Vikings-Giants game delayed till Monday

The NFL moved the Minnesota Vikings’ game against the New York Giants at the Metrodome to Monday night because of the blizzard that dumped a foot or more of snow on much of the state.

The game is to start at 5 p.m. PST.

The decision was made by NFL executives on Saturday night after they initially said they planned to have the game remain a noon kickoff on Sunday. A primary issue was the amount of snow on the roof of the Metrodome.

The Giants probably aren’t upset by the delay. The team’s flight Saturday to the Twin Cities ended up being diverted because of the weather to Kansas City, Mo. The Giants intended to depart Kansas City at 8 a.m. on Sunday.

The delay may be good news for Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, who has started an NFL-record 297 consecutive regular-season games but was unsure whether he could extend that streak because of a sprain in his throwing shoulder.

COLLEGE HOCKEY

Michigan’s ‘Big Chill’ attracts huge crowd

Michigan and Michigan State set a world record for attendance at a hockey game Saturday, playing in front of an unofficial total of 113,411 fans in the Wolverines’ 5-0 victory at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Michigan announced the attendance during the third period. The previous mark for a hockey game was 77,803 at this year’s world championship in Germany.

The game — dubbed “The Big Chill at the Big House” — took place nine years after the same two teams played another outdoor game at Michigan State’s football stadium. Since then, the idea has been copied at the college level and by the NHL.

The school’s announced attendance would make this the largest crowd to see any event at Michigan Stadium, surpassing the 113,090 for a football game this year.

The “Big Chill” nickname was a bit of a misnomer, with the temperature in the low 40s at the start.

GOLF

A tie at top of the Shark Shootout

Champions Tour players Fred Funk and Kenny Perry shot a 10-under-par 62 in better-ball play for a share of the second-round lead in the Shark Shootout with defending champions Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly.

Stricker and Kelly had a 63 to match Funk and Perry at 18 under on the Tiburon Golf Club course at Naples, Fla.

Anthony Michael will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Malelane, South Africa, after shooting a one-under 71 that kept him ahead of the pack.

The South African was at 10-under 206 through 54 holes, one shot ahead of Pablo Martin of Spain and Tjaart van der Walt of South Africa.

Iben Tinning of Denmark ended her career with a victory at the Dubai Ladies Masters, clinching the win with a birdie on the last hole to hold off Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist by two shots.

ETC.

Red Sox detail Crawford contract

The Boston Red Sox announced their $142-million, seven-year contract with outfielder Carl Crawford and disclosed some details of the pact.

The four-time All-Star receives a $6-million signing bonus under the agreement, with $1 million payable within 30 days of approval and the rest in $1-million installments on the first day of five consecutive months starting in May.

He gets salaries of $14 million next season, $19.5 million in 2012, $20 million in 2013, $20.25 million in 2014, $20.5 million in 2015, $20.75 million in 2016 and $21 million in 2017.

American Alissa Czisny protected her overnight lead to take gold after the women’s free skate program at the Grand Prix final in Beijing.

The USC women’s volleyball team defeated No. 3 Stanford in five sets (20-25, 25-17, 22-25, 26-24, 16-14) at Dayton, Ohio, to advance to the 2010 NCAA Final Four next weekend in Kansas City.

Turbulent Descent remained undefeated with a 11/4-length victory in the $412,250 Hollywood Starlet at Hollywood Park.