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.

U 2019 Recruiting Class a ‘Big Deal’

Posted on December 16, 2018December 16, 2018 by David Shama

National Signing Day for high school football players is a couple of days away on Wednesday, December 19. Recruiting authority Ryan Burns from GopherIllustrated.com will tell you Golden Gophers fans have reason to celebrate.

Minnesota’s 2019 class is ranked No. 31 nationally by Rivals.com. That source has the Gophers ahead in the recruiting rankings of traditional football powers Miami and USC. The Gopher group of 24 commits has a composite ranking of 34 by 247Sports, setting up the second consecutive year that coach P.J. Fleck and his staff have landed a class ranked in the 30s.

That is impressive for a program like Minnesota that historically often hasn’t signed classes ranking in the 30s. “Any time you can sign 35 (ranked) back-to-back classes, which Minnesota is on line to do, that’s a big deal,” Burns told Sports Headliners.

Making an impression, too, on Burns is many players in Minnesota’s 2019 class were pursued by Power Five programs including a few elite schools. “I would put the offer list that Minnesota has for their commits versus any team in the Big Ten West (Division), and I think Minnesota would win,” Burns said.

The Gophers have two four-star recruits, per 247Sports. They are Memphis defensive tackle Kristian Williams and Ellenwood, Georgia defensive tackle Rashad Cheney. Williams’ FBS offers included LSU and Mississippi, while Cheney turned down Alabama and Georgia.

Nnamdi Adim-Madumere, a Rivals four-star wide receiver commit from Fort Worth, “continues to turn down” Alabama and Texas A&M, per Burns. Those two programs are having elite recruiting success with their 2019 classes, but yet they are in pursuit of the 6-3, 226-pound Madumere who could be bumped up to four-star status by 247.

Adim-Madumere is not only big for a wide receiver but runs a 4.5 in the 40, Burns said. He describes the young Texan as “an absolute nightmare” matchup for opposing defenders.

Earlier this month Fleck attended a Georgia prep state title game where he watched Lee County defensive tackle DeAngelo Carter (also known as DeAngelo Griffin). He won an MVP award for his play and Burns said that has prompted Pac-12 power Oregon to become interested.

Six of the Gophers’ recruits are defensive linemen and five are tackles. The line was a priority need and it looks like help is on the way for Minnesota. Among the linemen is Ellsworth, Iowa Community College defensive tackle Keonte Schad. “They are (the Gophers) beating out big time schools like Oklahoma for Keonte Schad,” Burns said.

Defensive line, at least according to some recruiting authorities, is the most difficult area to find quality Division 1 football players, and particularly defensive tackles. It takes numbers and quality to build a strong defensive line and Fleck could be establishing a more than solid foundation.

When Burns was asked who might be the Gophers’ best player in a couple of years from the class of 2019, he said three-star cornerback Tyler Nubin from Saint Charles, Illinois. He said it’s a “big deal” to sign Nubin who at a “legit” 6-foot-2 is long and athletic. To convince a player with his skill-set to become a Gopher and pass over Michigan State and other Big Ten schools is not “something Minnesota traditionally does,” Burns added.

Next year the Gophers will have one of the deeper and more talented running back units in the country with veterans Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith, and Mohamed Ibrahim who as a redshirt freshman this fall established himself as a starter. More talent is on the way in the class of 2019 including Owatonna’s Jason Williamson whose gaudy numbers included a single game state record of 477 rushing yards. Burns said Williamson will be given an opportunity at running back in the spring and also be looked at as a receiver.

Running back Treyson Potts from Williamsport, Pennsylvania is referred to by Burns as “absolutely a dynamic player” in space. He describes Cameron Wiley, a running back from Las Vegas, as one of the “most athletic kids” in the country. “He ran an electric 4.49 time,” Burns said about the recruit who was pursued by Oregon, a program that has built much of its success on speed.

The Gophers’ 2019 class includes holdover recruit and defensive tackle Logan Richter from Perham, Minnesota. He was recruited by Minnesota for the class of 2018 but decided to wait until 2019 to become a Gopher player.

The final number of recruits in the 2019 class is yet to be determined, with the possibility the class could be larger than the present total of 24.

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Boo-Birds Poised for Vikings Sunday

Posted on December 14, 2018December 15, 2018 by David Shama

Mike Zimmer likes to implore Vikings fans to make U.S. Bank Stadium incredibly noisy to distract the opposing team’s on-field communications. But Sunday those purple-crazed and skol chanting fans could turn on the head coach and other key Viking figures.

With three games left in the season, the 6-6-1 Vikings are precariously positioned for earning their way into the playoffs. Win out the rest of the way and the Vikings—who were among offseason 2019 Super Bowl favorites—will finish 9-6-1 and become an NFC Wild Card entry in the playoffs. Mixed success in upcoming games at home against the Dolphins and Bears, and away at Detroit, will spell out a less certain path as Minnesota competes with the Seahawks and other NFC clubs trying to earn one of the two wild card entries.

