Timberwolves – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Twins Nix Royce Lewis June 6 Jersey Giveaway

Posted on May 27, 2026May 27, 2026 by David Shama

Royce Lewis’ demotion to Triple-A St. Paul earlier this month apparently made the Twins re-think their giveaway promotion of his jersey for the June 6 home game against the Royals.

The promotional calendar for 2026 home games originally had the first 10,000 fans that day receiving a replica No. 23 jersey. Now the promotional calendar and a ticket spokesperson confirmed that fans will receive a Byron Buxton t-shirt instead.

A Buxton bobblehead will be given away to the first 10,000 fans at the game with the Cardinals on June 27. That offering was on the original promotional schedule.

The mercurial Lewis, who has played parts of five seasons with the Twins, has a career storyline among the most curious in club history. With both a dizzying array of injuries and hitting extremes, Lewis is a captivating figure who once looked like one of MLB’s brightest young players but at other times appears out of place on the roster.

Lewis, who turns 27 June 5, had what appeared to be a breakout season in 2023 when in 217 at bats he hit .309 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI. In the postseason he became the third player in MLB history to homer in his first two postseason at bats. He set the stage for the dramatic during the regular season by hitting four grand slams in a 20-game span as he helped the Twins win the AL Central Division title.

Good Royce/bad Royce. The last two seasons his batting averages were .233 and .237. He was hitting .163 when the Twins demoted him on May 19 to the Saints.

The hope is Lewis will find confidence and rhythm in his swing. Against inferior pitching to what he sees in the bigs, the right-handed hitting infielder has gone on a tear. With the Saints in seven games and 27 at bats he has whacked six home runs.

Lewis has supposedly slumped in recent seasons because of struggles with fast balls and his prevalence for chasing pitches. In response he has sought advice and made adjustments to his batting stance.

Whether he can work himself back to better production in the majors won’t be known for a while. The Twins, though, have sent a message with his demotion and cancellation of the June 6 giveaway.

And there’s more. Twins’ manager Derek Shelton has moved shortstop Brooks Lee over to third base, the position once thought to be locked up by Lewis. That’s a development that might block Lewis’ path to regular playing time when he makes his presumptive return to the big-league club.

Worth Noting

Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves played in 61 regular season games so he wasn’t eligible for the three All-NBA teams the league recently announced. The minimum to qualify is 65 games. Edwards was named to the All-NBA second team in 2024 and 2025.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves player — Anthony Edwards photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves

Uber talented and competitive, Edwards could improve his team by showing more maturity in his leadership role. His stock will also rise if the Wolves acquire a quality point guard who can complement Edwards and teammates with playmaking.

A Gophers football authority talking to Sports Headliners about quarterback Drake Lindsey and his spring arrest in Arkansas for underage drinking and possessing fake identification. “We’ll see if it leads into (suspension for) the Eastern Illinois (opening) game. I don’t want to make too big of a deal out of it.”

BetMGM set the win total for Big Ten football teams earlier this month. Minnesota is projected at 6.5, the same as Nebraska, Wisconsin and UCLA. Of the Big Ten’s 18 teams, only five others have fewer wins predicted.

Indiana and Oregon are the leaders at 10.5.

Start times were announced today for five of the Gophers football games:

7 p.m. September 3 Eastern Illinois at home;

2:30 p.m. September 12 Mississippi State at home;

11 a.m. September 19 Akron at home;

2 or 7 p.m. October 24 Iowa at home;

6:30 p.m. November 27 at Wisconsin.

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Kyler Murray Mystery Maybe Decided Prior to Training Camp

Posted on May 16, 2026May 16, 2026 by David Shama

There is no off-season for Vikings fans. Speculation swirls now on who the Vikings starting quarterback will be in 2026. And when will that be known.

J.J. McCarthy’s disappointing 2025 season and the acquisition in March of Kyler Murray has caused a buzz from Vikings fans. Head coach Kevin O’Connell is on record as wanting competition for the starting job, but it seems reasonable that before Murray signed on as a free agent he was assured of a sold (or better than that) opportunity to be No.1.

After all, the 28-year-old Murray is a seven seasons NFL veteran, while the 23-year-old McCarthy’s pro experience totals one season. Although the Cardinals gave up on Murray, his resume and profile instill optimism among those who want to feel it. In 2019 he was the Pro Football Offensive Rookie of the Year. Twice in his career he was a Pro Bowler.

As the Vikings go through meetings and on field practices prior to the start of training camp (expected in late July) it’s certain O’Connell will learn a lot about what he has in Murray who has underwhelmed as a pro with inconsistent play and injuries.

