Author: David Shama

With the Vikings’ willingness to spend money, is it possible they could make a run at free agent quarterback Kurt Warner?  The 37-year-old had an impressive season helping Arizona to the Super Bowl but there’s speculation he might not return to the Cardinals.  The Vikings have one of the most expensive payrolls in the league, despite being last in NFL revenues.

Former Vikings’ assistant coach Dean Dalton said Warner’s backup, seldom used Matt Leinart, could help the quarterback situation here.  “I think in time he will be good,” Dalton said.

Leinart isn’t a “gunslinger” type quarterback but has enough skills to fit with a team like the Vikings, especially if Minnesota can add another big play receiver, Dalton said.  Leinart only played in four games (no starts) this past season, his third in the NFL.   Leinart has a reputation for leadership and touch on the ball but isn’t a quick decision maker, according to Dalton.

High school and junior college football players can sign their national letters of intent on Wednesday and the public is invited to attend the Gophers’ signing day party at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.  Coach Tim Brewster will comment on recruits and show highlights beginning at 6:30 p.m.  The event starts at 5 p.m. with registration available at www.goallineclub.com.

Neither Rivals.com nor Sporting News magazine have the Gopher class ranked in their top 25 listings.  Scout.com has the Gophers at No. 45 in the country.  Brewster said Minnesota’s class (21 or 22 signees expected) will be smaller than many other schools and that’s a reason for the lower rankings than a year ago when some sources had the Gophers in the top 25.

Brewster describes his incoming class as “excellent,” and predicted there could still be a “surprise” addition or two to the list of those who have verbally committed and are already expected to sign letters of intent.  “I think when it’s announced (the rankings of schools after Wednesday), we will jump up,” he said.

A tireless recruiter, Brewster said he was in Indianapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Shreveport, New Orleans, Miami and several schools in Minnesota last week.  “I know how to pack,” Brewster said.

Sporting News ranks Breck wide receiver Bryce McNeal, headed to Clemson, the No. 30 player in the country.  The magazine picked Gopher recruit Matt Garvin, a defensive end from Eastview High School, as one of six “sleeper” defensive players nationally.

George Blackwell, a former pro baseball player and now an amateur coach here, believes Gophers’ wide receiver Eric Decker can make the major leagues as a left fielder.  Decker, a junior, will play baseball for the Gophers this season and skip spring football.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners he doesn’t know what to expect regarding Kevin McHale’s interest in coaching beyond this season.  He doesn’t believe McHale has made a decision and an announcement may not come until after the season.  Taylor said McHale might want to coach beyond 2009 to continue improving the team, eventually leaving on “his terms” with a better product than seen here in awhile.

When the Lakers were in town Friday night they were without legendary coach Tex Winter.  The former Kansas State coach and long time Lakers’ advisor, now 86, doesn’t travel with the team but still consults with head coach Phil Jackson.  Instead of a consultant, Winter refers to himself as an “insultant,” said assistant coach Frank Hamblin.

Royce White of Hopkins High School and Rodney Williams of Robbinsdale Cooper have known each other since grade school, according to White’s grandfather Frank White.  The two Gopher recruits will compete against one another tomorrow night when Hopkins plays at Cooper.

Hopkins is rated 17^th in the country in USA Today’s national rankings of prep teams. That’s the highest ranking for a Minnesota prep team within memory.

The Gophers’ four remaining Big Ten Conference home basketball games are near sellouts, according to Jason LaFrenz, assistant athletics director for marketing and ticket sales.

U sports historian Dana Marshall sent an e-mail regarding former Gophers Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville being on the ballot for the March 8 EuroLeague All-star game. Whalen plays for ZVVZ USK Prague, and McCarville for CSKA Moscow.

Former Gopher Blake Wheeler, now with Boston, is tied for second in plus-minus rating in the NHL.  Zach Parise, born in Minneapolis and the son of former North Star J.P. Parise, is tied for third in the league in goals, playing for New Jersey.  Former Gopher Thomas Vanek, with Buffalo, is also third in goals.

During the 82 game NBA regular season there are ho-hum dates and yawners.  Then there are a few like tonight’s Lakers-Wolves date at Target Center that deserve preferred anticipation.

The Wolves, who are playing their best basketball in years, will test themselves against a Lakers team that is No. 2 in NBA.com’s power rankings.  Wolves’ assistant coach Jerry Sichting didn’t minimize the game’s importance during an interview with Sports Headliners early in the week.

“That will be a good measuring stick,” he said.  “They’re the cream of our conference.  That’s for sure.  Not only are they good but they’re tall and we’re not the biggest team in the league.  It’s almost a double whammy when we play them.  They’ve got great players and they’re really big.  Al (Jefferson), and (Kevin) Love, they’ll be giving up three and four and five inches to the guys that they’re matched up against. Those guys like to throw over the top and play volleyball on the glass against us.  We’re really going to have to be physical and we’re gonna have to play our best game of the year probably to beat them.”

The Lakers, with the Western Conference’s best record at 35-9, have more length than any team in the league, plus all-world guard Kobe Bryant.  And not just length, but quality players with exceptional basketball skills and athleticism.  Andrew Bynum, only 21, is a 7-footer with long arms who has taken over at center with Pau Gasol, another 7-footer, moving to power forward.  Bynum is averaging 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.  Gasol’s numbers: 17.3, 9.0 and 0.9.

Bynum probably has as much potential for improvement as any player in the league and he’s already a handful.  He scored a career high 42 points earlier this month against the Clippers. “He’s a monster,” Love said.  “He’s what, only 21? … He’s just scratching the surface right now.”

Off the Lakers bench come two 6-10 players, Lamar Odom and Vladimir Radmanovic.  The versatile Odom can play both power forward and small forward.

The Wolves’ January record is a flashy 10-3, yet all but two of the wins have come against teams with under .500 records.  Sichting, though, said the Wolves have newfound confidence.  Instead of experiencing a bad period of play in a game and thinking all was lost, now the team has proven it can even come from behind and win.

“They’re starting to believe that they can play with good teams,” he said.  “We haven’t beat a lot of teams with winning records. …That’s the next step we have to take.  We’re beating mediocre teams.  We’re beating some teams that aren’t very good. ….”

A win tonight against the Lakers will leave no one doubting the reputation of the team the Wolves defeated.  And if that weren’t enough, the Wolves are at Boston on Sunday to face the defending NBA champions who are 38-9 and have won nine straight.  Can you say Measuring Stick II?