Vikings – Page 268 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on December 14, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Joe Mauer’s fiancé is a nurse in the Twin Cities. He and Madeline Bisanz have known each other since high school at Cretin-Derham Hall. The two have been in Florida but will be back in Minnesota for the holidays. No wedding date has been set for Madeline and the Twins catcher who once dated the 2005 Miss USA, Chelsea Cooley.

Next season needs to be a comeback year on the field for Mauer but it’s even bigger for his buddy, first baseman Justin Morneau. Injuries have slowed Morneau for two seasons and production has been far below his best years (in 2011 four home runs, 30 RBI and a .227 batting average). He turns 31 in May and 2013 is the last year of his contract with the Twins.

Joe’s brother Jake Mauer will return for a third year as manager of the Twins Single-A affiliate Ft. Myers Miracle (Florida State League).

The Saints franchise that comes to Mall of America Field on Sunday to play the Vikings beat Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game on January 24, 2010. Since then the Saints are 21-8 in regular season games, the Vikings 8-21.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s annual clinic with the Gophers is March 29-31. Coaches interested in attending can learn more at www.mshsca.org.

New Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has only four teams in 20 seasons of NBA coaching who didn’t make the playoffs. Twice his teams have been in the NBA Finals.

In five seasons playing in the Spanish ACB League, new Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio made .374 percent of his field goals and .314 of his three point attempts. Although he’s only 21, Rubio’s shooting and defense will be scrutinized in the early weeks of the NBA season.

Last summer Rubio treated a north Minneapolis family, who had been impacted by tornadoes, to an afternoon at the Mall of America.

Saint John’s head coach Jim Smith has 731 career wins, the 21^st best total in college basketball history. Smith is 10 wins behind former Temple coach John Chaney.

The Wild will never have a better goalie storyline during the first months of the season than this year. Training camp opened with the comfort of having six-year veteran and regular goalie Niklas Backstrom on the roster. But backup Josh Harding has probably been the team MVP while supporting roles have been played by 51-year-old “emergency” goalie Paul Deutsch and Matt Hackett who didn’t make his first start until December 8. On Monday Hackett was named by the NHL as its Second Star for the week after a 2-0, 1.01 goals against average last week.

The Wild’s Devin Setoguchi is scheduled to sign autographs at the Maplewood Mall Hockey Lodge store on Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. The store is located at 3001 White Bear Avenue in Maplewood.

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Vikings Leader: ‘We Should All Be Held Accountable’

Posted on December 12, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Ryan Longwell, 37, is a veteran leader on the Vikings team, and he told Sports Headliners the team’s 2-11 record and on field performance deserves scrutiny. Accountability, he said, needs to be assessed among players, coaches and front office.

“I think everything has to be looked at when you have a record like this. …We should all be held accountable and ultimately we are,” Longwell said.

The Vikings are having one of the least successful seasons in franchise history and will miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Personnel needs are numerous and major reconstruction of the roster must be addressed.

Asked about possible roster changes for next season, the Vikings placekicker said, “Probably a lot of turnover, as there should be. Obviously this combination didn’t get it done. I think we’re all aware of that. We’re all aware our jobs are on the line each and every week. We know it’s a very fleeting profession.”

Leslie Frazier is in his first full year as head coach and he probably gets a “mulligan” for another season from owner Zygi Wilf. That doesn’t mean all the coaches will return, though, and the Star Tribune speculated last week about the job security of defensive coordinator Fred Pagac.

Longwell believes the Vikings should be comparing themselves to teams like Green Bay and New Orleans, two of the most successful NFC organizations in recent seasons. Those clubs have franchises headed by strongly positioned and clearly defined front office football authorities.

The Packers’ Ted Thompson is executive vice president, general manager and director of football operations. The Saints’ Mickey Loomis is the team’s executive vice president-general manager, and “responsible for the club’s entire football operations,” according to the franchise website. The perception about the Vikings —fair or not — is that decision making and leadership of the football department is less defined. The franchise’s most visible department figure is vice president Rick Spielman who oversees the “pro and college scouting departments,” according to the team website.

Fans and media complain the Vikings fragment the decision making process and should have one voice. Longwell was asked if he anticipates changes in the front office after this season.

He said “it’s tough to have people in power” and not provide “clear lines” of responsibility. He believes there are better organizational “setups” than the Vikings have and it will be up to ownership to decide whether changes are needed in that structure and with individuals.

Longwell doesn’t fault the effort of the players this season. He said, “Our record is not an indication of not getting along, being lazy, or not putting in the work.”

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Worth Noting

Posted on December 12, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Timberwolves rookie forward Derrick Williams talking about the competition for playing time including at power forward where several players like him are in the mix: “Even people on your team are enemies.”

The Wolves will play only two preseason games — at home against Milwaukee on December 17 and at Milwaukee on December 21— and both will be televised on FOX Sports North.

Vikings placekicker Ryan Longwell said his friend Brett Favre mentors nephew Dylan Favre, a college quarterback who has left Mississippi State. “When you have a resource like Brett Favre in the family tree, you should certainly use it,” Longwell said.

Longwell plans to work during the offseason with a PGA pro to improve his golf game and possibly qualify for the 2012 U.S. Open next June. He said his golf project won’t hurt preparations for football. He doesn’t kick during the offseason until a “couple weeks” before minicamp and training camp.

Vikings rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph: “Whenever the ball is in the air, I treat it as mine.”

Mankato West’s Phillip Nelson was selected as the Mr. Football winner yesterday. He passed for 35 touchdowns and threw for 20 this season. The Gophers recruit and all-state quarterback was also honored as Minnesota prep player of the year by the Associated Press and ESPN. The Mr. Football program is sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings.

Troy Gloster, who is a redshirt freshman linebacker at West Virginia, is the grandson of the late Sandy Stephens, the former Gophers All-American quarterback.

The 10-1 basketball Gophers play Central Michigan tomorrow night at Williams Arena. The Chippewas are 4-4 and lost their last game, 65-57 to Tennessee State. The team’s best player is guard Trey Zeigler who is averaging 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. Dad Ernie Zeigler is head coach.

Point guard Andre Hollins, who has an ankle injury, didn’t play in the Gophers win over Saint Peter’s on Saturday but Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said after the game he expects Hollins to be ready for tomorrow night.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed news that DeLaSalle sophomore Reid Travis has been offered a scholarship by Northwestern.

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