Vikings – Page 186 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Dutcher Understands Rick Pitino Role

Posted on May 25, 2015May 25, 2015 by David Shama

Rick Pitino has used the media to defend his son Richard Pitino this year. After the Gophers stumbled to a disappointing 6-12 Big Ten record and no post-season play, the legendary Louisville coach pointed out his son Richard—only in his second year of rebuilding at Minnesota—had no all-conference players to work with. Then earlier this month the elder Pitino disclosed his son seriously considered the Alabama coaching vacancy but wasn’t interested because he hadn’t established himself as head coach of the Gophers.

Rick was “proud” of Richard for demonstrating humility and perspective in making the decision, according to a May 8 Amelia Rayno story in the Star Tribune quoting from Pitino’s interview on “The Jim Rome Show” two days earlier.

Gophers fans have been surprised to find two Pitinos speaking for the Minnesota men’s basketball program. Jim Dutcher offered interpretation and opinion on the subject. Dutcher is a qualified source since he is a former Gophers head coach, follows the program closely and also has a son in major college basketball coaching.

Brian Dutcher has been Steve Fisher’s top assistant at San Diego State for years. The two have built a ho-hum program into one of the best on the West Coast, and as of late the Aztecs have a superior resume to Minnesota’s. Fisher is already past retirement age and Brian has been labeled “head coach in waiting.”

Gophers fans had read the rumors Richard Pitino’s name was on the candidate list for the Alabama job. When Dutcher later read Rick Pitino’s comments about the Alabama situation and why his son decided to remain at Minnesota, his reaction was “here’s daddy just trying to make something good come out of this.”

To Dutcher it’s obvious Pitino is making statements to protect his son. Dutcher believes that’s also what happened back in March when Rick made it clear Minnesota’s talent isn’t what it needs to be and Richard isn’t responsible for inheriting a bare cupboard. “Richard can’t say that but his dad can, so you gotta read through it and say this is what Richard thinks,” Dutcher said.

While it might bother Gophers fans that Rick, 62, is speaking for Richard, 32, Dutcher sees a protective parent at work using his platform as one of college basketball’s most prominent coaches. Dutcher, though, isn’t interested in going public with statements about Brian and his career.

“It’s not a role that I would play in Brian’s thing,” Dutcher said. “I get asked all the time why isn’t he the head coach? I say because it’s Steve’s job, and I don’t take it any further than that.

“Do you want your son to do well? Absolutely. Are you defensive about any criticism he may get? Absolutely. How you handle that. …I guess to each his own. I try not to be critical (the Pitinos). I just see it as a dad trying to be defensive in the defense of his son.”

While some may see Rick Pitino’s actions as meddlesome, Dutcher doesn’t. “That’s what fathers do,” Dutcher said.

It wouldn’t be surprising if there are more supportive comments coming from the older Pitino about his son. “When it’s parents speaking in defense of their children I give them a lot of leeway,” Dutcher said.

Worth Noting

Dutcher picks Maryland to win the Big Ten title next season. He added that Michigan, with injured star Caris LeVert returning for 2015-2016, will be a contender.

At 32, you wonder if conditioning and many years of basketball toil didn’t drive Janel McCarville’s surprise announcement to not play this season for the Lynx. McCarville played four seasons for the Gophers, then in the WNBA including the last two seasons for the Lynx where she was a major contributor as the team’s starting center.

Devan Dubnyk, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, reportedly earned $800,000 during 2014-2015 but perhaps could get a $1.8 million salary next season as part of a new three-year deal with the Wild, a hockey source told Sports Headliners. If the 29-year-old goalie had played a key role in taking the Wild to the Stanley Cup finals this spring he might have commanded $3 million next season.

ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said on the NFL Draft telecast April 30 the tackling of Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes was sometimes a “liability.” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told Sports Headliners his first round draft choice has “made some pretty good tackles on (video) tape.”

Vikings fans will have to decide if there are tackling issues with Waynes. “The biggest thing with our corners in this (defensive) scheme is to be able to cover,” Spielman said.

