Paul Carter, the outstanding junior college basketball player from Missouri State-West Plains College who will play for the Gophers next season, is expected to recover from his sports hernia injury in four weeks or more and resume his season, according to Minnesota assistant coach Ron Jirsa.

Gopher athletic director Joel Maturi gives Tim Brewster a “B” letter grade for his work so far as football coach.  Brewster received an “F” for the Gophers 1-11 season record but in all other areas including setting expectations and reaching out to people the first year coach earned “A” grades.

Maturi is a jogger just like Brewster, but Maturi said the two don’t run together very often.  “He’s just too fast,” Maturi said.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling said on C-SPAN2 last Friday that the Red Sox will win the World Series next year, with or without Johan Santana.

Don’t discount the role of egos in the eventual trading of Santana.  The Twins star pitcher and his representatives have large expectations about the money and who the employer will be.  Twins management wants to make a shrewd deal while those executives who ultimately acquire Santana will enjoy an outcome where they obtained arguably baseball’s best pitcher and left everyone else with their noses pressed against the window in envy.  Plus, there’s so much ego and momentum already invested in this soap opera that it’s unlikely he will remain a Twin.  No turning back now.

Patrick Klinger, the Twins vice president of marketing, told Sports Headliners the organization will continue to use its award winning advertising theme “This is Twins Territory” for a fourth year in 2008.  He predicts the theme will probably be used in 2010 when the Twins begin play in their new downtown ballpark.

The organization already has one new TV commercial produced for next year (with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer) and plans to film three more during TwinsFest next month.  Klinger said it’s uncertain who the players will be in those ads but among the candidates are new outfielder Delmon Young.  The popular ads that aired this year included a commercial with Joe Nathan riding in a car driven by Santana.  Klinger said the commercial won a regional Emmy.  The success of the commercials has reached a point where players are “honored to be asked to be in the spots,” Klinger said.

Brett Favre has befriended former Viking Koren Robinson, now with Green Bay. Favre said in last week’s Sports Illustrated that his own past “substance abuse” problems were probably worse than Robinson’s.  Favre has been helpful to Robinson who has struggled for years with alcohol and is trying to restart his career in the NFL as a wide receiver and kick returner.  The magazine honored Favre as its Sportsman of the Year, recognizing the great quarterback for his imact on helping others.

Minnesota tennis legend David Wheaton is the radio host of The Christian Worldview with David Wheaton, a program focusing on “current events, cultural issues and matters of faith.”  The show is heard live on Saturdays from 8 to 9 a.m. on KKMS, 980 AM. It’s also rebroadcast from 5 to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Wheaton told Sports Headliners he is coaching former Eden Prairie High School star Nick Edlefsen, 23, who is preparing to start on the pro tour in January.  Wheaton has suggested to Edlefsen, who also played for the Gophers, that he make a two-year commitment to the tour.

Wheaton, 38, said he won’t decide until next spring whether he will play in Wimbledon and U.S. Open events for veteran players.  He will continue to write Grand Slam event previews for the Star Tribune next year, starting with the Australian Open in January.  He’s been previewing the major tournaments for the newspaper since 2002.

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Former Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton told Sports Headliners that Vikings head coach Brad Childress had a team “in discontent” earlier this season but now has “found the formula” for improvement.  The Vikings had played so poorly in a 34-0 loss to Green Bay about a month ago that they had disgusted just about everyone inside and outside the organization.  The team’s record dropped to 3-6 and part of the problem was not creating the best plays and alignments for the players.

Dalton, who is an NFL media analyst living in a Minneapolis suburb, said Childress “was losing his team” and that players were “disconnecting” from the second year head coach.  “Childress to his credit was astute enough to realize he was losing his team and he better figure out a way to make some things happen,” Dalton said.  “He adjusted and simplified things.  The team responded by executing and winning some games. …”

The Vikings have won three straight since the Green Bay game and are considered among the most likely candidates to make the playoffs as a wild card team in the NFC.  “Now they’ve found the formula which is to play to your personnel’s strengths within your package…,” Dalton said.

