Vikings – Page 114 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Mike Zimmer Still Confident about Kicker

Posted on November 27, 2018November 27, 2018 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column focusing on the Vikings.

Mike Zimmer is working with his fourth kicker in five seasons as Vikings head coach. There have been enough ups and downs to write a book about those experiences, with the latest tribulation coming Sunday night when Dan Bailey missed on two of three field goals.

“I still have a lot of confidence in this kid. I believe in him,” Zimmer told KFXN-FM after the game. “I watch him every single day. It was big for him to go out there and get that last one.”

Bailey’s 37-yard third quarter field goal against the Packers put the Vikings ahead 17-14 in a vital game they went on to win 24-17. The subject of field goals in a Packers game is a touchy one after Minnesota rookie Daniel Carlson missed three in the opening game for both teams in September.

That game ended in a 29-29 tie that doesn’t do much for the Vikings’ postseason ambitions. At 6-4-1 Minnesota is pursuing an NFC North Division title, or a wild card entry, to make the playoffs. Tight games in the fourth quarter could mean Bailey’s leg will be the difference in winning during the five remaining games on the regular season schedule and qualifying for the playoffs.

Bailey has made 75 percent of his field goals since joining the Vikings and all but one of his extra points. In seven previous seasons with the Cowboys he converted on 88.2 percent of his field goals.

Meanwhile, Carlson, who was cut and replaced by Bailey after the Green Bay opener, is seven of eight on field goals and a perfect eight for eight on extra points after playing in five games for the Raiders.

Former Viking Pete Bercich talking to Sports Headliners before Sunday night’s game about defensive end Everson Griffen, who rejoined the team in late October: “I think he’s working his way back. I think with defensive ends a lot of it is timing. Being out as long as he was, it’s going to take him a little bit, and conditionally, (being in the best shape). I think he’s dong all right.”

Griffen missed five games earlier this season. In six games he has 11 tackles and 3.5 sacks, with totals of 7 and 2.5 since rejoining the team for the New Orleans game October 28.

Griffen was a Pro Bowler last season for the third straight year but because of his missed time this fall the Vikings did not include him among players spotlighted to the media on Sunday encouraging Pro Bowl voting. The eight players who are being promoted for promoting and playing in the 2019 Pro Bowl are quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive end Danielle Hunter, defensive tackle Linval Joseph, tight end Kyle Rudolph, safety Harrison Smith, wide receiver Adam Thielen, and cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

In Pro Bowl voting totals released last week by the NFL, Smith was the top vote getter among free safeties. Hunter was second among defensive ends.

Although the Vikings offensive line had one of its better games against the Packers Sunday night, the unit remains among the lower rated groups by NFL authorities. A Vikings source, who didn’t want his name in print, said the club is well aware of the line’s limitations.

His view is the Vikings will have to change some personnel among starters to improve. The club wanted to prioritize offensive linemen in the most recent NFL draft but their options were limited when other teams were better positioned to make selections.

The source said his team got an athletic tackle in rookie Brian O’Neill who was taken on the second round. He said O’Neill needs to become stronger and while he won’t become a perennial All-Pro he can be a solid lineman. Earlier this season Pro Football Focus rated him the third best rookie offensive lineman in the NFL.

After Sunday’s game the Vikings ranked 30th in NFL rushing with 85.3 yards per game. That is an indictment of the offensive line and the source stressed even in today’s pass-happy NFL having an effective running game is important to creating a balanced offense.

Blake Cashman and other Minnesota natives who play for the Gophers were recognized on the field during the Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium for their team’s upset win Saturday against Wisconsin. The players displayed Paul Bunyan’s Axe in front of an appreciative crowd. Cashman simulated rowing a boat, an acknowledgment of coach P.J. Fleck’s well-known mantra.

David Raih, the Packers wide receivers coach and an Edina native, is a classic work your way up from the bottom success story. In 2008 he quit a lucrative sales job to accept an unpaid internship in the football department at UCLA, per a 2016 ESPN story. The 38-year-old Raih attended St. Thomas Academy before being a reserve quarterback at Iowa from 1999-2003.

Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs turns 25 on Thursday, and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson will have his 28th birthday on the same day.

Despite speculation Mike Grant, 61, said yesterday he isn’t planning to retire as Eden Prairie’s 11-time state champion football coach. With humor, Grant mentioned he gets along well with the EP athletic director. (For those who don’t know he is both the head football coach and AD at the school).

The Eagles lost last Friday in the 6A title game to Lakeville North. It was the second time in 2018 the Panthers have defeated EP and Grant praised Lakeville as the better team.

