Minnesota Sports Talk

Minnesota Twins win some lose some

2006-05-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers, I have been very busy at work and I have been away from my Blog. The Minnesota Twins have won two series in a row and now the Chicago Whitesox come into town for four games.

Well I have to salute hitters Michael Cuddyer and Torri Hunter for having big hits in this crappy lineup. I don't know what to say Hunter has his off days and on days and he is a very streaky hitter. Cuddyer on the other hand must love the outfield because he looks like a professional hitter at the plate. Johan Santana is finally waking up from his WBC preseason, and has made hitters look very confused.

With all the good here comes the bad. Radke, Silva, and Loshe are on the edge of getting better or falling out of the rotation. Rondell White, Justin Morneau, Tony Batista, and Juan Castro have looked bad at the plate. Rondell White and Justin Morneau need to get there swing back and make pitchers pay for pitches pay for pitches in the zone. Tony Batista needs to hit his pitch lately he has been missing it and his homerun totals are way down, but his walks are way up. Juan Castro needs to be on the bench and they need to Free Jason Bartlett from AAA.

So where do the Twins go from here hopefully up and not down. They have three big series coming up: Chicago at home, the Tigers and Brewers away. The need to win all three series to keep this show moving. They need to have a big month to make up for a subpar April.

Minnesota Twins need to rebuild

2006-05-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers, Happy Friday morning and TGIF. Well the Minnesota Twins my favorite Minnesota sports franchise lost last night 1-0 to the Kansas City Royals. This teams needs to rebuild and this is how I would do it.

Carlos Silva or Kyle Loshe needs to be traded to a contender if the team seems to be falling. We could get a minor league prospect for them and I would be looking for pitching and outfielders. Teams that might be looking for pitching the Reds, Mets, Rangers, Angels and Dodgers.

Shannon Stewart needs to be traded to a contender if the teams seems to be falling. We need minor league prospect for Stewart, players in return should be shortstops, second-basemen and pitching. Teams that would like Stewart include the Dodgers, Astros, and Angels.

Players that go without a new stadium: Rondell White, and Torri Hunter for multi talent. Younger talent needs to be signed in the long-term like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. So lets look at next 3- year lineups without free agents.

2007 lineup

Denard Span OF
Luis Castillo 2B
Joe Mauer C
Justin Morneau 1B
Michael Cuddyer 3B
Jason Kubel OF
Lew Ford OF
Garrett Jones DH
Jason Bartlett SS

Reserves:
Luis Rodrigez IF
Luis Maza IF
Terry Tiffee 3B
Doug Deeds OF
Nick Punto IF

Pitching

Johan Santana SP
Scott Baker SP
Fransico Lirano SP
Boof Bonser SP
Matt Guerrier SP

Joe Nathan RP
Pat Neshek RP
Jesse Crain RP
Juan Rincon RP
Ricky Bartlett RP
Jason Miller RP

2008 lineup

Denard Span OF
Luis Rodrigez 2B
Joe Mauer C
Justin Morneau 1B
Matt Moses 3B
Jason Kubel OF
Lew Ford OF
Garrett Jones DH
Jason Bartlett SS

Reserves:

Luis Maza IF
Doug Deeds OF
Danny Matienzo 1B

Pitching

Johan Santana SP
Scott Baker SP
Fransico Lirano SP
Boof Bonser SP
Glen Perkins SP

Adam Harben RP
Pat Neshek RP
Jesse Crain RP
Juan Rincon RP
Ricky Bartlett RP
Jason Miller RP

It's going to be a couple of bad years but a stadium would help alot or be ready to see the Las Vegas Twins.

Minnesota Vikings draft thoughts

2006-05-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers, well the draft came and went and over the weekend I came and went to move out of my apartment. I have been catching up with work and have been staying away from my blog.

The Vikings drafted a wide spread of players and now I am going to do a evalution of what I think of them:

Chad Greenway OLB Iowa: He is the complete package fast, smart, knows when to attack and stay back. He is a character guy who wants to play for the Vikings and is from South Dakota. Personally I love this pick and on many of my early draft boards I had the Vikings picking him. His numbers in college included Senior totals included 156/10/1 with one interception and eight defenses. Junior numbers included 113/8/3, when he also intercepted three passes.

Cedric Griffin CB Texas: A younger taller version of Brian Williams he is 6-0 and knows how to hit people hard. He is not the fastest cornerback in the draft but works well in a cover 2 system. His numbers in college included Four-year starter used at both corner and safety. All-Conference selection as a senior after 86 tackles and 15 pass defenses. Junior numbers included 68/2/6. Outstanding special-teams player throughout college.

Ryan Cook C/OG/OT New Mexico: This is a puzzling pick I had Cook as the fifth best center in the draft. I had him going in the late third early second round of the draft. I think the Vikings picked him because they knew they were going to give up the two third round drafts for Jackson. Former walk-on awarded All-Conference honors every season since moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore. A solid-sized lineman with growth potential, Cook has made definite strides the past three seasons.

Tarvaris Jackson QB Alabama State: The mystery player of the draft I had him going in the fifth round and actually thought he might not be drafted. Vikings wanted Jackson so bad that they gave up there two-third round draft picks to get him. He has a giant arm he college coaches say he has the strongest arm that they have ever seen. A two or three year project but has all the skills to be a top quarterback. Second-team All-Conference selection who totaled 60.9%/2,941/29/5 as a senior.

Ray Edwards DE Purdue: Here is a guy who had character issues but the Vikings took him in the fourth round of the draft. I had Ray Edwards going in the third round. He is a monster on the field, Flashes quickness off the snap, plays with good pad level and makes plays laterally. Fast off the edge, has a closing burst and redirects to ball handlers. Tough to handle once he gets the first step on opponents. He was a top number one draftee in 2004, but fell off the wagon. I love this pick lots of potential.

Greg Blue S Georgia: This is a special teams selection and with the Vikings only having Darren Sharper, Tank Williams, Willie Offord, and Dustin Fox on the roster and all four have injury problems this was a safe pick. Explosive run-defending safety who is best between the hashes. Breaks down well, is fast in all directions and flashes on the scene. Strong at the point, goes for the knockout blow and wraps up tackling. Fine athlete who makes a lot of difficult plays. Two-year starter awarded All-Conference and All-American honors last season after career-best numbers of 88/2/5. Posted 80 tackles as a junior. I like this pick but one of these safeties isn't going to make this team or switched to a corner or linebacker.

First 3 rounds mock draft 4.0

2006-04-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans Reggie Bush, RB, USC =
New Orleans Saints Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina St.
Tennessee Titans Matt Leinart, QB, USC =
New York Jets D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
Green Bay Packers A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio St. =
San Francisco 49ers Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland =
Oakland Raiders Vince Young, QB, Texas =
Buffalo Bills Winston Justice, OT, USC =
Detroit Lions Michael Huff, DB, Texas =
Arizona Cardinals Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt =
St. Louis Rams Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon =
Cleveland Browns Manny Lawson, DE/OLB, North Carolina St.
Baltimore Ravens Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida St. =
Philadelphia Eagles Chad Jackson, WR, Florida =
Denver Broncos(from the Falcons) Jimmy Williams, CB, Va Tech =
Miami Dolphins Tye Hill, CB, Clemson =
Minnesota Vikings Ernie Sims, LB, Florida St. =
Dallas Cowboys Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St.=
San Diego Chargers Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee
Kansas City Chiefs Jonathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina =
New England Patriots DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis=
SanFransisco 49ers (from the Broncos) Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn =
Cincinnati Bengals Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio St.
New York Giants Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio St.
Chicago Bears Antonio Cromartie, CB, Florida St.
Carolina Panthers Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
Jacksonville Jaguars LenDale White, RB, USC
New York Jets(from the Broncos) Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida St.
Indianapolis Colts Joseph Addai, RB, LSU =
Seattle Seahawks Max Jean-Gilles OG, Georgia=
Pittsburgh Steelers Nick Mangold, C, Ohio St. =
Houston TexansEric Winston, OT, Miami =
New Orleans Saints Abdul Hodge, LB, Iowa
New York Jets Thomas Howard, OLB, UTEP
Green Bay Packers Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami
Denver Broncos (from 49ers) Maurice Stovall, WR Notre Dame
Oakland Raiders Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan =
Tennessee Titans Donte Whitner, S Ohio State
Detroit Lions Andrew Whitworth, OT L.S.U.
Arizona Cardinals Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St.
Buffalo Bills Darnell Bing, S USC
Cleveland Browns D'Qwell Jackson, LB, Maryland
Baltimore Ravens Daniel Bullocks, S, Nebraska
Philadelphia Eagles DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama
St. Louis Rams Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA
Atlanta Falcons Darryl Tapp, DE/OLB, Va Tech =
Minnesota Vikings Charles Spencer, OG Pittsburgh
Dallas Cowboys Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina
San Diego Chargers Sinorice Moss, WR, Miami
Minnesota Vikings Charlie Whitehurst, QB Clemson
New England Patriots Richard Marshall, CB Fresno St.
Washington Redskins Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College
Kansas City Chiefs Derek Hagan, WR Arizona St.
Cincinnati Bengals Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
New York Giants Rodrique Wright, DT Texas
Chicago Bears Anthony Fasno, TE, Notre Dame
Carolina Panthers Gerris Wilkinson, LB Georgia Tech
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mark Anderson , DE Alabama.
Jacksonville Jaguars Jon Alston, OLB Stanford
Denver Broncos Joe Klopfenstein, TE, Colorado
Indianapolis Colts Demetruis Williams, WR, Oregon
Seattle Seahawks Pat Watkins, S FSU
Pittsburgh Steelers Jerious Norwood, RB Mississippi St.

Round 3

Houston Texans Deuce Lutui, OG, USC
Houston Texans (from the Saints) Ray Edwards, DE Purdue
Green Bay Packers Davin Joseph, OG, Oklahoma
Denver Broncos (from the 49ers) Brian Calhoun, RB Wisconsin
Oakland Raiders Daryn Colledge, OT, Boise St.
Buffalo Bills (from the Titans) Claude Wroten, DT, LSU
New York Jets Omar Jacobs, QB Bowling Green
Arizona Cardinals Dominique Byrd, TE USC
Buffalo Bills Jonathan Scott, OT Texas
Detroit Lions Kai Parham, ILB | Virginia
New England Patriots (from the Ravens) Travis Wilson WR, Oklahoma.
Philadelphia Eagles Ryan O'Callaghan, OT California
St. Louis Rams Maurice Drew,RB UCLA
Cleveland Browns Jeremy Trueblood, OT Boston College
Atlanta Falcons Bernard Pollard S, Purdue
Dallas Cowboys Rocky Mclntosh, OLB Miami
San Diego Chargers Cedric Griffin, CB Texas
Miami Dolphins Brodie Croyle, QB Alabama
Minnesota Vikings Tim Dobbins, ILB Iowa State
San Francisco 49ers (from the Redskins) Devin Aromashodu, WR Auburn
Kansas City Chiefs Bruce Gradkowski, QB Toledo
New England Patriots Leon Williams, ILB Miami
New York Giants Jason Avant, WR Michigan
Chicago Bears Martin Nance, WR Miami
Carolina Panthers Tony Scheffler, TE Western Michigan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Garret Mills, FB Tulsa
Cincinnati Bengals Babatunde Oshinowo, DT Stanford
Jacksonville Jaguars Stanley McClover, DE Auburn
Atlanta Falcons (from the Broncos) Kyle Williams, DT LSU
Indianapolis Colts Terna Nande, OLB Miami (OH)
Minnesota Vikings(from the Seahawks) Greg Eslinger C Minnesota
Pittsburgh Steelers Anthony Smith S, Syracuse
New York Jets Chris Chester C, Oklahoma

Twins starting pitching killing us

2006-04-24T09:09:00.001-07:00

Hi Readers, Sorry for not posting I have been busy trying to move and get things straighten out. The Twins have been struggling lately and you can blame two key factors the Twins starting pitching, and Shannon Stewart and Luis Castillo not being in the lineup.

The Twins are spiraling down this past week playing the Angels and White Sox. I do have to say one thing about the White Sox is that there the best team in baseball, hopefully nobody gets hurt on this team, because there a good team to watch. Santana, Radke, Silva, and Loshe need to step up there pitching and Rick Anderson please try to fix this pitching staff.

I like the way the Twins are hitting players are starting to hit the grooves and there almost out of the horrible schedule that MLB gave the Twins to start the season. So the Twins needs to fire back this week and below are what they need to do to get out of this horrible month.

The Twins need to go 12-12 to be fine going into May. So this is what the need to do:

Kansas City Royals Away
3 out 3 Record 10-11
Detroit Tigers Away
2 out 3 Record 12-12

I think the Twins will end up 11-13 in May, but to be truthful if they end up 10-14, it was a pretty average month. This division is tough and it looks like it will be a hard division to overcome so Twins play your heart outs.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

A three round mock draft will be posted tomorrow so look for that. Jay Cutler is falling on some draft boards so look for his name to pick up more in Minnesota Vikings news.

First 2 rounds mock draft 3.0

2006-04-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans Reggie Bush, RB, USC =
New Orleans Saints Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina St.
Tennessee Titans Matt Leinart, QB, USC =
New York Jets D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
Green Bay Packers A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio St. =
San Francisco 49ers Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland =
Oakland Raiders Vince Young, QB, Texas =
Buffalo Bills Winston Justice, OT, USC =
Detroit Lions Michael Huff, DB, Texas =
Arizona Cardinals Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt =
St. Louis Rams Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon =
Cleveland Browns Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida St.=
Baltimore Ravens Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida St. =
Philadelphia Eagles Chad Jackson, WR, Florida =
Denver Broncos(from Atlanta) Jimmy Williams, CB, Va Tech =
Miami Dolphins Tye Hill, CB, Clemson =
Minnesota Vikings Ernie Sims, LB, Florida St. =
Dallas Cowboys Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St. =
San Diego Chargers Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee
Kansas City Chiefs Jonathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina =
New England Patriots DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis =
Denver Broncos(from Washington) Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn =
Cincinnati Bengals Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
New York Giants Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio St.
Chicago Bears Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio St.
Carolina Panthers LenDale White, RB, USC
Jacksonville Jaguars Manny Lawson, DE/OLB, North Carolina St.
New York Jets(from Denver) Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St.
Indianapolis Colts Joseph Addai, RB, LSU =
Seattle Seahawks Max Jean-Gilles OG, Georgia =
Pittsburgh Steelers Nick Mangold, C, Ohio St. =
Houston Texans Eric Winston, OT, Miami =
New Orleans Saints DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama =
New York Jets Richard Marshall, CB, Fresno St.
Green Bay Packers Sinorice Moss, WR, Miami =
San Francisco 49ers Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami
Oakland Raiders Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan =
Tennessee Titans Abdul Hodge, LB, Iowa
Detroit Lions Daryn Colledge, OT, Boise St.
Arizona Cardinals Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College =
Buffalo Bills Darnell Bing, S USC
Cleveland Browns D'Qwell Jackson, LB, Maryland
Baltimore Ravens Daniel Bullocks, S, Nebraska
Philadelphia Eagles Thomas Howard, OLB, UTEP =
St. Louis Rams Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA
Atlanta Falcons Darryl Tapp, DE/OLB, Va Tech =
Minnesota Vikings Antonio Cromartie, DB, Florida St.
Dallas Cowboys Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina
San Diego Chargers Demetruis Williams, WR, Oregon
Minnesota Vikings Davin Joseph, OG, Oklahoma
New England Patriots Deuce Lutui, OG, USC
Washington Redskins Claude Wroten, DT, LSU
Kansas City Chiefs Travis Wilson WR, Oklahoma.
Cincinnati Bengals Dominique Byrd, TE USC =
New York Giants Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
Chicago Bears Anthony Fasno, TE, Notre Dame
Carolina Panthers Alan Zemaitis CB, Penn State
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Gerris Wilkinson, LB Georgia Tech
Jacksonville Jaguars Maurice Drew, RB, UCLA
Denver Broncos Joe Klopfenstein, TE, Colorado
Indianapolis Colts Maurice Stowall, WR Notre Dame
Seattle Seahawks Mark Anderson , DE Alabama.
Pittsburgh Steelers Maurice Drew,RB UCLA

Twins win 2 out of 3 and it ain't bad

2006-04-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers, well summer is here in Minneapolis. We have 70-80 degree weather everyday, so I claim it is summer and not spring. I watched some sports this weekend including three Twins games and the Minnesota Wild season closer.

The Twins are rolling and they took 3 out of 3 from the Athletics and 2 out of 3 from the New York Yankees. This team just needs to keep playing competitive baseball and it will be in good shape when they hit the end of the season. Well players like Hunter, Morneau, Nathan, and Rincon have looked good. But players like Santana, White, Silva, and Crain have looked bad.

