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.

Travel to Russia Up to Kirill Kaprizov

Posted on May 21, 2023May 21, 2023 by David Shama

Kirill Kaprizov will make his own decision on whether to visit his native Russia this offseason, per Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold.

The Wild’s franchise player hasn’t announced his intent, but Leipold told Sports Headliners Kaprizov is “free to go wherever he wants to go, and do what he wants to do.” That’s the stance of Wild management toward its players regarding the offseason.

Kaprizov visited Russia last summer and reportedly had difficulty re-entering the United States because of a work visa issue. Russia is in a chaotic state because of its Ukraine invasion and Vladimir Putin’s war effort has created an unpredictable environment that will cause Wild fans to fret if their favorite player returns to his homeland.

Leipold said last he heard the 26-year-old Kaprizov was in the Twin Cities, but the owner is well aware of his star forward’s dilemma. “He wants to see his family. The hope is that the family will come here.”

While Leipold hasn’t spoken to Kaprizov about Russia, general manager Bill Guerin has. Kaprizov knows he could spend the offseason in the Twin Cities where he can utilize the team’s conditioning and training resources. Leipold said “we support what he wants to do.”

Late in the season Kaprizov sustained a lower body injury and missed 13 games. Although he played in the Wild’s six playoff games, Leipold said his leading scorer “wasn’t 100 percent.”

Kaprizov scored just one goal in the opening round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars. A healthy Kaprizov might have totaled five or six goals.

“It’s fun to watch special players in this league,” Leipold said of Kaprizov who has played three seasons in the NHL. “There’s something magical when he jumps on the ice, and he’s at 100 percent. He’s a player that cannot be stopped. And he’s gonna be that way again next year so we’re all excited to see that.”

In the playoffs the Wild had to play without center Joel Eriksson Ek, a key performer. He, too, was injured late in the season. Offense, defense, penalty kill and power play, Ek is a major contributor.

Leipold said he understands all teams have injuries and he’s not making excuses for his team losing to the Stars. But he thinks his club could have won that series and perhaps still be chasing the Stanley Cup.

“You know I think we’re a team that’s pretty well built for playoffs,” he said. “We’ve got good goal tending. Our defense is good. We’re not that far off. There’s a couple issues that we all want to get better in but right now you know we’re pretty close.”

Leipold didn’t detail those needs but presumably they could include more timely goal scoring and better special teams performance. What does the owner anticipate happening in the offseason regarding the roster?

“There’s not a lot of changes that we’re going to have with our personnel. You know we have a salary cap crunch that we’re under for the next two years. I don’t really see much changes in our lineup or in our in approaches. I think it’s gonna be a lot of status quo until we get some relief with the salary cap.”

The Wild are on course to have at least $20 million in cash and salary cap room in two years. Leipold believes the opportunity to pursue free agents is “going to open up some real possibilities and excitement for our fans and our team.”

Asked about a favorite memory from the 2022-2023 season, Leipold said any game that secures a playoff position is special. ”It’s hard to make the playoffs and we make them 10 out of the last 11 years. That’s an incredible run. Now we gotta get past the first round and that’s when the big smile is going to be on my face…and I look forward to that.”

The playoffs are where NHL teams make a lot of their revenue. The deeper the playoff run, the more lucrative it is for franchises. A reasonable estimate is the Wild grosses $1.5 to $2 million per home playoff game.

Leipold didn’t answer whether his franchise made money in 2022-2023 but acknowledged the financial recovery from games lost during the pandemic has been faster than anticipated because Minnesota is a superb hockey market. “We don’t make a lot of money, if we do make money,” he said.

In two more years, the Wild’s arena, Xcel Energy Center, will be 25 years old. Leipold said preliminary meetings regarding renovations have started but nothing major has been decided. “We’re not looking for any government subsidies or anything (public),” he said.

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Opportunity Looms in 2023 for Cousins

Posted on May 16, 2023May 16, 2023 by David Shama

The coming NFL season will be intriguing to watch quarterback Kirk Cousins because he finally has continuity with his offensive coordinators and systems.

The payoff could be special for the 34-year-old veteran who joined the Vikings in 2018. Entering last season, he had worked for five coordinators in his first five years. Now he is in preparations for a second go-round with offensive guru and head coach Kevin O’Connell who is also Cousins’ play-caller.

“Big difference in the second year for a QB in the same system,” a former coach said in a text message to Sports Headliners that has been edited. “All the off-season practices and film sessions add up, repetition matters. It also is easier to add wrinkles and make adjustments. Though Kirk has many years of experience in different systems, the second season will give him a level of comfort, which will lead to faster timing and decision making.

“Even a bigger deal, this is coach O’Connell’s second season in his system. He has never called plays before (the 2022 season) and I’m sure he will add wrinkles from his past systems he has been part of over the years.

“Just hope he doesn’t follow the ‘book’ when it comes to fourth down! The book is just a suggestion, not an absolute. Should be a very explosive offense and just need to outscore teams. After all, everyone loves offense!”

