An Interview With Twins' Ron Gardenhire

The Minnesota Twins are talking to manager Ron Gardenhire about coming back, if he wants to come back. There are a lot of managerial openings projected this offseason. They are negotiating, but the bad news for Gardenhire is that the Twins are so overmatched in talent right now, and there seems to be no light at the end of any tunnel. The teams' 5-1 loss to Cleveland on Sunday concludes a miserable three-season span, with more than 90 losses in each season.

• Sep 29, 2013

ASPIRE Athlete Of The Week For Sept. 27: Nick Leach

East Ridge's Nick Leach turned heads as one of the state's leading rushers, and the following is why he was named the ASPIRE Athlete of the Week for Sept. 27. Racking up 200 yard a game is no sweat for Leach.

• Sep 27, 2013

Johnnies Beat Tommies In Rival Matchup

The St. John's University Johnnies beat the St. Thomas Tommies in a shocking 20-18 win, part of a legendary college football rivalry which brought fans out in droves Saturday to St. Paul. With new head coach Gary Fashing, the Johnnies looked like they were going to meet the same fate as they had in the last three years when the Tommies took an early 8-0 lead. But they bounced back by taking advantage of turnovers, which Sam Sura did this often at South St. Paul High School.

• Sep 21, 2013

Gopher Coach Kill Carted Off At Halftime

Minnesota coach Jerry Kill suffered another game-day seizure, at halftime while the Gophers were playing Western Illinois on Saturday, and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution. The university said Kill was resting comfortably, after he was taken away on a stretcher following his latest episode. Kill was lying on the ground right after the Gophers left for the locker room with a 7-6 lead, writhing back and forth for several minutes with medical staff surrounding him in attempt to keep him as still as possible to prevent injury.

• Sep 14, 2013

ASPIRE Athlete Of The Week For Sept. 13: Keaton Studsrud

WCCO is teaming with Aspire Sports Drinks to honor an Athlete of the Week. This week, travel to take you to Benilde St. Margaret's, home of an athletic quarterback named Keaton Studsrud. "He's got a lot of football smarts, doesn't make a lot of mistakes and we put a lot on him -- a lot of reads he has to make," coach Jon Hanks said.

• Sep 13, 2013

High School Sports Rally: Sept. 6, 2013

• Sep 6, 2013

DeLaSalle RB Williams Has Sights On State Title

Chris Williams is the talented and explosive running back from DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis. "I like to get to the end zone, so I just try everything to get to the end zone, every play," Williams said. Walk him and you can see why teammates follow him. Williams didn't grow up privileged, and he did not forget where he grew up.

• Aug 30, 2013

As High School Football Kicks Off, It's All About The Heat (Index)

High school football kicks off Thursday night, and the storyline this week has been all about the heat.

• Aug 28, 2013

Gophers Gear Up For Football Season Opener

On Thursday, the Gopher football team tries to start the season right at TCF Bank Stadium against UNLV. The heat is on for the program, and this time literally. The extreme heat means more players will play in game one. The Rebels took the favored Gophers to three overtimes in last year's opener.

• Aug 26, 2013

All Eyes Are On Gopher QB Philip Nelson

Philip Nelson was a gifted quarterback from Mankato West, where he was turning heads in the Big Ten. He committed to Minnesota, and in his sophomore season he's progressing like he did in high school. "It's a lot like high school when it comes to each year you play, it slows down noticeably, and that's where I'm at right now. It's taken a step slower for me, and I think as an offense we all feel the same way," Nelson said.

• Aug 24, 2013

State Amateur Baseball Tournament Is A Labor Of Love

The state amateur baseball tournament is back, this year held in Delano and Maple Lake. The brackets tell the story of small-town teams that make this their summer pastime. They live for this time of year, which brings together the communities that host it. Brady Ranweiler, who plays for the New Ulm Brewers, has played in the tournament on more than one occasion.

• Aug 17, 2013

Friends Reflect On 40 Summers Of Softball

They started playing together in 1973, but little did they know that forty years later they'd still be teammates, playing on the same field they started on. Now in their late 50s, Susie Hatch and Therese Douglass are still competing for all the right reasons. For 40 years, they've been playing at the same park - the Excelsior Commons. "The whole outfield is Lake Minnetonka, so it's gorgeous," Douglass said.

• Aug 17, 2013

Vikings WR Simpson Is Healthy, Ready

Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson has his legs back, which means he can go deep again. "Really it was just rest for me. And then just after that getting treatment and just trying to stay off it as much as possible," Simpsons said. "We have great trainers here, so they told me the right things to do." You could see it this summer when he worked out at Larry Fitzgerald's camp. Simpson looked like he loved the game again, and loved running routes.

