Golden Gophers – Page 331 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ex-U Coach Not Big Donald Sterling Fan

Posted on April 28, 2014April 28, 2014 by David Shama

Former Gophers basketball coach Bill Fitch worked for Clippers owner Donald Sterling who is in the national news because of an inflammatory audio recording that surfaced on the TMZ website.

The NBA is investigating the recording to determine if the racist remarks are the voice of Sterling. The recording has caused an uproar, even drawing comment from President Barack Obama, and has made Sterling a bigger story than his Clippers who are trying to win a first round playoff series against the Warriors. “I can’t believe he would ever say anything racial,” Fitch told Sports Headliners yesterday.

Fitch was the Clippers coach from 1994-1998. “It (the recording) didn’t sound like him but I haven’t talked to him for about 20 years,” Fitch said.

Sterling, whose age is reported at 80 or 81, has long been a controversial business and sports figure with a team of lawyers to represent him. Fitch once sued Sterling for money he claimed was owed him. “I am definitely not one of his biggest fans,” Fitch said.

When Fitch coached the Clippers Sterling’s team had many African-American players. The general manager at that time, Elgin Baylor, is African-American. “I’ve got nothing good to say about the guy (Sterling) because of other things (issues) but I never heard him make any racial remarks,” Fitch said.

Ironically, the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was scheduled to present Sterling with a lifetime achievement award on May 15 but over the weekend discontinued that plan.

Fitch was the Gophers head coach from 1968-1970. He left Minnesota to coach the NBA expansion Cavaliers and began a pro career with five franchises that included winning the 1981 NBA championship with the Celtics.

While coaching the Cavaliers in Cleveland he met Flip Saunders who was a Cavs ball boy. After Saunders played point guard for the Gophers he tried out for the NBA. “I cut him twice,” Fitch recalled.

Now Saunders, the Timberwolves president of basketball operations, is searching for a head coach to replace Rick Adelman. Fitch said one of his former assistants, Rex Kalamian, will be a “damn good” head coach some day. He brought up Kalamian’s name when asked about the Timberwolves vacancy.

Kalamian is an assistant now with the Thunder. “I started him out as a film coach,” said Fitch who is retired from coaching and living in Texas.

Worth Noting

Washburn running back Jeff Jones, who is a star recruit in the Gophers 2014 incoming freshmen class, earned his best ACT score earlier this month. Jones is working to improve his GPA at Washburn and combined with his qualifying ACT score the goal is to earn academic acceptance to Minnesota in June.

Nathan MacKinnon, the 18-year-old forward who had three points in the Avalanche’s 4-3 overtime win over the Wild on Saturday night, played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Faribault from 2009-2011. Other hockey alumni from the school include Wild forwards Erik Haula (2008-2009) and Zach Parise (2000-2002).

The Wild faces elimination tonight at the Xcel Energy Center with the Avs leading the best of seven series 3-2. The last three games have been decided by one goal.

The Wild will practice this morning in preparation for tonight’s 8 p.m. game.

Minnesota’s game on Saturday night with the Avs from Denver had a 11.2 household rating, second highest ever for the Wild on Fox Sports North. Last Thursday’s game in Saint Paul had a best-ever 12.7.

Former Twin Justin Morneau is apparently benefitting from the high altitude in Denver where baseballs carry greater distances than in other MLB cities. Morneau is hitting .364 with 3 home runs and 12 RBI in 11 games at Coors Field. Overall his numbers in 24 games this season are a .356 average, 5 home runs and 19 RBI, among the better stats in major league baseball.

Morneau’s production with the Twins was never the same after he suffered a concussion during the 2010 season. Joe Mauer, who has Morneau’s old Twins job at first base after switching over from catcher, had a concussion late last season and is off to a poor start at the plate with a .267 average, 1 home run and 5 RBI.

Canterbury Park doesn’t open for live racing until May 16 but the Shakopee racetrack is the only facility in Minnesota where fans can wager on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks and Saturday’s Kentucky Derby races. California Chrome will be the derby favorite. Sports Illustrated reported in its April 28 issue California Chrome was once an $8,000.00 horse but now has received “offers for as much as $6 million for a 51% (ownership) stake.”

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation will have its seventh annual Minnesota Football Honors Awards event Sunday evening at the Hilton Minneapolis. The Vikings will present 2013 player of the year awards. Winners are Adrian Peterson, offense; Chad Greenway, defense; and Cordarrelle Patterson, special teams. The team’s Rookie of the Year will be announced. John Sullivan will be recognized as Community Man of the Year.

