Twins – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Most Pressure to Win in This Town? It’s not the WNBA Lynx

Posted on September 26, 2025September 26, 2025 by David Shama

Our town demands little in terms of championships from its pro teams and the Golden Gophers. Maybe that’s part of why the championship cupboard is so bare.

Minnesota fans aren’t so nasty they would threaten a serious boycott of a team, or boo Santa Claus like the City of Brotherly Love once did.

With a population here raised on “Minnesota nice” and minds filled with sensitivity training, I question whether some state natives would even unanimously hiss and jeer Vladimir Putin!

The Lynx are favorites to win the WNBA title this fall but think again if you believe there’s public pressure on the Lynxers to win it all. Nope for a couple of reasons.

The Lynx have already produced four WNBA championships, and they keep exceeding expectations. Then, too, the public interest in the club isn’t as widespread, nor as deeply intense as for several other outfits in town.

The team that should be feeling the most pressure to rise ASAP to an elite level is the Twins. The struggling franchise that passed on the opportunity to take a step forward two years ago after exciting patrons with its playoff run has both pissed off and launched fans into anger and apathy.

The Twins close the regular season on Sunday as a franchise viewed by the public and media as in disarray. David Schoenfield, writing for ESPN.com Wednesday, graded the 30 MLB teams on their 2025 seasons. No one in Twins Territory should be surprised the Pohlad owned franchise was given an F.

Schoenfield wrote: “This is the kind of season that can set an organization back five years, where it kind of feels like the whole organization has given up. Ownership/management punted at the trade deadline, dealing away 10 players. …As always, the Pohlads never disappoint in their willingness to pinch pennies.”

It’s interesting that while the Twins head toward a final record of about 22 games under .500 (after plummeting with a second consecutive late season collapse), the Brewers from neighboring Wisconsin received the best grade of the season from Schoenfield. Playing in a similar size market, the Brewers will finish with close to 100 wins and easily the best runs differential in MLB.

The Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild and Gophers football have no elite hardware to showcase this century, but they don’t face the scrutiny of the Twins who need a massive turnaround and pursuit of no less than an American league pennant.

Measure fan interest by game attendance, TV viewership, merchandise sales and sponsorship, and no one in this town likely comes close to the Vikings in decibel blowing devotion. On Sundays, it feels like only the newborn and comatose among us aren’t following the Purple heroes.

The franchise hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since Jimmy Carter was in the White House, but there’s not a win it all demand by the fanbase or “we’re done with you.” A competitive team, with entertaining players, is enough for the Skol-mad and beer fueled fans to rock all fall.

The Wolves and Wild claim no league titles in their histories which date back 35 and 25 years respectively. Yeah, Wolves fans would love to see coach Chris Finch hoisting the NBA championship trophy on a parade down Hennepin Avenue. But the fanbase of this mostly forlorn franchise is mesmerized by the last two springs when the club made the Western Conference Finals. Pressure to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy? Nah, not when the fanbase is honeymooning right now in unknown success.

The Wild fanbase is passionate and darn loyal, win or lose. Patrons would love a Stanley Cup but for starters many will welcome a deep playoff run next spring. Past post season success has been too minimal as has goal scoring. Disappointed fans have a way of returning for the next season and for now are preoccupied with seeing the contract of superstar Kirill Kaprizov extended. That’s where the franchise’s public pressure is for now. If Kaprizov departs and the club performs poorly for a season or two, then the pressure will be on like never before in the building we used to call the X.

Gopher football hasn’t shared a Big Ten championship since 1967. Minnesota couldn’t even win a division title earlier this century when it was grouped into the mediocre Big Ten West. Win-some, lose-some results in Big Ten games for a long time has driven away fans. Apathy hangs over this once proud program that during the first 70 years of the last century was a national power. A berth in the 12-team college football playoffs one day would bring a lot of fans out of the closet for the home state Division 1 football.

Not saying there isn’t pressure to win for this town’s teams, but nobody should be feeling it like the Twins! Santa Claus, though, probably wouldn’t get booed at Target Field. Tim Walz or Scott Jensen, maybe.

