Former Gopher Travis Busch, who is transferring to Colorado State, tore his right ACL playing summer basketball recently and will have surgery in Minneapolis next Tuesday. He told Sports Headliners recovery time could be four and one-half to six months. His goal is to play for the Rams by January.
Minnesotans Tom Lehman and Tim Herron are far down the PGA money list for 2009. Lehman is 127th with $399,587 and Herron 141st at $317,958, according to www.golfweek.com. Lehman has been given an exemption to play in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine but Herron is trying to play his way into the tournament. Minnesotan Cam Beckman is 96th in the standings with $620,036 in earnings on the tour and expected to play in the tournament. Lehman has also been playing on the Champions Tour this year.
Casey Blake, with the Dodgers, and Garrett Atkins, from the Rockies, were mentioned as possible third basemen for the Twins before Crede was signed. Blake is hitting .285 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI. Atkins is hitting only .229 with six home runs and 28 RBI.
Jon Gruden was an assistant coach with Green Bay before he later won the Super Bowl as head coach of Tampa Bay. In his book, “Do You Love Football?,” Gruden recalls how the Packers gave up a first round draft choice in a 1992 trade with Atlanta to bring unknown quarterback Brett Favre to Green Bay.
Gruden wrote: “I drove to the airport to pick up Brett. I couldn’t believe how loose—and I do mean l-o-o-s-e—he was for a young guy who had just been traded for a first round draft pick. He felt no pressure, no responsibility. None. Zero. I think the first question he asked was, ‘Do they have any fried okra around here?’ I think the second thing he wanted to know was where he could get a beer.”
Vikings coach Brad Childress and Gophers coach Tim Brewster are both vacationing in Naples, Florida this week. The two, along with their wives, have spent time together in Florida, Brewster said.
The Wild announced its schedule this week and among the “circle it” dates is October 30 when Marian Gaborik comes to town with his new team, the New York Rangers. Former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire has his New Jersey team at the Xcel Energy Center on January 2.