The Vikings have enjoyed the good fortune of competing against mostly ineffective quarterbacks in their first three games.  Atlanta’s Joey Harrington, Detroit’s J.T. O’Sullivan and Kansas City’s Damon Huard won’t be headed to the Hall of Fame in this lifetime.  The Purple’s luck ends Sunday, though, when Brett Favre comes to town, tied with Dan Marino for the all-time NFL record for touchdown passes, 420.

Like a good movie script, it seems appropriate that Favre, who has already broken Marino’s league record for pass attempts, is within one touchdown pass of setting the record when Green Bay comes to Minneapolis.  The Viking-Packer rivalry is one of the best in football and provides a little more theater for Favre.

Favre and the Packers won both games against the Vikings last season.  Green Bay has won three of the last four games at the Metrodome.  The Packers are 3-0 while the Vikings are 1-2.  Favre has six touchdown passes, 861 yards and a quarterback rating of 93.4 in three games, according to www.nfl.com.

Favre’s 38^th birthday is next month and some people didn’t think he would still be playing, or at least performing at such a high level after all these years in pro football.  When the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers out of California in 2005 it was a signal to some that Favre’s days in Green Bay were coming to an end.  Rogers, a No. 1 draft choice, has played in five games in three seasons, with no starts.

Viking kicker Ryan Longwell played with Favre for nine seasons in Green Bay.  He was asked about the crowd that’s wanted to move Favre out of the way because of his age.  “I don’t know what they’re thinking,” Longwell told Sports Headliners. “I think he could still play for a long time.  I think unfortunately in this position and this job everybody is going to have an opinion there’s always something (someone) better.

“A lot of times in this business it’s not the case.  Brett is certainly an example of a guy that can take anyone around him and make them better.  And there’s not many of those guys in this league that can just bring the whole team, the whole organization up. And he happens to be one of them.”

Favre threw a league-leading 29 interceptions during 2005, but through three games has only two.  Peter King wrote in last week’s Sports Illustrated that the Packers have asked Favre to be “more card shark than riverboat gambler.”  The emphasis on shorter passes and more completions is likely to limit interceptions and give the overall mediocre Packers a better chance to win.

Longwell said Favre is very coachable and that a more conservative approach can make sense in the NFL where there is more parity than years ago.  “Yeah, he’s bought into it,” Longwell said.  “There’s no doubt, but at the same time he’s one of those guys that can go outside the play if it breaks down and make something happen. …

“I think he does a good job of kind of straddling both sides.  Staying in the scheme and…if it breaks down he’s the guy you want back there scrambling and throwing the ball around.”

A lot of NFL quarterbacks have played up to age 40 and beyond, according to the NFL Hall of Fame Web site (www.profootballhof.com).  Only three have played at 44 or older, Warren Moon and Steve DeBerg played at 44 and George Blanda was still on the field at 48.

Longwell was asked how much longer his friend will play.  “Who knows? I think only he knows, and sometimes I am not even sure he knows. … It’s tough to sit through the meetings, it’s tough to go to the mini-camps, and the training camps, but come Sundays in the fall there’s no place you would rather be.  I think you start weighing I don’t want to go to all this off-season stuff and all the stuff you have to sit through, but then it comes game day.  Man, it would be hard to give this up. Certainly his talent has not decreased and he can still win games with the best of them.  So who really knows?”

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Big Ten football schools have a flashy .794 non-conference winning percentage (27 wins, 7 losses) but reality is the teams are disappointing.  College football observers including Sports Illustrated rank the Big Ten among the worst BCS conferences.  In its issue last week the magazine rated the conferences this way: SEC, Pac-10, Big East, Big 12, ACC and Big Ten.

Three of the non-conference wins by Big Ten teams have come against feeble Notre Dame (0-4, scored 24 total points).  League teams scheduled mostly a collection of nobody schools and stumbled to a few losses.  Headline embarrassments include Michigan-Appalachian State, Minnesota-Florida Atlantic, Iowa-Iowa State and Northwestern-Duke (Blue Devils ended nation’s longest losing streak).

In non-conference games Big Ten schools haven’t come near playing top 10 ranked teams with the closest quality win being Ohio State’s road victory over Washington, 33-14.  The conference doesn’t have a team that deserves consideration among the nation’s elite.  In this week’s Associated Press rankings of the top 25 teams the league has only three schools included, Ohio State No. 8. Wisconsin No. 9 and Penn State No. 21.  Top ranked USC and No. 2 LSU are probably three touchdowns better on a neutral field than any Big Ten team.

A major problem is that several conference teams lack balance between offense and defense.  Iowa and Purdue are two examples. The Hawkeyes have speed, talent and are well coached defensively but have much less to offer offensively.  In their last two games, both defeats, the Hawks have allowed 29 points but scored 26 in losses to Iowa State and Wisconsin.  Purdue has scored over 40 points in all four of its wins, including a 45-31 victory over the Gophers but the Boilermakers have an average defense that has allowed Toledo, Eastern Illinois and Minnesota to score 77 points.

Last weekend the Big Ten opened its conference schedule with only Michigan State’s win over Notre Dame being a non-league game.  From now through mid-November league teams will infrequently play non-conference games, more “Joe Blows” like Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Temple, Ken State and Ball State.  Except these days it’s a good idea for conference teams to address these opponents as Mr. Ball State, Mr. Kent State etc.

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Forbes magazine and Web site (www.forbes.com) lists Twins owner Carl Pohlad as the 114th richest person in America with a net worth of $3.1 billion.  In the Forbes annual listing of the 400 wealthiest Americans, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is 149^th at $2.7 billion. Donald Trump ranked 117^th at $3 billion. Oprah Winfrey is 165^th at $2.5 billion.   Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Wild owners didn’t make the list.

Steve LaCroix, Viking vice president of sales and marketing, said late last week that the Packer game on Sunday will be a sellout and televised in the metro area.  LaCroix expects tickets for the game to be available early this week.

Viking end Ray Edwards said the defense has set a goal of 68 sacks for the season.  Through the first three games the total is 11.  Edwards, a fourth round draft choice from Purdue now in his second season with the Vikings, wants to start every game after being a reserve in 2006.  Going back to his pee-wee football days, he’s played every position in football except quarterback and center.

Viking wide receiver Troy Williamson said he’s continuing with eye exercises he learned during the off-season.  He said his depth perception has improved as a result of the exercises.

Tejas Restaurant in Edina has a special promotion today through Friday to help promote the Taste of the NFL and benefit Hunger Solutions Minnesota.  Each day a Minnesota Viking alum or other celebrity will be in attendance from noon to 1 p.m. and a 2007 MINI Cooper will be on display.  Raffle tickets costing $100 each are being sold with a chance to win the MINI Cooper courtesy of Motorwerks MINI, plus a year of insurance from Calhoun Insurance agency.  Only 500 total tickets are being sold and the winning ticket will be drawn at the Taste of the NFL Celebrity Dinner on October 1 at Winter Park, practice home of the Vikings. Ticket info available by calling 612-338-4537 or www.tasteofthenflmn.org.

I learned a lesson from a player agent years ago.  With a promising young client, you usually want a shorter contract so that when the player starts accumulating impressive stats there is a free agency opportunity.  A longer contract is desirable for an older player who may be more likely to suffer injuries and could be a less effective performer in the near future. Now think about the Twins and free agent Torii Hunter.  The Twins offered a three year contract but Hunter, 32, wants a longer deal.

Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer is hitting .500 (5-for-10) with 13 RBI with the bases loaded and less than two outs.

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster said he and his wife are still deciding whether to build or buy a home here.

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