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.

Wolves Comeback Kids in 2023-2024

Posted on April 3, 2024April 4, 2024 by David Shama

Enjoy a Wednesday notes column.

The Timberwolves trailed the Rockets by 11 points early in the second quarter last night but came back to win 113-106 at Target Center. It was the 15th double-digit comeback win of the season, further establishing a franchise record (previous best 12 in 2017-2018).

The Wolves are tied with the Bulls for the second-most such wins in the NBA this season (Thunder 16 wins). The comeback victories are a key reason Minnesota is in position to finish first in the Western Conference for only the second time in franchise history.

It could be a nod of things to come when Chris Paddack makes his first pitching start today since the spring of 2022 for the Twins, who have at least two uncertain spots in their starting rotation. Paddack, who had Tommy John arm surgery in 2022 and 2016, will pitch against the Brewers in Milwaukee when the Twins try to end a two-game losing streak where they have produced just seven total hits in 11-0 and 3-2 losses to the Royals Sunday and Brewers yesterday.

Paddack was tagged “The Sheriff” because of his Austin, Texas roots when he pitched for the Padres. Fans attended games wearing cowboy boots and badges with “Paddack’s Posse” inscribed on them while cheering for the right hander. He was acquired by the Twins in 2022 and made five starts before needing Tommy John surgery.

The Vikings have scheduled voluntary Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices on these dates at Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center: May 20, 21, 23, 28, 29 and 31, June 10, 11, 12 and 13. The mandatory minicamp at their Eagan training center will be June 4, 5 and 6.

Word is Ari Peterson, the daughter of former Vikings great Adrian Peterson, will transfer from Providence Academy to Minnetonka for the next school year. Ari, probably the best eighth grader in the state last season, already has a college offer from the Gophers and would join a Skippers team that is expecting three returning starters and is the 2024 Class 4A champions.

Former Viking Chad Greenway’s daughter Maddyn plays at Providence and will be one of the best players in the state next season as a junior. Don’t be surprised if all four of Greenway’s athletic daughters go to Iowa where Chad and his wife Jenni went to school.

Sources speculate former Gophers center Pharrel Payne, now in the transfer portal, will receive Name, Image and Likeness compensation well into six-figures at his next stop.

MLB.com recently asked 88 baseball authorities to vote for their choices for 2024 division champs and the World Series winner. The Twins, the popular choice to win the AL Central, host the Dodgers next week in a three-game series and Los Angeles was voted to lose in the World Series to the Orioles.

Twins’ front office executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine make their annual speaking appearances before the Twin Cities Dunkers April 10. St. Paul native and retired MLB umpire Tim Tschida speaks to the group April 24.

Twins president Dave St. Peter found it “refreshing” how the national media regarded Joe Mauer’s career as a catcher and how that view helped him to be voted into the Hall of Fame in the St. Paul native’s first year of eligibility. “I was pleasantly surprised (at his election),” St. Peter told Sports Headliners.

St. Peter said Mauer was “underappreciated” in Minnesota because of his mega contract, team performance in his later years, injuries and switching positions from catcher to first base. “Those 10 years (catching) really stack up against any catcher that’s ever played the game. I think Joe is getting his due because of that. And that’s really special and I am so excited for him, and I am excited for the Twins. It’s a big deal for our franchise.”

Joe, along with brothers Jake and Billy, will be inducted into the Mancini’s Sports Hall of Fame May 13 at Mancini’s Char House. Others being inducted are Bart and Brad Buetow, Bob Hill, Jerry Kline and Bob Nicosia posthumously. Tony Ruiz will be recognized with a special award for his community work. Charley Walters will emcee with Dick Jonckowski also speaking.

The Gophers’ Mark Crawford, participating in spring practice as he prepares for his final season as the team’s No. 1 punter, is seven years older than Viking punter Ryan Wright. The 30-year-old Australian has lettered four years with the Gophers and was All-Big Honorable Mention last year as selected by the media.

There will be a benefit from 6 to 8 p.m. April 14 at the Cottage Grove Ice Arena in Cottage Grove raising funds to help offset medical costs and living expenses for Cole Basset, a 41-year-old hockey coach and skills instructor for Park High School who is battling a rare form of cancer. Attendees can enjoy skating, a silent auction, food and beverage offerings and more at the event for Basset whose playing career included four years at Minnesota State. His GoFundMe site is https://gofund.me/73da1f8e

The Wild plays a rare pair of matinees Saturday and Sunday, hosting the Jets for a 3 p.m. home game and then playing the Blackhawks in Chicago in a 2:30 p.m. start. The Jets are 3-0 this season against Minnesota, with the Wild dominating the Blackhawks in recent seasons winning 11 consecutive times dating back to 2020.

The Wild stopped a five-game Senators win streak last night with a 3-2 victory behind goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. He is one of two active NHL goalies (Frederik Andersen is the other) to have at least 50 wins while playing for three or more franchises.

