Friday one-liners:

Gopher football: You can look at Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa as tests for Tracy Claeys - I'd like to see if he can beat Illinois at home, because if he can't, Gopher ``officials" may have to start worrying.

Gopher basketball: I like Nate Mason, and Joey King can shoot and I'm not sure what else we're supposed to be excited about this year.

Wild: Injuries and illnesses leading to a mid-season downturn - anyone heard this one before?

Wolves: Of all the potential problems with this team, I didn't think Kevin Martin's shot would be one of them, and it may have cost this team a couple of games already.

Twins: If the Twins can sign Park, they'll have a deep, more-powerful lineup; they'll also need to separate Sano and Park and get Dozier to make more contact or they'll strike out way too much.

Packers: For all of their problems, if Aaron Rodgers had seen a wide-open Cobb in the end zone at Carolina, the Panthers wouldn't be undefeated and the Packers would not be on a three-game losing streak.

Vikings: I think the Vikings win this weekend, maybe even handily, and I'm still not sure, given the state of the Packers, they will have faced a great test.

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Some friends are holding a coat drive Sunday before the Vikings-Packers game. They'll be in Lot 37 at TCF Bank Stadium. Nick Spadaccini will be hosting a tailgate party and they'll collect any winter garb you can spare. All donations will go to Union Gospel.

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New shows with Roy Smalley, Jon Krawczynski and Viking Update publisher Tim Yotter up at MalePatternPodcasts.com. Also my chat with ESPN Wisconsin Packers writer and host Jason Wilde. At 4 p.m. Saturday Michael Russo and I will talk hockey at Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub, with giveaways and live questions.

@Souhanstrib