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Collective Makes Significant Impact on Gopher Football

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

Dinkytown Athletes, the official Golden Gophers collective involved with Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for University of Minnesota athletes, launched in July of 2022 and sold its first memberships to the public in September of that year. DA, led by Derek Burns and Robert Gag, faced a skeptical Minnesota sports public but interest in boosting the coffers of the collective is documented in a report shared recently with Sports Headliners.

Active paying members were up 156 percent year-over-year in the spring of 2023 and 180 percent in the fall of last year, per “The Dinkytown Difference Football Case Study.” The document doesn’t specify dollar amounts, but the opinion here is DA has become competitive with other collectives supporting major college football programs including many in the Big Ten. (Editor’s note: DA is a Sports Headliners advertiser.)

Darius Taylor photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Without the growth in financial support for DA from contributors, the Gophers wouldn’t be returning 16 starters from last season’s team. Among returnees are standouts including sophomore running back Darius Taylor whose 799 yards rushing last season was fifth best in school history for a true freshman despite missed playing time when he was injured. Taylor’s NIL earnings are estimated at six-figures. For sure being rewarded, too, with NIL earnings are other Gophers including Aireontae Ersery, rated the best returning offensive tackle in college football by Pro Football Focus.

In a new era where players on the existing rosters of college football teams have to be re-recruited, the transfer portal window is an anxiety producing time as programs look to both retain and add personnel. For the 2023-2024 portal period the Gophers coaching staff led by P.J. Fleck lost three transfers to Power Five programs including starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. Minnesota gained eight transfers, giving the Gophers a net gain of 94 games in playing experience, according to the Dinkytown difference document.

Rivals.com gave Minnesota the second highest grade among Big Ten teams last spring for its work in acquiring talent in the transfer portal. Minnesota’s B grade was surpassed only by Washington’s B+.

Minnesota’s eight transfers include promising running back Marcus Major from Oklahoma, former state No. 1 recruit and edge rusher Jaxon Howard from LSU, plus needed help at wide receiver where Cristian Driver from Penn State and Tyler Williams from Georgia. The biggest transfer prize looks like FCS transfer Max Brosmer from New Hampshire.

As a startup, founders Burns and Gag learned money needs to be in place before the transfer portal opens. In the 2022-2023 portal the Gophers lost 10 transfers to Power Five programs. Minnesota gained two transfers during that period resulting in a net loss of 115 games in Power Five playing experience, according to the document.

Among the players leaving the Gophers was cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr., who became a 2023 All-American at West Virginia. Austin Booker made all-Big 12 as a defensive lineman for Kansas. Defensive lineman Trill Carter was the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year playing for Texas.

Worth Noting

Steve Erban said his company will be taking about 600 Gopher football fans to Minnesota’s October 12 UCLA game at the Rose Bowl. Creative Charters has almost sold out its availability.

Just added to the football fan travel lineup is a trip to the November 9 Rutgers game. Erban said the trip experience will include a visit to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, New Jersey.

Speculation is Viking safety Lewis Cine, the team’s top draft choice in 2022, will not be a member of the team when roster cuts are made later this summer. Cine, selected last in the first round with the No. 32 pick, has been a disappointment during his career and appears to be way down on the safety roster in training camp.

In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Cine played in three and seven games respectively, and started in none. It now appears that Cine, and cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., who was the team’s second player taken in the 2022 draft, will be draft busts. Booth Jr. was traded last week to the Cowboys for cornerback Nashon Wright.

The most important performance yesterday in the Vikings’ 24-23 closing seconds victory over the Raiders may have been the winning field goal by rookie kicker Will Reichard. In the opening preseason game for both teams the Vikings got a clutch 38-yard boot by Reichard who is trying to win the kicking job after Minnesota released veteran Greg Joseph in the offseason.

Adding to the drama at U.S. Bank Stadium yesterday, Reichard had his first field goal attempt as a pro blocked, and Raider kicker Daniel Carlson kicked three field goals including a 56-yarder. Carlson was released by the Vikings after his first two games as a rookie in 2018. He’s been with the Raiders ever since where he’s become one of the NFL’s best, and the hasty decision by the Vikings to cut ties remains among the worst in recent years for the franchise.

An interesting individual matchup in Viking training camp is rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner going against stud offensive left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Turner, a first-round selection, had a sack yesterday and looks like a game-changer.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the game his top two quarterbacks, newcomers Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, are “ahead of where I thought they would be at this point.” It’s believed that Darnold, an NFL vet going into his seventh season, is almost certainly the starter for the regular season opener at the Giants September 8.

