Golden Gophers – Page 195 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Holds in with 5-Star Recruit Hurt

Posted on August 1, 2018August 1, 2018 by David Shama

Matthew Hurt, the five-star basketball recruit from Rochester John Marshall, might be only a few months away from finalizing his college choice. The state’s most elite and sought after prep prospects in the recent past—like brothers Tyus and Tre Jones—have chosen the blueblood programs of college basketball rather than the Gophers, but Hurt’s story might have a different ending, although don’t bet your Christmas budget on it.

USAtoday.com reported last Friday Hurt plans to soon narrow his list of eight possible schools—Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Minnesota, North Carolina and UCLA. Then he intends to line up campus visits and could sign with a school as early as November 14, 2018.

Kansas might be among the schools falling off Hurt’s list if he is concerned about FBI reports connected with the Jayhawk program. The FBI has been investigating corruption in college basketball, and Kansas reportedly has released two subpoenas showing the bureau requested information about the program.

Former Gopher Richard Coffey saw his son Amir go through the recruiting process a few years ago before choosing Minnesota. Sports Headliners asked him about programs that might be under scrutiny as Kansas apparently is. “I think you would have to avoid those schools,” Richard said. “You never know how things are going to go and a school could get penalized (including no postseason play).”

Sources have told Sports Headliners for awhile KU is a Hurt favorite but with a potential cloud over the Jayhawks, Duke could be the eventual winner in the recruiting race. The school, the program’s history of success, and the reputation of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski could be too much for Hurt to turn down.

Indiana perhaps could fall off the list because it might be too much for Hurt and family members to have Matthew competing in the Big Ten for the Hoosiers against the home state Gophers. UCLA, far away in Los Angles and a program long removed from its glory days, also looks suspect.

In a (Rochester) Postbulletin.com article Saturday, Hurt talked about the things important to him in choosing a school. “…The biggest factors for me are my relationships with the players and coaches, the campus and how the program is doing,” he said.

Hurt’s brother Michael will be a junior on the Gopher team this fall. The two brothers have a close relationship and a source said the Hurts would strongly value the experience of playing together, even if it is only for one season before Matthew moved on to the lure of the NBA .

Matthew told USAtoday.com that Michael is “loving it up there (Minneapolis).” Matthew has heard “good things about their campus,” and mentioned he is “pretty close” to incoming 2018 Gopher freshmen Gabe Kalscheur (DeLaSalle), Jarvis Omersa (Orono), and Daniel Oturu (Cretin-Derham Hall).

Although Michael won’t be in the starting lineup for Minnesota next season, he is likely to earn regular playing time off the bench. The Gophers, led by Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy, have two potential All-Big Ten front court players. They lead a Gopher team that could be back in the NCAA Tournament next spring for the second time in two years. Minnesota’s new Athletes Village, including its basketball facilities, has been described as a “game changer” for the recruiting and servicing players.

Committing to a university in advance of Hurt’s senior season at John Marshall will relieve the distraction and time commitment of the recruiting process. Presumably every program in the country would like to have the 6-9 forward who is so skilled he could play in the front court or backcourt in college. He has followed up a sensational junior season at John Marshall with impressive recent performances for USA and AAU basketball teams.

Hurt is a consensus top 10 player by recruiting evaluators for the class of 2019. He is, for example, ranked No. 6 among all players in the 2019 class by 247Sports.com and No. 3 among power forwards.

Hurt told the Post-Bulletin he takes pride in showing on a national stage the quality of high school basketball in Minnesota. He said Minnesota is “the most underrated state in the country.”

Apparently Hurt likes proving how good Minnesota talent is and he would certainly have that opportunity with the Gophers where he could play with his brother and Kalscheur, Omersa and Oturu —all natives of the state.

Worth Noting

Richard Coffey said there is no doubt Amir will be recovered from last season’s shoulder injury that caused him to miss most of the Big Ten season. “He’s healed up really well,” said Richard who predicted his son will probably be full go before school starts (first week in September).

Coffey photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Richard said Amir is a “legit 6-8” and has increased his weight since last season to about 215 pounds. “We talk a lot about strength and flexibility,” the older Coffey said.

Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck spoke to a record turnout at Twin Cities Dunkers yesterday as part of a busy day that included an interview with the Golf Channel and a team commitment at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. The Golf Channel segment was filmed yesterday with Morning Drive co-host Charlie Rymer and scheduled to air today. The Golf Channel is in town to cover the 3M Championship and wanted to highlight the start of Gophers football this week.

A new Row the Boat graphic was unveiled at the hospital yesterday, symbolizing a never give up attitude. Gopher players and staff held a barbeque with patients and families while enjoying lawn games and other activities.

Former Star Tribune Gopher men’s basketball writer Amelia Rayno has a passion for travel and adventure. She describes herself as a “full time nomad and freelancer” on her new blog Ameiliarayno.com.

Bloomington native Steve Rushin has a byline story in the July 31 issue of Sports Illustrated about Lindsay Whalen that refers to her as “Minnesota’s ever-agreeable favorite daughter.” Whalen, 36, said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” show Sunday she hasn’t decided whether she will play for the Lynx next season, or solely concentrate on her new job as Gopher women’s coach.

