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Vikings’ Must-Win, Gophers’ Uniforms Headline Worthy

Posted on September 19, 2023 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

Coach P.J. Fleck is a creative thinker, and that includes how he approaches the uniforms his players wear. His commitment to putting the Gophers in various color combinations has been so extensive since becoming head football coach in 2017 that the athletic department communications office publishes a “Gopher Uniform Tracker” in its weekly news release for the media.

Frequently the Gophers wear combinations of maroon and gold, but black on black has been worn at Minnesota and by other Power Five teams who find the look appealing among players, coaches and younger fans. At the last home game, the Gophers unveiled their new all-black dark mode uniforms for an evening match up with Eastern Michigan. The look prompted both favorable and critical comments sent to Fleck and Sports Headliners.

Fleck said yesterday respect for the school’s maroon and gold colors remains in place and always will. “…We’re adding a little flavor to it (the uniforms). That’s…because it’s all about the players. Everything we do is about the players that are on that field. The student athletes love it. Our student body loves it. The young people love it, and I get it.”

Uniform colors vary most weeks because the players like that and they have a constant voice in what they wear. “…And I don’t think there was one email from our players that said I didn’t like those (the dark-mode uniforms),” Fleck said. “And that’s with no disrespect to our fans. We have the best fans, and we have the best supporters. I had a lot of emails about it, and I feel it. I appreciate that. But I also got just as many, if not more, by how much people liked them.”

This week Dinkytown Athletes, the official Name, Image and Likeness Collective of Golden Gopher Athletics, is introducing a retro merchandise collection featuring “M” Club Hall of Fame Gopher athletes. The first merchandise offering features Gopher football greats Marion Barber, Jr. (‘77-’80), Rickey Foggie (‘84-’87) and Pete Najarian (‘82-’85). Retro jerseys and shirts are available for a limited amount of time with a portion of the proceeds donated to DA.

“This is a great way to celebrate the achievements of past Gopher athletes while supporting the current ones,” Najarian said in a DA news release. “We need to embrace our alumni and get them involved. Let’s remember the past and support our future at the same time!”

Led by co-founders Derek Burns and Robert Gag, DA started about a year ago and directly supports current student athletes with NIL deals. In the highly competitive world of college sports, NIL is a continuing priority for DA and the Gophers.

Watch for merchandise offers in the coming months featuring Gopher basketball and hockey greats. More on the new initiative at https://athletesthread.com/collections/gopher-legend

The Vikings need to duck almost certain disaster by not losing to the Chargers on Sunday and starting the season 0-3. ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell wrote yesterday that since 2002 99 NFL teams have started their seasons 0-3 but only one (the 2018 Texans) has made it to the playoffs. The Chargers are also 0-2 and have lost those games by a total of five points.

A cheery stat is that 0-2 NFL teams do go on to make the playoffs, with that happening seven of the last 10 seasons. Last season eight of the 14 teams making the playoffs started either 1-1 or 0-2. That includes the Bengals who started 0-2 and won the AFC North.

The Vikings must show they can do better at stopping the run, while also rushing more effectively. The Vikings were gouged by the Eagles’ run game last Thursday night and rank 29^th among 32 NFL teams giving up 332 yards rushing this season.

Look for Minnesota to commit more to running the ball at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday against a Chargers’ defense not that formidable against the rush, allowing 211 yards in two games and 3.9 yards per carry. The Vikings so far this season are passing 77.9 percent of the time, the most in the NFL, per Teamrankings.com.

It’s evident the Vikings miss the explosive run production of Dalvin Cook, who was released in the offseason and is now with the Jets. Not working in their favor either is left tackle Christian Darrisaw (ankle) and center Garrett Bradbury (back) could be sidelined on Sunday. The reported signing of free agent guard Dalton Risner, a consistent player who figures to be the best of the pass blockers on the roster of guards, should help.

Former Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks, now with the Chargers, will be dealing with a hamstring injury this week that kept him out of last Sunday’s game against the Titans. The 31-year-old veteran has been outstanding against the pass during his career.

Chargers’ starting offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III is from Apple Valley and played collegiately at Sioux Falls. The 27-year-old started 14 games for the Chargers last season and has two starts in 2023.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who connected on 26 of 31 passes last week and 331 yards against the Vikings, is on the cover of Time Magazine for the feature 100 of the “world’s rising stars.” Peyton Manning wrote a profile about Hurts and referred to him as “a model of how to approach a job.”

Detroit can claim the most NFL players among American cities. The NFL reports that after analyzing the 2023 opening week rosters of all teams and where the players come from, Detroit was first with 19, followed by Bradenton, Florida with 17 and Houston at 16.

