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

U Football Fate Looks Tied to Offense

Posted on September 1, 2017September 1, 2017 by David Shama

A Friday notes column with emphasis on last night’s opening nonconference win by the Gophers over Buffalo.

The Gophers have new coaches and quarterbacks but their defensive pedigree is still in place. The success of the Jerry Kill–Tracy Claeys coaching era from 2011 through last season was built on defense, often coming to the rescue of a sputtering offense with quarterback issues.

Minnesota was nearly a four touchdown favorite to defeat Buffalo but could only produce three points after a 14 point first quarter in coach P.J. Fleck’s debut game. Buffalo looked like an improved team after last season’s 2-10 record and had the best quarterback on the field in Tyree Jackson, but the Gophers should have done more offensively in their 17-7 win.

Minnesota’s offensive line was unimpressive and if they couldn’t push around a Mid-American Conference team, what lies ahead against Big Ten rivals, or even next week at Oregon State? Running the ball is supposed to be the Gophers’ strength but last night they had 239 yards passing and only 180 rushing.

The Gophers had a chance to go up 21-7 at halftime when redshirt senior quarterback Conor Rhoda threw an interception in the Bulls’ end zone late in the second quarter. After the game Fleck called it a “catastrophic mistake.”

Rhoda said the Bulls gave him an unexpected defensive look and that the error is something he can learn from. The emotional pain of the play was just the opposite of what he felt in the first quarter when he threw a 61-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Tyler Johnson.

Rhoda, a 22-year-old senior who Fleck had talked out of quitting football after last season, had never started a game before at home and it was the second touchdown pass of his career. The former Cretin-Derham Hall quarterback said he had a “ton of family” at the game and the touchdown pass was a fulfilling moment. His only other college career start was last season at Maryland when he also threw a touchdown pass.

After the game Fleck indicated the alternating quarterback system using both Rhoda and redshirt sophomore Demry Croft will continue.

Johnson caught six passes for 141 yards. He and another sophomore, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., were two of Minnesota’s biggest playmakers last night. Winfield knocked a ball away in the first half that might have gone for a Buffalo touchdown. He also blocked a field goal attempt and had five solo tackles, and assisted with two others. “That kid loves football,” Fleck said.

Winfield came into the game with the reputation of being an exceptional player on a promising defense. That unit held the Bulls to 61 yards rushing and 211 passing. Even though the score was close in the second half, the Gophers seemed likely to win because of the defense.

The sluggish offense, though, did little to dispel the preseason predictions Minnesota will have challenges scoring and the team will produce a mediocre season. Pick a record like 5-7, 6-6 or maybe 7-5. It’s only one game after last night, but so far expectations haven’t changed.

Announced attendance was 43,224 but there weren’t nearly that many fans in TCF Bank Stadium. Empty seats between the goal lines were numerous including some on the 50-yard line.

The Gophers are working to improve the fan experience at games. At the McNamara Alumni Center late yesterday afternoon food and beverage items were on sale, but “I’m a Fleck Fan” hats were free.

A person with the Bulls’ travel party said Buffalo draws about 20,000 fans per game, with a public season ticket base of around 10,000.

Fleck said the value is “priceless” of the reality TV series that is airing this summer about he and his family. During the month of August the NCAA doesn’t allow the recruiting of high school players, so the show placed attention on Fleck and his program in a way rivals couldn’t match. The series “Being P.J. Fleck” aired more than 100 times on ESPNU, ESPN2 and BTN prior to the end of August.

“…There was one team that wasn’t dead on national television in August and that was the University of Minnesota, four times for 30 minutes in people’s living rooms,” Fleck said. “You make sure people know that we’re going to be on TV at this time, and now dad, mom, brother, sister, uncle, (and) recruits are sitting in that room watching it while no one else can really have the contact with them.”

Fleck said the value of the series extended beyond recruiting. He heard from people who had been part of his life more than 10 years ago, and was also contacted by strangers. Some people shared stories about illness and the loss of relatives.

“…They say how you’ve influenced their life,” Fleck said. “That’s more than (the importance of) any money, that’s more than any win. That’s more than anything, and that’s the purpose of having the show is to make sure that our culture gets out to as many people as it possibly can, to serve and give through television.”

