Author: David Shama

Dean Dalton doesn’t think the Minnesota Vikings will draft Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn or recruit a free agent quarterback before going to training camp next summer.  The Vikings released veteran Brad Johnson earlier this week, leaving the team with 23-year- old Tarvaris Jackson and 27- year-old Brooks Bollinger as the team’s quarterbacks.  Combined Jackson and Bollinger have 18 regular season games of NFL experience. 

Dalton was an assistant coach with the Vikings for seven seasons, his last in 2005.   He continues to live in this area and is making an impressive reputation in the media business where his NFL assignments include writing about the league for ESPN and air time for FSN North and Sirius Satellite Radio.  He is following the upcoming college draft and free agency market with scrutiny and passion. 

There’s been speculation the Vikings will choose Quinn with their No. 7 pick in the first round.  He worked in a pro style system under quarterback guru and Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis.  Quinn is likely to be the second quarterback chosen in the draft after JaMarcus Russell of LSU. Oakland, with the first choice in the draft, may take Russell. 

Why won’t the Vikings take Quinn if he is available at No. 7?  “Because they invested up in the draft last year (trading two picks to get in position to draft Jackson). . . and they have a lot of confidence in him,” Dalton said in an interview with Sports Headliners on Monday.  “They have high expectations for him.  He has the skills and the intangibles I believe to fulfill them.  He’s just raw and needs time to develop.  Because of that investment and then the trade for Brooks Bollinger, I would suggest they won’t get a free agent quarterback, and they won’t go high profile (for a) Brady Quinn type.” 

Dalton said “there is a pretty big gap” after Russell and Quinn and the next group of quarterbacks available in the draft.  “I would look for them to get someone in that group (second tier) and have three young men in a very important role for this team at the quarterback spot going into training camp,” Dalton said.   

Dalton expects the Vikings to take a “conservative approach” in the free agency market.  He said the talent pool of free agents is without “marquee names” and lacks depth. He predicts the Vikings may try to fill needs, though, at wide receiver, defensive end and perhaps tight end.  In the draft Dalton thinks the Vikings “definitely” will look first for a pass rushing defensive end, with interest also in a wide receiver and inside linebacker. 

The Gopher basketball team ended its conference schedule Wednesday night with its eighth consecutive loss.  Minnesota’s Big Ten record, 3-13, was the same as the 2004 Gophers achieved.  Since World War II only the 1987 Gopher team with two conference wins produced fewer victories than the 2004 and 2007 teams, both of them Dan Monson products. 

Monson came to Minnesota as coach for the 1999-2000 season.  He accepted a contract buyout to leave the Gophers last fall, having produced four teams in nine seasons that finished in ninth place or lower in the conference standings.  Only once did Monson have a team that finished in the upper half of the standings.  The current team awaits today’s games involving Northwestern (2-13) and Penn State (2-13) to know its exact position in the final conference standings but ninth or lower is assured for the Gophers. 

Although Minnesota had finished in 10^th place in the conference in two of the previous three seasons and the 2006-2007 team had no full time starters returning, Monson, his staff and a program insider suggested the possibility of competing for the Big Ten title.  Here’s what Monson said in the team’s media guide released last fall: 

“I feel our program is in the best shape it’s been since I came here eight years ago.  We’ve established a base.  A coaching base, a recruiting base, we’ve put hundreds of thousands of dollars into our facilities, we’ve revamped our academic counseling unit.  …I feel really good about our Gopher basketball family.” 

The results on the floor were much different than expectations.  The Gophers, with a full list of deficiencies, were often no fun to watch.  Two of the troublesome areas were turnovers and scoring.  Ball handling and passing woes characterized this team literally to season’s end as the Gophers totaled 16 first half turnovers and 28 for the game in Wednesday’s 66-47 loss to Purdue.  Lawrence McKenzie, 15.3 points per game, Dan Coleman, 14.4,  and Spencer Tollackson, 11.9 scored about two-thirds of the team’s points (team average 61.3).  Often no one else seemed capable or interested in contributing. 

Not only did Monson leave during the season but so, too, did his junior college transfers, forward Engen Nurumbi and point guard Limar Wilson.  The departure of Wilson opens a scholarship for next season and the Gophers will pursue a physical junior college forward to add muscle in the front court.  Perhaps another player will leave the program and make a second scholarship available.  All the current players have at least one more year of eligibility. 

Attending Gopher basketball games in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s was extraordinary entertainment.  The house of pleasure often became a place of pain for consumers who watched Monson’s teams.  Fan and media apathy have increased dramatically and attendance declined but many fans have stayed supportive of the team.  On those occasions when the Gophers could excite the crowd this season, the fans screamed and hollered a bit like the old days. 

Give interim coach Jim Molinari credit for repeatedly thanking the fans and acknowledging their noise making at Williams Arena.   When the fans were on their feet, the band was playing the Rouser and the old building was rocking a little, the pain went away for a few moments.

All 2,100 dinner and program tickets for the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s Annual Celebration sold out in four days after going on sale February 22, according to UMAA president Denny Schulstad.  “Tickets for the program only at about $20 ($10 for students) are for sale at Northrop Ticket office,” Schulstad said via e-mail. “We expect to sell all 3,000 of those fairly soon.”  The event is May 8 at Mariucci Arena with the program starting at 7:30 p.m.  The speakers will be University alums Tony Dungy and Stan Freese. Ticket information: www.northrop.umn.edu or 612-624-2345.

Pioneer Press sports columnist Charley Walters has about 3,500 names and phone numbers to use as sources.

Viking coach Brad Childress talking about quarterback Brad Johnson, released earlier this week:  “Brad has been a true pro throughout his career and we wish him the best as he moves forward. Brad was an important part of the team and a guy who led by example on and off the field. He’s a class act and a guy younger players could learn a lot from about what it takes to play in the NFL.” 

Kevin Gorg, Fox Sports North hockey analyst, is picking Holy Angels to win the Class AA championship and St. Thomas Academy to win the Class A title at the boys high school hockey tournament that begins Wednesday.   

St. Cloud State is Gorg’s pick to win the Red Baron WCHA Final Five (March 15-17  at Xcel Energy Center) and move on to win the men’s NCAA championship.  “The Huskies have the best goalie in the country in Bobby Goepfert,” he said.  Is there a possible surprise team in the WCHA tournament?  Gorg suggests Wisconsin could be that team. 

Single game tickets for the Final Five go on sale Monday at 10 a.m.  Tickets can be purchased at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, Ticketmaster locations, charge by telephone at 651- 989-5151 or online at ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone using Ticketmaster TDD/TTY, call: 800-359-2525.