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 Football Scheduling Needs Makeover

Posted on August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 by David Shama

Thursday night P.J. Fleck makes his debut as the Gophers head football coach but there will be a lot fewer eyeballs on his 2017 team than there should be because the Vikings are also playing their final preseason game. It’s ridiculous that the two teams are playing home games in Minneapolis within a couple miles of one another on the same night.

That was also the reality in 2016—and two years ago the teams again played on the same evening, but at least that time the Vikings were out of town when the Gophers lost to TCU in front of a TCF Bank Stadium record crowd.

The scheduling conflict will happen in the future too, unless Gophers leaders move away from nonconference opening games on Thursday nights. The NFL mandates that its teams play the last of their four preseason games on Thursdays that usually are in late August.

The University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Fair authorities made an agreement before TCF Bank Stadium opened in 2009 that created these Thursday night conflicts. The agreement runs through June 30, 2022, and requires that any Gophers home game prior to Labor Day be played on a Thursday evening.

The reason for the agreement is during the State Fair drivers can park their cars for free on the University’s Minneapolis campus and ride free buses to the fairgrounds in nearby Falcon Heights. The Gophers usually play at home on Saturdays but because of larger fair-going crowds on the weekends, U officials agreed to switch games to Thursday evenings.

The Thursday night conflicts don’t work very well for local football fans, and that problem begins with season ticket holders. There are companies and individuals who buy season tickets for both the Gophers and Vikings. That’s a dilemma on Thursday evenings, and it also is for the general football population who want to follow both teams either in person or on TV. There are also high school football games this Thursday evening, causing another conflict.

The U needs to push back on the agreement with fair officials. Why not move future Thursday night games to Friday evenings? There is precedent for the Gophers playing on Friday night when the Metrodome was their home, and doing so in the future eliminates competition with the Vikings regardless of whether they are playing at U.S. Bank Stadium or on the road.

A change to Friday night is just part of a needed upgrade for Minnesota’s nonconference scheduling. This is a big league city with all kinds of sports and entertainment options for the public. The Gophers could fuel interest and maximize ticket sales, while also increasing other revenues such as sponsorships and advertising, with a revised approach to scheduling.

Minnesota and other Big Ten Conference teams play three nonconference games each year, plus nine times against each other. The addition of a ninth game debuted last season and was done to create more interest in conference teams who used to play four nonleague games—many against dreadful opponents with zero box office appeal.

Games against no-name opponents do serve as “tune-up” exhibitions for Big Ten teams and aren’t going away, but at a minimum the Gophers should have a nonconference rivalry game each season. Plus, often in the same year, Minnesota should also play a marquee opponent from the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC conferences.

An annual matchup with North Dakota State could be a rivalry series waiting to happen. The Bison have more than proven they can play against major college teams with six straight road victories against FBS teams including Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas State.

The FCS Bison need big paydays because they don’t have the stadium and TV revenues like Big Ten teams including Minnesota. NDSU already heavily recruits Minnesota and has a fan base that could bring 10,000 people to an annual weekend in Minneapolis against the Gophers. The U could probably make an agreement with NDSU to play a series with no return game in Fargo at the small but raucous Fargodome.

Apparently NDSU is eager to be in this market, playing against the Gophers here in 2006, 2007 and 2011—and in 2019 the Bison will play Butler at Target Field. The Bison won two of the three games against the Gophers, delighting and enraging NDSU and Minnesota fan bases. Can anyone spell R-I-V-A-L-R-Y?

At least every other year the Gophers should schedule a box office heavyweight who can add excitement to the home schedule and value for season ticket holders. Maroon and gold loyalists have been waiting forever to see Notre Dame return to Dinkytown for the first time since 1937. A return engagement from Texas, last here in 1936, sounds good, too. Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Miami are among heavyweights who have never been on the home schedule.