Eagles senior quarterback Cole Kramer, who plays for the Gophers next year, is the only 6A QB ever to start in three consecutive state title games.

Tonight there will be a dedication ceremony to rename the Hutchinson High School gymnasium for Lindsay Whalen. The legendary Hutch native, now in her first season as Gophers women’s basketball coach, will direct Minnesota against Syracuse on Thursday night at Williams Arena. Both teams are in the Associated Press top 25 with Syracuse No. 12 and Minnesota No. 20.

Whalen speaks to the Capital Club on December 20 at the Town & Country Club in St. Paul. Minnesota Wild general manager Paul Fenton talks to the group on December 12 in downtown St. Paul at the 317 on Rice Park Event Center. The networking group features prominent speakers, many of them from athletics. More information about the Capital Club is available at Capitalclubmn.com, or from Patrick Klinger, patrickklinger@klingercompany.com.

Janel McCarville, Whalen’s Final Four teammate during playing days with the Gophers, has been playing professionally this year in Sweden.

The Wild play Arizona tonight at home, and fans will continue to evaluate coach Bruce Boudreau’s decision to split up top pair defensemen Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter.

Comments Welcome

Mike Grant Not Hyping 6A Title Game

Posted on November 21, 2018November 21, 2018 by David Shama

Enjoy a Wednesday notes column:

In one of the most anticipated prep football games in years, 12-0 Lakeville North will play 10-1 Eden Prairie for the Class 6A state championship Friday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. Because of past results and reputation, many high school football observers are predicting North will win, and that’s fine with EP head coach Mike Grant.

“We’d like them to think that they should win, (and) that they have the trophy all locked up. …But we don’t feel that way,” Grant told Sports Headliners yesterday. “We just feel like it’s another game.”

Grant refers to the Panthers as a “great team,” and his Eagles lost to them 14-0 in a September game. North has many outstanding players including on the offensive and defensive lines. Bryce Benhart, the 6-9, 300-pound offensive tackle headed to Nebraska, is a marquee name on a huge offensive line. The Mostaert twins, Will and Eli, are forces on the defensive line and verbally committed to North Dakota Sate.

The Panthers totaled five first teamers on yesterday’s Star Tribune All-Metro offensive and defensive units. The Eagles had one, linebacker Collin Penn, although maybe quarterback Cole Kramer, named to the second team, should have been included, too. “With Cole Kramer, we’ve got the best quarterback in the state,” Grant said.

Grant, whose team is the defending 6A champion, knows his players need to be emotionally ready Friday night. “(Otherwise) it will be a quick night for Lakeville North, because if you don’t bring the passion, they’ll steamroll you.”

Grant will try Friday to win his 12th state championship at Eden Prairie. Part of the success formula is making adjustments in games. Grant said, “When we go in (to the game) everyone says what are you going to do? Well, it depends on what they (opponents) do. Because they’re going to make a decision on how to play us and we’ll make a decision on how we’ll attack what they’re doing.”

Asked how he has become so proficient at making in-game adjustments, Grant joked, “Well, I am old. There’s no book on it. Trust me.”

Grant grew up in a football household being around his famous dad, Bud Grant. In college he played for the legendary John Gagliardi at St. John’s. He learned about many things relevant to coaching including flexibility.

“We’re not a textbook team,” Grant said. “We don’t even have a playbook. We’re not a script team. We’re kind of flying by the seat of our pants by design, because I never understood how people scripted. What if they (opponents) lined up a certain way (other than expected)?”

Border numbers: The Packers, who play in Minneapolis Sunday night against the Vikings, are 0-5 in road games this season. The Golden Gophers, who play at Wisconsin on Saturday, haven’t won in Madison since 1994.

A writer could predict more foolish things than the Lions, 4-6, upsetting the NFC North Division leading Bears, 7-3, tomorrow in Detroit. If the Vikings, 5-4-1, defeat the 4-5-1 Packers Sunday that will tighten up the division race and calm the Purple hysteria following Minnesota’s loss last weekend to the Bears.

Most played rivalry in college football? Minnesota and Wisconsin is the answer with game No. 128 coming up Saturday.

It’s being kept quiet but a local group is working to bring the National Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament to Minneapolis next May. The five-day tournament will include dozens of prelim bouts in various weight classes for men and women. All championship bouts would be at the Minneapolis Armory. The city hasn’t hosted the tournament since 1977.

