NCAA – Page 29 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Glen Taylor: No Interest Now in Selling Wolves, Lynx

Posted on March 28, 2024March 28, 2024 by David Shama

Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners this morning his Timberwolves and Lynx franchises are no longer for sale. The closing deadline for the final payment to gain controlling interest of the franchises by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez was March 27. “…That was yesterday and they didn’t get it done,” Taylor said.

Taylor also said the March 27 deadline was an extension of a previous date in late February for the Lore and Rodriguez group to pay the final amount of $600 million in the $1.5 billion deal. Taylor said there was no request to extend the March 27 deadline as part of a payment schedule that began with an agreement in 2021.

Taylor said Lore and Rodriguez own about 36 percent of the franchises. Will they continue as limited partners. “That’s my assumption,” Taylor said. “They certainly can and my assumption is they would want to.”

Asked about whether he is disappointed about the sale falling through, the 82-year-old Taylor answered: “No, I am not disappointed. I think that I’ve run the club in the past and I will in the future. We worked really hard to put this team (the Timberwolves) together and I am more apt to want to just continue it out for a longer period of time.”

Taylor, who has enjoyed owning both franchises for more than 25 years, frequently receives inquiries about selling his teams. He said he won’t be entertaining offers or seeking them in the foreseeable future.

The going price for NBA franchises is considerably more than the $1.5 billion that sparked an agreement in 2021. The Timberwolves, who might command $3 billion now, are 50-22 and having one of the best years in franchise history. Taylor is enthusiastic about the season and hoping for a deep playoff run.

It was reported earlier in the month that Lore and Rodriguez were positioned to make their final payment with the help of a private equity company. Did Taylor hear what happened with the investor? “No, I wasn’t involved in any of that.”

Asked if he expected any pushback or litigation regarding the failed transaction, Taylor said: “Just as a businessman I am always aware that’s always a possibility. I think that would be a legal matter.”

Taylor said he is open to communications with Lore and Rodriguez. “I certainly would talk to them if they want to talk. They are owners. They’re partners. Why wouldn’t I talk to them?”

Worth Noting

In reply to a Discovery request from Sports Headliners, the University of Minnesota said by electronic reply there is no preference at this time on whether to renovate Williams Arena or replace it. The U is in the early process of deciding what action to take with the facility that will be 100 years old in 2028.

Presumably renovation will be less expensive than a new arena. The Athletic Department already owes millions of dollars for loans on existing facilities including The Athletes Village and Huntington Bank Stadium. Renovating Williams Arena as the home for the men’s and women’s basketball teams could well be more attractive to the U than a new building. Keeping the old facility will also be popular with many ticket buyers who are nostalgic about the place affectionately referred to as “The Barn.”

Regardless of the decision, the prediction here is for a home with less than the current capacity of Williams Arena, 14,625. The last two seasons the men’s program has been averaging fewer than 10,000 fans per game. Fewer seats mean fewer tickets to sell and if there is demand to see the Gophers that puts pressure on buyers to purchase seats early including full season commitments.

Kali Engeman, a middle block from Excelsior, is transferring from Georgia Tech to play for the Gophers where she will have two seasons of eligibility. She is the granddaughter of Steve Lundeen, starting center on the last Gophers Big Ten championship team in 1967. “I’m, as you can imagine, over the moon happy,” Lundeen texted about Kali who will graduate a year early from Tech in May with her engineering degree.

This is a milestone time for broadcast icon Dave Lee, the former WCCO Radio morning drive time host who for years has been the play-by-play TV voice on Minnesota state tournament high school basketball games. It was 50 years ago that he broadcast his first play-by-play boys and girls games for KRAD Radio in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association and its leadership continue to impress with their lineup of activities, programs and speakers for the MFCA Clinic April 4-6 at the DoubleTree Park Place in St. Louis Park and on the U campus. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has been added to the lineup of powerhouse speakers that includes the Gophers’ P.J. Fleck and assistants, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and former Gophers defensive coordinator and now Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel.

