Vikings – Page 59 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ex-Vikes GM: Cousins Needs to Stay

Posted on February 20, 2022February 20, 2022 by David Shama

Count former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond among those in favor of retaining controversial 33-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins, the team’s starter since 2018.

Minnesota has missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, and Cousins prompted a storm of criticism by refusing COVID vaccination last year, and his current contract is a huge burden on the payroll, but Diamond says not so fast to the chorus of critics wanting a change in 2022.

Diamond ranks Cousins in the top half of NFL quarterbacks and believes the timing is right to retain him. “I think Cousins needs to stay for one more year because I think the team is not that far away from being a playoff team,” Diamond told Sports Headliners.

The Vikings have significant personnel holes to fill, but they also possess talented players in multiple positions. They lost four games by four points or fewer last season and had other ulcer inducing defeats. Several NFL teams made the playoffs in 2021 who hadn’t qualified the year before, an indication of how fortunes change from one season to the next.

Diamond, who was the NFL Executive of the Year for 1998 when the Vikings went 15-1, made those points in his Sports Headliners interview. He added Cousins isn’t that different from Matthew Stafford, the veteran quarterback who was a key contributor to making the Rams 2022 Super Bowl champions after years of frustration playing with the hapless Lions. “He’s at least good enough to see what Kevin O’Connell can do with him,” Diamond said of Cousins.

O’Connell, the new Vikings head coach, is known as something of a “quarterback whisperer.” He was Cousins’ quarterback coach for the 2017 season in Washington. Since taking over in Minnesota, O’Connell has publicly been upbeat about his quarterback.

O’Connell and new GM Kwesi Odofo-Mensah are tasked with finding a solution to Cousins’ guaranteed contract for $35 million that counts as a $45 million hit to the salary cap as of right now. Diamond is doubtful Cousins, now in the last year of his deal, will accept a new contract paying him less money but is laden with incentives.

What Cousins might agree to is a contract extension of a year or more. Such a deal involves converting a portion of his salary into a signing bonus amortized over the length of the contract. The result can be a significant reduction to the franchise salary cap and help the Vikings add or retain impact players.

Cousins was willing to do a contract extension in 2020 so this is not new ground for him. There are also potential salary restructures with other players on the roster.

Cousins’ willingness to extend his contract now could be impacted by a favorable relationship with O’Connell. Cousins and former head coach Mike Zimmer appeared to have a distant relationship, at times not even meeting on a regular basis.

The culture under Zimmer has been criticized since his firing in January, with linebacker Eric Kendricks referring to a lack of communication and a “fear-based organization.” Zimmer was known for his cantankerous ways and the 36-year-old O’Connell is expected to create a new culture.

O’Connell talked last week at his news conference about consistent communication. “They’ve got to know we care about them from day one,” he said about his players. “I will not hire a coach that will not connect on a one-on-one- basis with their players in their (meeting) rooms.”

Diamond was impressed with O’Connell at the news conference. He liked the first-time NFL head coach’s personality and intelligence. There was no missing O’Connell’s enthusiasm and intent for a collaborative organization.

“I think that he’s going to be…kind of a breath of fresh air to the players, compared to the previous regime,” Diamond said. “I like Zim. … (But) This is a big culture change.”

Worth Noting

At this weekend’s NBA All-Star break the Timberwolves’ record is 31-28, with 23 games remaining on the regular schedule. The Wolves will have to go 14-9 the rest of the way to fulfill my prediction before the season they could have 45 wins. The club has earned that many victories or more just once since the 2003-2004 season.

The Big Ten’s media rights expire in 2023, with major networks expected to show plenty of interest. Front Office Sports speculated a new deal might provide $1.1 billion annually for the Big Ten. Split between the conference’s 14 schools that could mean about $79 million per year for the University of Minnesota Athletic Department.

The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program will host a virtual discussion Friday about the future of college sports and athletes as school employees. There are ongoing legal challenges on the issue and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the NCAA violated antitrust law by restricting educated-related benefits to athletes. A four person virtual discussion will include former University of Minnesota regent Michael Hsu and Big 12 Conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby. Contact: jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org

Tongue-in-cheek from Dick Jonckowski who said the Twins are donating a new field in Minneapolis called Miguel Sano Park. It has three swings and a bench, the “Polish Eagle” joked.

The Shakopee-based event speaker and former Gophers basketball public address announcer is recovering from COVID after being hospitalized in January. He hopes to do PA work for state tournament girls and boys basketball games next month.

A 1982 mint condition rookie Hulk Hogan collector card is generating live bids today on Heritage Auctions, including $6,750.

The Minnesota State High School Coaches Association awards ten $1,000 scholarships to children or grandchildren of current or lifetime members of the MSHSCA. Contact: jmarshall@isd192.org

Comments Welcome

Super Bowl LVI Worthy of the Hype

Posted on February 14, 2022February 14, 2022 by David Shama

A few Super Bowls tempt you to hold your nose. A bunch make you yawn during most of the game. Not last evening. America was mostly entertained from the opening kickoff all the way to a dramatic ending at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Bengals had a chance to turn a last minute drive into a game winning touchdown, or at least force overtime with a field goal. Wasn’t to be, though, with the Rams’ Aaron Donald making what will become known as legacy tackles on third and fourth downs to lock up a 23-20 win over the Bengals.

