Golden Gophers – Page 203 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Kirk Cousins Resume Prompts Scrutiny

Posted on February 27, 2018February 27, 2018 by David Shama

Count former Viking Bob Lurtsema as someone hoping the Kirk Cousins to the Vikings rumors aren’t true. Yesterday and today multiple reports speculate the Redskins’ free agent quarterback could be headed to Minneapolis.

“He is not a leader,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “Look at his record. He is a loser.”

Rich Cimini, writing on ESPN.com February 25, said the 29-year-old quarterback has a 4-19 record against winning teams (based on final season records). He is 19-9-1 against losing clubs, 3-2 versus .500 teams. His overall regular season record is 26-30-1, and he is 0-1 in the playoffs, Cimini reported.

“What the hell has he done?” Lurtsema said of Cousins who has played six NFL seasons—all for the Redskins.

Cousins has set franchise passing records for the Redskins. The last three seasons (starting with 2015) his passer ratings have been impressive—101.6, 97.2 and 93.9, but he isn’t regarded as a superstar quarterback. In the NFC North where the Vikings compete he could be ranked behind not only the Packers Aaron Rodgers but also the Lions’ Matthew Stafford.

The Vikings, though, have had success in recent years fitting three different quarterbacks into their system. They may regard Cousins as healthier and potentially better than any quarterbacks on the current roster.

Speculation is the Vikings might spend in the neighborhood of $100 million on a contract for Cousins who is regarded as the NFL’s best free agent quarterback. If the Vikings pay out that kind of money it’s yet another indication of the Wilf family’s willingness to spend money in their pursuit of a Super Bowl win.

“The Wilfs will do anything to get a winner,” Lurtsema said about the Vikings’ owners. “They’re not afraid to do whatever it takes to make a winner. Good family.”

It could be the Vikings prefer to move on from Case Keenum, believing Cousins is a better talent. Keenum, as a sub for the injured Sam Bradford, went 11-3 as the team’s starter during the last regular season. Lurtsema is a fan of Keenum and praises his performance including leadership in 2017.

NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling is writing today that the Vikings maybe unlikely to put the franchise tag on Keenum and that when free agency talks start next month Minnesota’s target could be Cousins. “If I were a betting man, that’s where I would say he lands,” NFL authority Gil Brandt wrote on Twitter yesterday.

Worth Noting

Big Ten Network streaming or BTN pay TV might be the only way for fans in Minnesota to watch the Gopher men’s Big Ten Tournament hockey games at Penn State on Friday and Saturday. No official word yet but a University of Minnesota athletic department spokesman confirmed the possibility yesterday.

Among new players on the Gophers football roster when spring practice starts next week will be wide receiver True Thompson, son of former U all-time leading rusher Darrell Thompson. True is a preferred walk-on from Iowa Western Community College who also was recruited by Syracuse.

Darrell told Sports Headliners True has better hands and jumping ability than dad. His son is looking forward to playing for wide receivers coach Matt Simon. “I hear nothing but great things about Matt,” Darrell said.

Another Thompson son, Race, is a redshirt freshman basketball player at Indiana. Race is friends with Rochester John Marshall’s Matthew Hurt, a high school junior and among the most highly recruited players nationally in the class of 2019. Hurt made an unofficial visit to Indiana last year and spent time with Race, Darrell said.

Quoting Dick Bremer on Twitter: “The acquisitions of Jake Odorizzi and Logan Morrison from the financially crippled Rays reminds me of the theft of Jeff Reardon and Al Newman from the Expos before the 1987 season. Hoping for the same result.”

Reardon’s heroics as the Twins’ reliever included getting the final out in Game 7 of the 1987 World Series. Newman was a versatile utility player and he also was a contributor to the 1991 World Series championship team.

Bremer, who has been doing Twins TV play-by-play man since the 1980s, turns 62 on Thursday.

For the first time in franchise history, all 162 of the Twins’ regular season games will be televised. Fox Sports North will do 154 games, FS1 six and ESPN two including the April 18 game against the Indians from Puerto Rico.

