Golden Gophers – Page 431 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on December 19, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Within about 48 hours approximately 4,000 tickets were sold for TwinsFest last week, according to Patrick Klinger, Twins marketing VP. In addition, season ticket holders receive complimentary tickets and crowds could total over 30,000 for the three-day event at the Metrodome January 27-29.

Klinger said most of the players on the Twins roster, including Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, are expected at TwinsFest. In addition, former players are likely to include Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek and Tony Oliva. Among the attractions will be Bert Blyleven’s Hall of Fame plaque.

Tickets for adults and children under 14 are available at a discount if purchased in advance. Tickets are sold at the Twins Pro Shops, by telephone or via the team’s Website.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill said yesterday on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle he’s optimistic senior cornerback Troy Stoudermire will be given a medical redshirt and allowed to play again next season.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who threw five touchdown passes to help defeat the Vikings yesterday, was seen dining at McCormick & Schmick’s in Edina Saturday night.

Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler and former Gophers wide receiver Eric Decker, now with Denver, are among 26 NFL players selected by USA Football for its third annual USA Football All-Fundamentals Team. The team honors NFL players who exhibit exemplary techniques for youth players to emulate.

The Timberwolves will have a free scrimmage at Target Center open to the public starting at noon today.

The Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, Minnesota Adoption Resource Network (MARN), and Minnesota Department of Human Services will host the seventh annual “Holiday Shopping for Kids” event late today at Seven Restaurant and the downtown Target store. Thirteen local foster children from MARN waiting for adoption have been invited.

Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson and his wife Landyn will host a holiday party tomorrow for young patients and their families (about 100 people) at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital. The Hutchinsons purchased gifts for every young patient at the hospital. Players joining them will include Patrick Brown, Caleb King, Tyrone McKenzie, Sage Rosenfels, John Sullivan and Kerry Taylor.

Legendary former St. Louis Park High School athletes Jim Petersen and Bob Stein periodically schedule breakfasts with former Orioles assistant football coach Cliff Bombach, now 94.

Harvey Mackay, Minneapolis businessman and former Gophers golfer, said his new book, The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World, climbed in the first 10 days of sales to No. 1 among business books on the Wall Street Journal list and No. 2 on USA Today.

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Basketball Gophers Win Praise for Attitude

Posted on December 14, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Tubby Smith likes the “character” of his team and his players have earned the praise.

The Gophers defeated Central Michigan last night, running their nonconference record to 11-1. It was the team’s fifth consecutive win since Dayton clobbered the Gophers in the championship game of the Old Spice Classic on November 27. Even more painful on that night was the season ending ACL injury to the team’s best player and potential All-American, senior forward Trevor Mbakwe.

“It tells me a lot about our character, recovering from the loss of one of your top players like Trevor,” Smith said recently. “I think that changed the mentality, the toughness, the character of this team but we all know it’s going to get a lot more difficult as we get past Christmas. So we’ve got to continue to play well.”

Gophers junior forward Rodney Williams is averaging career highs in points, 9.4, and rebounds, 4.5, and has played his best basketball since Mbakwe went down. He’s emerged as a leader defensively, too. He spoke about the determination of this team.

“Coming into this season there weren’t a lot of people that believed in us,” he said recently. “Especially after Trevor went down, there definitely weren’t too many people that believed in us. But we know what we got here. …”

The Gophers have one more nonconference game on the schedule, December 22 at home against North Dakota State. The Big Ten schedule starts five days later at Illinois and as Smith said, the challenge becomes more difficult for this team.

The Gophers have consistently been willing to work with effort both offensively and defensively. Their ball movement on offense may be the best of Smith’s five teams at Minnesota and with multiple shot blockers even without Mbakwe the Gophers can be difficult to score on near the basket.

Certainly the Gophers are a team with limitations including erratic outside shooting and problems defending three point field goal attempts. Their nonconference schedule has been played entirely at home except for three neutral court games in Orlando for the Old Spice Classic so this team hasn’t been tested on the road. There have been only a few big school opponents, leaving little doubt the schedule—similar to other Big Ten schools—is built for early wins, not games against top 40 teams.

But the players don’t make the schedule and they have accepted the challenge of playing together and with effort no matter who comes to town. And when Mbakwe and center Ralph Sampson III and point guard Andre Hollins haven’t played because of injuries, it’s been “next man up” to do the job.

How they will perform in the Big Ten will be determined but the team that most everyone said even last summer wouldn’t contend for a high finish in the conference standings has exceeded expectations during the nonconference schedule. That’s what counts today.

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Mr. Football Announcement Comes Sunday

Posted on December 8, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Committee chair Rick Sutton said it was a challenge determining the winner of the 2011 Mr. Football award. The committee recently chose a winner from three finalists and the name will be announced on Sunday at the Mr. Football Banquet at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.

A couple of weeks ago 10 candidates for the award were announced. “This was the most difficult year in coming up with 10 finalists. Then we struggled with the final three to pick the winner,” said Sutton who has been on the committee all eight years of the Mr. Football program.

The 10 finalists announced on November 20 were: Beau Bofferding, Marshall; Jonathan Harden, Cretin-Derham Hall, Trey Heid, Lakeville North; Andrew Larson, Eden Prairie; Andre McDonald, Hopkins; Nate Meyer, Rocori; Phillip Nelson, Mankato West; Jonah Pirsig, Blue Earth Area; Sam Sura, South St. Paul; Tyler Vaughan, Braham. All players had to be high school seniors.

Gophers fans have a particular interest in Nelson and Pirsig, the two candidates among the 10 listed above who verbally committed to play for Minnesota in 2012. The guess here is at least one of the two was among the final three candidates.

Nelson could be the Mr. Football winner. He’s considered by some prep observers to be the best Minnesota high school quarterback since Joe Mauer played for Cretin-Derham Hall 11 years ago. Nelson was also recently named the Minnesota Associated Press Football Player of the Year. At Mankato West he threw 94 career touchdown passes and rushed for 41.

Pirsig, 6-9, 300 pounds, played defensive end and offensive tackle for Blue Earth. He’s projected as a “road grader” type offensive tackle in college. Although he didn’t play against the strongest of high school competition, Pirsig drew interest from Minnesota and other major colleges.

The Mr. Football program is sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings. Sutton is an association leader and Eagan High School football coach.

The printed banquet program includes quotes from the coaches of the 10 finalists. Here are some program quotes edited for brevity:

Mankato West coach Mark Esch on Nelson: “His combination of arm strength, quick release, size and speed make him the best quarterback I’ve ever coached. He is a leader and has a bright future at the next level playing for the Gophers.”

Blue Earth coach Randy Kuechenmeister on Pirsig: “Jonah is a physical player who moves exceptionally well for his size. He moves people and makes things happen up front.”

Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant on running back Andrew Larson: “We have never had a better player at Eden Prairie and this includes multiple Division I players and a few who played in the NFL.”

Hopkins coach John DenHartog on wide receiver Andre McDonald who has committed to Vanderbilt: “Andre’s skill set is something that doesn’t come along very often in high school football. He has a unique ability to be big, fast and very quick. Andre is a great competitor who refuses to be tackled and believes he is going to score every time he touches the ball.”

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