Media – Page 27 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

RB Mo Ibrahim Gets Preseason Love

Posted on July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 by David Shama

Preseason college football authorities are on the Mohamed Ibrahim bandwagon. The fifth-year University of Minnesota running back is receiving All-American and All-Big Ten hype this summer.

Walter Camp Football Foundation has the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Ibrahim on its first-team All-American unit. Athlon Sports made him a second-team All-American and so did Phil Steele Publications. Athlon, College Football News, Lindy’s, Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus are part of the crowd who make Ibrahim an apparent unanimous pick for first-team All-Big Ten. Bleacher Report rated him the No. 3 senior (regardless of playing position) in the nation.

If Ibrahim is named a first-team All-American after the season, he will be the first U running back to achieve the honor since Laurence Maroney in 2005. Ibrahim was an Associated Press third-team All-American last season. He was also named Big Ten Running Back of the Year and, of course, made first team All-Big Ten.

The Baltimore native rushed 201 times for 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns during an abbreviated seven-game schedule last season. He led the Big Ten in the following categories: rushing attempts (201), total rushing yards (1,076), rushing yards per game (153.7), rushing touchdowns (15), scoring (90), points per game (12.9) and all-purpose yards per game (168.4). His rushing average of 153.7 yards per game set a school record.

Ibrahim has rushed for 2,840 yards in just 28 games during his U career. With a big season in 2021 he could move past Rodney Smith (4,122 yards) on the all-time career rushing list at Minnesota. Smith is second on the list to Darrell Thompson’s 4,654 career yards.

Ibrahim is a powerful runner, consistently breaking tackles and able to lean forward with defenders on his body. While not having breakaway speed, he is among the best power runners in U history. He doesn’t have Maroney’s speed and explosiveness but his vision and stubborn running style is reminiscent of another former Gopher, Marion Barber III (played with Maroney and is second in career touchdowns with five less than Thompson’s 40).

Gophers Football Notes

Other Gophers are receiving preseason attention for being among the better players in the Big Ten. Guard-tackle Blaise Andries and center John Michael Schmitz are on Athlon’s All-Big Ten second team offense. Quarterback Tanner Morgan and defensive end Boye Mafe are third team selections by Athlon.

Lindy’s has Mafe on its Big Ten second team defense and offensive tackle Daniel Faalele is also a second-teamer. Lindy’s ranks Ibrahim the No. 3 running back in the nation, Mafe the No. 14 defensive end and Morgan the No. 24 quarterback.

Phil Steele is among the most respected of authorities and he went heavy on props for the Gophers. He placed guard-center Connor Olson on his All-Big Ten first team with Ibrahim. Second teamers are Andries and Morgan. Third teamers are wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell, cornerback Coney Durr, defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney, and Faalele and Schmitz.

It was announced yesterday Andries made first team on the 2020-2021 Academic All-America Division I team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. The honor recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their performances on the field and in the classroom. Andries is majoring in mathematics and is an aspiring actuary.

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck received recognition in Seth Galina’s Pro Football Focus story last week ranking the top 20 coaches in college football. Citing Fleck’s successes at Western Michigan and Minnesota, the Gopher leader was ranked No. 20. Among Big Ten West Division coaches, only Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald at No. 6 was ahead of Fleck.

The Gophers sagged in 2020 (3-4 record) after their impressive 2019 performance, 11-2 overall, 7-2 in the Big Ten and ranked No. 10 in the nation in the final Associated Press poll. With Fleck going into his fifth season at the U with an experienced roster, expectations are pretty high.

“This is a big year for P.J. (Fleck); a lot of problems they had last year you could attribute to personnel and coordinator changes; plus some key guys opting out and getting injured,” anonymous opposing coaches said in Athlon. “His brand and style never makes friends in the division; they want to be flashier and louder than the programs that have been successful in their area. …”

Minnesota gave up 30.14 points per game last season and concerns about improvement lessen enthusiasm among media for 2021. The offense generates confidence but doubts about stopping the opposition has predictors thinking Minnesota will finish third or fourth in the seven-team West Division.

Most likely Wisconsin but maybe Iowa to win the West, is a trend seen this summer by crystal ball specialists. The Gophers and Northwestern draw support as the next best teams in the division.

