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.

Mixed Results on Vikings First Rounders

Posted on May 1, 2015May 1, 2015 by David Shama

There’s nothing wrong with being upbeat about the Vikings’ choice of cornerback Trae Waynes with the No. 11 selection in the first round of last night’s NFL Draft. But fans are advised to evaluate the success of the selection in a few years.

The Vikings have made 11 first round selections dating back to 2007, including last night. In addition to Waynes, those selections were for Adrian Peterson (2007), Percy Harvin (2009), Christian Ponder (2011), Matt Kalil (2012), Harrison Smith (2012), Sharrif Floyd (2013), Xavier Rhodes (2013), Cordarrelle Patterson (2013), Anthony Barr (2014) and Teddy Bridgewater (2014).

All 10 of the previous first rounders from past years became starters as rookies. Seven were All-Rookie selections and four made the Pro Bowl. Peterson and Harvin were both NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Peterson was also selected first team Associated Press All-Pro as a running back.

Honors are nice but performance over time is what matters most—individually and contributing to team success.

Peterson will one day be a Hall of Fame running back and was worthy of going even higher in the 2007 draft’s first round than his No. 7 selection. Harvin, despite his superb talents as a slot receiver and runner, became a “headache” specialist with the Vikings—both suffering from head pain and giving it to coaches and management before he was traded to the Seahawks.

Ponder was mostly ineffective and didn’t follow the script to become the quarterback savior. Kalil is supposed to be the team’s franchise left tackle but he’s been inconsistent and sometimes awful. Safety Smith and cornerback Rhodes form half of a talented and promising defensive secondary. Floyd, a defensive tackle, started one game as a rookie and 13 last season, and faces a prove-it season in 2015.

Patterson’s talents—he was All-Pro as a kick returner for 2013 and flashed promise as a receiver—reminds us of Harvin’s skills, but he seems unfocused and perhaps difficult to handle. Barr and Bridgewater teased with their abilities and promise last season as rookies, and left coaches and fans anticipating how much more they can contribute in future years.

The report card is mixed for the 10 players referenced above, and more importantly so are the team results on the field. The Vikings have had losing seasons three of the last four years, making the playoffs once and compiling an overall record of 25-38-1.

That record, of course, isn’t just the responsibility of the 10 first round draft choices. Other players—whether they were later rounds selections or veterans already on the club—are accountable too. Coaches and personnel decision makers are also part of the story. But what would the team record be the last couple years if Ponder had been a franchise quarterback? If Harvin had been All-Pro every year? Or if Patterson was the equal of Harvin in making explosive plays by catching passes and running for extra yardage? And if Kalil was mentioned in the same breath with the league’s best left tackles.

Get the idea? Let’s wait a few years and see what the impact really is of Waynes and past first round draft selections, and how the wins and losses are adding up for the Vikings.

Worth Noting

With their selection of Waynes in the first round last night, the Vikings tied the Bengals (1984-1987) for most NFL first round selections in a four-year period, with eight.

Last Sunday’s first round Game 6 between the Wild and Blues from Xcel Energy Center was the most watched hockey game ever on NBC in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market. Late in the game 53 percent of all television households in this market with TV’s on were tuned to the Wild game.

The Wild will host a Playoff Pep Rally at the IDS Center Crystal Court in downtown Minneapolis today from noon to 1 p.m. The Wild face the Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight in Chicago. Fans are encouraged to wear Wild team colors on Friday and for future playoff game days. Team mascot Nordy will join former Wild captain Wes Walz, 1995 Stanley Cup Champion Tom Chorske, and others on stage at the rally.

Round 2 Rally Towels will be distributed to 500 fans beginning at noon. One lucky fan will win a Zach Parise autographed jersey. Complimentary raffle tickets will be distributed beginning at 11 a.m. There is a limit of one raffle ticket per person and the winner must be present when announced.

The new Capital Club featuring local sports figures as speakers meets on selected mornings at Town & Country Club in St. Paul. Gophers football coach Jerry Kill will speak next Tuesday. For more information contact, Patrick Klinger, patrickklinger@klingercompany.com.

