Author: David Shama

NBA regular season rosters have to be finalized by 5 p.m. Minneapolis time on October 27.  Timberwolves decisions will include who to keep as a reserve point guard, 24-year-old Blake Ahearn or 37-year-old Kevin Ollie.

The Wolves are telecasting pre-season games for the first time in franchise history  tonight and tomorrow night, according to Ted Johnson, the team’s marketing vice president.  The Wolves have Target Center games on FSN North tonight versus Chicago and tomorrow evening against Milwaukee.

Johnson said there are 1,200 to 1,500 tickets remaining for the regular season and home opener October 29 with Sacramento.

The Vikings special teams received scrutiny at Brad Childress’ news conference Monday, a day after a blocked punt and mishandled punt return gift wrapped a pair of scores for Chicago in the Bears’ 48-41 win.  Childress said he is in the special teams meeting every day.  “And they get coached every day,” he added.  “There is somebody back there with them.  They’re not standing back there in a vacuum. …I will say an encouraging note.  I think the coverage teams have done a good job here in the last couple of weeks.”

Although the Vikings auditioned other punters after Chris Kluwe had two of his punts returned for touchdowns by New Orleans earlier this month, Childress said he doesn’t expect to look further.  He made it clear he isn’t blaming special teams coach Paul Ferraro, Kluwe or other players for special team mistakes.

“It all comes back to me,” Childress said. “I am not going to pin it on a coach or a player.  That’s what it is.  I am the guy that’s got the wins and losses by my record so it’s not the special teams guy. …”

Childress said he typically meets a couple times per week with owners Zygi and Mark Wilf.  Topics include team status, injuries and personnel.  “We talk about all those things,” he said. “Obviously as owners, they have the right to know.  It’s important that you explain rationale.”

He also said the Wilfs have “pretty good wisdom” but are also willing to learn about the football side of owning an NFL team.

The Gopher football program has had its late season losing trend well documented through the years but since 1999 Minnesota has managed to finish two seasons in the top 25 national polls.  In 1999 the Gophers were No. 18 in the Associated Press and No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today final polls.  Minnesota was No. 20 and No. 17 in those final polls in 2003.

Radio-TV journalist Mike Max had a pre-recorded interview with Michael Jordan on his “Life to the Max” show last Saturday night.   Max said Jordan discussed various subjects including the challenge of being a world celebrity.  The show had major competition airing opposite “Saturday Night Live” and Sarah Palin.

Although the Vikings played another game making too many mistakes and their record is a disappointing 3-4, Vikings coach Brad Childress told a post-game audience yesterday on KFAN Radio that his approach will be positive as the team heads into its bye week before taking on Houston at the Metrodome on November 2.

The Vikings are off next Sunday after playing seven straight regular season games and four pre-season games, plus training camp.  “The big thing is you want to get physically healthy and you want to get mentally healthy,” Childress said.  “You don’t want to get mentally ill.  And so I am a big proponent of don’t beat up the players and don’t beat up the coaches. ..”

The bye week, though, should be a time for soul searching.  Yesterday the Vikings had a punt blocked, an errant touch of the ball on a punt return and a Gus Frerotte interception that gift wrapped three touchdowns for the Bears in Minnesota’s 48-41 loss in Chicago.  The Vikings got away with turnovers the week before to beat Detroit 12-10 at home and had survived a wild game in New Orleans two weeks ago to win even though Reggie Bush ran two punts back for touchdowns.

Down 48-31 in the fourth quarter, the Vikings seemed determined to rally and tie the game.  It was the kind of grit the offense has sometimes demonstrated since Frerotte took over as the starting quarterback in game three.  Frerotte has at times brought life and steadiness to the passing game, although he threw four interceptions yesterday including a poorly thrown ball that ended the team’s comeback attempt in the last minute.  The throw left an observer wondering if even after just five games the 37-year-old quarterback is weary from the physical play of the NFL.

With inconsistency on offense and too many mistakes on special teams, the Vikings can only be judged as disappointing in their first seven games.  This was a team that most everyone thought would play better than .500 football, maybe a lot better.

Today the Vikings can be pleased that no other team in the NFC North is excelling either.  The Bears and Packers lead the division at 4-3, the Vikings are 3-4.  And they can also be pleased to have a bye and opportunity to regroup.

With five new players on the roster and without three starters from last season, the Gopher basketball team’s outlook seems as much about guesswork as it does facts.   Coach Tubby Smith is not without expectations, though, and that includes improving on last season’s 20-14 record, 8-10 in the Big Ten Conference.

Smith said on Friday he hopes the improvement equates to “more wins and being in the NCAA tournament.”   The Gophers began practice last week and are preparing for their exhibition opener at Williams Arena against St. Cloud State on November 3 without last season’s three leading scorers, guard Lawrence McKenzie, forward Dan Coleman and center Spencer Tollackson.  Smith and his staff will be trying to figure out how best to blend his eight returning players with newcomers Ralph Sampson III, Colton Iverson, Devoe Joseph, Devron Bostick and Paul Carter.

Sampson and Iverson are forward/center guys who provide size on a roster that doesn’t have much.  Smith said both are two inches taller than Coleman and Spencer, both listed last year at 6-9.  Sampson will be a face-the-basket player, while Iverson is better near the basket, according to Smith.

Joseph, a guard who is considered one of the best young players in Canada, can handle the ball and score.  So, too, will Bostick, a junior college transfer with a big reputation for outside shooting.  Carter, another junior college transfer, is 6-9 and will have to help with the size issue although he only weighs 195 pounds.

Among the returnees are guards Blake Hoffarber, Lawrence Westbrook and Al Nolen, and forward Damian Johnson.  Hoffarber, although only a sophomore, is already considered a clutch scorer and his .427 three point field goal percentage last season is eye-catching.  Smith said Westbrook was one of the team’s “most consistent” players last season, contributing offensively and defensively.  Nolen’s athleticism helped him rank second among Big Ten leaders in steals (1.94 per game) but he needs to be a more aggressive playmaker as the team’s point guard.  Johnson is a defensive specialist who improved his scoring last season, going from 1.6 points per game in 2006-07 to 7.1 last season.

In Smith’s first season as Gopher coach the team improved defensively from 66.2 points per game in 2006-07, to giving up 63.2 last season.  There will be no less emphasis on defense going forward.  “If they don’t defend, they won’t play,” Smith said.  “I promise you that.”

Two college basketball preview magazines add evidence about the guesswork for the coming season.  Athlon Sports predicts a fifth place finish for the Gophers in the Big Ten.  Lindy’s College Basketball puts the Gophers in eighth place.  Athlon forecasts a Big Ten title for Purdue while Lindy’s likes Michigan State (plays here on New Year’s Eve).  Both publications have the same four teams making the NCAA tournament,  Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State.

Smith’s teams at Kentucky made 14 consecutive tournament appearances.  Asked on Friday whether he had any regrets about coming here and building a program, Smith said no. “I think every place is good,”  he said.  “We expect to be as good or better here. …”