Author: David Shama

Steve LaCroix, vice president of sales and marketing, reported via e-mail that like a year ago at this time the Vikings have tickets remaining for their season opener.  He wrote that the top five of 10 price levels for season tickets are sold out, and that 98 percent of the new $196 season ticket inventory is sold.  “These have been a big hit with our fans,” according to LaCroix.

Friday night’s 7 p.m. pre-season game at New York against the Jets is nationally televised with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman providing commentary on Fox.  Brooks Bollinger is familiar with the Jets defense having been with the team for three seasons before coming here last year.  The game could be his only pre-season start.   

Viking trivia:  Tony Richardson is the oldest player at 35.  Sidney Rice is the youngest at 20.  Richardson has played the most seasons in the NFL, 13.  Matt Birk has played the most with the Vikings, 10.  Bryant McKinnie is the biggest Viking, 6-foot-8, 335-pounds, while Antoine Winfield is the smallest, 5-foot-9, 180-pounds. 

Mike Morris, former long snapper for the Minnesota Vikings and now a KFAN talk show host, told Sports Headliners that an NFL player today with eight to 10 years in the league could expect to draw a pension at age 55 of $10,000 or more per month.  Age 55 is full retirement age, although players can draw partial pensions starting at 45.  

Jonas Gray, an outstanding running back from Detroit who the Gophers were pursuing, has committed to Nebraska, according to rivals.com. 

Don’t be surprised if the Timberwolves make more player acquisitions.  The team needs improvement at center and a healthy Joel Przybilla, the former Gopher stuck in Portland behind No. 1 pick Greg Oden, could help here.  The “welcome mat” is probably out, too, for a good point guard. 

Last week’s Sporting News includes a small photo of Twins reliever Pat Neshek on the cover, referring to him as a “weird and wired pitcher.”  A flattering feature story describes Neshek’s unusual sidearm delivery, high socks, low cap and passion for his Internet site.  

Canterbury Park’s annual Minnesota Festival of Champions is Sunday, with 11 races and a purse of $425,000.  The festival is for Minnesota bred horses and showcases the state horse racing industry.

The Minnesota Vikings have four quarterbacks on their roster,Tarvaris Jackson, Brooks Bollinger, Tyler Thigpen and Drew Henson.  All are 27 or younger, with a combined 12 starts in the NFL.  Is there a likelihood the Vikings will try to add a more experienced quarterback before the season begins?

Former Viking Mike Morris, who follows the team closely now as a talk show host on KFAN Radio, said lack of experience at quarterback is an issue.   He thinks the Vikings “would welcome the opportunity” to add a veteran quarterback “if things weren’t working out for the four games of the pre-season.”

Such a player, according to Morris, would be a reserve, not a starter, an experienced NFL veteran ready to mentor, teaching on and off the field.  Morris said the Vikings are committed to Jackson and Bollinger.  “They’ve got a couple  of kids that they like and if they play within themselves and within the system you might have something, but you have to find out what that is right now,” he said.  “(If) you have an older guy in the room that can help them along that would be fantastic.  They won’t be looking for anything else as far as full time work.”

Speculation is Kelly Holcomb, 34, could be cut by the Philadelphia Eagles and picked up by the Vikings.  The Eagles have two other veteran quarterbacks in Donovan McNabb and A. J. Feeley, plus they used a No. 2 draft choice on Kevin Kolb, a rookie from the University of Houston.

What does Morris think of Holcomb?  “I don’t,” he answered. “I try not to think of Holcomb as being any sort of upgrade or help to anyone in that room (the Vikings). … I think you’re looking for someone with a little more experience, a little more knowledge of the game.  I wouldn’t mention that name in that list. … I can’t think of a name I would rather not have here.”

Holcomb only has 21 career starts in 11 seasons.  He did complete 67.4 percent of his passes starting 10 games for Buffalo in 2005.

Morris said the Vikings could benefit from a veteran quarterback like Kurt Warner, the former Super Bowl quarterback now in Arizona.  He also mentioned Drew Bledsoe who announced his retirement in April.   A visitor even offered up the name of 40-year-old Jeff George.  The former Viking had the “strongest arm I‘ve ever seen,” according to Morris, and as recently as last year attempted a comeback with Oakland.             

“I would take him right now above Holcomb,” Morris said. “He can still throw the ball.  I know that would still work. …”

The guess here is that newly arrived 21-year-old Gerald Green will soon be known as the best athlete ever to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves.  The 6-foot-8, 200- pound Green was provided that label by a basketball expert who didn’t want his name used.   There may soon be a long line of people willing to give Green the designation.

Green was born during halftime of the 1986 Super Bowl and perhaps that was an omen regarding his athleticism.  His jumping and running ability have been attracting attention since high school.  He didn’t even play high school basketball until he was a junior but by his senior season some experts thought he was the best player in America.  After averaging 33 points as a senior in Houston, Green played in the McDonald’s High School All-Star game and won the slam dunk contest. 

In two NBA seasons with Boston, Green hasn’t yet been another Tracy McGrady, an athletic super star to whom he has been compared.  But Green has dazzled with his athleticism, winning the NBA 2007 slam dunk contest and having his dunks shown on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Of course, former Timberwolf J.R. Rider won an NBA slam dunk contest, too, and few in these parts want to remember Rider for his athleticism or anything else.  Green, though, seems more determined to succeed than Rider and he told Sports Headliners that he’s working to improve his game.  Known for his flash and scoring ability, Green has been labeled as a player who needs to become better defensively.

“I want to be a defensive stopper,” Green said. “That’s one of the things I want to do.  I think all the great players, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, those guys play tremendous defense.  …”

Was Green a below average defensive player in Boston before being traded to Minnesota earlier this summer?  “I don’t think so,” he said.  “I think I have a little bit of work to do.  That’s the one thing I am working every day on in the summer time, working on defense. …”

How effective of a scorer can he be with the Wolves? “Well, we’ll have to see,” he said.  “I averaged 10 .4 points last year.  I have gotten better in my mid-range (shot) and my ball handling has gotten a lot better but it still needs to be worked on. That’s one of the things we’ll have to wait until the season starts to find out.”

Green considers himself more of a shooting guard than a small forward but is comfortable with either position.  With several players on the roster able to play those positions, including No. 1 draft choice Corey Brewer and leading returning scorer Ricky Davis, Green will have lots of competition for playing time.

Coach Randy Wittman told Sports Headliners he isn’t locking any players, including guard Randy Foye and forward Al Jefferson, both potential stars, into starting positions just yet.  “They all have jobs,” Wittman said  “What that job is, they’re going to determine to me. “

With Green, the coach will know he has an athlete but he will have to learn whether he has a basketball player.