UST – Page 6 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Sources Surface on Minnesota Twins Ownership Sale

Posted on March 19, 2025March 19, 2025 by David Shama

(Updated 3:25 p.m. March 19, 2025)

Enjoy a Wednesday notes column.

A sports industry source who has been in Fort Myers this winter told Sports Headliners he believes there are two entities offering $1.65 billion to buy the Twins franchise from the Pohlad family.

If so, that means Twins representatives have leverage with competing potential buyers. It’s been thought for some time ownership wants more than $1.65 billion to sell the MLB franchise they have owned since 1984.

The asking price might be $1.8 billion. Forbes valued the Twins at $1.46 billion early last year, but that number will increase when new valuations come out soon.

The Orioles sold for a reported $1.7 billion last year. It could be argued the Twins are the more valuable franchise because the Baltimore-based Orioles are less than 40 miles away from another MLB franchise, the Washington Nationals.

The source described the competing entities as “very much interested” in acquiring the franchise. He predicted a sale of the club, which relocated to Minnesota from Washington D.C. in 1960, could happen by July, although it’s also been made clear the Pohlads won’t sell for anything less than their desired price range.

Another source outside the organization, who has passionately followed the club for years and knows Twins authorities, said he is told there are more than two potential entities, probably three or four. “At least one is local, I believe,” he said.

That source expressed some confidence that a change in ownership could happen in the next 60 days.

It was widely reported last month that Chicago-based billionaire Mat Ishbia is no longer interested in buying the Twins. He has a minority interest in the White Sox and the thought is he could be poised to become the majority.

BTW, what’s the over-under for the Twins often frequently injured trio of Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis playing in a combined 300 games or more this season? Prediction here is a cautious yes!

Qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring could have implications for the Wild next summer. The Wild will have about $22 million more in salary cap space for next season starting July 1 when NHL free agency begins. Minnesota wants to present the image of a winner to free agents and after missing the playoffs in 2024 has to be hoping for a successful run in the postseason.

Winning at least one playoff series could make the franchise more appealing to free agents. So, too, would word next summer that the team’s superstar, forward Kirill Kaprizov, is signing an extension on his five-year contract that runs through 2025-2026.

The Wild, currently positioned as a wild card entry, is 4-5-1 in the last 10 games but got an important win Monday night at home, 3-1 over the Kings.

Wild owner Craig Leipold ranks No. 11 overall among the 32 NHL owners, per a survey of fans done by The Athletic. In an article by James Mirtle on Monday he wrote: “Leipold was ranked sixth for his willingness to spend on the team and eighth for treatment of the fan base, although he ranked middle-of-the-pack in organizational stability and franchise vision.”

Mirtle noted that Wild patrons had the most responses to the survey of any fan base.

St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter, with his last name on the back of a Wild jersey, walked in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Monday. Green Wild jerseys were everywhere among the crowd watching the parade near Rice Park.

The transfer portal opens for college basketball players on Monday. More than ever where a player lands is about opportunity to play right away and earn significant money. With the Big Ten and other power conferences expected to budget more than $20 million in revenue sharing to be used on football, men’s basketball and a few other sports, athletes will enrich themselves way beyond just NIL earnings.

Potentially this is a win for the Gophers and their new coach (expected to be Niko Medved, see March 15 Sports Headliners). In a bidding war with a historical blue-blood program, Minnesota may be able to offer more playing time and money than a Michigan State, Kansas or Kentucky.

Medved’s Colorado State Rams are about a 2.5 points favorite to win their NCAA Tournament opener Friday against Memphis State in Seattle. TBS will televise the 1 p.m. Minneapolis time game.

Auburn, former college basketball coaches tell Sports Headliners, is the most talented team in the NCAA Men’s Tournament.

Bobby Jackson was in town earlier this month as an assistant coach for the NBA 76ers and the presence of the former University of Minnesota superstar prompted reflection about the all-time starting five for the Golden Gophers. Here’s the Sports Headliners lineup:

Guards, Jackson and Voshon Lenard. Forwards, Kevin McHale and Lou Hudson. Center, Mychal Thompson.

How about the all-time state boys’ basketball tournament team?

Guards, Khalid El-Amin and Tyus Jones. Forwards, Mark Olberding and Chet Holmgren. Center, Randy Breuer.

P.J. Fleck and others with the Golden Gophers meet with the media tomorrow to preview the opening of spring practice that day. The Gophers aren’t planning a Spring Game, following the trend of other programs to cancel the traditional gathering.

The public is welcome to attend the 4:15 p.m. practice April 15 at the team’s indoor facility at the Athletes Village. Dinkytown Athletes members may also attend the 4:15 p.m. practice March 26 at the same location.

Parker Knoll, the senior outfielder transfer from Lawrence University who was a D-III All-American last year, is sixth on the baseball Gophers in batting average at .259 while playing in 16 games and starting 14.