Former Gophers wide receiver Isaac Fruechte only caught 18 passes (one touchdown reception) in Minnesota’s ground-focused offense last season but the Vikings added him to their roster for now. “He just came in and did a good job during our rookie minicamp,” Spielman said. “You could see the size (6-3) and the speed. He caught the ball well. We felt that coming out of that camp that it was worth giving him an opportunity.”

Former Vikings running back Dave Osborn speaks to the “Breakfast with Leroy” group on Saturday, June 13, at the Bloomington Knights of Columbus, 1114 American Blvd West. A breakfast buffet precedes Osborn’s remarks, with more information available by contacting Pat Rickert at 612-861-3981. Group attendees are mostly athletes from the Minneapolis public schools in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, many of whom went on to college and professional careers.

Minnesota native Tom Lehman couldn’t hold an early lead last week in the 76th Senior PGA Championship in French Lick, Indiana. Lehman finished seven over for the tournament while champion Colin Montgomerie was minus eight after final play yesterday. Don Berry, the Edinburgh USA head pro, also played in French Lick but didn’t make the cut.

Both Berry and Lehman are former winners of the annual Tapemark Charity Pro-Am in West St. Paul. This year’s Tapemark for men will be played June 12, 13 and 14 at Southview Country Club. Berry, eight times the tournament champion including last year, is expected to participate again.

Doug Mientkiewicz, manager of the Twins Double A Chattanooga farm team, said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle program yesterday German native Max Kepler is “night and day” the most improved player on the roster. Kepler, who leads the team in hitting with a .345 average, can play all three outfield positions and first base.

Mientkiewicz also talked about center fielder Byron Buxton’s extraordinary speed, describing him as special when sprinting from third base to home plate.

When asked to identify a player most ready to help the Twins, Mientkiewicz said relief pitcher Zack Jones. He is 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.

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Spielman Expects ‘Big Year’ from AP

Posted on May 15, 2015May 15, 2015 by David Shama

The Vikings begin OTAs later this month. Whether Adrian Peterson will show up for the organized team activities isn’t known. Neither general manager Rick Spielman nor coach Mike Zimmer will say specifically when Peterson will join the team.

“We expect Adrian to be back,” Spielman said. “We expect Adrian to have a big year for us.”

The OTAs aren’t mandatory for Vikings players but the club’s June 16-18 mini-camp is. Peterson’s $250,000 contractual workout bonus is tied to participation in both, according to an April 20 story on Espn.com by Ben Goessling.

Although Peterson missed all but one game last season and is 30 years old, Spielman expects a high level of performance from the future Hall of Famer. “I think everybody saw what he was able to do coming off his ACL and how he performed the next year. Adrian is just different than most players I’ve been around from a physical nature.”

Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards in 2012 after the ACL injury and surgery that prematurely ended his 2011 season. Because of an NFL suspension last season Peterson only rushed for 21 yards on 75 carries. The absence of playing time and loss of a potential 1,500 yard season could one day prevent him from becoming the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.

Zimmer doesn’t expect Peterson to negatively impact team harmony whenever he does show up. “I don’t think there will be any issues, no,” Zimmer said.

Although Peterson has become a controversial figure because of using a switch to beat his son, he has many supporters in the Vikings organization who are looking forward to his return. A comment heard from insiders is Peterson has a “good heart” and has been proactive in helping others in the community.

Worth Noting

Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil was a Pro Bowler after his rookie year in 2012 but struggled last season, drawing lots of criticism. But he had knee problems and that was a factor in his play. Kalil had offseason surgery on both knees. “He understands he needs to play better,” Zimmer said.

Zimmer admires how a less than 100 percent Kalil was a gamer last season. “There was one week I didn’t know if he would make it. He’s never missed anything. He always shows up. He tries to fight as hard as he can for the guys.”

Another disappointment last season was wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson who as a second-year pro was inconsistent in his route running. Zimmer has watched Patterson this spring and is encouraged. “I’ve been impressed with the things that he has done.”

Former Gophers wide receiver Isaac Fruechte, who was added to the Vikings roster this week, said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle program last Sunday that during workouts earlier this year he ran about a 4.4 40-yard dash.

