back, but I still think it's the most
cut growth division in the National Hockey League. I think
that everybody is going to get better, even the Chicago Blackhawks.
I think Nationals can be better than they were. I
think Utah has a chance to make the playoffs. This
team the Wilderness see tonight, I really think is a
sleeper in this division. Maybe I'll be wrong, but they got,
you know, a big game goalie, even though he can
(14:52):
get erratic. And Jordan Dinnington, I mean we watched him
win the championship in the Four Nations tournament. He was
absolute sensational, made two games and saving saves on Austin
Matthews in overtime before McDavid won it in the championship game.
And he's won a Stanley Cub. And then you look
at Robert Thomas. I think he's a star waiting to
pop right now. He was one of the best players
in the league in the second half of last season.
(15:13):
Snug Ruds looked great. There, Kyros looked like I mean,
he was on fire at the end of the year.
Holloway somebody that could be a stud rovers. I mean,
they just up and down their lineup. I really like
what I see. I think Fox is a little bit
of a loss to them, so I think they're good.
I think Winnipeg's going to take a little bit of
a step back, and I think Colorado and Dallas are
the two teams to beat. So look, we saw at
Minnesota last year, Dan that when they're healthy, they're really
(15:35):
really good. But what's scary is that last year they
were actually healthy for the first two months of the season,
and now they're already you know, up against it health wise.
So you know, I still like this team. I still
think that they should be a playoff team, but they,
as we saw last year, they cannot afford injuries, and
especially to Capri Stot and ericson that.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
So the some of the bigger contracts that have been
signed or announced after the Capriceoff signing, do they make
capriceof seem greedy?
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I mean, it's hard not to say that. It really isn't.
I don't again, you know, look, I don't begrudge the
wild for doing it, you know, but I don't think
his agent made him look very good. And you know
this is why last week when you asked me, is
is Caprisoft gonna be the highest paid player for a week?
I said, no, He's going to be for many years
(16:31):
because it was so obvious, it was so public the
last several months that if Connor McDavid re signing Edmonton,
it was going to be at a team friendly price.
And the reason why is because he wants to win
a Cup. I never thought it would be a twelve
and a half, but when he signed twelve and a half,
you just knew that the others were certainly going to
be in that vicinity. And you know, Jack Eichel, I
(16:53):
know he's in a no state income tax state, but look,
thirteen and a half for him is undervalued in comparison
to Caprice of you know, he's won a Cup. He
could have been the cons Smith winner of the year
they won the Cup. He's an absolute superstar. Center McDavid,
as we know, has brought his team to two Stanley
Cup finals and the best player in the world. I'm
connor signing at twelve. So look, I mean the Wild
(17:16):
had to get it done. The alternative was not good.
But you know, I I don't love the fact that
at the very beginning the Wild went to such a
high number. I think they probably didn't want to play
the game because it was such an imperative thing for
them to resign this guy. But when they went to
sixteen and caprisaf said no, I just did not know
where this was going to go. And you know, the
(17:37):
indications I was getting inside of the team is that
they weren't inclined to negotiate against themselves and raise their price. Obviously,
you know, with permission from the owner, Billy did that.
But then he offered seventeen, and they have the audacity
again counter. It just doesn't make him look good. And
you know, and look, I know that I do believe
Capriso when he says that he wants to win, and
(18:01):
you know, I believe that he just was listening to
his agent all along. But when you take seventeen and
the other guys are taking twelve and a half, twelve
and twelve and a half and thirteen and a half,
you know, it just does seem hypocritical. Because look, the
wild you have cap space and they are still going
to have the ability to make moves here, whether it's
this season or next summer. But you know, certainly it's
(18:23):
going to be a lot harder to fit all the
you know, everything into the pegs to get these guys done.
And you know, I mean just think right now, if
he was making fourteen million, that's we're talking three million
bucks right there that they could spend on a on
a really quality player. And we're talking right now about
Marcus Leino being on the second line because they're having
(18:44):
depth issues. So I don't think it makes him look great.
And you know, most of it I blame on on
the the you know, the agent. But look, he did
the best that he could for his client. I still
think the contract's going to age well. But let's put
it this way. The other guys want to win two
and they were willing to play ball with their teams.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
He obviously, they obviously still had to sign him. As
we talked about last week, the alternative was just too
too devastating. A thought that said, is there any reason
to believe that if Garren had waited until eventually some
of these other contracts started being signed, that they could
have gotten him for less?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Now you know, I mean, sure they probably could have
gotten him for less, but I still think it was
gonna he would be the highest paid player in the league.
I mean, McDavid to me is a total like he's
in his all on ballpark. He was doing this intentionally.
I mean the fact that he's made that he is
making one and a half million dollars less than dry title,
I think it says everything about his character. But look,
(19:43):
I mean, McDavid has one hundred million in the bank.
He also is going to have generational wealth till the
day he dies, because he's Conor McDavid, you know. So,
I mean, Kakrisa was always going to be in a
different ballpark. They were always going to have to quote
overpay to keep him. But I don't think they wanted
to take the risk with this, with this agent. Know,
every contract has been difficult with him. And I just
(20:04):
think that when they went to that number and they
said no, Like, I guess the one area where you
could maybe question is why did you go to sixteen
right away? Why you start at fourteen fourteen and a half.
But look Bill, bill Is said play that game. Yeah, yeah,
he doesn't want the game. He doesn't like the game.
He thinks it's a waste of time. He goes to
his number and he usually sticks by it. And and
(20:26):
I think they always thought it would take fifteen or
sixteen to get it done. Maybe they should have started
with fifteen. They could have gone at sixteen or sixteen
and a half. But either way, like, there's no way
they were getting Corolla precept done at twelve twelve and
a half. Well not when Dreisidel was making fourteen and
so he was always going to make a fortune. But
you know, to be seventeen when everybody else is so
(20:49):
much less. I mean, I bet you it's even uncomfortable
for carill And And you know, I bet you he
doesn't exactly love that, even though I'm sure he's very
very happy with his with his contract and and but
you know, even in the inside the locker room, I'm
sure there are players that talk about this. There's no
doubt about it. You know, he's making ten million dollars
more than Matt Bowldie. That's that's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
I assume you're just delighted that there's an actual game
to cover tonight, right regular season?
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Yeah, yeah, you know, the only bad part about today
is that there's there's twenty eight teams going fourteen games,
and I wish I could watch them all. Yeah, so
I'm only going to get to watch one. But yeah, no,
I'm I'm super excited. I love the opening night every
single time. I love I love loss of the privilege
of being in any building, whether it's home or away,
for their opening night ceremonies. It's just it's just a cool,
(21:35):
cool thing.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Thirty one years is this year? Thirty one?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah? My thirty first season. Yeah, yeah, that's increased.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
And you're like, you're like thirty five years old. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I know, I story when I was in the womb.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, pretty much. You haven't aged a bit. It's remarkable, No, I.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Know, uh, you know, except for the entire baulding of
the top.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Of the Yeah, yeah, way at everything that'll happen. Have
fun tonight. I appreciate you all. Talk next week. Thanks
Russo Russo Radio from Saint Louis, Missouri, where the Wild
will open the twenty twenty five twenty six season. All
of the action including I'm sure, I'm sure, just wonderful fallness, pregame,
(22:19):
in game, between periods, postgame commentary, analysis, yeah, interviews, or
is he taking opening night off because a lot of
times we find out he's not even there.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Not only did he not take the night off, he
filled in for the Paul Allen Project Today.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
I understand there was absolutely zero basketball basketball talk. According
to his world nine to noon basketball doesn't even exist.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Basketball, football, baseball, tennis, golf, real world, nothing existed. I
heard more about the New York Islanders today than I
think I've heard in the last ten years.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Combined with compliment, I don't doubt it.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
You can join the Meat Sauce Fleet Farm in Hastings,
Craig Kilbourne's hometown, this Saturday for their Octoberfest celebration. He'll
be there noon to two for the opening of toy
Land Yard Games and more. Full details at KFA dot
com keyword Calendar.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
A lot of really good, juicy quarterback discussion early in
the broadcast, including a good visit with Sean Salisbury that
centered on that very issue as well. The beauty of
it is we got nothing of the time. Vikings do
not play this week. Their next game is a week
from this coming Sunday against the Eagles. Is that a
(23:49):
primetime game? No, No, I believe that's our first noon
game out Yep, that's disrespectful, although the Eagles are a
little bit weird right now too. The team your hand, well,
the coach you hate, uh had a coach I'm finally No, No,
I mean the team beat them last week. Denver had
(24:09):
a terrific fourth quarter. They didn't they score like twenty one,
twenty four they scored. They took over that game and
that was a mess. In Philly, ar Peyton was at
his worst at the end. Who was Peyton? My guy?
Your guy? Well, they played great and they they they
got some help. You're never going to give him anything,
(24:29):
are you. Well, I'll leave that to you. I will
just say that was a terrific was this way? If
if the Vikings win a road game like that in Philly,
you k culture basically for sure? Culture? But where was I?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
So? Uh?
Speaker 1 (24:43):
They they're playing tonight, yes, against the Giants, against the Giants,
I think in New York that that game is so
then they'll have a decent amount of time off as well,
right they will. But that is a noon start, you
tell me. Yeah, we have a bunch of nooners now,
don't we.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Yeah, to know, because it's then Chargers and then a
string of noon games.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Yeah, a couple of a section items. We don't have
a lot of time to do that these days, but
there's stuff worth getting into. Are you familiar with Kevin Stitt?
Do you know who Kevin Stitt is? I don't think
I do. He is the Republican governor of the state
of Oklahoma. He's also chairman of something called the National
(25:28):
Governors Association. He is Some of his comments are causing
some ripples. One could say inside the Republican Party, especially
in MAGA world. Here's what he had to say. This
is an interview, I guess with the much hated New
(25:50):
York Times, but he granted the interview, and here's what
he had to say regarding the objections of Illinois Governor J. B.
