Author: David Shama

The University of Minnesota athletic department has mailed a new brochure regarding NCAA rules to thousands of boosters.  A booster is defined by multiple criteria in the brochure including financial contribution to the University. Among the many NCAA restrictions is that a booster can’t purchase a restaurant meal for an athlete or send a get well card.  “We continue to do all we can to educate our student-athletes, staff and boosters of NCAA rules and this brochure is another avenue,” athletic director Joel Maturi said via e-mail.  “I believe we printed 20,000 and will mail to season ticket holders, donors and all.”  

Joanne McCallie, who was the Michigan State women’s basketball head coach, left the Spartans last week to take over at Duke.  You wonder if former Clem Haskins Gopher assistant Al Brown, a women’s assistant at MSU, will follow McCallie to Duke.  Brown has worked as an assistant coach for men’s and women’s teams in both the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.  I don’t think anyone else can claim that on a resume. 

Among the local fighters to watch with interest is Minneapolis heavyweight Joey Abell who has 12 knockouts in 12 victories.   He fights Harvey Jolley of Detroit tonight at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.  The headline fight on the card is the featherweight match between Jason Litzau of St. Paul and Aldo Valtierra of Mexico City.  The bout will be televised by ESPN2.   

Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday Canterbury Park is offering a free informational seminar on racehorse ownership. The seminar focuses on forming a partnership, licensing, finding a trainer and claiming horses.  For more information, call Jeff Maday, 952-496-6437. 

The Mr./Miss Basketball begins at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Minneapolis Marriott West in St. Louis Park.  For more information, call 651-503-8881.  

The Minnesota North Stars, starting with the 1967-68 season, made the playoffs in five of their first seven years.   The Minnesota Wild has been in the playoffs twice in seven seasons. 

Hockey fan favorite Glen Sonmor wants to return as color commentator on Gopher radio broadcasts next season.  Sonmor said he works on a one year contract.

Today there are a lot of souls in this town who in their next lives probably hope to have a boss like Glen Taylor.  Angry fans and skeptical media aside, Kevin McHale told reporters and a local TV audience yesterday he is returning as the basketball boss of the Minnesota Timberwolves.   

Shaky personnel moves, fired coaches, bottom feeding finishes in the standings and three straight misses at the playoffs aren’t enough for either Taylor or McHale to make a change.  Taylor is loyal to McHale and has confidence in him, even though the Wolves finished with their worst regular season record since 1996.  And it’s not just team performance that is under performing because Taylor told Sports Headliners recently that the franchise will probably lose money this season. 

The team’s marketers are doing all they can to add and retain season ticket holders.  A team spokesman said the Wolves have sold 611 of the new $20 lower level season tickets.  A year ago yesterday new season ticket sales were at 37, he said.  The Wolves sold about 7,000 season tickets last season and hope to sell 7,000 to 8,000 for 2007-08.   

The Wolves are a tough sell right now.  A lot of season ticket holders are down on the team while others in the public are either so mad or apathetic they don’t want to talk Wolves.   

In a Target Center hallway yesterday, away from the media who had questioned his competency, McHale told Sports Headliners the news conference wasn’t emotionally difficult for him.  What’s been so painful, he said, is watching his team lose so many games in a season that began with playoff hopes (final record: 32-50).  

“I did a bad job.”  That was among McHale’s opening sentences at the news conference.  Throughout the session with reporters he offered no excuses, gave no spin and didn’t blame others in the front office.  Describing the season as a “disaster” and admitting the Wolves have experienced “three consecutive bad seasons,” McHale was blunt in his self-assessment. 

He and Taylor have talked about a time when there should be a change but they’ve decided it’s not now.  “Do I deserve (another) chance?” McHale asked.  “I don’t know.  I guess we’ll find out.” 

McHale and Taylor have worked together for more than 10 years.  He saw the Wolves improve during his first several years including consecutive playoff appearances from 1997-2004.  The 2004 team made the Western Conference finals. 

“I just don’t want to walk away when the team is in this stage,” McHale said.  “I would much rather walk away when the team in on better footing. …It has not worked out great here.  Some of the things we tried to do here in patch working did not work. …”

Taylor said last month the franchise drifted from its team oriented plan to more of a quick fix approach of if “we can get just one more player it will probably get us over the hump.”  

McHale said he is returning because he likes challenges.   He has a mega challenge with the Wolves who don’t have enough size, players who don’t play well together, too many major guaranteed contracts and too few No. 1 draft choices in the years ahead.   

Former Gopher Matt Spaeth, selected in December as the nation’s best college tight end, will be a third or fourth round pick in next week’s NFL draft, according to a former pro coach.  “He’s not going to be a first round pick,” the source said.  “He’s not a dynamic (tight end), not a real speed guy.  Solid (player) but not great.” 

Spaeth, winner of the John Mackey award in December, told Sports Headliners he “has no idea” where he will be drafted.  He doesn’t “read any of this Internet stuff, I don’t look at any of the articles in magazines. I don’t listen to anybody because you never know.”   

Spaeth said he feels “fortunate” to be a potential early round pick.  The first three rounds of the NFL draft are Saturday, April 28, with the additional rounds the next day.  

Spaeth is revered at the University.  He was a team leader who continued playing last season even with a severe shoulder injury. His blocking and pass catching helped the Gophers make a late season push to the Insight Bowl.  Well liked among coaches and players, Spaeth earned a degree in marketing in December and has interest in a sports marketing career. 

The shoulder injury is healed after slowing preparations earlier this year for the draft. The 6-foot-7, 265-pound Spaeth has had “visits” or workouts with four NFL teams.  One was the Vikings but he declined to name the others.  In preparation for the draft he’s been timed at 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash.  “I was happy with a 4.8 considering I hadn’t worked out in a long time and I had four weeks to prepare to work out,” he said.   

Spaeth said the suggestion hasn’t been made but he wouldn’t be against moving to another position such as offensive tackle. “If I was on a team that wanted me to do it and needed me to do it, yeah, sure,” he said.    

With his ability to make difficult catches and block, Spaeth will draw attention in the draft and he’s not particular what team chooses him. “You know what, I will play for anybody that wants me,” he said. “I have no real preference.  Obviously the Vikings, being a hometown kid, that would be fun but really any team I will play for.” 

Spaeth was all-Big Ten both his junior and senior seasons.  He was selected as the Gophers’ Most Valuable Player last season.  He is Minnesota’s all-time leader among tight ends in career receptions (109) and receiving yards (1,293), surpassing former Gopher Ben Utecht in both categories. He also ranks ninth all-time in career receiving touchdowns with 12.