Author: David Shama

Vikings rookie guard Chris DeGeare plans to vacation soon with his fiancé in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Politicians have been against the legislative approval of slot machines at Canterbury Park and Running Aces on the argument they’re opposed to the expansion of gambling.  With Native American operated casinos, gambling at two area race tracks, pull-tabs at bars and lottery tickets for sale at stores, gambling is already well established in the state.  This year may provide the best possibility yet for approval of slots at Canterbury and Running Aces, with a possible tie to funding a Vikings stadium.

The second episode of the FOX Sports North series “Unscripted: Coaches/Manager” airs Thursday night at 9 p.m.  The series provides conversations with Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis, Wild head Todd Richards and Gophers basketball coach Tubby Smith.  The final episode airs Saturday at 9 p.m.

The Twins relief pitching will look different without late inning specialists Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier but don’t expect the front office to spend big money to replace them.  The seventh inning specialist could be Jose Mijares, with Matt Capps in the eighth and Joe Nathan in the ninth.  The Twins have to be hoping former contributors Pat Neshek and Glen Perkins can pitch in 2011 with the efficiency they showed a few years ago.  Both could help in bullpen roles.

General manager Bill Smith said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle on Sunday that the best news about first baseman Justin Morneau is doctors have told him to “work through” any concussion symptoms.

Tracy Claeys, the Gophers new defensive coordinator, will be the speaker at the C.O.R.E.S luncheon on Thursday, January 13.  Gophers broadcaster Dave Mona will introduce Claeys.  C.O.R.E.S members can make reservations by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.  C.O.R.E.S is an acronym for coaches, officials, educators, reporters and sports fans.

The Senior Bowl, to be played January 29 in Mobile, Alabama, has announced a partial roster for the game including four quarterbacks, TCU’s Andy Dalton, Alabama’s Greg McElroy, Florida State’s Christian Ponder and Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi.  No Gophers are expected to be chosen for the game which is a scouting showcase for the NFL.

Leslie Frazier is expected to soon have the “interim” removed from his title, according to multiple media reports today.  The announcement that Frazier will become the Vikings 2011 head coach is speculated to come tomorrow or later this week, and it’s expected to receive applause from the players.

Wide receiver Greg Camarillo was asked late last week by Sports Headliners how a secret locker room ballot about Frazier would turn out.  “Everybody likes him,” Camarillo answered.  “Obviously personnel decisions, coaching decisions are made from up top.  But I don’t know a person in this locker room that wouldn’t want to play for coach Frazier. He’s definitely got the future as a head coach.”

Frazier was the Vikings defensive coordinator before taking over as the interim boss when head coach Brad Childress was fired following an embarrassing home game loss to the Packers, leaving the team with a 3-7 record, reports of a divisive locker room, and a long way from looking like a Super Bowl contender.  In the past Frazier was considered for head coaching jobs in the NFL but had always been rejected so the interim tag moved him closer to his career ambition.

“I think we all want him to get the job,” Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell said last week.  “Bigger than that we all want him to get a job.  We feel that he deserves to be a head coach in this league.  You hope it’s here but it’s not our decision to make.  We just know that he deserves to be a head coach.”

The Vikings were 3-3 under Frazier, including a 20-13 loss to the Lions today that left the Vikings with a 6-10 record and a last place finish in the NFC North.  The previous six games were impacted by difficult challenges including too many injuries to key personnel and weather driven decisions that impacted where and when games would be played.

“He’s had more curve balls thrown at him and he’s kept everybody going in the right direction…and going the same way,” Longwell said. “And not enough has been said about what an amazing job that has been, just keeping guys going in the right direction.  You name it.  We’ve seen it and then some this last month.  I think a lot of the credit of the direction of the team goes to him.”

Camarillo said Frazier respects the players and they’ve returned that respect to him.  Frazier’s calm, steady and positive approach has been well received by a veteran group that Camarillo said wouldn’t react favorably to a yelling and screaming leader.

“He sets a level of expectations and then puts it on the veterans to achieve those expectations,” Camarillo said.  “In the NFL you can yell and scream all you want, but we’re all professionals.”

What has Frazier meant to the team the last six weeks?  “A lot,” Camarillo said.  “He brought a new energy.  Kind of a new start to a season.  A new mentality.  After that rough first part of the season, we needed that to refocus and play the rest of the season as hard as we have, as dedicated as we have.”

In 2011 we may see what Frazier can do with 16 weeks.

Heroes are remarkable and tragic. Brett Favre reminded us of that during his two-year stop with the Vikings.

Favre’s NFL career presumably ended today as he watched the Vikings and Lions from the sidelines.  At 41, with a body of hurts and a head vulnerable to concussions, it’s time to permanently camp out on the ranch in Mississippi.

Favre’s life has been filled with demons but those won’t be recounted here.  Years ago Mickey Mantle captured the nation’s adulation, and if not for his injuries and alcoholism he might have been the greatest baseball player of all-time.  In the new millennium Tiger Woods’ ride to golf immortality has been slowed by his own undoing.

The greatest of heroes are human, too, and flawed like everyone else.  But oh how their performances on the playing fields can leave us awestruck and inspired.

For a long time no one in this town had reason to believe Favre would play for the Vikings.  But he showed up here in 2009 and at age 40 had one of his greatest seasons ever.  His passer rating was a very impressive 107.2, his best since entering the NFL in 1991.  He threw 33 touchdown passes and a career low seven interceptions.  No. 4 had the best season ever by a Vikings quarterback.

Favre, playing the most important position on the field, transformed the Vikings into an elite NFL team.  He resolved a quarterback mess where the always available Tarvaris Jackson and newcomer Sage Rosenfels weren’t good enough to make the Vikings special.  The truth is Favre was not only better during the magical 2009 season than any Vikings quarterback past or present, he was superior to his All-Pro teammates including running back Adrian Peterson and defensive end Jared Allen.

It was more than having a great arm and someone who could locate his receiver options, from first to last.  It was like having a coach on the field.  Favre didn’t just out pass the opposition, he dissected them with his football IQ and his arm.