A lot of names have drawn mention for the Minnesota football job but one that hasn’t so far is former Gopher player and assistant coach Mo Forte. He has college and pro coaching experience including with the Denver Broncos as an assistant when they advanced to the 1990 Super Bowl. Forte, who has been an assistant with Michigan State, the Detroit Lions (coached Barry Sanders) and the Broncos, is head coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. His team finished the past season at 8-4, including a school record seven consecutive wins. A member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Forte’s team won the Western Division championship, another first in school history.
The Gopher-Texas Tech Insight Bowl game drew a 2.3 TV rating. It was televised only on the NFL Network in this market and many cable subscribers don’t have access to the network.
Marian Gaborik of the Wild is scheduled to appear and sign autographs at the Cub Foods store at 1801 Market Drive in Stillwater from 5 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Also on Sunday, teammate Mark Parrish is scheduled to appear and sign autographs at the Cub Foods store at 1729 Market Boulevard in Hastings from 5 to 6 p.m.
Each of the Wild’s first four first round draft picks (Gaborik, Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Brent Burns) will be featured on commemorative pucks as part of the First Round Draft Pick Puck Series this season. The first puck featuring Gaborik was given away to fans on Tuesday night.
Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi coached the late Chris Farley of Saturday Night Live TV fame in football at Madison Edgewood High School in Madison, Wisconsin in 1981.
John Rash, local media expert, will be a regular contributor on WCCO Radio from 11:45 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, starting on January 15. The “Rash Report” will cover media, advertising and pop culture. Rash, an executive with the Campbell Mithun marketing and communications agency in Minneapolis, will be joined on the show by Eleanor Mondale and Jack Rice.
I can’t find a sports or local angle to this but wondered if you heard that a fourth “Indiana Jones” movie, starring Harrison Ford, will debut in movie theatres in 2008?