Rookie McCarthy made a couple of underwhelming throws in the first half, including an interception. In the second half, he threw two touchdown passes with velocity and touch on the football. Darnold played only one series, the opening drive of the game.

The Twins finish their four-game series today against the Guardians who have lost two of the first three games against Minnesota at Target Field. Cleveland holds a 2.5 games lead in the AL Central Division but has lost seven of its last eight games and is 17-23 since June 26.

The Guardians are the smart choice to win today with ace starter Tanner Bibee going against Minnesota rookie David Festa. Last Monday, though, Festa impressed in a win over the Cubs, giving up two hits and no runs in five innings.

Twins president Dave St. Peter is a college football fan and will attend his first game at Michigan Stadium when Texas plays Michigan September 7. “Excited about it,” St. Peter said. “Never been to the ‘Big House’ so it will be a fun experience. I am certain of that.”

This will be the 14^th trip he and friends have made to well-known college football venues.

Target Field has a history of hosting college football games with regional teams and interest remains in future bookings, but St. Peter told Sports Headliners nothing is on the “calendar for the next few years.”

Look for Twins games to be on cable/satellite next season, plus directly to the consumer via streaming. Comcast viewers who finally have the Twins back on cable this summer by paying a higher monthly fee may have to pay more of the same for Timberwolves and Wild telecasts.

Owen Presthus, grandson of former Golden Gophers basketball captain Paul Presthus, is an outstanding soccer player and a few days ago was signed by Columbus Crew 2 to an MLS Next Pro contract.

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Twins Hope for Early Leads in Timely Series with Cleveland

Posted on August 8, 2024August 10, 2024 by David Shama

In their most important series of the season so far, the Twins are advised to at least split their four game upcoming series against the Guardians at Target Field.

The Guardians are 5-0 this season against the Twins and lead Minnesota by 3.5 games in the race to win the American League Central Division. A Guardians sweep of the four-game series with the Twins that starts tomorrow afternoon (Friday) could make it quite unlikely Minnesota will win the division.

It’s extreme to think that on Sunday night Cleveland will be 9-0 on the season against Minnesota. Also extreme is the thought of a Twins sweep that would put the Twins in first place and boost Minnesota’s chances of being in the division lead through the last day of the season on September 29.

Even losing three of four will not be cheery news for Minnesota, while winning three would be a confidence booster. The way it looks right now the Twins are likely to and need to at least split the series.

The Guardians, 67-47, and the Twins, 63-50, will have one final series in September. Minnesota will play four games in Cleveland, September 16-19.

The Guardians have the best home record in the American League at 35-20 and 15 games over .500. In three home games in April against the Twins, the Guardians outscored Minnesota 19-8.

Twins president Dave St. Peter was asked earlier in the week about his view of the upcoming series: “It’s significant, obviously. We have an opportunity to make a dent in their lead. We clearly are playing at home, so these games are of the utmost importance.

“They’re really good (the Guardians). They’ve had our number to this point and so we’re obviously going to have our hands full.

Dave St. Peter (photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

“We know what their team is about. A lot of quality players, great defense, great base running. We know their bullpen is elite. So, we’re probably going to have to get to their starters and try to get to them early on with the hopes that we can kind of control games. And I think that will be one of the keys to the Guardians series.”

Only four teams in MLB have given up fewer runs than the Guardians with 452. Their saves total of 38 is second only to the National League Cardinals.

Bailey Ober is scheduled to start either tomorrow afternoon’s game or the night game at Target Field. He is one of three top of the staff pitchers for Minnesota that St. Peter was asked about.

“You know, I think our pitching has been great. We know there’s another gear. Pablo Lopez, we’ve already seen him pitch in the biggest moments (postseason 2023). We expect him to be great down the stretch. Joe Ryan has had a really, really nice year. Another step forward. And Bailey Ober over the last few months has been one of the better pitchers in baseball.

“So, I think we’re really confident about those three guys and believe they give us a great chance to win every chance they take the ball. So that’s going to be necessary if we’re going to hunt down the Guardians.”

Ryan had to exit yesterday’s game against the Cubs in the third inning because of triceps tightness in his right arm. Preliminary status is concern, with hope the injury will not sideline the seven-game winner for long.

