Author: David Shama

The Gopher hockey team, No. 1 in the nation and working on a school record 22 consecutive wins, will see its streak end soon, according to coach Don Lucia.  The Gophers are in first place in the WCHA with an 11-0-3 record, 19-0-3 overall, despite working their way through injuries.

Lucia said on WCCO Radio Sunday night the Gophers are looking at a difficult schedule the next several weeks including games against Wisconsin in Madison this weekend. “I think the big thing right now is we can’t have any more injuries. …We want to try and get as many points as we can. … Obviously we have put ourselves in great position for home ice and probably in the top three in the league. … The next four weeks with Wisconsin, Denver, North Dakota and going up to Alaska before the week off is going to be a critical stretch and we’re going to lose some games in there.  We know that.  If we can just continue to get points every weekend we’ll be in good shape.” 

The Gophers were able to win 5-1 over Minnesota State Mankato on Friday, overcoming injury and the absence of five players who were in Sweden for the World Junior Championship.  Those players returned for Sunday’s 1-0 win, following a 20 hour or so flight.   

With a young team that includes freshmen playing key roles, it will be interesting to see how the Gophers perform from now through February 3 when they will play their last game against Alaska Anchorage before having the next weekend off.  The Gophers host Denver, now in second place in the WCHA, on January 19 and 20.   

The team’s two leaders in goals scored are freshmen, Kyle Okposo with 15 goals and Jay Barriball with 12. Defenseman Erik Johnson, the No. 1 draft choice in the NHL draft last year, is also part of the heralded freshmen group.  Any freshman who can score more than 10 goals in the WCHA is having an exceptional season.

The Gophers have been ranked among the nation’s top 10 teams 45 of the last 46 weeks. Minnesota has been ranked No. 1 for nine weeks this season.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners via e-mail the Twins have sold about 2,000 new season tickets for 2007, already exceeding the number of new season tickets sold for the 2006 season.  He predicts the Twins will sell over 10,000 season tickets, perhaps an increase of 2,500 over 2006.  He expects a season ticket renewal rate of over 90% .  St. Peter attributes increased interest to the team’s on-field performance and new ball park scheduled to open in 2010.  (Season tickets are tickets purchased for the entire season, or partial season ticket packages combined together to count for season tickets). 

TwinsFest will be January 26-28 at the Metrodome and “50 current, former and future players” will attend to meet the public, according to the Twins Web site. Although subject to change, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are among the players scheduled. TwinsFest will be the first opportunity for fans to purchase single game tickets. Tickets to the event can be purchased via the Twins web site. TwinsFest generates revenues for the Twins Community Fund. 

A New York Times article predicts that former Twin Doug Mientkiewicz, recently signed to a one year contract with the Yankees, will play first base, allowing slugger Jason Giambi to become a designated hitter.  Mientkiewicz, who played for the Red Sox, Mets and Royals since leaving the Twins, won a Gold Glove in 2001 with Minnesota.  The Yankees are excited about what he can bring defensively to the team. 

Coach Mo Forte, a former Gopher player and assistant coach whose Arkansas at Pine Bluff team competed against Tarvaris Jackson when Jackson was in college, thinks the Vikings future quarterback is “going to be good.”  He described Jackson as a “tremendous athlete” who will benefit from more game experience, film work and coaching.

Sporting News speculates that if Southern California football coach Pete Carroll, a former Viking assistant coach, leaves for the NFL his replacement could be Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio, the former Southern Cal and Viking player.

The University of Minnesota’s wish list of candidates for the football job probably has Tony Dungy’s name at the top.  For years people close to the athletic department have whispered Dungy’s name and suggested the former Gopher quarterback would be the ideal person to lead the football program. 

As coach of the Indianapolis Colts he has an annual playoff contender.  Before coming to Indy, he built a great defense in Tampa Bay as head coach and later the Bucs won the Super Bowl under coach Jon Gruden.  Prior to Tampa Bay, his reputation as Vikings’ defensive coordinator made him arguably the best assistant coach in franchise history. 

At 51, Dungy has 11 years of head coaching experience in the NFL.  He is known as a quiet leader whose charisma can take over a room.  Raised in a family of educators, Dungy is admired for both his personal and professional values.  His coaching resume, outlook on life and ties to Minnesota make him the easiest of candidates to wish for in the Gopher coaching search. 

Dungy has made his affection for the University known. He came back here last year to help with the legislative push for the new on-campus stadium.  He will be the featured speaker at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s annual celebration event on Tuesday, May 8 at Mariucci Arena. 

Reality, however, seems to be that Dungy doesn’t consider himself a college coach after all these years in the NFL.  He said as much earlier this week and in typical Dungy graciousness added he was flattered to be mentioned, according to the Star Tribune. 

Did he absolutely mean what he said?  His brother Linden, who lives in the metro area, and two of his friends from this area said they don’t believe Dungy is interested in the Gophers. 

Linden said he hasn’t spoken to his brother since the Gopher job opened up earlier this week but he would be “surprised” if Tony expressed interest. “From my opinion they (any contacts) would not be initiated by my brother,” he said.  “When I look at him at (age) 51 and being in the NFL for 26 years.  …I don’t see him going in that direction (college coaching).” 

Linden added that Tony has a contract with the Colts, “always has honored his contracts,” and likes his routine and what he is doing in Indianapolis.  Linden said, too, that when Dungy was a Viking assistant coach the possibility of coaching the Gophers came up and his brother wasn’t interested at that time.  

John Williams, a Gopher on the 1967 Big Ten championship team, played for the Los Angeles Rams when Dungy was a Pittsburgh Steeler defensive back.  “I think it’s wishful thinking (Dungy as Gopher coach),” Williams said.  “Minnesota is his alma mater but would he want to leave one of the better NFL jobs, take a step down and not know what he is getting into?”

Charles Sims is a former Gopher basketball player who developed a friendship with Dungy while the two were in school here in the mid-1970s.  He doubts Dungy would have interest but mentioned that an extraordinary compensation package (Alabama lured Nick Saban with a reported guaranteed $32 million package) might get his friend’s attention.   

“I don’t think so,” Sims said. “Why would he be (interested)?  He has it made with the Colts.  How much is the University willing to pay?  If Saban type money, maybe.” 

Dungy is originally from Jackson, Michigan and with his background and name recognition Sims thinks his close friend would be outstanding at Minnesota. “I do think Tony would be a great coach,” Sims said. “He could get (recruit) kids in Michigan and Ohio.” 

Williams said coaching makes a difference, referencing a school like Boise State that doesn’t have the high school all-Americans that populate the rosters of big name college programs but yet found success against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.  “You don’t have to get the rivals.com all-Americans,” Williams said.  “That’s where the coaching comes in.”