Author: David Shama

Mike Tice will be center stage this week in Vikingland.  Now assistant head coach for the Jaguars, Tice will coach against the Vikings in Jacksonville on Sunday for the first time since being dismissed here after the 2005 season.

The dozen or so players still with the Vikings who have Tice memories include center Matt Birk.  Tice was Birk’s offensive line coach when he joined the Vikings as a sixth round draft choice from Harvard.  “…I certainly owe him a lot personally for seeing something in me and not giving up on me, and helping me develop as a player,” Birk told Sports Headliners.

Birk, who six times has been a Pro Bowl center, remembers Tice both for his knowledge of the game and ability to motivate players.  Tice was an NFL tight end, including three seasons with the Vikings in the 1990s, and then an assistant coach with the Purple before succeeding Denny Green for the final game in 2001 and then coaching four full seasons here.

Birk described Tice as a “great X’s and O’s coach,” then talked about him as a motivator.  “He had a unique style of motivating,” Birk said.  “He would challenge you.  I think for the most part, he got the most out of his players.”

Birk made it clear the relationship with Tice and his players wasn’t always a love fest. “Tice, he’s one of those guys you could absolutely hate him one minute and then the next you’d love him.  He’s one of those guys sometimes you got so angry at him (but) you still wanted to play hard and succeed for him.”

Dean Dalton worked for Tice as an assistant coach and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend his former boss to an NFL team looking for a head coach.  Although Tice’s record was a so-so 33-34, Dalton told Sports Headliners that Tice worked under less than ideal conditions.  A low player payroll, directed by budget conscious owner Red McCombs, restricted the talent pool. Tice also dealt with the emotionally devastating death of Viking lineman Korey Stringer who died during training camp in 2001, plus the infamous Love Boat scandal of 2005.

Tice, 6-foot-7, has a public image of being a fun-loving, big galoot.  He frequented a suburban watering hole where a parking space was reserved just for him.  But Dalton said Tice was a micro-manager who drilled down into details and that was part of the reason for his success.

It’s true, though, that Tice knew how to have some laughs, including with the team.  One year in celebration of Halloween he came out to meet his players at practice dressed up like controversial wide receiver Randy Moss.

Birk remembered the spoof.  “That was the thing about Mike, too,” Birk said.  “Him being a player, and then later a coach, he realized you gotta have some fun, and kinda do something off the wall just to keep everybody loose and smiling.”

Birk was asked for a similar story to the Moss anecdote.  “Yeah, but you probably can’t print most of the stuff that Mike did or said,” Birk said.  “It was R rated.”

Down in Jacksonville they could be wondering if Tice will be having much fun at season’s end.  The Jags are 4-6 and have lost three of their last five games. Head coach Jack Del Rio, a Vikings player from 1992-95, has been criticized for awhile now and could be dismissed before next year.

But that’s the nature of professional football.  Mike Tice knows that.

Reading the tea leaves: Look for Pat Williams and Kevin Williams to avoid missing any games because of suspension.  There’s been talk about possible four-game suspensions for allegedly violating NFL steroid policy.

Vikings safety Darren Sharper, who started the season with 53 career interceptions, has none through 10 games including yesterday’s 19-13 loss to Tampa Bay.

Look for the Vikings stadium push to include a plan to use environmental friendly building materials.

Something which hasn’t been widely publicized is that eventual expansion of the new TCF Bank Stadium doesn’t have to jump from 50,000 to 80,000 capacity.  Gopher associate athletic director Phil Esten said expansion could (at least initially) add 10,000 seats, not 30,000.

Although he’s a nominee for the honor, Gopher junior wide receiver Eric Decker, arguably the best pass catcher in school history, has no chance of winning the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s best receiver.  The winner will be Texas Tech sophomore Michael Crabtree who was a finalist last season and has helped the Red Raiders to a No. 2 national ranking this fall.  He leads all Division I receivers with 18 touchdown catches.

For the first time in memory Gopher basketball season ticket holders had the privilege/duty of attending three consecutive nights of home games when Minnesota hosted the NABC tournament in Williams Arena on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.  The Gophers defeated Division II Concordia, and Division I Bowling Green and Georgia State to start the regular season 3-0.

It’s popular “sport” to compare Kevin Love’s and O.J. Mayo’s stats early in their rookie seasons, then bash the Timberwolves for another bad personnel move.  But judge last June’s draft in a year or two on the basis of who makes his team better.  It’s all about winning and who can contribute best to the team goal.  Through last week Love, playing power forward, was averaging 9.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Wolves.  Mayo, the Memphis shooting guard, is averaging 21 points and 4.6 rebounds for his 3-7 team.  The Wolves are 1-8.

Ron Gardenhire’s older brother Mike died unexpectedly earlier this year.  Gardenhire, 51, is under a lot of stress managing the Twins.  An observer has to wonder how much longer he wants to manage after he recently signed a contract extension that only goes through 2011.

It’s a possibility, according to local media sources, that Minneapolis-St. Paul will be a one newspaper ownership town within 18 months or less.