|
Mackay Praises
Gophers' Brewster
Some day I might call Tim
Brewster “Mr. Make Things Happen” except years ago Fortune magazine
put that tag on my friend Harvey Mackay.
Brewster won’t have the opportunity to win football games until next
fall but the new Gopher football coach launched a marketing campaign
from day one after being hired last month.
Brewster is selling Golden Gopher football to
every man, woman and child willing to hear his message. He’s gushing
with optimism and expectations that Minnesota football will return to a
level of excellence similar to its storied past and that fans will
enthusiastically embrace the program. And he’s doing it in the right
way, showing humility and willingness to listen and take advice from
others.
Mackay, who lettered in golf at the University
in the 1950s, is a sales guru, acclaimed speaker, nationally syndicated
business columnist and author of inspirational international business
books that have sold over 10 million copies, been translated into 37
languages and sold in 80 different countries. He also is a passionate
sports fan and loves the Gophers.
I recently asked Mackay his thoughts regarding
Brewster so far. “In three words, he gets it,” Mackay began. “He has
impressed with the little things and the big things he has done. Little
things like saying I am happy to be here in the Twin Cities, not just
Minneapolis. He talks about team work and what it means. He has put
together an impressive, dedicated staff that has made a commitment to be
here and be successful. That is an outstanding plus.”
The Brewster profile is that he almost works
24-7 and Mackay is impressed with the 46-year-old coach’s work ethic.
“It looks like he works eight days a week and he’s proud to say that’s
what he does,” Mackay said.
Read Mackay’s books and see how often he
promotes the value of developing extraordinary mentors in business and
life. Brewster’s mentors include national championship coach Mack
Brown of Texas and Super Bowl coach Mike Shanahan of
Denver. “A person’s life equals the total sum of his or her experiences
and he’s had some truly outstanding experiences to date,” Mackay said.
“Mack Brown on a scale of 10, with 10 being the highest rating, is a
12. Friends who know Shanahan tell me he is tremendous, too.”
Brewster’s willingness to meet people and
learn from others includes meetings he’s already had with coaches of
other sports at the University. “He’s truly a good listener, asking
substantive, in-depth questions in order to be brought up to speed
fast,” Mackay said.
There’s something else Mackay and a lot of
other folks like about Brewster. “I also like his comments that it’s not
going to take forever to take the program to the next level,” Mackay
said. “He hasn’t coached a game yet but having met him, looked at him
eye-to-eye, and read his comments in the newspaper, it would be
impossible not to be enthusiastic about Tim Brewster. The Gophers are
in good hands with Tim.”
|
Harvey Mackay
“He hasn’t
coached a game yet but having met him, looked at him eye-to-eye, and
read his comments in the newspaper, it would be impossible not to be
enthusiastic about Tim Brewster. "
Harvey Mackay on Tim Brewster
Tim Brewster
|
|
McCants Potential Point Producer
Rashad McCants isn’t there yet but the
Timberwolves are projecting their 2005 No. 1 draft choice will become a
prolific scorer. Along with Ricky Davis and Kevin
Garnett, he is the player with the potential to score a lot of
points in a short time during a game.
That
sort of “instant offense” is a Wolves deficiency. The future might look
like this for McCants: first guy off the bench, contribute 10 to 20
points per night. That’s good tonic for this team. Look no further than
Tuesday night to see the Wolves’ need. Minnesota scored only eight
points in the second quarter, a period when a quality sixth man can make
a difference. The Wolves’ were so dismal offensively Tuesday against
Dallas they shot a franchise record low of 29.6 percent for the game in
a 81-65 loss at Target Center. The 65 points was the second lowest in
team history.
McCants isn’t ready to contribute much right now. He’s played in only
13 games since coming back from a career threatening injury to his right
knee that required microfracture surgery last June. The results so
far reflect the long layoff (missed 44 games). He’s averaging 4.2
points per game and making about 33 percent of his shots. In his last
three games he’s four of 17 on field goals and has scored 11 points.
McCants has talked about removing the “rust” from his game and the
Wolves will wait for better days. He is only 22 years old and
management likes the maturity he showed in working to rehabilitate his
knee. They also like his explosive offensive skills, including drives
to the basket and effective mid-range and long- range shooting.
In
his rookie season he averaged 7.9 points per game and shot 37.2 percent on three
point field goals, a team record for a first-year player. He closed
fast, starting 12 of the team’s final 15 games, averaging 14.9 points in
the games he started.
At
North Carolina he averaged 20 points per game as a sophomore to lead the
ACC in scoring. During his three year career he averaged 17.6 points
per game with a field goal percentage of 48.6. His junior season the
Tar Heels won the national championship.
One
of McCants’ teammates at North Carolina was Raymond Felton, now
the point guard for the Charlotte Bobcats. Felton was asked about his
former teammate. They have known each other since both were in high
school.
“He
has a lot of potential,” Felton said. “Unfortunately, he got a bad
injury and he had to sit out for awhile. . .. He can score, he can
defend, (and) he’s strong. You know, he’s not really as tall as he
should be for a two-guard but his strength, athletic ability and his
scoring ability make up for all that.”
The
heights of NBA players often appear exaggerated. McCants is listed at
6-foot-4 but seems shorter. He isn’t as tall as other two guards, or
shooting guards as they are also called. While defense wasn’t why the
Wolves drafted McCants, he has the ability to be effective.
Can
McCants become an NBA all-star? “I think he can,” Felton said. “No
question.”
|
The future might look like this for
McCants: first guy off the bench, contribute 10 to 20 points per night.
Rashad McCants
"You know, he’s not really as
tall as he should be for a two-guard but his strength, athletic ability
and his scoring ability make up for all that.”
Raymond Felton on Rashad McCants
|
|
Worth Noting
Here’s one man’s guess on the Vikings’
legislative pursuit of a new stadium. It’s not likely to draw serious
consideration until 2008 when the team is only three years away from its
Metrodome lease expiring. The Vikings will be free to move to another
state then and so the pressure to address the stadium issue intensifies
in 2008.
Kevin Garnett
averaged 14.2 rebounds per game in February, his best rebounding
month of the season. He leads the NBA in rebounding at 12.8 per game.
Rookie Randy Foye has improved several
of his stats since becoming a starter. Here’s a look at his
numbers as a regular with his previous stats in parentheses: 10.3 points
per game (8.6), 3.7 rebounds (2.5), 5.1 assists (2.3), 39.7 field goal
percentage (41.9), three point field goal percentage 46.2 (32.6).
The Wolves finished 0-5 on the road in
February and have lost nine of their last 10 away from home.
Tickets for The
Police reunion concert on July 3 at Xcel Energy Center go on sale
Monday. Jack Larson, Xcel general manager, said in other markets
the show sold out in 15 minutes. Tickets are on sale Saturday for the
Kenny Chesney concert May 13. Larson said that show is expected
to sell out Saturday or soon thereafter.
The Metrodome will host first and second round
NCAA men’s basketball tournament games in March of 2009. That is
the only year right now NCAA tournament games are scheduled here.
WCCO Radio Sports Huddle co-host Dave Mona
is writing a book he hopes to have on the market before year end. The
book has chapters devoted to people like Sid Hartman, Calvin
Griffith, Billy Martin and Halsey Hall. He has about
40 chapters completed already.
Andrew Brunette,
the former Wild player now with Colorado, has tied his single season
high for goals with 24.
|
Kevin Garnett
averaged about 14 rebounds per game in February, his best rebounding
month of the season.
Dave
Mona |
