Vikings – Page 125 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Kirk Cousins Personality Catches on

Posted on June 14, 2018June 14, 2018 by David Shama

Make a quick Google search about Kirk Cousins and include the word “nerdy.” Then read things like “Kirk Cousins is absolutely, positively every bit the nerd-dork-dweeb that he seems.”

That quote is from Steelernationforums.com last November, but online stories from Sports Illustrated and USA Today have also put the nerd and dork tag on the Vikings’ new quarterback who signed a guaranteed three-year $84 million deal during the offseason to leave the Redskins and come to Minnesota. Realclearlife.com wrote Cousins is nerdy because he and his wife stayed with in-laws to save money in the offseason. He is supposed to be frugal, obsessive and a theater geek.

Cousins’ new teammates, after practicing with him for the first time this spring as part of OTAs, told Sports Headliners their quarterback is personality-plus. “In the locker room he might be a little dorky but out here he is a fiery competitor,” said offensive lineman Nick Easton.

Backup quarterback Kyle Sloter lives in Atlanta during the offseason, the same place where Cousins spent time earlier this year. The two got acquainted in Atlanta and even more now as teammates. Sloter said at the appropriate moment on or off the field Cousins might shout out a movie quote from a film like “Happy Gilmore,” or “Dumb and Dumber.”

“I wouldn’t say that he is a nerd or a dork,” Sloter said. “He talks about ‘Lord of the Rings,’ and ‘Star Wars,’ and those kinds of things. He embraces it. That’s just really his personality. He’s a funny guy. He brings a little comic relief into our quarterback room but he knows when it’s time to be serious and all that good stuff.”

Vikings’ wide receiver Adam Thielen, who likes the personality of his quarterback, said Cousins knows every movie quote. “You couldn’t ask for a better person as a leader than a guy that likes to have fun and loves the game of football,” Thielen said.

Sloter already admires Cousins. “He’s a really genuine guy,” Sloter said. “Everybody loves the leadership that he brings. He’s a real sparkplug kind of guy so it’s been fun for me to really get in there and learn. …”

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema was initially opposed to his old team signing Cousins but he is impressed and open-minded now, describing the 29-year-old quarterback as “a class act.” Lurtsema has listened to Cousins talk and studied his background of being a late developer at Michigan State. That maturation of Cousins indicates attitude and work ethic to Lurtsema.

“This sounds terrible (but) he reminds me so much of myself,” Lurtsema said. “I was a terrible athlete but I gave you what I had cause you never know when you’re going to mature as an athlete. You might mature as a freshman in high school, a sophomore in college. You never know. Everybody is different. But if you keep giving it your best—when opportunity comes along you’re ready for it. …He (Cousins) directed himself (that way).”

Cousins didn’t come to Michigan State or join the Redskins as a star; he was a fourth round draft choice. During his six years with the Redskins he struggled a lot to win games against teams with winning records. Teams he quarterbacked lost more games than they won and he was 0-1 in the playoffs. Cousins, though, was statistically impressive and the Vikings must believe he is not only a talented quarterback but one in his prime years, and now surrounded by much better personnel than he had with the Redskins.

Lurtsema was dubious in February about Cousins and back then questioned the free agent quarterback’s leadership. Whether Cousins is nerdy or not, Lurtsema is rethinking him. “I want to be 100 percent wrong on what I said originally,” Lurtsema said. “I want to be 100 percent right on what I just told you now.”

Worth Noting

No. 2 quarterback Trevor Siemian, like Cousins, is in his first OTAs with the Vikings and getting ready for an initial season in Minnesota. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Siemian is “not an overly outgoing guy, but he takes charge in the huddle.”

Siemian is in his fourth NFL year and Zimmer said the quarterback is adapting to the Vikings’ offensive system. “He’s a guy that, obviously, has had a lot of experience,” Zimmer said. “ I think he’s catching on (to) the system well. It’s a completely different system for him. He’s been throwing the ball good. He’s got good command of the offense so far.”

