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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.

Sid Hartman Thought We Were Rivals

Posted on October 19, 2020October 23, 2020 by David Shama

 

I lost a boyhood hero, and later a sports writing rival with the death yesterday of Sid Hartman. Sid played a role in my life, particularly while growing up and since 2006 when I started writing this blog.

Sid was as competitive as any athlete he covered. He wanted the scoop and didn’t welcome competition. After I launched my blog 14 years ago, he reacted on “The Sports Show” and said: “Dave Shama is on the Internet.”

I think TV show colleagues Mike Max, Dark Star and Patrick Reusse either scratched their heads, or let out a collective yawn upon hearing the pronouncement.

Sid first knew me when I was a columnist and sports editor for the University of Minnesota Daily in the late 1960s. Inspired by him, I wrote a well-read notes column followed on campus and downtown at the Minneapolis Tribune. In 2006 Sid didn’t know much about the Internet, but he figured I offered unwelcome competition in the hunt for Minnesota sports news.

For several years after I started my column, Sid would spot me among a group of sportswriters and needled with this greeting: “Nobody reads you.”

Eric Eskola, Sid Hartman, Dave Mona at WCCO

Well, that wasn’t quite true but I certainly didn’t have the mighty platforms of Sid’s Star Tribune and WCCO Radio. As a young man from north Minneapolis, he grew up poor, didn’t attend college, and yet battled his way into positions of authority with Minneapolis newspapers in the 1940s and on the radio station starting in the 1950s. I can never remember a time when he wasn’t reporting and offering opinion on both media outlets.

As a kid I often read “Sid Hartman’s Roundup” before anything else in the Tribune. Back then his column included business scoops. I didn’t quite understand that but later learned he made a lot of money in real estate. While the business blurbs didn’t do much for me, I loved the items in his column and the many head photos of various newsmakers.

When I started my column at the Daily, guess who used head shots just like the guy downtown? Sometimes those little photos got away from proof readers like the time a white Gopher football player was identified as Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). But my column was a success and toward graduation from the U, Sid hinted there might be a position for me at the Tribune.

While working for the Daily, I once wrote something that irritated Sid. Soon after I received an unexpected telephone call at home from Sid voicing his displeasure. He was a master at pursuing people by phone or in-person. Long ago he was in the New York Jets locker room with other reporters waiting for star quarterback Joe Namath to appear. Finally, an exasperated Sid went in the showers where the water was running, and Namath was hiding, and did an interview!

It was a compliment for Sid to inquire about my post-graduation plans. Truth was I didn’t know whether to pursue a career in journalism or business, so I didn’t follow up on a couple of “feelers” from the Tribune. A few years later I was sports editor of the suburban St. Paul Sun Newspapers group, and scooped Sid when I cited sources predicting the ouster of Murray Warmath as Gopher football coach about 12 months before it happened.  Five years ago I was the first to interview Vikings legend Bud Grant  and write about his dangerous landing in a small airplane when the wheels malfunctioned.

I came to learn Sid didn’t direct praise to me and a lot of others all that often. But it sure makes it easier to remember those rare moments. I will forever recall a kindness he directed my way after an ownership change at the Minnesota North Stars in 1990. I was dismissed from my marketing position and Sid said to his listening audience on WCCO, “If you want to hire a great young man, hire Dave Shama.”

A colleague of mine with the North Stars once sat in the Met Center press box with me and watched Sid practically bounce up the stairs toward us. He was nearly 70 years old but charged up the stairs like a guy half that age. His remarkable energy allowed him to pursue the news nearly 24-7.

Even if there were no Minnesota teams playing, Sid was on his beat. Years ago the back seat of his Cadillac was filled with out of town newspapers. When not thrusting a microphone in someone’s face, he sometimes occupied his time sifting through those newspapers. The inside of the car looked like a homeless person lived there but somewhere in that newsprint was a nugget that could fill his jottings inventory.

When Sid was driving around, he liked to park his car as close to the destination as possible. This might include handicap parking spaces. Even though he didn’t have a certificate, close buddy Bobby Knight once told him it was okay for him to park in such areas. Knight’s rationale? Sportswriters are “handicapped.”

