Stadiums – Page 15 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

All Options on Table for the Wilfs?

Posted on October 28, 2020October 28, 2020 by David Shama

NFL insiders might be speculating on whether the Minnesota Vikings ownership group is interested in selling the franchise. Zygi Wilf led a group that purchased the club in 2005 for a reported $600 million and earlier this year Forbes valued the franchise at $2.7 billion.

Even adjusted for inflation, the difference in those two figures represents a nifty gain. Other numbers the Wilf family and their partners are looking at today aren’t so rosy. With COVID-19 blocking ticket sales and other in-stadium revenues, this is a fiscal year unlike any other for NFL owners. Just lost ticket revenue at US Bank Stadium is likely north of $750 million for the Vikings this season, and there is no guarantee fans will be admitted for home games in 2021.

There is also disgruntlement from season ticket and single game purchasers. A 1-5 start to the season is a shock for a fan base more accustomed to double digit wins each year. Those fans have quickly found perceived villains in both the front office and on the field (players and coaches).

Ticket buyers may also be struggling with their own financial challenges, leaving them with less discretionary income for now and the foreseeable future. There are customers, too, that dislike the prominence of social justice and politics by NFL ownership, management and players. Regardless of who is right or wrong, the perspective of critics is that they want to watch football without other commentary.

NFL TV viewership is down this fall, consistent with a decline of other televised sports—led by surprising and disappointing numbers from NBA games and historically low World Series ratings. Going forward, if NFL TV viewership doesn’t improve, that will hamper financial negotiations by the league with the networks as both sides contemplate new contracts.

The Wilfs are diversified in their financial holdings but much of their wealth has been made in real estate, including New York and New Jersey. Commercial real estate has its issues with movie theatres and shopping malls closing and more companies allowing employees to work at home rather than occupying office buildings. Residents are moving out of New York City and other locales they consider undesirable. How the Wilfs are impacted is unknown but it’s fair to speculate they are crunching numbers to keep up with developments and anticipate the future.

There is a cost savings direction for their football team with the unloading of pricey stars Stefon Diggs and Yannick Ngakoue. Rumors this week, if true, indicate a possible “fire sale,” with team leaders and impact players Harrison Smith, Kyle Rudolph and Adam Thielen possibly being shopped in advance of the league trade deadline November 3.

The Wilfs love football and have been committed in spending money on salaries, facilities and philanthropy in Minnesota. Their long stated goal is to produce a Super Bowl team for the city and state. But the team’s 1-5 record this fall, and priority in collecting draft choices with the Diggs and Ngakoue trades, more than hints this team is rebuilding and further from a Super Bowl now than in several years.

In these times of health, economic and political challenges for the country, do the Wilfs want to go through an on-the-field rebuild? If they do, will ownership continue to be satisfied with longtime GM Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, the head coach since 2014? The Wilfs are known for their loyalty to employees and they don’t make knee-jerk moves, but they are also successful business operators.

They know this is a turbulent period both literally and figuratively, including because the club’s passionate fan base is dissatisfied. But it’s also true NFL franchises can turn around pretty quick (see the Tampa Bay Bucs)—with on-field performances able to flip within a couple of seasons. And until 2020, no major American sport has been so consistently profitable for owners as the NFL.

What are the Wilfs thinking? In their view, is the Gjallarhorn half full, or half empty?

Worth Noting

It will be interesting to see what kind of money MLB free agents can negotiate during this offseason. Sportico interviewed MLB commissioner Rob Manfred who said in a story Monday his 30 teams amassed $8.3 billion in debt from financial lenders and lost $2.8 to $3 billion in operational expenses this year. Manfred is cautious about what baseball will look like in 2021.

The COVID-impacted and shortened 2020 season dictated no fans in attendance at stadiums. Franchises like the Twins lost hundreds of millions in missing ticket and other ballpark revenues.

With Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan out long term with an injury, and backups Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf rumored to be sidelined with COVID for three weeks, the Gophers, despite their opening loss to Michigan, could soon be labeled as favorites to win the Big Ten’s West Division. Sleeper pick (favored here) is Nebraska.

Ticket King owner Mike Nowakowski told Sports Headliners yesterday his company has sold a couple dozen tickets for the September 4, 2021 Gopher football opener against Ohio State in Minneapolis. “We’re seeing some action on the game already,” he said.

Ticket King prices range from $125 to $300 for the game that will be Ohio State’s first appearance in Minneapolis since 2014. The Buckeyes could be defending NCAA champions when they come to town.

Nowakowski has sold about three dozen tickets for the April 8 Twins opener at Target Field against the Seattle Mariners. Ticket King pricing ranges from $70 to $800 (Champions Club).

Big Ten men’s hockey teams will each play four nonconference games against Arizona State. The Sun Devils AD is Ray Anderson, former agent to Vikings coach Denny Green and a friend of new Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren who was Chief Operating Officer of the Vikings.