Worth Noting

Lindy’s Sports College Basketball Magazine is on newsstands and forecasts a 16^th place finish for Minnesota in the 18-team Big Ten standings. Concerns about coach Niko Medved’s first team at Minnesota include how well incoming players from mid-major programs will fare in the Big Ten.

The magazine’s top 10: Houston, Purdue, Florida, Michigan, Duke, Kentucky, St. John’s, Iowa State, Alabama and UConn.

The public is invited to a free men’s basketball Maroon and Gold Open Scrimmage at Williams Arena on Saturday, October 11. Start time will be 2 or 2:30 p.m., four hours before the start of the home football game with Purdue. That game time will be either 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. and decided later. Following the one-hour scrimmage, players will sign autographs near the Williams Arena court.

Fans can enter the arena through the Maturi Pavilion Daily Entrance, located at 1925 University Ave. Tailgate lots for the Gopher football game are scheduled to open at noon or 12:30 p.m. that day

News came yesterday that 6-8 forward Erick Reader, the sophomore forward from Bloomington and New Life Academy who played minimally in the past for the Gophers, is leaving the program to focus on academics. He is replaced by 6-3 walk-on guard RJ Spencer from Blaine and Totino-Grace.

Congratulations to hockey icon Lou Nanne who will be inducted Tuesday into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame at the JX Event Center in Stillwater. The former Gophers All-American, North Stars player, GM and president, has an impressive broadcast resume.

Nanne’s broadcast experience includes the Stanley Cup, Olympics, NCAA Frozen Four and the Boys’ State High School Hockey Tournament. He offered game commentary for 60 years of Minnesota high school state tournament games. He makes a KFAN radio appearance one day a week with Dan Barreiro.

Saint John’s senior defensive end Zach Frank and St. Olaf senior linebacker Noah Barret are semifinalists for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy® which is college football’s premier scholar-athlete award.

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J.J. McCarthy Start Prompts Recollection of Bud Grant Wisdom

Posted on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 by David Shama

Former Vikings head coach Bud Grant used to say throwing accuracy ranked very high among attributes for a quarterback. A big arm might dazzle but without being able to throw the football on target, a quarterback is in trouble.

In two games of J.J. McCarthy’s debut season as the Vikings starting quarterback, he has frequently missed open receivers. He has thrown passes short of receivers, landing the football in the ground. Despite having one of the NFL’s most explosive receivers in J.J. Jefferson, seldom have the Vikings asked McCarthy to throw long. An exception came last Sunday when McCarthy missed a wide-open Jalen Nailor on a deep throw.

And so McCarthy’s brief but collective work prompts asking whether the Vikings, including head coach Kevin O’Connell, trust his accuracy.

The 22-year-old former first round draft pick, who has thrown three interceptions in eight quarters, has a completion percentage of 58.5 that ranks near the bottom among NFL quarterbacks. His QBR, which measures not only passing but performance aspects such as rushing, turnovers, penalties and more, is 20.4 and that ranks last in the league, per ESPN.com.

With McCarthy out for multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain, the watch period on the McCarthy experiment is on hold. But in the weeks, months and perhaps years ahead the answer about whether McCarthy will become an on-the-money passer will be known.

Grant went to three Super Bowls with a quarterback who couldn’t match McCarthy’s 6-3, 220-pound physique and arm strength. Fran Tarkenton, listed at 6-feet and 190 pounds, couldn’t sail the ball with some of his strong-armed peers like Joe Willie Namath but Grant built a passing game around his accuracy and athleticism. The 1975 NFL MVP played 18 years in the NFL.

BTW, the legendary Grant used to say a good coach needs three things: “a patient wife, a loyal dog, and a great quarterback, but not necessarily in that order.”

Worth Noting

The Twins finish their home schedule for 2025 on Sunday and are expected to have the lowest season attendance in Target Field history. A likely total of under 1.8 million is in sharp contrast to the glory days of the first three seasons at Target Field.