The coach will see how quickly and effectively his new quarterback picks up the complex Viking offense. That’s no small adjustment for a quarterback who drew past criticism for his study habits with the Cardinals.

Murray will also need to learn how to play more under center than in Arizona where he was in the shotgun formation. O’Connell likes to use his quarterback under center at times to promote play-action as part of his West Coast offense.

That’s not to suggest the head coach and quarterback whisperer won’t tailor some of the offense around his new player. Listed at 5-10 and 207 pounds, Murray has quickness of foot and running ability that can bedevil opponents. Murray will need to show he can become adept with whatever new offensive wrinkles are put in place.

Before training camp there will be minicamp next month where O’Connell will evaluate how the former Oklahoma Sooner quarterback performs with his receivers. That list of pass catchers, of course, includes superstar WR Justin Jefferson who seems to have the head coach’s “ear.”

Then, too, there will be an awareness by O’Connell and his coaches about how Murray is fitting in with his teammates. Does he have rapport with them? Is he emerging as a team leader?

It will be much clearer to the Vikings staff, even before spring turns to summer, what they have in Murray who has a career passing rating of 92.2 which is in the average range. Four times in his career he has thrown for over 3,500 yards. In 2,941 passing attempts he has totaled 121 TD passes with 60 interceptions.

O’Connell may well have a good handle in the next few weeks whether Murray will be his guy and build on his stats and resume in 2026.

Worth Noting

Anthony Edwards after his Timberwolves lost their playoff series in six games to the Spurs: “I mean, I just tip my hat to them. They were just a better team.”

In the 139-109 loss last night to the Spurs at Target Center, Edwards scored a team-high 24 points and had three steals. The 24-year-old’s 17 career playoff games with 20-plus points and 2-plus steals are the fifth most in NBA Playoff history by a player before the age of 25.

The Spurs had a 60-29 rebounding advantage in the blowout win.

Despite losing an overtime series ending game on Wednesday night, Wild fans can be elated about the team’s future. Minnesota lost a 3-1 lead with less than four minutes remaining in regulation against the Avs who went on to win 4-3 in OT in Game 5 of their Stanley Cup second round playoff match up.

Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizove — Kirill Kaprizov

The Wild’s roster is the most talented in franchise history. A quality center and better defensive depth are needed but there’s a lot to like including rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt, and a pair of superstars in forward Kirill Kaprizov and defenseman Quinn Hughes (who ownership is determined to re-sign). This team is among the best in the NHL and a championship window is in place for several years.

The Wild lost to a team that is likely the best in the NHL. A Minnesota nemesis was Avs superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon. He scored the tying goal sending the game into overtime and it was a shot most mortals can’t make.

The Wild can enjoy advancing to the second round for the first time since 2015, defeating a Stars team that is outstanding and delivering a competitive series with the Avs.

Look for the University of Minnesota, including athletic director Mark Coyle and head football coach P.J. Fleck, to make a reasonable and fair decision regarding Drake Lindsey after things are sorted out with the starting quarterback’s reported recent arrest in Arkansas for underage drinking and possessing fake identification. Lindsey, BTW, turns 21 on August 5.

FOX 9 sports reporter and anchor Dawn Mitchell will have a feature on Minnesota sports icon Dick Jonckowski Tuesday with the segment scheduled to air about 10:15 p.m.

Ross Bernstein, the Minnesota-based sports author and nationally sought public speaker, announced good news on LinkedIn earlier this week. He recently had his last chemotherapy treatment and is upbeat about not having a cancer recurrence. He’s been through a 10-month ordeal after doctors discovered tennis ball size tumors in his colon and liver. In college he wanted to play for the hockey Gophers, but when that didn’t work, he became the team’s mascot, Goldy Gopher.

The Capital Club breakfast group will hear about “The Booming Business of Golf” on Wednesday, May 27 at Mendakota Country Club. The sport is experiencing a resurgence locally and nationally. Golf experts Laura Frick, Championship Director KMPG Women’s PGA Championship, Jon Mays, Executive Director Minnesota Golf Association; and Jennifer Hines, Assistant Tournament Director 3M Open, will discuss the trend. For more information, contact Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

Longtime Creative Charters owner Steve Erban has been flying Golden Gophers fans to games for decades. He’s more than impressed with Niko Medved, who took over as men’s basketball coach about 14 months ago. He’s predicting 14 Minnesota wins on the 20-game regular season schedule for 2026-2027!