Pritzker of Illinois and actually that big forum Tim Waltz
in Minnesota Wallsey as well, anticipating the possibility of the
(26:14):
guard ending up here, they've both criticized that decision by
the president. Here's what the governor of Oklahoma had to say.
We believe in the federalist system, that's states rights. Oklahoma's
(26:34):
would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops
down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration. There's no arguing
with it. There's no comeback to it. Quite frankly, but
is it going to even make a ripple in MAGA world.
I don't know what we talked about this with Kessler yesterday.
(26:59):
That was yesterday because that that somebody had written a
story indicating that there is privately growing unease among summer
Republican leadership on you know, just Alice, let's send the guard.
Don't mess with it. Just send a guard. Let's let's
just go after and so we'll see if this starts
(27:22):
that he's gone on the record. Is it possible that
others would get braver as well? I doubt it, but
he's one hundred percent right. There's there's the howling, the screaming,
how dare you? That would be going on, would be
never ending and probably righteous. That's the irony of this
(27:43):
particular situation. Totally unrelated, but also from the a section,
a story that I put into the classification of not
a huge story, but a story that to me raises
lots of questions in my mind about concessions that we
(28:04):
are making culturally. And I'll least start on it now
we went along on Russo, and then we'll be able
to get into it more depth after the pause. And
it's a story about libraries, and in this case it's
a start tribute story. And I don't know how many
of you read it. It's about the Rondo Community Library.
(28:27):
I'll read you a couple sentences from it. Saint Paul's
most visited library will close for at least six months
to move its bathrooms and front desk because of security concerns.
Community members have complained about drug use and people experiencing
homelessness in the Rondo Community Library and its surrounding area
(28:51):
in recent years, and library officials say they're confident that
the seven hundred and ninety three thousand dollars renovation and
solve those problems. Some Rondo neighborhood residents and library employees
aren't so certain. It all had had all the pluses,
said Arctica Teyner, who grew up in the neighborhood about
(29:18):
the library, but you now have issues that have been
exacerbated over the years and nothing is functioning properly. Isaac Milke,
president of AFSCME Local eighteen forty two, which apparently represents
(29:40):
some Saint Paul Library workers, says that Rondo employees were
not consulted in the renovation plans and think other solutions
should have been examined instead. Here's the direct quote. We
don't think moving the bathrooms will do anything. The staff
who work in the building are the experts and they
are not being listened to. And then there's some details
(30:02):
about the renovation process. It's still early. What changes the
moving the reception desk closer to the door, allowing patrons
to use the space more effectively. How so, I'm not
exactly sure. There's a quote from By the Way. Dates
have not been set for the renovation, which could take
up to a year. Frank White, a Rondo described in
(30:25):
this piece as a Rondo neighborhood elder and a Saint
Paul historian whose curated exhibits have been displayed at the library,
says he doesn't visit anymore because of the drug use
he witnessed in the past. He said he doubts the
renovation will change the behavior at the library, which is
located at Dale Street and University Avenue. Quote. The solution
(30:49):
is really taking care of the negative activity that surrounds
the area. Is disappointing that nothing has been done. August
so that was a couple of months ago. Rondo reduced
its hours on Fridays and Saturdays and closed on Sundays
because of ongoing challenges and resulting negative behavior in the
(31:11):
area that made it difficult to adequately deliver safe and
welcoming services. I repeat that again, forced to reduce hours
Fridays and Saturdays, not even open on Sundays because obviously
there was too much difficulty, too many challenges going on
in terms of the behavior, making it making one would
(31:31):
assume patrons feel relatively unsafe. Then there's a quote from
the mayor of Saint Paul, Melvin Carter. We are transitioning
out of an era where we build libraries for books.
Carter said, additional social services are key to the library's mission.
(31:52):
In the twenty first century, after COVID, some libraries across
the US hired social workers to help librarians provide more
services to patrons. As libraries roles shifted, Saint Paul and
Hennepin County libraries employee social workers. Now we've I think
talked about that before, about how libraries have changed. I
(32:13):
think we've been talked about some other places where there's
been some security issues in libraries, and they're not all
on that same boat. But what is just sort of
accepted is what I don't accept. I think it's part
of the problem. And I think that's part of what
a couple of the individuals who seem to have good
knowledge about that particular location are attempting to say, we
(32:35):
concede too much. And I'm not sure in the concession
of well, it's not a library anymore. It's basically come
on in you want to hang out a little bit,
that's fine too. Whatever your intent is, it's come on,
come all this. It's supposed to be a where we
try to be a welcome in community. You're not going
to convince me that you're creating an environment that is
(33:00):
conducive to anyone enjoying whatever is supposed to go on
inside that library, which is still presumably supposed to revolve
around books or electronic items, whatever compute, whatever the case
may be, using the internet, using the internet, et cetera.
But we get these stories all the time. Well, no
library is not a library anymore. You gotta understand you're
(33:21):
gonna have people coming in off the streets. That's the concession.
That doesn't serve the patrons, and I dare say it
doesn't serve the individuals who, whatever however they are compromised,
are using and turning libraries into places in which there
is not the customary level of safety that one can expect.
(33:46):
And what this comes off as is, well, we got
to do something. We got some money, So maybe if
we move an entrance around to a different place where
maybe it's it's it's we can control the environment a
little bit better. That's not the answer. And again, the
(34:08):
folks who have the most to lose, obviously, the folks
who use this place and have been around this place.
They know it. They're already calling it. But they're going
to be ignored because people have decided no, we're changing.
Are like libraries are now a halfway house. I doubt
(34:30):
they're even really qualified to do that kind of work.
And is it even practical to do it? And that
is that not the issue? You make so many concessions
that you defeat the purpose of the library in the
first place, and you lie to yourself out of what
(34:51):
you think is the goodness of your heart. You do
not want to turn anybody away, But it depends on
what the individuals who may all be troubled for legitimate
reasons are doing in and around that location, and if
they're doing things they should not be doing and they
are creating unrest, or they are creating a lack of safety.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
We're big on safe places. Library is supposed to be
a safe space to do whatever work.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
You're looking for, to read or to get out of
the madness. But if you make it part of the
mad and say, well, no, that's just the way it
is now, why it comes off as in the name
of well, no, we want to be more progressive, we
want to be more open minded about this, and I
don't think anybody's interests are served. And again, the great
(35:44):
irony is when you get past the bureaucrats and the
elected officials and you get to the average roub who
clearly have spent time there, they're already saying, you may
feel better about yourselves. You got this money, and you
can have a when when there's groundbreaking and the remodeling
(36:07):
is done, you can have this press conference about you
can do whatever you want to it. But if you
don't change the the activity that's going on in that
location or around that location, then really, realistically, not a thing
is going to change. And I've never I guess I'm
(36:29):
put me in the group that's never quite understood why
this concession is so easily just sort of grandfathered in
and accepted as well, this is the most effective way
to go forward. No, what you have to do? What's
the what's the key quote here? This is from Who's
(36:51):
this into the Frank White the described, as I said,
as a Rondo neighborhood elder and a Saint Paul historian.
The solution is really taking care of the negative activity
that surrounds the areas. Disappointing that nothing really has been done.
That's it. Move bathrooms around if you like. That's what
the president of the local of the union there regard
(37:16):
who represents some workers, the staff who work in the
building of the experts. They're not being listened to. Now again,
I understand you can't listen. You can't have individual workers
I guess in charge of whatever programs you have in mind,
but you might listen to them. And this has been
(37:37):
going on quite frankly for a while. And I'm sure
some libraries have adjusted better than others in terms of security,
moving people around, moving people along, whatever the case may be.
But doesn't this come up. I mean, it just comes
off to me as we're going to feel better about ourselves,
but we're not. If we're being honest really in our
(37:58):
all of our concessions here, we're really not doing anything
that makes it likely that a library can be a library,
which is frankly to me what it should still be.
The notion it has to be something different. No, it
only has to be something different if you do not
confront the problems apparently going on near these places or
inside the building. No, it's not another wild injury, at
(38:50):
least not one that we know about yet.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Joe Ingle's update, No, not that either. Oh can I
give away the bonus bucks? By the way, I forgot
to do that?
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Sure, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
The final keyword thing so two men and a junk truck.
Whenever we have a guest that screws me up, russo
got me there. Our National Cash Contest deposit is the
five o'clock keyword.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Go to kfa N dot com enter the keyword deposit.
Thank you. This is Dayline Duluth. This is via starcimmune
dot com as well, Duluth. That's one of the great
callback Glenn Mason stories. It's funny. I mean, how now
in the wake of his adopting Fargo. Yeah, I mean,
couldn't I just as only say Fargo, right, because he
(39:31):
said Duluth in a sneering, contemptuous yes, condescending like why
would you go to Duluth for anything?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (39:38):
When asking me where I then fiance at the time,
and I like to go hang out. Yeah, he said,
go to Florida. Then he offered up his Florida place
and that didn't last. We've never been there, Yeah, but anyway.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Dozens of alcohol breath tests conducted by law enforcement in
at least three Minnesota counties may have been compromised because
of operator errors. This state officials reveal more than seventy
tests in Aiken, forty five in Winona, and thirteen in
Chippewa counties incorrectly used a data master instrument to test
(40:14):
blood alcohol content over varying over varying periods of time.
This is according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A control piece of equipment was installed incorrectly. In at
least one case, fourth degree drunk driving charges against a
man were recently dismissed by the county attorney's office because
(40:34):
of the mistake. In court documents, County attorney James Ratz
said the error compromised the validity and accuracy of the
test's results. Twin Cities based defense attorney Chuck Ramsey said
he noticed the inconsistency for two of his clients who
were given breath tests in charge in Aiken County. Somewhere
(40:55):
in here this story, I thought the headline indicated that
ultimately and might be affected too, as Wenona County. They
can where's the did they just draw me into the story?