University of Minnesota alum and New York Times best selling author Harvey Mackay counted the late Muhammad Ali among his close friends. Mackay leaves for Rome next week to participate in the “Celebrity Fight Night” charity effort that Ali headlined for years with other celebrities. Among the events over several days will be a concert at the Roman Coliseum with Andrea Bocelli, Elton John and other entertainers.

Mackay played golf for the Gophers and coach Les Bolstad. He remembers Bolstad as being among the influential mentors in his life.

Glenn Caruso (photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas)

Glenn Caruso will pursue his 100th win as St. Thomas football coach when the Tommies open the season at home tomorrow against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His overall record is 99-15, including 59-5 at home and 17-7 in the NCAA playoffs.

The Tommies are ranked No. 5 in the Division3football.com preseason national poll. MIAC rival Saint John’s is No. 10.

Fans at tonight’s Twins-Royals game will see a video tribute to Joe Nathan who meets with media this afternoon to announce his official retirement from baseball. Among the franchise’s greatest closers ever, Nathan came to the Twins in November of 2003 in a trade with the Giants. It was a terrific deal for the Twins. The Giants received catcher A.J. Pierzynski and cash, while the Twins added Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser.

The August 28 issue of Sports Illustrated lists the top NFL broadcasting teams and ranks former Timberwolves play-by-play man Kevin Harlan No. 5 along with his TV partner Rich Gannon, the former Vikings quarterback. “Best pipes in all of broadcasting,” S.I. wrote about Harlan.

The No. 1 pair in the listings is NBC’s Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth.

Big Ten Basketball Media Day, including the Gophers Richard Pitino and the Big Ten Conference’s other 13 coaches, will be held for the first time ever in New York’s famous Madison Square Garden on October 19.

The NHL Centennial Fan Arena, honoring 100 years of teams, players, and other memories in the National Hockey League, is travelling to various markets and will be at the Minnesota State Fair today through Monday. The Stanley Cup will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today as part of the centennial celebration, plus Minnesota Wild players Tyler Ennis and Jared Spurgeon will sign autographs from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m..

The NHL Centennial Fan Arena location is Expo Place at the corner of Cooper Street and Murphy Avenue on the northern end of the Fairgrounds, near Gate 2. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The attraction is free with paid admission to the State Fair.

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Zimmer Weighs How Much to Use Starters

Posted on August 15, 2017August 15, 2017 by David Shama

A Tuesday notes column beginning with the Vikings.

The Vikings have their second of four preseason games Friday night at Seattle against the Seahawks. Traditionally, teams play their starters the most in the third exhibition game, which this year is August 27 at U.S. Bank Stadium against the 49ers. “Honestly, I am really weighing that a lot,” Mike Zimmer said this morning about how much to use his regulars in game three and before the season starts.

In the third game starters often play the entire first half and even part of the third quarter. What gives the Vikings head coach pause is potential injuries. He knows the capabilities of many regulars and wants to protect their bodies in the preseason, but he also needs to know they are in game shape for the season opener September 11 against the Saints in Minneapolis.

Zimmer said he’s competitive and wants to win at just about anything but he also has perspective on the preseason and sees it as a time to teach and evaluate. “We know what the record is but we don’t really go out of our way to win,” he said.

Is four the right number of preseason gam? “Yeah, I don’t have a problem,” Zimmer said. “Preseason is a lot less stressful to me. I am not as nervous on gamedays.”

The performance of the offensive line, with some new personnel and presumably good health, might have more to do with determining the success of the 2016 season than any other unit. Last year was a dark time for the group, with too many injuries and shuffling players in and out. The Vikings had a disappointing 8-8 record and third place finish in the NFC North.

Alex Boone (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Guard Alex Boone, who started 14 games last season, said the line will be improved. Despite injuries, players trying out at different spots and Zimmer still sorting out who his starting five during training camp will be, Boone believes the offensive line will be better.

Boone added, the “biggest thing is getting continuity—you have so many new guys in there and guys are kind of getting shuffled around.” By the opening game next month the goal is to have a unit where everyone is on the same page with how they approach assignments and react.

“Sometimes guys are stubborn,” Boone said. “I am stubborn sometimes. I don’t want to do things everybody else’s way. At the end of the day you gotta look at it as a collective (goal) and say, ‘Is this good for the group?’