Eight high school football players will be honored for academic excellence, outstanding leadership and commitment to their communities: Andrew Blake, Pine City High School linebacker; Brett Brenden, Rothsay running back and linebacker; Bronson Bruneau, Lakeville North long snapper and tight end; Jack Dummer, Edina cornerback and strong safety; Tobias Knight, Washburn outside linebacker and fullback; Josh Sitarz, Totino-Grace linebacker; Michael Strand, Barnesville running back, defensive back and punt returner; and Austin Swenson, Spring Lake Park quarterback.

Other awards to be presented:

Bob Stein College Scholar-Athlete Award – J.D. Mehlhorn

Bobby Bell Impact Player of the Year Award – Ra’Shede Hageman

Courage Award – Peter Westerhaus

Distinguished Minnesotan Award – Tom Moe

Fred Zamberletti Award – Chuck Barta

John Gagliardi Football Legacy Award – George Wemeier

Murray Warmath Legendary Team Award – 1964 Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers

Outstanding Cheerleader Award – Christina Gekas Taylor

Sid Hartman Media Award – Michele Tafoya

The awards event is presented by the Vikings and open to the public. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting Nffmn.org.

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Mike Yeo, Wild Notch Down the Heat

Posted on April 23, 2014April 23, 2014 by David Shama

Mike Yeo and his players energized their supporters with an overtime win on Monday night at Xcel Energy Center against the Avalanche. Tomorrow evening Minnesota can tie the series at 2-2 with another win at home.

The opener last week in Colorado was an opportunity to not only earn a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series but also put pressure on a young Avs team featuring flashy 18-year-old forward Nathan MacKinnon and 21-year-old captain Gabriel Landeskog. Instead, the Wild lost a more than winnable 5-4 overtime game, and then followed up with a disappointing performance and 4-2 loss in game two.

Monday night’s win did more than make the series 2-1 in favor of the Avs. The victory made it possible to place more pressure on the youthful Avs (seven players born in 1991 or later). Sending the series back to Colorado tied at 2-2 will mean momentum for Minnesota and maybe an Avalanche ready to fall.

That’s what the Wild needs for a franchise that has competed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs just five times and advanced beyond the opening round once. Moving on to the second round of the playoffs may be needed for Yeo, the team’s third year coach, to save his job. The talk about his uncertain status just doesn’t go away.

Yeo was reportedly in jeopardy during the season but the team played effectively enough to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season. He guided a team that had to use five different goalies this season, no minimal assignment for any coach. “It’s amazing they’ve done as well as they have,” a supportive source close to the team said on Monday night.

Still, Yeo was faulted by another source who criticized the coach for sometimes staying with a player longer than he should. Yeo is known as a player’s coach but the argument is loyalty can sometimes go too far.

A coach can make mistakes but even his best strategies, teaching lessons and locker room psychology can only accomplish so much. Yeo’s predecessor, Todd Richards, was fired for not winning enough games but now he’s earning praise in Columbus where the Blue Jackets are making a rare playoff appearance and finding some success.

The Wild, who played with new defensive energy on Monday night, struggle with goal scoring and penalty killing. They have just seven goals in the first three games with the Avs. On Monday evening it took 46 shots on Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov before the Wild scored a goal on Mikael Granlund’s big overtime shot.

A press box observer watched the game and thought about how the Wild have to become better offensively next season. Job one in the offseason could be signing former Gopher Thomas Vanek who plays for Montreal. He makes his home in the Twin Cities east metro, not all that many miles from the Xcel Energy Center.

But there will be time later for sportswriters and perhaps the Wild to think about Vanek, a potential 30 goal scorer and unrestricted free agent this offseason. For tomorrow night at least the Wild will take just one goal if goalie Darcy Kuemper can again shutout the Avs.

Worth Noting

StubHub website offers tickets in a price range of $94.40 to $501.01 for tomorrow night’s Wild-Avs game at Xcel Energy Center.

Pioneer Press scoop sports columnist Charley Walters retires from full-time work at the end of May but will continue with the newspaper as a part-time employee writing Sunday columns only.

When the Gophers football team plays at TCU on September 13, they could be facing quarterback Matt Joeckel. He was Johnny Manziel’s backup at Texas A&M last season but because he has his undergraduate degree he can transfer to TCU as a senior and have one year of eligibility.

The Minnesota Fellowship of Christian Athletes will present Joe Ehrmann’s “InSideOut Coaching Seminar” on Sunday in the DQ Room at TCF Bank Stadium. He is a former defensive lineman and captain for the Baltimore Colts. He also has career experiences as a football coach, author, national speaker and minister.

