Timberwolves – Page 99 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Wadkins Picks Lehman to Win 3M

Posted on August 3, 2012August 3, 2012 by David Shama

Lanny Wadkins, here to be the analyst on Golf Channel coverage Friday-Sunday for the 3M Championship, told Sports Headliners he is predicting a competitive tournament that could be decided on the last hole.

Pressed for a prediction on the champion, Wadkins said: “If I had to pick someone this week I would pick Tom Lehman. He’s local. I think he would love to win here in his hometown. I think the course suits him and he’s playing exceptionally well.”

Wadkins said Lehman is an exceptional ball-striker but his putting has often been troublesome. This year Wadkins said the Alexandria, Minnesota native is “putting with more authority.” Lehman has never won the 3M.

Wadkins is curious to see how Bernhard Langer plays at the 3M Championship on the TPC Twin Cities course. Langer has been unable to hold strong starts in the last two major senior tournaments including the Senior British Open last weekend “and spit the bit the last day,” Wadkins said.

“I want to see how he rebounds. He usually comes back strong. I would like to see him get in contention again and see how he handles it.”

Whoever wins the tournament might be fighting through the competition right to the end. “I think you will see an established player win and play well here this week,” Wadkins said. “The course is in immaculate condition. If the weather holds I think it’s going to be a great week out there. I think we’ll have another really, really close tournament. It’s going to come down to the last hole again, and the 18^th is about as exciting a finish as you will get.”

Wadkins, an eight-time player on the American Ryder Cup team and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, has back problems and isn’t playing tournament golf regularly. He’s 62.

Worth Noting

Gophers coach Jerry Kill said yesterday he will try to “redshirt as many” players as he can this season. He didn’t say when he will make a decision on who to redshirt including his quarterback group that in addition to senior starter MarQueis Gray includes sophomore Max Shortell, and freshmen Mitch Leidner and Phillip Nelson.

Kill said Nelson has a strained hamstring and his staff is monitoring that injury. The Gophers open practice on Saturday morning and the public is welcome to attend.

Charlie Strong’s Louisville team is predicted to win the Big East Conference title, according to a media poll announced this week. Strong was a candidate for the Gophers coaching job in 2007 before Tim Brewster was hired. Strong was then an assistant coach at Florida and is about to begin his third season as head coach of Louisville.

Timberwolves full season tickets have increased from 6,600 in July of last year to 8,100 at the end of last month.

A representative at the Wolves and Lynx Pro Shop at Target Center said Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko jerseys are expected by State Fair time later this month. A Minneapolis Lakers cap selling for $28 is a new store item.

Timberwolves vice president Jeff Munneke is the longest tenured employee with the organization. He joined the expansion Wolves on June 20, 1988 as a ticket sales representative.

Wild broadcaster Tom Reid, who broke into the NHL as a player in 1967, said there are more personnel changes throughout the league than at any time he can remember. See nhl.com for a free agents tracking report.

The Sports Legends Foundation and Grand Casino Hinckley are sponsoring the Sports Legends Extravaganza Charity fundraising event in Hinckley September 14 -16. The event benefits the Page Education Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Family Pathways and the Sports Legends Foundation. Celebrities expected include former Vikings Jim Marshall, Gary Larsen, Carl Eller and Alan Page. Smokey Robinson will perform on September 14 in the Grand Casino Amphitheater. There will be a celebrity golf tournament on September 15 at the Grand National Golf Club. www.sports-legends.org.

Murray’s Restaurant is closed for renovations this month and will re-open in early September. Owner Tim Murray said private dining rooms and a larger bar area are in the plans. The famous steakhouse has been a prominent part of the Minneapolis dining scene since 1946.

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Roy to Chair Wolves ‘Scoring Committee?’

Posted on August 1, 2012August 1, 2012 by David Shama

The NBA’s elite teams – the Heat, Thunder and others — have two or three high performance scorers, guys who can produce at least 20 points per game or more, and are able to close out games. The Wolves aren’t even a playoff team yet but to approach the elite company of teams like the NBA champion Heat they need help for All-Star forward Kevin Love who averaged 26 points per game last season.

The next highest scoring average on last season’s club was center Nikola Pekovic at 13.9 points per game. David Kahn, the Wolves president of basketball operations, acknowledged yesterday that his team may have to take a scoring by “committee” approach next season.

At times last season, Pekovic was the helper needed to not only complement Love but keep him from wearing down. Pekovic and last season’s rookie forward Derrick Williams were included in names Kahn mentioned as important potential scorers for next season. “It’s hard to say right now, but at a minimum I think we have a lot of people who can score,” Kahn told Sports Headliners. “Whether they can score at 20 points per game remains to be seen, but they can score.”

Another name Kahn mentioned was new acquisition Brandon Roy who in five seasons with Portland averaged 19 points per game and made a reputation for himself as one of the NBA’s better shooting guards. Knee problems forced the 28-year-old Roy to temporarily retire and he didn’t play last season.

But at a news conference yesterday at Target Center Roy talked about playing 35 minutes per game for the Wolves. That’s a lot more than the 27.9 he averaged during the 2010-11 season when he struggled with his knees.

