Author: David Shama

Interest in Deanna Favre’s 2007 book “Don’t Bet Against Me” has increased during the last several days.  Web sites report the book includes references to past struggles in her relationship with husband Brett, the Vikings quarterback.

The 41-year-old Favre, who has been dealing with pain in his right elbow, has thrown for more than 70,000 career yards.  He has 30 touchdown passes since his 40^th birthday.  In NFL history only Warren Moon, with 37 touchdown passes, has thrown more touchdown passes among players 40 or older.

Running back Adrian Peterson needs 36 more yards on Sunday against Dallas to total 5,000 for his career.  If he does, it will have taken only 51 games to reach 5,000.

Former Vikings quarterback Wade Wilson is the Dallas quarterbacks coach.  Ray Sherman, the ex-Vikings assistant coach, is the Dallas wide receivers coach.  Former Gopher Marion Barber now with the Cowboys has rushed for only 144 yards on 42 carries in four games.  During preseason he saw limited time, too, gaining 23 yards on 12 rushing attempts.

Former Cretin-Derham Hall prep All-American Seantrel Henderson has been starting for Miami as a freshman offensive tackle.

It appeared earlier in the week that a hip flexor injury might prevent Eric Ellestad from kicking extra points and field goals tomorrow when the Gophers play at Purdue.

Troy Stoudermire, a wide receiver earlier in the season, is likely to play as a defensive back tomorrow after a couple weeks of preparation.

Gophers linebacker Ryan Grant talks occasionally with his grandfather Bud Grant but the legendary coach doesn’t attend his games regularly.  Ryan’s dad, Eden Prairie coach Mike, is among a group of “eight to 10” family members who watch him play at TCF Bank Stadium.

Ryan said he often sees his grandfather at family gatherings.  “He has a lot of wisdom about him,” Ryan said.  “If you ever need advice he’s always got something good to say.  He understands things, looks at things a little different than most people do. ..”

The October 11 issue of Sporting News Magazine rates Minneapolis-St. Paul No. 13 among best sports cities.  Chicago is No. 1.

Anticipation is building for the Bethel at St. Thomas game a week from Saturday.  Bethel, 5-0, and St. Thomas, 6-0, are nationally ranked and favorites to win the MIAC.  St. Thomas is at Hamline tomorrow while Bethel plays at home against Gustavus.

Bethel senior linebacker Ross Petterson is the MIAC defensive player of the week after seven tackles and a 28-yard interception for a touchdown helped the Royals defeat Saint John’s last Saturday.  Garrett Engelhardt of St. Thomas is the special teams player of the week for his performance when the Tommies defeated Augsburg.  His blocked punt was a momentum changer on Saturday.  Freshman running back Jeffrey Dubose is the offensive player of the week after gaining 202 yards in Gustavus’ win over Hamline including an 85-yard touchdown run.

You won’t have to wait for future years to see Nebraska at TCF Bank Stadium. The University of Minnesota rugby club hosts Nebraska at the stadium tomorrow afternoon.  More at www.gopherrugby.com

Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton believes there is a “scenario” in which quarterback Brett Favre returns to play another season for Minnesota.

Favre, who turns 41 Sunday, indicated in August this will be his last season in the NFL.  He struggled to make a decision about playing during the off-season but his competitiveness made him return to a team that was a couple of plays away from making the Super Bowl.

“Will he play or not?”  That’s become an annual question in recent years, first with the Packers and now with the Vikings.  The Vikings, with a disappointing 1-2 record, have 13 regular season games remaining and then presumably the playoffs, too, before we know better what Favre’s future will be.  But Dalton, who follows the NFL closely and hosts a show on Sirius Satellite Radio, told Sports Headliners don’t believe No. 4 is for certain finished wearing purple after this year.

“There’s probably three different types of scenarios,” Dalton said.  “Two of the three, I don’t see Brett coming back.  I think if they win the Super Bowl and hoist the Lombardi Trophy, I think No. 4 will then ride off into the sunset once again a champion.

“I think if they (the Vikings) have a miserable season, or if he physically gets injured to any extreme, I think he’ll just shut it down and drop the flaps on the tent and move back to Mississippi.

“But I do think if they mirror last year, create momentum, have a lot of energy (going) into the playoffs and they’re knocking on the door, or they get to the Super Bowl but they don’t win it, they get close, I think the competitive intensity will be triggered inside him.  Given that he’s healthy, that he would then consider coming back.  Because I think right now he’s frustrated because they haven’t performed as well as they should.”

Dalton’s scenarios and the Favre storyline will develop week to week starting with Monday night’s game against the Jets.  It will be the first game he will play with newly acquired wide receiver Randy Moss.  Favre watchers can know this for certain: the quarterback is happier than a million dollar lottery winner to have Moss for long distance bombing, and also Favre’s not even thinking about next year.

If he were contemplating the future, he probably would be undecided.

Adam Weber has a last opportunity to beat Wisconsin tomorrow.  Minnesota’s record setting quarterback was once “50-50” on his college choice between the Gophers and Badgers.

Weber, the only three-year captain in Gophers football history, has been the team’s starting quarterback since 2007, his redshirt freshman season.  He is the school career record holder in passing yardage, completions and touchdowns.  But Weber said playing football for him is about wins, not records.

The Gophers were 1-11 in 2007, 7-6 in 2008, 6-7 in 2009 and so far this season 1-4.  In that period Minnesota is 0-8 in trophy games against Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan.

“The wins aren’t where I would have liked them to have been,” he said. “The trophies, everything, you name it.  Not where you dreamed them to be.  But when it’s all said and done I will leave here with a big smile on my face knowing that I just had the best five years of my life.”

As a high school player at Mounds View Weber thought seriously about becoming a Badger but although the initial process was 50-50 between Minnesota and Wisconsin, the final verdict wasn’t so tough.  He walked around the Minnesota campus and knew this was where he wanted to be.

His dad, Bobby Weber, had been a Gopher defensive back. That counted and so, too, did staying home where family (including his grandmother) and friends have been able to watch him play more than if he had packed his bags for Madison.  “I’ll never second guess (the decision),” Weber said.

The Gophers’ nonconference football schedules are completed through 2014.  Among the new opponents will be New Mexico State in 2011.  The Aggies will receive $1.6 million for agreeing to play here next year and in 2016.

The cost of scheduling teams, particularly Division I schools, keeps escalating and is even more expensive when there is no agreement to play multiple games.  Ohio State, for example, will pay Colorado $1.4 million for just one game in Columbus next year.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster talking about tomorrow’s game in Madison where Minnesota tries to defeat Wisconsin for the first time since 1994: “I think you’ve got a group of guys who desperately want to go get that axe.”

Brewster’s 50^th birthday is next Wednesday.

Coach Tubby Smith’s pursuit of highly hyped New England prep school point guard Naadir Tharpe didn’t become any easier when national power Kansas decided to enter the chase.