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.

Kill: Gophers Get a Quarterback ‘Steal’

Posted on February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 by David Shama

Demry Croft was the first player asked about when Jerry Kill was interviewed this afternoon on the Big Ten Network’s “Signing Day Special.” Kill said the 6-5, 200-pound quarterback from Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Illinois showed him impressive attributes at the Gophers summer camp last year including a “very, very strong arm,” length and speed.

“Very blessed in my opinion (to get him),” Kill said on BTN. “He’s a steal…we got him into camp and we could see what he could do. He had a good senior year. You look around the league, you better have an athletic guy that can run and throw it, and this young man can.”

Gopherillustrated.com recruiting authority Ryan Burns praised Croft in a Sports Headliners’ column last Sunday. He said Croft, who threw for over 2,000 yards last season and had only four interceptions, may eventually be the best of any quarterbacks signed by Big Ten schools in 2015.

BTN program host Mike Hall asked Kill to identify a player that hadn’t been mentioned during a brief introduction of the Gophers recruiting class. Kill answered that he is excited to see running back Jonathan Femi-Cole practice with the Gophers. He noted a lot of people probably don’t know about Cole because he is from Canada but said the 6-1, 218-pound game-breaker has “tremendous upside.”

Last week Burns identified (in addition to Croft) two other Gopher recruits who particularly intrigue him. He said Jasper, Georgia running back Shannon Brooks could earn playing time as a true freshman. Brooks gained 2,223 yards, averaging 9.9 yards per carry his senior year of high school, according to Gopherillustrated.com. Burns said Brooks led the state of Georgia in rushing.

“He’s got a lot of explosive ability,” Burns said. “He’s a really big kid; he’s 5-11, 205. He’s got a lot of good burst, a lot of good speed. I think he could potentially come in and compete right away.”

Ray Buford, from Southfield, Michigan, is a good athlete and another player who has Burns’ interest. He likens the 6-2, 190-pound Buford to Gophers cornerback Eric Murray who probably will be among the Big Ten’s best secondary defenders next fall. “I think if you were to project him, he could be a taller Eric Murray (6 foot) down the line,” Burns said. “He’s got a lot of ability. He can run well. He’s got good length.”

The Gophers’ class of 24 signed recruits that was announced today includes five offensive linemen and six secondary players. Those are two areas of need Kill mentioned on BTN. He believes the staff was successful in signing “big and athletic” linemen who will help in the future. A year from now the Gophers will lose four defensive backs so the secondary received emphasis in recruiting, too. “I think they’re very talented, like the group we have right now,” Kill said.

Offensive lineman Tyler Moore, a guard-center from Galena Park, Texas, drew the attention today of BTN analyst Howard Griffith. “…When he decides to lock on to somebody, you’re not going anywhere,” Griffith said. “He’s going to drive you to the ground. He’s got a lot of nasty in him.”

Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program Sunday that because of increased depth and quality he turned down a prospective recruit at a position he didn’t identify—a first for Kill at Minnesota. “I think every year we have improved in our recruiting classes,” he said.

The Gophers, 8-5 in their fourth year under Kill in 2014, continue to attract more size, strength, speed and length among recruits. Recruiting director Billy Glasscock was recognized last month by national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming as one of five outstanding national directors of operations for 2014.

A player the Gophers didn’t get today is Chicago Raby High School defensive tackle Jamal Milan. He told the Chicagotribune.com today that he chose Illinois (over the Gophers and others) because he was most “comfortable” with the Illini program.

Worth Noting

The Gophers didn’t have any players on Btn.com’s list of the Big Ten’s top 20 recruits but former Cretin-Derham Hall defensive tackle Jashon Cornell who signed with Ohio State was ranked No. 7. Cornell has superb physical skills but will also need consistency to play for the Buckeyes.

Parade Magazine had an interesting selection on its February 1 high school football All-America team. Kellen Overstreet from Penney High School in Hamilton, Missouri is one of the wide receivers and he accepted a scholarship to play for coach Craig Bohl at Wyoming, an obscure program entering its second season led by the former FCS national championship coach at North Dakota State. Overstreet ran for 4,259 yards and 70 touchdowns his senior year, one less than the national record for a single season, according to a February 2 story on Wyosports.net. Overstreet, though, is only listed as a two-star player by Rivals.com and had scholarship offers from Air Force and four FCS schools, according to Wyosports.net.