The Twins need to go 12-12 to be fine going into May. So this is what the need to do:

Los Angelos Angels of Anaheim Home
2 out 3 Record 8-7
Chicago White Sox Away
1 out 3 Record 9-9
Kansas City Royals Away
2 out 3 Record 11-10
Detroit Tigers Away
1 out 3 Record 12-12

I like how this division is looking also. Nobody is going way in front the division is staying close and our pitchers are going to come through in the end. I think the World Baseball Classic really screwed up the conditioning of Carlos Silva, Johan Santana, and Jesse Crain. But I think with a couple more starts Silva will get his sinker going and Santana will fill more comfortable with his pitches. And Jesse Crain needs to relax and not try to hard and press. Rondell White is pressing and I say Gardy keep him in the four hole and he will play dividends because this lineup is perfect.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild season is over and we missed the playoffs. The Wild need to sign Gaborik to a long term contract and get key scorers next to him. They also need to get rid of the bad defensemen and get 6 soild ones. I would keep

Schultz
Tjarnquist
Burns
either Zyzuin or Skoula
either Foster or Kuba

The Minnesota Timberwolves are finally getting it lose and lose some more to keep that draft pick. They have one more game againest Memphis, and Coach Casey please lose and Kevin McHale start cleaning house. Players who should stay:

C Eddie Griffin
PF: Kevin Garnett
SF: Ricky Davis
SG: Rashad McCants
PG: Marcus Banks

Bench:
C: Mark Blount
PF: Mark Madsen
SF: Justin Reed
SG: Trenton Hassell
PG: ????

Get Rid of:
Marko Jaric
Troy Hudson
Anthony Carter
Ronald Dupree
Richie Frahm

Twins win Two in a row

2006-04-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers well it's like May in the Twin Cities and the temparture is rising into the 70's. With the temparture rising the Minnesota Twins are starting to win.

Homeruns are fun and last season this team didn't hit many homeruns. But the last two home games the Minnesota Twins have won on homeruns by Torri Hunter, Justin Morneau, and Tony Batista. I really like this lineup except for the right fielder, some days I wish we had Jacque Jones back but I see he is slipping for the Chicago Cubs. So I ask the question today who should be in right field and I think so people will be disapointed by my answer.

Players that can play right field include Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, and Lew Ford. So who should be there I think they should start Jason Kubel and then trade either Lew Ford or Michael Cuddyer for a prospect or a draft pick. I think the Minnesota Twins should have gone after a right fielder in the off season. If Jason Kubel doesn't pan out and probably all three guys will pickup after awhile then the Twins need to figure out another plan.

And that other plan might include trading Kyle Loshe for a prospect outfielder. Kyle Loshe starts againest Joe Blanton today at 12:10 as the Minnesota Twins go for the swip over the Oakland Athletics.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild play the Nashville Predators tonight. It is going to be a very intresting offseason for the Wild. The Wild GM Doug Risenbourgh says the Wild are going to go after a big time defensivemen in free agency and a proven offensive scoring forward.

The Minnesota Timberwolves won last night againest the Houston Rockets. The T-puppies needed to loss to keep there draft pick now there in danger to lose that pick to the Los Angelos Clippers if they don't get a top 10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. All I can say to Casey and the Timberwolves is lose.

The Minnesota Vikings are bringing more rookies for looks. This includes Charlie Whitehurst. The agent for Texas quarterback Vince Young said last week that his client was on the Vikings' visit list.

Minnesota Twins Home Opener

2006-04-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Readers it is warm like a summer day in Minneapolis. Woke up this morning and it was 60 degrees outside with the prediction of 72 for this afternoon and it is only April 11.

Well I wish the Twins had a outdoor stadium because baseball is back in Minnesota, and the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics at 7:05 tonight. Brad Radke takes the mound againest Danny Haren both have a 6.00 ERA.

The Twins are 1-5 and need to get back to .500 at the end of the month. And this Oakland series could be a key factor take a look at the schedule after this:

Oakland Athletics April 11-13 Home
New York Yankees April 14-16 Home
Los Angelos Angels of Anaheim April 18-20 Home
Chicago White Sox April 21-23 Away
Kansas City Royals April 25-27 Away
Detroit Tigers April 28-30 Away

The Twins need to go 12-12 to be fine going into May. So this is what the need to do:

Oakland Athletics Home
2 out 3 Record 3-6
New York Yankees Home
1 out 3 Record 4-8
Los Angelos Angels of Anaheim Home
2 out 3 Record 6-9
Chicago White Sox Away
1 out 3 Record 7-11
Kansas City Royals Away
3 out 3 Record 10-11
Detroit Tigers Away
2 out 3 Record 12-12

So really think about it the Twins will be fine if they go .500 this month. This is the hardest month on the schedule and it always takes some time to get rolling into the season. Plus the Twins went 1-5 on the road and the Twins play way better at home. So tonight cheer for the Twins because there going to be fine as the season goes on.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild play there last home game againest the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. Look for the Wild to keep playing soild hockey even though the Wild are out of the playoffs they have had a very soild season.

The Minnesota Vikings have some rookies visting Winterpark this includes Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler. They took a look at Minnesota Gophers runningback Lawrence Maroney yesterday.

First 2 rounds mock draft 2.0

2006-04-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans Reggie Bush, RB, USC =
New Orleans Saints D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
Tennessee Titans Matt Leinart, QB, USC
New York Jets Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina St.
Green Bay Packers A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio St. =
San Francisco 49ers Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
Oakland Raiders Vince Young, QB, Texas =
Buffalo Bills Winston Justice, OT, USC
Detroit Lions Michael Huff, DB, Texas =
Arizona Cardinals Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt
St. Louis Rams Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon =
Cleveland Browns Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida St.
Baltimore Ravens Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida St.
Philadelphia Eagles Chad Jackson, WR, Florida
Denver Broncos(from Atlanta) Jimmy Williams, S, Va Tech =
Miami Dolphins Tye Hill, CB, Clemson =
Minnesota Vikings Ernie Sims, LB, Florida St. =
Dallas Cowboys Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St.
San Diego Chargers Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina =
Kansas City Chiefs Jonathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina
New England Patriots DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis =
Denver Broncos(from Washington) LenDale White, RB, USC
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn =
Cincinnati Bengals Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan =
New York Giants Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa =
Chicago Bears Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
Carolina Panthers Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota =
Jacksonville Jaguars Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA
New York Jets(from Denver) Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio St.
Indianapolis Colts Joseph Addai, RB, LSU =
Seattle Seahawks Max Jean-Gilles OG, Georgia =
Pittsburgh Steelers Nick Mangold, C, Ohio St. =
Houston Texans Eric Winston, OT, Miami =
New Orleans Saints DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama =
New York Jets Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio St. =
Green Bay Packers Sinorice Moss, WR, Miami
San Francisco 49ers Manny Lawson, DE/OLB, North Carolina St.
Oakland Raiders Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St.
Tennessee Titans D'Qwell Jackson, LB, Maryland =
Detroit Lions Ryan O'Callaghan, OT, Cal =
Arizona Cardinals Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College
Buffalo Bills Claude Wroten, DT, LSU
Cleveland Browns Omar Jacobs, QB, Bowling Green
Baltimore Ravens Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee =
Philadelphia Eagles Thomas Howard, OLB, UTEP =
St. Louis Rams Maurice Stovall, WR, Notre Dame =
Atlanta Falcons Darryl Tapp, DE/OLB, Va Tech =
Minnesota Vikings Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami
Dallas Cowboys Darnell Bing, S USC =
San Diego Chargers Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona St. =
Minnesota Vikings Brodie Croyle QB, Alabama =
New England Patriots Richard Marshall, CB, Fresno St. =
Washington Redskins Abdul Hodge, LB, Iowa =
Kansas City Chiefs Deuce Lutui, OG, USC
Cincinnati Bengals Dominique Byrd, TE USC =
New York Giants Anthony Fasno, TE, Notre Dame =
Chicago Bears Antonio Cromartie, DB, Florida St.
Carolina Panthers Daryn Colledge, OT, Boise St.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Daniel Bullocks, S, Nebraska
Jacksonville Jaguars Maurice Drew, RB, UCLA
Denver Broncos Greg Eslinger, C, Minnesota
Indianapolis Colts Davin Joseph, OG, Oklahoma
Seattle Seahawks Donte Whitner, S, Ohio St.
Pittsburgh Steelers Martin Nance, WR Miami (OH)

Minnesota Twins get first win of the year!!

2006-04-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers it has been crazy at work and I haven't been able to post as much as I use too. Well your Minnesota Twins won it's first game of the year yesterday and it looks like they have some good bats in the offense.

Torri Hunter hit a Grand Slam yesterday to seal the deal as the Minnesota Twins win 13-6 againest the Toronto Blue Jays. After the Tuesday nights opener againest Roy Halladay the Twins bats waked up. The lineup is pretty strong and players like Shannon Stewart and Torri Hunter picking up the slack. Look for the Twins to put a good performance againest Chacin and the Jays as Carlos Silva takes the mound for the Twins.

Other Minnesota Sports News

The Minnesota Wild have signed Danny Irmen the Golden Gophers forward to a contract. He should be on the club pretty soon and look for him to get some games in before the season is over. Dwayne Roloson comes back into town as the Minnesota Wild take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight at the Excel Center.

The Minnesota Vikings schedule comes out today and look for the Vikings to play Daunte Culpepper and the Miami Dolphins in November or October. The Vikings play the AFC East this year so look for the Dolphins, Jets, Bill, and Patriots on the schedule.

The Minnesota Twins stadium deal could be on the agenda at the state capital today. It passed the first round, and will be competing with the Gophers and Vikings football stadium bills.

Minnesota Twins Making all the wrong moves

2006-04-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers, it has been a busy day but I finally had some time to post. I like to say the Minnesota Twins are going to the World Series but they are making all the wrong moves.

First of all the Minnesota Twins lost to the Rochester Redwings yesterday 12-3. Scott Baker had a terrible game pitching and the AAA minor league team wanted to win this game. Jason Bartlett had a homerun off Scott Baker and should be our starting day shortstop. This team keeps making bad moves and with not keeping Jason Bartlett on the roster Juan Castro is going to be your opening day shortstop and Nick Punto will back him up. I like Juan Castro as a player but I don't think he should be a starting shortstop.

The other player that don't make sense is Francisco Lirano being a left-hander out of the bullpen. This guy should be either a starter on the Minnesota Twins or the Rochester Redwings and he should be learning to control his pitches. The other move that boggles my mind is Jason Kubel staying on the big league roster with Michael Cuddyer both fighting for the right field position. I think the officials of this team are taking chances on some players but mortaging the future on Jason Bartlett's career.

Look for the Minnesota Twins to win 80-90 wins, and the Twins getting third in this division. One last question to leave with you Jim Thome hit a monster two run home run last night and he wanted to come here, why didn't we trade for him?

Vikings keeping the horn on the helmet

2006-03-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Good Morning readers I am sorry I haven't posted in a long time. I have been sick and have had a hard time looking at the computer for long periods of time. Well if your a Vikings fan you heard that the Vikings made some changes to there uniforms.

Well some big news came in from owner Ziggy Wilf the Vikings are keeping the horn on the helmet and not changing it to the Vikings head. Ziggy said that they weren't taking the horn off they were just going to add some yellow to the horn. Other changes with the uniform could include dark pants with the home uniform. Other changes might include a third alternative jersey.

I have gotten a lot of comments in my Mock Draft predictions and I will be making changes to it next week. People have been sending me emails about why certain teams take certain people I have my reasons and I do in depth studying of teams and see potential in some players. More Mock Draft predictions next week.

More Minnesota Sports News

The Minnesota Wild lost a heart breaker last night at the GM Place in Vancouver Canucks. With literally 6 seconds on the clock in the third period Anson Carter of the Canucks scored the game winning powerplay goal. This team needs two more scorers because Rolston and Gaborik can't score all the goals.

The Minnesota Timberwolves won last night againest the Orlando Magic. Ricky Davis had a big game, but it looks like the Timberwolves will have a big lottery pick.

First 2 rounds mock draft 1.0

2006-03-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

Houston Texans Reggie Bush, RB, USC =
New York Jets(trade with Saints) Matt Leinart, QB, USC =
Tennessee Titans Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt
New Orleans Saints(trade with Jets) A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio St. =
Green Bay Packers Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina St. =
San Francisco 49ers D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
Oakland Raiders Vince Young, QB, Texas
Buffalo Bills Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
Detroit Lions Michael Huff, DB, Texas =
Arizona Cardinals Winston Justice, OT, USC
St. Louis Rams Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon
Cleveland Browns Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St.
Baltimore Ravens LenDale White, RB, USC
Philadelphia Eagles Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St.
Atlanta Falcons Jimmy Williams, S, Va Tech =
Miami Dolphins Tye Hill, CB, Clemson =
Minnesota Vikings Ernie Sims, LB, Florida St.
Dallas Cowboys Chad Jackson, WR, Florida =
San Diego Chargers Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina
Kansas City Chiefs Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida St. =
New England Patriots DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis
Denver Broncos(from Washington) Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn =
Cincinnati Bengals Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan
New York Giants Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
Chicago Bears Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA
Carolina Panthers Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
Jacksonville Jaguars Antonio Cromartie, DB, Florida St.
Denver Broncos Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College =
Indianapolis Colts Joseph Addai, RB, LSU
Seattle Seahawks Max Jean-Gilles OG, Georgia
Pittsburgh Steelers Nick Mangold, C, Ohio St. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houston Texans Eric Winston, OT, Miami
New Orleans Saints DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama
New York Jets Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio St.
Green Bay Packers Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio St.
San Francisco 49ers Sinorice Moss, WR, Miami =
Oakland Raiders Claude Wroten, DT, LSU
Tennessee Titans D'Qwell Jackson, LB, Maryland
Detroit Lions Ryan O'Callaghan, OT, Cal
Arizona Cardinals Omar Jacobs, QB, Bowling Green
Buffalo Bills Jonathan Scott, OT, Texas
Cleveland Browns Manny Lawson, DE/OLB, North Carolina St.
Baltimore Ravens Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee
Philadelphia Eagles Thomas Howard, OLB, UTEP
St. Louis Rams Maurice Stovall, WR, Notre Dame
Atlanta Falcons Darryl Tapp, DE/OLB, Va Tech =
Minnesota Vikings Jonathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina
Dallas Cowboys Darnell Bing, S USC
San Diego Chargers Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona St.
Minnesota Vikings Brodie Croyle QB, Alabama
New England Patriots Richard Marshall, CB, Fresno St.
Washington Redskins Abdul Hodge, LB, Iowa =
Kansas City Chiefs Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami
Cincinnati Bengals Dominique Byrd, TE USC
New York Giants Anthony Fasno, TE, Notre Dame
Chicago Bears Daryn Colledge, OT, Boise St.
Carolina Panthers Deuce Lutui, OG, USC
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Daniel Bullocks, S, Nebraska
Jacksonville Jaguars Maurice Drew, RB, UCLA
Denver Broncos Greg Eslinger, C, Minnesota
Indianapolis Colts Davin Joseph, OG, Oklahoma
Seattle Seahawks Donte Whitner, S, Ohio St.
Pittsburgh Steelers Martin Nance, WR Miami (OH)

Minnesota Vikings building with quality players

2006-03-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Hi Readers I have been on vacation for a few days so I have been letting my blog slip a little bit. So today we are going to talk some Minnesota Vikings football. I like where this team is going.

We are cutting the bad players out of our system and adding quality leaders and players. We cut Daunte Culpepper, Moe Williams, Brian Williams, and Michael Bennett. And we added players like Steve Hutchinson, Koren Robinson, Ryan Longwell, and Chester Taylor. I like what Childress is doing with this team building around a strong running game and a proven Superbowl Quarterback.

We have seven draft picks in the upcoming draft to get the following postions filled. These positions are in order of importance:

Backup Quarterback (future Quarterback)
Coverage Linebacker
Offensive Lineman Depth
Third Cornerback
Safety
Runningback Depth
Tight End Depth

Overall I do have to say if you were going to build a team to win with hard running and defense this is what the team would look like. Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss are all-star players but two players don't make a team.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild won last night againest the Calgary Flames last night. Erik Westrom played his first NHL game in a Wild uniform and he looked good. Marion Gaborik scored two goals and Brian Rolston added another. Look for the Wild to miss the playoffs but make a splash in the next offseason.

The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat last night on the shoulders of Ricky Davis. This team is not going to make the playoffs and look for them to get a good draft pick and add more depth to this team.

The Minnesota Twins play at noon today againest the Reds. Look for MLB teams to start making cuts soon, or start making trades for needed postions and depth.

Full First Round Mock Draft

2006-03-16T06:37:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers well here it is my first full first round Mock Draft of the year. Notice the arrows meaning players are moving up and down on the Draft chart. Hope everybody enjoys it.

