Golden Gophers – Page 330 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Hageman Goal to Start as NFL Rookie

Posted on May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 by David Shama

Ra’Shede Hageman will have to wait another night to learn what NFL team wants him. Last evening was a disappointment for the former Gophers defensive lineman who was one of only 30 players invited by the NFL to be present for the first round of the draft.

All 32 teams passed on Hageman who had his adoptive parents and Washburn High School football coach Giovan Jenkins among his guests in New York for the draft that continues tonight with rounds two and three. The ex-Washburn all-state player could have become the first Gopher who is a native Minnesotan to be drafted in the first round since the Packers chose running back Darrell Thompson in 1990.

Chris Burke’s NFL Mock Draft in the May 5 issue of Sports Illustrated had Hageman going in the first round to the Cowboys at No. 16. “His motor ran hot and cold for the Gophers,” Burke wrote. “When he’s on, though, few can disrupt the pocket like this 6’6” monster.”

Other draft forecasters didn’t have Hageman being chosen in the first round. Hageman’s draft profile on NFL.com refers to him as a top 50 prospect, not a certainty for the first round. The profile praised his size, athleticism and mobility but cautioned about his technique and said his “motor idles.”

Jenkins told Sports Headliners last night Hageman said he will be okay. “We all know he’ll go (be drafted) tomorrow,” said Jenkins who heard the Bears, Cardinals and Patriots had first round interest.

Hageman told Sports Headliners earlier in the week he was prepared for whatever happens in the draft. His goals are to be a starter as a rookie and “work as hard as I can.”

As the radio analyst on Gophers games, Thompson watched Hageman’s college career and said recently he would be somewhat surprised if Hageman wasn’t a first round pick.

“I think he will be successful (in the NFL),” Thompson said. “I think he can be a force to be reckoned with. He’s got to learn to pay with leverage to take advantage of his strength and power. He can have an eight or 10 year career.”

What about the “motor?” Thompson believes a couple of factors are likely to motivate Hageman in the pros. In practice Hageman will face superior competition than with the Gophers. “He (otherwise) could get manhandled in (pro) practice,” Thompson said.

The other factor? “He’s playing for money now. That’s a motivator,” Thompson said.

Worth Noting

The Vikings chose Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the No. 32 pick in the first round, a surprise move Minnesota made by acquiring the Seahawks first round draft choice. In taking Bridgewater the Vikings passed on Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr who ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said last night could be the “steal of the draft.”

The Vikings preferred Bridgewater, a player who excites ESPN analyst Ray Lewis. “He has what it takes to take Minnesota to the next level,” Lewis said.

The final bid to host the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis was submitted this week to the NFL. On May 20 the league will award the game to Minneapolis, Indianapolis or New Orleans.

Dave Mona isn’t part of the Minnesota Bid Committee but he was involved with the effort bringing the 1992 game to the Metrodome. He is confident Minneapolis will be awarded a second Super Bowl, if not in 2018 then another year. “I am practically 100 percent certain we’ll get a Super Bowl,” he told Sports Headliners.

Mona, a longtime Minneapolis area public relations executive and WCCO Radio sports talk show host, said NFL owners like to reward cities that have new stadiums. The prospect of hosting the Super Bowl is commonly promoted in civic drives by cities trying to build stadiums. The new downtown facility here opens in 2016 and a Super Bowl has been in the conversation even before the state of Minnesota and city of Minneapolis agreed to fund the stadium along with the Vikings.

Mona recalled the Minnesota Super Bowl bid contingent was twice turned down before the 1992 game was awarded to Minneapolis. Along the way the group changed strategy, moving from a soft sell to willingness by Vikings general manager Mike Lynn to support favored initiatives by other NFL owners in return for Super Bowl votes. “We turned it into a political campaign and I think that’s what won it for us,” Mona said.

A veteran basketball source told Sports Headliners he believes Timberwolves president Flip Saunders also wants to coach the team. Owner Glen Taylor, though, has said he wants to keep Saunders in his present role and find someone else to coach. The source believes Saunders’ best chance to persuade Taylor that he should have both jobs is to insist he, Saunders, is the coach most likely to convince All-Star forward Kevin Love to sign a new contract next year.

Saunders, who has coached three NBA teams including the Wolves, has worked at building rapport with Love who becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2015. “I would be pessimistic about their chances to keep Love,” the source said.

The source believes the Wolves, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2004, still are a project team with multiple flaws. He questions whether Love, 25, wants to commit his future to such a franchise. His criticism of the Wolves includes point guard Ricky Rubio who he faults for fourth quarter turnovers and not making shots.

