Media – Page 14 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings O-Line? Experience Prompts Optimism

Posted on August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 by David Shama

Ezra Cleveland knows that in the competitive NFL there is no guarantee of having the same teammate beyond one season. The Vikings’ left guard is thinking the return of all five starters in 2023 will translate into the team’s best offensive line in years.

“It’s the same (group),” Cleveland told Sports Headliners. “Each one of us has been getting better every year. I feel like offensive linemen get better as they progress in their career. We’re all getting older. I am excited.”

Cleveland, center Garrett Bradbury and right tackle Brian O’Neill are all about to start their fourth NFL seasons. Right guard Ed Ingram is a second-year lineman, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, a third.

Those five players started much of last season until injuries hit. Ingram played well enough to be a rookie starter, O’Neill and Darrisaw looked like the Vikings’ best pair of tackles in a long time, Bradbury drew praise for his improvement and Cleveland was a solid run blocker.

“Continuity is big, having everyone back,” Cleveland said. “(The) relationships we all have is big. We’re able to coach each other out on the field and stuff like that.

“I feel like we all kind of have our own lingo. The (number) one offensive line is different than the two offensive line just cause how close we all are and how long we’ve been playing together.

“We’re going on four years with Garrett and Brian. Yeah, it’s big and it’s going to help us a lot this season.”

Ezra Cleveland photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Cleveland and Bradbury are particularly close, spending time together almost every day the last two years, including the offseason. That gives the two veterans, playing next to each other on the line of scrimmage, a special connection.

“We know each other like the back of our hand and it helps out on the field,” Cleveland said. “I know what he’s going to do and he knows what I am going to do. The o-line is the only spot where five people have to mesh together to make other people’s jobs work, and having that connection is big.”

This will be a second consecutive season under head coach Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and line coach Chris Kuper. That adds to Cleveland’s optimism about the coming season.

Among offensive linemen, there was some hesitation in a new system last season. “Hemming and hawing” is the way Cleveland described the learning curve and uncertainty. “We always ended up on the right guys but it might have been right at the last second where we figured out what to do. ….When you’re playing fast and not really thinking, that’s when the best football is played I think.”

Cleveland sees another factor that makes him upbeat about the coming season and it’s the presence of new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The new defense is aggressive and it’s a challenge to figure out what’s coming. “Flo’s defense is very, very difficult,” Cleveland said.

Dealing with last second adjustments in practice should help during the season as well as seeing different schemes in joint practices with the Titans and Cardinals this summer.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw 29 touchdown passes in 17 games last season, was sacked a career high 46 times. His total passing attempts of 643 was also third highest in the NFL as the Vikings became a more pass-focused offense. So that contributed to the 46 sacks but it’s no secret the Vikings must improve at pass blocking.

“…The whole line is like, okay, we gotta protect this guy,” Cleveland said. “Be firm and he’ll make stuff happen.”

Cleveland’s reputation is that of a better run blocker than pass protector. Does he agree? “Not necessarily. Run blocking is easy because there’s not really that much stress. You just have to go to the guy that is ID’d (to block). And in pass blocking these guys are paid a lot of money to beat us, but, no, I don’t think so.”

Cleveland has played left tackle and right guard for the Vikings. Because he played left tackle at Boise State he feels comfortable playing on the left side of the line and prefers his present position. He said fans don’t understand the difficulty switching from one side of the line to the other, comparing it to “like writing with your other hand.”

Worth Noting

Cleveland, listed by the Vikings at 6-6 and 312 pounds, was born three weeks prematurely but weighed 11 pounds.

Former Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, 35, is retired, living in a Minneapolis suburb and working on his golf game.

The Gophers play five teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason college football top 25 poll: No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 19 Wisconsin, No. 21 North Carolina and No. 25 Iowa.

Chris Autman-Bell, coming off a knee injury that caused him to miss the last 10 games of the 2022 season, was running fluidly in practice today and made a challenging touchdown catch.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said after practice he likes the depth and complimentary skills of his running backs roster, and multiple personnel will be used in games. “It’s definitely going to be a committee approach,” Fleck said.

Fleck talking about redshirt defensive lineman Anthony Smith who has been turning heads in practice: “NFL scouts come up (and go), ‘Hey, who is that guy?’ You can’t touch him just yet.”

The 247Sports ranking of the Gophers Athan Kaliakmanis as the worst quarterback in the Big Ten and a ranking of No. 67 out of 69 Power Five at the position is ridiculous. His performance in late season wins over Wisconsin and Syracuse were impressive. BTW, Lindy’s Big Ten preview rates the Gophers’ QB unit as No. 8 in the 14-team league.

