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.

The Kid Sure Looked Like Prince

Posted on April 27, 2016April 27, 2016 by David Shama

In the days since Prince’s death last week, it seems like most of the world has a story about him. I thought I had one, too.

Back in the early 1970s my ninth grade boys basketball team, the Ramsey All-Stars, played Bryant Junior High whose roster included a really small kid with a big Afro. After Prince became famous, I thought the little guy was him. This made a nice memory for a long time because not only did my Ramsey team defeat our south Minneapolis rivals, but we played against a future music legend.

Uh, oh.

A couple of days ago I called one of the Ramsey players I coached. He let the air out of my balloon pronto, telling me Prince was a few years younger than my bunch and the mysterious little guy we played back in the day wasn’t Prince Rogers Nelson.

So I turned to my friend Al Nuness, the former Gophers basketball captain who has true Prince stories in his “memory bank.” Nuness took a job as a physical education teacher and basketball coach at Central High School in 1971. At the time Prince was at Bryant, the junior high school located near Central. Prince was drawn to basketball and so was his brother Duane and Prince’s best friend Paul Mitchell.

It didn’t take Nuness long to meet up with the threesome who regularly rode their bikes over to Central. “These guys would sneak into the Central gym, and they would bring their dog with them,” Nuness told Sports Headliners. “My office had a window that looked right into the gym. I would see these kids and I heard this dog barking. I’d chase these guys out of the gym at least three days a week. I have no idea how they got (in) there. …They were good kids.”

Prince eventually played on the Central sophomore team but never the varsity. “He was a good player,” Nuness remembered. “He loved basketball. He was quick, (but) he was small. Prince was 5-6 in his high heel shoes. He was probably 5-2 in his stocking feet.”

At Central it was evident music, not hoops, was Prince’s future. Nuness and others saw he was a natural. “This kid could not read music. He played everything by ear. He could play five instruments. He was the music guy in school.”

Prince was even part of a band while at Central. “They were playing for adult parties back when they were in high school,” Nuness said.

When Nuness became a sales and community affairs executive for the startup Timberwolves franchise in the late 1980s, he called Prince’s office. Nuness wanted to make sure the basketball-loving Prince had the opportunity to purchase prime seats to watch Minneapolis’ new NBA franchise.

The person who answered the telephone at Prince’s office didn’t know Nuness and said he didn’t believe his boss was interested in tickets. “I said, ‘Will you tell Prince coach Nuness called?’

“The guy called me back five minutes later and said, ‘Hey, I am really sorry. I didn’t know. Yes, Prince wants to talk to you. Yes, he wants season tickets.’

“The guy was very apologetic.”

There was another time Nuness learned the famous entertainer hadn’t forgotten about the coach who many years before had chased him out of the gym. Kelly Smith, a young lady who was a friend of the Nuness family, was a Prince fanatic and formed a Prince fan club in Chicago. Smith called Nuness because she remembered his Central connection to Prince. Nuness responded by sending her an old Central yearbook that included Prince—but that wasn’t the end of hearing from Smith.

“She just went crazy (after receiving the yearbook), and so she calls me back and she says, ‘I need something.’

“I said, ‘What do you need now, Kelly?’ She says, ‘Can you get a picture of Prince in front of his house?’

“I said, ‘What? Prince doesn’t give pictures out. He doesn’t do stuff like that.’

“She said, ‘Oh, but I know you can get it for me.’

“I called his brother Duane. I said, ‘Duane, I need you to get me a picture of Prince in front of his house.’

“He said, ‘Coach, you want me to do what (then)’?

“I said, ‘Duane, this is coach Nuness. You tell Prince that coach Nuness wants a picture of him in front of his house.’ This is when he lived on Lake Riley in Chanhassen and had that purple house.

“He said, ‘All right, coach.’

“A week later I got a picture in the mail—Prince sitting on top of his car in front of his house. I sent it to Kelly.

“I said, ‘Kelly, don’t ask me for anything else.’ ”

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U Boosters Voice Concerns to Governor

Posted on April 25, 2016April 26, 2016 by David Shama

Jim Carter thought it was an idea going nowhere. Carter’s friend Jim Brunzell told him a few weeks ago he requested a meeting with Governor Mark Dayton to talk about University of Minnesota athletics.

Not only did the Governor’s office respond but a lunch meeting was scheduled with Brunzell, Carter and Alvin Ray Hawes. Last Friday the three U alums met with Dayton at the Governor’s residence in St. Paul. Shannon Patrick, Dayton’s senior policy advisor for higher education, was also there.

Brunzell, Carter and Hawes played football together at Minnesota in the late 1960s. They and many other Gophers boosters have been concerned for some time about the school’s leadership in athletics, and the performances and reputations of football, and men’s basketball and hockey—the highest profile sports at the University and major producers of revenues contributing to a $100 million annual budget supporting 25 men’s and women’s sports.

Carter came to the meeting with a list of facts and concerns including how long it’s taking to find a permanent athletic director, how fundraising is stalled on the $190 million Athletes Village project, the missed opportunity to place former football coach Jerry Kill in a high level position within the Athletic Department, how department monies have been used inefficiently, and how the revenues, culture and image of the department could be much better.