Patrick Talty, the SMG executive working on attracting events to the new Minneapolis Vikings stadium, said a bid will be submitted by the end of May to host the college football national championship game. The downtown facility, opening in 2016, might be the site of the game in 2018, 2019 or 2020.

Among other attractions, the stadium could also host the WWE’s WrestleMania. Talty said the economic impact for a city having the event can be $100 million.

Condolences to family and friends of Verne Gagne who died earlier this week at age 89. Gagne played football for the Gophers and was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion. As a pro wrestling champion and promoter, he made the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association a household phrase in this marketplace. His zest for life and entertaining will long be remembered by Minnesotans.

Gagne impacted the development and livelihoods of many athletes who made careers out of pro wrestling. Among them is former Gophers football player Jim Brunzell who became part of the famous “High Flyers” tag team along with Gagne’s son Greg Gagne. “Verne played a major part of my early wrestling career,” Brunzell wrote via e-mail. “He trained me, booked me, and enabled me to learn my trade from some of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. …

“He was a tremendous competitor, no matter what the activity—wrestling, racquetball, or tennis. He’d just as soon knock your teeth out, than lose! He loved the outdoors, fishing and hunting, and probably would have preferred to live in the early Wild West! He loved his family, and the University of Minnesota, and was truly a modern day icon!”

A sold out crowd of more than 800 is expected Sunday when The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame hosts its 8th Annual Minnesota Football Honors event at the Hilton Minneapolis. See the April 16 issue of Sports Headliners for a listing of individuals being honored.

Twins marketers like this year’s home schedule that has the club playing 48 dates at Target Field between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

New Twins manager Paul Molitor told Sports Headliners the first month of the season and 22 games played isn’t a large enough sampling to know what he’s got for a team including decisions on who deserves to stay on the roster. “I think probably 30-40 games is a little better gauge…so let’s see how it plays out a little bit longer.”

Molitor said on Wednesday morning first baseman Joe Mauer is achieving more “quality at bats” than anyone else on his roster. Mauer, who entered this year with a career batting average of .319, hit just .277 last season. Molitor wouldn’t predict what Mauer’s average will be this season, but as of today he is at .318. Mauer is hitting .366 in his last 10 games, while driving in 12 runs in the past 14 games. “I do have confidence he’s going to have a good year,” Molitor said. “I am just not going to put a number on it.”

Jessie Aney, who won the MSHSL girls singles tennis title as an eight grader in 2011, has joined the Rochester Century High School boys team. Now a junior in eligibility, she is ranked No. 8 among Class AA players in the state by the boys tennis coaches association. A senior academically, Aney will be attending North Carolina on a tennis scholarship next fall.

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Source Says Vikings-Cowboys Talk AP

Posted on April 28, 2015April 28, 2015 by David Shama

The Vikings talked with the Cowboys last week about a trade involving Adrian Peterson, according to a Sports Headliners source. “I think he’ll probably move on to Dallas,” said the source who is close to the Vikings.

The source stated yesterday he didn’t have an update on talks, but two of his contacts have acknowledged discussions between the Cowboys and Vikings organizations. Flamboyant Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is capable of putting together a trade offer for Peterson that the Vikings can’t refuse.

“Jerry Jones, you never know what he is going to do,” the source said. “He goes beyond the extravagant.”

The Cowboys need a quality running back and Peterson is a former All-Pro. The source believes another reason Peterson could end up in Dallas is because of his personal controversy. Peterson’s beating of his four-year-old son with a switch last year still draws condemnation from some Minnesotans and others around the country but the source said the former NFL MVP will find more tolerance in Dallas. “They accept that type of discipline,” he said.

A deal for the Texas native involving the Cowboys or another NFL team might be made on Thursday or Friday of this week—the first two days of the three-day draft. Internet speculation of late targets teams like the Bucs, Cardinals and Jags as more likely destinations for the disgruntled Peterson who is under contract to stay with the Vikings.