Edina and Minnetonka are favorites to emerge as class 2A state champions next month but a sleeper pick is Moorhead. Spuds junior defenseman Ethan Frisch is a name to follow at Moorhead and he could be a star in college at North Dakota where he has verbally committed.

For the second consecutive year the Golden Gophers men’s basketball team will have the season-ending banquet at Williams Arena. The Golden Dunkers booster group will host the March 5 banquet featuring table seating on the historic arena floor. The 6 to 8:30 p.m. event includes player autographs. Seating at coach Richard Pitino’s table is $400 per person, with other tickets priced at $75 ($37.50 for eighth graders and younger). More at Goldendunkers.com.

Pitino will speak to the Twin Cities Dunkers March 6 at the Minneapolis Club. Pitino is nearing the end to his fifth season as Minnesota coach this week in the Big Ten Tournament. The Gophers play Rutgers in a first round tournament game on Wednesday night in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

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Gopher Basketball Collapse Historic

Posted on February 25, 2018February 25, 2018 by David Shama

Coach Richard Pitino’s University of Minnesota basketball team is headed to perhaps the most disappointing ending to a basketball or football season in school history. After being in preseason discussions for a Big Ten basketball title, the Golden Gophers have seen their dream season collapse since an early January suspension of center Reggie Lynch and the injury to forward Amir Coffey that has sidelined him for most of the conference season.

Minnesota is 2-12 since Lynch, the Big Ten’s best shot blocker, was told by the University he violated the school’s sexual misconduct policy. Coffey, another potential all-conference player prior to the season, has missed 12 of the last 14 games going into today’s Big Ten regular season finale at Purdue.

It will be an upset for the ages if Minnesota defeats national power Purdue. At best the Gophers might pick up a single win in the Big Ten Tournament later this week. A scenario with one more win before putting 2017-2018 to rest would leave the Gophers with a 16-17 final overall record including 4-14 in regular season league games. Those totals would be the third worst in more than 10 years with the 2016 team having records of 8-22 and 2-16, and the 2007 team with totals of 9-22 and 3-13.

Coffey photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications

It’s been a deflating couple of months for Gophers fans, most of whom realized last year how potentially special the 2017-2018 team appeared to be. Minnesota got off to a 7-0 nonconference start and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation during the early success. Although it was clear from the beginning Pitino’s bench players were subpar, the starting five of Lynch, Coffey, Nate Mason, Dupree McBrayer and Jordan Murphy was potentially the program’s best since the 1997 team that went to the Final Four.

In the high profile sports of basketball and football, it’s been awhile since a Gopher season filled with such hope came crashing down like the stock market on a horrific February day. Tubby Smith’s 2010-2011 team started 16-4 and was ranked No. 16 when things fell apart. Starting point guard Al Nolen broke his foot in late December and shortly after Devoe Joseph, his replacement, left the program. Minnesota lost 10 of its last 11 games including one in the Big Ten Tournament. Hopes of a high finish in the Big Ten and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament were gone with a final overall record of 17-14 and league total of 6-12.

A Gopher historian researched back to 1957 to find a disappointing season similar to this year. Minnesota was coming off a near Rose Bowl invitation in 1956 when national media ranked the football Gophers among the powerhouse teams in America. Minnesota even had a magazine cover boy quarterback in Bobby Cox, a possible All-American and Heisman Trophy winner.

Minnesota, ranked as high as third in the country, started the season 3-0. Included in the wins were 46-7 and 41-6 victories over Washington and Northwestern. The state “smelled” Big Ten title and the program’s first Rose Bowl trip. From Austin to Warroad, fans were locked into the Golden Gophers on football Saturdays. They listened to games on radios at home, in backyards and even duck blinds. Fans cheered at Memorial Stadium including a crowd of more than 64,000 that watched Minnesota’s opening conference win over Purdue.

