Author: David Shama

About two hours before kickoff on Monday the Vikings were still selling tickets at the Metrodome for their game with New England.  The team later announced a sellout of 63,819.   

A ticket seller on the street near the dome said tickets in the lower level for Saturday’s Minnesota-Indiana game will be available for $10 each.  

Warren Moon, honored at the New England game for being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year, was the first African American quarterback to be inducted.  The former Viking is also the first NFL undrafted quarterback to be inducted and the first player to be in both the Canadian and American football halls of fame. 

Matt Birk’s Viking teammates have voted him as the 2006 recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award. The award exemplifies commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.  Each NFL team selects an annual recipient.  Vikings who won the award while playing for other teams are: Tony Richardson (2001 Kansas City), Pat Williams (2003 Buffalo), Fred Smoot (2003  Washington) and Tank Williams (2005 Tennessee). 

New England tight end David Thomas talking about first impressions last summer of teammate and former Gopher running back Laurence Maroney:  “You could see how athletic he is. He’s so quick once he has the ball in his hands. He has got the speed to take it the distance. He’s getting better every day. He’s just working hard and trying to learn.” 

Matt Spaeth, who despite a bruised shoulder may play against Indiana Saturday, needs only 44 yards to pass Ben Utecht as the Gophers’ all-time leader in receptions for a tight end. 

Minnesota Wild wives Nicholle Parrish, Jen Rolston, Jessica Schultz and Sarah White will present their husbands’ favorite dessert recipes at The Sugar Association’s Celebrity Bake Sale and Live Auction to benefit Toys for Tots at the Mall of America East Rotunda from 1 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 5. 

Whitney Taney, who finished her high school career last week with a third state singles title and record of 166-0, will focus on building strength and conditioning in the months ahead, according to her father, Ted.  The Edina super star will play in national United States Tennis Association tournaments but not in local USTA tournaments. 

That was sportscaster Randy Shaver’s son, Ryan, who scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery last week in Benilde-St. Margaret’s playoff win over Columbia Heights.  Ryan, a junior, is a defensive end and offensive guard.

You wonder if Glen Mason will coach the first game in the on-campus stadium scheduled to open in 2009.  Mason has been an advocate for returning the Gophers to campus but there’s such a storm of criticism directed at him now that despite a five-year contract his future at Minnesota is speculative. 

Letters to the Star Tribune and talk show comments call for his dismissal and so, too, does a fire Mason Web site.  The home game atmosphere includes chants of “fire Mason” from the student section.  Long time fans are complaining and even former star running back Laurence Maroney criticized Mason in the Star Tribune for not making better use of his talent. 

If the Gophers lose their remaining games this fall, the team will finish 0-8 in the Big Ten Conference.  Any mix of wins and losses against Indiana and Iowa at home, and at Michigan State, is possible.  Could a 0-3 finish push the University to make a coaching change? 

Here’s the essence of what’s going on: there are always fans and media constantly complaining and second guessing.  That audience has been “shooting” at Gopher football since before Mason arrived in 1997.  What’s new is that now there is a larger constituency questioning and opposing Mason.  The tipping point, if it comes, will be if the University sees “a total lack of support in the community,” according to a prominent alum.  “The public at large becomes so pissed off (and) the old time loyalists who want to see the good side of things, not the bad, are not supportive.  That will turn it (the Mason situation).” 

The result of losing “the silent majority” and loyalists will be troublesome for the University as its goes about raising the mega dollars it needs for the new $248.5 million stadium.  With state legislative approval to provide funding for the stadium came a promise from the University to provide 45% of the funding. 

Mason is a good person who was hired because of his character and some turn around success he had coaching at Kent State and Kansas.  His reputation has long been that of a “straight arrow,” a coach who doesn’t pay players or knowingly violate other NCAA rules.  He once told me he couldn’t look his son in the eye if he were cheating.   

The University negotiated a new contract with Mason after last season and gave him a pay raise.  This was a reward for improving the on-field performance of Gopher football from the days of coach Jim Wacker.  It was also a reward for running a program that doesn’t violate NCAA rules, cares about the well being of the players and encourages academics. 

Now in his 10^th season as coach at Minnesota, Mason still talks of building a program.  Many followers don’t want to hear that.  Not when your best season was three years ago at 10-3 and you finished fourth in the Big Ten.  Not when the conference finishes in 2005 and 2004 were seventh and eighth.  Not when you appear headed toward a finish in last place in the Big Ten this year and have a career record in the conference of 29 wins, 51 losses.

The talent level of the 2006 Gophers doesn’t measure up to the most recent teams.  Close followers of the team look at the roster, even among the young players, and wonder whether the talent will be any better next season.  Recruiting commitments for 2007 are mostly Minnesota high school kids and only the most irrational Gopher patron will argue you can build a team almost exclusively with in-state players. 

Whether it’s winning the remaining games or recruiting, Mason’s challenges will be the envy of no one in the coaching business.  Sooner or later both will determine whether he coaches in the new stadium.

Guard Randy Foye, the Wolves’ No. 1 draft choice, has been stirring talk since last summer that he will win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award (voted on by media).  It’s a nice thought but neither Foye nor assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg is focusing on it. 

Foye admirers thought he was the best rookie among the players in the NBA’s Las Vegas summer league.  He won MVP honors averaging 24.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. 

In the pre-season his numbers have been different.  He averaged 7.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and less than 1 assist per game. 

Both Foye and Hoiberg talked about how much more Foye had the ball in summer games and how the games revolved around him.  Going back to college and high school, Foye has been a focal player on his teams.  “I’ve always been the guy who makes the big decisions on the floor,” Foye said. 

“In the summer all the plays ran through him,” Hoiberg said.  “Now that he’s in the regular season, it’s not going to happen his rookie year.  The team will play through Kevin Garnett, Mike James and Ricky Davis.  I think it’s been a little tough on him.  Probably for the first time in his life he’s not a featured player, but he’s handled it great.  He’s always asking for advice. …He’s going to be a special player in this league because of his willingness to learn.” 

Foye said winning the Rookie of the Year award would “mean a lot” to him but team success has more appeal.  Given a choice, he would rather the Wolves be in the playoffs than be Rookie of the Year.

Variables such as playing time will determine performance and numbers for rookies who will be in the mix for the award.  An outstanding rookie on a bad team is likely to play more minutes and build his stats.  “We’re trying to get back into the playoffs,” Hoiberg said. “He (Foye) will be a big part of that.  Let the awards take care of themselves.  He will play a major role on our team.”

Foye expects to be used both at point guard and shooting guard.  The coaches, he said, like his ability to “explode” to the hoop from the point guard position and his size (about 6-3, 207) as a big defender. 

While comparisons have been made between Foye and Miami star Dwayne Wade, Foye compares himself to former Timberwolf and Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups.  Like Billups, Foye said he is a leader who gets teammates involved, makes heady decisions and takes big shots. 

Who does he like among the Rookie of the Year candidates?  Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Memphis’ Rudy Gay and Chicago’s Tyrus Thomas.  Oh, and a guy in Minneapolis named Randy Foye.