Timberwolves – Page 17 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Golden Gophers Sit Tight on Ben Johnson’s Contract

Posted on June 11, 2024June 11, 2024 by David Shama

There has been postseason anticipation about Ben Johnson’s contract as University of Minnesota head men’s basketball coach. That suspense goes back to late March when Johnson’s Golden Gophers posted the best record in his three seasons of leading the program at his alma mater.

Athletic director Mark Coyle told Sports Headliners there will be no changes in Johnson’s contract this offseason. The deal has three years remaining (ends April 30, 2027) and Coyle believes longer contracts are a thing of the past because of the flux in rosters with basketball players and other athletes coming and going. The transfer portal and influence of NIL money can change rosters on a dime.

Minnesota will have two returning starters, Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell Jr., from the 2023-2024 team that finished 9-11 in Big Ten regular season games and 19-15 overall. The conference record was good for ninth place in the 14-team league standings.

That was a major improvement over Johnson’s first two seasons when his teams had consecutive last place conference finishes and a combined 6-33 league record. That prompted public criticism of Johnson during his first experience as a head coach after being a career assistant college coach at Minnesota and elsewhere.

“We made great, great strides,” Coyle said during an interview at his campus office. “I’ve talked to Ben about if we go .500 in conference play, we’re going to be in the NCCA Tournament more times than not if you play a decent nonconference schedule.

“So, our goal is to continue to support Ben and help him take the next step. I think Ben is very excited about the roster he brought in. A lot of thanks to (program booster) Bob Klas and the people that support our NIL initiative. …Ben is in a really good spot, so we did not do a contract extension.”

The Gophers—who are bringing in eight new players including six transfers—lost three starters with remaining eligibility from last season’s team. It’s believed Pharrel Payne and Elijah Hawkins left for more lucrative NIL money. Cam Christie is pursuing the NBA Draft.

Coyle said Johnson and other coaches are in his office on a regular basis to discuss NIL. Working with the Dinkytown Athletes collective, the Athletic Department has seen a surge in money benefiting athletes from many sports since DA started almost two years ago. Coyle didn’t offer a figure as to how much money Johnson has had to work with in 2024 but an informed estimate by Sports Headliners is “north” of $1 million.

“I don’t think we know what our peers are at,” Coyle said. “You hear rumors what our peers are at but then you see them lose two or three starters, too.”

Money is a centerpiece of Johnson’s responsibilities. A Big Ten contending team in this market could command among the higher ticket prices in college hoops and those revenues would shoulder a big load in a department where the only programs making money are football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey.

The Gophers averaged 8,139 in home attendance last season, ranking 12^th in the Big Ten. That was down from 9,451 the previous year.

A spokesman from the Athletic Department emailed that the Gophers made $5 million from men’s basketball this past year. The potential, he said, was to make $2 million more.

On a side topic, a visitor asked Coyle about the disruption of play by TV commercials during major college basketball games including in the Big Ten. Combined with frequent timeouts by coaches, there are almost constant stoppages of play.

Coyle, who is a member of the Division I Basketball Committee, remembered a game in 2024 where the teams played through two designated media timeouts because nothing happened to stop the game clock. A price was paid, though, when the timeouts finally came. In about a five-minute span the action on the floor consisted of a couple of free throws.

Coyle said “we need to have that conversation” about the disruption in flow of men’s college games.

Worth Noting

Christie, who played one season as a freshman for the Gophers, doesn’t turn 19 until July 24. If he is drafted later this month by an NBA team it will almost certainly be in the second round.

This what NBA.com, courtesy of RotoWire, said about the younger brother of Lakers reserve Max Christie: “Christie stands out due to his energy and shooting ability but needs to devote more time to improving on the defensive end of the court to reach his ceiling. Don’t be surprised if he starts his career in the G League. Given the similarity of traits, Christie could end up having a similar career to his brother.”

Richard Pitino, who preceded Johnson as Gophers coach, received an extension this spring that will pay him $1.2 million next season and rise to $1.4 million in 2028-2029, the last year of the contract. When Pitino started his career as Minnesota coach in 2013 his compensation was $1.2 million.

As of yesterday, Stub.com listed some tickets for more than $1200 each for the Lynx’s home game July 14 against phenom Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

Don’t be surprised if the Timberwolves, Twins and Wild band together to televise their games next fall and beyond after the fallout this spring between Comcast Xfinity and Bally Sports resulted in no Twins games on local cable TV.

