Author: David Shama

The Timberwolves learn on Tuesday how they will do in the NBA draft lottery.  Wolves’ president Chris Wright said an announcement will be made soon as to who will represent the franchise at the lottery that determines the order of the first 14 teams selecting first round players in the June 26 NBA draft.

If the Wolves have one of the first two picks in the draft it will be interesting to see if the choice is Michael Beasley, the talented forward from Kansas State who personally may not be as solid as Derrick Rose, the point guard from Memphis.  Rose and Beasley are consensus projections as the top picks in the draft.  A Beasley pick may not be shrewd.

Wright told Sports Headliners during an interview that the Lynx expect season tickets to total about 1,500 again this year.  Average attendance of 5,000 or more is expected for home games, with crowds of more than 10,000 when group sales are high.

The Lynx open their season on Sunday at Target Center in a 5 p.m. game against          Detroit. The game will be televised by FSN North.

The Lynx roster has changed dramatically in the last two years and is now branded around Seimone Augustus, considered one of the best women’s basketball players in the world, and rookie Candice Wiggins, the third pick in the 2008 WNBA draft.  The WNBA will suspend its schedule in August to accommodate the Olympics, and Augustus figures to be a member of the U.S. basketball team.

Joe Mauer has hit safely in 20 of his last 22 games and is batting .380 (30-79) during that time.

Kevin Slowey has given up 20 home runs over 16 career appearances and 18 homers in 14 career starts with the Twins.  The team has scored three runs over Slowey’s last four starts while he has been in the game.  He was the losing pitcher in last night’s 5-3 loss to Toronto.

A spokeswoman for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open reported via e-mail on Monday that the tournament “is currently tracking to be the most successful championship in history in ticket sales.”  The Open will be at Interlachen Country Club in Edina from June 23-29 and projected attendance is more than 135,000 for the week. Tickets have been sold to fans in 44 states and four foreign countries, Mexico, Japan, United Kingdom and Canada.

The Wild and WCCO Radio are accepting entries for a contest where the winner hosts the kick-off of the 2008 Wells Fargo Minnesota Wild Road Tour in his or her home. On Monday, June 9, from 5 to 9 a.m. the winner will host Wild players, NHL alumni, and the WCCO morning news team including Dave Lee.  To enter the contest, write an e-mail or letter explaining why your home deserves to be a tour stop.  Submit to: contests@wccoradio.cbs.com.

St. Thomas has won the 2007-08 MIAC men’s and women’s all-sports awards. For the Tommie men, it’s their 22nd overall all-sports award, and for the St. Thomas women it is the 17th in the 25-year history of the women’s award. Traveling trophies are awarded annually to the schools that accumulate the best all-sports records in men’s and women’s athletics.

A political source who spoke on condition of anonymity, said neither the Republican or Democratic candidates for president have decided on running mates but there’s intense scrutiny to learn about personal and public office weaknesses.  The source said Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, likely on the short list of Republican vice presidential candidates, will pass that test.  If that happens, Pawlenty becomes a heartbeat away from being president, or on track for a presidential bid in 2012 or 2016.  How ironic if a Minnesota Republican were elected president after the presidential bids last century of state Democratic heavyweights Hubert Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy and Walter Mondale.

Big Ten football teams will likely play nine conference games within a couple of years, according to Minnesota coach Tim Brewster.  In an interview with Sports Headliners, Brewster also said he expects Syracuse and possibly Texas to be on future Gopher schedules.

Big Ten teams play four non-conference games and eight league games but during an interview that focused on improving the Gopher schedule Brewster brought up the possible change to nine conference games.  “I think the chances of that happening are good,” he said. “And I think it’s a good thing. …”

Big Ten teams would then play three non-conference games each as part of a 12-game schedule.  An additional conference game will enhance the fan appeal of most schedules for league teams.  The change can grow ticket revenues at schools that traditionally have struggled to fill their stadiums. The Big Ten also becomes a more attractive TV product with additional conference games instead of what too often are marginal games involving low appeal schools from conferences like the Mid-American.

The Gophers’ 2008 home schedule isn’t a fan’s dream or a marketer’s fantasy.  The  schedule offers non-conference games with Northern Illinois, Montana State and Florida Atlantic.  The four conference home games are with Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan and Iowa.

Brewster looks to the future.  “We’re working very hard on the schedule,” he said.  “In a long term plan we’re trying to add the University of Texas to our schedule.  I understand more than anything how scheduling affects recruiting and everything is about recruiting. …”

His vision is to play one high profile team per season on national TV, citing Texas and UCLA as examples.  Fans would love that but Brewster is motivated, too, by the desire of potential recruits and players to play against big-time teams in meaningful games.

The other non-conference opponents will be teams located in areas the Gophers recruit.  With the east coast being targeted as one recruiting area, Brewster is pleased to open the 2009 schedule at Syracuse (the Orange may play here in 2012).  Other schools that he would like on the schedule include San Diego State, SMU, South Florida, Central Florida and other Big East Conference teams in addition to Syracuse.

The Gophers’ home non-conference schedule for 2009 is attractive.  Air Force comes to open the new TCF Bank Stadium and California also makes a visit in September.

In fairness to the Gophers, home schedule making is a challenge for most Division I schools.  The problems include guaranteed money that is unreasonable or more than the host school can afford.  Then, too, some schools will host teams like the Gophers but don’t want to travel here, preferring to schedule as many games at home as possible for financial and competitive reasons.

“Fans have no concept on how hard scheduling is,” Brewster said.  “How far in advance it’s done. …”

If the Big Ten adds a ninth conference game, that’s one less scheduling date to worry about.

A lot of fans anticipate all the horses except Big Brown will be running for second place in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes from Baltimore.  You can count Jake Mauer, who has been handicapping races for nearly a quarter century at Canterbury Park, among them.

Mauer marveled along with a national TV audience when Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby earlier this month by about five lengths.  Not only did Big Brown easily outdistance the field, but he did it by starting from the unfavorable 20^th post position.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, coming from the 20^th hole,” Mauer told Sports Headliners.  “Powerful strides and pace. …”

Mauer said Big Brown is the best he’s seen since Secretariat and likes his prospects for the Triple Crown.  The last of the Triple Crown races is the Belmont Stakes from Elmont, New York on June 7.

“I think he’s going to go to the Triple Crown,” Mauer said.  “I can’t believe it.  Do you know how many extra furlongs he had to make up in that Churchill Downs from the 20^th hole? …”

Big Brown was bred and raised in Kentucky by Dr. Gary Knapp, a native Minnesotan.  Knapp, who was raised near Fergus Falls, sold Big Brown in 2006, according to a recent story on the Fergus Falls Daily Journal Web site.

Wagering on the Preakness Stakes begins at Canterbury on Friday.  Mauer sells his tip sheet in the Canterbury lobby on live racing days at the Shakopee track.