Golden Gophers – Page 46 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Collective Makes Significant Impact on Gopher Football

Posted on August 11, 2024August 11, 2024 by David Shama

Dinkytown Athletes, the official Golden Gophers collective involved with Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for University of Minnesota athletes, launched in July of 2022 and sold its first memberships to the public in September of that year. DA, led by Derek Burns and Robert Gag, faced a skeptical Minnesota sports public but interest in boosting the coffers of the collective is documented in a report shared recently with Sports Headliners.

Active paying members were up 156 percent year-over-year in the spring of 2023 and 180 percent in the fall of last year, per “The Dinkytown Difference Football Case Study.” The document doesn’t specify dollar amounts, but the opinion here is DA has become competitive with other collectives supporting major college football programs including many in the Big Ten. (Editor’s note: DA is a Sports Headliners advertiser.)

Darius Taylor photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Without the growth in financial support for DA from contributors, the Gophers wouldn’t be returning 16 starters from last season’s team. Among returnees are standouts including sophomore running back Darius Taylor whose 799 yards rushing last season was fifth best in school history for a true freshman despite missed playing time when he was injured. Taylor’s NIL earnings are estimated at six-figures. For sure being rewarded, too, with NIL earnings are other Gophers including Aireontae Ersery, rated the best returning offensive tackle in college football by Pro Football Focus.

In a new era where players on the existing rosters of college football teams have to be re-recruited, the transfer portal window is an anxiety producing time as programs look to both retain and add personnel. For the 2023-2024 portal period the Gophers coaching staff led by P.J. Fleck lost three transfers to Power Five programs including starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. Minnesota gained eight transfers, giving the Gophers a net gain of 94 games in playing experience, according to the Dinkytown difference document.

Rivals.com gave Minnesota the second highest grade among Big Ten teams last spring for its work in acquiring talent in the transfer portal. Minnesota’s B grade was surpassed only by Washington’s B+.

Minnesota’s eight transfers include promising running back Marcus Major from Oklahoma, former state No. 1 recruit and edge rusher Jaxon Howard from LSU, plus needed help at wide receiver where Cristian Driver from Penn State and Tyler Williams from Georgia. The biggest transfer prize looks like FCS transfer Max Brosmer from New Hampshire.

As a startup, founders Burns and Gag learned money needs to be in place before the transfer portal opens. In the 2022-2023 portal the Gophers lost 10 transfers to Power Five programs. Minnesota gained two transfers during that period resulting in a net loss of 115 games in Power Five playing experience, according to the document.

Among the players leaving the Gophers was cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr., who became a 2023 All-American at West Virginia. Austin Booker made all-Big 12 as a defensive lineman for Kansas. Defensive lineman Trill Carter was the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year playing for Texas.

Worth Noting

Steve Erban said his company will be taking about 600 Gopher football fans to Minnesota’s October 12 UCLA game at the Rose Bowl. Creative Charters has almost sold out its availability.

Just added to the football fan travel lineup is a trip to the November 9 Rutgers game. Erban said the trip experience will include a visit to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, New Jersey.

Speculation is Viking safety Lewis Cine, the team’s top draft choice in 2022, will not be a member of the team when roster cuts are made later this summer. Cine, selected last in the first round with the No. 32 pick, has been a disappointment during his career and appears to be way down on the safety roster in training camp.

In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Cine played in three and seven games respectively, and started in none. It now appears that Cine, and cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., who was the team’s second player taken in the 2022 draft, will be draft busts. Booth Jr. was traded last week to the Cowboys for cornerback Nashon Wright.

The most important performance yesterday in the Vikings’ 24-23 closing seconds victory over the Raiders may have been the winning field goal by rookie kicker Will Reichard. In the opening preseason game for both teams the Vikings got a clutch 38-yard boot by Reichard who is trying to win the kicking job after Minnesota released veteran Greg Joseph in the offseason.

Adding to the drama at U.S. Bank Stadium yesterday, Reichard had his first field goal attempt as a pro blocked, and Raider kicker Daniel Carlson kicked three field goals including a 56-yarder. Carlson was released by the Vikings after his first two games as a rookie in 2018. He’s been with the Raiders ever since where he’s become one of the NFL’s best, and the hasty decision by the Vikings to cut ties remains among the worst in recent years for the franchise.

An interesting individual matchup in Viking training camp is rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner going against stud offensive left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Turner, a first-round selection, had a sack yesterday and looks like a game-changer.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the game his top two quarterbacks, newcomers Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, are “ahead of where I thought they would be at this point.” It’s believed that Darnold, an NFL vet going into his seventh season, is almost certainly the starter for the regular season opener at the Giants September 8.

