Intro: Michael Rand doesn't like gimmicks in sports ... and yet he loves the NBA play-in tournament, which started Tuesday. He lays out the reasons why: It gives more teams something to play for (including potentially the Wolves next season); it gives a greater reward to the truly elite teams in each conference; and it creates immediate postseason tension.
5:00: Columnist Chip Scoggins joins Rand to talk about his latest column on a group of local fans from Russia that have made rookie Kirill Kaprizov feel particularly welcomed and adored in Minnesota. He also helps set up Game 3 of the Wild vs. Vegas playoff series. Scoggins isn't as concerned as Rand is about the Wild's lack of goal scoring so far in these playoffs.
21:00: We check in with local Twitter personality ChikenFingerz69, a regular contributor to The Sportive podcast, for the latest installment of "Have you ever been more angry." This one finds him particularly chagrined about the direction NHL officiating has gone lately.
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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
