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Advice to Vikings: Get Johnny Manziel

Posted on April 18, 2014April 18, 2014 by David Shama

Who says Johnny Manziel isn’t worth risking a high draft choice for?

“Draft experts” ranging from sportswriters to seamstresses, that’s who. But “experts” from sportswriters to Sunday school teachers also say he is worth the gamble.

Here’s the point: there’s no sure draft prospect. Never has been. Quarterbacks who became Super Bowl champions had doubters going into the draft and later. Roger Staubach, a 10^th round pick, had to shake off the rust of a U.S. Navy stint before joining the Cowboys. John Elway, it was said, couldn’t put enough finesse on his passes but he sure made the Broncos a champion. Tom Brady played in the shadows at Michigan and was a sixth round draft choice before helping the Patriots become an NFL power.

Manziel, at 6-foot (maybe), is too short to play in the NFL. He’s more interested in being a celebrity than a winning quarterback. He’s not worth the risk to a team like the Vikings who have the No. 8 pick in the May 8 NFL Draft.

That’s the kind of stuff you hear. Maybe you endorse the chatter. Everybody has an opinion about Johnny Football who combines a strong and accurate arm with the athleticism and vision to dart around the field as if Fran Tarkenton stepped out of a time machine.

“Nobody really played like I played. This kid plays like I did more than anybody else,” Tarkenton told Jim Corbett in a March 11 Usatoday.com story. Tarkenton also said he would like to know more about Manziel’s off-field activities like leaving the Manning Passing Academy early.

Now everybody, please admit this much: Manziel has made the build-up to the 2014 draft more interesting than the usual prelude.

Some mock drafts have had Manziel being drafted by the Vikings, potentially adding a quarterback who will improvise on plays and perhaps stir memories of Sir Francis. The opinion here is the Vikings would be fortunate to find him still available after seven other teams drafted. It’s no cinch the Texans, with the No. 1 pick, will take South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. That franchise needs a quarterback and maybe it will be fate that Manziel, a Texas native who captured the nation’s attention at Texas A&M, ends up playing in Houston.

The Vikings probably will have to move up in the draft to secure Manziel who could be the first quarterback taken or the second after Central Florida’s Blake Bortles. Both have impressed in workouts for NFL scouts.

But do the Vikings, also quarterback hungry, really want Manziel? New head coach Mike Zimmer reportedly values character in his players. In a March 31 Nfl.si.com story by Josh Sanchez, the Vikings coach talked about the importance of a quarterback’s work ethic and leadership.

“We asked him all kinds of questions. …There are some flags that come up,” Zimmer said of Manziel.

Were those the words of a coach throwing up a smoke screen? Or was it a pronouncement the Vikings don’t want the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner who found himself answering to the NCAA about an autograph controversy after that season?

Manziel is a brash self-promoter and this off-season made a cameo with LeBron James in a McDonald’s commercial. But lots of athletes have run their mouths and lined their pocketbooks while winning championships.

Manziel supporters will argue he is all about the team. He was often the hero at A&M, delivering big plays in close games. After an A&M turnover, he even chased down a Louisiana Tech defensive player who was running toward the end zone.

Staubach knows a lot about doubters and character. He served in the Navy for five years before joining the Cowboys. He ended up a Hall of Fame quarterback. Appearing on the NFL Network’s “NFL AM” program on April 9, Staubach said he would take Manziel over Clowney as the No.1 pick. “I just think there’s something about this kid,” he said.

Staubach compared Manziel with Russell Wilson, another short-statured quarterback who the Seahawks chose in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson is the starting quarterback now for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Former Gophers quarterback Adam Weber has been in NFL camps trying to make a career in pro football. His experiences include time on the Broncos’ practice team. Weber talked about the adjustment Manziel and his NFL team will need to make.

“His size (about 6-feet, 205) and the way he plays can get him exposed,” Weber said. “As a quarterback in the NFL, your job is to stay healthy and stay on the field. …Whoever takes Johnny is going to get a very talented quarterback—kind of a lightning-in-a-bottle type, but I think they’re gonna have to learn to kind of bring (rein) him in a little bit and keep him from exposing his body to big hits because the guys are a little bit bigger and faster in the NFL than they are in college.”

