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Don’t
Dismiss Culpepper Comeback
Don’t write
Daunte Culpepper’s NFL “obituary” yet. That’s
the advice of a former NFL team executive who spoke earlier in the week
about Culpepper and his situation in Miami.
The ex-Viking quarterback
certainly hasn’t had a honeymoon start in Miami. Coming off of major
knee rehabilitation and a trade to the Dolphins, Culpepper has shown
limited mobility. He has been sacked 21 times and also suffered a
shoulder injury.
It’s not even clear now if
the former Pro Bowl quarterback will be the Dolphins starter. Culpepper
didn’t play last Sunday, much to the delight of some Dolphins fans who
have been booing the man-child quarterback. Culpepper, 6-4, 265, has
been unimpressive statistically, throwing two touchdown passes and three
interceptions in limited playing time.
He won’t play next Sunday
because he started a rehab program for his right knee and his return
date is unknown. Joey Harrington, a major disappointment during
four seasons in Detroit, replaces Culpepper for the Dolphins who have a
1-4 record.
All of this doesn’t mean
Culpepper, 29, is ready for the old folks home. The former NFL
executive argues it can take two years for a player to recover from a
major injury and return to normal performance. “It sounds like he’s not
100% in terms of his ability and he’s going into a new system,” the
source said.
Culpepper is not only
learning a new offense and playing for a “demanding” coach in Nick
Saban, but he’s also working with a “struggling” offensive line, the
source said. “The offensive line is a weak leak,” he added.
An indication of the
ineffective line is the performance of running back Ronnie Brown.
He’s averaging 3.3 yards per carry after averaging 4.4 last season.
How strange is it that
both Culpepper and Randy Moss, neither of whom is yet 30 years
old and once were the faces of the Vikings franchise, are playing for
other teams and currently stalled out in team and individual glory? “It
is interesting, but that’s the modern day NFL (with salary cap and
player movement),” the source said. |
The former NFL executive argues it can take
two years for a player to recover from a major injury and return to
normal performance. “It sounds like he’s not 100% in terms of his
ability and he’s going into a new system,” the source said.
Daunte Culpepper
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Casey
Welcomed Wittman Home
It won’t take long for the
talk show hosts or critical columnists to start speculating about
Dwane Casey’s job security if the 2006-2007 Timberwolves play like
the 33-49 bunch of last season. That was Casey’s first team as an NBA
head coach and the Wolves’ failings included losing second half leads,
some late in the fourth quarter. The Wolves also lost 18 and won 11 in
games decided by six points or less.
If this season’s version
of the Wolves stumbles in wins, losses and blown leads the Casey critics
will surface and at least some will suggest assistant coach
Randy Wittman be promoted to head coach.
Wittman, who was on previous Minnesota coaching staffs from 1994-1999
and 2001-2005, is back with the Wolves after Casey shook up his staff
during the off season.
Wittman is popular with
local media and fans, and was head coach of the Cleveland Cavs for two
seasons. Before accepting the invitation to return here he and Casey
discussed the possibility Wittman’s name could be included in coaching
change speculation.
“Dwane and I talked about
that when he called me and asked if I had any interest in coming back,”
Wittman said. “For me and for my career the best thing that could happen
is we win 50 plus games (and) you make the playoffs. That means that
maybe me coming back here helped in a certain manner. That’s all you
can focus on.
“I told him if he is the
least bit uncomfortable with that I would walk right out the door and
have no hard feelings and completely understand that. But No. 1 you
(Casey) have to be comfortable with that and he said he extremely was.
That’s all I am here for. I am not here for anything else but to help Dwane become a better coach.”