Whalen’s husband, former Gopher golfer Ben Greve, has qualified for the August 13-19 U.S. Amateur in northern California.

St. Paul native Jack Morris, enshrined in Cooperstown last weekend, will be honored before a St. Paul Saints game September 1 at CHS Field. Morris pitched for the Saints in 1996 after his big league career.

Nita Killebrew, wife of Twins Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, is preserving the legacy of her late husband for helping others. The inaugural Harmon’s Heart of Baseball fundraiser event and award presentation will be August 25 in conjunction with the Twins-Oakland game in Minneapolis.

Funds raised will help provide opportunities for people with disabilities through two nonprofits: Productive Alternatives and Shriners Hospitals for Children® – Twin Cities. The award recognizes a Minnesotan with disabilities who exemplifies the values and heart of Killebrew. More at Twinsbaseball.com/harmon, or call 612-210-5525.

Comments Welcome

Tales Galore in Jonckowski’s New Book

Posted on July 29, 2018July 29, 2018 by David Shama

A grasshopper goes into a bar. The bartender says, “Did you know we have a drink named after you?”

The grasshopper replies, “You have a drink named Steve?”

That joke and many more are in Dick Jonckowski’s new book It’s All About Me. The well-known Minnesota native has giggled his way through life telling jokes and rubbing elbows with celebrities, most of them sports heroes.

Dick turns 75 in October but he’s still a kid at heart. Still ready to swap tales with a friend or stranger. Still looking to meet a new celebrity, or renew a friendship with an old one. Still ready to add a poster, photo, bobblehead or some other keepsake to the famous memorabilia collection housed in the basement of his Shakopee, Minnesota home. Still going about his day with a twinkle in his eye and ready to have fun because he believes “laugh, and live longer.”

Arlene and Dick Jonckowski in their sports memorabilia-filled basement.

Dick and his wife Arlene dipped into family finances to fund It’s All About Me, Dick Jonckowski: A Minnesota Treasure. It’s a project they talked about for years. As Arlene says in the book: “So I finally told him, ‘Now or never, Dick. You need to do this.’ “

With the help of writer Jim Bruton, Dick wrote a 130-page story about his life as a sports fan who became a field usher at Met Stadium, master of ceremonies for a long list of events near and far, PR man in pro basketball, professional rasslin’ ring announcer, radio host at stations in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and men’s basketball public address announcer for decades as the voice of the Golden Gophers.

There’s not only been a lot of kid in Dick all these years but some “hot dog too.” As a field usher for Vikings games, he liked to return errant footballs to game officials by throwing the balls around his back. When Vikings running back Chuck Foreman slid for about 10 yards on a slick field, Jonckowski rushed over to make the baseball safe at home sign. A video clip ended up on TV’s Tonight Show but Bud Grant labeled Dick a “hot dog” for his antics that played well with Met Stadium crowds but not so good with the Vikings head coach.

Dick’s most infamous incident is still talked about by Vikings fans. In the Vikings-Cowboys playoff game in 1975, Dallas wide receiver Drew Pearson caught a key pass that helped sustain a late drive and soon led to a Minnesota loss. It’s been widely acknowledged that Pearson was out of bounds when he made the catch but the play stood. The Cowboys went on to win the game with another controversial catch by Pearson. Here’s what Dick wrote about the out of bounds incident in his book:

“Drew Pearson was lying there on the ground, and I was so mad I walked up to him and I kicked him—just a little. It was a real sissy kick. I barely hit him at all. I just kicked the bottom of his shoe. I was just so mad and frustrated by the call.”

Dick’s kick was reviewed by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. He told the Vikings Dick couldn’t be a field usher for the next two seasons. “When I came back in 1978, all the fun was gone. They watched me like a hawk,” Dick wrote in his book.

Dick has lived a life a bit like Forrest Gump. He’s been on assignment in various roles at many sports events but sometimes he’s just crashed the party. After the Vikings-Kansas City Super Bowl he and Arlene were walking around New Orleans when they found the Chiefs’ celebration party. Chief players and former Gophers Bobby Bell and Bob Stein asked what the Jonckowskis were doing at the party? “So I told them we were invited,” Dick wrote in the book while mentioning he and Arlene hung around at the hotel victory party for about 90 minutes.

Dick’s mischief once prompted him to sit—uninvited of course—in the owner’s box of the Cincinnati Reds. When Marge Schott showed up, she hit it off with Dick and invited him to stay.

“There is an old saying, ‘If you play like you belong, you can get in anywhere,’ ” Dick says.

Maybe the first time he tried that out was in 1964 when sold-out Williams Arena was hosting a huge Big Ten game between the Golden Gophers and Michigan. Dick didn’t have tickets so he approached Wolverines star Cazzie Russell when he got off the team bus outside the arena. Dick asked if he could carry Cazzie’s bag to the locker room. That not only got Dick into the building, but he watched the game from one row behind the Michigan bench.

