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Spielman Playmakers Explode for Vikings

Posted on September 29, 2014September 29, 2014 by David Shama

Weekend analysis and notes on the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins.

Rick Spielman was under plenty of scrutiny last winter but yesterday at TCF Bank Stadium the Vikings general manager looked like a football savant. Spielman draft choices, including rookies Teddy Bridgewater and Jerick McKinnon, led a parade of explosive plays as the Vikings out-scored the Falcons 41-28 to even their record at 2-2.

Spielman was on the spot going into the NFL Draft last spring after quarterback Christian Ponder, his first round pick in the 2011 draft, faltered in 2013 after helping the Vikings to the playoffs the previous season. Spielman chose Bridgewater late in the first round this year, even though most other teams passed on the Louisville quarterback who yesterday in his first pro start passed for 317 yards and led the Vikings offense to its best day of the season. And it was also last spring that Spielman chose an obscure running back from Georgia Southern named McKinnon in the third round. He came off the bench against the Falcons to run for 135 yards.

Receiver Jarius Wright almost matched McKinnon’s 135 yards, coming up with a career high 132 yards on eight catches. Spielman chose Wright on the fourth round of the 2012 draft and his speed blends perfectly with a giddy-up gang of young offensive talent.

That group of playmakers includes Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the NFL’s most explosive talents for catching passes and returning kickoffs. Yesterday Patterson, who probably drew extra preventive attention from the Falcons’ defense, caught two passes for 38 yards and averaged 43 yards on two kickoff returns. Patterson is one of three No. 1 draft choices Spielman maneuvered to obtain in 2013.

The Vikings showed off a think fast, move faster attack yesterday. Bridgewater processed his decisions like a veteran—sometimes tip-toed and sometimes ran away from pressure—and consistently released the football quickly and with accuracy. Several times he took off and ran with impressive foot speed, complementing the track-like acceleration and high speed motoring to McKinnon, Wright and Patterson.

Another leg came in handy yesterday, too—the right leg of third-year placekicker Blair Walsh. Yup, another Spielman find. Walsh was taken in the sixth round of the 2012 draft and replaced veteran Ryan Longwell whose leg strength was no match for Walsh. In the win over the Falcons, Walsh made four of five field goals including one from 55 yards.

The Vikings offensive line was outstanding, making it possible for the flashy playmakers to score points. And while the defense had its struggles, it was resilient enough to shut out the Falcons in the fourth quarter after Atlanta had started the period with a 28-27 lead. The Vikings made a habit of blowing games in the fourth quarter last year but that looks like a problem solved. “We hung in there and we fought,” head coach Mike Zimmer told KFAN Radio after the game.

For now why scrutinize the meltdowns of last year or Spielman’s hot seat last winter? Not after yesterday when the Vikings young offensive talent had too much juice for the Falcons.

The Timberwolves open training camp this week and players will hear owner Glen Taylor refer to Adrian Peterson. The Vikings running back allegedly abused his four-year-old son and is facing criminal charges. During the first week of training camp Taylor always talks to players about the importance of their personal conduct.

In the past Taylor’s topics included spousal abuse but not child abuse. “We hadn’t even thought of that,” he told Sports Headliners.

The NFL has provided newsmaking examples about assaults, shootings, drinking and drugs. Hornets NBA forward Jeffery Taylor, who is being kept away from his team as he awaits an October 8 court date on domestic assault charges, is a reminder that pro basketball isn’t immune from issues.

Taylor will cover various subjects in his talk including how important it is for players to be involved with the community, and also respectful toward fans. He mentioned a potential situation where a player could find himself with a fan that has had too much alcohol. “You just have to learn to walk away,” Taylor said.

Twice in the past Taylor was interested in buying the Vikings. The last time was before the Wilf family acquired the club from Red McCombs in 2005. The NFL told Taylor what it believed the franchise was worth but the Wilfs and their group of investors were willing to pay more. “I think I bid like $525 (million) and I think theirs was closer to $600 (million), and I didn’t counter,” Taylor said.

Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins is popular in Lawrence, Kansas and the Kansas City area because of his freshman phenom season for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2013-2014. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Wolves hosted an exhibition game in Kansas City in the coming years. The Missouri city was once home to the NBA’s Kings and has interest in acquiring a team again.

The Gophers’ win over Michigan Saturday was the 25th for Minnesota in the rivalry that started in 1892. The Gophers have now won more times in Ann Arbor, 13, than in Minneapolis, 12. Michigan leads the all-time series, 73-25-3.

Minnesota, 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, will probably be favored by odds-makers to win each of its next three games—at home against Northwestern and Purdue, and then at Illinois. The Gophers could be undefeated in the Big Ten going into the Iowa game in Minneapolis on November 8. Iowa is a favorite to win the Big Ten West Division but the Gophers prompted some notice as a factor in the division race by defeating Michigan.

The Purdue game on October 18 will be part of the 100th Homecoming celebration at the University of Minnesota.

The public season tickets renewal percentage for Gophers men’s basketball for the 2014-2015 season is more than 95 percent. If Minnesota impresses during the nonconference schedule it wouldn’t be surprising to see nearly all of the Big Ten games at Williams Arena sell out.

Condolences to the family of former Gopher Jed Dommeyer who passed away earlier this month. Dommeyer led the Gophers in scoring during the 1955-1956 season averaging 19 points per game.

Twins first baseman Joe Mauer finished the 2014 season with four home runs in 455 at bats. Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner had four homers in 66 at bats. Jim Kaat, perhaps the best hitting Twins pitcher in club history, hit three home runs in 83 at bats in 1964, according to Baseball-reference.com.

Former Twins players who had productive seasons included first baseman Justin Morneau who won the National League batting title with a .319 average playing his first season with the Rockies. Ex-Twin Michael Cuddyer, now a Rockies teammate, won the NL title last year. Former Twins center fielders Ben Revere and Denard Span finished fifth and sixth in the National League batting race with averages of .306 and .302. The two tied for the league lead in hits with 184 each. Revere was third in stolen bases with 49, and Carlos Gomez, another ex-Twins center fielder, had 34 to finish fourth. Span, with 31, was fifth.

No one close to the Twins will be surprised if a decision comes this week on manager Ron Gardenhire’s future. He has a record of 199 wins and 291 losses the last four seasons, losing more than 90 games per year. Gardenhire has one season remaining on his contract.

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Fans Await Word on Twins’ Leaders

Posted on September 24, 2014September 24, 2014 by David Shama

A local sports source told Sports Headliners he believes the Twins will change managers after the season ends on Sunday. “Something has to be done,” he said.

But other sources aren’t so sure the status of manager Ron Gardenhire will change after a fourth consecutive 90-plus loss season. The Twins have demonstrated a remarkable loyalty to Gardenhire who is finishing up his 14th season as manager and he has one year remaining on his contract. He is popular within the organization, and considered a “good soldier” and baseball man.

Gardenhire managed the Twins to first place finishes six times but the angst of Twins followers the last four years has raised speculation about not only Gardenhire but his coaches and the front office baseball decision makers including general manager Terry Ryan. Will Gardenhire be replaced? If he returns will he be told to replace some coaches? Will Ryan, who is recovering from cancer, be encouraged to return as the baseball boss?

Twins president Dave St. Peter and owner Jim Pohlad are silent about the future. However, it seems more likely that Gardenhire returns if Ryan is still around. Ryan is a Gardenhire admirer and the Twins don’t like to make changes. A new general manager, though? That could prompt changes everywhere—from the manager to coaches to front office talent evaluators.

If Gardenhire doesn’t return but Ryan does, the source mentioned above believes the club will look within the organization for a replacement. The candidates he mentioned are Twins coaches Paul Molitor and Terry Steinbach, and farm system managers Gene Glynn and Doug Mientkiewicz.

