MIAC – Page 37 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Physical Play May Define Vikes vs. 49ers

Posted on August 23, 2013August 23, 2013 by David Shama

Preseason NFL games are similar to arguments with spouses. A lot of folks avoid both but Sunday night’s Vikings game with the 49ers in San Francisco deserves more attention than most exhibitions.

The nationally televised (NBC) game is expected to feature more playing time by regulars than is the norm during preseason. Look for the Vikings to possibly use starters on offense and defense in the first half and into the early third quarter. If the 49ers do something similar—and it’s typical for NFL teams to use regulars the most in preseason game threes—it will be interesting to see how physical the action is on the field.

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh defines aggression. He used physical play to turn around a punch line college program at Stanford. Then he followed a similar blueprint with the 49ers since taking over in January of 2011. Visit the 49ers website and read this mantra posted about Harbaugh: “Attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

Harbaugh, perhaps the NFL’s best coach, had his team in the Super Bowl last season before losing to the Ravens and his brother, head coach John Harbaugh. The 49ers, who were 21-27 in the three seasons before Harbaugh took over, are a favorite to win the Super Bowl next February.

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway said his team wants a physical identity, too. “I think we’re going to be very physical which is a good thing for us. Coach (Leslie) Frazier has preached that and we’re trying to act on it in camp by being physical every day.

“They’re (the 49ers) a very physical team…so I think it’s going to be a good matchup to see where we’re at. They’re talented. It will be a fun game.”

The Vikings are 0-2 and the 49ers 1-1 in preseason games. Greenway is much more interested in how his team performs, rather than whether the Vikings win.

“This game doesn’t mean anything really as far as what it’s going to be like—what’s going to happen when you play a full four quarters game in the regular season,” Greenway said. “It gives you a snapshot of where you’re at. Obviously if things go well I think we’ll feel good about how we’re doing. But if things go poorly it doesn’t mean that things are going to be poor (during the season). You can’t think that way.”

Worth Noting

Mike Singletary, now a Vikings assistant head coach, was the 49ers head coach before Harbaugh. His career record with the 49ers was 19-22.

Reserve cornerback Bobby Felder, signed by the Vikings in 2012 as an undrafted free agent, was a member of the practice squad last year but is in competition with starter Marcus Sherels for the punt return job. Felder is expected to return punts on Sunday night. Felder has three returns in preseason, averaging 20.7 yards per return.

Former Gophers receiver and quarterback MarQueis Gray is a tight end with the 49ers and has caught one pass for 13 yards.

Vikings reserve quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson attended Balboa High School in San Francisco.

The 49ers are tied for seventh and the Vikings are tied for 10^th on the most difficult 2013 schedules list compiled by the NFL.

NFL teams have to reduce their rosters to 75 by Tuesday and 53 by August 31.

After this season the Vikings will have many unrestricted free agents on the roster including All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen. Would Allen like to see at least some contract offers from the Vikings during the season to retain players, rather than wait until 2014?

“Not my concern really, to be honest,” Allen told Sports Headliners. “They’re (management) going to make decisions based on what they feel is best for the team. My job is to go out and play as hard as I can with whoever is on the field and try to win a championship.”

Tyus Jones plays in the Under Armour Elite 24 game tomorrow night on ESPNU starting at 6 p.m. Minneapolis time. Another Minnesota native, Rashad Vaughn , will also participate. The game will be played on an outdoor court under the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and features 24 of the best high school players in the country. Jones, the Apple Valley High School senior point guard, is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 2 player in the country for the class of 2014. Vaughn, a shooting guard now playing for Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, is rated No. 7 in the class.

Tyus’ brother Tre, an outstanding eighth grade guard, may join the Apple Valley varsity this fall. Debbie Jones, mother of Tyus and Tre, said she will be completing paperwork with the school district to request that Tre join the varsity this coming season.

The Twins have a rarity with Baseball America’s best prospects ranking of Byron Buxton at No. 1 and Miguel Sano No. 3. Since the rankings began in 1990 only five other teams had two prospects among the top five players, according to the August 19 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Obviously rankings don’t come with a guarantee for future success. In 2004 the Devil Rays had B.J. Upton ranked No. 2 and Delmon Young No. 3. Earlier this month Young was put on waivers by the Phillies and his eight year MLB career, including with the Twins, has been a disappointment.

Congratulations to former Albert Lea High School coaching legend Paul Ehrhard on his 80^th birthday party last Saturday. About 150 family and friends celebrated with Ehrhard who contributed to three state football and three state wrestling titles at Albert Lea. Ehrhard also coached in California where he worked with some high profile football players including Reggie Bush. Ehrhard graduated from Montgomery High School and played collegiate baseball and football at St. Thomas where he later coached the freshman football team.

Starting with this season the MIAC will recognize its top football coach with the John Gagliardi MIAC Football Coach of the Year Award. The award is named after former Saint John’s coach John Gagliardi who is the winningest college football coach ever.

St. Thomas is No. 1 in the nation in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Division III preseason poll. The Tommies, 39-1 last season and national champs, have a loaded roster with returning talent.

