P.J. FLECK – Page 46 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Basketball Ticket Sales Minimal

Posted on June 9, 2021June 9, 2021 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota athletic department sold 138 new public season tickets for men’s basketball from March 23 through May 23 of this year. There are 64 new accounts for the 138 total.

The information was emailed to Sports Headliners following a request to the U regarding current and past totals for season tickets. The March 23 date was a day after Ben Johnson was named head coach.

During past weeks the media has consistently provided coverage of the new basketball leadership and the athletic department has been promoting season ticket appeals via mass emails. The department has also worked at publicizing Johnson, his new assistants and new players. But all of this has prompted minimal season ticket commitment, and that shouldn’t surprise those interested in the program.

After Richard Pitino was fired in mid-March, Johnson was the hurried replacement choice of U president Joan Gabel. Johnson, a Minneapolis native and former Gopher guard known for his high character and likeability, arrived in March with no previous head coaching experience. The 40-year-old’s resume includes assistant roles at multiple schools, including two Big Ten jobs (the U and Nebraska) and one stop in the Big East. To most fans in the general public there isn’t enough excitement about the hire to ponder buying tickets, and the verdict on Johnson as a head coach won’t be known for at least a couple of years.

Since Johnson’s arrival there has been a near 100 percent turnover in the roster. Player turnover is always anticipated when coaching regimes change and in these times many college programs see a lot of flux because of the easy-to-use transfer portal. Those players moving on at Minnesota include the only two from last season’s team with ticket buying appeal, guard Marcus Carr and center Liam Robbins.

Most fans are unfamiliar with the present roster of players who have transferred to Minnesota. Early media predictions are for the Gophers to finish toward the bottom of the 14-team Big Ten next year. The 2021 club placed 13th in the standings with a 6-14 record.

The athletic department has a June 10 deadline for renewal of season tickets. In the days and weeks following the U will know whether the trend of recent years in declining sales will continue. The pandemic prevented fans from attending games last season but the three prior years the public season ticket totals were 5,944 (2019-2020), 6,155 and 6,524.

About 15 years ago season tickets totaled over 9,000. Long gone are the days when Gophers basketball was a tough ticket. Sellouts are rare at 14,625 seat Williams Arena. The average attendance of 10,232 for the 2019-2020 season was the lowest since 1970-1971.

In the glory days and winning years of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s home sellouts were common and season tickets were even passed from one family to another. The Gophers back then were leaders in Big Ten attendance and basketball revenues (pricing tickets higher than most other programs). The decline now in season ticket sales is a blow to a cash-strapped, largely self-supporting athletic department that depends on the profit making sports of football, and men’s basketball and men’s hockey, to pay the bills.

The season ticket base that remains is an older demographic that remembers the successful programs of coaches Bill Musselman, Jim Dutcher and Clem Haskins. Those ticket buyers have remained loyal and stayed through the 21st century failed eras of coaches Dan Monson, Tubby Smith and Pitino. Others have given up their tickets, discouraged by the product on the court and preferred seating fees.

Younger ticket buyers are in the minority at Williams Arena, a near 100-year-old facility loved by many but disparaged by others. Buying season tickets requires a commitment of time and money that many Minnesotans aren’t willing to make right now for Gophers basketball.

The proof is in the numbers.

Worth Noting

Filling up Big Ten football stadiums is challenging. Despite a winning program and minimal competition for the sports dollar, Iowa is offering three-game mini-plans starting at $150.

Potential number: It might take a new deal that pays about $23 million in the first season to satisfy Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Among the over 100 campers at P.J. Fleck’s Minneapolis football camp last week was quarterback Kyle McCormick from California. While there are highly recruited high school players at camps like Fleck’s, many preps like McCormick are trying to get noticed.

“He (Kyle) absolutely loves P.J. Fleck and (offensive coordinator) Mike Sanford,” said Kyle’s dad. Lee McCormick, a 1980 graduate of Golden Valley High School, became a fan of Fleck when the Gopher head coach was leading Western Michigan to prominence.

Lee admires Fleck’s energy, values and success, and he told Sports Headliners it would be a “dream” to have Kyle, who has an offer from Yale, play for Minnesota. Kyle, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound pro style passer heading into his senior year, will compete for the starting quarterback job this summer at La Costa Canyon High School in San Diego County.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association is hosting the 57th annual Football Hall of Fame August 13 at the Doubletree, 1500 Park Place Blvd. Inductees are Bill D. Bailey, Starbuck; Karl Deis, Mora; Terry Horan, Concordia College; Mike Plinske, Bethel University; Richard Robinson, Minneapolis North.

Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold talking about three key players his team plans to re-sign before training camp begins: “Kirill Kaprisov, (Kevin) Fiala, (Joel) Eriksson Ek are three players that you go, wow, what exciting players. What potential going forward.”

