♪♪ >> Eric: BACK IN DECEMBER WHEN WE LAST TALKED WITH LARRY FITZGERALD, THE VIKINGS HAD A 10 AND 2, TALK OF A DEEP PLAYOFF RUN AND SUPER BOWL IN OUR HEADS AND WE'RE SAD TO SAY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT MINNESOTANS WE'RE KIND OF USED TO THAT.

SPORTS FANS CAN TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE WILD KEEPING THEIR POST-SEASON DREAMS ALIVE AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TO TWINS TRAINING CAMP.

WHEN LARRY FITZGERALD ISN'T VISITING US HERE IN STUDIO B, HE DOES RADIO WORK FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

FITZY, THE VIKINGS DO THEIR TYPICAL SWAN DIVE AT THE END.

WHAT ARE WE LEFT WITH?

A NEW QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY?

>> IT WAS UGLY AT THE END.

TO SCORE NLY 9 POINTS, YOU KNOW, AGAINST THE RAMS AND THEN JUST THE LIONS REALLY TOOK THEM OUT.

AND THREE TEAMS IN THE PLAYOFFS, NO PLAYOFF WINS BY EITHER ONE OF THEM.

THAT REALLY STUNNED ME THIS YEAR BECAUSE I UTHOUGHT THIS DIVISION WAS ONE OF THE BEST IN FOOTBALL, BUT APPARENTLY AS SOMEONE SAID A LONG TIME AGO, IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, IT'S HOW YOU FINISH.

>> Cathy: I'VE HEARD THAT.

>> Eric: SO IS DARNOLD GOING TO BE FRANCHISE TAGGED OR KEPT?

OR IS JJ MCCARTHY GETTING THE KEYS TO THE CAR?

>> I DON'T KNOW OW YOU PASS ON THE A GUY THAT THREW 3030 TOUCHDOWN PASSES AND NINE WINS IN A ROW AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE COULD DO WHEN THE SEASON STARTED AND SO I THINK KEVIN O'CONNELL WHO'S PROBABLY GOING TO WIND UP BEING COACH OF THE YEAR FOR ASSOCIATED PRESS OR SOME OTHER PEOPLE, BUT THEY GOT TO MAKE A DECISION, BUT JJ MCCARTHY IS NEXT IN LINE.

SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK WITH SAM DARNOLD YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE HIM A CONTRACT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 25 AND $40 MILLION ON A ONE-YEAR DEAL.

AND I THINK HE'LL TAKE THAT IN A MINUTE.

>> Cathy: LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TWINS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT DO THEY NEED TO DO IN THE OFF SEASON HERE?

>> Eric: THEY AIN'T DOIN' MUCH.

>> Cathy: WELL, THERE'S THAT.

>> THEY'RE SORT OF IN A HOLD MODE.

CHANGING THIS, CHANGING THAT.

TWINS FEST THIS WEEKEND, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

STILL SNOW OBVIOUSLY DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS AT TARGET FIELD, BUT THIS ORGANIZATION'S GOT TO MAKE SOME QUICK CHANGES AND THEY GOT TO BE RIGHT ON POINT, BECAUSE LAST YEAR THAT WAS A DISASTER.

THAT MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER.

WHOO, THEY JUST COULDN'T BEAT AND COULDN'T COMPETE WITH ANYBODY BUT THEY'RE COMING BACK OBVIOUSLY WITH ROCCO, HE'S GOING TO BE THE MANAGER AND THEY HAVEN'T DONE VIRTUALLY ANYTHING IN THE OFF SEASON O FAR AS FAR AS SIGNING ANYBODY.

>> Cathy: DO WE THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GET SOLD HERE BETWEEN NOW AND THE BEGINNING OF SPRING TRAINING?

>> TODAY IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING'S HUSH-HUSH, WE'RE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, WE'RE GOING TO BE ON TELEVISION MORE AND ALL THESE THINGS, BUT THEY'RE STILL LOOKING TO TRY AND DRAW 2 MILLION OR MORE FANS DOWNTOWN AND DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS AT TARGET FIELD.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THE FANS ARE GOING TO BE QUICK TO GO AND PULL OUT THEIR WALLETS WITH THE WAY THE TEAM FINISHED LAST YEAR AND THE TEAM BEING FOR SALE.

I TALKED TO ALEX RODRIGUEZ WHO'S A PART OWNER OF THE VIKINGS IN THIS ARBITRATION -- TIMBER WOLVES IN THIS ARBITRATION AND I ASKED HIM WAS HE INTERESTED IN THE TWINS AND HE SAID NO, I JUST WANT TO STAY RIGHT HERE WITH THE TIMBERWOLVES.

>> Eric: NOW, HE WILD IS GETTING INJURED PLAYERS BACK.

THEY'VE WEATHERED THE STORM PRETTY WELL, HAVEN'T THEY BEING SHORTHANDED >> ABSOLUTELY, TO NOT HAVE A SUPERSTAR LIKE KAPRIZOV, HE HAD LAST PLAYED DECEMBER 23RD AND PLAYED LAST NIGHT AND UTAH, WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO NAME THEM?

I MEAN, THEY CAME IN AND ABSOLUTELY JUST DOMINATED THE WILD.

AND YOU KNOW THE WILD HAVE BEEN PLAYING VERY GOOD HOCKEY.

OUTSTANDING ON THE ROAD, ONE OF THE BEST ROAD RECORDS.

I THINK HEY'VE GOT 16, 17 ROAD WINS, THAT'S BEST IN THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE.

BUT AT HOME THEY'RE JUST A 500 SQUAD AND FOLKS PAY PRETTY NICE DOLLARS TO SIT IN THAT ARENA OVER THERE.

>> Cathy: THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Eric: KARL ANTHONY TOWNS FLOURISHING IN NEW YORK.

JULIUS RANDLE.

>> THAT TELLS YOU WHO WON THAT TRADE.

WHEN KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS S A STARTER IN THE ALL STAR GAME COMING UP IN FEBRUARY IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR THE EAST AND THE TIMBERWOLVES DON'T HAVE A STARTER IN THE ALL-STAR GAME EVEN THEY HAVE AN ALL-STAR IN THE PAST AND ANTHONY EDWARDS, AND AN OLYMPIAN, ALL HAT TYPE OF STUFF.

THIS TEAM SO FAR THEY'RE EIGHTH IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE AND THEY'LL PLAY DENVER TOMORROW.

AND DENVER, MY GOODNESS.

YOKIC, HE'S BEEN A FOUR-TIME MVP AND FOUR GAMES WHERE HE'S HAD A TRIPLE DOUBLE.

, THERE'S A CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN THE NBA, THEY NEED A NEW GENERATION OF STARS, CURRY AND THOSE GUYS ARE GETTING OLDER.

>> THAT'S TRUE.

THEY'RE STARTING STILL, THOUGH.

>> Eric: THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Cathy: THAT'S TRUE.

>> Eric: GREAT TO SEE YOU.