The historic Armory, whose boxing legacy includes appearances by such great fighters as Sugar Ray Robinson, will be the site of four nationally televised boxing events in 2019. That includes a February 23 date featuring Minneapolis welterweight Jamal James, and April 13 match showcasing Osseo middleweight Caleb Truax.

James, who is friends with Twins legend Tony Oliva, will do his heavy bag work and prefight training at a northern Minnesota location. That’s similar to the north woods training preference of the late Scott LeDoux, the well-known Minnesota heavyweight. James is a boxing historian and honors Minnesota fighters of the past with tributes like his training location.

Premier Boxing Events and Fox Sports have included the Armory on a short list of national venues to host world-class bouts in 2019. PBC promoter Al Haymon’s group is said to have a bigger influence over boxing than Don King once held.

The Wild will host a free, open-to-the-public outdoor practice on Saturday at the Recreation Outdoor Center (3700 Monterey Drive) in St. Louis Park. The Wild’s practice is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and last approximately 45 minutes. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as space is limited. Caribou Coffee, the official coffee of the Wild, will provide free coffee and hot chocolate to spectators.

Phil Esten, who takes over as the University of St. Thomas athletics director in January, will be in town next week to watch the November 30 Tommies-UW-River Falls basketball game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Esten first met Tommies men’s coach John Tauer when the two were students at St. Thomas.

Esten, 46, was a highly regarded administrator at the University of Minnesota years ago when he worked for athletics director Joel Maturi. Esten told Sports Headliners Maturi impressed him with his commitment to “putting values first” regardless of what was popular or easy to do.

Esten’s name has been mentioned in inner circles over the years as a candidate to be the Gophers athletics director. He has been a top administrator in athletic departments at Minnesota, California and Penn State most recently where his duties have included overseeing the football program.

Esten has Midwest roots, growing up in Wisconsin where his dad was a Division III cross country coach who won a national title and numerous conference championships. His grandparents were original Green Bay Packers stockholders and he, too, owns stock.

Esten will succeed Steve Frtiz, who is departing after 27 years as AD at St. Thomas. Esten praised Fritz for “doing a fantastic job” in helping to shape one of the most successful Division III athletic programs for men and women in the nation.

Condolences to family and friends of Ron Simon who passed away earlier this month. The former Gopher tennis player, Minneapolis attorney and pioneer sports agent was a terrific person. I helped research his 1993 book The Game Behind the Game: Negotiating in the Big Leagues. That book told compelling stories about his clients including Kent Hrbek, Kevin McHale and Paul Molitor.

Comments Welcome

Zim: Vikings Couldn’t Run ‘Worth a Lick’

Posted on November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 by David Shama

Enjoy a Monday notes column:

The Vikings had the offensive linemen available they wanted for last night’s game against the Bears in Chicago where first place in the NFC North was on the line. Health has been an issue this fall but last night the Vikings started tackles Riley Reiff and Brian O’Neill, guards Tom Compton and Mike Remmers, and center Pat Elflein.

The result? Not so good.

“We couldn’t run the ball worth a lick,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said on KFXN-FM after the game.

Minnesota had 22 net yards rushing in the 25-20 loss that sent the Vikings 1.5 games behind Chicago in the division race. The team’s leading rusher was Dalvin Cook with 12 yards.

The offensive line, scrutinized and criticized for years, had minimal push in trying to move a Chicago defensive line and linebackers that are among the best in the NFL. Those defenders also created pressure on Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins when he tried to pass, which was most of the time.

Give the Vikings credit for making adjustments that gave them a chance after trailing 14-0 at halftime. The Vikings were able to contain scrambling quarterback Mitch Trubisky in the second half after he did a reasonable impression of Minnesota legend Fran Tarkenton during the first two quarters. The Vikings went to a no huddle offense that slowed the Bears pass rush in the second half and was a major factor in Minnesota scoring 22 points.

The Vikings’ defense did enough, including causing turnovers, to turn the game’s outcome in Minnesota’s favor. The offense certainly did not and was unable to respond to opportunities. Among the most glaring failures were Cousins missing a wide open Stefon Diggs for a first quarter touchdown, and throwing a second half interception returned for a touchdown.

The Vikings, 5-4-1, haven’t defeated a team with a winning record this season including Chicago at 7-3. There are six games remaining on Minnesota’s schedule including two against teams with winning records—the 7-3 Patriots next month and a season ending rematch with the Bears. The other opponents are at .500 or near that mark.

Gophers senior linebacker Blake Cashman was named the Big Ten’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week this morning. His 20 tackles in Saturday’s loss to Northwestern was not only a TCF Bank Stadium record but the most in a Big Ten regular season game since 2013.

