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

Final Four Next ‘Win’ for New Stadium?

Posted on May 23, 2014May 23, 2014 by David Shama

This week’s announcement that the 2018 Super Bowl will be played in Minneapolis makes it even more likely the new downtown multipurpose stadium opening in 2016 will attract major events ranging from Final Fours to concerts to perhaps national political conventions, sources told Sports Headliners.

Todd Klingel, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the new stadium’s image is now enhanced because the “biggest event” is coming here. Dave Mona, the local public relations executive who was involved with the successful bid to bring the 1992 Super Bowl to the Metrodome, said concert promoters are attracted to the “hottest places” when booking tours. Bill Lester, former executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission that ran the Metrodome, said the 2018 announcement will be a “catalyst” for world-class events—possibly the Democratic National Convention.

“With the exception of the Olympics, nothing exceeds the Super Bowl in terms of eyeballs to watch it on TV and impact, and (the) buy-in you get from the corporate community and the public sector,” Lester said. “There’s nothing quite like the Super Bowl.”

Lester said the Democratic party likes stadium venues for its conventions and former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak was interested in bringing the big event to the dome. Varied events could come to the new stadium with Lester recalling the dome even hosted the Alcoholics Anonymous convention.

Earlier this year the NCAA announced Minneapolis as one of eight cities who are finalists to host the men’s basketball Final Four between 2017-2020. The Metrodome hosted two Final Fours, plus regional tournaments—with the city and its boosters receiving considerable approval by NCAA officials.

The new stadium, with the Vikings as the anchor tenant, is expected to be among the best covered facilities in the country and will meet the NCAA Final Four requirement for 60,000 seats or more. With an attractive downtown, and a region able to provide the NCAA-required 10,000 or more full-service hotel rooms, Minneapolis looks like a lock to have one or more Final Fours in the next 10 years.

The Big Ten Football Championship Game started in 2011 and has been played each year at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Minneapolis promoters are expected to make a determined pitch to have the game played here, perhaps in alternate years with Indianapolis. “I’d be very surprised if that didn’t also come our way,” Klingel said.

Lester is optimistic, too, and remembered inquiring about the football game and also the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament for the Metrodome. The new stadium also might consider a made-for-TV basketball game involving the Gophers and an opponent like Louisville matching Richard Pitino against his father Rick Pitino—a potential box office hit.

Another high profile event target for the new stadium is expected to be the national championship college football game. The game has never been hosted by a northern city and that could give Minneapolis an edge in eventually winning a bid.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority is close to choosing a stadium operator from a small candidates list of private management companies. Klingel expects an announcement “within 30 days.”

Among the operator’s responsibilities will be staffing, security, marketing and booking events for the new facility. “I don’t think there’s any question the operator will bid for everything that is biddable,” Mona said.

Mona, though, joked not to expect another Super Bowl soon. He predicted the big game could return in 2044, noting it will be 26 years from the 1992 Minneapolis Super Bowl to the 2018 game.

Klingel said there isn’t a precise figure regarding the economic impact to Minneapolis and region for the 2018 game. Indianapolis and New Orleans, the two cities that finished behind Minneapolis in the 2018 bidding for the Super Bowl, were using figures of over $300 and $400 million respectively, he said.

“Maybe it’s worth $75 million,” Klingel said, trying to be conservative. “Who doesn’t want it? It more than pays for itself.”

Super Bowl Notes

New Orleans, 10 times the Super Bowl host, had never lost in the bidding process before this week. The 2018 game was to help celebrate the 300th anniversary of the city. Rod West, a New Orleans Super Bowl presenter to the NFL in Atlanta, said he was “shocked” in a Times-Picayune online story by Larry Holder posted on Tuesday.

Holder wrote that since 2004 eight cities with new stadiums, including Minneapolis, have all been successful in being rewarded with a Super Bowl in voting by NFL owners. Among those stadiums is Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, site of the 2012 game.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay talked about the competition of Minnesota’s new stadium in a Wednesday online story by Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. “It’s always tough when you’re going up against someone that is building a new stadium,” Irsay said. “It’s not by rule but by tradition that they get awarded one. Minnesota, like us, received that kind of unwritten award of the game. It was tough competition, particularly with that factor in play.”