But where's the Hennepen County part? Yeah, because the subhead
says this attorney says Hennepen and Olmsted counties may have
(41:19):
issues too. I don't see the trying to see the
details on that where they the closer to home might
be involved as well. That's never good, right, Joe had
a field day with that one, that's for sure. You
want to take you know, you want to hold individuals
driving while you know, drinking accountable, obviously, but this is
(41:44):
the worst case scenario because in some cases they may
well have been guilty of those infractions and they are
now and so they may in those cases be likely
to not be held accountable. And in other cases they
may not have been doing anything wrong at all, or
they may not have been over the line. I guess
I could. I should say, see if there's any I can't. Yeah,
(42:07):
I can't find any detail regarding the attorney saying that
Hannepin might also be ultimately affected by this as well.
So stay tuned for more. By the way, one other
breaking a section item here before we break for the
top of the hour. This is via Wall Street Journal.
(42:31):
Just what we're just talking about. Regarding the Oklahoma governor
his comments. A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Trump
from federalizing or deploying National Guard members to Illinois for
at least two weeks, saying continuing to militarize the response
to local protests was likely to cause civil unrest. That's
just the headline on it. My inclination is it will
(42:56):
change nothing. I just don't think they have any interests
that they'll pay attention to the rulings that they like
and they'll ignore the ones they don't, right, I mean,
I don't think this is going to stop anything. You know,
A couple of people have said, well, yeah, you know,
you try to be you're tough on crime guy, and
yet you seem bothered by these shows of force. The
(43:18):
chief laid this down pretty effectively. He's in law enforcement.
He's not exactly anti law and order. Law enforcement and
I have the same problem. There's a reason historically conservatives
have had have gotten squeamish about using federal troops or
you know, National Guard members in situations involving local crime.
(43:44):
Can Democrats we've certainly talked about this, are democrats in
some cases vulnerable on the issue of crime in local
communities one hundred percent. So there are things that need
to be done. The question is at what cost if
you start going down the road that Trump clearly wants
(44:05):
to keep going down and probably include more cities because
he enjoys it so much. There were supposed to be
lines of demarcation in this regard, and they have. That
line has been obviously just shattered. There is no line
at this point, especially as it pertains to the immigration
(44:26):
issue as well, So stay tuned. More on that to come.
There's your a section reprieve from the toy Department. I
think we are going to kind of return to the
toy Department our final thirty minutes of the show or nearly.
We're out at six during the football season, but because
the Vikings are in a bye week, we are going
to go the distance. I will get to a story
(44:46):
I've been embargoing for several days involving ongoing controversy about
the bad blood that exists between the w NBA players,
certainly the union and the the Lame Duck. I'm assuming
she is at this point commissioner of the WNBA as well.
Stay tuned for all of that and more. In our
(45:08):
final thought ongoing conversation guards y about the bad blood
that exists between the WNBA players Union and the commissioner.
(45:29):
By the way, does it bother anybody else that throughout
really the entire WNBA Finals round matching two really good teams,
even though one of them doesn't have to be the
Minnesota Links. In fact, Vegas is now on the verge. Yep,
they've won the first three games of the series, including
(45:50):
last night in Phoenix. That almost, honestly, almost nobody but
that the number one subject is the crowning moment for
the WNBA this season, the postseason. A year ago, it
was the series between for all the controversy, it was
the series itself between New York and the Links. Now,
(46:12):
officiating was part of it, but it was about the series.
It was about the back and forth. It's not this year,
it's about the bad blood. Timing is supposed to be everything.
The timing has not been particularly good in that regard.
Just as easily could have had all these conversations a
week after, not like the issues would have been forgotten
(46:34):
at that point. But I digress. ESPN dot Com, Ramona
Shelbourne and Shelburne, I should say in Kendra Andrews, they relead.
They dropped a piece this was three days ago that
I've been embargoing that I finally want to get to
because they ask a lot. They lay out the sides,
the lack of trust, the vulnerability of the commissioner for sure.
(46:59):
But here another question I wish I actually they'd have
raised it a little earlier in the piece. Is Nafisa
Collier also vulnerable? Does she also have Is it possible
she's in a position, in a compromising position as it
(47:19):
pertains this to this entire story. Well, let me give
you an example of what they lay out in this piece,
which again is an attempted overview about the state of
the state when it comes to the bad blood, and
they believe me they are. They offer plenty of indictment
on this leadership, although they also give it from the
(47:41):
Commissioner's office, although they do give that some nuance as well.
Stay tuned for that in a minute. Back in February,
sources say Engelbert called a meeting with Collier and her husband,
Alex Bazell, the president of Unrivaled, a startup three on
three league founded alongside coll Or that some in the
w NBA increasingly believe is becoming competition to the league itself.
(48:09):
On that point, which I talked about a little bit
last time we had this subject to discussed, to explore
this subject, especially as it pertains to the comments that
col You're made regarding how poor the leadership is a
WNBA and how wonderful the leadership is by my husband, right,
which might be true, but on three league, well that
(48:33):
that's another point travel or anything that no nowhere near
the complications. But it's it's it's it's your husband for
God's sake, which I think means that the fawning media
responding to this story at least needs to have some
understanding of and ordinarily would say, well, you know, it's
may be true, but let's let's remember that relationship there.
(48:53):
There may be that this individual is not going to
be particularly objective, not to mention what you say that
it is apples and oranges because of the size of
the operation, the size of the league as well. Regarding Engelbert,
the commissioner, she's already unpopular, said one source with knowledge
(49:14):
of the CBA talks. So let her be the bad
guy in CBA negotiations and then replace her multiple league
sources wondered what could happen or what would happen if
the players who have loudly supported Colliery this week simply
refused to negotiate with the league on a new CB
until Engelbert resigned or was replaced the most important people
(49:35):
in this entire ecosystem of the players, one executive said,
lock them out if you want to, But all you're
going to do is ensure that Unrivaled becomes the big
person on campus as opposed to the w I'm not
even sure I believe that. But interesting quote. They go
on to write. It's fair to wonder, of course, whether
Collier's comments also serve a larger aim to promote Unrivaled,
(49:58):
the league she co founded with their husband in New York,
Liberty forward Brianna Stewart interesting and push the WNBA publicly
in CBA talks. Quote it's a total conflict of interest,
set a source with knowledge of the situation. Her husband
runs the league that's in competition with the w and
she has equity in it. Kyllier and Stewart, for the record,
(50:20):
are also both on the executive committee of the Women's
National Basketball Players Association, which is negotiating with the league
on the new CBA. Now, I'll quickly add, the players
themselves don't seem to be asking these questions. They seem
comfortable with what not only with what Kylier said, but
with her representation. That's up to them. Ultimately, it's their
decision who they have represent them. But this stuff, again,
(50:42):
if we're going to have a serious conversation, an honest
conversation about leadership in the league, this should be part
of the conversation. It's too easy to champion Collier, largely
because why nobody likes this commissioner, and probably she has
merited most of the criticism she's received. But we can't
become so blinded by that that we don't factor in
(51:06):
some goofy circumstances. Here we go, wait a minute, now,
Ordinarily we would call that in any other circumstance, we'd say, well,
that is those they're not direct competing interests, but they
are in some ways competing. And you have to wonder
(51:27):
whose interests that Kylier then is representing when push comes
to shove, given her money is in this other her
stake as apparently a very good business woman is in
this league. One other item regarding Engelberton, we talked about this.
I think last week betside manner seems to be awful.
(51:50):
Although I am bored with the criticism of she didn't
call me after my injury. I think that's silly. I
think that's completely overcooked and overblown. And I still think
that's more about the fact that the links, including Collier
and the head coach, are bitter about the way it finished,
that they collapsed in the series and opened the door
to another team reaching the WNBA finals. But here's what
(52:13):
they lay out about the state of the league under Engelbert.
There's very little dispute how much the WNBA has grown
during Engelbert's tenure. According to a report earlier this year,
revenues are projected to top one billion dollars this year.
ESPN ABC WNBA ratings at an all time high this season,
averaging one point three million viewers across twenty five games.
(52:35):
Merchandising sales up five hundred percent. This year. The league
invested fifty million dollars in charter flights, a key initiative
for players, but owners also just got two hundred and
fifty million dollars in expansion fees from three cities, with
half a dozen more lined up to pay even more
if there are future expansions. They ask how much of
the credit does Engelbert deserve for these gains versus the
(52:59):
emergence of young stars such as Clark, Reese, Becker's, rising
star power of players such as Wilson, Collier and Stuart
and heightened level of competitive competitiveness across the league that
remains a topic of great debate in league circles. This
week's sports economist and professor David Berry wrote in The
(53:20):
New York Times that if WNBA players received a similar
percentage of basketball related income as NBA players, the top
stars should be making more than three million dollars a year. Instead,
they earn less than ten percent of that coin, to
sources on both sides of the CBA negotiations. Under the
current CBA, players don't get additional revenue sharing nine percent
as opposed to their forty nine to fifty one percent
(53:41):
in the NBA, until the league has generated a certain
level of income, which it says it has yet to
do after decades of multimillion dollar losses at the franchise
and league level. Players want the league to give them
the data proving those revenue benchmarks have not even been met.
So some of this stuff is as old as time.
