Author: David Shama

Former state senator Dean Johnson, a leader in Twins stadium legislation a few years ago, told Sports Headliners he doesn’t expect a Vikings stadium bill to be passed this year.  Tim Pawlenty won’t lead stadium legislation even though he isn’t running for re-election, according to Johnson who says the governor has other interests and priorities.  Johnson believes that with a new governor and legislators in 2011, and with the Vikings Metrodome lease expiring late next year, a stadium bill will be passed.  He predicted the facility likely will be funded from a mix of sources including perhaps a car rental tax.

Third baseman Joe Crede is still on the market as a free agent and probably approachable for a budget offer from the Twins.  At 31 and with a history of back problems, Crede is a “red flag” to many teams but the Twins need a third baseman and he hit 15 home runs for them in 333 at bats last year.

The Brewers were apparently willing to trade shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Twins because of their excitement over 23-year-old shortstop Alcides Escobar.  Hardy, 27, is a former All-Star, but the Brewers have an extraordinary prospect in Escobar who has been among the most impressive defensive middle infielders in the minors.

The February 10-16 issue of USA Today Sports Weekly lists Escobar No. 5 among 100 players who are “among the next wave of players heading into the major leagues” that can make the biggest impact in 2010.  The Twins didn’t have a player on the list.

The Twins are featured in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated as a successful example of a small market franchise.  Afflicted with limited payrolls, small market teams haven’t won a World Series in six years but the magazine reports the Twins are “brimming with optimism.”

Local sports writer and announcer Dave Wright has authored his first book and it’s titled: 162-0.  The book is about the greatest wins in Twins history and will be out in early March.

Power rankings of NFL teams for next season still regard the Vikings as a top 10, or even top five team, but division rival Green Bay is included, too.

Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., the All-Pro Arizona Cardinals wide receiver, has been vacationing alone in China and seeing the sights including the Great Wall, according to his father Larry.

Brad Salem, who was head football coach at Augustana College for five years, has resigned to become backfield coach at Michigan State.  He is the son of former Gophers head coach Joe Salem.

Former Gopher football player Tommy Watson is the principal at Palmer Lake Elementary school in Brooklyn Park, and is also a motivational speaker.

The Gophers Blake Hoffarber, who has led the country in three point field goal percentage, probably won’t make an NBA roster after he leaves Minnesota.  Although he is an undersized shooting guard who lacks quickness, he could find NBA employment with the right coach who appreciates his shooting accuracy, passing ability and general court sense.  If not in the NBA, the Gophers junior will earn a paycheck in Europe or elsewhere if he chooses to continue his basketball career.

Northern State University today announced the retirement of men’s basketball coach Don Meyer effective at the end of this season.  Among the more prominent small school coaches in the country, Meyer was head coach at Hamline for three seasons starting in 1972.

Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers had seven players score goals, including four defensemen, in a 7-4 win over Colorado College on Saturday at Mariucci Arena.  The Gophers moved to within three points of Colorado College for fifth place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings and a possible first-round home series in the upcoming league playoffs.  The Gophers, who have struggled to score goals this season, had 11 players earn a point in the game.

Goldy’s Locker Room of Minneapolis has won the Rising Star Award from the Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show in Las Vegas.  The Rising Star Awards recognize one retailer from each of the 50 states for their progressive approach to marketing, merchandising and dealing with customers.

I wasn’t surprised when Harvey Mackay’s assistant, Greg Bailey, called on Monday to let me know my interview with Mackay needed to be at 9 p.m.  Mackay, 77, keeps long hours including in the coming weeks when he will stop in at least 25 cities to promote his latest book, Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You.

I’ve known Mackay, the Minneapolis businessman who has written five New York Times bestselling business books, since the late 1960s.  He’s been practicing multi-tasking and working 24-7 before both terms were well known jargon.

About 30 years ago it was a coup for a business group to visit the closed society of Fidel Castro’s communist Cuba.  Mackay led a Greater Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce group to Cuba and vowed not to sleep while there so he could take in as much as possible.

“That’s true,” Mackay remembered this week.  “I hate to sleep and I don’t like to go to sleep because I am afraid I will miss something.”

When Mackay was a student at the University of Minnesota he consulted with experts who told him his longevity wouldn’t be jeopardized by sleeping about five hours a night.  “I’ve been going from 1 to 6 a.m. almost all my life,” he said.

Minimizing sleep has been part of a success formula allowing Mackay to build and run his $100 million Minneapolis envelope company, sell 10 million copies of his business books (including Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive), write a weekly syndicated column published in 52 newspapers, and travel the world promoting the books and giving speeches.  Along the way he and wife Carol Ann have raised a family while living in Minneapolis and Phoenix.

Mackay’s father, Jack, was a journalist and bureau chief for the Associated Press in the Twin Cities.  He was also a mentor to his son and among his life lessons was this message: “Help others.”

Young Mackay was told to devote 25 percent of his time to volunteerism and he’s been doing that since he was 21.  Over the years Mackay has focused on helping others with career development, and not just through books, speeches and consulting.  He estimates that in the last 45-plus years he’s had over 400 personal consulting sessions with people who have come through his “front door” looking for help with their careers.

Mackay’s books have been translated into 40 languages and distributed in 80 countries.  He’s had countless people thank him for his advice in-person, with letters and in other ways.  “What keeps me going is…real simple.  When you know that you’re able to help a lot of people all over the world, it’s very satisfying,” Mackay said.