Author: David Shama

In what may only be described as caused by mystical forces, the Chicago Bears are playing the Vikings in Minneapolis tonight, 20 years after Mike Ditka brought national attention to the Metrodome by calling it the “Rollerdome.”  The Bears coach disdained the dome and suggested it was a good place for rollerblading.

When the Bears came to the “Rollerdome” on December 6, 1987 they were greeted by Vikings cheerleaders wearing rollerblades.  Later during Ditka’s reign as Bears coach he suggested the dome was a good place for livestock.  The Vikings responded by placing plastic farm animals on the sidelines at another Bears game in the Metrodome.

The fiery coach, who led the 1985 Bears to a Super Bowl win and was one of the NFL’s great tight ends in the 1960s, was an old fashioned football guy who thought football ought to be played outside, even if the temperatures were below freezing and the wind was howling.  Former Viking Bob Lurtsema, who played defensive end for the Vikings at the old Met Stadium from 1971-1976, understands the Ditka mentality.  “When you get a dome, you get really a softer type image of an NFL player,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners.

Lurtsema remembers the classic picture so many pro football fans recall, too, of former Green Bay Packer Ray Nitschke playing a late season game in Green Bay with steam coming out of his nostrils.  “That’s where it (football) should be played, outdoors,” Lurtsema said. “Home field advantage. …In (the) five years I was here, there were two games that were questionable (weather) for a player.

“Your adrenaline is going.  The weather doesn’t bother the players.  If the weather does bother the players, the players aren’t focused.  They haven’t got the commitment.  They’re going to have a bad game.  And that’s why (coach) Bud (Grant) wouldn’t tolerate anybody that complained about the weather.  Your adrenaline will carry you.  No gloves on the sidelines.  No heaters. …”

Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell wasn’t familiar with the Ditka tales but he told Sports Headliners he likes the dome.  “I think it’s a great place to play,” he said.  “The fans can get that place really loud, (and) make it a miserable place for visiting teams to come into. …”

Bottom line is players and coaches need to make an asset of their stadium, indoor or outdoor. “In this league you need your home stadium to be a huge advantage, whether you’re a cold weather team, whether you’re a dome team with noise,” Longwell said. “Whatever the scenario may be.  You need to play well there and you need your fans to be a factor there. …”

The Minnesota Wild hopes to have Mikko Koivu playing again by this weekend, according to a team source.  Koivu, who hasn’t played since November 16 because of a fractured left fibula, is arguably the Wild’s best player.

The 24-year-old native of Finland has scored five goals and has 11 assists.  His assists and points are fifth on the team despite playing fewer games than those ahead of him(three teammates have played in 32 games and Marion Gaborik who leads the Wild in goals and points has played in eight more games).

Last season, his second with the Wild, he set new career highs in goals, assists and points (20, 34 and 54).  He had a 33 point increase in points from the 2005-2006 season.  That was the second best jump in the NHL for players who had participated in at least 60 games.  Only Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis had a larger increase, 41 points.

Koivu was the sixth player chosen in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.  Tom Lynn, the Wild’s assistant general manager, noted in a recent e-mail to Sports Headliners that Minnesota was targeting Koivu in the draft and had camouflaged its interest by indicating a preference for a goalie.  What the Wild acquired was a skilled and competitive player who hasn’t disappointed.

“Mikko is a super-competitive guy who was once late for a bus with the Houston Aeros because he and his roommate, former Wild player Zbenyk Michalek, had been wrestling each other for 20 minutes for the right to exit the hotel room first,” Lynn wrote in his e-mail. “Mikko won. They barely made the bus.  He approaches games, practices, and life the same way.”

It was evident last season that Koivu is a pressure player for the Wild.  He tied for first in the NHL with eight shootout goals (8-for-15) and tied for second in the league with four game-deciding shootout goals.

Koivu has played in international competition for Finland, helping his teams to medal winning performances.  That is post-season type hockey and the experience can only help him and the Wild in future Stanley Cup playoffs.

Former Minnesota North Stars and Gopher coach Glen Sonmor, who scouts high school players for the Wild, is enthusiastic when he talks about Koivu,  “He’s their best player, other than Marion Gaborik,” Sonmor said.  “Mikko is remarkable.  He’s maybe the most complete player (on the team).  He has good offensive skills but you can depend on him defensively and with faceoffs. He goes to the net hard.  He gets you involved physically.  He has great hockey instincts.”

The Wild hopes to have Koivu return for Saturday night’s home game against Detroit.

The Celtics’ Kevin Garnett has purchased a home in the Boston area for about $4.5 million, according to a Timberwolves source.

MarQueis Gray of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis has been chosen as one of the quarterbacks for the East team in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, January 5 (NBC TV).  Gray is undecided about his college choice, according to rivals.com, but has the most interest in Minnesota and Oregon.  Tim Brewster’s son, Nolan, is one of the nation’s best prep safeties and the Denver star is still committed to Texas, according to rivals.com.  Don’t be surprised, though, if Nolan commits to Minnesota before national signing day on February 6.

In a ranking of the NFL’s best quarterbacks last week, espn.com listed Tarvaris Jackson No. 26, one spot after Rex Grossman of Chicago and six ahead of former Viking Daunte Culpepper.  The first five were Tom Brady of New England, Peyton Manning of Indianapolis, Brett Favre of Green Bay, Tony Romo of Dallas and Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh.

The Minnesota Vikings selected their sixth annual all-state high school football team last week and will honor the group at halftime of the Vikings-Bears game tonight (Monday). In addition to the 30 players selected to the team, Dave Dose of Glencoe-Silver Lake was named the Coach of the Year. The Vikings will award Dose a check for $2,000 toward his football program. Wide receiver Michael Floyd of Cretin-Derham Hall was named Minnesota’s Mr. Football and will be an honorary captain for the game.

WCCO Radio’s contract with the Minnesota Wild ends after this season but the station’s senior vice president and market manager Mary Niemeyer said renewal negotiations are “moving forward at a fast pace.”  WCCO has six more years remaining on its agreements to broadcast Gopher football, hockey, and men’s and women’s basketball.

Niemeyer said the station had increases in audience share during the prime time hours of 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. last spring and summer, despite not broadcasting Minnesota Twins games for the first time since 1961.  Share increases were in both 25-54 year old adults and 35-64, she said.

Sports remains a staple at WCCO and last year the station started programming devoted to NASCAR. NASCAR programming will start up again in the winter with shows on Fridays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.

Canterbury Park will host Claiming Crown on Saturday, August 2, the eighth time in 10 years the Shakopee race track has been the site of the nationally known race.  Claiming Crown was held in Henderson, Kentucky last year and Philadelphia in 2002.  Claiming Crown has attracted several of Canterbury’s largest crowds including 13,922 in 2000, 12,788 in 2004 and 11,644 in 2006.

Peter Johns, former marketing director of the Xcel Energy Center, has been named chief officer of marketing and event development for the Minnesota Thunder and Lightning soccer teams.