Rookie McCarthy made a couple of underwhelming throws in the first half, including an interception. In the second half, he threw two touchdown passes with velocity and touch on the football. Darnold played only one series, the opening drive of the game.

The Twins finish their four-game series today against the Guardians who have lost two of the first three games against Minnesota at Target Field. Cleveland holds a 2.5 games lead in the AL Central Division but has lost seven of its last eight games and is 17-23 since June 26.

The Guardians are the smart choice to win today with ace starter Tanner Bibee going against Minnesota rookie David Festa. Last Monday, though, Festa impressed in a win over the Cubs, giving up two hits and no runs in five innings.

Twins president Dave St. Peter is a college football fan and will attend his first game at Michigan Stadium when Texas plays Michigan September 7. “Excited about it,” St. Peter said. “Never been to the ‘Big House’ so it will be a fun experience. I am certain of that.”

This will be the 14^th trip he and friends have made to well-known college football venues.

Target Field has a history of hosting college football games with regional teams and interest remains in future bookings, but St. Peter told Sports Headliners nothing is on the “calendar for the next few years.”

Look for Twins games to be on cable/satellite next season, plus directly to the consumer via streaming. Comcast viewers who finally have the Twins back on cable this summer by paying a higher monthly fee may have to pay more of the same for Timberwolves and Wild telecasts.

Owen Presthus, grandson of former Golden Gophers basketball captain Paul Presthus, is an outstanding soccer player and a few days ago was signed by Columbus Crew 2 to an MLS Next Pro contract.

Comments Welcome

Twins Deal with Blue Jays for Bullpen Help at Trade Deadline

Posted on July 30, 2024July 30, 2024 by David Shama

The Twins made a late afternoon deal to acquire reliever Trevor Richards from the Blue Jays in return for minor league infielder Jay Harry. Richards, 31 years old, is 2-1 with a 4.64 ERA and has struck out 49 batters in 52.1 innings this season. He has one save in his MLB career that dates back to 2018.

Harry, 22, was a Twins sixth round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and has a .248 minor league average in 404 plate appearances.

The Twins were able to make a deal on a day it was thought they might acquire even more pitching help. A prime trade prospect for the Twins might have been Rockies starter Cal Quantrill who is affordable at reportedly $6.5 million and under team control next season. A 15-game winner with the Indians in 2022, he is not a power pitcher but can cover bulk innings and could have fit in the back of the starting rotation providing quality starts.

Twins management presumably thought the cost was too high in money and/or in parting with their own players to acquire a Quantrill, or similar talent. Richards has about $710,000 remaining on his 2024 $2.1 million deal for the Twins to pay, according to Mlbtraderumors.com. He is a free agent after this season.

The Twins did add starting pitching depth today recalling veteran Randy Dobnak from the Triple-A Saints, according to multiple media reports. Dobnak, pitching better of late, was last with the Twins in 2021.

The hope from the Twins is that Richards and the 29-year-old Dobnak, both right handed journeyman pitchers, can contribute to a few more wins in a division race that finds the Twins 5.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central Division. Even without a division title, Minnesota is a solid contender for a wild card entry in the playoffs.

A contending Twins team through the end of the season and then participating in the playoffs can boost fan interest and the franchise’s coffers. And Twins fans know the budget conscious ownership group runs a cautious operation with scrutiny. Right now the Pohlads can look at home attendance and see that the 23,203 average per game at Target Field trails last year’s final of 24,371.

If the Twins fall out of contention in August or September for a playoff spot, average attendance will decline from what it is now. Fans can generally be categorized into two groups: those more interested in the charm of being at the ballpark with all the on-field and stadium pleasantries, or those who prioritize winning and are frustrated the club hasn’t been to the World Series since 1991, or even made a deep playoff run.

The first group is likely to diminish in numbers in September when school starts and the club’s promotional schedule winds down. Those that want to win now won’t be buying tickets for the rest of the season if they feel frustrated (again).

The Twins reportedly cut payroll by $35 million last offseason and are expected to be budget cautious for 2025. After winning the division title and first round of the playoffs in 2023, there are unhappy fans who say the club didn’t build on that success including a high-end contract to bring back staff ace Sonny Gray.

To the front office’s credit, though, the club has assembled a talented and productive roster of positional players and hitters. It’s a core group, too, with mostly under 30 players.