Even at 96 years old Sid was on the move. When the Gophers held an early January news conference in 2017 to introduce football coach P.J. Fleck, there was Sid using a walker and accompanied by a nurse. The legend had fallen to the ground several weeks before and broken his hip, but not his will. Sid had demanded his stay in the hospital be brief, but you were both surprised and certain he would attend the press gathering.

It was grit and energy that allowed him to be so competitive. In the early years of my blog, I was in the press room at Target Center before a Timberwolves game making small talk with Star Tribune sports editor Glen Crevier. Sid noticed our friendly conversation and thought I was pitching his boss for a job. To the astonishment of Crevier and myself, Sid blurted out something like, “Go hire the guy!”

Occasionally, there would be a quiet moment before a press gathering where Sid and I conversed (no easy task with his impaired hearing). I never knew what to expect, and once at Winter Park he really shocked me! We were sitting within a couple of seats of each other, and Sid turned to me while holding a small bag of potato chips and said, “Here, open these.”

I feel a loss over Sid passing away. I know it’s not rational but I thought he would live awhile longer. Yes, he was over 100, but when someone is part of your life for so many years there can be an expectation things will not change.

I will miss Sid in the days ahead and think of him often. I can close my eyes and see a 40-year-old Sid, dressed in a an expensive suit and alligator shoes, strutting around the Williams Arena floor before a Gophers game and talking to coaches and other newsmakers. I can also hear his voice from a more recent time when he congratulated me for my work leading the Twin Cities Dunkers, “You did a good job,” he said.

Told you, I remember the compliments.

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Vikes’ Zimmer: Cook ‘Feeling Really Good’

Posted on October 14, 2020October 14, 2020 by David Shama

 

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, talking this morning, didn’t rule star running back Dalvin Cook out for Sunday’s home game against the Atlanta Falcons.  “I talked to him today. He said he’s feeling really good,” Zimmer said.  “We’ll just see how it goes.”

Another option could be for Cook, who sustained a groin injury last Sunday, to sit out the Falcons game, and gain additional rest with a bye date coming up October 25 for the Vikings.

Zimmer was asked if there is an update on another top playmaker, defensive end Danielle Hunter, who has been inactive through the first five games because of a neck injury.  “No, not really. Still kind of mulling his options, I think.”

The Minnesota Vikings are about one-third through their 2020 season and with a 1-4 record, at the bottom of the NFC North standings.  This is not a bad team, though, and indicative of that is the Vikings have been competitive most of the season including two losses by a total of two points.

The goal of making the playoffs is all but gone but the silver lining is improving and promising players.  Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney are progressing and that’s a major step forward for a team having to rely on rookie cornerbacks.  Fourth-year linebacker Eric Wilson, replacing the injured Anthony Barr, looks better in pass protection and had an interception in Sunday night’s game with the Seattle Seahawks. Rookie defensive tackle James Lynch played in his first game Sunday and showed the aggressiveness that helped him set a single season sack record of 13.5 at Baylor. Rookie defensive end D.J. Wonnum has also impressed.

Second-year running back Alexander Matison has been outstanding in relief of Cook and certainly could start in Sunday’s game. “Very conscientious kid.  Works real hard,” Zimmer said.  “I think he tries to learn from Dalvin as much as he can.”

The Vikings have an NFL all-rookie team candidate in wide receiver Justin Jefferson who is going to make impact plays this season and beyond. The much criticized offensive line has been effective run blocking and at times given quarterback Kirk Cousins adequate time to throw.  That has helped the offense improve its time of possession including in the Seattle game.

Mike Zimmer

Zimmer will make sure his team plays with effort in the last 11 games, regardless of the team record.  He labels his players fighters and the fiery Zimmer wouldn’t have it any other way.  Now that doesn’t make up for the decision to pass up on a closing minutes field goal against Seattle, but it does give assurance the Vikings will continue to be watchable as the season progresses.