The home town Rams won the NFL’s biggest prize after moving to Los Angeles just six years ago. Owner Stan Kroenke orchestrated the transfer from St. Louis and bitter fans there have no time for him. Think of him as the St. Louis version of North Stars owner Norm Green. But he stood on the field after the game as a Tinsel Town hero.

“Another ending fit for Hollywood, “NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said to Kroenke, the stadium fans and the TV audience.

This was a close and compelling game most of the night. The Rams led 16-13 at halftime but trailed going into the fourth quarter 20-16. The Bengals put together a field goal, and a touchdown in the third quarter that shouldn’t have happened. Bengals receiver Tee Higgins pulled the facemask of Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey who fell to the ground, allowing a 75 yard touchdown. No replay, no overturning the play.

The Rams, trailing 20-16 in the fourth quarter, had to rally on their last possession. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who played in NFL purgatory for years with the hapless Lions, made clutch throws on a long drive, mostly to Super Bowl MVP wide receiver Cooper Kupp. With 1:25 remaining in the game, Kupp caught a one-yard touchdown pass to put the Rams ahead to stay.

If Rams fans were enraged by the no-call that Higgins scored on, they could empathize with the Bengals faithful late in the game. Before Kupp caught the TD pass a flimsy defensive holding penalty inside the 10-yard line on Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson kept the drive going for the Rams.

The Super Bowl can seem like a football game sandwiched around a suffocating parade of TV commercials. For some Super Bowls a restless viewer can’t reach quickly enough for the remote, even stumbling on to something called the “Puppy Bowl.” But last night’s fourth quarter should have moved you to the edge of your seat.

Here are other Super Bowl musings including a few with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

The big game’s halftime show? NBC’s Maria Taylor teased it as perhaps the “greatest” ever. Oh, my.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar. Hmm. Hmm.

You could be at home today, pulling a “Ferris Buehler” after the big game. If so, remember not to post photos on social media that show you seeking a hangover “remedy” at a favorite watering hole.

Americans are convinced their country is in a downward spiral so why not chip further away at “our national fabric” and declare the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday? Or switch the Super Bowl to Saturday nights? Ease the guilt of millions who call in sick on Mondays.

Hate to disappoint but at the last minute the Sports Headliners’ Board of Directors nixed a $7 million expenditure to buy a :30 second TV commercial for last night’s extravaganza. And they wonder why readership is flat.

$7 million? A paltry sum when compared with the record $7.6 billion that was expected to be wagered on the game, per the American Gaming Association. And how was your trip to Wisconsin or Iowa to bet on the Bengals or Rams?

Now 30 states offer legal betting, but not the North Star State. That could change sooner than a Kirk Cousins departure from the Vikings.

The Super Bowl is all about money, from expensive rings to player bonuses, from escalating franchise values to billions spent by American consumers on products and services. See any connection between the disappearance of protests at NFL games and an apparent agreement between league powers and the players’ union?

TV viewership numbers for Super Bowl LVI could be publicized today with the number expected to be about 115 million. Word is neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump watched. Speculation is Biden fell asleep prior to kickoff, while Trump spent the evening in front of a favorite mirror.

During halftime I checked the furnace to see if it was operational. I am traumatized on Super Bowl Sunday because a few years ago I blew out part of the electrical wiring in the house while using a powerful space heater. Ever tried to find an electrician the night of the Super Bowl?

Honestly, I’d prefer to watch the big game near a beach in Florida. A longtime friend sent a post card from the sunshine state and asked when I was headed that way. “I’ll look for you but it’s a big state,” he wrote.

The two head coaches in this year’s Super Bowl, Sean McVay, 36, from the Rams, and Zac Taylor, 38, of the Bengals, weren’t even born when the Vikings played in their last Super Bowl, 1977. The combined ages of McVay and Taylor are the youngest two-some in Super Bowl history.

There has been one MVP in Super Bowl history that played for the losing team. Linebacker Chuck Howley of the Cowboys won the honor in Super Bowl V even though his team lost the game 16-13 to the Colts.

Comments Welcome

Rams’ Way a Potential Path for Vikings

Posted on February 8, 2022 by David Shama

The Rams play in the Super Bowl Sunday and are 55-26 during the last five seasons. Their front office uses an approach that could help the Vikings build their roster and elevate out of the mediocrity of recent seasons.

The Rams haven’t drafted in the first round since 2016. Their next first rounder, as of now, is scheduled for 2024. Put the word scheduled in bold face if you like because with the Rams things happen with personnel acquisition—before the season, during training camp and even close to Super Bowl time.

This is an aggressive front office with a philosophy that believes it’s better to acquire proven impact players (like quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and linebacker Von Miller) than gamble on first round prospects. The roster has been constructed with key personnel who came via trades, free agency and draft picks beyond round one.

