Terry Bradshaw joined Fran Tarkenton in criticizing Brett Favre’s approach about his on again, off again decisions to play football.  USA Today Sports Weekly reported that Bradshaw said on Fox that he would be “glad when he’s retired because I’m fed up with it.”  In that same September 16-22 issue the publication quoted CBS’ Dan Marino as saying that if the Vikings don’t make the Super Bowl Favre will have a new team next season: “The (coaching) staff will get fired, and Brett will probably play in Tampa.”

Vikings coach Brad Childress on whether there are a specific number of passing attempts per game he wants Favre limited to: “You know different games are different ways. If all the sudden you get behind you may have the best intentions in the world that you’re going to run the football and you have to pick up that pitch count.  In a 60 play game, 20 to 30 throws would be great, with about 20 to 30 completions.”

Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr. has caught touchdown passes in eight consecutive games for the Cardinals.  Larry’s father attends all of his games and will be in Arizona for Sunday night’s nationally televised game between the Colts and Cardinals.

The Gophers play at Northwestern starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Big Ten Network) and here’s a personnel update on Minnesota players; cornerback Marcus Sherels who has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle will return; safety Mike Rallis won’t need surgery but has a broken leg and is out for the season; running back Kevin Whaley who has yet to carry the ball has a turf toe injury.

Brewster after being asked how often he expects to use freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray in upcoming games.  “I don’t know that we put a number on it.  It’s strictly situational.  You know, where we think the situation is right for him to get in the game and help us, we’ll use him.”

St. Thomas senior cornerback Jeffrey Hilliard and Bethel senior Reid Velo are two of 22 players from all levels of college football named to the American Football Coaches Association Allstate Good Works team. The awards, which recognize outstanding campus and community service, began in 1992 for Division I players and in 1998 for players at other levels.  The MIAC’s 22 all-time recipients are third among all  conferences behind the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12.  St. Thomas now leads all college football programs with 12 honorees — one in each season since Division III players were eligible.

Hilliard’s older brother Andrew was honored in 2002. The Hilliards are among five sets of brothers to win the award, a group that includes UST’s John and Greg Kaiser, and Paul and Patrick Sommerstad, plus Eli and Peyton Manning.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said on his KSTP Radio Sunday show that rookie catcher Jose Morales doesn’t have enough foot speed to be a third baseman, although he did play the position in the minor leagues.  Morales has impressed with the bat, hitting .354 in 96 at-bats.

Gardenhire also said the Twins will be more pro active next season in trying to help first baseman Justin Morneau stay healthy.  Because of a back problem, Morneau hasn’t played since September 12 is out for the season.

Sports Illustrated speculated in its September 14 issue that Ricky Rubio might play in Spain until 2012.  If he waits that long after being drafted in June by the Wolves, he can negotiate a contract that’s not bound by the NBA’s first three years pay scale for rookies.

The Timberwolves open practice next week in Mankato and owner Glen Taylor will host the players at a dinner in his home.

Michael Jordan was inducted into the basketball hall of fame earlier this month but his acceptance speech was no winner, according to national columnist Rick Reilly, https://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=reilly_rick&id=4477759

The 2009-10 U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, featuring five Minnesotans (Natalie Darwitz-Eagan, Rachael Drazan-Orono, Angie Keseley-St. Louis Park, Gigi Marvin-Warroad and Jenny Potter-Edina), will open its Qwest Tour at Xcel Energy Center against the WCHA Women’s All-Stars tonight.  A crowd of 7,000 to 8,000 is expected, according to a spokesperson.

Rosemount native Tom Preissing will be out four to six weeks for the Colorado Avalanche following surgery on his right knee.

Golf magazine has Hazeltine National Golf Club and Interlachen Country Club at No. 63 and 66 respectively in its listing of top 100 American courses.  The local courses were ranked 77 and 72 in 2007, the last rankings by the magazine.

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A couple of years ago Don Swanson asked me to speak to a luncheon group that he was involved with.  I almost turned him down because it’s a toss up as to what bothers me more: public speaking or having a car accident.

