Many fans and media believe the Vikings are a better team than the Saints but Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway didn’t take that position.  “Clearly not,” he said.  “They won the game and that’s how you have to look at it.  You have to give them the credit.”

The January 18 issue of Sports Illustrated included the magazine’s 2010 preseason college football top 10.  Among the teams are three from the Big Ten Conference, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Iowa and No. 10 Wisconsin.  The Gophers will play Ohio State and Iowa at home, with the Wisconsin game in Madison.  The top 10 rankings included No. 1 Alabama and (gulp) No. 2 Boise State.

“Sports Final,” with hosts Dean Dalton and Rod Simons, is now on Sundays from 10 to 10:30 p.m. on Ch. 23.  Dalton, the former Vikings assistant coach, will be in Miami for the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl working for NFL Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Glenda Taylor-Huston, former wife of Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, passed away earlier this week in Egypt.  She was a limited partner in the Timberwolves.  Condolences to family and friends.

Timberwolves No. 1 draft pick Ricky Rubio and his Regal FC Barcelona team begin the playoffs for the Euroleague Championship against Maroussi BC (Greece) on Saturday.  The game will be on NBA TV beginning at noon Minneapolis time.  Barcelona finished the regular season undefeated and is among the favorites to win the title after being a Final Four team in 2009.

A 1,000 pound Brahma bull, in town to promote the “World’s Toughest Rodeo,” will be at the Xcel Energy Center’s gate 1 tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. prior to the Wild’s game against the Red Wings.  The rodeo will be Friday-Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.

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Even Brett Favre’s courage and passion for football likely won’t be enough to bring him back for a second season with the Vikings.  Favre’s future was a storyline before and after last night’s NFC playoff game in New Orleans against the Saints.

Fox Sports reported before the game that the Vikings quarterback already knows what his decision will be but so far hasn’t announced whether he will retire.  If the Vikings know, they’re not saying.  “Don’t know if it’s his last or night,” said Vikings coach Brad Childress on KFAN Radio after the game.

Certainly Favre must wonder how much more stress and punishment his 40 year old body can endure.  He looked tired late in the season and never tried to deny during the fall that he was taking a beating on Sundays.

Some work days are worse than others, though, and last night he faced a cheap shot bunch from New Orleans that tried to hurt him.  There were blows aimed at Favre’s head and in the second half defensive end Bobby McCray dove at his legs.  The hit resulted in a sprained left ankle that a crippled Favre was able to overcome.

Time and again the Saints hit Favre as the Vikings offensive line failed him.  His protection all season was spotty, but Favre did the best Rocky Balboa imitation seen in the NFL in a long time.

But why continue on?  His family and friends have to fret a little more about his well being with each season.  Favre has had his doubts, too, twice retiring in the past, only to decide he wanted to play on.

Favre added to his legend with a superb season playing for the Vikings.  He performed with precision (the best passer rating of his career in the regular season) and consistency (only seven interceptions in 16 games).  When he wasn’t passing the Vikings to victories, he was wiling them to wins.

In the closing minute of last night’s fourth quarter he rolled right, threw across his body and saw the football intercepted and returned to the Saints’ 48 yard line.  That play ended the Vikings’ opportunity to try a long field goal to break a 28-28 tie.  Favre and the Vikings offense never had the ball again as the Saints won the coin toss to begin overtime, then drove to the Minnesota 22 yard line where Garrett Hartley kicked the field goal that sent New Orleans to the Super Bowl.

A lot of folks will be surprised if the game doesn’t send No. 4 into retirement (permanently).

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Top prep football recruit Seantrel Henderson told Sports Headliners on Saturday that his final list of potential college programs consists of Miami, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC.  Henderson was in attendance at the Gophers-Michigan State basketball game on Saturday.

The Cretin-Derham Hall offensive tackle said his college choice will be announced on signing day for prep players, Wednesday, February 3.  Henderson was the No. 1 choice of Rivals.com as the nation’s best prep football player for many months and now is ranked No. 2, https://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?SID=880&Year=2010&ra_key=2369.  Media sources doubt that Minnesota will be Henderson’s final choice for a scholarship, but that won’t discourage Gophers coach Tim Brewster from selling his product.

ESPN will tape a segment of its one hour “Homecoming” show on Wednesday night at Cretin-Derham Hall.  Host Rick Reilly will interview Cretin alum and Twins catcher Joe Mauer.

Cornerback Marcus Sherels, who completed his eligibility with the Gophers in December, is training locally for the NFL draft.  His brother, Mike Sherels, said Marcus is being trained by Billy Welle, the same trainer used by Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona All-Pro wide receiver.

New Gophers offensive coordinator Jeff Horton was quarterbacks coach for Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin for six years.  He was a graduate assistant for the Gophers in 1984 under Lou Holtz.

Former Gophers national championship coach Murray Warmath celebrated his 97^th birthday last month.  When Warmath was a player at Tennessee he played against Bear Bryant who was at Alabama and later coached the Crimson Tide to national championships.  Bryant died in 1983 but Warmath may live to be 100 or more.

The Gophers hockey team, 4-3 and 4-1 losers to St. Cloud State over the weekend,  is 12-0-0 when holding opponents to fewer than three goals.  Minnesota is 0-12-2 when its opponents score three goals or more.

Fans were entertained at the Wild’s skills competition yesterday including by forward Cal Clutterbuck’s first attempt in the hardest shot competition that registered zero miles per hour on a faulty radar gun.  Later he had a 99 miles per hour shot, fastest of the day.

Defenseman Kim Johnsson went 4-for-5 to win the accuracy shooting competition. Defenseman Shane Hnidy wowed the crowd with an iimpressive shootout goal to win the best style in the shootout challenge.

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