Media – Page 42 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikes’ Record Stirs Leadership Question

Posted on November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 by David Shama

The Vikings start the second half of their 16-game schedule on Sunday with a home game against the Lions. Minnesota’s 4-3-1 record is a disappointment to many observers, including perhaps team owners.

A Super Bowl favorite going into the season, the Vikings’ record doesn’t match the hype. Against the better teams on the schedule Minnesota has one win, two losses and a tie.

The second game of the season, a 29-29 tie with the Packers, was a precursor to the frustration to follow. Rookie kicker Daniel Carlson failed the Vikings and their attempt to defeat their expected No. 1 rival in the NFC North when he missed three field goals on September 16.

While the Vikings did score a 23-21 road win over the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, Minnesota also has losses to two NFL powers, the Rams and Saints, and an inexplicable embarrassment against the Bills. In that September 23 home loss to the Bills, the Vikings looked unprepared and disinterested in a game that they were favored to win by more than two touchdowns.

As owners, the Wilf family has provided all the resources needed and asked for to help their football organization become elite. The Vikings play their home games in arguably the best football stadium in the country—U.S. Bank Stadium that opened in 2016. Their new practice and corporate headquarters in Eagan that opened this year is equally state-of-the- art. The Wilfs also okayed a guaranteed $84 million deal for new quarterback Kirk Cousins during the past offseason. The player payroll includes multiple Vikings earning more than $10 million per season. The team’s salary cap space is among the lowest in the NFL because of the owners’ willingness to pay top wages to players on the payroll now.

Owner and chairman Zygi Wilf is on record wanting to see his franchise in the Super Bowl. The Wilfs, including Mark Wilf who is an owner and club president, are football fans and that means they can get emotional about their team. They are also aggressive business people accustomed to success. These are serious folks and their patience with the organization’s football leaders presumably has limits.

The Wilfs acquired the Vikings in 2005. They hired now general manager Rick Spielman in 2006 and even then empowered him with major player personnel decisions. Spielman, with the Wilfs approval, made Mike Zimmer head coach in 2014. Front office executives and coaches in pro football often don’t achieve the longevity Spielman and Zimmer have earned in Minneapolis, but the Wilfs may eventually have doubts about their franchise’s leadership.

If the Vikings don’t make the playoffs after this season—or have an early exit from postseason competition—then what? Given the resources provided, and the expectations of a Super Bowl sooner rather than later, it seems fair to speculate that Zimmer and Spielman will be evaluated with discerning eyes the rest of this season.

Worth Noting

The eight teams the Vikings have played so far, including the 3-3-1 Packers, are a combined 29-32-1—with the parade led by the 8-0 Rams and 6-1 Saints. The remaining teams on the Viking schedule are a combined 24-19-1. The second half of the schedule includes another Packers game and two each with the Bears and Lions.

The Lions, historically inconsistent, have a 3-4 record, but with wins against the Packers and 6-2 Patriots who the Vikings visit on December 2.

Shannon Brooks ran for 154 yards last week against Indiana in his debut game of the season before injuring his knee. He isn’t expected to play for the 4-4 Gophers tomorrow against Illinois and his availability for the team’s other three remaining games is unknown. He is such a difference maker, Minnesota might not reach six victories and earn a bowl game invitation without him.

What were the preseason odds the Gophers would have to play this season without three of their best players because of injuries? Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is their premiere player, and two of the better running backs in the Big Ten are Brooks and Rodney Smith.

Two of the three leading Big Ten receivers in yards per game are Minnesota natives. Purdue’s Rondale Moore is averaging 107.8 yards in conference games, while Minneapolis native and Gopher Tyler Johnson is second at 104.8. Eden Prairie’s J.D. Spielman, playing for Nebraska, is third in the league at 104.0 yards per game.

Sports Headliners wrote last week about the 1968 Gophers-Hoosiers football brawl when Minnesota’s Jim Carter took off his helmet and used it as a weapon. Teammate and fellow running back Barry Mayer emailed a few days ago about the fight and couldn’t help needling Carter. Teammates wondered in the days after the brawl why Carter took his helmet off and exposed his noggin. Mayer joked that his friend apparently felt “he didn’t have anything to lose.”

Carter countered by saying via email “my noggin was already sore from blocking for Mayer—something he never did for me!”

Bert Blyleven, 67, announced on Twitter this week he will work a reduced Twins broadcast schedule in coming years—50 games as a Fox Sports North analyst in 2019 and 30 in 2020.