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Glen Taylor: No Interest Now in Selling Wolves, Lynx

Posted on March 28, 2024March 28, 2024 by David Shama

Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners this morning his Timberwolves and Lynx franchises are no longer for sale. The closing deadline for the final payment to gain controlling interest of the franchises by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez was March 27. “…That was yesterday and they didn’t get it done,” Taylor said.

Taylor also said the March 27 deadline was an extension of a previous date in late February for the Lore and Rodriguez group to pay the final amount of $600 million in the $1.5 billion deal. Taylor said there was no request to extend the March 27 deadline as part of a payment schedule that began with an agreement in 2021.

Taylor said Lore and Rodriguez own about 36 percent of the franchises. Will they continue as limited partners. “That’s my assumption,” Taylor said. “They certainly can and my assumption is they would want to.”

Asked about whether he is disappointed about the sale falling through, the 82-year-old Taylor answered: “No, I am not disappointed. I think that I’ve run the club in the past and I will in the future. We worked really hard to put this team (the Timberwolves) together and I am more apt to want to just continue it out for a longer period of time.”

Taylor, who has enjoyed owning both franchises for more than 25 years, frequently receives inquiries about selling his teams. He said he won’t be entertaining offers or seeking them in the foreseeable future.

The going price for NBA franchises is considerably more than the $1.5 billion that sparked an agreement in 2021. The Timberwolves, who might command $3 billion now, are 50-22 and having one of the best years in franchise history. Taylor is enthusiastic about the season and hoping for a deep playoff run.

It was reported earlier in the month that Lore and Rodriguez were positioned to make their final payment with the help of a private equity company. Did Taylor hear what happened with the investor? “No, I wasn’t involved in any of that.”

Asked if he expected any pushback or litigation regarding the failed transaction, Taylor said: “Just as a businessman I am always aware that’s always a possibility. I think that would be a legal matter.”

Taylor said he is open to communications with Lore and Rodriguez. “I certainly would talk to them if they want to talk. They are owners. They’re partners. Why wouldn’t I talk to them?”

Worth Noting

In reply to a Discovery request from Sports Headliners, the University of Minnesota said by electronic reply there is no preference at this time on whether to renovate Williams Arena or replace it. The U is in the early process of deciding what action to take with the facility that will be 100 years old in 2028.

Presumably renovation will be less expensive than a new arena. The Athletic Department already owes millions of dollars for loans on existing facilities including The Athletes Village and Huntington Bank Stadium. Renovating Williams Arena as the home for the men’s and women’s basketball teams could well be more attractive to the U than a new building. Keeping the old facility will also be popular with many ticket buyers who are nostalgic about the place affectionately referred to as “The Barn.”

Regardless of the decision, the prediction here is for a home with less than the current capacity of Williams Arena, 14,625. The last two seasons the men’s program has been averaging fewer than 10,000 fans per game. Fewer seats mean fewer tickets to sell and if there is demand to see the Gophers that puts pressure on buyers to purchase seats early including full season commitments.

Kali Engeman, a middle block from Excelsior, is transferring from Georgia Tech to play for the Gophers where she will have two seasons of eligibility. She is the granddaughter of Steve Lundeen, starting center on the last Gophers Big Ten championship team in 1967. “I’m, as you can imagine, over the moon happy,” Lundeen texted about Kali who will graduate a year early from Tech in May with her engineering degree.

This is a milestone time for broadcast icon Dave Lee, the former WCCO Radio morning drive time host who for years has been the play-by-play TV voice on Minnesota state tournament high school basketball games. It was 50 years ago that he broadcast his first play-by-play boys and girls games for KRAD Radio in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association and its leadership continue to impress with their lineup of activities, programs and speakers for the MFCA Clinic April 4-6 at the DoubleTree Park Place in St. Louis Park and on the U campus. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has been added to the lineup of powerhouse speakers that includes the Gophers’ P.J. Fleck and assistants, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and former Gophers defensive coordinator and now Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel.

Four longtime sports executives with Minnesota ties have launched a company called Ignitor Partners that will provide marketing, communication, public relations, legal and sponsorship expertise to brands, sports properties, organizations and municipalities in Minnesota and other places. President Patrick Klinger said via email the company takes its name from his friend Paul Molitor who during his Hall of Fame baseball career was known as the Ignitor. Klinger’s three colleagues in the new endeavor are Scott E. Erickson, Bob Hagan and Bill Robertson.

Isaac Morton, the Texas A&M freshman pitcher from Spring Lake Park High School, is 1-0 with the Aggies. Morton, who was selected in the 19^th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Brewers, has pitched 11.1 innings with a 2.38 ERA.

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New U QB: ‘I Live and Die by Preparation’

Posted on March 26, 2024March 26, 2024 by David Shama

Between now and the University of Minnesota’s opening football game August 29 against North Carolina, no Golden Gophers player will prompt more curiosity and anticipation than transfer quarterback Max Brosmer. He made FCS All-American last fall at New Hampshire while leading the FCS in passing yards and total offense. Yet there is no certain way to know how well he will perform at a higher level against FBS/Big Ten teams.