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, who the Gophers face at TCF Bank Stadium in their nonconference season opener on September 3, is the favorite for the 2015 Heisman Trophy, according to a Tuesday story by Si.com. The Sports Illustrated article points out the senior quarterback is one of 10 starters returning for an offense that was second nationally in scoring at 46.4 points per game.

The Big Ten will have more than the usual number of great players next fall, probably none better than Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa who could be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft. The Gophers play at Ohio State on November 7.

It will be an offense versus defense format tomorrow when coach Glenn Caruso and his Tommies have their spring football game at Palmer Field in O’Shaughnessy Stadium. The game begins at 1 p.m. and is part of the Tommies’ practice preparations for their summer trip to Italy that includes a football game and cultural experiences. Admission to tomorrow’s game is free.

The Wolves are investing $49 million in the $129 million Target Center renovation project but team owner Glen Taylor doesn’t expect work to start this year as hoped. He talked to Sports Headliners about a fix up in 2016 and 2017. The city will invest $74.5 million and AEG, the company that manages the building, will contribute $5.5 million. Target Center, which opened in 1990, originally cost about $104 million.

Taylor is joining Dr. Bill McGuire and others as an investor in the hoped-for Minneapolis MLS soccer franchise. Plans include an outdoor stadium to be built near the Farmers Market downtown. The facility would be open air. A long soccer season could begin in late winter and run into late October. Taylor was asked if the Minneapolis weather causes a concern about playing outdoors.

“I think we should try to work to have the Vikings facility available for some of those extreme cases where the weather would be too bad or something like that,” Taylor said. “In the long run we’d want to do that. We don’t have anything yet. Nor has the Wilf family (Vikings owners) indicated that they have any interest, but I just think that when you get everything going and stuff like that you should have cooperation. …”

The Vikings ownership has an exclusive option to operate a new Minneapolis MLS franchise inside the new domed stadium set to open in 2016. That option is for five years after the facility opens but the MLS is working with the McGuire group. Taylor believes that because the city and state, in addition to the Vikings, are paying for the stadium, the facility should be open to hosting some soccer there if the weather dictated.

At today’s Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority board meeting, the Vikings and the Wilf family will commit an additional $14 million toward the new stadium, bringing the team’s increased private contributions since stadium legislation passed to $89 million and the overall team/private commitment to $566 million. Nearly $13 million of the $14 million will be for the stadium’s television system, including over 2,000 HDTV monitors.

The Twins are 2-7 against the Tigers this season after yesterday’s loss in Detroit. Minnesota is 7-11 on the road but 12-5 in Minneapolis where the Twins open a weekend series starting tonight against the Rays. The Twins are 18-10 overall since April 15.

With a longer season and record purses projected, Canterbury Park begins its live racing season tonight with post time at 6:30 p.m. Racing continues Saturday and Sunday at 12:45 p.m. The 70-day racing meet, the longest at the Shakopee racetrack since 1992, runs through September 12. Jockeys, trainers, and owners will be competing for record purses of approximately $14 million.

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Chad Greenway Special on & off Field

Posted on May 11, 2015May 11, 2015 by David Shama

Earlier this month the Vikings announced Chad Greenway was the team’s Community Man of the Year. Several weeks earlier he won the prestigious Byron “Whizzer” White Award presented by the National Football League’s Players Association—the highest honor awarded by the NFLPA. The annual award recognizes players who “go above and beyond to perform community service in their team’s cities and hometowns,” according to the Vikings.

Anyone familiar with Greenway’s off-the-field work to help others wasn’t surprised by the latest honors. He has been involved with a variety of efforts such as starting his own foundation to assist children with education and health needs, donating $100,000 to Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, working in his native South Dakota to raise awareness about concussions, and helping with the America Needs Farmers campaign. And those commitments by Greenway are only some of the give back endeavors for the Vikings linebacker who is about to start his 10th season with the team.

At 32 years old, this might be Greenway’s last NFL season. During an exclusive interview with Sports Headliners covering various subjects, he wouldn’t say for sure what he will be doing a year from now. He is one of the franchise’s best linebackers ever, having twice been a Pro Bowler and a second team Associated Press All-Pro in 2012. Three times teammates have voted him Vikings defensive MVP.

