St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN)
Copyright 2007 2008 Saint Paul Pioneer Press
December 30, 2007
1 WOLVES TRADE KEVIN GARNETT
After years of trying to find the right players to complement the greatest player in franchise history, the Wolves finally gave up. They no longer could even make the playoffs, their payroll was bloated and Garnett's contract was hindering the process. So off Garnett went to Boston for star-in-development Al Jefferson , four others, plus two first-round draft picks. While Garnett is helping Boston become a championship contender, the rebuilding Wolves are on pace to challenge their 15-win low of 1991-92 and could test the NBA-worst nine victories set in 1972-73 by the Philadelphia 76ers.
2 Adrian Peterson leads a Vikings revival
Top draft pick Adrian Peterson became an NFL phenomenon, breaking the NFL single-game rushing record and giving the Vikings an offensive playmaker. A knee injury and defensive adjustments slowed him during the second half of the season, but the Vikings won five straight games after a 3-6 start to flirt with the playoffs. The winning streak at least temporarily took the heat off coach Brad Childress and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, but a disheartening loss to Washington on Dec. 23 left the Vikings needing a win today plus help from Dallas against the Redskins to reach the playoffs.
3 Gophers hire Tubby Smith
Go figure. The University of Minnesota and athletics director Joel Maturi shocked the nation by hiring one of college basketball's biggest names away from an iconic program. Granted, the Kentucky zealots expecting annual Final Four appearances had tired of Smith's recent string of NCAA tournament disappointments, so Smith's departure from the Bluegrass State wasn't a shock. But Minnesota? The former Tulsa and Georgia head coach will face his greatest rebuilding job yet as he gets to build a new legacy here, but he already has snagged one of the nation's top recruiting classes.
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