Author: David Shama

Following yesterday’s win over Oakland and series sweep, the Twins are now a season high six games over .500.  Justin Morneau has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, batting .395 (17-43) with nine runs, two doubles, five homers and 15 RBI in that span.  The Twins drew 134,348 total fans during the Oakland series, an average of 33,587 per game.

An ostrich race and also a camel race will be part of Canterbury Park’s first Extreme Race Day presented by SPAM on Sunday afternoon.  Various horse races featuring something out of the ordinary will be staged including a horse racing first, “The Battle of the Surfaces.” The race will feature as many as 20 horses competing against each other at 1 and 1/16^th miles on the turf and the dirt simultaneously. Wagering isn’t allowed on the camel and ostrich races. 

Sporting News gave its opinions on which NFL training camps will be the most grueling using a 1-5 scale, with five “being boot camp.”  The Lions received a five, the Vikings a four, Packers a two and the Bears a one.

Gopher athletic director Joel Maturi wrote via e-mail that a magazine report that Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis was offered the Minnesota football job last winter isn’t accurate. Maturi wrote that Tim Brewster was the only person offered the position as head coach. 

The Gophers, for the first time since they went to Alexandria in the 1970’s, will practice off campus when they open their pre-season practice at Saint John’s in Collegeville next month. Here’s Brewster talking about the upcoming six days at Saint John’s:   “This will be a wonderful opportunity for our football team to spend time and come together as a family on one of the great college campuses in the country. It also will be a special honor for us to practice where the winningest head coach in college football history resides in the legendary coach John Gagliardi.”   

Gopher basketball coach Tubby Smith will be the grand marshal in Wednesday night’s Aquatennial Torchlight Parade.

President and general manager Doug Risebrough today announced the Minnesota Wild has re-signed right wing Matt Foy, defenseman Erik Reitz, right wing Aaron Voros and right wing Joel Ward to 2007-08 contracts.  All four played at the Wild’s Houston farm team last year.

Let’s get positive.   When I need a better perspective on the Gophers there’s only one man to turn to for help.  New coach Tim Brewster is 24-7 intent on building a great future for Gopher football.  No reports of pessimistic prognostications can slow his enthusiasm and determination.   

I plopped down on the couch in Brewster’s office and asked for relief from the doom and gloomers.  “As I’ve told you before, I think that’s tremendous fuel for our fire,” Brewster counseled. “Our football team, I think, thinks they’re better than that.  I think they’re better than that. They were a bowl team last year.  There’s no reason for us to be in the bottom of the Big Ten and I certainly think our guys, when the dust settles, won’t be.” 

What about the inexperienced quarterbacks and offense not being able to execute?  “There’s a process that we’re growing through offensively,” Brewster said.  “But I think whoever we decide is going to be the starting quarterback for us will be a winning quarterback for us.  He will be a winner and, hey, we’re evolving as an offense, we’re evolving as a defense.  But I think we think we will be a very good football team September the first against Bowling Green.” 

Where will the Gophers finish? “Well, obviously our goal is to win the Big Ten championship,” Brewster answered.  “That is our stated goal.  That will be the goal every day of every year I am here, is to win the Big Ten championship.  Is that possible?  Certainly it’s possible.  Without question in my mind, I believe 100 percent (that) if these kids get close enough, if they get committed enough to each other, buy into blind loyalty to this program we can win a Big Ten championship this year.” 

So take that, Street and Smith’s, Athlon, Sporting News, and all the rest of you magazines! (Oh, and go Iowa on September 22 against Wisconsin!)

The Sporting News college football magazine lists incoming Gopher frosh Harold Howell as one of its four “newcomers to watch” in the Big Ten Conference.  The speedster from Florida is a potential big time play maker for the Gophers as a return man and wide receiver. 

When the Gophers open their new on-campus football stadium in 2009 they will have the newest stadium in the Big Ten Conference.  The Metrodome is the newest stadium currently. Indiana’s Memorial Stadium, opened in 1960, is the second newest. 

Local dentist Dr. John Williams reports that approximately 35 of his former teammates from the 1967 football Gophers will be in Canton, Ohio on August 4 to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the team’s Big Ten Conference championship and see Charlie Sanders inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Sanders, who enjoyed an outstanding pro career as a tight end with Detroit, played wide receiver, tight end and defensive end for the Gophers from 1965-1967.  Williams said ex-Gophers headed to the celebration include Bob Stein, former all-America defensive end and Minnesota Timberwolves president, and McKinley Boston, former defensive tackle and Gopher athletic director. 

Long shot:  undrafted Minneapolis native Kammron Taylor is trying to make the NBA by first impressing as a member of the Timberwolves summer league team playing in Las Vegas.  Although he was a point guard in college at Wisconsin, he averaged more rebounds per game than assists.  His career averages: 10 points per game, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.  Senior year averages: 13.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He made a team best 68 three-pointers. 

Long balls: Kevin Slowey, demoted to the minors last week, gave up 13 home runs in just 37 innings while pitching for the Twins.  His record: 3-0, with a 5.84 ERA.   

Any future pro tennis exhibition in this area should include Rochester native and former Gustavus Adolphus star Eric Butorac.  Ticket buyers from Rochester and St. Peter will help boost sales for a tennis card that would still need a headliner other than Butorac who is making a name for himself in doubles.  He and partner James Murray made it to the third round at Wimbledon last week.