Max Johnson from Lakeville and Bowling Green State University is the Hockey Commissioners Association National Player of the Month . The 5-10, 183-pound forward tied for the NCAA scoring lead with 13 points in October, helping the WCHA’s Falcons go from unranked in preseason polls to No. 9 nationally following a 5-1-1 opening month.

It looks like a “make or break” season for the Wild’s Charlie Coyle, a hockey industry source told Sports Headliners. Coyle, now 26, is in his sixth season with the Wild and this fall has two goals and four assists in 12 games. He is talented enough to score 25 to 30 goals for a Minnesota team that needs scoring, per the source.

Mark Madsen, in town earlier this week as an assistant coach with the Lakers, played for the Timberwolves from 2003-2009. The good-natured Madsen was one of the worst players but best human beings in franchise history dating back to 1989.

Happy birthday to Star Tribune sports columnist Michael Rand, a Grand Forks, North Dakota native who turned 42 on Tuesday.

It will be interesting to see who WCCO TV chooses to replace Mark Rosen next spring. Broadcast companies don’t pay as much compensation for news and sports anchors as in the past. The new person at WCCO might negotiate a deal north of $150,000 annually.

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Twins Need 2019 Mauer Farewell Season

Posted on October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 by David Shama

Joe Mauer can give the Twins a much needed marketing mission for next season if he decides to continue his career. That is the opinion of a sports industry business analyst that has been close to the Twins organization for years.

The club finished the 2018 season yesterday with an unexpected and disappointing 78-84 record. Mauer, the Twins’ 35-year-old first baseman who is unsure whether he wants to continue his 15-year MLB career, is one of the few players on the roster who sells tickets. The roster is one of the least appealing in franchise memory and Mauer, along with outfielder Eddie Rosario, lead any short list of box office attractions.

Mauer has only hit above .300 once in the last five seasons but the legendary Minnesota-born athlete has won three American League batting titles and the AL MVP Award. The sports industry source didn’t want his name used but he believes there was a period when Mauer may have been the most popular pro athlete in state history.

The source believes the Twins have been contemplating a 2019 marketing campaign built around a Mauer farewell season. “The organization needs to find something to promote,” he said.

The Twins drew under 2 million fans for home games this season. That’s just the second time the franchise hasn’t reached 2 million since moving into Target Field in 2010.

The club qualified for the playoffs a year ago and the Twins were expected to again be a winning team in 2018, but this season nosedived months ago and disappointments were many including awful performances by cornerstone players Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Fan apathy has been apparent for awhile and last Thursday Ticket King sent out emails to potential customers promoting tickets priced at $4 and $6 for weekend Twins games at Target Field.

Fans are frustrated with an organization that has put teams on the field who have produced six losing seasons since 2010, including five clubs that lost more than 90 games. With an uncertain core of players and limited talent, selling tickets during the offseason and next spring will be a challenge. And when an organization loses the confidence and interest of customers, it’s difficult to reverse direction.

During the last several seasons a lot of fans have been critical of Mauer. He’s been resented for not producing more at the plate while collecting on his eight-year $184 million contract that ran through this season. But as the possibility of retirement has become a news story this summer, there’s a sense many fans are circling back to Mauer with affection and appreciation.

Mauer has to decide in the offseason whether he still wants to play baseball. If the desire and commitment are present, speculation is the Twins might offer a $10 million one-year contract. The front office could build a ticket selling plan around the hometown hero if he agreed he wanted to play one more season and receive the applause not only of fans at Target Field but throughout the American League on a farewell tour.

Mauer is viewed by baseball authorities as an iffy candidate to one day be voted into the Hall of Fame. A year ago Mauer hit .305, the only time his batting average has been over .300 in the last five years. This season his batting totals included a .282 average, six home runs and 48 RBI. If Mauer could at least find the level of his 2017 performance next year, it certainly wouldn’t hurt his career hitting totals. Another season would move him further up the rankings for various categories in Twins and MLB history.

It does seem all but certain that if Mauer is to play baseball next season, he will be with the Twins. Asked by KSTP TV’s Joe Schmit last week about playing for another club he said, “I don’t think so.”

There is logic in arguing Mauer will announce his retirement in the coming weeks or months. He was celebrated by fans and teammates yesterday in the final game of the season, a 5-4 win over the White Sox. The former catcher who turned first baseman a few years ago even caught a perhaps symbolic pitch behind the plate during the game.

Mauer has all the money he and future generations of his family will ever need. He also has a history of health issues, and he has a young family who no doubt would love to see him spend summers with them. No, he won’t return for another season just to help the Twins sell tickets, and he will retire if he doesn’t have the will to continue his career.

