Minnesota Sports Fan Blog

The Minnesota Vikings could have one high-profile backup running back.

LaDainian Tomlinson is going to visit the team on Thursday, a source confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. SI.com first reported the visit.

Tomlinson was released by the San Diego Chargers last week and has scheduled a number of visits with potential teams.

Tomlinson ranks eighth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 12,490 yards. His 138 career rushing touchdowns rank second, and his 153 total touchdowns rank third.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Minnesota Twins reliever Joe Nathan has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow, leaving the team without a proven closer less than a month from Opening Day.

Nathan has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will decide whether to have surgery within two weeks, the team said. The Minneapolis Star Tribune first reported the injury.

The team announced Nathan has a “significant tear,” but will not immediately opt for surgery. He will rest and rehab the elbow over the next one to two weeks, then determine whether he can pitch with the injury.

Nathan may get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, the surgeon who operated on his elbow last October to remove bone chips.

Surgery would likely cost Nathan all of the 2010 season — a potentially devastating turn of events for a team expected to contend in the AL Central Division. Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament have led to season-ending Tommy John surgery for other pitchers.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Wild winger Martin Havlat learned Monday not a lot has changed with Jaromir Jagr.

“Jagr is always smiling and laughing,” Havlat said. “He’s got a birthday today. I know he’s not 29 anymore, but he’s still the same guy. He was pretty good on the ice today.

Havlat’s thrilled to be sharing the ice once again with Jagr, who turned 38 Monday. Jagr is one of Havlat’s heroes, and in 2002 during the Salt Lake City Winter Games, Havlat remembers like it was yesterday the first time he played a shift with Jagr.

With 12 minutes left in a game with Sweden, coach Josef Augusta tapped Havlat on the shoulder and told him to get ready for first-line duty with Jagr and Robert Lang.

“I jump on the ice, hit [Michael] Nylander, got five plus a game misconduct. That was it. That was my first and my last shift,” Havlat said, laughing.

But Jagr wanted to play with Havlat again, and the two were linemates against Canada.

Jagr told Havlat, “When I get the puck, don’t come anywhere near me. Just get open, and I’ll get you the puck.”

Havlat did as told and scored twice in a 3-3 tie against the eventual gold medal winners.

“Jagr’s the biggest name we had, the biggest name we have — the best Czech player in my opinion,” Havlat said.

Jagr says he is excited to be back in North America, but also modest in his expectations. “I haven’t played in the NHL for two years. Nobody is expecting anything,” he said. “That’s a big advantage for me.”

Click here to read the full article – By Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Wild License Plate Frame

Minnesota Wild License Plate Frame

Minnesota Wild License Plate

It’s the one that got away, both on the scoreboard and in the points column.

Despite making a pair of huge second-period saves to keep it a 2-1 Phoenix lead Wednesday night, Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom couldn’t stop the shot that ultimately gave the Coyotes the 3-2 victory in regulation. And for good reason: Backstrom, making his first game appearance since Jan. 23 because of a back injury, never really saw it.

Radim Vrbata’s let’s-see-what-happens try at Backstrom 5 minutes, 41 seconds into the third period hit the side of the net. However, rather than careening into the corner as expected, the puck bounced into the air, clanked off the “32″ of Backstrom’s game sweater and landed just beyond the red line for a 3-1 Phoenix lead.

“I’ve never seen that happen before — he missed … by one or two [feet],” said Backstrom, who had been 5-1 against Phoenix at home in his career.

Click here to read the full article – By Minneapolis Star-Tribune

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Minnesota Wild Wingman Short Sleeve Tee

Minnesota Wild Afterburner Team Sideline Polo

The Wild have made some intelligent moves this season, but possibly none better than simply outlasting the concussion suffered by Brent Burns.

“It was almost like we made a trade,” coach Todd Richards said. “When you’re missing a guy for so long, obviously that’s a huge trade for us, the way that it feels, because you’re bringing in a high-impact player.”

