Media – Page 57 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Frazier Contract Extension Coming Soon?

Posted on September 16, 2013September 16, 2013 by David Shama

Are the Vikings and Leslie Frazier about to announce a contract extension?

A trusted source told Sports Headliners an announcement about a three-year deal will be made before the end of September. If the source is correct, the news will be positively received by media supporters who have been critical of ownership’s perceived lack of commitment to the head coach.

It was reported during the offseason the Vikings had an option on Frazier’s services in 2014 and wouldn’t be extending their commitment further. The news disappointed some fans and many in the media who are Frazier admirers because of his likeable personality and a 2012 season where the Vikings made the playoffs after improving to 10-6 following a 3-13 record in 2011. The Vikings set a franchise record by winning seven games more than the prior season.

What may have happened since last winter to initiate contract extension talks and reach an agreement? Owners Zygi and Mark Wilf have been front page news because of a New Jersey lawsuit that has generated a lot of negative publicity. Announcing a contract extension for a likeable coach would be positive news and a boost to the Wilf image.

Of course, in the “what have you done for me lately” environment of American professional sports, news of a Frazier contract extension would be better received by most fans after a Sunday win by the Vikings, not a loss. Frazier’s team is 0-2 this season after a 34-24 opening game loss to the Lions and the Bears 31-30 win yesterday.

But after watching Frazier operate in the offseason, training camp and the early weeks of the season, the Wilfs and general manager Rick Spielman could be more convinced than ever they want Frazier as head coach long term. He took over a dysfunctional team late in 2010 and finished with a 3-3 record as interim coach. The Vikings liked the strength of his leadership then and they have watched his skills, including game management, improve during his first opportunity as a NFL head coach.

A contract extension could help stabilize the atmosphere around the team. Without it, there’s been a “dangling in the wind” status attached to Frazier since the present contract commitment is so minimal. An extension means Frazier’s future is less tied to the performance of inconsistent third-year quarterback Christian Ponder. A Ponder flop in 2013 has been thought by some observers to mean not only a 2014 change in quarterbacks, but perhaps also head coach.

If the contract extension materializes soon, it is all but guaranteed Frazier will be around for awhile even if his much criticized quarterback is not.

Worth Noting

Frazier said at his news conference this afternoon that explosive rookie playmaker Cordarrelle Patterson “definitely deserves” to be used more in the team’s offensive plays starting with Sunday’s game with the Browns. Patterson has caught only three passes in the first two games.

Frazier talking about the team’s 0-2 start: “You don’t want to be 0-2 but we know who we are. It’s a long season.”

Star Tribune sports columnist Jim Souhan wrote yesterday that the Gophers football program—“and by extension the entire school”—became the “subject of pity and ridicule” after coach Jerry Kill’s latest seizure. “Even those who admire him most can’t believe that he should keep coaching major college football after his latest episode,” Souhan wrote.

Ron Stolski, who is in his 52^nd year of high school coaching and is also the executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, wrote an email to many of his friends yesterday expressing his personal anger with Souhan. “…I am appalled at the crass, insensitive, (perhaps cruel) position Souhan takes regarding coach Kill,” Stolski said in the email. “In my long career, I have never known a coach who on the local or national level is more highly regarded or respected than Jerry Kill!

“He is relentless in his support of and for football in this state. He is widely respected for conducting a ‘clean program.’ He is revered by former players for his ability to make an impact and change lives. He is nationally known as a coach you want to coach with and play for. AND foremost, he knows football and embraces the big picture…that the game and all it offers can make better citizens of us all.

“For Souhan to suggest that the Gopher program, and the UNIVERSITY, is a subject of pity and ridicule is an insult. Not only to coach, but the staff, team and the entire University. Souhan needs to apologize. The Tribune needs to consider carefully his further employment.”

Critics who have maintained for years Big Ten football is ordinary are nodding after last weekend when conference teams lost five of 12 games, including three of four against the Pac-12. Michigan almost made it six losses, narrowly defeating Akron in the last minutes of the game in Ann Arbor.

The shocker of the day was UCLA’s comeback win over Nebraska in Lincoln. Bo Pelini can’t fix his defense and it could eventually cost the Nebraska coach his job.

New Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino will make his home in Edina. Pitino referred to the Gophers program as a “sleeping giant” on his September 6 blog for Gophersports.com.

KSTP TV’s Darren Wolfson reported last week Twins organization center fielder Aaron Hicks has decided not to play winter baseball following a disappointing rookie season, and also that the club’s second baseman, Brian Dozier, will be married during the offseason and honeymoon in Hawaii.

MIAC football teams are 12-1 after two weekends of nonconference play. The league is 28-3 in nonconference games this year and last.

Comments Welcome

Tapemark Golf: Good Stories, Great Cause

Posted on May 24, 2013May 24, 2013 by David Shama

Okay, trivia fans, answer this one:

Who is the only golfer to win the British Open, Scottish Open and Tapemark Charity Pro-Am?

