Author: David Shama

Despite Brett Favre’s impact on ticket sales and other revenues, the celebrity quarterback is expected to cost the Vikings more money than he generates.  In discussions with three sports and entertainment sources who spoke anonymously, there was consensus the Vikings will lose money this season on Favre’s reported $12 million contract.

Since the announcement of Favre’s signing last week the Vikings have sold thousands of season and individual game tickets.  Let’s presume the franchise sells an additional 10,000 tickets per game (probably a generous estimate) at an average cost of $70 per ticket.  For a 10 game preseason and regular season schedule, that’s $7 million in gross sales.  But the Vikings don’t keep all of that money because the NFL requires the home team to share 40 percent of its ticket revenues with the visiting teams.

Playoff ticket revenues?  Nope, the NFL keeps all the ticket revenues from those games.

The Favre fan hysteria, including the rush for Vikings jerseys with his name on the back, will be big business.  However, NFL merchandising revenues are like TV revenues in that they’re divided up among the 32 franchises.

The Vikings will likely profit from an increase in local sponsorships.  If they were able to sell several additional sponsorships, sources thought those revenues might increase by $3 million at the absolute max.

The Vikings may reduce their payroll by $500,000 or more by cutting a player because of Favre’s roster spot.  That would mean another way to look at what Favre costs is $11 million, not $12 million, and the Vikings could have revenues of about $7 million to put against that figure.  Net loss: $4 million.  That’s minimum and probably under stated by a lot.

Vikings owners, including Zygi Wilf, didn’t sign Favre with worries about whether dime for dime he pays for himself in 2009.  Instead, this is another sizeable investment in player payroll to push the Vikings toward post-season success, perhaps a Super Bowl.

The Vikings are now mentioned in the same sentence with the most likely contenders for an NFC championship.  A championship will increase public enthusiasm and support for the Vikings beyond previous levels.  Instead of often being angry with the Vikings, this becomes a Purple-mad state.

And that’s exactly the kind of culture that will help persuade the public and government officials to push the drive for a new stadium into the “end zone.”  That’s what Wilf wants, and as part of that process the value of his franchise will jump from its estimated $839 million (lowest in the NFL according to Forbes.com) to over a billion dollars.  https://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/30/sportsmoney_nfl08_NFL-Team-Valuations_Rank_2.html

So Favre is definitely a potential money maker for the Vikings.  Just don’t crunch the numbers too closely right away.

Any Twins fans interested in following the organization’s prospects have to be intrigued by Deolis Guerra.  The 20-year-old right handed pitcher has most recently been promoted to Double-A New Britain where his work has been described as “brilliant” and “inconsistent.”

Guerra’s performances have included a no-hit, nine strikeout six inning performance but his 5.19 ERA indicates inconsistency.  A recent online article in the New Britain Herald said Guerra’s out pitch is his changeup and described it as “devastating.”  https://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2009/08/22/sports/doc4a8f559506754372078426.txt

Twins farm director Jim Rantz talked to the Herald about that pitch and Guerra’s development.  “Everything works off your fastball,” Rantz said. “If he can locate the fastball and throw strikes, that changeup is deadly. That’s a weapon. …

“This is only a 20-year-old kid and he’s already got about four years under his belt. I’m pleased with the advancement that he has made and how he’s come along.”

Guerra’s potential arrival some day as part of the Twins’ rotation has appeal beyond the obvious need that the big league club is struggling to find starters.  As part of the infamous Johan Santana trade in 2008, Guerra has been considered by some observers to be the gem of the four-man package that also brought center fielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber and Kevin Mulvey to the Twins organization from the New York Mets.  A productive career by Guerra would make those with a Twins bias feel a lot better about losing two-time Cy Young award winner Santana.

Guerra, who is 6-3 with New Britain and has struck out 45 batters in 52 innings, was once an eye candy kind of prospect in the Mets organization.  The Venezuelan was signed as a free agent for $700,000 by the Mets who viewed him as a pitcher loaded with potential.

Guerra’s performances have been inconsistent during his minor league career.            The velocity of his pitches has been questioned and his stamina, too.  But Guerra at other times has shown big league velocity and he has both the youth and the body frame, 6-5, 200 pounds, to develop more stamina.

Almost still a teenager, Guerra is two levels from the major leagues.  Since he’s already advanced from Class A to AA this year, the Twins might not call him up in September when their roster expands from 25 to 40, but it will be surprising if he doesn’t have the opportunity to make the team in the spring of 2010, or 2011.

Justin Morneaureturned to the Twins lineup on Monday night after not playing since August 17. The team was 5-2 without Morneau, the American League’s RBI leader with 95.  He homered last night for the first time since August 2 in the Twins’ comeback win over Baltimore.

If junior college transfer Trevor Mbakwe isn’t with the Gophers this fall, freshman Royce White is a likely replacement at power forward.  A woman alleges Mbakwe attacked her earlier this year in Florida.  A trial later this year regarding a felony aggravated battery charge will further address the allegation.  White has impressed associate head coach Ron Jirsa with his strength.

The Vikings’ defense has so many standouts that Madieu Williams doesn’t receive a lot of publicity but the 27-year-old safety is a solid player and a smart free agent signing in 2008.

That was 96-year-old former national championship coach Murray Warmath who made the effort to attend the Gophers scrimmage last Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.  Warmath, who lives in Bloomington and coached the Gophers to the 1960 national title, is confined to a wheelchair.

Announced attendance at the stadium open house and scrimmage was 15,103.  Official capacity is listed at 50,805.

The stadium’s M Club facility for Gopher letterwinners is expected to open on Thursday, September 10, two days before the season opener against Air Force on September 12.

Former Gopher linebacker and Sartell native Craig Sauer is an assistant coach at Augsburg as part of a National Football Players Association/NCAA coaching internship program for former NFL players. A former linebacker with the Falcons and Vikings, Sauer is a defensive/special teams assistant on Augsburg coach Frank Haege’s staff.  https://athletics.augsburg.edu/news/2009/7/8/fb070809.aspx?path=football

Saint John’s sophomore offensive lineman Cody Socher spent four hours each day this summer lifting, conditioning and practicing with UFC champion Brock Lesnar.

The Johnnies’ John Gagliardi will become the first known head coach in college football history to coach his own grandson, Joey Benson, this fall.

St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso’s 50-plus freshman football recruiting class includes four players born in Africa who later grew up in the Twin Cities.

Local author Bob Showers has a new book, “The Twins at the Met,” debuting this week at the Minnesota State Fair (the Twins exhibit).  It will be available only at the fair and Twins Pro Shop locations until early September, and then in bookstores. The book is a history of Twins baseball at Metropolitan Stadium, the franchise’s home from 1961-81.  Showers interviewed many sources including team alumni like Bert Blyleven, Kent Hrbek, Tom Kelly, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Jim Kaat, Paul Molitor, Jack Morris and Dave Winfield.

Wrestling fans can see the WWE at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday, September 5.