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

Vikings Likely to Tame Lions on Sunday

Posted on October 8, 2014October 8, 2014 by David Shama

Although the Vikings embarrassed themselves in last week’s loss to the Packers in Green Bay, a win seems likely against the Lions on Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium. You don’t have to buy a crystal ball from the Vikings Locker Room store at Mall of America to be optimistic.

The 42-10 loss to the Packers occurred on Thursday, while this past Sunday the Lions’ inept field goal kicking cost them a win at home against the Bills. The Vikings, 2-3, will have the advantage of extra preparation time for the Lions game. No doubt the 3-2 Lions wish they had played Thursday because more rest might increase the chances of injured offensive stars Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush being available in Minneapolis.

The Lions will be using their third field goal specialist this year against the Vikings after dismissing Alex Henery who missed three kicks in the Bills game. That doesn’t speak well for the Lions, long known as a dysfunctional organization and one the Vikings have a 69-34-2 all-time record against including wins in three of the last four games.

The Vikings played without Teddy Bridgewater at Green Bay but the 21-year-old rookie quarterback returns on Sunday. That figures to give the whole team a lift while juicing an adoring crowed that will roar approval every time he completes a pass or scrambles for yardage.

The Vikings should be in a determined mood on Sunday—looking for a make-good performance. Mike Zimmer preaches resiliency and the Vikings can show what they have learned from their head coach. Veteran defensive end Brian Robison talked to Sports Headliners awhile ago about Zimmer’s influence.

“It doesn’t matter what happens to us. All we can do is move forward and get ready for the next opponent,” Robison said last month. “I think that’s the approach he takes and I think that’s the approach he’s instilled into us. …And that’s what you want out of a head coach.”

Worth Noting

The game with the Lions can be considered sold out. Vikings’ executive vice president Lester Bagley told Sports Headliners on Monday that at mid-week there are likely to be tickets returned by the Lions from their visiting team allotment.

The game at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus will be the club’s fifth, counting regular season and preseason games. Bagley said reaction by fans to the team’s new temporary home has been positive. “Our fans love it because it’s such an upgrade from the Metrodome.”

Transportation and parking have been a challenge for fans. “Our message is plan ahead on how to get in and out ,” Bagley said.

This Saturday and Sunday is the only weekend when the Gophers and Vikings both have home games at TCF Bank Stadium. Scott Ellison, the Gophers’ associate athletic director for facilities, said it will require eight workers about 12 hours to prepare the stadium for Sunday’s NFL game after the Gophers finish their contest with Northwestern on Saturday. The Gophers’ game begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday but Ellison said even if Minnesota was playing at night his crew could have the stadium ready Sunday morning for the Vikings.

The Vikings announced yesterday quarterback Chandler Harnish has been signed to the practice squad where he provides depth behind Bridgewater and Christian Ponder. Harnish replaced McLeod Bethel–Thompson who was released.

Last month ESPN announced the results of what fans think of all 122 MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises. The results were based on surveys, research and calculations developed by Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center that figures “how well teams turn fans’ money into wins.” Results on each franchise were calculated in the following eight categories: affordability (price of tickets, concessions, parking), coaching, fan relations, ownership, players, stadium experience, bang for the buck (“wins in the past year, per fan dollars”) and title track.

Title track means “championships won or expected within the lifetime of current fans.” In that category baseball’s Cardinals are No. 1 while the Timberwolves are last at 122nd. The Vikings are No. 102 while the Wild are 61st and Twins 51st.

In the overall rankings of the 122 franchises the Wild are No. 24, Twins 62, Vikings 103 and Timberwolves 114. The Wild are fourth among all franchises in stadium experience while the Twins are ninth.

The Wild rates No. 7 among 14 Western Conference teams, according to the October 8 Sports Illustrated NHL power rankings. The Blackhawks—picked by S.I. to win the Stanley Cup—are first in the rankings with the Kings, Ducks, Blues, Avalanche and Stars also ahead of Minnesota. The magazine said the Wild’s strength is on “the blue line” and noted Minnesota defenders last season allowed “just 27.7 shots-against per game, fifth best in the NHL.”

The Wild’s season opening game will be tomorrow night starting at 7:30 p.m. at Xcel Energy. A pre-game party outside Gate 2 will be from 5 to 7:15 p.m. and includes music, food, beverages, happy hour prices and interactive games.

