Golden Gophers – Page 361 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

No Decision on Webb as Viking WR

Posted on May 10, 2013May 14, 2013 by David Shama

Quoting Vikings’ general manager Rick Spielman after a one-on-one interview earlier this week:

On Joe Webb playing wide receiver, not quarterback: “We’ll look at a lot of different options. Coaches will make that decision on where he finally ends up, but I know we’ll experiment and do a lot of different things. That’s why you’re in this offseason program now.”

Background: Webb, 26, has been practicing his catching skills this spring and is expected to play wide receiver in the team’s organized practices during May. Although Webb has three seasons of NFL practice and game experience at quarterback, his size, 6-4, 220, and athleticism make him an interesting experiment at wide receiver, a position he played at times in college. It’s an opportunity created too by the acquisition of veteran quarterback Matt Cassel who is the No. 2 quarterback now, not Webb.

Spielman on quarterback Christian Ponder who came out of a slump and helped lead the then 6-6 Vikings to a 10-6 record and the playoffs: “We saw that last year (a step forward). The biggest thing was for him to start out strong, to go through his slump…but to be able to come out of that and then lead us. We had Adrian Peterson who had a phenomenal year, but give a lot of credit to Christian with what he was able to do through those last four games, especially two very tough places to go play on the road (St. Louis and Houston).”

Background: The Vikings like the presence of having nine year veteran Cassel around Ponder to help as a mentor. Ponder is the team’s No. 1 quarterback and his continued development begins any list of whether the Vikings can win the NFC North, or even qualify for the playoffs again.

Spielman on building a championship team: “We’re feeling we’re trying to do everything we think is right to bring in the right players. We feel very confident and excited about the coaching staff, and with coach (Leslie) Frazier and everything they’re able to do and bring. So just like everybody else, we’re definitely trying to build a championship team or else we wouldn’t be doing this.”

Background: Spielman said this time of year every team in the NFL has championship ambitions and he’s right. The Vikings haven’t won a division title since 2009 and bottomed out in 2011 with a 3-13 record. The franchise has made astute draft choices to rebuild the roster and create competitiveness among players. The Vikings have also given new contracts to retain core players in offensive tackle Phil Loadholt, wide receiver Jerome Simpson and linebacker Erin Henderson, although they did lose veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield this offseason. But the Vikings are on the rise in accumulating young, talented players while keeping most of their best veterans.

Spielman on whether the political views of Chris Kluwe were a factor in releasing the nine year veteran punter: “…I have the utmost respect for Chris and his outspokenness — that he has the courage to get out there and speak his mind. That has nothing to do with the evaluation on what we’re trying to do as a football team. So that’s two totally different, separate entities, and what he does outside of our building, more power to him. …That’s his right as a U.S. citizen.”

Background: Kluwe’s replacement, 2013 fifth round draft choice Jeff Locke, will earn a lot less compensation than Kluwe, and that had to be a consideration by the Vikings. The Vikings will also have a punter in Locke who is eight years younger than Kluwe. At UCLA, Locke did his punting outdoors while Kluwe, playing at Mall of America Field and other domes, did a lot of indoor kicking. In 2014 and 2015 the Vikings will be playing outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium. Perhaps Locke gained favor for that reason, too.

Spielman on Kluwe punting outdoors and the decision on replacing him with Locke: “I think he (Kluwe) can punt outdoors. He’s just been a little inconsistent. I know the way our roster is shaping up and understanding where we’re going to be two, three, four years from now, it was a unique opportunity to get a young punter. ..Just a little bit a part of our youth movement, and understanding the financial situation with Chris. It’s just all purely based on football and trying to make the best football decisions you can make.”

