Preps – Page 102 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Minneapolis Looking at College Title Game

Posted on December 12, 2014December 12, 2014 by David Shama

Local representatives of the new downtown Vikings stadium will meet leaders from the College Football Playoff next month in Texas with the intent of some day bringing the championship game to Minneapolis.

Michele Kelm-Helgen, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, told Sports Headliners yesterday she will be going to the Dallas area where the first ever College Football Playoff title game is scheduled for January 12 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. She said playoff officials have already expressed interest in the Minneapolis stadium scheduled to open in 2016.

Kelm-Helgen and other stadium representatives—including Meet Minneapolis executive Melvin Tennant who will also go to Texas—have already secured the 2018 Super Bowl and 2019 Final Four for Minnesota. Next up on the priority list is the College Football Playoff Game that annually determines the Division I champion.

Kelm-Helgen said nothing is in place yet to attract the Big Ten Football Championship Game but conversations could develop in 2015. Already discussions have begun with the University of Minnesota regarding a basketball game—or perhaps a tournament—at the $1 billion-plus enclosed stadium.

The stadium project is more than 25 percent complete. With its innovative design, including the huge partially transparent roof, the stadium is expected to be among the most talked about facilities in North America when it opens.

Worth Noting

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater developing as a leader: “There are so many different types of leaders. I just want him to be himself. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a rah-rah guy, or grab somebody by the throat kind of guy.”

Cordarrelle Patterson has lost his starting assignment and Zimmer said the second-year big play wide receiver must become more consistent. “It’s being in the right place, doing the right things, running the right routes, blocking the right people, lining up in the right place. I don’t know when it’ll happen, and I’m hoping like crazy it does because I want him to be a great player.”

Forty-eight hours prior to games, NFL teams must announce the probability of injured players participating. Fans hear that players are “out” (not scheduled to play); “doubtful” (approximately 25% chance of playing); “questionable” (approximately a 50% chance); “probable” (likely to start).

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema will speak at the January 8 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Bob Gustafson, from Grandma’s Marathon, will speak at the March 12 lunch. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Reservations for the January 8 program can be made by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

Ex-Viking Joe Webb has a more prominent role with the Panthers now as a backup quarterback following Cam Newton’s injuries from a car accident this week. Derek Anderson will replace Newton as the starter with Webb in reserve. Webb, who played both quarterback and wide receiver for the Vikings before joining the Panthers this year, hasn’t played enough to complete a pass.

Darrin Nelson, the former Viking and Stanford running back, was inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.

Zach Zenner, the ex-Eagan High School football player and record-breaking running back at South Dakota State, was awarded an $18,000.00 postgraduate scholarship by the National Football Foundation. A biology major, Zenner has a 3.87 GPA. He is the first player in FCS history to rush for 2,000 yards in each of three seasons.

CollegeFootballNews.com predicted earlier this week the Gophers will defeat Missouri, 34-20, in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on January 1 in Orlando. The Tigers are about a touchdown favorite to win the game.

Friends are extending best wishes to former Gophers and Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Sanders after cancer surgery on his knee. Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.ame.

Paige Tapp, a pre-major Carlson School of Management student at the University of Minnesota, is one of five Big Ten Conference volleyball players who maintain a 4.0 GPA. Earlier this week the sophomore from Stewartville, Minnesota ranked fourth in the country with 1.55 blocks per set.

The Gophers basketball team, 8-2, doesn’t play a game again until December 19 because of semester exams. Coach Richard Pitino has to hope the time off will help redshirt sophomore forward Charles Buggs with his continued recovery from offseason knee injury. Pitino needs Buggs as a key reserve off the bench. Buggs is averaging 4.2 points and two rebounds per game.

Talk about annoying conflicts: The Timberwolves and Gophers men’s basketball team played home games on the same nights of December 5, 8 and 10.

Jared Nuness, the former Hopkins High School basketball player and now an assistant coach for Baylor, will evaluate prep players on Saturday at the Tip Off Classic tournament at Minnetonka High School. Nuness, former Park Center and Bloomington Kennedy head coach, has many recruiting contacts in Minnesota. Tip Off games will include a matchup between two of the best high school teams in the state, Apple Valley and DeLaSalle.

The grand opening of the Minnesota Wild restaurant at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport was Wednesday. The venue is located in Terminal 2 and promotes “gourmet food, live hockey and hockey sticks everywhere.” It is a joint venture between HMS Host and the Wild.

