Author: David Shama

New Gophers football coach Jerry Kill will receive $50,000 for winning a fifth Big Ten Conference game each season, according to information provided to Sports Headliners by the University of Minnesota.

Former coach Tim Brewster’s Big Ten Conference career record was 6-21 and athletic director Joel Maturi wants Kill to be rewarded for league wins.  Kill’s agreement with Minnesota provides for him to earn $25,000 for each additional Big Ten win beyond No. 5.

Kill’s five-year, $1.1 million agreement includes other incentives such as $150,000 for a Big Ten championship and $100,000 for a division title.  If Kill coaches the Gophers to the national championship game he receives $150,000 and another $50,000 for winning.

There are many incentives in his agreement including those that are based on academic performance by his players.  Although improbable, Kill could earn about $700,000 in a year that he qualified for all incentives including a national title.

If Kill decides to leave the Gophers for another school he must pay double his base salary of $500,000 to the University.  (He receives $600,000 in supplemental salary for radio-TV work and other duties to bring his total annual package without incentives to $1.1 million).

If the University terminates Kill without cause (no misconduct) he must be paid half of his total salary for the remaining years of the contract.  Kill said no one has to worry about asking him to leave if he doesn’t perform for the Gophers.  “I’ll tell ’em they need to get rid of me,” Kill said.  “That’s the truth.”

If Kill wins at Minnesota like his other head coaching stops, nobody will be using the four-letter fire word.  He has a 127-73 record in 17 seasons.  In three of his four coaching assignments he took over programs with losing records and turned in a winning record in three years or less.  He was the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year after a 12-2 season at Southern Illinois.

The former Northern Illinois coach has been operating almost without sleep the last several days while ending his commitment with the Huskies and spending time in Minneapolis.  Activities have included Monday’s news conference, a meeting with high school football coaching leaders, and calls to donors and Gophers legends Bud Grant, Tony Dungy and Bobby Bell.

Fan voting ended last week to determine the 50 greatest Vikings in franchise history as the organization observes its 50^th season.  The names will be announced at a gala on Sunday, December 19 starting at 7 p.m. in the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Names like Chuck Foreman, Cris Carter, Carl Eller, Paul Krause, Jim Marshall, Randall McDaniel, Adrian Peterson, John Randle and Ron Yary are no-brainers.  The Vikings will pay tribute to those players and 41 more but they won’t label one individual as the best.

To say one player is the best is subjective but Sports Headliners believes that because of his skills, the position he played and what he accomplished, Fran Tarkenton is the most important player in Vikings history.

No position in pro football is more vital to team success than quarterback.  At the time of his retirement following the 1978 season, Tarkenton was the NFL career leader in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdown passes.  Scramblin’ Fran drove defenses crazy with his running, too.  He was the quarterback on three of the franchise’s four Super Bowl teams.  He was also the first person ever included in the Ring of Honor recognizing the best of the franchise’s players, coaches and executives.

Deserving of mention in the same breath when discussing the most important player in Vikings’ history is defensive tackle Alan Page.  “It’s hard to top either one,” said Dave Mona.

Mona has been the press box announcer for Vikings game dating back to the team’s last years at Met Stadium.  The longtime radio host has followed the franchise since its inception in 1961.

“I think you could make a good argument for Page, but I think the quarterback position is so much more important than any defensive lineman,” Mona said.  “I guess I would agree with you that Tarkenton probably is the single most important and arguably the best Viking player over the years.”

A defense can’t be great without extraordinary pass rushing and Page was so fast and mobile he was a nightmare for quarterbacks.  In 1971 he became the first NFL defensive lineman to be named the Associated Press’ league MVP.  He was a four-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and nine times was all-pro.  He and Tarkenton, more than any other players, made it possible for the Vikings to play in those three Super Bowls in the 1970s.  Page was the second player inducted into the Ring of Honor.

Over 750,000 votes were made by fans from 83 countries in the polling to determine their favorite Vikings players past and present.  The announcement event at the Convention Center on December 19 will include players being honored, plus NFL Films video and special guest speakers.  Tickets at $50 each are available at www.vikings.com.

While the Vikings are considering other sites for a new stadium, the Metrodome property remains a strong possibility to be approved by the legislature.  The land is public and not subject to acquisition issues.  The site is likely to be more cost efficient than others because of existing infrastructure.  Also, a multipurpose covered stadium available for large sports and entertainment attractions is a better fit in a downtown locale than the suburbs because of proximity to public transportation, hotels, bars and restaurants.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf was upset by media criticism of his remarks made at the news conference announcing the firing of Brad Childress.  Wilf was attacked for using few words and providing minimal information, but the media criticism won’t negatively impact the owner’s decision to keep the franchise in Minnesota.

The Vikings reported their 134^th consecutive home sellout last Sunday.

A former NFL coach watched Tarvaris Jackson throw two touchdown passes and three interceptions on Sunday against Buffalo and said the Vikings fifth-year quarterback still has problems making decisions while passing.

Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian continues to under perform.  In six games he’s caught 19 passes for 190 yards and no touchdowns.  There have been plays where he ran a sloppy route or didn’t fight for a reception.

Gophers marketing leader Jason LaFrenz said standing room only tickets remain for this weekend’s home hockey series with Minnesota Duluth.

LaFrenz also said the Gophers will wait until after football season ticket renewals come back next winter to see if they will start a season ticket campaign to sell new seats.  A renewal rate of more than 90 percent is possible and would leave such a minimal number of open seats that a campaign seems unlikely.

The No. 22 ranked (AP) and 7-1 Gophers basketball team plays in Philadelphia tonight against Saint Joseph’s, 3-5.  The Hawks were 11-20 last season and the program has fallen off since the powerful 2004 NCAA tournament team.

In last Saturday night’s win over Cornell the Gophers were at times awful shooting free throws, but a late game spurt enabled them to make 26 of 44, finishing at 59.1  percent.  Minnesota has not shot free throws effectively this season but senior guard Blake Hoffarber said the team doesn’t have problems in practice and thinks the problem is mostly mental.   “…But I think we’re gonna be fine,” he said.  “We have to take it out of our heads and focus in practice on what we normally do.”

Last Saturday’s Bethel-St. Thomas playoff football game was broadcast by WCCO Radio, stirring memories of the 1950s when the MIAC had prominent media coverage with Saturday night football games televised locally.