From 2010 through 2012 the Twins attracted a total of 9,168,101 fans (an average of 37,729 per game). In 2010 the Twins drew a franchise record 3,223,640 fans, followed by season attendance of 3,168,107 in 2011 and 2,776,354 in 2012.

With an unattractive product expected on the field next season, a further decline in attendance seems likely. Season tickets (or season ticket equivalents) might total in the 5,000 range after being almost five times that much when the ballpark opened.

Those who buy tickets to games next season will come to see fan favorites like Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan (presuming he isn’t traded). Patrons will also come for the ambience of Target Field and the allure of outdoor baseball on a warm and sunny day or evening.

And some fans will come to see opposing teams and players. When the lowly Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the 1961 season, fans were so thrilled to have MLB status they turned out as much to see the opposition as they did to watch the home club.

It’s “back to the future” for the Twins.

Are you waiting for the day when a college athletic director fires the football coach after the first game of the season? UCLA had the “patience” this season to wait until after the second game.

The UCLA opening has already prompted speculation about Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck going to Los Angeles. A couple of sources told Sports Headliners that Fleck’s wife, Heather, would like living in Southern California.

Don’t back up the moving trucks anytime soon, though. First, Big Ten institutions have no history in the last 50 years of hiring another program’s head coach. Also, UCLA has woeful fan support and is believed to rank among the Big Ten bottom feeders in Name, Image and Likeness money.

And why would Fleck want to leave for a rebuild? More probable in prompting a move could be if a rare opportunity to lead a program with abundant tradition and resources surfaces. Notre Dame is an example, but that job won’t be opening after this year or next.

Dick Jonckowski turns 82 on October 22. Basketball hall of famer Ricky Barry has telephoned him for 26 years on his birthday. Jonckowski calls Barry each year on his March 28 birthday.

Jonckowski, the former Golden Gophers public address announcer in multiple sports, said he’s been cancer free for about 18 months. He will receive a check up in December. He has had battles with non Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

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Reactionary Vikings Fans Turn on Team at Home Opener

Posted on September 15, 2025September 15, 2025 by David Shama

When quarterback J.J. McCarthy pulled off a comeback opening game win on the road against the Bears last Monday night this town couldn’t wait to coronate the 22-year-old hero in U.S. Bank Stadium. But last night the expected script didn’t materialize, with McCarthy and Viking teammates playing poorly.

Boos cascaded down from the stands as fair weather fans expressed displeasure during a 22-6 loss to the Falcons. From toast of the town a week ago, to a bad dream today, doubts and anger have already surfaced in a young season about the team Minnesota is obsessed with.

McCarthy threw two interceptions and had a fumble that led to Atlanta’s last field goal of the game. For the night he completed 11 of 21 passes for 158 yards and no touchdowns, with a dismal rating of 37.5. Perhaps the worst moment was overthrowing a wide open Jalen Nailor for a potential long touchdown in the second half.

McCarthy looked frustrated and at times confused. After the game he used the cliched response of how he takes responsibility and must play “better.”

Sideline TV shots showed how eager he is to please and be coached by Kevin O’Connell. He looked the head coach in the eye and seemed quick to agree with whatever instructions or suggestions he was given, almost like a young puppy receiving training from its owner.

Frantic fans won’t help his growth and improvement with disapproval. They can only make his journey as a young, inexperienced pro QB more difficult.

It’s been a roller coaster of emotions for McCarthy in recent days. Last week fiancé Katya gave birth to a baby boy, Rome Michah. She and McCarthy got engaged in January of 2024.

In fairness to McCarthy, the run game faltered last night and didn’t give him a complementary tool to his passing. The Vikings rushed for 78 yards, while the defense gave up an uncharacteristic 218 yards on the ground.

As if the game wasn’t frustrating enough, multiple Vikings went down with injuries including running back Aaron Jones, center Ryan Kelly and left tackle Justin Skule. He was starting for Christian Darrisaw who didn’t play and was sidelined with other regulars such as linebackers Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel, safety Harrison Smith and cornerback Jeff Okudah.

Worth Noting

Where do NFL players come from? As of the opening weekend rosters, Texas, with 199 players, produced the most personnel of any state, followed by Florida (179), California (165) and Georgia (143).

