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.

NFL Authority Not Touting Vikes Mullens as McCarthy Backup

Posted on March 3, 2025March 3, 2025 by David Shama

It appears likely the Vikings are moving on from Sam Darnold as their No. 1 quarterback and replacing him with J.J. McCarthy as the starter for the 2025 season. So, who will back up McCarthy?

Nick Mullens, the 29-year-old who backed up Darnold last year when McCarthy was injured and out for the season, has been with the Vikings since 2022, knows the offense and is a personable leader. But in his six-season NFL career, Mullens has thrown 31 interceptions in 34 games, including double-digit totals in two eight-game seasons starting for the 49ers.

“No, I don’t trust Nick Mullens,” a former executive with NFL teams told Sports Headliners. “I know he had a couple snaps last year and did okay, but we saw enough of him the year before to know that he’s a turnover machine (eight picks in 148 pass attempts).”

The source, asking that his name not be used, indicated the importance of a worthy backup is accentuated by McCarthy’s injury history as a rookie in 2024 who played in one preseason game before injuring his knee. He suggested it’s on the Vikings to find a higher-level talent with experience to be the No. 2 QB. Among names he mentioned were 27-year-old Daniel Jones who Minnesota acquired last fall and might re-sign in the offseason as a free agent.

The authority, who still follows the NFL closely including the Vikings, is okay with Mullens as No. 3 on the QB roster. He points out that Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell likes Jones and said that if he were in charge he would offer the former Giants 2019 first-round draft choice a two-year deal at $12.5 million.

Prior to joining the Vikings in late November, Jones completed 64.1 percent of his career passes for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. A starter for 10 games with the Giants in 2024, he has 2,179 career rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 399 carries.

Sam Darnold image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to franchise tag Darnold, if that’s their intent. The move might cost Minnesota about $40 million and it’s believed the Vikings would do so only if they thought they could trade him for a high future draft choice. If they can’t move Darnold, then Minnesota would be stuck with the $40 million, eating up perhaps two-thirds of the franchise’s salary cap room to sign other players.

Darnold resurrected his pro career in his initial season with Minnesota. The Sporting News and Professional Football Writers Association of America both named him league Comeback Player of the Year for his 2024 production that included career highs in several passing categories.

Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record but disappointed in the two biggest games of the year. With the NFC No. 1 seed in the playoffs at stake, Darnold and the Vikings lost in their regular season finale to the Lions and then failed to win in Minnesota’s opening playoff game against the Rams. In the Lions game he twice missed a wide-open Justin Jefferson in the end zone. He was a combined 43 of 81 passes in the two games and was sacked nine times by the Rams.

The way Darnold played in his last two games tempers enthusiasm and interest in the 27-year-old who until 2024 had been an NFL journeyman. “It was so disappointing how he played at the end,” the source said. “I mean, really just killed them (Vikings’ chances).

“That’s why I say how can you put big money into a guy if you can’t trust him to win a big game? And you got a young guy (McCarthy) you picked 10^th overall who you expect to be the future, and you got a coach who is a great quarterback coach.

“That’s why it all makes sense that it’s going to be turned over to McCarthy. I’ll be surprised if that’s not the case. And I expect some team to probably give Darnold a decent deal and I don’t think the Vikings are going to try to match that. It would make no sense unless they didn’t have faith in McCarthy, which I think they do.”

Could Darnold raise his game to be elite on the biggest of stages? “It’s possible because we didn’t think he’d get to what he did last year in the first 16 games.” the authority said. “But you invested in a first-round pick and you think that guy is special, which potentially I think he could be.

“And the one thing about McCarthy, in the big games (in college) he was clutch. National championship, playoffs.

“And that’s what Darold wasn’t was clutch at the end. So to me, you cut the cord. …”

It’s thought that Darnold will seek a multi-year deal as a free agent with any one of several teams, with perhaps the Raiders and Steelers the most likely of suitors. Would they be willing to pay $35 to $40 million per season?

The Vikings, with their own free agent needs, are likely to spend cap money on re-signing players like cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. And shopping in free agency for help in the interior offensive and defensive lines, and at cornerback.

O’Connell seems committed to McCarthy who he referred to last year as the “young franchise quarterback.” The 22-year-old, who was 27-1 as a starter at Michigan and has an ideal NFL QB physique at 6-foot-3 and about 220 pounds, apparently is successfully rehabbing from knee surgery. He likely impressed teammates and coaches last year in the spring and summer with his physical skills and leadership.