By not drafting in the first round, the Rams avoid the big salaries such players command. The savings is used to pay a bevy of stars on the roster that includes those mentioned above and others like defensive tackle Aaron Donald, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Superior scouting can pay off big with draft choices beyond the first and second rounds. The Rams’ poster boy for that is wide receiver Cooper Kupp, an NFL MVP candidate selected on the third round out of Eastern Washington.

Don’t get the idea the Rams trade away most of their draft choices in their wheeling and dealing. They often receive draft picks in return, and they also are awarded compensatory picks from the NFL for letting their free agents walk away. Part of the Rams’ successful roster construction approach is stockpiling draft choices.

Rams GM Les Snead isn’t afraid to make mistakes in the draft, or with free agents or via trades. Sometimes he and his front office colleagues are working on deadlines in crisis situations—drawing some similarity to the pressures of Wall Street where new Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked before building a career in the NFL.

It will be interesting to see if he uses a versatile and comprehensive approach like the Rams in the days ahead. Rick Spielman, his predecessor, was aggressive in stockpiling draft choices, too. He was spot on with some draft selections after the first round, taking Dalvin Cook and Brain O’Neill in the second round, Danielle Hunter in the third and Stefon Diggs and Ezra Cleveland in the fifth. But the Vikings haven’t done much over the years with mega free agent signings or trades. It’s been a long time since a Brett Favre or Jared Allen walked through the front door of the practice facility.

Worth Noting

Coach Jim Dutcher expects most of his players from the 1982 Golden Gophers’ Big Ten title team to participate in their 40-year celebration February 22, 23 and 24. It looks like 10 of the 12 will get together, including all the starters except for guard Tommy Davis who likely will be in France.

That starting group had just one native Minnesotan, center Randy Breuer. When Dutcher coached in the 1970s and 1980s at Minnesota, there were years when the state high school programs didn’t have a single Division I prospect. That’s in sharp contrast to the new millennium with the state now having a national reputation for producing quality D-I talent—sometimes the best in the country in Chet Holmgren, Jalen Suggs and Tyus Jones. “It’s worlds different,” Dutcher told Sports Headliners.

The 1982 group has been invited by Gopher head coach Ben Johnson to watch practice February 22 and then have dinner with the team. At halftime of the February 23 game against Wisconsin, Dutcher and his players will be honored. The next day the coach will host brunch at an Edina restaurant.

Johnson has faced the most difficult rebuild in memory at Minnesota. The first-year coach started the schedule with one returning player from last season and a roster of newcomers put together in hurry up fashion last spring. The Gophers, 11-9 overall and 2-9 in the Big Ten, have impressed with their competitiveness after going into the fall with the lowest of media and fan expectations. “He’s done an amazingly good job for his first year,” said Dutcher whose 1982 team was the last at Minnesota to win the league title.

Dutcher, 88, will attend granddaughter Liza’s wedding in San Diego next October. Father Brian Dutcher is head men’s basketball coach at San Diego State where assistant coach Mark Fisher coaches from a wheel chair after being diagnosed with ALS in 2013.

Bill Fitch only coached two seasons at the University of Minnesota, 1968-69 and 1969-70. He bolted for an NBA career that began with the expansion Cavaliers. If he had remained at Minnesota, he could have made the Golden Gophers Big Ten champs and a force on the national scene.

The Hall of Fame coach died earlier this month and I mourn his loss. I covered him during his Gophers days and we talked a few times by phone in recent years. Bill had a sharp tongue for his players and a quick wit for the media.

The Gophers had a shoot-first guard named Ollie Shannon who Fitch inherited after taking over the program. Ollie thought his shooting range was pretty much anywhere on the court. After a game in which Shannon almost cast a shot from mid-court the sarcastic coach told the media, “There goes Ollie running one of our options (from the playbook).”

Lou Nanne will provide TV analysis for the 58th year at the state hockey tournament next month. He is also doing four TV games this season for the Wild.

Nanne was captain of the 1968 US Olympic hockey team. Do the Americans have a chance of winning a medal this winter? “I definitely think they have,” he said.

Gopher athletic director Mark Coyle’s expected contract extension through 2028 is welcome news for fans “rowing the boat” because it helps assure a tight relationship with head football coach P.J. Fleck.

Surging Tom Hoge from Fargo, who finished second last month at the American Express in La Quinta and won Sunday’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, will be a headliner at this summer’s 3M Open in Blaine. “We fully expect him to play the 3M,” said Hollis Cavner who runs the Minnesota PGA Tour event.

Celebrity players at the AT&T included Bill Murray, the comedian, star of Caddyshack and St. Paul Saints investor. The showman wowed the crowd with a no-look putt.

Senior PGA rules official Mark Dusbabek, the former Gopher football player from Faribault, worked the tournament.

The Tapemark Minnesota PGA Pro-Am is set for June 10-12 at Southview Country Club. The event was successfully run for decades by the Klas family and this year will be the 51st annual.

With the ongoing pandemic, CORES program organizers are uncertain about a March gathering in Bloomington. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The dual meet between top-ranked Penn State and No. 2 Iowa last month averaged 363,000 viewers, making it the most-watched wrestling broadcast in Big Ten Network history. The previous record was 343,000 viewers, also set by the two wrestling powerhouses in January of 2020.

Comments Welcome