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Quarterbacks Youth Not Concerning Kill

Posted on July 29, 2013July 29, 2013 by David Shama

There are seven quarterbacks listed on the Gophers roster as the team prepares to open practice on Friday and all are freshmen or sophomores. Only one, Philip Nelson, has game experience playing for Minnesota.

Fans might fret about the inexperience and lack of depth but not coach Jerry Kill. “We talk a lot about the quarterback position. That doesn’t concern me right now,” Kill told Sports Headliners.

“I feel good about where we’re at. I feel good about Philip. I feel good about Mitch. They’re young. They’re smart kids. They represent us well and that’s what we need to be successful. Now we gotta build the rest of the team and that’s more of a concern than quarterback is right now.”

Nelson is the starter and Mitch Leidner, a redshirt freshman, is No. 2. Kill, who likes the talent of Nelson, Leidner and other quarterbacks, isn’t discounting the importance of the position in rebuilding a program with only four Big Ten wins in the last two seasons.

“I don’t think anybody can win without a quarterback, no matter what system it is,” Kill said. “You look at the NFL teams that are winning, they’ve got the best quarterbacks. You look at college football, the ones that win they’ve got the best quarterbacks. When Wisconsin (historically great running teams) was really good, they had the best quarterback. …

“They (quarterbacks) come in all shapes and sizes. We’re blessed right now. We got some good young players.”

If not for injuries to other players, Nelson would have redshirted last season. Nelson started the last seven games and while he was inconsistent he did lead the team in total offense with 1,057 yards including eight touchdown passes. Fans didn’t realize the athletic freshman, who rushed for 184 yards during the season, was faster than senior starting quarterback MarQueis Gray.

Kill doesn’t second-guess Nelson losing a season of eligibility because the former Mankato West quarterback couldn’t be redshirted. “I don’t have any regrets whatsoever. It puts him farther ahead. It puts our football team farther ahead, and it helped us in a situation (where) we were injured up in that position at the time. In a lot of ways we didn’t have a choice but I think it worked out very well.”

Kill has started young quarterbacks at other schools where he coached including Southern Illinois. “The only way you can learn is to go out and play. You’re going to make some mistakes and then you’ve got to move on to the next play. We’ve never hesitated (about youth). I started a redshirt freshman when I was as Southern Illinois. Started four straight years. If kids’ got abilities you don’t hold them back.”

Despite the inexperience on the quarterback roster, Kill doesn’t simplify the playbook for his young students who are expected to execute what is given to them. “It’s not that we need to put any more (plays) in and all that stuff. We gotta execute what we’re doing and doing it well.”

Worth Noting

Brad Salem, son of former Gophers head coach Joe Salem, is the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State. Brad’s recruiting interest includes the state of Wisconsin, and Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio said, “We think we found a little bit of a niche.”

The Spartans’ roster includes former Wayzata High School receiver A.J. Troup, a sophomore who has yet to play a game for MSU. He caught a game winning 46-yard touchdown pass in the spring game but recently suffered a knee injury and is out for the season.

Brad’s brother Tim Salem, a former Gophers quarterback, is the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Illinois.

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema has said tight end Kyle Rudolph was “the steal” of the 2011 NFL draft. Rudolph impressed in his first two seasons with the Vikings including his Pro Bowl MVP performance last winter, and he can improve more.

“Kyle developed from year one to year two and we are looking for another jump both in the run game and the pass game from Kyle,” said offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. “From all indication he is poised to do that. He has had a terrific spring, he is a little heavier than he has been, but that is good weight. He is definitely stronger and you know we pride the tight ends to be a big part of the running game and he did that last year. He is ready to do it again.”

Musgrave answering a question about how much better the offensive line might be in 2013 after helping Adrian Peterson almost break the NFL single season rushing record last year: “It would be hard to ask them to be much better in the running game. They (also) did a nice job pass protecting last year. We do want to minimize our sacks and stay out of those long yardage situations.

“It’s a terrific group. It is fun to have (injured center) John Sullivan back; he is really the stabilizer. Matt Kalil (rookie tackle last season) has fewer unknowns than 12 months ago so we are excited about that crew.”

Zach Line is a rookie free agent running back from SMU who is on the Vikings roster trying to make the team, and watching his pursuit of a pro career is writer Jenny Vrentas, according to the July 29 issue of Sports Illustrated. She will stay with the Line story this year even if he is out of football and “working at a CVS,” Peter King reported in the magazine while previewing features for the new Monday Morning Quarterback website that will be “under the Sports Illustrated umbrella.”

King’s tour of NFL training camps will include an August 12 stop in Mankato to view the Vikings. Based on previous dining experience, he praises Jake’s Stadium Pizza in Mankato. “One of the best meals on the camp trip, by far,” he wrote.

The St. Thomas football team, with 15 of 22 starters returning from last year’s school record 14-1 team, is ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls by both D3football.com and the USA Today Magazine Division III preview. The Tommies, winners of 33 consecutive regular season games, are second in the polls to Mount Union. Bethel is No. 8 in the D3football.com poll and ranked No. 6 by USA Today.

