Author: David Shama

Gophers’ coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners that fans will be pleased when they see the passing ability of second team quarterback MarQueis Gray.  He said fans are already excited about glimpses of the freshman running the ball but it will be “even more exciting” to see Gray as a passer.

Gray’s minutes have been limited in the team’s first four games but last Saturday was his busiest day.  He ran five times for 34 yards including an 18 yard run.  For the season, the 6-4, 222-pound Gray has eight carries for 51 yards, while not attempting a pass.  He has, however, caught a touchdown pass from wide receiver Eric Decker.

Decker describes Gray, who coming out of high school in Indianapolis was among the top rated dual threat quarterbacks in the country, as the “most athletic” player on the Gophers.  Gray’s playing time is going to be limited, though, because of junior Adam Weber’s experience and his ability to pass and direct the team.

“I just think there’s certain instances in every game where we’re going to utilize MarQueis,” Brewster said.  “We want to do it without totaling disrupting the game.”

That means the Gophers have a plan built around playmakers Weber and Decker, and also the team’s tailbacks. “Flow of the game” will dictate playing time for the 18-year-old, Brewster said.

Gray is still learning the system but, like the rest of the players, knows he has to be ready.  Someone could get hurt or for another reason not be able to play.  “You must prepare as if you’re a starter,” Brewster said.  “Next man up.”

Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevel coached Brett Favre in Green Bay and he told Sports Headliners “nothing surprises me with him.”  That even includes Favre’s miracle throw to Greg Lewis on Sunday that gave the Vikings a 27-24 lead with two seconds remaining in the game.

Despite all the comebacks that Favre has led over the years he was at a loss for words in describing what happened on Sunday when the Vikings shocked football fans with a dramatic win that not only was a lead story on local news but also nationally.

“It makes you feel great,” Bevell said.  “I am excited for him.  I am excited for coach Childress.  I am excited for our team.  It was a storybook ending for one game.  He made a great play.”

At times during the game the crowd had been surly about the Vikings’ play calling.  One instance was the team’s final possession at the end of the first half.  The first play was a run and some fans assumed the Vikings were trying to run out the clock with no intent of scoring points.

On second down the Vikings began passing and reached the 49er 19 yard line.  But Ryan Longwell’s attempted field goal was blocked and returned for a 59 yard touchdown by Nate Clements as time ran out.  The 49ers had a 14-13 lead at halftime because of the touchdown.

Bevell said the coaches try not to be influenced in their play calling by the crowd and weren’t in this instance.  He said the team has two goals as the half comes to a close, possess the ball or score points.

A local TV executive said the Vikings-Packers game next Monday night is likely to have a 50 rating in this market place, and that Super Bowls produce ratings in the 40’s.

Vikings coach Brad Childress had no trouble sleeping after Sunday’s dramatic win over the 49ers. A tired Childress was in bed by 8:30 p.m.

Vikings vice president of sales and marketing Steve LaCroix told Sports Headliners that the No. 1 selling NFL jersey in the country is Brett Favre, with Adrian Peterson No. 5.

Earlier this week the Gophers’ 2010 football recruiting class was ranked 35^th in the country by Rivals.com and 39^th by Scout.com.

Rivals ranked Ohio State’s 2010 basketball recruiting class No. 1 in America.  The Gophers weren’t in the top 20. https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992682

Steve Erban of Creative Charters is offering fan transportation to Gophers road games including Penn State where there are only a few remaining seats on the plane going to State College, Pennsylvania.

Wide receiver Eric Decker, whose 8.75 catches per game ranks No. 6 in the nation,  has 48 percent of the team’s receptions.  Gophers coach Tim Brewster said the team will continue “to script ways” for Decker to receive the ball.  He also said Decker is the “best wide receiver, bar none” in the country.

The Gophers are one of nine teams in the Big Ten that don’t have a bye.  Wisconsin, which plays the Gophers on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium, has two byes as does Illinois.

It’s easy to identify Joe Mauer as the Twins’ MVP, but even though Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel have experienced career seasons, our No. 2 choice is reliever Joe Nathan.  Nathan is second in saves in the American League with 45, a career best after topping his previous high 44 with a save in yesterday’s 3-2 win over Detroit.

