Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes a look at the Vikings' decision to bring back defensive end Everson Griffen from a number of angles — a couple of them unsurprising and one of them fairly surprising. He's the fourth former member of the defense to return in 2021, joining Mackensie Alexander, Sheldon Richardson and Stephen Weatherly. He's part of an overall defensive upgrade in the offseason that has seen the Vikings dole out more than 200 times as much guaranteed money to that side of the ball than to outside free agents on offense. And Griffen has the potential to be a disruption in the locker room after social media comments critical of Kirk Cousins.
Griffen's return, gambling and youth sports, a Bally Sports North update
August 24, 2021 at 2:39PM
8:00: Columnist Chip Scoggins joins the show to talk about his recent story on the big business of charitable gaming and how it funds a lot of youth sports initiatives in Minnesota. Youth sports organizations in the state generated more than $100 million in net receipts — no, that's not a misprint — in 2020, and the number could go up this year. Scoggins discusses how we got to this point, where the money is doing and what the potential problems are with all of this.
28:00: Is there finally good news for people trying to watch the Twins, Wild, Wolves and other teams on Bally Sports North? That's the message from a recent report. Also, a brief Kirill Kaprizov update and an appreciation of the St. Paul Saints.
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Questions? Comments? Long-winded diatribes about nothing in particular? E-mail me at michael.rand@startribune.com. Follow me on Twitter @RandBall and Star Tribune sports @StribSports
Star Tribune prep writers David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen offer their predictions for the high school football championship games this weekend.
