P.J. FLECK – Page 67 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikes GM Downplays Pressure on Him, Zim

Posted on July 21, 2019July 21, 2019 by David Shama

Perhaps longevity creates confidence and calm in the high expectations world of the National Football League. That was the impression Rick Spielman gave when asked about pressure on himself and Mike Zimmer for the 2019 season.

Spielman, the Vikings general manager, has been making personnel decisions for the Minnesota NFL franchise since 2007. Zimmer, the team’s coach since 2014, is now the longest tenured head coach in the NFC North Division. Spielman and Zimmer reportedly have contracts that extend only through 2020 so ownership appears to be scrutinizing its leaders.

Spielman was asked by Sports Headliners if there is more pressure going into this season on him and Zimmer than in the past? “Every year is pressure,” he said. “There is no difference than any other year.”

The Vikings open training camp this week coming off an 8-7-1 record last season and missing the playoffs. The record fit a pattern of the Zimmer era with alternate years of success including off and on participation in the postseason. Zimmer’s 2014 team finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs. His next team was 11-5 and lost its first postseason game. In 2016 the Vikings were 8-8 and again a playoff no-show. They had a memorable 2017 season at 13-3 and advanced to the NFC Championship game before losing to the Eagles.

The results of 2018 left the Vikings collectively and individually disappointed and angry, starting with their all business head coach. The attitude in spring practices was evident to Spielman and most everyone else. “Usually our team and coach Zim responds when there is a chip on his shoulder,” Spielman said.

Perhaps the Vikings can regain the NFC North Division title they lost last season but there is no consensus among pro football authorities they will do so. The prevailing thought is the Vikings, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are bunched so close the NFC North eventual winner will not be a surprise unless it’s the Detroit Lions.

The Vikings have a talented and veteran defense, with players who have been together for several seasons. The offense has two of the best receivers in football in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, and also a new found commitment to run the ball more because $84 million quarterback Kirk Cousins showed last season he can’t carry the team like the NFL’s elite passers.

A July 12 article by Patrick Daugherty on Yahoo sports pointed out that while Cousins had new career highs in completion percentage (70.1) and touchdowns (30), his performance declined in the second half of the season including in the last game of the season against the Bears when the Vikings needed a win to make the playoffs.

“Cousins also got worse as games (during the full season) wore on, with his completion percentage declining each quarter, from 76.1 in the first to 67.3 in the fourth,” Daugherty wrote. “12 of Cousins’ 40 sacks came in the final period, as did four of his 10 picks. With the Vikings’ season on the line in Week 17, Cousins managed all of 132 yards against a Bears team that was basically already locked into the No. 3 seed, giving it little to play for.”

Worth Noting

Billy Beane, the former Twins player whose gift for analytics was depicted in the movie Moneyball, is still with the low-budget A’s where he is an executive vice president and minority owner of the resourceful franchise known for its savvy personnel moves.

The A’s have turned former Twins starter Liam Hendriks into a top closer who consistently throws near 100 miles per hour. The trade-hungry Twins need a right-handed late inning closer to balance impressive lefty Taylor Rogers.

As of Sunday morning Hendriks had pitched 20.2 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to June 6. During that 19 game period he struck out 34 and walked three.

Hendriks saved last night’s 5-4 A’s win in the ninth inning at Target Field. It was Minnesota’s first loss this season after going into the ninth with the lead. The record now is 53-1.

Possible realignment of the Big Ten’s East and West Divisions in football was asked about by media at Big Ten Media Days last week in Chicago. Nothing has been announced by the conference but the East is consistently the stronger division. Moving Michigan to the West would ensure the Golden Gophers and Wolverines played every season for the famous Little Brown Jug.

Not only does realignment seem a possibility but so too does expansion of league members from 14 to 16. That’s another topic Kevin Warren could be dealing with this fall and later. Warren, the Vikings chief operating officer, begins working with outgoing Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany in September and then takes over as commissioner January 1.

