Author: David Shama

Do the Twins have interest in free agent starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman?  He’s had his career ups and downs but the Twins’ starting rotation is unsettled and in need of candidates.

Former Twins first round draft choice Kyle Gibson might be a breakthrough starter in 2011.

Sports Headliners reader Matt Stoneking emailed that the Vikings “probably are about the 20^th best team in the NFL as their (6-10) record indicates.”  He writes that every loss, except to the 6-10 Lions, was against a team with a better record.  Every win, except a victory over the 10-6 Eagles, was versus a team with an equivalent or worse record than Minnesota’s.  Seven of 10 losses and one win (the Eagles) were against clubs that made the playoffs.

With an unhappy Devoe Joseph transferring from the Gophers it seemingly becomes easier to understand why his highly sought younger brother, Cory, chose Texas and not Minnesota coming out of high school last year.

Gophers Goal Line club president Bob Hughes emailed that his group will have a “meet and greet” with new coach Jerry Kill on Saturday, January 22 at TCF Bank Stadium.  Then on Wednesday, February 2 the group will stage the National Signing Day Social at the Gophers football complex.  Kill will preview his 2011 recruiting class and there will be a highlight film.  Kill will be the Grand Marshall in the St. Paul Winter Carnival Torchlight Parade on Saturday, February 5.

Among the Gophers problems in recent seasons has been third down conversions.  Last season Minnesota ranked No. 68 in the country in that category while Kill’s former team, Northern Illinois, was No. 7.

Wild assistant general manager Brent Flahr and Houston Aeros head coach Mike Yeo were both recognized in The Hockey News “Top 40 Under 40” list.  The list, published in the January 17 issue, recognizes hockey people growing in influence.

The first Campbell/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Men’s National Team Rankings of 2011 have nine Big Ten teams in the top 75 including Ohio State at No. 4 and Minnesota at No. 33.

The Big Ten image took a hit the last few months including the conference’s 3-5 bowl season record.  Not only did the league have a losing record during bowl season for the third time in the last four years, but the New Year’s Day scoreboard was embarrassing when conference teams went 0-5 and were outscored by 105 points.

Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State won their bowl games.  The Hawkeyes and Illini pulled off upsets to help the cause and the favored Buckeyes hung on in the closing minutes of an entertaining Sugar Bowl to defeat Arkansas, 31-26.  That win ended a Buckeyes 0-9 bowl losing streak against SEC teams.

On New Year’s Day Alabama defeated Michigan State 49-7 and Michigan was also embarrassed losing 52-14 to Mississippi State, historically a runt of a program.  Texas Tech beat Northwestern 41-31, Wisconsin lost to TCU 21-19 and Florida defeated Penn State 37-24.

The bowl results were another reminder that the conference, despite its tradition and mighty branding including with the Big Ten Network, is inferior to the SEC, college football’s king.  The Big Ten was 1-3 during bowl season against the SEC, a league with better athletes and coaches.

Before bowl season the Big Ten announced that with the addition of 12^th member Nebraska later this year the league will have two six team divisions in football named the Legends and Leaders.  The league brain trust over-thought this exercise in naming the divisions.

The Legends and Leaders tags were received by Big Ten fans and media about as well as the New Year’s Day scores.  In a December 13 article on the Chicago Tribune website Teddy Greenstein wrote: “According to an unscientific poll on ChicagoTribune.com, 6 percent believe Legends and Leaders ‘represent what the Big Ten is all about,’ and 94 percent say, ‘You have to be kidding … is this the best they can do?’ Similarly, 93 percent of those responding to a midwestsportsfans.com poll voted for either ‘terrible’ or ‘it makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon.’  Others opted for ‘awesome’ (2 percent) or ‘indifferent’ (5 percent).”

The Legends Division includes Nebraska, prompting critics to wonder how the newcomer Cornhuskers could deserve Big Ten legendary status.  The Leaders Division includes Ohio State and Michigan, leaving observers to wonder how such powerhouses don’t deserve a legends label.

Gophers football historians have been pondering the Big Ten Network’s omission of Paul Giel from the list of the top 50 icons in conference history.  This is an amazing error considering Giel’s credentials.

Giel was a two-time All-American running back for the Gophers in 1952 and 1953.  He was also the first ever two-time Big Ten Most Valuable Player.  In 1953 he was UPI’s College Player of the Year and AP’s back of the year.  He was also runner-up to Johnny Lattner of Notre Dame in the 1953 Heisman Trophy balloting.  Famed sportswriter Grantland Rice named Giel to his first team all-time college team, according to Gophers sports authority Dave Mona.

But the Giel legend doesn’t stop there.  He was an All-American pitcher for the Gophers and signed a large bonus contract with baseball’s New York Giants after leaving Minnesota.  In 1971 he returned to his alma mater as athletic director.

Do those 50 Big Ten icons that the Big Ten Network has been devoting 30 minute specials to all have better resumes than Giel?  Are you serious?

And here’s one more item about the Big Ten: the Gophers annual conference basketball schedule.  Every season starting with 2007-08 the Gophers have played Michigan State, the league’s premier program, during the first five games. Twice the Gophers have opened the conference schedule against the Spartans and this season played Michigan State in the second game.  Three of the last four years the first game between the two programs was in East Lansing.

This season the Gophers are playing arguably the Big Ten’s most difficult early season schedule.  In the first five games Minnesota plays four nationally ranked teams, travelling to Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State, with a home game against Purdue.

Last year the Gophers were scheduled against Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State in their first five games, the three best teams in the league.  Of course, two of the three were on the road.