Author: David Shama

It didn’t take much time for new Gophers offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch to become an admirer of quarterback Adam Weber.  Fisch was hired in January and he told Sports Headliners earlier this month what he thinks of Minnesota’s redshirt junior quarterback who has been a starter for two seasons, set school records and will be on a watch list of the nation’s better quarterbacks in the fall.

How talented is Adam?  “I think Adam is really good,” Fisch said.  “Really good with the potential to get great.  The ability to have him for two (more) years is really exciting.”

All-American?  “Yeah, I think he can,” Fisch said.  “I think Adam can be anything Adam wants to be.  Right now Adam’s want to is enormous.  Right now Adam’s ability to soak up information is awesome, and his effort level is great.  So when Adam continues to work together with me on how to become a great quarterback I think that Adam will become a great quarterback, an NFL quarterback.”

Although Weber had off-season surgery on his left shoulder, coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners on Friday that his quarterback has recovered faster than anticipated and will run the first team offense in Saturday’s annual spring game (1:30 p.m. kickoff, University of St. Thomas).   Weber has practiced this spring but has worn a red jersey, meaning nobody hits him.

None of the quarterbacks in the spring game can be tackled, Brewster said.  MarQueis Gray and John Nance, both without college game experience, are the Gophers’ second and third team quarterbacks.

Field goals and kickoffs were a concern going into spring practice because last season’s kicker, Joel Monroe, used up his eligibility.  Brewster said he “couldn’t be more pleased with Eric Ellestad,” a sophomore from Armstrong High School.  He likes the way Ellestad has been responding to pressure on field goals in practice and said his exceptionally strong leg can put kickoffs into the end zone.

The Mount Olivet Church Men’s Dinner on Thursday night features Brewster and former Gopher All-American defensive tackle Bobby Bell, who played on the 1960 national championship team and two Rose Bowl teams.  Non-church members are welcome.  The cost is $10 per person with an $8 admission for those 65 and over.  Reservations need to be made by noon tomorrow.  Call 612-926-7651 for more information.

The Gophers have four players on their roster from Skyline High in Dallas and the school has several prospects for 2010 college recruiting classes.  A headliner is linebacker Corey Nelson, the No. 24 player in the country, according to Rivals.com, https://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?SID=880&Year=2010&ra_key=2369

Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson turns 26 tomorrow.

If the Vikings could make a deal giving up first and third round picks in the draft for Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin they will receive applause here.  At 25, Boldin has impressive numbers including 20 touchdown catches during the last two seasons.  He’s a surer thing than a draft choice and remember, too, that acquiring high impact receivers is no easy task.  The Vikings have been trying to replace Randy Moss and Cris Carter for years while looking at Troy Williamson and others.

Arizona’s other star receiver, Larry Fitzgerald Jr., is even better than Boldin and proved his worth helping the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.  The Minneapolis native visited troops in Iraq earlier this year, as did Vikings’ defensive end Jared Allen.

Glen Perkins won his first game of the season yesterday as the Twins beat the Angels, 3-1.  He lowered his season ERA to 1.50 and became the first Twins starter to have three straight eight inning outings since Johan Santana did it in June of 2005.

Joe Nathan, who had the save in yesterday’s win, is three-for-three in save opportunities this season.  He has given up three hits in five innings while striking out five in five appearances.

Center fielder Carlos Gomez had three infield hits yesterday and it was his first multi-hit game of the season.

A source told Sports Headliners that fan response to the Wild has been accepting of need for a change after Wild owner Craig Leipold fired general manager Doug Risebrough last week.

It will be surprising if Leipold doesn’t make hires for the general manager and coach who favor a more wide open style of play than was the standard with Risebrough and Jacques Lemaire who resigned recently.  That offensive philosophy and fresh faces might help keep superstar forward Marian Gaborik here with a new contract.

Kevin Constantine, the Wild’s minor league head coach with Houston, is probably a long shot among coaching candidates because of his defensive reputation.

Devils forward Brian Rolston talking about Lemaire whom he played for in New Jersey and here: “Jacques quite simply is the best coach I have ever had.  I am very lucky to have played for him not only when I was with the Wild, but earlier in my career. The lessons I learned from him remain invaluable to me today.  I can only wish Jacques the very best in the future.”

Fred Hoiberg told KFAN’s Paul Allen on Friday that candidates for the top executive job running the Wolves basketball operation are being given psychological tests providing insights on leadership.  Hoiberg, the Wolves assistant general manager, is an internal candidate who has been interviewed as have outside candidates.

Count Jedd Fisch among those who see Chicago as NFC North favorites now that the Bears have acquired quarterback Jay Cutler from Denver.  Fisch, who worked closely with Cutler last season as Denver’s receivers coach, spoke enthusiastically to Sports Headliners about the 25-year-old quarterback.

“I think the Bears are going to be a Super Bowl favorite because of Jay,” said Fisch, who became the Gophers’ offensive coordinator in January.  Cutler made the AFC Pro Bowl roster after last season, his third in the NFL.  Among his numbers: 4,526 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

In a league where perhaps half the starting quarterbacks are nothing special, coaches like Fisch know the value of a Cutler.  “Yeah, I would say half might be high,” Fisch said. “They’re all elite athletes, elite of the elite of the elite. But on the same token, there’s only a few that are special.  I think Jay is one of those guys that’s going to be special.”

The Vikings won the NFC North last season without a special quarterback.  The Bears have been looking for an extraordinary quarterback for many years, much longer than the Vikings.  The Cutler acquisition changes the thinking about Chicago.

Fisch likes the Bears’ prospects for winning the division, but adds a qualifying statement. “Yeah, as long as their defense stays healthy and as long as they’ve got a couple (of) receivers around him,” he said.  “They’ve got a really good back (Matt Forte), and Jay Cutler is a Pro Bowl quarterback.  So when you have a Pro Bowl quarterback you immediately should be at the top of the pack.

“For example, Jay is 13-1 when they’ve (the Broncos) kept a team to 21 points.  That’s like 94 percent of their games.  Look at how many times the Bears have kept teams under 21 points (eight times last season).  See how many games they should win. Jay’s a great person and a great player.  He’s gotten a bad rap for no reason.”

The Bears finished 9-7 last season, second in the division behind the 10-6 Vikings.  To make Fisch’s point, the Bears lost three games when they gave up 22 points or less.

It was rumors this off-season about the Broncos and new coach Josh McDaniels wanting to trade Cutler that reportedly set off the young quarterback’s unwillingness to stay in Denver.  Fisch said Cutler isn’t a complainer and that negative perceptions about him are wrong.