Four longtime sports executives with Minnesota ties have launched a company called Ignitor Partners that will provide marketing, communication, public relations, legal and sponsorship expertise to brands, sports properties, organizations and municipalities in Minnesota and other places. President Patrick Klinger said via email the company takes its name from his friend Paul Molitor who during his Hall of Fame baseball career was known as the Ignitor. Klinger’s three colleagues in the new endeavor are Scott E. Erickson, Bob Hagan and Bill Robertson.

Isaac Morton, the Texas A&M freshman pitcher from Spring Lake Park High School, is 1-0 with the Aggies. Morton, who was selected in the 19^th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Brewers, has pitched 11.1 innings with a 2.38 ERA.

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New U QB: ‘I Live and Die by Preparation’

Posted on March 26, 2024March 26, 2024 by David Shama

Between now and the University of Minnesota’s opening football game August 29 against North Carolina, no Golden Gophers player will prompt more curiosity and anticipation than transfer quarterback Max Brosmer. He made FCS All-American last fall at New Hampshire while leading the FCS in passing yards and total offense. Yet there is no certain way to know how well he will perform at a higher level against FBS/Big Ten teams.

That answer will have to wait until the Gophers go through their 12-game schedule, but a few things are known after Brosmer’s short tenure here that includes workouts in the winter and now spring practices that began last week. The intel is this: the transfer QB is an adult, with a pro’s work ethic, dedication to preparation and a desire to lead.

“I live and die by preparation,” said Brosmer who played five years at New Hampshire and was a team captain in 2023. “I know that my skill only goes so far. I don’t run a 4.4. I can’t escape every single blitz but if I know it’s coming, then maybe I can have a chance to get out of it. …I think that it (escaping trouble) comes from a team effort. Comes from the staff and also a group effort from the offensive line, the running back room, the receiver room and me as well–together (with us) doing it. …There’s a lot that goes into it.”

Brosmer, already named a Gopher captain, has known for years that he doesn’t have the strongest arm to throw the football as hard or far as some of his peers. “The thing that I had to improve at a young age was to be able to throw to tight windows before they were there,” he said.

At New Hampshire last year Brosmer attempted 459 passes and was intercepted only five times. That kind of success comes from repetition and knowing where the holes will be in the secondary. Brosmer will also tell you success comes from knowing his receivers and mutually being in synch in all aspects of passing and catching.

It will take time on and off the field for Brosmer to develop things with his receivers, but he already has their attention and impressed both them and other teammates. Wide receiver Daniel Jackson, the team’s star wide receiver, refers to Brosmer as the “general” for the way he has taken over the huddle and been embraced and trusted by teammates.

“… In the huddle, on the field when we’re already lined up, he’s able to make adjustments on the fly,” Jackson said. “He’s able to see things that really no one else on the field is able to see. And he’s able to put us receivers and running backs in the best position to go out there and be successful. It’s just his knowledge of the game is very, very impeccable.”

The Gophers have struggled in recent seasons to develop a consistent passing offense. Last year they ranked 123^rd among 130 FBS teams in passing yards per game at 143.4.

Brosmer is aware of the challenge but has noted there is a strong willingness by him and others to put in the effort to make the results better in 2024, which will be his one year of eligibility at Minnesota. “I am super, super excited,” he said.

Brosmer added he sees talent to work with and added this about the receiver room: “There’s a crave and a desire to grow and to progress. …”

Brosmer is talking about work ethic and he has created a sense of commitment that goes beyond his teammates. “He’s the hardest worker I’ve been around. No question,” said co-offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. who talks about “a partnership” with his QB.

Harbaugh said Brosmer has challenged him and changed him. “The best thing about (being) a coach is when a guy can challenge you, and he makes you better every single day. And I think that is the number one thing that he does. Me and him are together all the time, and we’re working together. He challenges me to make sure that every meeting that I have…that I’m ready to roll.”

The Gophers, 6-7 last year, didn’t find the passing consistency they needed with Athan Kaliakmanis who has transferred to Rutgers. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck was looking for an experienced and accomplished quarterback in the portal.

“…We talked about how we needed a quarterback to walk in here and connect the entire football team,” Fleck said before spring practice started about his quarterback. “And that was going to be a tall task for anybody. But you can tell in two and a half short months this team is completely connected to him, has leaned on him and has looked to him for guidance.