• Aug 17, 2013

Basketball Still Runs Through Troy Bell's Blood

Troy Bell has seen it all in his basketball career. From Holy Angels High School to Boston College, to a first-round pick in the NBA to a career overseas. Because of that, he has perspective and an appreciation for where he's been. Bell is spending the summer sharpening his game in the Howard Pulley summer league before he returns to his now hometown team in Italy.

• Aug 3, 2013

Will Vikes' Jarius Wright Emerge As Offensive Threat In 2nd Year?

The Minnesota Vikings have a number of receivers after Greg Jennings trying to get into the rotation. Among them, Jarius Wright is an interesting candidate.

• Jul 31, 2013

Lacrosse Unites Fond Du Lac Band's Youth, MN Swarm & The Nat'l Guard

The Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa joined forces with the Minnesota National Guard and the Minnesota Swarm this week to bring the game of lacrosse to young people. Lacrosse, a sport of Native American origin, is growing in popularity in high schools around the country.

• Jul 27, 2013

Athens Man Creates A 'Field of Dreams' For Community

In the small town of Athens, Minn., Russ Mann decided the Little League programs needed a nicer field to play on. His dream became a "Fields of Dreams," and has made quite a difference for the spirit of a community. A cell tower provided Athens with a $36,000 piece in seed money for the baseball field. But with more funds needed, Mann and his associates started getting creative, tapping into a momentum that became contagious in the town. The buzz for a baseball field was on.

• Jul 20, 2013

An Interview With Viking Chad Greenway

Chad Greenway came from the University of Iowa hoping to make an impact, but suffered a knee injury. He has since recovered, and eventually became a foundational part of the Vikings organization. He is now a leader and he wants to go out as a man who helped his boyhood team reach new heights. Greenway also has a deep passion for the giving back. Watch the video above to see Mike Max's interview with this charitable linebacker.

• Jul 7, 2013

Mitch Ohnstad Is Still 'Mr. Basketball'

Mitch Ohnstad loves basketball. He trains players in the sport, and his wife coaches a high school team. And oh yeah, he still plays the game at a high level, 17 years since he was named Minnesota's Mr. Basketball while at Faribault High School. "Growing up in Faribault and not far from the Twin Cities, I was able to follow the University of Minnesota, and grew up with the dream of playing there. And had a lot of opportunities playing in Faribault, being able to play as a young player coming up in eighth grade, being able to play varsity.

• Jul 6, 2013

Vikings Tight End Rudolph's Stock Is Rising

The Minnesota Vikings are in off-season mode or a few more weeks, so it's a good time to catch up with Kyle Rudolph, a tight end who's blossoming before our eyes. Rudolph's becoming a favorite target of Christian Ponder, and a player who looks like the future is bright. He's also coming in to training camp with the confidence of a veteran.

• Jul 6, 2013

WWII Vets, Politicians & 'CCO Faces Shine In Minnesotan Parades

The winter and spring may have been cold and wet, but Independence Day has proven worth the wait for many Minnesotans. It has been a beautiful Fourth of July already, and the great weather weekend is just beginning.

• Jul 4, 2013

Mike Max's News & Notes: The Wild's Next Step, Vikings Mini Camp Update

One year to the day the Minnesota Wild made the splash of the off season -- signing Zach Parise and Ryan Suter – the latter was named to the first all NHL team.

• Jul 3, 2013

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. Sits Down With Mike Max

Every summer, Minnesota becomes a mini-mecca for football. It is where NFL players hone skills and up-and-comers dream of being invited into that fraternity. The mayor of the gridiron town is Larry Fitzgerald Jr. It's his vision that made it and it's his attitude that keeps him coming back.

• Jun 30, 2013

Mpls. Man Takes 'Murderball' Skills To London Paralympics

Chuck Aoki has used a wheelchair for most of his life due to a genetic condition. "I don't feel anything below my elbows and below my knees, and I've had that since birth. So that causes me to break my leg without knowing it," Aoki said. Aoki found a quad rugby team through the Courage Center, and has been playing ever since.

• Jun 29, 2013

St. Michael's Native Spaeth Plays Tough For Steelers

Matt Spaeth is part of the group working at Larry Fitzgerald's camp. Sit with him and you realize that the young man now has some years in this game. "It's been a whirlwind to think this is year seven for me. I was just talking to somebody else, I don't want to say this, but I'm coming up on 30 and to think I'll be 30 playing in the NFL is just amazing. It's been a dream come true," Spaeth said.

• Jun 29, 2013

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