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 April 18, 2012April 18, 2012 by David Shama

Before the Vikings stadium bill was defeated in legislative committee on Monday night an amendment was attached directing Minneapolis officials to hold a referendum allowing residents to approve or disapprove the city’s funding of the proposed stadium.

Shortstop Brian Dozier, 24, was among the Twins final spring training cuts and is hitting .362 for Triple-A Rochester. But don’t expect him to be recalled unless management is convinced he’s ready to play every day in the big leagues for the first time in his pro career. He won’t be recalled to sit on the bench and would take over for Jamey Carroll, 38, at shortstop.

Twins pitcher Nick Blackburn injured his right shoulder in Saturday’s home game against the Rangers, but it didn’t keep him away from Target Center on Saturday night where the Oklahoma native watched the Timberwolves and Oklahoma City.

Got a sports “bucket list” for places and events? Sports Illustrated offered these suggestions in its April 9 issue: Wrigley Field Bleachers, Caribbean Series, College World Series, Duke vs. North Carolina Basketball, Lambeau Field, British Open at St. Andrews, Indianapolis 500, Notre Dame Football, Bruins at Canadiens, Wimbledon, NBA Finals Game 7 and Penn Relays. What’s at the top of your list?

Admission will be free and 3,000 or so fans may attend the Gophers spring football game on Saturday that begins at 11 a.m. in TCF Bank Stadium. Alabama drew 78,526 at the Crimson Tide’s spring game last weekend.

Look for sophomore wide receiver Marcus Jones, who didn’t have contact this spring while recovering from a torn ACL, to be among Minnesota’s best playmakers in the fall.

Philip Nelson, the Mankato West quarterback who started classes at Minnesota last winter, might draw more attention from fans at the spring game than any other newcomer. Rival freshman quarterback Mitch Leidner, another winter enrollee, will be fun to watch, too. Leidner is from Lakeville South.

A key negotiating point between the University of Minnesota and Tubby Smith regarding a contract extension could be buyout compensation if the Gophers later decide to change coaches. Smith has two years remaining on his present contact, and it’s not likely an extension will come before the University hires a new athletic director.

The search for a new athletic director is a priority task for new University president Eric Kaler. The search plan was announced on February 21 and it wouldn’t be surprising if about 10 people have been identified as final candidates. Their profiles will probably include business and sports administration experience.

Will Kevin Love’s late season concussion impact his availability for the Olympics? In January the Timberwolves All-Star forward was named one of 20 finalists for the U.S. Olympic team. The official 12-man team will be announced later this spring.

Adrian Peterson tweeted that fellow running back Toby Gerhart’s injured knee from last season won’t keep him from participating in organized training activities in late May. Peterson also tweeted he’s giving $1 million to Oklahoma, his alma mater.

Ridiculous: the NFL schedule announced yesterday that has the Vikings playing all four games against the Packers and Bears in the last six weeks of the season. Never before or hopefully again.

Devereaux Peters, the Lynx’s first pick in this week’s WNBA draft, never averaged more than 11.9 points per game in college but the 6-2 forward could help Minnesota defensively as a rookie. She was a finalist for national WBCA Defensive Player of the Year at Notre Dame.

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Ryan: Gardy Right Fit for Twins

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

It didn’t take long for speculation about Ron Gardenhire’s job security to start. By Wednesday of last week, six days after the 0-4 Twins had opened the 2012 season, speculation about whether Gardenhire would last the season as Twins manager had started including including a column from Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan.

For Gardenhire loyalists—and there are many—such talk must be further evidence of how dysfunctional our sports society really is. “The win today or you’re gone” mantra in athletics seems to gain momentum every few years.

A look at the Gardenhire file shows a lot of winning. Now in his 11^th season managing the Twins, Gardenhire’s teams have won six division titles. He was American League Manager of the Year in 2008 and 2010. Off the field he’s made himself available for local causes and his good-natured personality has long resonated with fans who approached him as strangers and left as friends.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan told Sports Headliners his franchise has someone special in Gardenhire. “He’s everything you’re looking for in a manager,” Ryan said. “”If he wasn’t here, he’d be snapped up in a day. He’s that good. He’s got the on field (skills). He’s got the off field. He’s got the knowledge. He’s got the respect.

“For me, this (job) was made for him. He’s a member of this community as much as he is a manager of the baseball team. This is where he belongs.”

Ryan said Gardenhire, 54, meets all the criteria needed in a manager—from leadership to dealing effectively with the media. “You put 10 things down that you want a manager to do, he does them all well,” Ryan said. “So what more can you ask?”

The Twins are off to a 2-7 start but Ryan believes the talent is available to be a competitive team, better than last year’s 99 loss club, the worst record for a Gardenhire club and only the second to play under .500 baseball. Ryan said the 2011 season was an “aberration” and wasn’t the manager’s fault.

“You can’t pin that on (former general manager) Bill Smith,” Ryan said. “You can’t pin that on Ron Gardenhire. We’re gonna pin it on the organization. So if you take that out of the equation—which I do and have—we’re talking about the manager of the year in 2010. That’s about all I need to say.”

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Worth Noting

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

The Twins have played five consecutive days or nights and won’t have a day off until April 26. They open a four-game series against the Yankees tonight in New York.

Infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who hit .226 for the Twins last season, is batting .128 with no RBI in 39 at bats for Triple-A Rochester.

This year the Miller Lite Vikings Draft Party will be held at Mall of America Field for the first time. The event begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 26 and continues through the conclusion of the NFL Draft’s first round. General admission tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the Vikings website. There’s no charge for season ticket holders. Activities will include games, stadium and locker room tours, and a bean bag tournament. Current and former players will sign autographs to benefit the Vikings Children’s Fund.

Game times have been set for the four Vikings preseason games: 8 p.m. at San Francisco, August 10; 7 p.m. for home games on August 17 and 24 against Buffalo and San Diego; and 6 p.m. at Houston, August 30. All times are Central Daylight.

The Gophers annual spring football game begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. A replay telecast will be on the Big Ten Network starting at 6 p.m. next Sunday.

The Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game will be played at St. Cloud State, not at theUniversity of Minnesota as previously announced. The June 30 game has switched locations because of NCAA legislation passed last year prohibiting all-star games from being held on Division I and IAA campuses.

The Wild have the second best visiting team dressing room in the NHL, according to results of a players’ poll published in the April 16 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.

Through games of last Wednesday, the Wolves Kevin Love had 10 games this season of at least 30 points and 15 rebounds while all the other players in the NBA had nine games combined.

Arlotta Stadium, named after the Arlotta family, is featured in the title of a lacrosse show on NBC Sports Network, “Notre Dame Lacrosse: Inside the Walls of Arlotta.” Minnesota Swarm owner John Arlotta and his family pledged the lead gift toward Arlotta Stadium in 2008. The half-hour show reports on the Irish men’s lacrosse team and is scheduled for airing on Wednesday starting at 2:30 p.m. and Friday at 2 p.m.

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