Vikings – Page 208 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Hageman Goal to Start as NFL Rookie

Posted on May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 by David Shama

Ra’Shede Hageman will have to wait another night to learn what NFL team wants him. Last evening was a disappointment for the former Gophers defensive lineman who was one of only 30 players invited by the NFL to be present for the first round of the draft.

All 32 teams passed on Hageman who had his adoptive parents and Washburn High School football coach Giovan Jenkins among his guests in New York for the draft that continues tonight with rounds two and three. The ex-Washburn all-state player could have become the first Gopher who is a native Minnesotan to be drafted in the first round since the Packers chose running back Darrell Thompson in 1990.

Chris Burke’s NFL Mock Draft in the May 5 issue of Sports Illustrated had Hageman going in the first round to the Cowboys at No. 16. “His motor ran hot and cold for the Gophers,” Burke wrote. “When he’s on, though, few can disrupt the pocket like this 6’6” monster.”

Other draft forecasters didn’t have Hageman being chosen in the first round. Hageman’s draft profile on NFL.com refers to him as a top 50 prospect, not a certainty for the first round. The profile praised his size, athleticism and mobility but cautioned about his technique and said his “motor idles.”

Jenkins told Sports Headliners last night Hageman said he will be okay. “We all know he’ll go (be drafted) tomorrow,” said Jenkins who heard the Bears, Cardinals and Patriots had first round interest.

Hageman told Sports Headliners earlier in the week he was prepared for whatever happens in the draft. His goals are to be a starter as a rookie and “work as hard as I can.”

As the radio analyst on Gophers games, Thompson watched Hageman’s college career and said recently he would be somewhat surprised if Hageman wasn’t a first round pick.

“I think he will be successful (in the NFL),” Thompson said. “I think he can be a force to be reckoned with. He’s got to learn to pay with leverage to take advantage of his strength and power. He can have an eight or 10 year career.”

What about the “motor?” Thompson believes a couple of factors are likely to motivate Hageman in the pros. In practice Hageman will face superior competition than with the Gophers. “He (otherwise) could get manhandled in (pro) practice,” Thompson said.

The other factor? “He’s playing for money now. That’s a motivator,” Thompson said.

Worth Noting

The Vikings chose Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the No. 32 pick in the first round, a surprise move Minnesota made by acquiring the Seahawks first round draft choice. In taking Bridgewater the Vikings passed on Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr who ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said last night could be the “steal of the draft.”

The Vikings preferred Bridgewater, a player who excites ESPN analyst Ray Lewis. “He has what it takes to take Minnesota to the next level,” Lewis said.

The final bid to host the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis was submitted this week to the NFL. On May 20 the league will award the game to Minneapolis, Indianapolis or New Orleans.

Dave Mona isn’t part of the Minnesota Bid Committee but he was involved with the effort bringing the 1992 game to the Metrodome. He is confident Minneapolis will be awarded a second Super Bowl, if not in 2018 then another year. “I am practically 100 percent certain we’ll get a Super Bowl,” he told Sports Headliners.

Mona, a longtime Minneapolis area public relations executive and WCCO Radio sports talk show host, said NFL owners like to reward cities that have new stadiums. The prospect of hosting the Super Bowl is commonly promoted in civic drives by cities trying to build stadiums. The new downtown facility here opens in 2016 and a Super Bowl has been in the conversation even before the state of Minnesota and city of Minneapolis agreed to fund the stadium along with the Vikings.

Mona recalled the Minnesota Super Bowl bid contingent was twice turned down before the 1992 game was awarded to Minneapolis. Along the way the group changed strategy, moving from a soft sell to willingness by Vikings general manager Mike Lynn to support favored initiatives by other NFL owners in return for Super Bowl votes. “We turned it into a political campaign and I think that’s what won it for us,” Mona said.

A veteran basketball source told Sports Headliners he believes Timberwolves president Flip Saunders also wants to coach the team. Owner Glen Taylor, though, has said he wants to keep Saunders in his present role and find someone else to coach. The source believes Saunders’ best chance to persuade Taylor that he should have both jobs is to insist he, Saunders, is the coach most likely to convince All-Star forward Kevin Love to sign a new contract next year.