Warren is a neighbor of Gophers coach P.J. Fleck in Edina.

Fleck talked about academics in Chicago, saying his players earned the highest GPA in the football program’s history last fall at 3.20.

Fleck on why talented wide receiver Tyler Johnson returned for his senior season rather than turning professional: “He thinks we’re going to be really good.”

A Cleveland.com poll of Big Ten reporters asked them who among the current head football coaches they would hire if they ran a Big Ten athletic department. In the results posted last Thursday Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald was the top choice with 14 of the 33 votes. Nebraska’s Scott Frost was second with nine votes. Purdue’s Jeff Brohm had four votes and finished third in the poll. Fleck didn’t receive a vote.

Another Cleveland.com media poll posted last Thursday forecast that Michigan will win the East and Nebraska the West. The Gophers are the choice to finish sixth in the seven-team division but did receive one first place vote.

Brad Salem, son of former Gophers head coach Joe Salem, is the new offensive coordinator at Michigan State.

Among ideas being considered by the NBA is allowing teams that don’t qualify for the present 16 playoff spots to play their way into the postseason. “We’ve looked at that for a couple of years,” Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners. “I just think that there is always a team or two that’s been injured, and has the worst record but now (they) have a pretty good team, and it gives them a second chance for making up for their lost season.”

X Games returns to U.S. Bank Stadium for a third consecutive year August 1-4. The made for TV and ESPN covered event might draw a total of 25,000 to 30,000 spectators to the stadium over the four days. The X Games will return in 2020 in the final year of the agreement at the stadium.

Minneapolis Golf Club’s course is closed for renovation until June or July of next year. Members can play other private courses including Golden Valley Country Club.

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Tiger Could Be in Future 3M Open

Posted on July 7, 2019July 7, 2019 by David Shama

Tiger Woods declined to participate in the inaugural 3M Open that ends today at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. Will he play here in future years?

John Harris, the former University of Minnesota golfer who is now seen occasionally on the PGA Tour Champions for seniors, believes so. Harris, 67, is a friend of the legendary Woods who has won 15 majors including the 2019 Masters. Harris has provided assistance this year to Hollis Cavner, whose tournament management company has a seven-year commitment from the PGA to make Minnesota an annual tour stop.

Woods hasn’t played in a tournament since the U.S. Open ended June 16. Harris told Sports Headliners it is important to Woods to spend time with his two children in early July. Although there has been no announcement, there is speculation the 3M Open’s future dates will be later in the summer than this year. Harris said Cavner offered ideas to Woods about how he could show the kids a memorable time including summer camp and being entertained at the Mall of America.

“He (Cavner) had promised Tiger that his kids would have the greatest week of the summer right here in Minnesota,” Harris said. “So unfortunately, it didn’t work this year but I am convinced he will be here before the 3M run is over.”

Woods would have maximized interest and attendance at the first 3M Open. Did Cavner come close in securing participation by golf’s biggest name? ” Very, very close,” Harris claimed. “And you know what? I think that if Tiger was going to play at any time between the U.S. Open and the British Open it would have been in Minneapolis.”

The British Open will be played July 18-21 at Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. Much of the golf world’s eyes will, as usual, be on Woods. “He is single-handedly carrying the game right now,” Harris said. “You know what? It’s not really fair but that’s the way it is, and he can’t play every week. He’s gotta protect his body. I think his priorities are still the majors and the world events. He has not been to Portrush, so going to Portrush and preparing for this British Open is high on his list right now.”

Woods is 43 years old and his win at the Masters was his first majors championship in 11 years, brining his career total to 15. As even casual golf fans know, he is chasing Jack Nicklaus’ majors record of 18 titles.

“He played hard before the Masters and I think there is a tremendous let down after winning the Masters (in April),” Harris said. “I think his body kind of shut down a little bit, and he needs to re-energize and get himself ready to go. I think he views this Portrush golf course as a real opportunity to win a major.”

