Twins – Page 158 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ex-Bridgewater Teammate Top Prospect

Posted on January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 by David Shama

It’s possible that with the No. 11 pick in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft the Vikings will choose a former teammate of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. DeVante Parker was a much targeted wide receiver when the two played their junior seasons at Louisville in 2013.

Parker, 6-3 and 210, is one of the best wide receiver prospects for the 2015 draft. Although Parker doesn’t have elite speed, he has quickness and has shown ability to get open and make yards after a catch. In 2013 he gained 785 yards on 55 catches while scoring 12 touchdowns.

After his junior year he considered coming out for the draft but remained at Louisville. A broken bone in his foot last season limited him to seven games but he had team best and impressive stats—855 receiving yards, averaging 19.9 yards per reception and 122.1 yards a game.

The Vikings have multiple needs including offensive line, linebacker and in the secondary, but it might be difficult to pass on Parker, a player Bridgewater knows well. Bridgewater established himself as the team’s No. 1 quarterback during the 2014 season but the passing game has plenty of room for improvement.

The Vikings were 29th in the 32-team NFL last season in touchdown passes. They had 17 touchdown throws and 18 interceptions, making them one of three teams in the league with more interceptions than touchdowns. Minnesota’s average pass gain of 6.9 yards ranked No. 25 and only four teams had fewer pass plays of 40 yards or more than the Vikings with seven.

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the team, said “absolutely” he believes the front office should select a wide receiver with the No. 11 pick who can stretch the field. “You gotta get the corners off, get the corners to back up and respect you,” he told Sports Headliners. “Teddy Bridgewater is the real deal.”

Lurtsema learned to admire Bridgewater during the season including the poise of the 22-year-old and how teammates warmed to him. “He’s a great kid,” Lurtsema said.

Bridgewater was named to the All-Rookie Team by the Pro Football Writers Association, according to an announcement today. The Vikings had a 6-6 record in his 12 starts. He completed 259 of 402 attempts (64.4 percent) for the third-highest completion percentage among rookie quarterbacks in NFL history.

Bridgewater’s 85.2 passer rating ranks as the seventh-highest passer rating among rookies in league history and best for a rookie in Vikings history. He led all rookie quarterbacks with 224.5 passing yards per game. He threw for 14 touchdowns and had 12 interceptions.

Worth Noting

Lurtsema has a lot of praise for another Vikings newcomer last season. He compares head coach Mike Zimmer’s no baloney style with legendary Bud Grant. “Zimmer is out of sight,” Lurtsema said. “Players love playing for him. … He tells it like it is. He’s got a little Budism. He’ll tell you the truth.”

Later this month the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee will consider former Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff among 18 finalists for induction into the Canton, Ohio shrine. Tingelhoff played in 240 consecutive games over 17 seasons with the Vikings. He participated in six Pro Bowls.

Former Vikings running back Clinton Jones, who played collegiately at Michigan State, is part of the 2015 College Football Hall of Fame group announced by the National Football Foundation.

Giovan Jenkins, who played at Washburn and later became an assistant coach, is resigning as head football coach for the Minneapolis high school. In March he will become a volunteer assistant for the Gophers.

“I am very excited for the opportunity of a lifetime,” Jenkins told Sports Headliners. “It was a tough decision.”

During his 14 seasons as an assistant or head coach, the Millers compiled a 109-34 record. They won 13 city championships, appeared in six section playoff finals and one state tournament. Jenkins had many outstanding players on his team including Jeff Jones, a Rivals.com four-star recruit in 2014, who hopes to be the starting running back at Minnesota this fall.

Jenkins will continue his position as ninth grade dean of students at Washburn. Moving up into a college football role is something he’s thought about for years. “Leaving home is never easy,” Jenkins said. “I bleed orange and blue.”

With the Gophers Jenkins’ assignments are expected to include on-campus recruiting and analyzing game films. “It will be an opportunity to learn college football at the highest level from some of the best people in the business,” he said.

No announcement has been made about Jenkins’ successor at Washburn.