Then on October 19, 1957 in Champaign-Urbana, the collapse began. Minnesota, ranked No. 4 in the nation, not only reportedly had injuries and illness going into that game but faced a fast and inspired Illinois team that received a pep talk from Illini legend Red Grange, The Galloping Ghost. The final score of the nationally televised game wasn’t even close, with the Illini winning 34-13.

The Gophers won one of their last six games, finishing the season 4-5 overall and 3-5 in the league. Rumors swirled about team dissension and injuries. There was no doubting the team’s lack of team speed got exposed by opponents. Whatever, and however, the season collapse was a classic tailspin that old-timers still remember.

Coach Murray Warmath struggled the next two seasons, with a combined record of 3-15, and he almost was fired in the process. In 1960 he recovered in dramatic fashion winning Big Ten and national titles.

Pitino will need a bounce back season in 2018-2019 to quiet critics. If the Gophers finish with overall 16-17 and 4-14 Big Ten records this winter, that will bring his five seasons totals to 91-78 and 31-59. After five seasons, Dan Monson—picking up the pieces and limitations imposed by the coach Clem Haskins scandal—had records of 79-55 and 29-51. After five years as Minnesota coach Smith’s total were 103-68 and 38-52. In 10 fewer conference games Monson had almost as many wins at the five-year mark as Pitino. Smith won nine more games.

Pitino’s history at Minnesota includes player suspensions and transfers that has slowed progress. Players with issues include Lynch, Mason, McBrayer and long departed Kevin Dorsey, Daquein McNeil and Carlos Morris who all made early exits from the program. A major future off court player incident—whether alleged or not—will turn up the heat on Pitino from school administrators and the public.

Next season the Gophers will likely return three starters with current underclassmen forwards Coffey and Murphy, and McBrayer, a junior guard who has played through injury this year. Part-time point guard Isaiah Washington, a regular off the bench, will likely be another quality starter as might forward Eric Curry who missed his entire sophomore season after September knee surgery. With senior centers Lynch, Bakary Konate and Gaston Diedhiou using up their eligibility, Minnesota will welcome new front court size from Louisville transfer Matz Stockman and incoming freshmen Jarvis Omersa and Daniel Oturu.

Without Lynch and Coffey this winter, and Konate and Gaston frequently ineffective, Pitino has often used a smaller lineup, but interior defense and rebounding have mostly been inadequate. The Gophers, who frequently haven’t defended well on the perimeter either, have given up 80 points or more eight times since Lynch was suspended.

Maybe next season will be as much of a surprise as this one has been disappointing. The program standards are low. The 1997 Final Four and Big Ten championship season was vacated because of academic fraud. Since 2000 the Gophers have only three times finished with a winning record in regular season Big Ten games.

Last off-season the Athletic Department sold a few thousand more season tickets than for 2016-2017. Prior to January 1 of this year there were two nonconference sellouts, and there was the likelihood of several more during the Big Ten home schedule in January and February. The fan base was coming back to Williams Arena, with the promise of making the old place loud and fun again.

There’s no doubt ticket buyers will pack the arena if they are ever treated to a consistent winner, a top 25 program that contends for Big Ten titles. For right now, though, there is a hurt in Dinkytown that perhaps hasn’t been this painful since ’57.

Comments Welcome

More B-Days Ahead for Williams Arena

Posted on February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 by David Shama

A Wednesday notes column:

The University of Minnesota celebrates the 90th anniversary of Williams Arena tonight at the Golden Gophers-Nebraska game. Despite the building’s age and flaws it’s likely to be the home of U men’s and women’s basketball for many more years.

The facility is revered by Minnesotans for its history and great moments including not only for the Gophers, but also as the home of the Minnesota high school basketball tournament for many years. The raised floor is almost unique among college gyms and the proximity of the seats to the court makes for an intimate arena. When the 14,625 seat building is filled to capacity, and the Gophers are playing a big game, there are few college venues as loud and fun.