The field for the 3M Championship, scheduled now through Sunday at the TPC Twin Cities, will include Champions Tour rookies Rocco Mediate, Colin Montgomerie and Steve Elkington, plus Tom Lehman, Fred Funk, Nick Price and other fan favorites, according to 3mchampionship.com.

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Budget Didn’t Stop Retractable Roof

Posted on June 19, 2013June 19, 2013 by David Shama

Vikings notes from Winter Park:

Lester Bagley told Sports Headliners it wasn’t the extra cost of a retractable roof that resulted in a final decision to make the new Vikings stadium a fixed-roof facility. Estimates are a retractable roof would have added $25 to $50 million to the $975 million stadium cost but Bagley, the Vikings’ stadium drive leader for years, said the design that includes the largest pivoting glass doors in the world and other features allowing light into the facility are the right fit for this climate and gameday experience.

While Bagley didn’t offer specifics, he indicated the extra funding for a retractable roof was doable but he believes the new downtown stadium with its present design will be the “best in the NFL” when it opens in 2016. The doors will open to the outside plaza, and combined with windows and the partially transparent roof, there will be an outdoor feel to an indoor building.

With a retractable roof, the roof would be closed on many game days because of rain, snow, cold winds and temperatures. Games in late fall and early winter would almost certainly necessitate having the roof closed.

Regardless of weather, fans will have a consistent gameday experience in the climate-controlled facility. That experience will not only include natural light, but also the latest technology such as HD video boards and seating proximity to the field that will equal or surpass any facility in the NFL, according to Bagley. “We may also have a family section that could be alcohol-free,” he said.

Bagley also said the team’s September 29 regular season game in London against the Steelers will be a sellout in 84,000-seat Wembley Stadium. He expects thousands of Vikings season ticket holders to attend the game. The Vikings will send veteran defensive linemen Jared Allen and Kevin Williams to London in late July to promote the game.

Williams, who will be 34 on August 16, was asked about his future with the team after his contract ends following this season. “I would like to stay here (with the Vikings),” he said. “You always want to stay where you’re drafted at, but I know it’s a business and things happen, so just looking to having a good year and whatever happens, happens.”

He was noncommittal when asked if he will accept less money on his new contract. “We’ll see how the season goes. …”

Defensive tackle Shariff Floyd, the team’s first draft choice this year, could some day replace Williams. As the team practices this month, what advice does Williams have for Floyd?

“Pay attention. You got a lot of older guys in front of you that have done this…played the game. Soak it up. Enjoy it while you can and try to use it.”

Safety Harrison Smith had an outstanding rookie season but last year wasn’t without challenges for him. At times the demanding transition from college to pro football left him fatigued.

“I seriously thought I hit the rookie wall before the season started,” he said. “You just have to keep going and just keep working every day. There’s no way around it. You’re gonna deal with it. I am glad to kind of have that year past me.”

Worth Noting

Apple Valley’s Tyus Jones and Chicago’s Jahlil Okafor are likely to attend the same college and they have mostly similar schools under consideration, but not identical ones. This spring Jones’ mother, Debbie Jones, told Sports Headliners her son is considering Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State. Okafor’s schools are Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and Ohio State.

Choosing a school outside the Big Ten could relieve hometown and home state pressure on both Jones and Okafor who are such good friends it will be a surprise if they don’t play together as freshmen in college a year from this fall. Baylor is a good guess for a “dark horse” to land the two prep basketball superstars. Baylor director of player development Jared Nuness is a distant cousin of Jones.

Angel Morales, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, the three Twins prospects promoted last week from Class A Fort Myers to Class AA New Britain, have now played several games for the Rock Cats. Center fielder Morales is hitting .095 in six games, second baseman Rosario is at .313 in five games and third baseman Sano is batting .067.

The Twins opened a three game series against the White Sox last night by beating Chicago 7-5. Glen Perkins earned his 17^th save of the season, setting a career high after last year’s 16. The Twins have lost three of their last four series.

Brian Dozier ranks second among MLB second basemen in double plays with 51. Shortstop Pedro Florimon is third among MLB shortstops with 48 double plays. As a team the Twins lead in double plays with 81.

WCCO Radio “Sports Huddle” co-host and public relations executive Dave Mona was honored by his company, Weber Shandwick, at a Mall of America retirement party last night at the Mall of America. Among the guests was Mona’s radio co-host Sid Hartman. Mona formally retires from Weber Shandwick on July 1, although he will still do some work for the company.

The highest paid public employees in 40 of 50 states are coaches, according to a May 9 graphic by Deadspin.com. Included among the 40 states is Minnesota where Gopher football coach Jerry Kill and basketball coach Richard Pitino each reportedly earn base compensation of $1.2 million.

St. Thomas finished No. 9 nationally in the final Division III Learfield Sports Director’s Cup standings for school year 2012-2013. Other MIAC schools in the top 50 are Gustavus Adolphus at No. 36 and St. Olaf, No. 45. Concordia, Carleton and Saint John’s also placed in the first 100.

The 13-member MIAC is one of only three conferences to have 11 schools in the final standings. The Learfield standings measure each institution’s combined performance at national championship tournaments and events.

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