Houston Texans Reggie Bush, RB, USC =
New York Jets (traded the Saints) Matt Leinart, QB, USC
Tennessee Titans Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt
New Orleans Saints (traded the Jets) A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio St. =
Green Bay Packers Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina St. =
San Francisco 49ers D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
Oakland Raiders Vince Young, QB, Texas
Buffalo Bills Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
Detroit Lions Michael Huff, DB, Texas
Arizona Cardinals Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St.
St. Louis Rams Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon
Cleveland Browns LenDale White, RB, USC
Baltimore Ravens DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis
Philadelphia Eagles Winston Justice, OT, USC
Atlanta Falcons Jimmy Williams, S, Va Tech
Miami Dolphins Tye Hill, CB, Clemson
Minnesota Vikings Ernie Sims, LB, Florida St.
Dallas Cowboys Chad Jackson, WR, Florida =
San Diego Chargers Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St. =
Kansas City Chiefs Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida St. =
New England Patriots Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
Denver Broncos(from Washington) Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn
Cincinnati Bengals Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
New York Giants Manny Lawson, DE/OLB, North Carolina St.
Chicago Bears Darnell Bing, S, USC =
Carolina Panthers Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
Jacksonville Jaguars Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College
Denver Broncos Antonio Cromartie, DB, Florida St.
Indianapolis Colts Joseph Addai, RB, LSU =
Seattle Seahawks DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama
Pittsburgh Steelers Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina

Good Ridance Daunte Culpepper

2006-03-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, well you should all know by now that Daunte Culpepper has been traded to the Miami Dolphins for there 2nd Round Draft Pick. If you know me and have read past articles on Daunte Culpepper and this guy was a cry baby.

So where do we go now? Well we build a team around a strong defense and strong offensive run. That's what teams do to win in this league. Would you give up two allstar players to get a Superbowl and a new Stadium? The answer for me is yes. The Patriots lost Curtis Martin, Dree Bledsoe, and Terry Glenn and won three Superbowls and the key to this league is draft correctly and find players that can play your system and are all leaders.

The Draft is next month look for Brad Childress to find a new gem quarterback. I did a mockdraft and I think it is coming together nicely so far I have:

First Round

Chad Greenway Iowa LB: Not a true MLB but has the senses to play on all linebacker positions. Plays hard great tackler, great speed, and has a real sense for the game. Could be taken between 1st to 15th draft picks.
Winston Justice, OT USC: The Vikings could look to free agency to fill their needs on the offensive line, but if they don’t, they could address the position early in the draft..
Ernie Sims FSU LB: Also not a true MLB but has great speed, and is a great tackler, he does have some off the field issues. Could be taken between 15th and 45th.
Eric Winston, Miami (FL) OT: The Vikings need a lot of help on the offensive line, and Winston could step in and play immediately. He possesses great size and intelligence, and can play either on the left or right side.
Jay Cutler, QB Vanderbilt: Cutler has received a lot of hype since the Senior Bowl, and another team could be tempted to move up once he gets out of the top ten.

Second Round (2 picks)

D'Qwell Jackson Maryland LB: A true MLB with speed and good size. Typical Maryland linebacker came from the same system as E.J. Henderson. Could be taken between the 20th and early second round.
Adul Hodge Iowa LB: This guy is a monster he can play the run and pass. He is a machine smart and can smell out a play. He runs very well, but can be stopped if doesn't play with big linemen. Could be taken between the 10th and 45th picks.
Brodie Croyle Alabama QB: Croyle enters his senior year at Alabama coming off season-ending knee surgery a year ago. Despite an injury that plagued him in 2003, Croyle set the single-season record for pass attempts (341), was second in completions (182), 2nd in passing yards (2,303) and tied for the single-season passing touchdown mark (16).

Bernard Pollard Purdue S: A big time big ten safety was a cornerstone for that Purdue defense. Good size and speed and looks like a monster in the back field. Could be taken between 25th and 50th draft picks.

Taitusi Lutui USC OG: The offensive line was a big problem area and this guy could be the next David Dixon for them.

Jason Allen Tennessee S

: His size and speed makes him an intriguing prospect at corner, but he might be more suited for safety.

Max Jean-Gilles Georgia OG: A very experienced blocker, Max Jean-Gilles has blocked against the top defenses of the SEC his entire career. Jean-Gilles doesn’t have the best mobility because of his large stature. He needs to react quicker to the play and hold his blocks longer.

More Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild fell last night againest the Edmonton Oilers. I watched the game and the Refs cost the Wild a win last night. I think if they would have called that Walz goal a actual goal then we had some momentum to win. The Wild make there own destiny and they need to win to make the playoffs.

Vikings making SOME moves

2006-03-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Readers, it looks like the snow storm is over in the cities. Sorry I didn't post yesterday but it was a heck of a day in the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Vikings have made some moves and look for them to make some more.

Well the Vikings signed Ben Leber and Ryan Longwell proving that they got a great young kicker and a proven run-stopping linebacker. After signing those two they went after the future power runningback of this organization Chester Taylor who has 4.1 yard average and proven stats to be a catching threat in the backfield.

One of the Vikings biggest signings is keeping Koren Robinson in Purple and giving him a big contract. It looked like the Vikings were rolling and then they signed Steve Hutchinson to the offer sheet. This deal is very interesting because it is the largest deal in the OG spot in NFL history. I like this deal in two ways and the Vikings are making Seattle squirm and maybe getting Steve Hutchinson in a power move.

So what else do they need a Safety, Middle Linebacker, Nickle Cornerback, Tight End, Offensive Tackle, and a third Quarterback. Players that are coming in to Winter Park are Will Demps S Baltimore Ravens, Craig Nalls QB Green Bay Packers, William Henderson FB Green Bay, and other just rumored players.

So I would give the Vikings a B grade so far in free agency. And I think Daunte Culpepper is going to be traded before the end of the day.

Other Minnesota Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Wild play the Edmonton Oilers again tonight. Look for the Wild to try to get another win againest the last playoff team. If the Wild make a push to make the playoffs the Wild Moght have a chance to make the playoffs.

The Minnesota Twins play the Philadephia Phillies today at noon. Look for the Twins to keep on rolling in spring training.

The Minnesota Timberwolves keep on falling, but it isn't he worse thing in the world because the more they lose the better lottery pick they get in the draft.

Bye Bye Daunte Culpepper

2006-03-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers I hope you are enjoying the Minnesota Boys State Tournment speculation. Today I am going to talk to the Biggest Crybaby in Minnesota and I am not talking about former Timberwolves Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, I am talking about former Minnesota Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper.

In an expressive email yesterday Daunte Culpepper made it plain and clear that he wants to be traded or released and have nothing to do with this team. And I say trade his butt to another team or just release him. I have been a Culpepper supporter for the last three seasons and have taken grief from my friends and family for supporting him. I supported through the Boat scandel and even last week but he has broken my spirit for him and needs to be traded or released.

Why does he need to be traded, one is he gives up and doesn't stick in there when the going gets tough. Once the Vikings picked Brad Childress for Head Coach Daunte didn't want to support him. In games where we needed a comeback he never gave us one. He is a money grubbing player who thinks one or two years make him a allstar player who should get super bonuses. he only thinks about himself and not his team or teammates. He had surgery on three of his ligaments in his knee and players with that injury take at least two years to come back to full strength. And lastly he is not our leader and has tough times controlling his emotions.

So who will want him the teams I hear in talks are the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders. But Culpepper has made such a debacle of this his trade value is almost zero and he needs the Minnesota Vikings to pull the trigger. I think if we can get anything for him lets just pull the trigger and do it. We can find new talent and build a team that wants to be a team. So Goodbye Daunte Culpepper and hopefully you enjoy your payoff with some other team.

Other Minnesota Sports Notes:

Doug Risebourgh pulled another big Minnesota Wild trade yesterday with the Dallas Stars to get 26 year old Martin Skoula and 24 year old Shawn Belle one of the Stars biggest prospects. And all we had to give up is 28 year old Willie Mitchell and a 2nd Round Draft pick.

Minnesota Highschool Boys Hockey team:

Blaine 7, Lakeville North 2

Cretin-Derham Hall 5, Eagan 2

Grand Rapids 7, Roseau 4

Hill-Murray 5 Minnetonka 4

So who is going to win the State AA Boys Highschool Hockey Tournament

2006-03-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

1AA: A very competitive division with most of the teams losing lots of there talent. Rochester Century is the narrow favorite with Marshall and Rochester Mayo coming from behind. This section is going to be a dog fight and sadly the winner is not going to make it to the second round of the State Tournment.
New Outlook: It is a dog fight between Rochester Century 9-10-1, Marshall 13-6-0, and Rochester Mayo 10-8-1. I going to stay with my prediction of Rochester Century to make it to state, but once there not making it out of the first round.

WHO WON: Lakeville North won the section and I was completly wrong on this one. 0-1

2AA: Tartan went to State last year and lost most of there talent in the off-season. Cretin-Derham Hall has a very soild team, but I like Hastings and Woodbury in this division they are returning the most talent and have come a long way in there programs. Watch out for St.Paul Johnson they have some talent and they have been to State before.
New Outlook: Well the overall dominate team of this division is Cretin-Durham Hall with a 17-3-1 record, there big competition is either Woodbury 13-6-2 or St. Paul Johnson with a 13-5-2 record. The under horse team is Hastings with a 10-8-2 record and was a pre-season favorite.

WHO WON: Cretin-Durham Hall won the section and my newoutlook was correct.1-1

3AA: I was superised that White Bear Lake took a early exit last year in the tournment. This is a two team race between White Bear Lake and the power house of Hill Murray, this is going to be a very interesting section and I think the winner between these two teams will be in the State Tournment Finals. Also watch out for that dang Centennial.
New Outlook: Hill Murray on all accounts are heading back to state with an impressive 17-1-1 record. There only competition looks like White Bear Lake 11-7-2, and Centinnial 10-8-2. If Hill Murray wins there section look for them to take state.

WHO WON: Hill Murray won the section and my original outlook was correct. 2-1

4AA: Wayzata is the big team to beat in this section with Blaine and Osseo a close 2nd and 3rd. This is another division where they have lost many of there seniors to graduation. This is going to be a beating with Wayzata getting ready for a tournment birth.
New Outlook: This section is another weak section and it is between Wayzata 12-8-0, and Blaine 15-4-0. I think Blaine is going to take this section, but there not going to make it to far up the state brackets.

WHO WON: Blaine won the section and my original outlook was correct. 3-1

5AA: Holy Angels wants to repeat and has a very good chance too. They are returning many juniors and seniors and both of there goalies. Apple Valley has a chance to beat them but it is probably not going to happen. Rosemount is another big team in this section but I think Holy Angels is too big and strong to loss out.
New Outlook: Like I said before Holy Angels is a bigger stronger team and should win this section easy with a 15-1-2 record so far. The other teams with a chance Rosemount 11-7-1 and Eagan 11-7-1. I am looking for a Holy Angels vs. Hill Murray final at state.

WHO WON: Eagen won the section and I was completly wrong. 3-2

6AA: Minnetonka looks like a pretty good team this year, but they will have to beat Bloomington Jefferson to get to State. I think Minnetonka has a very good chance returning most of there talent and goalies. But Bloomington Jefferson has the experience and the pristege of being to state many times. Watch out for Eden Prairie and Chaske in this section too.
New Outlook: This section is a three way dog fight between big dog Bloomington Jefferson 14-4-1, Minnetonka 11-8-0, and Eden Prairie 14-2-2. I think Bloomington Jefferson is going to win this section but Minnetonka could give them some problems.

WHO WON: Minnetonka won the section and I was completly wrong. 3-3

7AA: Duluth East is the top range team and should return to state. Elk River now joins there section and could make a run at state. This division is going to be a two team race since Cloquet and Grand Rapids lost lots of talent . East has two soild lines and seems to find talent around the range.
New Outlook: This section is very competitive section with four teams with great records having a chance to win the section. Duluth East has a 14-5-1 record and has played some hard teams. Elk River switched sections and has a 13-4-2 record, Cloquet a team that I have downplayed has a 16-3-1 record and has looked strong in the division. And finally Grand Rapids has a 12-7-0 record and has a chance to make the section finals.

WHO WON: Grand Rapids won the section and I was completly wrong. 3-4

8AA: Moorhead lost alot of talent and will have to work really hard to make it back, they lost there starting goalie to another team and looks like they won't repeat. So enter Roseau who has been working hard to get back on top. They have lots of talent returning and should make it to state again. Buffalo switched sections and could have a chance to make it to state.
New Outlook: This is a two team race between Roseau 17-4-0 and just had a tough loss againest Warroad, and Moorhead who is 13-4-1 and has lost most of there big name players. I think Roseau will win this section but look for a dog fight againest Moorhead.

WHO WON: Roseau won the section and I was correct. 4-4

So the winners for Minnesota Boys Hockey section AA are:

Lakeville North
Cretin-Durham Hall
Hill Murray
Blaine
Eagen
Minnetonka
Grand Rapids
Roseau

So who plays who today:

First game 1A verus 4A: This should be a barn burner with Blaine coming up on top. Look for Lakeville North to fall to the consolation bracket. I like Blaine's schedule and the fact they have played some big teams helps in the season.

Second game 2A verus 5A: This is the game of the day Cretin-Durham Hall againest power house Eagen. Look for a high scoring game with the Eagan coming out with this one. Look for the winner of this won to play Blaine in a tough game.

Third game 3A verus 6A: Hill-Murray and Minnetonka look for Hill-Murray to take this one in a low scoring affair. Hill-Murray has been cruising and look for them to go far in this tournment.

Fourth game 7A and 8A: Roseau and Grand Rapids square off in a northwoods matchup tonight. Look for the Rams to win this one big.

Yesterday Winners:

• Little Falls 6, Man. East/Loyola 5

• Duluth Marshall 4, Blake 2

• St. Thomas Acad. 3, Orono 2, OT

• Hermantown 4, Thief River Falls 3

So who is going to win the State A Boys Highschool Hockey Tournament

2006-03-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

1A Original: I am going to say that one of the Mankato teams are going to win this section . With Mankato East getting the nod over Mankato West. Albert Lea was the section winner last year and there team was week verus a dominate Warroad team, but they looked good againest the range team.
New Outlook: The Mankato teams are not doing as well as planned and it looks like last years winner Albert Lea is going to make a soild run at the section. With a record of 9- 9-0 Albert Lea is not going to make a big splash in the tournament. Also look out for Marshall with a soild record of 13-4-0.

WHO WON: Mankato East won the section and my original outlook was correct. 0-1

2A Original: Duluth Marshall is going to repeat they only graduated a couple kids and there team was very soild in the tournament. Duluth Denfield might make a play at Duluth with returning there top line and a good goalie but I think Marshall will take this one.
New Outlook: Duluth Marshall is killing there opponents in the section they have to be the favorite in the section with a 15-1-1 record and they have played some tough games and some tough teams.

WHO WON: Duluth Marshall won the section and I was correct all the way. 1-1

3A Original: Rochester Lourdes has looked good in past years and has a soild chance this year of returning. St. Thomas was last years mystery team at state you might remember Jordan Schroeder that young freshman. Redwing is returning so good scorers and could come back to the tournament with soild scorers.
New Outlook: Well I told you earlier this year this is a three team race between Red Wing 12-3-2, St. Thomas 11-4-1, and Rochester Lourdes 9-6-2. I think St. Thomas will return to state they have had the stronger schedule and conference.

WHO WON: St. Thomas won the section and my original outlook was correct. 2-1

4A: Little Falls and Fergus Falls have been coming to the tournament for many years this section is the worst section. Alexandria moved down from AA and looks like they might take a run at state. This section is horrible and these schools are going to battle it out for a first round exit.
New Outlook:Well I told you earlier this year this is a three team race between Alexandria 9-10-0, Little Falls 13-3-1, and Fergus Falls 9-4-2. I think Alexandria will make it to state with a tougher schedule.

WHO WON: Little Falls won the section and I was completly wrong on this one. 2-2

5A: Blake is going to be the team to beat in this section. This section one of the competitive in the state with Breck and Grace right behind them. Grace went to state last year and lost to Warroad in the finals in overtime one of the best games in state history. St. Louis Park might be the darkhorse in this division and could have a chance to make it.
New Outlook: This is the most competitive section in the state with Blake 9-7-2, Breck 11-6-0, Totino Grace 11-6-0, and St. Louis Park 14-2-1. I like Breck in this section Blake has slowed down and looks like they have troubles this year.

WHO WON: Blake won the section and I was completly wrong on this one too. 2-3

6A: Another section where a AA school moved down and has the chance to go to state. Faribault moved down from AA and looks like the favorite in this section. Orono has been the state leader for many years and will give Faribault a run for his money. Mound went to state last year and they had a late run to make it to state.
New Outlook: It looks like Faribault is going to win this section they have a 12-5-1 record and still have played some big schools on the way. Orono 10-7-1 and Holy Family 10-8-2 might have a chance but look for Faribault to win this section.

WHO WON: Orono won the section and I was completly wrong on this one too. 2-4

7A: Another great three way battle to make it to state Virgina/Iron Mountain/Buhl the state winners last year only lost Niskaneen to UMD but returned most of there team. Hibbing is also a soild team and wants to go back to state. Hermantown is going fast and might have the best chance to upset the two big mining towns.
New Outlook: Well I told you earlier this year this is a three team race between Virgina/Mountain Iron/Buhl 15-3-0, Hibbing 9-8-0, and Hermantown 15-2-0. I think Virgina/Mountain Iron/Buhl will return to state they have had the stronger team than the others.

WHO WON: Hermantown won the section and I was completly wrong on this one too. 2-5

8A: Warroad lost a lot of talent and is going to have to work hard to win again. They are returning Marvin but they have a new goalie, new defense, and new fowards. Thief River Falls is the favorite but they have a 25 year old curse to break. They have the most talent in the section and should go to state. Lake of the Woods is the dark horse they have Beller back and players that are smart and a good Fort Francis goalie.
New Outlook: Thief River Falls is the favorite to win state at a 12-4-0 and beating Warroad 9-6-2 and East Grand Forks 6-10-1 it looks like the Prowlers will make back to state after 40 years.

