Golden Gophers – Page 22 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Twins Unknowns for 2025 Move into Historical Territory

Posted on November 16, 2024November 16, 2024 by David Shama

This is a historical offseason for the Twins, one with questions and uncertainties at a level not seen since more than 20 years ago when it appeared the franchise could dissolve via MLB contraction.

The fanbase is justified in scrutinizing the Twins on multiple fronts. These include ownership, front office leadership, personnel on the field and home options for watching games.

That’s a lot and the fanbase has patrons who are either angry, puzzled or apathetic about the franchise’s status. There are also customers who are pretty much on board no matter what’s going on because, win or lose, they embrace the nostalgia, charm and experience of the “grand old game” when played in Target Field—one of baseball’s great ballparks.

The Pohlads, to the applause of some fans, are exploring selling the franchise the family has operated since 1984. What interest and quality of ownership can the Pohlads attract? A new owner is always a roll of the dice for fans.

New ownership comes with no guarantee that things will be better than in the past— or even as good. Nor is there any certainty the best interests of fans will be a priority.

It’s believed the Pohlads will ask more than the $1.7 billion agreed upon by new ownership for the Orioles earlier this year. That doesn’t mean the Pohlads won’t settle for less but there’s certainly a bottom figure the family is willing to accept. And fans should be prepared to have them own the franchise indefinitely.

The average fan isn’t losing any sleep over who the next owner will be, but diehards are restless about the quality of the club that takes the field next season. The Twins looked like a certainty to make the playoffs last summer but plunged late in the season to a 82-80 record.

There were too many players who faltered in August and September. Their performances, whether veterans or inexperienced, raise questions going into 2025 as to whether they can perform well enough to help turn the Twins into a postseason club.

The Twins’ present roster doesn’t look complete enough as it is. Minnesota likely needs starting pitching help in the fourth or fifth spots, or both. Right-handed hitting from corner outfielders will also have to come from either another team or within the farm system.

Those personnel decisions will still receive attention from Derek Falvey, but newly promoted Jeremy Zoll now takes a larger role as the general manager. His success is needed to help shape whether the Twins can contend for a Central Division title in 2025. Fans wonder how he will do and also why former GM Thad Levine is no longer with the club.

Falvey will not only continue to lead the baseball department but also will head business operations replacing Dave St. Peter as president in 2025 as part of a gradual transition. Falvey has been president of baseball operations since late 2016 and the Pohlads think he can do both jobs. He is well liked within the organization and is a collaborator. St. Peter will stick around indefinitely as a consultant and point man on the pending sale of the franchise.

One question that fans feel is already answered is the 2025 budget to pay players which reportedly will remain about $130 million. That figure was down from a reported $156 million budget in 2023, cut at least in part because of declining local TV revenue.

For 2025 MLB will be taking over production and distribution of Twins games. A source told Sports Headliners he didn’t know how much less revenue this will result in for the franchise, but described it as significantly less than in 2023 and further back.

Fans will have to figure out what’s best for them regarding how to watch the team. Games will be available via television and streaming. New cable and satellite channels will offer games in the Twins’ market area. At least some subscribers will need to pay more than when the 2024 season began.

Some fans couldn’t watch games on cable for a couple of months this past season because of a contract dispute between Comcast Xfinity and Bally Sports North.

Worth Noting

St. Peter, who announced this week he is transitioning from Twins president to an advisory role, is a Horatio Alger story. The University of North Dakota alum had a humble start in the Twin Cities including internships with the NHL North Stars and the Twins. He impressed Twins leaders early on, including when he managed the team’s pro shop in Richfield in 1991. Eleven years later he became the franchise’s fourth president.

St. Peter’s legacy includes his leadership in the drive to build Target Field, now recognized among the premier baseball stadiums in the country. Just his knowledge of stadiums seemingly positions him as a potential consultant to cities hoping to attract a MLB franchise.

The 7-6 Timberwolves are 4-1 when Anthony Edwards scores 30 or more points. He had 36 in last night’s overtime win against the Kings in Sacramento.

Gopher forward Parker Fox, now in his eighth season of college basketball, is worth a listen on Mondays in the 11 a.m. hour when he joins the Paul Allen program on KFNX-FM.

A Sports Headliners reader emailed to report that among those witnessing last Wednesday’s 14-point first half debacle by the basketball Gophers at Williams Arena was Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle. The Gophers, 2-1, lost 54-51 to North Texas, 3-0.

