Lynx – Page 28 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

A.P., Whalen Lead State-Ties to ESPYS

Posted on July 8, 2013July 9, 2013 by David Shama

Vikings and other notes:

Minnesota sports fans can consider themselves stakeholders in voting for the 2013 Excellence in Sports Yearly Awards (ESPYS) winners. The ESPN sponsored awards program will accept votes from fans until 8 p.m. on July 17 in 35 categories including three in which Adrian Peterson is a nominee.

The Vikings’ superstar runner, who almost broke the NFL record last season for most rushing yards in a single season, is a candidate for Male Athlete of the Year. His competition is baseball’s Miguel Cabrera, basketball’s LeBron James and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. Peterson is also in the running for Best NFL Player along with Calvin Johnson, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Watt. In the Best Comeback category Peterson’s rivals are Manning and Buster Posey and Mariano Rivera from baseball.

Former Gopher and Hutchinson High School star Lindsay Whalen, now with the Lynx, is one of five candidates for WNBA Player of the Year. The others are Tamika Catchings, Tina Charles, Angel McCoughtry and Candace Parker.

Hermantown native Drew LeBlanc, who won the 2013 Hobey Baker Award playing for St. Cloud State, is a candidate for Best Male College Athlete along with wrestling’s Kyle Dake, basketball’s Trey Burke and football’s Johnny Manziel.

Ben Revere, traded by the Twins during the last offseason, is a nominee in the Best Play category for his famous diving catch made this spring for the Phillies against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Peterson was voted the NFL’s best player in results announced earlier this summer on the NFL Network. He is the first non-quarterback to be ranked No. 1 in voting by league players to determine the NFL’s top 100. Other Vikings on the list are defensive end Jared Allen at No. 60 and linebacker Chad Greenway, No. 70.

Peterson, who had a bad allergic reaction to shrimp last summer during training camp, now carries “two EpiPens with him at all times should he have another attack,” according to a June 24 story by Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. EpiPens are used to treat severe allergic reactions.

It’s hardly an NFL secret the Vikings need considerable improvement in their vertical passing game to have a better offense in 2013 than in 2012. Wide receivers coach George Stewart told Sports Headliners the team has the “weapons” to create more long pass plays. “We have some young men that are capable of being very successful,” Stewart said.

Stewart’s personnel includes Steven Burton, Greg Childs, Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson, Jerome Simpson, Joe Webb and Jarius Wright. Stewart, who has been with the Vikings since 2007, offered comments about each of the following receivers:

Stewart said Burton has impressed with his work ethic. “Steven Burton is a young man that has earned his way on our football team. He’s working hard every day. He’s better than what a lot of people give him credit for and he will help us down the road.”

Childs is trying to recover from two knee injuries last year and hopes to eventually resume his NFL career. “He is a very inspirational young man to work as hard as he works.”

Jennings, who joined the Vikings this offseason after being a major contributor with the Packers for years, was praised by Stewart for his professionalism and football IQ. “He brings a wealth of knowledge. Excellent player.”

Patterson, a 2013 No. 1 draft choice, is 22 years old but has played only one season of major college football. “He’s exceptionally gifted and will help this football team this year.”

Stewart said Simpson was slowed by a foot injury last season but he has the speed to impress Vikings fans. “He’s a young man, if he’s healthy (he) will help us in the vertical game, but (he) also has been a good leader.”

Webb, the former quarterback trying to transition into a wide receiver, has drawn a lot of media attention this offseason. “His work is still in front of him but he’s working every day to get better.”

Wright starts his second NFL season in 2013 and is a willing student with talent. “Jarius Wright is a consummate pro in everything you ask him to do. Extremely athletic, extremely gifted, great hands…he’s a pro.”

Gophers freshman football players are on campus. Soon after their arrival Gophers coach Jerry Kill and his wife Rebecca visited players in their dorm rooms to make them feel welcome at Minnesota.

Rick Beeson and Dean Johnson, the new chair and vice chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, are both Gophers fans. Regent Dave Larson is also a major supporter of Gophers athletics.