The coaches have simplified the offense, including the game plan each week.  “They’re calling plays that (quarterback) Tarvaris Jackson does well,” he said.  “They’re playing to the strengths of their quarterback which is three step passes, as we’ve seen a lot of quick slants (pass patterns).  And then the play action passes is when they take their deep shots (down field).  Playing off the run game, they’re getting linebackers and safeties to suck up into the box (near the line of scrimmage), and then they’re getting some single match-ups on the outside. …”

That run game, of course, has been the center piece to the offensive success.  With a league leading rusher in rookie Adrian Peterson, and stellar work by Chester Taylor, the other featured runner, plus a solid run blocking line, the Vikings lead the NFL in rushing at 176.8 yards per game.

Dalton also emphasized adjustments made to defend the other team’s passing.  “Defensively, I think they have some veterans back there, but they lack the ability to completely match-up with a lot of man (one-on-one) coverage match-ups,” he said.  “…The coaching staff has done a lot more zone pressures, fire zone blitzes.  And they’re bringing different players and disguising that much better than they used to so that it’s confusing to the quarterback. …”

Defensive adjustments have included changes where Minnesota is able to confuse receivers, with Vikings defenders coming from different directions, moving into passing lanes, breaking up throws and making interceptions, Dalton said.

He also said the Vikings “are getting to the quarterback more” with their rushing schemes.  The Vikings will show seven potential rushers and rush five, but the defense doesn’t know which group of five is coming for the quarterback.  The result is more pressure on the passer.

If the Vikings can continue their momentum, Dalton likes the odds of the team making the playoffs for the first time since 2004.  “Winning is the ultimate elixir and so now everyone is back to happy,” he said.

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Bethel, 12-1, can move on to the Division III national championship game if the Royals defeat Mount Union, 13-1, in Alliance, Ohio tomorrow (Saturday).  Mount Union has had extraordinary success winning eight of the last 11 Stagg Bowl national championship games, including the previous two. Bethel’s participation in a semifinal game is the first for any MIAC school since St. John’s in 2003.  The Johnnies won the Stagg Bowl that year by defeating Mount Union, 24-6.  MIAC MVP quarterback Ben Wetzell of Bethel injured his throwing shoulder in last week’s playoff win over Central College but is expected to play tomorrow in the game which will be played on Mount Union’s home field. The game begins at 11 a.m. Minneapolis time and is available through an online video stream: https://all-access.cstv.com/cstv/player/player.html?code=ncaa&sport=m-footbl&category=live&media=54303

There’s speculation about TCF Bank being acquired by another company.  What happens then to support for the new Gopher football stadium? The agreement between the bank and the University ensures the deal stays in place but the stadium name could change from TCF Bank Stadium to something else.  A new name is subject to approval by the University.

Legendary Gopher Bronko Nagurski is ranked No. 17 among the 25 greatest college football players of all time by ABC TV.  The network has been counting down the greatest players this fall and will announce the No. 1 player during the 2008 Rose Bowl.  Nagurski is ranked ahead of such players as Jim Brown, Dick Butkus and Reggie Bush.

Tim Miles coached against the Gophers last year when he was with North Dakota State.  Tomorrow night he brings his Colorado State basketball team to Williams Arena for a non-conference game against the Gophers. The Rams are 5-3 including a 69-56 over Oregon State.  Former Hopkins star Dan Vandervieren who started his college career with Purdue is at Colorado State but not eligible to play until next season.  Niko Medved, who was on the Gopher staff last season, is the recruiting coordinator and media liaison with the Rams.

The Big Ten Network can make a wise decision by choosing Jim Dutcher as its permanent color man on Gopher basketball telecasts.  His calm approach and intelligent analysis are exceptional in an era of talk-too-much and say-the-obvious basketball commentary.

A Timberwolves spokesman reported via e-mail yesterday that guard Randy Foye remains sidelined indefinitely with a stress reaction in his left patella.  No return date has been determined for center Theo Ratliff either, sidelined with a sore right knee.

NBA journeyman and former Timberwolf Anthony Carter, 32, is now starting for the Denver Nuggets at point guard.  His responsibilities include distributing the ball to superstars Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony.

The Timberwolves are promoting ’70s Night tomorrow at Target Center for their game against Phoenix. There will be 1970’s-themed entertainment throughout the game, highlighted by a special halftime performance by The Original Sugarhill Gang. The first 5,000 fans in attendance receive a free ’70s party wig.

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