“And that’s a credit to our players, but also a credit to him that he’s been able to do that in such a short amount of time. And it’s real, it’s authentic. He’s a special young man. And we look forward to him actually throwing some footballs here coming up. …Because this isn’t like having a freshman come in here that’s really talented.

“He has all the experience that you want. That doesn’t promise you anything, but it gives you a better chance. And his work ethic is through the roof and has really taken this team probably farther quicker than maybe expected.”

Coming out of Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia he threw for 3,459 yards as a senior, but he didn’t have FBS recruiters knocking down his door. Late last year, though, there were FBS programs pursuing the high-profile Brosmer, but he didn’t take long to decide on the Gophers.

“…I wanted to get in out of the portal as quickly as I could as long as I was going to the school that fit me the best. Minnesota being that school for me.”

The fit has been more than fine so far.

Gophers Travel Notes: Rose Bowl Return

Stillwater-based Creative Charters has been arranging Golden Gophers football fan trips since 1993 and will be carrying on that tradition in the fall including the October 12 game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Minnesota last played in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1962—ironically against UCLA.

For over 60 years Gophers fans have yearned to see their team back in the “Granddaddy” of all bowl games. It hasn’t happened but the next best thing is playing in Pasadena during the regular season where the Bruins host their home games.

Creative has already sold out three trips for the return to the Rose Bowl. “We have the entire Godfrey Hotel,” Steve Erban told Sports Headliners.

Steve and wife Dorothy own Creative Charters, and they’re adding two more trip packages to accommodate the strong interest in the game. The Godfrey and now the Loews, both in Hollywood, are host hotels. Creative Charters has also scheduled a Warner Bros. Studio Tour as part of the trip experience.

Fleck said going back to the Rose Bowl means coming “full circle for a lot of families” in a football program that is tradition rich. U defensive lineman Danny Striggow, a Minnesota native, said of the game and the playing venue: “That’s an awesome opportunity.”

A potential 600 travelers going with Creative Charters thinks so, too.

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Taylor: Equity Group Not in Place for Wolves Sale

Posted on March 19, 2024March 19, 2024 by David Shama

Finalizing the deal to sell the NBA Timberwolves and WNBA Lynx remains unclear with a deadline of March 27 looming.

In 2021 owner Glen Taylor struck a multi-phase payment plan with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to acquire the Minneapolis-based basketball franchises for $1.5 billion. The final payment to give Lore and Rodriguez majority control over the teams (Taylor becomes a minority owner) is due a week from Wednesday.

That deadline is an extension of a previous date and indicates the challenge the buyers have experienced in raising capital needed for the takeover. Taylor told Sports Headliners yesterday about $600 million is needed to make the final payment.

Doubters might be skeptical of the sale being completed. Taylor’s communications with the two buyers haven’t been frequent of late but he did offer important news about financing.

“They had an equity group that was going to come in and put in $300 million, and that equity group has either withdrawn or the NBA has denied them,” Taylor said. “They have to go out and find new revenue. That I do know. I don’t know if they found it or what they’re going to do. We haven’t seen the schedule of ownership yet.”

The NBA will have a final call on approving the sale even if the Lore and Rodriguez group meet their final payment obligation. That might not be a slam dunk. If the league isn’t convinced the new owners can meet operating obligations with their finances, approval won’t be granted.

It’s believed Lore and Rodriguez will want to replace Target Center to better serve customers while improving revenues and financial value of the two franchises. A source told Sports Headliners the Farmers Market near downtown is a site of interest to the potential new owners.

Taylor would neither confirm nor deny the speculation about the location at 312 East Lyndale Avenue North. “…I don’t think I am the one that should comment on that. I think you should ask that of those guys.”

Gophers Basketball Notes

Anticipating how a college basketball team will perform the next season has never been dicier than it is now. With players having “free agency” to change schools at a whim, it’s best not to go overboard about the Gophers who potentially could have all five starters return.