“Right now I don’ t think we have any problems with anything. Everybody is kind of on the same board. It’s really getting footwork together and jelling together. How do you see this? How do you see that? How do you want this set? Every day we’re taking steps to get better—and that’s the key to this camp and that’s the key to this league. As long as we keep doing that, we’ll be all right.”

Boone is one of the more interesting and even entertaining Vikings to interview. During the offseason he and his wife Dana took their three young children on a driving trip in a 50-foot RV. They drove from Minneapolis to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, down to Ohio and back to Minnesota.

“It was the greatest time of my life,” Boone said. “I had so much driving for like 18 hours straight.”

Did the kids bother him? “They had an amazing time in the back, just breaking everything. Awesome.”

There’s an assumption that rookie Dalvin Cook will be the starting running back for the Vikings, replacing future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson. While that’s likely to be true, Jerick McKinnon, with three years of experience and a reputation as one of the NFL’s more effective pass receivers in the backfield, wants more than a third down role for himself.

“…That’s what it’s all about. If you’re not here to compete, then I don’t know why you’re here,” McKinnon said.

Moritz Bohringer, the 23-year-old German native and wide receiver who is trying to make the Vikings gameday roster after spending last year on the practice team, has only been playing American football since 2013. Playing for teams in Germany for three seasons and 40 games, he caught 164 passes for 4,327 yards, averaging 26.4 yards per reception and scoring 57 receiving touchdowns.

The Gophers have football practices open to the public Tuesday (today) and Thursday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex. Both practices begin at 3:30 p.m.

Trevor Hildenberger, the Twins rookie side-armer who got his first Major League save on Sunday in a win over the Tigers, has a 1.57 career ERA in four seasons as a relief pitcher in the minors. Drafted by the Twins in the 23rd round in 2014, the right-handed Hildenberger was even a relief specialist in college where he tied a Cal-Berkley school record with 10 saves in a season.

The Twins are 5-8 so far this season against the Indians, the team they trail by five games in the American League Central Division. With three games this week at Target Field against the Indians, a Minnesota sweep could tighten the division race fast.

It’s likely the Twins will sell a lot of last minute tickets for the series, including tonight’s crowd that perhaps could exceed 32,000.

Former Twins World Series manager Tom Kelly, recently honored with a statue outside Target Field, has his 67th birthday today.

The “clock” is moving fast on first baseman-DH Byung Ho Park, the South Korean slugger who turned 31 last month and is struggling to impress the Twins who acquired him in a much hyped free agent signing in December of 2015. Park is hitting .260 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 342 at bats playing for Triple-A Rochester. He has played the entire season with the Red Wings after a part-time showing with Minnesota in 2016 when he hit .191 with 12 home runs and 24 RBI.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association is reminding prep coaches that annual membership in their organization and the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association makes coaches and players eligible for MFCA post-season awards.

Erik Haula, the former Wild forward now with the expansion Golden Knights, is among the NHL players participating in the summer Da Beauty League in Edina. He will be back in Minnesota November 30 when his Las Vegas team plays the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

The Wild, in partnership with Minnesota Hockey and the National Sports Center, will host the Mite Fall Jamboree presented by Xcel Energy on September 15-17 at the Center in Blaine. Discounted single game tickets are offered to jamboree participants and families for Wild home preseason games September 21 and 30. More at Wild.com/mites.

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U Looks for Top Opponent at Dome

Posted on April 19, 2017April 19, 2017 by David Shama

Notes on the Gophers, Twins, Vikings and Wild:

John Cunningham, the athletic department administrator who oversees University of Minnesota basketball, said the Gophers don’t know the opponent they will be able to schedule for their December of 2018 game at U.S. Bank Stadium, but he is aiming high. “We’re going to get the best opponent that we can get,” he told Sports Headliners.

Coach Richard Pitino’s team is participating in the trial run game for the April 2019 Final Four scheduled for the new stadium. Minnesota is the host school for the 2019 Final Four and in December of next year they will play the first college game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Local and out of town NCAA representatives will observe and critique the setup for the U.S. Bank Stadium game that will preview by only a few months the 2019 Final Four to determine the men’s national champion.