Greenway grew up on a farm near Mount Vernon, South Dakota. He played nine-man football in high school. A quarterback and free safety, he led the team to consecutive state championships. At Iowa he became a two-time All-Big Ten linebacker before the Vikings drafted him in 2006 with the No. 17 pick of the first round.

Greenway’s wife Jennifer is a former track and field athlete at Iowa. The couple has three daughters.

Here is a Q & A with Greenway:

Why so much involvement with community work? “Wanting to give back to the community, I wanted to use the platform of the NFL as a springboard to give back to kids and families who were in either desperate need or (had) a specific need.”

Your motivation to help others is extraordinary. Where does that come from? “It snowballed. We (he and Jennifer) started our foundation with the idea of wanting to help families. As we got going we became more and more passionate. After we had our children, we became more passionate.”

What’s your philosophy of life? “Live for your family. Live for your kids as a dad. Be a great husband. Just take it one day at a time.”

What are you and ex-Viking Bob Lurtsema trying to accomplish with the South Dakota concussion initiative? “Awakenings. Specifically awareness to youth in football, and coaches and trainers, but mostly just educating players so they know what to look for in their teammates’ eyes.”

If you were to single out one community honor you received what would it be? “Well, the one honor that is the most significant is the Byron “Whizzer” White Award only because we’re going to be able to start our grant funds for families based off of that. (Greenway’s Lead The Way Foundation will receive a $100,000 donation.) It’s going to help a lot of families.”

What’s the reason this might be your last season? “Because I give everything to the game, and there’s only so much you can ask of your body. We’ll see how it all shakes out but this could be my last year and I would be excited about that. But also knowing that I could continue to play and be excited about that too. So it’s really up in the air. You give everything to the game and it’s going to take bits and pieces of you, but you can’t let it take too much.”

What are the chances you will be back next year? “That’s a hard question. I don’t know. I can’t answer that.”

After you’re finished with football what will you focus on? “My kids and my wife.”

What is it people don’t understand about being a pro football player? “It’s hard work everyday.”

What was the most fun you ever had playing football? “High school because we won two state championships with my best friends growing up. I’d played with them since I was four years old, five years old. To win two state titles with those guys was the ultimate experience.”

What is it fans better believe about the 2015 Vikings? “We’ll compete and we’ll improve.”

After one season what is your impression of head coach Mike Zimmer? “He’s a competitor. He’s impressive.”

How do you describe the importance of voluntary and mandatory spring practices for the Vikings? “Team building, camaraderie, education, (and) learning the defense.”

Who is the greatest Viking you ever played with? “Oh, gosh. Kevin Williams. He was a great teammate.”

If you quit the Vikings today you could walk away knowing what? “Knowing I did everything I could during my career to be content and happy with my effort, and what I did for the team and organization.”

Who is the person that most impacted you? “My parents, just always being there and always giving everything they had to us kids, and giving us opportunities.”

When growing up in Mount Vernon what was your thought about an NFL career? “Near impossible.”

Who were your sports heroes growing up? “Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Kent Hrbek.”

Eleven years after leaving the Hawkeyes, what are your thoughts about the Gophers-Iowa rivalry? “Go Hawks!”

Between Jennifer and you, who is the better athlete? “My wife. She is tougher. She is more competitive.”

What is the best TV show? “Oh, God, I don’t watch TV anymore. Tour de France.”

When it comes to music, nothing beats: “Classic country.”

Favorite artist? “Waylon Jennings.”

My kids make me laugh when: “They’re angry.”

Does that happen a lot? “Yeah, I have three girls.”

There’s nothing better to eat than? “My grandma’s cookies (chocolate chip). She uses real butter.”

Who are five famous people from the past or today you would invite for dinner? “Abraham Lincoln, probably the most influential American. George Washington. Bradley Wiggins…he’s a Tour de France champion cyclist. He’s an Englishman (Greenway is part English). Brett Favre (also), that would just be fun. He’s a great time. And LeBron James.”

My worst personal habit and why: “I am not much of a habit guy. Not too many bad ones.”

Does your wife get on you about stuff? “Of course. Maybe not putting my dishes in the dishwasher (for a bad habit). Say that one. I’ll have her read that.”

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