Vikings – Page 12 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Looks Like a Star to be Born with Golden Gophers Basketball

Posted on September 27, 2024September 27, 2024 by David Shama

Enjoy a Friday notes column on various sports that even includes quotes from former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.

The Golden Gophers men’s basketball team started official practices this week and insiders are confident the program has a special player in freshman point guard Isaac Asuma from Cherry, Minnesota.

If coach Ben Johnson didn’t have veteran guards, it’s likely Asuma would be in the starting lineup beginning with the first game on November 6 against Oral Roberts at Williams Arena. A four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and 247Sports, he was considered a top 100 player in the national high school class of 2024.

At 6-3 and about 200 pounds, Asuma has a Big Ten ready body with length and strength. He is also an unselfish playmaker with all-around physical and basketball skills that have caught the attention of observers since he arrived on the Minnesota campus earlier this year.

Isaac Asuma photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Asuma’s willingness to learn, along with his friendly and outgoing personality, is the stuff of leadership. He has a poise and charisma often not seen in teenagers just out of high school.

Put it all together and it’s apparent why the attractive Asuma is referenced as a “stud.”

The team’s established star is senior Dawson Garcia who averaged 17.6 points per game. He is the leading Big Ten Conference scorer returning from last season. The 6-11 forward from Prior Lake High School was second team All-Big Ten last winter.

A scenario Johnson, his staff and Gophers fans want to see is for Asuma to stick around for a couple of years at Minnesota and play with Cretin-Derham Hall senior Tommy Ahneman. The 6-foot-10 center’s improvement has attracted the attention of major college programs including Notre Dame where he is scheduled to visit this coming weekend. Last season’s North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year is a big target for the Gophers.

Asuma and Garcia are two of seven native Minnesotans on the Gopher roster. Women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit has 12 natives of the state.

The death last month of former Gopher assistant basketball coach Jimmy Williams reminded Minnesota sports fan Bob Klas of a Williams one liner when he was Minnesota’s interim head coach in 1986. Williams quipped: “I’m one of just two people who coaches in an arena that’s named after him.” (The other facility being the Dean E. Smith Center at North Carolina).

Eric Curry, the well-known Minneapolis area college basketball referee, plans to work 65-70 games this coming season with assignments in the Atlantic 10, Big 12, Missouri Valley and West Coast Conferences.

In the last 12 months news has surfaced about replacing Target Center and also costly renovations to improve Xcel Energy Center. The Timberwolves, if they emerge from an ownership dispute being led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriquez, apparently have interest in building a new facility in the Farmers Market area in downtown Minneapolis.

Public financing for a new Wolves arena will be difficult to secure including from a Minneapolis city council that seems most interested in grassroots and common folk agendas. “…If Minneapolis doesn’t want it, I would predict there could be more than one or more other cities that would like to bid for it, or try to get involved with the new Timberwolves stadium,” former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty told Sports Headliners. “So they’re going to have competition, I would think, if they are interested.”

Pawlenty was supportive of Minnesota’s professional sports facilities concerns as governor. He is a sports fan and values the quality of life component sports contributes to the lives of Minnesotans.

Asked about the idea of building a new multipurpose arena in Bloomington near the Mall of America for both the Wild and Wolves, Pawlenty defended the importance of Xcel and Target Center to their cities.

“With the exception of the Xcel Center, there’s not a lot of positive things happening in downtown St. Paul. In fact, a lot of negative things happening. If the Wild were to leave and not exist, I think that would present an existential threat to further threat(en) downtown St. Paul.

“So I gotta believe the St. Paul city and St. Paul legislative representatives would fight very hard to keep the Xcel Center or its future version in St. Paul. And I think the same would be true for Minneapolis.”

If the amazing Lynx make the WNBA Finals, they will have an October 18 Target Center conflict with the Timberwolves preseason game scheduled with the Nuggets that evening. The Wolves game would shift to October 17, per a local insider.

The Vikings annual game in Green Bay often prompts memories of former Pioneer Press sportswriter Don Riley who for decades wrote a pot-stirring column called “The Eye Opener.” Riley, who died in 2015 at age 92, loved to provoke the Packers and their fans.

