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.

Vikes & Fans Will Be Immersed in Off-Season Drama

Posted on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 by David Shama

Now the Great Quarterback Watch begins. “Purple Nation” waits in anticipation the next few months to learn how the Vikings intend to solve their quarterback dilemma and who will lead the offense next season.

Fairly or not, the result may define the general manager era of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Why fairly? Because it may not be known for a while if the Wilf ownership group dictates a strategy that the franchise’s inexperienced GM disagrees with but is forced to carry out.

The Wilfs have declined past purges of the roster and the resulting long-term strategy to rebuild the club. Their “competitive rebuild” approach of recent years dictates roster patching with a minimum goal of qualifying for the playoffs.

The Wilfs want badly to win the Super Bowl. Zygi Wilf, often seen as ownership’s leader, is a serious football fan who is pained by Vikings losses. The Wilf family has stepped up with a willingness to provide the resources needed for a successful franchise including the state-of-the-art practice facility in Eagan and downtown’s U.S. Bank Stadium.

The guess here is ownership will have to be talked out of re-signing free agent Kirk Cousins if Adofo-Mensah wants to go in a new direction. If Cousins recovers by next fall from his right Achilles tendon tear last October, the offense could be among the best in the NFL. The Wilfs may take that position and argue the defense can be patched up through the NFL Draft and free agency.

The result? A likely playoff team emerging from a competitive NFC North Division but not an elite group.

Cousins is all but certain to favor staying in Minnesota. The 35-year-old likes Kevin O’Connell personally and likes the head coach’s offensive system. That system is not an easy one to master but can produce high scoring results. Cousins has about two years invested in the system, and it makes more sense to enjoy the rewards of familiarity rather than the challenge of starting over.

And how could Cousins not want to stay here and enjoy the company of pass receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson? Jefferson, a superstar, has 11 career games with at least 150 yards in his first four seasons and that’s an NFL record. As a rookie this fall Addison emerged as a talented big play target and complement to Jefferson at wide receiver. Although Hockenson is a tight end, he is also a deep and intermediate threat.

Signing Cousins will be expensive but it’s safe wagering money to think he will demand less money from the Vikings than a rival organization chasing him. Cousins might be willing to accept compensation of $30 to $40 million on a two-year deal. The length of the contract could be a challenge for both Cousins and any front office that pursues him.

But that’s not to minimize the importance and amount of money the Vikings must be accountable for to their owners and NFL salary cap. Adofo-Mensah will have payroll challenges including with Jefferson who is in line for a deal that annually will rival Cousins. The Vikings have a long list of free agents including starters and headed by sack artist and defensive end Danielle Hunter who will be looking for a per yearly deal of perhaps $20 million.

Because of their 7-10 season, the Vikings will draft at No. 11 in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. They could decide to say no thanks to Cousins and draft a quarterback with the intent of starting the rookie next fall. That says rebuild and a focus on the playoffs in a couple of years.

At No. 11 the Vikings might put a trade package together and jump up even further in the draft. That might ensure the Vikes can select one of the top quarterbacks in the draft and may ultimately be their strategy.

There are six quarterbacks who could go in the first round: Caleb Williams, USC; Drake Maye, North Carolina; Jayden Daniels, LSU; Michael Penix Jr., Washington; Bo Nix, Oregon; and J.J. McCarthy, Michigan. At least a couple of them will likely still be available at No. 11.

However, the catch is it looks like there’s a gap in desirability right now between the first four and the last two quarterbacks. Nix, who turns 24 next month, may not appeal to the Vikings who could prefer McCarthy if positioned to choose between the two and failing to move up in the draft order. McCarthy is as athletic or more so than his prolific rivals, has played in a more conservative offense and is perhaps more intriguing because at 20 years old he is the youngest of them.

Williams, Maye, Daniels and Penix could be year-one starters, with the outlook more uncertain for Nix. Don’t wager anything other than yesterday’s garbage that a young McCarthy will be ready to lead an NFL team next fall.

If the Vikings tell Cousins the plan is to draft McCarthy and school the former Wolverine for a couple of years, then Kirk would almost for sure take that deal if the other contract terms were agreeable. Then the Wilfs remain in their comfort zone of “competitive rebuild.”

How competitive will the team be if there is a Cousins return? Much of that will be answered by if Hunter returns, a quality edge rusher is added or developed to complement him, and the GM finds some cornerbacks who can consistently tackle and not get lost in coverage. And, oh yes, the miracle worker defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, returns rather than accepts another NFL job, possibly as a head coach.

Lots of “Purple” drama is coming in the offseason.

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Glen Taylor Offers News on Wolves Ownership Transition

Posted on January 5, 2024January 5, 2024 by David Shama

Timberwolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliner that Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez met their December 31 deadline to exercise the option to acquire majority control of the franchises. He also offered an update on the widely publicized $1.5 billion sales price.

Payment must be made later this year by the two men to gain 80 percent control of Minnesota’s professional basketball teams. Rodriguez and Lore reportedly already hold a 40 percent ownership share. Taylor said the final payment will not be for several weeks at the soonest and “probably not after 120 days,” with more specifics to be determined.