On Sunday Ehrmann will address several hundred Minnesota coaches. His message will be about the powerful impact coaches have on players and the opportunity to exert that influence with positive, values-based methods.

Seminar sponsors are Manchester Companies, MKS and TCF Bank. More information about the event is available from Minnesotafca.org.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino lists the following “unofficial” award winners for last season on his Gophersports.com blog: Team MVP, DeAndre Mathieu; Most Improved: Mo Walker; Best Defender, Austin Hollins; Hardest Worker, Austin Hollins; Best Attitude, Maverick Ahanmisi; Sacrifice Award, Oto Osenieks; Best Moment, Austin Hollins 3-pointer vs. SMU in the NIT Championship game.

Last season was Pitino’s first as Gophers coach. He wrote on the blog “his favorite moment” was walking up the stairs to the court at Williams Arena. “It gives me goosebumps every time.”

Pitino’s contract stipulates his base salary will be reviewed each year, and annually on May 1 he is to be awarded an increase of no less than five percent. His current salary is $500,000. He also earns supplemental compensation of $700,000 for various activities including endorsements, fundraising and media work. Speculation is Pitino may receive a $300,000 salary increase.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners recently that if he had known Kevin Love would become the player he is, the All-Star forward probably would have been given a five-year contract in 2012. Instead, Love signed a four-year deal allowing him to become a unrestricted free agent after next season.

“He can still get the money one way or another (on his next contract),” Taylor said. “He doesn’t lose anything from that by coming back and renegotiating with us. He can get all of his money. We’re the one (franchise) that can pay him the most.”

Here’s a suggestion that likely would improve the Wolves next season, particularly defensively. Make Gorgui Dieng the starting center and send Nikola Pekovic to the bench. Let the two players divide minutes each game with Pekovic, a skilled low post offensive scorer, filling a valuable “sixth man” role off the bench. The move might help the frequently injured Pekovic stay healthy and play in more games.

As a rookie last season, despite minimal playing time, Dieng became a team leader in rebounds and blocked shots. He was the NBA’s Rookie of the Month in March when his outstanding games included 22 points and 21 rebounds against the Rockets.

The Wolves have four selections in the NBA Draft on June 26. Based on their 40-42 regular season record, the Wolves currently have the No. 13 selection in the first round with a 0.6% chance of attaining the first overall pick. The final order of this year’s draft will be determined at the NBA Draft Lottery on May 20.

The Wolves will also have three second-round picks at No. 40, 44 and 53.

Wayne Kostroski, the local restaurant owner who co-founded Taste of the NFL, has a passion for music. He and other members of the CIRCUS band are reuniting for one night this Saturday at the Medina Entertainment Center for a show dedicated to 1970s music. More at MedinaEntertainment.com.

Taste of the NFL, a Twin Cities-based non-profit organization dedicated to reducing hunger in America, has raised over $15 million for local and national food banks. Proceeds for the concert on Saturday benefit Water for People, an international organization dedicated to improving and preserving drinking water.

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Glen Taylor: 2014 Playoffs ‘a Must’

Posted on April 16, 2014April 16, 2014 by David Shama

The Timberwolves 25^th season ends tonight and the franchise won’t qualify for the playoffs. The club hasn’t participated in post-season games since 2004 and that disappoints owner Glen Taylor who plans on asking plenty of questions during the next couple of weeks.

With a roster of young talent led by All-Star forward Kevin Love, and the addition of new players such as forward Corey Brewer and guard Kevin Martin, the Wolves appeared ready to break the playoff drought when the season started last fall. “It was a must for this year (making the playoffs),” Taylor told Sports Headliners.

Injuries slowed the club’s progress. Most notable was the ankle injury of center Nikola Pekovic who has only been able to play in 54 of 81 games. Other than Love the 28-year-old Pekovic is the team’s best front court scorer and among the NBA’s premier low post offensive players (averages 17.4 points and 8.7 rebounds). Pekovic, who reportedly signed a five-year $60 million contract before last season, has a history of injuries and missing games.

But Taylor said in addition to the team’s injuries contributing to not making the playoffs, he is troubled by the many close games the Wolves lost. The club often was ineffective in the fourth quarter. Taylor intends to explore why. “Is that the responsibility of the staff and the coaches? How much of that is the players? I am going to dig further into that.”

Taylor didn’t offer an answer when asked to evaluate and label the performance of the coaching staff. He wants to meet with the coaches and talk to others in the organization after the season.