Weber, though, believes Manziel is worthy of a team’s high draft choice. “He goes out there on his pro day when everyone is watching him, and he puts together one of the best pro days that any quarterback had this year. I don’t know what else you would want.

“The only thing I see is questionable is his size,” said Weber who mentioned smaller quarterbacks like Drew Brees have been effective. “… I would take him.”

Maybe Manziel will end up in Houston. But Internet stories this month have Manziel applying for a trademark to protect the phrase, “The House That Johnny Built.” While the slogan is reportedly a tie-in with the renovation of Texas A&M’s Kyle Field, it’s a match with the Vikings’ new stadium opening in 2016.

And there you have it about the most polarizing quarterback prospect in the 2014 draft. There’s even controversy about how best to market the slogan “The House That Johnny Built.”

Twins Notes

Stats and impressions about the Twins after almost three weeks of regular season play:

Minnesota is 8-7 after yesterday’s doubleheader wins against the Blue Jays. The Twins have been swept by only the A’s this season. Minnesota swept the Royals, won two of three games from the Indians and Blue Jays, and won a single game in the season opening series against the White Sox.

The team’s run production has been a pleasant surprise, including scoring runs with not a lot of hits in some games. Off-season and spring training personnel decisions appear to have improved the sputtering offense from last year. Management and coaches can feel good about adding the bats of catcher Josmil Pinto, and outfielders Chris Colabello and Jason Kubel. Also, the club’s long time patience with second baseman Brian Dozier and third baseman Trevor Plouffe seems to be paying off.

Kubel is hitting .340 while Colabello is the American League RBI leader with 19. Pinto, with a designated hitter role, is second on the Twins in home runs with three while Dozier, the team’s leadoff hitter, leads the club with five—tied for second in the majors. Plouffe is hitting .309 with 11 RBI—second best on the team.

Personnel decision makers reshuffled the starting pitching rotation in the offseason. Results have been disappointing, although rookie Kyle Gibson has been impressive with a 3-0 record and flashy 0.93 ERA. The bullpen has been more reliable than the starters with Glen Perkins ranking with the league’s best closers.

The Twins appear to be a better club than the team that was 66-96 last year. The guess here is they can win 10 more games than in 2013, perhaps more.

What would it take to push the record closer to .500 or even above? The starting pitching has to improve a lot and the anemic offensive production from shortstop Pedro Florimon and center fielder Aaron Hicks is problematic, although both are superb in the field.

Among the franchise goals entering the season was eliminating last year’s habit of being out of one-sided games by the middle innings. The 2014 Twins have been almost perfect in avoiding early blowout losses. That represents progress and puts some air into their hopes.

Former Twins pitcher LaTroy Hawkins is pitching for the Rockies and has a 1.59 ERA with four saves as a reliever. The 41-year-old Hawkins has been in 949 MLB career games. “My goals this year are to reach 1,000 career appearances…and to win my first World Series,” Hawkins wrote as a guest columnist in the March 31 issue of Sports Illustrated.

His Rockies teammates include ex-Twins Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau who have .317 and .346 batting averages.

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Pitino to Boost Garden Party in New York

Posted on March 26, 2014March 26, 2014 by David Shama

Richard Pitino is returning to his “roots” next week.

The Gophers 31-year-old head coach will bring his team to New York City and Madison Square Garden to play in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday night. Minnesota defeated Southern Mississippi 81-73 last evening at Williams Arena for its third win in the NIT Tournament. The Pitino family connections to New York are part of the anticipation the first year coach is feeling about going to Gotham.

Rick Pitino, the legendary Louisville coach, was born in New York. When Richard was a grade schooler his dad was head coach for the New York Knicks. Later when Richard was a teenager his dad’s Celtics teams played against the Knicks in New York. As his father’s assistant coach at Louisville, Richard and the Cardinals made memories playing in Madison Square Garden as part of the Big East Tournament.