Asked about taking the big shot late in games for the Wolves, Roy said: “I’ve always felt comfortable down the stretch in games. I don’t think that part of my game has ever left. For me, it’s just trying to do what best fits this team. Maybe that’s me handling the ball at the end, closing out a game, or Rubio or Love. But I just try to keep a good pulse on what we need and I know Adelman does a great job of that also.”

Roy said his goal late in games has always been to create a “high percentage look.” That could mean creating a good shot, or setting up a teammate for that opportunity.

If Roy can do either for the Wolves, he may earn “chairman” status on the scoring committee that will usually defer to “CEO” Love. No doubt Love, point guard Ricky Rubio and coach Rick Adelman say welcome.

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Worth Noting

Posted on July 13, 2012July 13, 2012 by David Shama

Zach Parise was eight years old when the North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993 but he has memories of the NHL franchise that includes his dad, J.P. Parise, among its alums. “We always loved going to the games,” Zach said.

He described meeting North Stars legends Neal Broten and Mike Modano as the “highlight of a lifetime.”

Ryan Suter said he doesn’t set personal goals but the objective before each season is to have his team win the Stanley Cup. “I think that the better your team does, the more success you have personally. My goals, I think, are just trying to be the best leader I can be. Helping young players – obviously contributing on and off the ice as much as I can. …”

Suter, age 27 and with a 13-year contract, talking about playing at 40: “I hope so. I hope I am still healthy. I would love to be able to play. “

If the Minnesota hot weather continues into August when the Gophers begin preparations for their August 30 game in Las Vegas it will be a plus for conditioning. Summer temperatures in Las Vegas can exceed 110 during the day, although the Gophers-UNLV game will be played at night.

Memorials and donations can be made to a donor’s choice of several organizations in memory of former Gophers football player John Williams. For information about those organizations visit his CaringBridge website, https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnbjwilliams

Discussions between the Gophers and basketball coach Tubby Smith regarding a contract extension have been ongoing since at least spring of last year. At this point it will be no surprise if a deal is reached, or if Smith continues with his present contract that has two years remaining.

The basketball staff’s recruiting prowess will be tested during the next two years because of coveted state prep prospects Tyus Jones, Reid Travis, Rashad Vaughn and Kyle Washington.

NBA referee and Minnesota native Ken Mauer Jr. will be the speaker on Thursday, September 13 at the C.O.R.E.S. luncheon in Bloomington. Anyone interested in more information can email Jim Dotseth at dotsethj@comcast.net. C.O.R.E.S. is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Timberwolves have a minicamp roster of players competing this week to be on the team that plays a five-game schedule starting next Monday in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League. Players trying out include Luke Sikma, son of Wolves assistant coach Jack Sikma, and Coby Karl, son of Nuggets head coach George Karl.

Five-time All-Star Camilo Pascual, who pitched for both the old Washington Senators and the Twins, will be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame tomorrow night during a pre-game infield ceremony at Target Field prior to Minnesota’s game against Oakland. Pascual might have had the best curve ball ever thrown by a Twins pitcher.

The Kansas City Star reported online Sunday that the biggest economic impact for the city of Kansas City in hosting this week’s MLB All-Star game is media exposure worth $75 million (33 million viewers in 217 countries). Minneapolis may host the 2014 game.

Sports Headliners is told Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church on Prior Avenue in St. Paul will be the site of the Joe Mauer–Maddie Bisanz wedding on Saturday, December 1, and security will be tight.

Internet speculation includes talk various clubs want to acquire former Twins starter Matt Garza, now with the Cubs.

The Vikings, like other NFL teams, have to be concerned about fans who prefer watching games via high-definition television. With a new stadium to fill in 2016 and beyond, look for the Vikings to factor this into marketing decisions including ticket pricing and the game day experience downtown.

Mike Freeman, writing on July 10 for cbssports.com, said 39 Vikings have been arrested by law enforcement officials since 2000, the most in the NFL. The latest was Adrian Peterson’s arrest in Houston several days ago. Freeman also wrote the Vikings have “10 arrests since the start of 2011.”

The St. Thomas football team is ranked No. 4 nationally in the Lindy’s Sports Magazine Division III preseason poll. The Tommies are ranked No. 7 in the USA Today top 10 poll. Last year St. Thomas became the first team in MIAC history to complete back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons and lost to eventual national champion UW-Whitewater in the NCAA Division III semifinals. Saint John’s and Bethel join UST in the Lindy’s Top 25 Poll at No. 14 and No. 15.

Suzy Bogguss, a recent guest on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion radio program, will perform at the third annual Camden’s Concert on Wednesday, July 25 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Camden’s Concert is named after Dave and Linda Mona’s 4½-year-old grandson Camden Mona, and the event raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

A silent auction on July 25 will include footballs signed by Jerry Kill, Percy Harvin and John Carlson, plus an Adrian Peterson autographed jersey. Tickets are available by calling the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 952-979-1111, or via the organization’s website. www.hopkinsartscenter.com/

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