Worth Noting

My reaction will be extreme surprise if plans announced next Monday regarding design of the Vikings’ stadium includes a retractable roof. It seems improbable with the limitations of the $975 million budget — and now uncertainty regarding projected revenues for the state’s share of $348 million — that the project can include a retractable roof.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, the Vikings and HKS Sports will announce details regarding design of the multi-purpose stadium Monday night at a MSFA board meeting at the Guthrie Theater. Expect the stadium plan to include creative ways to allow light into the building even though the roof will be fixed.

This week the Steelers signed veteran offensive tackle Guy Whimper. Not exactly a made-for-Hollywood football name. Vikings’ general manager Rick Spielman was asked light-heartedly if he would sign a player with that name.

“Actually he’s a very good player,” Spielman said. “In our business we don’t pay very much attention to names. We just pay attention if they can play or not.”

Schedulemakers from the two conferences sent the Gophers a message when the matchups were announced on Wednesday for next season’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The matchmakers don’t think the Gophers will be an exceptional team, and delivered the same message to Florida State, Minnesota’s opponent for the Tuesday, December 3 game at Williams Arena.

Not that Gophers’ season ticket holders aren’t at least somewhat appreciative to have a power conference team on the home nonconference schedule that is typically filled with the likes of American, Lafayette and Tennessee State. It’s just that a yawn can be excused since the schools have played against each other four times (2-2) in the 14 year history of the Challenge.

The Gophers will have to become a Big Ten title contender to command a game against legendary ACC schools like Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse but even a game in 2014 against Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State would be more fun than another matchup against the Seminoles.

The surprising Twins, now over .500 with a 16-15 record, won three of four games in Boston this week and will play the Red Sox in Minneapolis May 17-19.

The Twins will see their former shortstop, J.J. Hardy, when they play the Orioles in a three-game series starting tonight at Target Field. The Twins traded Hardy in 2010 and never have replaced his offensive production at shortstop. He has six home runs this season, more than any Twins player.

The Twins have parted with several players in recent years who would be major assets to the club. A list can start with outfielders Carol Gomez, Torri Hunter and Michael Cuddyer. Gomez leads MLB in hitting at .386, Hunter is fifth in the American League at .344 and Cuddyer is among NL leaders at .319.

Former Twins’ first baseman David Ortiz has impressive numbers for the Red Sox in limited plate appearances (68), hitting .353 with a .662 slugging percentage. Wilson Ramos, who would give the Twins needed catching and bench depth, has often shown a good bat since joining the Nationals in 2011.

Collective earned run averages for Twins’ starting pitchers have ranked high this spring but ex-Twin Kevin Slowey has surprised with a 1.81 ERA and 1-2 record for the Marlins.

Productive moves by Twins’ general manager Terry Ryan in the last two off seasons have included adding pitchers Jared Burton and Kevin Correia, catcher Ryan Doumit, outfielder Josh Willingham, and 2012 draft choice Byron Buxton (outfield). Ryan is rebuilding the club in his second tenure as GM.

Augsburg’s football team defeated a Canadian foe 78-6 in an exhibition game in Winnipeg last weekend. It was the Auggies’ third international football game in school history having previously been to Canada and New Zealand.

The Hobey Baker dinner on May 22 at 317 On Rice Park in St. Paul is a near sellout. The event will honor 2013 Hobey Baker winner Drew LeBlanc and Legend of Hockey recipient Jeff Sauer. More at Hobeybaker.com.

Comments Welcome

U Not Gaining or Losing in Tyus Chase

Posted on May 6, 2013May 6, 2013 by David Shama

Debbie Jones told Sports Headliners her son Tyus remains interested in the Gophers. She also said the highly coveted Apple Valley junior point guard may choose a college as part of a group decision with Jahlil Okafor from Chicago and Justise Winslow from Houston.

Tubby Smith and his staff spent time pursuing Tyus but Smith was fired as Gopher coach in March. During the search process for a new head coach it appeared Flip Saunders might succeed Smith. Saunders, a former point guard who made a career coaching in the NBA, knows Tyus and local recruiting observers thought Saunders might win a recruiting derby for Debbie’s son who could be the best player nationally in the prep class of 2014.

