Media – Page 4 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

‘Incredible Fans’ Can Take a Bow for Vikings’ Record

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 2024 by David Shama

Enjoy a holiday notes column focused on the Vikings.

The Vikings’ Cinderella season has happened for a lot of reasons on the field and via the front office but don’t discount the fans in the success story. U.S. Bank, now in its ninth season of hosting Viking games, is counted among the NFL’s loudest venues.

“I mean the fans at U.S. Bank are incredible,” Minnesota quarterback Nick Mullens told Sports Headliners earlier this year. “Anytime we can play at U.S. Bank, we’re all for that, for sure.”

Regarding NFL teams playing away from home, including in Minneapolis, Mullens said: “On the road your communication has to be on point. It has to be increased as far as the silent count goes and things like that. So, everybody has to just lock in a little bit more for the most part.”

The noise in the building can be deafening. It was at a rock concert like level against the Texans earlier this season. The fans earned praise after the game for making the venue so loud it forced the Texans into mistakes as they lost 34-7 to the Vikings in September.

The advantage of a home game can often be overly hyped in football, but the U.S. Bank effect is legit and could certainly be in play Sunday when the Vikings host the Packers in a renewal of their border rivalry. Minnesota is 7-1 at home this season, with the only loss coming against the Lions, 31-29.

The Vikings will hope to start fast Sunday like they did earlier in the season when they jumped to a 28-0 first half lead at Lambeau Field. Putting the Packers in the hole early will not only send the crowd into a frenzy, but also could force the Green Bay offense to become more one dimensional as quarterback Jordan Love goes pass-happy in trying to score points.

Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman says that kind of situation “creates a lot of opportunity for a defense.” It can become easier to “dial in” the pass rush and mix coverages.

The 13-2 Vikings, BTW, are 12-0 when Cashman isn’t injured and sidelined.

The Vikings and 11-4 Packers are similar in sack totals, at 44 and 43, but different in styles. Minnesota blitzes much more frequently than Green Bay, which relies on its front-four to deliver pressure.

Love, presumably, will be healthier than when the two teams played in Green Bay on September 29. His mobility was noticeably compromised in that game because of a knee sprain.

Love, 26, has moved into the category of better quarterbacks in the NFL. He sat for three seasons behind Aaron Rodgers before becoming the starter last season.

Drafting Love late first round in 2020 was controversial but has proven to be among the savvy moves of general manager Brian Gutekunst. The son of former Golden Gophers head coach John Gutekunst, Brian has rebuilt the Packers into not only one of the league’s elite teams, but he also has the youngest roster in the NFL.

The Vikings can emerge at season’s end with a 15-2 record, NFC North title and first round playoff bye by defeating the Packers Sunday and Lions in Detroit on January 5. Although the Vikings have won eight straight and are playing at home, the game is seen as a tossup because the Packers are impressive, too, after winning their last two games by a combined score of 64-13.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, whose team was only supposed to win 6.5 games, is considered the national leader for NFL Coach of the Year. He is the third NFL coach ever to win at least 13 games in two of his first three seasons, joining the Packers’ Matt LaFleur and 49ers’ George Seifert.

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is in the conversation for Executive of the Year but probably won’t win. Still, there is no discounting his value including saying no to a staggering contract for Kirk Cousins and then using the money to acquire difference making free agents on defense and the in-season acquisition of offensive left tackle Cam Robinson.

Sam Darnold image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Sam Darnold is a dark horse for NFL MVP, even though entering the last two games of the season skeptics are still waiting for him to revert to the poor quarterback play that characterized much of his early NFL career with other teams.

In 11 games Darnold has at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher this season. He could become the fourth player in league history with 12 such games in a season. Others are Rodgers (14 games in 2020 and 13 in 2011), Patrick Mahomes (13 in 2018) and Matt Ryan (12 in 2016).

Fox will televise Sunday’s game nationally with its lead team of Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi.

Dave Mona was recognized earlier this month by the Vikings for 50 years serving as the team’s press box announcer.

