Author: David Shama

Because of conference expansion to 12 teams an annual football playoff game to determine the Big Ten champion could begin in 2011 and the venue might one day be the new Vikings stadium, according to Bill Lester.

Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, told Sports Headliners he expects the championship game will be “the kind of event put out for bid” by the Big Ten Conference.  A new state-of-the art Vikings stadium with a fixed or retractable roof presumably would interest conference officials.

The game will almost certainly be played in December and because of the cold weather a covered stadium will probably be preferred.  The annual Southeastern Conference championship game is played in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome and last year’s Big 12 Conference championship game was played in Cowboys Stadium which has a retractable roof.

In the Big Ten’s geographic area there are two modern stadiums with roofs, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Ford Field in Detroit. The uncertain future and age of the Metrodome probably makes the facility an unlikely candidate to host a Big Ten championship game, but a new Vikings stadium creates possibilities for a local bid.

The Big Ten already has precedent in using pro facilities having staged its post-season conference basketball tournaments in Chicago and Indianapolis.  The games have been played in NBA facilities in each city, the United Center in Chicago and Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Big Ten, with the addition of Nebraska, will have 12 teams for the first time in its history starting in 2011.  Two divisions of six teams each are expected to be created with the division winners playing for the conference championship before a large in-stadium and TV audience.

Most informed sources expect the conference to expand beyond 12 schools, likely adding four more with the majority perhaps coming from the Big East Conference.  An exit by some Big East schools could hasten football independent Notre Dame to join the Big Ten since the Irish compete in the Big East in other sports.  The weakening or collapse of the Big East probably leaves the Irish with the Big Ten being its best alternative.

Don’t even be surprised if the Big Ten announces the addition of more schools within a few weeks.

The Twins are in Philadelphia tonight and will face Joe Blanton of the Phillies who has a 1-5 record with a 7.28 ERA.  Nick Blackburn, 6-3 with a 4.96 ERA, starts for the Twins.

After yesterday’s loss to Colorado the Twins had ground into 78 double plays, the most in baseball.  Francisco Liriano (6-4) was the losing pitcher in the 5-1 defeat.  Opposing starters are a combined 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA in Liriano’s last eight starts.

The Twins drew 121,367 fans for the three-game series with the Rockies, the largest attendance ever at Target Field for a three-game series.

Senior Adam Weber made Gophers history this week when his teammates elected him a captain for the third consecutive season.  No other Gopher has ever been a three-year captain.

Weber, who has set school career passing records playing quarterback for Minnesota, was elected one of the team’s four captains on Sunday.  Senior fullback Jon Hoese, senior safety Kim Royston and junior defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey were also elected captains.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster said Weber’s captaincy shows there’s much more to being a captain than age.  “I don’t put an age on leadership,” he said.  “Leadership is leadership.  It’s how you’re perceived.”

Brewster expects his captains to lead verbally and by example.  “You’ve got to be a guy who can verbalize what is acceptable and what’s not,” he said.  “You’re a bell cow.  They’re (the captains) leading the way.”

Vikings coach Brad Childress answering a question about how backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson looked during the team’s recent minicamp: “I saw a guy that is taking another step within the system and has the wisdom of watching a very good quarterback (Brett Favre) play last year and operate in this system like a master at the piano.”

Adrian Peterson’s recognition day in his home town of Palestine, Texas last Saturday was the fourth annual.  Adrian Peterson Day caused the Vikings All-Pro running back to miss minicamp.

Top prospects for the NHL Entry Draft visited the Wild offices last week to meet with the franchise’s hockey operations staff.  Minnesota holds the No. 9 overall pick in the entry draft, June 24 and 26 in Los Angeles.

Since the Wild’s first draft in 2000, the team’s 78 draft picks have totaled 4,569 regular-season games in the NHL.  Minnesota ranks third in the NHL during the past 10 years, with only Los Angeles’ (4,748) and Pittsburgh’s (4,702) draft picks totaling more NHL games.

The NHL Central Scouting Service ranks 20 Minnesotans in the top 210 North American Skaters available for the entry draft, led by Duluth’s Derek Forbort, a defenseman from the United States National Team Development Program, ranked No. 9.

Concordia (St. Paul) volleyball star Maggie McNamara and Bethel track and field standout Marie Borner have been voted the nation’s top collegiate female athletes in Division II and III respectively.  National balloting among NCAA Division II and Division III schools was conducted as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program. Each winner will be presented the Honda Sports Award for Division II and Division III Athlete of the Year at a ceremony in Los Angeles on June 21.  Along with the award, each institution will receive $5,000 for the women’s athletic programs.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is expected to announce in Kansas City today that the Royals will host the 2012 All-Star game.  Although Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners there’s “nothing new” on Minneapolis being the site for a future All-Star game, it appears 2014 could be the year.

The All-Star game alternates between National and American League cities, so four years from now is the soonest the event could be at Target Field.  Twins leaders and other local officials are interested in bringing the game here in 2014.  Meet Minneapolis, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, has estimated that the All-Star game could mean more than $50 million in economic impact.  https://www.ballparkauthority.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B5BA32D35-9BE8-46A4-8256-00B0E159EFFD%7D&DE=%7BE5BE858A-BC3B-4E2E-8FF0-5FF3F02BD93A%7D

Baseball’s owners will be in Minneapolis for quarterly meetings in August.  Those who haven’t seen Target Field will have an insider’s look.  Selig is already familiar with the new facility and is impressed.

The All-Star game hasn’t been played in Minneapolis since 1985 so that figures to be another factor in favor of the event coming here.  Kansas City last hosted the game in 1973.  The Royals play in Kauffman Stadium, a facility that recently had a $250 million renovation.

The All-Star game determines home field advantage in the World Series.  St. Peter approves of the World Series incentive, implemented in 2003 after years of simply alternating American and National League cities.  “I do like the change,” he said.

Target Field has been such a success that St. Peter predicted the franchise will set new records for home attendance ticket revenues and concession sales.  He declined to provide specific figures.  The Twins all-time home attendance high was established in 1988 when the club drew 3,030,672 fans.

The Twins have been leading the Central Division, although that margin is down to 2.5 games.  The Twins have lost two of their last three games and are only 6-4 in their previous 10.  With the halfway mark in the 162 games schedule nearing, the 37-27 Twins are hoping to have more of their best players on the field.

What’s St. Peter’s assessment of the club?  “We feel good about our baseball team,” he said.  “You never complain about being in first place.  As we get healthier we think better times are ahead.”

Injuries or personal issues have sidelined a long list of Twins pitchers and position players.  Both second baseman Orlando Hudson and starting shortstop J.J. Hardy remain on the disabled list.