Sports Headliners didn’t encounter any predictions from fans about a Vikings trip to the Super Bowl (or even the NFC championship game) while attending the Purple’s NFL draft party on Saturday. Certainly the gathering was festive with food, drink, games, music and Vikings players and cheerleaders making a cheery scene on a wintry spring day that seemed more like March than late April.

Shawn from Minnetonka typified the optimistic but also cautious view about the upcoming season.  He admitted to being “fired up” after last week’s trade with Kansas City delivered defensive end Jared Allen to the Vikings.  An already “good” defense becomes better but Shawn frets about losing offensive tackle Bryant McKinne for the season if the NFL disciplines him for an off-season incident.

Saying he will be “disappointed” if the Vikings don’t make the playoffs for the first time since 2004, Shawn thinks a 10-6 record is possible.  A better record than last season’s 8-8 means improvement from quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.  Shawn said it will be a “make or break” season for the third year quarterback.

Kurt, from Montrose, will be watching Jackson, too.  “This is the season,” he said.  “If there’s no improvement then they’re going to get someone else.”

He thinks a 10-6 season for coach Brad Childress’ team might be possible but he wants Allen and other players to prove what they can do.  “They’re not going to the Super Bowl,” he said.

Kurt coaches kids in kick ball and gives them a message he hopes the Vikings hear, too.  “There’s no ‘I’ in team,” he said.

Jill from Willmar said the Vikings are a “big deal” to her family.  A decorated cake or brownies are usually part of the ritual on game days and the family has to schedule church services to be home in time for the TV kickoff.

She said her husband and son have more passion for the Purple than she does.  “They’re excited,” she said.  “Hopefully it (the season) goes well.”

Whether it goes well or not, Gerry Burns from Fridley, like so many of the team’s fans, will be supportive.  He saw the franchise’s first game in 1961 and with his son has had season tickets since 1998.  He’s seen disappointing seasons and finishes including sitting in Sun Devil Stadium in 2003 when the Vikings couldn’t win against the lowly Arizona Cardinals to make the playoffs.  He willingly takes the approach of wait until next year.

With Allen joining the team, Burns said he “can’t wait” for the season.  He thinks the acquisition of Allen brings the Vikings closer to success including against the evil rival to the east who twice beat the Purple last season.  “Hopefully we can knock off the Green Bay Packers,” he said.  “That makes my season right there.”

A fellow named Jerry Burns coached the Vikings from 1986-1991.  That period gave Gerry of Fridley a rather unique perspective for being a Viking fan.  His number in the telephone directory was mistaken as the coach’s number (unlisted).  Irate callers, some drunk, would telephone on a regular basis to complain about what the “coach” did wrong.  Gerry even received a call from someone in Chicago asking for Vikings tickets.

Neither the calls nor Vikings disappointments have discouraged Gerry.  “I bleed Purple,” he said.

Comments Welcome

The future of Gopher football was on the sidelines as well as the field Friday night when Minnesota finished spring practice with its annual intra-squad game.  Some players who are part of the 2008 recruiting class were at the Metrodome to watch the team they will join this summer.  Among them was home town linebacker Sam Maresh, rated a four star prospect by rivals.com.

On a night when the offense managed two touchdowns and the defense wasn’t too impressive either, it was evident why the Gophers were a 1-11 team last season.  And clear, too, was the need for help from a recruiting class that some evaluators think is among the 20 best in the country.

Maresh, the all-stater from Champlin Park High School, said he was told by Gopher coaches he has an opportunity to play as a freshman.  The look in his eye indicated to a stranger Friday night that he’s targeting a starting position.

Maresh told Sports Headliners he’s excited to be part of a “bunch of top recruits” who hopefully will help turn around a Gopher program that was winless in the Big Ten Conference last season.  Although there were rumors last fall that Maresh wouldn’t keep his verbal commitment with Minnesota, he said that wasn’t true.

His decision was influenced by the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.  He likes the idea of people approaching him, shaking his hand and saying they’re happy he stayed home to play with the Gophers.  “It’s a good feeling to have people come up to you and give you that recognition,” he said.

Another player on the sidelines before the game was defensive back Simoni Lawrence from Valley Forge Military Academy, a college prep school in Pennsylvania.  He will have three years of eligibility with the Gophers after playing two seasons at Valley Forge where he was twice the Seaboard Football Conference Player of the Year.

Lawrence said his three final college choices were Brigham Young, Pittsburgh and the Gophers.  Coach Tim Brewster helped sell him on Minnesota because of the opportunity for playing time.  Coming out of high school Lawrence said Penn State recruited him but not after he finished at Valley Forge.  The reason?  The storied Penn State program doesn’t like to recruit junior college players.

Counting junior college players and freshmen, the Gophers are expected to have several newcomers starting on defense next August.  These are players who weren’t enrolled in school Friday night but will be in the summer and ready to chase their dreams of making Minnesota a better football program.

Comments Welcome

Oakland made Darren McFadden of Arkansas the first running back chosen in Saturday’s NFL draft.  Before the draft last week former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton, who now analyzes the NFL in the media, said McFadden isn’t in the “same class” as the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson who was the first back selected in the 2007 draft.

Mike Max, host of WCCO TV’s “Life to the Max,” said the May 17 show will feature Sid Hartman, the 88-year-old Star Tribune columnist.  The story will include interviews with Bob Knight, Lou Holtz, Pete Carroll and Governor Tim Pawlenty.  “Life to the Max” can be seen on Ch. 4 Saturdays from 11 to 11:30 p.m.  Max has interviewed many celebrities on the show but wants to some day include Tiger Woods.  He said the show’s ratings vary from 3 to 4.5.

Sunday nights Max hosts the “The Sports Show” on WUCW TV, Ch. 23. The show’s regulars also include Patrick Reusse, Dark Star and Hartman.  Max said he’s working on changing the show’s time slot from the current 10:35 to 11:05 p.m.  Starting later this year he wants the show to air from to 9 to 9:30 p.m.

Courtney Boylan of Chaska and Jordan Taylor of Benilde-St. Margaret’s won the Miss and Mr. Basketball awards last night at a banquet that brought together the five girls and boys finalists.  Last year’s Mr. Basketball winner, Gopher Blake Hoffarber, spoke to the audience about the transition from high school to college basketball.  The Amazing Hondo, the well-known local magician who played basketball at Winona State, entertained the crowd.

Tim Larson, who was named Jostens president and CEO at age 34 earlier this year, is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and once worked in the Gopher sports information department.

The Minnesota Thunder, who will open the home schedule on Sunday night at James Griffin Stadium in St. Paul, expect to have an improved team with a mostly new roster.  It’s been a busy off-season for coach Amos Magee and general manager Djorn Bucholz.  Even last week the Thunder added two players, Brazilian forward Frederico Moojen and Colombian/Canadian defender Andres Arango.  Magee said Moojen “will score a lot of goals for our team this season.”  He expects Arango to be “one of the last pieces to a playoff puzzle.”

The Thunder haven’t been in the playoffs since 2004.  The team is 1-1 on the season, having lost the road opener to Portland, 2-1, but defeated Vancouver, 1-0.  Sunday’s game is against Rochester and begins at 5:05 p.m.

The Big Ten announced last week that Edina’s Whitney Taney, a freshman at Michigan, is one of its 11 players on the women’s all-conference tennis team as voted by the coaches.  The Gophers’ Lindsay Risebrough, daughter of Wild general manager Doug Risebrough, is one of 11 sportsmanship award winners representing each Big Ten school.

Comments Welcome