Wild – Page 16 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Do Vikings Move on from Osborn Before Trade Deadline?

Posted on October 29, 2023October 29, 2023 by David Shama

With the NFL trade deadline coming Tuesday, this will be an intriguing few days for the Vikings and their rabid fanbase. Will the franchise be buyers or sellers? Or both?

The most likely storyline could be moving on from veteran wide receiver K.J. Osborn who will be a free agent after this season. The Vikings will have pressing payroll needs next offseason and Osborn looks expendable with the arrival of 2023 first round draft choice Jordan Addison.

Osborn, in his fourth NFL season, would be a welcome addition to any number of NFL clubs. In return the Vikings might receive a fourth, fifth or sixth round draft choice. His expected replacement in the Minnesota lineup would be Brandon Powell, a capable fifth year veteran and journeyman playing with his fourth NFL club.

Left guard Ezra Cleveland is another player rumored in trade discussions. Although he will also be a free agent next year, the Vikings should not move on from him and shake up their best guard depth and offensive line performance in years.

A Vikings victory over the Packers today in Green Bay will improve their record to 4-4, with the team having won four of its last five games. A scenario like that figures to weigh on GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah not altering his roster much other than to take the opportunity to move Osborn and add a quality cornerback.

The GM has shown a past willingness to trade with teams in his own division. Corner Jaylon Johnson from the Bears could be a target. He is an impressive cover man (a starter since Game 1 as a rookie in 2020) who didn’t reach agreement in the past offseason on a contract extension. The Bears could move on from him, with former Gopher Terell Smith, a fifth-round draft choice last spring, as the replacement.

An easier “get” at corner likely is Donte Jackson from winless (0-6) Carolina who could be thinking fire sale before the trade deadline. Jackson is no Johnson, but he is experienced with six years in the pros and inexpensive at reportedly about a $1 million salary.

Adofo-Mensah has made past in-season moves to improve the roster. In 2022 he sent third and fourth round draft choices to the Lions in return for upgrading the tight end position with the addition of T.J. Hockenson. Several weeks ago, the Vikings signed veteran free agent offensive lineman Dalton Risner, a former starter for the Broncos.

Worth Noting

With a touchdown catch today, Addison will become the sixth player in the Super Bowl era (1970 to present) to have at least seven receiving touchdowns in the first eight career games.

With 101 passing yards today, Viking quarterback Kirk Cousins will surpass Drew Brees (39,297 yards) for the third-most passing yards in a player’s first 150 career games in the NFL.

Looming over discussions and “mental gymnastics” involving salary cap numbers in the next offseason will be wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s contract extension. Most observers are surprised a new deal wasn’t done last summer. Why? Probably because the Vikings can make the numbers work better in 2024 with Jefferson targeting a deal to be the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

With Vikings’ safety Harrison Smith turning 35 in February, the Vikings may not need to look far for his replacement. They are scouting Gophers’ safety Tyler Nubin who could be a first-round draft choice with his skills and competitiveness.

The Vikings, who are third in the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns, have zero touchdowns running in seven games. No other team is without a TD running the football.

Roger Goodell’s contract extension through 2027 may end quiet speculation that Kevin Warren, the former Vikings executive now leading the Bears’ management, could one day succeed Goodell as NFL commissioner. Warren turns 60 next month.

Bad timing? Coach Bret Bielema, 9-0 against the Gophers while coaching at Wisconsin and now Illinois, had a bye last Saturday and extra time to prepare for the Illini’s game at Minnesota next Saturday, November 4.

While the Wild’s ownership and management has a focus on this season, they are also thinking about the next offseason. It’s then the club is finished with the $14.5 million buyout of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter that has limited payroll for acquiring new talent because of the NHL salary cap.

Owner Craig Leipold told Sports Headliners he anticipates the NHL increasing the salary cap for teams by about $5 million next year. That amount, combined with Parise-Suter savings, will give the Wild close to $20 million in new money, a total Leipold believes will be more than any team in the league. “Billy (Guerin) is already looking (at) who could be free agents at that time, and, you know, we’re going to be active,” Leipold said.

