Author: David Shama

University athletic director Joel Maturi, a Notre Dame alum, tried but the Fighting Irish said no to being the Gophers’ first opponent in the new Minnesota on-campus football stadium in 2009.  Maturi said California, a program on the rise lately, may be the opponent.  The Golden Bears host Minnesota this year on September 9 in Berkeley and are considered a top 20 team, if not top 10, under coach Jeff Tedford who revived a program that for years rivaled the Gophers for futility. 

Surprisingly, Minnesota’s first game in 2009 will be on the road, not in the new stadium that won legislative approval earlier this year.  “We agreed (with State Fair officials) that the first game ever on campus would not be the same weekend of the state fair,” Maturi explained.  “And it makes a lot of sense because the traffic will be crazy.  We won’t know what to do with it.  I think after a year of the state fair and after a year of home football we will know that we can play a game during the state fair.  People will know where they are going.  Where their parking places will be.” 

Fans will be encouraged to park on the state fair grounds and then shuttled to the new stadium.  The inaugural game will be played on September 12. 

Maturi said Minnesota’s total public season ticket sales for football have been the lowest in the Big Ten Conference but news of the on-campus stadium has created additional interest.  He said about 3,000 new public season tickets have been sold.   Combined with other ticket sales including student season tickets (about 10,000 in the past), Maturi is hoping for average attendance of 50,000 in the Metrodome this year. 

The new stadium will have a capacity of 50,000, but expandable to 80,000.  The Gophers are hoping to create demand in a smaller stadium, encouraging people to buy season tickets instead of waiting to purchase single game seats, or not buying at all.   

There is some talk that if the dome is renovated, or torn down so a new stadium can be built on the site, the Vikings might play a couple of seasons in the Gopher facility.   “I think we could do something that would make it (the stadium) low 60’s (60,000 plus capacity) without doing it significantly differently, and that would help the Vikings,” Maturi said.

A visitor standing near the Twins’ clubhouse at the dome saw outfielder Michael Cuddyer, wearing tennis shoes, approach Tony Oliva.  Cuddyer showed Oliva a long screwdriver and the former Twins batting champ examined it.  Then the visitor and Oliva watched Cuddyer, who enjoys entertaining with magic tricks, push the screwdriver through the front of his shoe.  This was followed by grins, amazement and no explanations. 

Joe Mauer talking about his hitting success: “Just being patient and waiting for a pitch I can handle instead of trying to hit something the pitcher wants me to hit.  Just hit the ball hard somewhere.   Just stay balanced.” 

Twins outfielder Josh Rabe, 27, called up to the major leagues after a minor league career that began in 2000, said he was earning $3,300.00 a month on a five month basis.  He now earns the major league minimum salary of $327,000.00. 

Gopher safety Dom Barber stays close to older brother Marion who is entering his second season playing for the Dallas Cowboys.  What’s Dom heard about legendary coach Bill Parcells?  “He’s a great guy,” Dom said. “He’s a tough guy.  Either he likes you or he really doesn’t like you.  You just try to stay on his good side.  If he wants a cup of water you bring him two.”    

Glen Mason’s summer included golfing at Interlachen Country Club where he plays with former Minnesota North Stars president Lou Nanne.  The Gopher football coach said he has an 11 handicap.  

Former Gopher football great Bob McNamara celebrated his 75^th birthday on August 11.  McNamara is a fundraising consultant on the new football stadium for the University of Minnesota.  

Tom Metzen, born and raised in South St. Paul and now living in Inver Grove Heights, was inducted into the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame last Saturday, just four days after his 68^th birthday.  A leader in bringing horseracing to Minnesota over 20 years ago, Metzen is a former vice chairman of the Minnesota Racing Commission. 

Wally’s Choice suffered a leg injury recently and will not race again until 2007. With over $427,000 in career earnings, he is closing in on Blair’s Cove’s all-time record of $533,528 for Minnesota bred race horses.   He is owned by Wally and Joyce McNeil, and Canterbury Park Board Chairman Curtis Sampson.  Wally is “Wally the Beerman.”