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.

Notes Plus

Posted on January 14, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Defenseman Maxim Noreau was named to the AHL All-Star game, January 31 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. As of Wednesday he led the Wild’s Houston Aeros farm team with 16 assists and ranked second with 23 points. The Montreal native played in one game with the Wild last season.

Left wing Gabriel Landeskog (Kitchener Rangers) of the Ontario Hockey League and defenseman Adam Larsson (Skelleftea AIK) of the Swedish Elite League are the top draft-eligible skaters from North America and Europe, according to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s mid-season rankings. The Wild host the NHL Entry Draft June 24 and 25 at the Xcel Energy Center.

Among Minnesotans drafted last year out of high school was Mark Alt, now a Gophers defenseman who could have played college football for Iowa. Carolina made a smart pick in selecting Alt on the second round. “He is a great athlete, (with) good size and he is intelligent,” said Glen Sonmor, former Gophers coach.

Alt has been a minus player in only four of 19 games this season and is working on a streak of nine consecutive. He is plus-four during that period.

Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers team, at North Dakota for games tonight and tomorrow night, is 8-1-1 when scoring three goals or more this season and 1-7-2 when scoring two goals or fewer.

Andrew Brommer, the former Rosemount High player, is the lone Minnesotan on the Iowa roster and is a hustle type player, a 6-9 235-pound reserve forward who struggles to score but had a then career high eight points against the Gophers last year. Iowa (0-4 in the Big Ten) plays at Minnesota (2-3) on Sunday starting at 5 p.m.

The Gophers upset No. 8 ranked Purdue last night and limited Boilermakers guard Ryne Smith to one three point field goal in four attempts, finishing the game with three points. He was announced as Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday after shooting 78.6 percent from beyond the three point line and averaging a team-best 19 points per game in the Boilermakers’ wins over Penn State and Iowa last week.

Kevin Love of the Timberwolves is one of seven NBA players raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during “Hoops for St. Jude” Week (March 4-11). Love and others are donating to St. Jude for each point they score this season, with a season-end minimum total of $20,000. Love has served as a past spokesman for St. Jude, among the world’s premier pediatric cancer research facilities.

An era ended this week with the death of David Nelson, the last remaining member of the Nelson family from TV’s “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” The Nelsons loved sports and David’s dad, Ozzie, played football at Rutgers. His younger brother, Ricky, was among the elite teen tennis players in America before focusing on a singing and acting career.

St. Cloud State senior infielder Kent Koch has to do more than chase down ground balls. He also “fields” the city budget as the newly inducted mayor of his home town, Loretto, Minnesota. Koch was featured on ESPN’s “First Take” program on Wednesday morning.

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Too Many Problems with Gophers Basketball

Posted on January 12, 2011October 11, 2011 by David Shama

Trevor Mbakwe’s reported arrest earlier this week for allegedly violating a harassment restraining order is yet another disappointment in the Tubby Smith era of coaching Gophers basketball.

Is it time for Smith, athletic director Joel Maturi and other University officials to review this program, announce their findings to the public and make recommended changes? Since being hired by the University in 2007 Smith’s program has been involved with a series of problems.

Even assembling the staff led to a problem. Jimmy Williams charged that the University misled him about being hired as an assistant coach and he filed a lawsuit that was settled in his favor last year.

Mbakwe was recruited here out of junior college but soon found himself facing a felony battery charge by a Florida woman. The charge was settled without a trial last summer with Mbakwe agreeing to perform community service, but he didn’t play last season while awaiting resolution of his legal matter. Mbakwe didn’t admit guilt in the case.

Another prize recruit, freshman Royce White, also didn’t play a minute last season because of legal problems including an incident at the Mall of America. White transferred to Iowa State last summer.

The Mbakwe incident this week follows news last week that junior Devoe Joseph was leaving the program. He had been suspended for undisclosed reasons earlier in the season. Smith has been criticized for not offering an explanation about the transfer.

Following last season another experienced player, Paul Carter, left the program and is playing for Illinois-Chicago. The stated reason he transferred was to be near his ill sister but were there other reasons?

There are too many problems occurring too frequently with this program, but interestingly the University has been negotiating a contract extension with Smith and looking at building an expensive new practice facility. Today those don’t seem like priorities. Not for a program with a series of off court problems and one that has produced about a .500 record in Big Ten games during the last three-plus seasons.

The 1-3 Gophers have a much anticipated game tomorrow night at home against 4-0 Purdue. The fans supporting the Gophers program were excited about the game until the latest problem came to Dinkytown. Even before tipoff you can be sure a lot of them won’t be happy.

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Excitement Missing with U Hockey

Posted on January 12, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

There’s no buzz about Gophers hockey any more. Even those who are apathetic about the program are dissatisfied.

People have reason to ask this: “What’s wrong with the Gophers?” A program that once prompted discussion about being the best in the country now isn’t even No. 1 among the state’s college hockey teams.

The Gophers haven’t been in the NCAA tournament the last two years, and before March ends it could be three. Minnesota is 9-8-3 overall, 6-6-2 in the WCHA.

Last weekend the Gophers defeated the US Under-18 team 9-0 in an exhibition game. In two exhibition games this season Minnesota has outscored opponents 15-0, having also defeated British Columbia 6-0 in October.

Those results could be included among highlights during an inconsistent season that has some lows such as the team’s recent Mariucci Classic. Minnesota’s first tournament game was a 3-2 loss to not so well known Union. The next night the Gophers finished in a 2-2 tie with Ferris State and rather than follow tournament policy using a shootout it was decided to leave the game tied.

The second half of the WCHA schedule for coach Don Lucia’s team starts Friday and Saturday night at No. 2 ranked North Dakota. Playing such a good team in perhaps the most difficult of college venues is both a challenge and an opportunity. Minnesota can make a statement against North Dakota and begin momentum toward a better post season performance than the last two years.

That would help calm the critics at home games and in the blogosphere. The former, many of whom are from older generations, tend to be less vocal but it’s not just words but empty seats that make a statement.

Lucia has one season beyond this one remaining on his contract. Criticism and empty seats are something he faces in the months to come. He has won two national championships with the Gophers, but more recent years have brought challenges including keeping elite players from going pro too soon.

That’s a problem, but like any high profile circumstances it’s up to the boss to identify the right answers.

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