Author: David Shama

Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi talking about extending coach Tim Brewster’s contract: “I have no timeline on it.  We will look forward to working with coach and keeping him here.”

The Insight Bowl will be televised in Minneapolis-St. Paul on the NFL Network only but in the Des Moines area the ABC affiliate will also telecast the game, according to the Des Moines Register.  https://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091221/SPORTS020602/91221024/Insight-Bowl-will-be-shown-on-WOI-in-Central-Iowa

The Gophers have a bye in their schedule next fall (between the November 13 Illinois game and November 27 Iowa game) after not having a break this season.  Brewster told Sports Headliners he believes a break in the 12 game schedule is a “must” for the well being of players.

Maturi said suspended freshman basketball forward Royce White is “still part of the athletic family” and his expectation is that White will be attending classes in January. “I suspect he will still be enrolled,” Maturi said.

Maturi also said it might be likely that suspended forward Trevor Mbakwe will redshirt this season because Mbakwe’s legal issue in Florida could be unresolved until after the season.

Former Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher predicts a fourth place finish for the Gophers in the Big Ten Conference behind Purdue, Michigan State and probably Ohio State (if star Evan Turner returns soon).  He likes the Gophers depth and defense but a so-so nonconference record of 9-3 might mean Minnesota has to win 10 conference games to make the NCAA tournament.  The Gophers won their Big Ten opener last night at home against Penn State, 75-70.

Dutcher said San Diego State, where son Brian is an assistant coach, has won nine consecutive overtime games.

Former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire comes here with his New Jersey team for the first and only time this season on Saturday night.  The Devils are expected to practice on Friday at St. Thomas Academy but the workout isn’t open to the public.  Lemaire is friends with Wild radio color commentator Tom Reid and the coach is likely to make a stop at Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub while in St. Paul.  Former Wild forward Brian Rolston has 13 goals in 36 games for the Devils.

Friday’s game at Fenway Park in Boston will be the NHL’s third Winter Classic.  There were 300,000 ticket requests for the outdoor game between the Bruins and Philadelphia, according to the December 28 issue of Sports Illustrated.  National telecasts of the classic have been popular and the Wild are lining up with other franchises to receive the NHL’s blessing to host a future game.

The Wild are looking at a potential outdoor game at TCF Bank Stadium or Target Field.  “This is the premiere hockey market in the U.S.,” said Wild executive Bill Robertson.  “We have made the inquiry and are working on next steps.”

The Rangers, according to Sports Illustrated, are the favorite to host a game in 2011 at Yankee Stadium.  Washington and Alex Ovechkin would be the opponents.

The NHL may schedule multiple regular season league opening games in Europe next fall and the Wild could be on the list of participating teams.  Finland might be the site of two games involving the Wild.  The team has Finnish natives in goalie Niklas Backstrom, and forwards Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen.

The Vikings, who have lost three straight road games, can look back at Monday night’s 36-30 overtime defeat in Chicago and list a lot of “what ifs.”  But the opinion here is the fourth quarter kickoff coverage that allowed Danieal Manning of the Bears to return the ball to the Vikings 21 yard line tops the list. The Vikings had come back to tie the game at 23-23 with 5:49 remaining.

The Bears turned their field position into a 20 yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Earl Bennett.  One of the ESPN broadcasters described the kickoff coverage as “inexcusable.”  Adrian Peterson’s overtime fumble and Ryan Longwell’s missed extra point were low moments, too, but those were individual mistakes. The kickoff coverage involved several players (if not a whole unit) breaking down when momentum had obviously shifted to the Vikings.

For an entertaining look at Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, visit his Website, https://www.jaredallen69inc.com/#/news/.

Tickets to the Vikings’ first home playoff game go on sale today beginning at 10 a.m.  While a specific date has yet to be determined, the first game will be either the weekend of January 9-10 or 16-17.  Ticket prices range from $48-$95 and are only available through Ticketmaster by phone 800-745-3000 or Internet (www.ticketmaster.com).

Former Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven hopes 13 is a lucky number for him.  He’s on the Hall of Fame ballot for the 13^th time and an announcement will be made next week whether he’s going to be enshrined in Cooperstown.  https://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091124&content_id=7714798&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has formed a 14-member committee that includes former Twins general managers Andy MacPhail and Terry Ryan to review and examine on-field issues. The Special Committee for On-Field Matters will schedule its first meeting soon, according to a Major League Baseball press release.

“The committee will have the opportunity to review and make recommendations on all aspects of the game on the field, from scheduling, to playoff formats, to umpiring, to pace of game, to instant replay and to whatever other issues the Committee deems appropriate,” Selig said. “There will be no sacred cows.”

Four MIAC players have been named to the D3football.com All-America team.  St. Thomas junior running back Ben Wartman and sophomore returner Fritz Waldvogel were first team selections.  St. Thomas junior center Josh Ostrue was a second team pick while Saint John’s senior defensive lineman Kyle Schroeder made the third team.

Playing tonight on a possibly slippery field, the Vikings will attempt to regain balance in their offense by running the football with more competency.  At Chicago’s Soldier Field, with an ESPN national TV audience watching, the Vikings will face a Bears defense  giving up 128.5 rushing yards per game, ranking 26^th in the NFL.

The Vikings (11-3) have bettered 100 yards rushing in one game out of three since the Bears (5-9) came to Minneapolis on November 22 and gave up 159 yards.  In two road losses during the last three weeks the Vikings rushed for 62 yards against Arizona and 41 versus Carolina.  In a home win the Vikings had 142 yards while defeating Cincinnati.

Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell indicated at a news conference last week that there will be a commitment to run the ball at Solider Field where the game time temps figure to be in the low 20’s and the wind a possible problem for throwing the ball.  “I’ve stood up here many times and said that that’s who we are; we are a running team,” Bevell said.  “We would all kind of joke about, ‘Hey, there is nine, 10 guys up in the box and you’re still running it, you’re still getting positive yards.’  We need to get back to that.”

While Bevell didn’t express concern about the offensive line, a former pro football coach told Sports Headliners he sees a problem.  “The offensive line looks like it’s struggling,” the source said.  “That’s where the alarm goes off.  The Vikings will win a Super Bowl pounding the ball.  I don’t see them winning it with (Brett) Favre throwing 40 times a game.”

Adrian Peterson ran for 19 yards in the Arizona loss, a game where Favre threw 45 passes.  A week ago Sunday night Peterson had 35 yards when Carolina beat the Vikings.  Peterson, who led the NFL in rushing last year, ranks fourth now with 1,235 yards and has no chance to catch league leader Chris Johnson of Tennessee who has 1,872 yards.

The Vikings couldn’t run block or pass protect against Carolina.  The 40-year-old Favre was taking “vicious shots,” according to the former coach who spoke on condition of anonymity.  “Peterson is struggling and the way defenses are playing (crowding the line of scrimmage to stop the run), it makes it tough sledding,” he said.

Regardless of whether the field is wet or dry, the Vikings hope for better “sledding” tonight.