“I never mention them as Green Bay. I just said the capital B Bushers,” Riley told Sports Headliners in 2011. He was then long retired after leaving the newspaper in 1987, with a “fan club” that included Packers fans in western Wisconsin who he insulted at banquets by suggesting they be searched for stolen silverware before leaving the facility.

Riley chose the term “Bushers” because it was “derogatory” without picking on one individual. However, he did take an occasional shot at someone including legendary coach Vince Lombardi whose wife wanted him fired from the St. Paul newspaper. “Vince told her to lay off because he’s selling tickets for us,” Riley said.

Riley built much of his controversial column’s success on bashing the Packers and Green Bay. He wrote that Green Bay had the “world’s largest toilet paper factories” and once boasted that if the Vikings didn’t beat the Pack he would push a peanut with his nose from Appleton to Green Bay. The Vikings lost, Riley never pushed the peanut, and the Green Bay newspaper accused him of having no guts.

No Minnesota sports figure is under more fire than Twins manager Rocco Baldelli who has had a front row look at his team’s depressing late season collapse. From critical emails to chants at Target Field calling for his ouster, he is a likely scapegoat for a team that in August looked like a safe bet to make the playoffs and now is a long shot.

The opinion here is it’s 65-35 Baldelli returns for the 2025 season. His staff? Perhaps 80 percent probability there will be changes.

The Lindenwood football program went Division I in 2022, one year after St. Thomas did so. Lindenwood, located in St. Charles, Missouri, defeated the Tommies 64-0 at home on September 21. The Lions come to Minneapolis to play the Gophers on September 18, 2027.

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Vikings’ Big Challenge Injuries, Not Talent & Coaching

Posted on September 20, 2024September 20, 2024 by David Shama

The way it looks now the 2-0 Vikings have the personnel and coaching to fool the preseason skeptics and play their way into the postseason, perhaps with a division title and 10-7 record.

The Vikings, forecast to win 6.5 games, have been that impressive in opening season wins over the lowly Giants and the 49ers, a Super Bowl contender. “Dissect this team all you want but the Vikings are for real,” Ben Leber, the former Viking and astute radio analyst, said Monday on X (formerly Twitter).

The roster, altered in the offseason with key additions like quarterback Sam Darnold, running back Aaron Jones, linebackers Dallas Turner, Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard, and Andrew Van Ginkel, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, and kicker Will Reichard, has blended superbly with the holdover talent.

The coaching? There’s unanimity across the country head coach and offensive guru Kevin O’Connell, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, are among the best in the NFL. Their teaching, and creativity, along with a player-friendly culture, give the Vikings an edge on other teams.

A run on injuries to key players looks like the biggest obstacle between the Vikings and realizing their goal of making the playoffs. Football is a brutal and unforgiving sport and the NFL, just two weeks into the season, has already seen gifted players sidelined—perhaps more than usual.

Christian McCaffrey, the 2023 NFL offensive player of the Year, didn’t play last Sunday for the Vikings. He is now on the Injured Reserve list as is big name quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins. The Rams have been decimated with injuries, including to star wide receivers, and the Packers are without highly paid quarterback Jordan Love for multiple weeks.

That doesn’t even begin to detail the story but the good news for the Vikings is they’re doing okay with injuries which, of course, are impossible for any team to completely avoid. Tight end T.J. Hockenson is out for at least early in the season because of a significant knee injury. That’s a major loss, and standout wide receiver Jordan Addison missed the 49ers game with an ankle injury.

Justin Jefferson image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota’s practice report on Thursday listed 10 players dealing with injuries. Addison and outside linebacker Dallas Turner (knee) didn’t participate in practice. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (both with quad injuries) were limited participants, but the former said he will play Sunday. The six other Vikings listed in the report were full participants.

As the season progresses, Vikings fans can watch with their fingers crossed on the medical front. Ideally, on most Sundays, the Vikings roster will be mostly healthy and healthier than the opposition. Put that down as the X factor for the season.

Worth Noting

The Vikings, led by Jones and backup RB Tyler Chandler, are averaging an impressive 5.1 yards per carry. “Every offense in the NFL needs to run the ball to be successful. …I have a good feeling that we’re going to be able to do that this year,” offensive tackle Brian O’Neill told Sports Headliners earlier this month.

Jones, who performed the “Lambeau Leap” into the stands at Lambeau Field while with the Packers, will now do the “Bank Vault” at U.S. Bank Stadium.

