Vikings – Page 238 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Harvin’s Future Stirs Offseason Interest

Posted on January 9, 2013January 9, 2013 by David Shama

What to do with Percy Harvin could be the most defining decision the Vikings ownership and management makes during the offseason. His contract expires contract after the 2013 season.

In four seasons Harvin has proven he’s among the NFL’s most skilled kickoff returners and slot receivers. He’s also been controversial, reportedly arguing with coaches and wanting to be traded. Because of his injured ankle he didn’t play after November 4, but rather than be on the sidelines for some of the Vikings important late season games he stayed home in Florida rehabbing.

At his season ending news conference yesterday, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said it’s not unusual for a rehabilitating player not to be with the team and that Harvin is supportive of his teammates. Asked about what is involved with coexisting with Harvin, Frazier said:

“I don’t know if there’s anything that needs to be done. He’ll coexist peacefully, he exists peacefully now. Just get back, get healthy and get back on the football field.”

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the organization and is a closer observer of the NFL, told Sports Headliners on Sunday he thinks management will trade Harvin and could secure a first round pick in the 2013 college draft. “You can fight the system to a point and be belligerent to a point, and he stepped over that. They will get a No. 1 easily (in a trade).”

Whether Harvin is on the roster or not, Lurtsema said the No. 1 offseason need is to develop or acquire a deep receiving threat. While Harvin can be explosive after the catch and run for 20 yards or more, the Vikings need a wide receiver whose speed and catching ability can result in long distance scores like Randy Moss used to provide. “Get those cornerbacks to back off a little bit,” said Lurtsema who favors retaining Harvin.

The Vikings thought they acquired that kind of talent when last offseason wide receiver Jerome Simpson signed as a free agent. Simpson, though, missed some games (started 10 of 12) and never seemed to develop a consistency and rhythm with quarterback Christian Ponder.

Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, a free agent this coming offseason, might be a possibility for the Vikings. With probably the best wide receivers corps in the NFL, the Packers are thought unlikely to retain Jennings.

While Ponder has erased doubts he is the No. 1 quarterback, it might be time to switch backup Joe Webb to wide receiver, or let him go. Lurtsema said the Vikings should replace Webb with a veteran quarterback like Sage Rosenfels who was cut before the season.

Webb, who has played three seasons with the Vikings, struggles with his accuracy and decision making despite being a gifted athlete. Replacing the injured Ponder in the playoff game last Saturday against the Packers, Webb threw some poor passes and stepped back in the pocket when he should have moved forward to avoid pass rushers.

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Win Streak Makes Vikings Superstitious

Posted on January 4, 2013January 4, 2013 by David Shama

Vikings notes and quotes:

The Vikings have won four consecutive games and the streak has prompted superstitions at Winter Park. Fullback Jerome Felton, a Pro Bowl selection for 2013, told Sports Headliners the team has been eating the same lunch items each Friday during the winning streak that has the Vikings headed for a first round playoff game on Saturday night in Green Bay against the Packers.

The Vikings have been enjoying pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, and other offerings provided by Brasa catering on Fridays. “They got the best cookies ever,” Felton said. “I think that might be everybody’s favorite.”

During the winning streak linebacker Erin Henderson has made a habit of Thursday lunches at Jimmy John’s. Defensive lineman Christian Ballard and wide receiver Jarius Wright have been letting their hair grow.

If the Vikings keep winning, Wright said he will avoid haircuts. “Yes, sir. I will just let it grow.”

Rookie placekicker Blair Walsh is one of the team MVPs. He has kicked an NFL high 35 field goals, ranks fourth in league total points with 141 and has 53 kickoffs for touchbacks, third best among all players. His .921 field goal percentage is the best in NFL history for a rookie kicker. Three times he’s been the NFL Special Teams Player of the Week.

Chosen last week for the Pro Bowl, Walsh said he can still improve. “I missed three kicks (this season) and you can always improve by not missing.”

Walsh made 35 of 38 field goal attempts and showed no signs of the mechanical issues that caused a poor season in 2011 at Georgia. He has the knowledge now to correct any problems that might occur again.

Walsh has no individual goals he is “shooting for” but said his technique and distance can get better. “Absolutely. I’ll improve from this year to next year.”

Center John Sullivan said the Vikings have an advantage over other teams when instead of punting the ball they can sometimes try Walsh on a long distance field goal. “Ten-for-10 on field goals (from) plus 50 yards is the best in league history. That speaks for itself,” Sullivan said.

Walsh made an impression even in training camp. “We knew what he was going to be able to do on kickoffs, especially in this division where you have so many dangerous returners,” Sullivan said. “That helps a lot. But I think he surprised everybody with his range on field goals, and the accuracy with which he’s hitting. So that’s a testament to how hard he works.”

Walsh replaced 15 year veteran Ryan Longwell who in a pro career playing for both the Packers and Vikings never had a season with total field goals and points the equal of Minnesota’s 2012 sixth round draft choice.