The uncertainty surrounding recovery from a concussion places a team in limbo. Andrew Ebbett and Derek Boogaard missed only a handful of games after hits to the head, but Petr Sykora had his season and his tenure with the Wild derailed, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard will miss his 55th game tonight when the Wild play the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center.

After missing 19 games at the end of last season, Burns was hurt on Nov. 28 and missed 29 more.

He’s back, bringing with him flair, enthusiasm and contagious optimism.

“It’s a great asset to have back on the team,” forward Kyle Brodziak said Monday. “It’s funny how a guy can miss a couple of months and look like he hasn’t missed a game.

Click here to read the full article – By St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Wild Sports Memorabilia
and other Minnesota Wild Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular Minnesota Wild players.

“This is what I came back for.”

Brett Favre wanted all of it, and now he’s got it.

Four — count ‘em, four — touchdown passes from Minnesota’s 40-year-old quarterback sent the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game with a determined 34-3 rout of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

“Probably the most fatigued I got today was celebrating,” Favre said, smiling.

The Vikings (13-4) will take on the Saints next Sunday at New Orleans (14-3), with the winner going to the Super Bowl in Miami — the only reason Favre put retirement on hold for a second straight season.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Martin Havlat looked explosive and skilled during his return to a very short practice Monday, and now he hopes it translates onto the ice if he’s able to return for Wednesday’s game against Nashville.

Havlat, who signed a six-year, $30 million deal July 1, has had a disappointing start to his Wild career, with two goals and six assists in 16 games.

“It’s a long season,” Havlat said. “We were getting chances. I was creating chances for the other guys, but it just wasn’t going in pointwise. But I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to, or the way everybody wanted me to play.

“I know I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to work hard, and I know sooner or later the points are going to come.”

Click here to read the full article – By Minneapolis Star-Tribune

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and other Wild Gifts

Franklin Minnesota Wild Mini Goalie Mask

Franklin Minnesota Wild Goaltender Full Size Mask

Bauer Minnesota Wild Mini Hockey Helmet

Examine Saturday’s victory at Colorado, and it might be impossible to come up with another game in which the Wild has spent more time in the opponent’s zone. The Wild probably spent three-quarters of the game forechecking the rubber off the puck.

Now, it’s safe to say the Wild is starting to get it. There’s a reason why the team has earned points in 10 of the past 13 games (7-3-3) and in each of the past four (3-0-1).

As coach Todd Richards loves to say, the Wild’s level of “compete” these days is off the charts. It has a lot to do with General Manager Chuck Fletcher’s ability to add motivated newcomers, such as Chuck Kobasew, Andrew Ebbett and Guillaume Latendresse.

But it also has to do with a bunch of veterans setting the tone.

“The compete factor has been great,” Richards said. “It comes down to the leadership in the room. As a coach, you can preach it, you can ask for it, but it’s got to come from in there. Our leadership group is doing a great job.

Click here to read the full article – By Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Wild Sports Memorabilia
and other Minnesota Wild Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular Minnesota Wild players.

The Minnesota Timberwolves finally put an end to their long losing spell, and they did it against a team that had owned them over the last three years.


Ryan Gomes scored 27 points, the most by a Timberwolves player this season, and Minnesota snapped a 15-game losing streak with a 106-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night.

“Man, you don’t know how much a weight is off our shoulders right now,” Gomes said. “It was tough for us, but we had to battle. We knew it was going to break one day.”

The shock was it came against the Nuggets, who had won their previous 10 meetings against Minnesota and had been dominating at home, where they’d won 17 regular season games in a row dating to last spring.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Minnesota Timberwolves Sports Memorabilia
and other Minnesota Timberwolves Gifts and Collectibles

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Minnesota Vikings Reversible Reebok Cuffless Knit Hat

Minnesota Vikings NFL Official Player Sideline Hat

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