Former Vikings head coach Jerry Burns: “I am sorry to say my golf game is deteriorating on a daily basis. I am one step from picking up a fishing pole to see if my luck is better there.”
Burns, who was an assistant coach at Iowa in the 1950’s and head coach from 1961-65, will attend a Hawkeye reunion this fall for the 1958 Iowa Rose Bowl team. After living in the Minneapolis area for 40 years, and developing friends with Gopher ties, Burns said he’s more partial to the Gophers now than Iowa.
Gopher football recruit Sam Maresh underwent successful heart valve replacement surgery at Mayo Clinic last week and the Maresh family will post updates about Sam’s treatment and recovery on https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammaresh.
The Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game, won by the Metro over the Outstate 22-17 last Saturday, will be televised beginning at 7 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) on FSN North, according to Vikings.com. The Vikings and FSN are “partnering” to make the telecast possible.
Gopher football coach Tim Brewster attended the annual Bruce Smith Golf Classic recently at Faribault Golf Club. The event raises money for the Faribault community and is named after Faribault native Bruce Smith, the only Gopher ever to win the Heisman Trophy and to inspire a Hollywood movie, “Smith of Minnesota.” Event chair Bruce Krinke reported via e-mail that he expects with this year’s revenues the 19 year total for the event will be over $150,000.
Thunder general manager Djorn Buchholz told Sports Headliners recently that work is ahead of schedule in preparing the National Sports Center Stadium for a home game against Carolina on July 11. The track at the NSC stadium field is being removed so the playing surface will be 80 feet closer to the grandstand.