The authority thinks the Vikings have long had a plan to make McCarthy the starter in year two of his NFL career. The bigger issue now looks like who will be his backup.

Comments Welcome

Here’s a Guess at Minnesota Twins Opening Day Lineup

Posted on February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 by David Shama

Who starts for the Twins on opening day of the regular season March 27 in St. Louis against the Cardinals? Well, the lineup will likely include several players who were in the starting lineup for Minnesota in the opening spring training game last Saturday in Fort Myers against the Braves.

This was the lineup on February 22: Matt Wallner, right field; Carlos Correa, shortstop; Byron Buxton, center field; Trevor Larnach, DH; Royce Lewis, third base; Willi Castro, second base; Christian Vázquez, catcher; Ty France, first base; Harrison Bader, left field; and Zebby Matthews, pitcher.

Matthews, of course, won’t be the opening day pitcher. He will exceed expectations by making the five-man regular rotation of starters. Staff ace Pablo López likely receives opening day honors, with a relief corps that could be among baseball’s best backing up the 15-game winner in 2024.

Ryan Jeffers, the team’s more valuable catcher last season, probably gets penciled in for Vázquez.

Manager Rocco Baldelli might prefer to use Edouardo Julien at second, rather the multi-positional Castro who is one of baseball’s better subs. Neither player is a whiz there defensively, and Julien’s offense is in question after a .199 batting average last season.

Slugger Jose Miranda figures to see plenty of opportunities during the season as a DH, or first or third baseman. He could be an opening day starter after hitting a career best .284 last season.

Miranda and Julien are in a group of several “shadow hitters” whose projected offensive production looks like a mystery in 2025. Add to the list Jeffers and all the starters in the spring training opener except for Buxton, Correa and Lewis. It’s a collection of bats that in past MLB seasons have produced inconsistency.

The Twins couldn’t sustain offense through the season in 2024 and this year could be the same. After playing some of the best baseball in the majors earlier in the season, Minnesota stumbled to a 12-29 record in the final 39 games. The club went through a stretch when it was two-for-19 with runners in scoring position. Even Lewis, a hitting phenom in two brief previous seasons, faded badly in late summer of 2024.

Tainting expectations for the offense this season is the always present drama of whether the big boppers, Lewis, Buxton and Correa, can avoid being out long periods with injuries. Their availability is crucial for a team that hopes for a rebound after winning the AL Central and a playoff series in 2023. The Twins will need their touted pitching to deliver all year, alongside sharp fielding and an ability to produce runs when the pressure is on, even if it means grinding out offense in the simplest of ways including hit-and-run, and savvy base running.

Optimism about the franchise isn’t lacking. BetMGM earlier this month made Minnesota the wagering favorite to win the Central Division which doesn’t have an elite team. Also, this winter club authority Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners: “We’re better than what the public thinks we are right now.”

Marshall Tanick, the prominent Minneapolis-based attorney and journalist, reported via email on the upbeat outlook of Twins personnel boss Derek Falvey when he spoke to the Minnesota Breakfast group in Naples, Florida last week.

Morneau, Falvey, St. Peter photo by Marshall Tanick

Tanick wrote that Falvey, who March 3 is elevated to the position of president, baseball and business operations, believes the organization is positioned to improve on last year’s disappointing late-season collapse after conducting a “deep post-mortem” while reflecting on the major weakness of “lack of ability to score consistently” to complement solid pitching.

He expects the club to improve on “offense” under new hitting coach Matt Borgschulte, now in his second stint with the organization after previously working with the club’s minor league teams. (Borgschulte was the Orioles’ hitting coach last season and between 2018 and 2021 was a minor league hitting instructor in the Twins organization.)

Former Twins first baseman and 2006 American League Most Valuable Player Justin Morneau, now a Twins TV analyst, agreed with Falvey’s upbeat outlook. He noted the club’s “renewed focus on fundamentals” in getting prepared for the season—which provides “a lot of reasons to be optimistic.”

St. Peter, who becomes a strategic advisor to the franchise on March 3 after about 22 years as president, told the breakfast attendees there is “no really definitive timetable” regarding sale of the franchise but he anticipates a transaction within “the next several months.”