Typical prediction on wins and losses has Minnesota at 7-5. Included in that camp is Cbssports.com’s Tom Fornelli who predicts one of the wins will be over border rival Wisconsin in the last game of the season. Athlon projects Minnesota playing Toledo in Detroit’s Quick Lane Bowl.

Ugh.

Among anticipated dates on the Minnesota schedule is the September 18 nonconference game against Colorado in Boulder. The Buffs aren’t a Pac-12 power but the Denver-Boulder area offers a lot to see and do. Steve Erban’s Creative Charters has filled two planes for the trip and is working on a third.

Steve and wife Dorothy are part of the 2021 Canterbury Park Hall of Fame class. The Stillwater couple will be recognized at Canterbury Saturday for their role in the state’s horse racing industry. Steve was an important advocate for Canterbury Park before it opened in 1985. He and Dorothy have owned and bred stakes winning horses, developed a national horseracing event and formed partnerships introducing new owners to the sport.

Other inductees in the class of 2021 are Mary Green of Eden Prairie, who is another pioneer in the development of Canterbury Park and long involved with the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association, and also two thoroughbreds, A P Is Loose and Honey’s Sox Appeal, that are among the all-time leaders in purse earnings at the Shakopee racetrack.

Former Gophers football and basketball public address announcer Dick Jonckowski will do standup comedy Friday at the Alpine Inn in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The appearance was facilitated by Jonckowski’s friendship with Jay Buckley, the La Crosse-based operator of Jay Buckley’s Baseball Tours.

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Historic July for Local Pro Franchises

Posted on July 11, 2021July 11, 2021 by David Shama

Welcome to a Sunday notes column:

Because of the pandemic and disruption of schedules, MLB, the NHL and NBA hold player drafts this month. It’s unprecedented for fans of the Twins, Wild and Timberwolves to be following all three drafts in July.

The 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft starts today in Denver and continues through Tuesday. The Twins have the No. 26 selection in the first round and may take a college pitcher. This is the first time the MLB Draft has been part of events built around the All-Star Game (Tuesday night).

The Twins, with a 38-50 record, may earn a .500 record by season’s end. Regardless, they won’t finish with MLB’s worst record in 2021 and thereby qualify for the first pick in the 2022 draft. Twins draftniks have joked about a “tank for Elijah” campaign, referring to super prospect outfielder Elijah Green who is a favorite to go No. 1 in 2022.

The NHL Draft will be July 23-24 at the NHL Network Studio in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Wild draft position is late in the first round but Minnesota does have two picks at No. 21 and 25. The organization needs scoring and playmaking including at center, with that priority likely addressed on July 23.

The Wild will also target the center position in the offseason by looking for a veteran center. Buffalo Sabre Jack Eichel could be on the shopping list.

The NBA Draft will be July 29 in New York and the Timberwolves don’t have a selection in either of the league’s two rounds. Put the odds, though, at 50-50 this will change between now and July 29, with basketball boss Gersson Rosas making a trade with another club for a choice or two in the draft.

The Golden State Warriors have the Wolves first round pick because of the 2020 trade that sent Andrew Wiggins to California and brought D’Angelo Russell to Minneapolis. Wiggins exceeded expectations for the Warriors last season, while an injured Russell missed 26 games because of knee surgery. The defensive limitations of Russell, the performance of Wiggins at both ends of the court in 2021, and having the Wolves’ No. 7 first round draft spot, prompted this opinion last month from NBCsports.com about Golden State executive Bob Myers:

“Myers robbed Gersson Rosas blind and simply left Russell in his office with a thank you card attached.”

Former Gophers star Max Meyer, now in the Miami Marlins organization, is scheduled to pitch in today’s Futures All-Star game in Denver. Meyer is among minor league baseball’s most promising prospects. Josh Winder, a right-hander like Meyer, will represent the Twins via the St. Paul Saints. Winder is 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in two minor league stops this year.

Before the trade deadline it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Twins move shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Cincinnati Reds for prospects. The Reds are trying to win the NL Central and have a need at short. The Twins could call up MLB veteran JT Riddle from the St. Paul Saints and finish the season with him. Top prospect Royce Lewis is likely to be Minnesota’s long-term answer at shortstop.

The Twins rotate analysts on TV telecasts but no one compares with 82-year-old Jim Kaat who in recent weeks has been working the booth with play-by-play man Dick Bremer. Listening to Kaat’s insights and storytelling can be better than the game. Within moments his infallible baseball mind might be recalling the first game he ever saw (1946 Briggs Stadium, Tigers and Red Sox), and then advising Twins hitters to focus less on launch angles and more on “situational hitting.”

