Sports

Michael Lewis, the author of "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game", spoke in the Twin Cities Wednesday about the economics of baseball.
Three days into their special session, state lawmakers have passed half of the state budget bills. The House and Senate passed a bill Thursday night that funds education from pre-school through grade 12, as well as some adult education programs. The bill now goes to Gov. Pawlenty. Supporters say they did their best to continue funding the classroom. Opponents say the bill makes significant cuts to early childhood education, special education funding and English as a second language.
Annika Sorenstam showed she can play with the men, but she had a disappointing finish to her first-round 71 at the Colonial. Sorenstam, the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour, shot 1 over par after she bogeyed her last hole. Her historic tour debut before a cheering gallery included one birdie and two three-putt bogeys.
The Minnesota Wild have done it again. The Wild's 4-2 victory over the Canucks in Vancouver on Thursday night completed Minnesota's second straight come-from-behind win of a Stanley Cup playoff series. On the brink of elimination, the Wild beat Vancouver three times in a row -- just as they did in their first round series with Colorado. It's an unprecedented feat in hockey and it means the Wild will now host Anaheim in the start of the Western Conference Finals. The game thrilled thousands of Minnesota fans who stayed up to watch it on television.
A judge dismissed claims by Korey Stringer's widow against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday but allowed her wrongful death lawsuit to go forward against the team's physician and his clinic.
The Minnesota Wild move into round two of the series Friday in Vancouver against the Canucks. The Wild became just the 17th team in league history to rally from a three-games-to-one series deficit when they toppled the Colorado Avalanche in overtime Tuesday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves proved they could win a big game without Kevin Garnett and without getting the calls. With Garnett on the bench after fouling out early in overtime, the Timberwolves made seven free throws in the final 24.3 seconds of overtime to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 114-110 Thursday night.
A jury cleared former Minnesota Twins star Kirby Puckett of all charges Thursday in the alleged sexual assault of a woman in a restaurant bathroom last September. It took the jury of six men and six women parts of two days to sort out two vastly different accounts of what happened late the night of Sept. 5 at the Redstone American Grill in suburban Eden Prairie.
The woman who accused former Twins star Kirby Puckett of sexual assault testified Thursday that she was terrified and tried to escape as Puckett dragged her into the men's bathroom at a suburban restaurant. As Puckett's trial opened, his accuser was the first witness called by prosecutors.
Curling clubs say they've had more young folks try the sport since last year's Olympics. But curling doesn't have the same natural youth-appeal as football or basketball or snowboarding. So curling clubs make a point of bringing the game to kids.