That answer will have to wait until the Gophers go through their 12-game schedule, but a few things are known after Brosmer’s short tenure here that includes workouts in the winter and now spring practices that began last week. The intel is this: the transfer QB is an adult, with a pro’s work ethic, dedication to preparation and a desire to lead.

“I live and die by preparation,” said Brosmer who played five years at New Hampshire and was a team captain in 2023. “I know that my skill only goes so far. I don’t run a 4.4. I can’t escape every single blitz but if I know it’s coming, then maybe I can have a chance to get out of it. …I think that it (escaping trouble) comes from a team effort. Comes from the staff and also a group effort from the offensive line, the running back room, the receiver room and me as well–together (with us) doing it. …There’s a lot that goes into it.”

Brosmer, already named a Gopher captain, has known for years that he doesn’t have the strongest arm to throw the football as hard or far as some of his peers. “The thing that I had to improve at a young age was to be able to throw to tight windows before they were there,” he said.

At New Hampshire last year Brosmer attempted 459 passes and was intercepted only five times. That kind of success comes from repetition and knowing where the holes will be in the secondary. Brosmer will also tell you success comes from knowing his receivers and mutually being in synch in all aspects of passing and catching.

It will take time on and off the field for Brosmer to develop things with his receivers, but he already has their attention and impressed both them and other teammates. Wide receiver Daniel Jackson, the team’s star wide receiver, refers to Brosmer as the “general” for the way he has taken over the huddle and been embraced and trusted by teammates.

“… In the huddle, on the field when we’re already lined up, he’s able to make adjustments on the fly,” Jackson said. “He’s able to see things that really no one else on the field is able to see. And he’s able to put us receivers and running backs in the best position to go out there and be successful. It’s just his knowledge of the game is very, very impeccable.”

The Gophers have struggled in recent seasons to develop a consistent passing offense. Last year they ranked 123^rd among 130 FBS teams in passing yards per game at 143.4.

Brosmer is aware of the challenge but has noted there is a strong willingness by him and others to put in the effort to make the results better in 2024, which will be his one year of eligibility at Minnesota. “I am super, super excited,” he said.

Brosmer added he sees talent to work with and added this about the receiver room: “There’s a crave and a desire to grow and to progress. …”

Brosmer is talking about work ethic and he has created a sense of commitment that goes beyond his teammates. “He’s the hardest worker I’ve been around. No question,” said co-offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. who talks about “a partnership” with his QB.

Harbaugh said Brosmer has challenged him and changed him. “The best thing about (being) a coach is when a guy can challenge you, and he makes you better every single day. And I think that is the number one thing that he does. Me and him are together all the time, and we’re working together. He challenges me to make sure that every meeting that I have…that I’m ready to roll.”

The Gophers, 6-7 last year, didn’t find the passing consistency they needed with Athan Kaliakmanis who has transferred to Rutgers. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck was looking for an experienced and accomplished quarterback in the portal.

“…We talked about how we needed a quarterback to walk in here and connect the entire football team,” Fleck said before spring practice started about his quarterback. “And that was going to be a tall task for anybody. But you can tell in two and a half short months this team is completely connected to him, has leaned on him and has looked to him for guidance.

“And that’s a credit to our players, but also a credit to him that he’s been able to do that in such a short amount of time. And it’s real, it’s authentic. He’s a special young man. And we look forward to him actually throwing some footballs here coming up. …Because this isn’t like having a freshman come in here that’s really talented.

“He has all the experience that you want. That doesn’t promise you anything, but it gives you a better chance. And his work ethic is through the roof and has really taken this team probably farther quicker than maybe expected.”

Coming out of Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia he threw for 3,459 yards as a senior, but he didn’t have FBS recruiters knocking down his door. Late last year, though, there were FBS programs pursuing the high-profile Brosmer, but he didn’t take long to decide on the Gophers.

“…I wanted to get in out of the portal as quickly as I could as long as I was going to the school that fit me the best. Minnesota being that school for me.”

The fit has been more than fine so far.

Gophers Travel Notes: Rose Bowl Return

Stillwater-based Creative Charters has been arranging Golden Gophers football fan trips since 1993 and will be carrying on that tradition in the fall including the October 12 game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Minnesota last played in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1962—ironically against UCLA.

For over 60 years Gophers fans have yearned to see their team back in the “Granddaddy” of all bowl games. It hasn’t happened but the next best thing is playing in Pasadena during the regular season where the Bruins host their home games.

Creative has already sold out three trips for the return to the Rose Bowl. “We have the entire Godfrey Hotel,” Steve Erban told Sports Headliners.

Steve and wife Dorothy own Creative Charters, and they’re adding two more trip packages to accommodate the strong interest in the game. The Godfrey and now the Loews, both in Hollywood, are host hotels. Creative Charters has also scheduled a Warner Bros. Studio Tour as part of the trip experience.

Fleck said going back to the Rose Bowl means coming “full circle for a lot of families” in a football program that is tradition rich. U defensive lineman Danny Striggow, a Minnesota native, said of the game and the playing venue: “That’s an awesome opportunity.”

A potential 600 travelers going with Creative Charters thinks so, too.

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