Brewster said linebacker Sam Maresh, who recently had heart surgery and is unable to play this season, will lead the Gophers on the field in September of next year in the first game at TCF Bank Stadium.  Maresh will have that assignment regardless of whether he’s able to play or not.

Starting defensive tackle Eric Small, 6-1, 304 pounds, will be used as a ball carrier in short yardage situations near the goal line.  Brewster described Small as a “very athletic big man” and said it’s a Refrigerator Perry type move, referring to the Chicago Bears defensive lineman of the 1980s who often used his 380 pound bulk to carry the ball near the goal line.  Brewster also said Small has had “as good a camp as anybody” while the Gophers prepare for their season opener at home Saturday night against Northern Illinois.

Because of increased fuel prices, Stillwater based Creative Charters is advertising more motor coach travel this year to away Gopher football games than in the past.  Bus travel is being offered for trips to Ohio State, Illinois and Wisconsin.  Charters by air are available to Bowling Green and Purdue.  www.creativecharter.com

Roy Terwilliger, chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, told Sports Headliners he doesn’t have a position on a possible public referendum for a new Vikings’ stadium.  He said it would be necessary to see the details of a potential referendum.

Vikings coach Brad Childress having fun last week talking about injured quarterback Tarvaris Jackson needing to learn a hook slide:  “Hook slide?  Yeah, I am sending him down to the sawdust with (Twins manager) Ron Gardenhire and they’re going to teach him how to, not run the bases, but slide into second.  The only problem is that we don’t have that little cut out of dirt around the base where he wants to slide.  We’ll teach him how to get that leg underneath him, tuck his cleats and give himself up.”

Timberwolves president Chris Wright told Sports Headliners the team will play on a new court at Target Center next season.  It won’t be a parquet floor like the old one and will feature the franchise’s new primary and secondary logos.

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Wright said last week the Wolves have renewed about 76 percent of their season tickets so far and have sold 700 new season tickets.  The Wolves have 60 to 70 seats near the court available for purchase.

Minneapolis businessman Peter Rocca won two silver medals in the backstroke for the U.S. in the 1976 Olympics.  The California native wrote an e-mail to Sports Headliners regarding American swimmer Michael Phelps who won eight gold medals at this year’s Olympics and has 14 in his career.  Rocca marveled at not only Phelps’ skills but his endurance.  Rocca wrote: “He swam 17 high level and quite a few gut wrenching races.  A good swimming friend of mine figured that beginning 8/9 he warmed-up, raced and warmed-down and was in/out of the pool close to 40 times.  Add to that pre and post race rub downs, eating three meals, meeting with the press, the U.S. team meetings, working with his coaches and then adding in his need to recover and sleep. There was so much to accomplish and so many things that could have tripped him up, yet he prevailed and broke seven world records in the process in the widest variety of races and strokes that anyone has ever swum at the Olympics. …”

Minnesota tennis legend David Wheaton, 39, has been waiting to hear if he will be invited to play in the U.S Open senior men’s singles and mixed doubles competitions that begin Tuesday, September 2 in New York.  Six men and six women participate (women’s singles and mixed doubles).

Wheaton, who lives in suburban Minneapolis, isn’t picking Roger Federer to even make the semi-finals in the main men’s single draw.  He likes Rafael Nadal, although he hasn’t played well in previous opens, or Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open that began today.  As for the women’s winner, Wheaton said take the top eight players, put their names on a wall, and throw a dart to hit a name and possible winner.

Wheaton is mentioned briefly in the new Pete Sampras book, A Champions Mind, Lessons From A Life In Tennis.  Sampras writes about playing Wheaton and describes him as an “overshadowed American of my generation.”

Wheaton thinks the description is fair and remembers being ranked in the top 20 in the world in 1992 but he wasn’t selected to represent the U.S. in the Olympics because he had peers like Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.

The 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, featuring 2008 All-Around Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin and 2008 All-Around Olympic Silver Medalist Shawn Johnson, will be at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday, November 9. Tickets are now on sale.

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The Vikings Super Bowl ticket doesn’t get punched without Adrian Peterson and Tarvaris Jackson.  Sure, it’s speculative to whisper the words Super Bowl with a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2004 but the Vikings have dramatically improved their talent the last couple of years and could be ready to roll deep into the playoffs.  No dice, though, if Peterson, the wondrous rookie running back last year, and Jackson, the third year quarterback, are on the injury list and not on the field.

The right knee injury Jackson suffered in last Saturday’s preseason game in Baltimore is enough to stir up Purple worry warts.  Jackson, designated this year as the team’s No. 1 quarterback despite two seasons of on and off effectiveness, was impressive in the team’s opening preseason game and second game against Baltimore playing briefly in each. Then he took a hit from two Ravens’ tacklers and suffered the fifth injury during his Vikings’ career.

Jackson had surgery on his right knee in 2006.  Last season he had head, finger and groin injuries.  He missed four games when he otherwise would have started, presumably slowing his maturation process as an NFL quarterback.

The latest injury, a strained ligament, isn’t expected to sideline him for long.  But Jackson needs to play, developing his skills at throwing and directing the offense.  The injury is a setback and combined with past health problems raises the question of whether Jackson is one of those unfortunate players who is frequently injured.

The problem, too, isn’t just frequency of being hurt but the possibility of suffering one devastating injury that is career threatening.  The Purple worry warts may start holding their collective breaths every game when they watch Jackson and Peterson.

Peterson would have won the NFL rushing title last season except for a knee injury.  He gained 1,341 yards but missed two games.  Not only that, but his five game numbers after the injury, 260 total yards and a 3.8 average per carry, were less impressive than his initial nine game total of 1,081 and 6.4.

In college at Oklahoma Peterson missed playing time because of his much publicized ankle and collarbone injuries.  And for all his marvelous gifts, including vision, speed, and strength, he’s been labeled a guy who runs too straight up and down, making him more susceptible to injury.

A healthy Peterson is right there with LaDainian Tomlinson (last season’s top NFL rusher) as the best runner in the league.  A healthy Jackson, based on his athletic skills and the assumption that quarterbacks are much improved by a third season, looks like a quarterback ready to give the Vikings a passing game to balance the run.

There’s no Super Bowl train leaving the station without Peterson and Jackson.

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