If the Vikings win Monday night’s game they will break Washington’s four straight opening game win streak, longest in the NFL. The game will be played at FedExField, capacity of over 90,000, and with a noise level Viking coach Brad Childress compares to the Big Ten Conference stadiums of Michigan and Ohio State.
Former Viking receiver Randy Moss, now with Oakland, has caught 98 touchdown passes during his eight year career. With two more touchdown receptions he becomes the seventh player in NFL history to catch 100 or more touchdown passes. Jerry Rice is the NFL career leader with 197 and former Viking Cris Carter is second with 130.
The Twins are giving away 10,000 Jack Morris bobble heads tonight (Saturday) at the Metrodome. Gates open at 4 p.m.
Long time fan favorite Wayne Terwilliger is in town as a coach with the Fort Worth team playing Saint Paul for the first American Association championship. Before games this weekend at Midway Stadium he will sign copies of his book “Terwilliger Bunts One.” The autobiography, released in late May, tells the story of Terwilliger’s amazing 56-year career in professional baseball and is on sale in bookstores throughout the Twin Cities and at Midway Stadium.
Coach Kirk Ferentz talking about Rafael Eubanks, former Cretin- Derham Hall star and now a redshirt freshman center starting his first game in Iowa’s opener last Saturday against Montana: “The last two guys we’ve christened (before Eubanks) was a bumpy road for both of them for a couple games. If I was comparing the three, Rafael probably got off to a little smoother start than both those guys.”
Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema talking about starting quarterback John Stocco, former football and baseball star at Holy Angels: “John’s biggest strengths are probably the things he possesses between the ears. His mind and his ability to think on the football field are very, very important to our success. . . .”
Dick Jonckowski, the public address announcer for Gopher basketball for 21 years and baseball for 19, was the public address announcer last month at the American Legion World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was his ninth year in that role and he also emceed the banquet.