Golden Gophers – Page 384 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Gray Looks for U Bowl Win

Posted on August 8, 2012August 8, 2012 by David Shama

Gophers senior quarterback MarQueis Gray played briefly in his team’s 2009 Insight Bowl loss to Iowa State. The last two seasons Gray has been on 3-9 Minnesota teams but he believes the Gophers, who play their first game on August 30 at UNLV, will be improved and he talked about his determination in 2012.

“To leave here without a bowl win, that would be heartbreaking. I feel like we put too much time and work and effort …to not get rewarded, and that would be shocking to me.”

Among the reasons Gray chose the Gophers is his determination to help turn around the football program. While a high school player in Indianapolis, he was ranked by Rivals as the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the country and top player in Indiana.

Gray said Minnesota was the only recruiting visit to a prospective school that he made. He was impressed with what he saw and heard including information about the local business community. “Minneapolis is one of the top cities in the country in Fortune 500 companies so I was figuring if it doesn’t work out in football I know I have some people around here that would be willing to hire me,” he said.

Gray has become a Gophers leader. With practice having started just last Saturday, he and his teammates are understandably optimistic about the season ahead, even if Minnesota is a popular media choice to be among the Big Ten’s worst teams. The Gophers believe in second-year coach Jerry Kill and his staff. Veteran players like Gray have the advantage now of many months spent learning the coaching staff’s schemes and philosophies. Then, too, there’s an influx of new players including several junior college transfers.

Junior safety Brock Vereen acknowledged the optimism. “There’s talk (in the locker room) about being great, being successful. Whatever comes with that, that’s what we want. That’s what we have to have.”

The Gophers were 6-7 in 2009, and then came the 3-9 records. Vereen sees a different attitude now than his first two teams at Minnesota. “This is the most confident (team). This is the most optimistic that this team has been since I’ve been here. I think everybody is so excited.”

Senior linebacker Mike Rallis said the Gophers aren’t interested in alibis for their opening game in Las Vegas. The game will likely be played in high temperatures and start at 10 p.m., presenting a time zone adjustment for the Gophers.

“I think the challenge is UNLV the team,” Rallis said. “We’re going to have to play them (the Rebels). We’re not going to have to play against the heat and the time zone. Those are just excuses and we’re not thinking about that at all. We’re just trying to prepare for a good UNLV team.”

Gophers notes:

Rallis attended Edina High School, as did sophomore wide receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts of whom much is anticipated this season. Rallis said Tufts initially came into the Edina program as a “track guy.” Rallis added: “Just like coach Kill, I am expecting big things from him this year.”

Vereen’s brother, Shane Vereen, plays for New England in the NFL. Brock said he talks to his brother every day about football and other subjects. Shane has been a mentor who exemplifies confidence and willingness to sacrifice for the team, Brock said.

Gray and fiancée Alison Behr are parents of eight month old twin boys. “I am a great father,” Gray said when asked about his parenting. “I hold the kids responsible for the things they do. …She’s more the cuddlin’ type. …I am the coach of the house.”

Gophers football practices are open to the public tomorrow starting at 9:10 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex. Also the Friday practice starting at 10:25 a.m. is open to the public.

The Gophers football program has produced six national championships and 18 Big Ten titles but after recent decades of losing seasons, Minnesota’s all-time record in conference games is 37 wins under .500, 326-363-28.

Despite an attractive home schedule last season that included games with North Dakota State, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin, the Gophers didn’t sell out a single game at TCF Bank Stadium (capacity 50,805). None of those schools is on the home schedule in 2012, with the best draws being Syracuse, Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State.

Ticket prices for the Gophers game at UNLV are $19, $25 and $40, according to a July 31 article at lasvegassun.com.

Golden Valley-based Buffalo Wild Wings is the new title sponsor for the former Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona where the Gophers played in 2006, 2008 and 2009. The bowl is renamed the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl and will be played on December 29.

Correction from Monday’s column: New Gophers center Brian Bobek, a transfer from Ohio State, will have two seasons of eligibility with Minnesota starting in 2013, not three.