Harris is a native of Roseau, and like other Minnesotans, he obviously wishes Woods was here for the 3M Open. He talked about how Woods “would bring a lot of people to the gate” (and help his friend Cavner). “…He makes every event go from great to a huge success,” Harris said. “I think he wanted to be here and he will come at some point over the course of this event.”

In 1993 Harris won the U.S. Amateur Championship at age 41. Woods won the next three amateurs. The two also played together on a U.S. Walker Cup team. Harris has played in three PGA Tour Champions events this year and is likely to play in more.

Taste Fore the Tour

Before the 3M Open competition started last week, the first-ever Taste Fore the Tour debuted at Interlachen Country Club in Edina as part of a national charity culinary series created to raise awareness and donations for hunger relief causes. Founder Wayne Kostroski told Sports Headliners the event raised enough money to provide 1 million meals for the Bloomington-based Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People organization.

VEAP is efficient at feeding the hungry and Kostroski, the Minneapolis philanthropist who led last week’s fundraiser along with his son Pete Kostroski and golf’s Sir Nick Faldo, said the organization can make $20 create 120 meals. A short-term goal now is to raise $30,000 from the public who can make donations via the link TasteForeTheTour.com (see Tee Off Against Hunger).

At Interlachen guests enjoyed food prepared by celebrity chefs including Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel fame, and chatted up well-known Minnesota sports figures such as Joe Mauer, Rick Spielman, Paul Molitor, Jason Zucker and P.J. Fleck. They were all in good spirits Monday night because of the cause.

“When you’re here in the United States, no one should ever go hungry with all the resources and everything we have here,” said Spielman, the Vikings general manager. “So to come out here…to promote that is something that is very important.”

Helping the needy has been on Wayne Kostroski’s mind for a long time. His mom set an example when he was a child, loading up a bag of food and sending it to a church or local food bank. “Every good fiber in my body is from my mom,” he said.

Back in the 1980s Kostroski started sending chefs from his Minneapolis restaurants to charity events. He realized there are so many individuals who would never be restaurant customers at his restaurants but needed help. “They’re struggling just to get their next meal,” he said.

That’s why in the early 1990s Kostroski started the annual Taste of the NFL fundraisers responsible for providing over 200 million meals for the hungry. With one in six Americans going hungry, Kostroski said, there is certainly a need for events like Taste of the NFL and Taste Fore the Tour, the initiative that successfully launched several days ago. “This is Minnesota great,” he said of the event’s premiere.

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Wolves Rosas Watch Offers Intrigue

Posted on June 6, 2019June 6, 2019 by David Shama

It’s going to be an interesting June and summer observing new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas.

Rosas is on record about being aggressive and creative in running the Minnesota NBA franchise that has one playoff appearance since 2004. “One thing I’ll bring from Houston is we’re going to question the norm with everything that we do,” Rosas said at his news conference last month.

By reputation and appearance, Rosas is a confident and determined leader. “He thinks he is the smartest guy in the room,” said an NBA source who asked that his name not be used.

Northing wrong with being the “brightest bulb” in the organization, but that indicates Rosas is likely to have his imprint all over a franchise which again missed the playoffs in 2019. The source mentioned above and others believe Rosas, the former Houston Rockets vice president now in his first all-powerful assignment leading an NBA club, will be giving strong direction to everyone with the Wolves including 33-year-old head coach Ryan Saunders. It’s expected Rosas will have plenty to say about who are Saunders’ assistant coaches with vacancies already in place.

The Wolves have an NBA All-Star for the next 10 years in 23-year-old versatile center Karl-Anthony-Towns who impacts games at both ends of the floor. Despite a heavy payroll expected to pinch NBA salary cap restrictions, the rest of the team’s roster is nothing special and includes liabilities.

Rosas has personnel work to do starting with the June 20 NBA Draft where, other than center, the Wolves can benefit from selecting potential contributors in the first and second rounds. Rosas is known for his analytics background and maybe that experience will help him identify undervalued talent when the Wolves draft at No. 11 and No. 43 in the first and second rounds respectively.