Two words not often associated with the NHL: Gentlemanly conduct. Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon is a finalist for The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy presented annually to an NHL player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”

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Vikes Likely to Revise Hunter Contract

Posted on June 2, 2021June 2, 2021 by David Shama

Danielle Hunter is the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive MVP. His value to the club is comparable to quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Dalvin Cook.

But unlike Cousins and Cook, Hunter’s contract prompts concern about him remaining in Minnesota. The 26-year-old edge rusher is among the NFL’s best at what he does, but his contract doesn’t compare with peers at the position.

Could Hunter be a no-show at mandatory Viking practices this summer? Maybe, but it’s a smart bet the franchise does a redo on the $72 million contract that binds him to Minnesota through 2023. Head coach Mike Zimmer said today he hasn’t heard from Hunter who is absent from this week’s voluntary team activities.

Ownership, led by Zygi and Mark Wilf, have shown a commitment to win and spend money in support of facilities and players. They are passionate fans who want a Super Bowl team and have invested in U.S. Bank Stadium and Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, while improving contracts of players like Cook and wide receiver Adam Thielen.

After missing last season with a neck injury, Hunter must show he is healthy and ready to resume peak performance. In 2018 and 2019 the former third round draft choice had consecutive seasons averaging 14.5 sacks. He established himself as a Pro Bowl quality pass rusher, with the promise of high production for many years.

Hunter’s edge rushing peers include seven players who have deals worth over $100 million. That’s per a July 20, 2020 SI.com story reporting on Joey Bosa’s $135 million new deal that came weeks after a $125 million contract for Myles Garrett. Hunter’s past performance exceeds players earning much more and he is more than a bargain—he’s a steal—with his current earnings.

NFL clubs are pushing their budgets on defensive ends because they can single handedly turn a game—or even a season—with a few crucial plays like sacking the quarterback or causing a fumble. In Hunter the Vikings have a talent who became the youngest player in NFL history to achieve 50 career sacks. He is also outstanding in defending the run.

The Wilfs aren’t likely to let a disgruntled Hunter force his way out of town. A revised and highly compensated new deal appears all but certain this year or next, unless an injury dictates otherwise.

Worth Noting

The current issue of Sports Illustrated offers a feature on Prince’s love of basketball including hosting a party after the 1994 NBA All-Star game in Minneapolis. At Paisley Park the flamboyant entertainer descended from the ceiling. “Something out of a movie,” Alonzo Mourning said in the article.

Target Center opened in 1990 and underwent extensive remodeling a few years ago but it doesn’t compare favorably with many of the “palaces” in the NBA. It could be potential new Minnesota Timberwolves owners will in a few years push for a new building, likely with the threat of relocating to another city.

In the late 1980s the Minnesota North Stars wanted about $11 million from the Minnesota Sports Facilities Commission to upgrade Met Center but it was a failed attempt. The franchise, under new ownership, relocated to Dallas in 1993. Long ago the Lakers left Minneapolis for Los Angeles because of lagging attendance and a facility issue.

Unruly fan behavior in the NBA has been making news of late. Anyone remember when what seemed like every Sunday in the 1960s someone threw a light bulb onto the floor at Boston Garden during national telecasts?

Gophers basketball coach Ben Johnson and staff remain in all-out recruiting mode to finalize next season’s roster that right now will struggle to compete in the Big Ten. Johnson is trying to shape a roster now and in future years with state of Minnesota players.

June and July are prime recruiting months for Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck and staff. Expect multiple verbal commits for the class of 2022 during the next several weeks. Minnesota’s class for next year, with five verbal commits, is currently ranked No. 35 nationally by 247Sports.

The Gophers’ subpar PAT and field goal kicking of last season will be much improved with the transfer of Kent State’s Matthew Trickett. As a sophomore in 2019 at Kent State he was first team All-MAC, and tied for the NCAA lead in field goals with 29. He had two game winning kicks. The Mid-American Conference cancelled its 2020 season due to the pandemic.

Congratulations to former Gopher defensive end Bob Stein who will be inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame December 7 in Las Vegas. Stein made All-American in 1967 and was a key contributor to Minnesota’s last Big Ten championship team. The St. Louis Park native was also an Academic All-American. University of Minnesota alum Mark Sheffert and the late Pat Fallon, the Minneapolis advertising whiz, advocated for Stein’s overdue recognition by the NFF.

With two PGA vice presidents of rules and competition retiring, it will be interesting to see how that could positively impact former Gopher and Viking Mark Dusbabek. The Faribault native has been a PGA rules official since 2006.

The St. Thomas team that rallied to win three games over the Memorial Day weekend and earned its way to the Division III Baseball World Series, plays an opening game against Adrian starting at 1:15 p.m. Friday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Minnesota United, whose regular season schedule started in April and continues into November, has a long break after playing last Saturday with the next match June 19.

The Twin Cities Dunkers, after months of Zoom meetings, resumes in-person breakfasts in July with likely upcoming programs to include Gophers football and the 3M Open.

No update yet on a new contract for Gophers baseball coach John Anderson (see Monday’s Sports Headliners).

