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.

Worth Noting

Posted on May 16, 2012May 16, 2012 by David Shama

Saunders coached the Wolves to the 2004 Western Conference Finals. He also coached the Pistons to three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. He had an NBA worst 2-15 record when the Wizards fired him last January. “One thing the NBA will do is bring you humility,” he said.

There are no Gophers recruits or Minnesota natives among Rivals.com’s top 150 high school basketball seniors. Listed from Wisconsin and Iowa are No. 13 Sam Dekker, Sheboygan, Wisconsin (college choice: Wisconsin); No. 34 Marcus Paige, Marion, Iowa (North Carolina); No. 45 J.P. Tokoto, Menomonee, Wisconsin (North Carolina); No. 50 Adam Woodbury, Sioux City, Iowa (Iowa); No. 100 Mike Gesell, Sioux City, Iowa (Iowa); No. 118 Phillip Nolan, Milwaukee (Connecticut); and No. 135 Kale Abrahmson, West De Moines, Iowa (Northwestern).

The Gophers are ranked No. 25 in ESPN.com’s preseason top 25 for college basketball teams. Andy Katz predicts the Gophers can be a contender for a “top-four finish in the Big Ten.”

The Gophers play at Florida State on November 27 in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Big Ten looks like a basketball (not football) league in 2012-13. Katz has Indiana No. 1 in the country with No. 5 Michigan, No. 8 Ohio State and No. 9 Michigan State also in his top 10. Meanwhile Sports Illustrated’s online post-spring practice national top 10 lists only two Big Ten football teams, Wisconsin at No. 6 and Michigan State, No. 10.

Third baseman Danny Valencia, demoted by the Twins to Class AAA Rochester last week, is hitting .125 in 16 at bats for the Red Wings.

The Twins play only their fifth game of the season against a Central Division team when they meet the Tigers in Detroit tonight. The Twins, who lost a two-game series to the Indians on Monday and Tuesday, are playing back-to-back series against Central Division teams for the first time this season. Minnesota plays about 50 percent of its remaining 2012 games against division teams.

Vikings All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson talking about wanting to be the best: “It’s just the way I’m wired. I’ve been this way since I was young, since I started playing this game at age seven. I always wanted to be the best at whatever I did, whether it was sprints, lifting, whatever.”

The Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, known as the longest running charity golf event in the Upper Midwest, announced a new Women’s Pro-Am and Women’s Professional Championship earlier this year. The women’s golf will be June 5 and 10, while the annual men’s Pro-Am will take place June 8-10. www.tapemarkgolf.org

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New U A.D. to Start Work Early

Posted on May 9, 2012May 9, 2012 by David Shama

President Eric Kaler told Sports Headliners his new athletic director, Norwood Teague, will begin work in the Gophers athletic department two weeks earlier than planned.

Teague, who was announced as the successor to Joel Maturi in late April, was scheduled to begin duties July 1. Instead, he will be working full-time for the Gophers on June 18.

Teague was able to leave his duties as athletic director at Virginia Commonwealth University earlier than expected. “He’s eager to get going,” Kaler said. “I think Joel is ready to make his transition, so it just seemed like a good thing to do.”

Teague will spend considerable time developing relationships inside and outside Gophers athletics. He is expected to have a vision for University athletics that will include a business plan with major components such as renovation and development of facilities. “I think that sort of vision setting, as he gets a chance to settle in, will be an important part of his first year work plan,” Kaler said.

Kaler also said that after two months searching for a new athletic director Teague was definitely the person he wanted to hire. “He was absolutely our first choice,” he said.

Sports Headliners asked Kaler to clarify if a long anticipated contract extension for basketball coach Tubby Smith was certain. “The correct takeaway is that we’re in negotiations with Tubby about a possible extension,” Kaler said.

Kaler also said “his own personal prejudice” is to renovate Williams Arena when the time is right rather than replace the 84-year-old building. “It’s such an iconic building. That building holds so many memories for so many people I would really like that we wouldn’t tear it down. …We don’t have anything immediately going on with it. It will be one of the many things that Norwood will have to dig into when he arrives.”

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Despite Slow Start, Mauer Goals in Reach

Posted on May 9, 2012May 9, 2012 by David Shama

Joe Mauer set goals of a .300 batting average, 20 home runs and 100 RBI before the season began, according to grandfather Jake Mauer. Slowed by a bruised left knee recently, Mauer has seen his average drop from over .300 to .286. He has only one home run and 15 RBI.

“He’ll hit .300,” Jake told Sports Headliners on Monday. “Definitely. I hope he hits 20 home runs and I hope he hits about 90 RBI. I think he will. I think he’ll have a good season from now on because he’s healthy. He’s strong. He has no pains. No aches except the knee. He’s ready.”

Mauer’s left knee was hit by a foul ball while catching in a game on April 30. His grandfather said Joe had swelling and has not been able to place normal weight on his back foot while hitting, but Joe expected to return to normal during the team’s homestand that started Monday.

“He just got dizzy like he got a left-handed hook (from) a boxer,” Jake said. “He just got staggered and it (the knee) swelled up.”

Jake is hoping Joe will have a May something like 2009 when his grandson hit 11 home runs with a .414 average and 32 RBI. That kind of production would not only help Mauer reach his season goals, but help the run-hungry Twins create more offense. Last night in a 5-0 win over the Angels Mauer had two hits in a game for the first time since April 29.

Jake is a former baseball player and passionate Twins fan. “The Twins this year are feeble,” he said. “They cannot hit the ball. They have no pitchers that can go over seven innings. Their bullpen is not bad.

“It doesn’t look good. It really doesn’t. I hope they beat last year’s standings as far as wins and losses.”

The Twins were 63-99 last season. In 2012 they are 8-21 so far and Mauer told his grandfather players are stressed. “He says, ‘Everybody is trying too hard.’ …They should try to do what they can do and that’s it.”

The Twins all-star catcher has to be frustrated with all the losing this season after playing on four division title teams. “He wants to win the World Series so God damn bad,” Jake said.

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