Worth Noting

Going to Fort Myers to watch the Twins in spring training games? Ticket prices vary including almost $70 for a dugout box seat and nearly $50 for a home plate box seat. Parking is $15 at the Lee Health Sports Complex. All transactions, including concessions, are plastic only.

Happy birthday to retired Twins TV play-by-play voice Dick Bremer who turns 69 on Saturday.

Former Gophers public address basketball legend Dick Jonckowski has battled cancer in the past and must have periodic checkups. His latest report was all good, he told Sports Headliners.

Bobby Jackson, the superstar guard on the Gophers’ 1997 Final Four team, will join former teammate and power forward John Thomas as speakers Tuesday at the Twin Cities Dunkers gathering at Interlachen Country Club. Jackson, now an assistant coach with the 76ers, will be in Minneapolis for a game against the Timberwolves Tuesday evening.

Terrence Shannon Jr., the rookie who led the Wolves in scoring in last night’s loss to the Lakers, not only has exceptional physical skills but maturity, too. He turns 25 in July and has scored 17 and 25 points coming off the bench in his last two games.

Cody Lindenberg, the 2024 Gophers linebacker who is recovering from hernia surgery and unable to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine’s on-field activities this week, is represented by Minneapolis-based Institute for Athletes. The agency also handles Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman who played for the Gophers from 2015-2018.

Condolences to family, friends and the many followers of Minnesota tennis legend Bob Larson who passed away at 93 earlier this month. His passion for tennis, including through his publications, made him an icon in the sport here and far beyond.

A number of Minnesota golf courses, including in Minneapolis and Emerald Greens in Hastings, have been open for play in February.

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Vikings Likely Know Answer on Key Sam Darnold Question

Posted on February 4, 2025February 4, 2025 by David Shama

Quarterback Sam Darnold resurrected his NFL career in his first season with the Vikings. The Sporting News and Professional Football Writers Association of America both named him league Comeback Player of the Year for his 2024 performance that included career highs in several passing categories.

Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record but wasn’t sharp in the two biggest games of the year. With the NFC No. 1 seed in the playoffs at stake, Darnold and the Vikings lost in their regular season finale to the Lions and then failed to win in Minnesota’s opening playoff game against the Rams. Darnold was a combined 43 of 81 passes in the two games and was sacked nine times by the Rams.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff convincingly showed the football world this fall their magic in creating elite quarterback play. The reality that Darnold struggled in his biggest games is mostly on him and his teammates, not the coaching staff.

What KOC and his helpers have likely decided by now is whether Darnold is a solid bet to be able to take the next potential step in his development—excelling in the biggest moments. Does he have the skills and mental makeup to lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl or at least the NFC title game in the near future?

The Vikings almost certainly have a good handle on what the ceiling is for the 27-year-old Darnold, a guy who for six pro seasons was a journeyman with other clubs.

Along with that comes the conundrum of whether J.J. McCarthy, the rookie last year who never saw the field because of his knee injury, is the better bet to take the franchise to championships. A 10-year-old knows building a Super Bowl contending team begins with a quarterback who is among the best in the NFL.

They have invested emotionally in McCarthy, the No. 10 draft choice in the first round in 2024. After McCarthy was hurt in the preseason, O’Connell referred to him as the “young franchise quarterback.”

If that is still KOC’s conviction, then the smart move is to franchise or transition tag Darnold for perhaps $40 million and trade him. There are at least a half dozen NFL teams looking for quarterbacks and the 2025 college draft is weak in QB prospects.

A trade could return player assets to the Vikings and allow the franchise to spend the $40 million upgrading talent at other positions and retaining their own free agents. Roster needs include the interior offensive and defensive lines and cornerback.

It could be a benefit that McCarthy missed his first year. He had the opportunity to learn the system while rehabbing from two knee procedures. He figures to be much more comfortable in the offense in 2025, if healthy.

If the Vikings let Darnold go and gamble on McCarthy, fingers will be crossed in Skol Country that the 22-year-old is ready in every way. If not, KOC will be looking for another bridge quarterback and trying to work his “magic” on a Darnold 2.0—e.g. Daniel Jones if he elects to stay with the team as a free agent starting next month.

