Author: David Shama

Vikings’ cornerback Antoine Winfield, who has scored two touchdowns in six games and been spectacular with his physical play, could be a consensus all-pro pick after the season.  Last week Detroit quarterback John Kitna said Winfield is the “defensive player of the year” in the NFL so far.  Yesterday Winfield had two tackles, while defensive tackle Kevin Williams grabbed attention with four sacks.

The Gophers face Purdue coach Joe Tiller for the last time a week from Saturday.  The Boilermakers have been consistent winners under Tiller, who is retiring after this season, but he really hit the big time just once when the 2000 team won the Big Ten Conference championship and went to the Rose Bowl.  Tiller is in his last season and the program has stalled out.  A mediocre Purdue team is 2-4 on the season, 0-2 in the Big Ten Conference.

The Sporting News 2008-09 College Basketball Yearbook selects the Gophers’ Damian Johnson as the best shot blocker in the Big Ten Conference.  Last season the Louisiana junior led the Gophers with 46 blocks.

The Wild’s Derek Boogaard ranks No. 3 among the top five “puglists” in the NFL, according to Sports Illustrated’s October 13 issue.  The 6-7, 258 pound Boogey Man is one of the league’s biggest fighters.  Ranked No. 1 is Georges Laraque of Montreal, with Zdeno Chara of Boston No. 2.

The Twins Web site, which listed Michael Cuddyer as an infielder right after the season, now has him again among the outfielders on the team roster. There’s been speculation about a Cuddyer trial at third base before next season, a position he played in both the minors and majors.  His most extensive playing time at third in the minors came in 2000 when in 138 games he committed 34 errors playing for New Britain, according to baseball-reference.com  In 2004 with the Twins he had seven errors in 43 games while playing third base.

Third basemen with other teams that might have their names linked to the Twins during the off season may include Seattle’s Adrian Beltre, Los Angeles’ Casey Blake and Colorado’s Garrett Aitkins.

Sid Hartman’s Great Minnesota Sports Moments, published two years ago, is now in paperback.  Hartman, 88, has been covering local sports since the 1940s.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced that Saint Johns senior Jeff Schnobrich and Concordia senor Levi DeVries have been selected as semifinalists for the 2008 Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth.  Semifinalists for the award are also candidates for the NFF 2008 National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The Draddy Trophy is one of the top honors in college football, exemplifying a player’s on field accomplishments as well as success in the classroom and community activities.

Schnobrich is a political science major with a 3.90 grade-point average and a two-year starter at running back for the Johnnies. DeVries, a defensive back, is a physics and mathematics double major who carries a 3.97 grade point average.  On the field he is a four-year starter and one of the team’s four co-captains this season.

In the brief period from late summer to early fall, circumstances have dramatically changed the importance of Gus Frerotte to the Vikings.  Since September 8, when the Vikings took the field in Green Bay for the opening game of the season, the 37-year-old quarterback has gone from afterthought to potential savior.

He was saint-like in the closing minutes of Monday night’s game in New Orleans, leading the Vikings to a field goal that gave his team a 30-27 win and perhaps saved the season.  The Vikings were 0-2 when Frerotte replaced Tarvaris Jackson as the starting quarterback.  Since then the record has improved to 2-3 and the team’s position is once again that of a contender in the NFC North.

How long that status continues may be determined by whether the Vikings’ old man quarterback remains healthy enough to play.  He’s been bloodied and shaken, and while he’s able to continue on, the intensity of those who pursue NFL quarterbacks won’t be lessening in the weeks ahead.

Another quarterback in this town watched a courageous Frerotte complete 19 of 36 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown on Monday night against the Saints, and praised the performance.  Gopher quarterback Adam Weber said earlier this week he didn’t realize Frerotte had been in the pros for 15 years (seven different teams).

“That’s unreal,” Weber said. “It’s unheard of.  The guy looks like he’s 25 years old out there.  So it’s an amazing, amazing accomplishment.  I mean, I am 21 years old and I feel it in the morning.  I can’t imagine what he feels like after playing games against some of those creatures that he’s playing against out there.”

Whether you compare Frerotte with a 25 or 35 year old quarterback, Frerotte has a strong arm and the guts to stand in the passing pocket facing a potential beating on every snap.  What he doesn’t have is exceptional mobility to avoid the creatures, and his teammates will do themselves a favor to improve on their 19th place standing in sacks allowed by NFL teams.

The locker-room admiration has to be growing for Frerotte who rejoined the Vikings in the off-season after a four year absence where he played with two other teams.  His courage has to inspire, even if it worries family and friends.

Can he make it through a 16 game season?  He better.  Jackson, despite extensive playing time opportunities, has yet to show he’s a good NFL quarterback.  Third teamer John David Booty is a rookie and has to prove he’s even good enough to stay in the league.

The Vikings have a championship defense and an all-pro runner in Adrian Peterson.  Center Matt Birk and guard Steve Hutchinson can play for any team in the league.  The other offensive linemen and the receivers need to prove themselves, and help Frerotte sustain the success he started in New Orleans.

If only he had Weber’s legs.

Numbnut.  That’s a person of limited intellect.

Who does that describe?  Me, I guess.  But the good news is I am not alone.

Last spring this space and other media reported that we thought Kevin McHale was predicting a 20 game improvement in wins by the Timberwolves for the coming season.  That caused a stir since the team was 22-60 last season.

Here’s what the Wolves’ vice president of basketball operations said to two reporters last week: “First of all, to clear that up, someone said, ‘How many more games can you win?’  I said, ‘I don’t know.’  You could win 10, you could win 20.  You could win 30.  You could win 40.

“I said we could win 42 games. I didn’t predict anything.  I said in our business you see teams win 10 more than last year, lose 10 more than last year. …You numbnuts misquoted me and said I said we’re going to win 40 games.  I said we have a chance to win more games.  Who knows? …”

McHale likes his team, believes it has more talent and the desire to improve.  He refers to the players as “nice guys” and when he describes them as “compliant,” that’s another way of saying they’re coachable.

Coach Randy Wittman won’t say how many games he thinks the Wolves will win but for his own job security he has to hope no one, not even numbnuts, are setting the bar at a firm 42 wins.  This numbnut thinks 12 to 15 more wins.

McHale, as we’ve heard, is not set on an exact number either. “If I knew how many we were going to win why wouldn’t I go and fix the $700 billion buyout? …I think we could win a lot more games. …”

The Wolves are 2-0 in pre-season games and open their regular season schedule at home on October 29 against Sacramento.