Here’s a local media coach’s advice to Brett Favre before he joins Jay Leno as a guest tomorrow evening on “The Tonight Show:”  “Go get’ em.  Don’t change a thing.”

Robb Leer, owner of Minneapolis-based Leer Communication & Consultants and a familiar face before that as a reporter on KSTP television, chuckled more than once as he discussed Favre with Sports Headliners earlier this week.  Leer coaches clients on how to most effectively communicate in media interviews but he believes Favre is such a natural he needs no direction.

It was suggested to Leer that Favre will be as comfortable on national TV Thursday night as he would be talking to a neighbor in the backwoods of his native Mississippi.  “If he doesn’t come out wearing jeans and a t-shirt and a ball cap, I will be surprised,” Leer said.  “He’s not going to change a thing.”

Right now Favre is probably about as prepared as he will get.  “In Favre’s case, I think the less prepped the better,” Leer said.  “He’s a media consultant’s nightmare.  He doesn’t need any (help).”

Favre is kind of any ordinary guy, and certainly not a phony.  Not an entertainment or sports celebrity who is controlled, programmed and scripted by advisors including media tutors.

“I think Favre is the exception rather than the rule in that he is not working with media consultants, media coaches,” Leer said.  “He is who he is.  He’s rare in that his brand is just his human nature.  There are a lot of consultants that would perhaps like to take credit for the way he conducts himself but I think he just is who he is.”

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Leer said the news media is intrigued by and often critical of Favre’s past indecisiveness about continuing his career as an NFL quarterback, something which  has helped fuel the Favre image and brand.  “That’s his marketability and I think we saw that with the national spot (commercial) of Sears with his indecision in the electronics section trying to decide about (buying) a flat screen television,” Leer said.

The Vikings quarterback knows who he is and how he wants to act.  “…I don’t think Favre listens to anybody,” Leer said.  “I don’t think his indecision, his evasiveness, I don’t think any of that’s calculated.  That’s who he is.”

While Favre’s personality is natural, that doesn’t mean he’s a novice when it comes to marketing himself and creating business opportunities including endorsements.   He recognizes the national platform of this week’s “Tonight Show” that celebrates the return of Leno as host for the five-night-a-week program.

“This is smart (appearing on the show).  He (Favre) hasn’t been heard from since the (NFC) title game,” Leer said.  “This is a fun way just to get out there.  There’s no downside.  This is not fourth and goal.  This is just air it out and have some fun.”

The invitation is no charity gesture by NBC, inviting the losing quarterback from the NFC championship game to come on national television.  Favre’s name is a huge draw for viewers as documented by the TV ratings in the NFC title game against New Orleans that drew an average audience of 57.9 million viewers, making it the most watched NFL conference championship game in almost 30 years.  Excluding Super Bowls, the game was the most watched TV program since the 1998 series finale of “Seinfeld.”

The numbers and NBC’s desire to boost ratings on “The Tonight Show” doesn’t surprise Leer.  “NBC is desperate in the sense that late night TV needs to work, and you need to call in the biggest names that can help you drive numbers,” Leer said.

Leer also said that not only does the “Tonight Show” put Favre on national television, it also places him next to Leno, someone he can be comfortable with.  Favre won’t be in front of a probing reporter, or a young journalist trying to make a name for himself.  “He knows Jay Leno isn’t going to ask him anything that is going to be detrimental to his career,” Leer said.  “He’s there under the fun pretenses.”

Leno will almost certainly bring up the issue of whether the 40-year-old Favre will play next season, but he’s likely to package the subject in a script, not a serious question. “This (TV appearance) continues the intrigue and the exposure of who Brett Favre is,” Leer said. “I fully expect there will be a scripted bit between Leno and Favre about are you going to play? Are you done?  It’s Leno’s humor and who Favre is.”

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At 4:45 p.m. on Sunday the NBC telecast of the gold medal Olympicsl hockey game between the U.S. and Canada had a 35 rating and 63 share on KARE 11, according to an email from a station executive.  That translates into about 630,000 homes and 800,000 viewers age 18-plus in the local marketplace.

At $1.8 million annual salary, Tubby Smith is the fourth highest paid basketball coach in the Big Ten Conference, according to Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi.  Ohio State’s Thad Matta, Indiana’s Tom Crean and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo make more.

No Gopher women’s player made the first, second or third all-Big Ten teams announced on Monday.  Brittany McCoy and Kiara Buford were honorable mention on the media selected team, and McCoy was given the same honor by the conference coaches.

Coach Pam Borton’s Gophers, the No. 11 seed, play an opening Big Ten tournament game in Indianapolis tomorrow against Penn State starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

The Wild resumes its regular season schedule tonight in Calgary, the team’s first game in 17 days.  The Wild has won three straight against the Flames for the first time in franchise history.  Calgary wing Jarome Iginla, historically successful against the Wild, has been held without a point this season.  He is the all-time leader against the Wild in points, goals and shots.  He doesn’t have a goal in his last nine games against Minnesota after scoring a hat trick in 2008.

Patrick Klinger, Twins vice president of marketing, told Sports Headliners recently that the franchise has sold an all-time high 21,000 season tickets, with more sales expected in the weeks ahead.

The most intriguing story at Twins spring training could be Francisco Liriano.  He was overpowering during winter baseball in his native Dominican Republic following a disastrous 2009 season with the Twins when he stopped pitching because of a tired arm and his ERA went to an all-time big league high of 5.80.  At 26, and coming off three seasons of inactivity or disappointing results, this season could determine Liriano’s longevity with the Twins and whether he becomes a reliable (if not overpowering) starter.

Major League baseball teams are expected to search out European talent with more frequency in the next 10 years.  The Twins are already involved with 7-foot-1 pitcher Loek Van Mil, a native of the Netherlands, on the 40-man roster.  Further down in the system is Germany’s Max Kepler-Rozycki who signed on with the Twins organization as a 16-year-old outfielder last year.

Former Ch. 9 sports anchor Jim Gilleland is selling real estate in partnership with wife Beth for RE/MAX.  The Gillelands are based in Cottage Grove.

Lewis Garrison and other former Gophers are offering skills training in April as part of their PreSnap Football Academy.  More at https://www.presnapfootball.com/

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