Author: David Shama

David Shama is a former sports editor and columnist with local publications. His writing and reporting experiences include covering the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Gophers. Shama’s career experiences also include sports marketing. He is the former Marketing Director of the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. He is also the former Marketing Director of the United States Tennis Association’s Northern Section. A native of Minneapolis, Shama has been part of the community his entire life. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he majored in journalism. He also has a Master’s degree in education from the University of St. Thomas. He was a member of the Governor’s NBA’s Task Force to help create interest in bringing pro basketball to town in the 1980s.

Why Gophers & Chet Holmgren Can Fit

Posted on February 15, 2021 by David Shama

There was speculation on social media and elsewhere last week that Minnehaha Academy 7-footer Chet Holmgren, the nation’s most coveted prep player in the class of 2021, will announce his college choice within days. However, a source close to Holmgren texted this message yesterday, “No announcement.”

Holmgren’s list of seven schools he is considering hasn’t publicly changed for months but Gonzaga is thought to be the favorite as the college destination for the versatile superstar. The Zags are the nation’s No. 1 team and a pedigree program with star power including point guard Jalen Suggs, a former teammate of Holmgren’s at the Academy. Suggs, though, won’t be in Spokane next season after becoming one of the early selections in the NBA Draft.

The schools on Holmgren’s list of seven announced last year are Georgetown, Gonzaga, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio State.

The Gophers? Their chances are probably similar to a Minnesota snowman not melting in April. Decades of mediocrity, troubled coaching tenures, inability to attract the state’s best prep players and fan apathy are “warts” on the maroon and gold sales pitch.

But that’s not to say it makes no sense for Holmgren not to play for the hometown team. Signing on with the Gophers could push several of the right buttons for the program and the player.

Watching Holmgren on the court makes an observer think twice about what he is seeing. Holmgren is so graceful and fluid he moves like a player six inches shorter. He dribbles with the skill of a guard, able to smoothly slash toward the basket and dunk the ball. He makes three-point shots but can also score inside using efficient footwork and moves. An unselfish talent, he is quick to find teammates with his passes, including outlet passes to start the fast break. His height, long arms and athleticism make him a frequent and intimidating shot blocker.

NBA mock drafts for 2022 project Holmgren as the first player to be chosen in a class of talented prospects. Partially for the similarity in mobility and versatility, Holmgren is compared with Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis. He was the NBA’s first overall draft choice out of Kentucky in 2012.

Attributes the teenage Holmgren doesn’t have yet are bulk and exceptional strength. At maybe 200 pounds, his frame is thin. Time and a college weight room will make a difference. Next season he could benefit from playing with Minnesota center Liam Robbins.

Robbins, a 7-foot, 235-pound transfer from Drake, is established now as one of the Big Ten’s better bigs. Holmgren, probably playing at power forward, needs a physical sidekick like Robbins who already has three seasons of college experience. Robbins can lessen some of the stress and pounding on Holmgren from opponents by using his size and strength, while helping with rebounding, shot blocking and scoring. A versatile scorer, Robbins can move outside the lane on occasion and allow Holmgren to post up.

Holmgren wants a college program that will enhance his readiness for the NBA. With the Gophers, the offense figures to run through him. Even if junior point guard Marcus Carr doesn’t pursue the pros, Holmgren’s presence, skills and versatility dictate him dominating the ball to run the offense. Holmgren will have constant opportunities in all kinds of situations to advance his game.

No collegiate league is more physical than the Big Ten and Holmgren needs that experience as he preps for the pros. That’s certainly a selling point for the Gophers when compared with Gonzaga. The Zags play in the ho-hum West Coast Conference that can’t come close to matching the Big Ten in physicality and quality teams.

There’s been talk of Holmgren playing after high school in the NBA’s developmental league. The G League, with older and more physical players, might be more of a jump than is prudent for him. While considering the pay-for-play G League, word is Holmgren is leaning toward college for next season.

A decision to become a Gopher changes both the reality and perception of basketball at the University of Minnesota. Coach Richard Pitino’s job status becomes more secure, the team is labeled at least a dark horse favorite to win the Big Ten next winter, and (pandemic allowing) Williams Arena is jumping with frenzied fans and sellout crowds.