Aaron Hicks, 25, has played parts of two seasons in the major leagues for the Twins but hasn’t established himself as the team’s regular center fielder. In 150 total games with 467 at bats the athletic center fielder’s batting average is .201. Twins president Dave St. Peter recently told Sports Headliners it can take time for the “game to slow down” for some players and noted Torii Hunter, who became an All-Star, went “back and forth” between the majors and minors before establishing himself as one of the Twins’ best players ever.

St. Peter said there is no update on whether former manager Ron Gardenhire will accept an offer to stay with the organization. Gardenhire’s role hasn’t been defined. St. Peter said after 13 seasons leading the Twins, Gardenhire has earned the opportunity to set his own schedule regarding future plans.

Glen Taylor, the longtime Timberwolves owner, is the new owner of the Star Tribune and the Mankato-based billionaire meets monthly to be advised about the newspaper. Taylor said his daughter, Jean Taylor, represents him and typically meets weekly regarding newspaper details.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program Sunday that he expects four newcomers to participate in spring practice which begins March 2. Kill said he wasn’t sure if NCAA policy allowed him to identify them on the air. One player is known to be Iowa Western Community College transfer Charlie Rodgers, a defensive back. As a junior college player, he was allowed to sign his National Letter of Intent last month.

Kill also said among players who have been injured and unable to play, defensive lineman Scott Ekpe is the only one not expected to participate in spring practice. Ekpe, a junior, made his first career start in Minnesota’s opening game in 2014 but suffered a season-ending knee injury.

The Gophers will be looking to find a replacement for record-setting senior running back David Cobb. Kill mentioned multiple candidates but the most surprising name was Josh Parks from Chisago Lakes. Parks is a redshirt freshman and preferred walk-on who joined the program last year. His senior year in high school he averaged 9.5 yards per carry and was named third team all-state.

National Football Signing Day for high school players is February 4. Kill said the Gophers 2015 recruiting class may total about 23 players.

Zac Epping, who started 47 consecutive games on the offensive line for the Gophers and this fall was named first team All-Big Ten by the media, has retained Minneapolis-based attorney James Selmer of Selmer Sports Management as his agent. Epping is preparing for the NFL Draft with the help of Gophers strength and conditioning coach Eric Klein, and offensive coordinator and line coach Matt Limegrover.

It won’t be surprising if the College Football Playoff National Championship is played in Minneapolis within the next several years. Last night’s first ever game was hosted by AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The 2016 game has been awarded to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa will host the 2017 game. Arlington and Glendale have retractable roof stadiums while Raymond James is open air.

The College Football Playoff is run by FBS schools including the Big Ten. With schools represented from all over the country there is likely to be sentiment for staging the championship game in varied locations including the north. The new domed Vikings stadium is scheduled to open in 2016 and its only competition to host the national title game within Big Ten country comes from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Ford Field in Detroit. With the Minneapolis stadium expected to be state-of-the-art and among the newest NFL covered football facilities in the country, odds seem high the city will one day host the game. Stadium promoters can already boast of booking the 2018 Super Bowl and 2019 Final Four.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, the Vikings and SMG announced recently that Patrick Talty has been hired as SMG’s general manager for the new Minneapolis stadium. SMG is contracted to operate and manage the facility on behalf of the MSFA. Talty joins SMG from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where he most recently served as the senior vice president of Live Events. Talty’s career experiences include assistant general manager for the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

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U Needs Another ‘Echelon’ on Road

Posted on January 9, 2015January 9, 2015 by David Shama

The Gophers basketball players have been reminded the Big Ten schedule is a different “neighborhood” than the “walk-in-the-park” nonconference games they experienced during November and December. The Gophers, for example, still rank second nationally in both steals and assists per game—11.7 and 18.6 averages—but in Big Ten games only, those numbers are 8.7 and 11.3.

Other stats including overall field goal percentage are down in conference play, too, but the most important number is this: 0-3 in the Big Ten heading into tomorrow’s game at Michigan. Instead of playing inferior nonconference teams like Franklin Pierce, Seattle and Southern, Minnesota has of late been dealing with Big Ten opposition including nationally ranked Maryland and Ohio State. The Gophers were 11-2 in nonconference games and are now 11-5 overall.