The reference to the “book” is the analytics NFL and college football coaches use to make key fourth down decisions, including whether to punt or try for a first down. While the stats indicate the probabilities of success in a fourth down situation, they aren’t infallible. There are so many variables in a football game—personnel, score of the game, field position etc.—that taking a conservative approach can be the best decision no matter what the home crowd is imploring, and the analytics say.

Cousins said he didn’t even know how to say the plays and couldn’t see them in his head a year ago. “It’s just night and day from last year,” he said in early May.

Cousins faces a 2023 season that could be a career highlight in offensive production, team success and for his national profile. His accurate throws and strong arm will likely target the most explosive group of receivers he has ever worked with. Justin Jefferson is all-world, rookie Jordan Addison has the potential to be a home run target like Jefferson, and third wide receiver K.J. Osborn at 25 is coming off his best season. T.J. Hockenson is a big play threat for a tight end and his familiarity with Cousins and the offense should be improved after joining the team during the 2022 season.

Then, too, the offensive line could be the best Cousins has worked with in Minneapolis. Tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are highly praised and center Garrett Bradbury silenced some critics in 2022. Guard play is a work in progress.

The Vikings won 13 regular season games in their first time around under Connell but took an early exit in the playoffs. The play of Cousins, who threw for a career high 4,547 yards in 2022, will again have much to do with whether the team wins 10 games or more. But it’s just as much about how far Minnesota goes in the postseason. Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff game since 2019 and hasn’t been to the Super Bowl in more than 40 years.

The Cousins watch will be fascinating when his team plays against some of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks. In the second game of the season on a Thursday night before a national TV audience the Vikings play in Philadelphia against the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts who could be the best quarterback in the NFC after a dominant passing and running performance in 2022. Then Justin Herbert, a top 10 talent, comes to Minneapolis with the Chargers on September 24. Two weeks later the world champion Chiefs are in town with Patrick Mahomes, the 2022 league MVP. If Mahomes doesn’t earn that recognition again, quarterback Joe Burrow might. The Vikings play Burrow’s Bengals in Cincinnati December 17.

And there’s also a November 19 date in Denver to play the Broncos and former Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson. “They’re going to play five elite Pro Bowl type quarterbacks,” said a former NFL executive who has ranked Cousins among the top dozen at his position in the league.

Cousins, though, won’t draw comparisons to Aaron Rodgers this year. The former Packers quarterback, who Cousins and the Vikings had to duel with twice per season as part of their past NFC North Division schedules, is now with the Jets and not on Minnesota’s list of opponents. Rodgers’ absence creates opportunity and expectations for Cousins and the Vikings, including a repeat of last season’s division championship.

Part of the looming opportunity, too, for Cousins is playing for his next contract. This off-season he and the Vikings didn’t agree on a contract extension. The former fourth round draft choice of the Redskins, has had to prove himself before in both college and in the NFL, and so this fall is more of the same. “…Wanting to go out there and prove it again, and do it again, and play at the highest level I can, and that’s really where my focus is,” Cousins said.

Minnesota’s quarterback could see his fame and profile enhance with a soon to be released Netflix film called Quarterback. Netflix had inside access last season to Cousins on and off the field as part of a film that also included Mahomes and Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota.

The quarterbacks were mic’d up for every game including the Cousins-led greatest comeback in NFL history when the Vikings rallied to defeat the Colts after trailing 33-0 at halftime. The docu-series will show Cousins and the others in all kinds of situations from the huddle to inside their homes with families.

The humblest of celebrities, Cousins has never sought the spotlight with the Vikings but the nature of his position and circumstances in 2023 have him poised to be the center of much attention.

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Twins Won’t Rush Royce Lewis to Bigs

Posted on May 14, 2023May 21, 2023 by David Shama

Royce Lewis made his 2023 debut Thursday night with Double-A Wichita after rehabbing in Florida earlier this spring. Lewis, who figures to play shortstop and third base for the Twins’ minor league farm team, struck out three times and was hit by a pitch. He cleanly handled one chance in the field at third base.

Not a “wow start,” but predictable for a player on recovery road. And Saturday was better, with Lewis having two hits in three at bats and driving in a run for the Wind Surge.

Last year Lewis had ACL surgery on his right knee for a second time, having also suffered a tear requiring surgery in 2021. Understandably the Twins’ approach with Lewis is cautious. “He will come out of games early, then get a day off,” Twins executive Derek Falvey told Sports Headliners. … ”It’s really a slow ramp up for him.”

It’s been a weird path the last few years for Lewis. He and other minor leaguers didn’t play during the 2020 COVID year. He missed all of 2021 because of the first ACL injury. Then last year after being promoted from Triple-A to the Twins he suffered that second ACL injury on May 29.

“We want to be very attentive to the return (in 2023),” said Falvey, the team’s chief baseball officer. “Maybe even more conservative than you might normally be. I think just putting him in the best position to be healthy.”

