Brad Childress told Paul Allen on KFAN radio last week that he learned the advantages of using two featured running backs when he was an assistant at the University of Wisconsin working for Barry Alvarez. Childress plans to continue indefinitely alternating Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson. Defenses often must contend with different styles and fresher legs in a rotation system.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo talking about the difference between his former coach, the legendary Bill Parcells, and present boss Wade Phillips: “Besides the language, I would say it is probably just in the fact that one is more of a micro manager. I think (Bill) Parcells wants to have his hand in and coach just about every position and do different things. Wade (Phillips) is going to delegate more authority to his assistant coaches. Both are very competitive people that want to win badly. I don’t know that there is as much difference as people really want to make that out to be.”
With a competitive team and sold out games, maybe majority owner Bob Naegele, operating the team since the franchise inception 10 years ago, is open to selling the franchise. A former NHL executive thinks so if the price is attractive. He places the franchise value between $220 and $250 million. The original reported franchise cost was $80 million. The source also said the Nashville Predators are worth about $200 million and may relocate to Kansas City.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins come to Xcel Energy Center for one game this season, Tuesday, October 30. Stubhub.com is listing a ticket range of $73 to $369 for the sold-out game.
Al Jefferson is the Timberwolves’ leading scorer and rebounder in pre-season, averaging 15.3 points and 13 rebounds. Jefferson, playing power forward and center, will have to be a team leader although he’s only 22 years old.
Look for the Wolves’ Ricky Davis, who is in the last year of his contract, to have his best NBA season. Davis offers inside and outside scoring, and also playmaking, but has been consistently inconsistent during his nine pro seasons. He’s the team’s fourth leading scorer in pre-season at 11.3 points per game.
The Wolves, 2-4, close their pre-season schedule this week with two games in Minneapolis. Tomorrow night Indiana is in town and Friday evening Milwaukee plays at Target Center. The season and home opener is against Denver on Friday, November 2. The Nuggets are picked to finish second in the Northwest Division by Athlon’s pro basketball magazine. The Wolves will finish last in the five team division, according to the magazine. Regarding the trade of Kevin Garnett and state of the franchise the magazine said, “The best thing you can say about the Timberwolves heading into 2007-08 is that they aren’t stuck in the denial stage of their current plight.”
Tubby Smith’s Gophers will finish seventh in the Big Ten Conference, according to Sporting News basketball magazine. The former Kentucky coach might have the Gophers in the NCAA tournament, the magazine said. “If there’s a knock on Smith, it’s not that his teams lacked discipline and toughness—it’s that he didn’t land enough five-star recruits to stop Florida from ruling the SEC.”
A former Big Ten assistant basketball coach who didn’t want his name used, told Sports Headliners in September that the Gophers will surprise and finish among the top five teams in the conference.
The conference schedule has been expanded to 18 games. The only team the Gophers don’t play in Minneapolis is Purdue. Two of the best games to see at Williams Arena are Indiana on January 17 and Michigan State January 20. Both are favorites to win the conference title.
Expect college basketball analyst and promoter Dick Vitale to ballyhoo his friend Tubby Smith on ESPN telecasts.