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Class A Likely Again for Miguel Sano

Posted on August 6, 2012August 6, 2012 by David Shama

Twins phenom Miguel Sano is likely to play in Class A baseball again next season – just at a higher level. Twins farm system executive Jim Rantz told Sports Headliners the 19-year-old slugger, now with Beloit in the Midwest League, is probably headed to Fort Myers in the Florida State League.

Sano is the most publicized prospect in the Twins organization. Signed in the Dominican Republic for a reported $3.15 million bonus when he was 16, Sano is featured in the recently released movie Pelotero. He’s been ranked as the Twins top prospect and power hitter by Baseball America.

Sano leads the Midwest League in home runs at 22 and RBI with 84. He’s struggled, though, with his batting average, .254, and fielding at third base.

Rantz said the batting average is predictable because Sano is “very aggressive at the plate and still trying to learn the strike zone.” He is seeing a lot of breaking balls and changeups from pitchers.

“It’s pretty awesome with his home runs and RBI,” Rantz said. “He still has work to do defensively.”

Rantz said Sano’s Beloit teammate Eddie Rosario, among the organization’s better prospects, has made a successful transition this season from the outfield to second base. Rosario was injured in mid-June and was out of the lineup until the end of last month. He’s another promising hitter and has a .310 average, with seven home runs in 259 at bats.

Twins & Other Notes:

Max Kepler, also drafted by the Twins at age 16 three years ago, is maturing playing for Elizabethton, Rantz said. Rantz said the native of Germany has “grown into his body.” Kepler is hitting .275 with seven home runs in 145 at bats.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who was a bust as a rookie last season with the Twins hitting .226, “has made a lot of improvement with the bat” playing for AAA Rochester, Rantz said. Nishioka was playing both second base and shortstop for the Red Wings before being recalled yesterday by the Twins. Instead of media throngs from Japan following Nishioka as they did last year in Minneapolis, Rantz said one or two reporters might have followed him in Rochester.

Rantz watched Twins leading pitcher Scott Diamond in the minor leagues and said he isn’t that surprised to see Diamond’s success in his first full season of major league baseball. “He’s improved on his breaking ball and his command has been very good,” Rantz said.

New Timberwolves forward Andrei Kirilenko, 31, will be one of the franchise’s better defenders ever if healthy. Kirilenko has three times been an all-NBA first or second team defender playing for Utah. At 6-9, with long arms and athleticism, Kirilenko is a potential stopper for a Wolves team that lacks exceptional defenders among its top players. Physical problems have kept Kirilenko from playing full seasons in recent years.

David Kahn, the Wolves president of basketball operations, talked to Sports Headliners about Kirilenko’s potential impact on defense. “I am hopeful it will be really good. We didn’t have anybody who we could really put on some of these wing players, and in our conference especially there are some really big threes. There’s (Kevin) Durant, there’s Rudy Gay. There’s several of those. (Nicolas) Batum in Portland.

“So this allows us to have a really long, athletic guy to match up with them. Not that he can necessarily stop them but I think at least with Andrei’s experience and with his characteristics we can maybe at least slow them down.”

Apple Valley junior point guard Tyus Jones now has a scholarship offer fromNorth Carolina. That gives him offers that include national powerhouses Duke, Kentucky and the Tar Heels. In the last 12 months I haven’t talked to any sources who are convinced Jones will play for the Gophers.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed that Minnesota native Kyle Washington, a high school senior next season, has recent offers from Illinois, North Carolina State and Ohio State.

Brian Bobek, the Ohio State center transfer, hasn’t arrived on campus at Minnesota. He will be eligible in 2013 and have three seasons to play for the Gophers. Minnesota coach Jerry Kill recruited Bobek when Kill was head coach at Northern Illinois. “He’s a kid that grew up in Chicago and wanted to stay in the Midwest,” Kill said.

Bobek is a former Parade, Rivals and Scout high school All-American and his father played linebacker at Iowa.

The Big Ten Network sends a crew to cover all the Big Ten football programs during August. The group will be in Minneapolis on August 11 and BTN’s Gophers coverage will air beginning at 9 a.m. August 12.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf after being asked about his team expectations: “I expect to be division champs. I want to be able to fight for the division as we always do every year, and get better for years to come. That’s always been our goal. That’s been the goal since the first day I came here.”

