Author: David Shama

Randy Wittman is coaching for his job and he knows it.  After coaching the Wolves to a 22-60 record last season, the team is 4-15 this fall, having lost five straight and seven of the last 10 games.  As bad (perhaps worse), the Wolves last two losses have been by scores of 113-84 and 107-84.

Wittman was asked by Sports Headliners on Saturday afternoon if his termination is imminent.  “You know what, I don’t know,” he said.  “Obviously if we don’t win, those kinds of things happen.  I mean it’s already happened three times in our league already. …”

Coaching changes in the NBA occur, even early in the season, as P.J. Carlesimo in Oklahoma City, Eddie Jordan in Washington and Sam Mitchell in Toronto learned this fall.  Media and fans have asked for Wittman’s dismissal.

Wittman, a likeable guy and effective with media relations, said he’s accepting of the local criticism.  “That’s our business and I know that better than anybody,” he said.  “We’re here to win games.  We’re struggling right now so that kind of talk is always going to come up.

“I don’t worry myself with that.  I really don’t because there aren’t very many Jerry Sloans (Utah coach) that stay around for 21 years in the NBA left, and so all I can do is make sure our team is prepared every night.  That we’re doing our job as coaches to make them prepared and have an opportunity to win games in the fourth quarter.  For the most part we’ve done that. …”

Kevin McHale, the team’s vice president of basketball operations, was on the team’s three game road trip that concluded Friday.  When asked, Wittman speculated that McHale made the trip to evaluate the coaching and the players.

Wittman said the Wolves, who collectively looked discouraged and shaken after Saturday night’s loss to a Clippers team that had a 3-16 record, need to regain confidence.  “Losing those games early in the season that we had won hurt our team’s confidence,” he said.  “Now it’s my job to try to get that confidence back to these guys.  That’s where we’re struggling a little bit.  I think that really put us behind the eight ball.  If we could have won three or four of those games that we had won, that we let get away early in the season, we wouldn’t be talking about this right now. “

The Wolves decision makers need to take a serious look at themselves before doing anything about Wittman who has played and coached in the NBA for most of the last three decades.  The team’s personnel fits about as well as a jigsaw puzzle missing a few pieces.

It was suggested that the Wolves are still without quality players at two of basketball’s most important positions, point guard and center, although the search has been on for years.  “Those are the things that we have to look at as an organization,” Wittman said.  “As a coach I’ve got to coach who I’ve got.  That’s all I can do.  Obviously, I think there are some things that we have to look at and try to get to help complement this team with the players that we have, and we’re not there yet. …”

The poor taste award for the weekend goes to the Gopher student section that let out a chant of “Fire Wittman! on Saturday at Williams Arena.”  Randy sat a few seats away from the students while he watched his son Ryan, a former Eden Prairie player, score 21 points for Cornell in the team’s 71-54 loss to the Gophers.

The Gophers, 8-0, owe their success to several players including freshmen centers Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III.  After Saturday’s game coach Tubby Smith described the development of the two as “pleasant” of a surprise as he’s experienced in coaching.

Wolves basketball boss Kevin McHale turns 51 on December 19.  His legendary teammate with the Celtics, Larry Bird, was 52 yesterday.

Former Minnetonka player Anthony Tucker, now a freshman at Iowa (7-2), is leading the team in scoring average at 13.2 points per game.

Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell expects his friend Brett Favre, 39, to play next season for the New York Jets.

Jared Allen said he’s been doing his simulated calf roping celebration after sacks for about two and one-half seasons.  The Vikings’ defensive end was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week last week for his three sacks and nine tackles performance against Chicago on November 30.  Yesterday against Detroit he had two more sacks to increase his season total to 12.5.

Allen said he won’t evaluate his 2008 performance until after the season.  His goal is to lead the NFL in sacks, something he did last year playing with Kansas City when he had 15.5.  The Chiefs were 4-12 last season, while the Vikings are now 8-5 and in first place in the NFC North.  Last week before the Detroit game he said it’s a “blast” to be on a team making a run for the playoffs.  “Each year is its own year,” he said.  “I just have a blast playing football.”

Vikings sales and marketing executive Steve LaCroix reported via e-mail late Friday that over 4,000 tickets remain for the Atlanta game here on December 21 and over 3,000 for the New York Giants game a week later.

Vikings linebacker Ben Leber has GOP presidential signage on his Winter Park locker and was asked if he spoke publicly in support of the John McCain–Sarah Palin ticket.  “No, I just got involved with politics a little bit more just from watching TV and the whole thing, getting caught up just like everybody else,” he said.  “I missed the RNC. Decided to stay home with the family and watch it on TV.”

What about Palin and her future?  “I think she’s obviously learned a lot just from the campaign and probably what to say and what not to say,” Leber said. “And maybe how to be prepared for interviews and stuff.  But she’s going to be around politics for a long time, and we’re going to be hearing a lot from her in the next three years.”

Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams, along with several teammates and franchise alumni are scheduled to participate in a bowling event tonight at Andover Lanes in Andover to benefit the Vikings Children’s Fund.  The event is sold out for team bowling but spectator tickets at $5 each were available as of Friday.  Chad Greenway, Ben Leber and Madieu Williams are among the Vikings scheduled to participate.  For more information, call the Vikings at 952-828-6500.

Pioneer Press notes columnist Charley (Shooter) Walters has about 3,500 names in his phone directory but Sports Headliners stumped him with Tom Kondla.  Don’t know the name?  See the answer at end of column.

Former Twins Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat are among 10 veteran players who have been on the ballot for induction into baseball’s hall of fame.  A player had to have played no more recently than 21 years ago, according to the hall’s web site, www.baseballhalloffame.org.  Results will be announced today.

Among prep hockey players making a favorable early season impression is Eden Prairie’s Nick Leddy, an exceptional skating defenseman.  He and five others recently signed National Letters of Intent with the Gophers.

Concordia-St. Paul has five volleyball players on the American Volleyball Coaches Association team, the most All-Americans by one team in NCAA Division II this year. Maggie McNamara and Emily Palkert were named first team, Maria Steinhagen, Whitney Meierotto and Mary Slinger second team and Sadie Kessler honorable mention.  McNamara, who has received national player of the year awards, and her teammates, won their second consecutive national championship on Saturday.

Trivia answer: Tom Kondla was an All-American center for the Gophers in 1967.