It appears the Packers let Jones sign with the Vikings as a free agent because of his age, history of injuries and salary. But the Vikings are pleased to have the 29-year-old who reportedly signed a one-year deal for $7 million, maybe $3 million more than the Packers who wanted him to take a pay cut.

Jones is an explosive runner, and he ended his Packer career with consecutive 100 yard games. “He doesn’t need much space to get going. That’s for sure,” O’Neill said.”

Hockenson’s workload has been taken over by replacement tight ends Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt. Mundt praised Hockenson for his many attributes including his football IQ and big play ability.

“Yeah, for sure. He can get in and out of cuts and he can really turn on the gas and hit it 100 miles an hour. So, yeah, he’s got a lot of great attributes and (I’ve) definitely taken some of that and implemented it into my game.”

Mundt is a practitioner of visualization away from the field to achieve success on it, drilling down to specific details. He will visualize, for example, what he needs to do to be successful on third down in the red zone.

He told Sports Headliners he creates a setting in his mind where he “can smell the turf, the grass. You’re in the stadium, you hear the crowd. You really create the setting in your mind. Then you just visualize yourself taking these steps: Snapping your eyes around, catching the ball, tucking (it away), either breaking a tackle or just hitting the right angle.”

The recent Morrie Miller Athletic Foundation fundraiser generated a record $404,000. Former Viking Jared Allen was the celebrity speaker at a banquet for the foundation that raises money for youth athletics in Winona.

“One of the nicest athletes I’ve ever dealt with,” said Agile Marketing president Patrick Klinger who coordinated Allen’s appearance.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, who designates a player each year to talk to the team about the Hawkeyes-Golden Gophers rivalry, expects a close score in Saturday’s rivalry game at Huntington Bank Stadium. The last three games have been decided by a total of 10 points.

Who has the best roster talent among the Gophers, Iowa and Wisconsin, another border rival? “I think they’re pretty similar,” said recruiting authority Ryan Burns. He told Sports Headliners: “I think it comes down to—with these three teams when they play—is what happens at quarterback.”

Race Thompson, the former Robbinsdale Armstrong basketball star who played at Indiana, has signed to play with the Memphis Hustle G League team. He’s the son of Darrell Thompson, the former Gopher record setting running back who for years has headed the local Bolder Options nonprofit benefiting youth.

Thompson’s son True, who played football for the Gophers, works at RBC in Minneapolis. Daughter Dominque, who played volleyball for Wisconsin, works for Bolder Options.

Daughter Indigo, who played volleyball at Virginia Commonwealth and San Diego State, is coaching high school volleyball in Virginia. Darrell’s wife Stephanie played volleyball at Iowa. He said Indigo “calls my wife after every game whether they win or lose to go through everything.”

Medical speculation: After the 2022 season both the Giants and Mets flirted with signing shortstop Carlos Correa but reportedly backed off because of a past ankle issue. Correa had to settle for a lesser offer from the Twins but in both 2023 and 2024 he has missed significant playing time because of plantar fasciitis. An altered gait, medical authorities say, can contribute to plantar fasciitis.

And how does a team contending for the playoffs have only two left-handed pitchers on the roster? Caleb Thielbar and Cole Irvin are both so-so veterans who in relief yesterday gave up two of the three runs in another costly loss to the Guardians.

Thielbar was the only lefty on the roster when Irvin was picked up on waivers this week from the Orioles. The Twins have been without a left-handed starter all season.

The Athletic yesterday ranked the pitching staffs of 12 postseason contending teams and the Twins are No. 12. “Bullpen has been awful and rotation depth questionable,” said The Athletic story written by Stephen J. Nesbitt and Chad Jennings.

The Wild opened training camp yesterday at the TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center in downtown St. Paul. Some training camp practices at TRIA Rink will be open to the public. Register at http://www.wild.com/openpracticesto attend an open practice session.

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Ownership Could Make a Statement Extending Coach KOC

Posted on September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 by David Shama

It appears Vikings ownership will wait until the offseason to extend the contract of head coach Kevin O’Connell who is in year three of the deal he accepted in early 2022 to take over the team at age 36. If an extension comes this fall, or later, the action will be applauded by KOC’s players.