In a move to reduce payroll, the Blackhawks traded former Gopher Nick Leddy to the Islanders. Leddy, a 23-year-old defenseman reportedly making $2.7 million, was a key contributor to the Blackhawks’ 2013 Stanley Cup championship.

Author George Rekela’s new book, A History of Professional Hockey in Minnesota from the North Stars to the Wild, is a well researched and entertaining description of the highs and lows of the NHL here through the years. More at Historypress.net.

Former Gophers’ golfer and New York Times best selling author Harvey Mackay received a surprise birthday present last month when wife Carol Ann provided—on 48 hours notice—a trip to Scotland to watch the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup, he told Sports Headliners, had been on his personal “bucket list.”

East Ridge High School junior quarterback Seth Green is expected to announce his college choice October 15 with Michigan State, Minnesota and Oregon the contenders. The guess here is he will choose Oregon where he visited September 6.

Dr. Phil Esten, the former Gophers’ associate athletic director who was most recently working in the University of California athletic department, starts a new position next week as deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer for intercollegiate athletics at Penn State. His career experiences also include University of Minnesota Alumni Association president.

Congratulations to Les Viken from Fosston High School and Bill Weiss of Chisago Lakes High School who earned their 100th career coaching wins on September 26. Viken’s record at Fosston is 100-102 in 20 seasons while Weiss’ record is 100-75 in 18 seasons at Chisago. Congratulations, too, to Underwood High School coach Chuck Ross who won his 100th career game last Friday, increasing his 18 year record to 100-75.

Bridget Hennen is the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for women’s soccer after scoring three goals in Bethany Lutheran College’s two recent wins. Hennen, a junior midfielder from Apple Valley, was also the UMAC Defensive Player of the Week in late September two years ago. She is only the second player in UMAC history to win both awards during her career.

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Vikings D-End Could Play Running Back

Posted on September 19, 2014September 19, 2014 by David Shama

Nobody is suggesting the Vikings replace Adrian Peterson at running back with a defensive end but Paul Wiggin told Sports Headliners that Everson Griffen could make the switch.

“He could play running back for us,” Wiggin said. “He’s a phenomenal athlete.”

Wiggin is a former college and NFL coach who works in the Vikings’ front office. He made the statement above after being asked about Griffen’s abilities and potential. The 26-year-old, 6-3, 273-pound Griffen is in his fifth season with the Vikings but first year as a starter. During the last offseason the Vikings signed him to a new contract, an indication the organization thought he was ready to replace Jared Allen as an every week starter.

Griffen’s job description puts an emphasis on sacking quarterbacks—something the Vikings hope he can do to Drew Brees of the Saints on Sunday in New Orleans. Griffen had 2.5 sacks in the final three games of last season, and then had two in the Vikings’ opening win this year against the Rams. His two sacks put him among the NFL leaders in that category so far.

“We attack. Our coach (Mike Zimmer) wants us to attack,” Griffen said in the September 14 issue of the Vikings’ GameDay program. “We make plays. I feel like we’re go-getters. We’re not waiting for them (foes) to strike. …”

Wiggin has watched Griffen mature as a person and said that has played a role in the player’s improvement. Griffen is involved with a program that makes meals available to school-age kids, and has participated in the Vikings’ blood drive and community events.

Griffen was drafted by the Vikings in 2010 after being a second team All-Pac 10 defensive end as a junior playing for USC. In high school in Avondale, Arizona he also played in the defensive line and had 16 sacks his senior season. But guess what? He also played running back in high school, rushing for 1,251 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Worth Noting

Replacing Peterson in New Orleans likely will be Matt Asiata who was given that assignment in Peterson’s absence last Sunday. The Vikings are also looking at rookie Jerick McKinnon and Joe Banyard, a first-year player last season who has yet to have an NFL carry. “We will keep evaluating that spot each and every time,” Zimmer said.

Wiggin, whose career experiences include college head coach at Stanford and in the NFL with the Chiefs, has the title of senior personnel consultant with the Vikings. Part of his job is to scout opposing linemen from films. He identifies tendencies that can help Vikings offensive and defensive linemen.