It was a spirited and heartfelt tribute yesterday for the late Jim Carter at 7 Vineyards and Winery in Dellwood. Nicknamed “Hurricane” while at the University of Minnesota playing football and hockey in the late 1960s, the South St. Paul native was a fierce competitor in sports, business and life. He was a dedicated friend to many people including those in recovery from addiction.

Close pal and Gopher football teammate Bob Stein was among those speaking at the celebration of life for Carter who passed away in November from cancer. Stein recalled Carter not liking a penalty call in a hockey game and storming out on to the ice with a chair in hand. A game official recognized Stein who was seated near the ice, and asked for an intervention with the 6-4, 250-pound Carter. “Are you crazy?” Stein said.

Stein, a defensive end, and Carter, a fullback, faced each other one-on-one many times in practice drills. Stein likened it yesterday to Bighorn Rams butting heads in the popular Dodge Ram TV commercials. He said after the drills both players would go back to the frat house with headaches, and then rest while needing to get ready for that evening’s party.

Stein spoke of Carter’s “humility,” interest in others and their welfare, saying it didn’t matter what a person’s stature in life was, he wanted to know about you. Emcee Dick Jonckowski recalled that several years ago Carter approached him and said he heard the Gophers baseball public address man had cancer. Carter asked Jonckowski about the financial impact on his life and he acknowledged there was uncertainty. Not long after a check from Carter arrived in the mail.

Former teammates and other friends were in attendance including ex-South St. Paul goalie Gaylen Bicking who played with Carter. He told the gathering that while efforts haven’t been successful yet, the will is there to name the South St. Paul High School football facility after the former Packers great: Ettinger Field at Jim Carter Stadium.

2 comments

Quartet of Local Stars Reminds of 4 Greats 20 Years Ago

Posted on June 5, 2024June 5, 2024 by David Shama

The sensational return of third baseman Royce Lewis to the Twins’ roster yesterday and the announcement of a new contract for Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson on Monday is a reminder that this town’s four major pro sports teams each has a superb young player who likely will entertain fans for years to come.

Lewis, Jefferson, shooting guard Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and wing Kirill Kaprizov of the Wild are cornerstones for their teams, and prompt memories of the best foursome who ever played at the same time in this area for Minnesota’s big four teams. Twenty years ago, Minneapolis-St. Paul lit up with star power having Marian Gaborik from the Wild, Kevin Garnett of the Wolves, Joe Mauer from the Twins and Randy Moss of the Vikings.

Mauer goes into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum this summer, while Garnett and Moss are already enshrined in the basketball and football halls. Only Gaborik isn’t enshrined in his sport’s hall of fame.

Jefferson and Edwards look like they’re on track to be hall of famers for sure. Lewis has flashed the potential to be mentioned among baseball’s best players in today’s game. Kaprizov brings fans out of their seats in anticipation of what he might do but he has to build on his success to become a hall of famer.

Lewis, who turns 25 today, has played in just 72 games (counting 2024) over three seasons as the injury gods have been cruel to him and his adoring fans. But, oh my, what anticipation the gifted hitter has set for all who follow him. Last October 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. Last night after his return from a severe quadriceps strain, all he did was produce one of only two Twins hits in their loss to the Yankees, hitting a home run and making a terrific play in the field.

Jefferson, 24, is a three-time Pro Bowler who in his first four seasons set an NFL record for receiving yards with 5,889. He has produced four consecutive seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards. In 2022 he became the youngest player in NFL history to lead the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809). His new deal, reportedly for $140 million, makes him the highest paid non-quarterback in league history.

Edwards, 22, is already a two-time All-Star Game selection. This spring he was named second team All-NBA for the first time in his four-year career. An explosive scorer, he emerged this season as the alpha on the team averaging a career-high 25.9 points per game. He became the first player in franchise history to average 25-plus points per game, and five-plus rebounds and assists. He was often brilliant in the playoffs as the Wolves reached the Western Conference playoffs for the first time in 20 years.

The electric Kaprizov, who turned 27 last month and is a three-time All-Star, easily broke Gaborik’s franchise rookie record of 36 points. The Russian native had 51 points to lead all NHL rookies in 2020-2021. In Kaprizov’s second season, he broke the franchise record for goals (42) held by Gaborik and Eric Staal. His 47 goals were part of his 108 points season (100 points a first in franchise history) while helping the Wild to a record number of wins at 53.