In early August owner Mark Wilf was asked about the immediacy of extensions for O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah who also is in year three of his contract. “I think right now we’re just focusing on the season and putting those things aside for now,” Wilf said.

That’s certainly ownership’s prerogative but especially with O’Connell it’s highly likely the view of his work won’t change. A new contract now would show a commitment during a season the team is trying to prove itself as a playoff contender with a journeyman quarterback and key new players on defense. Ownership’s conundrum could be they’re not ready to extend the GM and feel uncomfortable in just giving O’Connell a new deal during the season.

O’Connell is one of the rising stars among NFL head coaches. He came to the Vikings without head coaching experience but had worked for elite coaches in Bill Belichick, Jay Gruden, Chip Kelly and Sean McVay. In three regular seasons with the Vikings his record is 21-14-0 going into Sunday’s second game of the season against the 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The resume includes a first season record of 13-4 and winning the NFC North Division championship. Last year’s team got upended when veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was lost for the season in late October.

Kevin O’Connell image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

O’Connell has a storyline showing his abilities and resolve in both favorable and challenging times. He replaced a gruff head coach in Mike Zimmer and has created an environment that players rave about. His offensive genius, including play calling and quarterback development, is something the Vikings have been in search of for a long time. He’s humble, and smart enough to know he doesn’t have all the answers, and is willing to delegate including turning the defense over to superb coordinator Brian Flores.

A random interview process in the Vikings locker room prompted the kind of enthusiasm and unanimity of support by players that is not always encountered with a head coach.

“Definitely a player’s coach,” said wide receiver Jordan Addison. “He always looks out for us in our best interests, and just a great offensive mind. I love playing in this offense. He gets us the matchup that we want. …Run a lot of different routes. Like I wouldn’t want to be in any other offense.”

O’Connell seemingly connects with all his players. “He reaches out to build a better relationship with each individual,” Addison said. “I feel like that’s cool and that’s something that’s pretty hard to do.”

Addison is a second-year player. Younger players appreciate O’Connell’s background as a former NFL quarterback and the sincerity with which he plays his role.

Rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner said he feels more comfort than pressure in the O’Connell environment. “He’s always going to do things that benefit you. He’s most definitely relatable too.”

Veteran fullback C.J. Ham is in his eighth season with the Vikings. He said KOC isn’t a screamer and doesn’t grind down players who make mistakes, while still holding them accountable.

“That’s (a) good healthy culture to have,” Ham said. “Everybody knows I have to do my job. I have to be a good teammate, be a good player. People are going to hold me accountable. I gotta hold other people accountable and do it in the most respectful way.”

Ham said that because the players know how much O’Connell cares about them “you’d do anything for him.” The even keel approach of the coach and his commitment to them is shown with consistency.

“Just who he is on a day to day basis,” Ham said. “He interacts with every single player. When you see him, you don’t have to shy away. He’ll welcome you up with open arms. Say hello and talk to you for a while. I think that’s a good healthy relationship.”

Tight end Johnny Mundt has known KOC longer than most Vikings. He played for O’Connell when KOC was the Rams offensive coordinator, including on the 2022 Super Bowl championship team.

“I love it (playing for O’Connell),” Mundt said. “He’s a great leader. He’s a great speaker. He’s a great motivator and he’s very creative, and he knows how to bring the best out of his players. I am very privileged to be a part of this team and play for him.”

Mundt knows that building and maintaining a successful culture is about a lot more than words. It comes mostly by deed and doing each day.

“Yeah, talk is cheap,” Mundt said. “But we go out there and we work, man. And he’s breathing confidence into us. He’s trying to bring the best out of us, so you know when you have that positive environment, player to player, coach to player, player to coach, it’s contagious and it’s a very healthy work environment. …When we put the pads on, put the helmets on, we’re grinding out there on the field. But yeah, it’s a lot of building each other up. So, it’s very good.”

Brian O’Neill has been one of the NFL’s better offensive tackles in the KOC era. “You play your best ball when you’re confident and you feel good about what you’re doing,” O’Neill said. “Hopefully, there’s a lot of people that are feeling confident and good about what they’re doing (and) we can all play our best ball.”

Would O’Neill love to see KOC get his contract extended during the season? “I’d love to play for him as long as I can. I don’t know how all that stuff works but I am pulling for him.”

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