Holmgren could play on the same floor as his dad, former Gopher David Holmgren who was a reserve in the 1980s. Dad and other family and friends could easily drive to Chet’s games, not having to constantly arrange out of state travel like they would if he chooses Gonzaga or other programs on his list.

If Holmgren takes up residency near Dinkytown, he will in one season establish himself as one of the program’s more revered players ever. Playing the loyalty card and choosing the hometown team will be remembered in a better way by Minnesotans than if he joins the parade of local prep stars that have opted for other places. Relationships count for a lot and if Holmgren unfortunately saw his pro earnings cut short by injury or illness, he might one day be more than grateful he played for the Gophers.

National Signing Day is April 14 and Holmgren can make his college choice official then if he wants. Just about that time in April three years ago Minneapolis received over a foot of snow—and snowmen were “alive and well!”

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Polanco Approved Twins Shortstop Deal

Posted on February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 by David Shama

Acquiring new starting shortstop Andrelton Simmons shakes up the Minnesota Twins infield, moving incumbents Jorge Polanco and Luis Arraez to other roles, but both players approved the free agent signing of Simmons before the deal was completed.

Thad Levine, the Twins general manager, told Sports Headliners that manager Rocco Baldelli received buy-in from Polanco and Arraez prior to bringing the Gold Glove winning Simmons to Minnesota. “That’s just the way he manages this team,” Levine said. “He is very transparent. He’s very communicative and he’s very upfront. The response from those guys was resoundingly positive. … I think they both felt they could learn a lot from Andrelton.”

During a nine-year career, Simmons has won four Rawlings Gold Glove Awards as a shortstop (2013 and 2014 with the Atlanta Braves, 2017 and 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels). He has also earned six Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019).

Simmons is the 11th player to win four-or-more Gold Gloves as a shortstop, and is one of only two at the position to win multiple Gold Gloves in both the American and National Leagues (joining Omar Vizquel). Since 2012, he leads all players in defensive runs saved (191).

Dave St. Peter, the Twins president, said improving the club’s defense was an offseason goal and targeting Simmons was part of the plan. “He’s a very special player, elite defender,” St. Peter told Sports Headliners. “Best shortstop in the game by every measure. So the idea of enhancing our defense has always been a target. There were multiple ways we could have done that but Simmons was always a guy that was in that conversation from the start of the offseason.”

On some clubs moving personnel around to make room for a new starter might not be well received, but in two years as Twins manager Baldelli has established a positive culture emphasizing a team approach. The 39-year-old skipper has teammates thinking about what’s best for the club, while knowing he will give everyone on the roster opportunities to contribute.

For Polanco that means after playing nearly 500 games at short for the Twins he is taking Arraez’s spot at second base as the team heads into spring training this month in Fort Myers. It looks like Arraez, after two seasons at second, becomes the club’s No.1 utility player seeing time at various positions. He will help fill the gap in replacing two utility players from last season, Ehire Adrianza and Marwin Gonzalez. Arraez has hit .331 and .324 in his first two seasons with Minnesota while seeing time not only at second but also in the outfield, third base and short.

“I think Rocco’s intent is to give Jorge Polanco every opportunity to play second base,” Levine said. “I think what we’ve seen the last couple years is how he has used (utility) guys…Luis Arraez is going to get ample opportunity to contribute and play. At what position has yet to be determined. I think we’ll be challenging him throughout spring training to enhance his comfort zone plying some other spots so that he can spell a bunch of guys and keep everybody fresh.”

Polanco struggled last season, at least partially because of an injured ankle. In the field his lateral quickness appeared diminished and throughout his MLB career his throws to first base have been inconsistent. His offensive production in 2020, including a .258 average, was off from past performance.

Polanco comes to spring training with two ankle surgeries behind him, with the most recent coming last fall. “I think he was meaningfully limited last year,” Levine said. “He is one of those players who plays through pain and never complains but I do think it really impacted him, especially at the plate last year. Also, with his lateral quickness. So he is in great shape right now and that is terrific news for the Minnesota Twins.”