Head coach Rick Adelman and Taylor will have a discussion that will focus on more than basketball. Adelman’s wife Mary Kay has health issues and Taylor understands “family comes first.” But Taylor wants to know if coaching next season is a priority for Adelman who completes his third season with the Wolves tonight and has a 68^th birthday in June.

What Taylor hears from Adelman, long regarded as one of the NBA’s best coaches, will obviously influence whether he wants the coach to return. “You have to take a lot of your energy and thought and emotion into (helping) your family, and it does affect your other areas of responsibility,” Taylor said. “It’s not a criticism of him. …I just want to really sit down and talk to him and see how he feels…before I make a decision or he makes a decision.”

Taylor acknowledged Adelman’s devotion to his wife sometimes took the coach away from the players. “When things like that happen, the basketball team probably doesn’t get its full attention, but that’s life,” Taylor said.

After tonight’s game the Wolves will finish the season with either a 41-41 or 40-42 record. That will certainly be an improvement over last year’s 31-51 record. But not making the playoffs is frustrating for Taylor who also has seen his franchise operate with financial losses many years.

Taylor thought this year might be different for the bottom line. “We’re not going to make our budget. Our budget was to break even, so my sense is that we’ll lose several million dollars.”

The 72-year-old owner, though, hasn’t lost faith in the franchise and recognizes his young team should get better in coming years, led by Love, 25, and 23-year-old point guard Ricky Rubio. Perhaps the Wolves will even become a special team and achieve the NBA title aspirations the franchise has long had.

“Personally, I think I have the patience. I just gotta make sure our coaches and stuff have the patience,” Taylor said.

It will be up to Taylor and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders to find the best supporting players for Love, Pekovic and Rubio. Any personnel moves, though, will be influenced by payroll.

The owner feels pressure not to exceed the NBA salary cap. They have or will make major salary commitments to Love, Pekovic and Rubio. That’s why Taylor, who has most of his roster signed for next season, doesn’t predict the club will sign an expensive free agent this summer. “…You’re looking at probably more the fifth, sixth and seventh positions on the team,” he said.

Worth Noting

Taylor’s other basketball team, the Lynx, made a six-figure profit of less than $500,000 last season. It was the first time the Lynx, who won the WNBA title last year, have been profitable. Taylor expects another winning season and a profitable year in 2014. “By staying into the playoffs and getting to the end, just makes you profitable,” said Taylor who declined to give exact figures.

The Mankato billionaire is closing in on ownership of the Star Tribune. “It probably won’t get completed until maybe the end of May or first of June but I am confident it will get done,” Taylor said.

As newspaper owner will Taylor expect friendly coverage of his Timberwolves? “No. I expect those guys to do their jobs,” he answered.

Former Gopher football players Keanon Cooper and Chris Hawthorne are among 25 interns working in the University of Minnesota Athletic Department. The Golden Gophers Internship program provides 10-12 months of learning experiences in department areas such as communications, facilities, fundraising and marketing. Participants must have a BA or BS degree and preference is given to candidates who have played for Gophers men’s and women’s teams.

Interns receive $1,000.00 per month. More information is available by contacting senior associate athletic director Marc Ryan, ryanx011@umn.edu.

Rachel Banham, who led the Big Ten in scoring last season as a junior averaging 23.3 points per game, is looking forward to next season when eight players return including four juniors and three sophomores. “I think the sky is the limit,” said Banham who will be the team’s only senior. “We have a bunch of really good girls, and really good girls coming in.”

Banham is dating men’s team junior guard Andre Hollins. What did Hollins say after the Gophers won the NIT championship earlier this month? “He was very excited,” Banham answered. “All he kept chanting was N-I-T champs. Clearly, he was very happy.”

The Gophers women’s team hasn’t earned an invitation to the NCAA tournament since Banham has been at Minnesota. Hollins has played in one NCAA tournament, two years ago. What if both teams made deep tourney runs next year? “That would be awesome,” Banham said. “I think that would be the best way for both of us to go out.”

For the third straight season—and for the eighth time in the last nine years—the MIAC attracted more fans to its football games than any other conference in NCAA Division III, according to information released recently by the league. The conference led Division III in both total and average attendance per game for the year 2013. A total of 160,482 fans attended the 48 football games hosted by the MIAC’s nine schools, an average of 3,343 fans per game.

Saint John’s led the nation in attendance per game (7,364) for the 12th time in the last 13 years. In total attendance Bethel (38,054) and the Johnnies (36,822) finished third and fourth respectively.

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