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

Worth Noting

Posted on November 4, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Among teams generating attention this week in the high school football playoffs is Wayzata. The Trojans, who play Osseo at home tonight in a Class 5A semifinals section playoff game, started the season having to replace 10 starters on offense, but have “surprised” coach Brad Anderson with an undefeated record, 9-0.

Among the wins was a 9-0 victory over Eden Prairie, the only loss of the year for the Eagles. Fans can’t help anticipating a possible Prep Bowl rematch later in the month. Anderson said “we gave them some wrinkles” last time but he expects Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant to make adjustments if the teams play again.

Even if Wayzata wins tonight by containing what Anderson describes as an “explosive” Osseo offense, the coach probably won’t be ready to say this is his best team. The 2008 state champion Trojans averaged almost 48 points per game. “This team is not as talented but you judge a team by what they have accomplished,” he said.

Ron Stolski, the all-time Minnesota high school leader in coaching wins with 337, has Brainerd back in the playoffs. The Warriors, 7-3, play Moorhead, 5-5, tomorrow in St. Cloud. Stolski has five sophomore starters.

The 2-6 Vikings, with a bye this week, have lost five of their six games by seven points or less. The only one-sided loss was 39-10 to Chicago.

Adrian Peterson has only caught 16 passes in eight games, probably not enough receptions to maximize the team’s offense, although the defense dictates play selection. With eight more regular season games remaining, Peterson is first in NFL rushing with 798 yards. If he finishes with 1,600 yards it will be the second best total of his five-year NFL career.

Wide receiver Percy Harvin leads the Vikings in pass receptions (31) and receiving yards (334). Among running backs with 10 or more carries, he’s averaging a team best 9.4 yards per carry.

Included in the players who have made a favorable impression of late on Gophers coach Jerry Kill is wide receiver Devin Crawford–Tufts, a true freshman from Edina. Tufts has caught six passes for 132 yards, averaging 26.4 yards per reception. Kill has noted the 18-year-old’s willingness to learn.

“Well, he’s been a young man that has come in and ─ I mean, he’s done a heck of a job,” Kill said. “I mean, it’s like anything when he came in and he was like a baby deer, just learning how to do things. …”

Injured Gophers who won’t play in tomorrow’s game at Michigan State: Brendan Beal, Josh Campion, Jimmy Gjere, Eric Jacques, Marcus Jones and Troy Stoudermire.

An ESPN2 segment on Gophers football legend Bruce Smith is scheduled to air on Sunday about 9 a.m. Minneapolis time. The segment will be part of the “Outside the Lines” program.

Dick Jonckowski, starting his 26^th season as the Gophers basketball public address announcer, recalled it was 25 years ago this month that he emceed an event honoring cowboy film star Roy Rogers. The event at the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club celebrated Rogers’ 75^th birthday. When Rogers’ signature song “Happy Trails” was played, he started crying, Jonckowski said.

FSN has coverage of the Gophers-North Dakota hockey game tonight while the Big Ten Network televises tomorrow evening. The Gophers are off to a 4-0 WCHA start in part because of the goal scoring of freshman Kyle Rau. He and sophomore Erik Haula lead the team in goals with seven each.

The Twins will hold their seventh annual Diamond Awards Dinner on Thursday, January 26 at Target Field.

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Mpls. Council President: Arden Hills Plan ‘in Trouble’

Posted on October 31, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Minneapolis City Council president Barbara Johnson told Sports Headliners she doesn’t expect a special legislative session to be called in November to address the Vikings stadium issue. “I would be surprised if the governor (Mark Dayton) and the legislature can get agreement to go ahead on one (stadium) proposal,” she said.

The Ramsey County-backed Arden Hills stadium proposal is “in trouble,” according to Johnson who is working with mayor R.T. Rybak to promote stadium sites in Minneapolis. “People want a referendum on Arden Hills and that will kill it (the proposal),” she said.

Johnson believes there are also “too many unknowns” about the Arden Hills site to gain state approval in November, and she said a stadium there leaves Vikings fans “captive to ownership.” Those who have the latter opinion will argue the Arden Hills site doesn’t have access to public transportation, fans will pay the Vikings to park, and food-drink and entertainment options presumably will be less varied than downtown if a new stadium is built in any of three potential locations supported by Johnson and Rybak. Minneapolis advocates claim their proposed sites are all less costly than Arden Hills.

The Vikings are adamant in supporting the Ramsey County plan that the two parties reached accord on earlier this year. Johnson knows Minneapolis isn’t being courted by the Vikings while franchise leaders try to push through a special session and a vote in favor of an Arden Hills site. “We just have to continue to be like Rocky (Balboa),” she said. “We’re not discouraged.”

The Minneapolis funding proposal to become the local partner for the stadium would increase the sales tax now dedicated to paying off bonds for the city’s Convention Center. The sales tax would increase from .50 percent to .85 percent and generate benefits beyond a stadium including property tax relief for city residents, according to Johnson.

The effort to keep the Vikings downtown would be made easier if Hennepin County became a partner. “I’ve been talking to county commissioners and the mayor has, too,” Johnson said. “They’re more willing (for now) to sit on the sidelines.”

Although Johnson believes there’s a need to expedite the stadium solution process, she doesn’t believe it has to be in November. “The governor heard from the NFL ‘you better do something,’ ” she said. “He’s trying to be responsive.”

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Vikings’ Assignment: Get in Cam Newton’s Head

Posted on October 28, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Look up the NFL leaders in passing yardage and sitting there behind the revered names of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees is a 22-year-old rookie quarterback named Cam Newton who has thrown for 2,103 yards in seven games.

The Carolina Panthers man-child has been improving as the season progresses and it will be the Vikings’ assignment to slow him down on Sunday in Charlotte. Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton was asked how a defensive coordinator should approach the assignment.

“What you want to do is try to beat him between the ears,” he said. “Throw (him) a lot of disguised coverages. A lot of combination coverages. Give him a man look and then be in zone. Give him a zone look and then be in man. …”

Newton started his college career at Florida, went to junior college, then transferred to Auburn where he was the ringmaster of the Tigers’ undefeated national championship team in 2010. He only played one full season as a college starter and then because of the NFL labor dispute didn’t have the usual offseason indoctrination that benefits rookies.

Newton’s inexperience is why Dalton said the Vikings need to confuse him. “If he’s thinking too much and hesitating, he’ll lose a step.”

Newton’s passer rating is only 82.8, placing him 19^th in the league and even behind the Vikings’ Donovan McNabb. He’s only thrown eight touchdown passes. But he’s improved each week, Dalton said, and the 2-5 Panthers have played competitively including a win over 3-3 Washington last Sunday.

“He’s really rejuvenated that whole franchise,” Dalton said. “They haven’t won a lot of games but they’ve competed in all of them, and he’s been phenomenal. He’s been throwing for 400 yards and everybody thought he would be running for 100, but he does that, too. ..”

The 6-5, 248-pound Newton has actually run for 266 total yards this season, averaging 4.7 yards per carry (his total yards rank No. 33 in the NFL). He has rushed for seven touchdowns, tying an NFL rookie quarterback record. He can not only use his powerful right arm to throw long and short, but he will both bulldoze tacklers and out run them.

Dalton said Newton will “probably” be Rookie of the Year and has All-Pro potential. “What Cam Newton brings is an unbelievable skill set ─ his blessing from his parents and God,” Dalton said. “Added to that is a tremendous work ethic and a passion to be great. He has that million dollar smile but he puts in the work behind it to go out and play and perform at a high level.

“And the kid is a winner. All he’s ever done is win and produce (national title teams at Blinn College and Auburn). … “

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