“Restaurants like the new Minnesota Wild venue introduce visitors to Minnesota’s vibrant culture and help differentiate Minneapolis-St. Paul International from other airports,” said Jeff Hamiel, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

Short-fused John McEnroe—along with James Blake, Michael Chang and Andy Roddick—is scheduled to play in the PowerShare Series Tennis Champions Shootout at Target Center on April 29. Minneapolis is part of a 12-city tour next year involving former ATP Tour stars. In each city there are three one-set matches (semifinals and finals) to determine a winner and accumulate points.

At age 55, McEnroe is the senior member of the group coming to Minneapolis but he is still more than a competent player. He won the PowerShare Series points championship this year with 1,600 points and four tournament titles. Blake, who finished No. 2 in the PowerShare standings, said “McEnroe is still playing great.”

McEnroe has long been known as a volatile competitor whose scorn can quickly place a “dark cloud” over a tennis court. “Johnny Mac just doesn’t like to lose,” said Jim Courier who is another player participating on the PowerShare circuit.

Tickets for the event at Target Center range in cost from $37 to $252.

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Bridgewater Chasing Tarkenton Record

Posted on December 1, 2014December 1, 2014 by David Shama

In today’s column why Teddy Bridgewater, who broke one Viking rookie quarterback record yesterday, is on track to break another—and why a Gopher star with remaining eligibility could be gone before next spring.

Bridgewater broke Christian Ponder’s rookie season record of 158 pass completions in yesterday’s 31-18 win over the Panthers. Bridgewater has 173 completions this season, besting Ponder’s total in 2011.

Bridgewater passed for 138 yards against the Panthers. In nine games and eight starts he has 1,827 total passing yards. In franchise history, Frank Tarkenton, with 1,897 yards, holds the club record for passing yards by a rookie quarterback.

Bridgewater, needing only 71 more yards, seems certain to break Tarkenton’s total next Sunday when the Vikings play the Jets at TCF Bank Stadium. Seven times this year Bridgewater has exceeded 150 yards passing, with a season-best 317 against the Falcons.

Ponder is second to Tarkenton among Vikings rookie quarterbacks for most touchdown passes. Tarkenton threw for 18 scores in 1961, while Ponder had 13 his rookie year. Bridgewater has eight touchdown passes and with four games remaining seems unlikely to break Tarkenton’s record.

Known for his slow game starts, and sometimes criticized for inaccuracy, Bridgewater threw two first half touchdown passes yesterday and completed 15 of 21 passes during the game. It was his most accurate performance of the season and his 120.7 rating was the first time he bettered 100.

After the game Bridgewater credited better execution by himself and teammates for the impressive day against the Panthers. He was specific when answering a question about where the improvement has come since his first start back in September.

“I think I’m better at just making quicker decisions,” he said. “…If I’m able to make quicker decisions I’m able to get the ball out faster.”

Has Maxx Williams played his last Big Ten game for the Gophers?

The team’s big play tight end is eligible for the 2015 NFL Draft. Matt Miller, the draft writer for Bleacherreport.com, posted this on November 13:

“The senior tight end class isn’t great for 2015, which is why one area scout I spoke to believes redshirt sophomore Maxx Williams (Minnesota) may come out early. Williams, if he were to declare, would be my top-ranked tight end.”

When asked a couple of times this fall about leaving school early, Williams wouldn’t address the subject other than to say his focus was on the next game. Now the only game remaining is a bowl assignment later this month or early January, with an announcement coming on December 7 or 8 as to where the Gophers are headed.

Williams is one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, recognizing the nation’s best tight end. Matt Spaeth, a Minnesota native like Williams, won the award in 2006 and he raves about Williams. “He’s got all the tools and does all the right things,” said Spaeth who plays for the Steelers. “His playmaking ability sets him apart from other people. That’s something you either have or don’t have.”

This season Williams has made a couple of catches worthy of storage in the “vault” for best ever receptions by a Gophers tight end. He has shown glue-like hands, body control, speed, toughness, and consistency while establishing himself as the team’s best receiver statistically with 29 receptions for 471 yards and seven touchdowns. His athleticism has even allowed the coaches to use him as a wide receiver.

The word playmaker keeps coming back into the conversation about the 6-4, 250- pound Williams. “The NFL is comprised of playmakers and that’s what he is,” Spaeth said.

But tight ends must block—both on the college and pro levels. For the casual fan blocking is something that can be overlooked with Williams but it’s another of his many attributes. His ability and willingness to block is an important contributor to the Gophers running game, the primary component of the team’s offensive success.

Spaeth didn’t want to offer public advice on whether Williams should leave early for the NFL and the riches that could await. He said, though, another season of college football will “absolutely” help Williams. “The stronger he gets the better off he will be.”