Ask Wittman about his role
with the Wolves and he talks about the close losses the Wolves
experienced last season. “I want to help Dwane as much as I can in
close situations (so) that he doesn’t feel the weight of the world is on
him,” he answered. “That there is somebody that can give him a different
perspective other than the one maybe he is thinking about. As a head
coach that’s kind of what you are looking for. You have an idea of how
you want to attack but you want to hear other people say, ‘What about
this coach’? You might not ever think of that. That’s kind of what I
hope to bring to him.” |
If this season’s version of the Wolves stumbles in wins,
losses and blown leads the Casey critics will surface and at least some
will suggest assistant coach Randy Wittman be promoted to head
coach.
Dwane Casey
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Badger
Coach Uses Axe for Incentive
The winner of the annual
Gopher-Badger football game has also won Paul Bunyan’s Axe since
1948. Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema, at 36 the
second youngest Division I-A head coach, said earlier this week
rivalries like Saturday’s game with Minnesota provide “an extra
incentive to play.”
“I am a very firm
believer in focusing week to week. …I know one of the things I brought
up to our guys on (last) Saturday was the axe,” Bielema said. “It’s an
important thing to our guys and hopefully we will be able to carry that
through this weekend.”
The Badgers have won the
famed trophy nine of the last 11 games. Wisconsin has momentum going
into this game having won five of six games, losing only to No. 4 ranked
Michigan. The Gophers, 2-4, lost a self declared must-win game last
Saturday to Penn State.
If the Badgers need more
incentive this weekend than the axe and staying in the race for the Big
Ten championship and a top bowl game, they don’t have to look far to
find it. Wisconsin is celebrating homecoming and a statue of former
coach Barry Alvarez (grand marshal for the homecoming parade)
will be unveiled outside Camp Randall Stadium on Friday.
Sounds like a perfect
setting for a Gopher upset. |
“I am a very firm believer in focusing week to week. …I
know one of the things I brought up to our guys on (last) Saturday was
the axe. It’s an important thing to our guys and hopefully we will be
able to carry that through this weekend.”
Wisconsin coach Bret Bielma
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Extra Innings
Manager
Ron Gardenhire said Kyle Lohse is a “great guy” but the
former Twins pitcher was too concerned about “quality starts” or why he
was pitching out of the bullpen. “He was just one of those guys who was
into his stats and all those things, and that’s a situation we are just
not caught up with around here,” Gardenhire said. “Great kid…it’s just
that sometimes you clash on the field on what your goals are as a
team.”
Jason Kubel, who
had 220 at bats this season with a .241 average, is a hitter with
potential who may help the Twins much more in the future. In the minor
leagues Kubel, 24, hit over .300.
You wonder if Rondell
White, 34, will return to the Twins in 2007. Although he raised his
batting average to .246, after hitting .198 on June 1, his legs don’t
allow him to play every day in left field.
Don’t think, too, the
Twins aren’t concerned about the inconsistency and future of starting
pitcher Carlos Silva. He lost six of his last nine starts and
for the season had a .594 ERA.
A year ago the Vikings
were 1-3 heading into their bye week and in three of their four games
they had scored just 31 total points. Defensively the Vikings had given
up 104 points in the four games. When the Vikings resumed their
schedule the staff had been expanded to add consultants Foge Fazio
and Jerry Rhome to help with the defense and offense. The
unorthodox maneuver of adding veteran consultants during the season
won’t be repeated this time, not with a new coaching staff confident
with its ways and the team at 3-2.
Want to meet Mark
Parrish of the Minnesota Wild? He will be at the Festival Foods
grand opening (401 West 98th Street in Bloomington) on Sunday
from 5 to 6 p.m.
Often injured Timberwolves
guard Troy Hudson (played in 36 games last
season) said he has bone spurs in his ankles. Before training camp he
was talking about developing a rest or recovery schedule between
practices and games that will allow him to be effective. “With the right
amount of recovery time I feel I can maintain a healthy career
throughout,” he said.
Ryan Wittman, Randy
Wittman’s 6-7 son from Eden Prairie High School, will be a freshman
basketball player at Cornell this season.
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Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Twins
Ron Gardenhire
“With the right amount of recovery time I feel I can
maintain a healthy career throughout.”
Troy Hudson |
