Dan Monson probably would still be coaching the Gophers if he had recruited more effectively. What if Vince Grier, last year’s leading scorer at 15.7 points per game, had been joined in the starting lineup by former Minneapolis North star Kammron Taylor, a candidate now for all-Big Ten recognition at Wisconsin, and Patrick O’Bryant, the 7-footer from Blaine who was a No. 1 pick by Golden State in the 2006 NBA draft.
Interesting to see James Laurinaitis, the Ohio State sophomore linebacker from Hamel, Minnesota, win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s best defensive player. The news pains Gopher boosters who recall Laurinaitis attending Minnesota’s spring game before his senior year at Wayzata High School and word was he would become a Gopher. Laurinaitis could become the first player to ever win the Nagurski award three times.
The Twins’ 6.7 season rating on Fox Sports Net ranked behind only the Red Sox, Cardinals and Tigers among cable TV ratings for major league sports teams in their markets this past season, according to Patrick Klinger, Twins vice president of marketing.
Bill Robertson, Wild vice president of communications and broadcasting, reported recently via e-mail that the team’s jersey “continues to be one of the most popular in all of sports.” Wild jersey sales are second only to the Detroit Red Wings among NHL teams. The Wild’s iron range red is the club’s most popular seller followed by the road white jersey and the green jersey. Through late November the top sellers among player jerseys were Derek Boogaard, Brian Rolston and Marian Gaborik.
The club recently produced a Wild-themed Monopoly game that retails for $45. Minnesota is the first NHL club to produce the game and it’s sold exclusively at all Hockey Lodge locations.
Guess who was Bill Fitch’s first ball boy with the Cleveland Cavs? It was Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. Fitch coached the Gopher basketball team before leaving the University to coach in the NBA with the Cavs in 1971.