WHO WON: Thief River Falls won the section and I was correct all the way. 3-5

So the winners for the Minnesota Boy Hockey section single A are:

Mankato East
Duluth Marshall
St. Thomas Academy
Little Falls
Blake
Orono
Hermantown
Thief River Falls

So who plays who today:

First game 1A verus 4A: This should be a barn burner with Mankato East coming up on top. Look for Little Falls to fall to the consolation bracket. I like Mankato East schedule and the fact they have played some big teams helps.

Second game 2A verus 5A: This is the game of the day Duluth Marshall againest power house Blake. Look for a high scoring game with the Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers coming out with this one. And the loser of this one is going to be the winner of the consolation bracket.

Third game 3A verus 6A: St. Thomas and Orono look for St. Thomas to take this one in a low scoring affair. St. Thomas has been cruising and look for them to go far in this tournment.

Fourth game 7A and 8A: Thief River Falls and Hermantown square off in a northwoods matchup tonight. Look for the Prowlers to beat the Hawks in a close matchup.

We will miss you Kirby Puckett

2006-03-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

It's a sad day in the eyes of many Minnesota Twins fans as number 34 Kirby Puckett went to the field of dreams in the sky. He was a hero to many and was the best clutch player in Minnesota History. Stories to remember :

The Debut: Twins catcher Tim Laudner was in the clubhouse in Anaheim, Calif., to play the Angels when Puckett arrived for his first day in the big leagues.

"He came in and didn't have enough money to pay the cab fare," Laudner, 47, recalled Monday. "He said, 'If you guys want me in the lineup tonight, somebody had better go out and pay the cab.' It was something like $90. Puck had taken the cab from LAX (the airport) to Anaheim, and he had spent all his money on his minor league buddies the night before when he was told he was going to the big leagues."

The center fielder provided a sign of things to come when he went 4-for-5 in his major league debut on May 8, 1984, becoming the ninth player in history to collect four hits in his first game.

The Catch: First, he made a leaping catch against the Metrodome's outfield Plexiglas in the third inning and robbed Ron Gant of an extra-base hit, saving a run from scoring. Then, in the 11th inning, Puckett became the ninth player in major league history to win a World Series game with a home run, hitting a changeup from Charlie Leibrandt over the outfield wall and pumping his arms in celebration as he rounded the bases.

The homer: In the clubhouse before World Series Game 6, with the Twins down three games to two, Puckett told his teammates to "jump on my back. I'll carry you." He led off the bottom of the 11th with a home run to left, propelling his team into Game 7 and an eventual second World Series championship in five years.

The weekend: On Aug. 29-30, 1987, Puckett went 10-for-11 over two games at Milwaukee, setting an AL record and tying the modern-day major league record for hits in two consecutive games. In the Sunday game, he went 6-for-6 and stole a grand slam from Robin Yount.

And Finally he said:

"Kirby Puckett's going to be all right," he said in 1996. "Don't worry about me. I'll show up, and I'll have a smile on my face. The only thing I won't have is this uniform on. But you guys can have the memories of what I did when I did have it on."

God just needed a allstar center fielder for his baseball team and he got a good one.

Get Well Kirby Puckett

2006-03-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, our prayers go out to Kirby Puckett, he suffered a stroke this weekend and is in critical condition in Scottsdale Arizona. I would like to say he was a sports idol in Minnesota and is the number one clutch player in Minnesota State history. So Kirby we know your tough and you are in our thoughts and prayers.

He always gave a clutch hit or catch he was a proven leader that players and fans looked up too. He is a Minnesota icon before players started making so much money. He loved Minnesota and had many opportunties to go to a bigger market and make some more money. I like to say he was a person that was down to earth and wanted to prove his worth. He was only 5' 9'' but he has a heart 100 times the size.

So get well Kirby Puckett and I know you will get through this. You are a tough athlete and person and I know you can get through this. So if you are reading this keep him in your mind and remember all the things he did for Minnesota Sports. So Kirby we know your tough and you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild won yesterday 5-3 againest the Colorado Av's. Wes Walz scored a couple goals to win againest the Colorado Av's. It looks like the Wild are playing straight .500 hockey are going to miss the playoffs by 4-6 games. On other news the Minnesota Wild released Alexander Daigle. And picked up Mattias Weinhandl from the New York Islanders organization.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have seemed to figured out a rotation that works and they beat the Golden State Warriors. Look for the Timberwolves to miss the playoffs and to be in good shape for the playoffs.

The Minnesota Vikings are getting ready for the free agency but it looks like free agency won't start to Thursday. The Vikings signed Willie Offord to a 2 year contract and a backup center from the Jets. Look for the Vikings to make a big splash in the free agency market.

Minnesota Wild are falling fast

2006-03-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hello Loyal Readers it has been a rough week and I haven't been blogging much lately and now I am back on the wagon. I watched the Minnesota Twins in there first Grapefruit league game last night. Also with that I watched the Minnesota Wild fall off the playoff map.

I was thinking after the game this team should not make a trade if there 8 or more points back. They have a good situation going and don't need to trade players to competitors if they are out of the playoff race. I have been a big advacate for trading players but the more I think about it I don't think any trade could push this team in the playoffs.

The players I feel bad for is Marion Gaborik and Brian Rolston who are having giant seasons for the Wild. Look for the Wild to keep on falling as Manny is playing poorly and maybe they should play Dwayne Roloson a little more and get a little more competitive spirit in the clubhouse.

When you are playing Alex Henry as a forward it is going to be a losing season. Look for the Wild to revamp in the offseason. And with Alex Henry as a forward you might ask who isn't playing well that would be Alexander Daigle and Stephane Vellieux. So Jacque Lemaire why are you playing defensemen when you need scoring?

Other Minnesota Sports News:

I watched the Minnesota Twins beat up on the Boston Red Sox last night on FSN in Grapefruit league action. I liked the lineup I was impressed by Joe Mauer, Johan Santana, Carlos Silva, Jason Barlett, Torri Hunter, Darrell May, and Lew Ford. I wasn't impressed by Tony Batistia, Gabe White, Nick Punto, and Jason Pridle.

The Minnesota Timberwolves keep having issues on and off the field. Anthony Carter got arrested last night for drunk driving. This team needs to go into the offseason with a new plan and a high draft pick. It looks for Rashad McCants is coming along and they just need a plan to make it all work.

Minnesota Wild are back!!

2006-02-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Readers, so I took a little vacation from the blog since the Olympics were going on and I got caught up with that. The NHL starts back up tonight and look for the Minnesota Wild to play Colorado tonight.

The NHL trade deadline is coming up fast and it looks like the Wild are looking to trade. Players in the mix to be traded:

Manny G
Dwayne Roloson G
Willie Mitchell D
Flippe Kuba D
and other players that are free agents next year

The Wild need to keep on rolling they have three players that won medals in the olympics and most of them won't be playing tonight. Players include Flippe Kuba bronze medal, Mikko Koivo silver medal, and Daniel Tarnquist gold medal. The Wild need to make a trade for another forward who can score goals and is younger who can sign a long term contract.

Teams that are in the mix the Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lighting and every team in our division. Good luck Wild you need to win to be in the playoffs.

Other Minnesota Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Timberwolves play the Chicago Bulls tonight. Look for the Timberwolves to keep on falling backwards. Adam Morrison a scoring senior is looking like a great choice for the Timberwolves in the offseason. Kevin Garnett will play tonight following his weak ejection from the Memphis game where he threw a ball in the stands and hit a fan in the face.

Free agency in the NFL should start Friday look for the Minnesota Vikings to make a big splash in free agency. The NFL is waiting for a collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA.

The Minnesota Twins play there first spring training game on Sunday againest the Boston Red Sox. After a few games players will report to the WBC and that includes some of our big name pitchers, and Luis Castillo and Justin Morneau.

The Minnesota State Hockey tournament starts pretty soon and look for me to show results. Class A bracket results:
http://brackets.ahaphantoms.com/class_a.htm

Slow times in Minnesota Sports

2006-02-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, well you probably notice that I haven't written in a week and I can sadly say it has been a very slow week in Minnesota sports.

The Minnesota Twins started training camp the other day with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp. The Twins are looking to make a run at the Central Division with new batters and a more mainstream infield. Fox Sports Net has agreed to broadcast some spring training games so look at your local listing for those games. It's going to be a very intresting training camp with players in the World Baseball Classic. Look for some of our top pitching players to play key roles in there selected countries.

The Minnesota Vikings are getting closer to trading or giving Daunte his bonus. Look for the Vikings to explore there options and either take a good trade or keep Culpepper for the next eight years. Teams getting involved include Baltimore, Jets, Miami and Arizona. I like the chances of Culpepper staying for a year and then being traded when we can get players in return.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are falling fast and it looks like the team will be looking at a lottery pick this summer. The Timberwolves lost to the Washington Wizards last night in a sad loss. Look for Kevin Mchale to hold steady and work in the offseason to improve this pathetic team.

The Minnesota Wild on the other hand are going up and looking for players. A little birdie says that the Ottawa Senators might be looking for goalie help and we could get a forward in return for either one of our goalies. Tampa Bay on the other hand is also looking for goalie help and they might want to barder on of there top flight scorers.

Please leave comments, coming up more draft speculation and highschool hockey.

Daunte Culpepper trade speculation

2006-02-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, it has been a slow week in Minnesota Sports. Daunte Culpepper has been reported seeking twice his bonus for the March 6 deadline. With that arrogence the Vikings have reported seeking a second round pick and maybe another player for Daunte Culpepper.

So what do I think about the whole situation, I think if he is going to be a baby about the money and the injury situation then trade his butt out of here and good ridence. But if he is trying to work with us and wants to be part of this team in the future then I say lets keep him and see what he brings to this team.

Baltimore has become a front runner for Daunte and they are willing to give us Jamel Lewis and a second round draft pick for him. I say trade him for considerations I mean Lewis was a 1500 yard runner two years ago and that second round pick could be used to pick up some linemen. I think it also depends on the draft pick position to trade Culpepper I think we need a draft pick before our second round draft pick. Teams that are interested Baltimore, Miami, Oakland and the New York Jets.

Another trade idea included the St. Louis Rams who have Scott Linehan a supporter of Daunte Culpepper. They have a pretty high second round draft pick and a guy named Adam Archuleta a Strong Safety that would bring pop to this team. I could see a guy like Ricky Williams being traded for Daunte Culpepper and a second round draft pick. I think whatever happens this is an interesting year for the Minnesota Vikings.

Other Minnesota Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Timberwolves won last night againest the Seattle Supersonics. The Timberwolves have fallen off the radar and are now in the newspaper everyday for trade speculation. The newest speculation is that Stephen Marbury wants to be traded and Minnesota might be a team that might want him. Make sure you watch K.G. in the allstar game on Sunday.

Are you ready for some Baseball? Because pitchers and catchers are in training camp and the baseball season is ready to start. Minnesota Twins lost arbitration to the Kyle Loshe for 3.95 million.

Minnesota Twins offseason almost over

2006-02-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, We got an ice storm in the middle of the night making Valentine's day 2006 a slippery one in the Twin Cities. Well with the Minnesota Wild and the NHL off for two weeks and the falling of the Minnesota Timberwolves lets look at the upcoming season of the Minnesota Twins.

The Minnesota Twins enter the season underdogs a position the Twins haven't been in for 3 years. The Twins have the weapons to be a deadly team in the 2006 season. The Twins return the number 2 pitching staff in MLB with the exception of Joe Mays who only won a few games and had stamina and control problems at the end of the 2005 season. With Joe Mays gone look for young Scott Baker to take his spot in the rotation. Scott Baker is a younger version of Brad Radke in my mind with soild control and a decent fastball. The other youngster that could make a play for the fifth position is Fransico Lirano who is a top 10 prospect with a 100 mph fastball and Johan Santana changeup. Look for both Baker and Lirano to fight for that last spot in the Twins mighty rotation.

The Twins batting order on the other hand was at the bottom of the MLB list in the 2006 season. Our infielder was awful with gaps at both second and third base. Terry Ryan Twins GM knew this team needed players to fill those holes. He picked up Luis Castillo a .300 hitter with one of MLB best on base percentage and he has a few gold gloves to go with that batting average. The Twins needed a leader on the field and in the club house and Luis Castillo can be that guy. At thirdbase Terry Ryan went to Japan to pickup Tony Batista a homerun power third baseman who can drive in runs. He doesn't have the batting average numbers or the gold gloves but has the power that can score runs for Twins pitchers to get wins. With Castillo and Batista in the infielder look for Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer have bigger years with experienced players helping them out. The only member of the infielder that is a question mark is Jason Barlett a high power hitter who had fielder problems last year and somehow got on Gardy's dark list. But he rebounded in Rochester and I think this is the year he rebounds.

In the Outfielder we lost free-swinger Jacque Jones to the Cubs. He has always been a favorite of mine and will be replaced with either Michael Cuddyer, Lew Ford, and Jason Kubel to mind right field. I think what is going to happen is Michael Cuddyer is going to get the position with Lew Ford taking a utilty oufielder role to spell Hunter, Stewart, and Cuddyer on off days. Jason Kubel needs a good showing in training camp to make this team and I think he is going to start off in Rochester. Another spot Terry Ryan needed to improve is the teams designated hitter and he picked up a power hitting right-handed Rondell White who has put up big numbers until he usually gets hurt. The logic behind this is White usually gets hurt in the outfielder and with White not needed in the outfield he will make a great DH in my mind.

On the Bench we will have the best bench player of the 2005 season Mike Redmond as backup catcher. Nick Punto and Juan Castro as infielder utility help, and my thinking is maybe only one is going to make the team. Lew Ford is going to be our utility outfielder option, with Ruben Sierra, Jason Pridle, Luis Rodriguez, or Glenn Williams in the last spot. The Bullpen is going to very interesting Joe Nathan is the closer, with Juan Rincon and Jesse Crain setup men. I can see Matt Guerrier as a long type of reliever and then J.D Durbin, Willie Erye, and Boof Bonser in the other long reliever role. The other spot is for a left handed reliever and it's going to be a fight between Dave Gassner, Darrell May, Gabe White, and Dennys Reyes.

Please leave comments.

Minnesota Wild win 2.5 and out of 4

2006-02-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday morning readers, it has been an intresting weekend of NHL hockey. Last week I told you that the Wild needed to win 3 out of 4 this week to make ground in the Western Conference. The Wild got 2.5 out of the 4 and it is ok, but they really needed to win againest Colorado.

So where do the Wild go now. Well they take a two week break for the olympics, then they have a murders row schedule of Western Conference teams. They need to come out flying after the olympic break and I think the first five games when they come back is key to making the playoffs.

The other thing the Wild need to do is trade a player for a scoring forward. When you have a line of Boogaard, Henry, and Burns you need a scoring forward. Roloson can go and we could trade a defensemen for a forward. If a team wants a Kuba, Mitchell, Schultz, or Zyuzin they should trade one of them for a good scoring forward. Players that are on the market include Martin St. Louis, Brad Richards, and Mark Parrish. Other players could be in the mix as teams fall off the playoff radar.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Timberwolves are kissing the playoffs goodbye and I say WooHoo. By not making the playoffs this year the Timberwolves keep there draft pick and could add another young player. The team needs to trade Marko Jaric or Troy Hudson for draft picks or just money. They aren't needed on this team anymore with Marcus Banks the future point guard of this team. Marko needs to go and I think Kevin McHale should take a draft pick for him and maybe some considerations.

The Minnesota Vikings had two players in the Probowl last night which included Darren Sharper who had an interception to help the NFC team win over a stacked AFC squad. Koren Robinson was the other member and he didn't do as much, but was just glad to make the team.

The Minnesota Twins found out this weekend that Joe Mauer isn't going to play with the US, in the World Baseball Classic team because he wanted to get used to more pitchers. And I say good for you Joe Mauer, you want to help out and thanks for this judgement call.

More Vikings talk and Timberwolves talk later this week.

Vikings Mock Draft 2.0

2006-02-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

Good Morning readers, here is the part 2 of the Vikings mock draft, I am working on a full 32 round 1 and 2.

