Author: David Shama

Minnesota isn’t the only Big Ten school having problems with students using their tickets, according to a Gophers spokesman.  Most conference games begin at 11 a.m. and a later start might help with the problem.

Bears coach Lovie Smith is receiving criticism in Chicago and there’s speculation he might not be retained.  It would be interesting if Vikings coach Brad Childress used interest from the Bears to help land a more lucrative contract from the Vikings.  Smith, partly because he coached his 2006 team to the Super Bowl, reportedly makes over $5 million per year.  Childress is believed to earn less than $2 million.

Local author Ross Bernstein has a new book out on Brett Favre that features flip flop covers, “I love Brett Favre,” and “I hate Brett Favre.”  More at https://www.bernsteinbooks.com/.

Harrison Barnes, the highly recruited Ames, Iowa prep basketball player who earlier this year had the Gophers on his short list of prospective colleges, committed to North Carolina on Friday.

The Twins have been looking for a third baseman for awhile and the timing is right to be searching among free agents during this offseason.  https://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091112&content_id=7660818&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

The Twins finished fifth in American League attendance, drawing 2,416,237, an average of 29,466 for 81 home dates.  Not bad for a franchise playing in one of baseball’s least appealing stadiums.

Target Field will have a sophisticated system (including drainage and heating) to best maintain the grass field playing surface.  https://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090825&content_id=6609106&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min.

It will be interesting to see what Twins player payroll budgets look like in future years now that Carl Pohlad’s sons own the team and revenues will increase at Target Field.

Probably no Twins player was more pleased with the trade that sent center fielder Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee than Denard Span.  Last season he saw playing time in right, center and left field but in 2010 will take over in center where he’s more than comfortable.  Among the offensive woes of Gomez was not only his .229 batting average, but his on-base percentage of .287 ranked among the lowest in the American League.

The Angels Torii Hunter, who was the Twins center fielder through the 2007 season, won his first Silver Slugger award last week.  The Silver Slugger awards are determined by a vote of coaches and managers to determine the best offensive performers at each position in the American and National Leagues.  Twins catcher Joe Mauer is a three time winner.

Vikings coach Brad Childress on whether his 8-1 team improved yesterday: “On the left hand side of the (win-loss) column that goes from seven to eight, yes.”

The Vikings placed emphasis on improved tackling leading up to the Detroit game.  Linebacker Chad Greenway talked about the importance of that basic fundamental:  “You can really take away the big play if you tackle well.  It’s always something we’ll continue to work on, but if we do – which I know we will – we’ll continue to get better as we go through the second half (of the season).”

Forbes.com has the Wild, owned by Craig Leipold, valued at $221 million and ranked 11^th among NHL teams.  Nashville, the franchise Leipold once owned, is valued at $164 million and ranked 23^rd. https://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/31/nhl08_NHL-Team-Valuations_Rank.html.

The early season success of hard working Gophers senior forward Tony Lucia has earned the admiration of knowledgeable hockey followers.  Lucia leads the Gophers in points with 11.

The Gophers football program will recognize its seniors at tomorrow’s final 2009 home game at TCF Bank Stadium but the senior from Cold Spring, Minnesota who will watch from the sidelines on crutches is Minnesota’s best player–freshman, sophomore, junior or senior.  School record setting wide receiver Eric Decker will no doubt feel various emotions as he watches tomorrow’s game against South Dakota State.

Decker injured his left foot in the Ohio State game and had surgery a few days later.  Not only will he miss the last four games of the season, but Decker won’t be available to work out for pro scouts before next year’s NFL draft.

Decker said it will be difficult not to join his teammates on the field tomorrow.  Many of the players on the roster are people he has been around for four or five years, including his redshirt season.  “At least I will be on the sidelines cheering them on,” he said.

Decker is appreciative of the career he’s had with the Gophers, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been tears these last few weeks.  “Oh, definitely.  It was an emotional roller coaster,” he said.  “There’s some highs of appreciation.  There’s lows, you know, it’s over.  That’s kind of all she wrote.  But there was times when it was very saddening to be around them (teammates), and know you’ll never wear the maroon and gold again.  And it’s going to be a long road to recovery, but there’s many happy times, too.”

Decker might have been a second or third round pick in next year’s NFL draft.  But now he seems likely to go late in the draft, or possibly be a free agent.  His lack of exceptional speed will be questioned even more now that he’s had foot surgery.  Also, Decker’s recovery from surgery will prevent him from working out for scouts prior to the draft.  A team willing to take a gamble could come up with a superb value, a great character guy with the ability to make difficult catches.

Decker acknowledged it will be a challenge to prove himself physically but he will focus on controlling what he can.  That means interviewing successfully with pro teams and doing the best job he can in rehabilitation of his foot.

A baseball career is definitely “on the back burner” because Decker wants to pursue football.  He’s played college baseball for the Gophers but not with the same time commitment and success that has happened in football where he has the school record for career receiving yardage (3,119) and consecutive 100 yard games (four).  He’s also tied with Tutu Atwell for most career 100 yard games (11).

After college Decker said he might one day be involved with athletic administration.  His friend and roommate, quarterback Adam Weber, could end up in coaching.  A visitor suggested the possibility that one day Decker might be the Gophers athletic director, Weber the head football coach.

“That would be something, huh?” Decker asked.  “That would be a storyline.”

Decker has already written one superb storyline with his play as a Gopher, making difficult and clutch catches, leading the team when injured and inspiring his teammates with his skills and courage.  Maybe one day he will be back to make another contribution to Gophers athletics.