The starting pitching lacks depth but the Twins can argue the top of the rotation starters— Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober—is enough to make the team a tough out in the playoffs. The starting staff probably didn’t get a big boost at the trade deadline, nor did the so-so bullpen.

Led by Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, the Twins have made successful moves in assembling their roster while working with limited payroll. More money doesn’t guarantee success. The Mets, with a 56-50 record, have the highest payroll among MLB teams, $313,112,204, per Betmgm.com. The Twins rank No. 19 among 30 clubs at $128,865,502.

Some clubs do more with less including the 64-42 Guardians who rank No. 27 in payroll at $100,242,718. Twins’ fans know that’s the way their club operates, too. It was true yesterday, it’s true today and will be tomorrow.

Worth Noting

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and his French Olympic team defeated Japan in overtime today, 94-90. Gobert had 7 points and 15 rebounds.

Joe Mauer and Royce Lewis were both overall No. 1 MLB draft choices, with the Twins having to decide if they wanted to select pitchers instead of those two position players. When the Twins drafted Mauer in 2001, there was opinion that Mark Prior was a better option. Turned out, though, Mauer became one of the best catchers ever and Prior had a disappointing five-year run with the Cubs before injuries ended his career after the 2006 season.

The results may not be so one-sided between Lewis and Hunter Greene who the Reds chose with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. Lewis, mostly playing third base and being a hitting sensation, has been a wunderkind for Minnesota when available but he has also been a medical curiosity with the many injuries that have sidelined him in the last three seasons. Greene, after two so-so seasons in the bigs, is turning heads this summer with a 7-4 record and 2.97 ERA.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith, 35, is still admired by football authorities. He was named to the NFL’s Top 100 recently landing at No. 93 in the annual vote by league players rating the best of their peers. “I still think he’s a good player. I really do,” a former NFL executive with two franchises told Sports Headliners.

Golden Gopher senior Aireontae Ersery today was named to the Outland Trophy watch list by the Football Writers Association of America—the award that honors the best interior lineman in college football. The 6-6, 330-pound Ersery is college football’s best returning run-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus, and is PFF’s highest graded returning offensive tackle.

Gophers’ featured running back Darius Taylor was named yesterday to the Maxwell Award watch list—the award presented annually to the outstanding player in college football. Taylor is one of eight sophomores among the 80 candidates.

John Butler, the former Gophers assistant coach under Tim Brewster, was hired this month as Nebraska’s secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

Brewster, BTW, is in his first season as associate head coach and tight ends coach at Charlotte. Brewster was Minnesota’s head coach for four seasons, from 2007-2010. His resume includes five seasons as an NFL assistant, and seven jobs as an assistant at Power Five programs.

Former Gophers basketball player Jamal Abu-Shamala is the organizer of early Tuesday morning pickup games at Lifetime in St. Louis Park. Former college players participating include ex-Gophers Andre Hollins, and brothers Dan and Joe Coleman. Abu-Shamala has about 50 emails he uses to target commitments from around 13 players for the 6 a.m. start most Tuesdays.

Bill Guerin might make some lists of NHL general managers on the “hot seat” for next season, but he made fans happy yesterday when the Wild announced the signing of Minnesota native and former Gopher hero Brock Faber to an eight year $68 million contract that runs through the 2032-2033 season.

National Speakers Hall of Famer Walter Bond, the former Gophers basketball player, will talk to the Capital Club breakfast group August 18 at Mendakota Country Club. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

1 comment

P.J. Fleck Makes Case for Better Gopher Pass Game in 2024

Posted on July 25, 2024 by David Shama

In 13 games last season the Golden Gophers football team averaged 20.3 points per game, ranking 12^th in the 14-team Big Ten. Minnesota was mediocre running the football and had a dismal passing game, adding up to an offense averaging 300.9 yards per game—again 12^th in the league.

“When you have the Big Ten kicker of the Year, you’re probably not very good on offense,” head coach P.J. Fleck said today at Big Ten media days in Indianapolis. Fleck is a big fan of returning kicker Dragan Kesich and his proficiency for kicking field goals but knows his offense must produce in 2024 to improve on last season’s 6-7 record.

Fleck said personnel limitations and injuries dictated what the offense could do last season. “We want that to be better. We want that (offense) to be way more balanced,” Fleck told reporters in Indy at a news conference televised on BTN. “We also have to have the personnel to do that, which I think we have.

“We’re deeper at wideout, we’re deeper at tight end. We’ve basically got our whole line coming back. We’ve got a really good quarterback who is really consistent. …We’ve got a running back room that’s really deep. And if we can stay healthy, we can be balanced and be consistent on a daily basis on the offensive side of the ball.”

