P.J. FLECK – Page 64 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Craig Leipold’s House Dodges Dorian

Posted on September 5, 2019September 5, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Thursday notes column with news about the Wild, Twins, Gophers and Vikings.

Dorian, the hurricane that has ravaged parts of the Caribbean this week including the Bahamas, didn’t damage Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas where Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold has a home. Abaco Island in the Bahamas, located about 200 miles from Leipold’s home, was devastated. Leipold was told there was a lot of rain in recent days on Great Exuma, but no property damage.

“We were lucky we dodged it,” Leipold told Sports Headliners yesterday. “The next one, who knows?”

Leipold is looking forward so much to the start of the Wild’s 2019-2020 season he has decided to postpone his fourth hip replacement until January. He was scheduled for September surgery on his right hip but with the doctor’s approval decided to wait until next year.

The Twins have a Cleveland stopper in right-hand starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi. He is 2-0 this season against the Indians who come to Minneapolis for a three-game series starting Friday. He has a 1:04 ERA in 17.1 innings pitched versus the Indians, who as of this morning are 5.5 games behind the Twins in the race to win the American League Central Division title. The Indians lead the season series so far 7-6.

In Odorizzi’s last Cleveland start he pitched 5.2 shutout inngs with six strikeouts. That August 10 win at Target Field was pivotal because it broke a first place tie with the Indians and provided Minnesota a one game lead in the division.

Odorizzi has a career high 14 wins (14-6 record) and will make a Saturday start in the upcoming series. In his last seven starts, he is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

A spokesman in the Twins ticket office said yesterday only ballpark access tickets ($25) remain for Saturday night’s game, with greater inventory available for Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.

The Twins will make an announcement Monday regarding playoff tickets for the general public. Details have already been provided to season ticket holders. The club is also renewing season tickets for 2020 and selling to new account holders.

The football Gophers are 1-6 in games on the West Coast (in California, Oregon, Washington) during the last 50 years. The only win came at Oregon State two years ago in coach P.J. Fleck’s first season. Saturday night Minnesota plays at Fresno State, with a 9:30 p.m. Minneapolis time kickoff and temps expected in the 80s.

Talking on his weekly KFAN Radio show Tuesday, Fleck said he will keep his players on Central Daylight time and not reset watches while in California. For preparation, the heat has been turned up in the Gophers’ practice facility.

Fresno State is one of the best teams in the Mountain West Conference, a league that experienced an impressive opening weekend several days ago. Fresno State lost but was competitive at USC (31-23), while rival power Boise State defeated Florida State from the ACC in Tallahassee. The Mountain West’s Hawaii, Nevada and Wyoming staged upset wins over three Power Five teams, Arizona, Purdue and Missouri respectively.

Minnesota has been one of the least penalized teams in the nation dating back to the 2017 season, Fleck’s first with the Gophers. In the past 26 games the Gophers have been penalized 93 times for 888 yards. In 2016 Minnesota was penalized 88 times for 743 yards in 13 games.

SI.com’s NFL power rankings of 32 teams posted on Tuesday offered this top 10: Patriots, Chiefs, Saints, Rams, Eagles, Cowboys, Packers, Falcons, Steelers and Chargers. The Vikings ranked No. 14, with the Bears at 11. NFC North rivals the Packers, Bears and Vikings made the top 15, with the division’s fourth team, the Lions, at No. 22.

The Vikings, 8-7-1 last season, start their regular season Sunday at home against a Falcons team that also disappointed in 2018 with their 7-9 record. The Falcons have perhaps the NFL’s best unit of wide receivers led by the great Julio Jones, but quarterback Matt Ryan, 34, doesn’t have a strong arm and that may cue the Vikings safeties to play nearer the line of scrimmage and more easily stop the run.

Not much is being said about it, but the Vikings seem likely to often use a two tight ends formation this season with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. Such a scheme changes the technique of defensive linemen and makes them wonder whether the offense will attack with a run or pass.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is counted on to have a breakout season after being held back by injuries in 2017 and 2018. Statistics support his reputation as a playmaker. He has a career rushing average of 4.7 yards, with nine runs of 20-plus yards or more. As a pass receiver he is averaging 7.7 yards, with six receptions of 20-plus yards.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer after being asked what needs to happen for this season to be a success: “I would say the biggest thing is…if we go out and we play really smart football, (and) we don’t beat ourselves. We control the explosive plays in the game, on both sides of the ball. We have them and they (opponents) don’t. …I think if we are effective in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter in ball games, I think we’ll be good.”

New this year at U.S. Bank Stadium is having a young Vikings fan push the button that opens the massive doors and allows fresh air into the facility. The facility opened in 2016 and late last month was ranked No. 1 among NFL stadiums by Dan Graziano writing for SI.com.