To many fans and media, Molitor is the most intriguing. “I think he would be a terrific manager,” another local sports source said. “They (the Twins) understand the status quo is not acceptable. I believe some change has to be made at the managerial level or beyond that.”

As a Cooperstown Hall of Famer and Minnesota native, Molitor is not only a sexy hire but one with a high baseball IQ. In the Edina resident’s first season as a Twins coach, he’s been hands-on helping with players and strategies.

Authorities like Gophers assistant head baseball coach Rob Fornasiere have long been impressed with Molitor, a former University of Minnesota All-American. He once spent four hours talking to Molitor about one subject—base running. “I admire Paul Molitor and feel that he’s one of the smartest baseball people I’ve ever met,” Fornasiere said.

Conversations among Twins fans during the winter could be interesting following a Molitor promotion. Already there is speculation that if hired, Molitor will bring former Brewers teammate and Hall of Famer Robin Yount to Minneapolis to work along side him as a coach.

Until the Twins put better players on the field—particularly quality starting pitchers—they’re not going to win division titles again but a change in managers and coaches would boost the optimism of some disgruntled fans. Target Field attendance is the lowest since the club moved into its new outdoor home in 2010. TV ratings suffer when the Twins slog their way through last place division finishes and ratings were down a month ago about 25 percent from 2013, according to a source. The Twins marketing leaders have to be concerned about future attendance, ratings, and corporate involvement by advertisers, sponsors and suite holders.

The Twins won’t be in the playoffs this October but it looks like an interesting month that will set the tone for 2015—status quo versus change. “I don’t think they’re going to let it (a decision) linger,” a source said. “I think it starts with Terry and then if Terry stays he will have the opportunity to decide on the manager. If it’s a new GM, then he will have that right.”

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Vikings Put Big Playmakers in the Mix

Posted on September 8, 2014September 8, 2014 by David Shama

Analysis and news about the Vikings 24 hours following their surprising and impressive 34-6 win over the Rams yesterday.

An ongoing complaint during last season’s 5-10-1 fiasco was the coaching staff didn’t take advantage of its playmakers. There was no moaning about that in St. Louis Sunday afternoon when the Vikings opened the regular season against the Rams.

The team’s franchise face, Adrian Peterson, was handed the ball on three of the first four plays of the game. After four quarters the All-Pro running back had 21 carries for 75 yards. He also was used as a pass receiver, catching two balls.

But that’s hardly where the story ended. Cordarrelle Patterson had three runs for a 102 yards, setting a rushing record for a Vikings wide receiver. The second-year man-child stunned observers, including the Rams, by lining up as a tailback in the I-formation and running 67 yards for a touchdown. Patterson, who seemed under utilized as a rookie last season, also caught three passes for 26 yards, and was a potential touchdownmaker running back kickoffs.

Veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings, who joined the Vikings as a free agent for the 2013 season, also seemed left out last season. Not so yesterday when he was the team’s leading receiver with six catches for 58 yards and one touchdown.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph, another man-child talent, only had a couple of receptions but one was for a touchdown pass from Matt Cassel. The Vikings veteran quarterback, who the old coaching staff started in only six games in 2013, had a good day completing 17 of 25 passes with no interceptions for a rating of 113.8.

With plenty of contributors, Peterson didn’t mind sharing the glory. “I am all about wins,” he told KFAN Radio after the game.

The Vikings had playmakers on defense too, including safety Harrison Smith who returned an interception 81 yards for the team’s last score. Smith also had a sack after head coach Mike Zimmer placed him near the line of scrimmage.

An observer had the impression that unlike a season ago the Vikings were correctly positioned on defense. Certainly Smith was yesterday and so were others including rookie linebacker Anthony Barr who applied pressure on the quarterback and was second to safety Robert Blanton in solo tackles.

