Fran Tarkenton still cheers for the Vikings and has no jealousy of Brett Favre despite his strong criticism earlier this year of the team’s new quarterback.  Tarkenton, the franchise’s greatest quarterback, spoke to Sports Headliners about his new book, Everyday Is Game Day, and other subjects including Favre during a telephone interview.

Tarkenton received national attention earlier when he criticized Favre for his indecisiveness about playing for the Packers last year and his more recent hesitation in signing with the Vikings. The hall of fame quarterback turned businessman insists it was unfair of Favre to not inform both organizations about his commitments to them.  Tarkenton was quoted by espn.com as saying:

“We have responsibilities. We’re just not athletes that are in it all for ourself.  Football, is it not a team game?  Isn’t it all about team?… And here comes Brett Favre riding in on his white horse, doesn’t go to training camp, doesn’t come to off-season workouts and he’s gonna come on his white horse and bond with all these players.”  https://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4409512

Tarkenton quarterbacked the Vikings in three Super Bowl losses while the prospect looms of Favre helping the franchise win its first Super Bowl.  Tarkenton ranks with the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks ever but Favre holds most of the league’s major passing records.

Tarkenton was asked during the Sports Headliners interview how he would respond to someone who suggested his criticisms were based on jealousy.  “I have no jealousy of anybody about anything,” he said.  “I gave my opinion.”

Why did Tarkenton speak out so directly?  “I spoke out because I had a conviction,” he said.  “People didn’t have to agree with it or not agree with it.  I wish nobody harm.  I think the Vikings are going to have a terrific season, with or without Brett Favre.  And it looks like it’s going to be with Brett Favre.  They’ve got a tremendous football team. They’re the best rushing team in football and the best against the rush in football.”

Tarkenton said he doesn’t know Favre and regards him as a “great quarterback.”  He also said if the Vikings have a special season the success will be predicated on a lot more than quarterback play and that quarterbacks receive too much “ballyhoo.”  He talked about playing for six seasons with the Vikings, then five with the Giants without much team success.  Then he returned to the Vikings and joined a roster with great players like defensive linemen Jim Marshall, Alan Page and Carl Eller.  The Vikings, with Tarkenton quarterbacking, won six division titles and went to three Super Bowls in seven years.

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Ask Tarkenton for a Super Bowl favorite this season and he picks the Vikings.  “I think right now they’re the favorite in the clubhouse,” he said. “I think they’ve got the best team in all of football.  It doesn’t mean that they’re going to win.  You got to have a lot of things happen for you.  But I think they have a good chance of doing that.  It would be fine with me if they do.”

Tarkenton remains a Vikings fan even though he seldom returns to Minneapolis and makes his home in Atlanta.  Does he root for the Vikings more than any other team? “Sure,” he answered. “The rest of them (other teams) I watch for pleasure.  I pull for the Vikings.  Always have.”

Tarkenton prides himself on being an entrepreneur who has started and run many companies.  His new book is about more than football story telling, although there’s plenty of that.

Tarkenton wasn’t interested in just writing about football, choosing to offer practical advice in the book that can help people in their lives regardless of careers.  He shares life lessons including experiences with former Vikings coach Bud Grant whom Tarkenton describes in the book as his “teacher, mentor and coach.”

Grant’s strengths include his willingness to look at reality, then make decisions on the way things are, not how some people might wish them to be.  Tarkenton said seldom does a day go by that he doesn’t tell Bud Grant stories, describing Grant as a person “who has more common sense than anyone I know.”

A classic in the book was the day Tarkenton went to Grant, the great outdoorsman and dog lover, with a lengthy explanation about how Tarkenton had tried without success to housebreak his German shepherd.  After about 15 minutes Tarkenton was finally finished and asked what to do.  Grant simply replied, “Shoot him.  You will do the breed a great service.”

While there’s more life lessons advice in the book like the importance of evaluating people and situations, and being prepared, there are also some revelations about the quarterback who could lead, scramble and entertain with the greatest players of all time. Tarkenton has had Attention Deficit Disorder all his life and while in high school injured his right shoulder.  For the remainder of his football career he could never throw the ball more than 55 yards.

Tarkenton confirms in the book one of the storied tales about his career.  He did indeed draw up plays in the dirt while in the huddle.  He did so in college playing for Georgia and also with the Vikings.