Rick and his wife Joanne still have an apartment in New York, and one of their sons, Ryan, is a financial professional in the city.

Even when Richard’s dad wasn’t employed in New York the city was still part of the Pitino calendar. “Growing up we always would go to New York for the summers,” Richard said. “My uncle Bill, who we lost in 9-11, was like a second father to me. We would spend time together as a family.

“My roots are really there. I know my mother is excited because she just wants to get back to New York. Any excuse she can get, she’s going there.

“My brother lives there downtown. I’ve got aunts. I’ve got uncles. So it’s exciting for me.

“I’ve been part of some great teams as an assistant coach in the Garden. We’re going to play in New York next year (in the Preseason NIT) but there is something about earning a spot to get to the Garden that is pretty special.”

NIT organizers and the New York media have to be pleased with the Gophers earning their way to Manhattan. Selling tickets to the semifinals and finals is always a challenge. The NIT made hometown team St. John’s one of the tournament’s four No. 1 seeds but the Red Storm was eliminated in its first game. The Pitino storyline is a boost for tournament interest including the for sure comparisons that will be made between Richard and his father.

The Garden party will be a little more fun, too, if young Richard coaches against well-travelled Larry Brown in the NIT finals on Thursday night. Brown’s SMU team, a No. 1 seed like the Gophers, must defeat California this evening to earn a trip to New York. Brown, 73, is the only coach who has won both an NCAA Tournament title and NBA championship.

Tuesday night (ESPN2) the Gophers will play the winner of this evening’s game between Florida State and Louisiana Tech. Clemson will meet the winner of tonight’s SMU-Cal game in the other semifinal next Tuesday in New York.

If California and the Gophers meet in Madison Square Garden, Minnesota will see ex-Gopher guard Justin Cobbs who now plays for the Bears. That will stir a bit of interest in Dinkytown but last night Pitino wasn’t talking about Brown or Cobbs. He said the Gophers want to win the NIT championship as part of building his program, and the opportunity to do that in New York has him excited.

“There’s no better place in all of college basketball than to play in Madison Square Garden,” he said.

Worth Noting

Gophers redshirt freshman forward Charles Buggs, who probably surprised even himself with 13 points in 19 minutes against Iowa on February 25, has scored a total of nine in seven games since then. For the season Buggs, who is still learning his court assignments, has scored 27 points in 13 games.

Minnesota senior guard Malik Smith, who made eight of 12 three pointers against Nebraska in January and four of seven versus Wisconsin in February, has converted two of 28 since February 16.

The Gophers men’s and women’s basketball teams have been participating in the NIT and WNIT tournaments. Although the names are similar, the National Invitation Tournament is owned by the NCAA while the Women’s National Invitation Tournament is produced by Triple Crown Sports. NIT games are televised but there is no live TV coverage of the WNIT.

Former Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher, who still lives in Minnesota, will attend tomorrow night’s San Diego State-Arizona NCAA Sweet 16 game in Anaheim. Dutcher’s son, Brian Dutcher, is San Diego State’s top assistant and will succeed Steve Fisher as head coach when Fisher retires.

Brian Dutcher and Fisher have been coaching at San Diego State for 15 seasons. Last fall the Aztecs signed four players who probably comprise the best recruiting class in school history and they will be eligible next fall.

ESPN.com reported last Saturday there were no perfect NCAA men’s basketball brackets from the more than 11 million submitted by fans for the ESPN Tournament Challenge. Last Saturday and Sunday was the first of three tournament weekends.

The Gophers recruited Seymour, Wisconsin shooting guard Sandy Cohen before he committed to Marquette. With Buzz Williams leaving the Golden Eagles to coach at Virginia Tech, could the high school senior now have interest in the Gophers?

A name to follow during the May NFL Draft is Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. What if the Vikings chose outside linebacker Khalil Mack from Buffalo, or Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan with their No. 8 pick in the first round? In the second round they might select Garoppolo who threw 53 touchdown passes and averaged 360.7 yards per game passing last season.

