The Gopher spring game is Friday, April 25, starting at 7 p.m. in the Metrodome. Admission is free and fans will evaluate the players, but a more realistic view of the Gophers will be had in August when the team starts practice with all of its new freshmen and junior college transfers who made Minnesota’s 2008 recruiting class ranked among the 20 best in the nation. A total of 22 players from the class reportedly have 40 yard dash times of 4.6 or better, including 13 at 4.5 or less. The three fastest are defensive back Traye Simmons, and safeties Keanon Cooper and Simoni Lawrence, all at about .445.
Ugh. It’s difficult to imagine a more unappealing Gopher football schedule to fans than the one coming up. The Gophers prepare(?) for the Big Ten Conference schedule (opening at Ohio State) with non-league home games against Northern Illinois, Montana State and Florida Atlantic, plus a visit to Bowling Green. Two of the four Big Ten home games are against the conference’s least appealing schools, Indiana and Northwestern. Thanks to the football gods for November home dates with Michigan and Iowa.
Wild goalie Josh Harding told Sports Headliners his sister, Stephanie, is now cancer free. It was about a year ago that Harding was promoting awareness of breast cancer after his sister was diagnosed with the disease.
Harding, who has only played in three games since March 6, said he stays ready in team practices. Regular goalie Niklas Backstrom has been outstanding in the Wild’s first two playoff games against Colorado.
The regular season and playoff support of the Wild fans at Xcel Energy Center impresses the players. Forward Aaron Voros said on Saturday, “we have the best fans in the league, bar none. …”
Forward Chris Simon, who joined the team in February, said the fans give him additional energy. “It does give you a jolt,” he said. What about on the road when that support is missing? Simon, known as an NHL bad guy, said he “feeds” off the boos for energy.
Former Timberwolf Christian Laettner, a college superstar at Duke, was quoted in a recent issue of Sports Illustrated about whether fans from rival North Carolina or Kentucky, who he beat with a memorable last minute shot, dislike him more. “I’ve driven through Kentucky a few times, and boy, I’m really scared the whole time I’m on the road. I do not stop anywhere in Kentucky. I’ll urinate in a plastic bottle.”
Tim Murray of Murray’s Restaurant travels with buddies each summer to major league baseball stadiums and in August will make stadium stops in Philadelphia, New York and Washington D.C. It will be a last chance to see Yankee Stadium in New York. Next year his plans include the new Yankee Stadium and also the New York Mets’ stadium, also opening in 2009.
Former Edina High School tennis star Whitney Taney was named the Big Ten Conference Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week last week, according to the league’s Web site, www.bigten.org. The Michigan freshman was 4-0 as nationally ranked Michigan extended its winning streak to 10 matches.