The Vikings have an extraordinary 2012 draft class that also includes starting left tackle Matt Kalil who like Walsh has been mentioned in All-Pro discussions. Kalil was a first round pick as was Harrison Smith who has helped upgrade the safety position. Cornerback Josh Robinson (third round) and wide receiver Jarius Wright (fourth round) are other major contributors.

The Vikings have remade their roster since 2009, the last playoff qualifying season. “A lot of new guys, new faces,” said Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf. “It’s the first time (in the playoffs) for a lot of them. We’re excited and I think we’re building something special here.”

Despite their contributions, none of the Vikings rookies will receive bonus money for their regular season performances. NFL contracts don’t allow such compensation in rookie agreements.

The team’s best player under 25 is Percy Harvin but the dynamic receiver, runner and kickoff returner hasn’t played since November 4 because of his injured ankle. Harvin, a fourth year player, reportedly has squabbled with former head coach Brad Childress and current coach Leslie Frazier. There’s speculation that with an expiring contract at the end of 2013, Harvin could be traded this off-season.

Wilf talking about Adrian Peterson who missed by nine yards breaking Eric Dickerson’s single season NFL rushing record of 2,105: “He’s a special person and a special player. We believe he’s one of the best, if not the best running back of all-time.”

Peterson will play in only the fourth playoff game of his six-year career tomorrow night in Green Bay. He’s ready and not kidding when talking about returning kickoffs if the Vikings need a late game score.

Peterson’s backup, Toby Gerhart, grew up as a Packers fan while living in California. Quarterback Brett Favre was his hero.

The December 31 issue of Sports Illustrated picks the Patriots to defeat the Packers in the Super Bowl next month. The Packers have won nine of their last 11 games.

Worth Noting

The No. 9 ranked (Associated Press) Gophers basketball team plays Northwestern at home on Sunday night starting at 6 p.m. Northwestern, 9-5 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, is a popular choice to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten standings but Gophers guard Austin Hollins doesn’t expect Minnesota to have a problem being motivated.

The Gophers defeated No. 18 Michigan State on Monday in their first Big Ten game and Hollins likes the potential of his team. “I think the sky’s the limit. We have so many options. I don’t think there’s a drop-off when our bench comes in, and that’s tough for teams to play against. You’re wearing them down, wearing them down.

“You sub in and you’ve got the same intensity as you did with the first five. The depth really helps us. Everyone’s focused and that also helps.”

The 17^th annual Timberwolves Shootout will be Saturday at Target Center with four prep games including a 3 p.m. anticipated matchup between Tyus Jones and Apple Valley High School versus Rashad Vaughn and Robbinsdale Cooper. As of Wednesday, Jones was averaging 22.3 points per game and Vaughn 28 with a 51 point game recently. Both players are juniors. A $15 admission ticket also provides entrance Saturday night to the Timberwolves-Trail Blazers game.

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team, ranked No. 3 nationally by D3hoops.com, is 10-0. The Tommies are at home for a 3 p.m. game tomorrow against 8-0 Augsburg.

Ted Mondale, executive director of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, wants the new Vikings stadium to one day host the Big Ten championship football game. The first two Big Ten title games have been at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, a facility similar to the stadium being planned in Minneapolis.

Jason Zucker leads the Wild’s Houston Aeros minor league affiliate in points with 29 and goals, 15. Justin Fontaine, Brian Connelly and Mikael Granlund are next with 22, 21 and 20.

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Vikings Survey More Than PSLs

Posted on January 2, 2013January 3, 2013 by David Shama

The Vikings’ survey of season ticket holders regarding personal seat licenses has created a stir in the marketplace but there’s more to understand. Team spokesman Jeff Anderson said the survey will determine not only costs for personal seat licenses but also ticket pricing, and will measure interest in potential events at the new downtown stadium including professional soccer.

Stakeholders being surveyed include season ticket buyers, private suite holders and corporate sponsors. Anderson said surveying will continue into the fall, and the club is also using focus groups to obtain marketing information.

Personal seat licenses mean fans pay fees beyond the price of tickets for specific seat locations. Costs for licenses and pricing of tickets won’t be announced by the Vikings until 2014.

Ted Mondale, executive director of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, said the target date for opening the stadium is July 1, 2016. He plans to have several events (including a possible open house) in the stadium before the first Vikings’ preseason game in August. Those first events will be important to test stadium operations.

Mondale said it’s likely the Vikings will play the full 2014 and 2015 seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. That would make the 2013 season the last for the Vikings at Mall of America Field.

By mid-March the authority expects to determine what features, including a possible retractable roof, will fit into the $975 million stadium budget, and what ideas will be dropped.

Worth Noting

Although the Vikings had a sellout crowd of more than 64,000 at Mall of America Field on Sunday to watch the playoff qualifying win over the Packers, ticket demand was such that Mondale said perhaps 100,000 tickets could have been sold.