“We just wanted the Governor to know how frustrated we are,” Carter said of the meeting. “How frustrated we’ve been with the lack of pursuit of excellence in athletics at the University. With the long time—almost a year now—to put an athletic director in place. What we see with continuing issues in the Athletic Department that make us wonder where the tradition of the Golden Gophers has gone. We shared that with the Governor.

“It was very positive (the discussion), not mudslinging. We talked with him…and discovered he’s got the same love for Golden Gophers football, hockey, basketball, and many of the sports that we all do.”

The Governor, 69, is about the same age as Carter, Brunzell and Hawes. A Minneapolis native, Dayton grew up in Minnesota and loved hockey. He was an all-state goalie for Blake and followed Gophers hockey and football teams. “He seemed to be one of us,” Carter said.

Carter said during lunch Dayton expressed similar concerns to what his visitors voiced. Dayton also recalled an offer he made to former Gophers athletics director Norwood Teague and later to interim AD Beth Goetz. Dayton is willing to use his residence to help the Athletic Department, including to host Gopher donors. While Teague didn’t take him up on the offer, Goetz has scheduled a dinner.

What may transpire from the meeting last Friday? “I think the only thing that we could expect for him to do would be to use influence,” Carter said. “Not financial necessarily but he speaks with the president of the University. He speaks with people over there.”

Vikings & NFL Draft

The Vikings have eight selections in next week’s NFL Draft and a priority should be finding a speed receiver who runs disciplined routes. At least that’s the opinion of former Viking Bob Lurtsema who remains close to the franchise.

Lurtsema is an admirer of third-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater who he said “can throw the ball” but doesn’t receive enough praise from the media. Bridgewater ranked No. 22 in the NFL last season with 3,231 passing yards. The 23-year-old had a just okay 88.7 passer rater.

Teddy Bridgewater (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings).

It takes awhile for young quarterbacks to establish themselves but Lurtsema believes Bridgewater’s numbers and the perception of him would be more positive if his wide receivers ran better routes than they did last season. Bridgewater, he said, often made superior judgments compared to his targets.

“They (wide receivers) would come off the routes,” Lurtsema said. “They weren’t reading the same (as Bridgewater). A lot of it is the responsibility of the receiver.”

Lurtsema hopes to see improvement among the wide receivers next season. “You talk to the players themselves and you talk to them off the record, they tell you all the little things that Teddy Bridgewater can do,” Lurtsema said.

The first of the Vikings’ eight selections comes Thursday night when Minnesota has the No. 23 pick in the first round. Mock drafts frequently project the Vikings will use the selection on a wide receiver, perhaps TCU’s Josh Doctson, Notre Dame’s Will Fuller or Ohio State’s Mike Thomas. All three have first round credentials but on their NFL.com profiles none draws praise for route running.

The Vikings will also draft No. 23 in rounds two through five, then No. 5 in the sixth round, and 19th and 23rd in the seventh and final round. The first round begins at 7 p.m. CDT Thursday. Rounds two and three start at 6 p.m. Friday, while rounds four through seven begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. All three days of the draft from Chicago will be televised by ESPN and the NFL Network.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman meets with the media tomorrow (Tuesday) to preview the draft.

Lurtsema talking about 33-year-old linebacker Chad Greenway who has decided to play an 11th season for the Vikings and whether a player that age slows down: “You might lose a half a step but your experience picks up a half a step—so you’re still a pretty good athlete.”

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Authority Lines Drawn for Wolves Leaders

Posted on April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 by David Shama

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor expects new hires Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden to agree on decisions “95 percent” of the time.

Taylor signed Thibodeau, his new coach and president of basketball operations, and Layden, the franchise’s new general manager, to five-year contracts on Wednesday. Thibodeau has more than 25 years of NBA coaching experience and Layden has been with league teams since 1981 in coaching and front office work. Taylor said the two men like and respect one another, making it possible for them to mostly work in agreement.

But what happens with decisions when Thibodeau and Layden don’t agree?

Taylor told Sports Headliners in an interview yesterday there are defined areas of authority. He wouldn’t identify all of those areas but mentioned free agents and the NBA Draft as examples where Thibodeau and Layden know who has the final word.

Taylor said Layden might want to sign a certain free agent but if the coach doesn’t want him that won’t go further. Thibodeau has the final word on what personnel will comprise his roster. Layden will run the NBA Draft for the Wolves. Taylor also mentioned analytics as another area of authority for Layden who most recently has been assistant general manager for the Spurs.

Glen Taylor (photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves).

Few problems are anticipated by Taylor who by coincidence signed Thibodeau and Layden on the owner’s 75th birthday. “They’re two seasoned guys who are going to work off of each other and (they) know that both of them sometimes may have to comprise a little bit, but they aren’t going to move ahead unless they resolve the issue,” said Taylor who expressed clear confidence they will.