Worth Noting

Look for an announcement today about a new nonprofit organization called Minnesota Sports & Events established by local leaders from the hospitality, sports and business communities.  The goal is to bring more major sports and entertainment events to the Twin Cities.

Gopher men’s and women’s basketball season ticket holders were notified by email Tuesday there will be no season tickets for the 2020-2021 home schedule. Seat locations will carry over to the 2021-2022 season.  The email referenced the possibility of a limited number of individual tickets being distributed on a game-by-game basis but provided no further details.

Former Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, now with the Carolina Panthers, ranks sixth in total passing yards in the NFL with 1,460.

Former Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs is off to an impressive start with the Buffalo Bills, his new team, and his stats rank among the best in the NFL through five games. With the Bills 4-1, general manager Brandon Beane has emerged as an early season favorite for NFL Executive of the Year including for his acquisition of Diggs from the Vikings during the last offseason.

Although Diggs had a reputation as a problem player in Minnesota, former Gopher and Green Bay Packer Jim Carter had an engaging experience with him.  Last year Carter and other former ex-Packers were in Green Bay to celebrate the career of the late Bart Starr. “All the Viking players trotted past our group of broken down old players, except one,” Carter recalled in an email. “Number 14 (Diggs) stopped, fist bumped quite a few of us (I’m sure he didn’t have a clue who any of us were. …). He smiled and said a couple of friendly ‘thanks for being here’ and ‘congratulations.’ Class act!”

To save money, apparently there was talk of the Gopher men’s hockey team playing at Ridder Arena this season, the small facility that hosts the women’s team.  But coach Bob Motzko said in an October 8 story on the Therinklive.com the Gophers will remain at 3M Arena at Mariucci to better celebrate the 100th anniversary of the program.

Candidates will be lining up for the University of St. Thomas men’s hockey coaching opportunity. The Tommies will be Division I starting in 2021-2022 and joining the CCHA. Jeff Boeser will not coach beyond this school year.  “This will be a plum D-1 job,” a source wrote via email.

He said candidates could include two former Golden Gophers assistants, Mike Guentzel and Scott Bell, who turned around Hamline’s program. Guentzel is presently a scout for the Arizona Coyotes, while Bell scouts for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Two sources said St. Thomas is looking at building a hockey arena.

If any Minnesota Timberwolves player in franchise history were 25 years old who would you choose as the best ever?  The answer here is Jimmy Butler, a complete player who makes teammates better and excels during a game’s biggest moments when he wants the basketball.  His departure from the Wolves blew up the Tom Thibodeau era after Butler led Minnesota to the playoffs in 2018, the team’s only postseason since 2004.

Butler, who deserves to be ranked with the NBA’s best players, may have not liked the efforts of teammates in Minnesota and later the Philadelphia 76ers, but playing for the Miami Heat he has found a home.  In the NBA Finals he carried the Heat with triple double performances before losing to the Lakers.

Managers on a Mission, reported on in this space in the past, has changed its name and brand to better communicate its focus on developing Christ-centered leaders involved with sports. The St. Louis Park-based organization, led by former Gophers basketball manager Drew Boe, is now the Uncommon Sports Group. “Serving more than just student and equipment managers, the program aims to develop any collegiate or professional ‘future leader of the sports industry,’ ” according to a news release. More at Uncommonsg.org.

Good news: today is National Dessert Day.

Comments Welcome

ESPN GameDay Odds Heavy for Gophers

Posted on October 12, 2020October 12, 2020 by David Shama

 

Next Sunday ESPN could announce its prestigious college football GameDay show will originate in Minneapolis on Saturday, October 24 for the Minnesota-Michigan game at TCF Bank Stadium. Sources report the game is under consideration by ESPN.

The odds of Minnesota hosting the show went up when ESPN announced yesterday its crew will be in Tuscaloosa for the Alabama-Georgia game this Saturday. The Alabama game at Tennessee October 24 looks like less competition for the Gophers now that the Volunteers lost to Georgia last weekend—and ESPN will not feature Alabama two weeks in succession.