The Gophers do have more recent history with a few football powers including Southern California and TCU. Those teams and the other schools mentioned above can sell out stadiums and create a buzz about Gophers football. That’s not only a winning formula for fans and media but even the players. It seems like there is minimal public anticipation about Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bulls but two years ago the Gopher players knew there was plenty of public buy-in for TCU because the Horned Frogs were ranked No. 2 in the country.

Skeptics might argue Minnesota isn’t good enough to play elite teams but you don’t just build a winning program by playing patsies. Players and coaches should want to compete against the best competition. Through the years the Gophers and fans have been fed a steady diet of nonconference softies. The fans are still yawning at the schedules and the program has yet to break through with championships or New Year’s Day bowl wins.

Fleck talks a lot about being “elite.” The 36-year-old with a nothing is impossible attitude has an opportunity to lead the Gophers into a new era of scheduling. Let’s see where he and U administrators “row the boat.”

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4-Star Recruits in U Football Future

Posted on August 24, 2017August 24, 2017 by David Shama

P.J. Fleck’s 2018 recruiting class doesn’t have any four-star players and has been trending down in the team national rankings. Each of the Gophers’ 23 football recruits is a three-star player, according to the 247Sports composite national rankings that has Minnesota No. 34 in the country after flirting with the top 10 early in the year.

Ryan Burns, the recruiting authority from GopherIllustrated.com, offered perspective on the numbers above during an interview with Sports Headliners. He said Tracy Claeys, Fleck’s predecessor as Minnesota head coach, recruited players who were “low threes and twos” regarding star rankings that go as high as five. Burns said those Claeys players were recruits often without offers from major college programs—schools like Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Kentucky.

“Now you look at P.J.’s first true recruiting class here in 2018 and (about) 75 percent of them have a Big Ten offer, and north of 80 percent of them have other Power Five (conference) offers, and they’re all mid to high level three-stars,” Burns said. “P.J. wasn’t going to immediately walk in the door and four-stars were going to want to come and play for him.

“Is that (four-stars) the expectation for 2019? Yes, I think they’ll go from probably one or two four-stars this class to—you’re hoping—they get three or four next class. …If next year they don’t have any (four-stars), then I would start to be a little bit surprised.”

Burns believes there are at least a couple—perhaps up to four—Gopher commits in the class of 2018 who via high school performances this fall could earn their way up to four-star status. Ask him who might be the best player in the class and he mentions dual-threat quarterback Brennan Armstrong from Shelby, Ohio. Burns watched Armstrong during summer workouts in Minnesota.

“He has a lot of great physical tools,” Burns said. “He’s 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. He runs extremely well. He’s a lefty. I think he reminds a lot of people of Kellen Moore, former Boise State quarterback (now a backup with the NFL Cowboys).

“He (Armstrong) really just knows how to be a great leader and knows how to win. He throws a really good ball. I am excited to see what he looks like this spring (2018 with the Gophers).”

Two other players Burns talked about who could move into four-star status are defensive tackle Elijah Teague from Chicago and Eden Prairie cornerback Benny Sapp III. Teague, whose college offers included Oklahoma, will likely be part of a roster next year with depth issues at defensive tackle. “I think he’s a guy that’s going to have to come in and play right away,” Burns said.

Sapp is the son of former Vikings cornerback Benny Sapp. Burns said “from talking with the Eden Prairie coaching staff, they think he is a very, very special player.”

While as of yet the Gophers have no four-stars or even five-stars prospects, they did make an early splash in the national recruiting rankings. They did so by not only receiving verbal commits from good players, but also by doing it early in 2017. The Gophers total of 23 (probably just two or three more commits will be added) ranks among the highest in the nation.

“P.J. likes to get it done early,” Burns said. “He really trusts in their (Fleck and his staff’s) live evaluations throughout the spring and summer. I guess the thing that has impressed me most about P.J.’s recruiting efforts is probably (having) 23 commits—I think everyone has been on campus, and I believe only a handful are from the state of Minnesota. …They all came on their own dime to come up here and see Minnesota. Some of them multiple times.

