The Gophers lost Saturday’s game to Louisiana Tech 9-1. Minnesota lost the three game weekend series winning only on Friday and the Gophers are 8-16 on the season. They begin Big Ten Conference play at Purdue on Friday.
USA Today Sports Weekly’s March 24-30 issue selected an NFL best 53-man roster for the 2000’s and the list includes former Vikings Randy Moss and Matt Birk, plus four players with the team: Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams and Steve Hutchinson.
Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton is friends with Tony Dungy and doesn’t expect him to coach again. Dalton said Dungy is making speeches to various audiences, including prisoners, and is working on a series of books. The former Super Bowl winning coach is expected back with NBC as an NFL analyst.
Dalton likes the skills of Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards and said he’s not someone the franchise wants to see sign with another team, particularly if defensive tackle Pat Williams retires. Edwards is a restricted free agent.
Dalton expects the Vikings to draft for “value” rather than a specific need when they pick at No. 30 in next month’s NFL draft.
There’s plenty of anticipation about the announcement next month regarding the NFL’s complete schedule. When all the details are known, a circle it date could be Thursday, September 9 with a schedule opening game in New Orleans between the Vikings and Saints. It’s already known that the Super Bowl champion Saints will be home on that date.
The Gophers played five of the teams who made the NCAA Sweet 16–Butler, Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and Xavier. The Gophers, who lost their NCAA opening game to Xavier, defeated Butler last November in a nonconference game. In Big Ten games the Gophers had 1-2 records against Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State.
It will be a surprise if highly rated Las Vegas prep guard Cory Joseph chooses the Gophers instead of Texas.
The Minnesota State High School League ruled Roosevelt High School ineligible for the 1961 boys state tournament because two players had participated in DeMolay basketball the previous summer. Those two individuals went on to successful careers after high school and college. Warren Scamp became a dentist, John Totushek a three-star Admiral.
Former Minneapolis city council president Denny Schulstad said via email three graduates of Roosevelt’s 1962 class achieved high rank in the military. In addition to Totushek, Schulstad became an Air Force general and David Rataczak an Army National Guard general. “The odds of that happening in any high school graduating class are about the same as Edgerton winning the state championship,” Schulstad wrote, making a comparison to the Flying Dutchmen’s surprising basketball title in 1960.
The Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic last weekend, in partnership with the Gophers, hosted Air Force coach Troy Calhoun as the featured speaker. Gophers coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners he hopes one year to bring Texas coach Mack Brown to the clinic.
The Gophers opening game at Middle Tennessee State on Thursday, September 2 will be televised on ESPNU.
Speculation continues that baseball labor expert Donald Fehr will be the next boss of the NHL Players Association.
Jacques Lemaire, long known as one of hockey’s smartest coaches, has found new appreciation for his work in New Jersey where his Devils have the third most points in the Eastern Conference, 93. New Jersey’s final record will rival his best work in nine seasons with the Wild.
Timberwolves star Kevin Love will make the “Let’s Play Hockey!” call before the Wild’s game tonight against Los Angeles at Xcel Energy Center.
Former Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez, traded to Milwaukee during the off-season, is hitting .310 in spring training for the Brewers. His other spring training averages have been .283 and .267.