As an NFL place-kicker, the Vikings’ Ryan Longwell couldn’t experience a better late season schedule.  Yesterday the Vikings played in Detroit’s dome, Ford Field, and next week the team is in the Metrodome against the New York Jets.  Then the season ends with games at Green Bay and back home against St. Louis.  That’s three games out of four in domes–comforting environments for late December when nasty winds and bitter cold are the norm outside. 

After nine seasons with the Packers, Longwell signed on with the Vikings where he has accounted for 85 of the team’s 241 points this season. He has made 21 of 24 field goal attempts.

While he appreciates the advantages of kicking in a climate controlled atmosphere, Longwell doesn’t dread bad weather.   “Not really,” he said.  “I always took it as a sense of pride that I was always pretty good when the weather was nasty. …” 

Even when a late season game will be outdoors, Longwell prefers working indoors at practice to perfect his precision and rhythm.  He said practicing outside and struggling with the wind results in going into a “game with no confidence.” 

Longwell talks about something more important than just staying warm and keeping his body flexible on game day.  “The biggest thing kicking in the cold is mentally you have to get over the hurdle that your body is not going to feel warm,” he explained. “You’re not going to feel like you do in August when you are sweating and loose and everything.  You’ve got to know your body is warm even though it doesn’t feel like it.” 

Green Bay’s Lambeau Field ranks with the most difficult places to kick late in the season, Longwell said.  The Vikings’ game in Green Bay on Thursday, December 21 will be at night so the temperature is likely to be colder than a day game.  

Why is Lambeau a challenge for a kicker?  “It’s so windy and so cold,” Longwell said.  “There are a lot of factors.  The biggest thing is you have got to make sure you have solid footing, and if you don’t, you have to adjust for it. You gotta guess with the wind.  And in Lambeau since they renovated it, one of the things is the end zone is lower in one end and it makes it really swirly and gusty in there.  …”

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Dick Jonckowski, Gopher basketball public address announcer, was the public address man when the Minnesota Pipers of the old American Basketball Association played their last game here in 1969.  Now the Minnesota Ripknees play in a new ABA and Jonckowski did the PA for the team’s opening game.  

Vikings wide receiver Troy Williamson said he will train in Florida during the off-season and also spend time at his home in South Carolina.  Williamson will be preparing for his third season in the NFL, following two seasons that he didn’t establish himself as a starter. 

Much praised Vikings’ defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin’s name might be rumored during the off-season when NFL coaching changes occur.  Tomlin, 34, now has seven years of NFL coaching experience including with Tampa Bay when the Bucs won the Super Bowl.  In his first season with the Vikings he’s turned heads while coaching one of the NFC’s better defenses.  His resume qualifies him for other coordinator positions if he’s interested and despite his youth he might receive a look from a team wanting a young head coach.

Jim Lehman said his brother Tom’s goal is to play for the American Ryder Cup team in 2008.  Tom, who turns 48 in March, has “at least two good years” to look forward to on the PGA Tour, according to Jim who works for SFX Golf in Minneapolis.  Jim has years of experience in player representation and golf management.

Local author Ross Bernstein, who has written more than 30 books, has two new hockey books.  “The Code” is an intriguing look at fighting in the NHL based on Bernstein’s interviews with more than 50 current and former hockey tough guys.  “America’s Coach” shares the life lessons, including motivation, of legendary coach Herb Brooks whose “Miracle on Ice” 1980 Olympic hockey team will long be remembered.  Brooks died in 2003 but his wisdom will inspire those who read “America’s Coach.” 

Former Gopher basketball player Barry Wohler, now head coach at Hamline, has two former Gophers as part-time assistants, Gary Holmes and Zeb Howell.  Former Minneapolis Washburn and North Dakota State star Lance Berwald, who played 14 years of European professional basketball, is also a part-time assistant. 

St. Paul Saints play-by-play broadcaster Kris Atteberry, 34, has been hired by the Minnesota Twins to serve as pre-game and post-game host on the team’s new radio network.  He will be heard before and after all Twins games and provide in-game updates.  

Former Gopher basketball player Vince Grier has been sent to the Sioux Falls Skyforce by the NBA Development League.

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News this week that the Xcel Energy Center has been nationally recognized as a preferred venue is well deserved and improves the area’s historical reputation for having below par sports and entertainment facilities. Xcel has been selected as “Best NHL Arena” by SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily in its 2006 reader survey; “Best Fan Experience” by Forbes magazine in its annual “Business of Hockey” report, and Xcel received its fifth nomination for “Arena of the Year” by Pollstar magazine, the leading concert industry trade publication. 

Earlier this year Sports Illustrated named Xcel its top choice among NHL arenas in its NHL Preview issue. In 2003, ESPN The Magazine rated Xcel No. 1 for “Best Stadium Experience.” On the concert side, Xcel Energy Center has been nominated four times (2001-2003, 2005) for “Arena of the Year” by Pollstar. 

Known for its sightlines, acoustics and fan friendly environment, Xcel has been acclaimed since its opening in 2000 for hockey, concerts and family shows.

Historically, some of our other area facilities have not drawn nearly as much praise. In the 1920s legend is that Knute Rockne and other planners for a Notre Dame football stadium came to Minneapolis to analyze the University of Minnesota’s Memorial Stadium, long known for its poor sightlines and disproportionate number of bowl end seats.  “Gentlemen, this is how not to build a stadium,” the famous coach reportedly said.   

Over the years University planners talked about stadium renovations and expansion to improve Memorial Stadium but never proceeded.  There was even serious discussion in the 1970s about doming the stadium and using it for football and basketball. 

Met Stadium opened in 1956 as Minneapolis boosters pushed for a major league baseball team with the opening of the new ball park in Bloomington.  Although the stadium was expanded with the arrival of the Minnesota Twins in 1961, the bleacher stands running along the left field foul line were never converted into arm chair seating.  Then, too, rather than build a football stadium for the Vikings, the team played for years in the Met Stadium where sightlines were deplorable for football. 

Operating on the cheap (see Memorial Stadium and Met Stadium above) characterized the planning and opening of the Metrodome.  Rather than pushing for separate football and baseball facilities, the inexpensive alternative was to build the Metrodome.  A somewhat stingy amount of about $55 million was budgeted and initial talk was to install bleacher seats with backs.  During the first months of operation fans sweltered with no air conditioning, another attempt to save money. 

The Met Center was known for its great sightlines but when local leaders heard an appeal from Minnesota North Stars ownership to expand the building with more concourse space and luxury suites the answer was no.  For less than $15 million the Met Center could have been renovated and perhaps would still be home to the North Stars. 

Target Center helped bring the NBA back to Minneapolis with a then state-of-the art facility.  With only one small lobby and acoustics rated below the more modern Xcel, few Minneapolis boosters will argue that the building is the equal of the Xcel. 

Clearly the area’s greatest success stories are Xcel, and the Gophers’ hockey and basketball homes, Mariucci Arena and Williams Arena.  Sometimes we do get it right.

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