His Georgia playing debut came when the starting quarterback was slow to get off the bench, and Tarkenton put himself in the game.  The coach let him play and Tarkenton drove the Bulldogs to a touchdown in Austin against Texas.  Trailing 7-6, Tarkenton showed additional nerve by calling for a two point conversion that was successful.  The story didn’t have a happy ending, though.  The coach put Tarkenton back on the bench and Georgia lost.

Everyday Is Game Day is co-written by local author Jim Bruton, a former prison warden, and Gophers football player who had tryouts with the Vikings and Cowboys.

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While fans won’t be able to consume alcoholic beverages at Gophers games in TCF Bank Stadium, there are nearby options.  In addition to Stadium Village bars, the public is welcome at the McNamara Alumni Center where starting three hours before game time free admission entitles fans to buy food and beverages.  More at https://www.minnesotaalumni.org/s/1118/content.aspx?sid=1118&gid=1&pgid=719&cid=1846&ecid=1846&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=885.

In designated surface lots, the University is allowing tailgating before and after games.  Consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted, according to https://stadium.gophersports.com/prk_tailgating.html.

Official kickoff time for the historic TCF Bank Stadium opener on Saturday is 6:02 p.m. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. at the stadium’s student entrance.

During the pre-game ceremonies, the Air Force Falcon and a bald eagle from the University of Minnesota Raptor Center will be on the field.  As Air Force takes the field, a video tribute honoring the U.S. armed forces and featuring the Air Force, will be seen on the video boards.  Following the National Anthem, four F-16 fighter jets will perform a fly-over.

Nine Gopher legends will serve as honorary captains, while former head coach Murray Warmath, 96, will be the honorary coach. The honorary captains: Bernie Bierman (represented by James Bierman); Bobby Bell; Billy Bye (represented by Julianne Bye); Paul Giel (represented by Paul Giel Jr.); Bud Grant; Bob McNamara; Bronko Nagurski (represented by a family member); Bruce Smith (represented by son Bruce Smith); and Sandy Stephens (represented by Ray Stephens). Also, legendary Minnesota broadcaster Ray Christensen will call the first Gopher offensive series of the second half.

More than 400 former Gopher players will be in attendance at Saturday’s game. They will have a picnic at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex from 1 to 3 p.m. They will be on the field prior to the game and honored as the Gophers leave the field following pre-game warm-ups.

Twins general manager Bill Smith said on his KSTP Radio show last Sunday that the team hopes to take batting practice at Target Field this season.  The Twins will play exhibition games against St. Louis on April 2 and 3 for their first games in the new stadium.

Smith also said the franchise is “excited” about shortstop Trevor Plouffe’s future but declined to be specific about how he might fit into the team’s plans for next year.  Plouffe, a first round draft choice in 2004, has been playing at AAA Rochester where he’s hit .260 and made 26 errors in 118 games. The Twins must make an off-season decision on whether to try to retain 34-year-old free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera.

Vikings coach Brad Childress on whether Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels is going to be his No. 2 quarterback for Sunday’s opener in Cleveland:  “We will probably end up declaring that probably an hour and a half before the game.”

The Vikings are promoting kickoff parties tonight (Thursday) at area Buffalo Wild Wings with appearances by team players.  Among the locations and players are Chanhassen (Bernard Berrian), Lakeville (E.J. Henderson), Savage (Ben Leber) and Eagan (Tyrell Johnson).  All appearances are from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tomorrow from 4 to 6 p.m. there will be a Vikings’ kickoff event at Peavey Plaza downtown that includes live music, free food, and appearances by cheerleaders and team alumni.

Marty Nanne, the son of former North Stars executive Lou Nanne, has been named a part-time scout for the Wild.  The younger Nanne has previous scouting experience with the Florida Panthers.  He will focus on high school, college and USHL games.

Eden Prairie’s Chad Rau signed an amateur tryout contract with the Wild last week when he became a late addition to the team’s roster for the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan this week.  Rau is the only Minnesotan on the team and the Wild will retain his NHL rights until October 1.

The Wild will partially open its first two days of training camp to the public.  Fans can attend free scrimmages on Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.

Thank you to our new advertisers, Washburn-McReavy (see below) and TCF Bank (top of page).

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