Author: David Shama

Before a quiet crowd with a show-me attitude the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Oakland Raiders 29-22 yesterday at the Metrodome.  In a game characterized by false starts, fumbles, and inept offensive and defensive line play by the Raiders, now 2-8 on the season, the Vikings won for a second time in three games and moved their record to 4-6.

Give the Vikings credit for surprising the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago at home in a 35-17 win, and for combining a strong running game (Chester Taylor, 164 yards) with a per usual stingy run defense that limited the Raiders to 61 yards (it was a curiously focused Oakland game plan that insisted on running the ball persistently at the Vikings’ stud defensive tackles, Pat Williams and Kevin Williams).  In between those two wins, however, was an embarrassing 34-0 loss to the Packers in Green Bay.

The Packer loss was one more mark on a list of disappointments that Vikings fans have been memorizing in recent seasons.  Whether it’s a lot of losses (10-16 in the last two seasons), missed playoff years (last time was 2004), questionable personnel decisions (like Tarvaris Jackson now, Randy Moss awhile back), coaches (Mike Tice versus Brad Childress), off the field incidents (where to start?), or whatever, the fans have become disappointed, angry and more reluctant to buy tickets.  Each week of a home game it’s a news story to see what other organization in town will buy the remaining tickets to create a sellout in the dome and avoid a local TV blackout.

Even when Adrian Peterson rushed for an NFL single game record 296 yards against the Chargers, the multitudes didn’t storm the box office for tickets to future games.  While TV ratings remain similar to past seasons (there are still a half million or so fans in the marketplace watching each game), the public has issues with the Vikings, according to John Rash.  He’s an advertising executive in Minneapolis with Campbell Mithun, an expert on pop culture and follows the popularity of the team.

In an interview with Sports Headliners last week he was asked what’s newsworthy about the Vikings from a cultural perspective.  “To the degree of how people still are so passionate,” he said.  “The only thing worse than the anger being expressed at them (the Vikings), is apathy, and they haven’t reached that point. They’re bordering it at least with enough fans that (it) might mean a potential blackout on this week’s as well as subsequent week’s games.   But this team truly is the state’s soap opera and they’re following them (the Vikings) even through the bad times, and the key is to give them (the fans) enough hope that good times will return.”

How close is the fan base to apathy?  “The NFL has transcended a sporting event and become a social experience where a lot of people plan at least a portion of their weekend on how to get together for THE game, and so even when they (the Vikings) don’t play well, it’s still part of people’s media and social habit,” Rash said. “The bigger question is, do they (the Vikings) have enough relevance and resonance, and if not an outright embrace, to accomplish the team’s bigger goals of getting a stadium.  And for now that is a much more difficult endeavor for them to accomplish.”

What will it take to have more fans buying tickets for home games?  “Hope.  Hope sells always for a sports franchise,” Rash answered. “Right now many Viking fans don’t have hope that there is any significant improvement on the immediate or long term basis.  It’s not certain if it’s going to mean a coaching change but it certainly means the change in perception of the direction of the team, and right now the feeling among most Minnesotans is uniformly negative. “

Does Rash agree that the TV ratings are comparable to the past?  “No question about it,” he said.  “People make this a part of their relaxation, their entertainment, their diversion over a weekend. That’s a long ingrained habit, very difficult to change, and certainly the Vikings are going to have enough of a grace period to get people back and even increase those television ratings, and indeed, one great game by Adrian Peterson changed the perception, at least for a week.  But longer term the team has to address several issues to be able to stay the unquestioned top sports franchise in Minnesota.”

What are those issues?  “The quality of the team, the front office judgment, the coaching and the perception that there’s a cohesive long term strategy,” Rash said.

Saturday night Randy Foye asked a visitor in the Timberwovles’ locker room to say a prayer for him.  That response tells you something about his desire to receive a favorable progress report this morning when he receives medical tests on a sore left knee that has kept him from playing in all eight of the team’s regular season games.

Even the most favorable MRI or CT scan won’t return the second year guard to the starting lineup immediately.  He will need time to develop his conditioning, but from the coaching staff to the fans, anyone who has watched the Wolves lose seven of their first eight games knows the sooner he returns the better.