October 23-24 is the opening weekend for Big Ten football and the conference’s prestige and large TV following will weigh positively on the ESPN decision. The Nebraska-Ohio State game in Columbus October 24 is no longer a rival for the Gophers hosting ESPN because Fox announced its kickoff show will be at Ohio Stadium that day.

A long-shot under consideration for October 24 could be the Cincinnati-SMU game in Dallas. In the latest AP national poll the Bearcats are ranked No. 8 and the Mustangs No. 17. But Minnesota and Michigan are also ranked, with the Gophers at No. 24 and Wolverines at No. 19, and an important American Athletic Conference game doesn’t have the same glitter as a Big Ten offering. On the Big Ten’s opening weekend, this is the conference’s only matchup of top 25 teams.

That’s a compelling factor and so, too, is the historic rivalry between the two programs. Michigan and Minnesota have been playing for possession of the Little Brown Jug since 1909. Considered the most famous of college football rivalry trophies, the Little Brown Jug is a made-for-TV optic with a fascinating storyline. The Gophers haven’t taken possession of the Jug in Minneapolis since 1977, adding extra meaning to the October 24 game.

Right now it looks like the Minnesota-Michigan matchup could be the biggest of the day not only in the Big Ten but across the country. This morning came the announcement the game will land on national TV with ABC offering a prime time 6:30 p.m. kickoff. The game has major ratings appeal starting with the Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit TV markets that are among the largest in the country. Expect big ratings numbers in Minnesota and Michigan, and the game will pull solid ratings throughout the nation—particularly in the Midwest.

The three-hour GameDay show, that dates back to 1993, has both the time and interest to take multiple angles on stories. It seems likely that if show producers come here they will report on how the Gophers have confronted the social justice issue since the tragic death of George Floyd. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck has been outspoken about the need to listen, understand and discuss things since Floyd’s death earlier this year.

GameDay came to Minneapolis for the first time ever in 2019 for the Minnesota-Wisconsin game. Fleck coveted the opportunity to host the show and by all accounts it was a successful partnership between ESPN and the University of Minnesota. Not only does hosting the show add to fan interest in the state, but it also is a valued recruiting tool for Minnesota’s national recruiting.

Worth Noting

In some scheduling alterations, the Big Ten announced today the Gophers will play three Friday games—October 30 at Maryland, and host Iowa and Purdue November 13 and 20 respectively. Those games had been scheduled for Saturdays.

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer meets with the media via Zoom at 4:30 p.m. today. The last time the Vikings started a season 1-4 was in 2011 under Leslie Frazier and they went on to a 3-13 finish.

Billy Robertson

Minnesota native and former Olympic middle distance runner Carrie Tollefson is the latest guest on “Behind the Game,” with co-hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. Growing up in small town Dawson, she became one of the state’s great success stories among female athletes. The show is available for viewing on YouTube and on Twin Cities cable TV channels.

If preps Kenny Pohto and Treyton Thompson keep their verbal commitments to join the 2021 Gophers freshman class it looks like they will be part of a roster with six players 6-foot-9 or taller a year from now. Pohto, from Sweden by way of Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, and Thompson, a native of Alexandria, Minnesota could join present bigs Sam Freeman, Isaiah Ihnen, Martice Mitchell and Liam Robbins.

That kind of height and wing span presents multiple potential advantages for the coaching staff including use of zone defenses where Minnesota bigs would be difficult to shoot over and could clog passing lanes.

As for the coming 2020-2021 season, coach Richard Pitino’s team won’t find much love from media prognosticators who see Minnesota finishing far down in the Big Ten standings. Frustrating for Gophers fans, too, is that border rivals Iowa and Wisconsin are projected at the top of the league and receiving high national rankings.

Wisconsin, as usual carrying a roster with Minnesota natives, has an All-American favorite in forward Nate Reuvers from Lakeville North.

The Lakers have now won 17 world championships, including five in Minneapolis, and are tied with the Boston Celtics for most ever. The Minneapolis Lakers won championships in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1955 before moving to Los Angeles for the 1960-61 season.

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