Stadiums – Page 7 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Grass Field Likely X-Factor for Vikings

Posted on January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by David Shama

The Soldier Field playing surface will be a focus Sunday in Chicago where the Vikings will try to not only win and improve their playoff seeding against the 3-13 Bears but avoid injuries to key players and ensure their availability in the postseason.

The safety of the natural grass surface was harshly criticized in August by the president of the National Football League Players Association. Then shortly before the season began new sod was installed, switching from Kentucky blue grass to Bermuda grass.

The Vikings are more than aware they’re likely to be playing on a slippery surface Sunday at the multipurpose stadium owned by the Chicago Park District. When players can’t maintain their balance, they’re even more vulnerable to injury in the violent game of football. “Yeah, 100 percent,” said T.J. Hockenson.

With new sod and months of use in varying weather conditions, the Vikings’ tight end anticipates a “pretty bad” playing surface Sunday when he and other starters hope to avoid misfortune. Does he consider the field dangerous?

“You just never know,” Hockenson said. “I think it probably could be dangerous if you look at it that way. You just have to make sure you’ve got your feet under you and you’re ready to go.”

Vikings’ wide receiver Adam Thielen said pregame field conditions can be deceiving, with things changing once the game starts. “I think it’s just going to have to be something (Sunday) where you just have to figure it out on the fly.”

The Vikings played on a natural surface last Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and had difficulty with their footing. “Yeah, for sure,” Hockenson said. “The grass in Lambeau wasn’t very good. It was fine in warmups and then once we got out there (to start the game) it was not good at all. It was just a learning experience for everybody and we’ll be ready to go this week.”

Many Vikings are expected to wear shoes with extra cleats at Soldier Field. A shoe with seven cleats provides extra bite into the grass. Thielen made the switch during the Green Bay game. “…It was perfect and once I put those bad boys on, it felt great.”

Worth Noting

Kevin O’Connell photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Kevin O’Connell is a rookie head coach as he prepares to lead his Vikings into the playoffs. But lessons learned about a year ago as Rams offensive coordinator, when that team delivered a Super Bowl win, should be helpful.

Minnesota offensive coordinator Wes Phillips also had a valuable experience with the Rams while serving as the team’s passing game coordinator/tight ends coach. Viking quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara was an offensive assistant with the Rams during their big season.

The 12-4 Vikings are 2-2 in their last four games and have an opportunity to win their first NFC North Division road game of the season on Sunday in Chicago. The January 8 regular season game is the latest in franchise history.

The Bears lead the NFL in rushing yards per game at 181. The Bears were held to 88 yards rushing when Minnesota defeated Chicago 29-22 earlier in the season. The Vikings rank No. 20 in rushing yards given up.

A coaching authority and Sports Headliners reader suggested the 3-4 base defense adopted by the Vikings this season is vulnerable to outside runs because defenders more easily lose containment.

O’Connell, talking recently about his rookie defensive lineman and former Gopher Esezi Otomewo: “His energy and athleticism shows up. He’s flying around out there, has shown to be incredibly coachable for a young player as he gets more and more snaps.”

Ryan Connelly, the Vikings’ practice squad linebacker who played at Eden Prairie High School, will be a free agent later this year. He told Sports Headliners going to the Canadian Football League to play doesn’t interest him. His salary is $317,000 this season, per Overthecap.com.

It just could be the injuries situation for the football Gophers coming out of their bowl win over Syracuse is worse than reported.

Former Gophers football coach Jerry Kill has agreed to a contract that keeps him with New Mexico State through 2027.

Former Twin Nelson Cruz, 42, had eye surgery this offseason and is on the market as a free agent. He hit .294 for the Twins in 2021 but .234 for the Nationals last season.

Probably no Twins interest in Cruz, but the front office is known to sign veteran pitchers. Right hander Zack Greinke, 39, is available after pitching 137 innings last season for the Royals with a 3.68 ERA.

Classy Barry Fritz, the only crew supervisor of off-ice officials the Wild has ever had, will retire after this season. Fritz, who turns 77 in February, has never missed a home game while overseeing statistics and press box responsibilities of the support personnel. He also worked for many years as a Twins official scorer.

Former Wild executive Bill Robertson, now commissioner of the USHL, hired Fritz in 1999. “Mr. Barry Fritz is one of the most organized and detailed people I have ever worked with and always does it with a smile on his face,” Robertson wrote via email. “He has a can-do attitude every day at the rink or ballpark. He was so easy to work with on every level and always looked out for his support crew.”

There’s talk the NCAA may expand “March Madness” from 68 to 90 teams. If so, most of the Big Ten teams will be in the tournament.