Condolences to family and friends of Keith Fahnhorst who passed away this week. The St. Cloud native was an outstanding football player for the Golden Gophers and NFL 49ers.

Don’t think that Quinn Carroll, the Edina four-star offensive tackle who has verbally committed to Notre Dame, didn’t notice that the Fighting Irish had two offensive tackles taken among the first 10 selections in the first round of this spring’s NFL Draft.

If a Twins fan had a one hour commute in each direction to attend last Saturday’s Twins-Angels game at Target Field and stayed for the four hour rain delay and near three-hour ballgame, the total investment in time was about nine hours.

The actual game time was two hours and 53 minutes—one of two Twins games last week to be played in under three hours.

Gopher baseball coach John Anderson receives a well-deserved $15,000 bonus for leading his team to the NCAA Super Regional played last week in Corvallis, Oregon.

Comments Welcome

Twins Need Catching Help Now

Posted on June 12, 2018June 12, 2018 by David Shama

A Tuesday notes column:

Catcher is the position where the Twins, currently with a 28-34 record, have their biggest need. The position is unsettled on the franchise’s major league roster, and in the minor league system the talent is thin. It wouldn’t be surprising if front office decision makers Derek Falvey and Thad Levine announce a trade this month involving a catcher, or acquiring a player at another position who can help the struggling offense.

Only seven of 30 MLB teams have scored fewer runs than the Twins. Minnesota is 3-13 in one-run games, and 17-26 in games decided by two runs or less.

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto might be available. The 27-year-old is hitting .301 and is a rising star. Miami is a bad team, struggling to draw fans and has a front office that can be unpredictable.

Falvey and Levine possess some trade pieces that could be attractive to other clubs including 30-year-old starting pitcher Kyle Gibson. Despite a 1-4 record and an inconsistent career path, Gibson this season has held opponents to two or fewer runs eight times. Gibson could be expendable because the Twins have depth in their starting rotation and quality prospects in the minor leagues.

The Twins also have numbers in middle infielders and that could mean minor league prospects and veterans Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar are likely to come up in trade talks. Both are free agents after this season.

The 31-year-old Dozier, who led the Twins in home runs the last two seasons, is struggling this year with a .239 batting average. The 29-year-old Escobar, though, is hitting a career high .289 that also includes 12 home runs, three more than Dozier. The Twins could be more likely to retain Escobar because he can play three infield positions and figures to command less money as a free agent than Dozier.

Rob Fornasiere’s last day as Golden Gophers assistant head baseball coach is July 2. The 62-year-old Fornasiere is retiring from his position at Minnesota and is unsure of future plans. For now he “will take a deep breath.”

Fornasiere is paid $79,000 annually at Minnesota and he has supplemented his income with baseball camps. Fornasiere said he and his wife Ruth have worked with a financial planner and “prepared for over 20 years” for retirement, leaving the couple confident they can maintain a lifestyle they are comfortable with.

Who will succeed the popular and admired assistant who has coached 33 years at Minnesota? Fornasiere doesn’t know but he praised former Gopher Dan Wilson when asked about him. “In my 39 years as a college coach, he is the greatest kid I ever met,” Fornasiere said.

Wilson works for the Mariners where his responsibilities include scouting and it’s not publicly known whether he would have an interest in coming to Minnesota. His son Eli is a catcher with the Gophers who has proven to be a productive leader and player. Minnesota went 33-7 when Wilson was the regular catcher.

Fornasiere couldn’t have asked for a better last season with the Gopher program. Minnesota won Big Ten regular season and conference tournament championships. For the first time ever during Fornasiere’s tenure with head coach John Anderson the Gophers were able to win an NCAA regional tournament.

The dream run ended last weekend in the Super Regional against an Oregon State team with better talent and playing on its home field. Fornasiere thinks the Beavers might win the NCAA title and “arguably has” the best pitcher in the country in Luke Heimlich, 16-1. He was outstanding in a Beaver win Friday night, striking out nine Gophers in 8.2 innings.

