Author: David Shama

On a warm, sunny and perfect day to watch a football game, an estimated 4,000 University of Minnesota students chose not to use their tickets to see the Gophers and Illinois last Saturday.  The University athletic department sold almost 11,000 student tickets for the season but at least 4,000 students chose not to show up despite the beautiful day and the Gophers having won an exciting game the previous Saturday against Michigan State.

The student section at the bowl end of TCF Bank Stadium has consistently had open seats during all six home games but Saturday was the lowest turnout.  A new outdoor, on-campus stadium with a team striving to qualify for a bowl game apparently isn’t enough to send nearly all the student ticket holders to games.

State legislation that approved funding for the stadium requires the University to set aside 20 percent of the seats for students.  With a capacity of 50,805, the students are entitled to over 10,000 seats.  If all the seats are not sold as season tickets in a given year, then students have priority on buying remaining tickets from the allotment as single game tickets.  Those tickets have to be purchased up to one week before a game, a Gophers spokesman told Sports Headliners.

Students, who this year paid a bargain rate of $77 for seven home games, will be entitled to even more seats using the 20 percent formula if the stadium is ever expanded.  That could be interesting, even though the University’s Minneapolis-St. Paul campus is one of the nation’s largest with a student enrollment of about 50,000.

The athletic department needs to look at ideas regarding student use of tickets.  Convincing Gopher youth to attend the games might be impossible, but by combining student and public sales perhaps selling more tickets than there are seats is an answer.

And a parting thought about last Saturday: nowhere in the stadium were the boos louder than from the student section during the first half.  Quarterback Adam Weber and the Gophers offense received the loudest chorus of boos in memory at a University home game.  That is disappointing because Weber, who did have a poor first half throwing the ball, is a 22-year-old student-athlete doing the best work he can and usually is the top performer on the offense.

Did any of the boo-birds stop to think that their actions could make things worse for Weber and the Gophers?

A pro sports executive who spoke on condition of anonymity guessed that the Mall of America will pay $2 million to $3 million per year to the Vikings for naming rights at the Metrodome.  Earlier this fall the Vikings announced a three-year deal for Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

During the recent bye week, destinations for Vikings players reportedly included Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

Vikings coach Brad Childress answering a question about whether his team might lose focus because of its 7-1 record: “I don’t think so, because among other things that you talk about, you talk about wanting to defend the NFC North. They had a taste of the playoffs last year. It’s no secret that the people with the best record in your conference are able to play at home as long as they can. So it’s just important that we continue to play well and play well this week. Things have a way of adding themselves up.”

Gophers’ freshman cornerback Michael Carter is expected to be a starter next season.  He has played frequently this season and the Gophers have two senior cornerbacks in Marcus Sherels and Traye Simmons.

The Gophers play Miami in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on December 2 and the University basketball office is promoting a fan trip to south Florida.  The trip package is for December 1 and 2, and includes lodging at the team hotel, transportation on the Gophers airplane charter, game ticket and more.  For more information, call Caitlin Mahoney in the basketball office, 612-625-2061.

Wolves rookie point guard Jonny Flynn told Sports Headliners his most difficult challenge so far as a pro is understanding the complexities of the team’s offense.

Flynn said the Wolves have the makings of a great team with the skill sets of center Al Jefferson, forward Kevin Love and himself.

Apparently driven by finances, some NBA teams aren’t even carrying the maximum number of players (15) on their rosters.

If the Twins offer a seven year, $150 million deal to catcher Joe Mauer, he would be wise to accept it in today’s fragile economy that has just about everyone, including sports teams, worried.

Mauer, a St. Paul native, is now a Florida resident, according to his grandfather Jake Mauer.

Unless the Tigers surprise with some big money deals for prominent players, the Central Division that also includes the Twins, White Sox, Indians and Royals is likely to remain mediocre next season.  No team seems built for beyond the first round of the playoffs.

Zach Schroeder, brother of the Gophers Jordan Schroeder, is a junior forward at St. Thomas Academy and is generating interest from colleges including North Dakota and University of Minnesota Duluth.

Jordan, who was second in WCHA scoring last season for conference games, is receiving lots of attention from opponents this fall as teams “key” on him to stop the Gophers from scoring.  The Gophers forward is expected to play for Team USA next month in the World Junior Championships.  If so, this will be his third time with Team USA.  He is already the all-time leader in assists with 15.

Four MIAC volleyball student-athletes have been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  Saint Benedict senior outside hitter Emma Jaynes (Hibbing, Minn., accounting – 3.85 GPA) is a first team selection.  St. Thomas senior outside hitter Kyley Crotty (Maplewood, Minn., biology – 3.70 GPA) is a second team pick.  On the third team are Saint Benedict senior setter Beth Hanson (Faribault, Minn., elementary education – 3.76 GPA) and Carleton College junior outside hitter Kelly Lovett (Portland, Ore., political science – 3.82 GPA).

Royce White is a preseason choice to be the Big Ten Freshman of the Year but it’s a fair question to ask whether he will be playing for the Gophers when the conference season begins on December 29 at Williams Arena against Penn State.

White missed last Thursday night’s opening exhibition game with the University of Minnesota Duluth.  He won’t play tonight, either, in the Gophers second exhibition game (Minnesota State University Moorhead).  White was suspended indefinitely last week by coach Tubby Smith for violation of team rules.  News reports have said White was involved with shoplifting and fifth-degree assault at the Mall of America earlier this year.

Smith told Sports Headliners he’s uncertain about when White will return to the team.  “As soon as I can see he’s done the things that have to get done,” Smith said.  “Hopefully, he will learn this is something that is not going to be tolerated.”

Smith is a disciplinarian who loves his players, but he won’t give anyone a free pass on behavior.  He also won’t accept ongoing problems.

Will White avoid future issues?  The opinion here is that he better because one more incident is likely the end of his college career with the Gophers.

Smith’s expectation for all players is that they behave as gentlemen. Their responsibilities include attending class, being good citizens in the community and doing what they’re asked within the basketball program.

White, a Minneapolis native and 2009 Mr. Basketball winner, is full of basketball potential.  At 6-8, 250 pounds he is the inside power forward who can help take the Gophers from middle of the crowd in the Big Ten toward the top.  Still a teenager, White is exceptionally strong and capable of hoarding rebounds, muscling shots and taking up space on defense to limit scoring by other teams.  He’s also so gifted athletically he can drive to the basket better than most big players.  Sporting News Magazine recently chose White as its Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten and the publication isn’t alone on that prediction.

White was one of the nation’s best and most highly publicized prep players last season. When he left Hopkins High School last spring, it looked like he had an itinerary sending him to the Gophers for a couple of years, then on to the NBA where millions of dollars awaited.

Is this still the plan?