The other two starting pitching spots in the rotation have been in flux over the course of the season. Most recently the four and five spots have gone to rookies Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa.

St. Peter said who fills those spots the balance of the season is likely to come from a mix of Richardson, Festa, Chris Paddack and Louie Varland. Paddack is on the IL list with a right forearm strain, while Varland has been pitching effectively for the Triple-A Saints.

A couple of those guys may figure into the bullpen plans, too. St. Peter predicts that, and he likes the relief pitching on his club which has been effective and could improve with even better performance and depth in the last two months of the season.

The Twins like reliever Justin Topa who they acquired from the Mariners in the offseason only to see him sidelined with a left knee injury. Topa is getting back into form with the Saints and St. Peter is “very excited” about his return to the Twins.

“We haven’t seen him pitch since spring training so that’s going to be huge for us and we’re still very confident Brock Stewart (right shoulder strain) will find his way back here as well.

“And we mentioned Paddack and Varland, both of those guys could also end up in our bullpen, just as they were last year in the postseason. So, we think there’s a lot of depth to our bullpen right now. We like that part of our team a lot.”

The Twins are trying to make the postseason for a second consecutive season. Fangraphs gives Minnesota a 33.4 percent chance to win the division and 51.1 percent likelihood to qualify for the playoffs as a wild card entry.

The Twins positional players can field, and score runs. Shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton are among the elite defensively at their positions in MLB. There are other fielding standouts, too, including the combo of Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda at third base, and Max Kepler’s capable work in right field.

The club ranks eight in runs scored in MLB with 552, fueled by a lineup of productive hitters including Lewis who has hit 14 home runs in 125 at bats. Correa is hitting over .300 and so, too, is Miranda who is bouncing back from a miserable 2023 when he had a shoulder injury.

Outfielder Matt Wallner, who St. Peter said might hit the ball harder than anyone on the roster, has been a key contributor to the offense since being recalled from the Saints in early July. He is hitting .311 in his last 15 games.

The bummer for the Twins is injuries have sidelined Lewis and Correa for extended periods. While Lewis is playing now, Correa hasn’t been in a game since July 12. Buxton hasn’t played in the last three games after colliding into the fence while making a catch. And there are the injuries already mentioned that pitchers are dealing with.

“We like our club a lot,” St. Peter said. “We think it’s a pretty good team. So, we gotta try to get healthy and stay healthy.”

Whoever is available for the Twins this weekend is likely to feel the energy from large crowds at Target Field. “…It’s certainly something we’re counting on during this upcoming homestand,” St. Peter said, while adding the club still has plenty of tickets to sell.

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Twins Deal with Blue Jays for Bullpen Help at Trade Deadline

Posted on July 30, 2024July 30, 2024 by David Shama

The Twins made a late afternoon deal to acquire reliever Trevor Richards from the Blue Jays in return for minor league infielder Jay Harry. Richards, 31 years old, is 2-1 with a 4.64 ERA and has struck out 49 batters in 52.1 innings this season. He has one save in his MLB career that dates back to 2018.

Harry, 22, was a Twins sixth round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and has a .248 minor league average in 404 plate appearances.

The Twins were able to make a deal on a day it was thought they might acquire even more pitching help. A prime trade prospect for the Twins might have been Rockies starter Cal Quantrill who is affordable at reportedly $6.5 million and under team control next season. A 15-game winner with the Indians in 2022, he is not a power pitcher but can cover bulk innings and could have fit in the back of the starting rotation providing quality starts.

Twins management presumably thought the cost was too high in money and/or in parting with their own players to acquire a Quantrill, or similar talent. Richards has about $710,000 remaining on his 2024 $2.1 million deal for the Twins to pay, according to Mlbtraderumors.com. He is a free agent after this season.

The Twins did add starting pitching depth today recalling veteran Randy Dobnak from the Triple-A Saints, according to multiple media reports. Dobnak, pitching better of late, was last with the Twins in 2021.

The hope from the Twins is that Richards and the 29-year-old Dobnak, both right handed journeyman pitchers, can contribute to a few more wins in a division race that finds the Twins 5.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central Division. Even without a division title, Minnesota is a solid contender for a wild card entry in the playoffs.

A contending Twins team through the end of the season and then participating in the playoffs can boost fan interest and the franchise’s coffers. And Twins fans know the budget conscious ownership group runs a cautious operation with scrutiny. Right now the Pohlads can look at home attendance and see that the 23,203 average per game at Target Field trails last year’s final of 24,371.