Guerin has been the general manager for more than four years. That experience with the organization is comforting to Leipold.

“I think Billy is one of the top GMs in the league, maybe the top. He’s got a great staff of young people who work in his organization in the analytics side and in the signing of players. So we’ve got a really good core of young people in hockey ops that are there to support Billy and everything that he is doing. We think that we’ve got a great organization and, you know, they’re ready to be active in (developing and acquiring) players.“

The Wild is off to a 3-3-2 record this fall. The owner is impressed with the culture of his club, including the enthusiasm. “It’s just so apparent that this team is going to be an exciting team and they genuinely like each other. … It’s fun to watch them when they’re not playing; when I can get a little closer to them and see how they’re reacting with each other. …”

Leipold has a favorite player, and the choice might surprise fans. Forward Mason Shaw, now with the Iowa Wild, has willed himself back from four ACL surgeries. Leipold describes Shaw’s determination to play on and be a contributor as infectious. “…He’s the kind of guy that you cheer for every day because he’s had some bad breaks thrown his way,” Leipold said.

Dick Jonckowski, who had 19 calls and nine texts of birthday wishes on his milestone 80^th last Sunday, will emcee the Old Timers Hockey Association luncheon November 20 at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul.

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Rowdy Fans Bad Look for Hawkeyes Yesterday at Kinnick

Posted on October 22, 2023October 22, 2023 by David Shama

And how was your bacon this morning?

To Gophers fans it tasted like filet mignon.

Down in Iowa it tasted more like cardboard.

Minnesota won its rivalry game against Iowa yesterday in Iowa City, 12-10, in a controversial affair that sent Floyd of Rosedale back to Minneapolis. The bronze pig is supposed to symbolize how tensions can be eased and sportsmanship encouraged between the two rival schools and states.

That flew out the window late in the fourth quarter when too many Hawkeye fans lost control following a review disallowing an Iowa touchdown that would have put the hometown team ahead 16-12. Cooper DeJean’s punt return for the go-ahead score was negated after officials determined that before fielding the football, he signaled an illegal fair catch.

Iowa fans reportedly threw bottles, cans, and food onto the field. The Minnesota bench was targeted with debris, forcing the players to move out of their sideline area. Players and coaches had every right to be concerned about their safety.

Justin Gaard, sideline reporter on the Gopher radio network, put this up on X (formerly known as Twitter) yesterday: “This is year 13 on the sidelines. Trying to recall if fans anywhere have ever thrown so much stuff on the field like Iowa fans did tonight. I don’t remember it ever happening like that.”

The ruckus caused a delay in the game. It was a bad look for the Iowa fanbase.

Worse was the 2002 incident in Minneapolis when anarchy surfaced after Iowa’s 45-21 win over the Gophers. Fans stormed the field and tore down a goal post. Then they attempted to carry pieces out of the stadium but were stymied trying to get through the revolving doors. The Iowa athletic department later was billed for damages.

Floyd of Rosedale photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

The creation of Floyd in the 1930s came during a time of perhaps unparalleled tensions between Iowa and Minnesota. I remember my family telling me of how whiskey bottles hurled past Gopher players while playing at Iowa in that era. There must have been a lot of truth to that because before the 1935 game Iowa governor Clyde Herring threatened the Gophers saying, “If the officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I’m sure the crowd won’t.”

Minnesota governor Floyd B. Olson responded with diplomacy, proposing a bet between the two state leaders over who would win the game. At stake were prize pigs from each state. The Gophers won the game and days after Herring marched a live pig into Olson’s office.

Calm had been restored in the rivalry. But never permanently as shown again yesterday when the Gophers ended an eight-game losing streak against the Hawkeyes.

There are classy Iowa fans for sure but even they would say there are too many boorish patrons among the Hawkeye faithful.

Worth Noting

Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin committed a difficult to understand unsportsmanlike penalty late in the second quarter when after the whistle he flipped the football out of an Iowa player’s grasp. It was one of four penalties for 40 yards the Gophers committed in setting up Iowa’s lone touchdown drive of the game.