With a new Gopher coach in Richard Pitino, who is only 30 with one year of head coaching experience, are the Gophers behind or ahead where they once were in the recruiting process with Tyus?

“I think they’re the same as they always have been,” Debbie said. “Tyus has it narrowed down to seven schools and Minnesota is one of those seven. They were there kind of regardless of who is coaching there. I think the new coach, coach Pitino he’s reached out and we’ve had a number of conversations. They’re still in the running.”

The seven schools are Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State. Pitino is no power coach like Mike Krzyzewski, Bill Self, John Calipari, Tom Izzo and Thad Matta but the Gophers are the hometown team. Coach Scott Drew and Baylor in faraway Waco, Texas might seem like an unusual final seven choice.

On the Baylor staff is former Hopkins High School standout Jared Nuness, a distant cousin of Tyus. He has long admired Nuness. “It’s family and so you know…it’s a consideration,” Debbie said. “It’s always nice to know somebody and stuff like that.”

Does Pitino’s lack of experience as a head coach work against him in eventually convincing Tyus to become a Gopher? “Well, I guess it’s just something you take into consideration as he (Tyus) goes through this process and we’re looking at all the schools,” Debbie said. “You kind of take everything into consideration. I don’t know that that will be a determining factor but you consider all the things when you look at the seven schools.”

In the Rivals.com top 150 for the national high school class of 2014, Okafor, a center, is rated No. 1 while Tyus is No. 3 and Winslow, a forward, is No. 10. If those three decided on the same university, boosters would immediately make airline and lodging reservations in Indianapolis for the 2015 Final Four. How much credibility is there about a possible Tyus-Okafor-Winslow package?

“I know Tyus and Jahlil talk about it frequently and I really believe that that will happen,” Debbie said. “Justise from Texas is another one — that they’ve talked about going somewhere together. I do see that happening. So as we get right down to it and taking some official visits, narrowing things down, I think it’s a real possibility.”

Worth Noting

Tyus Jones’ grandfather, Dennis Deutsch, may have a kidney transplant but must have more tests. Deutsch and Tyus have a close relationship.

Will Rashad Vaughn, the shooting guard who is rated the No. 6 player in the country by Rivals.com for the class of 2014, play his senior year for Robbinsdale Cooper or go elsewhere? Perhaps to a prep school outside Minnesota?

Each Wild home playoff game is worth about $5 million to the franchise, according to a pro hockey source who asked not to be named. The Wild hosts the Blackhawks tomorrow night for their second 2013 home playoff game. Revenue sources include mostly ticket sales but also suites, merchandise and local TV broadcasts.

Another hockey source, FSN’s Kevin Gorg, said the key for the Wild to even the series at two games each tomorrow night will be for Minnesota to “slow down” the pace against the more talented Blackhawks. Gorg said Wild veteran Pierre Marc-Bouchard probably played his best game ever for Minnesota in its win yesterday.

A Timberwolves’ official said new president of basketball operations Flip Saunders will be paid a “mid-market” NBA salary. That might mean compensation in the range of $2.5 to $3.5 million.

Although Saunders has more than 13 years of NBA head coaching experience, he wasn’t hired as a potential emergency replacement for Rick Adelman if the 67-year-old Wolves’ coach abruptly decides to retire because of his wife’s health concerns.

“I think Flip would have the potential of finding us the right coach,” said Wolves’ owner Glen Taylor. “That’s how I really have looked at it. But at this point I have only looked at Rick as our coach. I have a high degree of confidence that he is going to stay. I didn’t ask Flip to come here because he could coach. That was not part of my consideration.”

With a devastating run of injuries that turned the Wolves into a team that had a 31-51 record, the team’s TV ratings for 2012-13 averaged 2.2, a decline from 2.9 the previous season. A Wolves’ spokesman emailed that information and said a playoff contending club could produce numbers two and three times the 2.2.

