Baseball analyst Harold Reynolds said on the MLB Network that the Metrodome is the best home field advantage in sports.
Justin Morneau said on KSTP Radio earlier this week he will work on persuading his buddy, Joe Mauer, to encourage him to sign a new contract that will keep the Twins’ catcher with the organization. Mauer officially won his American League third batting title yesterday, finishing with a .365 average. He is now tied for second with Tony Oliva among Twins who have the most AL batting titles. Rod Carew won seven titles while playing for the Twins.
Brett Favre hasn’t been entertaining while just playing football this fall. His TV commercial for Sears is worth watching, too. https://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=brett+favre+sears+commercial+youtube&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=9THKSunVL5GsNvCWrIMM&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1#
Adrian Peterson told Dan Patrick in the September 28 issue of Sports Illustrated that he’s had a 2010 Super Bowl on his mind for awhile now. “Yeah, I expected to be in the Super Bowl even before Brett came here. We’ve got all the tools in the toolbox to be able to put this run together.”
Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman talking to Sports Headliners about Gopher senior wide receiver Eric Decker: “Very good football player. Sure handed guy. Does a good job of finding the open seams in the zone. He’s a heck of a college football player, and I know that he’s going to get his opportunity in the NFL. A lot of teams will surely be looking at him.”
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez almost resurrected Badger football from the dead starting in 1990 when he was coach. Alvarez led the Badgers to three Rose Bowls wins and national prominence while changing fan apathy into passion. Alvarez, who was in Minneapolis last Saturday to watch Wisconsin win its sixth straight over the Gophers, was asked how he made the turn around in Madison.
“I had a good staff that could recruit,” Alvarez said. “We were able to get good players in there. I kept stability on my staff and my administration let me coach. Then it’s just hard work and being sound, and having a plan that could work.
“I devised a plan with the type of kids that we could recruit. Big linemen (and) physical type of play. We’re not going to go out and get great skill guys. We don’t have access to them.
“I figured out a way to win and sold everybody on it, and everybody bought in.”
ESPN analyst Bob Griese, who was also in Minneapolis for the Gophers-Badgers game, said he stays in contact with his former broadcast partner Keith Jackson, now retired and considered by many the greatest college football play-by-play man of all time. Griese said Jackson told him he doesn’t care to attend games anymore.
Both the Vikings and Gophers have had offensive line breakdowns on pass protection this season but blame for the linemen isn’t always deserved. Backs that don’t block on-rushing tacklers, or quarterbacks who hold the ball too long can also factor in.