Worth Noting

Dawson Garcia, who led the basketball Gophers in scoring last season at 17.6 points per game, has a Name, Image and Likeness deal with Dakotah Sport and Fitness in Prior Lake. The former Prior Lake all-state player grew up working out at the facility.

Charles Barkley’s TV commentary on the Timberwolves’ playoff games this spring prompted a favorite memory from Dave Mona. He recently wrote about it on Facebook reminiscing about how his company had produced a lithograph honoring the 50 greatest players in NBA history. It was back in 1997 that Mona and his wife Linda were in Cleveland charged with obtaining signatures from the players—including Barkley—on all 250 lithographs.

“About halfway through the signing it was clear he was starting to tire,” Mona said on Facebook. “He was cracking his neck and flexing his fingers. Linda, who was standing over his right shoulder, started to give him a back rub and it was obvious he loved it.

‘Can you come up to my hotel room after we’re done here,’ he suggested. ‘You’d have to ask my husband,’ she said. ‘He’s the one handing you the sharp pencils.’

Mona wrote that Barkley smiled and said: “He can come too.”

Rob Fornasiere, the longtime assistant coach to Golden Gophers head baseball coach John Anderson, emailed several eye-catching stats about his former boss who retired at age 69 this spring. The statistics, gathered by Joel Rippel from the Star Tribune, include these gems: Anderson coached in over half of all games the baseball Gophers have ever played—dating back 136 years—and his 1,390 wins is 49 percent of the program’s total victories.

Anderson took over as Minnesota’s head coach in 1981 and since then there have been 55 other Big Ten coaches. He and Fornasiere coached together for 1,943 games over 33 seasons, winning 1,164 games.

Minnesota sports and entertainment icon Dick Jonckowski will emcee next Monday’s tribute for the late Jim Carter, the well-known South St. Paul and former Golden Gophers athlete. At Minnesota Carter played hockey but was best known as a physical running back who was a key contributor to the 1967 Big Ten title team and captained the 1969 football Gophers. The tribute, organized by former football teammate Jim Brunzell, will be held at 7 Vines Vineyard and Winery in Dellwood, and will be attended by former Carter teammates and other friends. Carter passed away in California last November.

Per a news release yesterday from the University of Minnesota Athletic Department, Golden Gophers athletes continue to excel academically. The cross country, men’s golf, gymnastics and women’s hockey programs earned a perfect academic progress rate score for the 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

Twelve programs earned a perfect APR score in the most recent reporting year of 2022-23: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, gymnastics, women’s hockey, softball, women’s swimming, women’s tennis and volleyball. https://gophersports.com/news/2024/6/4/athletics-minnesota-continues-to-shine-in-academic-progress-rate

Belated Happy Birthday to Lou Nanne who turned 83 Sunday. Over a period of 25 years Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey was a player, coach, GM and president of the NHL North Stars.

2 comments

A-Rod Committed to City, Eyes Site for New Arena

Posted on June 3, 2024June 3, 2024 by David Shama

A chance encounter with Alex Rodriguez at Target Center led to timely comments by the man, who along with partner Marc Lore, is in litigation to acquire controlling interest of the Timberwolves and Lynx. “This team will never leave here. We’re going to build down the street,” Rodriguez said recently to Sports Headliners.

Rodriguez and Lore have been in a pay-as-they-go process since 2021 to acquire the franchises from majority owner Glen Taylor. As outsider investors from the east coast, they have prompted speculation about where the NBA Wolves and WNBA Lynx may call home in the future, with talk about relocation to Seattle and Las Vegas. If the two wrest control from Minnesota native Taylor, it appears a new arena near downtown could replace Target Center as the home venue for the Wolves and Lynx.

While Rodriguez didn’t elaborate on his comments during the brief encounter, multiple sources tell Sports Headliners he and Lore are targeting land adjacent to the Minneapolis Farmers market at 312 East Lyndale Avenue North. It’s not known what plans Taylor will have regarding a new arena, with the 83-year-old owner telling Sports Headliners awhile back to ask the question of Rodriguez and Lore. At that time the ownership transition was on track.

Target Center is the 29^th oldest NBA arena, exceeded in age only by venerable Madison Square Garden in New York. Privately financed by original Wolves owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner, Target Center was built with a budget conscious approach and opened in 1990.