When it comes to sports play, you know, uh uh,
(54:04):
the players and management ownership debate the next collective bargaining agreement,
that's all part of the deal. That's all fair, and
what we like to say is love and war. However,
I'm not going to put the commissioner at the top
of the list for the new TV deal, which is excellent,
(54:25):
the the all of those revenues being up the decision
to finally charter, I'm going to say a lot, absolutely,
a lot of that is the Clark phenomenon to a
year ago. Many of these same players who are now
championing her are we We're doubting, and we're we're not
interested in hearing about. But I don't think you can
say that she has been if if on her watch
(54:49):
she seems to maximize to the degree that the league
has been maximized, I certainly would indicate that would suggest,
as some people have said, the bit her business acumen
is pretty legit, and the idea that she's thumbing her
nose at the players and doesn't want to do well
by the players. The players have done in some areas
(55:13):
have done well by her. Starting with I'm assuming she
had to be involved in the most significant change, which
was the charter deals, which is something absolutely was needed
to be done. So all this, I think reminds me
is that there's a lot more gray area here than
we'd like to think. She does not have the trust
(55:36):
of the players. That seems undeniable, and that eventually will
probably I think, make it likely that she loses her job,
because the best commissioners find a way, even though they
tend to be working for owners, to gain the trust
of the players as well. Now, sometimes the battles are
going to be so great because of the money involved,
et cetera, et cetera. But I thought this was a
(55:59):
really good overview that attempted, i think, to be fair
and if nothing else, just to raise lots of questions.
They didn't draw conclusions, but they raise a lot of questions.
And they follow up on the question I had a
week ago, which was, well, wait a minute, now, who
is COLLI you're serving here? How self serving are some
of these comments? They might be true, but she's in
(56:22):
a compromised role as far as I'm concerned, given her
stakes in this other league. And by the way, the
notion that that was the other thing. There are even
some people said, guess what, all the players could go
to this other league. Stop it. Whatever you're smoking, stop it.
The other league's acute enterprise. But people don't pay attention
(56:42):
to that the way they've now come to pay attention
to WNBA. It's not even close. We'll come back wrap
up the show.
Speaker 3 (56:48):
Next show represented by American Pressure commercial grade Pressure Washers
since nineteen seventy five.
Speaker 1 (56:54):
It's the Bumper to Bumper show rap controversial today, lots
of good stuff, though very eclectic guest lineup that included
the Inbox Doctor Dan's Inbox outstanding contributions as always great
stuff between three point thirty and four from Sean Salisbury.
If you missed it, go back and you can podcast
(57:16):
it after today's broadcast, and of course Russo from Saint
Louis inside the newly refurbished Checker Dome to talk a
minute a little wild hockey the while to be in
action tonight in their opener that is coming up after
a short fan of the man and then it will
be then the wild pregame and then a Wild versus
(57:37):
the Saint Louis Blues game one of eighty two. Think
about it, Yeah, eighty two still too many games in
the NBA and NHL regular season. Isn't it eighty four
now in the NHL. You know, you're right. I forgot
about that. You're right, it is, isn't it four? Yeah?
Added to that fallness. I'm paying attention. Oh my god,
they added to that's fine.
Speaker 3 (57:58):
I got to get it in like five months and
stuff because of the Olympic break.
Speaker 1 (58:01):
Man, this just goes what a grind? How many of
a Carill Caprice off playing eighty four games now total?
I think so I'm gonna say forty six.
Speaker 3 (58:14):
You know it's so sad. I was gonna say forty seven.
We need to maybe take a case.
Speaker 1 (58:19):
You might be right, may a weird choice rights mark
to defend Engelberti's a big girl. I'm not sure why
she needs defending. We do this all the time. We
rip adults and defend them all the time. It's not
even defending, it's saying there's maybe a little bit more
to the story here. That's there should be some questions
regarding some other individuals as well. That might be too
(58:40):
tough for eighty four next year eighty two. This year,
my forty seven still stands. I'll say with forty six,
I'll talk to you tomorrow. Three
The National Hockey League season is upon us. I think
there was. Was it yesterday? Three games? Wild open tonight?
Right here on the flagship FM one hundred point three,
the fan on the road against the Saint Louis Blues.
At I said earlier the Checker Dome. That was just
a joke. I missed the Checker Dome. I love that place. Checkerdome,
(00:37):
Russo Radio, I assume has been imploded. It's not up
any longer, is it?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I got to hear. I'm sorry. I thought he was
on the special system. My bad, Sorry about that, Russo.
The Checkerdome does it still exist?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
The Ram Stadium? Uh?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
No, the old hockey arena that the Blues used to
play in back in the Dome.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, I was. I was thinking because I'm looking out
the window and I see the football stadium. So I
was like, I'm like, no ite exists. And last time
I thought you were making a joke, because one of
the last times I was here, i'd put out a
picture and I said nice football stadium, and Blues fans
wanted to string me up from the arch. I know
the checker is long gone, and this is uh, it's funny.
(01:22):
I've never I was never at that, you know, there
at all, and this arena has had about twenty five
games since I started coming here. It was a Keel
Center and Scott Trade Center and now at the Enterprise Center.
But yeah, it's long gone.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, I figured it was all right, let's get the
injury stuff out of the way early. Who's available tonight,
who isn't, and who's going to be out for how long?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
U Niko Sturm. It sounds like he's gonna go U
under the night for for a back injury. You know,
most they basically are saying six to eight weeks. So
that's that's really disappointing. You know, he was there, their
guy that was supposed to really help cure a lot
of their l's on their their penalty kill and face offs,
and you know, brought up a couple of Stanley Cup
(02:07):
rings of experience since he last played here, and I
know he was super excited to get going here and
he got hurt first day of camp, so they really
haven't had him all up training camp and Zukerella is out.
He's going to see the doctor tonight to try to
get an update. I know that he was quoted in
Norway saying that he thinks he'll be back sooner than
the two months that the Wild say he's going to
(02:27):
be back. He's thinking, you know, early to mid November.
So we'll see what the doc says tonight. And Brodein
is not going to play tonight, but it sounds like
he's very, very close. I'm probably going to play on
the home stand against Columbus on Saturday or LA on Monday.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
All right, fair enough. I don't have we talked since
the the Gushers contract extension. I don't think we have.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
So did we assume this was coming? Is this something
the Wild kind of had to do? Are they doing
it sooner than they really need to? And what are
the larger ramifications regarding how we feel about the kid goaltender? Well?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah, I mean no, this was definitely a well well
uh telegraphed route camp even before camp or I did
a story in August where I sat down with gus
and he talked about wanting to get an extension done,
and I put in there that you know, sources told
me it was going to get done at some point
in camp, and then you know, Bill Garon usually works
fast on these things, and this one was super fast.
(03:29):
It took a couple of days to get it done.
And you know, I know it's a sticker shot to
some fans to give him six point eight million and
in this damn economy after the Caprese bout field, but
that is actually under market value for what goalies are
going for right now. So he wanted to stay the
wild needed to get on the goalie market next summer
(03:50):
is absolutely barren. Obviously, Bebrosky's going to stay, figure out
a way to stay in Florida. Jacob Markstrom is gonna
is going to resign, and knew your most likely and
then you know it's pretty much Skinner or Pickard and
Skinner's obviously you've taken the Edvents into a couple Stanley
Cup finals. But I think most people will tell you
that that he's a dangerous goalie at times, and he
(04:12):
showed it a little bit last night in the Edmonton game,
So there really was it was. It was kind of
like Caprice offten, the fact that you know, what's the
alternative if you don't have them? Obviously, you know, some
fans could say, well, jessper Valstadt and Jess, we're still here.
I mean, he's he's signed for two years at two
point two. It's not illegal to have two really good goalies.
(04:32):
As I just said, goaltending. There's a dearth of it
right now. There's just not a lot of these guys
right now that are upper echelon goalies in the NHL.
And so if you can you know, let's just say
Volstat pops, you know, all of a sudden you have
another really good trade asset. So and even on his
next contracts will be coming out of the second one,
and you can probably resign them pretty affordably in a
(04:54):
rise of cap world. So I don't think this is
a big deal on the short term that any wild
stand should be like, well, how do you resign? And
gust that's in if you have this, you know, so
called goalie of the future. Right now, we still have
to see a lot of Wally. He's had a really
good training camp, but as we've talked about, you know, endlessly,
his first two or three years North American pro hockey
didn't go nearly according to plan. And so right now
(05:16):
they don't know what they have in him, but they
know what they haven't got.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
The wild as you know, you well know better than
most got off to a terrific start last year and
then a lot of things interceded at that point. So
given the injury list as it's currently understood and who's
out for you know, how long on the basis of
the best estimates, is it going to be close to
(05:39):
impossible to match that start? How concerned are you about
this team stubbing its toes right out of the gate
because of the injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I'm concerned. I don't love their depth right now. Plus
they have, you know, on their at least their opening
night roster, they have ten guys twenty four and under,
And I know fans have long wanted a youthbeasment here,
but you know there's always grown pains youth movements, and
and look they have. They have a you know guy
tonight and in Ziboya making essentially his NHL debut obviously
two games in the playoffs. They've David Yuricek, who was
(06:12):
high risk, extremely high risk, high reward in the preseason.
So he sometimes just scares you with his turnovers, you know,
within the real danger areas in front of the net
and both blue lines. And then you know, a lot
of their young kids that they were there, you know,
Ogrin and z' off. They won one of these two
to really secure that second line left wing spot, and
(06:35):
they gave him ample opportunity in camp, and neither of
them produced. And right now one starting on the fourth
line tonight, and one's going to be in the press
spots with me. So that's a bit of a concern.
And so with Nico out now you have Hunter Hate
coming up making his NHL debut tonight. And as I
reported in the last two days in the Athletic a
(06:55):
couple of days ago, on Monday, when the Wild got
the prognosis for Nico Sturm, they called free agent Jack
Rossive that can offer him a million bucks he wanted
to two and a half, wouldn't come here. He's since
signed for Edmonton at one and a half. But just
the fact that Bill Garren tried to do that tells
you right now that he's concerned. And so I don't
know how much leeway these kids are going to get,
(07:17):
you know, especially as you mentioned, if they get off
to a tough start last year, they needed every ounce
of that big start to make the playoffs. Remember, they
made it on a tiebreaker, and so they almost collapse.