Jim Carter, who has been a close observer of the issues that led to the lawsuit by former and current Gopher football players against the University of Minnesota, said the two sides failed to reach a settlement before the lawsuit was filed. Carter, a former Gopher football captain in the late 1960s and loyal supporter of the program under ex-head coaches Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys, said the nine players are seeking $45 million in damages, or about $5 million per player.

Carter predicted it could be a “couple of years” before the lawsuit is tried in federal court before a jury. The players allege they were the victims of racial and gender discrimination involving a 2016 incident.

Jirehl Brock, the four-star running back from Quincy, Illinois, visited the U over the weekend and spent time with No. 1 Gopher quarterback Tanner Morgan, according to recruiting authority Ryan Burns from GopherIllustrated. Burns told Sports Headliners Brock will make a seventh visit to Iowa June 22, and then a decision regarding his college choice is expected by month’s end.

Burns said Vic Viramontes decided to give up on his future as a quarterback after not meeting his expectations this spring. Viramontes wants to play linebacker and decided not to try that position at Minnesota because of the competition for playing time, opting instead to gain experience this fall in junior college, according to Burns.

Viramontes’ departure leaves the Gophers with one scholarship quarterback in redshirt freshman Morgan who has never played in a college game. That’s not only an unusual situation but a precarious one if Morgan is injured. True freshman Zack Annexstad is the backup and Burns said tight end Seth Green will be an emergency back up at the position.

The Vikings have their third offensive coordinator in two years and veteran defensive end Brian Robison sees the benefit of that for his unit. “The things that they’re doing, it kind of has changed from year to year,” Robison said. “It kind of allows us to see a broad spectrum of plays and a broad spectrum of the way the offense likes to do things. For us that keeps us on our toes and it’s kind of ever evolving as far as our learning process.”

Some NFL authorities see the Packers, with injured Aaron Rodgers recovered, as more likely to win the 2018 NFC North title than the defending champion Vikings. But Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen said he is focused on spring work at OTAs and hasn’t heard the word. “Oh, yeah, I haven’t even noticed,” he told Sports Headliners. “I haven’t heard anything about it.”

Thielen, a Minnesota native, enjoyed talking with Gophers coach P.J. Fleck at OTAs last week. “I got a ton of respect for him and what he’s doing with that program, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what they’re going to do in the future,” Thielen said.

Ross Miller defeated Robert Bell and Don Berry in a playoff to win the 47th Tapemark Charity Pro-Am at Southview Country Club last weekend. Jeff Sorenson finished two strokes behind the leaders. Sorenson shot a course record 62 this spring to win a tournament at Redwood Falls Golf Club.

Ex-Cretin-Derham Hall and University of St. Thomas basketball guard Sean Sweeney, who has been on the NBA Bucks staff since 2014, will remain an assistant under new head coach Mike Budenholzer. Sweeney is valued for his defensive expertise and relationship with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story last Friday described the two as “virtually inseparable.”

Comments Welcome

Mauer Future Looks More Uncertain

Posted on June 6, 2018June 6, 2018 by David Shama

Go ahead and speculate whether Joe Mauer’s latest battle with concussion symptoms will be a major or perhaps deciding factor in whether he continues to play professional baseball after this season.

Mauer hasn’t played for the Twins since May 18. A history with concussion symptoms is a part of his storyline as a major league player. Mauer’s well-publicized concussion in 2013 led to his switching from catcher to first base. He is and was more valuable to the Twins behind the plate, but he is less likely to sustain blows to the head playing first base.

The three-time American League batting champion hasn’t been the same hitter in recent years that he was earlier in his career. In the last four seasons (starting with 2014) Mauer has hit for averages of .277, .265, .261 and .305. In the four years prior to that (beginning with 2010) his averages were .327, .287, .314 and .324.