1. First Round #17

Chad Greenway Iowa LB: Not a true MLB but has the senses to play on all linebacker positions. Plays hard great tackler, great speed, and has a real sense for the game. Could be taken between 1st to 15th draft picks.
Jay Cutler Vanderbilt QB: Has a very strong arm...Good size. Pretty good athlete who can move a little. Will take unnecessary risks and make some bad decisions. Gunslinging mentality can morph into recklessness. Could be taken between 5th and 25th draft picks.
Winston Justice, OT USC: The Vikings could look to free agency to fill their needs on the offensive line, but if they don’t, they could address the position early in the draft..
DeAngelo Williams Memphis RB: A natural and instinctive runner. Shows tremendous patience. Is built extremely well and is very strong for his size with a compact frame. Runs low to the ground and rarely lets defenders get a solid shot at him. May have some durability questions after suffering injuries the past two seasons. Could be taken between 5th and 25th draft picks.
Laurence Maroney Minnesota RB: A big play threat who can take it the distance from any point on the field. Has been extremely productive at the college level. Patient runner with excellent vision and instincts. Doesn't have the size you would like to see in a feature back. Hands are questionable at best and he was not used much as a receiver in college. Could be taken between 10th and 45th draft picks.
Ernie Sims FSU LB: Also not a true MLB but has great speed, and is a great tackler, he does have some off the field issues. Could be taken between 15th and 45th.
LenDale White, RB USC Bennett came on strong toward the end of the ‘05 season, but he may not be back with the team in ‘06.
Eric Winston, Miami (FL) The Vikings need a lot of help on the offensive line, and Winston could step in and play immediately. He possesses great size and intelligence, and can play either on the left or right side.

2. Second Round #49

D'Qwell Jackson Maryland LB: A true MLB with speed and good size. Typical Maryland linebacker came from the same system as E.J. Henderson. Could be taken between the 20th and early second round.
Adul Hodge Iowa LB: This guy is a monster he can play the run and pass. He is a machine smart and can smell out a play. He runs very well, but can be stopped if doesn't play with big linemen. Could be taken between the 10th and 45th picks.
Brodie Croyle Alabama QB: Croyle enters his senior year at Alabama coming off season-ending knee surgery a year ago. Despite an injury that plagued him in 2003, Croyle set the single-season record for pass attempts (341), was second in completions (182), 2nd in passing yards (2,303) and tied for the single-season passing touchdown mark (16).

Taitusi Lutui USC OG: The offensive line was a big problem area and this guy could be the next David Dixon for them.

Joseph Addai L.S.U. RB

Jonathan Scott Texas OT

3. Third Round and Fourth Round #81and #113

Jason Allen Tennessee S: His size and speed makes him an intriguing prospect at corner, but he might be more suited for safety.

Wesley Smith Memphis S: Smith was one of the top stars of last spring and kept it going with a huge season making 98 tackles and picking off three passes. At 6-3, he's a big, fast and dependable defender who should receive some All-Conference USA votes.

Cody Hodges Texas Tech QB: He has a big arm and a good command of the offense, but he has to prove he can be consistent to hold down the starting job. He's one of the most mobile finishing third on the team with 31 rushing yards on his two carries.

Mark Setterstrom Minnesota OG: Big time guard for Minnesota has good speed and size needs to work on hand work and had some ankle problems.

Davin Joseph Oklahoma OG: A very experienced blocker. He needs to react quicker to the play and hold his blocks longer.

Brett Basanez QB Northwestern: Every game now, he breaks several NU Career Passing records as he starts his 4th season at QB. Presently holds NU's total passing, and total offense yardage records and is closing in on the most wins by a starting quarterback - with 17, he's 2 short of a tie.

Dondrial Pinkins South Carolina QB: Pinkins is a rock of a passer who's hard to bring down and has a big arm with excellentmobility. What he isn't is accurate only completing 50.3% of his throws with ten touchdown passes and nine interceptions

Daryn Colledge OT Boise State: The interior of the offensive line needs to be upgraded and this guy can play some guard.

Wild Win with Power Play goals

2006-02-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, Well the Minnesota Wild looked good last night againest the Kings. They had 5 powerplay goals and looked very potent with there offense attack. I like the line of Gaborik, Rolston, and White as the center and I believe that should the top line. I have been watching the Wild all season long and I believe these should be the lines for the Wild.

1 line: Gaborik, White, Rolston
2 line: Robatille, Walz, Daigle
3 line: Dupuis, Chouinard, Bouchard
4 line: Veilleux, Koivu, Burns

Mixing in: Wanzig, and Boogaard when we need to bring the hurt.

I think these are the best lines the Wild have and they need to play to make a playoff run. Lately the Wild have been scratching Daigle and Wanzig. I like the win last night but they really need to win 3 out of 4 games to make some ground in the Northwest Division. The Wild play Colorado on Thursday and really need to keep winning because they have Edmonton and Vancouver before the Olympic break.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Timberwolves play the Cleveland Cav's tonight and Lebron James is in town. The Timberwolves need to start winning or start losing. Because they can't be in the middle or that first round draft pick is going to be a nice pickup for the L.A. Clippers. So look for the Timberwolves to come out rolling tonight and pick a win on the Cleveland Cav's.

Tommorrow some more NFL draft speculation.

Timberwolves need to trade Marko Jaric

2006-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, I like to say Kevin Garnett you can still block the ball. I watched the whole Timberwolves game last night, and Marcus Banks, Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, and Justin Reed I like the way you play. The new team looks good and I like the new style of play with speed play and lots of open looks.

So my dream lineup for this team looks like this if players progress:

C Mark Blount and Eddie Griffin split time
PF Kevin Garnett
SF Ricky Davis
SG Rashad McCants
PG Marcus Banks

Bench Players:

PF Mark Madsen
SF Justin Reed
SG Trenton Hassell
PG Troy Hudson

So we need to trade Marco Jaric to another team for a draft pick. Why a draft pick I think we have all the key spots filled and we need to develop some players for the future. Marko Jaric is young and can still play and has a lot of pop left in his step, but our roster is full and needs playing time for these younger players.

Other Minnesota Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Wild play the Kings tonight at the Excel energy center like I said before they are on a key week of making a playoff run. The Wild need to win the game tonight and win at least 3 out 4 games to make a good playoff run. I say good luck Wild and make these 4 games count because you have 2 and half weeks of olympics to think about wins and losses.

The Minnesota Twins have only one more year left in there lease with the Metrodome. So please if your a Minnesota Twins fan or a baseball fan please contact your local official and tell them you want the Twins to stay. Does everybody remember what this state was without Hockey, it will be the same way with baseball gone. The Twins want a new stadium and it is not the worst request in the world the Dome is not meant for baseball. This might be the last year of baseball so enjoy the season and take your family to games it is cheap and fun to watch.

Minnesota Vikings offseason moves start soon

2006-02-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, It was a wild Minnesota Sports filled weekend. A lot of us watched the Super Bowl which was pretty boring this year and it didn't have dramatic effects like the past years. With the Super Bowl over the Vikings are now back on an even playing field and looking for players like the other 32 teams in the NFL.

So what happens first well the Pro Bowl is next weekend in Hawaii, players start there offseason plans. After the Pro Bowl the scouts start taking a better look at the college ranks and the combine happens in Indianapolis. Look for the Vikings to take a good look at all players because there is no big empty hole the team needs to fill. The big draft happens in April and the team before that will look to resign players and sign free agents.

With the new cover 2 defense in place the key for the defense is to get linemen that can put up a strong 4 man rush. Linebackers that are fast and can cover the pass as much as they can stop the run. And Safeties that can cover large amounts of the field.

Defense Subtractions:

Corey Chavous SS
Brian Williams or Fred Smoot CB
Keith Newman or Napolene Harris OLB
Dontarrias Thomas or Ranoll Smith or Ron Davis LB

The offense on the other hand is changing to a west coast offense and this means more a short style passing attack with a FB in the backfield and a more dynamic running attack.

Offense Subtractions:

Michael Bennett RB
One or Two of our TE's not Wiggins or Kleinsassar
J.T. O'Sullivan QB
An offense lineman

Look for the Vikings to sign some free agents in the offseason. I think the most important key is to get a good coverage linebacker for defense. I know there has been alot of talk in the offseason to trade Daunte, if they do indeed trade Daunte trade him for a good coverage linebacker and a draft pick. And if any other personal are reading this blog trade Fred Smoot and keep Brian Williams because Smoot only will get in trouble in a cover 2 defense, because he can't tackle.

Other Minnesota Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild rolled over the Coyotes on Saturday night there 6 points back of the last playoff spot. They have four games until the olympic break with four teams that are above them in the standings. The LA Kings, Colorado Av's, Edmonton Oilers, and Canucks. They need to win three out of four to be in good shape and really need wins againest the Av's and the Oilers the lower seeds in the standings.

At the Target Center the Timberwolves are falling off the map and this could be good news. The Timberwolves keep there 2006 draft pick if there lottery eligible which the first 15 teams are and if the Timberwolves keep losing they will keep that pick and keep rebuilding this team. They lost both games this weekend againest Portland and Golden State. They play the Suns tonight and look for them to keep losing, but there is a long season to go.

Wild Win a close one in San Jose

2006-02-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hi Friday readers, it is a ice filled slippery slope in the Twin Cities this morning. The Minnesota Wild won in a shoot-out againest the San Jose Sharks last night a game I turned off and went to bed because I thought they wouldn't win.

The Wild were tied 1-1 going into the third period and a early goal by Joe Thorton I thought was the end of the Wild, but they came back with a goal from Marian Gaborik in the third to tie the game 2-2. After an big overtime period the Wild went to a shoot-out and Brian Rolston put in the winning goal. The Wild did look better in this game than the Colorado game a few nights ago.

The Minnesota play the Coyotes on Saturday and look for the Wild to try to sneak off a win before they come back home and play the Los Angelos Kings. If the Wild can keep winning they might have enough steam to make it to the playoffs. Brian Rolston looks like he is having an career year, and look for the Wild to keep winning.

More Sports News:

The Minnesota Timberwolves play the Portland Trailblazers tonight I think we will win this game in good fashion. Look for Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis to have big nights and maybe a bench player. Minnesota plays the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night this is going to be a tough matchup for the Timberwolves. Look for the Timberwolves to win one of two this weekend.

Brett Hull is getting his number 29 Jersey retired at my old stomping grounds the University of Minnesota Duluth DECC tonight. He was a kid that nobody wanted and UMD took in with open arms. Nobody wanted him because he was the son of Bobby Hull and was diagonsed a trouble maker. He currently has a house in the Duluth and Dallas area and still skates in Duluth once and awhile, but his favorite hobby is golf.

Have a good weekend everybody and GO SEAHAWKS!!

Marcus Banks are you our Savior?

2006-02-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Readers, well I watched some of the Timberwolves game last night, and when you play the Detroit Pistons you are only looking not to get embarassed. So today I am going to talk about our new point guard Marcus Banks.

If you never watched Marcus Banks the first thing you would notice is he is very fast off the dribble. He went to UNLV and was a lottery pick for the Boston Celtics. He is a great defender and likes to defend and kept Chancey Billups to nine points last night. This is what a scout said about Marcus Banks "Very aggressive... Excellent defender on the ball... A steal waiting to happen... Good quickness... Decent spot shooter... Shot off the dribble needs work... Not the best playmaker in the world... Does not always make the good decisions... Turnover prone".

So is he the savior to the Timberwolves he might be but don't hold your breathe. He has the speed and the defending skills to become a big time point guard in the NBA. He has some shooting skills but he needs to have a better shoot selection. Our team needs a sparkplug and Marcus Banks might be the energy we need to make a little run at the NBA playoffs. Only time will tell with this kid and out of all the options for point guard isn't he the best option.

Other Notes:

The Minnesota Wild play the San Jose Sharks tonight at 9:00 so be ready for a late one. The Wild despartely need a win and with Jacque Lemaire having three players hurt, and his team in a downward spiral. Look for the Wild to have a new captain tonight and maybe a little momentum swing.

The Minnesota Vikings former head coach Mike Tice is now the Assistant Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, rumor has it that good old Mike Tice had some contact with some of the Vikings free agents before he could have contact with them. Look for Mike Tice to get another big fine.

Please leave comments.

Section AA Minnesota Highschool Hockey

2006-02-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I wrote an article on section double A hockey we are almost to the finals and I need to look at the choices I made and- re-discover my thoughts.

1AA: A very competitive division with most of the teams losing lots of there talent. Rochester Century is the narrow favorite with Marshall and Rochester Mayo coming from behind. This section is going to be a dog fight and sadly the winner is not going to make it to the second round of the State Tournment.

New Outlook: It is a dog fight between Rochester Century 9-10-1, Marshall 13-6-0, and Rochester Mayo 10-8-1. I going to stay with my prediction of Rochester Century to make it to state, but once there not making it out of the first round.

2AA: Tartan went to State last year and lost most of there talent in the off-season. Cretin-Derham Hall has a very soild team, but I like Hastings and Woodbury in this division they are returning the most talent and have come a long way in there programs. Watch out for St.Paul Johnson they have some talent and they have been to State before.

New Outlook: Well the overall dominate team of this division is Cretin-Durham Hall with a 17-3-1 record, there big competition is either Woodbury 13-6-2 or St. Paul Johnson with a 13-5-2 record. The under horse team is Hastings with a 10-8-2 record and was a pre-season favorite.

3AA: I was superised that White Bear Lake took a early exit last year in the tournment. This is a two team race between White Bear Lake and the power house of Hill Murray, this is going to be a very interesting section and I think the winner between these two teams will be in the State Tournment Finals. Also watch out for that dang Centennial.

New Outlook: Hill Murray on all accounts are heading back to state with an impressive 17-1-1 record. There only competition looks like White Bear Lake 11-7-2, and Centinnial 10-8-2. If Hill Murray wins there section look for them to take state.

4AA: Wayzata is the big team to beat in this section with Blaine and Osseo a close 2nd and 3rd. This is another division where they have lost many of there seniors to graduation. This is going to be a beating with Wayzata getting ready for a tournment birth.

New Outlook: This section is another weak section and it is between Wayzata 12-8-0, and Blaine 15-4-0. I think Blaine is going to take this section, but there not going to make it to far up the state brackets.

5AA: Holy Angels wants to repeat and has a very good chance too. They are returning many juniors and seniors and both of there goalies. Apple Valley has a chance to beat them but it is probably not going to happen. Rosemount is another big team in this section but I think Holy Angels is too big and strong to loss out.

New Outlook: Like I said before Holy Angels is a bigger stronger team and should win this section easy with a 15-1-2 record so far. The other teams with a chance Rosemount 11-7-1 and Eagan 11-7-1. I am looking for a Holy Angels vs. Hill Murray final at state.

6AA: Minnetonka looks like a pretty good team this year, but they will have to beat Bloomington Jefferson to get to State. I think Minnetonka has a very good chance returning most of there talent and goalies. But Bloomington Jefferson has the experience and the pristege of being to state many times. Watch out for Eden Prairie and Chaske in this section too.

New Outlook: This section is a three way dog fight between big dog Bloomington Jefferson 14-4-1, Minnetonka 11-8-0, and Eden Prairie 14-2-2. I think Bloomington Jefferson is going to win this section but Minnetonka could give them some problems.

7AA: Duluth East is the top range team and should return to state. Elk River now joins there section and could make a run at state. This division is going to be a two team race since Cloquet and Grand Rapids lost lots of talent . East has two soild lines and seems to find talent around the range.

New Outlook: This section is very competitive section with four teams with great records having a chance to win the section. Duluth East has a 14-5-1 record and has played some hard teams. Elk River switched sections and has a 13-4-2 record, Cloquet a team that I have downplayed has a 16-3-1 record and has looked strong in the division. And finally Grand Rapids has a 12-7-0 record and has a chance to make the section finals.

8AA: Moorhead lost alot of talent and will have to work really hard to make it back, they lost there starting goalie to another team and looks like they won't repeat. So enter Roseau who has been working hard to get back on top. They have lots of talent returning and should make it to state again. Buffalo switched sections and could have a chance to make it to state.

New Outlook: This is a two team race between Roseau 17-4-0 and just had a tough loss againest Warroad, and Moorhead who is 13-4-1 and has lost most of there big name players. I think Roseau will win this section but look for a dog fight againest Moorhead.

So my new picks for Minnesota Boys Hockey section AA:

Rochester Century
Cretin-Durham Hall
Hill Murray
Blaine
Holy Angels
Bloomington Jefferson
Duluth East
Roseau

Please leave comments.

Wild need some help?

2006-01-31T07:54:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Readers, Well I was watching two games last night the Timberwolves againest the Celtics, and the Wild againest the Red Wings. And one had way better results than the other.

Well the Wild need some help and for the first time this year I think it is time to give up on Dwayne Roloson. He was my favorite Wild player for years with this organization but he is getting old and making horrible decisions in the net. We have a player named Josh Harding sitting in Houston waiting for a call up and he is as good as Dwayne. We need to trade some bit players for some more established players. Players like Kyle Wanzig, Alex Henry, and maybe even Daigle need be traded to get some better upgraded players.

The Wild currently stand 8 points out of the 8th spot in the Western Conference to make the playoffs. This team is a playoff team and Jacque Lemaire is a coach who knows how to win in the playoffs. With that all standing the team needs to get in the playoffs and the only option is to gain fire power and make a push againest Colorado, Edmonton, Anahiem, and the Coyotes. Edmonton holds the 7th spot and needs goaltending to be a big threat. Colorado holds the eighth position and is gaining speed. The bottom line is they better start winning or it's another season of high draft picks.

Other Notes:

On the other hand the Minnesota Timberwolves made a great trade and the real test is on Wednesday againest the Detroit Pistons. Marcus Banks looks good and I think we should trade either Marco Jaric or Troy Hudson to another team for a draft pick or a bit player. We have 12 players and only a few roster spots to give some of our better players more playing time.