Gophers point guard DeAndre Mathieu credits Big Ten teams with impressive preparation for his team. “Teams are really scouting us. I think (when) we played Purdue they said they practiced…seven guys on the court at one time. Teams are (also) doing a good job of challenging our shots. Things like that.”

A loss tomorrow and the Gophers will start 0-4 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 2011-2012 season. Two of the three losses have been by a total of six points and the schedule makers have given the Gophers only one home game (last Tuesday night) among their first four games.

“It’s the best league in the country for a reason,” said Gophers center Elliott Eliason. “It’s just if you don’t bring it every night you’re gonna get beat. We’ve played some really good teams. They’ve made the plays. You gotta give them the credit. They beat us.”

Eliason said the Gophers are playing with determination and want to win, but he won’t guarantee a victory in Ann Arbor against 2-1 Michigan. “It’s really tough on the road. You gotta play even another echelon above when you play at home, because things aren’t going to go your way. Breaks are just not gonna happen, seems like on the road.”

The Gophers lost by four points at Purdue and by 12 at No. 9 ranked Maryland. Tuesday night Minnesota lost by two points in overtime to No. 20 ranked Ohio State. Senior guard Andre Hollins said the Gophers “definitely” are the equal of the teams who have defeated them. “(We’re) just taking ourselves out of the game, not making winning plays, is what’s wrong with us.”

Worth Noting

Hollins, who last season was the team’s leading scorer but now is third at 12.4 points per game, missed all six of his first half field goal attempts against Ohio State and was scoreless. He came into the game converting three of 19 shots in his previous two games. In the second half Tuesday night he was three of seven on field goal attempts and finished with 12 points. “I was shooting the same way (in both periods),” Hollins said. “It was just going in.”

Eliason grew a thick beard for six weeks that drew attention from fans and media when the Gophers played at Purdue on December 31. But he said coach Richard Pitino put the “kibosh” on the beard and he shaved it off. What was the coach’s reasoning? “I don’t know,” Eliason said. “He just said get rid of it and I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ “

Sports historian Dana Marshall e-mailed that on January 5, 1957 the Gophers pompom girls, “organized by Bob Patrin,” made their debut at Williams Arena in a game against Illinois. Marshall, the student manager on the Gophers 1960 national championship football team, also noted Minnesota won the game.

The Gophers men’s hockey team also will be in Michigan this weekend. Coach Don Lucia’s team (10-5-1) has games in Ann Arbor tonight and Saturday against the Wolverines (10-7). The series between the two programs dates back to January 23, 1923.

Michigan coach Red Berenson has 798 career wins while Lucia has 661. They rank second and third in Division I wins among active coaches. Boston College’s Jerry York has 974 career wins—the most among both active and former coaches.

Club president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners “never say never” but the Twins are unlikely to add additional free agents to their roster. Their major free agent signings since the end of last season include pitcher Ervin Santana and outfielder Torii Hunter. “Our roster is pretty well set,” St. Peter said.

The team’s full season ticket equivalents sale was 17,500 last year and St. Peter predicts by the start of the 2015 schedule the total will be in the 13,000 to 14,000 range. Twins spring training tickets go on sale tomorrow. The club expects to sell 100,000 or more tickets for its home games in Fort Myers.

The 19th annual Timberwolves Shootout is tomorrow at Target Center and fans can watch four high school basketball games. Central High School of Omaha, Nebraska plays Apple Valley in the first game starting at 9:15 a.m. North Scott from Eldridge, Iowa faces Cretin-Derham Hall at 11 a.m., followed by Morgan Park of Chicago and DeLaSalle at 12:45 p.m. The last game at 2:30 p.m. has Rice Lake, Wisconsin against Champlin Park at 2:30 p.m.

Twenty-seven future NBA players have participated in past Shootouts including Jrue Holiday, DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love and Josh Smith. More than 200 participants went on to play Division I basketball.