And so you know that big starts are very very
important in the National Hockey League. And so I really
do think that Bill right now is already scouring the
(07:38):
free agent market, or sorry, the trade market to try
to see if he can maybe get some center help.
But for now, you know, Ogen's gonna get a chance,
Hate's going to get a chance. You're up. Eventually we'll
get a chance. And if these guys can make an impact,
that would lower the you know, you know, the urgency
for Bill to address the situation. But I think it's
something that he's already looking around about because he knows
(07:59):
that he can an award with this team to have
a slow start.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
I've heard you talk about this, but maybe even earlier
today that another maybe alarm bell within the hockey community
might be And again, lines can change very quickly, right,
we certainly know that. But is it a kind of
a signal that you could get a little squeamish about
(08:24):
that you got Fellino at least starting on the second line.
I mean, is that that doesn't seem like that's where
he belongs on a good team that's going places.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah, I mean, that's definitely not what his cup of
tea is now. He had a really good camp. He
definitely has the ability to score. He brings a different
element to that line. But he's not a second line player,
and Stanley Cup teams don't have a player like him
on the second line usually. I mean, Sam Bennett's a
different animal and he is a absolute stud center, different position,
(08:54):
but you know, you don't usually have this type of
player in that capacity, and he's there by default. He's
there because they want to immediately go back to the
old well and put Marcus Johansson there. And he's there
because Liam Ogrean and Denal e're Off in camp didn't
produce and they were given every opportunity in top six
roles and middle six roles to produce. Liam Ogrin had
(09:14):
seven shots, no points in his five preseason games. Eure
Off had one assist in seven shots and six preseason games.
And so they now are starting in the fourth line.
You know, I'll just be interested. Let's just say if
they fall behind tonight or Marcus just isn't fitting there,
what's next. Do they go back to that old well
and did they put Joe Hanson there or do they
(09:35):
elevate an Ogre or eventually, you know, on the homestand
put in a you're off in that situation. But the
fact that these two at twenty one years old, I
don't think this is anything that anybody needs to panic about.
You know, there are a lot of people that labeled
Marco Rossi at bus too, but look, these guys are young.
In Eurof's case, he hasn't been you know, he's not
used to North American hockey. It's going to take a
(09:55):
while for them to adjust. But what that Zukrello injury
definitely did to this team is, you know, in a
in a market creation market this summer where there were
really no guys to go after. After they lost out
on their targets and they traded for Tarasenko, they really
felt comfortable about their top six. And now they've loaded
up their top line, and I just wonder, especially with
(10:17):
a bunch of road games coming out. They have a
five game road trip after this two game homestand coming up,
if you can always afford to have Boldy and Caprice
up on the same line, you might have to spread
the well soed a bit, maybe even put a Felino
on the on the Rossi line and get a boldie
on the second line, because they are gonna need on
the road a couple of lines to produce. And if
that third line is not producing and the fourth line's
(10:38):
not producing, it's going to put a lot of pressure
on that top line. So this is another reason why
I just think that that Bill Gerin's already gonna have
probably sooner than later, start to look around the league
unless again Ogrin and You're off look like they are
going to be able to produce at the beginning of
the season.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
All right, give me a player who the wild is
whole thing can re emerge this season, and that you
feel pretty much has to emerge to be a big
time contributor if this team's gonna really have the sort
of successful season that everybody's been clamoring for.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I really think that Ryan Hartman is going to need
to really start the way that he finished last year.
He was one of their best players in the playoffs.
He usually is always one of their best players in
the playoffs, and he showed it again. And look with
Nico sturm Out. Remember the entire goal this offseason was
to quote help Joel eric Annette, and one big reason
was because Ryan did not have a good last good
(11:37):
year last year, and they really didn't like anything that
they had on their fourth line, which is one big
reason why they they traded Marat Juzandina. So, you know, Ryan, now,
especially if he's in a third or second line role,
is going to have to produce. He's coming to camp,
he's looked really good, he was fit, and he's got
to be disciplined. He can't take bad penalties, you know, sometimes,
(11:58):
especially in this building, he has that tendency to do that.
But I really just you know, he's gonna have to
take huge draws now that he goes out. You know,
they were gonna Eco is going to be so much
more to this team beyond the fourth liner from a
penalty kild standpoint. Hey, face offs late in games, and
now Ryan's probably gonna have to take a lot of
that load. And I think he's capable of it, but
(12:20):
he's got to. He's got to do it or this
team is gonna, you know, have it, just have some
trouble up the middle.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
What is in your mind fair and rational to expect
from taras angle at this point?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You know, I'd love to see him get twenty and
twenty five goals. I you know, to me, he didn't
have the greatest end of his training camp. He looked
really good in the practices, not great in the games.
But he is a veteran, and I'll tell you, uh,
you know, veterans don't like playing in the preseason. You
know a lot of times they just are and do
not get hurt mode and don't exactly you know, try
(12:59):
and even strength to go into the dirty areas. On
the power play in Chicago, he was sensational and that's
where you really want it. Especially that he's taken at
Zucarello spot on the number one unit. You really hope
that he and Boyam could have continue to have the
chemistry that they seem to show that night against the
you know, a Chicago team that doesn't have the greatest
penalty kill of the world. So we'll see if that happens.
(13:22):
I do think he's extremely motivated this year. He'll be
definitely motivated tonight coming back to Saint Louis. But look,
he knows this could be his last chance to continue
to play in the NHL. He's not old by NHL
standards by any stretch, but his game has definitely taken
a step back the last couple of years. And you know,
when you ask out of a place like Detroit and
(13:44):
you are a future former star that's traded for quote
future considerations, which it means absolutely nothing, that's humbling. And
I think that that is a humbling thing when all
of a sudden, you know, Detroit's basically like here, take
him for nothing, and we're going to retain money. So
I think he's going to come in. We're really ready
to go this year, and man, they are going to
(14:05):
need it because as we mentioned, you know they've already
with that second line absence in Zukerello, they just are
lacking some scoring depth in that era.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
RUSSO Radio Live from Saint Louis Wilde opener tonight right
here on the fan Size up for us for the audience,
I guess I should sand for us. The division going
into this season, well, I.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Think that a lot of teams have taken a little
bit step back, but I still think it's the most
cut growth division in the National Hockey League. I think
that everybody is going to get better, even the Chicago Blackhawks.
I think Nationals can be better than they were. I
think Utah has a chance to make the playoffs. This
team the Wilderness see tonight, I really think is a
sleeper in this division. Maybe I'll be wrong, but they got,
you know, a big game goalie, even though he can
(14:52):
get erratic. And Jordan Dinnington, I mean we watched him
win the championship in the Four Nations tournament. He was
absolute sensational, made two games and saving saves on Austin
Matthews in overtime before McDavid won it in the championship game.
And he's won a Stanley Cub. And then you look
at Robert Thomas. I think he's a star waiting to
pop right now. He was one of the best players
in the league in the second half of last season.
(15:13):
Snug Ruds looked great. There, Kyros looked like I mean,
he was on fire at the end of the year.
Holloway somebody that could be a stud rovers. I mean,
they just up and down their lineup. I really like
what I see. I think Fox is a little bit
of a loss to them, so I think they're good.
I think Winnipeg's going to take a little bit of
a step back, and I think Colorado and Dallas are
the two teams to beat. So look, we saw at
Minnesota last year, Dan that when they're healthy, they're really
(15:35):
really good. But what's scary is that last year they
were actually healthy for the first two months of the season,
and now they're already you know, up against it health wise.
So you know, I still like this team. I still
think that they should be a playoff team, but they,
as we saw last year, they cannot afford injuries, and
especially to Capri Stot and ericson that.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
So the some of the bigger contracts that have been
signed or announced after the Capriceoff signing, do they make
capriceof seem greedy?
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I mean, it's hard not to say that. It really isn't.
I don't again, you know, look, I don't begrudge the
wild for doing it, you know, but I don't think
his agent made him look very good. And you know
this is why last week when you asked me, is
is Caprisoft gonna be the highest paid player for a week?
I said, no, He's going to be for many years
(16:31):
because it was so obvious, it was so public the
last several months that if Connor McDavid re signing Edmonton,
it was going to be at a team friendly price.
And the reason why is because he wants to win
a Cup. I never thought it would be a twelve
and a half, but when he signed twelve and a half,
you just knew that the others were certainly going to
be in that vicinity. And you know, Jack Eichel, I
(16:53):
know he's in a no state income tax state, but look,
thirteen and a half for him is undervalued in comparison
to Caprice of you know, he's won a Cup. He
could have been the cons Smith winner of the year
they won the Cup. He's an absolute superstar. Center McDavid,
as we know, has brought his team to two Stanley
Cup finals and the best player in the world. I'm
connor signing at twelve. So look, I mean the Wild
(17:16):
had to get it done. The alternative was not good.
But you know, I I don't love the fact that
at the very beginning the Wild went to such a
high number. I think they probably didn't want to play
the game because it was such an imperative thing for
them to resign this guy. But when they went to
sixteen and caprisaf said no, I just did not know
where this was going to go. And you know, the
(17:37):
indications I was getting inside of the team is that
they weren't inclined to negotiate against themselves and raise their price. Obviously,
you know, with permission from the owner, Billy did that.
But then he offered seventeen, and they have the audacity
again counter. It just doesn't make him look good. And
you know, and look, I know that I do believe
Capriso when he says that he wants to win, and
(18:01):
you know, I believe that he just was listening to
his agent all along. But when you take seventeen and
the other guys are taking twelve and a half, twelve
and twelve and a half and thirteen and a half,
you know, it just does seem hypocritical. Because look, the
wild you have cap space and they are still going
to have the ability to make moves here, whether it's
this season or next summer. But you know, certainly it's
(18:23):
going to be a lot harder to fit all the
you know, everything into the pegs to get these guys done.