Bethel’s Erik Smith, Saint John’s Stephen Johnson and St. Thomas’ Michael Valesano are nominees for the 2012 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. Nominees are players who have made a difference for their communities in off-field activities.

Compughterratings.com’s Division III preseason rankings include three MIAC teams in the top 20: Bethel, No. 12; St. Thomas, No. 13 and Saint John’s No. 19. MIAC schools begin nonconference games on September 1 and league games start September 15.

World Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins, 62, asked about all the advisors used by many PGA golfers these days including sports psychologists: “…My sports psychologist is the bartender every week. They’re a lot more reliable. You know where they’re going to be.”

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Wadkins Picks Lehman to Win 3M

Posted on August 3, 2012August 3, 2012 by David Shama

Lanny Wadkins, here to be the analyst on Golf Channel coverage Friday-Sunday for the 3M Championship, told Sports Headliners he is predicting a competitive tournament that could be decided on the last hole.

Pressed for a prediction on the champion, Wadkins said: “If I had to pick someone this week I would pick Tom Lehman. He’s local. I think he would love to win here in his hometown. I think the course suits him and he’s playing exceptionally well.”

Wadkins said Lehman is an exceptional ball-striker but his putting has often been troublesome. This year Wadkins said the Alexandria, Minnesota native is “putting with more authority.” Lehman has never won the 3M.

Wadkins is curious to see how Bernhard Langer plays at the 3M Championship on the TPC Twin Cities course. Langer has been unable to hold strong starts in the last two major senior tournaments including the Senior British Open last weekend “and spit the bit the last day,” Wadkins said.

“I want to see how he rebounds. He usually comes back strong. I would like to see him get in contention again and see how he handles it.”

Whoever wins the tournament might be fighting through the competition right to the end. “I think you will see an established player win and play well here this week,” Wadkins said. “The course is in immaculate condition. If the weather holds I think it’s going to be a great week out there. I think we’ll have another really, really close tournament. It’s going to come down to the last hole again, and the 18^th is about as exciting a finish as you will get.”

Wadkins, an eight-time player on the American Ryder Cup team and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, has back problems and isn’t playing tournament golf regularly. He’s 62.

Worth Noting

Gophers coach Jerry Kill said yesterday he will try to “redshirt as many” players as he can this season. He didn’t say when he will make a decision on who to redshirt including his quarterback group that in addition to senior starter MarQueis Gray includes sophomore Max Shortell, and freshmen Mitch Leidner and Phillip Nelson.

Kill said Nelson has a strained hamstring and his staff is monitoring that injury. The Gophers open practice on Saturday morning and the public is welcome to attend.

Charlie Strong’s Louisville team is predicted to win the Big East Conference title, according to a media poll announced this week. Strong was a candidate for the Gophers coaching job in 2007 before Tim Brewster was hired. Strong was then an assistant coach at Florida and is about to begin his third season as head coach of Louisville.

Timberwolves full season tickets have increased from 6,600 in July of last year to 8,100 at the end of last month.

A representative at the Wolves and Lynx Pro Shop at Target Center said Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko jerseys are expected by State Fair time later this month. A Minneapolis Lakers cap selling for $28 is a new store item.

Timberwolves vice president Jeff Munneke is the longest tenured employee with the organization. He joined the expansion Wolves on June 20, 1988 as a ticket sales representative.

Wild broadcaster Tom Reid, who broke into the NHL as a player in 1967, said there are more personnel changes throughout the league than at any time he can remember. See nhl.com for a free agents tracking report.

The Sports Legends Foundation and Grand Casino Hinckley are sponsoring the Sports Legends Extravaganza Charity fundraising event in Hinckley September 14 -16. The event benefits the Page Education Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Family Pathways and the Sports Legends Foundation. Celebrities expected include former Vikings Jim Marshall, Gary Larsen, Carl Eller and Alan Page. Smokey Robinson will perform on September 14 in the Grand Casino Amphitheater. There will be a celebrity golf tournament on September 15 at the Grand National Golf Club. www.sports-legends.org.

Murray’s Restaurant is closed for renovations this month and will re-open in early September. Owner Tim Murray said private dining rooms and a larger bar area are in the plans. The famous steakhouse has been a prominent part of the Minneapolis dining scene since 1946.

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