The company that started in 1993 will offer its first fan trip to see the football Gophers play Washington in Seattle on September 26. The trip has a lot to offer including a three-hour gameday “Sailgate” on the Spirit of Seattle, with the boat docking near Husky Stadium. The Gophers and Huskies haven’t played each other since 1977.

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Wolves Anthony Edwards Shows His Grit as Playoff Hero

Posted on May 12, 2026May 12, 2026 by David Shama

Tied at 2-2 the Timberwolves and Spurs resume their best of seven games second round playoff series tonight in San Antonio. The Wolves pulled even in the series Sunday night in Minneapolis when uber talented and gritty Anthony Edwards scored 16 fourth quarter points to lead a closing minutes 114-109 win in Game 4.

Edwards scored a game-high 36 points, but about two weeks prior no one would have predicted such heroics. On April 25 in the opening playoff series against the Nuggets, he suffered an ugly left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Edwards was in severe pain when he needed two individuals to help him hobble to the locker room, and it appeared his team might not see him for a long stretch.

Worry warts might have been thinking it might even be next season to see Edwards, who this spring has also been plagued by a right knee issue. The Wolves managed to win their last two games against the Nuggets without him and close out the series 4-2. Still, everyone knew the Wolves needed Edwards for a deep playoff run and the more optimistic timetable had him returning to game action after the second round started.

Instead, he was back for Game 1 against the Spurs in San Antonio on May 4. He played limited minutes (25) but was a key in Minnesota’s opening 104-102 win.

Edwards isn’t fully healthy, but he’s played in all the games against the Spurs, sometimes resting on the bench with large ice bags on his knee. He’s scored over 30 points in the last two games and totaled 81 minutes on the floor.

A limited “Ant” is much better than no “Ant.” His resolve to compete is elite and appreciated by observers who have been around him.

Dr. Robby Sikka is a former executive with the Timberwolves who led innovations in player health. He told Dan Barreiro on KFAN last week that Edwards has the awareness and commitment to take care of his body, even praising the amount of sleep the former Georgia player gets.

The doctor compared Edwards’ competitive fire with former Wolves superstar Kevin Garnett, who was known for his ferocious play. Sikka went further with his Edwards superlatives saying the 24-year-old has the freakish athleticism of former Viking legend Randy Moss and the charisma of the late Kirby Puckett, the ex-Twin and Cooperstown Hall of Famer.

“When he went down with that injury…unfortunately it looked like an injury that was going to keep him out for a long time,” Fred Hoiberg told Sports Headliners. “The fact that he got back as soon as he did I think just… shows…his toughness and his character. As a Wolves alum, it’s certainly something that we can be proud of just with the way that he approaches and plays the game.”

Hoiberg, the former Timberwolf guard and executive, is now head coach at the University of Nebraska. His son Jack works in the video department for the Spurs. So, Hoiberg has been closely following the series with the Wolves and was in attendance for Games 3 and 4 in Minneapolis.

“Oh, I think he’s one of the most talented players in the league,” Hoiberg said Sunday night about Edwards. “His athleticism, his ability to shoot, his ability to play one-on-one. He’s one of the most unique players in the league right now.”

Edwards reveled in his Game 1 return that surprised the basketball world. He scored 11 points in the closing period, after reportedly screaming at the Spurs bench early in the game that: “I’m back.”

Veteran Wolves’ guard Mike Conley said no one expected “Ant” to play. But Edwards did and he thought his presence was calming for his teammates.

Hobbled or not, limited in explosiveness because of his knees, Edwards’ availability is certainly reassuring for head coach Chris Finch who saw his star come up big Sunday night despite so much attention from Spurs’ defenders including frequent double teams.

“Oh, it was awesome, it was special,” Finch said. “This is what he loves, this is what he lives for, you know. Not just big games, big moments and…I thought for the most part, when he wasn’t doubled, you know, he got to his stuff quick and clean. Just kind of figured out how to get separation and that was just all that he needed.”

Timberwolves Anthony Edwards & coach Chris Finch — Edwards, Finch photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves have advanced to the Western Conference Finals the last two years led by the young shooting guard whose potential hints at even better days to come. To make it three straight the Wolves will have to get by the Spurs and 22-year-old ultra talented 7-4 center Victor Wembanyama.

Wemby was ejected early in the second quarter in Sunday night’s loss for tossing a startling elbow to the chin of the Wolves’ Naz Reid. His team couldn’t win without him, just like the Wolves are limited without Edwards.

The rest of the series figures to be a war, and “Ant” is battle-tested.

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