There’s a lot of fun in the book but some serious moments too. Awhile back Dick was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and shortly thereafter was dealing with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The chemo treatments four years ago were rugged and at least once Dick wondered whether he would survive. He lost a lot of weight and his voice weakened for awhile but he recovered.

“I have been very lucky,” Dick writes in the book. “I only go in once a year now to be checked.”

Dick has kept his sense of humor through his fight with cancer and other ordeals including a basement flood. I always was confident Dick would keep a positive attitude. Years ago he told me it’s important to laugh in life “because no one gets out alive.”

Dick’s book can be purchased by calling him at 952-261-3013.

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Kelly Iffy on Managing in 2018 Baseball

Posted on July 19, 2018July 19, 2018 by David Shama

Tom Kelly is in the Twins Hall of Fame and his uniform number is retired. He’s the only manager in club history to win the World Series—doing it in both 1987 and 1991. When he retired after the 2001 season he was the longest tenured manager or coach in major professional sports.

Kelly was also only 51 years old when he gave up his job. He hasn’t managed for the Twins or anyone else since he quit in Minnesota. The club’s current manager, Paul Molitor, is only six years younger than the 67-year-old Kelly who is revered for a big league managing career with Minnesota that began in 1986.

Yet Kelly would probably be the longest of long shots to manage again. Baseball is so different now with its avalanche of data driven information impacting decisions. How the game has to be managed now appears almost perplexing to Kelly.

Kelly talked about his feelings on “Behind the Game,” a Twin Cities cable TV show. “There are things…I would probably have a hard time with,” Kelly told hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. “I am probably not capable of managing now.”

Kelly said things are “pretty technical” in baseball with information dictating all kinds of things like shifts and positioning of players in the field. There seems no end to even the most miniscule of details about how to strategize against hitters and pitchers in an attempt to gain an edge on opponents.

Hitters give the impression they are more interested in “launch angles” to increase their home run totals, than in making consistent contact with the baseball. Stealing bases seems like a lost art and bunting appears to have passed away, too. Hit-and-run in today’s game? Not much. “I guess they have numbers that prove these things (what to do), so they go with the numbers,” Kelly said on the show.

Kelly saw his job as manager to be creative when his club was not scoring runs. That’s where he would call for a hit-and-run, sacrifice bunt or stealing a base.

Also to Kelly’s chagrin, teams no longer take pregame infield practice. He believes the practice helped prepare his teams to potentially start games efficiently and even get off to an early lead.

“The game still comes down to the basics of pitching and fielding,” Kelly told TV viewers. “You pitch the ball decent and catch the ball when you’re supposed to, (and) you find a way to score three or four runs, and you have a chance to win.”

Tom Kelly (photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

Kelly referred to himself on the show as a “dinosaur” and acknowledged more than once how difficult it would be for him to manage today. “I probably would have a hard time because I would get told, ‘We don’t want to do this. We don’t want to do that.’

“I would probably say, well, I am going to do this, and I am going to do that. And (then) I am going to be shown the door. They’re going to replace me with somebody that will do what they feel…through their numbers and analytics that this is how you should do it.”

Kelly told a story about his friend Tony LaRussa, the Hall of Fame manager who is a contemporary. LaRussa went to a meeting where 12 baseball people from his organization were looking at their computers . He didn’t even know many of the people but they were telling him things like why the data said so-and-so should hit second in the batting order. “That’s when he knew he had enough (managing),” Kelly said.

These days Kelly is a special assistant for the Twins. Molitor might call and ask advice, but mostly his role is that of an ambassador for the organization. He watches games now and enjoys them more as a fan than a manager.

“Things you miss are the camaraderie the game affords,” Kelly said. “The competitiveness that the game presents each and every night. You miss those things.”

Worth Noting

Adrian Peterson, the 33-year-old former Vikings running back, is a free agent and needs one more rushing touchdown to total 100 for his career. Playing for the Saints and Cardinals last season, he scored just two touchdowns rushing.

Vikings’ nemesis Aaron Rodgers told Peter King of NBCsports.com, “I’d love to play to 40.” The Packers’ 33-year-old quarterback referenced Brett Favre’s success at 40 when he was quarterbacking the Vikings to a 12-4 record.

The Vikings, who will hold their first training camp in more than 50 years not in Mankato, are part of a trend by NFL teams to hold summer practices in the home towns of franchises. The percent of home training camp teams has increased from 32 percent in 2000 to 66 percent this year and last.

Gopher senior Rodney Smith has 3,850 career all-purpose yards (2,805 rushing, 419 receiving and 626 on kick returns). He ranks eighth in program history. He needs 1,260 all-purpose yards this season to break Darrel Thompson’s Gopher record of 5,109.

Smith will be one of three Gophers and 42 total players attending the July 23 and 24 Big Ten Media Days and Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago. The other Gophers are junior linebackers Thomas Barber and Carter Coughlin.

Tickets were still available this week for the WNBA All-Star Game at Target Center on July 28. Stubhub.com listed availability yesterday starting at $59.

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