The deadline is tomorrow for NBA contract extensions like the one the Timberwolves are trying to make with Jaden McDaniels. Owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners he isn’t sure if there is time to “cover the difference” between what the Wolves are offering and McDaniels wants prior to the deadline. Taylor said there is no questioning the Wolves value McDaniels, but a deal might have to wait until after the season.

“I don’t know where he’s really at,” Taylor said. “So far they have not been flexible, and I think we’ve tried to meet what we think is fair.”

That offer might be something like four years, $100 million for the 23-year-old versatile forward who the Wolves like a lot, including because he can guard at least three positions. “He’s gotta play this year, whether we sign him or don’t sign him,” Taylor said. “I mean it’s in his interest to play really well, and certainly at that point he’ll go out and try to get offers from other teams. …We have a right to match them (other team’s offers). I don’t know that it’s going to cost us any more that way than if we do it now. We’d like him to do it now because we’d like him to stay here for the long run, and we’d like him to know that.”

Predictions: John Hollinger from The Athletic has the Timberwolves tying with the Suns for the third best record in the Western Conference at 48-34. Sports Illustrated’s basketball issue out this month has the Wolves finishing No. 11 in the 15-team conference.

On the S.I. cover is former Wolves star Jimmy Butler, one of the most proven clutch players in the NBA who could lead the Heat to two consecutive NBA Finals. “…And I’m gonna whoop all y’all ass. Again,” he said in S.I.

Beth Goetz, who was deputy athletics director at Minnesota from 2013-2015, is interim athletics director at Iowa, and receiving strong support for the full-time job from school president Barbara Wilson, according to The Daily Iowan.

Honors: RB Darius Taylor of the Gophers was named a 247Sports Midseason True Freshman All-American last week. Minnesota senior safety Tyler Nubin made The Athletic’s second team for Mid-Season All-American.

The Wild is again close to 14,000 season tickets and some games are sold out, per owner Craig Leipold. Season tickets are still available for 2023-2024.

The Wild host a free open to the public outdoor practice starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, November 5 at the Recreation Outdoor Center in St. Louis Park. The event includes fan giveaways and activities. With space limited, fans are encouraged to arrive early.

Happy Birthday to Minnesota sports and entertainment icon Dick Jonckowski who turns 80 today, October 22. University of Minnesota alum and former Gopher golfer Harvey Mackay, widely known as a best-selling author and syndicated columnist, will be 91 on Tuesday. Happy birthday, Harvey.

Name, image and likeness rewards are a reality for a small number of Minnesota high school athletes. An educated guess is a dozen or so male and female athletes in the state are making money and receiving product in return for NIL.

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Carlos Correa ‘Mr. Clutch’ for Twins Just like Kirby Puckett

Posted on October 10, 2023October 13, 2023 by David Shama

Carlos Correa’s clutch performance for the Twins in the postseason prompts memories of the late Kirby Puckett. It was Puckett who made that still famous quote before Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, telling teammates to “jump on his back” because he was going to carry the team.

Correa is more than shouldering his load, too, including driving in three of Minnesota’s six runs Sunday night when the Twins tied their American League Division Series at 1-1 with the Astros. Fittingly, Correa even threw out the last Astros batter of the evening with a spectacular fielding play and throw in the 6-2 win.

In four postseason games this fall Correa is hitting .588, and it’s not just his performance at the plate that has been key for the Twins. His fielding, high baseball IQ and leadership have all been impactful. Before coming to Minnesota, the 29-year-old shortstop experienced six postseason years with the Astros.

Do-Hyoung Park, writing for MLB.com yesterday, offered this timely quote about Correa from manager Rocco Baldelli: “We’ve always heard all of the sayings and things: When the lights come on and the bright lights, there are some guys, they’re giants in the light. He’s one of them. That’s what he is.”

Correa, who joined the Twins in 2022 as a free agent and then re-signed with them last off-season, made history Sunday night with those three RBI. He now has 63 career postseason RBI, tied with David Justice for third best ever among big leaguers.

