Author: David Shama

You can listen to Vikings coach Brad Childress read his favorite poem tomorrow (The Bridge Builder by Will Allen Dromgoole) at the downtown Minneapolis Public Library.  Childress and other celebrities are at the library from noon to 1 p.m. in recognition of National Poetry Month.   

On Tuesday, November 27 Tubby Smith’s Gophers will play at Florida State as part of the ninth annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge.   The Gophers are 3-5 in the series.  Other challenge games next fall include Wisconsin-Duke and Ohio State-North Carolina.

Look for 24-year-old Glen Perkins, the Twins left-hander from Stillwater who recently was recalled from Rochester, to improve his breaking pitches as he gains more experience.

The new Twins ballpark, with a capacity of 40,000, will be one of the smallest in the major leagues.  Compared with current stadiums only two have smaller capacities, Boston and Pittsburgh. 

NHL phenom Sidney Crosby, who this spring became the first teenager in major sports history to win a scoring title, will be coming to Xcel Energy Center next season with his Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Penguins didn’t play here this year.

The Wild have five players who were on the roster of the 2003 team that played in the Stanley Cup playoffs:  Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Manny Fernandez, Marian Gaborik, Nick Schultz and Wes Walz.  

Mark the date:  the 36^th annual Tapemark Charity Pro-Am is June 8-10 at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul. Dave Tentis returns to defend his championship. He’s won four Tapemark titles. The field includes six-time Tapemark champion Don Berry and 2005 champ Tim Hegna. Since 1972, the event has raised and donated more than $5.5 million to non-profit agencies serving children and adults with developmental and learning disabilities.  The public is welcome at the tournament and admission is free. Golfers can still register at www.proam.mn.

Today’s column offers cereal and candy.  Huh?  Read on.

Wheaties Field is my name of choice for the new Twins stadium.  The ballpark named after the hometown cereal.  Wheaties: the “Breakfast of Champions.”  What name could be more appropriate?

The Twins should aspire to build on their legacy of success when the downtown stadium opens in 2010.  Their mission statement: Minnesota Twins, World Series champions.  Feed the boys Wheaties and watch them win.

The Twins are likely to expect a hefty rights fee and long term agreement for any stadium naming rights deal but General Mills and its famous cereal can benefit from more than hometown pride by stepping up to the plate.  The Twins and the stadium will be a cultural force in this marketplace via merchandising, advertising, promotion, news coverage and stadium events including 81 baseball games per year.  Only the bean counters and the Lord himself know how many times per year consumers will hear or read the name Wheaties Field. 

Why not include a Wheaties Hall of Champions in the stadium? Display all the famous athletes who have been on the Wheaties cereal boxes over the years.  The Wheaties name could be branded on the Twins’ youth clinics at the stadium and other sites.  Kids attending the clinics receive some good advice on nutrition and a free box of Wheaties.  And those Wheaties box tops could be good for half off admissions on Wheaties Days for kids and families. 

Let the whole country in on the wholesome theme with a Wheaties-scholar athlete program.  The winners receive college scholarships and a trip to Minneapolis where they attend a Twins game and are honored at a special General Mills luncheon attended by Twins stars. 

In the early years of the stadium the Twins are likely to host major league baseball’s all-star game.  Wheaties Field will be showcased across the country, just as it will be most summer nights on ESPN SportsCenter. 

Back in the 1930’s Wheaties had signage in Nicollet Park, home of the Minneapolis Millers.  Wheaties sponsored the Millers on radio broadcasts.   Wheaties can tie its local baseball past to even more prominent future branding if the new stadium is named Wheaties Field. 

If the Twins nix the idea of using any corporate name on the new facility, call the stadium Pohlad Park.  Carl Pohlad’s piggy bank has helped save the franchise and the elderly Twins owner deserves the honor. Please, no more politically correct names like Metropolitan Stadium, Met Center and Metrodome. Boring!  And by the way, not one of these facilities was ever financed by the seven county metro area.   

Now back to the candy topic.  How about a candy bar named after Joe Mauer?  I approached the subject playfully with the Twins’ hometown hero and received this response regarding possible interest in a bar made locally by Pearson’s Candy Company:  “Maybe.  I don’t know.  That’s the first I’ve heard about it. Yeah, definitely.” 

Mauer’s buddy, Justin Morneau, good naturedly endorsed the idea.  “Well, I am sure people will buy it,” he said.   

Would it be a best seller here?  “Joe can put his name on anything here and people will buy it,” Morneau answered.   

Neither Mauer or Morneau offered a name for the candy bar.  How about Pow-Mauer?

On a spectacular April evening the stars were visible in St. Paul but the Minnesota Wild’s goal scoring barely flickered.  Last night at the Xcel Energy Center the Wild’s power play came through on one of five attempts, producing a too little too late goal as Minnesota lost to Anaheim 2-1, falling behind 3-0 in the quarterfinal Stanley Cup series. 

A large crowd attended a pep rally in Rice Park before the game.  On hand were owner Bob Naegele, Jr., former Wild player Brad Bombardir, Senator Norm Coleman and St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman.  Bombardir predicted: “I think we’re gonna go two-for-three on the power play and a 4-2 victory.…” 

But the crowd inside the Xcel Energy Center never reached its noise making potential as the Wild fell behind 1-0 in the first period and couldn’t tie the game or take the lead.  Twins stars Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer were in attendance.  So, too, was Governor Tim Pawlenty.  Scoreboard TV shots of Morneau and Mauer excited the crowd.  Then Morneau urged the fans to roar louder and get on their feet.   

The Wild sold out their 273^rd game last night.  That includes every pre-season, regular season and playoff game in the Wild’s six year history.  The banner hanging in the arena saluting the fans is well deserved. 

At his post-game press conference coach Jacques Lemaire praised his team’s effort but was critical of the Wild’s ineffective power play, a troublesome trait throughout the series with Anaheim.  He has “good character” players and they will play “hard” again on Tuesday night in game four.  Those players, Lemaire admitted, are lacking confidence and somehow must find it to send the series back to Anaheim on Thursday.  In three games so far the Ducks have shut down Wild star Marian Gaborik and other point producers, holding Minnesota to four goals. 

An early and swift exit from the playoffs can only be characterized as disappointing but at least Minnesota will have some comfort in losing to a highly hyped Anaheim team.  In a Sports Illustrated NHL players poll predicting the Stanley Cup winner, Anaheim was the choice.  The Ducks received 33% of the votes, followed by Buffalo, 23%, Nashville, 15%, and Detroit, 10%.  San Jose, my pick, received 6.5%.