In a pop culture quiz, former Gopher and Dallas star Marion Barber tells Sports Illustrated his childhood hero was Jesus Christ, and the vegetable he won’t eat is spinach.
The guess here is the Twins won’t re-sign Torii Hunter and will trade Johan Santana. The payroll savings will be used to acquire other talent and retain younger core players.
Sporting News predicts that “regardless of where he ends up,” Hunter will be among the top three vote getters next season in league MVP voting.
Sporting News includes four Vikings on its all-NFL mid-season team: running back Adrian Peterson, guard Steve Hutchinson, defensive tackle Kevin Williams and cornerback Antoine Winfield.
Wolves’ rookie Corey Brewer played his best all-around game as a pro on Saturday night at Sacramento. Brewer scored 15 points, including seven-for-seven from the free throw line, grabbed eight rebounds, had two assists and two steals in 29 minutes.
Three of the Gophers’ outstanding basketball players from the 1960s and basketball community leaders over the years will be presented with the Jim Dutcher Award by the Minnesota Magic Basketball Club on Friday evening at Golden Valley Country Club. The recipients are Bill Davis, Al Nuness and Paul Presthus. The award recognizes a “lifetime dedicated to basketball” and the event generates scholarship money. More information is available by calling 612-331-5600, or via kelly@silhouettellc.com
The early signing period for college basketball prospects starts Wednesday and continues through November 21. Among the players the Gophers hope to sign is Ralph Sampson III of Duluth, Georgia. Gopher fan Bob Klas remembered that Ralph Sampson II almost became a Gopher but chose Virginia where he developed into a No. 1 NBA draft choice. Virginia painted “The House that Ralph Built” on the roof of its arena, took Sampson up in an airplane to view it, and then signed him to a tender, according to Klas.
The Minnesota athletic department is sponsoring a trip for fans to Tallahassee, Florida where the Gophers will play Florida State as part of the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge on November 27. The trip package includes airfare, hotel, game ticket and more. To make reservations call 612-626-2258 no later than November 19.
The Wild recalled goaltender Nolan Schaefer and right wing Aaron Voros from the Houston Aeros yesterday. Schaefer, 27, was 2-4-0 with a 2.93 goals against average and a .902 save percentage in six games with the Aeros. Voros, 26, had eight points (four goals, four assists) and 46 penalty minutes in 12 games with Houston. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward led the Aeros in penalty minutes, and was second in scoring and in goals.
Kyle Okposo, expected to be a steady point producer for the Gophers’ hockey team, went eight games without a point until Saturday night when he scored two goals to help Minnesota beat Minnesota State. The Gophers swept the weekend series to win their first two WCHA games of the season.
Dick Jonckowski, Gopher baseball public address announcer, said Minnesota coach John Anderson will be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Philadelphia in early January.
Jonckowski is friends with former St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog who led the Cardinals to the 1987 World Series against the Twins. In September Jonckowski emceed a 20 year reunion banquet in St. Louis for the Cardinals.
Concordia-St. Paul’s senior quarterback Kole Goodchild was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V First Team as voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America. Goodchild has accumulated a 3.89 grade point average while double-majoring in accounting and finance. This fall he set the single season school passing record with 3,027 yards. He holds school single-game records for completions, yards, touchdown passes and interceptions and single-season records for completions and attempts.