No need to be a Drama Queen to see that Zimmer and others with key roles for the Vikings are on the spot while results are determined over the next three games, starting with the Dolphins game Sunday. With the offense stagnant in recent games, it won’t take much for those frisky Vikings fans to scream jeers instead of cheers.

After firing offensive coordinator John DeFilippo this week, Zimmer, general manager Rick Spielman, quarterback Kirk Cousins and interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski could be judged harshly Sunday. Fans in the stadium and watching on TV will be looking for a productive offense, and if they don’t see one guess which individuals will be targeted? Fans will be watching to see if there is imagination and execution with the game plan. Scrutinized, too, will be impact play calls in the red zone, or on third and fourth downs.

Cousins signed on for this kind of pressure when he accepted the Vikings $84 million contract offer earlier in the year. Spielman made the veteran free agent close to the highest paid player in the NFL, but Cousins and his Vikings teammates have yet to defeat a team with a winning record this season. He sometimes looks slow to process what is happening on the field and he can either be unable or unwilling to make plays with his legs. An interception or two will have the boo-birds on high alert and at high volume on Sunday.

The Wilf family won’t be booing Sunday if things go poorly, but make no mistake Zygi and his relatives are passionate fans. They are also serious business folks who have approved one of the NFL’s higher player payrolls and bankrolled state-of-the art practice and office facilities.

Spielman hired Zimmer in 2014 and he has been at work for the Wilfs since 2006. Spielman has upgraded the personnel in multiple areas, yet doubts remain about the quarterback position and offensive line. Zimmer is working now with his fourth offensive coordinator, with very mixed results over the years including last season when the Vikings under Pat Shurmur earned a 13-3 record even with a patchwork offensive line and substitute quarterback.

Earlier this season Spielman and Zimmer terminated rookie placekicker Daniel Carlson after he missed three field goals against the Packers in the second game of the season. The 29-29 tie haunts the Vikings as does an inexplicable 27-6 home loss to the lowly Bills.

Spielman made Carlson a fifth round draft choice earlier this year. Six years before he selected kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round, and he is best remembered for missing a gimme 27-yard field goal that would have defeated the Seahawks in the 2016 playoffs in Minneapolis.

These are serious things, past and present. On Sunday the Vikings can erase some of the frustration, or they can write an ugly script. Their zealous fans and expectant owners will watch intently. The guess here is the Vikings will win, by 10 points or more against a Dolphins team that isn’t their equal in personnel.

But it’s been an unpredictable season with too much potential for boo-birds.

Worth Noting

The Bears, 9-4, can clinch the NFC North Division title with a win over the Packers Sunday, or a Vikings loss to the Dolphins, or if Chicago and Minnesota play tie games this weekend.

ESPN analyst Anthony “Booger” McFarland, talking about Danielle Hunter after the Vikings defensive end made a sack against the Seahawks on Monday night: “His arms are as long as the Mississippi River.”

Minnesota Wild forwards Marcus Foligno and Nino Niederreiter will sign autographs at the new Hockey Lodge Southdale location in Edina from 6 to 7 p.m. tonight (Friday). Fans can bring pre-owned merchandise for signing—with merchandise also available for purchase. Only a single autograph per player is allowed.

In last Friday’s Worth Noting, a reference to George H.W. Bush’s humility and grace drew comments from readers who agreed the late President conducted himself in a manner much different from many showboat athletes and other public personalities of today. Among readers who responded was Denny Schulstad, a retired Brigadier General in the Air Force and former Minneapolis City Councilman: He wrote the following:

“…These highly paid athletes and entertainers just don’t understand what people like President Bush did for them to protect their freedom and right to act like jerks. I was with President Bush and (wife) Barbara on several occasions. Nothing but the highest respect for them—even when we might disagree on an issue. He was a military hero and a statesman.”

Former Spring Lake Park football player E.J. Ejiya, a senior linebacker at North Texas, has been selected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on January 19 at the Rose Bowl. Scouts and other representatives from all 32 NFL teams are expected to attend practices and evaluate players in the all-star game that showcases draft eligible players. Over 40 of the 112 players who participated in the 2018 game received invitations to the 2018 NFL Combine, and 19 were selected in the league draft.

Ejiya and his North Texas teammates play Utah State in Saturday’s New Mexico Bowl. He ranks fourth nationally in tackles for loss with 23 and leads the Mean Green in sacks with 9 (fourth in C-USA).

The full roster of players for the NFLPA Bowl, including possible Gophers, is expected to be announced in early January.

Billy McKinney, the former Timberwolves front office executive, posted on Facebook this week that he filed to run for mayor in his hometown of Zion, Illinois.

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Thielen Ignores Not So Athletic Tag

Posted on December 12, 2018December 12, 2018 by David Shama

Adam Thielen is the unofficial Most Valuable Player on the 2018 Vikings’ offense, with three crucial games remaining in the regular season to determine whether Minnesota qualifies for the playoffs. Ironically, an ankle injury suffered Monday night in a low scoring game against the Seahawks has caused speculation whether the team’s leading receiver will be available for the next game.

And inexplicably the 28-year-old wide receiver from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota—who is on a possible path to becoming first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career—still doesn’t know why NBC TV analyst Cris Collinsworth referred to him as not being that athletic during the Vikings-Packers game November 25.