Vikings’ defensive tackle Shariff Floyd, the team’s first selection in the first round of last month’s NFL draft, said his sleeve length is 31 inches. Draft observers have questioned his ability to pass rush because of short arms but Floyd told Sports Headliners that’s “not a factor at all.”

Floyd, 6-3, 297, has asked for help from retired Vikings’ defensive lineman Pat Williams who played at 6-3, 317. Williams has agreed to mentor Floyd.

Cordarrelle Patterson, another of the team’s first round draft choices, said the playbook has already been more manageable for him than expected because he’s been given time to absorb the material and coaches have been helpful. He’s open to whatever assignments the team gives him as a wide receiver, punt returner or kickoff returner.

Community involved former Viking and St. Paul native Matt Birk is the honoree at the annual Bobby Jones dinner tonight at Interlachen Country Club in Edina.

Murray’s Restaurant owner Tim Murray has another summer baseball trip planned with friends. This year’s itinerary will feature games in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Paul Allen, the radio play-by-play voice of the Vikings, will speak to the C.O.R.E.S. group on Thursday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. Author Jim Bruton and former Viking Dave Osborn will autograph copies of Bruton’s book on the Vikings’ 50 greatest players. Anyone interested in attending the luncheon and program should contact Jim Dotseth by Tuesday, dotsethj@comcast.net.

Allen is the track announcer at Canterbury Park where the Shakopee racing facility had an estimated 11,000 patrons on Saturday for the Kentucky Derby and set a simulcast wagering record of more than $1.61 million. The previous record of $1.48 million was set in 2004 on Derby Day.

Comments Welcome

Kill Earns High Praise from Assistant

Posted on May 3, 2013May 3, 2013 by David Shama

The Gophers and Iowa were the last two Big Ten teams to finish their spring practice schedules last Saturday. Both are programs trying to establish themselves in the conference after 2012 seasons when the two teams had identical 2-6 records, but if there is a sharp contrast between the programs it’s with the coaching staffs.

The Hawkeyes have six new assistants on their staff since the 2011 season. But the Gophers have the same core group, boasting a staff longevity that is unusual in college football.

Gophers’ assistant head coach and linebacker coach Bill Miller has worked for about a dozen head coaches and knows the staff loyalty to Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill is special. Kill has seven assistants who have worked for him 14 years or more at Minnesota and previous head coaching stops, according to Miller.

“He treats them good,” Miller told Sports Headliners earlier this spring. “He is a good man. He’s a good guy to work for. He’s sincere. … He’s a tell- it-like-it-is.”

Coaching relationships can be volatile but Miller said Kill, who has been the Gophers’ head coach for two seasons, doesn’t “threaten you with your job and things like that.” “I guess I work harder for a guy that wants me to do well and treats me good, and then I don’t want to disappoint him.”

Miller described Kill as humble, organized and a tireless worker — someone who treats not only the coaches “great” but the players too. That kind of leader makes recruiting easier and more successful, according to Miller.

“You can sincerely sell the farm for him and guarantee people that their son is going to be treated well when he comes here,” Miller said. “They’re going to be disciplined and they’re going to do the right things. The good players that I’ve been around in the last 35 years…they want that type of environment, that type of structure, and that’s what I think our staff gives them.”

Miller was first employed by the Gophers in 1986 when John Gutekunst took over as head coach succeeding Lou Holtz who in 1984 and 1985 ignited a passion for football in Dinkytown not seen since. The Gophers had about 56,000 season ticket holders after Holtz worked his magic with state football fans.

Miller, who came back to the Gophers a couple of years ago after multiple coaching stops elsewhere, saw that fan support in the 1980s and sees it happening again. “They’ll support somebody that puts a good product out there. I guarantee you we are putting a good product out there, and it’s gonna get better and better and better. If it doesn’t, hey, they’ll fire us just like they fire anybody else.”

Comments Welcome