“That has not happened at Minnesota in quite some time. People want to come up and see Minnesota now because of P.J. Fleck, and that’s why he’s got so many commits right now.”

Burns believes that when the college football recruiting period for the class of 2018 ends next February, Minnesota will finish “somewhere” in the mid-30s of the national rankings. If so, that will be higher than Minnesota has done for several years with previous final rankings in the 40s and above.

Worth Noting

Where do the Gophers rank in 2018 recruiting among Big Ten programs? As of today they are No. 6 in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Recruiting rankings, of course, don’t guarantee success on the field for college teams. Tim Brewster’s 2008 class included seven four-star players led by quarterback MarQueis Gray and finished No. 17 in the Rivals national rankings. Brewster was fired as Gophers head coach during the 2010 season.

The Buffalo Bulls football team the Gophers open their season against at TCF Bank Stadium on August 31 had a 2-10 record last year including 1-7 in the MAC East Division. “Should be a growth season but not in the win-loss column,” said Lindy’s 2017 college football magazine.

The Bulls roster includes Kayode Awosika, a 6-5, 285-pound freshman offensive tackle from Plymouth who attended Maple Grove High School.

Minnesota will honor its 1967 Big Ten championship football team at the home conference opener against Maryland. Among players expected to attend the game will be former defensive lineman Ed Duren who now is without his legs because of diabetes, according to 1967 teammate Jim Carter.

Carter remains close to former Gophers head coaches Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys. Kill, of course, is the new offensive coordinator at Rutgers, while Claeys is home in his native Kansas but has visited football friends including at Arkansas and Georgia.

With four football teams included, the Big Ten has more schools in the A.P. top 11 than any other conference. SEC powerhouse Alabama is No.1 with Ohio State second, Penn State sixth, Wisconsin ninth and Michigan 11th.

Vikings defensive end Brian Robison, 34, started all 16 regular season games last year but indications this summer are 22 year-old Danielle Hunter might replace him. Robison declined to be specific when asked if the Vikings have officially said Hunter, with two years experience, will now be the starter. Robison said he is “not worried about things I can’t control.”

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen turned 27 on Tuesday. Former Twins owner Carl Pohlad would have been 102 yesterday.

Deepest condolences to my friend Don Gaudette and wife Ann following the recent loss of 24-year-old son Luke Gaudette, a former offensive lineman at Augsburg who grew up in Savage and played high school football at Prior Lake.

The Twins have placed catcher Jason Castro on the seven-day concussion disabled list. They have recalled outfielder Zack Granite.

It will be 55 years ago on Saturday that the Twins Jack Kralick threw the first no-hitter for the Minnesota franchise. There have been four other no-hitters in Twins history, with the most recent by Francisco Liriano in 2011.

Minneapolis restaurateur Wayne Kostroski, who founded the Taste of the NFL in Minneapolis for the 1992 Super Bowl, e-mailed that Minneapolis events featuring former Vikings and other celebrities are planned for September 10 and 11 to benefit Second Harvest Heartland. There will be wine tasting and a reception at Corner Table September 10 (more at EventBrite.com). On September 11 a lunch and auction will be at Mission American Kitchen and Bar (more information at 612-339-1000).

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Molitor Twins Future Still Unknown

Posted on August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 by David Shama

The Paul Molitor fan club has to be restless. Molitor remains a popular Minnesota sports celebrity and as Twins manager has led the club to a contender’s role in the American League Wild Card standings as the closing weeks of the season near.

Yet the Twin Cities native and former Gophers All-American who earned his way to the Hall of Fame with a playing career that included three years with the Twins, is on an uncertain career path. Molitor’s three-year contract as manager ends following the season and during an interview last week general manager Thad Levine said the future of the Twins’ field boss won’t be addressed until after the ballclub has played its last game this fall.