The Athletic yesterday named its preseason All-American teams and included Gophers’ safety Tyler Nubin on the second defensive unit. Joe Alt, the Totino-Grace alum and North Oaks resident, is a first-team offensive tackle. In 2022 Alt was named first-team All-American by five organizations.

Casey O’Brien, the former Gopher football player who has courageously battled cancer for years, had clean scans today and is cancer free for the last nine months, according to a post today on X from his father Dan O’Brien. Casey is coaching quarterbacks at Holy Family Catholic High School where his dad is preparing for his first season as head coach.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Noah Hills recently reported that each of the 85 scholarship players on the Pittsburgh football team will receive Name, Image and Likeness money through the Alliance 412 collective. Each player, on average, will receive five figures of compensation for performing charity work, per the story. Former Gophers quarterback Tim Salem is the tight ends coach for the Panthers.

Mike Grimm is approaching his 13^th season as the radio voice of Gophers football and 18^th for men’s basketball. No word yet on who will replace Spencer Tollackson as color commentator on basketball games.

Infielder Royce Lewis, who missed the last 36 Twins games with an oblique strain, was reinstated by the club today and to make room on the 26-man roster put utility player Willi Castro on the 10-day disabled list with a mild oblique strain.

MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, posted last Friday, includes three Twins talents in No. 16 Walter Jenkins, No. 18 Brooks Lee and No. 53 Emmanuel Rodriguez. Jenkins and Rodriguez, both outfielders, are projected to arrive in the bigs in 2026 and 2025 respectively. Lee, already in AAA with the Saints, is predicted to play for the Twins next season.

Former Twins World Series champion manager Tom Kelly turns 73 today.

Weather advisory for the more optimistic of Twins fans planning to attend postseason games at Target Field: the World Series starts October 27 and potentially goes through November 4, so prepare your fall-winter wardrobe.

In a recent YouTube interview with Graham Bensinger, former Minnesota governor and pro wrestler Jesse Ventura said Muhammad Ali was his idol and among his prize possessions are autographed boxing gloves from Ali presented to him years ago by prominent Minneapolis businessman and author Harvey Mackay. Ali and Mackay were close friends for decades until the champ passed away in 2016.

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team will be in Italy August 20-30 to play three games against professional teams. This will be the Tommies’ first international trip as a Division I program.

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Fans’ Love Affair with Joe Mauer Ran Hot & Cold

Posted on August 6, 2023August 6, 2023 by David Shama

Joe Mauer was the center of adulation on Saturday when he was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Target Field. Fans of all ages applauded the greatest catcher in franchise history whose crown jewel achievement could be acceptance into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He is eligible to be voted into baseball immortality in 2024.

Some of those who lustily cheered Mauer this weekend were also his critics several years ago. Time will not forget that the hometown hero had two distinctly different eras with the Twins. From 2004-2013 he was a god in Minneapolis-St. Paul, on the Minnesota prairie and environs beyond. But the seasons from 2014 through his last year of 2018 were not so kind as part of Mauer nation cracked and turned on him.

Joseph Patrick Mauer was practically a household name in Minnesota even back in high school at Cretin-Derham Hall in the late 1990s. He was terrific on the basketball court, a five-star college quarterback prospect and so coveted in baseball he became the first overall selection in the 2001 MLB Draft. The Twins chose Mauer over pitcher Mark Prior and it was a wise decision because spurning the local kid for a guy who had a mediocre career on the mound would have been a disaster.

By 2004 Mauer was the team’s starting catcher and taking the first steps of a legendary 15-year career in the majors, all with the Twins. Between his rookie season and the turning point year of 2014, the 6-foot-4, left-hand hitting Mauer won three American League batting titles, five Silver Slugger Awards and the 2009 AL MVP Award.

His 2009 season was the stuff of baseball immortals, hitting a career-high 28 home runs along with a .365 batting average and best-ever 96 RBI. He is the only AL catcher ever to win a batting title. Six times he was named an AL all-star.

Mauer photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins.

Mauer was a two-way superstar during his glory years, a superb catcher who showed off a quarterback’s arm in targeting base runners and marvelous athleticism capable of even catching a foul ball behind his back or reaching behind the protective netting to snag a ball. He was a three-time Gold Glove winner as a catcher and probably deserved to win one after moving to first base late in his career.

Mauer’s early years were part of a tease by the team to become a World Series champion. The Twins, with Mauer and other young stars like Justin Morneau and Johan Santana, won division championships in 2004 and 2006, totaling 92 and 96 wins respectively. The club also won division titles in 2009 and 2010.