“They have to promote him to sell tickets. He does the spectacular but not the ordinary,” the source said.

It seems unlikely the Wolves will pursue fired Warriors coach Mark Jackson who is associated with controversy, including with Breitbart.com asking in a story on Wednesday if Jackson was let go at least partially because of his Christian views on gay marriage.

Taylor, who is interim chair of the NBA board of governors, has been told by the league not to talk about the Clippers and the expected forced sale of the franchise by owner Donald Sterling.

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GM, Coach Bios Give Vikes Draft Clues

Posted on May 2, 2014May 2, 2014 by David Shama

Anyone who claims to know for certain who the Vikings will draft first next week is hallucinating.

The Vikings have eight picks in the NFL Draft next Thursday, Friday and Saturday including the No. 8 choice in the first round. The team’s personnel decision makers have extensive information on prospects and know who they prefer and what their needs are going into next week’s seven round draft.

But locked and loaded on who to choose first? No chance.

Look at last year’s draft when general manager Rick Spielman made trades that gave his franchise three first round picks, not one. In 2012 Spielman maneuvered to secure two choices in the first round and extra picks in later rounds.

Spielman’s past willingness to make trades and shuffle his team’s draft order is a clue about what might happen next week. So, too, is the background of new head coach Mike Zimmer who made his reputation in the NFL as defensive coordinator of the Bengals. He will take his best shot at upgrading Minnesota’s defense as fast as possible. That could mean a preference in this draft for aggressive and rangy defensive players.

While the Zimmer file provides some draft clues, remember the offense looks like it will be at least partially entrusted to new coordinator Norv Turner. A former head coach and veteran quarterback authority, Turner’s views on offensive personnel figure to weigh heavily in the draft.

Opinions about the potential of the top quarterbacks are varied and controversial but if Turner is enamored with one or two prospects that could mean the Vikings stay at No. 8 in the first round, or even try to move up in the draft. Chris Burke’s mock draft in this week’s Sports Illustrated has the Vikings choosing Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles. At 6-foot-5 with a strong and accurate arm, Bortles not only has classic NFL quarterback attributes, but his intelligence also seems like a good fit for Turner’s complex offense.

Spielman has scored in the past with some quality players in the draft including tight end Kyle Rudolph and wide receiver-kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson but his reputation with fans is tarnished because Christian Ponder, his No. 12 choice in 2011, hasn’t developed into a franchise quarterback. But because Spielman was burned with Ponder doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t risk another high draft choice on a quarterback.

It’s possible the Vikings could trade up in the draft to find their quarterback, or fill a linebacker spot with highly regarded Khalil Mack from Buffalo. To do that the Vikings might trade with the Rams who have the No. 2 pick. The Vikings could offer extra lower round draft choices to the Rams, plus their No. 8 first round spot.

Probably more likely, though, is a move by the Vikings to boost their total number of picks from eight to 10 or more for what is considered a draft deep in talent. The Vikings need help at so many positions, particularly on defense, that increasing the number of draft choices makes sense. Then, too, Zimmer is expected to work effectively with players who are regarded as projects and could be lower round selections.

The 49ers, a team in need of a personnel adjustment or two to perhaps return to the Super Bowl, might be a trade partner for Minnesota. The 49ers have the No. 30 pick in the first round but they have 11 total draft choices. Burke predicts the 49ers will take Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby at No. 30 but wrote the 49ers have the “ammo for a leap up the board.”

The 49ers have six picks in the top 100 while the Vikings own four. Those are attractive numbers for both franchises. The stuff of trades but until draft day comes nobody knows for certain what’s next including those who are paid to make the moves.

Worth Noting

Burke’s mock draft for Sports Illustrated has defensive end Jadevon Clowney from South Carolina going No. 1 overall to the Texans. He predicts Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel will be the first quarterback drafted at No. 4 by the Browns.

Here’s what Burke forecasts for Vikings NFC North rivals in the first round: Lions at No. 10 choose UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr; Bears, No. 14, pick Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald; Packers, No. 21, take Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier.

Burke’s second round includes the Vikings choosing BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy at No. 40.

Gerry DiNardo said on the Big Ten TV Network Monday night Iowa and Nebraska are the teams most likely to win the Big Ten Conference’s new West Division next fall. His choices in the East are Michigan State and Ohio State.

DiNardo said the Gophers, a member of the West, need to improve their offense. In eight Big Ten games last season Minnesota was 8^th in rushing, 12^th in passing and 10^th in scoring.

The Wild, who open a second round Stanley Cup playoff series tonight in Chicago against the Blackhawks, will have tickets for Minnesota’s home games going on sale tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. at Xcel Energy Center and Ticketmaster. Single game tickets range in price from $49 to $146.