Condolences to former Gophers football player and Minneapolis businessman Mark Sheffert and wife Jennifer after the death this week of Jennifer’s mother Orlu Severson. Orlu was the wife of former St. Cloud State basketball coach Red Severson.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association will honor coaches of the year at its awards banquet on March 28 at the DoubleTree in St. Louis Park. The award winners and their football classifications are: 9-Man, Gary Sloan, Grand Meadow; Class 1-A, Charles Adams, Minneapolis North; Class 2-A, Luke Mitchell, Holdingford; Class 3-A, Mike Kesler, Rochester Lourdes; Class 4-A, Dwight Lundeen, Becker; Class 5-A, Rex King, Simley; Class 6-A, Jeff Ferguson, Totino-Grace. The state Coach of the Year representing all classes will be announced at the banquet.

Ferguson, along with Paul Miller from Apple Valley and Steve Solem of BOLD, will also be recognized as new coaching members of the MFCA’s Hall of Fame. John Sherman of Sun Newspapers will be honored in the Hall of Fame citation division.

The City of Edina will hold an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Braemar Golf Course Clubhouse to share the draft Braemar Golf Course Master Plan and receive feedback. The presentation is open to anyone interested in the plan. Braemar’s address is 6364 John Harris Drive.

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New Gophers Football Facility Set for 2015

Posted on December 28, 2014December 28, 2014 by David Shama

Ground breaking and construction on the much talked about and coveted new Gophers football facility will begin next year, according to a donor who is providing $15 million.

Although the Athletic Department has yet to make an announcement, Janis Larson told Sports Headliners Gophers football coach Jerry Kill will get the facility he says is needed to make his program competitive with others in the Big Ten. The building will be named the David and Janis Larson Football Performance Center.

Janis is the widow of David Larson who passed away unexpectedly at age 70 last fall. Her husband was a University of Minnesota regent and loyal Gophers football fan. He raved about Kill’s work in turning around the football program and praised the coach’s high character. “He had my back,” an appreciative Kill said last fall.

The two men became friends not long after Kill was named the Gophers coach in late 2010. Larson, who had been one of Cargill’s top executives, once gave $500,000 to the football program to pay for tutors, laptops and also enhancements to the weight room.

The new football performance center will make a lasting statement about the Larsons’ commitment to Gophers football. “We talked about it before he passed away,” Janis said. “He knew about it.”

The facility will be three stories high, Janis said, and with all its components—including much needed indoor practice space—will put the Gophers in a competitive recruiting situation with other Big Ten programs. The total cost for the building, according to another source, could be at least $25 million.

The Gophers’ present indoor facility was built in the 1980s at a cost of $5.5 million. It has many deficiencies including a roof so low punts bounce off the ceiling. The building is acknowledged to be at or near the bottom when compared with those of other Big Ten schools.

This year Kill reportedly told recruits the Gophers would start breaking ground on a new facility in 2015. He also voiced confidence about the building becoming a reality when talking with Howard Griffith from the Big Ten Network last August. “There’s no question I am looking forward to the new facility,” Kill said. “We have to have that. That’s been kind of a deal in recruiting, and so coach Kill has put a lot of pressure in that situation. That’s going to come through.”

But Gophers fans have rightfully fretted about whether the facility would become a reality for Kill’s 2015 timeline. The football building is part of an overall $190 million campaign to upgrade athletic department facilities. Department officials have been mostly quiet about fundraising progress—and regarding the football complex a spokesman recently said construction will start “as fast as humanly possible.”

The concern has been that if Kill doesn’t see the football facility become a reality he will leave Minnesota and find a program where resources are in place and winning is more of a priority. Gophers’ fans don’t want to lose a popular coach who delivered trophy game wins over Michigan and Iowa this season, and now is preparing his team for the school’s first January 1 bowl game since 1962.

“I can’t imagine him leaving now,” Janis said. “He is a genius.”

That’s how her husband thought of Kill, too. David and Janis have also been admirers of the coach and his wife Rebecca for their volunteerism and caring for others inside and outside of football.

The Larsons wanted to make sure their friends are here for a long time.

Worth Noting

Janis Larson will be the guest of University of Minnesota regents for Thursday’s Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl game in Orlando when the Gophers play Missouri. Buffalo Wild Wings is based in the Minneapolis area. Sally Smith, CEO and president, is expected to attend the game and present the bowl trophy to the winning team.