Sunday’s Super Bowl drew a record 114.4 million viewers and during the regular season the NFL dominated television numbers with the most watched programming. But you can be sure there were Sunday viewers who wondered about football’s future. Youth football participation has been trending down nationally because of safety concerns, most notably the potential for concussions.

Awhile ago PBS’s “Frontline” program offered a sobering look at the results of blows to the head caused by football. The media attention to the problem is growing and on January 25 the Los Angeles Times published a front page story headlined: “The hits that loosen NFL’s grip—Effects of football violence threaten its status as America’s game.”

Gophers women’s basketball center Amanda Zahui B. has 16 double-doubles this season in 22 games. Her most recent effort was 13 points and 15 rebounds on Sunday when the Gophers (17-5, 6-4 in the Big Ten) lost to Northwestern. Monday she was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week after averaging 14.5 points, 14 rebounds, eight rebounds and 2.5 steals last week.

Last week espnW included Zahui B. on its midseason All-America team. The website referred to the Gophers as the midseason’s “biggest surprise,” and coach Marlene Stollings as a coach of the year candidate.

The men’s basketball Gophers had an announced crowd of 13,253 for last Saturday night’s game against Nebraska. In 15 home dates this season, the Gophers haven’t sold out a game after having four capacity crowds at Williams Arena last season.

The Gophers, with a disappointing 3-7 Big Ten record after going 11-2 in nonconference games, likely will sell out one game when Wisconsin plays here on March 5. As of yesterday several hundred tickets remained for the game in Williams Arena, capacity 14,625.

The 20th annual Minnesota Vikings Arctic Blast Snowmobile Rally to help raise money for the Vikings Children’s Fund will be Friday-Sunday in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The event features current and former Vikings players along with team executives. Among current players scheduled (subject to change) are Brandon Fusco, Charles Johnson, Everson Griffen, Phil Loadholt, Kyle Rudolph, Harrison Smith and Adam Thielen.

Former Twins marketing executive Patrick Klinger has helped organize the new Capital Club featuring local sports authorities as speakers. The club meets on selected mornings at Town & Country Club in St. Paul. Twins manager Paul Molitor speaks on February 11. The event will include a buffet breakfast from 7 to 7:30 a.m. and is open to the public. For more information contact patrickklinger@klingercompany.com.

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U Recruit May Top All Big Ten QB’s

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

Ryan Burns, a football recruiting authority for Gopherillustrated.com, compares the athleticism of Rockford, Illinois high school senior quarterback Demry Croft with the Vikings Teddy Bridgewater. Burns told Sports Headliners the Boylan Catholic High star could be a special player for Minnesota within a couple of years.

Croft, 6-5, 200, verbally committed to the Gophers last year and is expected to sign a National Letter of Intent this week binding him to Minnesota and making him one of 20-plus players to accept scholarships for head coach Jerry Kill’s 2015 recruiting class.

Bridgewater, who completed over 70 percent of his college passes during his final year at Louisville, was recently voted the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. “I am not saying he is going to be Teddy Bridgewater,” Burns said. “I am just saying athletic ability-wise, he’s very similar.”

Like Bridgewater, Croft “likes to sit in the pocket, read the defense, (and) not necessarily run,” Burns said. “He doesn’t flinch if he feels pressure. He steps up in the pocket.”

Bridgewater and Croft do put defenses on high alert not just because of their passing but also running. In Croft’s senior season he rushed for 845 yards and 10 touchdowns, while passing for 2,011 yards and 21 touchdowns, according to statistics from Gopherillustrated.com.

“It could be pretty scary on what he could accomplish here down the line in two or three years,” Burns said.

When Burns makes such a statement it’s not only based on abilities Croft has shown but also that Croft has limited experience playing quarterback. He played both receiver and quarterback his junior year of high school.

Burns said Croft compares impressively with quarterback recruits being signed by the other 13 Big Ten Conference schools. “I think he has the potential to be one of the best—if not the best—quarterback of this Big Ten quarterback class in three or four years. I think his ceiling is extremely high. He has all the physical tools.”

