Author: David Shama

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.

Here’s a rare prediction from Sports Headliners: the Gophers will beat Iowa tomorrow night.  Attribute the prediction as coming from the gut or the heart, certainly not the head, but there’s a feeling the Gophers, about a touchdown under dog, will win their final game in the Metrodome and end a three game losing streak.

Iowa is the better team.  The Hawkeyes have won four of their last five games including an upset of then No. 3 ranked Penn State.  Iowa’s defense, as usual, is one of the Big Ten Conference’s best under the leadership of defensive coordinator Norm Parker who coached for the Gophers in the 1970s.  Offensively, Iowa is mostly about Shonn Greene, the marvelous runner who leads the nation in rushing yards.

The Gopher defense, the strength of the team, held Wisconsin’s exceptional running attack to 117 yards last week in a 35-32 loss to the Badgers.  A similar performance will be needed against Greene with the Gophers hoping to hold the 5-11, 235-pound junior to runs of less than 12 yards.  Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi is an okay performer. His passing production is limited by a non-explosive group of receivers.

Slow down Greene and then have a 24 point night from the Gopher offense.  That could put the Gophers in position to race across the field to claim Floyd of Rosedale at game’s end.

The Gophers’ unproductive November offense perked up last week in Madison, scoring four touchdowns.  A surprise performance by freshmen wide receivers Brandon Green and Brodrick Smith, both of whom scored touchdowns, helped in Eric Decker’s absence.

“You have to feel good about that, their contributions, and you knew they were coming because they’re very talented football players,” said Gopher coach Tim Brewster.  “And then you add back to it a guy like Eric Decker. …I anticipate the passing game to do a nice job (tomorrow night).  We’ve really got some weapons in the passing game, particularly at wide receiver.”

Decker still leads the conference in pass receptions with 74 and has recovered enough from a right ankle sprain to play on Saturday even if he isn’t 100 percent.  Decker and Adam Weber have one of those special quarterback-receiver connections where they seem to have a feel for making a successful play together.  Roommates off the field, Weber said this week that Decker is his “best friend.”

The Gophers, though, won’t have much margin for goof-ups if they are to defeat Iowa for only the second time since 2000.  The offense and special teams will be on the spot to avoid fumbles, interceptions and other mistakes.

The Gophers find themselves having lost three straight conference games and thereby eliminated the goal of playing in a New Year’s Day Bowl game.  That could be an emotional drag for this Saturday if the opponent wasn’t Iowa.  The rivalry is expected to put energy back in the Gophers.

Their guts and heads are probably telling them they will beat Iowa.  We’ll see.

It’s been quarterback “musical chairs” in the NFC North the last 12 months or so.  All four of the division’s teams have changed regular quarterbacks since last season.

Aaron Rodgers is trying to replace a legend in Green Bay where Brett Favre is gone after 16 seasons.  Kyle Orton took over this year for Brian Griese and Rex Grossman in Chicago.  Dan Orlovasky replaced the injured Jon Kitna in Detroit.     Gus Frerotte, of course, is the starter here, not Tarvaris Jackson.

Whether it’s been performance issues, injury or a flirtation with retirement, the results have been new faces.  With Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota playing .500 football with 5-5 records, and Detroit at 0-9, no one is going to make the case that the division has the best quarterbacking in the league.

Rodgers has a 94.5 quarterback rating.  That’s fifth best in the league but few will argue that his performance equals that of Favre last season when his marvelous play led the Packers to a division title and almost to the Super Bowl. The other quarterback ratings are Orton at 88.3, Frerotte at 76.6, Orlovasky at 76.7.  (The NFL quarterback rating system uses various statistics to arrive at the averages.)

Earlier this fall Houston head coach Gary Kubiak, who was an NFL assistant before coaching the Texans, was asked how important he sees the quarterback position being to an NFL team.  “I think it is the key to stability in a franchise,” he said.  “When you’ve got that settled and you know that, that guy is going to be an effective…(player) for eight-10 years then it helps you build a football team around him.

“If you are unsettled at that position, then it can get very, very difficult.  So I think it is important.  I have been through it many times in Denver, and of course having (John) Elway for years, and those types of things I’ve seen in San Francisco when I was there with Steve Young.  Those guys are difference makers every week.  They are going to touch the ball 65 to 70 times so they are in control and what they bring to the franchise is huge.”

Those comments will undoubtedly draw amens in the NFC North.