Steve Thomson And Eric Nelson

A shortened edition Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson and Lindsey Brown today due to Twins v Reds part II. To open the show Steve and Lindsey discuss the plans to make updates/renovations to Grand Casino Arena with the help of public money. Heather Rule stops by to talk about the Minnesota Frost wrapping up their regular season tomorrow before embarking another march to the Walter Cup. Then, Steve and Lindsey Read and React to three random questions they prepare for each other.

Heather Rule is an award-winning freelance sports journalist who covers the Minnesota Frost and Minnesota Wild. She joins Steve Thomson to talk about the Minnesota Frost’s regular season finale against the Toronto Sceptres. Heather breaks down where the playoff seedings lie, the Frost have been in for awhile but who plays who is still yet to be chosen (remember top seeds get to choose who they face). She and Steve discuss some injuries the Frost are dealing with and their goaltending situation as they head into the postseason. Find Heather’s work at https://writtenruleofsports.substack.com/

Matthew Leach covers the Twins for MLB dot com. He joins Steve to preview game 2 of the Twins series vs the Cincinnati Reds. Last night the Twins lost 2-1. Matthew shares some of his notes from the game last night before wading into his thoughts on relief pitching and Royce Lewis embarking on rehab assignment.

Steve Carney was on open water this week but goodness was he shivering. The Steve’s agree that rain is imperative at this point in the season despite all the late snow we’ve had. Carney also says that the ice up north might hold in until a few days ahead of the opener if things don’t change. Carney provides some of the conditions necessary for our favorite fishy friends to come out and play.

Heather Rule is an award-winning freelance sports journalist who covers the Minnesota Frost and Minnesota Wild. She joins Steve today to break down the Minnesota Frost’s victory over the New York Sirens at Grand Casino Arena earlier today. They start their discussion with a gem of a game that Maddie Rooney had in between the pipes, she was rewarded as the first star of the game. Heather says that Frost's defensive effort was welcomed after a few games with inflated goal totals. Steve is ready to skip to the playoffs, Heather points out all of the similarities the Frost have with the Wild these days. Find Heather’s work at https://writtenruleofsports.substack.com/

Bobby Nightengale covers the Twins for the Star Tribune. It was quite the Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins and Bobby. He recaps all the weird stuff that happened last night before previewing tonight’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays. Bobby provides an update on Byron Buxton after leaving the game early yesterday after being hit by a pitch. Steve asks Bobby about his early read on the club after the first few games of the season.

The full second hour of The Sports Weekend w/ Steve Thomson. Guests include Steve Carney, Jess Myers and Heather Rule. Plus, a lightning round of Read & React!

Despite an onslaught of scoring in the final minutes of the first period the Minnesota Frost were able to pull out a 6-5 victory over the Vancouver Goldeneyes this afternoon. Kelly Pannek provided four points, Taylor Heise netted a couple and the Frost are officially headed back to the playoffs with an opportunity to pursue their third straight championship. Heather Rule is an award-winning freelance sports journalist who covers the Minnesota Frost and Minnesota Wild. Find Heather’s work at https://writtenruleofsports.substack.com/

The Wild clinched a playoff spot today with a win over the Ottawa Senators which is a little bit different than the down to wire manner they got in last year. Jess says Ryan Hartman is getting hot which is a good sign for the gritty postseason. The Wild have a big tilt in Detroit tomorrow who are trying to fight for a playoff spot.

Steve was on open water 70 degrees earlier this week and now there’s more snow. He’s noticing A TON of algae, enough to be disruptive. That’s not supposed to be there until July or August. The Steves talk about the forecast over the next few weeks and how that’s going to impact the ice and lakes as we move into (hopefully) a proper spring. Carney speaks to the necessity of a battery meter to make sure you know the health of your boat battery.

Steve and Lindsey lead off the show with a discussion about what happened between head coaches Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma following their Final Four game. Steve thinks it may be Geno’s time to step away. Lindsey talks about our society’s prioritization of winning over all else and at all costs. Steve fills us in on his annual review went at his weekday job.

The full second hour of the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson. Dan Hayes joins at the top of the hour, Read & React wraps the show.

Dan Hayes covers the Minnesota Twins for the Athletic. Spring Training seems like its been going on forever but no fear… meaningful baseball is here! Steve and Dan first chat about the changing of the guard across multiple levels of the organization and how there seems to be a hint of disconnect. They then delve into the starting rotation which Dan thinks is probably the strongest aspect of the club this year despite losing Pablo Lopez for the season.

The full first hour of the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson. Guests include Steve Carney and Jim Paulsen.

Jim Paulsen writes for the Star Tribune Varsity section. He joins Steve today to talk about the state of high school coaching in Minnesota. Jim has a piece in the Strib about coaching through loss and sportsmanship at the boys state tourney. The kids have been heavily criticized and Jim argues that we need to take a step back and ponder a different perspective.

Every Saturday at 4:07pm the meeting of the Steves commences. Carney is packing up for his big trek out west to the Missouri River to get bobbers in the water ahead of the Minnesota opener. It used to be a secret but these days not so much. He gives some tips for dealing with more people/chaos and how to find your spot.

We’re seeing the scarcity mindset live in action as the snow storm of the season descends on the Twin Cities and beyond. Steve and Lindsey discuss their preparations and anxieties. Jonathan Lowe also chimes in as a fellow prepper who has come into the studio to try to get ahead of tomorrow. Steve, Jonathan and Lindsey discuss the Minnesota Frost and the state of women’s sports where expansion has become the expectation. "Read and React" with Steve and Lindsey wraps the show

The full first hour of the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson. Guests include Steve Carney and Jess Myers. Steve and Lindsey talk about social safety nets and Minnesota’s Paid Leave program.

Jess Myers covers the Wild for the Pioneer Press. Of course the NHL is going to have the Wild play their first round matchups at 8:30pm. The Wild have the Rangers in the building tonight, the struggle has been real for the Blueshirts this season. Steve and Jess chat about the nightmare of a 100th anniversary season its been for the Rangers, the mystique of playing for the Rangers and a longitudinal look at their success as an Original Six club. Jess also runs through the last couple weeks for the Wild which includes some great performances against top teams and some disappointing ones against those with not much to play for.

Every Saturday at 4:07pm the meeting of the Steves commences. Carney confirms his belief in the impending snow storm slated to blanket much of the state and midwest. He’s in favor of it because its great for lakes and all the ecosystems we all love to frolick about (and RESPECT). He also recommends digging through your freezer for leftover fish filets for a snow storm soup. If not now, when?