And you know, I mean just think right now, if
he was making fourteen million, that's we're talking three million
bucks right there that they could spend on a on
a really quality player. And we're talking right now about
Marcus Leino being on the second line because they're having
(18:44):
depth issues. So I don't think it makes him look great.
And you know, most of it I blame on on
the the you know, the agent. But look, he did
the best that he could for his client. I still
think the contract's going to age well. But let's put
it this way. The other guys want to win two
and they were willing to play ball with their teams.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
He obviously, they obviously still had to sign him. As
we talked about last week, the alternative was just too
too devastating. A thought that said, is there any reason
to believe that if Garren had waited until eventually some
of these other contracts started being signed, that they could
have gotten him for less?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Now you know, I mean, sure they probably could have
gotten him for less, but I still think it was
gonna he would be the highest paid player in the league.
I mean, McDavid to me is a total like he's
in his all on ballpark. He was doing this intentionally.
I mean the fact that he's made that he is
making one and a half million dollars less than dry title,
I think it says everything about his character. But look,
(19:43):
I mean, McDavid has one hundred million in the bank.
He also is going to have generational wealth till the
day he dies, because he's Conor McDavid, you know. So,
I mean, Kakrisa was always going to be in a
different ballpark. They were always going to have to quote
overpay to keep him. But I don't think they wanted
to take the risk with this, with this agent. Know,
every contract has been difficult with him. And I just
(20:04):
think that when they went to that number and they
said no, Like, I guess the one area where you
could maybe question is why did you go to sixteen
right away? Why you start at fourteen fourteen and a half.
But look Bill, bill Is said play that game. Yeah, yeah,
he doesn't want the game. He doesn't like the game.
He thinks it's a waste of time. He goes to
his number and he usually sticks by it. And and
(20:26):
I think they always thought it would take fifteen or
sixteen to get it done. Maybe they should have started
with fifteen. They could have gone at sixteen or sixteen
and a half. But either way, like, there's no way
they were getting Corolla precept done at twelve twelve and
a half. Well not when Dreisidel was making fourteen and
so he was always going to make a fortune. But
you know, to be seventeen when everybody else is so
(20:49):
much less. I mean, I bet you it's even uncomfortable
for carill And And you know, I bet you he
doesn't exactly love that, even though I'm sure he's very
very happy with his with his contract and and but
you know, even in the inside the locker room, I'm
sure there are players that talk about this. There's no
doubt about it. You know, he's making ten million dollars
more than Matt Bowldie. That's that's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
I assume you're just delighted that there's an actual game
to cover tonight, right regular season?
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Yeah, yeah, you know, the only bad part about today
is that there's there's twenty eight teams going fourteen games,
and I wish I could watch them all. Yeah, so
I'm only going to get to watch one. But yeah, no,
I'm I'm super excited. I love the opening night every
single time. I love I love loss of the privilege
of being in any building, whether it's home or away,
for their opening night ceremonies. It's just it's just a cool,
(21:35):
cool thing.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Thirty one years is this year? Thirty one?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah? My thirty first season. Yeah, yeah, that's increased.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
And you're like, you're like thirty five years old. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I know, I story when I was in the womb.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, pretty much. You haven't aged a bit. It's remarkable, No, I.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Know, uh, you know, except for the entire baulding of
the top.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Of the Yeah, yeah, way at everything that'll happen. Have
fun tonight. I appreciate you all. Talk next week. Thanks
Russo Russo Radio from Saint Louis, Missouri, where the Wild
will open the twenty twenty five twenty six season. All
of the action including I'm sure, I'm sure, just wonderful fallness, pregame,
(22:19):
in game, between periods, postgame commentary, analysis, yeah, interviews, or
is he taking opening night off because a lot of
times we find out he's not even there.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Not only did he not take the night off, he
filled in for the Paul Allen Project Today.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
I understand there was absolutely zero basketball basketball talk. According
to his world nine to noon basketball doesn't even exist.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Basketball, football, baseball, tennis, golf, real world, nothing existed. I
heard more about the New York Islanders today than I
think I've heard in the last ten years.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Combined with compliment, I don't doubt it.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
You can join the Meat Sauce Fleet Farm in Hastings,
Craig Kilbourne's hometown, this Saturday for their Octoberfest celebration. He'll
be there noon to two for the opening of toy
Land Yard Games and more. Full details at KFA dot
com keyword Calendar.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
A lot of really good, juicy quarterback discussion early in
the broadcast, including a good visit with Sean Salisbury that
centered on that very issue as well. The beauty of
it is we got nothing of the time. Vikings do
not play this week. Their next game is a week
from this coming Sunday against the Eagles. Is that a
(23:49):
primetime game? No, No, I believe that's our first noon
game out Yep, that's disrespectful, although the Eagles are a
little bit weird right now too. The team your hand, well,
the coach you hate, uh had a coach I'm finally No, No,
I mean the team beat them last week. Denver had
(24:09):
a terrific fourth quarter. They didn't they score like twenty one,
twenty four they scored. They took over that game and
that was a mess. In Philly, ar Peyton was at
his worst at the end. Who was Peyton? My guy?
Your guy? Well, they played great and they they they
got some help. You're never going to give him anything,
(24:29):
are you. Well, I'll leave that to you. I will
just say that was a terrific was this way? If
if the Vikings win a road game like that in Philly,
you k culture basically for sure? Culture? But where was I?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
So? Uh?
Speaker 1 (24:43):
They they're playing tonight, yes, against the Giants, against the Giants,
I think in New York that that game is so
then they'll have a decent amount of time off as well,
right they will. But that is a noon start, you
tell me. Yeah, we have a bunch of nooners now,
don't we.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Yeah, to know, because it's then Chargers and then a
string of noon games.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Yeah, a couple of a section items. We don't have
a lot of time to do that these days, but
there's stuff worth getting into. Are you familiar with Kevin Stitt?
Do you know who Kevin Stitt is? I don't think
I do. He is the Republican governor of the state
of Oklahoma. He's also chairman of something called the National
(25:28):
Governors Association. He is Some of his comments are causing
some ripples. One could say inside the Republican Party, especially
in MAGA world. Here's what he had to say. This
is an interview, I guess with the much hated New
(25:50):
York Times, but he granted the interview, and here's what
he had to say regarding the objections of Illinois Governor J. B.
Pritzker of Illinois and actually that big forum Tim Waltz
in Minnesota Wallsey as well, anticipating the possibility of the
(26:14):
guard ending up here, they've both criticized that decision by
the president. Here's what the governor of Oklahoma had to say.
We believe in the federalist system, that's states rights. Oklahoma's
(26:34):
would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops
down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration. There's no arguing
with it. There's no comeback to it. Quite frankly, but
is it going to even make a ripple in MAGA world.
I don't know what we talked about this with Kessler yesterday.
(26:59):
That was yesterday because that that somebody had written a
story indicating that there is privately growing unease among summer
Republican leadership on you know, just Alice, let's send the guard.
Don't mess with it. Just send a guard. Let's let's
just go after and so we'll see if this starts
(27:22):
that he's gone on the record. Is it possible that
others would get braver as well? I doubt it, but
he's one hundred percent right. There's there's the howling, the screaming,
how dare you? That would be going on, would be
never ending and probably righteous. That's the irony of this
(27:43):
particular situation. Totally unrelated, but also from the a section,
a story that I put into the classification of not
a huge story, but a story that to me raises
lots of questions in my mind about concessions that we
(28:04):
are making culturally. And I'll least start on it now
we went along on Russo, and then we'll be able
to get into it more depth after the pause. And
it's a story about libraries, and in this case it's
a start tribute story. And I don't know how many
of you read it. It's about the Rondo Community Library.
(28:27):
I'll read you a couple sentences from it. Saint Paul's
most visited library will close for at least six months
to move its bathrooms and front desk because of security concerns.
Community members have complained about drug use and people experiencing
homelessness in the Rondo Community Library and its surrounding area
(28:51):
in recent years, and library officials say they're confident that
the seven hundred and ninety three thousand dollars renovation and
solve those problems. Some Rondo neighborhood residents and library employees
aren't so certain. It all had had all the pluses,
said Arctica Teyner, who grew up in the neighborhood about
(29:18):
the library, but you now have issues that have been
exacerbated over the years and nothing is functioning properly. Isaac Milke,
president of AFSCME Local eighteen forty two, which apparently represents
(29:40):
some Saint Paul Library workers, says that Rondo employees were
not consulted in the renovation plans and think other solutions
should have been examined instead. Here's the direct quote. We
don't think moving the bathrooms will do anything. The staff
who work in the building are the experts and they
are not being listened to. And then there's some details
(30:02):
about the renovation process. It's still early. What changes the
moving the reception desk closer to the door, allowing patrons
to use the space more effectively. How so, I'm not
exactly sure. There's a quote from By the Way. Dates
have not been set for the renovation, which could take
up to a year. Frank White, a Rondo described in
(30:25):
this piece as a Rondo neighborhood elder and a Saint
Paul historian whose curated exhibits have been displayed at the library,
says he doesn't visit anymore because of the drug use
he witnessed in the past. He said he doubts the
renovation will change the behavior at the library, which is
located at Dale Street and University Avenue. Quote. The solution
(30:49):
is really taking care of the negative activity that surrounds
the area. Is disappointing that nothing has been done. August
so that was a couple of months ago. Rondo reduced
its hours on Fridays and Saturdays and closed on Sundays
because of ongoing challenges and resulting negative behavior in the
(31:11):
area that made it difficult to adequately deliver safe and
welcoming services. I repeat that again, forced to reduce hours
Fridays and Saturdays, not even open on Sundays because obviously
there was too much difficulty, too many challenges going on
in terms of the behavior, making it making one would
(31:31):
assume patrons feel relatively unsafe. Then there's a quote from
the mayor of Saint Paul, Melvin Carter. We are transitioning
out of an era where we build libraries for books.