Burns predicted Croft will go through a lengthy learning process with the Gophers before receiving significant playing time. “In the first year or two I don’t think he’ll play much. I think he’ll redshirt and sit another year but down the line I think he does have potential to be a pretty good star.”

It looks like Croft will be the only quarterback in the Gophers 2015 recruiting class to be formally announced on Wednesday. He appears to be another under the radar, undervalued high school prospect that Kill and his staff have earned a reputation for identifying and coaching.

Gophers assistant coach Brian Anderson is from Rockford, Illinois and that is a factor in the Croft recruiting. Croft is also a cousin of Donovahn Jones, a wide receiver who was in the Minnesota program until early this winter. Even more important is Croft made such a favorable impression last summer at a Gophers camp for high school players.

“Live evaluations are huge with this staff,” Burns said. “It’s the No.1 thing they look for before offering a kid. They have to see him live. See how he moves.”

After Croft verbally committed to the Gophers, Penn State made a late run at him but he hasn’t wavered on Minnesota, Burns said.

Croft has made Kill and the staff look good so far with not only an impressive senior season but his showing in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. At the prep all-star game in Florida last month he completed 12 of 15 passes and threw two touchdown passes.

Worth Noting

Former Gophers center Ray Hitchcock worked last year during the offseason with Nick Connelly and Bronson Dovich, high school linemen from Red Wing and Chaska high schools expected to sign with the Gophers on Wednesday. “Those guys are players,” Hitchcock said. “They are really wide-frame players.”

Connelly is listed at 6-7, 277 and Dovich at 6-5, 295, according to Gopherillustrated.com. Hitchcock said Connelly moves well and could be a defensive end in college. Dovich might increase his weight to 320 and likely be an offensive tackle.

Seth Green, the East Ridge High School junior quarterback who has verbally committed to national power Oregon, might be moving out of Minnesota because of a possible job transfer by his father Bryan Green. “It’s not a done deal,” Raptors assistant coach Dave Fritze told Sports Headliners. “I don’t think his dad knows (yet).”

Green is one of the most highly recruited prep quarterbacks in state history. He can’t sign a National Letter of Intent with Oregon until next February when he will be a high school senior.

The Raptors were 10-2 last season and have the majority of starters returning. Fritze said he would “feel sorry” for Green if he couldn’t finish his senior year at East Ridge with classmates and friends. The Raptors, especially if Green returns, will be among the state’s favorites next fall to be a power. “It would be a huge loss for the program,” Fritze said.

Registration closes at noon on Monday for the Gophers Signing Day Social at TCF Bank Stadium on Wednesday. The fan gathering includes comments by Kill about the Gophers recruiting class. The event begins at 5 p.m. and more information, including cost, is available at Goallineclub.com.

BTN will air a live, two-hour special on Wednesday starting at 2:30 p.m. Minneapolis time evaluating incoming recruiting classes of all 14 Big Ten schools.

Fox Sports North will televise 12 Twins spring training games starting with the March 4 game against the Gophers in Fort Myers.

Saint John’s men’s basketball coach Jim Smith (780-553 career record) tied Lute Olson last week for 15th on college basketball’s all-time wins list. Smith is six wins behind Lefty Driesell (786-394) for 14th.

Condolences to family and friends of former Gustavus Adolphus men’s tennis coach Steve Wilkinson who died last month. Steve coached at Gustavus for 39 years and his 929 wins are the most in collegiate tennis history.

Justin Dahl, who has accepted a basketball scholarship offer from nationally-ranked Northern Iowa, scored his 1,000th point last week for Holy Family Catholic High School. The 6-11 senior could break the school record of 1,138 points set last year by Joe Hanel.

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Vikings Got Cosell at ’75 Super Bowl

Posted on January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 by David Shama

It was 40 years ago this month the Vikings lost to the Steelers in Super Bowl IX, and while that memory brings no joy to Doug Kingsriter he does recall with fondness an incident involving two of his Minnesota teammates and legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell.