Known in recent decades as the “Barn” because of its outside shape, the building has long been criticized for crowded concourses, narrow seats, obstructed views of the court and minimal number of bathrooms. A remodeling of the arena in the 1990s included installation of many chairback seats, but bench seating also remains in place.

At least two major factors make it unlikely the arena will be replaced anytime soon. To many fans and ticket buyers, the thought of replacing the beloved building is heresy. A move to a new arena could cause a revolt by some season ticket holders and athletic department donors—telling the athletic department, “See you later.” Abandonment by supporters would be even more probable if the men’s team continues its almost annual performance of playing mediocre (and worse) basketball.

The second issue is money. The athletic department still has more than $60 million to raise in paying off the new $166 million Athletes Village project. There is also ongoing maintenance and renovations on existing facilities. And there is an overall annual challenge to fund the 23 sport men’s and women’s programs—with only football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey being profitable. Those three generate much of the money in the athletic department budget.

At tonight’s game celebrating the 1928 opening of Williams Arena several promotions and special pricing will be offered. Included will be recognition of season ticket holders and 90 cent tickets available for anyone age 90 or older at the arena box office.

Isaiah Washington (photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications)

Minnesota’s Isaiah Washington averaged 20.5 points in two losses last week to Iowa and Michigan. The Gopher point guard was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week yesterday, and he is playing his best basketball of the season.

Minnesota is 1-8 since starting center Reggie Lynch was suspended indefinitely. Starting forward Amir Coffey, with an injured shoulder, has missed seven of the last nine games.

With the second of two national Signing Days coming tomorrow, P.J. Fleck’s Gopher football class of 2018 now has a composite ranking at No. 34 by 247Sports. That’s down from No. 27 but still second best in the Big Ten West behind No. 25 Nebraska. Ohio State is No. 1 in the website’s rankings.

Sunday’s Super Bowl did more than set offensive records for the big game. Nevada’s 198 sports books had a record $158.6 million wagered on the Eagles-Patriots game, according to figures released Monday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and reported in an online Las Vegas Review-Journal story.

Look for the Vikings to hire their new offensive coordinator before any news breaks regarding the quarterback roster for next season. It will be interesting to learn whether offensive line coach Tony Sparano is in the mix of candidates for OC. Sparano was offensive coordinator for the Jets in 2012 and before that held the same title at Boston College.

While the Vikings have three quarterbacks on their roster who are free agents, Super Bowl 52 MVP quarterback Nick Foles is under contract for one more season with the Eagles. The journeyman turned star will earn $4 million in base salary, and with a roster bonus of $3 million, will receive a total of $7 million in 2018, according to Sportac.com.

When the Twins go to spring training later this month, among the topics sure to come up in the media is Brian Dozier’s contract. The second baseman has one season remaining on his current agreement and reportedly will be paid $9 million in 2018. Dozier has led the Twins in home runs the last two seasons with a total of 76. The Mariners’ Robinson Cano at $24 million is MLB’s top paid second baseman, according to Sportac.com. He has 62 home runs the last two seasons.

Fox Sports North Plus will telecast the Twins spring training game against the Gophers February 22 game. The Thursday night game starts at 5 p.m. Central time.

The University of Minnesota has historic ties to men’s Olympic hockey but this year in South Korea only one U alum, former Gopher All-American Ryan Stoa, is on the American roster. Ex-Gopher and Hobey Baker winner Robb Stauber is the head coach of the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team. Kelly Panek, a current Gopher, joins seven other U alums on the women’s team.

The Wild, who play the Coyotes Thursday night at home, is 4-0-1 in its last five games at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota has dominated Arizona with an 11-1-2 record in the last 14 games.

The Wild is publicizing a free open to the public outdoor practice Sunday at the St. Louis Park Rec Center. The practice starts at 11 a.m. and is scheduled for 45 minutes.

Twin Cities golfers were able to play last February but it doesn’t look like an encore in 2018. Daytime temps may hit 40 at best between now and March 1, per AccuWeather.com.

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