Preps – Page 11 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ex-Vikings GM: Team Got Best Rusher in NFL Draft

Posted on April 30, 2024April 30, 2024 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman praised his former team’s aggressiveness in moving up the draft board and early players chosen. Minnesota’s first three picks were quarterback J.J. McCarthy and outside linebacker Dallas Turner, both first rounders at No. 10 and 17, and cornerback Khyree Jackson, No. 108 in the fourth round.

The Vikings, of course, are hoping they found their franchise quarterback in McCarthy. Defensively, having lost edge rushing talents Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum to free agency, and also needing help in the secondary, the Vikings may have filled significant needs for highly regarded defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

“…In Brian Flores’ defense you have to have pressure on the quarterback which can alleviate some of the pressure on the secondary—which they needed to address as well—which they did with the Oregon kid (Jackson),” Spielman said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “So I think they did a great job, especially in the first round making sure that they got the quarterback. They couldn’t come out of this draft without a quarterback, and they got a legit pass rusher who I thought was the best pass rusher coming out. That’s why I think it was an A (draft grade for Minnesota).”

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t hold back in his praise of Turner either (he was the second edge rusher drafted after the Colts selected Laiatu Latu from UCLA). O’Connell described Turner, the 6-3, 247-pound former Alabama star, as a “great fit in Flo’s defense, incredibly versatile, huge traits and skill set to be a dominant player on the edge for us.”

On the plus side, too, from this draft is the club didn’t sacrifice it’s 2025 first round pick. Speculation was GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might offer his two first round picks in 2024 and his 2025 first rounder to move up to No. 2 or 3 on the NFL Draft board, allowing Minnesota to choose North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Here are four expectations about McCarthy:

Fans are giddy about the 21-year-old former Michigan national championship quarterback. Interest will be intense, and his summer debut will create must-see viewing for the usually “ho-hum” preseason games. There will be a clamoring for tickets to training camp to get the earliest of looks at McCarthy and demand to buy his jersey seems likely to be exceeded in sales only by that of the other J.J.— wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

McCarthy knows he landed in an ideal situation where he is surrounded by talented offensive teammates starting with Jefferson. Also important is learning from O’Connell, a QB whisperer, and his position coach Josh McCown who played 18 seasons of quarterback in the NFL. Teammates and teachers probably will make McCarthy comfortable, and likely the envy of quarterbacks drafted before him who landed in less ideal environments.

Among the many parts of the learning curve that won’t come overnight is McCarthy becoming totally in synch with his receivers. Successful NFL quarterbacks and receivers have a familiarity with one another that doesn’t happen right away. It can take a year or more for everyone to completely know the nuances of each other. How effectively and how fast McCarthy and the key receivers click, will be a key measurement in his development.

How much will McCarthy play during the regular season? O’Connell has said his rookie quarterback won’t be rushed but there is a lot of time between now and next October or November. An injury to presumed veteran starter Sam Darnold, or poor performance for too many weeks by Darnold, might send McCarthy off the bench and into the game. Remember, the NFL is a win now league.

The Timberwolves, who closed out their first-round playoff series Sunday night with a 4-0 sweep of the favored Suns, might be undervalued by oddsmakers who have made the Celtics, Nuggets and Thunder bigger favorites than Minnesota to win the NBA championship. The Wolves are going to be a “heavy lift” for any team as long as the defense remains among the best in the league (anchored by Rudy Gobert) and Anthony Edwards continues to be the premier clutch shooter in franchise history.

Meanwhile, mediation regarding franchise ownership is expected this week. It appears almost certain the contested sale of majority ownership between Glen Taylor and the Marc Lore-Alex Rodriguez two-some will later go to arbitration and eventually be resolved by NBA leadership and league owners. My guess is when the dust settles Taylor prevails—at least partially because of his successful track record with the franchise in meeting financial obligations.

Bustingbrackets.com ranks the Gophers’ Ben Johnson No. 17 in its listing this month of the 18 Big Ten men’s basketball coaches. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo is No. 1 with USC’s Eric Musselman, son of former Minnesota coach Bill Musselman, ranked the fourth best coach.

Elevate the Arches is the new collective supporting St. Thomas athletics. Both Dinkytown Athletes (supports Gophers athletics) and Elevate the Arches are limited liability companies, not charitable organizations.