Dave St. Peter (photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

St. Peter said Polanco, who hit .295 with 22 home runs in 2019 and once was rated by Baseball America as the best defensive infielder in the Twins minor league system, was dedicated in his offseason rehab. “He’s all in. He’s committed to putting in the work. We know what he can do offensively. I think a lot of it for him is going to be try to stay healthy. …”

With Simmons coming to the Twins on a one-year deal, the club has added an elite defender to match center fielder Byron Buxton. Buxton has won the club’s Defensive Player of the Year award four times. Last season he had a 1.000 fielding percentage (105 total chances) in 39 games (35 starts) in center field. His 11 defensive runs saved ranked second among major league outfielders and tied for fourth among all players (minimum of 300 innings played).

St. Peter considers catchers Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers “above average defenders.” Garver could be the regular catcher if he can revive his offensive numbers that nosedived in 2020 (hitting .167 after batting .273 with 31 homers in 2019). His reputation has been that of an offensive catcher.

“Oh, we think he is an above average receiver,” Levine said. “He’s done a tremendous job framing pitches. He’s always had the good arm so I think he’s really rounding into being a really solid defender.”

Being fortified with stingy defenders “up the middle” (catcher, short, second and center field) has forever been the gold standard for baseball teams. The Twins think they may have arrived. “We feel we have as strong a unit up the middle as anybody in the American League,” Levine said.

The club has made other offseason moves, re-signing key slugger and DH Nelson Cruz and adding pitching. St. Peter can offer no guarantees or predictions but his optimism about 2021 is evident.

“It’s an exciting time to be a Twins fan because I think you’ve got a club that is going to be amongst the better teams in the American League on paper,” St. Peter said. “And we’ll go to spring training with high hopes to…find a way to advance in the postseason and ultimately compete for a world championship.”

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Tom Brady Instincts Impress Bud Grant

Posted on February 8, 2021February 8, 2021 by David Shama

Tom Brady, 43, has been the quarterback on seven Super Bowl winning teams including last night when he helped lead the Tampa Bay Bucs to a 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. After the game he was given the Super Bowl MVP Award for the fifth time. “In our lifetime we’re not going to see anybody even close to him record wise,” Bud Grant told Sports Headliners during an interview this morning.

While setting NFL player records Sunday night for most Super Bowls won and Super Bowl MVP awards won, Brady completed 21 of 29 attempts (72.4 percent) for 201 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, a 125.8 passer rating. He also built on his Super Bowl records for the most career completions (277), passing yards (3,039) and passing touchdowns (21).

Grant, the former Minnesota Vikings coach who took four teams to Super Bowls in the 1970s, used to ask scouts about the instincts of players they were evaluating. The scouts spoke about the measurables of players like size and speed but Grant wanted to know more.

“I said, ‘No, instinct is not measured. It is observed.’ All the great players have good instincts. His instincts (Brady’s) are as good as anybody. He doesn’t make many mistakes. Even those jump balls that he throws, they’re pretty darn close to being right on the money. …His instincts tell him who to throw to, where to throw, when to throw.”

Bud Grant (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings.)

When Grant coached he spoke of durability. One player might sprain an ankle and be sidelined for weeks, while another could be ready for next Sunday. Grant looks at Brady and sees a great quarterback who has been able to avoid injuries.

“One of the main things (about Brady’s success) is he’s durable,” Grant said. “He takes a few hits, not a lot. He gets rid of the ball quick. He’s like (Aaron) Rodgers. Those guys, as soon as the ball is snapped they know where they are going with the ball and they don’t get caught with the ball.”

While Brady generated a lot of attention last night, Grant said it was the Bucs’ defense that won the game. That unit contained Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who Grant compares with Vikings Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. Mahomes, now, and Tarkenton in the 1970s when he quarterbacked for Grant, are two of the most entertaining escape artists in NFL history. The Bucs sometimes made Mahomes scramble for 20 yards and not have much to show for it. “The best team won, there’s no question about that,” Grant said.

