• The contract for Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb calls for $5.1 million, plus a $2.5 million bonus if the team advances to the NFC Championship Game.

• The word from Miami is that tackle Bryant McKinnie, released by the Vikings because he was overweight, is working hard to get in shape and once he does, the Dolphins have interest in him.

• The headline on the Denver Post website read: "Broncos QB Adam Weber lost in the Orton-Tebow-Quinn Shuffle." The former Gopher is the fourth quarterback, and it doesn't appear that things will change.

• Look for Twins outfielder Denard Span to not play the rest of the season because of his ongoing concussion problems.

• Twins President Dave St. Peter said the Twins will close 2012 spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., and will not play any exhibition games elsewhere as they did this past season in Atlanta.

• Yahoo!Sports, in its preseason ranking of Big Ten basketball players, rates the Gophers' Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams as two of the top 10 players in the conference.

• The Gophers basketball coaching staff got good reports on the performance of 6-11 Elliott Eliason, who was a member of the East Coast All Stars who finished third in the Four Nations Cup in Tallinn, Estonia. Eliason, who was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska, was redshirted last year and has four years of college competition remaining.

• Miami (Ohio), the Gophers' football opponent on Sept. 17 after they open the season at Southern California and then play New Mexico State at home, is heavily favored to win the MAC title.

• One reason outstanding Osseo tight end Will Johnson might wind up at Mississippi is that he knows former Hamline defensive tackle Mike Markuson, who is a Rebels assistant coach.