Souhan blog: On Torii, Wolves and another vicious hit

Catching up on the day in sports while I wait for the three healthy Timberwolves to play Charlotte tonight at Target Center:

-I'm happy for Torii Hunter, and happy that he'll be visiting Target Field more often next season.

Hunter signed a two-year deal for $26 million with the Tigers. I think the Tigers were right to over-pay Hunter, who isn't the dynamo he once was but remains a valuable corner outfielder who will improve the Tigers' lineup and team personality.

He's still an excellent fielder with a strong arm, and he is driven to win a World Series before he retires. I don't know how to place a dollar figure on personality, but Hunter will be a positive influence in the Tigers' clubhouse.

When you're the Tigers and your goal is to win the World Series, it's reasonable to overpay for an older player who suits your needs.

-When will NFL players learn? The NFL fined Texans linebacker Tim Dobbins $30,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Jay Cutler, one of the most vicious plays of ths season.

Cutler had run toward the line of scrimmage and dumped off a short pass. As he relaxed while looking left, Dobbins smashed his helmet into Cutler's chin, leaving Cutler injured.

Dobbins excused his hit by saying that Cutler was running with the ball and that Cutler actually ran into him.

In other words, Dobbins, like so many NFL players, hasn't adapted to the concussion era. That's why the NFL should be as vicious with their punishments as Dobbins was with his hit.

-Speaking before the game, Rick Adelman sounded almost bemused by his team's injuries. He said he's never seen anything like this. He's down to nine healthy players and hopes to get J.J. Barea, Nikola Pekovic and Brandon Roy back soon.

He raved about Andrei Kirilenko's defense and hustle, saying he appreciates it even more after he watches game tape.

He also lamented the loss of Chase Budinger for months to a knee injury, saying, ``He was big for us."

-Some readers of today's column on the Vikings' stadium deal asked why I wasn't hard on the Twins for selling personal seat licenses. Simple. The Pohlads invested lots of their own money in Target Field, more than they were required to, and they limited the PSLs to elite seats. The Wilfs are exploring PSLs for a large number of seats. I continue to be against that.