The football Tommies host their annual spring game Saturday starting at 12:04 p.m. in O’Shaughnessy Stadium. Admission is free. The Tommies, 7-1 in Pioneer League games last season, haven’t lost at home since 2016. They have an NCAA-leading home winning streak of 31 consecutive games.

The Twins have struggled all spring trying to develop a five-man rotation. Sonny Gray, who the Twins lost through free agency last offseason, would be the staff ace if he had been retained. With the Cardinals, he is 3-1 and has a 1.16 ERA.

Lance Lynn, Gray’s teammate with the Cardinals and another former Twins starter, is 1-0 with a 2.64 ERA. Other Twins alums and former starters off to impressive starts are the Blue Jays’ Jose Berrios, 4-1 with a 1.23 ERA, and the Pirates’ Martin Perez, 1-1 and a 2.86 ERA.

It was 30 years ago last Saturday that Twins’ starter Scott Erickson threw a no-hitter, walking four and striking out five in a 6-0 April 27, 1994, win over the Brewers. Francisco Liriano threw the last no-hitter for the club in 2011.

Each year the Twin Cities Dunkers stage a Dunkers Fund Dinner to raise money for the athletic programs at the 14 Minneapolis and St. Paul public high schools. The Fund has generated over $1 million in the last few years and this year’s members-only dinner is Thursday.

There is a silent auction to generate more funding and you don’t have to be a Dunker member to bid. Click on the attached https://bidpartner.net/dunkersfunddinner/silent-auction/ to preview auction items including a trip to watch the Gophers play UCLA in the Rose Bowl on October 12 and golf outings at Wayzata, North Oaks, Minikahda, Woodhill, Stone Ridge, Spring Hill, Bearpath, Burl Oaks, Somerset, Hazeltine and other courses.

Bloomington-based Vintage Sports Authentics’ spring auction includes memorabilia of former Twins Jim Kaat, Joe Mauer and Kirby Puckett with bidding open now. www.VSAauctions.com

Chase Brixius, the linebacker from Benilde-St. Margaret’s who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 17 state prospect for the class of 2025, is the grandson of Frank Brixius, the Academic-All-American tackle on the Gophers’ 1960 national championship team. Among Chase’s college offers, per 247, are North Dakota State and Buffalo.

I worked for the Minnesota North Stars in the 1980s and never heard a bad word then or since about legendary radio voice Al Shaver who passed away last week at age 96. Son Wally has been calling Gophers’ hockey on radio since 2001 and his son Jason Shaver is the broadcast voice of the Chicago Wolves (American Hockey League) for 13 seasons. Condolences to family and friends of Al, a gentleman and great announcer.

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Jerry Kill Healthy, Happy, Cheering for Golden Gophers

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

Beloved former Golden Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill, 62, now calls Nashville home where he works on Clark Lea’s staff. His title is senior offensive advisor and chief consultant to the head coach.

Kill admirers might shorten it to “miracle worker.”

The Commodores were 0-8 in the mighty Southeastern Conference last season. That kind of record is nothing new for Vandy, a private school that has long been familiar with the bottom of the league standings.

Kill recalled that before he came to Vandy in January, Lea told him it “seems like you got a knack for helping people turn things around.”

The rest of the message: Why not come join the Commodores where offensive coordinator Tim Beck has been a Kill friend for about 40 years?

Kill was sitting on a beach in Mexico drinking margaritas when he received the phone call from Vandy. “Basically, coach (Lea) has pretty much said, hey, come in and do what you do,” Kill told Sports Headliners in a phone interview. “And he said, you know, come in and tell me what we need to do and what we need to do to get better and what we need to do to win from ground up.

“It’s really no different from what I’ve been doing my (whole) career. I just don’t have to deal with all the other problems (of a head coach). I just get to kind of help rebuild the program.”

Can things turn around at Vanderbilt where Lea is 9-27 overall? Kill believes so and he’s enthused about where he is working and living. “There’s a lot of work, catchup and so forth but I am enjoying it. I am only two and half hours (away) from my granddaughter (Emery). Nashville is a great place to live. I like country music—and still get to do a large part of what I want to do—but I can leave the office and I don’t have to carry the head coaching duties with me. That’s a good thing. In my time and where I am at in my career it’s a good thing. “

When discussing improvement at Vandy, Kill makes the point that if a coach can win at New Mexico State then success can be achieved just about any place. Before Kill was hired in late 2021, authorities referred to the Aggies as the worst college football program in the country.