No doubt the Twins’ $200 million “Mr. October” looks forward to moving up that historical list (Bernie Williams tops at 80, Manny Ramirez second with 78) but the big prize right now is advancing to the World Series. To do that the Twins will need two more wins to close out the Astros and be able to win four games in the American League Championship Series.

That itinerary would put the Twins back in the World Series for the first time since 1991. Minnesota defeated the Braves in seven games, partially because of Puckett’s heroics in Game 6. The five-tool superstar robbed Ron Gant of an extra base hit and had three hits including an 11^th inning walk-off home run for the ages that won the game and tied the series 3-3 in front of a delirious Metrodome crowd.

Puckett was a centerpiece on World Series championship teams in 1991 and 1987. In 24 postseason games he hit .309, with five home runs and 16 RBI. He was also a leader who inspired teammates, just like a guy in the here and now—Carlos Correa.

Worth Noting

Twins Hall of Famers Johan Santana and Joe Mauer will do the ceremonial first pitch honors before this afternoon’s ALDS game at Target Field. Minneapolis-based vocalist Aby Wolf will perform the national anthem.

Today’s Minnesota starting pitcher Sonny Gray, who held the Blue Jays scoreless in last week’s Wild Card series win, faces the Astros for the third time this year. He is 0-0 and has a 2.77 ERA against the Astros, with four walks and 16 strikeouts in two starts.

Ryan Jeffers has been the Twins’ catcher in each of the four postseason games, after splitting assignments during the regular season with Christian Vazquez. Jeffers has excelled defensively and calling games for the 3-1 Twins but has just two hits in 13 at bats.

Knowledgeable and optimistic Twins fans know the World Series starts October 27 and potentially runs through November 4. Home field advantage in the best of seven series, just like in the ALDS and ALDCS, is determined by which two teams had the better regular season record.

Twins radio voice Cory Provus, who calls Big Ten Network football games, will also work BTN men’s basketball during the upcoming season.

By Friday, after the Wild’s home opener against the Panthers Thursday night, it’s anticipated that over a nine-day period about 300,000 fans in the Twin Cities will have attended games of the Twins, Vikings, Wild and football Gophers.

The Wild has only two players on its 21-man opening night roster that weren’t with Minnesota last year: forwards Pat Maroon (Tampa Bay) and Marco Rossi (Iowa). Defenseman Brock Faber is the youngest player on the roster at 21; while goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who turns 39 in November, is the oldest.

Hockey authority Bill Robertson predicts the Wild will finish seventh in the Western Conference and make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “Healthy (Kirill) Kaprizov and solid goaltending will be big keys for the Wild this year,” the former college hockey commissioner wrote via email. “Former Gopher Brock Faber will take a huge step forward and become an impact player for Minnesota.

“Boston is the best team in the NHL as they have depth from top to bottom and will be ready this year for the Stanley Cup Playoffs! No quick exit this year. Best player in the game is Edmonton’ s Conner McDavid as he is a superstar and can impact a game when he is on the ice. Conner has awesome skills.”

The Wild announced today that Kaprizov has been named an alternate captain.

Jim Harbaugh, who was a candidate for the Vikings head coaching job before Kevin O’Connell was hired in 2022, has the No. 2 college football team in the AP Poll but doesn’t make the top 10 in annual compensation among his peers. His $8.2 million at Michigan ranks No. 12, with Alabama’s Nick Saban No. 1 at $11.4 million and Michigan State’s embattled Mel Tucker No. 5 at about $10 million, per Usatoday.com last week.

Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck ranks No. 26 at $6 million.

The 1-4 Vikings and 3-3 Gophers are struggling but other state teams are excelling including St. Thomas, 3-0 in conference games and leading the Pioneer League, and Saint John’s, No. 8 nationally in the D3football.com rankings and tied with Carleton for the best league record in the MIAC at 3-0 each.

Happy birthdays: NFL legend Brett Favre is 54 today, October 10. Former Gopher athletics director Mark Dienhart turns 70 tomorrow.

Forward Parker Bjorklund from St. Thomas has been voted preseason first team All-Summit by the league coaches. The voting also predicted the Tommies will finish fourth in the standings behind South Dakota State, Oral Roberts and North Dakota State.

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