Not always, but often enough, the Wolves have crumbled in the fourth quarter.  As a rookie Foye scored 48 percent of his points for the season during the final period and overtime.  “He’s a big fourth quarter guy,” coach Randy Wittman said. “He showed that last year. …”

Foye, who made the NBA all-rookie team last season while averaging 10.1 points           and 2.8 assists per game, doesn’t expect to fail in pressure situations.  He told Sports Headliners that when he shoots the ball “there’s an 80 percent chance of going in” because of similar success in practice.

“I am never afraid to take the big shot, or to make the big play,” Foye said.  “Just because that’s just my personality.”

The 24-year-old, 6-foot-4 Foye was asked if he agreed that when he does return to the Wolves most of his minutes will be at point guard, rather than shooting guard.  “Definitely, I think it will be but I am just trying to get back right now (to the lineup),” he said.  “I am not worrying about minutes or anything. I am just trying to get back.”

Foye said the reason he injured his knee (stress reaction in his knee cap) is because he worked so hard during the off-season.  Although Foye’s timeline has changed for contributing this season, his desire hasn’t and that will ultimately benefit the Wolves.

The annual TwinsFest is scheduled for Friday, January 25 through Sunday, January 27 at the Metrodome. More than 50 current, former and future Twins players are expected to attend.  On display will be a three-dimensional model of the new ballpark. The 5-foot by 5-foot model represents the most detailed depiction of what the new 40,000 seat ballpark will look like when it opens in 2010. TwinsFest is an annual fundraiser for the Twins Community Fund. Since its inception in 1989, the event has raised more than $3.3 million for programs and organizations supported by the fund.

Brian Buscher, who left the Venezuelan League early for family reasons, hit .279 with two home runs in 12 games, according to the Twins Web site.  Buscher, who batted .244 with the Twins last season with two home runs and 10 RBI, didn’t solve the team’s need at third base in his rookie year.  Sports Illustrated suggested in a recent issue that the Twins acquire Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins for minor league pitchers Anthony Swarzak and Eduardo Morian.

Viking linebacker Chad Greenway has interest in a post-playing career in broadcasting, perhaps as a color commentator on football games.  During the next off-season he may spend time with well-known football and baseball broadcaster Joe Buck.  Greenway, a communications major at Iowa, has been a guest this fall on a couple of Tuesdays with KFAN’s Paul Allen and Jeff Dubay.  Greenway said he may do some work with KFAN during the off-season.

When the Gophers open their new stadium in 2009, they will have two of the most attractive non-conference opponents in years, Air Force and California.  The best previous home non-conference schedule was 1997 when Iowa State and Houston came here.

Oakland coach and Bloomington native Lane Kiffin answering a question about his interest when he was a candidate for the Gophers’ football job last January and whether he’s pleased it didn’t work:  “Yeah, actually I am glad (to instead be Oakland’s head coach). … I was very interested (in the Minnesota job) and had spent a day in the interview process. …I think the University is a great place and I think it’s a great job and I’m sure they’ll turn it around and get back to winning. …I don’t think that Wisconsin and Iowa has anything on the University of Minnesota. …”

The guess here is that the Wild will start negotiations with all-star forward Brian Rolston in January.  His contract expires after this season.  The 34-year-old wing has seven goals and seven assists so far this season.  Earlier in the year he tied a career high for most assists in one game, three against Columbus.

The Gopher hockey team had a 2-1 lead after two periods Saturday against Alaska Anchorage but lost to end a three game winning streak.  It was only the 15th time the Gophers have lost a game when leading after two periods in 203 such games during nine seasons under coach Don Lucia (176-15-12).

Gopher men’s and women’s basketball coaches Tubby Smith and Pam Borton have radio shows on WCCO that can be heard locally on Mondays at 7 and 7:30 p.m.

Sports Illustrated’s college basketball preview ranked Indiana No. 8 and Michigan State No. 11.  No other Big Ten Conference teams made the top 20.  The Gophers weren’t included in the magazine’s prediction of the 65 teams who will make the NCAA tournament.

Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman talking about his team prior to Saturday night’s game against New Orleans:  “I love these guys.  They’re coachable.  They play hard.  They play for the most part together.  So we just gotta keep fighting.  The record isn’t where we would like it to be but you know what, it’s big picture where we’re trying to get.”

The Timberwolves organization will partner with the Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund to host over 150 people, including returning military members and their families, for a Thanksgiving meal tonight (Monday) in Minneapolis. The event will feature players and coaches serving a complete Thanksgiving meal and bussing tables for the guests, plus providing autographs and posing for photos.