Author: David Shama

While it hasstorical roots, this place is a 21st century facility, built with a “green thumb.”  A Twins fact sheet references the organization’s commitment to “operational efficiency, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”

Target Field is a mass transit oriented destination, more so than most major league stadiums.  The park was built emphasizing the use of local extracted, salvaged and manufactured materials.  The stadium features water saving fixtures that will save 4.2 million gallons of potable water per year, according to the Twins organization.

There is also a rainwater recycling system to capture, conserve and reuse rainwater.  Excess food from stadium operations will be donated to local charitable organizations.

Target Field designers benefitted from seeing the best and worst of a major league baseball stadium boom that began almost 20 years ago.  The result is a ballpark that will be extraordinary in many ways, even able to battle inhospitable weather.

Twins Sports Inc. president Jerry Bell told Sports Headliners the drainage system for the field is so efficient that a ballgame could have been played the night following an afternoon tornado that rocked south Minneapolis last summer.  That storm delivered about three inches of rain yet Bell said the Twins wouldn’t have cancelled a game that night.

Asked how many more inches the drainage system could accommodate, Bell said, “I don’t want to find out.”

What baseball fans did learn on Saturday was they have a heck of a ballpark.  Not even the awful sound of college baseball’s aluminum bats dented that opinion on the historic day of March 27, 2010.

The Gophers lost Saturday’s game to Louisiana Tech 9-1.  Minnesota lost the three game weekend series winning only on Friday and the Gophers are 8-16 on the season.  They begin Big Ten Conference play at Purdue on Friday.

USA Today Sports Weekly’s March 24-30 issue selected an NFL best 53-man roster for the 2000’s and the list includes former Vikings Randy Moss and Matt Birk, plus four players with the team: Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams and Steve Hutchinson.

Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton is friends with Tony Dungy and doesn’t expect him to coach again.  Dalton said Dungy is making speeches to various audiences, including prisoners, and is working on a series of books.  The former Super Bowl winning coach is expected back with NBC as an NFL analyst.

Dalton likes the skills of Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards and said he’s not someone the franchise wants to see sign with another team, particularly if defensive tackle Pat Williams retires.  Edwards is a restricted free agent.

Dalton expects the Vikings to draft for “value” rather than a specific need when they pick at No. 30 in next month’s NFL draft.

There’s plenty of anticipation about the announcement next month regarding the NFL’s complete schedule.  When all the details are known, a circle it date could be Thursday, September 9 with a schedule opening game in New Orleans between the Vikings and Saints.  It’s already known that the Super Bowl champion Saints will be home on that date.

The Gophers played five of the teams who made the NCAA Sweet 16–Butler, Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and Xavier.  The Gophers, who lost their NCAA opening game to Xavier, defeated Butler last November in a nonconference game.  In Big Ten games the Gophers had 1-2 records against Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State.

It will be a surprise if highly rated Las Vegas prep guard Cory Joseph chooses the Gophers instead of Texas.

The Minnesota State High School League ruled Roosevelt High School ineligible for the 1961 boys state tournament because two players had participated in DeMolay basketball the previous summer.  Those two individuals went on to successful careers after high school and college.  Warren Scamp became a dentist, John Totushek a three-star Admiral.

Former Minneapolis city council president Denny Schulstad said via email three graduates of Roosevelt’s 1962 class achieved high rank in the military.  In addition to Totushek, Schulstad became an Air Force general and David Rataczak an Army National Guard general.  “The odds of that happening in any high school graduating class are about the same as Edgerton winning the state championship,” Schulstad wrote, making a comparison to the Flying Dutchmen’s surprising basketball title in 1960.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic last weekend, in partnership with the Gophers, hosted Air Force coach Troy Calhoun as the featured speaker.  Gophers coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners he hopes one year to bring Texas coach Mack Brown to the clinic.

The Gophers opening game at Middle Tennessee State on Thursday, September 2 will be televised on ESPNU.

Speculation continues that baseball labor expert Donald Fehr will be the next boss of the NHL Players Association.

Jacques Lemaire, long known as one of hockey’s smartest coaches, has found new appreciation for his work in New Jersey where his Devils have the third most points  in the Eastern Conference, 93.  New Jersey’s final record will rival his best work in nine seasons with the Wild.

Timberwolves star Kevin Love will make the “Let’s Play Hockey!” call before the Wild’s game tonight against Los Angeles at Xcel Energy Center.

Former Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez, traded to Milwaukee during the off-season, is hitting .310 in spring training for the Brewers.  His other spring training averages have been .283 and .267.

An NFL source told Sports Headliners that when Brett Favre says he doesn’t know if he will return to the Minnesota Vikings it’s “probably true.”  The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said several factors will influence the 40-year-old quarterback’s decision whether to play a second season for the Vikings.

Favre is a family man and must address his role as a husband and father.  The source, who knows Favre, said that a year ago when the record setting quarterback was debating whether to play or retire he had mixed messages from his family.  “Deanna (Favre’s wife) wanted him to quit,” the source said.  “His daughter (Breleigh) wanted him to play.”

Despite being punished physically and taking a few memorable hits that had Vikings fans gasping, the amazing Favre started all 16 regular season games and two playoff games, pushing his team to within a field goal of the Super Bowl.  “He is a wonder with all the punishment he can take,” the source said.

What motivates Favre to continue his career is mostly his love for football and the possibility he can play a lead role in taking the Vikings to a Super Bowl.  Favre and the rest of the football world know the Vikings have the talent to compete with the NFL’s best if he can continue playing at a high level.  The “crack” in that window of opportunity is small both for Favre, who turns 41 this fall, and also for other older Vikings.

Working in the Vikings’ favor, the source said, is that Favre and his family enjoyed living in suburban Minneapolis last fall.  Favre played area golf courses and hunted in the fall.  His wife was pleased that neighbors and the public respected her husband’s privacy.

Owner Zygi Wilf and coach Brad Childress have sent Favre public messages to take his time in making a decision about returning to the team.  Don’t expect an announcement soon.  The source agrees with common opinion that Favre mostly wants to “avoid” training camp.