Kevin McHale told Sports Headliners recently that he doesn’t feel an “urge” to sign Al Jefferson to a new contract before the season starts but that a deal in October rather than later could be comforting to the Timberwolves’ star forward.  NBA policy allows negotiations this month but if a new contract isn’t agreed to then talks must stop until next summer.  Jefferson makes about $1.6 million, according to espn.com, and he is a restricted free agent after the 2007-2008 season.

On a team searching for leadership, on-court production and ticket sales, Jefferson, who is heading into his fourth NBA season, jumps to the head of the Timberwolves’ line. Conversation about the summer trade that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston for five players often starts with the 22-year-old Jefferson who has by far the most impressive NBA career numbers.  Last year was a coming of age season for the 6-foot-10, 265-pound Jefferson as he produced double figure averages in points (16) and rebounds (11).

McHale, vice president of basketball operations, had yet to speak with Jefferson’s agent about a new contract as of last week.  He has talked to Jefferson about leadership and what’s expected of him on the floor.

“I hope that we can agree to something and get something done,” McHale said.  “…We have right of first refusal next summer.  We can match any offers and stuff.  I don’t know (that) there’s an absolute urge.

“I would like to get something done for Al’s peace of mind, to be truthful. The numbers that you’re going to be talking are a lot of money and a ton of security for a young guy.  And sometimes with that security you can say, ‘Okay, I am going to be here’ and you can relax a little bit.  So I would like to get something done for Al’s sake.”

A power forward, Jefferson will play some center, according to McHale.  The Wolves, who like most NBA teams don’t have a dominant center, are likely to use Jefferson at center when other teams put a smaller lineup on the floor.  That’s not unlike how the Wolves adjusted when Garnett was here but a difference is that Jefferson favors a low post game.  Jefferson will “go to the hole” and try to make “lay-ups,” according to McHale.

Jefferson was seventh in the league in rebounding last season.  The Wolves were an average rebounding team and Jefferson will be counted on to help returning starting center Mark Blount who averaged 6.2 rebounds per game, 39^th best in the NBA. McHale described Blount’s season as “great” through the first 50 games but said “his productivity slid” in the last part of the season. Blount averaged a career high 12.3 points per game and shot over 50 percent from the floor for a fourth consecutive season.

Minnesota Wild president Doug Risebrough and coach Jacques Lemaire announced yesterday that forward Pavol Demitra will serve as team captain for the month of October.  Brian Rolston and Wes Walz will serve as permanent alternate captains.

The Wild will see if it can continue its mastery of the Chicago Blackhawks at the home and season opener Thursday night.  The Wild swept the four game series last season, won two pre-season games this year and is 17-6-l all-time in regular season games.

There’s talk that the locker rooms in the new TCF Bank Stadium will be named after former Gopher coach Murray Warmath who won the school’s last national championship in 1960.

What the new Big Ten Network means to fans with cable television here is that the Gopher road games the next two Saturdays at Indiana and Northwestern will not be seen on their TV sets.  In past seasons most Big Ten Conference football games were televised even if the telecasts were via ESPN-Plus.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission has approved a 10-city listening tour regarding the Minnesota Vikings’ stadium needs.  The tour will gather citizenry input starting with Duluth on October 23 and continue outstate until November 14 when there will be a meeting in Minneapolis.

Although the New York Mets blew their opportunity to make the playoffs, second baseman Luis Castillo was productive the last month of the season.  Castillo, traded by the Twins in late July, hit .316 during September and .364 in the last 10 games of the season.

Left fielder Jason Kubel closed fast for the Twins, too. He hit .364 in August, .325 in September. His finished with a .273 average and major league career bests in homeruns, 13, and RBI, 65.  

The Twins tied a franchise record this year by drawing over two million people for a third consecutive season.  When the franchise starts playing in the new outdoor ballpark in 2010 the Twins are likely to draw around three million (a total exceeded only once in club history).  At the old Met Stadium, playing outdoors, the Twins never drew two million in a single season.

Brett Favre made the national headlines yesterday for breaking Dan Marino’s NFL career record of 420 touchdown passes but there was a lot of conversation inside and outside the Metrodome about rookie running back Adrian Peterson after Green Bay defeated the Vikings 23-16.

Green Bay’s 37-year-old Favre threw two touchdown passes to move his career total to 422 while the 22-year-old Peterson tied a Viking rookie rushing record with his third 100 yard rushing game of the young season.  Peterson tied the record by Chuck Foreman and A.P. even accomplished it by halftime of his fourth NFL career game.  Peterson ran for 108 yards on 10 carries in the first half.

What had fans wondering, though, was why Peterson’s role was limited to two carries from scrimmage in the second half.  Although it was a close game, 10-6 starting the third quarter, and 13-9 beginning the fourth, the Vikings moved into passing mode with quarterback Kelly Holcomb and away from running the football using the league’s second leading rusher (Peterson’s 383 yards trails only Oakland’s LaMont Jordan, 424).

Green Bay defensive tackle Ryan Pickett talked like a member of the Adrian Peterson fan club after the game.  He said Peterson, who averaged 9.3 yards per carry, might have played better against the Packers than LaDainian Tomlinson, regarded by many as the NFL’s best running back and a player Green Bay had faced a week earlier.

“Peterson is a heck of a back,” Pickett told Sports Headliners. “He’s explosive, big. Man, he’s got great vision on the field. Any time you give him an inch, he’s going to take it. …”

Peterson doesn’t play like a rookie. “He looks like an experienced veteran out there,” Pickett said.  “He’s just running the ball hard.  He’s gonna be a force to reckon with this year.”

Tomlinson rushed for 62 yards against the Packers, compared with Peterson’s 112. “He might be the best back we’ve faced so this year and that’s saying a lot, playing against LaDainian and all.” Pickett said.  “He’s up there and he’s got a good future ahead of him.”