With or without Thielen, the Vikings take a 6-6-1 record into Sunday’s game against the Dolphins at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings, along with the 8-5 Seahawks, are the most favorably positioned potential wild card teams right now in the NFC.

That hardly means all is well with Minnesota, though. The Vikings managed just 17 points during the last two weeks in road losses of 24-10 and 21-7 to the Patriots and Seahawks. The failures with both the run and pass have been numerous and contributed mightily to Minnesota being without a victory this season against teams with winning records.

The offense has weak spots in the interior line and quarterback Kirk Cousins has appeared skittish, despite piling up the stats. Plenty of players have failed to execute at times but there has also been a problem with game plans and play calling, and that led to the dismissal of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo yesterday.

Thielen, despite double coverage and being shut down without a catch in the first half Monday night, stepped up in the second half of the Seahawks game. He caught five passes for 70 yards, including one scrambling and athletic run that should have prompted a nod of approval from Collinsworth. In the fourth quarter with the Vikings behind 6-0, Thielen also got himself open for a touchdown catch that could have turned the game around but Cousins threw an incomplete pass targeting tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Thielen’s five receptions Monday night pushed him over 100 catches for the season, a lofty level for any Viking now or in the past. His 103 catches lead the NFL, and with 1,236 yards he is only 40 behind his career high of 1,276 last season when he was second-team All-Pro.

It will be a challenge for the Vikings if Thielen’s ankle, injured late in the Seahawks game, won’t allow him to play. All season he has shown off a tool kit of skills including sure hands, deft moves, breakaway speed, hard running and old fashion grit.

The former four-sport high school athlete is exciting to watch with attributes that include the ability to find openings against defenders. Yet on NBC TV Sunday Night Football Collinsworth made that comment to a national audience about Thielen’s athleticism.

Collinsworth didn’t elaborate on the comment while on air and apparently hasn’t done so since. Nor has Collinsworth privately communicated anything more to Thielen about his observation that offended his fans.

Thielen photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

“I mean people are going to say stuff, (and) that doesn’t bother me,” Thielen told Sports Headliners. “…If you paid attention to all the stuff people said about you, you probably wouldn’t be where you are.”

Reserve quarterback Kyle Sloter told Sports Headliners that Thielen’s Vikings teammates regard him as “a great athlete.” Sloter praised Thielen for his sure hands and knowing where he is supposed to be on routes, while possessing football “measureables” comparable to the NFL’s best catchers.

Does Thielen rank among the more athletic pro wide receivers? “I would think so,” Sloter said. “To me when you are continually blowing by All-Pro corners and guys that have been there, done that…you’re pretty athletic. …I was a former wide receiver for three years and I feel like I know the difference between a guy that’s just a possession receiver and a guy that’s a go-to-guy in any situation, and I think Adam’s that for sure.

“I think one of his best physical gifts that people overlook is his quickness. I think he’s very fast (in) straight line speed, but his quickness in and out of his breaks, being able to shift his weight, being able to play off of people’s leverage, and being able to get in out of his breaks (is special). I think he’s up there with the best of them (wide receivers).”

Worth Noting

Steve Erban loves the Golden Gophers and for decades he has been hosting fan trips through his Stillwater-based Creative Charters. He’s promoting a “Golden Trek” vision of Gophers football, and he wrote via email that the journey begins with fans attending the December 26 Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit where Minnesota will play Georgia Tech.

Erban thinks coach P.J. Fleck’s program is on a roll after closing the season impressively, including claiming “The Axe” in Madison with a victory over the Badgers for the first time since 2003. He looks at the many Gopher players returning next season who are highly regarded and believes this is just the beginning in transforming the program under Fleck who has the reputation of a strong recruiter.

The message to fans is get in on the Gopher ascent that Erban believes will one day end at the Rose Bowl, or even at the national championship game. Those fans who do can claim they made the “Golden Trek,” an experience Erban compares to his attending every Gopher NCAA Tournament men’s basketball game going back to 1989.

Creative Charters is offering a day-trip itinerary on December 26 with an 8 a.m. flight out of Minneapolis. As part of Erban’s ambitious plan, he’s targeting five airplanes filled with 850 Gophers fans.

Erban wrote: “This trip to the Quick Lane Bowl will allow many Gopher fans to stand at the Rose Bowl/championship game some day and say: ‘I made the GOLDEN TREK.’ “

More at creativecharter.com

New Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson referred to pitcher Fernando Romero as having “wow” talent when talking on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program Sunday. Romero, 24 later this month, started 11 games as a rookie last season, with a 3-3 record and 4.69 ERA. He could be a starter or reliever, according to Johnson who comes to the Twins directly from college coaching.

Because of open dates early in the 2019 schedule, Johnson speculated the Twins may begin the year with 12 pitchers, rather than 13.

It will be 100 years ago on December 21 that Hobey Baker, considered the first great American hockey player, passed away. The Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey’s best player, was the brainchild of Chuck Bard, CEO of the former Decathlon Club in Bloomington.

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