Carter said, additional social services are key to the library's mission.
(31:52):
In the twenty first century, after COVID, some libraries across
the US hired social workers to help librarians provide more
services to patrons. As libraries roles shifted, Saint Paul and
Hennepin County libraries employee social workers. Now we've I think
talked about that before, about how libraries have changed. I
(32:13):
think we've been talked about some other places where there's
been some security issues in libraries, and they're not all
on that same boat. But what is just sort of
accepted is what I don't accept. I think it's part
of the problem. And I think that's part of what
a couple of the individuals who seem to have good
knowledge about that particular location are attempting to say, we
(32:35):
concede too much. And I'm not sure in the concession
of well, it's not a library anymore. It's basically come
on in you want to hang out a little bit,
that's fine too. Whatever your intent is, it's come on,
come all this. It's supposed to be a where we
try to be a welcome in community. You're not going
to convince me that you're creating an environment that is
(33:00):
conducive to anyone enjoying whatever is supposed to go on
inside that library, which is still presumably supposed to revolve
around books or electronic items, whatever compute, whatever the case
may be, using the internet, using the internet, et cetera.
But we get these stories all the time. Well, no
library is not a library anymore. You gotta understand you're
(33:21):
gonna have people coming in off the streets. That's the concession.
That doesn't serve the patrons, and I dare say it
doesn't serve the individuals who, whatever however they are compromised,
are using and turning libraries into places in which there
is not the customary level of safety that one can expect.
(33:46):
And what this comes off as is, well, we got
to do something. We got some money, So maybe if
we move an entrance around to a different place where
maybe it's it's it's we can control the environment a
little bit better. That's not the answer. And again, the
(34:08):
folks who have the most to lose, obviously, the folks
who use this place and have been around this place.
They know it. They're already calling it. But they're going
to be ignored because people have decided no, we're changing.
Are like libraries are now a halfway house. I doubt
(34:30):
they're even really qualified to do that kind of work.
And is it even practical to do it? And that
is that not the issue? You make so many concessions
that you defeat the purpose of the library in the
first place, and you lie to yourself out of what
(34:51):
you think is the goodness of your heart. You do
not want to turn anybody away, But it depends on
what the individuals who may all be troubled for legitimate
reasons are doing in and around that location, and if
they're doing things they should not be doing and they
are creating unrest, or they are creating a lack of safety.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
We're big on safe places. Library is supposed to be
a safe space to do whatever work.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
You're looking for, to read or to get out of
the madness. But if you make it part of the
mad and say, well, no, that's just the way it
is now, why it comes off as in the name
of well, no, we want to be more progressive, we
want to be more open minded about this, and I
don't think anybody's interests are served. And again, the great
(35:44):
irony is when you get past the bureaucrats and the
elected officials and you get to the average roub who
clearly have spent time there, they're already saying, you may
feel better about yourselves. You got this money, and you
can have a when when there's groundbreaking and the remodeling
(36:07):
is done, you can have this press conference about you
can do whatever you want to it. But if you
don't change the the activity that's going on in that
location or around that location, then really, realistically, not a thing
is going to change. And I've never I guess I'm
(36:29):
put me in the group that's never quite understood why
this concession is so easily just sort of grandfathered in
and accepted as well, this is the most effective way
to go forward. No, what you have to do? What's
the what's the key quote here? This is from Who's
(36:51):
this into the Frank White the described, as I said,
as a Rondo neighborhood elder and a Saint Paul historian.
The solution is really taking care of the negative activity
that surrounds the areas. Disappointing that nothing really has been done.
That's it. Move bathrooms around if you like. That's what
the president of the local of the union there regard
(37:16):
who represents some workers, the staff who work in the
building of the experts. They're not being listened to. Now again,
I understand you can't listen. You can't have individual workers
I guess in charge of whatever programs you have in mind,
but you might listen to them. And this has been
(37:37):
going on quite frankly for a while. And I'm sure
some libraries have adjusted better than others in terms of security,
moving people around, moving people along, whatever the case may be.
But doesn't this come up. I mean, it just comes
off to me as we're going to feel better about ourselves,
but we're not. If we're being honest really in our
(37:58):
all of our concessions here, we're really not doing anything
that makes it likely that a library can be a library,
which is frankly to me what it should still be.
The notion it has to be something different. No, it
only has to be something different if you do not
confront the problems apparently going on near these places or
inside the building. No, it's not another wild injury, at
(38:50):
least not one that we know about yet.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Joe Ingle's update, No, not that either. Oh can I
give away the bonus bucks? By the way, I forgot
to do that?
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Sure, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
The final keyword thing so two men and a junk truck.
Whenever we have a guest that screws me up, russo
got me there. Our National Cash Contest deposit is the
five o'clock keyword.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Go to kfa N dot com enter the keyword deposit.
Thank you. This is Dayline Duluth. This is via starcimmune
dot com as well, Duluth. That's one of the great
callback Glenn Mason stories. It's funny. I mean, how now
in the wake of his adopting Fargo. Yeah, I mean,
couldn't I just as only say Fargo, right, because he
(39:31):
said Duluth in a sneering, contemptuous yes, condescending like why
would you go to Duluth for anything?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (39:38):
When asking me where I then fiance at the time,
and I like to go hang out. Yeah, he said,
go to Florida. Then he offered up his Florida place
and that didn't last. We've never been there, Yeah, but anyway.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Dozens of alcohol breath tests conducted by law enforcement in
at least three Minnesota counties may have been compromised because
of operator errors. This state officials reveal more than seventy
tests in Aiken, forty five in Winona, and thirteen in
Chippewa counties incorrectly used a data master instrument to test
(40:14):
blood alcohol content over varying over varying periods of time.
This is according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A control piece of equipment was installed incorrectly. In at
least one case, fourth degree drunk driving charges against a
man were recently dismissed by the county attorney's office because
(40:34):
of the mistake. In court documents, County attorney James Ratz
said the error compromised the validity and accuracy of the
test's results. Twin Cities based defense attorney Chuck Ramsey said
he noticed the inconsistency for two of his clients who
were given breath tests in charge in Aiken County. Somewhere
(40:55):
in here this story, I thought the headline indicated that
ultimately and might be affected too, as Wenona County. They
can where's the did they just draw me into the story?
But where's the Hennepen County part? Yeah, because the subhead
says this attorney says Hennepen and Olmsted counties may have
(41:19):
issues too. I don't see the trying to see the
details on that where they the closer to home might
be involved as well. That's never good, right, Joe had
a field day with that one, that's for sure. You
want to take you know, you want to hold individuals
driving while you know, drinking accountable, obviously, but this is
(41:44):
the worst case scenario because in some cases they may
well have been guilty of those infractions and they are
now and so they may in those cases be likely
to not be held accountable. And in other cases they
may not have been doing anything wrong at all, or
they may not have been over the line. I guess
I could. I should say, see if there's any I can't. Yeah,
(42:07):
I can't find any detail regarding the attorney saying that
Hannepin might also be ultimately affected by this as well.
So stay tuned for more. By the way, one other
breaking a section item here before we break for the
top of the hour. This is via Wall Street Journal.
(42:31):
Just what we're just talking about. Regarding the Oklahoma governor
his comments. A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Trump
from federalizing or deploying National Guard members to Illinois for
at least two weeks, saying continuing to militarize the response
to local protests was likely to cause civil unrest. That's
just the headline on it. My inclination is it will
(42:56):
change nothing. I just don't think they have any interests
that they'll pay attention to the rulings that they like
and they'll ignore the ones they don't, right, I mean,
I don't think this is going to stop anything. You know,
A couple of people have said, well, yeah, you know,
you try to be you're tough on crime guy, and
yet you seem bothered by these shows of force. The
(43:18):
chief laid this down pretty effectively. He's in law enforcement.
He's not exactly anti law and order. Law enforcement and
I have the same problem. There's a reason historically conservatives
have had have gotten squeamish about using federal troops or
you know, National Guard members in situations involving local crime.
(43:44):
Can Democrats we've certainly talked about this, are democrats in
some cases vulnerable on the issue of crime in local
communities one hundred percent. So there are things that need
to be done. The question is at what cost if
you start going down the road that Trump clearly wants
(44:05):
to keep going down and probably include more cities because
he enjoys it so much. There were supposed to be
lines of demarcation in this regard, and they have. That
line has been obviously just shattered. There is no line
at this point, especially as it pertains to the immigration
(44:26):
issue as well, So stay tuned. More on that to come.
There's your a section reprieve from the toy Department. I
think we are going to kind of return to the
toy Department our final thirty minutes of the show or nearly.
We're out at six during the football season, but because
the Vikings are in a bye week, we are going
to go the distance. I will get to a story
(44:46):
I've been embargoing for several days involving ongoing controversy about
the bad blood that exists between the w NBA players,
certainly the union and the the Lame Duck. I'm assuming
she is at this point commissioner of the WNBA as well.
Stay tuned for all of that and more. In our
(45:08):
final thought ongoing conversation guards y about the bad blood
that exists between the WNBA players Union and the commissioner.
(45:29):
By the way, does it bother anybody else that throughout
really the entire WNBA Finals round matching two really good teams,
even though one of them doesn't have to be the
Minnesota Links. In fact, Vegas is now on the verge. Yep,
they've won the first three games of the series, including
(45:50):
last night in Phoenix. That almost, honestly, almost nobody but
that the number one subject is the crowning moment for
the WNBA this season, the postseason. A year ago, it
was the series between for all the controversy, it was
the series itself between New York and the Links. Now,
(46:12):
officiating was part of it, but it was about the series.