Vikings’ legend Scott Studwell will speak to the Capital Club breakfast group Thursday, January 9 at Mendakota Country Club. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

Carley Knox, Lynx president of basketball operations, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game.” She offers input about her career, WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark and the rise of women’s sports. Co-hosts are Patrick Klinger and Dave Boden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw5y8LAhdLA.

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Kevin O’Connell’s Leverage for New Contract Rock Solid

Posted on December 9, 2024December 9, 2024 by David Shama

With the 11-2 Vikings experiencing a potentially historic season, it is apparent head coach Kevin O’Connell has substantially increased his leverage for future contract negotiations. His initial deal, agreed to in 2022 when he was named the franchise’s 10^th head coach, ends after the 2025 season and is estimated to pay him about $5 million annually.

Ownership is expected to soon offer O’Connell a new contract, and perhaps has even done so. While the likelihood is considerable the two parties will strike a deal prior to next season, O’Connell’s impressive three seasons in Minnesota are so admired he could choose the ultimate power play of letting his contract expire and allow bidding from other teams.

The admiration among fans, media and NFL people is widespread and can even take an unexpected direction. Recently Kayln Kahler, from ESPN, wrote the dysfunctional Bears franchise, having fired their head coach earlier this fall, should consider a trade for O’Connell. Such a trade, including multiple future first round draft choices, will fall on deaf ears at TCO Performance Center in Eagan.

Ownership and staff have learned O’Connell is the “secret sauce” the Vikings and other NFL teams covet. He is loved in the organization, including the locker room, for the way he carries himself and treats others. He has created an environment and culture that should be the envy of other franchises.

In his first season (2022) the Vikings went a surprising 13-4 during the regular season. They were an amazing 11-4 in one-score wins, an NFL record.

In 2023 the Vikings’ season was derailed by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ Achilles injury and they finished with a 7-10 record. Despite having to navigate through a franchise record four starting quarterbacks, the Vikings ranked fifth in the league in passing yards per game (256.4).

Kevin O’Connell image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Predicted to win about six games this season—partly because of uncertainty at quarterback with Cousins leaving as a free agent to play for the Falcons—O’Connell and his staff have stunned the football world with the performance of Sam Darnold. The former journeyman quarterback has been “born again” in Minnesota and will earn a lot more next season than the one-year deal of $10 million the Vikings are paying him, and that has everything to do with their “quarterback whisperer” coach.

O’Connell has been on target in so many ways that have paid off for the team including his selection of assistant coaches. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has “bouquets” thrown his way every week for his creativity and overall work. Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown is in his first season working for O’Connell and has been impressive, too. It’s likely both men will have offers sooner or later to become head coaches.

O’Connell’s overall record (all with the Vikings) is 31-17, including one playoff loss. His winning percentage of .645 is the best in franchise history, surpassing that of legendary Bud Grant (.607) over 18 seasons. O’Connell is 24-9 in one-possession games as a head coach, the third best winning percentage (.727) in NFL history in one-score contests (minimum 25 games).

Not only does O’Connell have a superlative resume, but he also has a potentially long coaching career ahead. He doesn’t turn 40 years old until next year.

Speculation earlier this fall was the Wilf ownership group might offer him $10 million per year, but that appears too far under market value. More than doubling his salary to $12 million to $15 million seems appropriate. Contract length also has him in the “driver’s seat” with seven years or longer a possibility. Clearly ownership wants him to be the man in charge for the foreseeable future.

According to Sportico.com, the 10 highest paid NFL coaches annually are: Andy Reid, $20 million; Sean Payton, $18 million; Jim Harbaugh, $16 million; Mike Tomlin, $16 million; Sean McVay, $15 million; Kyle Shanahan, $14 million; John Harbaugh, $12 million; Dan Campbell, $11 million; Sean McDermott, $11 million; Mike Macdonald, $9 million.

Worth Noting

Darnold made history in yesterday’s 42-21 win over the Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. He is the ninth quarterback in NFL history and first since Aaron Rodgers in 2019 to have at least 325 passing yards, five touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 75-or-higher and a passer rating of 155-or-higher with no picks in a game.

