P.J. FLECK – Page 41 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Fleck: NIL Can Be Game-Changer for U

Posted on October 5, 2021October 6, 2021 by David Shama

The NCAA approved a policy last summer allowing current and incoming college athletes the opportunity to benefit from their names, images and likenesses. Already there are scattered reports from around the country of both large and minimal amounts of money being provided to student-athletes.

Research by Sports Headliners doesn’t substantiate a lot of activity benefiting University of Minnesota athletes. The school athletic department can help educate but not arrange potential NIL opportunities for its athletes. There doesn’t appear to be much response so far from the outside community including the 16 Fortune 500 companies based in the state of Minnesota.

There certainly is potential to create a reputation that the U is a desirable NIL destination for student-athletes. The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has long been known for its successful businesses of all sizes. Many of those businesses are owned or have staff with passion for Gophers athletics.

NIL is not to be used for “under the table” payments by boosters to reward athletes for performance, or as a recruiting inducement. NIL is also not a pay-for-play tool in the sense that athletes receive a salary from their schools, making them employees. However, word is getting out about schools where athletes are profiting.

For example, at Miami (Florida) a gym owner proposed an NIL deal rewarding everyone on the Hurricanes football team with $500 per month. A University of Michigan retailer reportedly is selling football jerseys with the names of players on the back and more than $10 per shirt goes to the athlete. Paige Bueckers, the former Hopkins superstar who was named 2021 college basketball Player of the Year in her freshman season at Connecticut, is rumored to be lining up more than $500,000 in NIL money. Gable Steveson, the Gopher and gold medal winning Olympic wrestler, is still competing for the U but has (presumably) a lucrative deal with pro wrestling’s WWE.

College athletes are allowed NIL advisors to find deals such as making personal appearances, doing TV commercials or utilizing their social media platforms. Those advisors can’t be coaches from the athletes’ schools, but leaders at the U certainly recognize the potential in this market place given the vitality of the business community.

“…We have a very, very unique location of where we are, and we need to be able to use that, and we need our community to want to use that,” Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck said. “Use our student athletes and really take this program to a different level, and I think we’re very, very capable of doing that.”

Fleck considers NIL to be another major change benefitting athletes, along with things like player safety and the transfer portal. He knows NIL could be a huge catalyst for recruiting, perhaps annually boosting the Gophers into the company of recruiting classes that rank among the top 20 in the nation—a change resulting in rosters with plenty of four-star players, and perhaps a few five-stars.

Fleck is clearly excited about NIL and how it can benefit Gopher football. “I think there is great potential here for what we can become. …We just have to be incredibly creative. We have to be able to use it like everyone else. To be able to use it (as) part of recruiting student athletes to come here.

“Again, not setting those things up, but when you look at where you are and where you’re located, what resources we have around here, this can be game-changing for the University of Minnesota. It can be game-changing for where we are going in the future.”

Notes: Vikes Miss on Second Half Points

The Minnesota Vikings’ offense has no second half touchdowns in the last three games (two losses). After Sunday’s home loss to the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Mike Zimmer surprisingly said on KFAN radio he hadn’t thought about the scoring drought in the last two periods. “I’ll have to look at what we’re doing offensively at halftime,” he said.

The offense produced a crisp opening game touchdown drive in the 14-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns Sunday. Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, also talking on the KFAN post game show, said the early game plans of rookie offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak impress but production stalls out.

“But as the game goes on, and you have to start calling plays based on game situations, and it seems like we’re just not as creative,” Leber said. “We’re not ahead of it where we should be, where we are in the early parts of the game. …”

Leber believes blitzes and line twists by the Browns frustrated Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and his linemen. “We’ve seen Kirk where he gets in these games and he feels the pressure before it’s really there, and I think that really had an effect on him late in the game,” Leber said.

The one-win Vikings have lost three games by a total of 11 points. That’s part of why Zimmer keeps insisting he has a “good team” despite the record, while anticipating results will turn around as the season progresses.