Going into the game he didn’t realize how outstanding a team the Bucs, who came on strong late in the season and during the playoffs, really are. “I don’t watch that much football. I can’t sit there for three hours, or six hours on Sunday, and watch all those games. I’ve got other things to do. But I watch enough football and I enjoy it. …”

The beloved Hall of Fame coach, now 93 and healthy, has a large family of children and grand kids living within about 30 minutes of his Twin Cities residence. The pandemic has sidelined his legendary passion for hunting and fishing. Sometimes his outdoors companion is son Mike Grant, the Eden Prairie football coach. “We haven’t planned anything, only because COVID limits your options,” Mike said.

Worth Noting

Grant sizing up the entertainment value of last night’s big game: “It wasn’t a very good game to watch from a spectator standpoint. There weren’t a lot of big plays. …It’s probably going to be forgotten pretty quick, that game yesterday.”

Bob Hagan, the Vikings vice president of football and media communications, didn’t work the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years. He has been part of NFL PR staffers from around the league servicing the media in the past, but the pandemic dramatically reduced credentialed media covering the 2021 Super Bowl.

Chiefs linebacker Damien Wilson, and wide receiver Tyler Johnson and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. from the Bucs, were Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys Gophers recruits. Wilson wasn’t even ranked by 247Sports coming out of high school and came to Minnesota from junior college. Johnson and Winfield were 247Sports three-star players as preps.

Dan O’Brien said son Casey O’Brien starts work this week in a support position for RBC Wealth Management in downtown Minneapolis. The inspirational Casey, a former holder on the Gopher football team, earned his degree in finance at Minnesota in December. He completed his course work in 3.5 years while also playing football and fighting cancer (his Twitter page identifies him as a five-time cancer survivor). “He’s nine months cancer free right now,” Dan said.

Dan’s last day as athletic director at St. Thomas Academy will be April 2. He has accepted a position with Hays Financial Group in Minneapolis but will continue coaching football at St. Thomas. The former Gophers coach is grateful for the opportunity to continue in that role. “This fit right into their (Hays) philosophy of giving back to the community,” he said.

Garrison Solliday, the Mr. Football finalist from St. Thomas Academy, has preferred walk-on offers from Duke and Wisconsin, and is likely to play inside or outside linebacker in college. Danny McFadden, the Academy running back, has accepted a preferred walk-on invite to Stanford.

Word is Chet Holmgren, the Minnehaha Academy superstar who could be the No. 1 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, will consider joining the pay-for-play G League team for elite prospects, but is leaning toward college next fall. Holmgren’s list of potential college programs still includes the Gophers. The programs in contention for the nation’s No. 1 prep prospect are: Georgetown, Gonzaga, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio State.

In yesterday’s 247Sports composite team rankings for 2021 recruiting, Wisconsin at No. 15 in the country led all Big Ten West football programs. The Badgers’ group of 21 recruits features one five-star offensive lineman and two four-star O-line prospects including Riley Mahlman from Lakeville South. Nebraska at No. 20 and Iowa, No. 23, are closest behind the Badgers, with Minnesota next at No. 37.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who because of COVID-19 protocol hasn’t played in a game since January 13, might return tonight in the Timberwolves’ home game with the Dallas Mavericks.

Fan criticism of Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino is intensifying after three consecutive losses and a 0-6 road record. Pitino, now in his eighth season at Minnesota, has coached one team with a winning regular season Big Ten record.

A pessimistic reader asked if Minnesota can earn its way into the NCAA Tournament with a 14-12 regular season record. Highly unlikely. The Gophers, 11-7 right now, would probably need to win two games in the Big Ten Tournament to qualify for “March Madness.”

MLB.com didn’t include Twins minor leaguer Jhoan Duran in its top 100 MLB prospects listing but sees him as the organization’s player most likely to break through. A summary last Thursday said the right hander’s fast ball approaches 100 miles per hour and that Duran throws a “nasty splitter/sinker hybrid” that can get big leaguers out.

The Twins are hoping to play in front of fans this spring for more than the franchise’s direct benefit. Customers at Target Field could help revitalize downtown businesses.

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