Golden Gophers – Page 409 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on March 7, 2012March 7, 2012 by David Shama

Fox Sports North hockey analyst Kevin Gorg picks Hermantown to win the Class 1A tournament and Benilde-St. Margaret’s to take the Class 2A championship.

The consensus among Sports Headliners’ sources is the Vikings — this year or next —will gain public approval for a new stadium in Minneapolis. Don’t dismiss the possibility, though, the stadium could be built near Target Field, and not on the Metrodome site.

Mark Rosen’s new book, The Best Seat in the House, will be available starting in late March. The WCCO TV sports anchor and reporter writes about his experiences at Ch. 4 and sports figures he’s known. Rosen has been on local TV longer than any other news or sports anchor in this marketplace. He started working part-time at the station in 1969.

Gophers basketball, for the first time in memory, had only two home sellouts this season. The Gophers averaged 11,794 fans (capacity 14,625) for 19 home games. Minnesota’s average for Big Ten home games was 12,723. For conference games two years ago the Gophers average was 14,625, while last year it was 13,241.

The Gophers, who finished with a 6-12 Big Ten record for the second consecutive season, play their opening conference tournament game tomorrow starting at 4:30 p.m. in Indianapolis against Northwestern. During the regular season Minnesota defeated the Wildcats 75-52 in Minneapolis, but lost 64-53 in Evanston.

Northwestern is likely to win tomorrow if the Gophers don’t minimize the Widcats’ three point shooting. Northwestern made five more three point shots than the Gophers in Evanston. The Wildcats were second in Big Ten three point field goal percentage at .385.

Based on past statistics, Twins catcher Joe Mauer, 28, figures to have a comeback year after last season’s .287 average. He ranks No. 7 with a .323 batting average among the top career major league hitters since 1950 (minimum 3,500 plate appearances). Among those ahead of the Twins three-time batting champion is Tony Gwynn at .338 and Ted Williams, .335. They rank No. 1 and 2 while former Twin Kirby Puckett is No. 10 at .318.

Since the Twins inception in 1961 the club ranks No. 2 in hits, No. 3 in batting average and No. 4 in both runs scored and on-base percentage among major league teams.

Gustavus and St. Thomas, the two MIAC men’s hockey programs in the Division III tournament, both play tonight. The MIAC playoff-champion Gusties (16-6-5) will host Milwaukee School of Engineering (22-6-1) in St. Peter. The MIAC regular season champion Tommies (18-5-2) play at defending national champion St. Norbert (17-5-5) in Green Bay.

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Ex-Governor Casts U A.D. ‘Vote’

Posted on March 5, 2012March 5, 2012 by David Shama

Arne Carlson was outspoken last week when he advocated that the University of Minnesota promote John Anderson to athletic director, and hire Flip Saunders and Lindsay Whalen as basketball coaches.

The former Minnesota governor is a U alum and passionate supporter of Gophers athletics. Speaking on Thursday’s WCCO Radio morning show with John Hines, Carlson said he isn’t formally involved with the search for a new athletic director but added “we have a lot of gold right under our nose.”

“John Anderson would be a remarkably good athletic director,” Carlson said. “A very successful baseball coach, knows how to build a program. He’s very modest, but also very capable.

“And then look at what else we have—Flip Saunders. How many people would love to see him take over the basketball program? And then you look at Lindsay Whalen. What a remarkable addition she would be on the women’s side.

“We have the talent right here and we have to learn to develop that talent to give them a chance to manage, to build, and then we can hold them accountable. But these are all good people.”

Anderson is in his 31^st season as Gophers baseball coach. He, Saunders and Whalen are Minnesota alums.

The Gophers athletic administration has often been criticized, and the department’s most visible programs like football and basketball have struggled to win games. Carlson said years ago Wisconsin was in the same “pickle” as Minnesota when it turned to former Badgers football hero and state native Pat Richter to become athletic director. That hire put the Badgers on a path to success that continues to this day.

Carlson said Minnesota can also learn a lesson taught in the University’s business school and practiced by the Wisconsin athletic department. When Badgers savior Barry Alvarez stepped down as football coach, he chose defensive coordinator Bret Bielema from his staff as his successor.

Succession planning and searching for local candidates makes sense to Carlson. “…If you look at that team of Anderson, Whalen and Saunders, I would buy that any day of the week,” he said.

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Worth Noting

Posted on March 5, 2012March 5, 2012 by David Shama

Condolences to the Fitzgerald family, including Larry Sr., Larry Jr., and Marcus, following the death of Sally Fitzgerald, their mother and grandmother. Services were held last Friday in Chicago.

The NBA’s compacted, strike-shortened season can be ridiculous as witnessed last week when the Wolves played on three consecutive nights—all road games. No wonder the Wolves, including Kevin Love who had a busy All-Star Weekend and was suffering from the flu during the week, looked sluggish at mid-week.

Gophers senior forward Trevor Mbakwe, injured and unable to play since November 27, was ceremoniously named the sixth man of the game on Saturday in Minnesota’s 81-69 win over Nebraska. The Williams Arena crowd responded with a standing ovation for Minnesota’s best player.

Paper work has been submitted to the NCAA requesting one final season of eligibility for Mbakwe since he was only able to play in seven games. It’s not known when the NCAA will respond and if Mbakwe will want to play next season for the Gophers, or pursue a professional career.

Sophomore guard Chip Armelin had a career high 20 points off the bench in Minnesota’s win, the last Big Ten regular season game prior to the start of Thursday’s conference tournament. He was given a rare second half start. Armelin has talked in the past about playing college football. It will be interesting in the coming months to see if he tries to play both football and basketball, or chooses one sport.

Coach Jerry Kill will provide C.O.R.E.S. members with a look at his Gophers football program on Thursday. Minnesota starts spring football practice on March 22. Ron Stolski, Brainerd High football coach and executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, will introduce Kill. C.O.R.E.S. members can still make reservations by contacting Jim Dotseth. C.O.R.E.S. is an acronym for coaches, officials, educators, reporters and sports fans.

Fox Sports North televises the first of five Twins spring training games starting tonight at 6 p.m. when Minnesota plays Boston.

Patrick Reusse, talking on 1500 ESPN last week, credited a caller with a different way to look at the public commitment for a new Vikings stadium: The team ownership is willing to spend $427 million on the proposed $975 million facility and will use it only 10 or 12 times per year. The state and city, investing a combined $548 million, gets a covered facility to use for more than 300 days per year for community sports and a variety of major events. Seems like a good return on investment.

License plate seen Saturday on the all-electric Nissan Leaf car: Ybuygas.

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