Author: David Shama

Tyler Thigpen, who the Vikings picked on the seventh round of the 2007 draft and then released over a year ago, has started three games for Kansas City, including Sunday’s three point overtime loss to Tampa Bay.  The 24-year-old former Coastal Carolina quarterback has thrown five touchdown passes and four interceptions for the 1-7 Chiefs.

Vikings’ wide receiver Aundrae Allison was also a 2007 draft pick and is an admirer of Thigpen.  “I feel like the sky’s the limit for him because he has all the attributes to be a good quarterback,” Allison said.  “He throws the ball good.  He has touch.  He throws it hard when he needs to.  He’s accurate.  He’s not scared to throw some balls, and take chances to get it to receivers…to make plays on the ball.  He’s a good runner out of the pocket.  I feel like his speed is something that’s good and works in his favor, too. …”

Former Twins player Charlie Manuel, now manager of the world champion Phillies, received the biggest ovation at the team’s celebration event last Friday in Philadelphia, according to a Sports Headliners source who attended.

The Wild will hold a Fantasy Camp on Friday, February 6 at a cost of $795 per person. Men and women ages 21 or over with high school or college hockey experience may participate.  The camp will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. prior to the Wild-Nashville game.  Camp participants will watch both teams during their morning skates.  They will also participate in on-ice drills with former NHL players Brad Bombardir, Darby Hendrickson, Phil Housley and Shjon Podein, plus play in a game with NHL alums.  Other benefits include a dinner, two tickets to the Wild-Nashville game and a personalized Wild jersey.  The camp is limited to 32 campers.   Call 651-602-6000 for more information and to register.

The Wild will be at Colorado tomorrow night and Avalanche fans have to be pleased injured Marian Gaborik won’t be skating.  The Wild’s star forward has 31 points in 38 career games against Colorado.

Gaborik has missed all but two of the Wild’s games this season and that can’t be adding any appeal to teams interested in acquiring him in a trade before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next year.  Gaborik’s reputation for injuries may cause some caution, even though he’s only 26 and played in 77 games last season with career highs in goals and assists.

The Gopher hockey team, off to its best start since 2001-02, is ranked No. 4 in the country in the USA Hockey Magazine/USA Today and U.S. College Hockey Online/CBS College Sports polls.  Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers play fifth ranked New Hampshire at home on Friday and Saturday nights.  Colorado College is the No. 1 team in the country.

St. Thomas and Gustavus will be among the best men’s and women’s MIAC hockey schools, according to preseason coaches polls.   St. Thomas, Hamline, Gustavus, Bethel and St. Olaf are predicted to finish one through five in men’s hockey.  The women’s top five: Gustavus, St. Thomas, Concordia, Hamline and Bethel.

Vikings’ coach Brad Childress gave his football team a letter grade after Sunday’s 28-21 win over Houston on Sunday at the Metrodome, according to defensive end Ray Edwards.  The coach made sure the team knows it can earn a higher grade.

“We’re a C team right now because we’re average,” Edwards told Sports Headliners. “We’re 4-4. …So we’re just trying to keep working, keep working.  We’re trying to keep our grade up.”

The Vikings, though, avoided a tsunami of negativity with their third win in the last four games.  The last time the Vikings played at home they stumbled to a 12-10 win over lowly Detroit (now 0-8) while some fans chanted for Childress’ dismissal.  Then a loss two weeks ago in Chicago only added to the surly outlook of fans in Vikingland.

But yesterday the Vikings took an early 7-0 lead set up by a 55-yard Gus Frerotte pass to wide receiver Bernard Berrian and went on to play perhaps their best game of the season.  Heroes included Frerotte with three touchdown passes, Adrian Peterson with 139 yards rushing and a two-sack game by Jared Allen.

The Vikings are just one game back in the loss column from first place Chicago (5-3) in the NFC North.  They’re also tied for second in the division with Green Bay which comes to town next Sunday.

After the Packers, four of the next five games will be on the road.  The Vikings are 3-1 at home, 1-3 away.  As left tackle Bryant McKinnie said after the game yesterday, it’s a “dogfight” on the road.

In the weeks ahead the Vikings will have the opportunity to improve their grade mostly in “schoolhouses” other than their own.

The Gopher football team’s offense is unproductive and if the status quo continues, losses in the last three games of the season are likely.  On Saturday the offense had an 80-yard touchdown drive and a 76-yard drive that produced a field goal in a Big Ten Conference loss to Northwestern.  The Gophers, 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the league, have just two scoring drives of over 50 yards in each of their last four conference games.

A turnover-causing Gopher defense has been helping the offense. Last Saturday, for example, cornerback Traye Simmons’ interception and 23-yard run produced Minnesota’s second touchdown of the game in a 24-17 loss.  But the Gophers can’t predict that every Saturday the defense will come up with a touchdown or even give the offense the ball near the goal line.

What’s the problem?  Simple answer.  Beyond quarterback Adam Weber and wide receiver Eric Decker, two of the Big Ten’s best at their positions, the offense lacks playmakers.  By conference standards, the offensive line is average at best.  Too many times in recent games the line has committed untimely holding and false start penalties.  Even more often Weber is scrambling to avoid being sacked, or there’s no hole for Gopher runners.

No doubt the running game would look better if the Gophers had explosive or powerful runners.  Where have you gone, Marion Barber, Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell?  Duane Bennett isn’t as good as those former Gophers but he’s a quality runner who is injured and out for the season. Playmaking speedsters are a missing element at receiver, too, where the Gophers are almost one-dimensional with only Decker.

The offense might find some life against Michigan on Saturday.  The Wolverines have given up 129 points in their last three games and are on a four-game losing streak.  But Wisconsin and Iowa, the last two teams on the regular season schedule, are much better defensively.

It’s evident that in the off-season coach Tim Brewster and his staff will need to upgrade the talent on offense with perhaps a combination of improvement by underclassmen, and the addition of junior college and freshmen playmakers.