For awhile the plan was to stage the Gophers game in December of 2017 but Cunningham said it became apparent the timeline for scheduling was too tight. “We felt like we could get a better opponent by moving it back one year,” he said.

U.S. Bank Stadium will also be the site of the 2020 NCAA wrestling championship, the first time the event has ever been staged at a non-arena venue.

Cunningham reported via email today the Gophers have sold over 400 new season tickets for men’s basketball. “Well above where we were last year at this time,” he wrote.

There are various basketball top 25 rankings for next season and they are paying attention to the Gophers. Athlonsports.com put out a top 25 and among Big Ten schools, only Michigan State at No. 13 was ahead of No. 17 Minnesota in the website’s rankings last Wednesday.

Lou Nanne endorses the evaluations of other authorities regarding former Eden Prairie star Casey Mittelstadt who is the state’s 2017 Mr. Hockey and will play for the Gophers next season. Nanne believes the talented forward will be selected among the first 22 players in the June NHL Draft, perhaps going in the top 15. He projects Mittelstadt as some day being an “excellent pro” but sees him maturing in college for a couple of seasons.

Dick Jonckowski, who finished his 31st and final season last month as Gopher basketball public address announcer, will be roasted by the Minnesota Minute Men starting at noon Friday, May 5 at Jax Café. Scheduled roasters include Vikings executive Lester Bagley, former Gophers football star Jim Carter and WCHA men’s commissioner Bill Robertson. More information is available by calling Terry Sullivan, 952-451-2104, or at Minnesotaminutemen.com.

Gene Taylor’s name was mentioned over a year ago as a possible candidate for the Gophers athletic director vacancy. Taylor, the former North Dakota State AD who was deputy athletics director at Iowa, has been hired to run Kansas State’s athletic department at a starting salary of $450,000 per year, according to an online story Monday by the Topeka Capital-Journal. That’s $400,000 less than Gophers AD Mark Coyle earns.

Word is fundraising for the Gophers Athletes Village now under construction is over $100 million. The projected cost is $166 million.

Don’t bet the title to your lake home but it’s difficult to believe the Wild won’t win tonight’s Game 4 against the Blues in St. Louis. Coach Bruce Boudreau’s Minnesota team trails 0-3 in the best of seven series but could have won any of three close games. Odds now seem to favor the Wild.

Home ice is no guarantee of victory in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Wild is 0-2 at home in the Blues series and last season lost two of three games at Xcel Energy Center in a playoff series the Stars won 4-2.

Three of the 20 highest paid NHL players are in the Wild-Blues series, according to Spotrac.com. Ryan Suter and Zach Parise from the Wild each earn $7,538,642 and are tied for the 17th highest salaries this season. Vladimir Tarasenko of the Blues, who earns $7,500,000, is tied for 19th with two other players.

Vikings defensive end Brian Robison, who turns 34 on April 27 and is saying he may retire after the 2018 season, is married to Jayme Miller, an accomplished rodeo barrel racer. She attended college on a rodeo scholarship.

J.D. Spielman, son of Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, caught a touchdown pass in the Nebraska spring game last weekend and could be an impact player as a receiver for the Cornhuskers next fall after redshirting as a freshman in 2016.

The Vikings Miller Lite DraftFest will be at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, April 29. The tailgate-themed event is from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will provide fans the opportunity to meet Vikings players and alumni, while watching rounds four through six of the NFL Draft.

Vikings scheduled to appear throughout the day are linebacker Kentrell Brothers, wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Isaac Fruechte, defensive end Everson Griffen and tight end David Morgan. Ex-Vikings running back Chuck Foreman and safety Paul Krause also plan to attend. A complete schedule of player appearances can be found at Vikings.com closer to the event, which requires paid admissions for adults and teens.

After last night’s win by the Indians over the Twins, Minnesota has now lost three consecutive games for the first time this season. The Twins, 7-7, have lost six of their last eight and are mostly drawing crowds of under 20,000 at Target Field.

Twins third baseman Miguel Sano hit his fourth home run of the season last night. He hasn’t gone more than four games this year without homering.

Malagacy, whose sister Classy Shackles is a Minnesota bred racehorse, has qualified for the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby May 7. Advance wagering on the Derby at Canterbury Park starts May 4.

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