Viking wide receiver Justin Jefferson had six receptions for 84 yards and the team’s lone touchdown Sunday. He has 114 receptions for 1,738 yards and 10 touchdowns in 20 career games. He and Odell Beckham Jr. and A.J. Green are the only NFL players in league history with at least 100 receptions, 1,500 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches in their first 20 games.

Vikings veteran linebacker Anthony Barr (knee injury) has yet to play in the first four games but Zimmer is optimistic about a return to the field Sunday against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. “I think he’ll play this week,” Zimmer said at his news conference yesterday.

The experience of the 29-year-old allows the Vikings to do things a younger player can’t, the coach said.

Zimmer also said the coaches are talking about how to keep 33-year-old defensive end Everson Griffen fresh for the balance of the season. He’s been effective in rushing the opposing quarterback, with two sacks in three games this season.

Single game tickets remain for the Minnesota Wild home opener against the Winnipeg Jets October 19. A promotional email Monday used this subject line: “Don’t Miss (Kirill) Kaprizov Opening Night.”

Starters for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their opening preseason game last night: center Karl-Anthony Towns, forward Jaden McDaniels, guards Josh Okogie, Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell. Impressions: a skilled group capable of explosive offense and more than average defense, but not an adequate rebounding unit. Note to head coach Chris Finch: start Jarred Vanderbilt in place of McDaniels to improve the offensive and defensive rebounding.

Towns needs to be an alpha defender and rebounder all season. He also must cruise through a season without being sidelined with injuries (briefly missed time during the game last night).

The 20-year-old Edwards looks taller and stronger than during his rookie season last winter. Everyone knows about his offense but he’s going to be elite defensively. He had two blocks and two steals in his team’s 117-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Wolves Owners Envision New Arena

Posted on September 28, 2021September 28, 2021 by David Shama

Target Center opened in 1990 and although it has since been remodeled, the downtown Minneapolis facility is the oldest home to an NBA team except for iconic Madison Square Garden in New York where the Knicks play. Although nothing is imminent, Minnesota Timberwolves owners Glen Taylor and Marc Lore foresee a new arena eventually being built in Minnesota.

Taylor spoke to the media yesterday at a news conference introducing limited partners Lore and Alex Rodriguez, the baseball great turned businessman. Lore is a visionary in business endeavors, even talking about building a utopian city using what is termed reformed capitalism. He and Rodriguez will have controlling interest in the Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx franchises in a couple of years.

The two new owners talked extensively yesterday about creating a vision for the franchises with strategies that will create an exemplary organizational culture and lead to success on the court. With ultra sophisticated and technology friendly arenas becoming an NBA trademark, it wasn’t surprising to hear the e-commerce savvy Lore talking about one day replacing city-owned Target Center with a state-of-the-art facility that would be a much better business model for him and his partner.

Taylor said he is on board for a new arena some day and understands the necessity. “That won’t be easy,” he told Sports Headliners. “I hope it can happen. It better happen.”

Taylor said he is absolutely sure the Timberwolves will remain in Minnesota long-term, indicating the league is committed to the marketplace. And Rodriguez said he and his partner are “bullish” on Minnesota, with no plans to relocate the franchises.

Asked when he sees himself talking to city officials about Target Center, Lore said, “We’re a long ways off before we start thinking about something like that.”

Taylor, the Mankato-based billionaire, has controlled the Timberwolves since 1994. During much of that period the team has been known more for missing the playoffs than being a force in the NBA. That needs to change to make the likelihood of support for a new building more realistic.

“We have to win,” Taylor said. “That builds the arena. It’s pretty simple.”

Lore and Rodriguez reportedly will pay $1.5 billion to own the franchises. Taylor said others would have paid more but he was attracted to the two men. As Taylor reviewed potential owners, he stressed the fit had to be right because he has seen takeovers of other NBA franchises fail with the wrong people in charge.

Taylor shared that instead of being so focused on money, Lore and Rodriguez showed a lot of interest in the people and culture with the Timberwolves and Lynx. “They’re smart. They’re really nice people and I think they care about the employees,” Taylor said.

Taylor believes his new partners are also committed to the product fans will see at Target Center. “What I found out is they want to win, and I love that,” he said.

