Author: David Shama

Adrian Peterson, already the hottest celebrity in this town, was accommodating autograph seekers at last Friday night’s Timberwolves game.  Neither those seeking the wondrous one’s signature, nor anyone else on the planet, had any idea that less than 48 hours later the  22-year-old rookie from the University of Oklahoma would set a single game NFL rushing record at the Metrodome against a San Diego  defense that was giving up less than 100 yards per game rushing.

Peterson ran over, through and by the Chargers for 296 yards, breaking Jamal Lewis’ record of 295 yards set in 2003 playing for Baltimore.  Peterson’s one for the Hall of Fame day included touchdown runs of 46 and 64 yards.  Hello, Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson, Jim Brown and any other NFL immortal ball carriers not included here.

Peterson has demonstrated in just eight games, half a season, that unless injury or accident stops him, he’s on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, packing a resume that will put him in the company of the NFL’s greatest running backs ever.  He has stormed into the world’s best football league as if he were still playing in Norman, Oklahoma, or even his high school home town of Palestine, Texas.  He leads the NFL in rushing with 1,036 yards, about 300 yards more than runner-up Willie Parker of Pittsburgh.  Among fellow rookies, Marshawn Lynch of Buffalo is next with 696 yards.  At Oklahoma Peterson had six games during a three year career where he ran for over 200 yards.  With the Vikings he already has two 200 plus yard games, an NFL record for a rookie.

If Peterson doubles his 1,036 yards in the next eight games and finishes with 2,072      he will break two NFL season rushing records held by Dickerson.  In 1983 Dickerson rushed for 1,808 yards as a rookie.  The next season he set the NFL rushing record for one season with 2,105.  (Note: among Smith, Payton, Sanders and Brown, only Sanders gained more than 1,000 yards as a rookie rushing for 1,470 yards.)

Peterson’s speed and strength enable him to do the extraordinary, breaking tackles, creating openings and running past defenders, while leaving looks of amazement on all concerned.  Yes, there is some skilled blocking by the Vikings’ offensive linemen and receivers but Peterson’s gifted running makes the blocking often look better than it is. What a luxury for coach Brad Childress, who is 5-13 in his last 18 games, to have Peterson leading an offense that has often been challenged to produce more than a touchdown or two per game.

Final word to those autograph seekers from the Timbe

Regarding the Torii Hunter will-he-stay-or-leave guessing contest, a major league baseball source I have known for years thinks that if it’s a “close” decision the 32- year-old center fielder will re-sign with the Twins.  Close means that contract length and compensation offered by the Twins team needs to be competitive with other offers for Hunter who has spent his eight year major league career here.

The source said Hunter “turned down” an earlier Twins offer for three years and $45 million. The number of years on the contract is important to Hunter, presumably because this will be either his last contract, or the last agreement offering the most guaranteed compensation.  It’s believed that Hunter would like a five or six year deal.

The source, who is knowledgeable about the Twins operation and commitment to budget restraint, said it’s difficult to guess how much money and years it will take to retain Hunter until competing clubs make offers.  He also said that despite Hunter’s age, the Twins’ center fielder is a good gamble for long term durability and production.  Hunter takes care of his body, plays with passion and is a recognized team leader.  He’s expressed a desire in the past to remain with the Twins but because a new agreement hasn’t been reached to keep him in Minnesota, he’s now considering other offers.

The baseball insider said Hunter’s seniority is a good fit on a team that has mostly talent under 30 years old.  He said re-signing Hunter means the Twins are set in the outfield with 25-year-old left fielder Jason Kubel and 28-year-old right fielder Michael Cuddyer.  Other core players are 24-year-old catcher Joe Mauer, 26-year-old first baseman Justin Morneau, and 28 and 24-year-old pitchers Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano.  Signing Hunter and bringing him back means the team only needs to address needs for a third baseman and a designated hitter.

The source said the Twins’ younger core players can help make the team competitive for 10 years.  He recalled that the 1987 and 1991 World Series champion Twins teams each had just two dominate starting pitchers, finding complementary talent to win and suggesting that perhaps the 2008 Twins could follow a similar pattern with a strong second starter emerging to join Santana in a big two.

With so much balance and competitiveness in the American League, the Twins aren’t that far off from competing for a pennant.  The source suggested, too, that the Twins want to have a competitive team as they near the opening of the new downtown ballpark in 2010.  A new contract with Hunter would all but guarantee he will be part of that first season.

Minnesota Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell said a project to build an athletic center at his alma mater, the University of California, is being slowed up because of demonstrations to preserve three trees.  Protestors have chained themselves to the trees, he said.

Vikings’ linebacker Chad Greenway missed all of last season with a knee injury, making this somewhat a rookie season.  Greenway said he’s probably his own “harshest critic” and that at times he’s played like a rookie.  Although he hasn’t made a lot of “splash plays and sacks,” he thinks he’s improving each week and has been equally effective playing the pass and rush. “I think for the most part I have played pretty well,” he said.

Timberwolves assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg told Sports Headliners he has been chosen by Iowa State, his alma mater, as one of the school’s top 10 basketball players of all time.  He will be honored at a ceremony in February.

Hoiberg, 35, has been wearing a pacemaker for about two years.  He feels good and even scrimmaged with the Wolves in September when an extra player was needed.  The pacemaker will be replaced in seven years.

Although the Wolves chose not to exercise an option on guard-forward Gerald Green’s contract, the organization remains intrigued by his potential.  Green, 21, will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.  His career numbers for the previous two seasons in the NBA include an average of 8.9 points per game.  Hoiberg said Green “jumps higher than anyone I’ve ever seen” and refers to the former Boston Celtic as “freakishly athletic.”  Green needs to better understand “concepts” of what the Wolves are trying to accomplish, Hoiberg said.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith said he liked the play of point guards Al Nolen, Lawrence McKenzie and Kevin Payton after the opening exhibition game last week.  Nolen, a freshman from Patrick Henry High School, is the quickest of the three.  The Gophers play Southwest Minnesota State tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in a second and final exhibition game.  The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

A seventh place finish in the Big Ten Conference is a popular prediction for Smith’s first Gophers team.

North Dakota had three of the first four players listed last week on CSTV.com’s Hobey Baker watch list. The top four were Kevin Porter, Michigan senior forward; Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, North Dakota senior goalie; T.J. Oshie, North Dakota junior forward; and Ryan Duncan, North Dakota junior forward.  No Gophers were listed in the 10 player listing.

Forward Brian Rolston is the Wild’s team captain for the month of November. Mikko Koivu and Nick Schultz are alternate captains. The Wild rotates its team captaincy on a monthly basis based on the player who has shown the greatest leadership qualities.

The Wild’s Marion Gaborik said on WCCO Radio yesterday he thinks the Northwest   Division is the best in the NHL.  The Wild are in first place with 18 points, two more than second place Colorado.  Gaborik scored five points in two games last week and was honored today by the NHL as one of its players of the week.

The MIAC pre-season coaches’ polls resulted in the following winter sports favorites: Bethel, men’s hockey; Gustavus, women’s hockey; Bethel, men’s basketball; and Saint Benedict, women’s basketball.