Dating back to high school who knows how many other concussions Mauer may have experienced in athletics? Mauer’s wife Maddie has a background in nursing and it’s a good guess her medical expertise has her more concerned about Joe’s health than many spouses would be. The Mauers have young children and concerns about having a healthy dad could play into any future decisions regarding Joe’s playing career.

Mauer is 35 and will be a free agent after this season. Known to be wise with his money, Mauer is finishing up the $184 million deal he and the Twins agreed to starting with the 2011 season. He doesn’t need to continue playing for the money and could be uninterested in what the Twins or other clubs might offer for his services in 2019 and beyond.

If Mauer wants to continue his career would the Twins offer any more than $6 million per year for two or three seasons? Does the front office really want him to return? The Twins already have at least two Mauer successors at first base in Miguel Sano and Logan Morrison. The club doesn’t need Mauer at the box office as was the case several years ago when the Minnesota native was one of baseball’s big names and the franchise was moving from the Metrodome to Target Field.

Does Mauer have the passion to continue playing? The Twins don’t look like a World Series contender anytime soon. Playing on the biggest of stages might motivate a Mauer return but perhaps only with the Twins if they were a strong postseason contender. He has played his entire big league career in his home state. With a loaded bank account, history of concussions and a young family, would Mauer really want to play elsewhere?

It’s going to be an interesting period for Mauer between now and next year.

Worth Noting

Minnesotan Tyler Simmons, along with two other amateurs and professional Jason Dufner, won the Pro-Am part of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio last week. Simmons, an insurance executive who lives in suburban Minneapolis, shot an 88 at the famed Muirfield Village Golf Club while Dufner had a 71. Playing best ball, Simmons and his partners shot 13 under par for the one day 18-hole tournament.

Dufner told the group the course rough was U.S. Open-style difficult and “the greens faster than Augusta,” the site of the Masters. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience,” said the 42-year-old Simmons who is a seven handicapper and plays at the Windsong Farm Golf Club in Maple Plain.

Mike Zimmer, who turned 62 yesterday, is the second oldest head coach in Vikings’ history. Jerry Burns was 64 in 1991, his last year as head coach.

Golden Gophers head football coach P.J. Fleck attended Vikings practice on Tuesday. Fleck had new Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins speak to the Gophers awhile ago.

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, who visited with Fleck yesterday at practice, has now gone from being undrafted in 2013 to No. 36 on the top 100 list of NFL players as voted on by his peers.

Individuals with Minnesota connections being considered for 2019 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame include Blake Elliott (Saint John’s), Ross Fortier (MSU-Moorhead) and Marcus Harris (Wyoming);

The baseball Gophers might not have junior All-American shortstop Terrin Vavra if the University of Wisconsin had a baseball program. Vavra, from Menomonie, Wisconsin, could be the best player in the Big Ten Conference. The Badgers eliminated baseball in 1991 because of budget concerns and longtime athletic director Barry Alvarez apparently has no interest in reviving it, even though Wisconsin is the only program in the Big Ten not playing the sport.

Gopher basketball coach Richard Pitino writing in his blog about Brock Stull, his Wisconsin-Milwaukee transfer guard: “Brock Stull is exactly what we needed to add with our last scholarship in the spring. He’s a Big Ten-ready guard right now. I watched a lot of film on Brock when we recruited him. I was extremely impressed when he put up 23 points versus a future Final Four team, Loyola-Chicago, in conference play. He’s tough, versatile and plays the right way.”

Blake James, the Coon Rapids, Minnesota native who has been the athletic director at Miami since 2013, recently was given a long-term contract extension with the Hurricanes, according to online reports.

There will be horse racing buzz this week when Justify tries to become a Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Trying to win for the third time since early May, the three-year-old could become the first Triple Crown winner since 2015 and only the second since 1978. Advance wagering for the Belmont starts Thursday at Canterbury Park.

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