Minnesota, 8-10 overall, hosts 9-6 St. Thomas in a 6 p.m. game tonight at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Gophers are averaging about 17 fans per game in six home games at the bank this winter, per stats.ncaa.org.

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team that finished second in both the Summit League regular season standings and the conference tournament attracted only 20,117 total fans for 14 home games at Schoenecker Arena. The Tommies averaged 1,437 fans per game, playing to 65 percent of capacity, per stats.ncaa.org.

The Tommies, with a 24-10 overall record and 12-4 in league games, will play in the new Lee and Penny Anderson facility next fall with a basketball capacity of about 5,500. Despite the program’s winning legacy, dating back to Division III national championships, sell-outs have been rare at Schoenecker.

Remarkable and much-admired Tom Swain passed away earlier this month at age 103. He was a great advocate for the University of Minnesota and held various leadership positions starting with ticket manager for the Golden Gophers in the 1940s. He was a gentleman’s gentleman and much admired for how he related to people.

A Minneapolis native and Gopher fan, Tom told Sports Headliners in 2021 that he or his family had owned U football season tickets every year except one since 1921. “The year of my birth,” he said.

Regarding becoming a centenarian, Tom said in the column: “There are such few people that get there (to 100), I feel very gratified. I am very fortunate to have made it this far because growing old is a privilege denied to many. I am not sure why I deserve to get to 100 but I am very grateful.”

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Gopher Hoops Hire of John Tauer Screams with Logic, But…

Posted on March 13, 2025March 13, 2025 by David Shama

The Ben Johnson era is over as University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach. After checking with sources and evaluating the facts, this space made a guess last Saturday that Johnson would be terminated soon.

Early today athletic director Mark Coyle made the announcement that after four seasons that included no winning Big Ten records, zero NCAA Tournament invitations, and dwindling fan interest from an already apathetic fan base, Johnson was out. Now comes the speculation about who Coyle will hire to revive a program that has been deteriorating for more than 25 years.

To be clear, this will be Coyle’s hire, not the choice of his boss. Multiple sources have told Sports Headliners it was then U president Joan Gable who pushed for the Johnson hire in 2021. This won’t be the case now for Coyle, who has been the AD since 2016. His selection is expected to be approved by the current U president, Rebecca Cunningham.

The ideal next coach is Johnny Tauer from St. Thomas. The Gophers need a gold-standard winner who is already established in this region, and a person who possesses knowledge and wisdom about the basketball and cultural landscape here.

Tauer is that person. He is revered by those who know basketball and what he’s done for the small school Tommies.

The Gopher job cries out for a savior who could match the success of the neighboring Wisconsin Badgers. The “Wisconsin Way” is built around elite coaching grounded in savvy recruiting, basketball fundamentals and unselfish attitudes.

The Badgers have earned success this millennium with Final Fours, Big Ten titles and national rankings. Much of that glory was built under the direction of Bo Ryan whose coaching history prior to Madison was as a Division III national championship head coach at Wisconsin-Platteville.

Tauer, 52, won a Division III national title for the Tommies in 2016. For four seasons he has led an ultra-successful transition into Division I with his mid-major program in the Summit League. He’s achieved much of his success with players from Minnesota, or nearby Wisconsin and Illinois. His player development skills and game coaching are extraordinary.

John Tauer photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas

Tauer is a finalist for the Hugh Durham award by CollegeInsider.com, presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball. In 2025 the Tommies finished second both during the regular season and conference tournament to Omaha. His team was 24-10 overall and 12-4 in league play.

The Tommies were at the top or near leaders in a variety of conference stats including best turnover margin, assists, free throw percentage and three-point percentage. The Tommies ranked second in points per game and fourth in defense.

Tauer and Coyle are acquainted, with both being St. Paul residents and connected through Cretin-Derham Hall where their children have attended school. It’s unknown whether Tauer is on Coyle’s list but he should be at the top.

Tauer’s resume and state roots scream for him being the most rational choice to successfully turn around the long slide of Gopher basketball. At Minnesota he would be the most likely of any candidate to replicate the Wisconsin model.

Media speculation on candidates includes Brian Dutcher, Niko Medved, Ben McCollum, Ryan Saunders, Craig Smith and Kimani Young. “There’s no one close to John Tauer,” a college basketball insider told Sports Headliners.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there is a long list of hoops authorities who will testify as to how special Tauer is. That list, he offered, will range from Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard to faculty and patrons at St. Thomas, to Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, to the high school coaches who have met Tauer on the recruiting trail.

A perk with hiring Tauer, the source said, is no contract buyout will be required by St. Thomas. Then, too, Tauer is an ideal age to take the rebuild job at Minnesota. Young enough to have the vast energy required for the assignment, but old enough and settled in enough in the Twin Cities to make Dinkytown his last stop.

