Author: David Shama

The first time I met Gagne was a meeting about potential public relations work for him and the AWA.  Although the TV show for years referred to AWA headquarters in Amarillo, Texas, the operation was based in the old Dyckman Hotel downtown.  The commissioner was supposed to be some character named Stanley Blackburn but the guy who sat on the AWA throne was Gagne.

At the Dyckman we discussed my assignment which was to write a wrestling story for consumer publication.  I soon realized that writing about the pre-determined business of pro wrestling and stating the facts could produce conflict.  I was fresh out of journalism school and committed to fact finding, accuracy, fairness and objectivity.

Gagne had a different mindset and let’s put it this way: he didn’t like my story as much as I did.  Our meeting reached an apex when either something I wrote or said questioned the legitimacy of pro wrestling.  At that moment Gagne removed some of his artificial teeth, sort of an Exhibit A to prove that wrestling was if not real, at least dangerous and worthy of adulation.

Over the years I would occasionally see Gagne, and neither he nor I ever brought up my brief association with the AWA.  Gagne was consistently affable and fun to be around.  Friends and fans did consider him a champion, the kid from Corcoran, Minnesota who became a wrestler and football player at the U, then built a pro wrestling career and business that lasted for about four decades.

Gagne and his crew made professional wrestling special entertainment.  I didn’t dare miss it.

The Twins’ front office wasn’t vocal during the off-season about obtaining a third baseman but the recent acquisition of free agent Joe Crede probably means we won’t see much of left handed hitting Brian Buscher who impressed batting .316 against right handers last season but .205 versus left handed pitching.

Linebacker Cameron Wake, who played in the CFL last season, reportedly drew interest from the Vikings before signing with Miami.  Cameron could have potentially improved the team’s pass rush.

Cretin-Derham Hall offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, who will be a senior next fall, could be the most sought after prep player in the country, according to Rivals.com.

A friend suggests members of Congress should be compelled to wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers so we could identify their corporate and special interest sponsors.

The Wild’s Derek Boogaard responding on Sports Illustrated’s just for fun Pop Culture Grid suggests teammates Josh Harding and Cal Clutterbuck spend “too much time looking in the mirror.”

Hamline sports information director Stephanie Harris will be inducted into the Saint Leo University Athletics Hall of Fame next month.  She is being recognized by the Florida school for her academic, volunteer and tennis achievements.  In 2000 she graduated with a 3.78 GPA, earning a degree in Sport Management and Business Administration.  She played No. 1 singles, with the most wins on the team during a four year period.  Her extracurricular activities included membership on the school’s board of trustees.

A supportive statement this month by Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow for coach Gary Williams may have temporarily sidelined speculation that the Gophers’ Tubby Smith might succeed Williams.  Yow didn’t, of course, refer to Smith or other coaches in her statement but did express optimism about the future of Maryland basketball where Williams, who won the 2002 national championship, has more than three years remaining on his contract.

Those concerned about Smith leaving Minnesota have been worried that he will go to Maryland even more than the other schools believed to have interest in him, including Arizona and Alabama.  Smith grew up in Maryland where his elderly parents still reside.

Home ties with family and memories, plus coaching the Terps in America’s premier basketball league, the Atlantic Coast Conference, with access to the talent load of prep players on the east coast could tempt many coaches.  Then, too, at least some of the Smith family living here doesn’t care for the cold winters and College Park might seem almost tropical compared to Minneapolis.

But hold on.  The opinion here is Smith isn’t leaving Minnesota anytime soon.  By all indications, he likes the people a lot including those he works for and with.  He’s also well paid with guaranteed compensation of $1,775,000, plus an incentive package that can put him over $2 million.

The richer among athletic departments could afford to pay Smith considerably more than he earns here and the Gophers are unlikely to enter a bidding war.  However, Smith earns big time compensation at Minnesota and with the imploding economy, including the impact on college athletic department budgets, even the wealthier programs could be more reluctant to spend exorbitant money on coaches’ salaries than in normal times.

Smith is a principled guy and he’s made a commitment to two recruiting classes since arriving at Minnesota.  A jump to someplace else so soon would leave a lot of disappointment among players and others.

The coach is excited about the future here with the talent he’s attracting and the program being built.  His first two recruiting classes have been ranked among the top 25 in the country.  His second season has been a success so far with a 19-5 record following last season’s 20-14.

While his family may not be crazy about the weather and had to learn about a new town and building relationships where there were none before, they’ve got to love the friendly reception Smith has received here.   At Kentucky Smith was a punching bag for disgruntled and wacky fans.  Here he’s revered, with even the student section waving their arms prior to games in mock worship.

There never will be the pressure and scrutiny with the Gophers that Smith faced at Kentucky.  Other big time programs like Arizona could include similar stress, much more so than Minneapolis where there are so many other college and pro sports teams to deflect attention from Gophers basketball.

Smith has a better opportunity to have successful teams in the Big Ten than the ACC where Duke and North Carolina rule year after year.  The ACC is crazy good while the Big Ten is so-so, with only one national power program, Michigan State. There’s plenty of room at the top.

So it makes a lot of sense to believe Smith will stay here.  And by the way, if he does leave, it doesn’t make much sense that former Gopher player and assistant coach Flip Saunders will succeed him.  Seems like if he really wanted to coach at his alma mater, he would have found his way to Dinkytown during the last 10 years when at least twice his name has been linked to the job.  Perhaps Saunders will end up coaching the Sacramento Kings where he would be back in the NBA commanding a salary more than double (at least) what the Gophers could pay and also bolstering his league pension.