Author: David Shama

There will be no more NFL comebacks for quarterback Brett Favre, according to his close friend Ryan Longwell, the Vikings placekicker.

Favre has had the public in never say never mode since leaving the Green Bay Packers after the 2007 season.  The offseason drama reached a peak last August when Longwell was part of a Vikings group who travelled to Favre’s home in Mississippi asking him to play a second season for the Vikings rather than retire again.

Longwell, Favre, and their wives have been friends for years.  The two played together in Green Bay and with the Vikings including the memorable 2009 season when Favre threw 33 touchdown passes, only seven interceptions and had a career high 107.2 passer rating.  The 12-4 regular season Vikings were within a couple plays of making it to the Super Bowl.

The NFL season opens in a few days but Longwell told Sports Headliners not to expect Favre to play the hero for an NFL team in need of last minute quarterback help.  “No,” Longwell said. “Not one ounce of one percent.  No chance.”

Last winter Favre and wife Deanna left their home in Mississippi to visit Longwell and his wife Sarah near Orlando.  The two men “talked a lot,” although they didn’t play golf as they often do.

Longwell said his former teammate, who turns 42 next month, has made a “good transition into life after football.”  Favre is happy being at home in Mississippi.

“He’s great,” Longwell said. “He’s at peace.  He’s at home, enjoying the ranch, enjoying his family like he should.”

How does Favre feel about his time with the Vikings including last season’s difficult 6-10 season?  “I think he’s very proud of them (those two seasons),” Longwell answered. “He should be.  He played the best quarterback in the NFL two years ago in ‘09.  There was no one better, and then last year there were a lot of extenuating things that it didn’t matter if you were the quarterback or the kicker, you had little control over them.  It was different here last year, but he valued his time and was very proud of what he did for two years because he played amazingly well.”

Among the Vikings’ struggles last year were Favre’s injuries.  He had 11 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions with a 69.9 passer rating.

Longwell was asked if the punishment of all those NFL seasons has left Favre with a particular physical malady.  “Yeah, I mean everything.  Nothing in particular,” Longwell said. “Just banged up from playing that position for 20 years in the NFL.”

New Mexico State didn’t justify Boston’s optimism for the opening game, losing at home to Ohio 44-24.  The Aggies defense gave up 245 yards rushing to an Ohio team expected to be a MAC East Division title contender.  The Aggies were 2-10 last season.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill said at his weekly news conference today that Saturday’s game against USC showed that both starter MarQueis Gray and his backup, Max Shortell, are “capable of playing.”  Gray, a junior, remains the starter but Kill was asked if there is a quarterback controversy following Saturday’s strong relief performance by Shortell, a freshman.  “No, I don’t think so,” Kill said.

Kill said linebacker Brendan Beal won’t play next Saturday against New Mexico State because of a lingering knee injury.  It might be weeks before the sophomore plays again.  Another sophomore linebacker, Aaron Hill, is “questionable” for Saturday because of a hamstring injury, according to Kill.

The coach said he may continue to use running back Lamonte Edwards in pass rushing situations as was done at USC last week.

Ryan Longwell ranks 14^th all-time in NFL field goals with 339.  The Vikings kicker is 15^th in points, 1,583.

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, who Sports Illustrated lists as a leading candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, was recruited by ACC schools for basketball while in high school in Cincinnati.

Vikings defensive tackle Letroy Guion is an avid outdoorsman and aspires to be a game warden after his football career.

Don’t be surprised if the NBA players union caves in its labor dispute with ownership.  Are there too many players who need their regular paychecks for the union to delay the start of the season?

Twins infielder-outfielder Trevor Plouffe has committed six errors this season, five at shortstop, one at second base.

The Twins, who had one hit in a 4-0 loss to the White Sox last night, have scored only 21 runs in their last 10 home games.  Eleven of the runs came in one game (Detroit, August 28).

The Northwoods League set a new attendance record for summer college baseball this year with a total of 901,652.  Northwoods alumni have joined major league rosters in recent weeks including Minnesota native Steve Edlefsen, now a pitcher with San Francisco.  Edlefsen played high school baseball for Bloomington Jefferson.

Although media and fans may believe otherwise, Lane Kiffin wasn’t a finalist for the Gophers job after Glen Mason was fired on December 31, 2006.

Kiffin, then 31 and USC’s much acclaimed national championship offensive coordinator, was an intriguing candidate despite his age.  The former Bloomington Jefferson athlete had lived in Minnesota when his well-travelled coaching dad, Monte, was an assistant with the Vikings.

Becoming head coach of the Gophers would have been not only a homecoming but a first opportunity for young Kiffin to show what he might achieve as a football boss.  Kiffin had an extraordinary reputation for recruiting and college football observers were curious to see what he could do on his own, without the resources of USC and assistance of Trojans head coach Pete Carroll providing him support.

There were media reports in January of 2007 that Minnesota was close to hiring the personable Kiffin.  That wasn’t correct and although Kiffin was considered by Minnesota, he was never a finalist for the job that went to Tim Brewster.

Who knows what the record would show if Kiffin had been hired as Gophers coach?  He would have faced pressure to succeed here, but he’s also under scrutiny at USC — perhaps more than anyone could have imagined almost five years ago.

The Trojans are on NCAA probation for violations that occurred when Kiffin was at USC as an assistant coach.  Although Kiffin isn’t blamed for the violations, he did have NCAA rules violations (characterized as “minor”) while being head coach at Tennessee.

With the Trojans already facing a ban on post-season play and reduction in scholarships, the scrutiny on Kiffin and the program has to be serious.  The program can’t have additional problems.

Mike Garrett, the athletic director who hired Kiffin, has been replaced by Pat Haden, a former national championship USC quarterback and lawyer.  Haden has long been an advisor to the school and the new athletic director made his intentions known over a year ago when he was hired.

“We want to compete ferociously — but do it ethically and within the rules,” Haden said in a story posted online in July of 2010 by USC News.  “We want to have the best compliance program in the country.”

Don’t think Kiffin, though, isn’t facing pressure to win during the probation period that ends in 2014.  The fan base, accustomed to routinely winning conference titles and competing for national championships, is demanding.  The L.A. media pays a lot of attention to Trojans football, too.

Kiffin would have faced a difficult job as Gophers coach but being boss at USC is no stroll on the beach right now either.