Last year the Vikings seemed predicatable on defense but the team’s alignments yesterday were effective including mostly man-to-man work in the secondary. The Rams, who played the second half with their third team quarterback, weren’t the kind of offensive challenge the Vikings will face in the coming weeks but it was a praise worthy beginning. The Rams were held to 273 yards passing and 72 rushing.

At Zimmer’s news conference this afternoon he was pleased having won his first game as an NFL head coach but he wasn’t dwelling on yesterday. “We’ve got so many things we have to work on,” he said. “Our whole focus is about us getting better.”

Zimmer said because of injuries defensive starters Sharrif Floyd (tackle) and Xavier Rhodes (cornerback) are “day-to-day.”

Worth Noting

Patterson will be a guest on Paul Allen’s KFAN Radio show tomorrow morning, live from the Vikings new stadium preview center downtown. Fans that have passes will be able to attend.

The Vikings’ Scott Studwell, who has taken on a reduced scouting role as a regional college scout, said he will evaluate 200 to 300 players for next year’s NFL Draft compared with about 700 in the past.

The Vikings used a Valpak mailing last week with an insert headlined: “Don’t Get Left Inside.” Single game tickets for 2014 were promoted in the insert and also a pitch that “the only way to guarantee your seat in the new stadium is to become a season ticket member.”

Adam Thielen, the former Minnesota State-Mankato wide receiver who made the Vikings roster after being on the team’s practice squad last year, said the Gophers and then head coach Tim Brewster showed no interest in him coming out of Detroit Lakes High School. Thielen attracted almost no following from colleges while in high school and he recalled at Mankato State he received about $250 in financial assistance his freshman year. “It was real partial,” he said.

Thielen became a starter at wide receiver during his redshirt sophomore season. He was an undrafted free agent by the Vikings in 2013.

A source who spoke anonymously said former Gopher Marion Barber III who was reportedly in a hospital last June for a mental health evaluation is okay now and living in the Dallas area.

Barber’s former teammate Laurence Maroney, also one of the Gophers’ greatest running backs ever, lives in the St. Louis area where he is in the music business, according to the same source.

Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” yesterday that his department no longer owes any money to coaches who have been terminated. He also said $40 million has been secured toward the $190 million goal for improved facilities.

The Big Ten office issued a statement this afternoon announcing the reinstatement of Penn State’s eligibility starting now for the conference’s championship football game and a postseason bowl.

Fans will relive Twins memories when they work through the pages of an impressive new book from Nodin Press in Minneapolis. Twins historian Stew Thornley, franchise curator Clyde Doepner and photographer Jerry Stebbins have collaborated on a 96-page book that includes photos of championship rings, gloves, jerseys, pennants, signed baseballs, ticket stubs and other items—even a photo of organist Ronnie Newman’s bench. There are also photos and descriptions about historic achievements by Twins greats including Harmon Killebrew’s 573rd home run and Kirby Puckett’s Silver Slugger Award. The Minnesota Twins Through Memorabilia is like visiting a museum.

Twins relief pitchers have an 8.13 ERA in their last eight games. The club has lost four consecutive games and plays at Cleveland tomorrow night where the Twins starter will be Trevor May, 1-4 with a 9.38 ERA.

In case you want to wish him a belated happy birthday, former Timberwolves star Kevin Love turned 26 yesterday.

Rochester, Minnesota 16-year-old Ingrid Neel played in her first US Open Junior singles match last week in New York, losing in three sets. She and a partner lost in the second round of junior doubles in New York. Neel made news a few years ago by deciding to play boys’ tennis for Rochester Mayo High School, prompted by her belief girls couldn’t offer enough competition. She trains in Florida, with a pro career possible.

Indian Horse Relay will be at Canterbury Park September Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Twelve teams from various Native American nations compete in high-speed bareback riding, exchanging thoroughbred horses on the run. These non-wagering races feature riders in traditional Native American dress competing in qualifying races before determining a champion on Saturday. Known as America’s first sport dating back about 400 years, IHR remains culturally important to Native Americans today. IHR is co-hosted by Canterbury Park and Mystic Lake.

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