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 29, 2011October 10, 2011 by David Shama

Not everyone is a fan of Washington’s veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb who is rumored to be a possible acquisition by the Vikings. A former NFL player told Sports Headliners that in his opinion McNabb is past his prime and makes excuses.

Former Twins catcher Wilson Ramos is hitting .375 for Washington and had two home runs and three RBI on Tuesday against the New York Mets.

Mike Grimm and Spencer Tollackson, who have been broadcasting Gophers basketball on WCCO Radio, will work the games for ESPN 1500 next season.

Wild season ticket holders will have first opportunity on tickets for the NHL Entry Draft June 24 and 25 at Xcel Energy Center. Tickets for the general public will be based on availability. Non-season ticket holders may submit entry draft ticket requests to www.wild.com and will be notified of availability beginning June 1.

Local economic impact for the entry draft is estimated in the $10 million range, according to a Sports Headliners source. The draft was last in Minnesota in 1989. The North Stars hosted and drafted Rochester’s Doug Zlomek with their first pick. The Wild have the 10^th overall selection in this year’s draft.

Look for the Wild to name a new head coach replacing Todd Richards prior to the draft.

Wild players Brent Burns and Cal Clutterbuck (Canada), Martin Havlat and Marek Zidlicky (Czech Republic), Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund (Finland), and Dennis Endras (Germany) will play in the World Championships beginning today in Bratislava and Košice in Slovakia.

It will be a surprise if the Timberwolves bring back Kurt Rambis as head coach next season.

Minneapolis-born Tim Herron tied for fourth last weekend at The Heritage golf tournament, his best finish so far in 2011, according to pgatour.com. His best previous finishes were two ties for 29^th. He ranks 99^th in tour earnings this year, according to the website.

The MIAC recognized three players as Men’s Golf Athletes of the Week for impressive performances last weekend at the Saint John’s Invitational. Gustavus sophomore Alex Kolquist, and Saint John’s sophomore Andy Stahlman and freshman Casey Vangsness each shot one-over-par 215 totals to share medalist honors.

The Minute Men will host the Mr./Ms. Lacrosse awards and banquet on June 5 at the RiverCentre in St. Paul. Tickets are $30 each. The organization will also host the Mr. Baseball/Ms. Softball awards on June 20 at Jax Cafe in Minneapolis, and tickets are
$35. The finalists for these honors will be announced in mid-May. Tickets can be purchased at www.minnesotaminutemen.com.

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Lurtsema Likes TCU’s Dalton for Vikings QB

Posted on April 27, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Bob Lurtsema didn’t hesitate when asked what the Vikings should do in the NFL draft this week. “I think it’s imperative to come out of the first or second round with a quarterback,” he told Sports Headliners.

The former Vikings’ defensive lineman is a close observer of the hometown team that’s searching for someone to replace retiring Brett Favre. With seemingly no one on the roster ready to be an NFL No. 1 quarterback, and a league labor dispute stopping trades between teams, the draft that begins tomorrow night with the first round is a vital source of QB talent to the Vikings, according to Lurtsema.

Lurtsema believes Leslie Frazier is a “great coach” but the Vikings’ new football boss must “establish” a quarterback. And Lurtsema knows who he would take.

In a deep quarterback draft, superb athletes like Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert and Jake Locker are receiving much of the attention and all could be gone before the Vikings choose at No. 12. But Lurtsema likes TCU’s Andy Dalton, a smart quarterback whose physical skills aren’t overwhelming but he was part of a winning culture at TCU and a four-year starter.

When asked if he would choose Dalton at No. 12, Lurtsema said: “I would all day long. Every quarterback that has ever been drafted (through the years), there’s something negative about him.”

The Vikings draft at No. 11 in the second round, likely too late then to get Dalton whose aptitude and experience presumably interests a lot of teams. Another quarterback with skills could be available, though.

If the Vikings don’t take Dalton in the first round, Nick Fairley might be their choice. This is also a draft deep in defensive linemen and Fairley, who has been mentioned as a top five pick, could be too much for the Vikings to pass on if he is still available. The 6-5, 298-pound Auburn defensive tackle is a monster talent who might fall to the Vikings because there are so many promising linemen, receivers and quarterbacks in this draft, but─oh, yes─Fairley’s work ethic supposedly isn’t the best.

Fairley, who was both a sizeable run stopper and agile pass rusher for national champion Auburn as a junior, won the Lombardi trophy as the country’s best lineman but observers ask whether he’s a one-year wonder. Fairley didn’t show much during his sophomore season in 2009 before his big year last fall. Coming out of high school he first attended junior college.

The Vikings, though, didn’t shy away from a controversial player in 2009 when wide receiver Percy Harvin, who had reportedly tested positive for marijuana, was still available with the No. 22 pick in the first round. In 2007 the Vikings were willing to take running back Adrian Peterson with the No. 7 pick after Peterson’s injury history had created skepticism about his durability as a pro.

Frazier’s background is that of a defensive coach. He knows the playing days for 38-year-old tackle Pat Williams are few. Pairing Fairley with Pro Bowler Kevin Williams would give the Vikings a load of talent at defensive tackle.

Regardless of who the Vikings take in the first round the pressure is on to make this a productive draft. The franchise had no No.1 pick last year, nor did the Vikings have a first round choice in 2008. Recent drafts have left the Vikings with a need for young talent who can become starters.

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Worth Noting

Posted on April 27, 2011October 10, 2011 by David Shama

A performance the Vikings draft experts can’t afford to repeat is 2005. The Vikings chose wide receiver Troy Williamson (No. 7) and defensive end Erasmus James (No. 18) in the first round. Then they selected guard Marcus Johnson with the No. 49 selection on the second round. None of the three contributed. That was prior to vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman joining the Vikings in 2006.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Arizona draft a wide receiver in the early rounds with Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr. having only one year remaining on his contract with the Cardinals. Even if Sidney Rice makes a contractual commitment to the Vikings in the offseason, the franchise needs more playmakers at wide receiver. Would Fitzgerald, a former Vikings ball boy, want to come home?

Gophers’ senior associate athletics director Marc Ryan, who has administrative responsibilities for football, was impressed with new coach Jerry Kill and his experienced staff during spring practices.

“How that adds up in wins and losses…looking at the 2011 season, (I) can’t predict how that will shake out. Without question I think we’ll be an extremely well coached football team,” Ryan said.

Ryan said the Gophers will receive $400,000 for playing USC in Los Angeles in their opening game on September 3. Minnesota paid the Trojans the same amount for a visit here last September.

Kill is in Brainerd tomorrow for an Elks Lodge fundraiser benefitting youth programs.

A Gophers fan said he wants to see Minnesota play at UCLA. Why? He could say he saw Minnesota in the Rose Bowl (UCLA’s regular season home field).

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