Set the dial on Ch. 5 tonight at 9 p.m. to see Brett Favre on “Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009.”

Favre, who appeared confused at times facing Arizona’s pass coverage in the 30-17 Vikings loss on Sunday night, remains a possibility for NFL MVP despite throwing two interceptions in the game.  NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said early in Sunday night’s telecast that the 40-year-old Vikings quarterback is playing the “greatest football” of his career.

Rookie linebacker Jasper Brinkley, who replaced E.J. Henderson after he was injured in the Arizona game, was drafted by the Vikings on the fifth round this spring.  He only played three seasons at South Carolina where he started all 30 games.  He was second team all-SEC last season.

If Joe Mauer hasn’t signed a contract extension with the Twins before the team begins the regular season then it’s a great guess that negotiations really went “south.”

Mauer and new shortstop J.J. Hardy, acquired earlier in the fall from Milwaukee, were once teammates playing for the USA Junior National team.

The Twins cleared (at least temporarily) their glut of outfielders by sending Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee for Hardy.  But two of the organization’s best prospects are outfielders Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks.

Food offerings at Target Field will have a Minnesota taste including a Murray’s steak sandwich selling for about $10.  Murray’s Restaurant downtown has been known for its steaks since 1946.

Nice fit: Tom Tipton, a former Morgan State basketball player whose rich singing voice has been heard around town for years, was scheduled to perform the national anthem last night prior to the Gophers-Morgan State game.

Former Gopher Travis Busch, who had surgery last summer for a torn ACL, played in his first game for Colorado State on Saturday and helped the Rams defeat Denver.  https://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_13938220.

Gustavus junior guard Phil Wirtjes made a 50-foot shot with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to allow the Gusties to defeat Concordia (Moorhead) 57-54 last Saturday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_MUfQ5M8G4

The Gophers are headed to the Insight Bowl for the third time in four years.  Minnesota was in repeat mode earlier this decade, too, making three trips in four years to the Music City Bowl.  Here’s the rest of the school’s bowl history: Rose and Sun bowls twice, with one trip each to the Hall of Fame, Independence, Liberty, and Micronpc.com bowls.

To publicize the December 31 Insight Bowl, Gophers coach Tim Brewster and Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads will ring the NASDAQ opening bell in New York City next Monday morning.  Insight Investments is a technology company and its stock is listed on the NASDAQ.

Minnetonka nose guard Beau Allen might be the best defensive prep lineman in the state.  Michigan and the Gophers are among schools that have made scholarship offers.

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Last night’s loss to the Cardinals in Arizona left the 10-2 Vikings in need of a “holiday gift” to earn home field advantage in the playoffs.  With four weeks of the NFL schedule remaining, 12-0 New Orleans looks like a solid bet to be at home through the NFC playoffs including a possible conference championship game against the Vikings with the winner going to the Super Bowl.

The Vikings have Cincinnati (9-3) at home next Sunday, then consecutive road games with Carolina (5-7) and Chicago (5-7), before ending the regular season in the Metrodome against the New York Giants (7-5).  The Saints are at Atlanta (6-6) next Sunday, then have consecutive home games with Dallas (8-4) and Tampa Bay (1-11) before finishing the regular season on the road at Carolina.

The Vikings’ remaining opponents are a combined 26-22.  The Saints’ opposition is 20-28.

The Vikings obviously face the challenge of not only having two more losses than the Saints, but Minnesota’s remaining schedule might prove to be the more difficult including the Cincinnati game and a “Weather Bowl” matchup in Chicago.  Cincinnati has a rushing defense that ranks second in the NFL giving up only 81.8 yards per game. The Bengals have balance in their offense with quarterback Carson Palmer throwing and multiple quality runners including Cedric Benson, the former Bear.  The Bengals and the Vikings have faced common opponents including Pittsburgh, one of only two  teams to defeat Minnesota.  Cincinnati has two wins over the Steelers this season.

The Vikings’ games with Chicago and the Giants make for interesting speculation.  The Vikings embarrassed the Bears here, winning 36-10.  But who knows what kind of factor the weather will be in Chicago on December 28 for that Monday night game.  Football lore is filled with upsets by lowly teams who took advantage of help from the weather gods.

Before the season the Giants were thought to be among the elite teams in the NFC.  It’s been peaks and valleys so far.  As one NFL source told Sports Headliners, “Who knows which Giants team will show up here?”

That’s a good question, but there’s no doubt about these last few weeks holding intrigue for Vikings fans.  Coach Brad Childress and his players just wish Arizona had gift wrapped a win for them last night.

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Seantrel Henderson has been the nation’s No. 1 ranked prep football recruit this year but the Cretin-Derham Hall offensive tackle isn’t winning all the local awards including yesterday’s announcement of Rosemount’s Zach Vraa as the state’s Mr. Football.

A 10 member Mr. Football committee chose Vraa as its award winner.  Committee member Jim Dotseth, former head coach at Minneapolis Patrick Henry High School, said Henderson’s national reputation didn’t put the committee in a difficult position for selecting a winner.

Dotseth said that those who look at potential college players are making projections about them and he can understand what puts Henderson at the top of the lists.  Henderson, about 6-8, 330, has NFL size already with impressive footwork and athletic ability.  “He’s a special recruit,” Dotseth said.  “He’s the same size as the two Vikings’ tackles (Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt).”

The Star Tribune selected Wayzata linebacker A.J. Tarpley as its Metro Player of the Year.  The Pioneer Press made Cretin-Derham Hall quarterback Mark Alt its Player of the Year in the state.  Henderson was honored by the Associated Press as Minnesota’s Player of the Year.

Cretin Derham-Hall coach Mike Scanlan considered Henderson his most valuable player on the state champion Raiders.  After the Mr. Football banquet Scanlan told Sports Headliners that Henderson certainly could have been the recipient of the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and Mr. Football awards. “He was the one most deserving of these considerations, but like you saw tonight, 10 guys each one deserving in his own right,” Scanlan said.  “Only one is going to get the award.”

Henderson has been rated the nation’s No. 1 recruit by Rivals.com since last winter and other sources believe he’s the best college prospect regardless of position.  The Mr. Football committee members (other than Dotseth, all are active Minnesota high school coaches) looked at game video and other information on the 10 finalists for the award and decided Vraa was the most impressive player to them.

Vraa, 6-3, 200, was a defensive back, wide receiver, and punt and kickoff returner for the Irish.  Dotseth said Vraa, who played on a run oriented offense but accounted for nine touchdowns and 77 percent of his team’s receiving yards, has a reputation for “circus” catches.  “If you look at him on film he probably most reminds you of Eric Decker from the Gophers,” Dotseth said.

In addition to Henderson and Vraa, the Mr. Football finalists were Beau Allen, Minnetonka; Joel Bauman, Kerkohoven-Murdock-Sunberg; Jacob Brusehaver, Hutchinson; John Crockett, Totino Grace; Ben Henson, Buffalo; Brandon Marquart, Champlin Park; Ryan Tri, Eden Valley-Watkins; and Zach Zenner, Eagan.  The annual Mr. Football program is a project of the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association, an organization that works to promote football throughout the state.

Henderson was the one player among the 10 finalists not present at the Mr. Football banquet in St. Louis Park.  He was on a recruiting trip to Southern California.  Before being wooed by Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll this weekend, Henderson had a visit here a few days ago from Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.

Henderson may not be collecting all the local “hardware” but nobody can match his list of college suitors.

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