♪♪ >> ERIC: IT'S A LATE WINTER SPORTS TRADITION HERE IN THE NORTHLAND.

TWINS PLAYERS HAVE REPORTED TO SPRING TRAINING.

THE WILD ARE STRUGGLING TO GET BACK IN TO A PLAYOFF SPOT.

THE WOLVES ARE BLOWING BIG LEADS.

AND THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS HAVE TURNED THEIR EYES TOWARDS NEXT SEASON.

ALL THIS SPORTS TALK MEANS THAT LARRY FITZGERALD IS BACK IN THE STUDIO.

FRESH OFF COVERING THE SUPER BOWL IN ARIZONA.

LARRY DOES RADIO WORK FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK AND VISITS US REGULARLY HERE ON "ALMANAC."

TWINS OFF-SEASON CHANGES, IS THE CLUB IMPROVED AS WE HEAD TO THE NEW SEASON?

>> I WOULD HAVE TO SAY YEAH.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING A COUPLE OF PITCHERS BACK WHO DIDN'T PITCH LAST YEAR.

MAIDA BEING ONE AND THEY'VE ADDED, YOU KNOW, LÓPEZ AND THEY ARE REALLY EXCITED.

YEAH.

THEY REALLY BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE A TEAM THAT CAN GO OUT AND DICTATE.

AND YOU CAN DO THAT WITH STARTING PITCHING.

NOW THE BIG QUESTION IS, ARE THEY GOING TO LET THEM PITCH?

ARE THEY GOING TO LET HIM PITCH, 5, 6, 7, YOU KNOW, ROCCO LIKES TO TAKE THE BALL AWAY FROM YOU AROUND THE FIFTH INNING.

I'M AGAINST THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT EXPOSES YOUR BULLPEN AND HE CONSISTENCY THAT YOU HAVE IN THAT AREA.

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> Cathy: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WILD.

IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WILD THAT THEY CAN'T SCORE GOALS OR WHAT?

>> IT'S AMAZING.

BOY, THEY'RE LEANING SO HEAVY ON KAPRIZOV, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU CAN SEE HIS SHOULDERS.

HE'S GOT 64 POINTS, 31 GOALS BUT THEY NEED TO GET HIM SOME HELP.

THEY'VE LOST SOME GAMES HERE RECENTLY ON THIS HOMESTAND SINCE THE ALL-STAR BREAK.

THEY'RE WINNABLE GAMES.

YOU CAN'T BLAME THE GOALTENDER FOR LOSING A 2-1 GAME IN A SHOOT-OUT.

THE OTHER NIGHT I'M THERE TO SEE THE STANLEY CUP AVALANCHE, THEY LOSE THAT ONE 3-2.

THEY'RE IN THE GAME.

PLAY HERE, PLAY THERE.

THEY'VE STRUGGLED A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE AREAS OF LETTING THE PUCK GET OUT OF THEIR END.

AND THAT'S COST THEM.

BUT THIS WEEKEND IS A BIG ONE.

THEY'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AND BEAT DALLAS AND FIND A WAY TO BEAT THE PREDATORS WHEN THEY COME IN HERE ON SUNDAY.

>> Eric: ARE THE T-WOLVES BUILDING SOMETHING GOOD OR ARE THEY IN DISARRAY, I CAN'T QUITE TELL?

>> WHAT A NIGHTMARE ON FRIDAY, THEY HAD ALMOST 18,000 PEOPLE THERE, THEY WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE BOBBLEHEADS, RUDY, KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, EVERYBODY WANTED ONE, THEY GET IN THERE, THE TIMBERWOLVES ARE UP 22, AND THEY BASICALLY FELL ASLEEP.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THESE STRETCHES IN GAMES THAT REALLY CONCERNS YOU THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT THE CLAMPS ON PEOPLE WHEN YOU GET 26 AND 22-POINT LEADS IN BASKETBALL GAMES AND WASHINGTON KEPT COMING AT 'EM.

AND THE TIMBERWOLVES HAVE TO BE MORE DISCIPLINED AND TAKING THREE-POINT SHOTS.

