Golden Gophers – Page 32 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

P.J. Fleck Makes Case for Better Gopher Pass Game in 2024

Posted on July 25, 2024 by David Shama

In 13 games last season the Golden Gophers football team averaged 20.3 points per game, ranking 12^th in the 14-team Big Ten. Minnesota was mediocre running the football and had a dismal passing game, adding up to an offense averaging 300.9 yards per game—again 12^th in the league.

“When you have the Big Ten kicker of the Year, you’re probably not very good on offense,” head coach P.J. Fleck said today at Big Ten media days in Indianapolis. Fleck is a big fan of returning kicker Dragan Kesich and his proficiency for kicking field goals but knows his offense must produce in 2024 to improve on last season’s 6-7 record.

Fleck said personnel limitations and injuries dictated what the offense could do last season. “We want that to be better. We want that (offense) to be way more balanced,” Fleck told reporters in Indy at a news conference televised on BTN. “We also have to have the personnel to do that, which I think we have.

“We’re deeper at wideout, we’re deeper at tight end. We’ve basically got our whole line coming back. We’ve got a really good quarterback who is really consistent. …We’ve got a running back room that’s really deep. And if we can stay healthy, we can be balanced and be consistent on a daily basis on the offensive side of the ball.”

At the most important position in football, Minnesota has newcomer Max Brosmer. The transfer from New Hampshire was a second team FCS All-American last season.

Fleck said the Gophers were committed to finding a portal quarterback for 2024 who would be the starter. Someone with talent and a match for the program’s culture that stresses teamwork, academics and citizenship. Fleck tells his players to work at being better people than players, believing if you’re a better person you will become a better player.

Brosmer will have just one season of eligibility with the Gophers, but his leadership has already been so apparent to the coaches and players. “He’s a meticulous ‘why’ seeker and he’s a very, curious, curious individual. And anytime you have a curious leader, you can accomplish a lot.

“The quote that he is a coach on the field gets thrown around a lot, but he truly is. He could be a doctor and a surgeon which he probably will be, but he’ll be a phenomenal coach if he decides (to be) that one day after he’s done playing.”

Adam Weber, the former Gopher quarterback who still holds school records for career passing yards and career touchdown passes, has spent time with Brosmer. “He’s very impressive,” Weber told Sports Headliners Tuesday.

Worth Noting

Fleck, entering his eighth season with the Gophers, said he and athletic director Mark Coyle have worked together longer than any head football coach-athletic director duo in the Big Ten. Fleck emphasizes the importance of sustainability in a program’s culture that comes about when leadership is in place for a long time. Minnesota had four different head coaches between 1997 and 2016.

An example, he said, of how culture translates into sustainability is the Gophers return 16 of 17 eligible starters from last season’s team.

None of those starters has received more preseason hype than offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery. Ersery is a member of the latest EA Sports College Football 25. Not only ranked at No. 24, but he is also the highest rated offensive lineman in the Big Ten.

Fleck reiterated he “loves Minnesota” and said he and wife Heather have been building a new home for more than two years and it will be completed in two weeks.

Thirteen Golden Gophers have been named as candidates to play in the January 30, 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, Texas. That’s more than defending national champion Michigan has with nine on the watch list for the postseason all-star game.

Gophers are: Max Brosmer, Quinn Carroll, Tyler Cooper, Aireontae Ersery, Jack Henderson, Daniel Jackson, Jah Joyner, Dragan Kesich, Cody Lindenberg, Jalen Logan-Redding, Elijah Spencer, Danny Striggow, Justin Walley. https://shrinebowl.com/shrine-bowl-1000/

Former Gophers defensive back Brock Vereen, along with Rick Pizzo, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith, will host a new 30-minute B1G Countdown to Kickoff show on BTN this summer and fall to prepare fans for the Big Ten games of the day.