Connor Orr, writing yesterday for NFL.com, made the case the Cardinals who need a running back to complement potent offensive players already in place and he speculates they might make a trade with the Vikings on Friday. It’s believed a second round draft choice, not a first round, is the most any team will offer for Peterson who is scheduled to make about $13 million (not guaranteed money) with the Vikings this season.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said at a news conference this afternoon about the NFL Draft that his franchise’s view on Peterson remains status quo. “Our position has not changed since all of the statements we’ve made down at the owners meetings (last month). …I think coach (Mike) Zimmer stated it pretty clear that we have no interest in trading Adrian Peterson.”

Vikings Draft Notes

The 80th annual NFL Draft will be held in Chicago with ESPN and the NFL Network televising all three days of rounds one through seven. The first round will be Thursday starting at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time. Rounds two and three will be Friday with drafting starting at 6 p.m. The draft concludes Saturday with rounds four through seven and begins at 11 a.m. Time allocated for each selection in the first round will be 10 minutes per team while the second round allows seven minutes. Teams will have five minutes for picks in the remaining rounds.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for the Vikings Draft Party at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Current and former players will be signing autographs during the evening. Xavier Rhodes, John Sullivan, Charles Johnson, Babtunde Aiyegbusi, Chuck Foreman, Matt Blair, Dave Dixon and Tyrone Carter are scheduled to attend. Players are subject to change. Check Vikings.com for event details including ticket availability.

The Vikings have seven draft picks but Spielman, speaking at his news conference today, left open the possibility of maneuvering for additional selections. His goal in each draft is to have 10 selections.

The Vikings have the No. 11 choice in the first round and Spielman said there may not be that much difference in the quality of players who will be selected from about No. 7 or 8 through No. 20. He would “love” to move down in the first round and acquire more picks. The Vikings have talked with all the top prospects in the draft except for quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota but are undecided as to who they will choose at No. 11.

Character will play a major role in who the Vikings select throughout the draft and Spielman said the team has eliminated certain players from consideration. The club is also using a consultant to help with analytics and Spielman indicated the Vikings might be ahead of other NFL teams in what they are doing. He didn’t offer details other than to say that analytics can play a role in such areas as analyzing players and where a franchise drafts for certain playing positions on the team.

“This person is a lot smarter than I am in spinning numbers,” said Spielman, adding that analytics is just another tool for evaluation and that studying players on tape and what his “gut” tells him remains paramount.

When the Vikings began volunteer offseason workouts yesterday that was Cordarrelle Patterson’s car parked near the east Fieldhouse door at Winter Park. The car, parked on the other side of where other players leave their vehicles, had the words “flashy” painted on the rear window.

The Vikings chose safety Harrison Smith in the first round of the 2012 draft. He has saved negative comments that were written about him prior to the draft. “I just like to have it as motivation,” he said.

Smith on linebacker Chad Greenway’s decision to play a 10th season with the team: “I don’t think you’d find a guy in the building that doesn’t want him back. He’s a heck of a player, heck of a role model and example for everybody in the building.”

History lesson: Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, who played baseball and basketball for the Gophers but not football, was drafted by the Vikings during the 17th round in 1973.

Comments Welcome

Vikings to Go Offense on First Round?

Posted on April 27, 2015April 28, 2015 by David Shama

The NFL Draft starts Thursday and this could be a historical week for the Vikings franchise. The opinion here is the Vikings will trade disgruntled Adrian Peterson before the clock strikes midnight on Thursday. Here is a list of other Sports Headliners items about the three-day draft during which the Vikings have one selection in each of the first five rounds, none in the sixth and two in the seventh.

With Peterson’s immediate playing future uncertain, the suspicion is the Vikings will select a running back within the first couple rounds of the draft. Even if a Peterson draft week trade doesn’t materialize, the Vikings have to be concerned about the superstar’s age (30) and disposition toward playing for them. A promising running back from this year’s draft makes sense.

Nobody I know about is predicting the Vikings will use the 11th pick in the first round for a running back but general manager Rick Spielman has a history of being trade-active the first night of the draft. If a deal resulted in the Vikings not drafting until late in the first round, a running back like Georgia’s Todd Gurley or Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon III could be tempting. Yes, in the pass-happy NFL the role of the running back has been diminished but Vikings coach Mike Zimmer still wants a quality guy to pound the football.

As written here awhile ago, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Vikings choose Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker at No. 11. That move might help fulfill a big play receiver need and would reunite Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with a former college teammate.