Sports handicapper Kelly Stewart made the Gophers her top pick against the spread in 38 college bowl games, according to the December 19 Reviewjournal.com. The Gophers have been a 5 to 5½ point underdog to Missouri but Minnesota has excelled this season at beating the spread.

Before the season the number was set at six by handicappers for the Vikings’ total wins this season. Gamblers who took the “over” six on wins are celebrating the Vikings’ victory today against the Bears and final season record of 7-9.

The Bears finished 5-11 and in last place in the NFC North Division. Rumors are Minneapolis-born Marc Trestman and his coaches will be dismissed soon.

Fox color commentator Brady Quinn had the understatement of the telecast today when he said this about Vikings rookie Teddy Bridgewater: “This is the quarterback of the future.”

First-year Vikings coach Mike Zimmer raved about Bridgewater after the game on KFAN Radio, but said the 22-year-old does need to improve during the offseason including becoming stronger. “I love this kid,” Zimmer said. “He’s got so much composure. He’s so accurate. …He’s everything you want your quarterback to be and he’s a winner.”

Bridgewater completed 17 of 25 passes for 209 yards. The 68 percent completion percentage was the first time in the last five games he has been under 70 percent.

Adam Thielen, the Detroit Lakes native who was bypassed by Division I schools coming out of high school and was on the Vikings practice squad last year, was all smiles after catching a 44-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater. The reception was his first NFL touchdown catch and the Vikings lone TD in their 13-9 win today.

The Gophers basketball team was impressive again on Saturday, winning 108-82 over UNC Wilmington. The Seahawks lost at No. 4 ranked Louisville earlier this month by only 11 points but the Gophers used a 34-9 late first half run to easily win their eighth consecutive game. Minnesota now has an 11-2 record, finishing its nonconference schedule with wins by 28 points or more in five of the last six games.

Gophers senior point guard DeAndre Mathieu, who scored 13 points and had 11 assists against UNC, left the game late in the second half and didn’t return. He was hit on his right elbow and some fingers became numb. Both he and coach Richard Pitino said there are no concerns about Mathieu’s right hand as the Gophers prepare for Wednesday’s Big Ten opener at Purdue. “He likes attention,” Pitino teased.

Senior guard Andre Hollins said his right turf toe injury didn’t slow him down on Saturday. He doesn’t expect the toe, which he hurt in the Seattle game on December 10, to be a problem at Purdue.

The Gophers were outrebounded by UNC 39 to 27 and Pitino said if there is a concern going against Purdue it’s on the boards. He described the Boilermakers as a “very, very physical” team. Freshman forward Vince Edwards leads the Boilers in rebounds at 6.1 per game but they also have a pair of 7-footers in freshman center Isaac Haas and junior center A.J. Hammons. The 7-2 Haas and 7-foot Hammons are both averaging 5.2 rebounds.

WCHA commissioner and former Angels communications executive Billy Robertson is an avid baseball fan who predicts the Twins will be the “most improved team” in the American League in 2015. He believes the Twins will tie for third place in the AL Central with the Indians. He projects the Tigers will win the Central with the other AL division winners being the Angels and Red Sox. The A’s, Orioles and White Sox will be AL Wild Card entries for the playoffs. In the World Series it will be the Red Sox over the Dodgers in seven games.

Coach John Tauer’s St. Thomas men’s basketball team is 8-1 and ranked No. 6 nationally by D3hoops.com. No other men’s MIAC team is in the D3hoops top 25.

The Tommies are the only Division III men’s team in the country with six players averaging in double figures. Those players are Marcus Alipate, Bloomington, Jefferson; Taylor Montero, Cretin-Derham Hall; Conner Nord, Eden Prairie; Ryan Saarela, Lakeville North; Grant Shaeffer, Eden Prairie; and Cortez Tillman, Cretin-Derham Hall.

During the past six-plus years the Tommies’ 87 percent winning percentage is the best in the country among 417 Division III programs. UST has won nine consecutive MIAC titles, with nine straight NCAA tournament appearances and 20-plus wins during those years.

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