Would Tauer take the Minnesota job if offered? “No,” said the source.

He didn’t answer the question on a whim. He is familiar with Tauer and is also knowledgeable about the St. Thomas and Minnesota programs.

The authority said Tauer loves St. Thomas where he was a player and has been not only an assistant and head coach but a faculty member. Friends and colleagues know that Tauer (who holds a doctorate degree in social psychology) bleeds St. Thomas purple, and he doesn’t define his life by money.

Tauer’s compensation at St. Thomas is believed to be less than $400,000 a year. Minnesota could offer $4 million and more over a five-year deal.

The money couldn’t be better invested by the U, but the day might not be too far into the future when Tauer is earning seven-figures at St. Thomas. It’s believed the vision for Tommies basketball is joining the Big East Conference within maybe five years. Playing in a power basketball conference with the likes of other Catholic schools could be a coup for both the Tommies and the league, including an athletic department windfall.

The Tommies go into a new 5,500 on-campus arena next fall. If the Tommies become a member of the Big East and a top 25 ranked team, that building won’t even be big enough with all the fan interest in the Twin Cities. The Xcel Energy Center could be home for some of the Tommies’ biggest games.

There are a couple of other reasons the source is pessimistic about Tauer’s interest in the Gophers. Despite growing up in Minnesota, Tauer has no particular passion for the Gophers.

And more to the point, the source said, the U basketball gig is a “bad job.” The perception, he believes, is the U is a loser program. A program that has struggled for decades to win, and is characterized by fan apathy and minimal support from donors.

Coyle, of course, has a different view. In a statement released earlier today he said: “This is an extremely desirable job in one of the best conferences and cities in the nation, and we fully expect to compete at the highest level on and off the court. We provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes, have one of the best practice facilities in the nation and play games in a historic venue. We offer everything that is needed to be successful, and we will immediately begin a nationwide search for our next men’s basketball coach.”

The source, who believes Tauer would be a better Big Ten coach than Wisconsin’s Gard, also questions whether the St. Thomas Hall of Famer would be comfortable with the early years and the miseries expected with reviving the program.

He would be stunned if Tauer wants to coach the Gophers, while noting the opportunity to receive “generational wealth” now could be the one factor that lights up his interest. “They (St. Thomas) are not in a position to pay him millions of dollars,” the authority said. “Their faculty would go berserk.”

If Tauer were to leave St. Thomas, there would be lots of grieving on campus and with alumni. The feeling would be no one can replace him.

The feeling here is Tommie world won’t have to experience a devastating change.

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Vikings Likely Know Answer on Key Sam Darnold Question

Posted on February 4, 2025February 4, 2025 by David Shama

Quarterback Sam Darnold resurrected his NFL career in his first season with the Vikings. The Sporting News and Professional Football Writers Association of America both named him league Comeback Player of the Year for his 2024 performance that included career highs in several passing categories.

Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record but wasn’t sharp in the two biggest games of the year. With the NFC No. 1 seed in the playoffs at stake, Darnold and the Vikings lost in their regular season finale to the Lions and then failed to win in Minnesota’s opening playoff game against the Rams. Darnold was a combined 43 of 81 passes in the two games and was sacked nine times by the Rams.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff convincingly showed the football world this fall their magic in creating elite quarterback play. The reality that Darnold struggled in his biggest games is mostly on him and his teammates, not the coaching staff.

What KOC and his helpers have likely decided by now is whether Darnold is a solid bet to be able to take the next potential step in his development—excelling in the biggest moments. Does he have the skills and mental makeup to lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl or at least the NFC title game in the near future?

The Vikings almost certainly have a good handle on what the ceiling is for the 27-year-old Darnold, a guy who for six pro seasons was a journeyman with other clubs.

Along with that comes the conundrum of whether J.J. McCarthy, the rookie last year who never saw the field because of his knee injury, is the better bet to take the franchise to championships. A 10-year-old knows building a Super Bowl contending team begins with a quarterback who is among the best in the NFL.

They have invested emotionally in McCarthy, the No. 10 draft choice in the first round in 2024. After McCarthy was hurt in the preseason, O’Connell referred to him as the “young franchise quarterback.”

If that is still KOC’s conviction, then the smart move is to franchise or transition tag Darnold for perhaps $40 million and trade him. There are at least a half dozen NFL teams looking for quarterbacks and the 2025 college draft is weak in QB prospects.

A trade could return player assets to the Vikings and allow the franchise to spend the $40 million upgrading talent at other positions and retaining their own free agents. Roster needs include the interior offensive and defensive lines and cornerback.

It could be a benefit that McCarthy missed his first year. He had the opportunity to learn the system while rehabbing from two knee procedures. He figures to be much more comfortable in the offense in 2025, if healthy.