The facility doesn’t begin to compare with other modern palaces in the league that are creating significant revenue returns for team owners and communities. Technology and other innovations have considerably improved the fan experience at NBA venues since 1990. Customers want to be entertained in every way imaginable—think something like an axe throwing room in the arena, a premier seating section where only fans of the home team sit, high tech gambling opportunities in the building or at a casino down the street. As always, sight lines, proximity to the court and luxury experiences in suites and restaurants draw and retain customers whether they’re spending their own dime or the company’s.

Target Center was built on a small footprint. Because of that and its age, the building is limited in space for the basketball teams and the many other events using the arena. Eighteen-wheel trucks parked off-site have been needed for storage. If the Wolves had reached the NBA Finals, they would have been challenged to accommodate the many needs expected of the host venue by the league office. Target Center is the only arena in the NBA that doesn’t have a path going around the interior space to better facilitate infrastructure.

Land adjacent to the Farmers Market has long been a potential site for pro teams. The United soccer club wanted to buy land in the area and build a stadium. In the 1990s the Twins, looking to escape indoor baseball at the Metrodome, had the area on its list of possible sites for a stadium.

A former executive with an NBA team with knowledge of the Farmers Market area calls it a “pretty appealing” site for an arena. A big challenge will be buying up land from individual owners. Once the word is out the Wolves are interested, landowners are likely to “jack up” prices, the source said. However, because some owners in the area have changed in the last 25 to 30 years, he doesn’t expect them to be as unreasonable as when the Twins were shopping.

The location assets of the Farmers Market area start with the fact there is potentially open land, and the site is on the edge of downtown. Infrastructure including freeways are nearby and the area is served by light rail and commuter train. The site could also be promoted as a link between downtown and north Minneapolis, a connection that politicians and citizens have long criticized as not being in place for the betterment of people in both parts of the city.

It’s not clear whether the Rodriquez-Lore ownership would privately or publicly fund a new arena. Either way politics will play a huge role in whether their dream can be accomplished of building a facility that might cost $1 billion or more.

Minneapolis owns the Target Center, having acquired it from Wolfenson and Ratner in 1995. Several years ago, the city and the United couldn’t agree on some public support for a privately funded stadium for the new Major League Soccer franchise. Instead, club ownership made a deal more to its liking in St. Paul and built Allianz Field in the midway area of the city.

It’s known the city has limited financial resources to keep up with Target Center improvements and probably limited intent to help with a new arena. Members of the council are viewed by many Minnesotans as having anti-business positions and for taking controversial stances such as their spring ordinance for higher pay for Uber and Lyft drivers that almost ended badly needed service in the city for everyone from bar patrons to people with disabilities needing transportation for medical appointments.

“That city council is kind of crazy,” said the former NBA insider.

A former city insider said council members “don’t get it” as to where money comes from to run the state’s largest municipality. She cited a lack of awareness about how important city sports and entertainment venues are to tax revenues. During and after the pandemic and George Floyd phenomenon, the number of downtown workers and visitors dropped dramatically. A saving grace for city coffers, she said, are the ticket tax revenues generated by patrons at Target Center, Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium.

Hennepin County, which funded Target Field, won’t be any slam dunk for help with a new arena either, the source said. Her opinion is the county has leadership “worse” than that of the city.

The state of Minnesota is likely the best source of public support (in whatever form) for a new arena. In the legislature there are those who understand that the cultural, tax and economic vitality sports, concerts, and other entertainment contribute to Minneapolis, the hub of the region. They understand how such venues benefit the hospitality, retail and transportation industries, including generating taxes and employment.

Support and funding for new venues is always a struggle and such important issues deserve public debate and transparency. Both the Twins and Vikings began pursuing new homes in the 1990s, and it was a long process. Target Field opened in 2010 and U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016.

Target Center opened about 34 years ago as the home of the Wolves. Xcel Energy Center opened in 2000 to house the NHL Wild. Now St. Paul is reportedly seeking as much as $300 million to renovate that building.

With the Wild committed to St. Paul, and the Wolves committed to Minneapolis, it could be that their future homes will be the” X” and a new arena in the Farmers Market area. History tells us neither will be accomplished soon.

Talking about the possibility of the Wolves’ plan to build near the Farmers Market, the former NBA insider said: “It can be done but it will be a huge political battle.”

Comments Welcome