The 1975 Super Bowl was played in New Orleans and the NFL assigned the Steelers to a posh hotel for their stay in the Crescent City. The Vikings, according to Kingsriter, were sent to a motel located adjacent to the New Orleans airport because they had alienated league authorities at the Super Bowl the year before, criticizing the Houston practice field locker room which had no lockers, nails in the wall for hanging clothes and birds flying around in the showers. Kingsriter said the New Orleans motel was “near the end of runway No. 9,” and in the days leading up to the big game the Vikings found themselves listening to one airplane after another taking off and landing.

To pass the time during Super Bowl week—and perhaps to ignore the roar of jet engines—Kingsriter and other Vikings organized a team cribbage tournament. On the Friday afternoon before Sunday’s game he and a couple of teammates were in one of the motel rooms playing cribbage. At the same time Cosell was interviewing Fran Tarkenton in the motel’s open air courtyard for a segment that was to be seen the next night on ABC TV.

Cosell died in 1995 but he is well remembered by those who knew him and millions who watched him on ABC programming including “Monday Night Football” and “Wide World of Sports.” Cosell was known for “tell it like it is” sports reporting and bragged about his accomplishments. He certainly was among TV’s biggest personalities in the 1970s and 1980s even though his arrogance alienated viewers across the country.

“There have always been mixed emotions about Howard Cosell,” the comedian Buddy Hackett once said. “Some people hate him like poison and other people just hate him regular.”

A former lawyer and highly intelligent, Cosell was also admired by many for his willingness to ask probing questions and deliver information to viewers that went beyond much of the drivel from other TV sports journalists. Presumably on that Friday afternoon about 40 years ago, Cosell conducted an interview of substance with Tarkenton, the Vikings Hall of Fame quarterback.

Problem is, we will never know. The interview never aired because Cosell was so upset with the shenanigans of Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg and All-Pro defensive tackle Alan Page.

How did it all come about? Kingsriter, a tight end with the Vikings from 1973-1975, thinks the incident was pretty much spontaneous and probably the creation of the fun-loving Hilgenberg who likely decided enlisting someone of Page’s stature to play a prank on Cosell was a good idea.

“(While playing cribbage) we kept hearing this snickering outside and pitter-pattering running by the door,” Kingsriter remembered. “I went out to see what was going on. I saw Hilgenberg and Page. They both had waste baskets—full of water.

“They were looking down (from the second floor walkway to the open court yard) and they were pretty much over Cosell who had his back to them. He was interviewing Fran.

“Hilgenberg and Page were counting silently were their mouths, ‘1, 2,’ and kind of swaying the buckets in rhythms. I looked at Fran and he saw it (the water) coming, and he didn’t flinch. You know Fran had great peripheral vision. He just sat there.

“They hit Cosell square. When I say square they knocked his toupee off, not totally off but it was off to the side. He quick grabbed it and put it back on before he turned around. They got him in the back, in the head, and really soaked him.

“Well, Hilgenberg ran away. Page stayed there. He hung over the railing looking down with a huge Cheshire cat grin, just looking down at Cosell. Then Cosell turned around and he points his finger up at Alan. He said, ‘I am gonna get you for this, Page.’ ”

Cosell was angry and in the months ahead maybe he forgave Page for the prank but he certainly didn’t forget. The next season, on October 27, 1975, Cosell and ABC were televising the Vikings-Bears game as part of the Monday Night Football series. Page didn’t play in the game and Cosell knew why.

Multiple times during the broadcast Cosell reported Page was sidelined because of hemorrhoids. “This was true but he wanted to make sure that everybody in the world knew that Alan had hemorrhoids,” Kingsriter said.

Kingsriter believes ABC should have aired the interview including when the water hit Cosell. The film could have been edited to show Cosell getting soaked but not losing his toupee. The man with the hall of fame ego had an opportunity to poke fun at himself. “He missed what I thought was a great opportunity to help his image,” Kingsriter said.

As for the Super Bowl game, it was the Vikings’ image that took a hit on January 12, 1975. The Steelers held the Vikings to 119 yards of total offense in a 16-6 win. It was the Vikings’ second consecutive Super Bowl loss, having lost the year before to the Dolphins, 24-7.

But when it came to Howard Cosell, neither the Steelers nor the Dolphins had anything on the Vikings thanks to the chutzpah of Hilgenberg and Page.

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