Author: David Shama

With the Vikings and Bears both at six wins and five losses, and the Packers five and five, the NFC North Division race is nearly parity perfect.  The Packers will play in New Orleans tonight and after that all three teams have five remaining games each to determine a division champion and receive a “ticket” to the playoffs.

Which team will be at the top of the division when the final games are played on December 28?  Three Vikings expressed different views to Sports Headliners.

Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell is in his 12^th NFL season, three here and nine before that with the Packers.  “Well, I think the thing you see every year I’ve been in the NFL–bar none–the thing you see come playoff time is the hottest team gets in and the hottest team advances,” Longwell said. “…There’s going to be a team out of the three of us that’s going to get hot and hopefully we are that team. …I think that’s the key to separate yourself from this pack in this division.”

So are any of the three contending teams on winning streaks now?  Well, not really.  The Bears, Vikings and Packers are all on one game winning streaks.

Vikings offensive tackle Marcus Johnson has only been in the league since 2005 but has seen enough to know about attrition.  Asked what will determine the division champion, Johnson said: “I would say health.  Guys being able to stay in there and sustain. …Being that it’s getting late in the year and guys are worn out and beat up and everything.  So I think the healthier team has the best chance.”

Wide receiver Robert Ferguson, a former Packer like Longwell and eight year NFL veteran, speculates that the running game will be the determining factor.  “First of all, I’ve experienced this on numerous occasions with the NFC North,” he said.  “Seems like every other year is this type of situation with the NFC North.

“The teams are fairly level, fairly equal so I think it’s going to be the team that can run the ball in the bad weather and prevent the turnovers.  So the team that will be left standing will be the team that has their running game going.  It will always come down to that running game in November and December. …”

Ferguson didn’t reference the remaining schedules of the division contending teams but if his theory is correct then the Vikings should have an advantage.  The Purple’s remaining road games, at Detroit and Arizona, will both be played in domed stadiums, just like the Metrodome.

The Bears and Packers, though, will be mostly outdoors, possibly playing in freezing or sloppy winter weather. The Bears have three outdoor home games, plus trips to Minneapolis and Houston. The Packers also have three outdoor home games remaining, plus trips to Chicago and Jacksonville.

Hard to say which team has the easiest remaining schedule.  All three teams play two more NFC North games but the Packers and Vikings have one of those games against the winless Lions.

The Packers might have the best combination of talent and coaching to repeat as champions.  They’ve got plenty of experience, too, competing in the late season elements at legendary Lambeau Field, too.

There is a comforting thought if the Vikings are in the playoffs and exposed to a wintry field.  Ferguson thinks Adrian Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher, is special on a bad surface, too.  “We call him All Day but he’s All Weather Guy,” Ferguson said.  “It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing or whatever.  I think his speed does not falter at all.  That’s one of his strengths.  He’s All Terrain Guy.  It doesn’t matter with him.”

Gopher athletic director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners there is “long range” interest in scheduling a nonconference basketball game against a national power in the Metrodome, or possibly at Target Center or Xcel Energy Center.  Such a game could make sense if coach Tubby Smith’s Gophers become a top 20 program and national TV is interested in telecasting.

Maturi said that playing the game off campus, instead of in Williams Arena, creates more of a neutral court site and is more appealing to an opponent.  The Metrodome can easily be configured for 40,000 basketball seats, or more, offering a huge revenue generating event for the Gophers.

“I think Tubby would go for those kinds of things,” Maturi said.  “There’s no question.  If you look at Tubby’s competition at Kentucky (when he coached there), it was always one of the toughest schedules in the country.

“He played everybody…so Tubby’s not afraid of these teams.  Nor am I as an athletic director. …”

The Gophers are playing a Charmin-soft nonconference schedule this year.  Part of the reason is to give a young team time to develop.  Another reason is major conference basketball schools usually prefer to load up both their records and revenues by playing mostly at home for nonconference games.

Maturi said it’s a challenge for the Gophers and other schools to schedule opponents.  Typically basketball schedules aren’t set for the next season until spring or summer.