Jamal Mashburn Jr., who played one season for the Gophers and three at New Mexico, is in his final year of college eligibility at Temple where after four games the 6-2 guard is averaging 23.5 points per game.

The Minnesota Old Timers Hockey Association holds its annual November luncheon November 25 at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul. Minneapolis native, former Gopher and ex-Red Wings player Reed Larson will be the speaker, with Dick Jonckowski the emcee.

Jonckowski, who turned 81 last month, no longer drives because of family concerns but gets rides from others and is still working events. Don’t bother to ask for the Polish Eagle’s email address, he’s never had a computer and doesn’t plan on buying one.

Erich Martens, executive director of the Minnesota State High School League, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game.” Martens talks about the MSHL providing a fun, fair and safe environment for all concerned including athletes and coaches. Co-hosts are Patrick Klinger and Dave Boden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57tys0YUBHY&t=22s

Longtime professional wrestling fans were saddened to learn of Al DeRusha’s passing away at age 88 earlier this month. The Twin Cities native made a living behind and in front of TV cameras promoting shows for Verne Gagne (AWA) and Vince McMahon (WWF). A career highlight was DeRusha’s 2015 induction into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Carson Hansen, who was the A.P. Minnesota Player of the Year when he was at Lakeville South, leads the Iowa State Cyclones in both rushing yards, 495, and touchdowns, eight.

Chase Thompson, at 6-8 among the tallest quarterbacks in Minnesota prep history, is one of 10 finalists for the Mr. Football Award that will be announced December 15. The Alexandria athlete has committed to Clemson’s basketball program. He is the younger brother of former Gopher basketball player Treyton Thompson who is now at Stetson.

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Indiana Hoosier Envy? Go Ahead Big Ten Football Fans

Posted on November 11, 2024November 11, 2024 by David Shama

The Indiana football team has cast a shadow over much of the Big Ten this fall. The Hoosiers are historically among the most putrid of college football programs but not in 2024 with their 10-0 record, shot at a Big Ten championship and in solid contention for a spot in the 12-team college football playoffs.

Their success stands in contrast to not only the school’s bottom-feeding past but many other Big Ten programs who seldom deliver elite results including top 10 national rankings. Among those programs are the Golden Gophers who ironically won their last conference championship in 1967 when they finished in a three-way tie for the title with the Hoosiers and Purdue. That was Indiana’s last league title, too.

What’s happened at Indiana? The Hoosiers’ surreal success has been fueled by coaching, player transfers, health and scheduling. Those are the reasons the Hoosiers are a lofty No. 5 in the Associated Press national college football rankings.

First-year head coach Curt Cignetti, 63, is extraordinary. The college football world is seeing what others observed when Cignetti was on a smaller stage at places like James Madison. He is a football savvy, confident, demanding, ambitious and determined leader who refuses to accept the expected and knows how to deliver the results he wants.

Cignetti and his staff have taught their players to execute assignments with consistency and at a high level. Mistakes, including turnovers, are minimum. The Hoosiers also play with purpose and robust energy. They sometimes also play with an edge in strategy provided by their coaches, including when they successfully disguise the pre-snap intentions of their defensive linemen.

Coaches, of course, no matter how gifted, can’t win without talent. The Hoosiers, although not loaded with four and five-star recruits, have players who are physically and mentally able to perform at a high level in their systems. Offense, defense and special teams, it’s evident that the Indiana coaching staff found players who fit what they demand.

Indiana has 28 players who transferred into the program for the 2024 season, per 247Sports last week. Many of them are key contributors and came from a lower level of college football including James Madison where the Cignetti-led Dukes of 2023 went 11-2. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who was at Ohio U, is the marquee transfer name and is even a dark horse candidate to win the Heisman Trophy.

Rourke, who is one of the few Hoosiers likely to be drafted by an NFL team next spring, hurt his right thumb in the October 19 Nebraska game. He missed the second half of the game, and the following week was out against Washington. In Rourke’s absences the do no wrong Hoosiers didn’t flinch behind the play of backup quarterback Tayven Jackson.

After surgery, Rourke came back to help keep the Hoosiers’ Hollywood story rolling. His injury is one of the few significant ones sustained by the Hoosiers. The team lost left guard Drew Evans last week for the season due to an Achilles injury, but the roster has been remarkably healthy. Player availability, or durability as coaching legend Bud Grant used to say, is so significant in determining outcomes of games and Indiana has been fortunate.