The Rams’ Robert Quinn, for example, is one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive linemen. In preparation for the Rams game on September 7, Vikings offensive tackle Matt Kalil was given 42 plays involving Quinn to watch on his iPad.

Gophers redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Streveler will have his first college start tomorrow if Mitch Leidner, who has been slowed by knee and turf toe injuries, can’t play against San Jose State at TCF Bank Stadium. Streveler, 19, might have the cool for the pressure-filled job.

As a reserve player Streveler likes to have “fun” on the sidelines, trying to help however he can. Off the field? “I don’t really take myself too seriously,” he said. “I stay pretty low-key.”

Leidner has only passed for 362 yards in three games, completing 48.1 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Still, offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover believes the redshirt sophomore can become an effective passer, and that progress will come by Leidner having better support from teammates including pass blocking.

“In anything you want to be successful (doing), you have to feel comfortable in that environment, and I don’t think he feels comfortable now going back and throwing the football,” Limegrover said. “So what’s happening is he’s trying to do too much and it’s getting him in trouble. I think that has to start up front (offensive line).”

Last winter the Gophers signed a promising group of incoming freshman wide receivers to National Letters of Intent but so far none has seen the field. This week it was announced that Isaiah Gentry, the 6-4 receiver from Cincinnati, is out for the season because of a knee injury that bothered him for a couple of weeks.

“Yeah, he’s a tough kid,” Limegrover said. “He fought through what a lot of guys would have shut down on and really actually did pretty well. So long‑term, that’s exciting for us, and it’s a little disappointing in the short-term that he had to get shut down.”

Melvin Holland Jr., 6-3 from Ashburn, Virginia, and Conner Krizancik, 6-2 from Mentor, Ohio, could be freshman wideouts who will play this season. Among the first year receivers, Holland may have turned the most heads in practices.

At the start of this college football season the University of Alabama compliled a list of programs with the most graduate students on their rosters. The Crimson Tide and Boston College topped the list with 15 each, and only four other teams had more than San Jose State’s nine grad students including starting quarterback Blake Jurich.

The Spartans have only five players on their 104-man roster who aren’t California natives. Three of them are from Arizona, with one each from Texas and Washington.

Congratulations to Browerville head football coach Wayne (Ribsy) Petermeier on his 100th career win last week. Petermeier, now in his 13th season at Browerville, was previously head coach at Hayfield for one season. His career record is 100-41.

The Gophers baseball team practiced this week with 33 players. The Gophers don’t provide full scholarships for baseball but 26 of the players have partial financial assistance ranging from 25 to 70 percent.

The baseball Gophers once offered a full scholarship to Joe Mauer who could have also had a football scholarship to Florida State but signed a contract with the Twins coming out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in 2001.

Big Ten Hockey Media Day is next Wednesday in Detroit. Forward Kyle Rau and goalie Adam Wilcox will represent the Gophers who are expected to be among college hockey’s elite teams next season.

SI.com listed college basketball’s top 20 college guards, wings and “big men” for next season in a September 11 story, but no Gophers were included—a mild surprise that senior guards Andre Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu were left out. In a separate listing of freshmen, Tyus Jones, the ex-Apple Valley high schooler now at Duke, was included with the best first-year guards, and Rashad Vaughn, who played at Cooper High School two years ago and is now at UNLV, was listed among the top wings.

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Momentum Increasing for U Facilities

Posted on September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 by David Shama

According to sources, expect 3M to become a corporate contributor to the $190 million campaign to improve Gophers’ facilities, and also look for ground to be broken next spring for a new on-campus indoor football practice facility.

Effective fundraising—mostly still behind the scenes—is being done by the Gophers’ Athletic Department and well-connected volunteers. An announcement is expected that 3M will join Land O’Lakes as a major contributor to the fundraising campaign. LOL has made a $25 million commitment to support a wide range of University of Minnesota activities, but the centerpiece will be building the Intercollegiate Athletics Center for Excellence that will benefit over 700 student-athletes through academics and nutrition.

Among projects expected to receive priority in the master facilities plan is the new football practice building, perhaps costing $70 million. Sources told Sports Headliners they predict shovels in the ground for the football building by next spring.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill has been outspoken with high school recruits and media about the importance of a new football complex. The existing facility has a ceiling so low footballs hit the top and the building has a crowded schedule with multiple teams practicing there.

