Author: David Shama

Michael Chang has fond memories of Minnesota but during an interview last week wasn’t ready to move back here despite a pitch from a sportswriter about the warm and sunny late summer weather.

“I think you need to tell me what the weather is like maybe a few more months down the road,” he said.  “Believe it or not, I really enjoyed it in Minnesota.  We lived in St. Paul until I was about seven years old.”

Chang enjoyed the outdoors here including fishing but the family realized his tennis development was limited by the Minnesota climate. “I think after awhile my mom was a little bit tired of shoveling snow at five o’clock in the morning just to get out, and we decided to pack up and move down to San Diego,” Chang said. “But we certainly did enjoy our time there.”

Chang is part of the 12-city Champions Series that makes a stop at Target Center on Friday night.  Eight tennis legends are competing in the series with the top three finishers sharing a bonus pool of $1 million.  The Minneapolis players will be Chang, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and John McEnroe. The other series players are Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Mats Wilander. 

Sampras won in two of three cities last week as the series began and he leads the field with 900 points, according to the series website.  Chang is tied for second with Courier at 500 points each.

The format in each city has the four players paired off in one-set semi-finals matches, followed by the winners contending for that evening’s championship in an eight-game pro-set match.

At 59 Connors is the oldest of the players, while Chang is the youngest at 39.  “As far as the level of tennis, I think we’re still able to play some great tennis,” Chang said.  “Just not able to sustain it I think from day to day, playing three, four, five tough matches, or playing three out of five set match.  But certainly in the Champions Series format, I think it fits us pretty well.”

Billed as the LeeAnn Chin Challenge here, newspaper ads have Chang’s opponent being the 52-year-old McEnroe.  The two have played against each other many times including in 1991 when Chang defeated McEnroe in a memorable match at the U.S. Open

“I think it’s special to play against John no matter where you play against him,” Chang said.  “But I think to have the opportunity to play against him in New York in a night match was something special.  Obviously it was great that I won the match, but to play him in his backyard with the New York crowd just going absolutely nuts was a lot of fun to be part of.”

Friday night may not be as memorable but Chang’s enthusiasm for tennis is still present.  “It’s important for me to go out there and play with a lot of heart…and play smart tennis,” he said.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill was coaching at Southern Illinois in 2005 when he collapsed from a seizure.  He recently told the Big Ten Network on its “Step Into My Office” show he was unconscious for about three days while in the hospital.  “I didn’t miss any games,” Kill said on the show.

Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said he expects Lamonte Edwards, who started playing linebacker last week in practice, will “definitely” be ready to play in the Purdue game a week from Saturday.  Edwards had focused on playing running back until last week.

The evolution of Marcus Sherels as a football player continued last Sunday.  The former Rochester athlete had to develop his career with the Gophers before being an undrafted rookie with the Vikings last year on the practice squad and participating in one game.  Sherels, who was a Gopher walk-on before becoming a starting cornerback, had a highlight day on Sunday that included a 53-yard punt return and a solid tackle on a Lions punt returner.  A reserve defensive back, Sherels had a 64-yard interception touchdown return in preseason this summer.

Vikings backup quarterback Joe Webb, who has college experience catching the ball, lined up for one play at receiver for the Vikings on Sunday.

The three most visible prep football prospects in the state who haven’t verbally committed to the Gophers are Eden Prairie offensive tackle Nick Davidson, Osseo tight end Will Johnson and Hopkins wide receiver Andre McDonald.  Gopherhole.com recruiting authority Chris Monter told Sports Headliners Johnson is the most likely of the three to become a Gophers commit, but no assurances on that happening.  Davidson has reportedly narrowed his list to a few schools but Minnesota isn’t included, while McDonald has verbally committed to Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt is historically the worst program in the SEC and a “graveyard” for coaches, but new coach James Franklin is making a splash in Nashville with his positive approach and results on the field.  The Commodores are 3-1 overall, 1-1 in the SEC, and their wins include a 30-7 victory over Mississippi that McDonald saw during his visit to Nashville earlier this month.

Detroit Lakes prep football coach Flint Motschenbacher earned career win No. 100 last week with a victory over Staples-Motley.  Motschenbacher’s record is 100-41.

Gophers basketball director of operations Joe Esposito said Minnesota’s upcoming nonconference schedule is the most difficult among Big Ten teams, according to RPI data.  Esposito said the Gophers continue to “entertain” the possibility of playing a high profile opponent in a nonconference game at Xcel Energy Center.

ESPN college basketball expert Andy Katz includes Minnesota among the college teams that could enjoy surprising success next season. He believes that except for Ohio State, the Gophers front line could be the Big Ten’s best.  (See ESPN.go.com September 16 story).

The Twins are the most likely of major league baseball’s last place division teams to have a big turnaround season in 2012, according to the September 26 issue of Sports Illustrated.  The magazine predicts that if Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are healthy and hitting, the Twins “have the best chance to go from cellar dweller to champagne popper.”

Only once in Twins history has the club not had a pitcher win at least 10 games in one season but that is likely to happen this year.  Team leaders Francisco Liriano and Brian Duensing have each won nine games but neither is scheduled to start before the season ends tomorrow night.  During the 1981 strike shortened season Pete Redfern was 9-8 for the Twins.

Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey has lost eight consecutive games, the longest club streak since Boof Bonser in 2007.

The Vikings should take a game plan to Kansas City next Sunday that includes providing rookie quarterback Christian Ponder an opportunity to play.

It probably makes the most sense to again start 34-year-old quarterback Donovan McNabb and ease Ponder in the game.  Let Ponder in the game by the second quarter, regardless of how McNabb is producing.

If McNabb is off to his best start in four games, at least let Ponder play for a series or two and gain regular season experience.  If McNabb is playing so-so − or even poorly − that’s more reason to put the rookie in the game.

Based on the first three games of the season, the offense needs more from the quarterback position than McNabb has produced.  He’s occasionally impressive and often mediocre, but what he’s clearly demonstrated is an inability to make the biggest of plays when needed the most.

Simply put, the 0-3 Vikings need a more productive playmaker at the quarterback position.  Can Ponder be the answer?  Well, he’s definitely considered the future and the heir to McNabb.  At least allow him an NFL introduction, even if it’s limited next Sunday in Kansas City against a Chiefs team that is also 0-3.

Yesterday the offense could produce only three second half points in a 26-23 overtime loss to Detroit.  The outcome might have been different if on a fourth and one early in the fourth quarter the Vikings could have gained one yard at the Detroit 17 yard line and added to their 20-17 lead.

Toby Gerhart was stopped for no gain and a crowd that urged the Vikings to decide against a field goal was left wondering if the right decision was made.  Conventional coaching wisdom probably was to take the points.

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen wasn’t about to second-guess in the locker room after the game. “You get that first down, now you’re going for the jugular,” he said.  “I like that kind of football.  I would put my paycheck saying that these guys can get one yard.”

For the third consecutive week the Vikings blew a half time lead, this time being up 20-0.  After the game players were frustrated just as they were after losing 17-7 and 17-0 leads the previous weeks.

“We’re trying to win games.  We have such a talented team,” Allen said. “We’re the best first half team in football.  Something doesn’t transfer over.  It ain’t a lack of effort.”

Allen had three sacks in the game and the Vikings other defensive end, Brian Robision, had two.  Robison, like Allen, said he didn’t have an explanation for the second half failures.

“We gotta figure it out,” Robison said.  “If we don’t, it’s going to be a long, long season.”