The Minnesota Twins have about 20 more days of freedom until they start training camp. Look for pitchers and catchers to report earlier than expected. the World Baseball Classic is only about a month and a half away.

The Warroad Warriors play the Roseau Rams tonight on Fox Sports Net North it's a great highschool rivarly.

Timberwolves split and Ricky Davis looks good

2006-01-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Monday Readers, Well I would like to say I like Ricky Davis and what good energy he brings to this team. He slashes and gets to the foul line like a NBA scorer. He is pure energy and he gives better options than Wally-World did.

The Timberwolves played the struggling Houston Rockets on Friday night and Ricky Davis showed us that he is a dink and dunk scorer. He made Kevin Garnett look better and there were more smiles on the fans and players faces when Ricky Davis was on the court. They won the game and Ricky Davis had 20 plus points and played great defense againest Tracy McGrady.

On Saturday Mark Blount played his best NBA game with the Timberwolves againest the San Antonio Spurs. He looks like a NBA center but being a Timberwolves I have not seen an actual NBA center on this team. But the San Antonio Spurs are the champions and came up big in the second half to win.

The Timberwolves play the Boston Celtics tonight this should be a very interesting game and look for one of the players traded to have a big game for there team. Hopefully the Timberwolves get the win but I am kind of speculative.

Other Notes:

The Minnesota Wild lost a heart breaker on Friday night to the Columbus Blue Jackets. With a two goal lead the Wild gave up three undisputed goals to lose to the Blue Jackets. They play the Detroit Red Wings tonight and look for the Wild to play hard and lose.

Later this week more Highschool hockey speculation and NFL coverage.

Timberwolves make a big trade.

2006-01-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Readers well it is a crazy NBA Friday, and the Wolves made a trade. The trade for us includes Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi, Dwayne Jones, and a conditional first round pick. The Boston Celtics send us Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed, and two conditional second round picks.

Well lets do some trade speculation the Timberwolves have been missing two things in the past five years. The first thing is inside shooting and Ricky Davis and Mark Blount bring this to our team. The other is youth and speed and Ricky Davis and Marcus Banks break out the ball. Wally brought a pure shooter to this team but he isn't consist with his shooting. Michael Olowokandi is a bust pickup and needs to go, and Dwayne Jones was a undrafted free agent that anybody could have had.

The thing that is breaking the deal for me is the First Round draft pick for Justin Reed and two second round draft picks. It doesn't make any sense to give up a soild draft pick for Justin Reed and two draft picks. So in my books this is how it brakes down:

Minnesota Timberwolves Boston Celtics

Wally Szczerbiak ----------------------------> Ricky Davis & Marcus Banks
Michael Olowokandi ------------------------> Mark Blount
Dwayne Jones-----------------------------------> Justin Reed
First Round Pick ------------------------------> Two Second Round Picks

So I think Dwayne Jones and the first round draft pick for Justin Reed and the two conditional second round picks wasn't needed in this trade. Kevin Mchale you are a moron for agreeing on the last stuff have you been in a fantasy league you don't trade away the future.

The Timberwolves play the Houston Rockets tonight look for the new recruits not to play tonight. Look for the Timberwolves to lose tonight with a battered roster, but Rashad McCants should get a big chance tonight. They play the Spurs tomorrow night and look for the new guys to get some looks.

Other Notes:

The Wild are hot and lighting up the Western Conference leader Nashville Predators. They won last night 5-1 againest a pretty soild Nashville squad. They play the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight and look for them to keep rolling. I think they're trying to make a soild run at the playoffs.

Everybody have a good weekend.

Section A Minnesota Highschool Hockey

2006-01-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I wrote an article on section single A hockey we are almost to the finals and I need to look at the choices I made and re-discover my thoughts.

1A Original: I am going to say that one of the Mankato teams are going to win this section . With Mankato East getting the nod over Mankato West. Albert Lea was the section winner last year and there team was week verus a dominate Warroad team, but they looked good againest the range team.

New Outlook: The Mankato teams are not doing as well as planned and it looks like last years winner Albert Lea is going to make a soild run at the section. With a record of 9- 9-0 Albert Lea is not going to make a big splash in the tournament. Also look out for Marshall with a soild record of 13-4-0.

2A Original: Duluth Marshall is going to repeat they only graduated a couple kids and there team was very soild in the tournament. Duluth Denfield might make a play at Duluth with returning there top line and a good goalie but I think Marshall will take this one.

New Outlook: Duluth Marshall is killing there opponents in the section they have to be the favorite in the section with a 15-1-1 record and they have played some tough games and some tough teams.

3A Original: Rochester Lourdes has looked good in past years and has a soild chance this year of returning. St. Thomas was last years mystery team at state you might remember Jordan Schroeder that young freshman. Redwing is returning so good scorers and could come back to the tournament with soild scorers.

New Outlook: Well I told you earlier this year this is a three team race between Red Wing 12-3-2, St. Thomas 11-4-1, and Rochester Lourdes 9-6-2. I think St. Thomas will return to state they have had the stronger schedule and conference.

4A: Little Falls and Fergus Falls have been coming to the tournament for many years this section is the worst section. Alexandria moved down from AA and looks like they might take a run at state. This section is horrible and these schools are going to battle it out for a first round exit.

New Outlook:Well I told you earlier this year this is a three team race between Alexandria 9-10-0, Little Falls 13-3-1, and Fergus Falls 9-4-2. I think Alexandria will make it to state with a tougher schedule.

5A: Blake is going to be the team to beat in this section. This section one of the competitive in the state with Breck and Grace right behind them. Grace went to state last year and lost to Warroad in the finals in overtime one of the best games in state history. St. Louis Park might be the darkhorse in this division and could have a chance to make it.

New Outlook: This is the most competitive section in the state with Blake 9-7-2, Breck 11-6-0, Totino Grace 11-6-0, and St. Louis Park 14-2-1. I like Breck in this section Blake has slowed down and looks like they have troubles this year.

6A: Another section where a AA school moved down and has the chance to go to state. Faribault moved down from AA and looks like the favorite in this section. Orono has been the state leader for many years and will give Faribault a run for his money. Mound went to state last year and they had a late run to make it to state.

New Outlook: It looks like Faribault is going to win this section they have a 12-5-1 record and still have played some big schools on the way. Orono 10-7-1 and Holy Family 10-8-2 might have a chance but look for Faribault to win this section.

7A: Another great three way battle to make it to state Virgina/Iron Mountain/Buhl the state winners last year only lost Niskaneen to UMD but returned most of there team. Hibbing is also a soild team and wants to go back to state. Hermantown is going fast and might have the best chance to upset the two big mining towns.

New Outlook: Well I told you earlier this year this is a three team race between Virgina/Mountain Iron/Buhl 15-3-0, Hibbing 9-8-0, and Hermantown 15-2-0. I think Virgina/Mountain Iron/Buhl will return to state they have had the stronger team than the others.

8A: Warroad lost a lot of talent and is going to have to work hard to win again. They are returning Marvin but they have a new goalie, new defense, and new fowards. Thief River Falls is the favorite but they have a 25 year old curse to break. They have the most talent in the section and should go to state. Lake of the Woods is the dark horse they have Beller back and players that are smart and a good Fort Francis goalie.

New Outlook: Thief River Falls is the favorite to win state at a 12-4-0 and beating Warroad 9-6-2 and East Grand Forks 6-10-1 it looks like the Prowlers will make back to state after 40 years.

So my new picks for Minnesota Boy Hockey section single A:

Albert Lea
Duluth Marshall
St. Thomas Academy
Alexandria
Breck
Faribault
Virgina/Mountain Iron/Buhl
Thief River Falls

What a Wild night

2006-01-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Readers, well hopefully viewers watched the Wild game last night and not the Minnesota Timberwolves game. But before the Wild talk I did get some comments from a reader about my mock draft, I like to thank Mike for his comment and here is an answer to his question:

Mike said...

I'm a sucker for mock drafts. If Greenway or Huff is there that would be nice, but it seems doubtful.

Do you think we'll trade Daunte or not? That will determine a lot of their draft direction. Interesting thoughts. Mike said...

Answer:

The word on the street is the Minnesota Vikings are actively trying to find takers for Daunte Culpepper. Teams in the mix include Arizona, Baltimore, Oakland, and Miami. With all those teams having draft picks higher than us.

Greenway is projected to go 15th in the draft and Huff is slated to go 10th in the draft. It looks like DeAngelo Williams is dropping after a bad senior bowl practice, and the fact he is only 5'8" in height.

Wild Chatter:

I like to say for all of the bad bounces that the Wild have gotten earlier this season they pulled off a gem last night. With Willie Mitchell handcuffed and Zyuzin on the trainers table, and Schultz and Foster in the box Brent Burns stepped in and played soild defense, and Brian Rolston scored shorthanded to give the Wild a much needed victory over the Coyotes.

Keith Ballard played one of his best games of his short lived NHL career. This was a guy who barely made the Coyotes this past fall and has been a gem defensemen on the Coyotes. I went to school with Keith and never thought he would turn out this good. He played wing in highschool and never thought the guy would turn in this good of a defensemen. I like to congrat his game last night and hopefully he has a long NHL career.

Other Minnesota Sports Notes:

The Timberwolves are falling fast out of contention. And the lost last night shows how far away from a championship the Timberwolves are away. Chancey Billups is a great point guard and I knew this guy was good when he was playing for us. Look for the Timberwolves to miss the playoffs and keep there draft pick.

Daunte Culpepper fired his agent yesterday and it sounds like he is going to become his own agent. Look for the Vikings to re-format his contract to get there money back.

Twins fans we got him signed yes!! Nick Punto agreed to a one year contract with the Twins.

Please leave comments, Thanks Mike.

Vikings Mock Draft 1.0

2006-01-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

Good Morning readers, I did a mock draft when the Minnesota Vikings were going down on there winning streak today I am going to give my starting mock draft with some players for every round and slowly I will get ride of players until draft day.

1. First Round #17

Chad Greenway Iowa LB: Not a true MLB but has the senses to play on all linebacker positions. Plays hard great tackler, great speed, and has a real sense for the game. Could be taken between 1st to 15th draft picks.
Jay Cutler Vanderbilt QB: Has a very strong arm...Good size. Pretty good athlete who can move a little. Will take unnecessary risks and make some bad decisions. Gunslinging mentality can morph into recklessness. Could be taken between 5th and 25th draft picks.
Michael Huff Texas Safety: Very athletic with excellent speed. A playmaker and ballhawk in the secondary who has a nose for the ball .Has a knack for taking interceptions to the house. May be a bit of a 'tweener who doesn't fit in at either safety or corner at the pro level. Will gamble at times in an effort to come away with a turnover. Could be taken between 5th and 25th draft picks.
DeAngelo Williams Memphis RB: A natural and instinctive runner. Shows tremendous patience. Is built extremely well and is very strong for his size with a compact frame. Runs low to the ground and rarely lets defenders get a solid shot at him. May have some durability questions after suffering injuries the past two seasons. Could be taken between 5th and 25th draft picks.
Laurence Maroney Minnesota RB: A big play threat who can take it the distance from any point on the field. Has been extremely productive at the college level. Patient runner with excellent vision and instincts. Doesn't have the size you would like to see in a feature back. Hands are questionable at best and he was not used much as a receiver in college. Could be taken between 10th and 45th draft picks.

2. Second Round #49

Gerald Riggs Jr. Tennessee RB: A fast complete runner lead Tennessee to a victory over Florida. Downside he broke his ankle a this year and now has been declared injury prone. A second to third round selection.
Ernie Sims FSU LB: Also not a true MLB but has great speed, and is a great tackler, he does have some off the field issues. Could be taken between 15th and 45th.
D'Qwell Jackson Maryland LB: A true MLB with speed and good size. Typical Maryland linebacker came from the same system as E.J. Henderson. Could be taken between the 20th and early second round.
Adul Hodge Iowa LB: This guy is a monster he can play the run and pass. He is a machine smart and can smell out a play. He runs very well, but can be stopped if doesn't play with big linemen. Could be taken between the 10th and 45th picks.
Brodie Croyle Alabama QB: Croyle enters his senior year at Alabama coming off season-ending knee surgery a year ago. Despite an injury that plagued him in 2003, Croyle set the single-season record for pass attempts (341), was second in completions (182), 2nd in passing yards (2,303) and tied for the single-season passing touchdown mark (16).

3. Third Round and Fourth Round #81and #113

Jason Allen Tennessee S: His size and speed makes him an intriguing prospect at corner, but he might be more suited for safety.

Mark Setterstrom Minnesota OG: Big time guard for Minnesota has good speed and size needs to work on hand work and had some ankle problems.

Davin Joseph Oklahoma OG: A very experienced blocker. He needs to react quicker to the play and hold his blocks longer.

Brett Basanez Northwestern: Every game now, he breaks several NU Career Passing records as he starts his 4th season at QB. Presently holds NU's total passing, and total offense yardage records and is closing in on the most wins by a starting quarterback - with 17, he's 2 short of a tie.

Dondrial Pinkins South Carolina: Pinkins is a rock of a passer who's hard to bring down and has a big arm with excellentmobility. What he isn't is accurate only completing 50.3% of his throws with ten touchdown passes and nine interceptions

More Draft specualtion coming up hopefully you enjoy my take. Please leave comments.

Timberwolves you are killing me.

2006-01-23T07:34:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Monday readers, I watched the whole Timberwolves /76ers game yesterday and I can tell you two things about this team. They play three quarters great and one bad quarter and that quarter is really bad, and if they have a 20 point lead in the game it isn't going to be a blowout at the end I can tell you that.

So this team needs confidence in the fourth quarter with a lead they play soild risk free basketball for two and a half quarters and then play the worst looking basketball I have ever seen in a basketball team. They don't make other players foul them they take poor shots. They don't plan a play for either Wally or K.G. in the key moments of the game. Trenton Hassell was the guy they were planing to make key shots when the game was on the line.

This team needs a good old fashion head chopping session and first on the table should be Kevin Mchale, because he should have pulled the trigger on Baron Davis, and some other players. And on recent news he thinks Mark Blount is the best trade he can get, also he thinks he is the best player in free agency next year? Well back to the game this game should have been a win and Allen Iverson should have not scored 40 points again at Target center. This team needs to rebuild soon, and the person who looses is Kevin Garnett.

More Sports News:

The Minnesota Wild are winning again and they swept the Chicago Blackhawks this weekend. The rumor mill is starting to fly again and the player starting to get some looks is Dwayne Roloson. Teams that are interested in him are Tampa Bay, Colorado, Vancouver, and Edmonton. My hopes they trade him to Tampa bay for one of the talented forwards.

Daunte Culpepper is in trade rumors still the big one going on is to Arizona for there 1st round draft pick and Adrian Wilson SS for Daunte Culpepper and our second round draft pick. I would have to say no in my personal opinion.

Michael Cuddyer avoided arbitration and signed a one year deal with the Minnesota Twins. Baseball is about a month away from spring training look for pitchers and catchers to report in about 20 days and start spring training and the World Baseball Classic.

Later this week I am going to do some Highschool Hockey speculation and maybe some more early draft speculation. Please leave comments.

Daunte Culpepper is making no sense.

2006-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday Morning, with this morning comes some disturbing news about Daunte Culpepper. Well he denies that he said comments about his salary, and has even has gone as far as saying he might fire his agent.

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? That's the question that Brad Childress has to ask Daunte Culpepper and himself about the West Coast Offense. In my opinion the West Coast Offense fits the less moblie Daunte Culpepper. In the system it is built around the fact that the quarterback stays in the pocket and makes the play like Brett Favre, and Donovan McNabb. The other option that is going wrong is trading Daunte to either the Raiders or the Ravens for a draft pick and some cap space this with give Childress an option to start with his quarterback. Childress and Culpepper talked earlier last week and had a 45 minute conversation over the phone because the two couldn't get schedules to meet? This is one of the most obscure situation's between a head coach and a offensive minded coach I have ever seen.

So what is going to happen? Nobody knows either Daunte Culpepper fires his agent takes a pay cut and stays in Minnesota where he claims he wants to be. Or he messes with the team enough to demand a trade and we get a draft pick or two and some free upped cap space. I think we will keep Daunte Culpepper and he fires his agent and starts being a leader.

More Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Timberwolves play two games this weekend the Indiana Pacers come to town tonight with a winning record. This might be the game that we get to see what talent the Pacers have to trade for. On Sunday the Wolves play the Philadephia 76ers look for the Timberwolves to win one out of two and play two soild games.

The Minnesota Wild play two games againest the Chicago Blackhawks look for the team to win one out of two because when you play the same team twice the better coach will win the second game.

Timberwolves where did we go wrong?

2006-01-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

Well it is a straining Thursday in Minnesota Sports land. I watched both games last night, and I will tell you when the Wild looked good the Timberwolves look bad, and when the Timberwolves looked good the Wild looked bad. So it was a night of ups and downs for our local sports teams.