Gophers’ true freshman tailback Darius Taylor is a Detroit native. He was again named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after he ran for 138 yards last Saturday against North Carolina. A week ago he won the honor for the first time after a 193 yard performance versus Eastern Michigan. Taylor is the program’s first Freshman of the Week in consecutive weeks since running back Shannon Brooks in November of 2015.

Sports Headliners reader and Gophers’ basketball fan Scott Ballou emailed news about former Minnesota head coach Clem Haskins who turned 80 on August 11. Ex-Gophers Walter Bond, Randy Carter, Ariel McDonald and John Thomas travelled last month to Campbellsville, Kentucky to celebrate their coach’s 80^th birthday. “Other former players had contacted him as well,” Ballou said via email while noting he had spoken by phone last month to Haskins. “He was very proud that many of his former players were still close and had stuck together over the years. He said he and his family were doing well and his son Brent lives in Hudson and works for the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

Happy birthday to talented St. Thomas men’s basketball coach John Tauer who turned 51 yesterday. His Tommies won the 2016 Division III national title.

Friends have been looking for former Gophers’ basketball assistant coach Jimmy Williams for about 12 months and he has been found at the Brynwood Health and Rehabilitation facility in Monticello, Florida. Jay Pivec, who coached with Williams on the 1982 Big Ten champion Gophers, said Williams suffered a stroke last week but is thinking clearly while struggling with his speech. Williams was an assistant coach at Minnesota for 15 seasons including for the 1972 and 1982 Big Ten title teams.

The Twins will face starting right hander Hunter Greene on Wednesday in the closing game of their series with the Reds in Cincinnati. The Twins had to choose between Greene and Royce Lewis in the 2017 MLB Draft, taking Lewis as the No. 1 overall pick while Greene went second. They made the right choice with Lewis, an everyday player, and now among baseball’s most promising young players, while Green has a career record of 9-19 and 4.45 ERA. Bailey Ober, 7-6 with a 3.67 ERA, will oppose Greene Wednesday.

With the popularity of the Gophers volleyball team, you might wonder if the U athletic department is considering an outdoor match for Huntington Bank Stadium after the Cornhuskers drew an announced attendance of 91,648 for a match on August 30 in the Nebraska football stadium. That was a world record attendance for a women’s sports event.

It will be interesting to see if the Wednesday night best of three WNBA playoff series game at Target Center between the Lynx and Sun sells out. The Lynx website lists available tickets from $24 to $334.

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95-Year-Old ‘Barn’ Still Special to Golden Gophers

Posted on July 16, 2023 by David Shama

Williams Arena is only five years away from its 100^th birthday. The home of Golden Gophers basketball turned 95 last February and if you ask Ben Johnson the facility, despite its age, is still special.

Johnson’s opinion counts and not just because he is Minnesota’s head men’s coach. He played in the building for the Gophers for two seasons, from 2002-2004, and was an assistant at Minnesota from 2013-2018. Before he was in college the Minneapolis native also watched the hometown team in the iconic building that features intimate seating and a raised floor.

Johnson, 42, told Sports Headliners he remembers his first game in Williams Arana like this: “You can get 13,000 people in here being wild and being loud cheering for their team. I thought that was pretty cool.”

Williams Arena. Photo credit University of Minnesota

Looking like an airplane hangar or barn on the outside, the revered building is the oldest arena in the Big Ten and among the most ancient college basketball venues in America. Named for former Gophers’ football coach Dr. Henry Williams, the arena once had the largest seating capacity in the country for college basketball, 18,025. With a wink to the fire marshal, the Gophers and Iowa packed “the Barn” in 1955 with a record crowd of over 20,000.

Renovations over the years, including partial replacement of bench seating, have brought capacity now to 14,625. Filling the building with fans was on Johnson’s mind the other day. His team is practicing this summer with the goal of major improvement from the last two seasons when the Gophers finished at the bottom of the Big Ten standings. Last winter the Gophers didn’t sell out a home game, not even against border rivals Iowa and Wisconsin. Johnson knows a packed house with delirious fans can create an electric atmosphere helping his team win games that otherwise might end in losses.

“We have to do our job and have a really good product and get people excited to come out, but they definitely make a difference,” he said. “And if you can win your home games in this league you set yourself up really well for post season play…and to have a successful Big Ten league season, and that’s what we want to do.

“We want to have every advantage we can to put our players in a position to have that special year. …I’ve seen it as a player and a coach that when Williams Arena is full—and it’s packed and there’s juice and energy in there –that for sure is two, three, four wins without a doubt. “

When a facility is 95 and has limited glitz and fan amenities compared to state-of-the-art buildings, speculation surfaces about the building’s future. Johnson acknowledged “people are always asking and wondering” but he isn’t aware of any major renovations or tear down planned for the arena.

Fans may also wonder what impressionable 17-year-old recruits think of the facility that is older than their great grandparents. Does the arena’s age present Johnson and his staff with a challenge in recruiting?

