Steve Thomson and Eric Nelson have sports news and more every weekend afternoon on WCCO Radio!
Bobby Nightengale covers the Minnesota Twins for the Star Tribune. He and Steve talk about the great start from Zebby Matthews in a low scoring win on Friday night. They also chat about the impending return of Bailey Ober to the rotation and his "work in progress" pitching mechanics. Plus, some nuggets about next week's trade deadline and reading the room the Twins find themselves in with seasons other than this year in mind.
It's the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson! Steve Carney stops by to open the show up with some advice to take 5 days off next week for good fishing. Then, Steve and Lindsey mix it up with a variety of topics and tangents. Topics include: Corn sweat ruining Lindsey's dryland vibes Fogerty Ice Arena and other polar vortexes you can skate in Tour de France athletes & a great documentary on doping Highlights from last night's Twins win
Lots of rain means high water! Prepare accordingly and expect fishes in the shallows (STILL). Steve has never seen this behavior from fish and he cites changes in the water temperature for a potential reason why. Remember, with heavy rains that means there's more food to compete with for the attention of the fish. They also talk about the upcoming Game Fair and all the hunting openers, summer goes quick!
Phil Miller who covers the Twins for the Star Tribune joins Steve Thomson ahead of the second game of the Twins/Rockies series out in Denver. They talk about last night's loss, the joy of Byron Buxton and the return to the mound for Zebby Matthews tonight after only one rehab start.
It's the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson. In the second hour of the program we are first joined by Andy Greder who's covering the Loons out in Portland and touch on some Gopher football. Then, Lindsey Brown talks about what she's seeing on WNBA social media channels during All Star Weekend in Indianapolis. Finally, an update from Jimmy Lonetti who's in Denver watching the Twins/Rockies series.
Jimmy Lonetti from D&J Glove Repair joins Steve Thomson to talk about his adventuring in Denver as he's watching the Twins play the Rockies. They also talk about his business with his son which includes emergency services.
Andy Greder covers the Gophers and Loons for the Pioneer Press. The Loons are out in Portland to face the Timbers. Andy gets into the tough loss the Loons suffered the other night at home at the hands of LAFC. They also get into the University of Minnesota charging students a fee to help supplement paying the school's athletes. Andy gives his thoughts on the new era of college athletics. They also discuss how Gopher football is trying to balance out their offense for the upcoming season.
First, we go outdoors with Steve Carney who's testing out some new fishing techniques. Then, a preview of the upcoming 3M Open with tournament director Mike Welch. Steve gets going on the University of Minnesota charging students a fee to help supplement paying the school's athletes.
Mike Welch (tournament director of the 3M Open) joins Steve Thomson to preview the tournament which runs July 24th-27th at TPC Twin Cities . He and Steve lead things off with Scottie Scheffler's transcendent level of play so far in The Open. Mike talks about some sponsor exempt players they've invited to play at the 3M Open this year. Mike details the preparation the site goes through each year to get the grounds ready to host the event. Steve also gets into the risk/reward dynamic present at hole 18.
Steve Carney is trying some new techniques in coaxing fishes into his boat and its tiring him out. Bait elevation is key. Carney notes that he's jumping lakes a lot right now given the slow time of year. He mentions water temperature and natural food abundance as reasons why the bites are harder to find during these days.
It was Byron Buxton bobblehead day at Target Field today and you know what he did? HE HIT FOR THE CYCLE. Steve and Lindsey bask in the baseball history made today by Buck who will be on his way to Atlanta for the All Star Game in the next few days. Steve and Lindsey get into some tennis discussion as Wimbledon wraps up this weekend. Lindsey thinks tennis players are the best athletes in the world. Then, a discussion about Kirk Cousins appearing on the second season of Quarterback and how his honesty could be taken the wrong way. Finally, Steve Carney stops in to give an update on the great Minnesota outdoors!
The weekly meeting of the Steve(s) is a special time. Carney talks about maximizing the effectiveness of bait selection… start with a leech if you're looking to catch panfish! He also talks about when to switch, especially when fishing for walleyes. They also get into current water temps, insect hatching patterns and how those affect fishing in July and August.
Matthew Leach covers the Twins with MLB.com. He joins Steve Thomson to discuss last night's big win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and Paul Skenes. Despite being hit and twisting his right ankle last night, Leach says Carlos Correa was in good spirits and moving fine. He and Steve get into the "controversy" of the play and what Matthew saw in the clubhouse last night. Steve asks about the statuses of Zebby Matthews and Bailey Ober as they work to return to the lineup with the big club.