THEY ONLY MADE 8 OF 28.

AND THAT'S LESS LESS THAN 30%.

GET THE BALL INSIDE.

RUDY'S THE GUY IN TERMS OF BEING CLOSE TO THE BASKET, DUNKING.

AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN GET KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS BACK PLAYIN' AT THE LEVEL THAT HE PLAYED AT BEFORE.

>> Cathy: NOW, FITZY, WHEN THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, YOU TOLD US THAT YOU HAD HIGH HOPES FOR THE VIKINGS IN THE PLAYOFFS.

AND THEY LOST IN THE FIRST ROUND.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: AGAIN.

SO, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY?

>> WELL, I'M DISAPPOINTED THE WAY THINGS WENT DOWN BUT WE SAW THE SIGNS AS THE SEASON WENT ON, THEY WON 11 GAMES ON THE LAST POSSESSION OF THE GAME.

WHICH TELLS YOU THAT THEY HAVE A GOOD OFFENSE, BUT DEFENSIVELY, THEY WERE LIKE A RUBBERBAND.

BUT THAT COULD CHANGE NOW WITH BRIAN FLORES OMING IN.

HE IS A DYNAMIC COACH.

AND HE REALLY GETS AFTER HIS PLAYERS AND MOTIVATES THEM TO BE ABLE TO STAND OUT.

AND HE COMES WITH DIFFERENT WRINKLES.

HE HASN'T TOLD US WHETHER HE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, 3-4, 4-3, BUT I THINK HE'S GOING TO LEAN WITH A 3-4 DEFENSE.

>> Eric: HOW ANY SUPERBOWLS HAVE YOU COVERED?

>> THIS IS 43.

THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING IT.

I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT FACT.

>> Eric: LET ME ASK, WITH THIS BACKGROUND, IS THIS THE WORST THE TURF HAS EVER BEEN FOR ARIZONA?

>> LARRY PLAYED HIS ENTIRE CAREER OUT THERE.

THEY'VE ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TURF, TIBBLE WHEN THEY'RE PLAYING A -- PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY'RE PLAYING A GAME THAT'S IN THE 6:00 OR 7:00 TIME ZONE.

THEY HAD THE ROOF OPEN.

BUT THAT FIELD REALLY WAS A PROBLEM.

AND I THINK IT HURT PHILADELPHIA BECAUSE F THE SPEED THAT THEY HAVE WITH THEIR RUSH, THOSE GUYS JUST COULDN'T GET THEIR LEVERAGE.

AND I THINK IT HURT 'EM IN THE END.

>> Eric: WAS THERE ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT WAS SO BAD?

>> WELL, THEY WENT AND PLANTED THIS FIELD, THEY SAID THIS IS THE WAY TO GO.

THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE IT TIME.

THEY PUT IT OUT IN THE SUN, THAT TYPE OF THING.

BUT FOR SOME REASON, THE FIELD HAD THIS GLOSS ON IT.

AND PARTICULARLY AFTER THE HALFTIME SHOW WHICH WAS 30 MINUTES OR SO WITH RIHANNA, WHEN THEY WENT BACK OUT THERE, GUYS WAS SLIP SLIDING ALL OVER THE PLACE.

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> Cathy: SAY, BEFORE YOU GO, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE U OF M MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM?

THEY CAN'T WIN IN THE BIG 10?

>> WELL, THEY CAN'T WIN, THAT'S TRUE.

AND THEY'RE NOT WINNING BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PLAYERS.

AND THE PLAYERS THAT THEY'VE BEEN COUNTING ON HAVEN'T BEEN AVAILABLE.

THEY'VE BEEN HURT.

THAT TYPE OF THING.

AND I'M SURPRISED THAT THE FACT DURING THIS TIME OF N.I.L.s AND TRANSFER PORTALS THAT THERE ISN'T -- THEY SHOULD HAVE PLAYERS.

THEY SHOULD HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANT A DESIRE TO PLAY BASKETBALL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN THE BIG 10.

BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE THIS YEAR.

IT'S REALLY BE