Wild – Page 57 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Kevin Love Impressive Role Model

Posted on March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 by David Shama

When Kevin Love played for the Timberwolves, I talked to him a couple of times and liked him. I also watched and admired his skills many times, but never have I appreciated him more than this week when he wrote openly and emotionally about mental health.

Love’s essay posted on the Playerstribune.com is a must-read for any thoughtful sports fan, including those who influence young athletes. Love details how he had a panic attack early this season that caused him to flee the court during a game. It was an experience unlike any the 29-year-old Cavs star had ever known, and it ultimately prompted enough self-examination to see a therapist for the first time in his life.

In macho America, boys and men have forever been taught to bury damaging feelings including guilt and shame. Love writes that during his life he never wanted to show emotional weakness but he knew something was very wrong that night last year when he panicked and experienced shortness of breath.

Love has been seeing a therapist and he’s targeted some personal issues including one he shares in detail. He writes about his grandmother Carol who lived with the family when he was growing up. Carol was still alive during part of the time he played for the Wolves and she had planned to visit him in Minneapolis at Thanksgiving one year. The trip was cancelled, though, because Carol was hospitalized and shortly thereafter she died unexpectedly. In therapy Love came to realize how he had not adequately grieved about his grandma’s death.

In and out of athletics this is a mixed up world with a lot of confused and troubled minds. Love writes this warning in his article: “Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.”

It’s true and so many people, whether involved with sports or other parts of society, need help. Troubled with burdens real and imagined, they frequently don’t receive help. (See the latest news on opiate use, or school shootings). There are no easy answers but there is always someone out there—family, friend or stranger—willing to give support and encourage a person to seek assistance.

Love, a former NBA All-Star and contributor to the Cleveland Cavs 2016 league champions, has long been known as one of basketball’s better passing front court players. This week he might have made his biggest “assist.”

Worth Noting

Credit Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher in making one of his best moves signing center Eric Staal to a three-year free agent contract in June of 2016. Staal, 33, is tied for fourth among NHL players in goal scoring with 36, and is a valued leader on a team with a need in that department.

Staal has been exceptional at the right time, producing 21 points last month while helping the Wild to a 9-2-2 record. He’s a catalyst for a team that sometimes prompts doubt about qualifying for the playoffs.

Now it looks like the Wild will make the playoffs (at times the team falters when the schedule gets busy and the ages of players shows). How far they go in the postseason appears tied to—no surprise—whether goalie Devan Dubnyk is hot.

While the Wild seem likely for the playoffs, the Timberwolves can be labeled iffy. The club was on track to make the postseason for the first time since 2004 before Jimmy Butler went down with a knee injury sidelining him indefinitely. He is the team’s best defender and fourth quarter big shot and big play specialist. This is a less capable and confident team without the 28-year-old Butler, who may deserve a place among the top 10 players in the NBA and is in his first season with the Wolves.

In the competitive Western Conference race for eight playoff spots, the Wolves will probably have to earn a surprise win or two in this immediate schedule stretch that starts with games against the Celtics and Warriors tonight and Sunday at home. There are only 16 Wolves games left in the season. If the season ended today, the Wolves would have one of the eight Western Conference playoff spots but the competition to be part of the field is intense.

The Wild is averaging 19,006 fans per game at home—seventh best in the 31-team NHL, according to Espn.com. The Timberwolves, according to the website, average 16,811—ranking No. 22 in the 30-team NBA.

I once argued with Lou Nanne about whether this was a better pro basketball or hockey town. Guess which position Nanne took? What I know is the Wolves set an NBA single season attendance record in the franchise’s first year of 1989-90 and despite a mostly poor product this century have been pretty successful at the box office. Decades ago the basketball Golden Gophers led the Big Ten and even the nation in attendance.

Former Gopher Natalie Darwitz, now coaching at Hamline, has the Piper women’s hockey team in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time ever. Hamline has a 20-4-3 record including a 4-1 win over the Gusties in the MIAC Playoff Championship game last Saturday at Gustavus. The Pipers will play their opening NCAA game Saturday against the winner of Friday’s Gustavus and Wisconsin-Eau Claire game.

Two of the five finalists for the 2018 state Mr. Basketball Award will be Gopher freshmen next fall but it’s difficult to think Apple Valley’s Tre Jones won’t win the honor. Jones, a McDonald’s All-American, is the best all-around Minnesota prep guard I’ve ever seen.

Other nominees are guards Owen King from Caledonia and Calvin Wishart of Delano, and future Gophers Gabe Kalscheur from DeLaSalle and Daniel Oturu of Cretin-Derham Hall. As a center or power forward, Oturu seems likely to emerge as Minnesota’s best rim protector on next season’s team. Kalscheur gives the Gophers a big guard off the bench playing behind senior Dupree McBrayer.

