Author: David Shama

A players’ council that meets frequently with head coach Brad Childress has helped improve communications and morale, contributing to the team’s 5-0 start, according to offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie and kicker Ryan Longwell.  Both are council members who spoke to Sports Headliners about the group that meets with Childress and then reports back to the team.

The council has more than a dozen members, has grown larger since last year and brings various discussion items to Childress including practice times.  In an interview with McKinnie last week, he was initially asked if Childress’ 14-4 record in the last 18 regular season games was a vindication of the much criticized head coach who has been the Vikings’ boss since 2006.

“A combination of that and then everybody finally I think is on the same page, and is going in the right direction to win a lot of football games and try to get to the Super bowl,” McKinnie said.

Longwell answered the vindication question this way: “I think it is a little bit of a vindication of all of us.  We’re all part of it.  There was a lot that had to be done when coach Childress came in here beyond the X’s and O’s and the 53 guys on the field.”

Off the field player behavior problems somewhat characterized the Vikings when Childress arrived in 2006.  Initially he didn’t have the council and Longwell was asked what the impact of it has been.  “I think it’s been really good because when coach first came in here he kind of drew a hard line, which you have to do to change the culture and get it the direction that he wanted,” Longwell said.

McKinnie and Longwell were both with the Vikings in 2006.  McKinnie is in his eighth NFL season, Longwell his 13^th.

McKinnie said the players appreciate the communication opportunity provided by the council.  Longwell said the “give and take” is good, acknowledging there are times Childress says “no” to suggestions.

Longwell also said this is the “best group we’ve had” while describing his teammates and the locker room atmosphere of the 2009 team.  He said the players aren’t satisfied with just winning, they want to keep improving, and they’re also able to enjoy one another’s company.

Longwell said the attitude and relationship is what winners are about. “I think you can have the greatest scheme, you can have the best talented players, and you can have the greatest coaches, but if there is a disconnect in the locker room, you’re not going to win football games,” Longwell said. “So the locker room and everybody in the locker room being on the same page is vitally important.

“You can look at teams where roster against other rosters are not as talented, but their chemistry is better, and they win more football games because of it.  And they win championships because of it.  I think that’s what the players’ council has given coach (Childress); a direct pipeline to the heartbeat of the locker room and what guys are thinking, feeling, doing.  Guys are a little bit more banged up than he thought, or fresher than he thought.  It’s a direct pipeline for that and that’s a good situation to have.”

Here are suggestions for the Twins as they start the off-season:

Delmon Young hit .300 after the All-Star break with nine of his 12 home runs and 35 of his 60 RBI coming during that period.  See if that surprising productivity will appeal enough to another team to acquire quality pitching or infield help. Young hit .284 this season after a 2008 with these numbers: .290 average, 10 home runs and 69 RBI.

Tutor outfielder Carlos Gomez during the off-season in hitting and base running.  Then let him learn more and polish his skills for a full season at Triple AAA Rochester in 2010.

Second baseman Alexi Casilla?  See tutoring plan.

Move Joe Mauer to third base before next season.  He will be 27 in 2010 and after six seasons of catching doesn’t need the physical abuse that goes with the position.  A problem, though, is Mauer likely will resist moving to another position and during an off-season where the Twins want to sign him to a new contract Mauer has the leverage about where he plays.

Good luck in re-signing 34-year-old shortstop Orlando Cabrera.  He will be a free agent and played for $4 million this season, according to Cott’s baseball contracts, https://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/minnesota-twins_17.html  The guess here is Carbrera will be looking for more years (maybe three) than the Twins are willing to negotiate into his next contract.

If the Twins had played Sunday night’s playoff game against the Yankees outdoors instead of the Metrodome the temps would have been in the 30’s.  TBS reported that the game time temp was 31 in Denver on Sunday night for the Rockies and Phillies. If the Twins had advanced to the World Series they would have opened the series at home on October 28.

It’s interesting that better baseball is played in the American League but the National League has superior average attendance.  The AL won the All-Star game for a 13^th straight year in 2009 and for the fifth consecutive season was 20 games or better in interleague play.  National League franchises drew about 3,000 more people per game than American League teams last season.

One explanation is the National League has better baseball cities in California (San Francisco over Oakland and Los Angeles over Anaheim) and Missouri (St. Louis over Kansas City).

The Sporting News issue of September 28 named its best players and teams of the decade in baseball, basketball, football and hockey.  Mauer was selected as the catcher on the all-decade baseball team and former Twin David Ortiz was the designated hitter.

Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson made the NFL all-decade team while former Viking Randy Moss was named a wide receiver.  Former Timberwolf forward Kevin Garnett made the NBA all-second team.  Native Minnesotans Larry Fitzgerald Jr. (wide receiver) and James Laurinaitis (linebacker) were first team selections on the all-college team.

Vikings coach Brad Childress talking about whether rookie right tackle Phil Loadholt could have played last Sunday against St. Louis with an injured ankle:  “He said he could of, but you’ve got to believe what you see.  We didn’t want to expose him to that (potential injury).”

Vikings tackle Bryant McKinnie said there’s awareness about protecting 40-year-old quarterback Brett Favre who has been vital in the team’s 5-0 start.   McKinnie said he “takes pride in trying to keep him (Favre) off the ground.”

Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis told Sports Headliners that center Al Jefferson, forward Kevin Love and guard Jonny Flynn will be starters, but two other positions remain to be determined before the season begins.

During the regular season the Timberwolves will have 20 fewer games than last season on KSTC, channel 45.  The Wolves will have 15 games on that station and 40 on Fox Sports North with 35 of them broadcast in HD.

Trevor Mbakwe will play in Friday night’s “Tubby’s Tipoff” at Williams Arena.  The junior college transfer hasn’t been cleared by athletic director Joel Maturi to play in games. A woman alleged Mbakwe attacked her earlier this year in Florida and a trial is pending.

Coach Tubby Smith’s team begins regular practices on Saturday morning. The tipoff event is free and open to the public.  Activities will include three-point shooting and slam dunk contests, and a team scrimmage.  Following the scrimmage, Gopher players and coaches will participate in a 30 minute autograph session.  Doors open at 7 p.m. with the event starting at 7:30 p.m.

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster isn’t a believer in teams playing well in games if the practices went poorly.  He said game success is “100 percent” about how a team prepares and the staff emphasizes having “winning” practices during the week leading to victories on Saturdays.

The Gophers will play before more than 106,000 people in Beaver Stadium on Saturday and against legendary coach Joe Paterno, the winningest Division I coach ever.  But Brewster said he enjoys such road games and wants his players to have a similar attitude about such challenges.  Penn State, 5-1, is ranked No. 13 in the country in the USA Today poll.

Concordia-St. Paul senior setter Maggie McNamara, who leads NCAA Division II players in assists for the fourth straight season, is 18 assists from the school assists record of 6,724 held by Cailin Terhaar (fifth in Division II history).