The Mackey Award winner will be announced on December 10. If Williams wins the award, that will heighten his national profile and perhaps encourage him to leave the Gophers for the draft.

Worth Noting

A Gophers source said yesterday the most likely bowl destinations for Minnesota are the December 27 National University Holiday Bowl in San Diego, or two January 1 bowls, the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl in Orlando and the Outback Bowl in Tampa. He acknowledged because the Gophers aggressively recruit the Southeast, the two Florida bowls could be preferred destinations. Minnesota hasn’t played in a Florida bowl game since 2000.

Among the many admirers of Gophers football coach Jerry Kill are members of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, the organization of high school coaches with a long list of activities promoting their sport. Ron Stolski, the MFCA executive director, praised Kill with these words in an e-mail:

“You demand only the BEST from yourself, your staff and the boys you love. Your example of resilience, spirit, toughness and resolve is infectious, and permeates all you do. You are too humble to ever acknowledge this truth, but I am not, and I sing your much deserved praises at every opportunity.”

The winner of the 2014 Mr. Football Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings, is Hutchinson High School running back and free safety Robbie Grimsley. He averaged 10.7 yards rushing last season and caused 12 turnovers on defense. He totaled five touchdowns on interception, kickoff and punt returns, and rushing and receiving.

Grimsley, who was announced as the Mr. Football winner at a banquet yesterday at the DoubleTree hotel in St. Louis Park, told Sports Headliners he will accept a scholarship to North Dakota State where he expects to play safety for the Bison.

Grimsley was one of 10 finalists for the award and some of those players, including Prior Lake linebacker and running back Alex Hart, may interest the Gophers as walk-ons. Hart’s brother, redshirt freshman tight end Nick Hart, is on the Minnesota roster now as a walk-on.

Kez Flomo, the running back from Totino-Grace and another finalist, has no Division I offers but his coach, Jeff Ferguson, hopes FCS and Division II offers will be coming. Totino-Grace lost to Eden Prairie in the Class 6A state title game and should be better next season. The Eagles had 16 underclassmen starting, including eight sophomores.

Taste of the NFL Founder Wayne Kostroski, the Minneapolis restaurateur and 2010 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year, was recently presented with the Pedestal Award honoring philanthropy. Taste of the NFL, now entering its 24th year, has distributed more than $22 million through its programs and events to help feed 37 million Americans who have turned to local food banks for assistance.

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No More Joking When Vikings Lose

Posted on November 24, 2014November 24, 2014 by David Shama

Notes from Mike Zimmer’s news conference this afternoon:

The Vikings first-year coach expects professional conduct by his players and he will act if he doesn’t see it. “There was a situation earlier this year that we got beat and there was some joking going on afterwards,” Zimmer said. “I put a stop to it pretty quickly.”

The Vikings, 4-7, have lost two consecutive games but Zimmer said the players are “taking the losses hard.” His players are developing the “mindset” he wants.

“The way we work in the weight room—intangible things a lot of you don’t see,” Zimmer said. “We’re on time. We act like professionals in a lot of different ways. We need it to show up more on Sundays with wins and that’s really where we’re at. But I don’t have a problem with the football team and the way they do things.”

Zimmer confirmed reports from earlier in the day that starting offensive tackle Phil Loadholt is out indefinitely with a pectoral tear. Loadholt will probably have surgery on Friday and reserve lineman Mike Harris, who hasn’t started a game this season for the Vikings, will likely be the replacement.

“I think Phil is a great person,” Zimmer said. “He’s very conscientious (and) works hard. He’s got a great heart. Obviously we’ll miss him but we’re not going to let it hold us back from what we’re trying to get done.”

Zimmer’s other starting tackle, Matt Kalil, is struggling with his performance on the field. After yesterday’s loss to the Packers, Kalil declined to talk with reporters after the game and then confronted a fan outside the stadium, reportedly knocking the person’s hat off.

“He was wrong in what he did,” Zimmer said. “We appreciate 99.9 percent of the fans. They’re great for us and he should have conducted himself in a better manner. I know in the past there have been times I’ve been upset with people, too, but they pay money to go watch us play and watch us perform so they have a right to express their opinion.”

At times yesterday Zimmer was disappointed with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s accuracy in the loss to the Packers. But Zimmer also had praise for Bridgewater.

The coach said Bridgewater has had slow starts in games but makes adjustments and he likes the rookie’s composure. “Maybe the biggest thing is when the game is on the line, he seems to make a lot of plays,” Zimmer said.

With a wintry forecast this week, the Vikings may practice both indoors and outdoors in preparation for Sunday’s home game against the Panthers at TCF Bank Stadium. “If we can get out, we will get out,” Zimmer said.