It was no surprise that the Twins and Tigers split yesterday’s double header in Detroit. A sweep of a doubleheader happens only 26.2 percent of the time, according to Wikipedia and information from the Elias Sports Bureau, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubleheader_(baseball).

The Gopher hockey team is No. 6 in the USA Today/USA Hockey preseason men’s rankings.  It’s the 10th straight year the Gophers have started the season ranked in the top 10.  Minnesota begins practice on Saturday and has a 4 p.m. exhibition game at home on Sunday against British Columbia.

The Gophers have been picked to finish fourth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in media and coaches polls.  Denver is the preseason favorite in both polls with defending champion North Dakota picked second and Wisconsin predicted third. Both polls selected sophomore Gopher forward Jordan Schroeder as the league’s preseason player of the year.

Former Timberwolves owner and Minneapolis native Marv Wolfenson is living in La Jolla, California.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners that the club could draw 100,000 fans for the final game in the Metrodome next Sunday if that many seats were available.  That game is part of an historic series of sports events including the first ever Big Ten Conference football game at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday and the first matchup of Vikings quarterback Brett Favre against his old team, the Green Bay Packers, next Monday night at the Metrodome.

The Twins play their last series in the dome Friday, Saturday and Sunday, ending the 2009 regular season while looking forward to next year and a new home at Target Field.  St. Peter said that if the Twins are still in contention to win the Central Division championship, all three games could be sellouts.  “Even in a worst case scenario” he expects a crowd of close to 40,000 on Friday and above that on Saturday, with a sellout of more than 50,000 on Sunday.

Normal baseball capacity is about 46,000 but the Twins are raising the curtain in right field to use seats there to increase capacity to over 50,000 for Sunday’s game which is sold out.  Ticket demand for the game has been intense and the franchise is also giving away free tickets to people who have worked for the Twins since the dome opened in 1982.  St. Peter said if the Twins were in contention for the division title and there was enough capacity a crowd of 150,000 might watch the historic final game.

The Gophers will try to win back Paul Bunyan’s Axe when they renew their border rivalry with Wisconsin on Saturday.  Like all home games at TCF Bank Stadium, capacity 50,805, the game is sold out.  The last three Gophers home games against Wisconsin in the Metrodome attracted crowds of 59,000 or more.  With both teams off to winning starts (Wisconsin 4-0, Minnesota 3-1), a crowd of 60,000 to 70,000 would be a certainty if TCF had more seats.

Next week’s Monday night Vikings game is a local, regional and national phenomenon.  This is a “perfect storm” involving the Vikings and Packers, two long time NFC North Division rivals with their own border battle legacy.  Both teams entered this season among the favorites to play in the NFC title game.  Favre played in Green Bay for 16 seasons, winning a Super Bowl, setting numerous NFL passing records and creating a love affair with Packers fans who now feel betrayed by his signing on here to play at age 39.  And then interest went to an even higher level (if possible) with Favre’s miracle throw yesterday to lift the Vikings over the 49ers, 27-24.

The game will be a sellout in the dome with about 64,000 fans, mostly Vikings supporters but also including Packer backers.  But demand for tickets could push attendance to 90,000 if the dome had that many seats, according to  knowledgeable sources.

The game will be televised across the country by ESPN and seems likely to set a ratings record for cable TV programming.  Last year’s Monday night telecast of the Eagles-Cowboys game was seen in almost 13 million homes.

On Tuesday night, October 6, night the Wild will open its home season at the Xcel Energy Center against Anaheim.  A capacity crowd of 18,064 will attend, the franchise’s 342^nd consecutive sellout, the longest streak in the NHL.

The Twins, Gophers, Vikings and Wild will play before about 265,000 fans in four days.  And that total might be 75,000 or higher if there was larger capacity for the games at the dome and TCF Bank Stadium.

The attendance total would grow even bigger if the Twins play a one game Central Division tie breaker against Detroit a week from Tuesday before a Metrodome crowd of potentially 50,000 or more.  And although it’s more of a participant than spectator event, tens of thousands will be involved with the annual Twin Cities Marathon next Sunday.

Extraordinary days lie ahead.