Thibodeau made a reputation for winning games as head coach of the Bulls for five seasons, never missing the playoffs. His .647 winning percentage ranks seventh in NBA history (minimum 200 games).

Known for his attention to detail and demanding ways including on defense, Thibodeau will sometimes use his starters for long stretches. Taylor asked Thibodeau about the reputation that his regulars play too many minutes. The coach suggested the Wolves’ owner talk to guys who have played for him. “The way he said it, he would be confident they aren’t going to be critical of him,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s representatives did speak to players who said Thibodeau worked them hard and was demanding but the owner isn’t worried about his Wolves playing too many minutes. “Not after a long discussion with him on it, I am not concerned about it,” Taylor said.

Thibodeau and Layden spent hours interviewing with Taylor by telephone and in person. The interviews with the two were separate. “I just think that I can trust these two guys now to make the decisions that need to be made,” Taylor said. “I don’t think they’re going to rely on me. …”

Major financial decisions about salaries will be an area where Thibodeau and Layden come to Taylor. The three have talked salary cap but Taylor didn’t elaborate on his willingness to exceed the NBA maximum, indicating various details enter into such decisions and the timing of them. It seems likely, though, if Taylor is convinced extra money will bring the franchise closer to its first ever NBA title he will green-light Thibodeau and Layden.

Taylor said his new hires were his first choice when he looked for staffing to leading his basketball department. “I was very fortunate,” he said.

Worth Noting

The late Flip Saunders, who was Taylor’s coach and president of basketball operations, owned a small percentage of the team. Taylor asked Saunders’ widow, if she wanted to sell but Debbie answered the family wants to keep its ownership.

Watch the first period tonight with extra interest when the Wild, trailing 3-1 in its best of seven playoff series, plays the Stars in Dallas. “See if Dallas comes out swinging (focused), scores a couple of goals and takes the life out of the Wild,” a hockey industry source told Sports Headliners.

The Wild has just eight goals in four games and the team’s lack of offense was problematic during the regular season too. One issue, the source said, is lack of chemistry between the older and younger players. The club also doesn’t have a leader, with no one stepping forward to claim that role, he said.

The Stars can gain much valued playoff rest if they close out the series tonight and wait a few days for their second round games. That’s a real incentive but no more than what the Wild is playing for—a chance to stay alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and force a Game 6 in St. Paul Sunday.

Vikings defensive tackle Shariff Floyd will autograph memorabilia for $15 and $25 tomorrow (Saturday) from 1 to 2 p.m. at Southtown Shopping Center in Bloomington. His appearance is part of the two-day Saturday-Sunday Triple Crown Sports Collectibles Southtown Show. Show hours tomorrow are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Gophers, Twins, Vikings and Saints will all be playing home games the night of September 1. In three Minneapolis stadiums—within at the most six miles of each other—the Gophers have their opening nonconference game, the Twins face Central Division rival Chicago and the Vikings play their first ever preseason game in U.S. Bank Stadium. In St. Paul the Saints will host Winnipeg. More than 130,000 fans likely will be watching the four games.

Scheduling conflicts are routine in this overcrowded sports market. Last week, for example, the Timberwolves had a season-ending game in Target Center while a block away the Twins were playing their second home game of the year.

The Twins have opened on the road six of the last eight years but don’t look for that trend to change much in the future. The club doesn’t want to risk multiple postponements in Minneapolis because of bad weather in late March and during the first few days of April.

The Twins, now 5-11, lost their first nine games of the season, including six straight on the road. After yesterday’s loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee, Minnesota’s road record is 1-7.

While the Twins have struggled to find offensive production from their catchers since moving Joe Mauer to first base in 2014, Wilson Ramos is off to a fast start this spring with the Nationals. Ramos, who the Twins traded to the Nationals in 2010, is hitting .314. Last year he hit only .229 but had 15 home runs and a career high 68 RBI. The Twins figure to see Ramos this weekend during a three-game series at Washington that starts tonight.

The April 18 issue of Sports Illustrated includes former Gopher Eric Decker, Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr., Burnsville native Lindsey Vonn and the Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins on its first ever Fashionable 50 list. Victor Cruz of the New York Giants ranks No. 1 among stylishly dressed athletes. Decker, Fitzgerald, Vonn and Wiggins didn’t make the top 10 listings but are included alphabetically among 40 other “sartorial icons.”

National Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, who twice won the Kentucky Derby, will host a Casino Night Fundraiser Tuesday, April 26 at Canterbury Park to benefit the Leg Up Fund. The fund provides emergency financial assistance to jockeys injured while riding at the Shakopee racetrack.

Casino Night will be from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in Canterbury’s Triple Crown Club. Admission is $35 in advance, or $45 at the door, and includes a presentation by McCarron, dinner, soda, and 3,000 in chips. A $100 per-person VIP Meet and Greet event from 6 to 7 p.m. includes appetizers, open bar, and 6,000 in chips. Tickets can be purchased by calling (952) 445-7224.

Canterbury Park Hall of Famer and former WCCO Radio personality Dark Star, who died in 2012, would have been 70 Wednesday.

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