McGraw hopes Favre wins Super Bowl

Brett Favre might want to actually (wink) text his good buddy Tim McGraw.

Before hitting the State Fair stage on Saturday, the country music star met with fans who had paid Smile Network International $500 apiece, the cost of one surgery for a kid in a developing country, to participate in the "Rockin' Roll Ride to Change a Child's Life" motorcycle event.

McGraw remarked, "I'm going down there" for the Vikings' first game against the Saints, a rematch of the tilt that kept Minnesota out of the 2010 Super Bowl. "Brett's one of my best friends," said McGraw. "It's going to be tough."

How are we to interpret that? Listen to McGraw for yourself at startribune.com/video, but it sounds like he either doesn't think his friend's team has a chance in that game or McGraw's not pulling for Favre's team.

"Who knows what he meant?" said Michael Lester, who along with his wife, Tammie, her daughter, Holly Pitts, and some friends in New Orleans paid for four kids' surgeries with a $2,000 donation.

Attorney Parrel Caplan, who organized the "Rockin' Roll for Smile Network," stayed for the show, and according to her, Tim said from the stage: No. 4 is my boy, and I'm telling you this, I hope he wins a Super Bowl for the Vikings.

The crowd cheered that, but his first words on the subject of football had drawn boos, said Caplan. "When he opened the show, first" -- after McGraw noted both he and Favre were from the South -- "he said he was a fan of the New Orleans Saints, and everyone booed."

Too much fan hoopla Wheels of Thunder magazine's area sales manager Teri Baker kept her hands to herself, as she should have, during her grip-and-grin with Tim McGraw.

After McGraw left, and we were awaiting the arrival of Julianne Hough, the professional dancer whose "Dancing With The Stars" success has launched her singing career, Baker confessed, "I wanted to touch his derriere in the most profound way. Don't tell my boyfriend."

OK, I won't, if nobody tells Baker how close she came to getting chewed out by me for making waves. Without going into detail, Baker's yappy, pre-performer-arrival machinations were not going over well with security, which would prefer not to accommodate picture/video-taking anyhow.

In a nice way, Caplan got right into Baker's face and told her to stop it, letting her know that she was making things difficult.

Animal magnetism? McGraw looked drenched in machismo to me.

I'm not going to buy my first Tim McGraw CD or anything, but seeing him in person brought his animal magnetism to the fore for me.

Juilianne makes a splash After McGraw made his exit, Parrel Caplan promised that "The guys will enjoy the next one: Julianne."

Before Julianne Hough arrived, security was making a big deal out of the Smile Network patrons remaining behind the black curtain that was the photo backdrop.

It clearly wasn't something that preoccupied Hough. She walked in, set down her water bottle and went right over to the people behind the drape to invite them out for pictures.

Hough is quite attractive -- and her hair, if it was hers, was luscious.

Instead of an impertinent question about Seacrest (which unfathomably rhymes with prowess), I asked Hough to say hello to Ryan for me.

No, he doesn't know me. But I thought that was better than asking when they'll announce their engagement (which is a silly question since they've only been dating a minute and he doesn't have a track record for long-term relationships).