The possibility of having center Pharell Payne, forward Dawson Garcia and guards Cam Christie, Elijah Hawkins and Mike Mitchell Jr. returning has college basketball authorities upbeat about Minnesota’s future. School athletic director Mark Coyle says a preseason top 25 ranking could happen, with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Big Ten Network analyst Brian Butch seeing the Gophers as possible title contenders in the Big Ten Conference.

After consecutive last place finishes in the conference and a combined league record of 6-33, coach Ben Johnson had his best Big Ten regular season record going 9-11 and 18-14 overall. Minnesota has its first NIT invite since 2014 and opens play tonight at Butler.

Izzo: “…Ben’s done an unbelievable job with the program. They could be the No. 1 team in the league next year so hat’s off to them.”

Butch told Sports Headliners the Gophers could be “top four” in the league next year. He said his alma mater, Wisconsin, might be in that company, too.

Garcia, a junior, made second team All-Big Ten as chosen by the media. He is averaging 17.7 points per game and has an admirer in Izzo. “…He’s a very good player, and if he keeps getting better, watch out,” the legendary Michigan State coach said.

Hawkins, who ranks second nationally in assists with 7.5 per game, is Garcia’s roommate. “Me and him, we feel like it starts with us. We’re the older guys in the lineup.

“I feel like as we go, the team goes. Dawson is a great player for us. He’s our leading scorer here. We expect a lot out of him, and he gives it to us.”

Hawkins, the team’s point guard, transferred from Howard last year and expects to make a decision soon about returning for his senior season. “I love Minneapolis. It’s like my new home, I guess. I love my teammates and my coaches. They test me every day to get better.

“I feel like in the beginning of the season I was struggling a little bit with turnovers and stuff as far as that, so I feel like through the season I got better and better. Next year I definitely feel like we’ll be a good team, a better team.”

Guard Braeden Carrington played frequently as a sub this year and could be the first player off the bench next season. He said it’s not “too much to hope for” that the Gophers will be a nationally ranked team in the fall of 2024.

Carrington wants to see more consistency within games from the team. At times opponents went on scoring runs and the Gophers became “flustered,” he said. “I think if we can get that figured out (consistency through 40 minutes), I think we’ll be good for next year.”

Carrington, a sophomore defensive stopper, believes he can improve his agility and strength to become an even better defender. “My goal is to be an all-defensive player (in the Big Ten),” he said.

It seems likely Johnson will receive a contract extension and additional compensation in his contract. He is the Big Ten’s youngest head coach at 43 and believed to be the lowest paid.

The Badgers, who finished second in the Big Ten Tournament, might have all their starters return except for forward Tyler Wahl from Lakeville. Moving into Wahl’s spot could be Lakeville native Nolan Winter, who is the son of former Gopher center Trevor Winter.

Nolan showed considerable improvement during his freshman year and at 6-11 has exceptional skills including his outside shooting. “I think the future is so bright for Nolan,” said Butch. “He’s a great kid.”

Winter might team with 7-foot junior starter Steven Crowl from Eagan to give the Badgers two bigs in their lineup. They continue the legacy in Madison of exceptional players from Minnesota who became Badgers this millennium.

Wisconsin is in the NCAA Tournament for the 27^th time and is one of only five programs to participate 23 times in the last 25 years. Butch, who is the game radio analyst for Wisconsin, said the ongoing recruiting pipeline to Minnesota is because so many players have found success playing for the Badgers. Those players have bought into a culture of sacrificing for each other, and the Badgers have turned out Big Ten titles and NCAA Tournament runs under coach Bo Ryan and now Greg Gard.

“…They understand what exactly it is to be successful,” Butch said. “They buy into what Wisconsin is about.

“And you’ve seen changes (in style). This year Wisconsin is scoring the ball more than they have. Kids have seen that, too. Greg is willing to change. To adapt. I think that helps, too.”

Izzo said coming to Minneapolis for the Big Ten Tournament was a “tearful visit for me” because of his friendship with the late Flip Saunders, the former Gophers point guard, and Timberwolves executive and coach. “…Flip Saunders deserves to be even thought of more than he probably is here because he loved this city, he loved the Gophers, he loved the Timberwolves, and I love him. Sad to see him not with us right now.”

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