The Gophers, who so far this season have played St. Cloud State, Northern State, Concordia-St. Paul, Bowling Green and Northern State at home, and Colorado State on the road, have Eastern Washington at Williams Arena on Wednesday night.  The best home opponent on the nonconference schedule is Virginia, a game on December 2 that is part of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

The Gophers play national power Louisville in a neutral site nonconference game on December 20 at the Arizona Cardinals’ football stadium in Glendale.  The game is part of a doubleheader called the Stadium Shootout with the other game between Arizona State and Brigham Young.  The games will be televised on Fox Sports Net.

A major announcement regarding football scheduling, possibly involving a couple of future opponents will be made soon by the Gophers, according to Maturi.

Maturi said his department is looking at cost estimates for a new practice facility for Gopher basketball.  Such a facility may also accommodate other sports like wrestling and possibly be attached to Williams Arena on the University Ave. side of the building.  New basketball practice facilities are popular now among big time college basketball programs. Maturi said the project will have to wait until fund raising is completed for the new TCF Bank Stadium.

Maturi is “hopeful” ground can be broken in 2010 for the new baseball stadium.  The facility will be located almost on the same site as Siebert Field and capacity will be in the 3,000 to 5,000 capacity, Maturi said.  Cost stages could begin with $5 million and extend to $15 million.  Starting with the basics of the field, dugouts, press box and stands will allow a more comfortable progression of financing.  Maturi said, “We don’t need to have all the amenities on the front end. …”

That was former Hopkins star Dan Vandervieren who played for Colorado State against the Gophers on Saturday night in Fort Collins.  Vandervieren, a sophomore center who started his college career at Purdue, scored 15 points and had eight rebounds in a 72-71 loss to the Gophers.

The Wolves’ management was hoping for a better performance than the team showed in a 95-78 loss to the NBA champion Celtics on Friday night.  Playing before a rare near capacity crowd, the Wolves made a positive marketing statement in the first half when they led 39-36, but in the third quarter the Celtics out scored them 35-10.  On local TV, team color man Jim Petersen said early in the fourth quarter: “I wouldn’t mind seeing Brock Lesnar in a Wolves uniform at this point.”  The former Gopher wrestler and now mixed martial arts champion attended the game.

The Wolves, 3-9, played their best game of the season last night in an impressive 106-80 win at Detroit against the Pistons.

It was cold and blustery on Saturday night when the Gophers played their final game indoors at the Metrodome.  It will be outdoor football next year and from researching historical weather records Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said the average game day temperature for Gopher games is 64 degrees.

Jason LaFrenz, assistant athletics director for marketing and ticket sales, said the Gophers have a waiting list of 800 interested in buying season tickets in the sold out TCF Bank Stadium.

Coach Brad Childress told KFAN’s Greg Coleman after yesterday’s Vikings win against Jacksonville that he will rely on both Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor in the remaining five games.  He referred to them as a “two headed monster.”  Peterson, who didn’t start the game because of missing a team meeting, ran 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown.  Taylor rushed nine times for 25 yards and one touchdown, plus caught two passes for 12 yards.

Cris Carter, the former Vikings and Ohio State receiver, was on the sidelines with Buckeye players in Saturday’s OSU win against Michigan.  Carter’s son Duron, a receiver from Florida, will attend Ohio State next year.

Good guy Don Swanson sponsored the 60^th annual Minneapolis High School Football Coaches Association party last week.  The event was attended by 45 past and present city coaches, plus coaches from Hamline, Augsburg, St. Thomas and Gustavus.  A championship plaque was presented to Peter Haugen who coached Washburn to the city title.  Southwest’s Sean McMenomy was given the best coaching job award.   Another award went to Laurie Balzer who was recognized for his volunteer coaching at South.  Swanson, a leader for many years among high school coaches, was head coach at Henry for 28 years.

Tejas Restaurant in Edina, with involvement from KARE 11 and Taste of the NFL, will host a benefit brunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday with proceeds benefiting Second Harvest Heartland.  Former Vikings are expected to attend, meeting guests and signing autographs. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased by calling Tejas at 952-926-0800.  More information is available at www.tejasrestaurant.com or www.tasteofthenfl.com.