Fortunate, too, has been the schedule that included nonconference cream puffs Charlotte, FIU and Western Illinois. The Hoosiers play No. 2 ranked Ohio State in Columbus on November 23 but overall their Big Ten schedule has been friendly. They don’t play the league’s two other top teams, undefeated Oregon, ranked No. 1 in the nation by the A.P., and once beaten Penn State, ranked No. 4.

But give the Hoosiers credit for manhandling most of their opposition. Until last Saturday’s 20-15 win over defending national champion Michigan, Indiana’s narrowest victories were a pair of 14-point triumphs over Maryland and Washington.

Indiana’s record last season under Tom Allen was 3-9 overall, 1-8 in conference games. The Hoosiers’ success is the best story in college football this fall but it’s not the only one of “Davids” rising up against “Goliaths.”

Vanderbilt is a graveyard for college football but has commanded respect this fall with its 6-4 record including an upset of then No. 1 ranked Alabama on October 10. The Vandy revival is led by quarterback Diego Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State who happened to land in Nashville along with Jerry Kill who is a senior advisor and chief consultant to head coach Clark Lea.

Colorado, nationally ranked and 7-2 on the season, has been transformed from one of the nation’s worst programs by coach Deion Sanders’ obsession with the transfer portal. The 2024 Buffs have a nation-leading 49 transfers, per On3.com.

The transfer portal has brought more parity to college football. Immediate eligibility at a new school is appealing to players who might be sitting on the bench at a traditional powerhouse school, or players who want to try competing at the Power Four level.

The portal brought Max Brosmer to Minnesota after his All-American quarterback career at New Hampshire. Brosmer’s performance this fall has him in the discussion of the better quarterbacks in Gopher history. And he’s not alone on the list of Minnesota transfer contributors including defensive back Jack Henderson, cornerback Ethan Robinson, running back Marcus Major and wide receiver Elijah Spencer.

Revenue sharing with players is on the horizon, likely to come next year. Speculation is Power Four schools will have budgets to pay players in the range of $20 million. A chance to play right away via the portal and make more money will give the Indianas and Minnesotas an opportunity to acquire talent that was unlikely years ago. (And traditional have nots who can provide significant Name, Image and Likeness rewards for players will only strengthen their ability to recruit personnel.)

A jump in collegiate football parity has arrived and should continue indefinitely. The Big Ten football standings show that. The Gophers, 4-3 in league games, sit in a traffic jam with 10 other teams that have three or four losses.

Minnesota, winners of four straight before a disappointing loss at Rutgers last Saturday, has two games remaining and a muddled outlook regarding a bowl destination. Fans cringe at the thought of returning to Detroit but in the unpredictable world of college football something better may await including Charlotte, Nashville or Florida.

Indiana has certainly proven how wacky things are. Upon arrival in Bloomington after being hired, Cignetti boldly listed a few programs that suck, including Michigan. The Wolverines may have used that as motivational bulletin board material last week but once again the clock didn’t strike midnight for the “Cinderella Hoosiers.”

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Looks Like the Vikings Second Best Team in NFC, But…

Posted on November 7, 2024November 7, 2024 by David Shama

Going into week 10 of the NFL season, the surprising 6-2 Vikings are probably the second-best team in the National Football Conference.

The 7-1 Lions, who defeated the Vikings 31-29 last month in Minneapolis, are a landslide choice as the premier team in the conference. The Packers, 6-3, would certainly get the vote for No. 2 among cheeseheads while ignoring at least a couple of facts.

Quarterback Jordan Love is having an injury-hindered season impacting his performance. Second, the Vikings defeated the Packers, 31-29, in Green Bay earlier this season in a game where Love threw three interceptions.

Sam Darnold image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

The surprising Commanders, 7-2, will get some “ballots” by east coast fans for No. 2 in the NFC. But Washington will live or die with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and has won four games by five points or fewer including a miracle ending 18-15 victory over the Bears. The Vikings have the edge over the Commanders, with an experienced quarterback in Sam Darnold, and better defense.

Minnesota starts a string of games beginning on Sunday playing opponents they should handle and pad their record against—going to 10-2, or at least 9-3. First up are the 2-7 Jags, followed by two more road opponents, the 2-6 Titans and the 4-4 Bears. Then on December 1 the Vikings are back home to play the 5-4 Cardinals.

All is well? Maybe, but what could go wrong is the kicking game. Rookie Will Reichard is on Injured Reserve and so is long snapper Andrew DePaola.

Four of the Vikings nine games have been decided by seven points or fewer. Miscues with snaps, field goals or extra points could result in close losses in coming weeks.