“It’s never come up as an issue,” Johnson said. “If anything, I think they really like it because it’s historic. It’s a venue that’s different with the elevated floor…makes it unique. Our guys actually love it and look forward to competing on it (the floor and venue). And I know our new players that haven’t played there think it’s pretty cool and have heard stories and are really looking forward to this year.”

“The Barn” is not for everyone, though. With no windows in the interior, the building relies only on artificial light. There are still bench seats that are uncomfortable for older fans. There are also seats where patrons crane their necks around poles to see the action. Concourse space is cozy, and the building won’t win any design prizes for the size or feel of its bathrooms.

But when the old building is filled and rocking with fans, there is an atmosphere to rival any in college basketball.

Because of Johnson’s roots here he has long appreciated the venue. “You see new arenas that don’t have that home feeling. I think that is what separates us. I’ve been in a couple (of other) older arenas and there’s a mystique to it. Kind of a magical feeling…there’s a history.”

In five years, Williams Arena will be feted with a birthday celebration like no other in its history. Johnson wants to be around then and have an outstanding team worthy of that milestone. “Without question, that would be pretty special,” he said.

Worth Noting

Kirk Cousins is known as a polarizing figure and that comes through when reading Twitter comments about him prompted by the just released NetFlix docuseries “Quarterback” that chronicles the lives of NFL QBs Cousins, Patrick Mahomes and Marcus Mariota. Tweeters offer Cousins love, dislike and everything in between.

Odds seem likely 85-year-old Jim Marshall, known for his Iron Man playing streak of never missing a game in 19 seasons with the Vikings, will finally be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. Marshall is up for consideration again and his peers, including the late Bud Grant, think the former defensive end who is in the Vikings Ring of Honor is overdue for induction.

Speculation continues as to where defenseman Matt Dumba will play next season, but it seems all but certain the free agent won’t return to the Wild.

Congratulations to family, friends and former teammates of the late “Miracle on Ice” hockey hero Mark Pavelich who contributed to the new mental health facility in Sauk Centre, The Ranch. Pavelich, the great 1980 hockey Olympian and former Minnesota North Star, committed suicide in 2021.

Fired Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald uses the same agent (Bryan Harlan) as the Gophers’ P.J. Fleck. Harlan BTW is the brother of Kevin Harlan, the original broadcast voice of the Timberwolves and a national sportscaster icon for years.

MLB.com speculated yesterday that if the Mets make 35-year-old left fielder Tommy Pham available in a trade this summer the Twins could be interested. A right-handed bat, Pham is batting .301 in his last 30 games.

Don’t expect the Twins to part with manager Rocco Baldelli any time soon, even if the club slumps during the second half of the season. If it’s a rough finish Baldelli might well have reason to worry about his job security.

Bill Robertson, former WCHA and USHL commissioner, is reviewing consulting opportunities from sports and entertainment entities as he makes his transition into semi-retirement and relocation from Eagan to Buffington, South Carolina.

Gopher pitcher George Klassen, who can throw over 100 miles per hour, and Gopher second team All-Big Ten outfielder Brett Bateman have signed contracts with the Phillies and Cubs respectively. Klassen was taken in the sixth round of the MLB Draft earlier this month and Bateman was drafted in the eighth, with both reporting now to minor league operations.

Sorry to learn of Joe Pung’s recent passing. He was captain of the 1964 football Gophers and a second team All-Big Ten center that year.

Popular emcee and former Gopher football and basketball public address announcer Dick Jonckowski reports he is cancer free since last September. He will be a celebrity host starting on September 7 for the Jay Buckley Baseball Tour to Boston, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

The CORES lunch programs featuring prominent speakers, mostly from Minnesota sports, has been in place since 1985 but now there is a transition with long time organizers Jim Dotseth and Phil Ferek unable to continue their leadership. CORES speakers over the years have included Bud Grant, Rick Spielman, Jerry Kill, Mike Veeck, Pete Najarian and John Gagliardi who drew a record turnout of 216 attendees. Anyone interested in potentially stepping forward to assume leadership in the volunteer-based organization should email dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Sam Bennett, who finished as the 2023 Masters Tournament low amateur, speaks to the Twin Cities Dunkers Tuesday, July 25. Bennett is one of four young pros who have been given sponsor exemptions for the 3M Open scheduled July 24-30 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. The others are Brazilian Fred Biondi, and Minnesotans Derek Hitchner and Frankie Capan III who were state champions at Blake and Stillwater respectively.

The Minneapolis Aquatennial begins Wednesday with the Torchlight Parade. Three Grand Marshals for the parade will represent the Lynx in recognition of the franchise’s 25^th anniversary: coach Cheryl Reeve, GM Clare Duwelius, and Carley Knox, president of business operations.