Condolences to family and friends of Rochester native and Gophers’ swimming great Steve Jackman, 83, who died last month. Once referred to as “the fastest man in the world” after twice winning the NCAA 50-yard free style races, Jackman was an 11-time All-American at Minnesota. Jackman graduated in 1968 from the University of Minnesota Medical school and practiced radiology at the Mayo Clinic and Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois, according to the Springfield-based State Journal Register website.

Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards is the youngest player at age 22 on the men’s Olympic basketball roster. Wolves coach Chris Finch sees another opportunity for Edwards to grow from the opportunity, watching how some of the world’s greatest players prepare and handle themselves as professionals.

Edwards has predicted he can contribute in big moments for the U.S. team. “His confidence is something that fuels him, to be quite honest with you,” Finch told Sports Headliners earlier this month.

The team’s opening game in the Paris Olympics is Sunday against Serbia. Start time is 10:15 a.m. CDT with NBC televising.

The Summer Olympics begin tomorrow and cybersecurity company AVG has a warning: phishing and scam attacks rise during the summer and winter games. Attacks were up 280 percent during the 2021 summer Olympics and 238 percent for the 2022 winter games, per AVG.

Hollis Cavner has been a golf trailblazer here for more than 30 years. His efforts began with the Burnet Senior Classic in 1993, then the Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic and 3M Championship and now the 3M Open, Minnesota’s PGA Tour stop in its sixth year and going on this week at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine.

Cavner, his employees and volunteers have put high quality golf on the map in Minnesota while raising millions of dollars for local charities and boosting the economy. With the objective of growing interest in the game, kids 16 and under are admitted free to the tournament.

Cavner excels in building relationships including with young golfers such as Sahith Theegala who turned pro in 2020 and is now ranked No. 11 in the world. He will be at the 3M Open as will young players granted an exemption to participate including former Gopher Ben Warian.

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Twins’ Willi Castro Worthy Candidate for 9-Positions Game

Posted on July 20, 2024July 20, 2024 by David Shama

In September of 1968 the Twins were headed to a 79-83 seventh place finish in the American League standings. With the club out of pennant contention, owner Calvin Griffith okayed a gimmick to boost local fan interest in his team.

Versatile Cesar Tovar, then 28, agreed to play all nine positions in the field. Tovar, who played at least 175 games or more at third, short, second and the three outfield spots in his 12-year MLB career, got the tough work out of the way early in the September 22 game against the Athletics at Met Stadium by pitching a scoreless first inning and then catching in the second.

Tovar is one of only five players in MLB history to have manned all nine positions in a single game and the Venezuelan native, who died in 1994, is the only Twin to have pulled off the feat. Tovar, who played his most games in the outfield for the Twins, ranks with the best multi-position players in franchise history but probably none can compare in versatility and fielding prowess to current super utility man Willi Castro.

Asked about Castro one day joining the list of nine position performers on the single game list, club president Dave St. Peter replied that would be in the “purview” of manager Rocco Baldelli. With the Twins among the American League favorites to be in contention for a spot in the playoffs until the closing days of the season, don’t expect Castro and Baldelli to have a you-know-what discussion this year.

The Twins, 54-42 and five games behind the Guardians in the AL Central Division, resume their post-All-Star Game break schedule tonight at home against the Brewers. Castro is the only Twin to have played in all 96 games this season. He has appeared in 30 games at second base, 24 at short, 23 in left field, 21 at third base and 20 in center while committing only 10 errors.

Castro, who has hit .265 with 10 stolen bases in 2024, has already become the only player in MLB history to have played at least 20 games at second, short, third, left field and center field in a single season. His versatility, skills and durability have stood out in a season where the club has seen stars Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton sidelined. No wonder St. Peter told Sports Headliners Castro is “arguably” the team’s MVP so far.

Castro, whose best position in the field is probably shortstop, has even pitched for the Twins this season. To save bullpen arms, Castro has pitched in two games and given up no hits or runs. He took the mound in a 2023 game for the Twins, too, reportedly throwing pitches under 50 MPH.