At the most important position in football, Minnesota has newcomer Max Brosmer. The transfer from New Hampshire was a second team FCS All-American last season.

Fleck said the Gophers were committed to finding a portal quarterback for 2024 who would be the starter. Someone with talent and a match for the program’s culture that stresses teamwork, academics and citizenship. Fleck tells his players to work at being better people than players, believing if you’re a better person you will become a better player.

Brosmer will have just one season of eligibility with the Gophers, but his leadership has already been so apparent to the coaches and players. “He’s a meticulous ‘why’ seeker and he’s a very, curious, curious individual. And anytime you have a curious leader, you can accomplish a lot.

“The quote that he is a coach on the field gets thrown around a lot, but he truly is. He could be a doctor and a surgeon which he probably will be, but he’ll be a phenomenal coach if he decides (to be) that one day after he’s done playing.”

Adam Weber, the former Gopher quarterback who still holds school records for career passing yards and career touchdown passes, has spent time with Brosmer. “He’s very impressive,” Weber told Sports Headliners Tuesday.

Worth Noting

Fleck, entering his eighth season with the Gophers, said he and athletic director Mark Coyle have worked together longer than any head football coach-athletic director duo in the Big Ten. Fleck emphasizes the importance of sustainability in a program’s culture that comes about when leadership is in place for a long time. Minnesota had four different head coaches between 1997 and 2016.

An example, he said, of how culture translates into sustainability is the Gophers return 16 of 17 eligible starters from last season’s team.

None of those starters has received more preseason hype than offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery. Ersery is a member of the latest EA Sports College Football 25. Not only ranked at No. 24, but he is also the highest rated offensive lineman in the Big Ten.

Fleck reiterated he “loves Minnesota” and said he and wife Heather have been building a new home for more than two years and it will be completed in two weeks.

Thirteen Golden Gophers have been named as candidates to play in the January 30, 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, Texas. That’s more than defending national champion Michigan has with nine on the watch list for the postseason all-star game.

Gophers are: Max Brosmer, Quinn Carroll, Tyler Cooper, Aireontae Ersery, Jack Henderson, Daniel Jackson, Jah Joyner, Dragan Kesich, Cody Lindenberg, Jalen Logan-Redding, Elijah Spencer, Danny Striggow, Justin Walley. https://shrinebowl.com/shrine-bowl-1000/

Former Gophers defensive back Brock Vereen, along with Rick Pizzo, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith, will host a new 30-minute B1G Countdown to Kickoff show on BTN this summer and fall to prepare fans for the Big Ten games of the day.

Condolences to family and friends of Rochester native and Gophers’ swimming great Steve Jackman, 83, who died last month. Once referred to as “the fastest man in the world” after twice winning the NCAA 50-yard free style races, Jackman was an 11-time All-American at Minnesota. Jackman graduated in 1968 from the University of Minnesota Medical school and practiced radiology at the Mayo Clinic and Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois, according to the Springfield-based State Journal Register website.

Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards is the youngest player at age 22 on the men’s Olympic basketball roster. Wolves coach Chris Finch sees another opportunity for Edwards to grow from the opportunity, watching how some of the world’s greatest players prepare and handle themselves as professionals.

Edwards has predicted he can contribute in big moments for the U.S. team. “His confidence is something that fuels him, to be quite honest with you,” Finch told Sports Headliners earlier this month.

The team’s opening game in the Paris Olympics is Sunday against Serbia. Start time is 10:15 a.m. CDT with NBC televising.

The Summer Olympics begin tomorrow and cybersecurity company AVG has a warning: phishing and scam attacks rise during the summer and winter games. Attacks were up 280 percent during the 2021 summer Olympics and 238 percent for the 2022 winter games, per AVG.

Hollis Cavner has been a golf trailblazer here for more than 30 years. His efforts began with the Burnet Senior Classic in 1993, then the Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic and 3M Championship and now the 3M Open, Minnesota’s PGA Tour stop in its sixth year and going on this week at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine.

Cavner, his employees and volunteers have put high quality golf on the map in Minnesota while raising millions of dollars for local charities and boosting the economy. With the objective of growing interest in the game, kids 16 and under are admitted free to the tournament.

Cavner excels in building relationships including with young golfers such as Sahith Theegala who turned pro in 2020 and is now ranked No. 11 in the world. He will be at the 3M Open as will young players granted an exemption to participate including former Gopher Ben Warian.

Comments Welcome