There’s proposed legislation at the capitol in St. Paul to make hockey the official state sport.  With people so passionate about various sports it’s not good judgment to showcase one above all the others.

The Minnesota Wild has the second best fans in the NHL, according to a players’ poll in this week’s Sports Illustrated.  Montreal received 35 percent of the vote followed by the Wild at 13 percent, and Calgary, 11 percent.

It was two years ago yesterday that Kirby Puckett died.  The former Twins star would have celebrated his 48^th birthday on March 14.

Rick Sutcliffe, ESPN baseball analyst, said on Wednesday’s spring training telecast of the Yankees-Twins game that Minnesota has the “best bullpen” in the American League.

Former Gopher basketball coach Dan Monson is having a difficult first season at Long Beach State. His overall record is 6-23.

UMD guard Jordan Nuness set the school record for career (241) and single season (100) three point field goals on Wednesday night.  Nuness, who played in high school for Eden Prairie, started his career with the Gophers before transferring to UMD.

If you are among the minority who can access the Big Ten Network, you can watch the women basketball Gophers play an opening game in the conference tournament tonight (Friday) against Michigan State beginning at 8 p.m. in Indianapolis. The game can be heard on radio, KBEM FM, 88.5.  The Gophers, who finished with an 11-7 Big Ten record, are the No. 4 seed, while the Spartans, 10-8, are seeded fifth.  Minnesota is led by first team all-conference guard Emily Fox who finished fourth in Big Ten scoring at 17.2 points per game.

It was a memorable year for the basketball program at Minneapolis Community & Technical College.  Coach Jay Pivec won his 500^th career game and MCTC won the 600^th game in school history dating back to 1965.

Hamline hockey juniors Dustin Fulton and Joe Long were named MIAC Co-Players of the Year for the 2007-08 season. Fulton led the conference in point and goal scoring, finishing with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points. Long led the MIAC in power play goals with eight and finished 10th in the league in points with 20. Hamline coach Scott Bell was chosen conference Coach of the Year. Hamline won the regular season title, its first in 50 years, with an 11-3-2 record.  Award winners are determined by a vote of conference coaches.

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While the Vikings receive applause for the free agent signings of wide receiver Bernard Berrian, safety Madieu Williams, fullback Thomas Tapeh and kickoff return specialist Maurice Hicks, there are still people from California to the Carolinas who believe the franchise hasn’t solved two vital needs, quarterback and defensive end.

The 2006 Chicago Bears proved it’s not impossible to make the Super Bowl without a quarterback, but NFL history makes a strong case.  A pass rushing defensive end who can harass a quarterback like a school yard bully chasing smaller classmates is among the most highly prized of NFL players (see Super Bowl champion New York Giants).

While the wait-and-see label is on Tarvaris Jackson as he prepares for his third season as a pro, Purple eyes could be gazing toward Cleveland where the Browns re-signed Derek Anderson, but there’s an assumption by some that Brady Quinn will eventually be the starting quarterback.  Anderson, 24, threw 29 touchdown passes last season while Jackson, also 24, had nine.

The Browns are without early round draft choices this year including the first round.  You wouldn’t need a referendum in Minnesota to send the Vikings’ first and second round picks to Cleveland for Anderson.

There’s certainly no doubt that the Vikings will enter training camp with at least one new quarterback after releasing journeyman Kelly Holcomb.  At minimum, an upgrade in  backup help to Jackson is needed.

For multiple seasons the Vikings have been looking for improved play at defensive end.  Better pass rushing has been a particular need.  Knee surgeries for Erasmus James, Kenechi Udeze’s leukemia, and the possible free agency departure of Darrion Scott has clouded the defensive end picture beyond what was expected a year ago.

The NFL’s free agent class of defensive ends this year was rated “A-” by Sporting News last week.  The Vikings pursued Justin Smith of Cincinnati without success.  If improvement isn’t made through free agency, the college draft might help.  Defensive end is a position where rookies can make an immediate impact.

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There’s an old time axiom in sports and it’s sort of like life’s Golden Rule.  “A good trade benefits both teams.”   Whoever jotted down that phrase could appreciate the deal that sent the Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett to Boston for Al Jefferson and four other players.

It’s time to conclude that both teams would make the deal again, faster than a referee whistling a three second lane violation.  The Celtics have the NBA’s best record, 46-12, and are ranked No. 4 in the latest NBA.com power rankings.   The franchise that claims 16 world championships but hasn’t won any since 1986 is back at the top, riding the skills mostly of its three aging stars, Garnett, 31, Ray Allen, 32, and Paul Pierce, 30.

The ride will not last long but it’s a trip the Celtics needed to make.  During the last 20 years the Celtics were sometimes okay, often worse and at times dreadful. As recently as last season Boston was 24-58.  General manager Danny Ainge, himself a former Celtic from the glory years of the 1980s, had to make a bold move before his name was added to the growing list of failed regimes in Boston.  The acquisitions of Garnett and Allen (from Seattle) will likely make Ainge the NBA’s executive of the year.

Kevin McHale, the Wolves’ basketball boss, and Ainge’s former teammate, won’t be a contender for the award but deserves credit for a deal that helps the Wolves now and beyond.  The Wolves gave up their box office draw in Garnett, “The Big Ticket.”  They also are without one of the NBA’s most versatile 7-footers ever, a player particularly adept at rebounding and shot blocking.  But Jefferson’s skills are extraordinary in his own way. Already he’s earned a place among the league’s best low post players, game after game dazzling with moves, footwork and shots near the basket.  He is a superior scorer to Garnett in both consistency and clutch shooting.

The numbers tell a lot about this trade and why it benefits both franchises.  Garnett is perhaps an old 31 considering all the games he’s played since starting his career, not in college, but in the NBA at 19 years old.  His numbers this season include 19 points per game and 9.9 rebounds, down from career averages of 20.4 and 11.3. Garnett’s numbers also include this: he makes over $20 million per year.

Jefferson, 23, makes about $3 million, with a new five year contract totaling $65 million starting next season.  Unlike Garnett, neither Jefferson’s salary nor age are liabilities to the Wolves’ future.  Jefferson’s stats in points and rebounds compare favorably to Garnett’s.  Jefferson ranked 13th in the NBA in points per game at 21.5 and fifth in league rebounding at 11.7 through games on Monday.

The Wolves received Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, and Theo Ratliff, plus two first round draft choices and cash in the Garnett deal.  Green and Ratliff are now with other teams. Gomes and Telfair have had productive moments as mostly starters, but forget about all that for a moment.  This was a deal worth making just for Jefferson.

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