The poor taste award for the weekend goes to the Gopher student section that let out a chant of “Fire Wittman! on Saturday at Williams Arena.” Randy sat a few seats away from the students while he watched his son Ryan, a former Eden Prairie player, score 21 points for Cornell in the team’s 71-54 loss to the Gophers.
The Gophers, 8-0, owe their success to several players including freshmen centers Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III. After Saturday’s game coach Tubby Smith described the development of the two as “pleasant” of a surprise as he’s experienced in coaching.
Wolves basketball boss Kevin McHale turns 51 on December 19. His legendary teammate with the Celtics, Larry Bird, was 52 yesterday.
Former Minnetonka player Anthony Tucker, now a freshman at Iowa (7-2), is leading the team in scoring average at 13.2 points per game.
Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell expects his friend Brett Favre, 39, to play next season for the New York Jets.
Jared Allen said he’s been doing his simulated calf roping celebration after sacks for about two and one-half seasons. The Vikings’ defensive end was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week last week for his three sacks and nine tackles performance against Chicago on November 30. Yesterday against Detroit he had two more sacks to increase his season total to 12.5.
Allen said he won’t evaluate his 2008 performance until after the season. His goal is to lead the NFL in sacks, something he did last year playing with Kansas City when he had 15.5. The Chiefs were 4-12 last season, while the Vikings are now 8-5 and in first place in the NFC North. Last week before the Detroit game he said it’s a “blast” to be on a team making a run for the playoffs. “Each year is its own year,” he said. “I just have a blast playing football.”
Vikings sales and marketing executive Steve LaCroix reported via e-mail late Friday that over 4,000 tickets remain for the Atlanta game here on December 21 and over 3,000 for the New York Giants game a week later.
Vikings linebacker Ben Leber has GOP presidential signage on his Winter Park locker and was asked if he spoke publicly in support of the John McCain–Sarah Palin ticket. “No, I just got involved with politics a little bit more just from watching TV and the whole thing, getting caught up just like everybody else,” he said. “I missed the RNC. Decided to stay home with the family and watch it on TV.”
What about Palin and her future? “I think she’s obviously learned a lot just from the campaign and probably what to say and what not to say,” Leber said. “And maybe how to be prepared for interviews and stuff. But she’s going to be around politics for a long time, and we’re going to be hearing a lot from her in the next three years.”