Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Garnett, Mark Blount, Ricky Davis and Mike James are players fans can consider voting for as starters for the 56th NBA All-Star Game in February.  A media panel chose 120 players from throughout the NBA for the all-star ballot.  Among the ways fans can vote are at NBA arenas, on AOL.com/nba, and at T-Mobile-owned retail locations. 

Vikings coach Brad Childress talking about Daunte Culpepper’s comeback chances in Miami following his “devastating knee injury” while playing for the Vikings last season:  “He’s got all those tools.  Sometimes when you have one of those devastating knee injuries that next year is tough and really you don’t get back to have all of your faculties maybe until you’re 16-18 months out.” 

Gopher coach Glen Mason said on WCCO Radio Sunday that the improvement of offensive lineman Andy Brinkhaus, who is being red shirted this season, is “mind boggling.”  Brinkhaus played at Bloomington Jefferson last fall. 

Bill Lester, Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission executive director, recalled testifying before the Minnesota legislature several years ago about stadiums including Lambeau Field in Green Bay where there are seats just 17 inches wide.  “I said there isn’t a 17 inch derrière in the entire state of Wisconsin,” Lester chuckled.   

Patrick Reusse talking on KSTP Radio compared the glory days of capacity crowds and roaring fans with the now dwindling attendance and quiet atmosphere at Williams Arena for Gopher basketball games. He described the change as enough to make you “puke.” 

Former Minnesota Twins shortstop Jackie Hernandez is leaving the St. Paul Saints coaching staff to become the manager of the Charlotte County Redfish (Port Charlotte, Florida) in the newly formed independent South Coast League.  Hernandez, 66, will be in his 47^th year in professional baseball in 2007 and first as a manager.

Minnesota and Iowa play in the Metrodome on Saturday in the 100^th football game between the two schools.  Through the years the rivalry has sometimes been bitter.  Nothing symbolizes the emotions of the Gopher-Hawkeye rivalry like Floyd of Rosedale, the famed bronze statue of a pig that goes to the winner of the Minnesota-Iowa game each year. 

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz recalled that back in 1981 he was a young assistant coach with the Hawkeyes and not that familiar with the rivalry.  Ferentz’s roots had been out east, playing football at Connecticut and coaching as an assistant at his alma mater and at Pittsburgh.  In his first season at Iowa, 1981, Ferentz watched the Gophers defeat the Hawkeyes and saw the Minnesota players come charging across the field to claim Floyd. 

“I figured out real quick how important that (rivalry) was,” Ferentz said. “Then the other thing that really jumped out, and not quite so much now, but back in the 80’s there seemed to be almost a bitter rivalry between the states just in general.  There were a lot of Minnesota jokes about Iowa, and Iowa jokes about Minnesota.  That type of thing.  …” 

The 1981 Gophers were coached by Smokey Joe Salem who had a dismal career record at Minnesota, 19-35-1, but was 3-2 against Iowa.  As a player, Salem had helped quarterback the No. 3 ranked Gophers to a 27-10 win over No. 1 rated Iowa in 1960, a game that moved Minnesota toward the national championship.  As Gopher coach, Salem always wanted badly to beat the Hawkeyes and those around him said during Iowa week he had a different look in his eyes. 

As a kid, I recall my parents telling stories about Gopher games in Iowa City during the 1930s when fans threw whiskey bottles at the Minnesota players.  In 1935 both the Gophers and Hawkeyes were undefeated going into their game in Iowa City.  The year before, according to the Gopher media guide, the Gophers had “roughed up” Iowa star Ozzie Simmons so badly he had to leave the game.  As a prelude to the 1935 game, Iowa governor Clyde Herring said, “If the officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I’m sure the crowd won’t.” 

Minnesota governor Floyd Olson was alarmed and responded, “Minnesota folks are excited over your statement about Iowa crowds lynching the Minnesota football team.  I have assured them you are law abiding gentlemen and are only trying to get our goat. …I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota wins.” 

The bet eased tensions and the Gophers won 13-6 in a game without major incidents.  The Gophers’ prize was a real pig, provided by Rosedale Farms near Fort Dodge, Iowa.  Later Olson commissioned the creation of the bronze pig, Floyd of Rosedale.

During the last 35 years or so the Minnesota-Iowa rivalry has become much more one-sided in passion and interest among Hawkeye fans.  The Gophers have long been one of the most mediocre football programs in the Big Ten Conference while Iowa has won championships and played in major bowl games.  Iowa has won the last five meetings between the two schools.  The all-time series is in Minnesota’s favor: 38-31-2.

Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, reminisced about Iowa’s 2002 visit to the Metrodome when Hawkeye fans stormed the field in celebration and tore down part of a goal post with the intent of taking it home as a souvenir.  He recalled with humor a quote he made that annoyed Iowa fans.  “I told a reporter you have to be from Iowa to think you can get an 18 foot upright from a goal post through a revolving door (out of the dome),” Lester said.

He became the target of “scathing and comical” e-mails from Iowans including a long communication that provoked more teasing from Lester.  He noted the length of the e-mail and replied, “Doesn’t anyone have a job down there?” 

The 2002 game allowed Iowa to clinch its first conference title under Ferentz.  Iowa had not won the conference championship since 1990 and later went on to play in the Orange Bowl.  That game in the Metrodome sent some of the more zealous Iowans into a frenzy that included taunting Gopher fans and added to a reputation for poor sportsmanship.  (A Big Ten football player told me that around the conference his team is accustomed to abuse but normally it comes from students.  In Iowa City it often comes from the adults, he said.)  

Through the years there’s been a lot of good football, great players and exemplary sportsmanship among all concerned including fans in this historic college football rivalry.  Let’s hope Saturday adds to that legacy.