Longtime Twin Cities TV news and sports anchor Jeff Passolt is retired living in Florida but spending summers at his lake home in Wisconsin. A native of Minnesotan, Passolt’s knowledge and recall of the state’s sports history is impressive.

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Sonny Gray Could Be in Last All-Star Game for Twins

Posted on July 11, 2023 by David Shama

Sonny Gray’s spot on the 2023 American League All-Star team prompts a question about his future with the Twins?

Gray, 4-3 this season with one of the better ERAs of any MLB starter, is an All-Star for the third time in his career but if he sees action in tonight’s All-Star Game in Seattle it will be a first for him. He was also an All-Star in 2015 (with the Athletics) and 2019 (with the Reds). An unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season, this could be Gray’s last All-Star Game representing Minnesota.

At age 33 Gray is the third highest paid Twin in base salary, earning $12.7 million, per Spotrac.com. In the offseason Gray is likely to be looking for a multi-year deal approaching $20 million per year or more. The man nicknamed “Pickles” (reportedly for his fondness for the popular condiment) should be searching for the richest and most secure contract of his career and one that could take him to retirement.

The Twins have benefited from Gray’s often dominant pitching but seem unlikely to offer the best deal to keep the right hander in Minneapolis. Twins’ front office boss Derek Falvey could be willing to extend a one- or two-year deal, and significant raise, but three years at big money seems like a Twins deal breaker for an aging arm. But don’t bet against teams less budget conscious than Minnesota offering Gray a contract he can’t turn down (even if it’s for two years at bigger money than the Twins offer).

Fans may speculate if Gray will be dumped before the MLB trading deadline August 1, but that seems very unlikely. The Twins are a contender to win the AL Central and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. A mediocre team playing in a soft division, the Twins would turn off their fan base and media big time if they traded away their best pitcher in the next couple weeks.

Gray has been a major contributor to the Twins having the third best team ERA in baseball. He is a thinker on the mound, capable of delivering a variety of pitches and being effective against right and left-handed batters. In today’s power prioritized baseball, he has given up only three home runs, while striking out 101 batters in 99.2 innings.

Glen Taylor Reserved about NBA In-Season Tournament

This fall the NBA In-Season Tournament debuts involving all 30 league teams. The tournament starts November 3 and ends with the semifinals on December 7 and championship game December 9 in Las Vegas. All games, except for the championship, count as part of the regular season results and standings. Teams will continue to have 82-game regular season schedules, with the playoffs to follow as in the past.

There is more detail than that involved, and fans may find it all confusing. “Well, it’s something they want to try,” Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners. “I am not as enthused about it as the league is. I think it’s going to be kind of complicated.”

Taylor said the league has been talking about the tournament for six years. It’s a potential revenue generator for the NBA, and something that will bring more attention to the league during football season.

Taylor believes the NBA is committed to the tournament and growing its popularity for years to come. There will be a learning curve about not only how it works but why it’s happening early in the season. “…I think it’s confusing to understand, what is the importance of it,” Taylor said.

Many of the NBA’s best players are committed to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup including Wolves star guard Anthony Edwards who is on the U.S. team. While Wolves fans mostly cheer Edwards’ participation, there are concerns about center Rudy Gobert playing for his native France in the tournament that starts August 25 and runs through September 10 (close to the start of Minnesota’s training camp).

Gobert, 31, played for his national team last summer in EuroBasket 2022 and at times seemed lethargic during the NBA season. He had a lingering back issue in the playoffs last April and the hope from Wolves fans and probably the front office was the 7-1, 258-pound defensive specialist, who reportedly earns $41 million in base salary next season, would not put extra stress on his body by playing in the FIBA tournament.

Taylor considers the decision by NBA players to participate in the FIBA Basketball World Cup as something best left to each individual. He recognizes the national pride involved for many players and takes a supportive approach to Gobert’s decision making.

The Wolves’ 82-year-old owner is upbeat about the recent NBA Draft where his team didn’t have a first-round pick but managed to select two players in the second round that management is optimistic about in forward Leonard Miller and guard Jaylen Clarke. Miller and Clarke were two of four players on basketball boss Tim Connelly’s wish list right from the “very beginning” as the Wolves prepared for the June draft, Taylor said.

Taylor is also encouraged by the performance of his other team, the WNBA Lynx. The team started slow losing eight of the first 10 games. “Those first few games, they played like they were going to tank,” Taylor said chuckling. ”There was no intention (to do that for better draft position). They just couldn’t hit a shot no matter what.”

But the Lynx, 9-10 on the season, have been playing winning basketball since early June and won five of their last six games. One reason for the success is that often the defense has been dominating, “doing everything right,” Taylor said.

The Lynx, who have started two rookies in Dorka Juhász and Diamond Miller, are a possibility for the playoffs but are not in the class of the league’s elite teams. “We still are building,” Taylor said.

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