With this being Thanksgiving week, the coach was asked what he is thankful for. “I’m thankful for the guys that I get to work with every single day. I’m thankful for my family and the coaches that we have. I’d be more thankful with some wins.”

Worth Noting

Gophers coach Jerry Kill makes $300,000 more than the $1.8 million average pay for the head football coaches at FBS schools, according to the November 20 issue of USA Today. The newspaper annually reports on compensation for college coaches including in the Big Ten where Kill’s $2.1 million pay is less than rivals at Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio is the highest paid coach in the league at $5,636,145, while Ohio State’s Urban Meyer is second at 4,536,640. Nationally, Dantonio’s compensation ranks behind only Nick Saban at $7,160,187, according to USA Today. The publication reported Alabama pays a $32,395 annual premium on a $6 million term life insurance policy for Saban.

Gophers defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun is Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week today along with Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell. Calhoun forced and recovered a fumble in the closing minutes of Minnesota’s upset win over Nebraska on Saturday. He leads the Gophers in interceptions with four and ranks third in the conference.

The winner of the 2014 Mr. Football Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings, will be announced at a banquet Sunday morning at the DoubleTree hotel in St. Louis Park. The 10 finalists for the prep award are: Dalton Elliott, Nicollet; Jackson Erdmann, Rosemount; Kez Flomo, Totino-Grace; Robbie Grimsley, Hutchinson; Alex Hart, Prior Lake; Will Rains, Eden Prairie; John Rumpza, Blooming Prairie; John Santiago, St. Francis; Ryan Schlichte, Mankato West; and Michael Veldman, Becker. Information about the banquet is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

In the state football semifinals coach Cory Larson from Dawson-Boyd High School earned his 100th career victory, but on Saturday he saw his team lose the Class 1A state championship game to Minneota. His career record is 100-47-3 in 13 seasons of high school coaching—all at Dawson-Boyd, his alma mater.

WCHA Commissioner Bill Robertson is pursuing additional teams including Arizona State for the 10-team league. ASU announced its intent last week to play Division I college hockey. Robertson, a St. Paul native with West Coast relationships, is also working on other Pac-12 and West Coast schools as potential WCHA members.

Michigan Tech head coach Mel Pearson, who played for Willard Ikola at Edina East High School in the mid-1970’s, has his Huskies off to a 10-2 start, although the team did lose consecutive games last weekend to Minnesota State. Pearson’s father, George Pearson, played with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association.

The Gophers basketball team will visit Ground Zero in New York tomorrow. The Gophers are in New York to participate in the two-game NIT Season Tipoff tournament at Madison Square Garden. Wednesday night the Gophers play St. John’s and Friday they will have a second game against either Georgia or Gonzaga.

The Minnesota players will eat their Thanksgiving meals at a New York hotel.

Former Gophers wide receiver Lewis Garrison has a busy schedule officiating college basketball and football games. Last week he refereed the Iowa-Texas basketball game and was part of the officiating crew for the Illinois-Penn State football game. Tonight he will referee the Indiana-Eastern Washington basketball game.

ESPN will debut a “30 for 30” documentary next year about former Timberwolves forward Christian Laettner who starred at Duke and is famous for his buzzer beating shot against Kentucky. The film is titled “I Hate Christian Laettner.”

There is already anticipation about the Gophers women’s basketball team playing at home against Maryland on January 11. The Terps are led by former Gophers coach Brenda Frese and ESPN2 will televise the game—Minnesota’s only ESPN appearance of the season. Maryland is ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press poll.

New Gophers coach Marlene Stollings once coached a men’s club team in Europe, although initially she wasn’t sure the invitation was “serious.”

If the Twins make a deal with free agent Torii Hunter to rejoin his old team it’s a sure sign new manager Paul Molitor wants a vocal veteran leader in the locker room. Hunter, the 39-year-old outfielder who left the Twins after the 2007 season, was outspoken when he was here. With his quotes and personality, he’s a media favorite.

The Twins increased their roster to the 40-man limit with the recent additions of right-handed pitcher Alex Meyer, left-handed pitcher Jason Wheeler, outfielder Eddie Rosario and infielder Miguel Sano. Meyer, Rosario and Sano will be closely watched by fans in spring training because they have been hyped as prospects for awhile but Wheeler is an unknown.

Wheeler, 24, pitched at Single-A Fort Myers, Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester last season. He overall record was 11-9, with a 2.67 ERA (158.1 innings pitched, 47 earned runs). He walked 37 batters, with 115 strikeouts, two complete games and one shutout in 26 starts. The 6-foot-6, 251-pound left-hander was originally drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Loyola Marymount University.

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