I accepted the invitation and I am grateful for that decision.  I knew “Swannie” for 30 years and he did far more for me than I ever did for him.  He used to emcee the prep all-star football game banquet in the early 1980s and never asked for compensation.  Years later he okayed a consultant’s role that contributed to my income.

In recent years Swannie was supportive of my Web column.  He took an interest in the column and what I was doing even though he didn’t have a computer.  Swannie’s friend Jim Dotseth printed out the columns for him.

I was reminded of all this on Monday at Swannie’s funeral.  I listened to his close friend Ron Stolski eulogize him.  Stolski told a large gathering of friends and family at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church how Swannie, a former educator and coach in the Minneapolis public schools, gave to others.  He listened to people, helped and encouraged them. “It was never about him,” Stolski said.

Reverend Paul Youngdahl reminded the audience that Swannie was a Minneapolis guy with a capital M.  He was born in Minneapolis, attended South High and made much of his reputation at Patrick Henry where he was the football coach and athletic director.  He regularly attended church at Mount Olivet in south Minneapolis and in recent years mentored city high school football coaches and players.

Each spring he helped organize a coaching clinic for prep coaches in the state whose roster of speakers has included the likes of Brian Billick and Tim Brewster.  The clinic is promoted by the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association, an organization that Swannie was helping when I met him, and he was still assisting in his final years.

Condolences to Swannie’s family including wife Barb, their children and grandchildren. Rev. Youngdahl talked about the importance of the grandkids on Monday.  He was reminded that grandpa Swannie even took an unusual challenge once and ate a minnow.

Swannie was pleased, too, about his Swedish heritage and being a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College.  “He called me ‘Pollock’,” Stolski said.  “I am half Swedish.  I have never been prouder.”

The last time Stolski saw Swannie was on Saturday, September 12.  Swannie was weak from his fight with cancer, almost unable to speak, and would pass away within a few days.  Swannie asked Stolski, the head football coach at Brainerd High School, about the result of the game the night before.

“We lost,”Stolski said.

“Win the rest of them,” Swannie replied.

Always teaching and encouraging.  Right to the end.

Thanks, coach, for your integrity, caring and devotion to football and beyond.  You were, as Stolski said to Swannie’s friends and family on Monday, a “keeper of the game.”

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When Eric Decker limped to the bench last Saturday in the fourth quarter after injuring his left ankle he might have given more than a few Gopher fans heart palpitations.  Along with his off the field roommate, quarterback Adam Weber, Decker is a player the Gophers just can’t be without if they are to have a winning season in the Big Ten Conference.  They are a two-man attack for the Gophers so far this season, accounting for most of the yardage and four of the team’s six offensive touchdowns.

Decker said after the game he “rolled” his ankle but expected to play on Saturday in Evanston against Northwestern in the opening conference game for both teams.  It’s the same ankle that has troubled the senior wide receiver in the past and is now more susceptible to injury.

The 2-1 Gophers have rushed for 257 yards and passed for 700.  Decker has 415 yards in receptions, or 43 percent of the team’s rushing and passing total.  He has 27 receptions in the first three games or almost half of the team’s total of 61.  His average of 138.3 yards and nine receptions per game ranks No. 3 and 4 in the country.

Last Saturday was a painful day for the Minnesota native, even though he caught two touchdown passes and set the school career record for receptions with 204.  Not only was Decker icing his ankle even before the game ended, but earlier he had his chin bloodied in a vicious collision with a California defender.  That collision didn’t stop Decker from making one of the better catches in Gopher history, grabbing a 26 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

But most painful was losing the game to No. 8 ranked California.  The Gophers and Decker, who received multiple stitches to his chin, were in a 21-21 tie with the Golden Bears going into the fourth quarter before losing 35-21.

Gopher coach Tim Brewster has frequently expressed praise for Decker and offered this following Saturday’s game:  “He’s as tough a kid as there is in the country,” Brewster said. “He’s tough as nails.”

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