Seven former Twins were selected on Saturday for the MLB All-Star Game on July 16 in New York: Jesse Crain (injured), Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gomez, J. J. Hardy, Torii Hunter, Joe Nathan and David Ortiz. The present Twins major league roster has no personnel that came here in return for those seven players.

The MIAC website has moved to a new URL, MIACathletics.com. The site offers an updated appearance and several new features.

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Thursday Task Next for Vikings

Posted on October 22, 2012October 22, 2012 by David Shama

The Vikings will learn in three days if they can continue the NFL trend this season of the home team winning on Thursday nights. In six previous Thursday night games, only the Giants have won on the road—decisively defeating the Panthers 36-7 in Charlotte.

God didn’t create pro football players to play a game on three days rest but the marketing focused NFL and a passionate American public say “bring it on.” One league game is scheduled for each of 13 Thursday nights, causing the shortest of all off periods for players who also find themselves playing on Sundays and Mondays.

The Vikings (5-2) play the Bucs (2-4) on Thursday night this week at Mall of America Field in a game nationally televised on the NFL Network. The Vikings defeated the Cardinals 21-14 yesterday while the Bucs lost to the Saints, 35-28.

Both the Vikings and Tampa Bay will have the same amount of time to rest and prepare for the game but the Bucs will travel on Wednesday and that’s not like being at home. “It does help not having to travel,” Vikings center John Sullivan said. “Definitely it will afford you more time to rest. You won’t spend the day before the game on a plane, travelling on a bus. …It’s part of home field advantage.”

Players are routinely sore after games (not to mention injuries) and competing after only three days off can be a particular challenge for veterans like Jared Allen, the Vikings 30-year-old defensive end. He’s concerned about the NFL commitment to Thursday night games, a schedule that was expanded in 2012 from eight to 13 games.

”…Heck, I have been in the training room more this year trying to stay healthy than I have in my entire life. So for me it’s a concern just because you know how your body naturally progresses,” he said.

“…It’s just one of those things. You pray to the good Lord you stay healthy, and you try to do extra cold tubs. Do extra things (and) try to get the soreness out. But it’s not like…(one) team is coming off another Thursday (having more rest), so everybody is in the same boat. So you go out and you make it happen.”

Notes from yesterday’s win over the Cardinals:

The Vikings defense had seven sacks, led by defensive ends Brian Robison (three) and Jared Allen (two). Defensive tackle Kevin Williams and cornerback Antoine Winfield had one each.

Adrian Peterson rushed for 153 yards, the 29^th game he’s run for more than 100 yards in his Vikings career. That ties him for the franchise record with Robert Smith who needed eight seasons to reach the total while Peterson is halfway through his sixth year.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier after being asked how his offense had so much success running against the Cardinals: “You know, we may see these guys again, so I will not be divulging that info.”

The Vikings made only two first downs in the second half and no offensive touchdowns. Quarterback Christian Ponder completed eight of 17 passes for 58 yards, throwing one touchdown pass and two interceptions in four quarters. In the last two games Ponder has been intercepted four times and fumbled once.

“I’m trying to do too many things,” Ponder said. “I’m getting out of the pocket and trying to force it to happen. I have to be a lot smarter and make better decisions for sure.”

Yesterday’s attendance of 61,068 was the first time in four regular season home games that the Vikings have drawn more than 60,000 fans.

Former Cretin-Derham Hall receiver Michael Floyd caught one pass for seven yards playing part-time for the Cardinals yesterday. He made available “30-plus tickets” to friends and family to attend the game. Asked to evaluate his rookie season so far, Floyd said: “It’s been all right. It’s just hard taking a loss at home.”

Taylor: Lynx to Make Money

Lynx owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners his WNBA franchise will make a “six- figure profit” this year. Most women’s pro basketball franchises have historically lost money, although the Lynx, who won the league championship last year, did make a profit in 2011, too.

The Lynx won’t repeat as WNBA champions this year. The Fever defeated the Lynx last night to win the WNBA Finals series, three games to one.