It’s surprising there is still no announcement identifying who the Gophers will play in next December’s nonconference game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The game (date not known) will be an operations rehearsal for the 2019 Final Four in Minneapolis.

Will the December date include not only the Gophers, but a second men’s game?

A ticket lottery for the 2019 Final Four opened this week and continues through May 31. The tournament dates are April 6 and 8, with tickets priced at $210 per sessions (a steal compared with the Minneapolis Super Bowl pricing). More at Gophersports.com, or Finalfourminneapolis.com.

The Twins home opener is four weeks from today, April 5 against the Mariners. The weather forecast is for a high of 52 with a “little afternoon rain,” according to Accuweather.com.

Comments Welcome

Pat Shurmur Big Loss for Vikings

Posted on January 28, 2018January 28, 2018 by David Shama

Pat Shurmur’s departure as offensive coordinator for the Vikings creates a concern for next season. Perhaps jumbo size.

Shurmur’s job performance with Minnesota prompted his hiring last week as the New York Giants head coach. After succeeding Norv Turner as offensive coordinator during the 2016 season, Shurmur showed why head coach Mike Zimmer promoted him.

Turner was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator for two-plus seasons. His offenses seldom dazzled, and reportedly he and Zimmer had different views. Shurmur, though, helped turn the offense from a worry to an asset in 2017 despite the early season loss of quarterback Sam Bradford to knee issues.

Shurmur’s offense struggled to produce points in last Sunday’s playoff loss to the Eagles, scoring a lone touchdown. But during the regular season the offense finished 11th in the NFL in yards per game with 358.9 and the unit tied for seventh with 68 plays for 20 or more yards, demonstrating big play ability.

Shurmur was adept at utilizing personnel within schemes players were capable of accomplishing. His game plans were impressive including what looked to be scripted early first quarter plays designed to not only gain yards but make the personnel comfortable and establish confidence.

The 52-year-old Shurmur has 19 seasons of coaching experience in the NFL, including as head coach of the Browns. With the Vikings he has shown a calm and even pleasant demeanor during games. He appears to be the kind of coach who makes players comfortable.

Zimmer hired Shurmur in 2016 as his tights ends coach before promoting him to offensive coordinator. While it’s questionable whether Zimmer and Turner worked well together, it’s obvious Shurmur and Zimmer did.

Since day one of Zimmer’s arrival as head coach of the Vikings in January of 2014, his signature has been all over the defense which has become one of the top units in the NFL. Shurmur provided major direction to the offense and offered a counter balance to the 24-7 intensity and temper of the head coach.

Style of play, strategizing, handling players and getting along with Zimmer look like ways Shurmur’s successor will be compared. A year from now we’ll know whether the Vikings have “Shurmur 2” or something less.

Worth Noting

“Welcome to the Bold North and Super Bowl 52.” Those are the recorded words of former Viking Chad Greenway on the sound system at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport as the area begins welcoming visitors to the big game February 4. Greenway, the ex-linebacker who retired after the 2016 season, agreed about a year ago to help local organizers with the Super Bowl effort.

Reports are legal authorities and the NCAA will be investigating alleged sexual assaults involving Michigan State athletes including football players and how the school handled incidents. Such news won’t surprise writers Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian. In their 2013 book, The System, The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football, they wrote about the prevalence of criminal, or alleged criminal conduct, involving college football players. They referenced a nine-year study of criminal complaints of felony assault attributed to pro and college athletes. The study concluded athletes are less likely to be convicted of crimes.

The authors devote a chapter to the 2004 Brigham Young incident where four football players were put on trial for rape charges but were not convicted. The prosecutor, Donna Kelly, was later told by jurors that the players had suffered enough with the loss of their football scholarships. Kelly found the logic bizarre and was quoted in the book as saying, “That’s the power of college football.”

The NHL first-year Vegas expansion team has 68 points at the All-Star break, the most in the Western Conference. The Golden Knights are in first place in the Pacific Division, nine points better than the second place Sharks. In their 1967-1968 NHL debut the expansion Minnesota North Stars scored 69 points for the season. The Minnesota Wild, in its expansion season of 2000-2001, produced 68 points.

So far this season the Wild has 57 points, nine fewer than the Central Division leading Jets. Qualifying for the playoffs is in doubt.

