Author: David Shama

The Twins’ regular season home attendance of 2,302,431 fans in 81 home dates was the third–highest total in club history (3,030,672 in 1988 and 2,482,428 in 1992).

Coach Tim Brewster made a classy decision last Saturday in Columbus when he allowed seldom used senior quarterback Mike Maciejowski to enter the game in the fourth quarter and toss a two-point conversion against Ohio State.  That was a considerate gesture, gving Maciejowski an on-field opportunity in his home town of Columbus.

Concordia of St. Paul has announced that its new football, soccer and track facility will be called Sea Foam Stadium.  The university is receiving funding from Sea Foam Sales Company, a producer of petroleum products.  The facility may be ready for use next year.

Wolves rookie forward Kevin Love is interviewing personal chefs.  He wants food low in fat but it has to “taste good.”

TV play-by-play announcer Tom Hanneman is back for his 20^th season as a Wolves broadcaster.  The franchise is also celebrating its 20^th anniversary.

Hanneman’s TV partner, Jim Petersen, begins his 11^th season on either radio or TV with the Wolves.  Prayers are welcomed for Petersen’s mother who has liver cancer.  He and other family members spent much of the summer with her.

Gopher basketball public address announcer and local emcee funnyman Dick Jonckowski is being “roasted” on his 65^th birthday on Wednesday, October 22.  The event begins at 11:30 a.m. at Jax Café with proceeds going to the new Gopher football stadium, according to Jonckowski.   For ticket information contact Bob McNamara, 612-623-9156.

Brad Childress is a solid guy with admirable values, but right now he’s about as popular in these parts as someone selling unleaded regular for $4.25 a gallon.  Yesterday’s 30-17 loss to Tennessee and a disappointing 1-3 start to the season follow the head coach’s first two non-playoff seasons in 2006 and 2007 when the Vikings’ records were 6-10 and 8-8.

Scrutiny about his coaching future will likely be more intense than ever with this being his third year leading the team.  Even before Sunday’s game there was speculation that former Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher might become the Vikings next head coach.  Radio talk show host Dark Star, who was out front a few years back on the Vikings’ trading Randy Moss, said last week on TV (The Sports Show) that owner Zygi Wilf has talked to Cowher.

Cowher is only 51 and stopped coaching in 2006.  He’s considered a coaching prize and his name is tied to speculation with not only the Vikings but Cleveland and Detroit, too.  He coached for 15 NFL seasons, all with Pittsburgh.  His record includes eight division titles and one Super Bowl championship.

If Wilf were to make a coaching change during the season, or after, it makes sense he would favor an experienced coach.  He and his advisors hired Childress who had been an assistant with Philadelphia but never an NFL head coach.

Wilf’s willingness to spend money on players and his statements about winning leave no doubt the Vikings’ owner is in pursuit of championships.  A losing team doesn’t enhance the organization’s drive for a new stadium, either.

The Vikings’ losing start has been the result of a struggling offense and a defense that has a big reputation but hasn’t been that difficult to score on inside the 20 yard line.  Yesterday, for example, two Vikings’ fumbles and an interception led to three touchdowns by the Titans.

The Vikings have many talented players but the organization’s acquisition of personnel to enhance the play at quarterback and among the receivers has been unsuccessful so far.  Player performance and the organization’s personnel decisions aren’t just the responsibility of a head coach.  But you know who usually receives the most blame.

Sources told Sports Headliners late last week that Carleton, Macalester and St. Olaf are studying whether they want to remain members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  Conference commissioner Dan McKane confirmed that MIAC presidents have been informed of the possibility.

McKane characterized the action of the three schools as part of a self examination that institutions periodically conduct.  The process can include where athletics fits in the educational process.

While two sources said they don’t think the three schools will leave the MIAC, there is a possibility.  The motivation, according to someone who spoke anonymously, is to “partner” with “high academic institutions” in possibly a new conference.

But aren’t other MIAC schools high academic institutions?  “I think there are some (MIAC presidents) that it’s tweaked their ears and are a little bit offended, but everybody has to take a look at where they’re at,” a source said.

There presently is an academic consortium of schools called the Associated Colleges of the Midwest.  It consists of Beloit, Coe, Colorado College, Cornell, Grinnell, Lake Forest, Lawrence, Monmouth and Ripon, plus Carleton, Macalester and St. Olaf.  There’s speculation that members may form an athletic conference.

The same source said that while no definite date has been given to the MIAC presidents as to when a decision to stay or leave the conference will be made, he expects the issue to be resolved by next spring.  Sources told Sports Headliners they don’t believe the schools will leave the MIAC to form a new league with members from various states because the result will be increased travel costs and student-athletes will miss more class time.

The MIAC is one of the largest Division III conferences in the country with 13 members.  McKane said the conference has had a moratorium on new membership since 1997.  The bylaws require that all members be private institutions within the state of Minnesota.