In the land of 10,000 lakes, native son Joe Mauer could seemingly walk on water. “Baby Jesus” became a nickname and was synonymous with a hero who was not only great but was one of us. Sports Illustrated twice made him a cover boy, referencing the possibility he could become baseball’s greatest catcher ever and also his pursuit to become the game’s first .400 hitter since 1941. And dating Miss America, Chelsea Cooley, only added to the coast-to-coast glitz associated with our guy Joe.

Making the whole story even better was Mauer remained Mauer. Deliberate in speech and humble in demeanor, he was and is an old-fashioned hero. The high character, strong and silent type America revered in the 1950s and 1960s. You never read about an irate Mauer throwing chairs or scattering the postgame buffet in the locker room because of a bad night on the field. His name didn’t show up in police blotters. He didn’t rip his teammates or strut around wearing gaudy jewelry to show off.

Joe could have been a first -round draft choice of the Boy Scouts, dependable and steady while living his life without pretense and doing the right things. “I am not as cool as I am supposed to be,” Joe might have said.

Mauer grew up in St. Paul with brothers Jake and Billy, raised by parents Jake and Teresa. “…Jake and Teresa raised their kids the right way. Family and ethics and honor and all that was a hell of a lot more important than even baseball,” said Ken Mauer Jr., the former NBA referee and Joe’s second cousin.

Not even Mauer’s $184 million contract could dent his rock-solid character and values. In 2010 he signed an eight-year deal that at the time was one of the richest in baseball history. There had been rumors the Twins might not be able to keep their superstar at home and speculation about how if he signed with the Red Sox he stood a better chance of playing in a World Series while tattooing his opposite field line drives off the “green monster” at Fenway Park.

The Twins weren’t about to let Mauer go elsewhere, though. The club had lobbied for a new ballpark on the premise more revenues would be used to acquire and keep talent. Opening Target Field in 2010 without No. 7 would have been a PR disaster for the ages.

The $184 million set Mauer up for life financially but injuries, missed playing time and declining performances in his early 30s changed the dynamic of how many fans viewed him. The most significant fork in the road came in August of 2013 when he suffered a season-ending concussion after taking a wicked shot to his face mask from a foul ball. He moved to first base in 2014 and only once hit over .300 before retiring at the end of the 2018 season at age 35 with a .282 average (lifetime .306). In 2016 he admitted to blurred vision at the plate as a result of multiple concussions.

Catching is the most demanding of baseball positions and Mauer’s physical problems had started even before 2013. He missed part of the 2011 season with something called bilateral leg weakness. The name of the ailment and inability to get on the field caused fandom to question Mauer’s willingness to play.

In the summer of 2014 Mauer’s hitting was sinking to new lows. Even grandfather Jake Mauer, a boisterous and colorful character who had helped groom Joe’s baseball skills as a kid, acknowledged the fan criticism in a Sports Headliners column in July. He understood the frustration Twins fans had with their $23 million per season first baseman and a team that had sunk into mediocrity.

“He’s getting a big salary, he should produce,” Jake said. “That’s what the fans think and that’s what the fans want. He’s trying but it just don’t happen (yet). But I don’t blame the people.”

Jake said Joe mentioned the possibility of being benched, and grandpa thought, too, the former American League batting champion should come out of the lineup. “But they can’t bench him because he’s making so much money. They gotta have him in the lineup,” the older Mauer said.

Joe’s woes in 2014 included an oblique injury but Jake acknowledged the seriousness of the concussion in 2013. “I think it has hampered him,” Jake said. “I really do.”

Big Jake, as family and friends called grandpa, passed away in 2020 at age 89. Then Joe lost his 66-year-old father in January of this year. As Ken Mauer Jr. put it in his interview with Sports Headliners, that’s way “too young” to lose a jovial man who was so beloved by everyone who knew him.

Ken Mauer and many others from the extended family were invited to this weekend’s celebration. “It certainly would have been wonderful if Jake had been able to be there,” Ken said. “He would be so proud and he always was.”

Minnesotans are justifiably proud of Mauer who was supported this weekend by so many who love him including his wife Maddie who went to high school with him. They live in the Twin Cities with twin daughters Emily and Maren and son Chip. Joe does some community work, but his focus is on being a dad and husband.