The Aggies had won more than three games in a season just once since 2010 before Kill came to Las Cruces. He won a bowl game in his first season (2022, 7-6 record) and last season State’s 10 victories were the most since 1960. Among the wins was a stunning road victory at Auburn, the first win by the Aggies against an SEC team in 28 tries.

Kill credits “the kids” for the success in Las Cruces. He didn’t envision the miracle, but the players bought in and the results brought national attention to the Aggies.

Why step away? Kill said there were a lot of things, both personal and professional, involved with the decision. “You get to a certain age, you go, hey, I missed out on a lot of things, and maybe I don’t want to do that anymore (be a head coach). But it was good. I tell you what, had a great time there. We did things they will never do there again. I mean it’s too hard.

“And going up and beating Auburn and winning 10 games. Man, we did stuff they hadn’t done ever. And the rest of it since 1960. So it was fun.”

The challenge of the program, with limited resources including for Name, Image and Likeness, can wear on any coach and fatigue weighed on Kill whose history with cancer and epilepsy is well documented. “In life you know when it’s time and (I) knew it was time. I don’t regret the decision one bit. I had a great time there. Great people. Loved it there.”

Why is Kill still coaching? “That’s a good question,” he answered. “I don’t know how to do anything else. I want to prove I can do it one more time. …”

Even after all the health challenges and decades of coaching Kill hedges about ever completely divorcing himself from the profession. “I don’t know if I’ll ever completely get out of it. I’ll slow down when it’s time.

“As long as I can still be a difference being around kids, I’ll do it. There will be a time where I want to travel and do some things of that nature. …Right now, just being a part of it in a different way, I am enjoying it.”

Epilepsy forced Kill out of the Gophers job during the 2015 season after he had rebuilt the program that was in dire shape in December of 2010 when he took over. He was 2014 Big Ten Football Coach of the Year after a season that included a rare win at Michigan and a 51-14 beat down of Iowa.

Kill’s success, including taking the Gophers to their first New Year’s Day bowl game since 1962, didn’t surprise Dave Mona who assisted athletic director Joel Maturi with the coaching search to replace Tim Brewster. Mona recalled asking Kill for insights about a game where his Northern Illinois team defeated Minnesota and receiving about a 25-minute answer. “This guy really gets football,” was Mona’s reaction.

Kill has learned to take better care of himself since he left Minnesota. At New Mexico State the Aggies practiced in the mornings and that was part of a strategy to deal more effectively with his workload. Yet more than anything success in handling his seizures is “getting on the right cocktail” of medicine, he said.

“I’ve only had about four seizures the last two years, maybe three years. So I’ve limited those a bunch and I think I am different. I don’t think relaxed is the right word. Maybe more self-control of what I am doing from a day-to-day basis. Then, I know if I don’t do that then I know I ‘ll have problems.”

There is a major difference in Kill’s health now compared with when he was at Minnesota. “It’s a deal where I am like 90 percent better than when I was there from a physical capacity as far as what I was battling. Yeah, I am doing really good.”

With competitive football teams and a country boy’s charm, the Kansas native was a big hit with Gophers fans. Minnesotans saw his genuineness and connected with their head coach.

Mona remembers emceeing an event in Wilmar where Kill was running late, and the audience was becoming restless. Kill arrived about 10 minutes late but had an excuse that connected to his audience. He told the crowd that on the drive he saw the blackest farm dirt he had ever seen. “He’s got them eating out of his hand (with that story),” Mona said.

Kill made and kept so many friends in Minnesota. He was close with former Gophers 1969 football captain Jim Carter who just like the coach had a “little orneriness” to him. The two talked just a few days before Carter died from cancer last November.

“He’s a guy that a lot of people don’t understand and so forth, but I will tell you there was nobody more loyal and good and took care of Jerry Kill. You know, Jim is what they call old school and that’s what I call good school. And so my heart has gone out to their family and so forth but Jim will always be a part of the old ball coach’s family. He will always be a part of me.”

Leading the Gophers was the only Power Five head coaching job Kill ever had. He loved the opportunity, the community and the people. It was beyond difficult to walk away.

“No, I never have recovered from that completely. Have I lived a great life? Heck, yes. Have I been able to do things nobody else gets a chance to do? You bet. You know, I love Minnesota. It was devastating at the time…It was tough, and it was tough on our family. It’s been tough on everybody.”

