Author: David Shama

Mark Dayton has shown more commitment to leading the political fight for a new Vikings stadium than his most immediate predecessors, Minnesota governors Tim Pawlenty and Jesse Ventura.

Dayton is interested in seeing a Vikings stadium plan approved and apparently doesn’t have a favored site.  His mandate last week directing both the Met Council and the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission to fast-track a review of the Arden Hills stadium proposal is indicative of the urgency with which he regards the issue.

The two agencies are to review various aspects of the Arden Hills site but a reliable stadium source told Sports Headliners that what he’s watching for are the findings regarding road infrastructure and environmental cleanup.

Road costs have been a much publicized potential problem at the site.  Then, too, the proposed site is a former munitions plant that has been vacated for decades.  Would an environmental cleanup be cost prohibitive?

The source said additional costs of “$50 million” each to improve roads and also clean the site would be problematic for the proposed partners in the Arden Hills project, Ramsey County, the state and the Vikings.  All three, the source said, have “capped” their contribution amounts for the proposed $1 billion retractable roof facility.

If the review by the Met Council and MSFC is favorable for Arden Hills, it seems likely Dayton will want to call a special fall legislative session.  But even if the DFL governor is positive about the suburban site, he does have to work with a Republican controlled legislature.

“The governor does want to deal with this,” the source said.

The Arden Hills site can probably count on a wave of momentum this fall with the Vikings playing their NFL schedule, including home games at the Metrodome where the club’s lease expires after the season.  Fans are likely to call legislators and urge support for the site that has open spaces for tailgating, an amenity that stills has appeal almost 30 years after the Vikings vacated Met Stadium.

Meanwhile, Minneapolis supporters continue to work quietly on a Farmers Market plan for the stadium.  But that site doesn’t seem to have the governor’s interest now.

Infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka probably earns a pass from at least some Twins administrators for his disappointing rookie season that includes a .215 batting average and nine errors in 51 games.  The 27-year-old native of Japan is trying to learn a new language and culture while adjusting to opposing pitchers.

Outfielder Joe Benson, who was the Twins Minor League Player of the Year last season, is hitting .405 in his last 10 games with New Britain.  In 83 games with the Double A team he is batting .297, with 10 home runs and 46 RBI.

The Twins game on September 17 against Cleveland at Target Field will be John Gordon Day. The 71-year-old radio play-by-play voice of the Twins is retiring after this season.  Gordon’s 25 years on radio is second in franchise history to the late Herb Carneal.  Recognition on September 17 will include an on field ceremony.

Twins marketing executive Patrick Klinger said the organization began the formal process on Monday of a national search for Gordon’s successor.  Klinger said he’s not sure if Gordon’s broadcast partner Dan Gladden wants to increase his play-by-play role.

The Twins will send out season ticket renewals later this month and have a waiting list in the thousands, according to Klinger.

1500 ESPN announced that Judd Zulgad is leaving the Star Tribune to host a show on the local radio station from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays.

Game time for the Gophers-Virginia Tech basketball game on November 30 will be 8:15 p.m. Minneapolis time.  The game, part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, will be at Williams Arena and televised by ESPN2.  The Gophers are 4-8 in the challenge, and last year coach Tubby Smith’s Minnesota team lost to Virginia at Williams Arena.

Former Gophers football player Lewis Garrison will be officiating Big Ten basketball games for the first time next season.

Garrison, Mark Smith, Rickey Foggie, Jay Thomas and Eric Smith, all former Gophers, finished up their work last week at the local PreSnap Football Academy.  During the spring and summer they have helped young players of various ages to improve skills.

Jon Leuer’s dad, Mike, said his son has a 10 month contract with the Frankfurt Skyliners but the deal provides an out if the NBA ends its labor dispute and the season begins.  Leuer, who played at Orono High School and for Wisconsin, was a second round pick in June by Milwaukee.  Leuer reports to his German team next week, according to his dad.

It’s not true that Jerry Kill rides to campus everyday on a white horse.  Truth is the savior of Gophers football drives to work in a white Cadillac.

Symbolism aside, those who care about the Gophers have taken a serious liking to the new head coach who is trying to resurrect a program that hasn’t been a consistent winner since Kennedy and Johnson were in the White House.  Maybe it’s no love affair yet, but a lot of Minnesotans at least have a crush on Kill who has earned many admirers with his honest talk and sincere actions.

Except for Lou Holtz, no new Gophers football coach since World War II came to campus and received more adoration than Kill.  University of Minnesota administrators, former Gophers and fans praise Kill as if they have known and admired him for years.  Even the cynical media has found little fault with the newcomer so far.

The honeymoon bubble won’t last through the coming season.  The Gophers will be pushed around on the field at times and final scores could be lopsided.  A group of fans and media will find fault with Kill, justified or not.

But give the former Northern Illinois coach credit for an extraordinary offseason during which he won over a lot of people and impressed his athletic director, Joel Maturi.

“No one prepared me for the unbelievable job that he has done with our alumni, our boosters, our fans in general and certainly the media as a whole.” Maturi told Sports Headliners.  “He’s been great.”

Maturi knew about the coach who had a national reputation for producing results on the field at other schools, but he wasn’t prepared for the public relations success.  Kill’s ability to make friends fast is a tribute to his character, values and deeds.

“I think there isn’t a person that Jerry Kill hasn’t met or addressed that he hasn’t won over, and that’s a credit to him,” Maturi said. “It wasn’t part of the ingredient of the coach that I knew I was hiring.  I hired him because the homework I did told me he was a great coach, and that our teams were going to get better, and they would play up to their ability, and we were going to win in a period of time.”

Three years from now Kill will still have admirers.  The only question is how many fans will be in the Gophers football tent?  Without winning, Kill and Maturi know the number will be smaller than what they want.  That’s the business side of college football and phase two of the Kill era starts September 3 in Los Angeles against USC.

How long will the honeymoon last?