Mauer lived in Florida for a time, but Minnesota is where he belongs. He never wanted to play for any team but the Twins. Club president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners in 2019 the organization felt the same way. “No, that was never part of the dialogue with Joe,” St. Peter said about Mauer playing elsewhere. “We knew Joe wanted to be in a Minnesota Twins uniform and we wanted Joe to be in a Minnesota Twins uniform.”

And now Mauer is in the Twins Hall of Fame, just like even his critics knew he deserved to be.

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Coach P.J. Fleck Calls Allegations in Critical Story ‘Baseless’

Posted on July 27, 2023July 27, 2023 by David Shama

A highly critical article of the Golden Gophers football program by Front Office was addressed this morning by head coach P.J. Fleck at Big Ten Media Day in Indianapolis.

The story by A.J. Perez sourced anonymous former Minnesota players accusing Fleck and the program of having a “toxic” environment. Allegations were made of physical and emotional harm in a program that supposedly encouraged players to tattle on one another and play to Fleck’s ego. https://frontofficesports.com/former-gophers-players-staff-reveal-troubling-allegations-of-toxic-culture-under-p-j-fleck/

“These allegations are baseless,” Fleck said about the Front Office story while speaking on the Big Ten Network. He added the accusations are similar to past stories about the program that he said are without merit.

Fleck, about to start his seventh season as head coach, said physical punishment is never used to discipline players. That practice is contrary to University of Minnesota Athletic Department policy for all sports at the school.

Fleck said there are multiple avenues in place allowing players to anonymously report issues at Minnesota. Athletic Director Mark Coyle also makes his cell phone available to Gopher athletes who may have concerns. But “zero claims” have been made, according to the coach.

“We’re one of the most transparent programs in the country,” Fleck said. “There are tons of testimonials from past, present and even future Gophers to support and prove that.”

Media and fans should be open-minded to potential further developments regarding problems in the program. The allegations are serious but one new story with anonymous sources will not prompt an investigation of a program that has been successful on the field, in the classroom and with community projects.

There are hundreds of players who have gone through Fleck’s program since he took over as coach in 2017. There have to be some who didn’t like their experience and probably a few who hold bad feelings and intentions.

A source close to the program texted this to Sports Headliners: “My nugget for you would be that at least a few of these unnamed sources are guys that all failed drug tests and didn’t make it more than a year with Fleck.”

The timing of the Front Office article is interesting, coming during Big Ten Media Days and close to the beginning of the Gophers opening of training camp. Tyler Nubin, the senior Gopher safety and team leader, reacted this way on Twitter: “Hilarious hit piece. Been a part of this program for 5 years and I’ve never seen anything except great people and great coaches who care about the PLAYERS. This program not for everyone. For obvious reasons…. I ain’t come back my 5th year for nothing.”

Former Gopher Casey O’Brien tweeted this: “Wouldn’t trade it. Proud alum of @Coach_Fleck and @GopherFootball. #RTB.”

College Football Notes

Fleck continues to receive recognition as a top 25 coach nationally. Stewart Mandell, The Athletic’s respected college football writer, ranked Fleck No. 21 in a listing early this year that had Alabama’s Nick Saban and Georgia’s Kirby Smart “1A and 1 B.”

Lindy’s Big Ten football magazine points out the Gophers’ winning record in Big Ten games the last two seasons is a first for the program since 1967-1968. “Over the past half century, the Gophers have won just 38 percent of their Big Ten games,” per Lindy’s.

The Gophers have no sellouts yet on their seven-game home schedule including the opener with Nebraska August 31. The athletic department’s website reports limited seating availability for the Big Ten rivalry game. Purchase of a ticket includes the option to buy a ticket to another home game starting at $10.

As in the past, the department is scaling ticket prices differently (sometimes dramatically) depending on the opponent. Gophersports.com reports tickets range from $115 to $305 for the Nebraska game. Prices range from $25 to $120 for the second home game of the season, September 9 against Eastern Michigan.

Minnesota’s most attractive road game to many fans will be October 21 in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s athletic department website reports the first five home games of the season, including against the Gophers, are sold out. SeatGeek has tickets for the Minnesota game starting at $61 as of today.

Georgia tries for a third consecutive national championship this year, a feat no team has accomplished in post-World War II college football. The Gophers were the last to run off three in a row—1934-1936.

Rutgers isn’t on the Minnesota schedule, but no Big Ten program has a closer connection to the Gophers this fall. Former Gophers Curtis Dunlap and Michael Dixon are expected Rutgers starters at offensive guard and defensive back. Ex-Minnesota assistant coaches Kirk Ciarrocca and Joe Harasymiak are the Scarlet Knights offensive and defensive coordinators respectively.

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