Ex-Viking Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the team, is “100 percent certain” Spielman will choose an offensive player in the first round. His thought is the Vikings have improved their defense dramatically under now second-year coach Mike Zimmer, and the need in the first round of the draft is for better players to complement the inexperienced Bridgewater.

The Vikings are trying to build an offense that can compete in today’s high scoring NFL. Lurtsema thinks the Vikings’ approach early in the draft is this: “We’re playing Arena Football. What’s going to make us the best?”

Will Brinson from Cbssports.com has the Vikings choosing Parker at No. 11, although most prominent mock drafts predict the selection will be Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes. Waynes ran a 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this winter and he has plenty of endorsements as the top cornerback in the draft. The Vikings have many draft needs including linebacker and left guard, but it might be hard to pass on Waynes who could give the team another quality young corner along with Xavier Rhodes.

While our five-state area has minimal reputation for producing high school running backs that become pros, this year’s NFL Draft prospects include four guys drawing attention: Wisconsin’s Gordon from Kenosha, Wisconsin; North Dakota State’s John Crockett from Minneapolis; Northern Iowa’s David Johnson, from Clinton, Iowa; and South Dakota State’s Zach Zenner from Eagan, Minnesota.

Gordon is forecast as a late first or early second round choice. Johnson has been compared with the Bears’ Matt Forte and could be selected in the second round, according to his profile on Nfldraft.com. That same source has projected Crockett and Zenner will either be taken in the last few rounds or signed as free agents.

Sports Illustrated’s April 20 NFL Draft issue ranks former Gopher David Cobb the seventh best running back available. The magazine said 2015 is a deep year for quality running backs, and praises Cobb’s durability and how he breaks tackles.

S.I. projects former Gopher Maxx Williams will be the first tight end taken in the draft, with the Broncos choosing him at No. 28 in the first round. “For $38 million less than Julius Thomas, Denver lands a TE with similar skills,” the magazine wrote.

Worth Noting

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman meets with the media tomorrow afternoon at Winter Park to preview the draft.

Spielman will speak at the May 14 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Reservations for the program (deadline May 11) can be made by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

Bob Lurtsema attended a reunion of former Giants players in Atlanta last week. Fran Tarkenton, who like Lurtsema played for both the Giants and Vikings, attended and so too did Greg Larson, the center on the Gophers 1960 national championship team.

The Wild’s success story continues on after winning Game Six yesterday against the Blues and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs where Minnesota will play the Blackhawks. The Wild entered Sunday’s game with a 3-2 series lead and the 4-1 victory was the work of some timely goals, tight defense and extraordinary play again by goalie Devan Dubnyk who made 30 saves.

Left wing Zach Parise had two goals, while right wings Justin Fontaine (winning goal) and Nino Niederreiter (empty netter) had one each. Parise, who got the Wild off to an important 1-0 first period lead, is now tied for the franchise record in all-time playoff scoring with 22 points. Parise’s totals are eight goals and 14 assists, while former Wild star Marian Gaborik scored 12 goals with 10 assists. Fontaine’s goal was his first of the series and matched the one goal the Blues scored in the second period.

The Wild hasn’t lost consecutive games in regulation since January 11 and 13 (before acquiring Dubnyk from the Coyotes on January 14). Including a shootout loss, the Wild has only lost consecutive games once since the NHL All-Star Game on January 25. In a 36-game span to finish the season, the Wild lost only two games by more than one goal.

Although live horse racing doesn’t begin at Canterbury Park until May 15, the largest wagering day of the year is expected at the Shakopee track this Saturday for the Kentucky Derby.

From the just teasing department: If the Gophers play their way into next year’s national championship football game on January 11 it looks like University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler will miss out. Kaler and his wife are leading a University of Minnesota Alumni Association trip to Vietnam January 2-13.

Except for last weekend’s series against the Mariners, the Twins have faced only AL Central Division teams during the first month of the season. Although the Twins have a losing record (8-10), the club has played 12 of its first 18 games on the road, and won two of three games against the Mariners in Seattle. The Twins start a three-game home stand against the Tigers tonight, a team that swept a 3-0 series in Detroit to begin the season.

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