Saunders, who has coached three NBA teams including the Wolves, has worked at building rapport with Love who becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2015. “I would be pessimistic about their chances to keep Love,” the source said.

The source believes the Wolves, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2004, still are a project team with multiple flaws. He questions whether Love, 25, wants to commit his future to such a franchise. His criticism of the Wolves includes point guard Ricky Rubio who he faults for fourth quarter turnovers and not making shots.

“They have to promote him to sell tickets. He does the spectacular but not the ordinary,” the source said.

It seems unlikely the Wolves will pursue fired Warriors coach Mark Jackson who is associated with controversy, including with Breitbart.com asking in a story on Wednesday if Jackson was let go at least partially because of his Christian views on gay marriage.

Taylor, who is interim chair of the NBA board of governors, has been told by the league not to talk about the Clippers and the expected forced sale of the franchise by owner Donald Sterling.

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Wilfs Don’t Know GM’s Draft Favorite

Posted on May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 by David Shama

Rick Spielman knows who the Vikings’ likely first round pick will be on Thursday night in the NFL Draft but no one else in the organization does yet.

At a news conference to discuss the draft this afternoon the Vikings general manager said he knows who he favors with the No. 8 selection but not even the owners know his preference yet. The final decision on that player will be Spielman’s.

On Thursday night what communication will there be with owners Zygi and Mark Wilf? Spielman answered the Wilfs will sit next to him that evening and be told prior to the selection. They are already aware of draft options.

Spielman accepts his leadership role and the accountability that comes with this week’s three day, seven round draft. He also accepts responsibility for drafting controversial quarterback Christian Ponder at No. 12 during the first round of the 2011 draft.

“I take full responsibility for Christian Ponder. Is he a bust? Or is he not a bust?”

Spielman said he wouldn’t consider trading Ponder during the 2014 draft because the former Florida State star is along with Matt Cassel one of only two quarterbacks on the roster. “But Christian is still a very young quarterback,” Spielman said. “He showed flashes but he just hasn’t been as consistent as you wanted yet.”

Spielman gave every indication the Vikings will draft at least one quarterback before the draft ends on Saturday. But, of course, he offered no clues who the Vikings will choose at No. 8. “You guys (the media) are missing some names on our spot (in mock drafts) at eight,” he said.

The Vikings could move down in the first round, trading their No.8 for multiple draft positions in the early rounds. Spielman said he’s already received calls from teams interested in acquiring the Vikings second and fourth round picks. “Everybody is just starting to lineup their dance partners.”

Spielman has shown a willingness not only to be accountable but aggressive in the draft. He believes taking risks is mandatory in the process to improve a team. Part of his preparation and for those who work with him is spending hours anticipating different draft board scenarios. “You’ve already kind of experienced the worst thing that can happen to you on draft day and how you would react,” Spielman said.

There are plenty of variables throughout the three days including who other teams will choose and trades that will shake-up the best of plans. It sounds like this is to Spielman’s liking.

“I love to be active on draft day.”

Worth Noting

ESPN and the NFL Network will both televise the NFL Draft Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The first round will be Thursday starting at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time. Rounds two and three are Friday beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday’s draft starts at 11 a.m. and consists of rounds four through seven.

NFL Network will offer a record 51 live hours of draft coverage starting Thursday, according to a story yesterday on Cynopsis.com. Programming will include reports from a minimum of 15 team “War Rooms.”

At noon today StubHub.com listed 515 tickets, starting at $103.65, being available for tonight’s 8 p.m. game between the Wild and Blackhawks at Xcel Energy Center.

The Wild, trailing 2-0 in the series, practiced this morning. The starting time for game four on Friday night at Xcel Energy Center will be8:30 p.m.

Sportsmedianews.com reported yesterday that last Friday night’s telecast of the Wild-Blackhawks game had an 11.1 household rating in the Minneapolis area, best ever in this market for the Wild on NBCSN. Sunday’s game had a 12.8 rating here, the best ever in Minneapolis for the Wild on NBC, according to the website.

