WITH CATHY AND ERIC.

>> BACK TO YOU, CATHY AND ERIC.

>> Eric: IT'S STATE FAIR TIME AND THE MINNESOTA TWINS ARE STILL HANGING ON TO FIRST PLACE IN THE A.L.

CENTRAL.

THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS FINISH UP THEIR PRESEASON SCHEDULE WITH A GAME AGAINST ARIZONA ON SATURDAY, AND THE MINNESOTA LYNX ARE BATTLING FOR A WNBA PLAYOFF SPOT.

HERE WITH MORE, LARRY FITZGERALD, SENIOR.

LONGTIME "ALMANAC" SPORTS COMMENTATOR, YOU CAN HEAR LARRY'S RADIO WORK ON THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

TWINS ARE GOING TO SURVIVE THE VALUE BUT HOW FAR CAN THEY GO IN THE PLAYOFFS?

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, THEY'LL WIND UNPLAYING EITHER HOUSTON OR TEXAS, AND THEY'VE LOST 18 STRAIGHT POST-SEASON GAMES.

IT'S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME, BUT THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT.

THIS SEEM HAS BEEN SHOCKING TO ME.

THEY'RE ABOVE 500 BUT THE ONLY TEAM ABOVE 500 IN A RATHER WEAK DIVISION.

CLEVELAND'S FADING BUT THE NEXT 12 GAMES, THEY'VE GOT TEXAS AND CLEVELAND SO AFTER THIS STRETCH, MIGHT START ORDERING PLAYOFF TICKETS.

>> Eric: BYRON BUXTON BACK IN CENTERFIELD?

>> HE HASN'T PLAYED IN THE FIELD AT ALL.

>> Eric: HE WAS TAKING SOME FLY BALLS OUT THERE IN PRACTICE.

>> I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM PLAY IN A GAME AND THAT'S WHAT COUNTS, AND THEY'RE 100-PLUS GAMES INTO THE SEASON AND IT'S AN EXPERIMENT.

THEY'RE GOING TO BRING HIM BACK IN SEPTEMBER.

I JUST HOPE THEY CAN PLAY AND GET INTO THE GAME BECAUSE HE HASN'T SHOWN THAT HE CAN SO FAR THIS YEAR.

>> Cathy: SO THE VIKINGS HAVE THEIR, WHAT, THIRD PRESEASON GAME COMING UP AGAINST ARIZONA.

HOW HAVE THEY LOOKED SO FAR?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I BELIEVE ANY TIME YOU KEEP SCORE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO WIN AND SO THEY'RE O AND 2 IN THE PRESEASON, LOST THEIR LAST PLAYOFF GAME TO THE GIANTS.

THEY STILL GOT TO SHOW ME SOMETHING.

IF THEY DON'T BEAT THE ARIZONA CARDINALS, GIVE UP ON THE VIKINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE TO BE DONE.

>> Eric: SO YOUR OVER/UNDER ON HOW MANY WINS, EIGHT -- >> THE SCHEDULE THEY HAVE, WITH SAN FRANCISCO AND THE WORLD CHAMPION CHIEFS AND -- I MEAN, CINCINNATI, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A REALLY TOUGH STRETCH AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WIN THEIR HOME GAMES.

I WOULD SAY TEN WINS IS A POSSIBILITY FOR THE VIKINGS THIS YEAR, NO DOUBT.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

DO THE LYNX MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?

>> YES, THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE IT, AND THEY BEAT DALLAS BACK-TO-BACK GAMES, EVEN THOUGH DALLAS HAS BEEN QUITE CRITICAL OF MINNESOTA'S FANS.

>> Eric: OUR FANS ARE TOUGH.

>> THREE OF 'EM GOT THROWN OUT OF THE GAME THE OTHER NIGHT, I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

>> Eric: I LOVE IT BUT... >> BUT THEY'RE 500 NOW, REMEMBER, THEY STARTED ZERO AND SIX, SO THEY'LL BE IN THE MIX BUT CAN THEY BEAT VEGAS, THAT'S THE QUESTION.

