Author: David Shama

Forbes magazine and Web site (www.forbes.com) lists Twins owner Carl Pohlad as the 114th richest person in America with a net worth of $3.1 billion.  In the Forbes annual listing of the 400 wealthiest Americans, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is 149^th at $2.7 billion. Donald Trump ranked 117^th at $3 billion. Oprah Winfrey is 165^th at $2.5 billion.   Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Wild owners didn’t make the list.

Steve LaCroix, Viking vice president of sales and marketing, said late last week that the Packer game on Sunday will be a sellout and televised in the metro area.  LaCroix expects tickets for the game to be available early this week.

Viking end Ray Edwards said the defense has set a goal of 68 sacks for the season.  Through the first three games the total is 11.  Edwards, a fourth round draft choice from Purdue now in his second season with the Vikings, wants to start every game after being a reserve in 2006.  Going back to his pee-wee football days, he’s played every position in football except quarterback and center.

Viking wide receiver Troy Williamson said he’s continuing with eye exercises he learned during the off-season.  He said his depth perception has improved as a result of the exercises.

Tejas Restaurant in Edina has a special promotion today through Friday to help promote the Taste of the NFL and benefit Hunger Solutions Minnesota.  Each day a Minnesota Viking alum or other celebrity will be in attendance from noon to 1 p.m. and a 2007 MINI Cooper will be on display.  Raffle tickets costing $100 each are being sold with a chance to win the MINI Cooper courtesy of Motorwerks MINI, plus a year of insurance from Calhoun Insurance agency.  Only 500 total tickets are being sold and the winning ticket will be drawn at the Taste of the NFL Celebrity Dinner on October 1 at Winter Park, practice home of the Vikings. Ticket info available by calling 612-338-4537 or www.tasteofthenflmn.org.

I learned a lesson from a player agent years ago.  With a promising young client, you usually want a shorter contract so that when the player starts accumulating impressive stats there is a free agency opportunity.  A longer contract is desirable for an older player who may be more likely to suffer injuries and could be a less effective performer in the near future. Now think about the Twins and free agent Torii Hunter.  The Twins offered a three year contract but Hunter, 32, wants a longer deal.

Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer is hitting .500 (5-for-10) with 13 RBI with the bases loaded and less than two outs.

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster said he and his wife are still deciding whether to build or buy a home here.

The guess late this week is Tarvaris Jackson will not play Sunday when the Vikings meet the Chiefs in Kansas City. Earlier this week Jackson told a media gathering his groin injury is bothering him.  Neither he nor coach Brad Childress was saying whether the second year quarterback would make the fifth start of his NFL career on Sunday but groin injuries often result in slow recoveries.

Jackson said he wants to be “100 percent” when he plays.  As an inexperienced quarterback he has enough challenge without playing hurt and even making the injury worse.

Jackson said his teammates were supportive after last Sunday’s four interception game in Detroit.  He regrets some of his game decisions and said “punting” can be a better alternative to forcing plays.

Jackson injured the groin in the fourth quarter but didn’t leave the game until overtime when Brooks Bollinger had to replace him.  Bollinger fumbled a snap, stopping a drive and the Vikings couldn’t score in overtime, losing 20-17.

It might be that Bollinger will start the game in Kansas City instead of Kelly Holcomb.  Bollinger has been with the Vikings for about a year, while Holcomb was acquired from Philadelphia late last month.   If either is ineffective after starting, the other may have an opportunity.

The Vikings may have been headed toward uncertainty about who their starting quarterback is even if Jackson were healthy.  In two regular season games the offense has produced only two touchdowns.  In two regular season and four pre-season games, the defense and offense have each scored six touchdowns.  Jackson believes the coaches have confidence in him.  “I don’t feel like I am on a short leash,” he said.

Childress gave this evaluation about Jackson to the media earlier in the week:  “I have to point back to things like the two-minute drill before the half (in Detroit) that he moves us up the field and does some good things, getting up and (downing) the football when we had a questionable play. Those are the type of things that the quarterback has to orchestrate, and has to have a feel for getting people up and getting them set, knowing how many timeouts you have, and can I take a sack here and those kinds of things. I see a lot of the facets of his game that are fine. Administering the run game, we ask him to do a lot in terms of getting us in the right run look. The thing that I don’t like to see is I don’t like to put the ball up for grabs. …”

A healthy Marian Gaborik might move to the front of the sports celebrity line in this town within another year or two.  The Wild’s star forward missed 34 games last season with a groin injury but hockey sources remain enthusiastic about Gaborik and even rave about him.

Former Minnesota North Stars player and  president Lou Nanne was asked if Gaborik can be included in a group of the NHL’s top half dozen forwards. “Oh, he is already, and he’s certainly the most exciting,” Nanne said.

The man Nanne refers to as a “remarkable talent,” draws special praise from Tom Reid, too.  Reid, a former teammate of Nanne with the North Stars and now the Wild color commentator on radio, remembers many of hockey’s most exciting players like Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Stan Mikita and Bill Goldsworthy but none of them literally gave him a rise like Gaborik.  “He’s so explosive,” Reid said.  “He’s the only player in the league that actually takes me right out of my seat (in anticipation).”

That kind of talk gets an amen from Wild general manager Doug Risebrough who has spent more than 30 years in the NHL as a player, coach and executive.  “He’s probably the fastest player I’ve ever seen play,” Risebrough said.  “Certainly the fastest player I’ve ever been associated with. The most explosive.”

At 25 Gaborik doesn’t figure to hit his peak for a few more years.  In his six seasons with the Wild he’s shown ability to score and pass (in two of the seasons he had more goals than assists).  He is the franchise leader in career points with 331 in 408 games.  Despite missing all those games last season, he led the team with seven game winning goals.  The Wild were 18-2-2 in games that he scored a goal and 33-9-6 in games he played.  With 30 goals and 27 assists in 48 games, Gaborik was third on the team in scoring and reached the 30 goal level for the fourth time in five seasons.

Risebrough anticipates an even better Gaborik in the future.  “I think he’s still trying to figure it out offensively,” Risebrough said.  “He’s got a great shot but sometimes he wants to score the pretty goal at the right time.  He’s a great passer.  He can make great plays so he’s a pretty solid package offensively but he hasn’t fully gravitated to one of those things right now.  That’s just maturing. …”

Gaborik has been bothered by groin injuries in past seasons but Nanne thinks Gaborik will avoid that problem in 2007-2008. “I think he’s taken precautions to make certain that he develops the leg muscles the way they possibly should be developed,” Nanne said.  “He’s looked after himself and I think he’s going to be able to weather a season of playing without losing time for groin injuries.”

Risebrough talked about how injuries can hold a player back, even after physical healing.  “In three years we’ve never really seen the whole thing, and even when he’s back playing after recovering from long injuries, it’s psychologically a little touchy for him,” Risebrough said.  “So hopefully this year will be one of those years where not only does he stay healthy but he doesn’t have to think about his health.”