The vast number of first period empty seats at Mariucci Arena, including the best locations, was startling to see when No. 1 ranked Notre Dame played the Gophers Friday night in Minneapolis. Lack of fan interest fuels speculation about the future of 19-year head coach Don Lucia whose team split two games over the weekend against the Fighting Irish.

A program long billed as Minnesota’s “pride on ice” has struggled this season with an overall record of 16-13-1, and 7-10-1-1 in the Big Ten. There’s public frustration too about no national titles since 2003, and fans continue to complain about the move in 2013 from the popular WCHA to the hockey start-up Big Ten.

The presence of the Wild is a problem too. Interest in Gopher hockey benefitted from 1993 to 2000 when there was no pro hockey competition in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

From the lighter side: A teenage grocery store employee said yesterday she didn’t know the Gophers have been playing football longer than the Vikings.

Comments Welcome

Nanne: Zach Parise Timing to Come Fast

Posted on January 4, 2018January 4, 2018 by David Shama

A Thursday notes column:

Zach Parise made his season debut with the Wild Tuesday night after being sidelined following back surgery. How long will it take for the star forward to have his timing return to normal?

“Within 10 days he should be perfect,” Minnesota hockey authority Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners.

What contributions does Nanne see ahead for the Wild’s 33-year-old wing? “Well, I think that you’re going to see a guy that never stops working. He’s a leader on the team. He’s a guy that can score some goals and he should be a good addition to the lineup.”

Parise had back surgery on October 24 and played solidly on Tuesday night in his debut game. He is expected to play again tonight when Minnesota hosts the Sabres.

Parise scored 42 points in 69 games last season including six power goals and four game winners.

The Wild has been disappointing this season, lacking consistency and goal scoring. Minnesota might struggle to make the playoffs even though owner Craig Leipold said before the season that anything short of winning the Stanley Cup will be disappointing.

What kind of pressure does that put on individuals and the organization? “I don’t know what it does,” Nanne said. “It says he’s got high expectations.”

The Wild defeated the Sabres 5-4 November 22 in Buffalo—the only previous game this season between the two teams. Wild assistant coach Bob Woods was an assistant with the Sabres last season.

In January of 2015 the Wild shutout the Sabres 7-0, the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

The Gophers were able to defeat Illinois 77-67 last night because All-Big Ten point guard Nate Mason played after being sidelined for awhile with a sprained ankle. ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla told Sports Headliners the Gophers being without Mason is like the powerhouse Ohio State football team not having quarterback J.T. Barrett. Both are that kind of catalyst for their teams, Fraschilla said. Mason and forward Jordan Murphy scored team highs of 17 points last night.

Fraschilla believes it’s likely Duke freshman point guard Trevon Duvall will declare for the NBA Draft after this season, opening the way for Apple Valley senior Tre Jones to become a starter for the Blue Devils next fall.

Minnesota native Brian Dutcher is in his first season as San Diego State head basketball coach. Injuries have been a problem, although the Aztecs beat top 25 ranked Gonzaga in San Diego and defeated Georgia on a neutral court.

The Aztecs are 2-1 in Mountain West Conference games and 10-4 overall, while former Timberwolves assistant coach Eric Musselman has Nevada off to an even better start. Nevada is 2-0 in Mountain West games and 14-3 overall.

Gopher Deputy Athletics Director John Cunningham told Sports Headliners the $166 million University of Minnesota Athletes Village will be ready for use by mid-January. Approximately $105 million of the project is secured with fundraising ongoing. The construction cost is also being financed through bonds.

Bill Robertson, the men’s WCHA commissioner based in Bloomington, is excited about his league as the New Year begins including the Minnesota State team ranked No. 7 in the country in the latest USCHO poll. “I think they have a legitimate shot to end up in St. Paul (playing for the national title).”

Robertson is also enthusiastic about Bemidji State senior goalie Michael Bitzer, who has already played over 1,000 minutes and looks like a candidate for college awards recognizing both the player and goalie of the year. “He continues to do marvelous things,” Robertson said. “In my mind he will be a Hobey Baker contender as well as a Mike Richter contender this year, both awards.”

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve recently signed a multiyear contract extension and also assumed the general manager’s title and role with the local WNBA franchise. Reeve speaks to the CORES lunch group January 11 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Lunch reservations must be made by January 8. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Players and others associated with the 1968, 1969 and 1970 Big Ten champion Gopher baseball teams will be recognized May 12 at Siebert Field when Minnesota plays Michigan State.

Jerry Kindall was an assistant coach to Dick Siebert on those teams. Kindall, a former Minnesota Twin before going into coaching, passed away late last month. The St. Paul native was also an assistant basketball coach for the Gophers and went on to become head baseball coach at Arizona where he won national titles.

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