Years later Walters found himself reporting on something far more important than sandlot baseball.  His investigative reporting and initial efforts contributed to the Pioneer Press winning a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the academic fraud in the Gophers basketball program in 1999.

That was serious stuff, but Walters recognizes that much of what he writes isn’t all that important.  Not compared with real life and the world’s problems. Yet he is grateful for a career that placed him in the company of so many interesting people including athletes he admires like Joe Mauer and Brett Favre, and also his own newspaper colleagues.

Among the characters he’s known is Don Riley whose popular sports column “carried the St. Paul newspaper for 40 years,” according to Walters.  Riley wrote a colorful, controversial column and he was as interesting away from the typewriter as he was in front of it.  “Everything you heard about him is generally true,” Walters said.

Riley wasn’t good at recalling names, even those of his newspaper colleagues.  “I worked next to Don Riley for 15 years,” Walters said.  “I was either Ace or Tiger.  I don’t know that he really knew my name.

“One day he (Riley) got on an elevator and was going down from the sixth floor of the newspaper (building).  The elevator stopped on the fourth floor and two people got on.  They both knew Riley but he didn’t know their names, and they didn’t know each other.

“So the elevator proceeded down.  These guys said, ‘Hi, Don.’ … Riley, feeling compelled to respond, said to them, ‘Hi, Ace.  Hi, Tiger.’  Then as the elevator went down, he said, ‘Ace, meet Tiger.  Tiger meet Ace.’ ”

Walters laughed, as he so often does, when telling that story and others.  Recognizing humor is a Walters’ habit and it helps him relax as does an occasional glass of wine and conversation with his wife, Dr. Paula Kelly, a local pediatrician.  The family also includes three children.

Next month Walters turns 63.  He loves his work and will continue his career for awhile.  “If I could write my column until 70 I would be thrilled because it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

That’s not to say he won’t write longer.  And why not?  He’s got all those “birdies” to help him.

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More than 20 years ago on a spring afternoon Boston’s Larry Bird was so magnificent in a playoff game against Atlanta that it prompted CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger to remark, “Folks, you’re watching what greatness is all about.”  Today you can dust off the soundtrack of that comment and use it to describe the season that Brett Favre finished yesterday for the Vikings.

The Vikings, who had lost three of their previous four games, were desperate for a final regular season win to provide confidence and momentum for the playoffs ahead.  The team that had reached early December with just one loss saw its momentum and possible guarantees of home field advantage throughout the playoffs slip away with one-sided losses to Arizona and Carolina, and then an overtime defeat in Chicago.

Those losses weren’t on Favre, though, who played consistently, often brilliantly, throughout the 16 game schedule.  The offensive line abandoned him at times, his receivers occasionally dropped passes, and even the all-world running back Adrian Peterson gave away the Bears game with his fumble in overtime.

The defense also faltered during the year.  Injuries contributed to the problem but lack of performance did, too, including in the secondary where the Vikings broke down covering passes.

If any sport is a team game, it’s football.  But seldom (if ever) in Vikings history, has one player meant more to the team’s success.  Disappointed in the team losing three of its last five games and finishing 12-4?  Well, what do you suppose the record would have been without Favre?

Favre’s final seconds miracle pass to Greg Lewis beat San Francisco, 27-24.  He threw three touchdown passes (21 of 29 passing) as the Vikings won in a close game against Baltimore, 33-31.  It’s not likely, either, that without Favre the Vikings would have defeated Green Bay twice and almost rallied last week against the Bears who led 16-0 at halftime.

Then there was yesterday when Favre completed 25 of 31 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns before he went to the bench and ended his day in a 44-7 victory over New York, a must win game.  Favre had directed the Vikings to a 31-0 halftime lead, among the largest in franchise history.  Combining the second half of the Bears game and first half against the Giants, Favre had led his team to 61 points.