Not worried yet? Well, 2024 NFL games have fans reaching for Pepto Bismol. So far this is the most competitive NFL season ever. Seventy-five games have been decided by seven points or fewer and 65 by six points or fewer—both the most through Week 9 in league history.

New kicker John Parker Romo and long snapper Jake McQuaide will be scrutinized starting Sunday, with both knowing the bar is high in replacing Reichard and DePaola. Reichard didn’t miss a field goal until last Sunday night, going 14-14 in his first seven games and is perfect on extra points. DePaola is a former All-Pro and Pro Bowler in the last two years.

Romo, 27, has been with three other NFL teams but never played in an NFL game. In 2023 Romo made 17 of 19 field goals for the Brahmas of the XFL.

McQuaide, 36, is a 14-year veteran with 200 games of NFL experience. He was a Pro Bowler in 2016 and 2017 with the Rams.

In tight moments during the weeks ahead, go ahead and cross your fingers for the NFC’s second-best team.

Worth Noting

In case you forgot about the Jaguars, the last time they and the Vikings met was in December of 2020. The Vikings won in overtime in Minneapolis, 27-24.

Jags head coach Doug Pederson has a place in Minnesota football history. He was head man of the Eagles when blowing out the Vikings 38-17 in the January 2018 NFC championship game. Pederson, BTW, may have trouble holding his job in Jacksonville where prized QB Trevor Lawrence has struggled.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell talking about his outstanding seventh year right tackle: “I think Brian O’Neill is having one of his best seasons I know that I’ve been a part of with him, and he’s been an established core player in this organization for a long time. But I cannot say enough about what he means to our offense and what he’s been able to do this year at the right tackle spot, playing some of the best football of his career for sure.”

NBC’s cameras caught J.J. McCarthy on the sideline of last Sunday’s Vikings-Colts game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The impromptu shot showed the injured rookie quarterback, with a stocking cap perched on his head, letting out a yawn during the late-night game.

The Timberwolves, coming off one of the winningest years in franchise history dating back to the beginning in 1989-1990, have sold over 11,000 season tickets for 2024-2025. In its announcement last month, the club said this is the first time reaching 11,000 since the inaugural season at Target Center in 1990. And the Wolves reported adding more new season tickets than any other NBA franchise.

It’s believed that the Wild has about 12.500 season tickets sold for 2024-2025, and renewed about 90 percent of past customers. Since the club’s inception in 2000-2001 yearly season ticket totals have been considerably higher. A source said there was a year that 16,500 were sold.

Julius Randle has 150 points, 45 rebounds and 33 assists in his first seven games with the 4-3 Timberwolves who play the Bulls in Chicago tonight. No other player in franchise history has totaled 150 points, 40+ rebounds and 30+ assists in their first seven games.

Darren Wolfson said on SKOR North the three legal authorities involved with the arbitration process to determine ownership control of the Timberwolves and Lynx are being paid $25,000 per day. The arbitration process between present owner Glen Taylor and the Marc Lore-Alex Rodriguez group is this week in Minneapolis.

Credible speculation is the Davis family of Minnesota has interest in purchasing the Twins from the Pohlads. Marty Davis, a source said, would be a high profile and determined owner.

The Pohlads, who have owned the franchise since 1984, have long been criticized by fans for not spending enough money on player payroll. What’s generally not known by the public is they have been loyal and generous to employees over the years.

Eric Curry, the well-known Minneapolis area college basketball referee, will work the Maui Invitational in Hawaii that is scheduled November 25-27.

The Gopher football team that plays at Rutgers Saturday morning faces a Scarlet Knights group that after winning its first four games of the season has lost four in a row including a 42-7 beat down by the Badgers in Piscataway. The Gophers, 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, will try to win five consecutive games for the first time since 2019 when they began the season winning nine straight. Rutgers is 4-4 overall, 1-4 in league games.

The quarterback spotlight will be brighter than in most games, with former Minnesota starter Athan Kaliakmanis now at Rutgers matched up against his 2024 successor Max Brosmer. Kaliakmanis, in eight games, has completed 54.1 percent of his passes, with nine touchdown throws and five interceptions—a QB rating of 119.5. Brosmer, in nine games, has completed 68.2 percent of his passes, with 13 touchdown throws and four interceptions— 140.3 QB rating.

Rosters for the annual Minnesota High School All-Star Football game December 14 at U.S. Bank Stadium will be announced next Tuesday on Randy Shaver’s prep podcast (YouTube) and seen later in the day at http://www.allstarfootball.org.

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