After the game O’Connell offered his admiration of Cousins including the veteran quarterback’s character. “I love him as a person. I think he’s a great human being, great father, great husband. He stands for so many great things that I always really valued.”

According to Statista.com last June, at $294.17 million Cousins ranks No. 6 in all-time cumulative career earnings among NFL players. Rodgers, $380.66 million, was No. 1 ahead of Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan and Cousins.

Former Viking and Minnesota native Adam Thielen, age 34, had nine receptions for 102 yards in the Panthers’ 22-16 loss to the Eagles yesterday. With a total of 8,063 career receiving yards, he is the fourth undrafted player in the common-draft era (dating back to 1967) with at least 8,000 career receiving yards. He joins Antonio Gates (11,841 receiving yards), Rod Smith (11,389) and Wes Welker (9,924).

The veteran wide receiver has 25 career games with at least 100 receiving yards. He joins Smith (30 games) and Welker (28) as the only undrafted players since 1967 with 25 career games with 100 or more receiving yards.

If there is a change in Golden Gophers basketball head coaches after this season, St. Thomas’ John Tauer should be a level one candidate. Tauer, whose Tommies won the 2016 NCAA Division III national title, has his D1 team at No. 113 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Net Rankings. Minnesota is No. 163.

Meanwhile the women Gophers are No. 37 in the women’s rankings under second-year coach Dawn Plitzuweit. Minnesota is off to a 10-1 start and roster building strategy includes awareness of Minnesota and Wisconsin natives playing elsewhere who may want to transfer closer to home.

Jamal Abu-Shamala, the former Golden Gophers basketball player from Shakopee, has the volunteer honor of being Head Coach of the Twin Cities Dunkers in 2025. In that role he will arrange speakers for the organization that started 1948.

The Gophers have a 2025 football season tickets sales campaign going on with prices starting at $310. Public season ticket sales the last two years have been in the 23,000 to 25,000 range.

The Gophers had one year in the 1980s when they reported 56,000 season tickets while playing in the Metrodome.

The talented Gopher men’s hockey is coming off shutout home wins against Michigan Friday and Saturday night. Minnesota goalies Nathan Airey and Liam Souliere, with defensive help, shut out the Wolverines on consecutive nights for the first time in more than 80 years.

“Our D-corps is our strength right now and really I mean they’re elite,” Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said after his No. 4 ranked team swept the No. 6 Wolverines.

The Gophers, 15-2-1 overall and 8-0 in the Big Ten this season, are 32-10-1 in conference home games since the start of 2021.

The Wild’s fast start to the season includes being tied for the league lead with the Jets and Capitals in total points at 40. The way it looks now, unless the team has an incredible run of injuries sidelining key players, Minnesota can be mediocre the rest of the way and still make the playoffs for the first time since 2023.

Football coach Glen Caruso’s St. Thomas signing class for 2025 includes Beau Thielen from Eagan, a 4.5-star long snapper recruit. He drew interest in the recruitment process from FBS and FCS schools.

Al Worthington, who pitched for the 1955 Junior World Series champion Minneapolis Millers in 1955 and later was a standout for the Twins, will be 96 in February.

He is on the 2025 ballot for the Twins Hall of Fame. Fans can vote for 2025 candidates and/or use a write-in option. https://www.mlb.com/twins/fans/twins-hall-of-fame-ballot

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Gophers Reverse Trends with Axe Win Over Badgers

Posted on November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota left a sweet taste in the mouths of their fans today with a dominant 24-7 win over the Badgers in Madison. A day after Thanksgiving, the Gophers finished their regular season in the public perception plus-column, and improved their positioning for a favorable bowl destination.

Minnesota finished 7-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten games. That looks and feels better than totals of 6-6 and 4-5.

With a bowl victory the Gophers can make their final record 8-5. That’s a lot better than last season’s 6-7 record that included a win in the lowly Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit. The Gophers, BTW, were 3-6 in Big Ten games during their disappointing 2023 season that had followed two nine-win years that included winning conference records.