The Vikings may not find a 2014 quarterback-ready prospect in the draft even if Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater is available. The re-signing of veteran Matt Cassel gives the Vikings some time to develop a Garoppolo, Bridgewater—or (gasp) Christian Ponder.

It’s okay to have modest expectations about the Vikings owning a top 10 draft pick. Gil Brandt’s 2013 All-Rookie team had just three players who were top 10 draft choices, Ziggy Ansah, Eric Fisher and Barkevious Mingo. The All-Rookie quarterback was Mike Glennon, a third round selection by the Falcons.

The Wild are selling season tickets for 2014-2015 including half season and 11-game packages. Purchasers who make a deposit by April 13 receive playoff ticket priority for this spring.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill, 53, said he’s been attending football coaching clinics since he was 21. The opportunity to learn, network and build relationships has contributed to his success that includes head coaching stops at Emporia State, Northern Illinois, Saginaw Valley State and Southern Illinois.

Kill will speak at the MFCA’s Minnesota Clinic on Friday night at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park. The Gophers sponsor the clinic with the MFCA. Kill praised the work of MFCA organizers and how they continue to improve the clinic. “Our clinic is tremendous,” he said.

Condolences to family and friends of former Gopher football player Wally Pribyl who died on Monday. Wally, originally from Heron Lake, Minnesota, lettered for the Gophers in 1968 and 1969, and for many years owned a business in South Dakota.

Twins president Dave St. Peter said starting pitcher Phil Hughes, who signed with Minnesota during the offseason, has been as “advertised” during spring training. Hughes has struck out 10 batters in 13.2 innings with a 3.95 ERA.

Dave Mona, WCCO Radio Sports Huddle co-host, will speak on Friday to the Minnesota Men’s Breakfast group in Naples, Florida. Speakers earlier this year have included Matt Birk, Kill and St. Peter.

Mancini’s Sports Hall of Fame will honor the following new members on May 12: Brian Brunette, Ken Mauer, Jr., Barry Persby, Stacy Robinson, Jeff Sauer, Bob and Tim Tschida. Those enshrined have their names displayed on a hall of fame plaque at the St. Paul restaurant.

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Vikings Need to Draft QB for System

Posted on March 7, 2014March 7, 2014 by David Shama

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema remains close to the team and has advice regarding the upcoming NFL Draft.

“With Norv Turner (offensive coordinator) you have got to draft a quarterback that fits his system. …Don’t draft the best available quarterback.”

Many college quarterback prospects are scramblers but taking one with the Vikings’ No. 8 pick in the first round of the May 8 draft might be a mistake. “That’s not what Turner wants,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “Turner wants a guy who reads (situations) quick. Throws the ball like a bullet. There are certain things he wants because of the way he coaches.”

Lurtsema said it’s crucial for a franchise’s draft success to have the general manager, head coach and offensive coordinator on the “same page.” Will that be true of the Vikings on draft day with general manager Rick Spielman, new head coach Mike Zimmer and new offensive boss Turner?

“No idea,” Lurtsema said. “I sure hope so.”

The Vikings have devoted much of this century searching for a franchise quarterback. Daunte Culpepper’s success ended in 2004. Except for a couple of seasons with Brett Favre, it’s been pretty much trial and error with the Vikings while clubs like the Seahawks and 49ers found quick fixes when they changed head coaches.

Lurtsema said Turner, who has the reputation of being among the NFL’s best offensive minds, has to decide if he wants to make a commitment to Christian Ponder, currently the only quarterback signed for 2014, or to find another QB already in the league. If he does want to make such a commitment, the Vikings could draft a player other than a quarterback with their first choice on draft day.

Whatever the decision, Lurtsema is optimistic about Zimmer and Turner. He is convinced the club has upgraded its coaching talent. “Coaching is 60 to 65 percent (of success),” Lurtsema said. “I’ve told you that. I say it on TV. I say it to everybody.”