I bet my typewriter more than one of you answered correctly with, “Tom Lehman.”

Minnesota’s pro-am hasn’t been around as long as the British Open and Scottish Open, but in more than four decades the event has commanded a lot of attention including memories of Lehman winning the 1990 Tapemark.

That was before Lehman, the Alexandria, Minnesota native, made it big on the PGA Tour. Bob Klas Sr., who along with Tapemark company partner Tom Cody started the charity tournament, remembers Lehman was “flat broke” in 1990.

“He asked how long it would take to get a check, if he could win one,” Bob Sr. said. “He was very concerned about his lack of funds. It was interesting. That was really the launching of his pro career. That was the pint of blood that kept him going.”

Klas said he thought Lehman earned a check for about $3,000 by winning the 1990 tournament. Years later Lehman made a commercial promoting the event with this message: “Who won the British Open, the Scottish Open and the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am?”

This year’s Tapemark will be the 42^nd and involve men and women — pros and amateurs — in early June at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul. Golfers, volunteers and spectators are all welcome at the event that raises funds for agencies serving Minnesotans with developmental disabilities. Through the years nearly $7 million has been donated to nonprofits. More about the tournament online at tapemarkgolf.org.

Klas and Bob Jr. shared stories with Sports Headliners about the famous and not so famous figures associated with the Tapemark. Tournament followers from the 1990s remember Denny Hecker was the major sponsor for two years. He contributed about $70,000 in cash, plus promotional considerations. “I will say for all the things he was in the news for, everything he promised that he would do for us, he actually delivered on,” Bob Jr. said.

Hecker’s promotional assistance included bringing baseball great Pete Rose to town. Rose played golf on a Friday afternoon and that night Hecker hosted his famous guest and a large group of Tapemark supporters at Manny’s Steakhouse.

Rose was the attraction after drinks and dinner, and his remarks were not exactly boring. As a former player and manager for the Reds, Rose was well acquainted with franchise owner Marge Schott — a controversial figure even now after her death.

“She thought…Adolph Hitler did some pretty good things,” Bob Jr. recalled Rose saying about Schott. “He improved the roads in Germany. He started off okay but maybe toward the end (of his regime) he wasn’t so good.

“Pete tried to defend her (saying) ‘you need to understand that Marge has no friends. The only thing that might be close to a friend is her dog. Marge likes to drink. Night games are particularly hard because she spends most of the day drinking before the game.’

“Basically the defense of Marge Schott from Pete Rose was she’s not really a bigot. She’s a drunkard.”

Through the years there has been some great golf played at the Tapemark. For championship consistency nobody was better than Don Berry who won the tournament six times. George Shortridge won five times. Last year’s men’s and women’s pro champs were Craig Brischke and Martha Nause.

Long time Tapemark followers have fond memories of four-time champion Dave Tentis who first won the tournament in 1998 with his “miracle shot” at Southview. The final day Tentis trailed Aaron Barber by one shot on the last hole, No. 9. The hole is surrounded by challenges including a pond, parking lot and road. Despite the tight fairway, Tentis pulled out his driver, hit the ball about 330 yards and made it stick on the green. “The best shot I’ve ever seen in Minnesota tournament golf,” said Gregg Wong, the former golf writer for the Pioneer Press.

Tentis two-putted for birdie and went on to win the tournament in a playoff. No doubt he never looked back on his decision to use a driver, and not the five iron he contemplated.

Skill sometimes encounters luck at the Tapemark. When those two forces meet, the result could be a hole-in-one and winning a new car. Among the winners over the years has been Phil Johnson, son-in-law to Bob Sr. Johnson’s hole-in-one on No. 15 was reported the next day in the Star Tribune along with these somewhat painful words: “On his way to shooting 104.”

Sometimes there’s no avoiding a tough day on the course, particularly when the strokes pile up for amateurs. Years ago the tournament was on local television and the late Pete Boerboon, a great friend of the event, was really struggling on the course.

“His ball was in a bunker near the green and on his first shot he could not get out,” Bob Jr. said. “On his second shot he knocks the ball across the green and into another bunker.

“By his ninth shot he was on the green. Pete thought his saving grace was that the TV cameras had only been covering him from the start of playing No. 17, not all the way through his shots near and on the green.

“A few days after the tournament, he was taking the garbage outside when a neighbor said, ‘Hey, Pete, I saw you on TV and you had a rough time.’

“Pete replied, ‘Yeah, I had nine blows.’ The neighbor disagreed and countered, ‘No, you had 11.’ ”

Television coverage, other publicity and simply word of mouth has helped tell the Tapemark story over the years including the important purpose of the event. The inspiration for the tournament was Frances Klas, born in 1951 and mentally retarded. Her dad and mom, Bob and Sandy Klas, learned about organizations available to assist children like Frances, and they wanted to help.

