Author: David Shama

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi met yesterday with leaders of the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association to update them on the search and ask for input about the profile of a new coach.  He also spoke to the Gophers players to update them.

With 316,030 fans at five Big Ten stadiums last weekend, the conference surpassed the four-million mark in football attendance for the 18th consecutive year and 21st season overall.

In the closing minute of last Sunday’s first half at New England the Vikings opted for a touchdown from the one-yard line, rather than kick a field goal.  The Patriots stopped Adrian Peterson for a two-yard loss. The play is indicative of an offense that despite its talents has underachieved this season.  Even before the New England game tackle Steve Hutchinson was talking about the offense not being quite on track.

“I think we’ve got as talented a skill position players as anybody,” Hutchinson told Sports Headliners.  “Just seems like we’re always just a split second or something from having one of those guys break something great.  So we just gotta do our job as offensive linemen. …”

Last year the Gophers were recruiting Ames, Iowa native Harrison Barnes who starts his freshman season at North Carolina this fall.  NBAdraft.net’s 2011 mock draft has Barnes, a forward, going No. 1 to New Jersey.  The website predicts the Timberwolves will pick at No. 2 and choose forward Perry Jones from Baylor.  Gophers forward Rodney Williams, who despite his athleticism wasn’t a starter last season as a freshman, will be chosen at No. 11 in the first round by New Orleans, according to the website.  https://www.nbadraft.net/2011mock_draft

Decades ago the World Series captivated this area and other cities around the country.  Now the series seems of minimal interest to many local sports fans.  Baseball, the argument goes, has become more of a regional sport where unless your team is playing the interest is tepid. The opinion of many in the media is baseball gave up its national pastime label years ago to the National Football League.

The Hamline men’s hockey team, the favorite among league coaches to win the MIAC, has a marquee player in senior defenseman and captain Chris Berenguer, a two-time first-team All-American and son of former Twins reliever Juan Berenguer.  Last season Berenguer led the MIAC’s defensemen in scoring with 22 assists and six goals for 28 points.  He is the first Hamline men’s hockey player ever to earn first-team All-American honors twice.

Jessica Aney’s name will long be remembered by high school tennis fans after what she accomplished last week.  The diminutive 12-year-old seventh grader finished second to Rochester Century teammate Kelsey Frechette in the Class AA singles championship.  Frechette, a junior, was runner-up last year, according to the Minnesota State High School League. https://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/index.asp

The Vikings defense by reputation is among the NFL’s best, but yesterday in New England that defense couldn’t even hold the Patriots to a field goal late in the fourth quarter when the game was yet to be decided.  The Vikings trailed 21-18 when the Patriots started a drive from New England’s 20-yard line with about seven minutes to play.  By the time that drive ended the score was 28-18 and the Vikings finally got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining.

The Vikings defense couldn’t be counted on when the game mattered most. Too many missed tackles and probably blown assignments too (haven’t been to the film room yet).

The Vikings gave up 122 net yards rushing (112 to BenJarvus Green-Ellis), prompting more concern about a defense that for years has been praised from coast to coast but in recent games can’t get any sacks.  And in the last four games the Vikings have given up 106 points and lost three times.

Stats don’t determine games but there are a couple of numbers staring right into the eyes of the Purple.  This talented team with a Super Bowl date long ago circled on the calendar is 2-5 after starting 6-1 last season.  Another stunner is this: the Vikings have lost their last eight road games, including four this season.

The Vikings are a team that can’t seem to pull either fate or opportunity together.  Bad luck has been a companion including yesterday against the 6-1 Patriots.  In the second quarter the Vikings had a 7-0 lead when safety Madieu Williams let a near certain interception go right through his hands and into those of wide receiver Brandon Tate.  The Patriots scored a few plays later to tie the game 7-7.

In the third quarter Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin bobbled a pass and corner back Devin McCourty had the ball land in his lap.  It was the kind of bouncing ball a team might turn into an interception once every couple years.  Soon after the interception New England had a touchdown and a 21-10 lead.

Now the Vikings come home to play Arizona on Sunday with more questions than wins. Why can’t the much hyped defensive line and linebackers make more plays including turnovers and sacks?  Can defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier plug a leaky secondary that’s been minimized by injuries?  Is there much likelihood the subpar offensive line can provide the quarterback with the extra seconds to throw deep? Where’s the beef (not to mention the smarts) when the Vikings stall on offense inside the 10 yard line?  Where’s Randy Moss?  And who the heck is the quarterback after Brett Favre again on Sunday auditioned for the local emergency room and was replaced late in the fourth quarter by Tarvaris Jackson?

Anyone with answers should call Winter Park.  And it wouldn’t be a bad idea to send a rabbit’s foot out there by courier.

I’ve been scratching my head for awhile now thinking about the Tony Dungy link to the University of Minnesota football coaching position.  Dungy has been granted special status as an authority about the job opening by University officials and media.

It’s almost like this: “If Tony can’t be our coach, he can at least tell us who to hire.”

Baloney.  Dungy hasn’t coached college football since he was an assistant at Minnesota about 30 years ago.  He achieved a highly successful career in pro football where he became the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl.  He’s been out of coaching since 2008 and now is seen weekly on NBC’s Sunday night football telecasts.

The college and pro coaching cultures are different in their demands.  Dungy is an expert on the NFL, not the NCAA.  His knowledge and contacts with other coaches run deepest in the NFL.  Don’t make the man into something he’s not.

Ask Dungy’s opinion on coaching candidates for Minnesota and he’s likely to offer up guys coaching in the pro game, or with strong ties to it.  That doesn’t fit the profile Minnesota should be pursuing.  The Gophers need an established college football coach who has been a proven winner elsewhere.

Dungy is a very nice man with admirable character but let’s not go overboard on his commitment to Gophers football.  Yes, he once played quarterback here and later coached for Joe Salem but if moving Gophers football out of the dumpster is a  priority for Dungy it sure seems like he should accept the job that’s been offered to him at least twice in the last four years.

Dungy doesn’t have the interest and will to take on this job and he doesn’t even have a lot of personal equity in who is hired as coach.  Dungy is not employed by the University.  He is not a member of the Board of Regents.  He doesn’t live in Minnesota, nor has he any plans to do so.  I am not aware that he’s even a season ticket holder, and if so he doesn’t attend the games.

University leaders, passionate season ticket holders and other fans have much more invested in Gophers football than the far removed Dungy who both lives and works thousands of miles from Minneapolis.  Those who truly love Gophers football and have loyally (blindly?) supported it through the years are the real stake holders.

The University doesn’t need a nod up or down on final candidates from Dungy