Star Tribune columnists Patrick Reusse and Chip Scoggins speak to the Capital Club January 18 starting about 7:30 a.m. at Mendakota Country Club. The two collaborated on the recent book Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline. More information about the club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com

Boys basketball high school coaching legend and community leader Larry McKenzie speaks to the CORES lunch group January 12 at the Bloomington Event Center. McKenzie coached teams at Henry and North to six state tournament titles in 10 appearances. For reservations contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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Vikings Fans: It’s Time for Gratitude

Posted on January 3, 2023January 3, 2023 by David Shama

The Vikings close out their regular season Sunday in Chicago against a feeble Bears team. Purple worry warts (as usual) have much to fret about including a Vikings hangover from their dismal showing against the Packers, the health of key players, a possible loss to the Bears Sunday, and potential injuries on a slippery grass field at Soldier Field, seeding for the upcoming playoffs and whether their favorites can march all the way to the Super Bowl.

Whew!

I know I missed somethings (uh, leaky defense) but take a deep breath, Purple Nation. “Doctor Shama” offers the following advice:

Be grateful for what the 2022-2023 Vikings have already put in place. And consider that even if they fail Sunday in Chicago against the Bears and flop in the playoffs, the Vikings have gone far beyond expectations and probably delivered the most theatric season since the franchise started in 1961.

Remember the 2022 offseason last winter and a new decision-making group taking over in the front office and on the field? Were the Vikings going to clear out their roster and rebuild? Dump Kirk Cousins and start over at quarterback? Say adios to other veterans, too?

Instead, new GM Kwesi Adopho-Mensah and new head coach Kevin O’Connell committed to tweaking instead of tearing down. They retained the veteran corps and added a few key contributors like tight end T.J. Hockenson, while changing schemes and culture.

Want to see what a rebuild looks like? Read up on the Bears, who under their new general manager, Ryan Poles, are 3-13 this season. That’s the worst record in the NFC.

Last summer Purple Nation thought an optimistic outlook for the Vikings would be a 10-7 finish while perhaps backing into the playoffs, and likely with no home field advantage in the postseason. Instead, the playoff-bound Vikings will finish the regular season with no worse than a 12-5 record and probably 13-4. They could also host multiple playoff games at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Either 12-5, or 13-4 is a franchise best number of wins since 2017’s 13-3 record (when NFL teams played 16 games). The Vikings are NFC North Division champions for the first time since the 2017 season. Minnesota last qualified for the playoffs in 2019.

The Vikings have outdone themselves and all the other NFL teams in playing dramatic and entertaining football. They have won 11 games by eight points or fewer. Five times the victory margin has been three points. “Comeback” Cousins has led eight fourth quarter rallies and in the process changed his image from loser to winner.

The 2022 Vikings have triumphed in games worthy of best-selling fiction, and this club belongs on a short list of the most memorable teams in franchise history. Two memories for the ages:

The overtime win in Buffalo was improbable for several reasons including that the Bills were positioned to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter but fumbled at their own goal line. Minnesota’s Eric Kendricks recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown and a 30-27 lead. In one of the NFL’s wildest games in the new millenium, the Bills managed a field goal with time expiring in the fourth quarter. The Vikings broke a 30-30 tie with a Greg Joseph field goal in overtime.

The Bills are among the NFL elites. Not so the Colts who a few weekends ago in Minneapolis held a 33-0 halftime lead over the Vikings. Even during a season of good fortune unlike any in Vikings’ history, few observers in U.S. Bank Stadium that day expected the Purple to rally and win. The 39-36 win was the biggest comeback in NFL history. In disbelief, the Purple worry warts switched from lusty boos to triumphant cheers.

Justin Jefferson image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Cousins has prompted whispers of being NFL MVP worthy. Not so with wide receiver Justin Jefferson whose name has been shouted out with the thunder of a Gjallarhorn. No NFL wide receiver has ever won the award so Jefferson’s candidacy says something special about his 2022 season that has him setting franchise and league records.

Neither Cousins nor Jefferson would be experiencing special seasons without the presence of O’Connell. He is an offensive whiz with schemes, adjustments and play calls. His leadership style has minimized fear among players and created a player-friendly culture without sacrificing discipline.

O’Connell is a good dude, a human being who is welcome in any “Minnesota nice” neighborhood. I’ll guarantee his competitive spirit wants to drive the Viking bus all the way to a franchise first Super Bowl victory. I strongly suspect at this moment he is also grateful for the success of his first season as an NFL head coach and all that he, his staff and players have accomplished.

Vikings fans should say amen to that, while still rooting for more success.

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Vikings Near ’98 & ’09 Fast Starts

Posted on October 30, 2022October 30, 2022 by David Shama

The Vikings are 6-1 after today’s 34-26 win over the Cardinals. With a win next Sunday over the Commanders, they can match the 7-1 starts of the 1998 and 2009 teams that are among the best in franchise history.

Those two teams went on to 15-1 and 12-4 regular season records respectively. Both flirted with Super Bowl trips before losing in NFC title games.

No one should put the 2022 Vikings in that company yet but the latest edition of the Purple has been impressive so far this season. They’ve managed to win five straight often making timely plays in close games (winning twice by eight points, and three, four and seven).