Former Viking Adrian Peterson, now with the Redskins, is tied with Jim Brown for the fifth most rushing touchdowns in NFL history, 106 each. The all-time leader is Emmitt Smith with a 164.

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Whew! 9 Win U Prediction Survives

Posted on August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Friday notes column dispatched to readers after last night’s comeback win by the football Golden Gophers against South Dakota State.

Darrell Thompson, the Gophers’ all-time leading rusher, believes this Minnesota team is the deepest he has seen while doing 23 years of color commentary on radio broadcasts. He told Sports Headliners earlier in the week the Gophers will finish 9-3 overall, 6-3 in the Big Ten.

Thompson’s prediction was tested last night against SDSU, a top-five FCS team that was supposed to lose the game by a couple of touchdowns. Instead, the Jackrabbits led 21-20 until the FBS Gophers scored a late touchdown and two-point conversion to win 28-21 in a home season opening game that could have done major damage to prospects for the program’s first nine victory season since 2016.

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck emphasizes the subject of turnovers when talking about why teams win or lose games. His team had no fumbles and a harmless interception last night but turnovers by SDSU redshirt freshman quarterback J’Bore Gibbs led to 14 of Minnesota’s points including a 43-yard interception third quarter return for a touchdown by Chris Williamson.

In an entertaining back and forth game, the Gophers made enough plays to win but gave their fans plenty to fret about. The offensive and defensive lines were way to inconsistent in their performances. Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan was frequently under pressure trying to throw as the Jackrabbits either caused confusion or used speed to go around Gopher linemen. The defense, including the Minnesota line, was exploited inside and out against the Jackrabbits who had more first downs, rushing yards and passing yards than the Gophers.

The Gophers were twice out of position on SDSU kickoff returns including what should have been a Jackrabbit touchdown late in the second quarter. An illegal block in the back nullified an SDSU kickoff return touchdown and a 14-13 lead at halftime.

Minnesota now is 2-0 this century against South Dakota State, having won two games by a total of 10 points. Nothing to crow about, but better than the alternative of being 1-1 after last night.

Thompson was interviewed recently on “Behind the Game,” the Twin Cities cable TV program co-hosted by Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. The show can also be viewed on YouTube.

By late Saturday evening all 14 Big Ten Conference teams will have played a season opening nonconference game. Every coach will welcome a win but three have such poor career records they badly need a ‘W.’ The college coaching records of Rutgers’ Chris Ash, Maryland’s Mike Locksley and Illinois’ Lovie Smith are 7-29, 3-31 and 9-27 respectively.

In Big Ten games only the three coaches are 3-24, 1-5 and 4-23.

Counting conference and nonconference games, every Big Ten team will play at least six teams that participated in a bowl game last season. Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin have eight such matchups, followed by Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Rutgers with seven each.

Among the Power Five Conferences, the Big 12 is the only one without its own stand-alone TV network. Those networks are major revenue and exposure generators, and the day might be coming when there is only a Power Four consisting of the Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 and SEC. If the Big 12 dissolved, would Oklahoma and Texas join the Big Ten’s West Division? If so, Purdue could move to the East Division so the conference can be balanced with two eight-team divisions.

Minnesota’s next game is at Fresno State a week from Saturday evening, and fans without access to the CBS Sports Network won’t be able to watch on TV.

Barbara Butts Williams is being honored by Twin Cities Business Magazine in October for her board service to Allina Health. She was the wife of the late John Williams, the community minded Minneapolis dentist who was a 1967 first team All-Big Ten offensive tackle on the Gophers Big Ten championship team.

Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald will soon start his 16th NFL season, all with the Arizona Cardinals. Paul Allen, the Vikings radio voice, ranks Fitzgerald the NFL’s third best all-time blocker among wide receivers. Allen said during the simulcast of the August 24 Minnesota-Arizona preseason game only Hines Ward and Anquan Bolden rank ahead of Fitzgerald.

With nine teams, including Minnesota United, vying for a playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference, club CEO Chris Wright is pleased the Loons have veteran 31-year-old goalie Vito Mannone playing for them. Wright told Sports Headliners Mannone “is not nervous” in big games and has faced a lot of pressure in his career including in the English Premier League. “Big goalkeepers win big games,” Wright said.

Alpine skiing great and Minnesota native Lindsey Vonn, whose foundation works to empower young girls to grow as athletes and individuals, speaks at the State Theatre September 23.

