Fan voting ended last week to determine the 50 greatest Vikings in franchise history as the organization observes its 50^th season.  The names will be announced at a gala on Sunday, December 19 starting at 7 p.m. in the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Names like Chuck Foreman, Cris Carter, Carl Eller, Paul Krause, Jim Marshall, Randall McDaniel, Adrian Peterson, John Randle and Ron Yary are no-brainers.  The Vikings will pay tribute to those players and 41 more but they won’t label one individual as the best.

To say one player is the best is subjective but Sports Headliners believes that because of his skills, the position he played and what he accomplished, Fran Tarkenton is the most important player in Vikings history.

No position in pro football is more vital to team success than quarterback.  At the time of his retirement following the 1978 season, Tarkenton was the NFL career leader in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdown passes.  Scramblin’ Fran drove defenses crazy with his running, too.  He was the quarterback on three of the franchise’s four Super Bowl teams.  He was also the first person ever included in the Ring of Honor recognizing the best of the franchise’s players, coaches and executives.

Deserving of mention in the same breath when discussing the most important player in Vikings’ history is defensive tackle Alan Page.  “It’s hard to top either one,” said Dave Mona.

Mona has been the press box announcer for Vikings game dating back to the team’s last years at Met Stadium.  The longtime radio host has followed the franchise since its inception in 1961.

“I think you could make a good argument for Page, but I think the quarterback position is so much more important than any defensive lineman,” Mona said.  “I guess I would agree with you that Tarkenton probably is the single most important and arguably the best Viking player over the years.”

A defense can’t be great without extraordinary pass rushing and Page was so fast and mobile he was a nightmare for quarterbacks.  In 1971 he became the first NFL defensive lineman to be named the Associated Press’ league MVP.  He was a four-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and nine times was all-pro.  He and Tarkenton, more than any other players, made it possible for the Vikings to play in those three Super Bowls in the 1970s.  Page was the second player inducted into the Ring of Honor.

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Over 750,000 votes were made by fans from 83 countries in the polling to determine their favorite Vikings players past and present.  The announcement event at the Convention Center on December 19 will include players being honored, plus NFL Films video and special guest speakers.  Tickets at $50 each are available at www.vikings.com.

While the Vikings are considering other sites for a new stadium, the Metrodome property remains a strong possibility to be approved by the legislature.  The land is public and not subject to acquisition issues.  The site is likely to be more cost efficient than others because of existing infrastructure.  Also, a multipurpose covered stadium available for large sports and entertainment attractions is a better fit in a downtown locale than the suburbs because of proximity to public transportation, hotels, bars and restaurants.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf was upset by media criticism of his remarks made at the news conference announcing the firing of Brad Childress.  Wilf was attacked for using few words and providing minimal information, but the media criticism won’t negatively impact the owner’s decision to keep the franchise in Minnesota.

The Vikings reported their 134^th consecutive home sellout last Sunday.

A former NFL coach watched Tarvaris Jackson throw two touchdown passes and three interceptions on Sunday against Buffalo and said the Vikings fifth-year quarterback still has problems making decisions while passing.

Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian continues to under perform.  In six games he’s caught 19 passes for 190 yards and no touchdowns.  There have been plays where he ran a sloppy route or didn’t fight for a reception.

Gophers marketing leader Jason LaFrenz said standing room only tickets remain for this weekend’s home hockey series with Minnesota Duluth.

LaFrenz also said the Gophers will wait until after football season ticket renewals come back next winter to see if they will start a season ticket campaign to sell new seats.  A renewal rate of more than 90 percent is possible and would leave such a minimal number of open seats that a campaign seems unlikely.

The No. 22 ranked (AP) and 7-1 Gophers basketball team plays in Philadelphia tonight against Saint Joseph’s, 3-5.  The Hawks were 11-20 last season and the program has fallen off since the powerful 2004 NCAA tournament team.

In last Saturday night’s win over Cornell the Gophers were at times awful shooting free throws, but a late game spurt enabled them to make 26 of 44, finishing at 59.1  percent.  Minnesota has not shot free throws effectively this season but senior guard Blake Hoffarber said the team doesn’t have problems in practice and thinks the problem is mostly mental.   “…But I think we’re gonna be fine,” he said.  “We have to take it out of our heads and focus in practice on what we normally do.”

Last Saturday’s Bethel-St. Thomas playoff football game was broadcast by WCCO Radio, stirring memories of the 1950s when the MIAC had prominent media coverage with Saturday night football games televised locally.

 

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Was it really surprising?  Gophers football disappointed the masses again with the hiring last night of Northern Illinois’ Jerry Kill.

The program has tormented followers for 40 years and for a lot of fans the bad news just keeps coming.  A prominent former Gopher athlete called Sports Headliners to ask, “Is this the best we can do?”

Another fan who has been a big booster of TCF Bank Stadium emailed this: “My football season ticket partner already emailed me to say he is done.  We’re not renewing our tickets. This is a DISASTER!”

Kill has been a success coaching for three years at Northern Illinois and before that seven for Southern Illinois where his record was 55-32.  Maybe he can be the turnaround guy the program needs so badly, but the first reaction of many fans is why him and not a bigger name?

It’s obvious Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi couldn’t attract a marquee name… or could he?  No, the Dan Mullens, Chris Petersens and Jim Harbaughs didn’t come knocking on Maturi’s door.  But Mike Leach campaigned for the job and Lou Holtz reportedly did, too.

The opening created after Tim Brewster (another Maturi hire) was fired cried out for a name coach with a top resume.  Maturi said publicly in October he wanted a “Tubby Smith type hire.”

About that need Maturi was right.  The program needs credibility, excitement, and hope! The Kill appointment won’t immediately sell tickets, nor will it improve the Gophers image.

Kill has never been a head coach at a BCS school.  Leach was 84-43 at Texas Tech before being fired.  He battled the big boys of college football at a place that historically has been difficult to win at.

Apparently Maturi and school president Bob Bruininks considered Leach too controversial.  Fans and media thought he was just right for the Gophers.

A passionate fan who wanted Leach at Minnesota emailed the following last week:  “You don’t think all these guys (other successful coaches) are like him?  ….They should cancel football at the U.”

The December 6 issue of Sporting News Magazine includes a cover story on Leach who lives in Key West, Florida while contemplating coaching options.  The magazine lists Minnesota as No. 1 among schools that would be “perfect fits” for him.

SN’s comment: “Any state that elects Jesse ‘the Body’ Ventura as governor is a perfect fit for the quirky, outspoken Leach.  Hey, the Gophers have to fill that new stadium somehow.”

During WUCW’s Sports Show program last night Sid Hartman and Mike Max both said Holtz was interested in the Gophers job.  I have reason to believe that Holtz also would have considered the position after Maturi fired Glen Mason and before he hired Brewster.

Holtz, who has his own controversial career, won a national championship at Notre Dame after revitalizing the Gophers in 1984 and 1985. He had this town so fired up that when he left Minnesota, the Gophers were selling 56,000 season tickets.

There will be no proven BCS coach leading the Gophers in the near future and those who still care about Minnesota are left to wonder if a guy named Kill can bring life to this beaten down program that has not won a Big Ten title since 1967 and managed just a couple of third place finishes in 40 years.

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