Don’t count on the Vikings playing in the 2018 game. Not only will the Vikings have to improve a lot, but since the first Super Bowl in 1967 only one team has played in its hometown area. In 1985 the San Francisco 49ers played the Miami Dolphins in Palo Alto, California.

Retired coach Bud Grant, who turned 87 on Tuesday, led the Vikings to four Super Bowls including the last one in 1977 against the Oakland Raiders in Pasadena, California.

Grant has been holding a three-day garage sale that ends at noon today at his Bloomington home, according to the website Gsalr.com. The website refers to “Vikings stuff” but also describes hunting and fishing items.

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GM on Bridgewater: ‘Baker’s Mitts Okay’

Posted on May 16, 2014May 16, 2014 by David Shama

The Vikings open their rookie minicamp today and it’s expected first round draft choice Teddy Bridgewater will be wearing gloves. He wore gloves while playing quarterback at Louisville and during private workouts before the NFL Draft but didn’t during his disappointing pro day performance in March.

Josh Katzowitz from Cbssports.com wrote this week that Bridgewater didn’t wear gloves at the pro day because the weather was warm. “He learned that if he became one of the best college players in America when he wore gloves, maybe he should wear the gloves when he’s auditioning for the pros,” Katzowitz wrote on Monday.

Bridgewater had a difficult pro day but in a private workout impressed Vikings general manager Rick Spielman who has no problem with gloves, even if many quarterbacks don’t wear them. “I don’t care if you put on baker’s mitts,” Spielman told Sports Headliners. “If you can throw best with baker’s mitts on, then do that. It’s what’s the result? That’s all we’re concerned about.”

There is speculation Bridgewater wears gloves because his hands are small and they help him grip the football better. Spielman said it’s not true, and that Bridgewater’s hands measure an acceptable 9 ¼ or 9 ½ inches in width.

“Everybody is acting like his hands are like tiny,” Spielman said. “They’re not tiny. They’re just a ¼ of an inch below what everybody thinks a quarterback’s hands should be. …

“You see a lot of these quarterbacks now in the NFL, especially on colder days, are wearing those gloves. I think Philip Rivers has done it. I think (Tom) Brady has done it a few times to help with their grip. But we have no concerns about that (Bridgewater wearing gloves).”

Spielman said in the scouting process he became convinced Bridgewater can properly grip the football and throw it. “No question. We spent a lot of time with that and saw it personally.”

At Louisville Bridgewater, who earned his degree in sports administration in three years, had impressive passing stats including with his accuracy. Last season, for example, he threw 31 touchdown passes and was intercepted only four times. In 35 games over three seasons as a starter, he led the Cardinals to a 27-8 record.

Bridgewater made a lot of plays in college from the shotgun formation, instead of taking the ball from under center. At his pro day he took many snaps under center and that impacted his performance too, according to Katzowitz’s story.

Before the pro day there was speculation Bridgewater would be the first quarterback drafted and maybe even the overall No. 1 pick. Katzowitz quotes legendary personnel authority Gil Brandt as saying that didn’t make sense.

“If you asked the coaches or scouts ahead of time just how good he was, nobody would have said he’s the first pick of the draft,” Brandt said. “It was a media creation.”

The Vikings found Bridgewater available at the last slot in the first round. Two other quarterbacks, Blake Bortles at No. 3, and Johnny Manziel at No. 22, went ahead of Bridgewater.

Still, with gloves or baker’s mitts, the Vikings think they may have found their quarterback of the future. They will learn more in the days and weeks ahead.

Worth Noting

The Vikings three day rookie minicamp that starts today will see media attention focused on Bridgewater and the team’s other No. 1 draft choice, linebacker Anthony Barr from UCLA. Spielman has seen so much of Bridgewater and Barr through the scouting process he has more anticipation about watching players selected deeper in the draft and also free agents.

Barr, 6-5 and 255 pounds, has extraordinary speed for a man his size and has reportedly run 4.45 in the 40-yard dash. He was among the elite pass rushing prospects in the draft despite playing linebacker for only two years in college.

New Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is a defensive specialist while new offensive coordinator Norv Turner is a quarterback authority so it will be interesting to see the results of their individual instructional work with players between now and the start of the season in September. Look for multiple Vikings to have fundamentals evaluated and improved.

Although the Vikings didn’t draft Brock Vereen, the former Gophers safety made a lasting impression on Spielman during the scouting process. “As first class of a kid as I’ve ever been around and he’s a good football player, too,” said Spielman about Vereen who was selected by the Bears on the fourth round.

The NFL owners vote on Tuesday whether to award the 2018 Super Bowl to Indianapolis, Minneapolis or New Orleans. Dave Mona, the longtime Minneapolis public relations executive who was involved with the successful drive to bring the 1992 Super Bowl to the Metrodome, said Minnesota’s winter weather reputation won’t place fear in the NFL if the city is chosen to host the game.

“The NFL will not let it (Super Bowl game) fail. They will solve all the logistical problems,” Mona told Sports Headliners while noting this area knows how to successfully deal with winter storms.

Carlos Gomez, who couldn’t win the full-time center field job with the Twins, is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated. A story on the Brewers center fielder refers to his impressive start this season and being an early candidate for American League MVP. The article also describes the lack of patience at the plate that has characterized much of his baseball career including with the Twins. The story quotes Twins manager Ron Gardenhire in 2009: “We’ve been trying to get him to calm down and get him to control the situation, and sometimes the situation controls him.”

Hockey authority Lou Nanne will talk to the CORES group on September 11 and Bethel football coach Steve Johnson will speak on November 13. Both luncheon programs will be at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

CORES emcee Dick Jonckowski is the public address announcer for Shakopee High School softball and baseball games, plus Gophers baseball. Jonckowski also is the longtime public address announcer for Gophers basketball.

The MIAC 2014 top baseball award winners are MVP, Tyler Peterson, St. Thomas first baseman; Pitcher of the Year, Justin Thompson, Saint John’s; Rookie of the Year, Ben Buerkle, Saint Mary’s outfielder; and Coach of the Year, Nick Winecke, Saint Mary’s.

The league’s softball award winners are: MVP, Lexi Alm, Saint Benedict outfielder; Pitcher of the Year, Kendra Bowe, St. Thomas; Rookie of the Year, Hannah Heacox, Gustavus Adolphus pitcher; and Coach of the Year, John Tschida, St. Thomas.

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Fans Wild about Minnesota Wild Playoffs

Posted on May 14, 2014May 14, 2014 by David Shama

In one day a sportswriter saw more people wearing Wild clothing and caps than he observed in a month this winter. Whether it’s extra chatter in office cubicles or via social media, or record TV viewership and game attendance, the Wild has captured a large audience this spring with its surprising Stanley Cup playoff performance.

Last night the Wild lost 2-1 in overtime to the Blackhawks in game six of their second round playoff series. The best of seven series is over with the Blackhawks winning four games to two but the impact of the Wild’s popularity on Minnesota sports fans, both passionate and casual, is evident.

Until this spring Minnesota had missed the playoffs five of the previous six seasons. But in April and May of this year the Wild played like one of the NHL’s better teams, defeating the Avalanche in a seven game series and playing impressively against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks.

In Wild franchise history dating back to 2000-2001 the club has advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs only twice, in 2003 and 2014. Last year Minnesota lost its opening series to the Blackhawks in five games. This year the Wild put up a much stronger fight, particularly at home feeding off the energy of frenzied fans.

Wild radio analyst Tom Reid has followed the franchise since its inception. “The interest level is phenomenal with this team,” he told Sports Headliners.

Wild telecasts attracted much larger audiences than normal. For example, the team’s game seven final last month against the Avalanche had a 16.4 household rating in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area — a record for a sports telecast by Fox Sports North. 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. Over 283,390 households tuned in to that Avalanche-Wild game. The telecast received a 32 share, signifying 32 percent of the viewing audience in the Twins Cities area was watching.

For game three of the Blackhawks series the Wild had a record home attendance of 19,416 at Xcel Energy Center, breaking the prior playoff record of 19,396 set last month against Avalanche and exceeding a regular season crowd of 19,409 earlier this spring. Game four against the Blackhawks at Xcel Energy attracted 19,405 and last night attendance was 19,396. The arena’s official capacity for hockey is 17,954.