Steve Carney joins Steve Thomson to talk about the great Minnesota outdoors! It's not the best fishing weekend with all the holiday weekend activities but the rain has helped raise water levels which helps! Carney talks about the competition with available food sources in pursuit of snagging a fish… tis the season for minnow spawns and plenty of insects!
Steve Thomson and Lindsey Brown here to guide a packed hour of the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson. Steve gets into his appreciation for the Major League All Star Game and the choice to have team representatives play in their home uniforms. They also get into the growth of the WNBA and the recent expansion announcements. Plus, Lindsey learns a lesson in homeownership and Steve Carney stops in to talk about the great Minnesota outdoors!
Steve Thomson is joined by Dan Hayes (The Athletic) to talk about yesterday's 4th of July Twins' victory over the Rays. June was a struggle for the club and they need to seize the early momentum they've created in this series. Steve and Dan talk about the recent contributions of Harrison Bader, the Rays' quirky schedule and where the Twins are injury wise. Steve also gives a weather report and runs down the starting lineup.
The full episode of the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson for June 28, 2025. Steve Carney joins Steve Thomson for an update on the great Minnesota outdoors. Steve and Lindsey chat about the Minnesota Lynx's latest win in Atlanta. Jess Myers stops by to talk about all the latest Minnesota Wild transactions coinciding with the NHL Draft. Finally, Chris Hine joins to talk about the Timberwolves extending Naz Reid, running it back next year with a familiar roster and extending Julius Randle.
The next half decade of Wolves basketball is coming into focus. Steve Thomson is joined by Chris Hine to talk about the Wolves extending Naz Reid and their player development surge. Steve asks about how hard the Wolves roster will be to crack for the young players they selected at this year's NBA Draft. They also discuss Julius Randle's contract situation with a year remaining with the team looking to extend him with the second apron looming.
No first round picks in this year's draft for the Wild so it was a quiet night one for the club. Jess speculates there were some unintended consequences in the NHL's choice to decentralize the draft and go with a more hybrid presentation. Steve points out the amount of pressure on executives to not just make deals but to avoid the wrong ones.
Steve Carney joins Steve Thomson for an update on the great Minnesota outdoors. Carney says he's been getting bites early and often in the shallows. He also gives an update on his bait choices, recent weather's impact on the fishies and water vegetation.
What is the next step with Bailey Ober? Remembering Dave Parker.
John Millea joins Steve Thomson to talk about ending his long career covering Minnesota high school sports. John is a long time friend and is due for a congratulations after dedicating so many years to the Minnesota sports scene. Lindsey then recounts her recent adventure in the Boundary Waters. Finally, the show wraps with a meeting of the Steves as Steve Carney drops by to talk the great (HOT) Minnesota outdoors. Carney talks about the heat wave and what it means for water and fishing conditions.
Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson wraps with a meeting of the Steves as Steve Carney drops by to talk the great (HOT) Minnesota outdoors. Carney talks about the heat wave and what it means for water and fishing conditions. Thomson asks about the kind of bait he starts with especially when he's fishing for walleye.
John Millea joins Steve Thomson to talk about ending his long career covering Minnesota high school sports. John is a long time friend and is due for a congratulations after dedicating so many years to the Minnesota sports scene. John shares some stories about all the people he's been lucky enough to work with and young athletes he's had the privilege to cover.
Steve Thomson and Lindsey Brown sift through the Twins loss at the hands of the Brewers. They've been losing a lot of games lately and Steve wonders what truly ails the Twins and about the direction of the club. Listener Eric calls and weighs in on the state of the team. He claims they're in limbo especially with the ownership sale hanging around not so in the background.
Steve Thomson leads us into Twins coverage ahead of their Saturday afternoon contest against the Milwaukee Brewers. Steve and Bobby get into the pitching woes the club has experienced as of late and early impressions some of the young arm talent has made across MLB. They also get into the tear that Byron Buxton has been on, the command he's had in the batters box and how much better the league is when he's healthy. Bobby also provides an update on the progress of Royce Lewis as he recovers from his latest injury.
It's a very sad day in the history of Minnesota politics. Steve takes a few minutes to reflect on his personal connections to Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffman just hours after the lawmakers and their spouses were shot (and the Hortmans were killed).