Word is now retired Mikko Koivu could become a coach with the Finnish national team, and an ambassador for the Minnesota Wild.

In members-only meetings (no guests) the Twin Cities Dunkers will hear from Gophers basketball coach Ben Johnson Tuesday and Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck August 3.

It’s been more than two months since Dave Lee signed off as host of WCCO Radio’s early morning show, with no replacement announced yet. Did a broadcaster from public radio turn down the job? The station should promote news reporter Adam Carter to fill the vacancy. The nephew of former Gophers football captain Jim Carter, Adam is smart, articulate, interesting and personable.

Baseball fan and Murray’s owner Tim Murray will visit Globe Life Field in early August to watch the Texas Rangers. The club’s new home is the only MLB stadium Murray hasn’t experienced.

Bill Robertson’s first day as president and commissioner of the United States Hockey League is Monday. He will headquarter in the same Bloomington office he used as commissioner of the men’s WCHA.

Former Viking Matt Birk will be master of ceremonies of the Taste Fore The Tour fundraiser at Interlachen Country Club July 19. The celebrity attended event and related activities raise funds for Volunteers Enlisted to Help People, the large Twin Cities food panty. A Taste Fore The Tour celebrity recipe collection booklet features 25 recipes, including from Birk, Lou Nanne, Mark Parrish and top local chefs. Each booklet costs $30 and is enough for VEAP to feed one person for a month. More at TasteForeTheTour.com, or HungerRelatedEvents.org.

The Minute Men Amateur Athletic Foundation 2021 scholarship was awarded to Henry Sibley scholar-athlete Brandon Morris.

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Humble ‘Billy Rob’ Still a Commissioner

Posted on June 21, 2021 by David Shama

Friends call him “Billy Rob.” It’s a nickname you might expect to hear when kids are choosing teams for a hockey game at a neighborhood pond. “Yeah, Billy Rob, you play goalie, okay?” When spoken by adults, the nickname shows how comfortable people are with Robertson who has a decorated behind-the-scenes career in professional sports.

Bill Robertson has many friends and admirers, and they celebrated his success a few days ago when the United States Hockey League announced that the St. Paul native is its new president and commissioner. Facebook, text, telephone and in-person messages congratulated Robertson on his new assignment to lead one of the world’s best junior hockey leagues. The total may have been about 1,000 well wishers including the likes of hockey’s Ryan Suter and baseball’s Paul Molitor.

Two years ago Robertson, then commissioner of the men’s WCHA, sat with a friend in a Bloomington restaurant and wondered what he might be doing in the summer of 2021. Most of the member schools in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association had announced in 2019 they were forming a new league for the 2021-2022 season. The end of the historic WCHA was more than a possibility. In the months following that Bloomington lunch Robertson continued to lead the WCHA, hoping to secure new members, but knowing that in June of 2021 and beyond he could be with another organization.

Several career possibilities were in play this spring, with Robertson telling Sports Headliners he had been talking with the USHL since the beginning of the year about succeeding his friend Tom Garrity as league commissioner. “When they told me several weeks ago that I was their candidate, and they would be forwarding me an agreement, there was a big sigh of relief,” Robertson said. “I sat in my chair for a few minutes, and put my head down, and thanked God for watching over me. To be honest…I wasn’t sure where I was going to end up next.”

Dave Mona, who built a public relations empire in Minnesota, wasn’t surprised Robertson landed with another hockey league that will have its leader based in the Twin Cities. “Bill is very good at what he does and he makes friends along the way,” Mona said. “So I think he’s on everyone’s list when someone says, ‘Hey, there’s an opening, do you know somebody?’

“Bill’s got a pretty board skill-set and I think he’s been extraordinarily skillful… making friends at all levels, people who enjoy being with him. He does what he does well. I don’t think he has to apply for a lot of jobs. People say, ‘Well, what about Bill Robertson?’ ”

During seven years leading the WCHA, Robertson successfully brought playoff games back to campuses, introduced the 3-on-3 overtime and shootout format to league games, and championed safety provisions. His commitment to a fan-friendly league that included overhaul of the WCHA’s digital operation, and he developed external corporate partnerships and sponsorships.