Falvey said there is no timetable for a return by Lewis to the Twins. That will be determined by “health, performance and opportunity,” Falvey explained.

At 23, Lewis is still considered among Minnesota’s most valued prospects, but will he retain the athleticism and other attributes that convinced the Twins to make him their No. 1 draft pick in 2017? Will he, for instance, have the same elite range in the field that made him both a special infield and outfield prospect? The same pop in his bat that he showed in 12 games with the Twins last season, hitting .300 with two home runs and five RBI?

After two surgeries and so much time off, those are unanswerable questions now. Falvey said, “But in theory it’s fixed. It’s not a muscle injury. It’s a ligament. So ultimately when the ligament is fixed his athleticism, his burst, his speed, his power should all be the same. We just need to keep him as healthy as possible.”

The Twins are struggling to score runs and the kind of bat Lewis showed last season would be welcome. After hitting .313 in 34 games at Triple- A St. Paul, Lewis teased Twins fans with his potential at bat and in the field where he played 11 games at short and one in center field.

The Twins could have an ASAP need at third base this season. After an impressive rookie season in 2022, Jose Miranda got off to a disappointing start hitting and in the field before being demoted to St. Paul. Kyle Farmer, 32, is the replacement for now but not long term.

Falvey said the front office and Lewis have also talked about the native Californian playing in the outfield. “He is such an eager kid. He just wants to find a way to help the team,” Falvey said.

Hopefully, Lewis finds his spot with the Twins and has a long run with the club, but Falvey pointed out the uncertainty of big-league baseball careers. He said this spring MLB’s 30 teams only have about 4.5 players on their rosters who played for them in 2019. The Twins have three 2019 alums from the opening day roster: second baseman Jorge Polanco who was a shortstop then, DH Byron Buxton who was the centerfielder, and right fielder Max Kepler who is still in the same position.

Worth Noting

Lewis is considered the Twins’ No. 2 prospect behind Brooks Lee, the club’s 2022 No. 1 draft choice. His background, too, is shortstop and he is also at Wichita. Falvey told Lee in spring training he didn’t care if the Cal Poly alum hit “.100 or .700,” he just wanted him to learn from veterans like shortstop Carlos Correa and Buxton about how to prepare and be a big leaguer.

Lee hit .303 with three minor league teams last year and is off to a .258 start this spring. He is an impressive athlete who can help a team in multiple ways including in the field. “I think this kid is a big part of our future,” Falvey said.

Former Twins infielder and 2022 AL batting champion Luis Arraez is leading the majors in hitting with a .379 average. Pitcher Pablo Lopez, who the Twins acquired during the offseason in a trade sending Arraez to the Marlins, is 2-2 with a 3.47 ERA.

Falvey said the Twins tried to make different deals “without Luie in it but couldn’t.” He added the Marlins, in need of offense, were “fixated on Luie and we were fixated on Pablo.” The Twins believe high performance starting pitching is difficult to find.

Since the trade the Twins have reached agreement with Lopez on a four-year contract extension that commits him from 2024-2027. Falvey doesn’t anticipate any similar deals during the rest of the season including with pitcher Sonny Gray who has been dominant with a 1.39 ERA and 4-0 record. He is a free agent in the fall.

Not only has Gray been the team’s best pitcher but he contributes to a healthy environment in the clubhouse. “Sonny gets along with everybody. He engages with everybody in the room,” Falvey said.

In last year’s draft the Twins selected Ben Ross in the fifth round out of Notre Dame College in Ohio (yes, that is correct). Another shortstop, Ross is hitting .308 at High-A Twins affiliate Cedar Rapids and committed only one error in the field.

The late Herb Carneal would have turned 100 last Wednesday. The radio voice of the Twins for 45 seasons, Carneal started broadcasting games for the club in 1962, one year after the franchise relocated to Minnesota from Washington D.C.

Danny Olsen is the new Eastview High School boys’ basketball coach, replacing long-time and much-admired head coach Paul Goetz. Olsen, a 1999 Eastview grad, has extensive AAU and high school coaching experience. The last 10 years he has been the head sophomore coach at Eastview and a varsity assistant.

Dick Jonckowski shares emcee duties with sports columnist Charley Walters Monday night at the 37^th annual Mancini’s Sports Hall of Fame dinner at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul. Former Cretin Derham-Hall quarterback Steve Walsh, who played at Miami and in the NFL, is among the inductees.

Jonckowski will emcee and speak Friday night in Fridley at the Minnesota Senior Sports Association’s seventh annual Hall of Fame banquet. The event at the Banquets of Minnesota facility honors individuals and teams from various recreational sports.

Reservations are still being accepted for the May 21 tribute to the late Bud Grant, the Vikings’ legendary coach. The free event at U.S. Bank Stadium begins at noon and requires a ticket. http://www.vikings.com/legends/bud-grant

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