Well I have been pondering the mistakes of this team for weeks now. And it all starts with the 1997 Draft of Wisconsin center Paul Grant he was suppose to be a dominate center, but flopped like most of the Timberwolves draft picks. A year earlier in 1996 the Timberwolves drafted Ray Allen which would be a great pickup for years , but decided to trade him for Stephen Marbury and you know how that went. In 1998 we drafted Radoslav Nesterovic which is still in the league, but isn't the dominate center we thought he was. In 1999 we drafted Wally-World but then also drafted in the first round Will Avery who was suppose to be our point guard of the future. And the icing on the cake on October 25 2001 the Timberwolves lost there 2001, 2002, 2004 NBA Drafts picks because of the secret deal to get Joe Smith. In 2003 they drafted Ndudi Ebi instead of Josh Howard because Mchale thought he had lightning in a bottle. So this team has had almost 10 years of bad draft picks. Next draft the 2006 draft they gave that up to get Marco Jaric for Sam Cassell. So this is why this team can't suceed and you know who gets hurt the most the fans and Kevin Garnett. And the enemy is Kevin McHale and someone needs to tell KG what happened.

On the other end the Minnesota Wild like to keep young players a little to much and don't relay on all-star talent as the Timberwolves. The Wild won last night in convincing fashion againest the Toronto Maple Leafs. Like I said earlier the Maple Leafs only come to excel every three years, and last night was the first time the Wild beat the Leafs. The Leafs are hurt and you could tell that with there lineups they pt out there. I like the victory and am looking forward for those two teams meet. Tie Domi the enforcer for the Leafs didn't take a couple of pleas from the fans to fight Derek Boomgard, which would have been a great fight.

Other Notes:

The Vikings are changing there whole staff and yesterday they let go of Trainer Chuck Barta who has been on the Vikings medical staff for many years. I think Brad Childress is trying to get younger and more coaches for the buck.

Look for the Twins to sign Michael Cuddyer soon instead of arbitration. Kyle Loshe on the other hand is heading to arbitration and is looking for 3.8 million.

Please leave comments.

It's a quiet day in Minnesota Sports.

2006-01-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

Well if you a regular to my column you would say he is not posting anything today and you might be right. The only stories I have to tell you is that:

The Minnesota Wild play the Toronto Maple Leafs look for them to bounce back the Maple Leafs are hurt and the Wild will play a hard nose game. There is only three more weeks to the Olympics, and the players are cruising for the time off.

The Minnesota Timberwolves play the Boston Celtics and the matchup tonight is Mark Blount againest our centers if he plays good he might be on the squad in a few weeks. But if he plays bad look for the Timberwolves to get Darius Miles from the Portland Trailblazers.

Kyle Loshe why are you a Twin? He entered in arbitration arguements with the Twins yesterday look for Kyle to make 3.5 million in arbitration. Think that 3.5 million could have been used on Koskie, or Garciaparra instead of our current third baseman.

Everything is quiet in Vikings land there has been speculation that Brad Johnson whats a contract extention and a chance to be the starting quarterback. On other fronts don't be surprised if the Vikings don't take a little peek at Shaun Alexander in the off season he doesn't fit Childress system but Zygi wants a new stadium and big time players can get stadiums built.

That's all I got lots of games to watch tonight. Please leave comments.

Minnesota Wild why do you go up and down??

2006-01-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well I been away a long time, and I celebrated my 24 birthday so I have been not writing for a few days. With all the days I was off we found out a couple things about our favorite sports teams the Minnesota Wild are going down on a low, but your Minnesota Timberwolves are going up on a high. The Minnesota Wild played the Ottawa Senators last night and I can tell you one thing the Senators are the team to beat in the East hands down.

The Minnesota Wild looked slow last night and when Roloson plays you know that the Wild are not going to play stellar defense. This team plays a system of trap which the players are in certain position to play defense and get the puck. Most other teams play a more hard-hitting squeeze type of game, but the wild with faster players play a trap type of game that doesn't work with physical teams such as the Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators.

Well with Bad comes some good the Wild have come up in trade talks to get Brad Richards from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Wild has young cheap talent that the Lightning want and also with two above average goalies this looks like a trade in the making. Brad Richards is 25 years old and has been a high scoring forward for many years with the Lightning. The Wild play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday look for them to rebound againest the Leafs, this is going to be a good game to watch and with the new schedule the Leafs won't be back for 4 years.

Other Notes:

The Minnesota Timberwolves are heating up with three wins in row againest Chicago, Denver, and the New York Knicks. Look for the Timberwolves to keep winning againest the Boston Celtics. Michael Olowokandi looks like he is going to be traded look for a trade with the Portland Trailblazers and Darius Miles, or maybe a trade to Boston Celtics with Michael Blount. Other teams in the mix are the Atlanta Hawks, and the Seattle Supersonics. And don't count out the Indiana Pacers.

The Minnesota Vikings have a pretty good coaching staff so far but are still looking for a special teams coordinator, sources say that they are interviewing a playoffs special teams coach for that position. They also looking for a linebackers coach and some other administrator positions, but all in all it is looking pretty good.

Timberwolves need alot of help.

2006-01-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well the Timberwolves need some help, please trade some players Glen Taylor. This might be a sin againest everything that is holy in Minnesota, but maybe Kevin Garnett should be traded. Think how many picks and players we could get for him and we could rebuild around new players. The Timberwolves need more help than any other team in the league they have no draft picks, and signed the wrong talent to long term contracts. They have no talent scouts and haven't had a real draft pick work out since Wally-World.

The whole team needs to change and Kevin Mchale needs to go from his GM role. Players that need to go include: Michael Olowokandi, Troy Hudson, Trenton Hassell, and Rashad McCants. All of these players are being paid to much and are not needed. Troy Hudson gets paid to much and Kandi-man. Trenton Hassell is a great defense mind but he can't score. And Rashad McCants can't play defense and has a attitude. The team needs to overhauled n the offseason and with no draft pick the Wolves are in hard-times and with this team it is going to last a long time with Mchale in head chair.

They play the Chicago Bulls tonight they haven't been playing as good as lately and need a good showing from a bench player to win. This is the fork in the road and the Timberwolves need to start winning or losing to make the playoffs or keep that draft pick. So look for them to start winning or tanking.

Other Notes:

The Minnesota Vikings have contacted Darrell Bevell the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers for there offensive coordinator. Look for the Vikings to sign this guy soon and make him the offensive coordinator, but Brad Childress is going to call the plays and Darrell Bevell is going to work with the offense players.

The Roseau Rams play the Warroad Warriors on FSN( FOX SPORTS NORTH) tomorrow night. Look for a hard hitting game with the score being close. This is one of the greatest rivalaries in state and should be a very good game.

Tomlin new defensive coordinator???

2006-01-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Well I was thinking that this guy would make a good defensive coordinator and today they should make the annoucement that Mike Tomlin the Tampa Bay Defensive backs coach will be the new Defensive Coordinator of your Minnesota Vikings.

All reports said that Ziggy Wilf has sent his personal airplane to Tampa Bay to pick up Mike Tomlin, and bring him up to Minnesota to get a deal done. So what do i think I like being first in choosing candiates. He is young and many experts say that Mike Tomlin is a defensive innovator. He went to college with current Minnesota Viking Darren Sharper at William and Mary, and has been in charge of Ronde Barber, Brian Kelly and the potent Tampa Bay Pass defense for 5 years. This guy is going to be good and will be with the Purple for many years.

So the Coaches are starting to lineup so lets look at whats left:

Offensive Coordinators:

Darrell Bevell Quarterbacks Coach Packers
Pat Shurmur Quarterbacks Coach Eagles

Offensive Lineman Coach:

Jim Hueber Offensive Line Coach Wisconsin Badgers
Pat Morris Former Offensive Line Coach Lions

Sounds like it will be both working with the line.

Linebackers Coach:

Pete Bercich Vikings Current Linebacker Coach
Kevin Cosgrove Defensive Coordinator University of Nebraska

Running Backs Coach:

Eric Bieniemy running backs coach UCLA
Ted Williams running Backs coach Eagles
Brian White Co-Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Wisconsin Badgers

Special Teams Coach

Brian Murphy Special Teams Coach Wisconsin Badgers
Chris Walsh Former Assitant Special Teams Coach Vikings
Ted Daisher Special Teams Assitant Eagles

Other Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Wild played the Dallas Stars last night and it was the night of bad bounces for the Wild. They got a soft goal in the first period by Randy Robatille. But after that the Dallas Stars scored two soft goals to win the game last night. It was a hard game to watch because they came out hard and lost on two bad goals.

The Minnesota Timberwolves play the Bucks tonight and really need to win over them to keep up in the Northwest Division. The Ron Artest deal is dead in the water and looks like the team is going to be playing with what they have on the bench and on the court.

The Minnesota Twins have signed Darrell May to a minor league contract you might remember Darrell May from his Kansas City days when he was beating the Twins.

Childress wants his own staff.

2006-01-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Good Morning well it's been a very dramatic weekend of sports up and downs. Brad Childress decided to clean house this weekend by letting go of Wes Chandler (receivers), Dean Dalton (running backs), Mark Ellis (assistant strength and conditioning), Rich Olson (quarterbacks), Jim Panagos (assistant defensive line and special teams), Kevin Ross (assistant secondary), John Tice (tight ends, assistant offensive line) and Rusty Tillman (special teams), and also well known Defensive Coordinator Ted Cottrell.

So with all those cuts who is left coverage coordinator Chuck Knox Jr., offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach Randy Hanson, strength and conditioning coach Kurtis Shultz, offensive quality control coach Todd Downing and Sid Pillai, who is the Vikings' coaches support administrator.

So lets talk about replacements:

Defensive Coordinators:

Mike Tomlin Defensive Backs Coach Tampa Bay
Steve Spagnuolo Linebackers Coach Eagles
Mike Singletory Linebackers Coach 49ers

Offensive Coordinators:

Darrell Bevell Quarterbacks Coach Packers
Pat Shurmur Quarterbacks Coach Eagles

Offensive Lineman Coach:

Jim Hueber Offensive Line Coach Wisconsin Badgers
Pat Morris Former Offensive Line Coach Lions

Linebackers Coach:

Pete Bercich Vikings Current Linebacker Coach
Kevin Cosgrove Defensive Coordinator University of Nebraska

Running Backs Coach:

Eric Bieniemy running backs coach UCLA
Ted Williams running Backs coach Eagles
Brian White Co-Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Wisconsin Badgers

Special Teams Coach:

Brian Murphy Special Teams Coach Wisconsin Badgers
Chris Walsh Former Assitant Special Teams Coach Vikings
Ted Daisher Special Teams Assitant Eagles

Other Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost both of there games this weekend and need a change to keep going. They play Milwakee and Chicago on Tuesday and Wedensday and need a win on both nights to keep going.

The Wild won on Saturday and are one of the hottest teams in the league. They play the Dallas Stars tonight it is always a great game to watch to see if the old team can beat the newone.

The Minnesota Twins failed to get Corey Koskie so the Milwakee Brewers decided to pick up his large salary hopefully when we play them in July in will be on IR for the rest of the season.

Please leave comments. Thanks.

Childress is the Vikings new coach.

2006-01-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Vikings Brad Childress. Well it only took a week to can Mike Tice and hire Eagles Offensive Coordinator Brad Childress. I am listening to the press conference right now and the guy likes his players and all reports is that his past players loved him. I personal like the hire Mike Tice was a nice guy who was hard to get rid of, because people liked him.

So Ted Contrell and Steve Loney will probably won't be back as coordinators and I say the coordinators have under performed. I think when you have top talent and not making the players it is the coaches that need to be changed. We lost many away games and this is coaches problems making bad decisions getting players prepared. I like the hire he comes from two organiziations the Philadephia Eagles and Wisconsin Badgers where he comes from winning teams.

The time table looks like a couple weeks to pick new coordinators. So be prepared to know new coaches and players. Remember with Brad Childress this is the guy who made Donovan McNabb good and had to deal with a player like Terrell Owens so he is prepared to put down his foot.

Other Sports Notes:

The Minnesota Timberwolves play the defeding champions Spurs tonight and look are very hard road trip with the Spurs tonight and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Look for the Timberwolves to win one of two here, but don't get your hopes up because they are probably going to loose both games.

The Wild lost last night to Colorado the team got behind fast and could not keep up. They play the Mighty Ducks on Saturday and look for the Wild to rebound and keep playing well at home on one of the longest home stints of the season.

The Minnesota Twins have sent out there invites to spring training and the players are:

Glen Perkins LHP
Gabe White LHP
Denny Reyes LHP
Kyle Geiger C
Kyle Phillips C
Shawn Wooten C
Jason Hart INF
Luis Maza INF
Tommy Watkins INF
Glenn Williams INF
Josh Rabe OF
Denard Span OF
Andres Torres OF
Jason Tyner OF
Ricky Barrett RHP

Timberwolves Win but is it enough?

2006-01-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Good Morning viewers. Well I know most of you guys and gals were watching the national championship but the Timberwolves played last night, and played good.

The Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks last night in good fashion. So what is up with this team they win the games you think they will lose and lose the games they should win. So lets take a look at this team you have the leader Kevin Garnett a soild shooter and plays soild defense and is our number one option. Wally World is our second best shooter and scorer and plays below average defense. Our third option is Marco Jaric and he has been streaky in shooting, and plays good defense. The other players for fourth and fifth options are Eddie Griffin, Trenton Hassell, and Troy Hudson. The rest of the team is full of streaky either good offense bad defense players or good defense bad offense players.

So do I think they will make the playoffs? I will have to say yes because the West division is weak this year and eight teams make the playoffs. Do we have enough talent to make it far in the playoffs? No, we need a third option to be a real threat in the playoffs. So please Timberwolves management trade for a third option or start using Rashad McCants more or we won't make it far in the playoffs.

Vikings Coaching Options Updated:

Brad Childress Offensive Coordinator Eagles 24 %
Al Saunders Offensive Coordinator Chiefs 13 %
Ted Contrell Defensive Coordinator Vikings 12 %
Kurt Ferentz Head Coach Iowa Hawkeyes 10 %
Tim Lewis Defensive Coordinator Giants 6 %
Jim Fassel Offensive Coordinator Ravens 5 %
Mike Sherman Ex-Head Coach Packers 5 %
Jim Haslett Ex-Head Coach Saints 5 %
Scott Linehan Offensive Coordinator Dolphins 5%
Gary Kubiak Offensive Coordinator Broncos 5%
Ron Rivera Defensive Coordinator Bears 5 %
Jerry Gray Defensive Coordinator Bills 5 %

Wild notes:

The Wild play Colorado tonight at the Xcel Energy Center tonight. The Wild are playing the best hockey of the season right now and need to win tonight to cut the Northwest lead to 8 games. There is no All-Star game this year and Manny should be very upset about this because he is having a outstanding year. So are Brian Rolston, Marion Gabroik, and Todd White.

Twins Notes:

Corey Koskie had a chance to come back as a Twin but the owners agreed not to bring him back. I like Corey Koskie being half Canadian myself but he is injury prone and signed a giant contract that would kill the Twins cap.

Wild Win againest the Red Wings!

2006-01-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well it's a mild winter day in the Twin Cities. I watched the wild game last night and saw a fast paced game with many shots and soild defense. So the Wild are 8 points out of making a playoff spot. I like how the team is playing and the Coyotes, Sharks, Colorado are in our way. The Wild went up two goals quick on the Red Wings and after that just sat back and put the cruise on. I like our chances of making the playoffs.

So the question is do we trade Dwayne Roloson to another team for some more offensive talent he is a unresticted free agent after this year. He is 35 years old and has been a staple of this team since the team started. I think we roll the ball and trade Roloson to a team like the Kings and get one of there talented forwards. I think another quality forward would be worth trading Roloson away, or you can keep him and hopefully you make a big playoff push.

Vikings Notes:

Well yesterday I gave you some coaching prospects I need to update my personal records:

Brad Childress Offensive Coordinator Eagles 19 %
Kurt Ferentz Head Coach Iowa Hawkeyes 15 %
Al Saunders Offensive Coordinator Chiefs 10 %
Jim Fassel Offensive Coordinator Ravens 8 %
Mike Sherman Ex-Head Coach Packers 8 %
Jim Haslett Ex-Head Coach Saints 7 %
Ted Contrell Defensive Coordinator Vikings 7 %
Tim Lewis Defensive Coordinator Giants 6 %
Scott Linehan Offensive Coordinator Dolphins 5%
Gary Kubiak Offensive Coordinator Broncos 5%
Ron Rivera Defensive Coordinator Bears 5 %
Jerry Gray Defensive Coordinator Bills 5 %

Timberwolves Notes:
The Timberwolves play the Dallas Mavericks and really need to win and keep on winning. Like I said earlier the Timberwolves have some hard games coming up and need to win some games to keep at .500. The Ron Artest front has been very very slow I thought this deal was going to go on, but now I think it might be another week or two.

Please leave comments. Thanks.

Tice out who will be next?