Worth Noting

More from Taylor on Lore and Rodriguez: “I can tell you these two guys aren’t bashful.”

Rodriguez on interaction with Wolves players: “If we have to rely on my pep talks, we’re not going to win a lot of games.”

Rookie Joe Ryan, 2-1 with a 2:45 ERA, is scheduled to start the Minnesota Twins’ final home regular season game Thursday night against the Detroit Tigers. With the starting staff in flux, he could be the team’s opening day pitcher in 2022.

Viking owners Zygi and Mark Wilf were in the Vikings’ locker room following Sunday’s timely win over the Seattle Seahawks and heard coach Mike Zimmer say if the players do the important things they can “win a lot of games.”

At Zimmer’s post-game news conference he was irritated with a session ending question from Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, who asked how it felt to “finally get a win over Seattle and (quarterback) Russell Wilson.” Here is how Zimmer replied about ending the seven-game losing streak:

“It’s a win. You always bring up those kind of things, don’t you? And you always ask questions like, well, you haven’t beat these guys in 17 years so what do you think about this time? I mean, just ask the question.”

The often maligned Viking offensive line is receiving praise for its performance in the win over the Seahawks, although Seattle was missing its top pass rushers.

The Golden Gophers’ stunning loss to Bowling Green last Saturday is now a major impediment to a winning season. The Falcons, about a 31 point underdog going into the game at Huntington Bank Stadium, were expected to be the worst team on Minnesota’s 12-game schedule. The nonconference loss left the Gophers at 2-2 for the season, instead of 3-1 if they had won. With eight Big Ten games remaining, Minnesota will have to win five times just to finish with a 7-5 overall record. In the prior 10 years, the Gophers have only three times finished with a winning Big Ten record.

The Gophers’ Tanner Morgan has now been outplayed by two quarterbacks from the Mid-American Conference. Bowling Green’s Mike McDonald made better throws in Saturday’s 14-10 win. Two weeks prior Miami (Ohio) quarterback Brett Gabbert threw for 201 yards, while Morgan had 112 in Minnesota’s 31-26 win.

It will be a surprise if Morgan, a four-season starter, doesn’t keep his job for Saturday’s upcoming game at Purdue. However, if the offense is sluggish he might get replaced during the game by Zach Annexstad.

It’s not an excuse for Minnesota’s lack of offensive preparation and execution against the Falcons, but it’s a pattern of Gopher coach P.J. Fleck to use a “vanilla offense” early in the season against nonconference teams. This time it backfired and a successful season is in jeopardy and perhaps the future of offensive coordinator Mike Sanford.

Congratulations to Ed Cohen, a member of the gameday Gophers football statistics crew for 66 seasons, who will celebrate his 90th birthday October 20.

Eric Nelson, Wally Langfellow and former Gophers football player Lee Hutton have a new show airing from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursdays on AM-1440 KYCR. The “Gopher Gold Rush” program includes guests talking about University of Minnesota football.

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Looks Like Vikings Get a Win Today

Posted on September 26, 2021September 26, 2021 by David Shama

There are several reasons to expect the Minnesota Vikings to win today’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at U.S. Bank Stadium. At 0-2 motivation will be high for the Vikings who have lost two road games by a total of four points.

The winless Vikings could have even more “want” than the 1-1 Seahawks. It’s likely that part of the extra energy for the Purple will come from the frenzied fans. Always boisterous, the “crazies” will be back in U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time since 2019 and primed to cheer on a victory.

The Seahawks, featuring quarterback Russell Wilson, use a no-huddle offense. That means Wilson and teammates will have to contend with an avalanche of noise as they try to call and change plays at the line of scrimmage. Advantage to the home team in disrupting tempo and plays.

The Seahawks gave up 182 rushing yards last Sunday to Derrick Henry from the Tennessee Titans in a 33-30 loss. Running back Jonathan Taylor had a combined 116 yards in rushing and receiving for Indianapolis when the Colts lost to Seattle in the opening game for both teams. Minnesota’s superb running back Dalvin Cook might have a big day today, and when he rolls the Vikings usually do, too. Yes, expect Cook to play despite missing practice time with an ankle injury.