>> Eric: I GUESS THE SPORTS WRITERS AND SPORTSCASTERS HAVE VOTED YOU TO GO TELL KARL ANTHONY TOWNES THAT IT'S NO LONGER HIS TEAM?

[Laughter] >> I THINK HE KNOWS THAT.

ANTHONY EDWARDS IS THE FUTURE, HE KEEPS GOING THIS WAY, AND, YOU KNOW, MINNESOTA RIGHT NOW HAS FOUR PLAYERS PLAYING INTERNATIONALLY ON THIS WORLD CUP EXTENSION SO ONLY ONE AMERICAN AND THAT'S ANTHONY EDWARDS AND HE MIGHT BE THE BEST PLAYER OUT THERE.

>> Eric: HOWEVER -- GO AHEAD.

>> Cathy: FOOTBALL GOPHERS?

>> OKAY, THE GOPHERS ARE GOING TO BE GOOD THIS YEAR.

THIS IS THEIR LAST YEAR, REMEMBER, THE BIG 10'S GOING TO BE 18 TEAMS, AND TRYING TO WIN THE BIG 10 CHAMPIONSHIP IS GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT AFTER THIS YEAR THAN EVER.

LET'S HOPE THEY GET OFF TO A GREAT START AGAINST NEBRASKA NEXT WEEK AND CAN SHOW THAT THEY CAN HOLD UP THEIR END AND WIN THE WEST.

>> Eric: IS THE BIG MONEY FROM THE TV CONTRACTS GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO OFFSET ALL THE ADDITIONAL TRAVEL COSTS AND SO FORTH FOR THE TRAVELING TO THE WEST COAST FOR GAMES AND ALL THAT?

>> I THINK IT WILL.

I MEAN, YOU CAN DO A LOT WITH $60 MILLION, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW.

SOME OF THESE NEW TEAMS THAT ARE COMING IN, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET QUITE ALL OF 60, THEY'LL GET, LIKE, 30 MILLION, BUT THE GOPHERS, THEY'RE IN GOOD SHAPE AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A SELL-OUT NEXT WEEK, AND I HOPE THEY CAN ENTERTAIN THE FANS AND GET OFF TO A GREAT START.

>> Eric: WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE WOULD LARRY FITZGERALD, JR., HAVE DONE IF NAME LIKENESS WAS INVOLVED AND THEY COULD PAY THE PLAYERS ABOVE BOARD?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I ASKED HIM ABOUT THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND HE SAID HE'D HAVE DONE QUITE WELL BECAUSE HE'S DOING QUITE WELL RIGHT NOW AND HE'S NOT PLAYING.

>> Eric: DO YOU LIKE THE CHANGE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, THE NEW CONFERENCES AND THE MONEY AND ALL THAT?

>> NO, NO, I DON'T LIKE ALL THIS MOVEMENT.

IT KIND OF SPEAKS TO SOMEBODY'S LOST CONTROL OF SPORTS.

I MEAN, REGGIE BUSH IS SUING THE NCAA FOR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE YEARS AGO.

THE NCAA HAS JUST GONE SILENT AND THEY'VE ALLOWED THIS -- YOU KNOW, ALL THIS TRANSFER OF PLAYERS DECIDING THAT I DON'T WANT TO PLAY TODAY, I WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

SOMEBODY'S GOT TO PULL THE - LINE AND SAY, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

>> Eric: YOU GOING TO GO TO THE GYMNASTIC TRIALS NEXT YEAR AT TARGET CENTER?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I DON'T MISS ANY MAJOR EVENTS IN MINNESOTA, YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE 44 SUPER BOWLS AND I MIGHT HAVE A COUPLE MORE IN ME SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

>> Eric: YOU STILL GRACE US WITH YOUR PRESENCE EVEN AFTER ALL THAT, THAT'S AMAZING.

WE'RE INDEBTED WITH YOU.

>> IT'S A TREAT BEING WITH CATHY AND ERIC, MY LONGTIME FRIENDS, AND