♪♪ >> CATHY: NEW TIMBERWOLVES AND LYNX OWNERS ALEX RODRIQUEZ AND MARC LORE SAY THEY PLAN TO KEEP THE TEAMS IN MINNESOTA, BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE THEM LONG TO SAY THEY WANT A NEW ARENA.

LARRY FITZGERALD, SR., HAS COVERED THE TIMBERWOLVES FROM THE BEGINNING, THROUGH THREE OWNERS.

WHEN HE'S NOT SITTING AT THE TABLE WITH US HERE IN STUDIO B, FITZY DOES RADIO WORK FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

I REMEMBER TALKING O MARC LORE, INTERESTING GUY, SO THEY'RE GOING TO STAY IN THE STATE, WE THINK.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE TARGET CENTER?

I THOUGHT IT WAS FINE.

>> WELL, THEY SPENT MILLIONS, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO RENOVATE IT AND TO, I THINK, IMPROVE IT.

THEY MOVED THE ENTRANCE FROM THE MIDDLE OF FIRST AVENUE ALL THE WAY TO SIXTH STREET AND PUT AN ESCALATOR IN THERE AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE WORKING JUST FINE, PLUS THEY TOOK CARE OF A LOT OF SUITES.

I THINK IT'S A VERY COMFORTABLE AND A VERY ENTERTAINING ARENA TO WATCH BASKETBALL, THE TIMBERWOLVES HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD, AS WE KNOW, THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE ALMOST 19,000 PEOPLE.

BUT THIS NEW OWNERSHIP THING, WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, GLEN TAYLOR HAD THEM ON A PAY SCHEDULE, AND THEY GOT OFF OF IT.

AND THEN DURING THAT TIME, THE VALUE OF THE FRANCHISE INCREASED.

IT'S REALLY WORTH ALMOST $3 BILLION.

AND THEY PAID, YOU KNOW, THEY WROTE A CHECK FOR $1.5.

>> Eric: THEY GOT A BARGAIN.

>> THEY DID.

AND I THINK GLEN SAW THAT COMING.

AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES CAME INTO PLAY WITH THE SALE AND EVENTUALLY THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS, ALL 30 OF THEM, SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO LET GLEN SELL IT TO LORE AND RODRÍGUEZ AND NOW THEY HAVE IT.

AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHATEVER THEY DECIDE TO DO IN TERMS OF, YOU SAID ARENA, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THIS TIMBERWOLVES FRANCHISE, OF ALL THE TEAMS IN TOWN, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH MORE CONTROVERSY THAN ANY OTHER TEAM.

I MEAN, REMEMBER, THEY WERE SOLD OUT BY MARVIN HARV, THEY SOLD THEM TO NEW ORLEANS.

>> Cathy: OH, THAT'S RIGHT.

>> AND IT TOOK, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSIONER AT THE TIME TO STEP IN AND STOP THAT SALE.

AND EVENTUALLY OPEN THE DOOR FOR GLEN TAYLOR GETTING IT IN 1994.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S DONE A GOOD JOB, HE'S MADE SOME MISTAKES, HE'S BEEN SUSPENDED, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

JOE SMITH.

>> Eric: YEAH.

A LITANY OF STUFF.

>> YEAH, YEAH, BUT NOW THEY'RE IN THE HANDS OF RODRÍGUEZ AND LORE.

>> Eric: NOW, WE BETTER PAY A LITTLE TRIBUTE TO THE LYNX.

THEY ARE PLAYIN' WELL.

>> THEY ARE, THEY ARE.

AND THEY'RE PLAYIN' IN ATLANTA TONIGHT.

AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL GET SUPER STAR NAPHEESA COLLIER BACK, SHE'S MISSED THE LAST TWO GAMES, SHE'S GOT A BULGING DISC THAT'S GIVING HER SOME ISSUES.

APPARENTLY THAT WAS THE CASE COMING OUT OF COLLEGE.

BUT SHE'S GOING TO PLAY TONIGHT.

AND THEY NEED HER BECAUSE THEY LOST THEIR LAST GAME THAT SHE DIDN'T PLAY IN.

>> Cathy: WELL, THE TWINS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

I WAS KIND OF EXCITED THERE, WAS IT EARLY JUNE, THEY LOOKED OKAY.

>> Eric: 13-GAME WINNING STREAK.

>> Cathy: WHAT HAPPENED?

>> WELL, 13-GAME WINNING STREAK, I BELIEVE I MENTIONED GOING INTO THE SEASON, I THOUGHT THEY HAD SOME PROBLEMS AND WE SEE THOSE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED BY THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T PITCH, I MEAN, THERE WAS A STRETCH WHERE THEY WENT 18 GAMES AND GAVE UP 140 RUNS.

I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT NO CHANCE TO WIN.

>> Eric: NO.

>> AND, SO, FORTUNATELY, THEY WERE ABLE TO STEAL A COUPLE GAMES FROM SEATTLE.

THEY MADE THEM PLAY -- MAKE THEM WAIT FOUR HOURS AND 30 MINUTES, CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?

TO PLAY A BASEBALL GAME?

>> Cathy: NO.

>> THEY WOULDN'T LET SEATTLE LEAVE AND SEATTLE THREW A FLAG IN AND THE TWINS WON 10-1 YESTERDAY.

BUT NOW THEY GO TO DETROIT.

SO ARE THE TWINS IN THE RACE?

WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT BECAUSE THE TWINS WILL BE ON NATIONAL TV UNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS.

>> Cathy: WOW!

>> SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLAYING DETROIT.

>> Eric: TEN SECONDS LEFT.

VIKINGS TOTAL INS, EIGHT AND A HALF IN VEGAS, OVER/UNDER.

THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.

>> Eric: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> THEY'RE IN A TOUGH DIVISION.

DETROIT'S STILL GOOD.

THEY SCORED MORE POINTS THAN ANY TEAM IN FOOTBALL AST YEAR.

I THINK THE VIKINGS ARE GOING TO BE IN THE CHASE, HEY'RE BUILT DIFFERENT, STRONGER, PHYSICALLY ON DEFENSE.

WITH MORE SPEED.

>> Eric: TO BE CONTINUED.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: HAVE A GREAT