It was about the back and forth. It's not this year,
it's about the bad blood. Timing is supposed to be everything.
The timing has not been particularly good in that regard.
Just as easily could have had all these conversations a
week after, not like the issues would have been forgotten
(46:34):
at that point. But I digress. ESPN dot Com, Ramona
Shelbourne and Shelburne, I should say in Kendra Andrews, they relead.
They dropped a piece this was three days ago that
I've been embargoing that I finally want to get to
because they ask a lot. They lay out the sides,
the lack of trust, the vulnerability of the commissioner for sure.
(46:59):
But here another question I wish I actually they'd have
raised it a little earlier in the piece. Is Nafisa
Collier also vulnerable? Does she also have Is it possible
she's in a position, in a compromising position as it
(47:19):
pertains this to this entire story. Well, let me give
you an example of what they lay out in this piece,
which again is an attempted overview about the state of
the state when it comes to the bad blood, and
they believe me they are. They offer plenty of indictment
on this leadership, although they also give it from the
(47:41):
Commissioner's office, although they do give that some nuance as well.
Stay tuned for that in a minute. Back in February,
sources say Engelbert called a meeting with Collier and her husband,
Alex Bazell, the president of Unrivaled, a startup three on
three league founded alongside coll Or that some in the
w NBA increasingly believe is becoming competition to the league itself.
(48:09):
On that point, which I talked about a little bit
last time we had this subject to discussed, to explore
this subject, especially as it pertains to the comments that
col You're made regarding how poor the leadership is a
WNBA and how wonderful the leadership is by my husband, right,
which might be true, but on three league, well that
(48:33):
that's another point travel or anything that no nowhere near
the complications. But it's it's it's it's your husband for
God's sake, which I think means that the fawning media
responding to this story at least needs to have some
understanding of and ordinarily would say, well, you know, it's
may be true, but let's let's remember that relationship there.
(48:53):
There may be that this individual is not going to
be particularly objective, not to mention what you say that
it is apples and oranges because of the size of
the operation, the size of the league as well. Regarding Engelbert,
the commissioner, she's already unpopular, said one source with knowledge
(49:14):
of the CBA talks. So let her be the bad
guy in CBA negotiations and then replace her multiple league
sources wondered what could happen or what would happen if
the players who have loudly supported Colliery this week simply
refused to negotiate with the league on a new CB
until Engelbert resigned or was replaced the most important people
(49:35):
in this entire ecosystem of the players, one executive said,
lock them out if you want to, But all you're
going to do is ensure that Unrivaled becomes the big
person on campus as opposed to the w I'm not
even sure I believe that. But interesting quote. They go
on to write. It's fair to wonder, of course, whether
Collier's comments also serve a larger aim to promote Unrivaled,
(49:58):
the league she co founded with their husband in New York,
Liberty forward Brianna Stewart interesting and push the WNBA publicly
in CBA talks. Quote it's a total conflict of interest,
set a source with knowledge of the situation. Her husband
runs the league that's in competition with the w and
she has equity in it. Kyllier and Stewart, for the record,
(50:20):
are also both on the executive committee of the Women's
National Basketball Players Association, which is negotiating with the league
on the new CBA. Now, I'll quickly add, the players
themselves don't seem to be asking these questions. They seem
comfortable with what not only with what Kylier said, but
with her representation. That's up to them. Ultimately, it's their
decision who they have represent them. But this stuff, again,
(50:42):
if we're going to have a serious conversation, an honest
conversation about leadership in the league, this should be part
of the conversation. It's too easy to champion Collier, largely
because why nobody likes this commissioner, and probably she has
merited most of the criticism she's received. But we can't
become so blinded by that that we don't factor in
(51:06):
some goofy circumstances. Here we go, wait a minute, now,
Ordinarily we would call that in any other circumstance, we'd say, well,
that is those they're not direct competing interests, but they
are in some ways competing. And you have to wonder
(51:27):
whose interests that Kylier then is representing when push comes
to shove, given her money is in this other her
stake as apparently a very good business woman is in
this league. One other item regarding Engelberton, we talked about this.
I think last week betside manner seems to be awful.
(51:50):
Although I am bored with the criticism of she didn't
call me after my injury. I think that's silly. I
think that's completely overcooked and overblown. And I still think
that's more about the fact that the links, including Collier
and the head coach, are bitter about the way it finished,
that they collapsed in the series and opened the door
to another team reaching the WNBA finals. But here's what
(52:13):
they lay out about the state of the league under Engelbert.
There's very little dispute how much the WNBA has grown
during Engelbert's tenure. According to a report earlier this year,
revenues are projected to top one billion dollars this year.
ESPN ABC WNBA ratings at an all time high this season,
averaging one point three million viewers across twenty five games.
(52:35):
Merchandising sales up five hundred percent. This year. The league
invested fifty million dollars in charter flights, a key initiative
for players, but owners also just got two hundred and
fifty million dollars in expansion fees from three cities, with
half a dozen more lined up to pay even more
if there are future expansions. They ask how much of
the credit does Engelbert deserve for these gains versus the
(52:59):
emergence of young stars such as Clark, Reese, Becker's, rising
star power of players such as Wilson, Collier and Stuart
and heightened level of competitive competitiveness across the league that
remains a topic of great debate in league circles. This
week's sports economist and professor David Berry wrote in The
(53:20):
New York Times that if WNBA players received a similar
percentage of basketball related income as NBA players, the top
stars should be making more than three million dollars a year. Instead,
they earn less than ten percent of that coin, to
sources on both sides of the CBA negotiations. Under the
current CBA, players don't get additional revenue sharing nine percent
as opposed to their forty nine to fifty one percent
(53:41):
in the NBA, until the league has generated a certain
level of income, which it says it has yet to
do after decades of multimillion dollar losses at the franchise
and league level. Players want the league to give them
the data proving those revenue benchmarks have not even been met.
So some of this stuff is as old as time.
When it comes to sports play, you know, uh uh,
(54:04):
the players and management ownership debate the next collective bargaining agreement,
that's all part of the deal. That's all fair, and
what we like to say is love and war. However,
I'm not going to put the commissioner at the top
of the list for the new TV deal, which is excellent,
(54:25):
the the all of those revenues being up the decision
to finally charter, I'm going to say a lot, absolutely,
a lot of that is the Clark phenomenon to a
year ago. Many of these same players who are now
championing her are we We're doubting, and we're we're not
interested in hearing about. But I don't think you can
say that she has been if if on her watch
(54:49):
she seems to maximize to the degree that the league
has been maximized, I certainly would indicate that would suggest,
as some people have said, the bit her business acumen
is pretty legit, and the idea that she's thumbing her
nose at the players and doesn't want to do well
by the players. The players have done in some areas
(55:13):
have done well by her. Starting with I'm assuming she
had to be involved in the most significant change, which
was the charter deals, which is something absolutely was needed
to be done. So all this, I think reminds me
is that there's a lot more gray area here than
we'd like to think. She does not have the trust
(55:36):
of the players. That seems undeniable, and that eventually will
probably I think, make it likely that she loses her job,
because the best commissioners find a way, even though they
tend to be working for owners, to gain the trust
of the players as well. Now, sometimes the battles are
going to be so great because of the money involved,
et cetera, et cetera. But I thought this was a
(55:59):
really good overview that attempted, i think, to be fair
and if nothing else, just to raise lots of questions.
They didn't draw conclusions, but they raise a lot of questions.
And they follow up on the question I had a
week ago, which was, well, wait a minute, now, who
is COLLI you're serving here? How self serving are some
of these comments? They might be true, but she's in
(56:22):
a compromised role as far as I'm concerned, given her
stakes in this other league. And by the way, the
notion that that was the other thing. There are even
some people said, guess what, all the players could go
to this other league. Stop it. Whatever you're smoking, stop it.
The other league's acute enterprise. But people don't pay attention
(56:42):
to that the way they've now come to pay attention
to WNBA. It's not even close. We'll come back wrap
up the show.
Speaker 3 (56:48):
Next show represented by American Pressure commercial grade Pressure Washers
since nineteen seventy five.
Speaker 1 (56:54):
It's the Bumper to Bumper show rap controversial today, lots
of good stuff, though very eclectic guest lineup that included
the Inbox Doctor Dan's Inbox outstanding contributions as always great
stuff between three point thirty and four from Sean Salisbury.
If you missed it, go back and you can podcast
(57:16):
it after today's broadcast, and of course Russo from Saint
Louis inside the newly refurbished Checker Dome to talk a
minute a little wild hockey the while to be in
action tonight in their opener that is coming up after
a short fan of the man and then it will
be then the wild pregame and then a Wild versus
(57:37):
the Saint Louis Blues game one of eighty two. Think
about it, Yeah, eighty two still too many games in
the NBA and NHL regular season. Isn't it eighty four
now in the NHL. You know, you're right. I forgot
about that. You're right, it is, isn't it four? Yeah?
Added to that fallness. I'm paying attention. Oh my god,
they added to that's fine.
Speaker 3 (57:58):
I got to get it in like five months and
stuff because of the Olympic break.
Speaker 1 (58:01):
Man, this just goes what a grind? How many of
a Carill Caprice off playing eighty four games now total?
I think so I'm gonna say forty six.
Speaker 3 (58:14):
You know it's so sad. I was gonna say forty seven.
We need to maybe take a case.
Speaker 1 (58:19):
You might be right, may a weird choice rights mark
to defend Engelberti's a big girl. I'm not sure why
she needs defending. We do this all the time. We
rip adults and defend them all the time. It's not
even defending, it's saying there's maybe a little bit more
to the story here. That's there should be some questions
regarding some other individuals as well. That might be too
(58:40):
tough for eighty four next year eighty two. This year,
my forty seven still stands. I'll say with forty six,
I'll talk to you tomorrow. Three
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