No doubt some Molitor loyalists—and there are many—feel the manager should have been offered a new contract by now. His team has overcome adversity—including injuries and an extraordinary shuffling of the pitching staff—to stay in the race for a postseason playoff race. The Twins are 64-60 after being a 59-102 team a year ago.

The Molitor admirers, particularly those who know baseball well, see a manager with exceptional knowledge of the gam. He is an avid learner and teacher whose command of both the subtleties and fundamentals has helped revive the franchise. His supporters also see a leader who has taken a calm approach with a young roster, despite changing out so many players on a team that has avoided long losing streaks.

And then there is this: Molitor is a high character, likeable guy who Minnesotans enjoy being around him.

Levine, though, didn’t give a hint as to whether Molitor will return as manager in 2018. The Twins don’t negotiate contracts during the season and Levine, along with chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, decided not to make a deal with Molitor last offseason. As the franchise’s new leaders as of last fall, they are committed to a lengthy evaluation of all things related to baseball including the manager, coaches and scouts.

“We’ve talked to Paul and we’ve all collectively determined that we would…let the season play out without any distractions,” Levine said. “Then we would address that (contract situation) as well as a number of our other staff members whose contracts will be up at the end of the season—just so that we could keep our focus where it should be, which is between the lines at this point.”

The emotions of Molitor loyalists are one thing. Business, though, is another and objectively it makes sense for the Twins to take a wait-and-see approach—even with just 38 games remaining of the season and the results from the manager and coaching staff’s work making a compelling argument for a Molitor extension.

When asked how he and Falvey evaluate a manager, Levine emphasized the development of a “partnership” and effective communication between the front office and the field boss. Much of that needed collaboration involves decisions on player personnel.

“That doesn’t mean everyone agrees at all times,” Levine said. “Quite frankly, I think it’s probably healthier when they don’t—when we’re set up to sharpen each other’s ideas rather than just agree with all of them.”

There’s no indication Molitor, who turns 61 today, doesn’t want to return as manager. He and his coaches and players have shown a resiliency that has impressed Levine. The season’s longest losing streak is four games, compared with a late slide last year that saw Minnesota drop 13 straight.

A few weeks ago the front office seemed to be taking a build-for-the-future approach by trading starting pitcher Jamie Garcia and Brandon Kintzler—one of baseball’s best closers—for prospects. “Here we go,” thought Twins fans. “The team will collapse and fall out of contention for the playoffs.”

Instead the Twins have remained competitive and have won 12 of their last 16 games. The collective resiliency has impressed Levine who mentioned the leadership of veterans Joe Mauer, Ervin Santana and Brian Dozier, and how a young core of players has contributed to team determination.

“I think it’s been one of the biggest bright spots of this team,” Levine said. “As you try to put together a championship caliber team, one thing that every single championship team has ever had in the history of the game is resiliency. There are teams that get knocked down but get back up, and there are teams that bend but they don’t break, and I think we’ve seen that out of our club.

“There are countless times this season where a three-game losing streak could have turned into a six or seven-game losing streak. Or they could have kind of thrown in the towel and succumbed to what the national pundits were saying in terms of their likely win expectancy for the year. Each time they’ve tried to defy that, and they’ve rallied around each other and shown tremendous resolve.

“I think those are championship caliber qualities and you can’t teach that. It has to be innate within your team. I think the fact that we’re seeing that out of this club—especially on the heels of a 103 loss season—is a mark of exceptional growth.”

The Twins and other major league teams can expand rosters on September 1 from 25 to 40 players. “I would expect we’re going to bring up a half dozen guys or so,” Levine said.

Who the Twins decide to promote to the big league club is impacted by roster needs, minor league performances and wanting to give top prospects early exposure to baseball’s highest level of competition. Part of the Twins perspective will also be influenced by the versatility of players on the existing roster.

“We have so many guys who can play so many different positions that we can probably be a little more selective as to who we want to promote,” Levine said. “Those are conversations that Derek, and myself, and Paul have had ongoing, and will continue to have.”

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