2006-01-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

Good Morning readers, I know I have been gone for the Holidays but it was pretty slow sports news until Mike Tice got fired. Mike Tice I liked you as an offensive line coach but you had real issues as a head coach. I still thought they would keep him as a head coach, with 9 other teams looking for coaching. Reasons why Tice got fired:

Love Boat Scandel
Scalping Tickets
Missing the playoffs in Arizona scandel
Having a pitiful 6-10 season in first year
Losing in Washington and almost missing the playoffs

So with all them reasons and only making the playoffs two times in four years. I like to say that it has been a rollercoaster ride with you Mike Tice I will miss your antics. So what coaches are out there I have been looking up new coaches and the canidates are:

Brad Childress Offensive Coordinator Eagles 19 %
Gregg Williams Defensive Coordinator Redskins 15 %
Kurt Frintz Head Coach Iowa Hawkeyes 10 %
Scott Linehan Offensive Coordinator Dolphins 10 %
Jim Haslett Ex-Head Coach Saints 8 %
Jim Fassel Offensive Coordinator Ravens 8 %
Mike Sherman Ex-Head Coach Packers 7 %
Ted Contrell Defensive Coordinator Vikings 7 %
Tim Lewis Defensive Coordinator Giants 6 %
Ron Rivera Defensive Coordinator Bears 5 %
Mike Martz Ex-Head Coach Rams 5 %

Other Notes:

The Wild play the Detroit Red Wings and have been playing better of lately and and have a .500 record. I like that the Wild are playing hard, but I don't think the Wild will make the playoffs.

The Timberwolves play the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow and have been playing poorly of lately they need to pull the trigger on the Ron Artest deal and have him be the number 3 scoring threat. Players that might be included in the trade: Eddie Griffin, Rashad McCants, Trenton Hassell, and Michael Candy-man.

Please leave comments. Thanks

Vikings out of the Playoffs, but the Wild Are Winning

2005-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well loyal Vikings fans it is over. For the first time in four years we are eliminated before the last game of the season. What a awful game to watch it had it's ups and downs, but overall if you are looking for a bad quarterback to look good call the Vikings and they will give you a career game.

Where do the Vikings go now well the answer is Chicago for a pointless game. The future of the team is up in the air and it looks like Mike Tice has a 50-50 chance of returning next year. I think he will return this is going to be a big year for new coaches think of this: Green Bay, Detroit, St.Louis, Arizona, Dallas, Chiefs, San Diego, Oakland, Baltimore, New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston, and Tennessee might need new coaches. So what the Vikings need to do is keep Tice one more year then wait for coaching prospects to emerge, and give Tice a offensive cordinator, and other coaches to work with.

The offseason season should be good and alot of players are going to be released my list is below:

RB Michael Bennett
RB Moe Williams Retirement
WR Nate Burelson 50%
T Mike Rothensal
G Chris Liwenkski
C Corey Withrow
OLB Napolean Harris
CB Brian Williams of Fred Smoot

Look for the Vikings to fill gaps in the free agent pool and draft. The offensive line needs help and maybe a free agent and a rookie guard.

Other Notes

The Minnesota Wild are on fire winning there last two games in good fashion they have looked like the team of old with good scoring and defensive. They have the night off and look to keep rolling on Wedensday againest the Oilers again.

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost there two weekend games againest Phoneix and Portland they are getting very close to trading the Kandiman and Trenton Hassell to the Pacers for Ron Artest and another player. The trade should be this week and if it isn't with us look for the Nuggets, Lakers, Hawks as other teams for him.

The Minnesota Twins signed Rondell White as the teams DH on Friday. I like the move and he will make 3.25 million in his first year and has a option for the next year. Look for the Twins to look for Bullpen help in the future I think the lineup has been set and it looks like this:

Shannon Stewart LF
Luis Castillo 2B
Joe Mauer C
Rondell White DH
Justin Morneau 1B
Torri Hunter CF
Tony Batista 3B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Jason Bartlett SS

Bench
Mike Redmond C
Lew Ford OF
Nick Punto IF
Juan Castro IF
Jason Kubel OF

Please leave comments or questions.

To You and Your Family have a Happy Holidays

2005-12-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

I like to wish my readers a Happy Holiday season. I will be leaving tomorrow to go back to my parents house up north where computers are scarce to come by. So this will be my last post till the 27th. I hope you enjoy the holidays and make sure everybody has good food to eat. I wishing for good presents from our Minnesota Sports teams:

Minnesota Vikings play the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas day and need to win to keep there playoff hunt alive. Good luck Vikings I will be rooting for our defense againest a terrible Raven offense. Melwede Moore should be the starting running back for your Minnesota Vikings and look for at least 75 yards out of him. We need some help from other teams too:

Tampa Bay to win.
New York Giants to win.
Carolina to win.
Green Bay to win.

Prediction Vikings win because they need to.

The Timberwolves play the New Orleans Hornets tonight and really need a win. Since winning 6 straight they have lost the last 4. Then on Friday they play the Portland Trailblazers, and finally on Monday they play the Phoneix Suns. I don't think they will win all of there games but they will win two of the three games.

Prediction Wolves win two out of three.

The Wild have played well of lately and play Colorado on Thursday and Friday a team that the Wild usually play hard. Then on Monday they play the Edmonton Oilers a team that they usually not play well. I think the Wild will win one of the three games this week and will be looking at a high draft pick in the next draft.

Prediction Wild win one of three.

Minnesota Twins News:

Bye-Bye Jacque Jones hopefully you do well on the Chicago Cubs. And hello more possibilities like Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza, trading Kyle Loshe. Here is another idea Boston just lost there center fielder Johnny Damon how about trading Torri Hunter or Lew Ford for a third basemen and we can add in so more prospects just an idea. Look for the Twins to start putting offers on the table for more big league hitters, they have 4.5 million to work with and additional 4 if Kyle Loshe is traded.

Please leave comments, and enjoy the Holidays.

Wild Win a Tight One

2005-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well it is warming up in the Twin Cities and so are the Minnesota Wild. I watched the game last night OLN it was a pretty good broadcast I do have to say. Before the game they annonced the United States Men's Hockey team I was very happy to see some Minnesota players on the team. Brian Rolston made the team and the broadcast kept me in suspense by naming him last to the team. You might be asking do they have a chance in Turin (the winter olympic site this year)? I would say they will make as far as there starting goalie will take them. In the 1980 olympics in Lake Placid the USA team won the gold metal on the back of Jim Craig a big time goalie that stopped the Russians in there prime.

Enough about the olympics, I thought the game was pretty good last night it was high paced and had a dramatic come back. The Wild played three soild periods with the third being the best and the second being the worst. They killed six penatlies off and only allowed 8 shots total on the Stars powerplay. The Stars got on the board in the second with a five hole shot by Lehtinen on Manny.

After the misreable second period the Wild came out flying in the third. Todd White buried a point shot from Robitallie and Kuba and the game was tied 1-1. After that goal you got the feeling the mometeum was changing in the Wild's favor. Gaborik scored on a break away which if you never seen the kid play he is fast and likes to score. After that goal the Wild played soild defense and beat the Stars 2-1.

My thoughts on the team Gaborik is going to play in the olympics for the Slovikiens but after that this team only has two olympic cailber players. Our team needs more talent in the scoring department to make a run for the Cup. Gaborik is coming along great and needs a couple of seasons of wellness to help. Other than that the team needs to add talent through trades, free agency, and the draft. The team offers a great place to play a group of fans who will pay anything to watch them. The bottom line is they will be good in two or three years but before that it is going to be slow hockey to watch.

Other Notes:

Jacque Jones declined a one year arbitration deal with the Minnesota Twins yesterday. So bye-bye Jacque we loved your defense and clutch home runs, but your strike outs, plate disipline, and base stealing numbers won't be missed. Frank Thomas or Mike Piazza should have the green light to come to the Twins, and expect one of them to sign later this week.

The Baltimore Ravens played a soild game last night againest the Green Bay Packers and it should be a tight game when the Vikings head to Baltimore Sunday night. Should we be worried? I think so.

Please leave comments or questions.

Vikings Loose a Heartbreaker

2005-12-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

My thoughts on the Game:

Brad Johnson had some bad throws and had to chances to score some points. I think it was one those games you knewwas coming on the schedule, but I thought we would score a touchdown or two. So where is our playoff chances well the NFC North is locked up by the Chicago Bears. But the Wildcard could be ours if we win out both games.

Props to the defense they were on the field for a long time and held there ground. I think if our offense was clicking they would have won that game. I thought they played hardnose defense and our secondary still looked good. We need to win againest the Ravens and Bears to make the playoffs, but do we deserve to be there?

The Vikings need a running back and offensive linemen in the offseason. Look back at my early draft specualation to see what I said 6 games ago. Running wins championships and Michael Bennett and Melwende Moore are not the answer they are suitable backups in this league but not main threats.

Week 16 @Baltimore Ravens
Week 17 Chicago Bears*

Other Notes:
It's arbitration day in MLB and we will see if Kyle Loshe gets paid, and if Jacque Jones accepts aribitration. If he accepts that should be the end of free agency, but if he doesn't expect them to go after Frank Thomas or Mike Piazza.

The Timberwolves loss againest the Dallas Mavericks last night, and I think we were tricked before by that six game winning streak. The have a really hard schedule in January and if they come out winners we might have a chance to make the playoffs.

The Wild play the Dallas Stars tonight personally I am going to watch for all of the North Stars gear people are going to wear.

Please leave comments or questions?

Minnesota Sports Filled Weekend

2005-12-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Well it is another sports filled weekend.

The Vikings play the tough running Pittsburgh Steelers. They got some bad news yesterday with four players getting misdemedors, but the Vikings need to stop the Steelers running game to win this game and play tough defense againest the future hall of famer Hines Ward. The Vikings also need some help this week from other teams.

New England to win.
Kansas City to win.
Washington to win.
Atlanta to win.
New Orleans to win.

Prediction Vikings loose a heartbreaker.

The Timberwolves play the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and really need a win. Since winning 6 straight they have lost the last 3. They need a win and have come close in the past 3 games and need to start a winning streak again.

Prediction Wolves win.

The Wild play Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night and need a win. If they don't starting winning it's going to be a fire sale coming and you might see some of th players let go. I went to th Boston Bruins game last night and the Wild played hard but they just can't score.

Prediction Wild win

Minnesota Twins News:

Well I like the Tony Batista pickup. You might ask why I say he is 32 and hits for power has good clutch numbers and plays some defense. His defense might be a little better than Cuddyers but his power numbers batting are way better. I would like to see the Twins go after Mike Piazza or Frank Thomas and lets go play some ball. My dream lineup looks like this so far:

Shannon Stewart LF
Luis Castillo 2B
Joe Mauer C
Mike Piazza DH
Justin Morneau 1B
Torri Hunter CF
Tony Batista 3B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Jason Bartlett SS

Bench
Mike Redmond C
Lew Ford OF
Nick Punto IF
Luis Rodriguiz IF
Jason Kubel OF

Please leave comments, and enjoy the weekend.

Minnesota Twins asleep at the wheel.

2005-12-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

Well I woke this morning and there was an inch of new snow on the ground. I enjoy the snow but I do not enjoy the salt and snow plows on the road. With all this winter talk we should talk a little Hot Stove a little Baseball.

Well the Twins did it again yesterday they lost out on Mueller for thirdbase. So where do the Twins go now well Nomar Garciaparra is still out there but he is in a three way battle between the Yankees, Dodgers, Astros, and the Indians. So I think the only choices left are Joe Randa FA, Wes Helms FA, Hank Blalock Trade, Boston 3B Trade, or Mike Cuddyer. So what to do I would look at a trade for the next week and then if there is nothing I would sign Randa or Helms. They should have signed Mueller and got the thing done fast. The thing that bothers me about the situation is that the Twins were never metioned as a team Mueller was contacted by.

The Twins need to make a choice between Mike Piazza and Frank Thomas in the next two weeks. If they don't make a choice the Oakland A's are going to make the choice for them and even then the Angels could make a play for the other. The Seattle Marniers signed Carl Everett yesterday and now he is off the market. So now there are less DH less to choose from the list is: Frank Thomas FA, Mike Piazza FA, Reggie Sanders FA, Rondell White FA, and of course you could have Matthew Lecroy back.

Actually the biggest trade rumor going around for the Twins is for Octavio Dotel to the twins. The Twins are always looking for pitching and he would fill a void that JC Romero filled. I think this probably will go through and we will miss out on some great hitters. This leaves Kyle Loshe what to do with him he probably would get a couple propects from the Orioles, Marniers, Diamondbacks, or Marlins. Or we could keep him for $4 million and have insurance if Lirano is not ready yet for the majors.

Wild Finally Win!!

2005-12-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

Well it's a very snowy Wednesday in the Twin Cities and I think it's time to talk about our favorite local hockey club. The Minnesota Wild have been awful since Thanksgiving but last night they scored 4 goals to win againest the New York Islanders. I think the Wild are about three players or three years away for a good playoff run.

Things that make me go UMMM. Joe Thorton a superstar player from the Boston Bruins was traded to San Jose for Wayne Primeau, Marco Sturm, and some other players. Why didn't the Wild trade some of there players for Joe Thorton I could see Randy Robatille, Kyle Wanzig, and a Defensemen for him. Another trade is the trade for center Sergi Federov to the Blue Jackets I think the Wild's GM is sleeping on the job to let some of this talent go.

Truth or Crap the truth is that this is the state of Hockey where we sellout almost every game in our brand new arena. The crap is the managment of this team treating this team like the Kansas City Royals of Hockey. They keep telling us that there is so much talent in the system, but it's about three years away. By the time they get the talent up here the NHL will be on strike again and we will loose the team to Las Vegas.

Well then what should they do? Well when it gets to Feburary where teams are lookinf to trade talent look to pick some up. And look at getting rid of Randy Robatille, Pascal Dupuis, Willie Mitchell, and one other defenseman and look for players still in there prime. And lastly on this hockey Wednesday vent why didn't the Wild keep Park, and Brunett there only producing and were crowd favorites. Ohhh and when I was saying pick up Paul Kariya all the guy does is score.

Other Notes:

The Timberwolves lost by a three pointer by Bonzi Wells a game they should have won and the Wolves are now on a two game losing streak. Eddie Griffin is sick and Troy Hudson is trying to come back from an aligment.

Minnesota Twins need to make a move before the Yankees, Cardinals, Red Sox and Dodgers start making there's. Frank Thomas and Mike Piazza are options at DH and I like Nomar Garciaparra or Mueller at thirdbase. A Kyle Loshe trade probably won't happen and the team is going to play the stupid waiting game again for free agents.

Kevin Garnett where are you?

2005-12-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

Well the Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Philly 76ers in overtime last night 90-89 ending a five game winning streak. I watched most of the game and noticed a couple things from the past five wins.

First of all Eddie Griffin is key to this teams success and when he misses three's the team is going to lose. He only played 17 minutes and before this game he was averaging 25 a game. Eddie needs to relax and play his game some times it looks like the guy is forcing shots and blocks.

Second of all where in the world is Kevin Garnett he scored 19 last night and had only 7 rebounds I know I should be saying that is great, but this is not the usual Kevin Garnett. He needs to average 25 points a game and at least 10 rebounds a night for this team to beat the Spurs, Suns, Clippers, and Nuggets. He had knee problems last year and we can all see that but he has lost some of his shooting touch in recent weeks. So Kevin Garnett please come back.

And lastly, I didn't think I would be saying this but I miss Troy Hudson. His offense plays made this team better, with him not coming off the bench we have no spark when Wally and Kevin go out. So please T-Hud come back healthy because we need your three pointers and slashing to the net.

Tonight the Wolves come home and play the Webber-less Sacromento Kings. Hopefully they can get back on track and beat this horrible team.

Other Notes:

The Minnesota Wild play the New York Islanders tonight some Minnesota faces to watch, Moorhead native Jason Blake, Thief River Falls native Wyatt Smith, and Twin Cities local boy Mark Parrish. I think I might just watch the game to see if they score.

Vikings role over Harvard QB

2005-12-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

My thoughts on the Game:

My gameball goes to the defensive backs of the Vikings. Five interceptions in key moments of the game. I like the teamwork that the secondary is playing with. They all like to help each other, there are two defenders on each player, and three tacklers making the play.

Brad Johnson made the throws that were needed to win and has proven he is a leader. The running game on the other hand is kind of scary they get the needed yards, and Bennett looked good, but he did fumble on a play he should have went down way earlier. Fason looked good breaking tackles and going through holes. In the offseason we need to look for a running back either through the draft or free agency.

Our defensive line played horrible yesterday, and needs to step it up againest the run-happy Steelers next week. Kevin Williams should be coming back, and hopefully he is fast and healthly. Pat Williams played a soild game, but he was the only visible linesmen.

Overall is was a good win for the Vikings, and the Steelers come and we need to play them hard to make Chicago collapse. The rest of the season looks like this:

Week 15 Pittsburgh Steelers*
Week 16 @Baltimore Ravens
Week 17 Chicago Bears*

Other Notes:

J.C. Romero was traded to the Los Angelos Angels for a soild middle infielder prospect Alex Castilli you might be saying only a 21 year old prospect, but we got rid of trouble, and 2.2 million dollars in salary for a middle infielder that stole 50 bases last year and looks like a protypical lead-off hitter. We can take that 2.2 million dollars and put it in a Designated Hitter or Third Baseman.

The Timberwolves won againest the LA Lakers on Saturday and look like they're rolling with there new defense. Tonight they play the misfit Philadephia 76ers and should go for there sixth consective win.

Please leave comments or questions?