But that’s a big decision for someone whose life has revolved around pro baseball since he was a teenager. The source who talked with Sports Headliners predicts the public will need to be patient about Mauer’s decision—probably a couple of months. “Joe never does anything quickly,” he said.

Worth Noting

The club’s disappointing record this season wasn’t because of competing in a talented five-team division. USA Today’s MLB power poll last week listed Central Division champion Cleveland No. 6, the Twins 22, the Tigers 26, White Sox 27 and Royals 29.

Outfielder Alex Kirilloff has been named the 2018 Sherry Robertson Award winner as the Twins Minor League Player of the Year and left-handed pitcher Lewis Thorpe has been named the 2018 Jim Rantz Award winner as the club’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Kirilloff, 20, split the season between Single-A Cedar Rapids and Single-A Ft. Myers, combining to hit .348 (178-for-512) with 44 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs and 101 RBI in 130 games. Thorpe, 22, split the season between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Rochester, having a combined record of 8-7 with a 3.54 ERA. He pitched 129.2 innings and had 157 strikeouts, with opponents having a .250 batting average.

Wonder how many Timberwolves season ticket holders are unhappy after the organization increased prices and then franchise player Jimmy Butler announced last month he wants to be traded?

Former Vikings All-Pro defensive end Chris Doleman has glioblastoma, the same cancer that killed Arizona senator John McCain. Doleman, in a wheelchair, attended the September 29 tribute at U.S. Bank Stadium for Denny Green, his former coach.

Green’s widow, Marie, is a former flight attendant who is now operating partner of the Drybar hair shop in southern California, according to her Linkedin page.

It will be a difficult transition for Eric Kendricks if Anthony Barr isn’t with the Vikings next season. The two have been linebacker teammates at UCLA and with the Vikings (since 2015). Kendricks says of his friend, “that’s my boy,” but the Vikings might not have the financial flexibility (or desire) to sign his teammate who is a free agent after next season and was beaten on three touchdown passes Thursday night against the Rams.

Kendricks was asked last week about a future contract for Barr. “Honestly, I can’t make comment on that. I can just make comment on what kind of person he is and what kind of work ethic I see everyday. That’s all I have to judge off of him. I’ve been playing with Anthony for awhile now and (he’s) pushing me to do better, and that’s how it’s been.”

New Vikings kicker Dan Bailey is 30 years old and has been in the NFL since 2011 when he joined the Cowboys. In two games with the Vikings he is perfect on three field goal attempts and two extra points. “…I think I am hitting the ball just as well at this age as I was seven, eight years ago,” he said.

Condolences to family and friends of former Minnesota sportswriter Tony Swan, 78, who died last week. Tony spent much of his career in Michigan where he established a reputation as one of the preeminent automotive and motor sports journalists in the nation.

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2 Positions May Top U Recruiting List

Posted on September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 by David Shama

P.J. Fleck has 24 verbal commits for his 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports, and that could mean his work is all but done. Yet there still could be some big news before National Signing Day in December.

Speculation is the Golden Gophers head coach will hold back a scholarship offer or two to see what develops in the coming months. Recruiting authority Ryan Burns from Gopherillustrated.com will be watching. “Defensive back and offensive tackle look like the two positions that they really want to address with these…remaining spots,” Burns told Sports Headliners.

Defensive backs Omar Brown from Minneapolis North and Jalen Graham from Detroit interest the Gophers, Burns said. So, too, do offensive tackles Joacheim Price of Algonquin, Illinois and Hunter Poncius from Buffalo, Minn.

Burns said Price might be the most highly sought after among players Minnesota is evaluating for a possible final scholarship or two. Price has multiple Big Ten offers but unfortunately tore his ACL earlier this summer.

Burns reported that Gophers offensive line coach Brian Callahan scouted Poncius at his game last Friday night. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound Poncius has verbally committed to North Dakota State but National Signing Day isn’t until December 19.

Under NCAA rules, schools have a hard cap of 25 players that can be signed to scholarships in a single football recruiting class. In the fall of 2017 Fleck also had most of his recruiting class lined up but added two offensive linemen late. They were IMG Academy four-star recruits Curtis Dunlap Jr. and Daniel Faalele.

“It’s always interesting to see what P.J. Fleck does in November-December, when it’s time to really make sure those signatures (Letters of Intent) count,” Burns said. “…With P.J. Fleck and the way he’s able to make a great first impression on kids, I am not really counting anything out.”

If one or more players who have committed changes his verbal pledge, that will open up more scholarships for Fleck’s class of 2019 that currently is ranked No. 30 nationally in the 247Sports composite national rankings.