Seldom has a potential Wild off-season acquisition been more anticipated than Thomas Vanek signing with Minnesota. The Wild need an upgrade in goal scoring but Vanek turns 31 in January. He has three goals and two assists in six playoff games for the Canadiens this spring, the kind of production the Wild could use. However, given a choice including payroll considerations, the Wild might be better off spending money on a quality goalie.

Kyle Gibson, the Twins starting pitcher with the best ERA, has already won more games than last year as a rookie. Gibson, who joined the Twins on June 29 last year, was 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA in 2013. This season he is 3-2 with a 3.50 ERA.

Last night Gibson pitched seven innings while giving up only two hits and no runs in a 10 inning 1-0 win against the Indians. Twins starters have only allowed six earned runs in their last five games and Minnesota has won three consecutive games.

Second baseman Brian Dozier, who was hitless last night, has hit safely in 19 of his last 23 games. Close observers have to wonder how much longer the Twins will have Dozier, who leads the team in home runs with eight, batting leadoff.

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GM, Coach Bios Give Vikes Draft Clues

Posted on May 2, 2014May 2, 2014 by David Shama

Anyone who claims to know for certain who the Vikings will draft first next week is hallucinating.

The Vikings have eight picks in the NFL Draft next Thursday, Friday and Saturday including the No. 8 choice in the first round. The team’s personnel decision makers have extensive information on prospects and know who they prefer and what their needs are going into next week’s seven round draft.

But locked and loaded on who to choose first? No chance.

Look at last year’s draft when general manager Rick Spielman made trades that gave his franchise three first round picks, not one. In 2012 Spielman maneuvered to secure two choices in the first round and extra picks in later rounds.

Spielman’s past willingness to make trades and shuffle his team’s draft order is a clue about what might happen next week. So, too, is the background of new head coach Mike Zimmer who made his reputation in the NFL as defensive coordinator of the Bengals. He will take his best shot at upgrading Minnesota’s defense as fast as possible. That could mean a preference in this draft for aggressive and rangy defensive players.

While the Zimmer file provides some draft clues, remember the offense looks like it will be at least partially entrusted to new coordinator Norv Turner. A former head coach and veteran quarterback authority, Turner’s views on offensive personnel figure to weigh heavily in the draft.

Opinions about the potential of the top quarterbacks are varied and controversial but if Turner is enamored with one or two prospects that could mean the Vikings stay at No. 8 in the first round, or even try to move up in the draft. Chris Burke’s mock draft in this week’s Sports Illustrated has the Vikings choosing Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles. At 6-foot-5 with a strong and accurate arm, Bortles not only has classic NFL quarterback attributes, but his intelligence also seems like a good fit for Turner’s complex offense.

Spielman has scored in the past with some quality players in the draft including tight end Kyle Rudolph and wide receiver-kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson but his reputation with fans is tarnished because Christian Ponder, his No. 12 choice in 2011, hasn’t developed into a franchise quarterback. But because Spielman was burned with Ponder doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t risk another high draft choice on a quarterback.

It’s possible the Vikings could trade up in the draft to find their quarterback, or fill a linebacker spot with highly regarded Khalil Mack from Buffalo. To do that the Vikings might trade with the Rams who have the No. 2 pick. The Vikings could offer extra lower round draft choices to the Rams, plus their No. 8 first round spot.

Probably more likely, though, is a move by the Vikings to boost their total number of picks from eight to 10 or more for what is considered a draft deep in talent. The Vikings need help at so many positions, particularly on defense, that increasing the number of draft choices makes sense. Then, too, Zimmer is expected to work effectively with players who are regarded as projects and could be lower round selections.

The 49ers, a team in need of a personnel adjustment or two to perhaps return to the Super Bowl, might be a trade partner for Minnesota. The 49ers have the No. 30 pick in the first round but they have 11 total draft choices. Burke predicts the 49ers will take Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby at No. 30 but wrote the 49ers have the “ammo for a leap up the board.”

The 49ers have six picks in the top 100 while the Vikings own four. Those are attractive numbers for both franchises. The stuff of trades but until draft day comes nobody knows for certain what’s next including those who are paid to make the moves.