Worth Noting

Daniel House, the college and pro football authority, told Sports Headliners defensive tackle is a deep and quality position in the April college draft. That could be good news for the Vikings who need help. Follow House on X @DanielHouseMN and on his Gophers and Vikings websites. https://gophersguru.com/ http://www.mnvikingscorner.com/

Running back is another position with quality and depth in the draft. Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, who was troublesome to the Gophers and others in the Big Ten, could certainly be available to the Vikings at No. 24 in the first round or after Day 1. The Vikings need an explosive runner as a successor to 30-year-old Aaron Jones.

Minnesota Breakfast attendees in Naples, Florida heard from first-year University of Minnesota president Rebecca Cunningham last Friday. Minneapolis-based attorney and journalist Marshall Tanick reported via email Dr. Cunningham “primarily focused on health sciences and technology challenges the University faces. But she touched upon Gopher athletics, telling the group of Minnesota expatriates and seasonal visitors that she and athletic Director Mark Coyle are ‘committed to having a competitive Big Ten program.’” She also praised the record 3.4 GPA compiled by U athletes last semester.

The expectation is that the drawn-out arbitration process to determine majority ownership of the Timberwolves and Lynx will conclude any day now. If the Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez group wins the litigation with long-time owner Glen Taylor, they still must get no less than 75 percent approval from the NBA Board of Governors.

Based on NBAstore.com data through the first half of the NBA season the Warriors’ Steph Curry had the top selling jersey, while the Wolves’ Anthony Edwards ranked No. 6.

The Timberwolves, trying to establish favorable seeding for the Western Conference playoffs later this year, are in the midst of a five-game homestand. They will also have a five-game home schedule March 1-8. Both slates will be significant in determining the team’s final record.

After last night’s loss to the Kings at Target Center the Wolves are 0-2 on the homestand that began Saturday night in a loss to the lowly Wizards. Coming up are games with the Bulls, Rockets and Trail Blazers.

The Wolves, 27-23, are only 12-12 in home games, while their road record is 15-11.

The Wild, 31-18-4 is 20-6-3 on the road and inexplicably 11-12-1 at Xcel Energy Center.

The Wild, who played nine road games in January, have their longest home schedule with seven games March 9-22. The month has Minnesota playing nine games at the Xcel, the most in any month this season.

If there is a men’s basketball head coaching vacancy at Minnesota or Iowa in the near future, it would be preposterous for hiring authorities to not have John Tauer on the short list of candidates who interest them. A Division III national champion at St. Thomas, Tauer has superbly guided the Tommies to Division I competition, and his 2025 team is in first place in the Summit League with an 8-1 record (18-6 overall).

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Net Rankings have Iowa No. 64, Minnesota No. 101 and St. Thomas No. 103.

With a deadline of February 27, the U Athletic Department is offering new purchasers of football season tickets two complimentary tickets to both a men’s and women’s Gopher home basketball game.

A concerning trend has developed with the U football staff. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca left for Rutgers after the 2022 season and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi departed for Michigan State following 2023. Rossi’s replacement, Corey Hetherman, recently left for Miami and this week comes news that defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere is headed to the NFL Cardinals.

All left for more money, including Ciarrocca who reportedly has received an extension that will pay him $2 million in 2027. Head coach P.J. Fleck attracts quality assistants but it’s difficult to retain them when the salary pool for his staff is at or near the bottom of the 18-member Big Ten Conference.

DeLattiboudere, who becomes the Arizona defensive line coach, played with Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, the Edina native, when the two were Gophers. Rallis was named defensive coordinator in 2023.

Perhaps the best clinic in the country for high school football coaches, the 2025 MFCA Clinic will be held March 27-29, with headquarters at the DoubleTree Park Place in St. Louis Park. Minnesota Football Coaches Association secretary-treasurer Jim Dotseth reported over 800 registrants so far. https://www.mnfootballcoaches.com/page/show/2279758-mfca-clinic-information

Almost 500 copies of The Book of Piv were sold on Amazon during a five-week period. The entertaining new book offers storytelling by Minneapolis native Jay Pivec, now retired but a well-traveled basketball coach who is in the NJCAA Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Lily Hubanks, a senior from Madison, Wisconsin, and Amae-Kam Magruder, a sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, are standouts for the St. Olaf women’s Nordic ski team. They recently represented the United States in the 2025 FISU Winter World University Games in Italy.

Hubanks and Magruder competed in five events as part of the four-member cross country teams for the U.S. It’s believed they are the first females from a Minnesota college to be on American teams in the Winter World University games.

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