Now in week 11 of the NFL schedule would not be a good time to poll league players about expanding the regular season.  NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and others have approached the subject of increasing the 16 game schedule but nothing has been finalized so far.

The subject came up last week at Winter Park when former Vikings coach Bud Grant told Sports Headliners that the need for more games is being dictated by the league’s popularity.  He said preseason games are a “farce” because coaches don’t use their starters and often are evaluating lesser players.  He favors an 18 game schedule and reducing the number of preseason games from four to two.  Grant said not to expect changes soon, though, comparing the NFL to the government in being slow to “move.”

The overwhelming popularity of the NFL as America’s favorite sport and the potential for increased revenues is increasing momentum to seriously consider a 17 or 18 game regular season with two or three preseason games.  It’s a good bet, though, that your average NFL player is dramatically less enthusiastic about the prospect than fans who already enjoy a long season, plus playoffs, with games on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Ryan Longwell, a Viking captain and 12-year NFL veteran, has a balanced perspective.  “Well, I definitely see both sides of the equation, good and bad,” he said.  “I think from a marketing standpoint, two extra games would be great for the league and give people more of a product that they love. But having been around this game for so long and seeing the beating that these guys take over a 16 game schedule (raises concerns).

“Most of the guys that are playing all 16 games don’t play in those preseasons, so taking two games away is not going to freshen them up any. …I just can’t imagine stretching that out (the season) for two more meaningful games. …”

Longwell mentioned Chad Greenway and Heath Farwell, two Vikings who were hurt in early pre-season games and lost for the season.  He described those games as “meaningless” but losing valuable players like Greenway, a linebacker injured in his rookie year, or Farwell, a special teams star, was not a good development for the players or team.

”I am all for shortening for the preseason, but I just know when you get to December and you look at these guys on a Wednesday and a Thursday morning they are really fighting to get to Sunday healthy again, and (then) you add two more games to that.  It’s tough physically.  It’s tough mentally. …A really, really long season of constant beating.”

Longwell likes the idea of a 16 game schedule and reducing the pre-season games to three per team.  The fourth game has become notorious throughout the country for starters being on the bench and no-name players on the field.  Longwell said it’s “tough” to sell tickets and the games are a “marketing juggling act.”

For the players there’s not only the concern of physical health, but also compensation if the league schedule is expanded.  Longwell said players will want to be paid for one or more regular season games.  They won’t want the same compensation spread over additional games.

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Former Viking Cris Carter in the November 10 Sporting News talking about Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr. who is second in the NFL in receiving yards with 939 while playing for the Arizona Cardinals: “I can’t say I’ve ever seen anybody with better hands. …”

Carter said Fitzgerald’s hands are the equal of Keith Byars, Keith Jackson and Randy Moss.

Although Iowa is likely to lose running back Shonn Greene to the NFL as a junior eligible, the Hawkeyes could have another good team next season.  In last week’s win over Purdue the Iowa offense had only four seniors in the starting lineup, and two on defense, according to the Big Ten Network broadcast of the game.

Gopher football fan Ken Lien jokes that no one will be doing the wave at Saturday’s Minnesota-Iowa game in the Metrodome.  Last time Iowa was here a Hawkeye fan drowned.

Kevin Lynch, who is the new Wolves’ radio partner of Alan Horton on Timberwolves’ games, said he was interested in broadcast color work back in high school at Bloomington Jefferson and before he became a star guard for the Gophers.  Lynch was the color man on Gopher basketball radio games from the fall of 200l through last season.

With a 6-0-4 overall record the Gopher hockey team is ranked No. 1 in both national men’s hockey polls, USA Today/USA Hockey magazine and U.S. College Hockey Online/CBS College Sports poll.  It’s the first time since Jan. 22, 2007 the Gophers have been No. 1.  Minnesota is one of three remaining undefeated Division I teams along with Air Force (10-0-0) and Cornell (2-0-2).  The only other time since 1940 that the Gophers were undefeated through 10 games was in 2001-02 when they were 11-0-2 before losing.  Minnesota has a two-game series at 10th-ranked Denver on Friday and Saturday.

Leading the 20-player all-MIAC soccer team is Carleton senior midfielder Paul Pedtke, the conference Player of the Year.  He helped the Knights to the MIAC regular season and playoff titles.  Carleton head coach Bob Carlson is Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Leading the 20-player women’s soccer team is St. Thomas junior forward Erin Sprangers who is the conference Player of the Year.  Sprangers helped the Tommies to the MIAC title while leading the conference in goals, assists and points. Second year coach Sheila McGill of St. Thomas is the MIAC Coach of the Year.

All selections were made by MIAC coaches.

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Mike Tice will be center stage this week in Vikingland.  Now assistant head coach for the Jaguars, Tice will coach against the Vikings in Jacksonville on Sunday for the first time since being dismissed here after the 2005 season.

The dozen or so players still with the Vikings who have Tice memories include center Matt Birk.  Tice was Birk’s offensive line coach when he joined the Vikings as a sixth round draft choice from Harvard.  “…I certainly owe him a lot personally for seeing something in me and not giving up on me, and helping me develop as a player,” Birk told Sports Headliners.

Birk, who six times has been a Pro Bowl center, remembers Tice both for his knowledge of the game and ability to motivate players.  Tice was an NFL tight end, including three seasons with the Vikings in the 1990s, and then an assistant coach with the Purple before succeeding Denny Green for the final game in 2001 and then coaching four full seasons here.

Birk described Tice as a “great X’s and O’s coach,” then talked about him as a motivator.  “He had a unique style of motivating,” Birk said.  “He would challenge you.  I think for the most part, he got the most out of his players.”

Birk made it clear the relationship with Tice and his players wasn’t always a love fest. “Tice, he’s one of those guys you could absolutely hate him one minute and then the next you’d love him.  He’s one of those guys sometimes you got so angry at him (but) you still wanted to play hard and succeed for him.”

Dean Dalton worked for Tice as an assistant coach and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend his former boss to an NFL team looking for a head coach.  Although Tice’s record was a so-so 33-34, Dalton told Sports Headliners that Tice worked under less than ideal conditions.  A low player payroll, directed by budget conscious owner Red McCombs, restricted the talent pool. Tice also dealt with the emotionally devastating death of Viking lineman Korey Stringer who died during training camp in 2001, plus the infamous Love Boat scandal of 2005.

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