Author: David Shama

Mark Parrish, an eight year NHL veteran in his first season with the Minnesota Wild, compares his new team with the two past Stanley Cup champions, Tampa Bay and Carolina.  Parrish admired the team unity, skating and work ethic of the Lightning and Hurricane.  “I see so many similarities between those teams and this team,” Parrish said.  “It makes me real excited to imagine what this team can do.” 

No NHL team started better than the Wild, 8-1 after the first nine games.  The team made good on the opportunity to play its first five games at home, winning all five, then winning two of three games on its first road trip and returning home to win again on Wednesday night.  Still, Parrish knows with so much winning comes a challenge, too. 

“One of the biggest things, especially when things are going well early on when we seem to be getting all the (right) bounces, is (that) almost a complacency starts to set in,” Parrish said on Tuesday. “A confidence that we don’t have to go out there and play the same hard working game that we have been playing the last eight games.  It’s important to remember how we won those games.  Yea, we have some more skill than they have had (here) in the past, but it’s still (necessary to have) that determined defensive minded Wild hockey.  We have to keep that mindset through 82 games.” 

Parrish said coach Jacques Lemaire works at keeping the team focused.  Parrish, 29, also said as one of the “older guys” on the team he has a responsibility to keep teammates “on board” (focused).

Despite missing the playoffs last season and high profile players Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss being long gone, the Vikings’ local TV popularity remains impressive.  For the first five Sunday games this season the Vikings are averaging a 30.5 rating, better than last year’s 28.8.  (A rating point is a percentage of households watching a particular program).  

The best rating among the Sunday games is a 35.1 against the Bears (27.4 in first Bear game in 2005).  The second best rating came last Sunday against Seattle, 33.7.   

With around 500,000 households watching each game, the Vikings blow away the TV popularity of other teams in town.  On Sunday, October 1 when the Twins were playing for the Central Division championship, they had an 11.8 rating compared with the Vikings’ 23.6 (Buffalo game).  The Twins’ audience did impact the Vikings’ rating because it was the lowest of the season and about six points below the second smallest rating. 

The Twins’ playoff games at the Metrodome had 9.2 and 10.8 ratings, while in Oakland the rating was 11.3.  The third game had a better rating because the telecast started later in the day and continued into early evening. 

Last Saturday’s Minnesota-North Dakota State football game produced a 4.5 rating (cable telecast).

About 1,000 tickets remain for the Timberwolves regular season opener on Wednesday, November 1 but president Chris Wright said the game will sell out. 

Timberwolves assistant coach Randy Wittman said he was interested earlier this year in returning to Indiana University as head coach to succeed Mike Davis.  Wittman, almost a legendary player at Indiana, said the school showed no interest in interviewing people with ties to the school. 

Minnesota’s homecoming game against Indiana on Saturday, November 4 (11 a.m. kickoff) will be shown on ESPN360, a broadband service available only through a computer and free to fans that receive high-speed broadband service through an ESPN-affiliated provider.  The Gophers’ season opening game at Kent State was also on ESPN360. 

Aaron Sickman, Minnesota Wild communications manager, estimated more Wild players (about 10) are living in Woodbury this season than any other area community.  Downtown Minneapolis is second, with seven or eight players.   

“Miracle on Ice” goalie Jim Craig, one of the stars of America’s 1980 gold medal winning Olympic team, will be the keynote speaker at the Herb Brooks Foundation’s benefit gala on Friday, November 3, at the RiverCentre Ballroom in St. Paul.  The foundation will provide funding for the Herb Brooks Training Center opening in January at the National Sports Center in Blaine.  Tickets to the gala (available through Saturday) can be purchased by calling Tracy Adams at 952-473-5580, or via e-mail, herbbrooksdream@mn.rr.com.   

Rich Decker, long time Minnesota high school basketball coach, hopes to be elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives next month.  He would represent District 29-B (Rochester). 

Condolences to the family of Don Dix, former public address announcer for the old St. Paul Saints baseball team.  Dix, 92, died last week and survivors include daughter Barbara Pfaender and husband Jay, a volunteer leader with the local section of the United States Tennis Association. 

Bethel University now has the MIAC career record holders for rushing yards and passing yards.  Phil Porta set the conference rushing record last Saturday when he increased his career MIAC total to 3,979.  In 2003 quarterback Scott Kirchoff set the conference record for career passing yards with 6,168.