Arizona State is ranked No. 15 in the USCHO.com national preseason poll, with Minnesota No. 14. Top ranked Big Ten schools are No. 9 Penn State and No. 10 Ohio State.

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Stars May Align for Twins in Playoffs

Posted on September 28, 2020September 28, 2020 by David Shama

Maybe the Minnesota Twins can start a new kind of momentum this week. The club has lost 16 consecutive postseason games dating back to 2004, but multiple positives are in place as the Twins await the Tuesday start of their best of three opening playoff series against the Houston Astros.

All games will be at Target Field—and talk about being comfy at home, the Twins were a MLB-best 24-7 in Minneapolis. With a season record of 36-24, Minnesota is among the World Series favorites and regarded as a top five MLB team. The Astros, 29-31 this season, have stumbled into the expanded MLB playoff field and been awful on the road, winning nine games and losing 23.

The Astros are defending AL champions but don’t have the same roster as last year. Among the most significant changes is that Kate Upton’s husband, pitching ace Justin Verlander, is unavailable and scheduled for Tommy John surgery. That’s a major loss for the Astros, particularly in a short playoff series.

Despite their “Bomba Squad” reputation, the Twins have transformed their identity a bit from the 2019 MLB home run record team. This year’s edition can brag on its pitching, too. By most metrics the Twins staff is among the best in baseball, including an ERA of 3.54 that ranks No. 4 among MLB’s 30 teams, per Espn.com. The Astros rank No. 13 with an ERA of 4.31.

If Twins starter Kenta Maeda, with bullpen help, can stop the 0-16 streak in the series opener, that will be a confidence booster for both the club and its fans. In his first season with the Twins Maeda has emerged as the staff’s best starter, with an impressive 6-1 record and 2.70 ERA. He has been steady in performance and calm in demeanor. “I think my command was there throughout the season,” Maeda said this afternoon.

The ex-Los Angeles Dodger has 24 games of playoff experience, including appearances in seven World Series games. The majority of postseason outings were in relief but he does have three starts. Overall, the 32-year-old Japanese-born right-hander has a 2-1 playoff record and 3.31 ERA.

Another success story for the pitching-deep Twins is Tyler Duffey. Once an ineffective starter, it took Duffey awhile to emerge as a go-to reliever. Even in 2018 Duffey’s stats out of the bullpen included a 7.20 ERA, but last year with improved throwing velocity it dropped to 2.50. During the second half of the 2019 season he was the fifth most valuable reliever in baseball, per FanGraphs and MLB.com. This year the 29-year-old right-hander has a career-best ERA number of 1.88.

The “Bomba Boys” hit 91 home runs during the 60-game season, sixth best in MLB, per Espn.com. That is 22 better than the Astros, with the two teams having similar batting averages—Minnesota .242 and Houston .240. But the Twins were mediocre this season in scoring runs, ranking No. 18 in the majors and 10 fewer than the Astros produced.

It was frequently home run-or-bust at the plate, with too few hitters reaching base via singles and doubles. But another upbeat omen for the Twins is that slap the ball to all fields Luis Arraez is on a seven-game hitting streak and finished the season batting .321.

The Astros have a lineup of difficult to strike out hitters but Maeda may not be fazed by that. He doesn’t concentrate on strikeouts, just getting batters out. That’s the mentality of a staff ace but Maeda ducked the label today after being asked, even though he deserves the recognition.

“He’s been unbelievable,” Duffey said. “His preparation day-to-day, it seems like he’s always doing something to get ready for his next outing. Watching him pitch it’s weird, he just doesn’t miss.

“It’s pretty incredible and he throws five or six pitches, you can’t really tell. Everything is darting left and right. But guys have had a hard time getting to him all year so I think we can do nothing but to expect that again. ..”

Despite significant injuries throughout the season, the Twins won a second consecutive AL Central Division title. Even entering the playoffs there are uncertainties about the availabilities of center fielder Byron Buxton, third baseman Josh Donaldson and starter Jake Odorizzi. Another good omen for the Twins would be seeing a couple of those players back on the field soon.

Asked about Buxton possibly playing behind him tomorrow, Maeda first mentioned the recent hot hitting by the center fielder. Then he quickly referenced Buxton’s “phenomenal” fielding and suggested Buxton’s presence improves the Twins’ defense “10 times more than other guys.”

Last year the Twins dealt with deafening crowd noise in their three-game playoff at Yankee Stadium. Duffey acknowledged the environment as difficult and likened it to the engine roar of an airplane. This year the Twins are playing at home, even though they will be without the energy of their fans. Still, they have to be happy not playing in Yankee Stadium.

Tuesday’s game is a 1 p.m. start televised by ABC, with Wednesday having a noon start on ESPN2.

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Would Holmgren Mean U NCAA Title?