If the Vikings let Darnold go and gamble on McCarthy, fingers will be crossed in Skol Country that the 22-year-old is ready in every way. If not, KOC will be looking for another bridge quarterback and trying to work his “magic” on a Darnold 2.0—e.g. Daniel Jones if he elects to stay with the team as a free agent starting next month.

Worth Noting

Daniel House, the college and pro football authority, told Sports Headliners defensive tackle is a deep and quality position in the April college draft. That could be good news for the Vikings who need help. Follow House on X @DanielHouseMN and on his Gophers and Vikings websites. https://gophersguru.com/ http://www.mnvikingscorner.com/

Running back is another position with quality and depth in the draft. Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, who was troublesome to the Gophers and others in the Big Ten, could certainly be available to the Vikings at No. 24 in the first round or after Day 1. The Vikings need an explosive runner as a successor to 30-year-old Aaron Jones.

Minnesota Breakfast attendees in Naples, Florida heard from first-year University of Minnesota president Rebecca Cunningham last Friday. Minneapolis-based attorney and journalist Marshall Tanick reported via email Dr. Cunningham “primarily focused on health sciences and technology challenges the University faces. But she touched upon Gopher athletics, telling the group of Minnesota expatriates and seasonal visitors that she and athletic Director Mark Coyle are ‘committed to having a competitive Big Ten program.’” She also praised the record 3.4 GPA compiled by U athletes last semester.

The expectation is that the drawn-out arbitration process to determine majority ownership of the Timberwolves and Lynx will conclude any day now. If the Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez group wins the litigation with long-time owner Glen Taylor, they still must get no less than 75 percent approval from the NBA Board of Governors.

Based on NBAstore.com data through the first half of the NBA season the Warriors’ Steph Curry had the top selling jersey, while the Wolves’ Anthony Edwards ranked No. 6.

The Timberwolves, trying to establish favorable seeding for the Western Conference playoffs later this year, are in the midst of a five-game homestand. They will also have a five-game home schedule March 1-8. Both slates will be significant in determining the team’s final record.

After last night’s loss to the Kings at Target Center the Wolves are 0-2 on the homestand that began Saturday night in a loss to the lowly Wizards. Coming up are games with the Bulls, Rockets and Trail Blazers.

The Wolves, 27-23, are only 12-12 in home games, while their road record is 15-11.

The Wild, 31-18-4 is 20-6-3 on the road and inexplicably 11-12-1 at Xcel Energy Center.

The Wild, who played nine road games in January, have their longest home schedule with seven games March 9-22. The month has Minnesota playing nine games at the Xcel, the most in any month this season.

If there is a men’s basketball head coaching vacancy at Minnesota or Iowa in the near future, it would be preposterous for hiring authorities to not have John Tauer on the short list of candidates who interest them. A Division III national champion at St. Thomas, Tauer has superbly guided the Tommies to Division I competition, and his 2025 team is in first place in the Summit League with an 8-1 record (18-6 overall).

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Net Rankings have Iowa No. 64, Minnesota No. 101 and St. Thomas No. 103.

With a deadline of February 27, the U Athletic Department is offering new purchasers of football season tickets two complimentary tickets to both a men’s and women’s Gopher home basketball game.

A concerning trend has developed with the U football staff. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca left for Rutgers after the 2022 season and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi departed for Michigan State following 2023. Rossi’s replacement, Corey Hetherman, recently left for Miami and this week comes news that defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere is headed to the NFL Cardinals.

All left for more money, including Ciarrocca who reportedly has received an extension that will pay him $2 million in 2027. Head coach P.J. Fleck attracts quality assistants but it’s difficult to retain them when the salary pool for his staff is at or near the bottom of the 18-member Big Ten Conference.

DeLattiboudere, who becomes the Arizona defensive line coach, played with Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, the Edina native, when the two were Gophers. Rallis was named defensive coordinator in 2023.

Perhaps the best clinic in the country for high school football coaches, the 2025 MFCA Clinic will be held March 27-29, with headquarters at the DoubleTree Park Place in St. Louis Park. Minnesota Football Coaches Association secretary-treasurer Jim Dotseth reported over 800 registrants so far. https://www.mnfootballcoaches.com/page/show/2279758-mfca-clinic-information

Almost 500 copies of The Book of Piv were sold on Amazon during a five-week period. The entertaining new book offers storytelling by Minneapolis native Jay Pivec, now retired but a well-traveled basketball coach who is in the NJCAA Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Lily Hubanks, a senior from Madison, Wisconsin, and Amae-Kam Magruder, a sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, are standouts for the St. Olaf women’s Nordic ski team. They recently represented the United States in the 2025 FISU Winter World University Games in Italy.

Hubanks and Magruder competed in five events as part of the four-member cross country teams for the U.S. It’s believed they are the first females from a Minnesota college to be on American teams in the Winter World University games.

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