Asked about the accuracy of the $1.5 billion price, Taylor said, “Sort of. Yeah, kind of, but we have to negotiate a few things.”

Taylor, a long-time friend of this writer, declined to provide further details. The plan is for him to become a 20 percent owner of the teams.

Taylor expressed confidence that efforts of Lore and Rodriguez to acquire investment partners are on track. He knows at least some names of potential owners.

All of those involved with the new ownership group must be investigated and vetted by the NBA. Until the league’s Board of Governors votes approval, Rodriquez, Lore and their partners will not have their 80 percent authority. Taylor isn’t aware of a date yet when the Board of Governors will hold their vote to approve or not approve new ownership.

Fans can raise questions about the future of the franchises and where they will play. Neither Lore nor Rodriguez has ties to Minnesota, and this will be their first venture into pro sports ownership.

Their payment plan for the Wolves and Lynx began in 2021 and is unconventional in that they have needed time to raise capital and take in partners. Will they have the money, and willingness, to make their teams competitive?

What’s interesting, too, is that Lore and Rodriguez are buying low on the $1.5 billion deal, or whatever the final number turns out to be. Since the time of their agreement with Taylor, other NBA franchises have sold for more than twice as much.

To their credit, Lore and Rodriguez pushed for the hiring of general manager Tim Connelly in May of 2022. The trades bringing high impact starters Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley Jr. to Minneapolis have been vital to the Wolves now being counted among the elite teams in the NBA this season.

The team payroll, already expensive, could easily go into luxury tax territory for the 2024-2025 season. The Wolves will reportedly pay their two big men, Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, over $90 million as they look at an expected NBA luxury tax threshold of perhaps $172 million for the entire team. If the Wolves earn a Western Conference title—or, gulp—an NBA championship, will ownership go beyond $172 million and pay the resulting financial penalty?

Such success followed by financial trimming would disappoint a fan base that has witnessed a lot of struggles in over 30 years of Wolves basketball. The team has never won a Western Conference title and advanced to the Finals. The Lynx, operating on a modest business model in the startup WNBA, have won four league titles since Taylor started the franchise in 1999 partially because he wanted to be supportive of women’s basketball. Many years he has operated both the Lynx and Wolves when they have lost money. He was instrumental in stepping forward in 1994 to end speculation the Wolves might relocate, buying the franchise from original owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner.

The Wolves are competing in a league with wealthy owners including Steve Ballmer from the Clippers, worth an estimated $100 billion-plus. Front Office Sports, working off data from Forbes, listed the 20 richest owners in American sports late last year. Included from the NBA were Dan Gilbert of the Cavs at $21.3 billion; Stan Kroenke, Nuggets, $14.6 billion; Jimmy Haslam, Bucks, $8.7 billion; Robert Pera, Grizzlies, $8.3 billion; Tom Gores, Pistons, $8.1 billion; Antony Resler, Hawks, $8.1 billion; Tilman Fertitta, Rockets, $8 billion. Lore’s estimated net worth is over $4 billion, with fellow businessman and ex-baseball star Rodriguez purportedly at $350 million.

And there is more money coming into the league. TV celebrity and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has sold the majority share of his franchise to casino magnate Miriam Adelson at a reported price of $3.5 billion. Cuban is on record about a future where he sees NBA owners, at least the savvier and more fortunate, tying themselves to real estate endeavors. Cuban envisions a new arena in Dallas being part of a casino-resort complex that creates significant revenue streams beyond basketball.

There is a “keep up with the Joneses’” push in the NBA that includes Ballmer’s soon to open privately financed $1 billion-plus arena in Inglewood, California. The state-of-the-art Chase Center in San Francisco opened in 2019 and is home to the Warriors and is also privately financed. Reported cost was $1.4 billion.

The Wolves’ home, Target Center, is the second oldest in the NBA. Lore and Rodriguez are on record about their interest in a new home for their teams. The Wolves’ lease at the Minneapolis owned facility reportedly expires in 2035.

The push for a new arena and location could go in a couple of directions if it goes anywhere at all. While Wolves ownership probably contributes money to a new building, the safe assumption is public financing will aggressively be lobbied for. The easiest sell to law makers might be if a municipality and the state worked with the Wolves on a new arena tied to a casino gambling complex.

With the state apparently nearing the approval of sports wagering as is already in place in neighboring states, gambling expansion is on the horizon. That could tie to arena development in the suburbs or downtown.

As the commerce heart of the region, urban planners have known for decades it’s important to have an economically viable downtown Minneapolis. To take the teams out of Minneapolis would be a “political basketball” in the public and law-making domains. However, native American sovereignty over gambling in the state will be another hot issue if it’s decided to tie a casino to a new NBA arena.

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Cheery 2024 Predictions for Three with Twins Connections

Posted on January 3, 2024January 3, 2024 by David Shama

This could be a year to treasure for Twins ace Pablo López , outfield prospect Walker Jenkins and hometown hero Joe Mauer.