With the USHL, the 60-year-old Robertson will contribute extensive marketing experience and one of his initiatives will be how to grow the sport, not just for his 16 league franchises, but hockey in its entirety. He wants to see the expense issue of playing hockey addressed and with the best initiatives there will be more participation by both boys and girls. USA Hockey, the NHL and colleges are partners he looks forward to working with.

Robertson’s ties with hockey go back to childhood as the son of Norbert Robertson who played collegiately for both Minnesota and St. Thomas. Brother Mike played hockey at Boston College in the late 1960s. Bill was an executive with the startup Minnesota Wild from 1998-2011.

It was in those early Minnesota Wild years that Robertson and Patrick Klinger became acquainted. Klinger worked for the RiverCentre event complex in St. Paul and later became an executive with the Minnesota Twins. “We very quickly became fast friends and have been best of friends ever since,” Klinger said.

How did the bond form and stay in place all these years? “He’s such a high integrity individual,” said the 57-year-old Klinger. “You know, we share a lot in common. We have two children. Each of us has one that has special needs. We sort of grew up in the sports industry together…and here we are 20-plus years later, and my admiration and respect for Bill is greater than it ever has been.

“We play a ton of golf together. We talk, we go out to dinner. We do a (cable) television show together. I love the man, I really do.”

Klinger recognizes a flaw or two in his pal. “He’s an awful, awful putter. I am telling you what, Stevie Wonder would putt better. Watch him get to the green and then putt, and putt again, and a third time. Sometimes we just have to bite our lips. You know, he gets a little feisty.”

Klinger fondly recalls an “epic match” involving the two at a Hastings, Minnesota golf course. “There was some money on the line and it got to the 18th hole,” Klinger said. “Bill had literally like an 18-inch putt, maybe not even that much to tie the match, to tie me. It would have gone into sudden death. I wouldn’t give him the putt. Of course, he missed it. He’s never let me forget it.”

Robertson recently celebrated his USHL hire in South Carolina, with daughter Brooke, and son Brett and his wife Maritza. The trip had been planned for awhile to get in some long overdue family time, and turned out to be more special than anyone could have imagined.

“I don’t think there’s any greater gift than to have children, and I have two wonderful people,” Robertson said. “One is in his late 20s, my son, and my daughter is in her mid-20s. The thing that made me just tickled as a father was the fact that I watched the two together…in South Carolina and how they meshed together like when they were really young. It was so wonderful to see. I had some tears in my eyes watching how they interacted and how the older brother helped the younger sister with a lot of tasks. Just trying to help her continue to develop more skills and her independence.”

In recent days Robertson might have reflected on his career in the sports industry. He was Director of Communications with The Walt Disney Company, and in that role he led communications efforts for the Mighty Ducks of the NHL and Anaheim Angels of MLB. Before that he was the media relations boss of the NBA expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in the early 1990s.

Mona commented that media folks are often a cynical bunch but Robertson didn’t treat reporters, columnists and talking heads as adversaries. “They all speak highly of him, even though they may have known him two or three jobs ago,” Mona said. “They have lunch with him a couple times a year. When their kids graduate from college and you read the Facebook comments, one of the first comments is from Bill Robertson. He’s got really good people skills and he’s got…a knowledge of, and a track record of, being able to bring people together and get things done.”

Klinger has long observed how Robertson relates to people in various positions. How he treats individuals with authenticity and sincerity, no matter who they are.

“What you see with Bill is what you get,” Klinger said. “He really genuinely cares about people. …

“He knows that I am going through a difficult time with my back. He’s the guy that’s gonna pick up the phone, call me almost every day to check in, or send me a text. If something else is going on in life, in business, in family, I know I can call Bill and he’ll drop everything. We’ll get together and talk things through. And vice versa. We’ve done that for each other for a long time.

“He’s just that person that’s authentic and genuine and kind-hearted. He’s somebody that will do anything for his friends and family.”

While growing up in St. Paul, Robertson dreamed of having a baseball career, perhaps becoming the next Paul Molitor. He was passionate about the sport as an infielder at Cretin-Derham Hall.

His passions also include the city he reveres. “You know, he was born and raised in St. Paul, on St. Paul Avenue,” Klinger said. “Went to Cretin, loves the city. He’s in the Mancini’s (Sports) Hall of Fame. St. Paul is in his blood.”

So is hockey.

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