It will be interesting to follow the local TV ratings in the series. Wednesday night’s game seven first round finale between the Wild and Avalanche was the highest-rated telecast ever in Fox Sports North history. The telecast had a 16.4 household rating in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, according to Nielsen Media Research. The previous record, a 15.3 rating, was in August of 2010 for a Twins-White Sox game.

In the Minneapolis–St. Paul market, 17,280 households represent one rating point. That means over 283,390 households tuned in Wednesday night. The telecast received a 32 share, signifying 32 percent of the viewing audience in the Twins Cities area watched the game. During overtime the telecast reached its peak viewing audience with a 18.3 rating and 49 share, indicating nearly half of Twin Cities households were tuned in.

Coach Richard Pitino’s 2014 six-man recruiting class includes one Minnesota native, shooting guard Zach Lofton who attended Columbia Heights High School and is transferring to the Gophers from Illinois State. Lofton will sit out next season as a transfer and junior forward Joey King from Eagan will be the only scholarship Minnesotan on the roster.

Pitino’s 2015 recruiting class could be led by two Minnesotans, DeLaSalle point guard Jarvis Johnson and Grand Rapids forward Alex Illikainen. Both have been ranked as top 100 recruits by Rivals.com but neither has made a college commitment.

New Gophers women’s basketball coach Marlene Stollings is working on completing her staff.

The Twins lost a doubleheader with the Dodgers yesterday as part of a three game interleague series. The Dodgers won all three games in the series including the extra innings finale last night, the longest in Target Field history at 5 hours, 11 minutes.

Aaron Hicks, who has seen his playing time reduced recently, started in center field in both games. He was hitless and his average for the season dropped to .178. Last year as a rookie he batted .192. Hicks left the second game after suffering concussion-like symptoms. If healthy, and not on the injured list, it seems probable that when Twins outfielders Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia return from injuries Hicks will be demoted to Triple-A Rochester.

The National League Dodgers have a history here. The Dodgers not only played the Twins in the 1965 World Series but during the 1950s had their American Association farm team in St. Paul. The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958 but before that tried to convince the New York borough to build major league baseball’s first domed stadium. The New York Giants, who operated the Minneapolis Millers farm team here, joined the Dodgers in California in 1958 by moving to San Francisco. Before deciding on California the Giants seriously considered moving to Minneapolis.

KARE TV’s Randy Shaver will speak at the Thursday, May 8 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. Shaver, who is well known for his work in raising money for cancer research and patient aid, was a sportscaster at the station for almost 30 years before becoming a weeknight news anchor. Reservations for the lunch and program should be made by next Monday or sooner. Contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Gustavus Adolphus men’s tennis team won the MIAC regular season championship for the 26th consecutive season. This year’s title is the 47th for the program since 1940 and the fifth for head coach Tommy Valentini since taking over the program in the 2009-10 season. Within their run of 26 straight league titles, the Gusties won 242 consecutive MIAC matches.

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Walters Wants More Time for Family

Posted on April 30, 2014May 1, 2014 by David Shama

Charley Walters decided it’s time to stop going to bed every night with three telephones nearby.

The Pioneer Press sports columnist will end his full-time career of almost 39 years with the newspaper at the end of May. The demands of a 24-hour news cycle and desire to have more time for family and personal interests convinced Walters to step away from a career he thought about even as a kid growing up in Minneapolis.

“I just turned 67 and there are a lot of things Paula and I want to do,” he told Sports Headliners recently. “I love my career, and the St. Paul paper has been terrific to me. But I want to ride bicycles, go for hikes, read the 10 books I am only 20 to 30 pages into (and) visit my kids.

“We want to see all the national parks. We’ve done a lot of travel and want to do a lot more of that. I don’t have time with this column.”

Walters’ wife Paula is a Twin Cities pediatrician and is also retiring soon. The couple has three grown children, with two of them living out of state. The children are a priority for Walters and so too is 92-year-old mother Bertha Walters. “Paramount (to having more time) is being able to see mom in eldercare,” he said.

Walters has extensive contacts and his newsy notes column has been a must-read for Minnesota sports fans. Admirers will be happy to know the column won’t be completely disappearing. After he told newspaper bosses a couple of weeks ago he was retiring, they asked him to become a part-time employee and write Sunday columns. He agreed and that means continuing to make good use of 3,500 phone numbers accumulated during nearly four decades of journalism.

A journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota, Walters said his “proudest moment at the newspaper” came when he played a role in the Pioneer Press investigative reporting of the academic fraud scandal in the Gophers men’s basketball program. The newspaper’s lead reporter on the story, George Dorhmann, won a Pulitzer Prize but Walters got things started, although he still won’t say how he did it.

Knowing what’s going on in Minnesota sports has interested Walters since he was a kid delivering the Minneapolis Tribune at 5:30 a.m. His enthusiasm for news and competitiveness to find scoops is evident when he talks about his career. “Sometimes I will make a dozen phone calls just to get a one sentence item in the newspaper,” he said. “The best part (of the job) is people seem to enjoy it. It’s a lot of work but I have no problem filling space.”

Walters began his newspaper career after a few years of professional baseball. Included were several big league games pitching for the Twins in 1969. “There were only two things in my whole life I wanted to do,” Walters said. “One was to play major league baseball and the other was to be in the newspaper business. I’ve been able to do those things.”

Among his peers, Walters will be missed for more than newsy columns. He has never become caught up in self-importance. He greets friends with a secret handshake and is ready to tell or hear a good story. His humble personality is what you might expect from a guy who grew up in working class northeast Minneapolis.

“I don’t care for self-promoters,” Walters said. “I don’t think that gets you anywhere. I think your work gets it done.”

Worth Noting

Shattuck-St. Mary’s hockey coach Tom Ward has been following the Faribault prep school’s many alumni participating in the NHL playoffs. Among them are Wild forwards Erik Haula (2008-2009) and Zach Parise (2000-2002).

Ward is particularly close to Parise with the two talking and texting regularly. “We talk about hockey a lot,” Ward told Sports Headliners.

The Wild play the Avalanche tonight in Denver with their best of seven series tied at three games each. The Wild have struggled trying to shut down Nathan MacKinnon, the 18-year-old forward who is also a Shattuck-St. Mary’s alum. He has 10 points on eight assists and two goals in the series.

MacKinnon left Shattuck after his sophomore year so he never played for Ward, the varsity head coach. “He was always a fast, energetic player,” Ward said. “He’s really rounded out his game since he left here.”

Ward is proud of all his Shattuck-St. Mary’s alums who are in the playoffs. “They’re all humble, hard working guys. Team first guys,” Ward said.

Former North Stars general manager Lou Nanne said on KFAN Radio with Dan Barreiro last night if Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper has his best game of the series Minnesota will win.

Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman will be drafted No. 16 in the first round by the Cowboys, according to Chris Burke’s NFL Mock Draft in the May 5 issue of Sports Illustrated. “His motor ran hot and cold for the Gophers,” Burke wrote. “When he’s on, though, few can disrupt the pocket like this 6’6” monster.”

Former Gophers linebacker Mike Rallis has signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and is training for his wrestling career in Florida.

Ex-Gophers defensive back and Jim Thorpe Award winner Tyrone Carter is promoting a football camp on Saturday and Sunday at Woodbury High School where scheduled instructors include former Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss. The Tyrone Carter Elite Training Schools Camp is for participants who are in the 8^th thru 12^th grades this school year.

Position-specific training is offered, and scheduled coaches include ex-Vikings David Dixon and Everett Lindsay, and former Gophers Phil Archer, Duane Bennett, Michael Carter, Ukee Dozier, Ron Johnson, Tellis Redmon and Darrell Reid. There is a registration discount code, “Elite.” More camp information at Tcelitetraining.com.

Congratulations to Mark Sheffert, former Gophers football walk-on, who is part of the 2014 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame class that will be honored by Twin Cities Business Magazine on July 23 at the Hilton Minneapolis. Sheffert is chairman and chief executive officer of Manchester Companies. He has over 40 years of business experience and was president at First Bank System (now US Bancorp).

It wouldn’t be surprising if former Timberwolves assistant coach Eric Musselman, who has also been an NBA head coach with two teams, has been in contact with Flip Saunders. Musselman resigned this spring as an assistant at Arizona State. His connection with Saunders, the Wolves president of basketball operations, dates back to when Eric’s father Bill Musselman was Gophers head coach and Flip was a Minnesota player. The Wolves are reviewing candidates to succeed Rick Adelman who resigned earlier this month.

Saint John’s head baseball coach Jerry Haugen increased his career win total to 702 last week with four victories. His record is 702-589-5 record (.543) in 37 seasons at Saint John’s.

The National Senior Games website says Minneapolis has been described as the “healthiest city in America” and refers to 22 city lakes and 6,000 acres of park land. The Games will be hosted by Bloomington, Minneapolis and St. Paul July 3-16 of next year. There are 19 sports involved and past competitors have been in their 90s and older.

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