TO MAKE SURE IT'S A GREAT ISSUE.

♪♪ >> ERIC: THE MINNESOTA WILD'S INJURED PLAYER LIST KEEPS GROWING, BUT THEY STILL MANAGED TO BEAT THE DALLAS STARS ON THURSDAY NIGHT, HANDING ONE OF THE TOP TEAMS IN THE NHL JUST THEIR SECOND REGULATION LOSS ON THE ROAD.

THE FROST, THE PWHL REIGNING CHAMPS, HAVE STARTED THEIR SEASON WITH TWO WINS AND TWO LOSSES.

MEANWHILE THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS QUARTERBACK SITUATION REMAINS TOP OF MIND FOR ALL FANS.

LARRY FITZGERALD IS HERE.

WHEN HE'S NOT TALKING SPORTS WITH US, FITZY DOES RADIO WORK FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

BLOCK BUSTER TRADE.

MARCO ROSS YI AND A COUPLE OF OTHER HIGH END PLAYERS GO TO VANCOUVER ALONG WITH A FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK.

WILD GET QUINN HUGHES.

SOUTER TYPE OF IMPACT HERE ON THE STANDINGS, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, AS GOOD AS THE WILD HAVE BEEN, THEY'VE GOT TREMENDOUS GOAL TENDING, NOW YOU'RE GOING TO PUT A DEFENSE MAN WHO CAN BE COUNTED ON.

AND HELP THAT GROUP.

IT TELLS YOU THE WILD ARE ALL IN.

YOU KNOW, THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN TAKE THIS TEAM WHICH WENT THROUGH NOVEMBER, THEY LOST, WHAT, ONE GAME?

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE PICKED IT UP IN DECEMBER.

SO I LIKE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

AND WHEN YOU BEAT DALLAS, AND DALLAS HAS BEEN KNOCKING AT THE DOOR FOR THE LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD SIGN.

>> Cathy: ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ALL THE INJURIES?

>> YOU'RE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL.

THAT'S WHAT KICKED THE VIKINGS IN THE TEETH.

THEY SIGNED ALL THOSE GUYS FOR THE OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE LINES AND THEY CAN'T KEEP ANYBODY HEALTHY AND THEIR QUARTERBACK HAS PROVEN THAT HE HASN'T BEEN STABLE IN TERMS OF HIS PHYSICALITY.

SO INJURIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT, THE THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTION THE VIKINGS.

I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT J.J.

MCCARTHY WOULD BE STARTING QUARTERBACK NEXT YEAR?

>> OH, YEAH.

>> REALLY?

AREN'T THEY KIND OF QUIETLY SHOPPING AROUND FOR SOMEBODY ELSE?

>> YOU LOOK AT THE EXPECTATIONS THEY HAD FOR HIM.

THEY STILL KNEW HE HADN'T PLAYED.

I THINK THESE LAST FOUR GAMES ARE GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR HIM.

BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO THROW $50 MILLION AT A GUY THAT CAN'T PROVE THAT HE'S A FRANCHISE TYPE QUARTERBACK.

I MEAN, THAT'S REALITY.

>> Eric: JOE BURROW, VERY UPSET IN CINCINNATI, HE COMES TO THE VIKINGS AND REUNITES WITH JEFFERSON FROM L.S.U.?

>> BURROWS?

>> Eric: YEAH.

NO?

>> WOW.

I DON'T SEE IT.

>> Eric: ALL RIGHT.

>> I MEAN, HE'S ALREADY MAKING A TON OF MONEY.

AND THE VIKINGS CERTAINLY BEING LAST IN THE NFC NORTH, THEY KNOW THEIR FANS AREN'T HAPPY WITH THIS.

I MEAN, BUT DIVISION, WE KNEW IT WAS BEGUN BE TOUGH GOING IN.

THE REALITY IS THEY JUST HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO STAND UP TO A REALLY DIFFICULT SCHEDULE, NOT WIN AT HOME.

AND HAVEN'T BEEN HEALTHY.

AND THAT COMBINATION HAS GOT THEM AT 5-8.

>> Cathy: DO YOU WORRY ABOUT THE WNBA?

THERE'S NO CONTRACT RIGHT NOW.

ARE THEY GOING TO PLAY THIS SEASON?

>> OH, YEAH.

THEY'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE REALITY OF, YOU KNOW, IT COSTS MORE MONEY TO SEE GREAT PLAYERS.

AND SOME OF THESE OWNERS LOOKED AT THE SECOND TEAM, WHICH IS THE WNBA TEAM IN THEIR NBA FRANCHISE, AS, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST CARRYING IT, BASICALLY.

THEY CAN'T CARRY IT ANYMORE.

THESE PLAYERS HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY ARE DESERVING OF BIG CONTRACTS, AND MAJOR MONEY.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU KEEP SEEING THEIR ADDING TWO AND FOUR GAMES TO THE SCHEDULE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THEY GOT TO AKE THAT MONEY UP.

>> Eric: IS THERE A SITUATION WHERE THE WOLVES CAN GET BACK TO THE NBA FINALS?

>> I DON'T THINK IT CAN HAPPEN THIS YEAR?

HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT'S GOING ON IN OKLAHOMA CITY?

>> Eric: THEY'VE ONLY LOST ONE GAME.

>> YEAH, THEY'VE LAYED 25 GAMES AND THEY'VE LOST ONE.

AND IN MY LIFETIME, I'VE ONLY SEEN THAT HAPPEN THREE TIMES.

THE BULLS AND THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS WHO THEY'RE PLAYING TONIGHT.

AND THIS TEAM THAT WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR.

I MEAN, THE NBA IS TRYING, BUT, BOY, THEY'VE GOT A SUPER TEAM.

AND IT'S OCTOBE OKLAHOMA CITY.

>> Cathy: THE GOPHER FOOTBALL TEAM IS GOING TO THE RATE BOWL?

>> YEAH, PHOENIX.

HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?

THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLAYING NEW MEXICO.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO GIVE P.J.

FLECK CREDIT.

HE WINS BOWL GAMES.

AND HE FINDS A WAY TO HAVE A TEAM THAT'S READY AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEVELOP SOME PLAYERS BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THEY PLAY.

BUT IT'S BEEN A DECENT YEAR FOR THEM.

I MEAN, TO FINISH 7-5, NOBODY TALKS ABOUT THEM BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

BUT THEY HAD A PRETTY DECENT YEAR.

THEY BEAT WISCONSIN.

THEY DIDN'T BEAT IOWA.

AND WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY PLAYED OHIO STATE.

>> Eric: NEXT TIME YOU COME WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CRAZINESS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL, BECAUSE IT'S NUTTY.

>> IT IS.

ALL THESE COACHES BEING FIRED OR MOVING ON TO DIFFERENT THINGS.

I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING.

BUT IT'S CREATED A NEW MARKET, THE N.I.L., THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THOSE ANYMORE.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT COACHES ARE MAKING.

>> Eric: AT PITT, LARRY JUNIOR WOULD HAVE MADE SOME MONEY.

>> ISN'T THAT AMAZING.

>> Cathy: SO HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

>> HAPPY