Sports Roundup | Wild Winning and Vikings Release Vets

>> Cathy: THE WILD ARE STREAKING.

THE T-WOLVES, EH, NOT SO MUCH.

BIG CHANGES COMING TO THE VIKINGS AND WOMEN'S HOOPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

HAVE WE EVEN MESSAGED SPRING TRAINING YET?

IT'S A FULL LINEUP FOR LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR, HE TALKS SPORTS MONTHLY ON ALMANAC.

FITZY, OH, FOR GOODNESS SAKES, TODAY'S BIG NEWS.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ADAM THIELEN?

WHY DID THEY GET RID OF HIM?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO HIM AT THE SUPER BOWL AND HE DIDN'T TIP MY HAND THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM THERE.

BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, I WAS TALKING TO ERIC ABOUT THIS.

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES ARE LIKE FANS.

FANS KNOW HAT THE VIKINGS' ISSUES ARE.

THEY GOT TO BUILD THE DEFENSE UP.

THEY WON 11 GAMES ON THE LAST POSSESSION, THAT TYPE OF THING.

DEFENSIVELY THEY COULDN'T STOP ANYBODY.

THE PLAYERS KNOW THAT THEY NEED THEIR MONEY TO KEEP T. AND THEY KNOW THAT THE TEAM IS COMING TO THE PLAYERS WHO HAVE THE BIG DEALS THAT THEY SIGNED LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO TO TAKE A CUT.

AND THE PLAYERS ARE NOT HAVING IT.

THEY SAID I'M NOT GIVING UP MY MONEY SO YOU CAN PAY JUSTIN JEFFERSON AND KIRK COUSINS.

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF A MINDSET AND IT CAME DOWN TO A BOIL TODAY WHERE THEY BASICALLY COULDN'T GET THIELEN TO MOVE AND THEY WANTED HIM TO.

>> Cathy: HE'S STILL A GOOD PLAYER, RIGHT?

HE IS STILL HAS SOME YEARS LEFT, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, IT'S NOT ABOUT HIS ABILITY, IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY.

AND THEY NEEDED HIM BECAUSE THEY'VE IDENTIFIED HIM AS A PLAYER WHO HAS A CONTRACT THAT THEY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TRIM.

AND SO NOW WITH THEM CUTTING CAMERON DANZLER, THEY'RE IN A POSITION OF FINDING A WAY HOPEFULLY TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS GETTING THEMSELVES BACK TO 00 WHEN THE BUSINESS LEAGUE FOR 2023 STARTS AND THEY'RE ABOUT 5, $6 MILLION SHORT.

>> NOW, KIRILL THE THRILL WITH THE WILD IS OUT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS.

KAPRIZOV, WILD IS DOING WELL IN THE PLAYOFF STANDINGS.

IS THIS GOING TO ENDANGER THEM?

>> I WOULD SAY YES, KAPRIZOV IS A SUPERSTAR, HE'S GOING TO BE OUT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS AND IF YOU'VE SEEN THE WILD THE LAST THREE MONTHS OR SO HE'S SCORING APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 0% OF THEIR GOALS AND THEY'RE WINNING TIGHT OVERTIME GAMES.

AND THEY NEED TO FIND A WAY WITH A GUY WITH HIS LEADERSHIP TO LIGHT THE LAMP.

>> I FEEL BAD ABOUT LINDSAY WHALEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

I MEAN, SHE TRIED AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT DIDN'T QUITE WORK FOR HER AS A HEAD COACH.

>> I DO TOO.

OBVIOUSLY I LIKE LINDSAY AND A HALL OF FAME PLAYER.

DIRECTOR DOYLE HIRED HER AS A HEAD COACH AND WITH ALL THE GREAT IDEAS AND EVERYTHING'S GOING TO WORK OUT BUT SHE HAD NO EXPERIENCE.

SO SHE RAN INTO SOME SITUATIONS, PROPOSITION, I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS IN BASKETBALL NOW WITH NIL'S AND TRANSFER PORTALS.

SHE RAN INTO REAL ISSUES WITH PLAYERS WHO WERE AT HE UNIVERSITY AND WANTED A BIGGER ROLE OR WHATEVER AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DEAL WITH THEM AND SOME OF THOSE PLAYERS LEFT.

AND SO YOU LOSE ONE OR TWO PLAYERS AND YOU'RE PUTTING A GROUP TOGETHER IT CAN COST YOU, AND THAT'S WHAT WOUND UP COSTING HER.

I SAW HER FIRST, MY FIRST GAME WATCHING THE GOPHERS THIS YEAR IN THE BIG 10 TOURNAMENT AND THEY LOST, AND IT WAS 66-66 IN THE FINAL MINUTES AND THEY LOSE THAT GAME AND SAY, WOW, I FELT BAD, I FELT LIKE THEY FIRED HER BECAUSE I WAS AT THE GAME.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> NOW, KARL ANTHONY TOWNS HAS THE MOST MYSTERIOUS CALF INJURY IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS.

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

>> NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

AND IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THE WAY THE TIMBERWOLVES HAVE GONE ABOUT HANDLING IT.

IN TERMS OF JUST BEING HONEST WITH US HE'S BECOME DEFENSIVE BECAUSE HE SAYS IT WAS MISDIAGNOSED AND THEY SAID HE'S FINALLY BACK TO DOING BASKETBALL ACTIVITIES.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

>> THEY PLAY TONIGHT AGAINST BROOKLYN, BROOKLYN MADE ALL THOSE DEALS GOD RID KYRIE IRVING.

THE TIMBERWOLVES ARE TRYING O MAKE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND THEY NEED TO FIND A WAY FOR KARL ANTHONY TOWNS TO GET BACK IN BEFORE THE SEASON.

I MEAN, COME ON, HE'S MISSED 47 GAMES.

>> Eric: OOH.

WELL, WE WILL KEEP YOU ON THAT STORY AND NEXT TIME WE'LL HAVE A