Worth Noting

Burke’s mock draft for Sports Illustrated has defensive end Jadevon Clowney from South Carolina going No. 1 overall to the Texans. He predicts Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel will be the first quarterback drafted at No. 4 by the Browns.

Here’s what Burke forecasts for Vikings NFC North rivals in the first round: Lions at No. 10 choose UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr; Bears, No. 14, pick Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald; Packers, No. 21, take Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier.

Burke’s second round includes the Vikings choosing BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy at No. 40.

Gerry DiNardo said on the Big Ten TV Network Monday night Iowa and Nebraska are the teams most likely to win the Big Ten Conference’s new West Division next fall. His choices in the East are Michigan State and Ohio State.

DiNardo said the Gophers, a member of the West, need to improve their offense. In eight Big Ten games last season Minnesota was 8^th in rushing, 12^th in passing and 10^th in scoring.

The Wild, who open a second round Stanley Cup playoff series tonight in Chicago against the Blackhawks, will have tickets for Minnesota’s home games going on sale tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. at Xcel Energy Center and Ticketmaster. Single game tickets range in price from $49 to $146.

It will be interesting to follow the local TV ratings in the series. Wednesday night’s game seven first round finale between the Wild and Avalanche was the highest-rated telecast ever in Fox Sports North history. The telecast had a 16.4 household rating in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, according to Nielsen Media Research. The previous record, a 15.3 rating, was in August of 2010 for a Twins-White Sox game.

In the Minneapolis–St. Paul market, 17,280 households represent one rating point. That means over 283,390 households tuned in Wednesday night. The telecast received a 32 share, signifying 32 percent of the viewing audience in the Twins Cities area watched the game. During overtime the telecast reached its peak viewing audience with a 18.3 rating and 49 share, indicating nearly half of Twin Cities households were tuned in.

Coach Richard Pitino’s 2014 six-man recruiting class includes one Minnesota native, shooting guard Zach Lofton who attended Columbia Heights High School and is transferring to the Gophers from Illinois State. Lofton will sit out next season as a transfer and junior forward Joey King from Eagan will be the only scholarship Minnesotan on the roster.

Pitino’s 2015 recruiting class could be led by two Minnesotans, DeLaSalle point guard Jarvis Johnson and Grand Rapids forward Alex Illikainen. Both have been ranked as top 100 recruits by Rivals.com but neither has made a college commitment.

New Gophers women’s basketball coach Marlene Stollings is working on completing her staff.

The Twins lost a doubleheader with the Dodgers yesterday as part of a three game interleague series. The Dodgers won all three games in the series including the extra innings finale last night, the longest in Target Field history at 5 hours, 11 minutes.

Aaron Hicks, who has seen his playing time reduced recently, started in center field in both games. He was hitless and his average for the season dropped to .178. Last year as a rookie he batted .192. Hicks left the second game after suffering concussion-like symptoms. If healthy, and not on the injured list, it seems probable that when Twins outfielders Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia return from injuries Hicks will be demoted to Triple-A Rochester.

The National League Dodgers have a history here. The Dodgers not only played the Twins in the 1965 World Series but during the 1950s had their American Association farm team in St. Paul. The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958 but before that tried to convince the New York borough to build major league baseball’s first domed stadium. The New York Giants, who operated the Minneapolis Millers farm team here, joined the Dodgers in California in 1958 by moving to San Francisco. Before deciding on California the Giants seriously considered moving to Minneapolis.

KARE TV’s Randy Shaver will speak at the Thursday, May 8 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. Shaver, who is well known for his work in raising money for cancer research and patient aid, was a sportscaster at the station for almost 30 years before becoming a weeknight news anchor. Reservations for the lunch and program should be made by next Monday or sooner. Contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Gustavus Adolphus men’s tennis team won the MIAC regular season championship for the 26th consecutive season. This year’s title is the 47th for the program since 1940 and the fifth for head coach Tommy Valentini since taking over the program in the 2009-10 season. Within their run of 26 straight league titles, the Gusties won 242 consecutive MIAC matches.

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