Author: David Shama

Talk that Brett Favre might quit if the Vikings season turned dismal was labeled “ridiculous” in the team’s locker room yesterday afternoon.

The Vikings won their first game of the season, moving the record to 1-2 with a 24-10 victory over Detroit.  In recent days media and fan speculation had a frustrated Favre calling it quits if the season was developing into a flop.

There’s been nothing magical about the 40-year-old quarterback’s Vikings experience so far this year.  His pass protection is sometimes absent and he’s been out of sync with receivers, obviously missing favorite target Sidney Rice who is injured.  He’s moving around on a troublesome left ankle and has thrown six interceptions in three games after having just seven throws picked off during that magical season of 2009.

“I think that’s a ridiculous assumption that a competitor like that would ever quit during the season,” linebacker Ben Leber said yesterday. “Glad to have a competitor like that on our team and be a leader on our offense.”

Watching close-ups of Favre yesterday showed how emotionally he’s committed to the Vikings and winning.  On a frustrating pass attempt, he might slam his hand to the turf in disappointment.  In the second half he had an angry yet supportive look on his face when he greeted Vikings defensive players leaving the field after a pushing and shove match with the Lions.

Vikings placekicker Ryan Longwell has been friends with Favre since their days several years ago playing in Green Bay for the Packers.  He said “you don’t even waste your time acknowledging” reports of an in-season Favre retirement.

Longwell understands the frustration with which Favre and other Vikings brought to the field yesterday prior to the game.  “Well, let’s not kid ourselves,” Longwell said. “0-2 is no fun for anybody whether you’re the kicker, the punter or the starting quarterback, or a 20 year vet.  I don’t know if people expected him to be doing cartwheels out there when you’re losing those two games. …His (Favre’s) excitement has been there all along.  It’s just more fun when you’re winning than it is when you’re losing.”

Longwell said Favre’s ankle is “holding together fine.”  The Vikings have a bye in the schedule and don’t play again until Monday, October 11 in game four of their 16 game schedule.  “…13 in a row coming back is going to be tough on everybody, especially him,” Longwell said.

Wide receiver and kickoff man Percy Harvin, troubled in the past by hip and headache problems, said after the game he was okay and felt no discomfort.

Vikings wide receiver Greg Camarillo had never returned punts until the Miami game a week ago Sunday.  The sure-handed Camarillo said his best time in the 40-yard dash was between 4.5 and 4.6.

Chris DeGeare, the Vikings’ rookie offensive tackle, not only works as a backup at both guard positions, but has been told to prepare at right tackle, too.

Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards is the legal guardian for nephew Dominic Edwards who has been playing for Chaska High School.  The young Edwards, 6-3, 210, is also a defensive end and being recruited by Akron, according to his uncle.

Former Vikings owner Billy Joe (Red) McCombs is worth $1.3 billion and ranks 308 on the Forbes list of wealthiest Americans.  https://www.forbes.com/

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said on his KSTP Radio show yesterday it’s “hard to think about how we’re going to be able to get something done now”…but “we’re wide open” regarding a possible return by first baseman Justin Morneau.  Gardenhire said Morneau is expected to continue taking batting practice at Target Field and rehab from his concussion while the Twins are on the road this week.

The Twins would love to have a healthy Morneau back for the playoffs under any circumstances, perhaps particularly now that injuries are bothering and even sidelining some players.  “But I think the big concern is just make sure we have him ready for spring training,” Gardenhire said on the radio.

Francisco Liriano, who will pitch the first Twins playoff game, has lost his last two starts after not losing a game from July 9 thru September 14.

KARE 11 sportscaster Randy Shaver, a prep football enthusiast who watches tape on about 36 teams per week, estimates about 90 percent of metro teams run a spread offense at least occasionally if not full time.

“We are the team to beat,” Michael Beasley says during an interview on NBA.com. The Wolves 21-year-old forward amended his prediction on the spot when he said that was his ego talking and acknowledged the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers are a better bet to win the 2011 NBA title, but certainly Beasley, 21, showed his swagger in his “we are the team to beat” statement. https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/video/2010/09/15/BeasSept15FINAlmov-1415893/index.html

Gopher basketball M man John Bell Wilson said Adam Boone has ended his pro career in Austria and is back in Minneapolis.  The ex-Gopher guard wants to work in sports administration, Wilson said.

Tubby’s Tipoff on Friday, October 15 starts at 10 p.m. and will provide Gophers fans their first look at coach Tubby Smith’s team.  The event at Williams Arena will include a scrimmage and dunk contest.

Minneapolis born and New Jersey Devils star Zach Parise was among the hockey celebrities at an NHL image making cocktail party hosted by Vanity Fair magazine earlier this month at New York’s Monkey Bar, according to The Fischler Report of September 21-27.  Attendees also included Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

All Big Ten teams begin playing conference games on Saturday and Minnesota, 1-3 after four nonconference games, is the only team in the league with a losing record.  It looks like Minnesota’s eight conference opponents will all be favored in games against the Gophers who before the season started were predicted to finish with an overall 2-10 record.

Ed Rauen, 75, has been covering Gophers football for KROC Radio in Rochester since 1973.  He had no broadcasting experience when he went on the air for KROC as a color man on Gopher football games in 1973.

Former Edina state tennis champion Whitney Taney has been elected a co-captain by her University of Michigan teammates.  Taney and Rika Tatsuno from California will be co-captains for the Wolverines who began their fall schedule last weekend. The two were 10-0 in doubles last season and ranked No. 4 nationally.  Taney, a senior and captain for the second consecutive season, has been selected to play in the ITA/Riviera Women’s All-American Championships next month.

J Robinson’s Gopher wrestling team is ranked No. 4 in WrestlingReport.com’s national preseason ratings.  Cornell is No. 1.   https://wrestlingreport.com/college/rank/ncaa_rank.htm

Robinson, 64, has worked for years without a multi-year contract but is negotiating a deal now with Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi.

Fans of NFL teams can become involved with “The Kick Hunger Challenge,” an online campaign led by Taste of the NFL. The idea is for fans from all 32 NFL teams to compete against each other to see who can raise the most money for food banks. The online-only campaign is an extension of the Taste of the NFL’s events that support hunger relief.  Fans who register at www.TasteoftheNFL.com can create their own fan page to forward to family and friends and “draft” them to make a financial donation and be part of the challenge.