Author: David Shama

Gophers coach Tim Brewster said fullback Jon Hoese, whose father’s funeral is today, will play in tomorrow’s game against South Dakota.  Brewster said he becomes emotional recalling what a loyal fan and “awesome guy” Terry was. The game ball from last week’s win over Middle Tennessee State was given to Terry.

Safety Kim Royston, who broke his leg last spring, will miss his second game of 2010 tomorrow against South Dakota, but Brewster continues to monitor Royston’s comeback. “We’ll see the week of the SC game (September 18) where he’s at on Tuesday,” Brewster said.

“I can’t say at this point but I will next week.”  That’s how Brewster answered the question of whether he could say what the status for the Southern California game will be for indefinitely suspended safety Kyle Theret and offensive tackle Dom Alford.  Both players missed last week’s game and won’t play against South Dakota.

South Dakota’s starting strong safety is Minnesota native and former Gophers scholarship player Shane Potter.

The Coyotes, who lost their opener 38-7 to Central Florida last week, are members of the five-team Great West Conference that includes Cal Poly, North Dakota, Southern Utah and UC Davis.

Gophers junior guard Devoe Joseph made 55 percent of his field goals including 50 percent of his three point attempts in the three game exhibition series against Canadian schools that ended Sunday.  He led the Gophers in scoring with a 17.3 average, while senior guard-forward Blake Hoffarber was second at 13 points per game.

Freshman forward Maurice Walker led in rebounds with 7.7 per game while junior forward Trevor Mbakwe averaged 7.  The Gophers won all three games averaging 87 points while opponents averaged 65.7.

MIAC football teams continue with nonconference games this Saturday and then conference play opens on September 18.  The league’s most anticipated games come in October involving Saint John’s coach John Gagliardi, St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso and Bethel coach Steve Johnson.  Saint John’s hosts St. Thomas on October 2 before traveling to Bethel the following Saturday.  Bethel will be at St. Thomas on October 23 to complete the round-robin of the three MIAC favorites. The regular season ends on November 13.

The Wild, who open training camp September 18, will make team veteran Mikko Koivu and free agent acquisitions Matt Cullen, John Madden and Eric Nystrom available to the media today.  Koivu, the team’s captain, signed a seven-year contract extension on July 15 that begins with the 2011-12 season and continues 2017-18. Cullen and Nystrom signed three-year contracts on the opening day of free agency (July 1) and Madden signed a one-year contract August 6.

Bleacher Report includes a Herb Brooks book by former Minneapolis Tribune writer John Gilbert on its list of hockey books NHL fans should read.  https://bleacherreport.com/articles/453189-hockey-books-all-nhl-fans-should-read?utm_source=nhl.com#page/5

In today’s Sports Headliners I play “good cop” and “bad cop.”  Translation: with no assistance from David Letterman, I bring you the top 10 reasons why the Vikings will not only go to the Super Bowl but also win the Big Game.  And (also without the assistance of the CBS talk show host) I offer the top 10 reasons the Vikings won’t advance to the S.B.

Top 10 reasons the Purple will earn their way to the Super Bowl and win the game are:

10. Quarterback Brett Favre has paranormal powers.

9.  For every game this season and during the playoffs the Vikings fantasize they’re playing against the enemy to the east, that band of no good characters based in Green Bay. 

8.  Adrian Peterson will recover all of his fumbles, several after long gains and a few for touchdowns.

7. Although he isn’t a favorite in Vikings Nation, coach Brad Childress has improved his record and playoff march every season since coming here in 2006.

6. The numerology for the road to the Super Bowl and then a conquest sets up perfectly: 50^th season for the franchise, Favre is 40 years old and Sid Hartman is 90.

5.  The Super Bowl win clinches new stadium legislation with even arch enemies of the new venue casting votes using purple pens.

4.  Former coach Bud Grant inspires the lads in the locker room before the Super Bowl with his hunting and fishing stories.

3.  This fall Vikings players avoid boat excursions on Lake Minnetonka, showing the discipline needed to win the Big Game next year.

2. Sports Illustrated pro football soothsayer Peter King picks against the Vikings all season and also in the playoffs as the Purple make him pay for his prediction that the Packers and Steelers will play in the Super Bowl.

1. Vikings Nation warms to quarterback Tarvaris Jackson who while filling in for the injured Favre throws a last minute winning pass in the Super Bowl.  Purple fans then start a quarterback controversy over whether Jackson or Favre should be the starter in 2011.

Sorry to type these top 10 reasons why the Vikings won’t make it to the Super Bowl but here they are:

10. The Vikings lost Super Bowl games in 1970, 1974, 1975 and 1977.  They haven’t been back to the Big Game in over 30 years.  Why return and risk losing again?

9. Trot out the films of Brett Favre’s 2009 season.  How can he improve on perfection?

8. At a post-season defining moment, the Vikings are caught with 13 men on the field.  Thankfully it only happens once during the playoffs.

7. The Packers beat the Vikings twice during the regular season, and then do it again in the playoffs.

6. Adrian Peterson leads the NFL in rushing…and fumbles.

5. Cris Carter has to come out of retirement to bolster the depleted wide receiver corps that is missing Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin for most of the season.

4. In the most certain sign of the 2012 apocalypse yet, the Vikings, Bears…and Lions all finish with 8-8 records, while Packer fans dance in the streets of Green Bay after their club comes up with a 14-2 record.

3. Zygmunt Wilf and the other Vikings owners ink a stadium deal with Los Angeles wheeler dealers on Halloween.  The news spooks the Vikings players and fans for the remainder of the season.

2. The Vikes shoot blanks during their brutal October schedule, losing to the Jets, Cowboys, Packers and Patriots.  Big Game dream looks dreary even before the first snowstorm.

1. Down in Bayou Country those Saints fans are still using voodoo dolls on the Vikings.  They stick holes in the Purple’s season.