Minnesota Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell said a project to build an athletic center at his alma mater, the University of California, is being slowed up because of demonstrations to preserve three trees.  Protestors have chained themselves to the trees, he said.

Vikings’ linebacker Chad Greenway missed all of last season with a knee injury, making this somewhat a rookie season.  Greenway said he’s probably his own “harshest critic” and that at times he’s played like a rookie.  Although he hasn’t made a lot of “splash plays and sacks,” he thinks he’s improving each week and has been equally effective playing the pass and rush. “I think for the most part I have played pretty well,” he said.

Timberwolves assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg told Sports Headliners he has been chosen by Iowa State, his alma mater, as one of the school’s top 10 basketball players of all time.  He will be honored at a ceremony in February.

Hoiberg, 35, has been wearing a pacemaker for about two years.  He feels good and even scrimmaged with the Wolves in September when an extra player was needed.  The pacemaker will be replaced in seven years.

Although the Wolves chose not to exercise an option on guard-forward Gerald Green’s contract, the organization remains intrigued by his potential.  Green, 21, will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.  His career numbers for the previous two seasons in the NBA include an average of 8.9 points per game.  Hoiberg said Green “jumps higher than anyone I’ve ever seen” and refers to the former Boston Celtic as “freakishly athletic.”  Green needs to better understand “concepts” of what the Wolves are trying to accomplish, Hoiberg said.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith said he liked the play of point guards Al Nolen, Lawrence McKenzie and Kevin Payton after the opening exhibition game last week.  Nolen, a freshman from Patrick Henry High School, is the quickest of the three.  The Gophers play Southwest Minnesota State tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in a second and final exhibition game.  The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

A seventh place finish in the Big Ten Conference is a popular prediction for Smith’s first Gophers team.

North Dakota had three of the first four players listed last week on CSTV.com’s Hobey Baker watch list. The top four were Kevin Porter, Michigan senior forward; Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, North Dakota senior goalie; T.J. Oshie, North Dakota junior forward; and Ryan Duncan, North Dakota junior forward.  No Gophers were listed in the 10 player listing.

Forward Brian Rolston is the Wild’s team captain for the month of November. Mikko Koivu and Nick Schultz are alternate captains. The Wild rotates its team captaincy on a monthly basis based on the player who has shown the greatest leadership qualities.

The Wild’s Marion Gaborik said on WCCO Radio yesterday he thinks the Northwest   Division is the best in the NHL.  The Wild are in first place with 18 points, two more than second place Colorado.  Gaborik scored five points in two games last week and was honored today by the NHL as one of its players of the week.

The MIAC pre-season coaches’ polls resulted in the following winter sports favorites: Bethel, men’s hockey; Gustavus, women’s hockey; Bethel, men’s basketball; and Saint Benedict, women’s basketball.

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The weeks go by but themes remain the same, according to Minnesota Vikings critics.  Opening drives on offense are productive, followed by more minimal results, suggesting that other teams are making more successful adjustments during games. Also, who’s the quarterback?  What are his credentials?  Rookie Adrian Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher with 740 yards, has been under-utilized.  Bryant McKinnie underachieves at left tackle and the offense’s right side seems like a permanent project. The defense is on the field too often and eventually yields major passing plays.  Coach Brad Childress is a target of public and media criticism.

The Vikings are 2-5 and it seems like much of the conversation is the same after each game.  I like Childress, a good guy who learned many of his values and football knowledge under one of the best college coaches in Big Ten Conference history, Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. Although Childress had never been an NFL head coach prior to coming here, he has a lot of coaching experience. This is his 30^th year of coaching, including 10 in the NFL.  He’s been associated with 17 winning seasons.

His job here, though, is the most demanding of his career. Reality is that he’s so scrutinized the public can turn on him based on one game, even a single play.

Criticism and frustration with the Vikings is increasing.  The talk shows are scorching with critiques. The boo-birds at the Metrodome sometimes arrive in the first quarter. For the first time in years the franchise is struggling to sellout games.  A zealous fan even held up a “Fire Childress” sign at last Sunday’s game.

Mike Morris, the former Viking now a KFAN radio host, told Sports Headliners he thinks the Vikings need a coaching change   Childress’ record is 4-13 in his last 17 games and his overall record since he started coaching the Vikings in 2006 is 8-15.  Morris is frustrated with personnel and in-game coaching decisions, attributing some problems to “stubbornness.”

“The owner’s got as much stubbornness as he (Childress) does,” Morris said earlier this week. “He (Zygi Wilf) thought he had a great hire.  He ran out and got the guy.  He doesn’t want to be embarrassed by a bad hire.  He’ll keep the guy I am sure, regardless of what his record is.  Unless he swallows his pride and says, ‘Look, I’ll do anything for this team to do better’ and hire another guy, (Bill) Cowher, (Marty) Schottenheimer.  You got to right the wrong.  He (Wilf) would make more people happy about it…if he would just redeem himself.  He needs to rehire someone.  He’s got the wrong guy.  Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn coaching over on that sideline.  It’s not working. …”

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It’s a refrain as old as laces on a football.  When a team isn’t winning, fans campaign to change quarterbacks.  Gophers quarterback Adam Weber passed for only 162 yards against North Dakota State two weeks ago and just 99 in the Michigan game last Saturday. Weber, a redshirt freshman, is a better passer and runner than junior backup Tony Mortensen.  Third string true freshman Clint Brewster isn’t ready to play.

Unless Weber is injured, he will be the starting quarterback in the team’s last three games, at home tomorrow night against Illinois, at Iowa on November 10 and back home against Wisconsin on November 17. Any team that uses the spread offense like Minnesota places extra emphasis on quarterback performance.  Although Weber has had his struggles learning the offense and executing, his statistics are impressive, despite 20 interceptions.

Weber has completed 195 of 340 passes for 2,145 yards and 19 touchdowns.  With 286.1 yards per game total offense, he ranks No. 1 in the country among major college freshmen quarterbacks, 21^st in the nation including all quarterbacks and third in the Big Ten Conference.  He is the only freshman in the country to have passed for at least 2,100 yards.  He ranks 15^th among all quarterbacks in touchdown passes.

Weber has broken all of the freshman passing and total offense records at Minnesota.  Now he’s nearing overall single season school records in several categories.  He needs 675 yards to break the record for total passing yards, 20 more pass completions, 46 more passing attempts, four touchdown passes and 348 yards in total offense.

Coach Tim Brewster has stayed with Weber, knowing the former Mounds View High School quarterback gives Minnesota the best likelihood of winning.  Don’t be too surprised if the Gophers, 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the conference, win on Saturday night if Illinois makes too many mistakes and doesn’t respect Minnesota.  Illinois, 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the conference, is an athletic team but one that can self-destruct.

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