The 27-year-old Puerto Rico native, who made the 2024 All-Star team as a late addition to the roster, played for the division rival Tigers, the organization that decided in the fall of 2022 he wasn’t worth retaining after four seasons with the club. The Twins, though, including baseball boss Derek Falvey, saw things differently.

St. Peter said Falvey, who was with the Indians organization when Castro started his pro baseball career, deserves “lots of credit” for seeing the potential and value of their super utility player. In today’s baseball that puts a premium on multi-positional talent, the Twins hit it out of the park with Castro.

Castro, whose Mr. Versatile profile includes being a switch hitter, signed with the Indians in 2013 as an international free agent. He was traded by Cleveland in 2018 to the Tigers who ultimately decided they didn’t want to enter arbitration on his contract and let him go.

Worth Noting

Mauer photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins.

Joe Mauer, the former Twin who goes into the Baseball Hall of Fame tomorrow, would make the top 10 of all-time catchers from many authorities. Best ever? No consensus choice, but Johnny Bench from the Reds is a clear top five if not No. 1.

Roy Campanella, who played for the minor league St. Paul Saints in 1948, had his MLB career with the Dodgers cut short by a tragic car accident that left him paralyzed. His talent teased at being named the best ever.

Jordan Addison, the Vikings 22-year-old wide receiver who in about 12 months has two serious incidents with law enforcement, is probably in a zero tolerance spot with the organization going forward.

Vikings rookies, quarterbacks and select players report to training camp Sunday at Twin Cities Orthopedics Center in Eagan. The remaining players report Tuesday for the Vikings who have their first of three preseason games (lone appearance in Minneapolis) on August 10 against the Raiders.

All three games will be telecast in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market on Fox 9.

3M Open boss Hollis Cavner speaks to the Twin Cities Dunkers on Tuesday, with Gophers head football coach P.J. Fleck talking to the group August 1 at Interlachen Country Club. Fleck will be joined by Floyd of Rosedale.

With the Big Ten expanding to 18 schools, the conference’s football media preview in Indianapolis has been expanded from two to three days. Fleck is up on Thursday, speaking at 10:45 a.m. Minneapolis time. The Big Ten Network will televise the appearances of all 18 coaches Tuesday-Thursday.

Shari Ballard, who became the first female CEO in Major League Soccer in 2021 when she was hired by the United, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game.” Ballard shares her story, including her path from small town Michigan to top executive at Best Buy, with co-hosts Patrick Klinger and April Seifert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH0E3l5x6-Q&t=112s

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Twins Trio Rate Comeback Player of Year Candidacy

Posted on July 9, 2024July 9, 2024 by David Shama

More than halfway through the 2024 season, the Twins feature three players who are worthy of American League Comeback Player of the Year candidacy. Post-season MLB annually announces recipients in both the American and National Leagues after a vote by media who cover the 30 teams. Initially, each MLB club puts up one candidate for voting.

Criteria for selection is broad with the MLB.com website referring to the winners as being “one player in each league who has re-emerged on the field during the season.” Hello, Jose Miranda, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton who have “written scripts” making them comeback candidates.

Third baseman and DH Miranda had a miserable 2023 spending much of the season on the Injured List because of shoulder impingement. He had only 142 at bats and hit .211. That was after a rookie season in 2022 when his numbers included 444 plate appearances, 15 home runs and a 268 average.

In spring training there was no certainty Miranda would even make the roster, but his plate production has been eye-popping including his .332 average and .907 OPS. Last week he tied a MLB record with hits in 12 consecutive at bats. In the field the versatile Miranda has started several games at first base.

It was commonplace last season to reference the term plantar fasciitis with Correa. The injury to his left foot didn’t cause him to miss too much time in the lineup but it damaged his mechanics and hitting production. He had an eight-year career low in batting average (.230) and a disappointing OPS (.711). As usual, though, his fielding at shortstop was outstanding.

With better health, Correa’s 2024 performance has earned him an invitation to next week’s 2024 All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. The Twins highest paid player after signing a reported $200 million contract before the 2023 season, Correa has silenced his critics with his play in the field, his hitting and leadership. He’s batting .303 with an impressive .886 OPS.