It’s been speculated that perhaps Kill should have taken a leave of absence rather than just walking away from the job because of his health. Kill said placing the program in limbo wouldn’t have been fair to the players.

“I gave every ounce I could to the program. I never cheated anybody how I work and what I do. I wasn’t going to cheat the kids… I wasn’t going to get paid money and not be there, take leave, all that. I don’t believe in that, whether it’s right or wrong. …I walked away from about $8 million (on his contract) if I remember right.”

Kill looks back at his program and knows it would have been helpful to have the state-of-art football facilities that are now part of the Athletes Village, a project he pushed for. He thinks the Gopher job is a good one and doesn’t buy into the long-held argument it’s difficult to win at Minnesota because the state high schools don’t produce a lot of Division I recruits.

“To be honest with you, I think that’s an excuse,” Kill said.

Making recruiting easier in-state, per Kill, is that the Gophers are the only Division I program and also have first class facilities. NIL is another positive and the Gophers’ success in that area is growing.

“You just gotta find a way to get it done,” Kill said about Gopher recruiting. “People will come to Minnesota. I mean, shoot, we got kids from the south that came to Minnesota, and they were all starters for us. They played well, and I think P.J. (Fleck) has done some of the same thing. And kids want to get away from home anyway. …It’s hard to keep kids in your own state for anybody.”

Kill has been critical about Fleck in the past, bothered by Fleck comments that to him didn’t validate the culture already in place at Minnesota and questioning the young coach’s relationship with players. But Kill calls that “water underneath the bridge now.”

”I’ve always cheered for the Gophers and always will,” Kill said. “Coach has done a good job. There’s no doubt about that. Minnesota has won. My personal feelings—one way or another—coach has done a good job.”

With the college football playoff field expanding to 12 teams, Kill believes the Gophers might be a contender in future years. “Do I think they could? Yeah, I do. But it comes down to recruiting and hitting that (transfer) portal right.”

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‘Ant’ & Wolves Make a Statement in Game 1 Win

Posted on April 20, 2024April 20, 2024 by David Shama

Whether it was physical, or verbal, Anthony “Ant” Edwards and the Timberwolves made a statement with their 120-95 win over the Suns today at Target Center.

Edwards, who had averaged 14 points in three regular season losses to the Suns, scored 33 including 18 in the decisive third quarter as the Wolves took Game 1 of their opening Western Conference playoff series. Minnesota extended a 10-point halftime lead to an in-command 92-72 advantage after the third quarter. Edwards, the Wolves’ fourth year wunderkind was a full-time scorer and part-time cheerleader, dazzling with his shooting including four three-pointers while sometimes imploring the crowd to match his uber excitement.

Edwards even took to jawing in the second half with Suns superstar and Hall of Fame bound forward Kevin Durant who led his team in scoring with 31 points.

Late in the fourth quarter, Edwards stripped Durant of the basketball and took off down court for an uncontested dunk. The play was a microcosm of a game where the youthful Edwards and the Wolves played with more energy and physicality than Phoenix.

The Wolves had several days to prepare for their playoff opener and the results were to their liking. There was significant time spent by coaches and players watching past film of the Suns and also instructive practices to get ready for what could be a seven-game series.

In a 125-106 regular season ending loss at Target Center last Sunday the Wolves didn’t look engaged or tough. After today’s game coach Chris Finch said at his press conference heard on KFAN Radio that his team “made all the effort plays tonight.” He praised his team for running the floor, rebounding and playing “with some physicality on defense.”

The Wolves played a complete game, excelling at both ends of the court. They had 19 turnovers in the first half of last Sunday’s loss but totaled 24 today in four quarters. Minnesota was dominant in rebounding with a 52-28 edge (13-3 on offensive rebounds).

Suns’ sharp shooters and three-point specialists Grayson Allen and Bradley Beal who combined for 56 points (nine of nine on three-pointers) last Sunday scored 19 today and were one for six on three-pointers. When they and the other Phoenix starters went out of the game, the Suns bench didn’t match that of the Wolves who were led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid who scored a combined 30 points for Minnesota. Respectively the two had the best plus-minus totals on the team, plus-28 and plus-22 .

After the game, Edwards was interviewed on the court by Bally Sports North, with the fans at the game and at home able to listen. “The crowd definitely played a big role in tonight’s game. Keep coming out and supporting us,” Edwards said.

