Author: David Shama

Looks like Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak will be enjoying hot sauces after winning a bet with Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon.  The Lynx eliminated Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals to move on to the WNBA Finals starting next Sunday at Target Center.  The Lynx will play either Atlanta or Indiana in a best of five series with all games telecast on ESPN2.

Sporting News Magazine’s list of the top 100 NFL players in the September 26 issue won’t make Vikings fans do cartwheels.  In its annual ratings of players the publication has nine Packers ─ more than any other NFL team ─ and includes four players with Vikings-ties among “ten of the most notable” players who were dropped from last year’s list.

Those four are ex-Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and three players on the 2011 roster, guard Steve Hutchinson, quarterback Donovan McNabb and defensive tackle Kevin Williams.  The Packers include quarterback Aaron Rodgers, ranked No. 1 on the 100 player list.

The Vikings have four players in the top 100 including running back Adrian Peterson, rated No. 9.  The others are wide receiver-kick returner Percy Harvin at No. 70, defensive end Jared Allen, No. 71, and cornerback Antoine Winfield, No. 86.

Teams with the most players after the Packers were the Ravens and Steelers with seven each, Eagles and Patriots at six, and Cowboys and Falcons with five.  The Vikings and five others teams had four each, while NFC North rivals the Bears and Lions had three and two players respectively in the top 100.

It was 60 years ago this month that Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin threw for 554 yards in one game, still an NFL record.  Van Brocklin later became the first coach of the Vikings.

Vikings running back Toby Gerhart likes to fish when he has recreational time.  He told Sports Headliners he has caught some “nice bass and northerns” at Eden Prairie’s Bryant Lake.

Vikings safety Husain Abdullah visits son Jalaal’s pre-kindergarten class on Tuesdays to read to him.

Here are the Sports Headliners weekly rankings of Big Ten Football teams: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Minnesota and Indiana.

Rivals.com doesn’t include the Gophers when listing the top 50 2012 football recruiting classes.  Michigan, at No. 3, is the only Big Ten school in the top 10, while Penn State, No. 14, is the other Big Ten program in the top 20.  Among Big Ten schools, the Gophers ranked last.

Jackson Brett, son of baseball hall of famer George Brett, is a freshman football player at the University of St. Thomas.  The 6-2, 255-pound Kansas native is listed as a long snapper on the Tommies online roster.

The Internet has numerous stories about former Hopkins basketball star Kris Humphries being recruited by Kansas but rejected because Jayhawks players told coach Roy Williams they didn’t like him.  The subject of Humphries recruitment has come up because of a new book about Kansas basketball, Beyond the Phog.

The 12-city tennis Champions Series that includes Minneapolis this Friday night at Target Center started last week with stops in Fort Lauderdale, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.  Pete Sampras won in two of the three cities last week and leads the field of players with 900 points, according to the series website.  Seven tennis legends are competing in the series with the top three finishers sharing a bonus pool of $1 million.  The Minneapolis players will be Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.  Tickets starting at $35 are still available. www.championsseriestennis.com

Local broadcaster Eric Nelson is part of a group that already has nine radio affiliates using the services of Game Day Gold to receive sports coverage.  www.gamedaygold.com

“Is McNabb done?”

That was the TV headline on Fox’s national pregame show about 30 minutes before Donovan McNabb and the Vikings took the field last week to play the Bucs at Mall of America Field. The 34-year-old quarterback had been a lightning rod for criticism following the September 11 opening loss to the Chargers, throwing for only 39 yards.

The Profootballtalk website headlined this story: “McNabb a major disappointment in Vikings debut.”  The article said he “deserves most of the blame for the Vikings’ 24-17 loss to the Chargers.”

Because McNabb plays the most visible position on the team he’s obviously an easy target for media and fan criticism.  McNabb had better stats last Sunday, completing 18 of 30 passes for 228 passes, but he threw no touchdown passes and the Vikings lost another game, 24-20 to the Bucs.  That made him a subject for criticism by fans following the Vikings second consecutive regular season loss.

Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton, who now hosts an NFL show on Sirius XM, was asked if McNabb, a 13-year veteran with his third pro team, is still effective.  “Absolutely.  I think he’s got a lot of good football left in him,” Dalton said.

Dalton said McNabb is a “great athlete” but admitted that at McNabb’s age there is a surprising element about him.  “One thing I didn’t think he had was as much juice in his legs,” Dalton said.  “I knew he was a powerful thrower and a savvy quarterback.”

McNabb, who has rushed for 44 yards in two games, looked better last week passing, particularly in the first half, when the Vikings dominated possession time and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave had the Bucs off balance with his play selection.   No, McNabb isn’t an NFL elite quarterback anymore but has enough physical skills and experience to help the Vikings win games.

Yes, a more dynamic playmaker could consistently lift the team beyond what it’s otherwise capable of doing.  But McNabb can still make a lot of plays, and with two quarterbacks behind him on the roster with almost no NFL experience, he’s the best the Vikings have for now.