That was true today when Za’Darius Smith and Harrison Phillips put together consecutive sacks of Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray in the closing seconds of the game. Smith had three sacks on the day, a fitting achievement on a day when sack master Jared Allen of the Vikings was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.

The raucous crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium was noisy today, even by their ear-pounding standards. This town loves a winner and the citizenry is passionate about the local NFL team above all others. Fans were giddy about the possibility of seeing the Vikings remain among the NFL elite today.

“You can’t say enough about our fans today, the noise they brought,” Vikings QB Kirk Cousins said on KFAN after the game. “From the first half to the last it’s just a tremendous environment. It’s a privilege to get to play here.”

Cousins completed 24 passes today and moved to 3,000 career completions. He is the 31^st QB in NFL history to reach 3,000 completions. He has also thrown a touchdown pass in 37 consecutive games.

The Cardinals’ set their defense to stop the Vikings outside offense so Minnesota took advantage rushing inside for many of their 173 yards. Dalvin Cook ran for 111 yards, approaching his total in last year’s loss to Arizona when he had 131. Cousins even ran for 22 yards including a rare touchdown run of 17 to score Minnesota’s first touchdown.

Cousins and the Vikings, though, have struggled this season against blitzes. The Cardinals used one to force a Cousins fumble in the third quarter that set up a touchdown drive narrowing the score to 28-23.

As usual, though, the Vikings won with contributions from the offense, defense, special teams and the crowd (4-0 record at home). The Vikings converted three Arizona turnovers into 13 points in the second half. Typical of seizing opportunities by this team.

Worth Noting

Reserve quarterback Nick Mullens recently praising the communications between the coaching staff and players: “If you can communicate, you can execute. That’s been a great trait for us here.”

Mullens said head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff have created a player-friendly environment that includes expectations and boundaries. “The players are very aware of the standard that the coaches and ourselves hold for each other,” Mullens said. “Upholding that standard each week is what we strive for. And we’ve done a good job and look forward to just keep earning the right to do that.”

For a home game like today that started at noon Vikings will arrive at the stadium about 9:30 a.m. Veteran safety Harrison Smith will use the hot tub to warm up his 33-year-old body and doesn’t go out on the field much prior to kickoff. “Just try to get the body warm and loose. Nothing crazy,” he recently told Sports Headliners.

Smith said he doesn’t sleep well after games and sometimes tries to catch up on rest Monday when he’s also doing an assessment about his body. He will get a massage on Mondays or Tuesdays. Later in the week there will be more practice and preparation for the upcoming game.

“I’ve played golf a few times on Tuesdays (this year),” Smith said. “It’s a good excuse to get some vitamin D if the sun is out. If I am hurt, though, I don’t play.”

Vikings kicker Greg Joseph, 28, talking last week about his future in football and hoping to keep playing well into his 30s: “Oh, I feel like I’m only gonna get better and better and stronger and stronger, which is exciting. I keep trying to reset my ceiling every year. So yeah, just excited. …”

Plans after football? “Whatever God has in store for me,” Joseph said.

Axios Sports points out that dating back to last Thursday and going through November 22 “there will be either FBS college football or NFL every single day.”

St. Paul native Pat Eilers, who played safety for the Vikings and Notre Dame, has made (along with wife Jana) a $5 million donation to his alma mater to support the director of sports performance position. The Eilers have provided previous gifts to Notre Dame and their children have attended school there.

It seems like a roll of the dice as to what kind of season starting Wild goalie Marc–Andre Fleury can have at age 38. Coach Dean Evason and GM Bill Guerin must be monitoring his performance and calculating how to handle the goalie roster.

Fleury’s 38^th birthday is November 28, the same age that goalie Gump Worsley was a member of the Stanley Cup Canadiens decades ago. Worsley won another Cup with the Canadiens in 1969 at age 39 (almost 40) and is the oldest NHL goaltender to have that distinction. Worsley later played for the North Stars and retired at age 44.

Retired Twins executive Terry Ryan, who was with the Phillies after leaving the Twins, is living in Eagan.

It was 35 years ago last Tuesday the Twins defeated the Cardinals in Game Seven of the 1987 World Series in Minneapolis. Wheaties boxes celebrating the World Series championship are available for sale on Ebay.

The Timberwolves sold $5 upper level tickets for home games last week against the Spurs.

Timberwolves limited partner Alex Rodriguez has purchased a home in Minnesota.

Stillwater-based Creative Charters is offering a same day trip to the Minnesota-Nebraska football game Saturday in Lincoln and has space available on the plane. Kickoff is 11 a.m.

St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso speaks to the CORES lunch group November 10 at the Bloomington Event Center. He is a six-time National Coach of the Year and is leading the Tommies in their second season of Division I competition where they top the Pioneer League at 5-0. CORES is open to the public but reservations must be made by November 7. More information about CORES is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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