Today society is much more aware and accepting of those with developmental and learning disabilities than decades ago. “The aware factor can’t be overemphasized because when we started out 42 years ago mental retardation was still in the background,” Bob Sr. said. “We’ve done a lot of good. Much of it has to do with the publicity we generated.”

Done a lot of good including fundraising…and had a lot of fun.

Comments Welcome

Lengthy Twins Games Test Interest

Posted on May 20, 2013May 20, 2013 by David Shama

I am back in a familiar spring habit regarding the Twins who after a laborious day at Target Field yesterday have now lost five consecutive games. The first several games of the season I am locked in for all nine innings but by this time in May my interest borders on apathy.

Here’s the problem: not only are many games too dang long, but the Twins don’t win enough games and hit enough home runs (next to last in AL). Translation: if the action isn’t compelling, then a three to four hour time commitment is often too much for me.

Major League Baseball knows despite the solid popularity of its sport, lengthy games are a concern. Yeah, other entertainment like football and basketball have increased dramatically in game times over the years but baseball is more problematic because it’s a very deliberate endeavor and the season is the longest of any in American sports.

In the 1970s the average MLB game was two hours and 30 minutes, according to a July 27 story last year by Bleacherreport.com. The article said since 2007 the average has not fallen below two hours and 50 minutes. Twins games dating back to May 11 of this year have clocked in at 2:45, 2:55, 2:51, 2:44, 3:26, 3:24, 3:53 and yesterday’s 3:15 which was 6:15 if you count a three hour rain delay.

Now compare that with the game times for the 1965 World Series between the Twins and Dodgers. Four of those seven games were played in less than two hours and 16 minutes. The longest was two hours and 34 minutes.

Patrick Klinger was vice president of marketing for the Twins through last season and was asked about baseball’s slowdown. “Twins games used to start at 8 o’clock on week nights back in the 60s. Even when I was an intern with the Twins back in 1986, games started at 7:35. Now they start at 7. They take so long.”

What happened? Innings breaks are longer to allow more TV commercials to pitch products and services, but the game has changed, too. Years ago starting pitchers often finished the game, working all nine innings. Now baseball has become a parade of pitchers. Managers even change pitchers more than once in the same inning. Add to that meetings at the mound between the pitching coach, pitcher, catcher and infielders.

Pitchers also work at various paces, including slow and slower while hitters can be cautious about looking over the pitches thrown at them. Think about Joe Mauer who seldom swings at the first pitch. Hitters often review five or more pitches before the ball goes into play.

MLB doesn’t want games played at a leisurely pace. Umpires are instructed to do what they can to make sure games are played efficiently. MLB obviously knows games lasting beyond three hours are a time commitment problem for fans including those attending a week night game. And it’s more than a three hour commitment because fans sometimes arrive an hour or so before the game and travel time has to be added in as well.

“What we wanted to do (at Twins games) was to provide the very best entertainment experience possible,” Klinger said. “We wanted people coming back often. If there was a long game (that) kind of slogged along I am not sure that provided the best entertainment experience. Are those people going to be as likely to return?”

Klinger said more likely to bring back the fans is a “good, crisp well played game” lasting about two hours and 30 minutes. He suggested that template is likely to have fans saying, “You know what? That was a lot of fun. Let’s go back next week.”

Klinger wrote in an e-mail that technology at the ballpark has enhanced the entertainment experience and during long games made the trip to the stadium more fun for fans. “Technology…now allows for huge video replay boards and social media opportunities inside the ballpark. In addition, there is much greater attention being paid to pregame ceremonies, between innings entertainment and music. It’s all designed to improve the in-ballpark experience by keeping fans engaged when the action slows.”

Klinger said complaints from fans about the length of games weren’t that numerous when he was with the Twins. “We didn’t get a lot but it was something we were always concerned about because this is a society now that wants instant gratification,” Klinger said. “Baseball is a deliberate game, and people’s attention spans aren’t maybe what they once were. Too many other distractions. We wanted to keep the game moving along. … Keep them (fans) interested and not looking at their cell phones, doing other things.”

Of course it’s not just the fans who attend games that baseball wants to attract. Audience development means attracting new followers and turning casual followers into passionate fans. “If there were ways to move it along, make it a little bit more dynamic, I think we’d pick up some fans,” Klinger said. “Too many people just sit in the stands (not engaged), or they try to watch a game on television and they think that it’s just too deliberate, too slow for them.”

Even Klinger, still a baseball fan after leaving the Twins and starting his own consulting company, knows his baseball focus is sometimes challenged. “I find myself, frankly, sometimes sitting on my sofa flipping channels. It’s so easy now with the remote control in your hands and a hundred stations or more on your television. There’s a break in the action, or if things are just deliberate, it’s so easy to hit a button and you’re watching something else.

“To flip to something else and then maybe flip back. So staying focused for three, three and one-half hours on a game I think is a little bit harder than it used to be. There are just too many options.”

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