Buxton has long been the Twins poster man for injuries and extensive missed time in the lineup. Since 2017 when Buxton had a career high 140 games, the gifted 30-year-old has played in as few games as 28 and no more than 92. In 2023 injuries were problematic again and his role was designated hitter.

Although Buxton missed 15 games earlier this season with right knee inflammation, he has made more than 55 starts in center field and had a few DH appearances. His total games of 69 are only 16 fewer than his 85 all last season (39, 61 and 92 games respectively in 2020-2022). Buxton is hitting .324 in his last 30 games and his .272 season batting average is second best to a career high of .306 in 2021.

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the Red Sox, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino of the Royals, and pitcher Carlos Rodon from the Yankees are national names frequently mentioned for AL Comeback Player of the Year, with authorities recognizing there is a lot of baseball to be played until late September.

Worth Noting

It was almost a year ago (June 29) the Twins signed a free agent player to a minor league contract whose size prompts comparisons with Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, 6-7, 282 pounds. Outfielder Carson McCusker, 6-8 and 250-pounds, was signed by Minnesota out of independent league baseball, and he is now playing for the organization’s Double-A Wichita team. In 236 at bats, he is hitting .284, with seven home runs and 39 RBI.

When the Vikings open their season September 8, it will be the first time Minnesota has played at the Giants in week one since 1969. Fran Tarkenton threw three touchdown passes for the Giants in that game and New York overcame a 23-10 second half deficit to win 24-23, per Pro-football-reference.com. Tarkenton, drafted by Minnesota in 1961, had been traded from the Vikings to the Giants before the 1967 season.

Despite the prowess of the 49ers over the years, San Francisco has lost eight consecutive games in Minneapolis. The Vikings host the 49ers September 15 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Big Ten Conference has expanded to 18 schools but that didn’t do much for representation in Jeff Borzello’s “way too early” top 25 college men’s basketball rankings last week. Purdue, at No. 16, received the highest ranking among Big Ten teams in the listing. Indiana checked in at No. 18 and other Big Ten schools recognized were league newcomer UCLA at No. 24 and Rutgers at No. 25.

The conference has been overrated for decades and no Big Ten school has won the NCAA title since 2001 when Michigan State did it.

Look for media predictions having coach Ben Johnson’s 2024-2025 Gophers finishing among the bottom six teams in the league standings.

The Lynx will collect a ticket revenue bonanza Sunday, with prices on the team’s website yesterday ranging from $29 to four-figures to watch rookie sensation Caitlin Clark and the Fever at Target Center.

Bryce Benhart, the senior from Lakeville who turns 24 on July 14, is expected to set a Cornhusker record for career starts by an offensive lineman this season. He is tied for the lead with 41.

That’s former Golden Gophers cheerleader (Kennedy Cummins then) making a name for herself (Carlee Bright now) in professional wrestling with the WWE.

Familiar names Fred Bryan from the NFL, Ken Mauer Jr. of the NBA and Tim Tschida from MLB are no longer professional officials, but they will share career experiences and talk about how officiating is evolving to keep up with technology when they appear at the July 17 Capital Club breakfast at Mendakota Country Club. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com

Heroes lost: Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda and Greg Larson. The recent deaths of Mays and Cepeda struck a chord with Minnesotans old enough to remember both played for the Minneapolis Millers. Mays joined the New York Giants in 1951 and Cepeda was a star rookie for the team in 1958, the franchise’s first in San Francisco. Snooty San Franciscans booed the transplanted Mays while adopting Cepeda as their own. The Giants, who came close to relocating to Minneapolis instead of San Francisco, would have been an entertainment phenomenon here—with the adoration starting with former Millers Mays and Cepeda.

Larson, who passed away in June like Mays and Cepeda did, was a home-grown hero. The Minneapolis born Larson captained the 1960 Golden Gophers national football championship team. A three-year letter winner, Larson was an All-Big Ten center in 1960 for his team that tied Iowa for the conference title.

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