The Vikings have several new starters among their 22 starting players. The NFL preseason was shortened to three games this year to accommodate the new 17-game regular season schedule. The Vikings newcomers didn’t play all that much in preseason as the coaches looked to develop depth. Now in regular season game No. 3 familiarity with teammates can help produce a win.

Minnesota can match Seattle’s overall talent, or better it. Both teams are skilled enough to compete most Sundays, but iffy to make the playoffs. On a day when the Vikings are playing at home and need a first win, they figure to make a million Minnesotans happy despite Seattle being about a 2.5 point favorite.

Worth Noting

Seattle’s Pete Carroll was the Vikings’ defensive backfield coach from 1985-1989, and at 70 is the oldest head coach in the NFL.

It was 60 years ago this month the Vikings played their first regular season game in franchise history and to the surprise of everyone defeated the Chicago Bears at Metropolitan Stadium in front of a modest crowd of 32,236. Fran Tarkenton, writing in his 2009 book Everyday Is Game Day, described the stunning upset “as the greatest” in NFL history. “For the Vikings to prevail in this historic debut by the score of 37-13 was nothing short of preposterous,” the Hall of Fame quarterback wrote.

The Vikings were an expansion team and Tarkenton was the team’s rookie third round draft choice. Tarkenton came off the bench to throw for 250 yards and four touchdowns on September 17, 1961. The Vikings were a group of castoffs and untested rookies, while the Bears were among the NFL’s bluebloods. Minnesota had lost all five of its preseason games, including a 30-7 thrashing by the Bears before 12,500 fans in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Look for the Minnesota Twins to evaluate in spring training whether Nick Gordon can play shortstop. It will be a surprise if regular shortstop Andrelton Simmons, 32, returns to the club. It’s not known how ready top prospect Royce Lewis will be following ACL rehab this year.

Twins legend Rod Carew, who had a heart saving transplant in 2016, turns 76 on Friday.

Rick Oliva, son of Carew teammate Tony Oliva, is running for city council in Bloomington. Tony has campaign signage on his car.

Relatives of the late Bobby Marshall from Minnesota and elsewhere attended a celebration event Friday at the University of Minnesota. Publisher Norton Stillman from Nodin Press and author Terry McConnell hosted a gathering to celebrate the new book Breaking Through the Line, telling the story of the extraordinary Marshall who was the first African American to play in the NFL following a great career with the Gophers.

The Minneapolis native was an All-American defensive end in 1905 and 1906 for the Gophers. He was the first African American from the Big Ten to become an All-American in football. He also starred in baseball and track at Minnesota before playing for multiple NFL teams.

Was there a more miscalculated coaching decision yesterday than P.J. Fleck’s directive to have the Gophers trying to make a first down from their own 29-yard line on fourth down? Leading 3-0 in the second quarter the coach decided his lethargic offense could gain one yard against Bowling Green. The Falcons held and went on to score their first touchdown in what ended as a 14-10 victory.

The Falcons, a 31-point underdog, had every right to feel insulted and motivated by Fleck’s decision. Their defense surprised and out schemed Minnesota on a day that could only be described as a setback for the Gophers’ program now in its fifth season under Fleck. Minnesota, now 2-2, entered the game coming off a crisp 30-0 win over Colorado and had its fan base dreaming about taking an 8-1 record to Iowa November 13.

The Minnesota Wild opens training camp at 9 a.m. Thursday at TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center in St. Paul. The training camp roster consists of 53 players, including the following 19 players that participated in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase:

Forwards: Caedan Bankier, Adam Beckman, Matt Boldy, Mitchell Chafee, Damien Giroux, Ivan Lodnia, Bryce Misley, Pavel Novak, Marco Rossi and Nick Swaney. Defensemen: Calen Addison, Fedor Gordeev, Daemon Hunt, Carson Lambos, Kyle Masters and Ryan O’Rourke. Goaltenders: Dereck Baribeau, Hunter Jones and Trevin Kozlowski.

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