Taylor has owned the Lynx since the franchise’s first season in 1999. He couldn’t remember whether he paid a fee to acquire the expansion franchise, or simply agreed to operate the club knowing it was unlikely to be profitable. “I did not pay much, if I did pay anything,” he said last week. “It did require like a million dollars to set it up.”

Taylor said the success of the Lynx has “meant a lot” to him. “It’s made me feel proud and I am glad we stuck with it,” he.

Taylor said his Timberwolves are budgeted to lose money “one year more.” When the budget processes are completed for both the Wolves and Lynx, playoff revenues aren’t included because qualifying for post-season play is uncertain.

The Timberwolves open their regular season on November 2 at home against the Kings. Team president Chris Wright said as of late last week about 5,000 tickets remained for the game. The Wolves have sold approximately 2,000 new season tickets and have a total of 10,000—about 2,000 more than a year ago.

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Worth Noting

Posted on August 27, 2012August 27, 2012 by David Shama

Ted Mondale, Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority executive director, will be the speaker on Thursday, March 14 at the C.O.R.E.S. luncheon in Bloomington. NBA referee and Minnesota native Ken Mauer Jr. will speak at C.O.R.E.S. on Thursday, September 13. Anyone interested in more information can email Jim Dotseth at dotsethj@comcast.net. C.O.R.E.S. is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Vikings and Gophers will give local football fans a rare local football TV doubleheader on Thursday night. The Vikings play at Houston in their final preseason game starting at 6 p.m. and KARE 11 will televise. The Gophers open their nonconference season on the road in a 10 p.m. start against UNLV broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

Vikings rookie offensive tackle Matt Kalil is relieved to have experience now in preseason games. He told Sports Headliners it was “nerve-racking” prior to the preseason opener against the 49ers but he was comfortable after the first play.

The Vikings offense is similar to what Kalil played in at USC but more sophisticated, he said. The Trojans, Kalil predicted, will probably win the national championship.

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, 29, acknowledged he’s in his prime years after leading the team in tackles last season with 174 and playing in his first Pro Bowl.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier recalled how substandard the secondary performed on last season’s 3-13 team. He said an opposing secondary coach even called to tell him “you guys have to address your secondary.”

“…It’s not a lot of fun, but I think we have addressed some of those issues this offseason and now if we can keep our guys healthy it should help us to answer some questions when we play opposing offenses,” Frazier said.

John Gagliardi is preparing for his 60^th season as Saint John’s head football coach. He needs 16 wins to reach 500 career victories (484-133-11). The Johnnies open their season on Saturday at home against Northwestern College.

Saint John’s will finish fourth in the MIAC, according to a conference coaches poll. St. Thomas is picked to win the title followed by Bethel, St. Olaf, Saint John’s, Concordia, Gustavus Adolphus, Augsburg, Carleton and Hamline.

Former Gophers captain and Roosevelt High School alum Mike Svendsen will be among those inducted into the Minnesota Old Timers Football Association Hall of Fame on September 18 at the Prom Center in Oakdale. Others being induced that evening are Bob Meslow, Tom Turk, Frank Seidel and Dick Walker, according to www.tommiesports.com.

Phil Esten, University of Minnesota Alumni Association president and CEO, will leave his position in October to become executive associate athletic director for advancement at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to his alumni assignment, Esten was associate athletics director for the Gophers.

Based on sales at wnbastore.com, the Lynx’s Maya Moore jersey is the best seller in the WNBA. Teammate Lindsay Whalen’s jersey ranks No. 10 among league players. The Lynx are No. 1 in team merchandise sales.

Pearl Park Field No. 1 in the Washburn High School district has been renamed Harmon Killebrew Field. Improvements to the field have been made including new dugouts and a scoreboard featuring Killebrew’s name and No. 3 uniform number. Funding of $300,000 was provided by the Hennepin Youth Sports Program, and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Washburn has historically fielded some of the state’s better baseball teams.

Wild coach Mike Yeo and college coaches will speak at the first Herb Brooks Foundation Leadership Conference on September 15 at the National Sports Center in Blaine. The conference goal is to share with coaches from all levels of hockey what motivates players.

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