Lurtsema is excited about the offensive potential of next year’s team even without knowing the quarterback situation. Turner’s NFL experience includes head coaching and his resume documents high production offenses in previous employment. His mantra is a balanced offense and commitment to keeping defenses guessing. “He really mixes it up very well,” Lurtsema said.

Lurtsema was impressed with Zimmer soon after he was hired earlier this winter. “He (Zimmer) said he wants to give some guys a big, swift kick in the butt. …There wasn’t a lot of second effort a lot of the time (last season). You can tell second effort when they’re hauling their fanny.”

Coach Bud Grant won 11 championships with the Vikings. Lurtsema played for Grant and reveres him. “He (Zimmer) has a lot of Bud Grant in him,” Lurtsema said. “You know he’s the boss. If I was to deal with Zimmer (play for him) and make a couple of mistakes, he wouldn’t tell me about it. He’d cut me (from the team). That’s the part that sticks out. You don’t have to go up and cradle a lot of these spoiled athletes. They make the dumb mistakes—adios amigo.”

Worth Noting

Lurtsema likes the competitive attitude of Central Florida’s Blake Bortles and predicts he will be the first quarterback selected in the draft.

Derek Carr is a pocket passer and there’s been speculation the Fresno State quarterback could be available to the Vikings at No. 8. He fits the non-scrambler style Lurtsema said Turner wants to avoid for his system.

Joe Schmit will autograph copies of his new book, Silent Impact, a week from today starting at noon at Barnes & Noble downtown. The next day, March 15, the KSTP TV sportscaster will be at the Mall of America Sears Court starting at 1 p.m.

Schmit has written a lively, easy to read self-help book about how we impact others including non-verbal communication. The book’s cover jacket makes this point: “The words we say or don’t say, the things we do or don’t do, and the ways we react or don’t react can have a tremendous influence on those around us.”

Schmit has won 15 Emmys in his broadcast career but has faced challenges including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The disease is in remission and Schmit credits his attitude in battling the cancer.

Minnetonka High School alum Will Leer is competing in the 1500 meters for the U.S. track team at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland. Leer, who excelled in track and cross country at Pomona College in California, is among the world’s elite runners in the mile, 1500 meters, and has advanced to the finals in Poland.

Leer is the nephew of former KSTP-TV reporter Robb Leer who is in the public relations business with Minneapolis-based Leer Communications & Consultants.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams is recruiting Hopkins sophomore guard Amir Coffey and attended the Royals-Eden Prairie section title game on Wednesday night.

Today 1980 Olympic hockey gold medalists Bill Baker, Steve Christoff, Dave Christian and Rob McClanahan will be at the Herb Brooks Foundation booth at the Let’s Play Hockey Expo in St. Paul’s RiverCentre. Baker, Christoff, Christian and McClanahan will be autographing commemorative hockey pucks that have inspirational Herb Brooks quotations. Baker is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Christoff 11 a.m. to noon, Christian 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and McClanahan 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This weekend eight wrestlers who won titles last year will try to repeat as Big Ten champions including Minnesota’s Tony Nelson, Dylan Ness and Kevin Steinhaus. The Big Ten Wrestling Championships are tomorrow and Sunday at Wisconsin. Penn State has won four consecutive team titles but the Gophers are ranked No. 1 nationally in the USA Today/NWCA/AWN Division I Coaches Poll. Penn State is ranked No. 2, Iowa No. 3.

Hammond Stadium, the Twins spring training home in Fort Myers, is being renovated and changes include a walkway around the field providing fans with various views of the gameday action while enjoying more concession options. Minnesotan Rolf Bjelland praised the walkway in an e-mail and offered other comments after attending a recent game:

“Our arrival was effortless with good parking direction and very friendly parking attendants. There is ample parking and an oversupply of handicap parking. Walking from the parking lot to the stadium, one has the feeling of a county fair with wonderful colors, crowds of people and various outside vendors. …

“They now have two grass slopes for spectators—great for sunbathing and child play. The field looks like a carpeted checkerboard in green and the infield like a well-manicured golf bunker.”

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