Author: David Shama

Creative Charters, the Stillwater based company that has hosted about 20,000 customers on sports trips since 1993, will again organize a trip to the Kentucky Derby in Louisville.   The 2007 derby is Saturday, May 5.  Creative Charters owner Steve Erban is a horse racing enthusiast.  He and other partners own horses that race at Canterbury Park.

Brad Johnson is one of three quarterbacks listed on the Vikings roster along with Brooks Bollinger and Tarvaris Jackson but the guess here is he won’t return.  Drew Henson is the only quarterback on the practice squad roster. 

Timberwolves assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg said the new rule in 2006 preventing players going from high school to the NBA makes scouting easier.  There is already plenty to do scouting college and international players without having to spend too much time looking at high school players. 

A year of watching a player in college might help avoid a mistake such as when the Timberwolves drafted Ndudi Ebi out of high school in 2003 and released him in 2005.  College certainly could have benefited Ebi.  “It would have taught him more about discipline,” Hoiberg said.  “It would have taught him defensive rules.  Basically when you’re taking a high school kid you’re betting on his athleticism and his upside.  And he had a lot of athleticism and he was a good shot blocker and he really got out and ran the court, but his basketball IQ probably would have shown up a little bit more if he had gone to college for a year.” 

“Wild About Children, An Evening of Fine Dining at Pazzaluna” last Sunday raised $93,000 for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the most money ever generated by the event.  Minnesota Wild players waited on tables filled with 200 guests at the sold-out event that included silent and live auctions. 

In 2006 the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) led NCAA Division III conferences in football attendance for the second straight season. The conference’s nine teams averaged 3,222 fans per game, a 204 per game increase over 2005. In 46 home games in 2006, the MIAC total attendance was 148,203 fans.

For the 10th time in 14 years Saint John’s University was first in Division III football attendance. Saint John’s averaged a school record 8,547 fans per game and had total attendance of 51,284 for six home games, an increase of 622 per game from 2005.  Wabash (Ind.) was second at 5,447 fans per game.

Timberwolves assistant coach Randy Wittman said the team “looked at trying to make something happen” to bring Allen Iverson here from Philadelphia before the 76ers traded him to Denver.   He thought the acquisition of the superstar guard could make the Wolves “pretty good” for the next few years.  Wittman told Sports Headliners the trade talks provided a learning experience for rookies Randy Foye (his name was included in media trade speculation) and Craig Smith. 

“Guys have to learn that’s the business,” Wittman said.  “I think it’s a good lesson for our two young rookies.  That’s what you have to deal with, distractions off the floor that you can’t let affect you.  Your name’s going to be there.   

“It won’t be the last time Randy Foye’s name is mentioned in a trade, I guarantee you. I told him that after the Iverson trade went down.  I said, ‘You can’t worry about what you read or hear.  All you can worry about is what you do when you come on the floor, and make sure that you have that in order. You can’t lose sleep over God, are they going to trade me or are they not going to trade me’? Because you are in the league and you’re going to be a hell of a player in this league and that’s all you really have got to concentrate on.” 

The Nuggets’ record is 4-8 since acquiring Iverson, a player who constantly has to shoot the ball and is seen as a distraction to winning by some A.I. watchers.  The Wolves are 9-3 in their last 12 games.

This town’s only opportunity to see Greg Oden as a college player could be Sunday at Williams Arena when he and his Ohio State teammates play the Gophers.  The NBA covets the 7-foot, 280-pound Oden because his potential indicates he may become Shaquille O’Neal’s successor as the most dominant center on the planet. 

Oden’s shot blocking and rebounding are eye-catching.  He encourages comparisons with a young Patrick Ewing because of their similar physiques and more limited offensive skills as college players.  Oden’s statistics include 15.3 points per game, 9.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. 

As always, stats tell only part of the story.  Oden has been a major contributor to Ohio State’s success of a 22-3 record and No. 2  national ranking.  Who knows how many shots he has changed or discouraged from being attempted because of his height, timing and long reach? 

Then, too, Oden’s emergence from high school to college has been slowed by an injury to his right wrist.  First, he missed part of the Buckeyes’ non-conference schedule and for most of the season had to shoot left handed (normally a right handed shooter). 

The NBA’s new policy in 2006 requiring players to be 19 years old and a year out of high school gave Oden no choice but to play college basketball for at least one year.  A source from Columbus said speculation has been Oden will play a second season at Ohio State but, of course, that’s just talk.  He may not want to risk further injury without the security of NBA millions.  It also wouldn’t be surprising if he’s somewhat frustrated by the college rules that allow lesser contact compared to the NBA and the resulting foul trouble that often has him on the bench. 

NBA draft followers know Oden and Kevin Durant of Texas will go one-two in the 2007 selections if those players are available.  Durant has  more impressive stats (24.9 points per game, 11.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks) but he’s a forward and not a franchise turning center like Oden.  New Englanders are already dreaming of a Boston Celtics (worst record in NBA) opportunity to draft Oden.