Athletic director Norwood Teague, who announced the $190 million campaign in July of 2013, said earlier this month $40 million has been secured but hasn’t specified sources by name beyond LOL which reportedly will contribute $21 million of the $25 million to athletics. Corporations, wealthy donors, the general public and revenue bonds are all on the table as funding sources.

An announcement is expected soon about how the public can make contributions to the campaign. Included will be a website with information that potential contributors can review.

The $190 million master facilities plan will include a new practice building for Gophers basketball, and amenities for other sports such as wrestling and track. Minnesota’s athletic facilities are considered among the worst in the Big Ten and generally haven’t been improved for many years.

The near $200 million project is expansive and ambitious, with a fundraising goal that may be challenging to meet without the sale of bonds. The University is authorized to sell bonds and those involved with the fundraising have been considering that option for awhile.

Worth Noting

“Who would you want your son to play for?” Football Bowl Subdivision coaches were polled asking that question and ESPN.com posted a story last Saturday reporting Gophers coach Jerry Kill tied for third with Stanford’s David Shaw. Georgia’s Mark Richt and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops tied for first. Duke’s David Cutcliffe was fifth in the ESPN poll while Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer were among five coaches tied for sixth. Ninety-eight of 128 coaches participated in the poll.

Dick Jonckowski, the Gophers baseball and basketball public address announcer, is selling half of his sports memorabilia to help pay medical bills. The sale will be October 3, 4 and 5 at the new Canterbury Park Expo Center. Items—many of of them autographed—will include baseball, basketball and football cards, and photos and publications.

For many years Jonckowski’s basement has housed a vast collection of not only Gophers, Twins and Vikings memorabilia but also national items. He is selling much of the collection because of bills relating to his non-Hodgkin lymphoma and type 2 diabetes. He expects a full recovery from the cancer.

Former Gophers quarterback and NFL coach Tony Dungy said on Monday’s Dan Patrick Show it remains to be determined whether Vikings running back Adrian Peterson abused his four-year-old son. Dungy also said he grew up with similar discipline. See Danpatrick.com.

Mick Tingelhoff, who is a 2015 senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said he doesn’t know who he would ask to be his presenter if he does receive induction into the Canton, Ohio shrine.

One reason the Vikings activated running back Joe Banyard last week is his work ethic. Signed as a free agent in 2012, he has yet to have an NFL rushing attempt. Growing up in Texas, he hunted rattlesnakes.

Parking near TCF Bank Stadium for last Sunday’s Vikings game cost $40 in at least one lot but some customers are paying $70 at the 49ers’ new stadium in Santa Clara.

Rochester Postbulletin.com reported last week that 6-foot-8 eighth grade guard Matthew Hurt, who is being recruited by the Gophers, suffered a lacerated spleen recently and could miss early games with John Marshall High School. His brother Michael, a 6-7 junior guard-forward, has already been offered a scholarship by the Gophers.

Richard Pitino, who had his 32nd birthday yesterday and is the Big Ten’s youngest basketball head coach, wrote on his Gophersports.com blog last week that Minnesota fans should disregard what his dad—legendary Louisville coach Rick Pitino—says in coming weeks when their two teams prepare for a nonconference nationally-televised game in Puerto Rico in November. Writing with dry humor but also making a point about his dad, Richard said: “Ignore anything and everything that comes out of my father’s mouth leading up to this game.”

Former Timberwolves reserve Mark Madsen will be an assistant coach for the Lakers under new head coach Byron Scott. Madsen’s basketball resume and positive outlook will likely land him an NBA head job some day.

This is the fourth year WCCO Radio is broadcasting all St. Thomas football games. A three-year agreement ended after last season but another three-year deal is in place.

Through the first two weeks of the season, MIAC football teams have a 12-5 record against nonconference teams. Among the highlights last week was a 55-45 Augsburg win against Concordia-Wisconsin when the Auggies had 682 yards in total offense with over 400 yards rushing. The MIAC has only one nonleague game remaining in 2014—Bethel at home against Chicago on October 18.

Bridgeport Tusler, who was the 2012 Associated Press Minnesota Player of the Year while at Osseo, is now a freshman wide receiver at Bethel. Tusler started his college career at South Dakota State.

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