Jeff Passolt, the St. Louis Park native who won Emmys for sports and news TV journalism, speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, September 12 at the Bloomington Event Center, 1114 American Blvd. Public reservations are accepted until Monday, September 9 by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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Twins Under .500 When Buxton Out

Posted on August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Wednesday notes column leading off with the Minnesota Twins.

Byron Buxton was placed on the injured list with a left shoulder subluxation on August 3 and still isn’t ready to return. That’s the fourth time this season the Twins’ invaluable center fielder has been on the injured list with ailments, including a right wrist contusion and concussion-like symptoms.

The Twins, with a 72-47 record, have been under .500 with Buxton absent. Looking at the dates when Buxton was placed on the injured list until the days he was activated, the club’s record is 13-15.

Buxton would receive a lot of support in any vote for MLB’s best outfielders. Now in his fifth season with the Twins, his career highlight film is filled with ooh and aah plays in the field. His pitchers applaud him for game-saving plays. This season his fielding average is .991, with just two errors in 215 chances. The club’s best base stealer, the Twins simply aren’t the same team without him.

The Twins and Indians could stay close in the race to win the AL Central Division going into the final weeks of the season. After a three-game series in Cleveland that ends September 15, it appears the Twins will have an easier remaining schedule than the Indians. Minnesota will play the White Sox and Royals at home, and on the road against the Tigers and Royals. Those three Central Division teams have a combined 131 wins and 223 losses as of today, while the Indians must play four opponents (Tigers, Phillies, Nationals, and White Sox) who are 301 and 289. The Nationals and Phillies are in contention for the postseason, while none of the other clubs mentioned are.

The Indians, until they came to Minneapolis for a four-game series last week, hadn’t played another above .500 team on the road since May.

Minnesota starter Jake Odorizzi, 13-5 with a 3.44 ERA, is 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA against the Indians. His continued success will be vital if the Twins are to qualify for the playoffs.

Twins home run leader Max Kepler appears at the Ridgedale Fan HQ store September 22, while Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes is at the Eden Prairie location September 8. More details including ticket information visit FanHqStore.com – info@fanhqstore.com

Happy birthday to Brainerd head football coach Ron Stolski who turned 80 on Monday, the opening day of practice for high school teams in Minnesota. He has been coaching prep football for 58 seasons, with 45 at Brainerd.

Jim Dotseth, 76, has been retired from high school football coaching since 1997 and was asked if he can imagine still leading a team. “No, I can’t,” said the longtime friend of Stolski who grew up in Minneapolis and attended Patrick Henry High School.

Stolski said he learned long ago coaching is about the players, not him. How much longer does he want to lead the Brainerd Warriors? “I will coach as long as we believe we are doing good things for kids, and as long I can keep doing it,” he told Sports Headliners yesterday. “Frankly, I feel like I am 50.”

Dotseth recalled Stolski’s coaching dates back to high school days while working with youth football. A strong advocate of the many values of football, Stolski is also executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, who brand their organization with the slogan “Keepers of the Game.”

Stolski’s career record is 386-175-1, second all-time in Minnesota to Verndale coach Mike Mahlen, 393-122-3. No. 3 on the list of prep football coaches with the most career wins is Becker’s Dwight Lundeen at 359-159-3, followed by Eden Prairie’s Mike Grant, 344-71, Cambridge’s George Larson, 307-66-6 and Delano’s Merrill Pavlovich, 304-150. All six, except for Larson, are still coaching.

After a summer break, the CORES lunch group resumes Thursday, September 12 with a program featuring speaker Jeff Passolt, the retired Fox 9 news anchor and former KARE 11 sportscaster. CORES luncheons are held at the Bloomington Event Center, 1114 American Blvd. For reservations and other information, contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse, a persistent critic of Golden Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck since 2017, wrote an upbeat column about the program last weekend. For the many skeptics of Fleck among fans, the article will create more credibility for Fleck and authenticate the program.

Max Duggan, the high profile Council Bluffs, Iowa quarterback the Gophers pursued, is at TCU and “positioned to be the first true freshman to start the opener” at QB under long time coach Gary Patterson, per the August 12 Sports Illustrated college football issue.

S.I.’s top 25 ranking of teams includes Minnesota West Division rivals Iowa (18), Wisconsin (19) and Nebraska (24) but not the Gophers or defending division champion Northwestern.

New Jersey assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald is a name to watch as the Minnesota Wild continue the search to replace Paul Fenton as GM.

Minnesota United will play just three games at home over the next 32 days, including this evening at Allianz Field. The Loons, 7-1-4 at Allianz, play Colorado with a 1-6-3 road record.

Midwest All-Star Wrestling and St. Croix Casino, Turtle Lake, are promoting a pro wrestling card at the casino August 23 with nostalgic names like Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Sgt. Slaughter.

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