A truncated show today due to Twins coverage so Steve and Lindsey pack as many sports in as they possibly can. Steve doesn't believe its time to panic about the Twins despite dropping three straight to the red hot Blue Jays. PWHL expansion, what it means for the Frost and Steve's surprise that Maddie Rooney wasn't protected. The Lynx still perfect and for the most part flying under the radar in a narrative heavy WNBA season. Lindsey speculates about a turning point in the league… some powers beginning to wane and others stepping up in their place Tyrese Haliburton's clutch factor may steal the series for the Pacers The NCAA Revenue Sharing settlement and its impact on people and profits Minnesota State High School Championships this upcoming week
Bobby Nightengale (Star Tribune) joins Steve Thomson ahead of the Twins Saturday tilt with the Blue Jays at Target Field. They start off talking about Friday's loss which featured a rare tough outing for Bailey Ober. They chat about Chris Paddack who will be on the mound today and his journey back from his second Tommy John surgery and Royce Lewis' reimplementation back into the lineup. Steve highlights the MSHSL State Softball champions that were crowned this year and runs down the bracket pairings for the upcoming State Baseball Championship.
Phil Miller from the Star Tribune joins Steve Thomson to voice his displeasure with the historical comeback Twins victory last night. He and Steve talk about some big name reinforcements that have gotten off to good starts. They also talk about the strength of the pitching staff and how the bats need to provide cushion more consistently.
The full first hour of The Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson. Guests in the first hour include Steve Carney on fishin' and Chris Hine on the Wolves' demise. Plus a conversation about Pete DeBoer's comments about Jake Oettinger and the Oilers taking the next step.
Chris Hine covers the Timberwolves for the Star Tribune. The season ended again with a thud in the Western Conference Finals. Big decisions looming. Kevin Durant rumors, etc.
The weekly meeting of the Steves is a jovial one. The fish are biting and the temperatures swell. Carney has been mostly using plastic bait and catching a lot of bass and crappies. He also gets into some of the conditions that make fish less likely to take a nibble.
Jonathan Lowe in for Steve Thomson this week. First, Jonathan Lowe is joined by Kevin Lynch to preview WCF Game 3 between the Wolves and Thunder. Then, what films are attracting Jonathan and Lindsey to theaters this summer. Finally, a conversation with Andy Greder about the Loons and their defensive identity. All of that and updated scores on a PACKED Sports Weekend.
Andy Greder (MN United Beat Writer, Pioneer Press) joins Jonathan Lowe on this gorgeous Saturday to talk some Loons soccer. They note how stingy the Loons defense has been so far this season as the team forms their identity. They also talk about Head Coach Eric Ramsey's personnel deployment and the reasoning (and success) behind the adjustments.
Jonathan Lowe is in for Steve Thomson on this Sports Weekend. He is joined by Kevin Lynch (NBA Analyst, Fanduel Sports North) to break down the biggest game of the Minnesota Timberwolves season… game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Jonathan says that it feels eerily similar to last year's series vs the Dallas Mavericks. Kevin notes OKC's consistency and how their steadiness has impacted the Wolves game flow.
Heather Rule (Minnesota Hockey Magazine) joins Jonathan Lowe to preview Game 3 of the PWHL Finals between the Minnesota Frost and the Ottawa Charge. Jonathan and Heather get into how long the road has been for the Frost who had to fight their way into the playoffs, who will be in net today and getting a few more pucks behind Ottawa.
Usually when we hear from Jess Myers (Pioneer Press) we get to talk hockey but he's officially on the Twins beat in Milwaukee. Both Correa and Buxton are on the concussion list but the Twins have a chance to make it 13 wins in a row tonight. They also reminisce about Milwaukee's Old County Stadium.
The full first hour of the Sports Weekend with Steve Thomson. There's sport coming out of our ears. Steve Thomson gets his update on the outdoors with Steve Carney followed by a chat with Chris Hine about the Wolves returning to the WCF. Lindsey and Steve also get into some golf talk withe the PGA Championship underway.
Despite a wildly inconsistent regular season your Minnesota Timberwolves are back in the Western Conference Finals. Chris Hine from the Star Tribune joins Steve Thomson to talk about the swift end to the Wolves/Warriors series. They get into the stylistic battle that's about to go down in the Eastern Conference. Chris also gets into the secondary benefits of Julius Randle's stellar play in the postseason.
Steve Carney and Steve Thomson get together to talk about the great outdoors to kick off every show. Carney is still flying high from a great opener weekend. The wind has been prohibitive ever since and he's itching to get back on the water. He also touches on how the fish are affected by weather inconsistencies.
Bobby Nightengale covers the Twins for the Star Tribune and he joins Steve Thomson ahead of their game against the San Francisco Giants. They talk about the suddenly red hot AL Central, the health of the Twins pitching staff and what to expect tonight at Target Field.