A Wild spokesman e-mailed late last week the team has added more than 23,000 new followers on Twitter since the end of March, leading all NHL teams in percentage growth of audience during that period. Total followers are 224,000. The Wild’s website attracted more than 700,000 unique visitors during April, an all-time high.

Last night the Wild players left theirs hearts on the ice in the overtime playoff ending loss. The fans, standing and cheering the home team after the game ended, left their hearts in the stands.

Worth Noting

Reid, who played in the NHL for 11 seasons, believes third-year Wild coach Mike Yeo “has really come a long way over the last 18 months,” and is impressed with his composure during games. “What I like about Mike is he doesn’t get rattled — because that also transcends to the players,” Reid said. “If they see a coach that is up there screaming and hollering and jumping all over the place, that’s not a good sign. I played for coaches like that.”

New Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who at one time was projected to be the first quarterback taken in the 2014 NFL Draft, is likely to receive about $14 million less on his contract than the Jaguars Blake Bortles. Jason Belzer from Forbes.com wrote last Friday he is estimating Bortles, the first quarterback chosen in the draft, will receive $20,654,810. Bortles was the third player selected during the draft’s first round while Bridgewater was the last at No. 32 and his contract is projected at $6,849,502.

Rumors had the Vikings trying to move up during the first round to obtain the Browns’ pick at No. 22 and draft quarterback Johnny Manziel. Instead, the Browns kept the pick and selected Manziel who will receive an estimated $8,247,250 on his contract.

The Vikings top draft choice, linebacker Anthony Barr, was selected ninth during the first round and Belzer has his contract at $12,743,500. Belzer’s contract projections for first round draft choices are based on the NFL’s salary cap and rookie compensation pool that this year is expected to total $955 million and be split among all 32 league teams.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has made some outstanding draft choices in recent years but knows his reputation has a lot to do with whether the team solves its quarterback problem. “You are always going to be judged by the quarterback,” Spielman said.

Last week’s draft was the first for Spielman working with new head coach Mike Zimmer. Spielman was the boss regarding who the Vikings selected. “There was not a lot of discussion,” he said.

Tomorrow night Gophers football coach Jerry Kill delivers the commencement address at Mariucci Arena to undergraduate students from the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development, and then attends the 20th anniversary Bolder Options celebration at TCF Bank Stadium’s DQ Room where he will give the keynote address.

Among the entrants in next month’s Tapemark Charity Pro-Am at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul will be Edina resident Chris Meyer who has been playing on the PGA’s Latin America tour. Meyer, 23, played in the Tapemark last year but didn’t make the cut after graduating from the University of Wisconsin. “My guess is he will be very competitive this year,” said Pro-Am president Phil Callen who noted Meyer is the Tapemark’s first current pro ever from the Latin America tour.

The defending Tapemark champion is Ryan Helminen from Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah, Wisconsin. Helminen also won the tournament in 2010. He attended the University of Wisconsin with Gophers golf coach John Carlson who is also playing in this year’s tournament. Carlson won the Tapemark in 2007 and 2008.

The Southview course is short and hilly, requiring adjustments for long hitters. “Even really talented guys have to change their games,” Callen said. “There are a limited number of holes you can use your driver.”

Tapemark dates for the men’s tournament are June 6, 7 and 8. The women’s event is June 5 and 8, also at Southview. The tournament, now in its 43rd year, benefits people with developmental disabilities. Registration for pros and amateurs is still open. More at Tapemarkgolf.org.

Canterbury Park begins its live racing season on Friday as part of a 69-day race meet through September 13. The 10,000 Lakes Stakes and the Lady Slipper Stakes, both $60,000 sprint races, will be this Friday and Saturday. Saturday attractions include a simulcast of the 139th Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Canterbury Park’s nearly 1,600 horse stalls will be at capacity for only the second time since 1991 because of a cooperative marketing and purse enhancement agreement made in 2012 with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. SMSC will contribute $75 million to the horsemen’s purse structure over the deal’s 10-year span. Purses are projected to total a record $13 million this season.

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