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Clarifying Trey Lance & Gophers Saga

Posted on May 10, 2021May 10, 2021 by David Shama

Ever heard of Brennan Armstrong? If it wasn’t for him, Trey Lance might have been a Golden Gopher.

Armstrong is the starting quarterback at Virginia and last season he tied for the FBS lead in games passing for over 200 yards and rushing for over 45 yards. During the winter of 2017 the Shelby, Ohio native was verbally committed to the University of Minnesota recruiting class for 2018. That same winter Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff were recruiting Lance, the Marshall, Minnesota native who ultimately went to North Dakota State and last month was the third quarterback chosen in the NFL Draft when the 49ers selected him with the third overall pick of the first round.

Ryan Burns, the recruiting authority from GopherIllustrated.com, knows the background of the mutual interest there once was between Lance and the Gophers. Burns told Sports Headliners Fleck had a candid conversation with the athletic Lance, who drew interest from college programs for his potential to play multiple positions.

During that conversation, according to Burns, Fleck told Lance, then a junior at Marshall, the Gophers liked him as a quarterback but had promised Armstrong he was going to be the only QB in the 2018 recruiting class. Fleck, though, said the Gophers wanted to continue recruiting Lance and encouraged him to participate in Minnesota’s June camp for promising high school players. Lance had the attention of the Gophers and other major programs as a quarterback but also as a safety and wide receiver.

“So he never camped at Minnesota,” Burns said. “But did Minnesota want to see him potentially at safety? Sure. So did Iowa. So did Iowa State. So did everywhere else.”

Lance had a strong interest in the Gophers but playing QB in college was a priority and FCS North Dakota State offered an opportunity. Power Five schools were cautious about the small town quarterback, including because of a Nike camp performance. “Trey didn’t have a great day,” recalled Burns who was at the camp. “That’s okay. He was a little wide-eyed, I think, by the experience.”

In November of 2017 Armstrong de-committed from Minnesota. If Lance had been patient with his home state university an opportunity might have opened for him in the recruiting class of 2018 at Minnesota. Logic suggests the Gophers would have at least offered Lance a scholarship as a multi-positional prospect and given him a look at quarterback once on campus. From there, his superb throwing and running potential likely would have won over the coaches.

Worth Noting

The Twins, with a 12-20 record, have only been out scored by two runs this season. That kind of slim differential is often indicative of a team playing about .500 baseball, not a club that has lost eight more games than it has won. Minnesota has struggled early in the season for multiple reasons including injuries and COVID that have sidelined regulars, but no problem has been as glaring as the bullpen.

Eleven losses are attributed to the pen. The performance of Twins relief pitchers in allowing “inherited runners” to score ranks among the worst in MLB, allowing 27 of 43 runners to reach home plate. That’s true, too, for home runs allowed by Minnesota relievers. Alex Colome, Cody Stashak and Caleb Thielbar are among those who have been frequent long ball victims.

The Twins couldn’t have forecast their bullpen struggles, or that of starter Kenta Maeda who finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting last season. Maeda has a 5.02 ERA this spring and for Minnesota to win the Central Division title he will have to pitch much better.

Minnesota begins a three-game series in Chicago Tuesday night against the division leading White Sox who offer an imposing lineup of starters: Dylan Cease, 2-0, 2.37 ERA; Dallas Keuchel, 1-1, 3.79 ERA; Carlos Rodon, 5-0, 0.58 ERA.

Hall of Famer Willie Mays celebrated his 90th birthday last Thursday. A candidate for any discussion of the greatest baseball player of all-time, Mays was playing in Minneapolis for the Millers 70 years ago this spring.

It was in late May of 1951 that the parent New York Giants called up Mays from their Minneapolis Triple-A farm club. The shy 20-year-old Alabama native doubted he was ready for the everyday lineup of a National League contender but the Giants thought his .477 average in Minneapolis told a different story about their future center fielder.

Retired Preston High School football and baseball coach Frank Jaszewski also recently turned 90. He coached both football and baseball for the Preston Blue Jays from 1957 until his retirement in 1990. He is a legend in the Preston area.

If the Vikings sign future Hall of Fame wide receiver and free agent Larry Fitzgerald management will have confidence in who they are dealing with. The Minneapolis native, who has played his entire NFL career with the Cardinals, doesn’t have an agent and represents himself.

Local author Jim Bruton’s book with former Vikings linebacker and front office executive Scott Studwell is near completion and expected to be on sale in the fall. Studwell offers insights about scouting and coaches he played for including Bud Grant.

The Vikings have a rookie minicamp scheduled May 14-16; OTA’s May 24-26, June 1-3 and 8-11; mandatory minicamp, June 15-17. Among storylines to follow will be whether the Vikings are moving toward two rookie starters in the offensive line next season, tackle Christian Darrisaw and guard Wyatt Davis.

The St. Thomas Academy director of athletics and activities job remains open and in the search process after the departure this spring of Dan O’Brien, the former Gophers assistant football coach, now working in the private sector.

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