Give former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema credit for his prediction about the team last summer. In a town of skeptics, Lurtsema said the Vikings, who were 3-13 in 2011, would have a 10-6 record and possibly make the playoffs. The Vikings won four consecutive games to end the season and finish 10-6.

Lurtsema believes the Broncos, 13-3 and winners of a league leading 11 consecutive games, are the best team in the NFL right now. He likes their defense and admires former Gophers wide receiver Eric Decker who has five touchdown catches in his last three games and a career best 13 for the season.

Coach Jerry Kill said the Gophers played their most “physical” game in his two years at Minnesota during the team’s 34-31 loss to Texas Tech at the Meineke Car Care Bowl last week. While disappointed with the loss, Kill was encouraged by the improvement of his team including on offense after the Gophers had struggled to score points in their last two regular season games.

Leading 31-24 late in the game, the Gophers took a gamble being in press coverage (no deep pass defenders) and gave up a touchdown to Tech that tied the score. The Red Raiders went on to kick the game winning field goal as time expired.

Tech’s unsportsmanlike penalties during the game upset Minnesota supporters. A Gophers fan who was in Houston for the game wrote an email to Sports Headliners that said in part:

“Fans after the game came to us…and apologized for their players’ behavior. The next day, when we were at a boardwalk park near Galveston, fans came up to us and said the same. I had one Texas Longhorn fan, who was at the game, come up to me and say they were rooting for Minnesota. They cannot stand TT. …”

North Dakota State announced yesterday that football coach Craig Bohl, who aggressively recruits Minnesota high school players, has signed an eight-year contract extension with the Bison from 2013 to 2021. Bohl’s base salary is $206,503 and the agreement includes language about annual increases, plus incentives such as compensation for winning the FCS national championship. Bohl will also receive three percent of gross tickets sales for Bison home games. NDSU plays Sam Houston State for the FCS national title on Saturday.

The basketball Gophers are No. 9 in the latest Associated Press college basketball poll, but more importantly boosted their reputation as a Big Ten title contender after winning the conference opener on Monday against Michigan State, 76-63. Minnesota’s defense shut out the Spartans (No. 18 A.P.) the last 4:05 of the second half to break open a close game.

The Gophers’ next four games are Sunday at home against Northwestern, then January 9 and 12 at Illinois (No. 11) and at Indiana (No. 5), and January 17 in Williams Arena versus Michigan (No. 2). If the Gophers are 4-1 after the first five games, they will deserve to be in the conversation about the league’s best teams.

The Timberwolves play Utah tonight, the team’s first trip to Salt Lake City this season. Jazz fans are known for their passion and basketball IQ. “It is a tough place to play,” said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. “They’re a big team also. Their strengths are the same as Minnesota’s. They try to pound the ball on the inside to (Al) Jefferson and (Paul) Millsap. They’ve got some big guys that they play there. I think it will be a great matchup.

“I like this team right here (the Wolves). I love the way Rick (Adelman) coaches. Once they get everybody healthy and knowing exactly what they’ve got, I think you’ll see them make a little move and go on a little run.”

Wolves forward Andrei Kirilenko, who played 10 seasons with the Jazz, returns to Salt Lake City for the first time in an opposing team’s uniform. Former Wolves starters with the Jazz are Jefferson and Randy Foye.

Adelman said he isn’t surprised by the back spasms that kept Rick Rubio out of Saturday’s game with the Suns, referring to his point guard having played only five games so far this season, and “this is his training camp.”

Kevin Love, whose setbacks have included a broken hand, made eight of 20 field goal attempts and had 23 points on Saturday night in the win over the Suns. He hasn’t been playing at the level of last season, and his field goal percentage of .358 compares with .450 for his career. His three point field goal percentage is .233 versus .355 for the career.

Prior to Saturday night’s game against the Suns, Adelman was asked when Love might return to last year’s form. “I don’t have a very good feel for that. Historically he’s been a very good shooter. He’s just down this year and he’s gotta stay with it. You’re going to go through tough periods and he’s going through one now.

“Sometimes you gotta experience that to understand what you have to do. Maybe try to do a little bit more, run the court…get some easy baskets. I don’t have much doubt that if he stays with it, if he does the extra shooting on the side, and he continues to just be aggressive in taking the shots he’ll be fine.”

Brent Haskins, pro personnel scout for the Suns, said his dad, former Gophers basketball coach Clem Haskins, remains active on his farm in Kentucky and was in Minnesota recently to have his knees examined. The older Haskins, now 69, had knee replacement surgery about 15 years ago.

In his position with the Suns, Brent Haskins scouts college, minor league and NBA talent, and offers possible trade scenarios for the franchise. He lives in Minnesota.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Wolves are one of several NBA teams asked to play on Christmas Day in 2013 because of Love, a former Olympian and all-star, and the team has a roster of international players headlined by Rubio.

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