Vikings – Page 262 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on April 16, 2012April 16, 2012 by David Shama

The Twins have played five consecutive days or nights and won’t have a day off until April 26. They open a four-game series against the Yankees tonight in New York.

Infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who hit .226 for the Twins last season, is batting .128 with no RBI in 39 at bats for Triple-A Rochester.

This year the Miller Lite Vikings Draft Party will be held at Mall of America Field for the first time. The event begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 26 and continues through the conclusion of the NFL Draft’s first round. General admission tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the Vikings website. There’s no charge for season ticket holders. Activities will include games, stadium and locker room tours, and a bean bag tournament. Current and former players will sign autographs to benefit the Vikings Children’s Fund.

Game times have been set for the four Vikings preseason games: 8 p.m. at San Francisco, August 10; 7 p.m. for home games on August 17 and 24 against Buffalo and San Diego; and 6 p.m. at Houston, August 30. All times are Central Daylight.

The Gophers annual spring football game begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. A replay telecast will be on the Big Ten Network starting at 6 p.m. next Sunday.

The Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game will be played at St. Cloud State, not at theUniversity of Minnesota as previously announced. The June 30 game has switched locations because of NCAA legislation passed last year prohibiting all-star games from being held on Division I and IAA campuses.

The Wild have the second best visiting team dressing room in the NHL, according to results of a players’ poll published in the April 16 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.

Through games of last Wednesday, the Wolves Kevin Love had 10 games this season of at least 30 points and 15 rebounds while all the other players in the NBA had nine games combined.

Arlotta Stadium, named after the Arlotta family, is featured in the title of a lacrosse show on NBC Sports Network, “Notre Dame Lacrosse: Inside the Walls of Arlotta.” Minnesota Swarm owner John Arlotta and his family pledged the lead gift toward Arlotta Stadium in 2008. The half-hour show reports on the Irish men’s lacrosse team and is scheduled for airing on Wednesday starting at 2:30 p.m. and Friday at 2 p.m.

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Lurtsema on Vikes: Trade No. 3 Draft Pick

Posted on April 9, 2012April 9, 2012 by David Shama

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema is a close observer of the NFL including the Vikings organization. He told Sports Headliners the Vikings should trade the No. 3 pick in the first round of the NFL draft later this month to acquire more draft choices.

The Vikings had their worst regular season record last year since 1984. The club has numerous personnel needs on offense and defense. “You go 3-13 and you’re not deep at every position,” Lurtsema said.

He believes the Vikings could move down in the draft order, pick up a couple of extra picks and help themselves more than staying at No. 3 in the draft. “We need receivers, corners, we need a lot of help,” he said.

Lurtsema said the Vikings can give up the No. 3 choice and still be able to acquire players they want and need. Among positions he places at the top of the list is a “good wide receiver.”

Such a player will not only help second-year quarterback Christian Ponder but also All-Pro runner Adrian Peterson, according to Lurtsema. The impact of a deep threat will stop opposing cornerbacks from crowding the line of scrimmage.

Lurtsema expects Ponder, who threw 13 interceptions in 11 games last season, to be improved. But he said at times the Vikings’ “predictable play calls” did Ponder no favors last season.

Despite the immense player talent in the NFL, team success is “60 to 65 percent coaching,” Lurtsema said.

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Vikings Stadium Differs from MLS Model

Posted on March 19, 2012March 19, 2012 by David Shama

A new Vikings stadium could also be home to a Major League Soccer franchise. The Vikings owners have shown interest in owning a Minneapolis MLS team, although the proposed downtown fixed roof stadium doesn’t conform to the MLS facility model.

The MLS website states that in 2011 13 of the 18 franchises played in venues built for soccer. Those stadiums have capacities about one-third smaller than NFL facilities including the proposed stadium here with projected seating of more than 60,000. Then, too, none of the MLS franchises play in fixed roof stadiums.

But Djorn Buchholz, chief executive officer of the Minnesota Stars FC North American Soccer League franchise, doesn’t think a covered stadium is a deal breaker in acquiring a MLS franchise. “It’s not an ideal stadium for soccer, but we are in Minnesota, and we could (sometimes) have three feet of snow on the ground,” Buchholz told Sports Headliners.

The Stars will play their first game of the season at the Metrodome on April 7. The game was scheduled indoors because of weather concerns. The remaining regular season home schedule will be played outdoors at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

Buchholz said the MLS regards Minneapolis as a possible franchise location and he described this area as “one of the remaining top markets.” He hopes the Stars will be part of a cooperative venture with a new MLS team here, rather than a competitor.

Soccer in this area has seen highs and lows, ranging from the Minnesota Kicks tailgating phenomenon and capacity crowds at Met Stadium during the 1970s to the struggles of other franchises in more recent times. Although the Stars won the NASL playoffs last year, the franchise has sold only 300 season tickets for 2012 but Buchholz is optimistic about renewed interest in soccer here.

The franchise averaged about 1,800 fans last year, an increase of approximately 700 from the season prior, he said. This year he’s projecting an average of 3,000 and 5,000 in 2013.

Stars tickets are affordable including general admission seating available at $5 for the home opener on April 7 against the Carolina RailHawks.

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