Sid Hartman: Childress is valued as coach, recruiter

Brad Childress did more than a great job coaching the Vikings this year, and he definitely deserved the three-year contract extension he received in November to keep him with the team through the 2013 season.

When the Vikings coach was able to convince quarterback Brett Favre to join the team, he no doubt created the best financial year the Wilfs have had since they bought the team.

However, the Wilf family would have given up all the extra revenue for a victory over the Saints last Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. They are really broken up by the loss.

Before Favre came aboard, the Vikings were way down in new and renewed season-ticket purchases. It appeared that, for the first time, a lot of televised home games were going to be blacked out this year.

Even though the Vikings won the NFC North last season and ticket prices weren't raised, the interest wasn't there. Vice president of sales and marketing Steve LaCroix was fighting hard to renew corporate sponsors who had lost interest.

The presence of Favre resulted in the best corporate income in the history of the franchise and prompted so many other revenue sources, including a big check from the Mall of America for the naming rights to the Metrodome's field.

Because of Favre, the Vikings were No. 3 in the league in jersey sales and experienced increases in other souvenir and merchandise sales.

Childress said Thursday that the team lost only 11 fumbles and had only seven interceptions during the regular season. The Vikings never had more than two turnovers in any game during the regular season, with none in four games and one in five games. Against the Saints for a chance to go to the Super Bowl, however, they lost three fumbles and Favre had two interceptions.

Staff to return Childress said he anticipated his entire coaching staff would return. However, quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers was in Chicago on Thursday being interviewed for the Bears' offensive coordinator job.

All of the assistant coaches have one-year contracts for next year.

From a player standpoint, look for kicker Ryan Long-well to definitely be back next season. The Vikings will pay Longwell a $500,000 bonus in March to activate his contract for 2010 that calls for an additional $1.5 million in salary.

Jottings Peter King on SI.com about Adrian Peterson's fumbling: "I think Adrian Peterson has to go to the Tiki Barber School of Curing Fumbleitis. And soon. Like this week. How can you trust him right now, even after the three-touchdown game he had in the Dome? If I'm Brad Childress, I'm keeping [free agent] Chester Taylor around next year just in case."

Twins General Manager Bill Smith said he expects Brendan Harris, who recently signed a two-year, $3.2 million contract, to be the team's third baseman. ... Orlando Cabrera, who finished the season as the Twins shortstop, is a free agent still looking for a club. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire would still like Cabrera back, but the word is that clubs are hesitant to give him a two-year contract.

Wisconsin extended the contract of football coach Bret Bielema through the 2015 season.

Gophers basketball player Lawrence Westbrook on the loss of guard Al Nolen, who is academically ineligible but is appealing the ruling to the NCAA because of dealing with family problems during the semester: "That was a big loss for us, he's one of our best defenders. He pushes and guards me in practice to make me a better player. So we know with him out, we were going to have to step it up. Devoe [Joseph, who replaced Nolen] is a little bit more of an offensive threat sometimes, and they know they're going to have to guard him, me and Blake [Hoffarber]."

Cory Joseph, the brother of Devoe who is being recruited hard by the Gophers, scored 14 points for Findlay (Nev.) Prep in a 64-60 victory over highly ranked Cleveland Benedictine in the Flyin' to the Hoop tournament in Kettering, Ohio, on Jan. 16. Two days later in the Hoop-hall Classic in Springfield, Mass., he scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds as Findlay Prep edged No. 1-rated Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick 71-70. Villanova, UConn, Texas, UNLV and the Gophers are Joseph's top five college choices.

Former Gopher Kris Humphries is averaging 14 points per game in seven games with New Jersey since being acquired from Dallas. Humphries, who is in his sixth NBA season, scored a career-high 25 points in the Nets' 107-87 victory over the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday.

Gophers linebacker Lee Campbell got a last-minute invitation to play for the West in the East-West Shrine football game, and he played well enough to possibly catch some interest from NFL teams.

Former Gopher Lawrence McKenzie averaged 4.3 points in 10 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, but he was waived Thursday. ... Another ex-Gopher, Adam Boone, is averaging 8.5 points per game for the BSC Raiffeisen Furstenfeld Panthers of the Austrian Basketball League.

Mark Snyder, who spent four years as defensive ends coach on Glen Mason's Gophers football staff, then joined Jim Tressel's Ohio State staff and became the head coach at Marshall, now has joined Skip Holtz's staff at South Florida as defensive coordinator. ... Noel Mazzone, a member of Jim Wacker's Gophers football staff, is the new offensive coordinator at Arizona State.

Gophers wrestling coach J Robinson said he will move three-time All-America and former national champion Dustin Schlatter from 165 pounds to 157. "With the loss of Jake Deitchler and after talking with the other coaches, I decided this move will help strengthen the lineup," Robinson said. In his first season at 165, Schlatter ran off an 8-1 record and is ranked No. 2 in the country.