MLB.com authority Anthony Castrovince wrote recently that López is his choice for 2024 American League Cy Young winner. He noted the 27-year-old right-hander pitched a career-high 194 innings in 2023, improved his strikes-walks ratio (struck out 234) and was “awesome” in two postseason starts against the Blue Jays and Astros going 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA. Lopez’s regular season record was 11-8 in 32 starts with a 3.66 ERA.

Castrovince wrote: “…He might have only scratched the surface, because now that he’s added a sweeper that held opponents to a .173 average and .287 slugging percentage, he has a genuine five-pitch mix that could even improve in effectiveness as he gets more comfortable utilizing it. López has the command to do so. If he does, he’s a Cy winner waiting to happen.”

Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com talked about Jenkins on a recent podcast. They predict big things for the 18-year-old who was Minnesota’s No. 1 draft selection last year. Callis believes Jenkins could be the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball for 2024.

The athletic Jenkins is a five-tool player who in coming years could become the Twins’ starter in right field or center field. His impressive swing and power are attributes that often first draw attention, with observers raving about his potential. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Jenkins was taken fifth overall and he might be the steal of last year’s draft.

Jenkins didn’t sign his $7.1 million contract until late July, but he turned heads in the minors and perhaps will play in Double-A this year. His stats last season with two farm system teams included 102 at bats, .362 batting average, three home runs, 21 RBI and a .988 OPS.

Mauer, the St. Paul native who excelled at first base and catcher for the Twins before retiring after the 2018 season, has been tracking well in votes for acceptance into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Select members of the Baseball Writers Association of America do the voting that ended December 31 and votes made public so far indicate there’s strong support for Mauer to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Approximately 400 association members had an opportunity to vote. A candidate must receive 75 percent or more of the votes and Mauer has impressive credentials.

In addition to Mauer’s three batting titles and MVP Award, he was named to six American League All-Star teams, earned five Louisville Slugger Awards and three Rawlings Golden Glove Awards. He is also the only American League catcher ever to win a batting title.

Voting results will be announced beginning at 5 p.m. January 23 on the MLB Network.

Worth Noting

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins continues to progress on rehab from Achilles tendon surgery and NBC reported Sunday night that he expects to go from just walking to jogging by February 1.

Who starts for the Vikings at QB in the final regular season game Sunday in Detroit against the Lions? The prediction here is Nick Mullens because he has played more recently than Josh Dobbs and better than Jaren Hall.

Word has been Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a target for the Vikings in April’s NFL Draft. His passing accuracy might be questionable, and he wasn’t that impressive in the high stakes semifinal playoff win over Alabama Monday night. He looks far from ready to play in the pros and maybe not first round worthy.

A trusted source believes Bethel’s Brian Raabe, who has coached the Royals for 12 seasons and is known for his prowess as a baseball instructor, could be the next head coach replacing legendary John Anderson who is retiring after the 2024 season.

The Gophers, seeking to add experience to their running back roster, have offered a scholarship to Northwestern transfer Anthony Tyus III. As a junior in 2023, he was third on the team in rushing yards with 254 and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. The Portage, Michigan native was an Associated Press first team All-State selection in high school.

That was former Gopher defensive tackle Trill Carter playing for Texas Monday night in the Longhorns’ semifinal playoff game against Washington. He didn’t record any defensive stats but has been a contributor for Texas while participating in 13 of 14 games.

Among Gophers who transferred after 2022, no one was more recognized for his accomplishments with his new team than cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. He was named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American second team and was first team All-Big 12.

Former Gopher edge rusher Austin Booker, who led Kansas with eight sacks for 61 yards, also made first-team All-Big 12. Defensive lineman Gage Keys also transferred from Minnesota to Kansas and played a lot of snaps in 2023 before recently deciding to play for Auburn in 2024.

Running back Trey Potts and wide receiver Dylan Wright were highly visible offensive players for the Gophers before transferring. Potts was fifth for Penn State in rushing with 155 net yards while Wright caught 11 passes for 187 yards at TCU.

Think there will be a little drama November 9 when the Gophers play at Rutgers if their former quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, is playing for the Scarlet Knights?

It might not be widely known but the Gophers weren’t the first college football team from Minnesota to play in a January bowl game when they met Washington in the Rose Bowl on January 2, 1961. This college football bowl season is the 75^th anniversary of St. Thomas’ 1949 trip to the Cigar Bowl in Tampa where the Tommies tied Missouri Valley, 13-13. http://tommiesports.com

The Michigan basketball team the Gophers (10-3) play in Ann Arbor Thursday night is the only Big Ten club with a below .500 record at 6-7. The Wolverines are giving up a conference worst 79.1 points per game. Peacock televises the game starting at 8 p.m.

Hit by injuries, including star forward Kirill Kaprizov and goalie Filip Gustavsson, the Wild has lost three consecutive games and has to find a way not to go on a long losing streak.

In a state where many residents claim Norwegian descent, it’s interesting the Wild’s Mats Zuccarello is one of only eight players from Norway ever to play in the NHL. Norwegian Americans are 13.8 percent of Minnesota’s population, per Worldpopulationreview.com.

The Pelicans, who play the Timberwolves tonight in Minneapolis, are a difficult team for Minnesota when forward Zion Williamson plays. The Pels played last night and it could be Willamson is rested tonight by sitting out the game.

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