Minnesota ended a two-game losing streak after painful missed opportunities against Rutgers and Penn State. The win over the Badgers meant the Gophers finished 2-2 in November games after being 0-4 in November last year.

The win gave Minnesota possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the third time in four years. The victory stopped a 2024 string of rivalry game losses, with the Gophers unable to win the Little Brown Jug against Michigan, Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa, and the Governor’s Victory Bell, Penn State.

The win in Madison assured the Gophers they won’t go bowling in Detroit this year. Destinations in Charlotte, Nashville or Phoenix loom as warmer and more attractive possibilities. An appearance and win in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte will set up one of the more interesting on the field celebrations as the winning coach gets soaked in gallons of mayonnaise.

Gophers’ coach P.J. Fleck is undoubtedly up for the experience. His players gave him a nice 44^th birthday present today. He deflected attention from himself after the game during an interview with CBS, saying “after 40 you stop counting and you stop celebrating.”

Fleck said before the game on KFXN-FM: “We have to create turnovers.”

The Gophers didn’t do that, but they were in charge most of the game. Minnesota led 14-0 at the half and 21-7 after the third quarter. The Badgers might never have scored in the game if not for a foolish personal foul play by Joey Gerlach bailed them out of what would have been a fourth and more than 10 yards to go situation. Wisconsin got a first down and later scored their only TD of the game on a 15-yard pass that created some momentum for the Badgers then trailing 21-7.

Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer threw touchdown passes to Daniel Jackson and Jameson Geers, and scored on a one-yard tush-push. Brosmer, arguably the program’s top passing quarterback in decades, has a .668 best-ever completion percentage at Minnesota.

His consistency through the season was a trend Gopher fans can celebrate tonight. And here’s another that makes the fans in Dinkytown happy:

The Badgers’ 5-7 final record ends 22 seasons of winning records and likely bowl eligibility.

Worth Noting

Derik LeCaptain, the linebacker and special teams standout who blocked a punt against Penn State, is a team leader and has decided to return for a seventh season with the Gophers in 2025.

Can’t let the month of November pass without recalling Bob McNamara’s game for the ages against border rival Iowa. On November 13, 1954, 70 years ago, the All-American halfback from Hastings led the Gophers to a 22-20 win and a final 7-1 record in coach Murray Warmath’s first season in Minneapolis.

With more than 65,464 fans packed into Minnesota’s Memorial Stadium, the game’s highlight came in the first half with the score tied at 7-7. McNamara received an Iowa kickoff at Minnesota’s 11-yard line and made an 89-yard touchdown run that deserves a place among the most determined efforts in program history.

McNamara shook off Iowa tacklers, refusing to go down to the ground. Warmath said in his biography, The Autumn Warrior, that McNamara’s run was indeed the stuff of legends. “It was the finest example of brilliance and desire I have ever seen,” the coach praised.

Viking Ed Ingram talking about the adjustment in losing his starting right guard spot to Dalton Risner: “At the end of the day, if they didn’t want me they would have got rid of me so they obviously see something in me and they want me to just take a step back…just learn from a veteran. Just see what I can do.”

Ingram, a third-year veteran who has been a starter during his career, is facing a challenge now. “I feel like everybody has their own way of coping with it. Me personally, I pray a lot. I go to God. Whenever something like this happens, I just put it in his hands.”

St. Thomas senior running back Hope Adebayo from Inver Grove Heights is among 35 finalists for the Walter Payton Award recognizing the top offensive player in the FCS. He rushed for 1,137 yards this season, averaging 6.3 yards in 11 games.

The Twins front office could give the team and fanbase a boost if they signed Diamondbacks free agent Christian Walker. He’s won three consecutive Gold Gloves at first base. Last season he hit .251, with 26 home runs and 84 RBI. At 33, he is looking to cash in on his best ever contract and that looks like $22 million to $30 million for multiple years.

My friend Charley Walters reminded me of some humorous Herb Brooks wisdom the other day. The legendary hockey coach said eat dessert first, you never know what’s next.

Tickets costing up to $500 are available for the WWE extravaganza at Target Center next Friday and Saturday night.

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