Author: David Shama

New Mexico State’s football team, which comes to Minneapolis to play the Gophers in a nonconference game next year, generated national publicity earlier this month when the Aggies defeated New Mexico.  Not only was it the Aggies’ first win of the season, but the victory came after flyers were distributed on campus “urging female students to refrain from having sex with members of the football team” until the team won a game, according to the October 18 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Look for the Twins to make a decision on free agent Jim Thome soon.  Despite being 40 years old, the power hitting designated hitter will have other bidders after hitting 25 home runs in 276 at bats last season.  It’s likely better than 50-50 Thome and the Twins will work out a deal.

Minor league center fielder Ben Revere probably won’t challenge Denard Span for his job next year, but he might in future years.  Conversation about Span sometimes questions his ability to effectively go backward on deep balls to the outfield fence.

The Timberwolves open their season tonight against Sacramento, a team that drafted Kentucky center DeMarcus Cousins right after Minnesota chose swingman Wesley Johnson in last June’s NBA draft.  The pick was second-guessed but Cousins has to prove his work ethic can approach his considerable ability.  Cousins averaged 14.3 points and eight rebounds during pre-season.  Johnson, who averaged 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds, is athletic and appears willing to learn.

The Wolves and Kings are predicted to be two of the worst teams in the league again this year.  They figure to be competing for lottery picks in 2011, despite 6-2 and 3-4    pre-season records.  NBA exhibition records are usually inaccurate predictors of what’s to come in the regular season.

A side story for local NBA fans will be the performance of former Wolves’ star Al Jefferson, now in Utah.  He will play defense and execute the famous Jazz pick and roll for taskmaster coach Jerry Sloan or he will see the bench more often than he wants.

The Minnesota State High School League has a new offering called Student Sports Information Directors.  The program provides opportunities to learn about journalism and publicize school activities.  Student-produced stories will appear on the MSHSL website.  See Student SID at www.mshsl.org.

Winona State is the NSIC men’s basketball preseason favorite, according to a vote by league coaches.  The Warriors, last year’s NSIC Tournament champions and NCAA national semifinalists, have been the preseason choice four of the last six years.  They return four starters and 12 letter winners from last season’s team.  The top five conference favorites are Winona State, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, Augustana and University of Mary,

St. Cloud State senior guard Taylor Witt is the Preseason Player of the Year.  He averaged 16.7 points per game last season and scored a career high 43 points in an NCAA tournament game.

Vikings coach Brad Childress was fuming about the officiating following last night’s bitter 28-24 loss in Green Bay to the Packers.  In a tense Central Division game the Vikings moved two games under .500 at 2-4 while the Packers record went to 4-3, and afterward Childress was angry during his post-game interview on KFAN Radio.

Trailing 28-24 in the last minute of the game the Vikings had a first down at the Green Bay 15-yard line after Adrian Peterson ran 20 yards on a pass from quarterback Brett Favre.  On first down tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was called for a false start five-yard penalty.  With first and 15 an official called a face mask penalty on right tackle Phil Loadholt.

The Vikings were looking at first and 30 from their 35 yard line, and Childress was livid about the penalty on Loadholt.  “The guy (the umpire) hadn’t called a penalty all night long,” Childress said on KFAN.  “And then I don’t know if he got religion or what happened. …And now we’re gonna get a face mask. Come on now. Come on.”

Childress said the game “was the worst officiated game” he’s seen.  He also said one official came over and apologized to him for not calling Green Bay left tackle Chad Clifton for holding.  “Holding his tail off,” Childress said.

It was a night of misfortune for the Vikings.  In the first half TV pictures appeared to show that Packers tight end Andrew Quarless didn’t have both feet in bounds in the end zone but the officials ruled he scored a touchdown on a nine yard reception.

Perhaps the most controversial call of the night came in the second quarter.  Shiancoe appeared to make a diving catch for a touchdown but after looking at the replay the officials ruled the Vikings tight end didn’t have possession of the ball.  Instead of seven points, the Vikings later settled for three on a field goal to go ahead 17-14, and lost a very meaningful four points.

The officials did correctly rule that Percy Harvin had only one foot in the end zone on a 35-yard pass from Favre after the penalty on Loadholt.  The catch would have been a miracle ending to a game where Favre was trying to change from flop to hero.

The former Packers quarterback threw three interceptions in the second half.  One of those INT’s was by Desmond Bishop who ran 32 yards to score late in the third quarter.  The Packers went ahead 28-24.

In the second half Favre re-injured his left ankle.  A limping Favre tried to battle through the closing minutes and help produce a win but the game ended with frustration, a word that describes his season so far and that of a Vikings team that last year was within one play of making the Super Bowl.

Favre’s troubles include a bad ankle, sore arm and an investigation by the NFL regarding alleged texts and pictures to Jenn Sterger when both she and Favre were with the Jets.  After last night a national TV audience was pondering whether Favre can recover both on the field and off.

With a game in New England next Sunday against the 5-1 Patriots, the Vikings have to be wondering not only about their quarterback but whether they can send their season into comeback mode too.

Neither Favre nor his teammates will have to wait long for some answers.

The Gophers now have an agreement to work with a search agency to assist in identifying candidates for the football coaching position, according to athletic director Joel Maturi.  He said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle yesterday he will work with Parker Executive Search of Atlanta.

A national search firm acts as a middleman between a school and either a coach or his representatives.  In the early phases of communications it can be helpful to both sides to have the search firm making contacts.

The Parker agency will help Maturi fill the opening created when football coach Tim Brewster was fired last week.  Maturi is expected to make the final choice for the new coach but the input of the search firm could be significant.  President Bob Bruininks and others who work for the University of Minnesota are also expected to advise Maturi.

Parker was involved with Tubby Smith becoming the Gophers basketball coach in 2007 and it’s obvious Maturi has confidence in the agency.  The firm’s website says Parker specializes in searches for colleges and universities, both on the academic and athletic sides.  https://www.parkersearch.com/dan_parker.html

The new Gophers football coach could arrive on campus before Minnesota ends its season on November 27.  College football vacancies are usually filled in December.  The Gophers might not have someone working in Dinkytown until December but an early arrival date wouldn’t be surprising.

It’s not historic but is unusual for a major college football program to be searching for a coach in October instead of November or December.  That gives Maturi a head start in identifying candidates, and names will include unemployed coaches who could be available for work immediately.

Hiring a Gophers head coach within the next few weeks would provide more time to recruit and pull together a solid freshman group for 2011.  Minnesota was caught in a bad spot after firing Glen Mason on January 1 of 2007.  By the time Brewster was hired a couple weeks later the recruiting window was nearly closed.

The timing of firing Mason was bad, too, because the candidates pool for his successor had really been picked over.  This time around the Gophers are at the front of the search line and could decide a former coach is the best hire.

Hiring from among the unemployed may save Maturi from having to deal with current coaches who send mixed messages.  A coach at a top 25 school may tell Maturi they want the Gophers job but that Maturi must wait until the regular season or even post season ends.  Guess what?  Even if the coach is sincere, he may change his mind.

Former head coaches like Phil Fulmer of Tennessee and Mike Bellotti from Oregon have been mentioned as possibilities for the Gophers job.  Someone like that would provide timing assurances that a present coach cannot, but the vote from here is that’s not a good enough reason to hire from the unemployed.

The mission is this: set the criteria Ski-U-Mah high and make sure you hire a great coach.  Even if you find him under Goldy’s Christmas tree.