Rosas’ expected aggressive style may result in draft night trades that could see his club changing positions in the selection process. Also, trades involving existing NBA players seem more than a possibility as the weeks progress from summer toward fall. It’s certainly plausible the club wants to move mediocre veterans Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng, who are among the more expensive players on the payroll.

After Towns, the Wolves have the most contract money tied up in 24-year-old Andrew Wiggins who was the first player chosen in the 2014 NBA Draft. Wiggins has been mostly disappointing during his Wolves career but the trade market might be too limited and club officials still too intrigued by his potential for Minnesota to give up on him this summer.

A smart move by coaches could be to give Wiggins a long look in training camp and early in the season at shooting guard. He has often been a small forward in his Wolves career but at 6-foot-8 and with superb athleticism, he might effectively exploit smaller defenders at shooting guard. The NBA mantra is take advantage of individual mismatches and the Wolves could be sitting on an opportunity with Wiggins who also needs to become more aggressive on the floor.

Almost six years ago the Dallas Mavericks hired Rosas as their general manager, reporting to the team’s head of basketball operations and owner. A few months later Rosas went back to the Rockets for reasons that are mostly unknown other than reportedly having differences with the Mavericks top decision makers.

This time there is no one above Rosas in the basketball department. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, one of the real gentlemen in the NBA, is most likely an easier guy to work for than flamboyant Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Still, the brief 2013 tenure of Rosas in Dallas just adds a bit of intrigue to the Rosas watch in Minneapolis this summer.

Worth Noting

A CBSsports.com article yesterday said an “advanced computer model” forecasts “under 9 wins” for the Vikings next season. The offensive line is seen as a major liability.

Timberwolves reserve forward Anthony Tolliver will be inducted into the Creighton University Athletics Hall of Fame August 24 in Omaha.

Mark Lundgren, the former Golden Valley football coach, remembers attending college at UMD when the Green Bay Packers trained there. After practice a crowd of young fans were waiting for the Packers players, hoping for autographs. Lundgren said a couple of the pricier Packers avoided the kids but not classy quarterback Bart Starr who spent about two hours greeting them and giving autographs. Starr, who died last month, was a hero’s hero—a great player, a better person.

University of Minnesota athletics director Mark Coyle, speaking at a Gopher fan event this week, said his program is No. 6 in the current Directors’ Cup standings that each academic year ranks the top performing NCAA sports programs across the country.

Talking at the same event, basketball coach Richard Pitino said the Gophers program hasn’t had a player drafted by the NBA since 2004. “We don’t want to be known for those records,” Pitino said.

Pitino is optimistic about his incoming recruiting class and said it’s been ranked as high as fourth best in the Big Ten. Among those getting attention is Isaiah Ihnen from Germany who is ranked a top 100 player. “I think if Isaiah were in the States he would probably be more like a top 50 recruit,” Pitino said. “That’s how talented he is.”

The Gophers have one more scholarship available for next season and speculation is it could go to North Texas transfer Ryan Woolridge, a guard who as a junior averaged 11.7 points, six rebounds and five assists last season. He would be expected to provide immediate impact next fall.

Paul Bunyan’s Axe was on display at the fan event held at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. The Gopher football team defeated Wisconsin to win the rivalry trophy last fall for the first time since 2003. It was also Minnesota’s first victory in Madison since 1994.

The Badgers have been among the elite programs in the Big Ten for years and when Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck spoke to the crowd at the Arboretum he made a bold statement about the surprise win in Madison. “Because that game, in my opinion, set the entire tone for the next two, three decades of Gopher football,” said the 38-year-old coach whose team beat the Badgers 37-15 and then defeated Georgia Tech 34-10 in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Fleck has verbal commitments for future recruiting classes that he referenced in front of the fans including the 2021 group that lists 247Sports four-star quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis from Illinois. That three-man 2021 class has been ranked so far as No. 4 in the nation by 247Sports.

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