Before Saturday’s Minnesota-Northwestern game at TCF Bank Stadium a street vendor was hoping to sell tickets at $15 each on face value tickets about four times that amount. He was thinking about asking $5 each for the 11 a.m. game where the temperature was 23 degrees at kickoff—the fifth lowest in the stadium’s history.

The announced attendance of 32,134 was the second lowest since the facility opened in 2009. Minnesota announced a crowd of 31,068 for the Purdue game on November 10. Two Sports Headliners sources reported actual attendance was 14,000 to 15,000. If so, it’s certain the actual attendance for last Saturday’s game was similar.

There’s no question cold and rain have made Minnesota home attendance less in recent seasons than if the Gophers played indoors like they did for more than 25 years in the Metrodome. I asked athletic director Mark Coyle last week if he might consider scheduling the last game of the home schedule at U.S. Bank Stadium in future years.

Coyle said he and his colleagues hadn’t discussed the possibility. Then he offered, “…Never say never.”

Jax Café, the Northeast restaurant operating since 1933, was not running buses to the last two Gophers games because of too few customers, according to a sportswriter who has used the service.

For several months Gophers fans were excited to have Jason Bargy as the program’s only four-star recruit in coach P.J. Fleck’s 2019 recruiting class. Bargy, though, quit his high school team this fall and has academic issues that could have prevented him from qualifying for entrance to Minnesota, according to recruiting authority Ryan Burns. News reports also have Bargy involved with a domestic battery charge.

Bargy won’t be coming to Minnesota. With football National Signing Day next month, the Gophers are under pressure to find another quality defensive lineman like Bargy, who has been listed among the best players in Illinois. Burns, publisher of Gopherillustrated, told Sports Headliners the Gophers are talking to potential replacements including Darius Robinson from Michigan and Rashad Cheney from Georgia.

Cheney is a four-star recruit who has turned down Alabama and Georgia. Among interested schools Minnesota will have to beat, Burns believes, are Mississippi and Penn State. “I think Minnesota has a legitimate shot,” Burns said.

Not sure what it says about Les Miles who won a national title at LSU but needed almost two years to land another head job. I am told he aggressively pursued the Gophers’ football coaching job after Tracy Claeys was fired in late December of 2016 and now he is the new head coach at football-pitiful Kansas.

Give Gophers coach Richard Pitino credit for switching to a second half zone defense to help his team win last night’s late game against Texas A&M, 69-64. The Aggies were too easily driving to the basket for scores before Minnesota went to the zone, a defense seldom used by Pitino.

Matthew Hurt, the class of 2018 five-star Rochester basketball recruit, reportedly will wait until next year to choose his college destination but a source I respect believes Kansas is the front-runner.

The Twins may have made MLB history in hiring a coach directly from a college position, with no previous big league experience. The hiring of new pitching coach Wes Johnson from Arkansas is a Twins’ franchise first.

With front office bosses Derek Falvey and Thad Levine around, it’s a good guess that ex-manager Paul Molitor didn’t have full authority over who he hired as coaches. Maybe new manager Rocco Baldelli is in that spot, too.

If Joe Mauer had decided to play one more season, he could have provided a 2019 Twins marketing theme for selling tickets. A farewell season for the Minnesota native would have appealed to season and single game ticket buyers.

Interested in a Christmas gift suggestion? Twin Cities-based freelance writer Patrick Borzi, with bylines that include the New York Times, offers a fun read in his new book, Minnesota Made Me—a sports anthology with bios of 38 Minnesota athletes (32 are still alive). The theme: How growing up or living in Minnesota shaped them as athletes and people.

Borzi, who is married to Star Tribune sportswriter Rachel Blount, interviewed all the subjects in his book including Minnesota natives like Matt Birk, Tyus Jones, Adam Thielen and Lindsay Whalen, and other fan favorites such as Lou Nanne and Tony Oliva who flourished in the state after coming here.

There are recurring values written about in the book including strong Minnesota character. You read about Thielen using his initial pro football earnings to pay off his student loans, or Whalen’s work ethic including rising before 6 a.m. in her hometown of Hutchinson.

The foreword of the 296-page paperback is written by Sid Hartman, the soon to be 99-year-old Star Tribune columnist who probably would tell you he is “close personal friends” with most of those profiled by Borzi. “Growing up here toughened me up and helped me survive all these years in a very tough business,” Hartman wrote.

More, including order information, at pressboxbooks.com/titles/minnesota-made-me/

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