JOTTINGS

• Forbes ran its list of the most profitable franchises in sports this past week, and the Vikings ranked No. 35 with a value of $2.4 billion and operating income of $90 million. The Twins and Timberwolves did not make the list as only nine MLB teams and seven NBA teams made the top 50. The NFL had 26 of the top 50.

• Pro Football Focus gave the Vikings the best odds to win the NFC North at 31.3%, but the race is tight. The Bears were at 30.6%, the Packers 24.6% and the Lions 13.5%.

• Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck said maintaining the 22 verbal commitments in the 2020 recruiting class until the December signing period is a challenge. "There were 642 de-commitments two years ago alone," he said. "That is kind of where we're averaging right now in college football. But I will say that we talk to our recruits every single day, somehow, someway, through text messages or talking on the phone or FaceTime, different things like that."

• Twins owner Jim Pohlad said that while the team invested millions of dollars in baseball technology and operations, how big of an advantage that gives the team remains to be seen: "Everybody is using technology to varying degrees, but most are taking real advantage of it. Does it have something to do with [the Twins' success in 2019]? I don't know. It's hard to say when everybody is doing it."

• Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario on what it's like having a fully healthy outfield again with Byron Buxton in center and Max Kepler in right: "These are the best outfielders I have ever played with, and I feel comfortable out there knowing that we communicate so well."

• The latest ESPN 2020 NBA mock draft has former Rochester John Marshall standout Matthew Hurt going No. 13 overall and Apple Valley product Tre Jones going 16th. Hurt and Jones will play their first regular-season game together with Duke against Kansas at New York's Madison Square Garden on Nov. 5.