Wright said last week the Wolves have renewed about 76 percent of their season tickets so far and have sold 700 new season tickets. The Wolves have 60 to 70 seats near the court available for purchase.
Minneapolis businessman Peter Rocca won two silver medals in the backstroke for the U.S. in the 1976 Olympics. The California native wrote an e-mail to Sports Headliners regarding American swimmer Michael Phelps who won eight gold medals at this year’s Olympics and has 14 in his career. Rocca marveled at not only Phelps’ skills but his endurance. Rocca wrote: “He swam 17 high level and quite a few gut wrenching races. A good swimming friend of mine figured that beginning 8/9 he warmed-up, raced and warmed-down and was in/out of the pool close to 40 times. Add to that pre and post race rub downs, eating three meals, meeting with the press, the U.S. team meetings, working with his coaches and then adding in his need to recover and sleep. There was so much to accomplish and so many things that could have tripped him up, yet he prevailed and broke seven world records in the process in the widest variety of races and strokes that anyone has ever swum at the Olympics. …”
Minnesota tennis legend David Wheaton, 39, has been waiting to hear if he will be invited to play in the U.S Open senior men’s singles and mixed doubles competitions that begin Tuesday, September 2 in New York. Six men and six women participate (women’s singles and mixed doubles).
Wheaton, who lives in suburban Minneapolis, isn’t picking Roger Federer to even make the semi-finals in the main men’s single draw. He likes Rafael Nadal, although he hasn’t played well in previous opens, or Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open that began today. As for the women’s winner, Wheaton said take the top eight players, put their names on a wall, and throw a dart to hit a name and possible winner.
Wheaton is mentioned briefly in the new Pete Sampras book, A Champions Mind, Lessons From A Life In Tennis. Sampras writes about playing Wheaton and describes him as an “overshadowed American of my generation.”
Wheaton thinks the description is fair and remembers being ranked in the top 20 in the world in 1992 but he wasn’t selected to represent the U.S. in the Olympics because he had peers like Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.
The 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, featuring 2008 All-Around Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin and 2008 All-Around Olympic Silver Medalist Shawn Johnson, will be at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday, November 9. Tickets are now on sale.