ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly wrote a caustic column last week titled “Big Ten Primer for Big Red.” In the primer he introduced Nebraskans to the conference including fellow members of the Legends Division. About Minnesota he wrote: “The only thing they’re legendary for is losing. You’ll love them.”
Reilly described the conference’s names for its two football divisions (Legends & Leaders) as “incredibly anvil-brained.” He speculated that among the potential division names that didn’t make the final cut were “Cheats and Soon-to-be-caught Cheats.”
Bruce Smith Day will be Saturday, September 17 when the Gophers host Miami (Ohio. A bronze bust of Smith, the legendary Minnesota Heisman Trophy winner from Faribault, will be presented to the Gophers athletic department, according to Bruce Krinke. Krinke is part of a group that is honoring the Gophers’ only Heisman winner ever with the creation of two bronze busts. One will reside at the University and the other at Faribault High School. Krinke said via email that the Rice County Historical Society has found a 1941 audio recording of Smith’s Heisman acceptance speech in New York. The recording may become part of the Smith memorabilia at the University.
Scott Baker, who has a team leading 2.88 ERA among Twins starters, pitches tomorrow night in Texas in the third game of the four game series against the Rangers. Baker, 29, entered his seventh major league season this year with a career ERA of 4.32.
Relief pitcher Glen Perkins has given up only one earned run in his last 15 appearances (13 innings).
Mark the date: Kevin McHale returns to Target Center for the first time as the new coach of the Houston Rockets on Friday, November 25 (the day after Thanksgiving).
Collegeinsider.com’s Jason Belzer includes Winona State’s Mike Leaf among the top 25 non-Division I basketball coaches in the country. He reports that Leaf not only won Division II national titles in 2006 and 2008, but that the coach graduates “100 percent” of his players.
Canterbury Park didn’t operate for 20 days because of the state government shutdown and president Randy Sampson estimates the Shakopee facility lost as much as $1 million per week but final figures won’t be known until the racing season ends later this summer.
The track has rescheduled its Extreme Race Day featuring camel and ostrich racing to August 6.