He also noted that today was just one game in the series that earlier in the week had oddsmakers favoring the Suns. Words of wisdom from the 22-year-old.

Worth Noting

Here are the remaining dates, locations, times and networks for the Wolves-Sun series through Game 4: April 23, Minneapolis, 6:30 p.m. TNT; April 26, Phoenix, 9:30 p.m. ESPN; April 28, Phoenix, 8:30 p.m. TNT. Games can also be seen on Bally Sports North.

How ironic if the Wolves were to win the NBA championship 70 years after the Minneapolis Lakers did so. The 1954 Lakers were part of a Minneapolis dynasty that also won league titles in 1949, 1950, 1952 and 1953.

Three in a row for Gophers football regarding the No. 1 recruit from the state of Minnesota. Esko safety Koi Perich, the class of 2024 No. 1, signed with the Gophers last December. This month class of 2023 No. 1 Jaxon Howard, the edge rusher from Robbinsdale Cooper transferring from LSU, committed to a scholarship, and Minnesota received a verbal commitment from class of 2025 No. 1 Emmanuel Karmo, the linebacker also from Cooper.

With the transfer portal closing at month’s end, former Gophers center Pharrel Payne has yet to find a new program. One door seemingly closed when Indiana secured Oumar Ballo, a transfer from Arizona regarded as the top center in the portal.

Payne, who reportedly visited Indiana, is likely seeking an NIL deal paying well into six figures. Unlike Indiana, where there is a track record of six-figure NIL deals, the Gophers’ NIL pot might not exceed $600,000 to $700,000. That’s been enough, though, to retain Dawson Garcia, Elijah Hawkins, Parker Fox and Mike Mitchell Jr., and receive a commitment from Canisius transfer Frank Mitchell who will replace Payne.

Gophers athletic department leaders Mark Coyle and Jeremiah Carter, along with men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson and Katie Harms representing the NIL Dinkytown Athletes collective, will discuss NIL’s impact on college sports at Wednesday’s Capital Club breakfast at Mendakota Country Club. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

Drake Maye, who the Vikings could end up drafting in the first round Thursday night, a year ago was projected by some authorities to be the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft but an inconsistent 2023 season with North Carolina dropped his stock. Maye’s inconsistency could be partially attributable to playing for a new offense coordinator, but the potential, including arm strength, is there to make him an intriguing draft target whose flaws might be easily fixed by the Vikings coaching staff.

“It’s all there. He just needs to end up in the right system,” said Daniel House who offers his football insights on Mnvikingscorner.com and Gophersguru.com.

Ten former Gophers are on NHL rosters of Stanley Cup playoff teams: Brady Skjei, Carolina Hurricanes; Casey Mittelstadt, Colorado Avalanche; Kyle Okposo, Florida Panthers; Tommy Novak, Nashville Predators; Hudson Fasching, New York Islanders; Mike Reilly, New York Islanders; Ryan Lindgren, New York Rangers; Blake Wheeler, New York Rangers (on Injured Reserve); Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs; Nate Schmidt, Winnipeg Jets.

Stillwater-based Creative Charters is hosting its annual Kentucky Derby trip, with the April 28-May 5 travel a dream experience for horse racing fans with its insights about the sport and Kentucky racing culture. The fun, of course, includes the “Run for the Roses” on May 4.

BTW, Creative has sold out its gold, maroon and white trips—and is now selling the pink and green trips—for the Gophers October 12 game against UCLA at the historic Rose Bowl. Minnesota last played in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1962, defeating UCLA 21-3.

News of O.J. Simpson’s death earlier this month prompted memories of September 1968 when the Gophers, coming off their 1967 Big Ten championship season, hosted nationally-ranked Southern California and the most hyped player in college football—Orenthal James Simpson. Minnesota coach Murray Warmath let the Memorial Stadium grass grow long hoping to slow O.J., but the All-American tailback and the Trojans had their way winning 29-20.

Twins’ broadcaster Cory Provus, who is about eight inches shorter than 6-foot-4 TV partner Justin Morneau, stands on a wooden box in the TV booth to minimize the difference in size between the two.

The economic impact of Minneapolis hosting WrestleMania 41 next year could be over $225 million but the WWE has yet to make a final announcement about the 2025 location. Online reports have Las Vegas as a Minneapolis rival to host the multi-days extravaganza that draws young and old from across the country and elsewhere.

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