Looks like Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak will be enjoying hot sauces after winning a bet with Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon. The Lynx eliminated Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals to move on to the WNBA Finals starting next Sunday at Target Center. The Lynx will play either Atlanta or Indiana in a best of five series with all games telecast on ESPN2.
Sporting News Magazine’s list of the top 100 NFL players in the September 26 issue won’t make Vikings fans do cartwheels. In its annual ratings of players the publication has nine Packers ─ more than any other NFL team ─ and includes four players with Vikings-ties among “ten of the most notable” players who were dropped from last year’s list.
Those four are ex-Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and three players on the 2011 roster, guard Steve Hutchinson, quarterback Donovan McNabb and defensive tackle Kevin Williams. The Packers include quarterback Aaron Rodgers, ranked No. 1 on the 100 player list.
The Vikings have four players in the top 100 including running back Adrian Peterson, rated No. 9. The others are wide receiver-kick returner Percy Harvin at No. 70, defensive end Jared Allen, No. 71, and cornerback Antoine Winfield, No. 86.
Teams with the most players after the Packers were the Ravens and Steelers with seven each, Eagles and Patriots at six, and Cowboys and Falcons with five. The Vikings and five others teams had four each, while NFC North rivals the Bears and Lions had three and two players respectively in the top 100.
It was 60 years ago this month that Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin threw for 554 yards in one game, still an NFL record. Van Brocklin later became the first coach of the Vikings.