Right now Burns looks at the list of 24 verbal commits and believes four-star defensive lineman Jason Bargy from Momence, Illinois could be the “crown jewel” of the 2019 class. Burns said the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Bargy might not contribute immediately but the prep senior has the highest “ceiling” of any defensive lineman coming to Minnesota since the days of Ra’Shede Hageman who left the program after the 2013 season.

“You can’t teach that size, that athleticism, that speed (of Bargy), and Gopher fans have been searching for that elite pass rusher for quite some time,” Burns said. “Well, once Minnesota is able to get Jason Bargy in here, given a year or two…I think he has the impact to absolutely be an impact player.”

Overall, what has Burns upbeat about the Gophers 2019 class is that Minnesota is going after and winning recruiting battles against other Power Five conference programs. Examples are Texas prep players Jacob Clark and Nnamdi Adim-Madumere. Clark, a quarterback, was recruited “hard” by Iowa and TCU, Burns said. Wide receiver Adim-Madumere turned down Alabama and Texas A&M when he committed to Minnesota.

“…P.J. is winning some recruiting battles that the previous staff wouldn’t even entertain,” Burns said. “If they did entertain them, they wouldn’t win them.”

Worth Noting

Running back and Minnesota verbal commit Treyson Potts from Williamsport, Pennsylvania injured his ACL a year ago but is playing again and he excites Burns. A potential playmaker in multiple ways, Potts might be the successor to Rodney Smith returning kickoffs in 2019 or 2020. “He is extremely electric when he gets the ball in space,” Burns said.

Jornell Manns, a freshman wide receiver from the 2018 recruiting class, is being redshirted but he intrigues Burns who predicts a starting role next season. “That is my bold call. I think he starts over (current redshirt freshman) Demetrius Douglas.

“I think his skillset is very unique. He can be in the slot, (and) in high school he played running back. So you can have him potentially take some carries out of the backfield, but he is a very dynamic player when he gets the ball in space.”

In its bowl projections this week Collegefootballnews.com predicted the Gophers against USC in the December 31 San Francisco Bowl in Santa Clara.

Recent dining options for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins include Jensen’s in Eagan and Murray’s downtown.

Head-scratcher: why is CBS sending its top NFL broadcast team of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo to Minneapolis for Sunday’s likely mismatch between the 0-2 Bills and 1-0-1 Vikings?

Superstitious: Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau drove the same route to Target Center last season when his team was on a winning streak.

Homecoming: The Minnesota United (versus Portland) will play at TCF Bank Stadium Saturday night in its first home game since August 4.

The United’s last regular season game at the Gophers’ football stadium will be October 22 and ticket sales are expected to go over 40,000 this week. TCF Bank Stadium has a capacity of more than 50,000 and the United is trying to set a new single match attendance record for Minnesota professional soccer.

A record announced attendance of 49,572 was established over 40 years ago at Met Stadium for a Kicks game. The Loons move into their new 20,000 capacity Allianz Field next year. See the promotion #50KToMidway.

No team in professional sports may eat better quality and tastier meals at its practice facility than the Minnesota Wild, now starting a second season being served by KZ Pro Visioning, the company founded by Minnesota culinary authorities Andrew Zimmern and Gavin Kaysen.

“We know that what you put in your body…is the most vital preventive there is. It’s also the most positive restorative there is,” Zimmern told Sports Headliners.

Zimmern suggested other professional sports organizations in America are more casual in both science and art when feeding athletes. KZ’s goal for the Wild is to hit all the right targets including glycerol, protein and calorie needs.

The food has to be right not only nutritionally, but satisfying. “…We look to food to fill us up many different ways, not just calorie counts,” Zimmern said.

With their knowledge and holistic approach, Zimmern and Kaysen intend to pitch their culinary expertise with KZ Pro Visioning to other American sports organizations within a year or so.

Both Zimmern and Kaysen are James Beard award winners. The connection with the Wild came when a player (Zimmern wouldn’t reveal his name) dined at one of Kaysen’s Minnesota restaurants and suggested how great it would be to have his teammates eat this well.

Zimmern, who lives in Edina, is famous nationally as a TV travel and food host on the Travel Channel. He grew up in New York City and participated in sports. “But then I got into 10th grade and I discovered girls and beer,” he said with a smile. “Otherwise, I would be in the pros right now; sort of like the Gordie Howe playing through five centuries with different teams.”

What would Zimmern eat everyday if he was limited to the same breakfast, lunch and dinner? With no hesitation he answered bagels and smoked fish for breakfast, mussels for lunch and his grandmother’s roast chicken for dinner.

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