There were 20 players from Bradenton (Fla.) on league rosters, the most of any city. Atlanta and Miami tied for second-most (18), followed by Detroit with 16 players.

Former Vikings coach Mike Tice, now living in Las Vegas, has a new TV show. “The Coach’s Cut” with Mike Tice, can be found on multiple platforms including YouTube.

Tice is in my top three for most colorful Vikings head coaches ever. Put Jerry Burns at No. 1 and Norm Van Brocklin second.

Darius Taylor photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Gophers’ junior running back Darius Taylor is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft but don’t think pro scouts aren’t fully aware of hamstring issues that have caused him to miss nine career games including Saturday night at California. With a bye next Saturday, the star running back and pass catcher could be a solid bet to return to the lineup for the September 27 game at home against Rutgers. Taylor led the team in touchdowns last season with 10 and is clearly Minnesota’s most dangerous talent on offense.

It’s difficult to quantify but without Taylor the Gopher offense isn’t as effective. Even with him, the program continues to struggle from a lack of explosive skill position players to catch and run with the ball. In Saturday’s 27-14 loss to California, the Gophers’ longest run from scrimmage was 27 yards by Fame Ijeboi, while receivers Javon Tracy and Le’Meke Brockington had receptions of 25 and 23 yards respectively.

For years now the Gophers have lacked “take it to the house” playmakers and it cost them again over the weekend as did an awful punt returning night by Koi Perich. In the first half he chose to fair catch a punt inside his own five-yard line. In the fourth quarter he fumbled a rolling punt and Cal recovered at Minnesota’s eight-yard line before scoring a touchdown that put the Bears ahead 24-14.

It looks now like the 2-1 Gophers could end up with a final regular season record of around .500 after losing to Cal in a game they were favored to win. Nearly certain losses await in road games against national title contenders Ohio State and Oregon. The Gophers could win or lose any of the remainder games, including September 27.

Woe are the Demons! Northwestern State has been outscored 136-0 the last two Saturdays, losing to Minnesota 66-0 September 6 and 70-0 to Cincinnati September 13.

At 31 years old and with an injury-filled career, Byron Buxton will make 2025 the first time he’s been able to play over 100 games in consecutive seasons. The Twins gifted hitter and center fielder went six years from 2018-2023 not reaching 100 games and had three seasons where he appeared in 61 or fewer games.

In 11 seasons his peak playing time was 2017 when he appeared in 140 games. Last season he participated in 102 and with the 2025 season ending September 28 he already totals 114 games played.

Rocco Baldelli is tied for third place with the late Sam Mele in all-time wins (522) by a Twins manager. Baldelli has a long way to go to surpass No. 1 Tom Kelly, at 1,140 wins, or Ron Gardenhire at 1,068.

The Lynx, the betting favorite to win a fifth WNBA championship and ahead 1-0 in its best of three opening round playoff series against the Valkyries, are scheduled for a off day on Monday before flying to California on Tuesday. Game Two is Wednesday night beginning at 9 p.m. Minneapolis time, with ESPN televising.

The game will be played at the SAP Center in San Jose because Golden State’s regular home arena, the Chase Center in San Francisco, is not available.

Best wishes to director Howard Lavick next Sunday with the premier of his new documentary film at the Cloquet High School Auditorium. “Beyond the Prize” tells the story of the legendary 1963 Cloquet boys basketball team that is revered to this day. An undersized, scrappy team, Cloquet was a fan favorite whose style and success captured the hearts of fans across Minnesota in the state tournament. It was Cloquet’s fate to lose the state championship game, 75-74 to Marshall, in one of the epic title games of all time.

Admission for the 6 p.m. Sunday event is free. Lavick, a CHS alum, will engage with the audience after the screening, as will players from that team and coach Ben Trochlil.

Tennis, in a battle with pickle ball and other recreation activities, is billing itself as “the world’s healthiest sport.” It’s a big claim but anecdotal experiences and research suggest tennis can increase lifespan and wellbeing with its physical and social benefits. For some participants, it’s almost a cradle to grave activity.

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