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.

All-Star Game, Vikings & Other Notes

Posted on October 18, 2010November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Sports Headliners has learned that the Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game will be held at TCF Bank Stadium next year. All-Star director Dave Fritze said the sponsoring Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association will hold the game there on June 25, 2011 and in future years.

The All-Star game has a long history that dates back more than 50 years. In the 1970’s the game was played at Memorial Stadium on the University campus. Other sites have included Parade Stadium and Macalester College in the metro area. Last year’s game was held at St. Cloud State University.

Fritze said the All-Star game costs about $70,000 to stage and whatever proceeds are available go to the football coaches association, a nonprofit that has long been a vigorous promoter of amateur football in the state with activities such as clinics and the game. The game is played between many of the best graduating prep seniors in the state who represent the Metro and Outstate squads.

As part of the 50^th season, the Vikings organization is asking fans to help select the 50 greatest Vikings players of all time. By visiting www.vikings.com/50 fans can find statistics, biographies, photos and videos of many nominees. Voting began last week and continues through 29.

Twins hero Michael Cuddyer sounded the Gjallarhorn prior to yesterday’s Vikings-Dallas game at Mall of America Field.

There were about 30 Dallas media, including 12 representing Spanish radio and TV, covering the game. That will be one of the largest media contingents of the season at Mall of America Field.

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre said after the Dallas game that wide receiver Randy Moss had some words for the team at halftime that were helpful. Favre didn’t elaborate.

Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin, who had a franchise record 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, was probably the team’s MVP yesterday in the 24-21 win. He was asked if the addition of Moss to the roster created opportunities for others. “Definitely, it’s becoming easier,” Harvin said. “A lot of lanes should open up for us in the running game, and we just have to get it all together, and hopefully this game gave us the momentum and our offense can build from this.”

Dave Mona’s pre-game vignette on WCCO Radio prior to the Minnesota-Purdue game Saturday included the fact that collectively former Boilermakers quarterbacks have thrown more NFL touchdown passes than alums from any other school. Guess how many NFL touchdown passes ex-Gophers have thrown? One, according to Mona. His research showed that Gino Cappelletti threw the lone touchdown pass on a fake field goal. Purdue’s total? 1,096.

New Wild goaltender Jose Theodore recently contacted goalie mask designer Todd Miska to update the mask he wore with the Capitals. Earlier this year Miska painted the masks of Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding.

Defenseman Brent Burns and wife Susan are working with the nonprofit Defending The Blue Line to offer free Wild tickets to military service members. Preference is given to currently deployed, combat wounded, and families of KIA (Killed In Action) service members. www.DefendingTheBlueLine.com

FOX Sports North will televise tomorrow night’s Timberwolves-Indiana game from Target Center beginning at 7 p.m.

The Minnesota Swarm has re-signed forward Ryan Benesch to a three-year contract extension. Benesch, 25, played in 15 games during his first season with the Swarm in 2010. He had 83 points on 28 goals and 55 assists last year, tying him for ninth in the NLL in scoring.

Swarm fans can buy two season tickets at full price, and then purchase two more at 50 percent off. www.mnswarm.com

Registration for the second season of the Minnesota Hockey Recreational League is open through November 1. The league begins play in early December and offers a low cost hockey option for boys and girls ages 9-14. More information is available at www.minnesotahockey.org or send an email to info@minnesotahockey.org.

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Statistics Tell Story of U Defense

Posted on October 15, 2010November 4, 2011 by David Shama

Among coach Tim Brewster’s repeated mantras has been “building a championship defense.” Halfway through Brewster’s fourth season that hasn’t been heard for awhile and for good reason.

Taking “Gopher Nation” to the Rose Bowl following a Big Ten championship has been the Brewster goal since becoming coach in January of 2007. That success was to be built on a championship defense but the 2010 Gophers are…um…struggling.

Minnesota is last in conference scoring defense at 32.3 points per game. Also last among the league’s 11 teams in rushing defense yielding 196.3 yards a game. In total yards Minnesota is giving up 417.8 yards per game, the second most in the conference.

Those stats are troublesome and so, too, is that the defense’s stated goal and No. 1 priority is stopping the run. Through six games, neither the linemen, linebackers nor defensive backs have impressed as the Gophers, with a 1-5 record, have lost five consecutive games including a 41-38 loss to South Dakota.

During Brewster’s first season in 2007 the Gophers gave up 440 points, second most in school history. That was an average of 36.7 points per game in the 1-11 season.

By now more was expected of the coaching staff and players. The defense and overall limited success is more similar to coach Jim Wacker’s program, than Glen Mason’s, the coach Brewster replaced.

Wacker, who coached the Gophers from 1992-96, had a 3-8 record in his fourth season and his team gave up 33.5 points per game. Mason inherited a mess from Wacker but by his third season was 8-4, including 5-3 in the Big Ten and his team allowed 16.3 points a game.

Mason, who coached Minnesota from 1997-2006, took the Gophers to seven second level bowl games. His mantra from day one on the job was “stop the run first” and sometimes his teams did. He was dismissed because his career Big Ten record was 16 games below .500.

Mason’s last team had a 6-7 record and gave up 26 points per game. He left a “cupboard” with more resources than Wacker put in place for him. But so far Brewster’s record is more Wacker-like than similar to Mason. Brewster is 6-20 in conference games and 15-29 overall. Wacker’s numbers through the same number of games: 7-19 and 12-32.

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Vikings Figure to Win ‘Panic Bowl’

Posted on October 15, 2010November 4, 2011 by David Shama

It will be the most surprising loss yet if the 1-3 Vikings don’t defeat 1-3 Dallas on Sunday at Mall of America Field in a game that’s been called the “Panic Bowl.”

Road losses to New Orleans and the Jets, two of the NFL’s better teams, weren’t surprising. The Vikings’ third loss of the season, against Miami, was unexpected to many observers.

But the loss to Miami came in the second game of the season, or something like pre-season for quarterback Brett Favre who reported late to training camp and found injured star wide receiver Sidney Rice out indefinitely. The Vikings’ offense has lacked consistent productivity in four games, including the team’s win over Detroit, but more practice and game time by Favre, and the addition last week of wide receiver Randy Moss to the roster, should have this unit living up to potential and scoring points on Sunday.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was asked what’s on the line Sunday. “Just finally getting the ball rolling,” he said. “Even though it was a tough loss on Monday night (Jets), just coming out that second half and being productive offensively really gave us something to look at and compare. This is what the Minnesota offense is all about. We are just focusing on that this week with our preparation and just coming out Sunday and get the job done for four quarters.”

The Vikings are a better team than Dallas and aren’t carrying the burden of heat on the coaching staff where the Cowboys’ Wade Phillips sits on a warm seat. The Vikings beat the Cowboys at Mall of America Field in the playoffs last January and that memory should help their confidence. So, too, should the support of the Vikings’ crazies in the stands.

“We’re getting ready to face an NFC opponent at home,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “We really need our crowd to be energetic and loud, even louder, maybe, than the NFC playoff game. That would be outstanding. Looking forward to it, should be a great game for our fans.”

Before the season the Vikings and Cowboys were supposed to be near the top of the NFC standings, not the bottom. ESPN sportscaster Mike Tirico has labeled Sunday’s game the “Panic Bowl.”

The team that loses on Sunday may have to forget about playoff dreams and face this reality: a remaining schedule of “Losers Bowls.”

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