Posted on September 2, 2020September 2, 2020 by David Shama

Chet Holmgren, a popular choice by prep basketball gurus as the nation’s No. 1 player in the class of 2021, enters his senior year at Minnehaha Academy this week being a long way from choosing a college destination.

Whoever wins out will have an extraordinary player in the 7-foot multi-positional, multi-dimensional Minneapolis superstar. Holmgren is choosing from seven college possibilities: Georgetown, Gonzaga, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio State. He has visited most of the schools but the pandemic has prevented him from seeing the Memphis and Michigan campuses, and he hasn’t been to North Carolina since eighth grade.

Do one or two schools lead the list right now? “No, everybody is kind of equal platform right now,” Chet’s father David Holmgren told Sports Headliners Monday. “Still just kind of feeling everything out, watching (developments). Things are changing daily at these schools. The closer we get to actually graduating from high school is going to be a closer time to make that decision, I think.”

Will a program having NCAA championship potential in place prior to Chet’s arrival be a factor in his college choice? “We haven’t really discussed that,” David said. “I think anywhere he goes that (winning the national championship) could be viable. I am not trying to brag but he brings that kind of quality to a team.”

David said Chet’s college destination will be impacted by at least one factor involving complementary players. “They gotta have some bigs so that Chet doesn’t get thrown into the middle. The middle is not his game. I don’t want him anywhere where one guy gets hurt, now he’s gotta be the big. It won’t make sense.”

Chet is several pounds under 200 even after a summer of strengthening his body. Dad wants his son to play with big, physical teammates who can absorb much of the pounding near the basket. David, a thin 7-footer himself when he played for the Gophers in the 1980s, predicted it could be four years before Chet weighs about 220 pounds.

Chet long ago became a YouTube favorite after video showed him dribbling past and dunking over Steph Curry at the NBA superstar’s 2019 summer camp. Despite Holmgren’s height, he has extraordinary versatility including ball handling. Both his shooting efficiency and range, along with his shot blocking, contribute to speculation he will play just one season of college basketball.

Cretin-Derham Hall coach Jerry Kline referred to him as unique. “He’s just a phenomenal player and he’s only going to get better,” Kline told Sports Headliners earlier this summer.

Minnehaha will be among the elite teams nationally. David said the school is finalizing a schedule to bring great teams from out of state to Minneapolis. Opponents will likely include California power Sierra Canyon, a team Minnehaha upset last January. “I think they want revenge,” David said. “At least an attempt at it.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings will open their season September 13 against the Packers without fans in attendance at U.S. Bank Stadium. State of Minnesota COVID-19 policy allows up to 250 guests at an event like a Vikings game. “The Vikings (though) 100 percent want fans,” a sports industry source told Sports Headliners.

He believes there is pressure from Vikings sponsors, including the most prominent supporters, to attend games. State policy will allow 250 guests, plus players, coaches and workers, or a total of perhaps 500 people in the stadium.

The same source said it’s likely former Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren, now commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, has talked to club ownership or management about using U.S. Bank Stadium for a potential late fall and winter Big Ten football schedule. U.S. Bank stadium is one of three regional domed sites (also Detroit’s Ford Field and Indy’s Lucas Oil Stadium) that could be indoor hubs for Big Ten games during the pandemic.

There is speculation about starting Big Ten football near Thanksgiving, November 26. That time frame could cause a pushback from the Vikings regarding stadium use including necessitated changes to the playing field while accommodating a schedule of Big Ten games. Complicating things is the Vikings having a busy close to the season in Minneapolis with home games scheduled November 22, 29, December 6 and 20, plus potential playoff dates.

Ties between the Big Ten and U.S. Bank Stadium are already happening with the facility management preparing a bid to host a future league championship game(s). Lucas Oil Stadium has been the game’s exclusive home since 2011 and will host the championship through next year, but Warren is interested in other sites.

While other cities and playing sites have also expressed interest, including Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, Minneapolis and U.S. Bank Stadium could be viewed most favorably. The facility is a consensus choice as being among the best football stadiums in the country and the city has a track record of success in hosting major events like the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four.

Bengals running back Joe Mixon—comparable to RB Dalvin Cook who is in a contract squabble with the Vikings—reportedly received a new four-year $48 million deal yesterday. Cook’s present contract is believed to be worth about $40 million less.

Minneapolis businessman and New York Times best selling author Harvey Mackay devotes his nationally syndicated newspaper column this week to women in sports while quoting leaders such as former Gophers basketball coach Pam Borton and Twins executive Laura Day. Headlined “Sports Prepare Women for Life, Business,” Mackay was inspired to write the column after viewing a Twin Cities Dunkers meeting this summer.

Longtime amateur baseball player Dan Hennen has a podcast preview of the Sweet 16 teams in this week’s Class C State Amateur Baseball Tournament. https://youtu.be/dYFKolCs1MY

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