At age 40, Favre was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl, all with different teams.  His stats for the season were almost stunning.  He threw only seven interceptions, the best of his career as a starting NFL quarterback dating back to 1992.  His passing rating of 107.2 was also a career best, and only three previous times did he ever total more than the 33 touchdown passes of this season.

Remarkably, Favre played the entire season without being injured enough to miss time on the field.  He performed with passion, often displaying as much exuberance as teammates 15 years younger.  He worked the locker room and the sidelines developing rapport with teammates.

But it is on the field, of course, where he made his most important contributions.  Favre sees the game not only as a player, but also like a coach where his experience is so valuable.  Vikings head coach Brad Childress hinted at that last week when he said that Favre “had pretty good license to go back and forth” regarding changing plays.

In the game yesterday Favre threw a pass to Bernard Berrian who appeared not to have control of the ball before going out of bounds.  Favre hurried the team to the line of scrimmage so the Vikings could get off another play before there was time for a review of Berrian’s catch and a possible incomplete pass ruling by the officals.

Sometimes it was not only doing his job, but helping to transform others like wide receiver Sidney Rice from obscurity to the Pro Bowl roster.  But Favre has helped all the receivers and the Vikings have six players, including running backs, with 40 or more catches for the season.

What does that say about Favre and the offense?  “I think it speaks to both,” Childress said.  “It speaks to him being an equal opportunity thrower.  I think sometimes there’s a perception that he singles out Sidney Rice.  …As I always say, he (Favre) knows where all the bones are buried.”

Now Favre will take his old bones and try to help the Vikings to a playoff win in two weeks.  Win or lose, he’s already given this town a season long performance that people should describe for years to come as “what greatness is all about.”

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The Gophers, 2-0 in the Big Ten after defeating Iowa on Saturday, are certain to see their coach’s name linked through rumors to another basketball program again this winter.  Tubby Smith, though, told Sports Headliners he isn’t talking to another school and is happy at Minnesota.

Smith won a national championship at Kentucky and made a habit of taking the Wildcats far into the NCAA tournament.  In two plus seasons here he’s had the Minnesota program on the rise and that combined with his past success makes Smith a target for other schools with potential or actual vacancies.  There’s a perception, too, that the Minnesota coaching position isn’t attractive enough to hold Smith here for long.

Last year there were rumors of Smith going to such places as Virginia and Arizona.  Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi expects more speculation.  “Oh, I don’t think there’s any doubt about it,” Maturi told Sports Headliners.  “That will happen.”

Smith is 58 and has his family here including wife Donna and son Saul who is an assistant coach with the Gophers.  “Oh, shoot,” Smith said.  “No, nobody is coming after me.  Trust me.  I am here for good.

“I am enjoying it here.  We’re going to be fine.  We’re going to continue to grow the program.  We’ve got a great situation here so I am very happy and pleased where we are.”

Smith also spoke about freshman forward Royce White and how his players are doing with grades after last semester.  White, the high potential recruit who has yet to play because of a suspension involving legal issues, was allowed to watch two practices before the Iowa game but didn’t workout with the other Gophers.

Smith said White came to him last week at a high school game between Hopkins and St. Paul Johnson and asked for permission to watch practice.  But nothing has changed regarding White’s suspension and Smith said the “law of justice, they don’t give you timetables.”  Smith also indicated White won’t be allowed to routinely come to practice and watch.

Ken Lien, who chaired the Mr. Basketball group that made White the state’s 2009 Mr. Basketball, spoke with White at the Hopkins-Johnson game.  In an email to Sports Headliners, Lien wrote that he asked White about speculation he will leave the Minnesota program and that White responded: “No, I’m loyal to Minnesota.  If I’m playing college basketball, it will be with the Gophers.”

Smith doesn’t expect to lose any players because of academics.  “Everyone seems to be in good status,” he said.  “There’s some guys still have incompletes.  Things  they’ve got to complete or finish up. …”

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