Sid Hartman: Pohlad willing to help with stadium problem

As reported here earlier this week, the Twins are heavily involved in trying to get the price for the stadium land worked out, since it is apparent that Hennepin County and the Hines Interests -- which is representing the owners of the land behind Target Center -- are at a complete impasse.

In order to proceed with the condemnation of the land, a source has said that the family of owner Carl Pohlad has agreed to make an undisclosed financial commitment to the project, in addition to the previous sum of $130 million the team agreed to pay when the deal passed last year, when it appeared everything was set to build a new ballpark.

The building of the stadium could start once the groups agree to go the condemnation route, even though a price for the land might not be known for as long as a year.

No doubt the project could be dead if the Pohlads don't write a check for the negotiated difference in what the county will pay for the land and what the owners want. And to save the stadium, the Pohlads are ready do that.

There has been talk of other sites, but that won't work because of all the environmental work and other things that would need to be done raising the price of a stadium to a point beyond what the sides are willing to pay. Then you also have the problem of Hennepin County's inability to deliver on the infrastructure commitment it made when the 2006 Legislature met.

So the Pohlads have been active in trying to get the problem solved.

In the past few days, the Twins have performed their own due diligence to estimate a reasonable price. They also had private meetings with the land owners, their representatives and Hines, although without much progress.

The Twins and the Pohlad representatives have also participated in numerous meetings with county representatives to understand their needs and determine how the Twins could help break the stalemate, financially or otherwise.

The Twins are anxious to get all of the problems solved. They want to unveil the ballpark design, something that has been delayed. No doubt it will be to the financial benefit of the Pohlads and improve the value of the team once the new ballpark is built. But they have already agreed to contribute $130 million to the project.

There is plenty of blame to pass around to all those involved who didn't have the common sense to have this land tied up before the Legislature designated the site for the stadium.

You have to credit the Pohlads for trying to solve the problem.

Big group at Notre Dame

Even owner Zygi Wilf will be a member of a Vikings group -- also including General Manager Rick Spielman, coach Brad Childress and several assistants and scouts -- that will travel to South Bend, Ind., and join the close to 100 coaches, scouts and other NFL executives to watch the workout of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

There is no doubt that the Vikings are very interested in considering Quinn for their first pick, No. 7 overall, if he is available.

"Well, you know he's played in a high-profile, bright-light program like Notre Dame and you know he's had [coach Charlie Weis'] training for the last couple years," Childress said.

Weis is the former Patriots offensive coordinator who played a big role in the development of Tom Brady.

Childress said he knows Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz will be among the many coaches in attendance to watch Quinn. The Buccaneers, who draft fourth, might have removed themselves from contention after signing Jeff Garcia and trading for Jake Plummer on Saturday, but the Lions, who draft second, might be more interested now that they secured tackle George Foster in a trade with the Broncos and might not need to draft highly rated Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas. And Childress said the Dolphins, behind the Vikings at No. 9, are surely also looking at Quinn.

Wilf not only will make the trip to Notre Dame, but he was also at the recent NFL combine in Indianapolis, and Childress is appreciative. "I know he loves it," he said. "... I'd rather have a passionate guy than a guy that was disinterested."

Wittman set to return

While Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has said to some media that the status of current coach Randy Wittman will be decided at the end of the year, he repeated to me Friday night that he can't see any reason why Wittman won't be back coaching the Wolves next year.

Taylor has refused to divulge the players involved in a possible three-way trade last week that fell apart when the third team dropped out. But the word in NBA circles is that the Wolves were trying to get Rockets veteran forward Juwan Howard in the deal and trying to give up Mike James.

After two successive one-sided defeats at home, it is not a good time for the Wolves to be sending out ticket statements for possible playoff games and also for season tickets for next season. But they will go out next week with most all of the ticket prices reduced, except for front-row seats near the team benches.

Wolves forward/center Mark Madsen, who has been sidelined by an ankle sprain, said he pushed it too much the other day and had a setback, and he now hopes to return to action next week.

Jottings

Jim Brewer, the former Gophers basketball player who played in the NBA and has been an assistant coach with several teams including the Wolves, is now scouting for the Celtics and was here Friday. Brewer said former Wolves star Wally Szczerbiak has been injured all year for Boston and is now out for the season because he needs ankle surgery.

Vikings center Matt Birk said his agent is working on a restructuring of his contract with the team and is optimistic all will work out. Birk's current contract would call for him to be paid $4.35 million in 2007, making him the highest-paid center in the league.

Tod Leiweke, who left his job as Wild president in 2003 to become CEO of the Seattle Seahawks, is now running all the sports enterprises owned by multimillionaire Paul Allen. Leiweke is in charge of Allen's new management company Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, a firm that will run the Seahawks as well as the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.

Irving Fish of Wayzata has been elected to a fourth year as one of 15 members of the United States Golf Association Executive Committee. Fish, a founding partner of Fallon Worldwide advertising agency, remains a senior adviser to Fallon after recently retiring as its chief operating officer.

One of the more interesting aspects of Gophers spring football will be seeing how quarterback Adam Weber performs after doing a great job of imitating Texas Tech's Graham Harrell for the scout team before December's Insight Bowl. Weber had as much success completing passes during the pre-bowl practices as Harrell had in the game, a 44-41 Red Raiders victory.

Among the players helping the New Jersey Devils again contend for the Stanley Cup are several Minnesotans. Zach Parise, the son of former North Stars forward J.P. Parise and a former Shattuck- St. Mary's star, is the Devils' fourth-leading scorer with 26 goals and 23 assists in 65 games. Paul Martin, a former Elk River and Gophers defenseman, has two goals and 20 assists. Jamie Langenbrunner of Cloquet again is having a good season (22 goals, 30 assists). Former St. Louis Park and Gophers forward Erik Rasmussen has played in 56 games for New Jersey as a fourth-line forward, and former Gophers forward Barry Tallackson has played in three games this season.

Andy Rautins, a sophomore guard at Syracuse, is the son of Leo Rautins, who played for the Gophers in 1979 before transferring to Syracuse for his final three college seasons. Leo played briefly in the NBA and is now a television commentator for the Toronto Raptors. ... Chris Taylor, son of former Gophers basketball player Corky Taylor and a standout for Wayzata, has a 3.49 GPA and will play for Brown in the Ivy League.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on Podcast twice a week at www.startribune.com/sidcast. • shartman@startribune.com