If the Twins fall out of contention in August or September for a playoff spot, average attendance will decline from what it is now. Fans can generally be categorized into two groups: those more interested in the charm of being at the ballpark with all the on-field and stadium pleasantries, or those who prioritize winning and are frustrated the club hasn’t been to the World Series since 1991, or even made a deep playoff run.

The first group is likely to diminish in numbers in September when school starts and the club’s promotional schedule winds down. Those that want to win now won’t be buying tickets for the rest of the season if they feel frustrated (again).

The Twins reportedly cut payroll by $35 million last offseason and are expected to be budget cautious for 2025. After winning the division title and first round of the playoffs in 2023, there are unhappy fans who say the club didn’t build on that success including a high-end contract to bring back staff ace Sonny Gray.

To the front office’s credit, though, the club has assembled a talented and productive roster of positional players and hitters. It’s a core group, too, with mostly under 30 players.

The starting pitching lacks depth but the Twins can argue the top of the rotation starters— Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober—is enough to make the team a tough out in the playoffs. The starting staff probably didn’t get a big boost at the trade deadline, nor did the so-so bullpen.

Led by Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, the Twins have made successful moves in assembling their roster while working with limited payroll. More money doesn’t guarantee success. The Mets, with a 56-50 record, have the highest payroll among MLB teams, $313,112,204, per Betmgm.com. The Twins rank No. 19 among 30 clubs at $128,865,502.

Some clubs do more with less including the 64-42 Guardians who rank No. 27 in payroll at $100,242,718. Twins’ fans know that’s the way their club operates, too. It was true yesterday, it’s true today and will be tomorrow.

Worth Noting

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and his French Olympic team defeated Japan in overtime today, 94-90. Gobert had 7 points and 15 rebounds.

Joe Mauer and Royce Lewis were both overall No. 1 MLB draft choices, with the Twins having to decide if they wanted to select pitchers instead of those two position players. When the Twins drafted Mauer in 2001, there was opinion that Mark Prior was a better option. Turned out, though, Mauer became one of the best catchers ever and Prior had a disappointing five-year run with the Cubs before injuries ended his career after the 2006 season.

The results may not be so one-sided between Lewis and Hunter Greene who the Reds chose with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. Lewis, mostly playing third base and being a hitting sensation, has been a wunderkind for Minnesota when available but he has also been a medical curiosity with the many injuries that have sidelined him in the last three seasons. Greene, after two so-so seasons in the bigs, is turning heads this summer with a 7-4 record and 2.97 ERA.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith, 35, is still admired by football authorities. He was named to the NFL’s Top 100 recently landing at No. 93 in the annual vote by league players rating the best of their peers. “I still think he’s a good player. I really do,” a former NFL executive with two franchises told Sports Headliners.

Golden Gopher senior Aireontae Ersery today was named to the Outland Trophy watch list by the Football Writers Association of America—the award that honors the best interior lineman in college football. The 6-6, 330-pound Ersery is college football’s best returning run-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus, and is PFF’s highest graded returning offensive tackle.

Gophers’ featured running back Darius Taylor was named yesterday to the Maxwell Award watch list—the award presented annually to the outstanding player in college football. Taylor is one of eight sophomores among the 80 candidates.

John Butler, the former Gophers assistant coach under Tim Brewster, was hired this month as Nebraska’s secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

Brewster, BTW, is in his first season as associate head coach and tight ends coach at Charlotte. Brewster was Minnesota’s head coach for four seasons, from 2007-2010. His resume includes five seasons as an NFL assistant, and seven jobs as an assistant at Power Five programs.

Former Gophers basketball player Jamal Abu-Shamala is the organizer of early Tuesday morning pickup games at Lifetime in St. Louis Park. Former college players participating include ex-Gophers Andre Hollins, and brothers Dan and Joe Coleman. Abu-Shamala has about 50 emails he uses to target commitments from around 13 players for the 6 a.m. start most Tuesdays.

Bill Guerin might make some lists of NHL general managers on the “hot seat” for next season, but he made fans happy yesterday when the Wild announced the signing of Minnesota native and former Gopher hero Brock Faber to an eight year $68 million contract that runs through the 2032-2033 season.

National Speakers Hall of Famer Walter Bond, the former Gophers basketball player, will talk to the Capital Club breakfast group August 18 at Mendakota Country Club. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

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