Wild – Page 72 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on July 13, 2012July 13, 2012 by David Shama

Zach Parise was eight years old when the North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993 but he has memories of the NHL franchise that includes his dad, J.P. Parise, among its alums. “We always loved going to the games,” Zach said.

He described meeting North Stars legends Neal Broten and Mike Modano as the “highlight of a lifetime.”

Ryan Suter said he doesn’t set personal goals but the objective before each season is to have his team win the Stanley Cup. “I think that the better your team does, the more success you have personally. My goals, I think, are just trying to be the best leader I can be. Helping young players – obviously contributing on and off the ice as much as I can. …”

Suter, age 27 and with a 13-year contract, talking about playing at 40: “I hope so. I hope I am still healthy. I would love to be able to play. “

If the Minnesota hot weather continues into August when the Gophers begin preparations for their August 30 game in Las Vegas it will be a plus for conditioning. Summer temperatures in Las Vegas can exceed 110 during the day, although the Gophers-UNLV game will be played at night.

Memorials and donations can be made to a donor’s choice of several organizations in memory of former Gophers football player John Williams. For information about those organizations visit his CaringBridge website, https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnbjwilliams

Discussions between the Gophers and basketball coach Tubby Smith regarding a contract extension have been ongoing since at least spring of last year. At this point it will be no surprise if a deal is reached, or if Smith continues with his present contract that has two years remaining.

The basketball staff’s recruiting prowess will be tested during the next two years because of coveted state prep prospects Tyus Jones, Reid Travis, Rashad Vaughn and Kyle Washington.

NBA referee and Minnesota native Ken Mauer Jr. will be the speaker on Thursday, September 13 at the C.O.R.E.S. luncheon in Bloomington. Anyone interested in more information can email Jim Dotseth at dotsethj@comcast.net. C.O.R.E.S. is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Timberwolves have a minicamp roster of players competing this week to be on the team that plays a five-game schedule starting next Monday in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League. Players trying out include Luke Sikma, son of Wolves assistant coach Jack Sikma, and Coby Karl, son of Nuggets head coach George Karl.

Five-time All-Star Camilo Pascual, who pitched for both the old Washington Senators and the Twins, will be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame tomorrow night during a pre-game infield ceremony at Target Field prior to Minnesota’s game against Oakland. Pascual might have had the best curve ball ever thrown by a Twins pitcher.

The Kansas City Star reported online Sunday that the biggest economic impact for the city of Kansas City in hosting this week’s MLB All-Star game is media exposure worth $75 million (33 million viewers in 217 countries). Minneapolis may host the 2014 game.

Sports Headliners is told Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church on Prior Avenue in St. Paul will be the site of the Joe Mauer–Maddie Bisanz wedding on Saturday, December 1, and security will be tight.

Internet speculation includes talk various clubs want to acquire former Twins starter Matt Garza, now with the Cubs.

The Vikings, like other NFL teams, have to be concerned about fans who prefer watching games via high-definition television. With a new stadium to fill in 2016 and beyond, look for the Vikings to factor this into marketing decisions including ticket pricing and the game day experience downtown.

Mike Freeman, writing on July 10 for cbssports.com, said 39 Vikings have been arrested by law enforcement officials since 2000, the most in the NFL. The latest was Adrian Peterson’s arrest in Houston several days ago. Freeman also wrote the Vikings have “10 arrests since the start of 2011.”

The St. Thomas football team is ranked No. 4 nationally in the Lindy’s Sports Magazine Division III preseason poll. The Tommies are ranked No. 7 in the USA Today top 10 poll. Last year St. Thomas became the first team in MIAC history to complete back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons and lost to eventual national champion UW-Whitewater in the NCAA Division III semifinals. Saint John’s and Bethel join UST in the Lindy’s Top 25 Poll at No. 14 and No. 15.

Suzy Bogguss, a recent guest on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion radio program, will perform at the third annual Camden’s Concert on Wednesday, July 25 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Camden’s Concert is named after Dave and Linda Mona’s 4½-year-old grandson Camden Mona, and the event raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

A silent auction on July 25 will include footballs signed by Jerry Kill, Percy Harvin and John Carlson, plus an Adrian Peterson autographed jersey. Tickets are available by calling the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 952-979-1111, or via the organization’s website. www.hopkinsartscenter.com/

Comments Welcome

Worth Noting

Posted on July 11, 2012July 11, 2012 by David Shama

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill will take quarterback MarQueis Gray, offensive lineman Ed Olson and linebacker Keanon Cooper to Chicago later this month for the Big Ten Football Media Days.

Congratulations to former Gophers wide receiver Sam Richter who is the author of Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling. Richter won the Sales Book of the Year Award from the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals.

Former Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners he favors a new basketball practice facility as a separate project from a new or renovated Williams Arena. Maturi’s position is the Gophers will need a modern practice facility when 84-year-old Williams Arena is torn down or renovated while playing home games at another building such as Target Center.

“I’ve said for five years Williams Arena has to be addressed,” Maturi said.

That assignment now will be for new University of Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague. Maturi hopes to see an elevated floor be part of a new or renovated arena.

The University is spending $90,000 to ensure that the Williams Arena roof will bear the weight of the new scoreboard that will be in place for next season.

The funeral for former Gophers All-American offensive tackle John Williams will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Speak the Word International Church in Golden Valley. A wake will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday at Estes Funeral Chapel in north Minneapolis. John passed away on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Al Nuness just finished his Gophers basketball playing career in the spring of 1969 when coach Bill Fitch asked him to help recruit Corky Taylor, a high school prospect in Detroit. Nuness and others paid tribute to Corky last week at the Plymouth Covenant Church in Plymouth. Corky, 60, died in late June from lung cancer.

Nuness, who described the 6-9 Taylor as a “big teddy bear with a great smile,” told Sports Headliners how he learned more about his friend at the funeral. “He was very private to begin with. He was deeply religious,” Nuness said. “It showed in the way his funeral was handled. It was very moving.”

Former Gophers teammates from Corky’s 1972 Big Ten championship team attending the funeral included Ron Behagen, Jim Brewer and also Clyde Turner who gave a eulogy. Gophers from other eras included Walter Bond, Willie Burton, Nate Tubbs and Trent Tucker.

Nuness acknowledged that Taylor’s name will long be associated with the 1972 Gophers- Ohio State brawl. Taylor was a major participant in the fight between the two teams. “That was totally out of character for Corky what happened,” Nuness said.

The Gophers will host the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four next March 22 and 24 at Ridder Arena. The Gophers are defending national champions. There have been 12 NCAA women’s champions over the years and all the titles have been won by three schools – UMD (five), Wisconsin (four) and Minnesota (three).

The Minnesota Wild Development Camp that started earlier this week at Xcel Energy Center includes free scrimmages open to the public tomorrow night starting at 7 p.m. and on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. Among the prospects participating are Makael Granlund, the talented 20-year-old center from Finland who is likely to make the Wild roster next season. Trying out also is Will Merchant, a senior forward at Eagan High School last season. Record development camp crowds of 5,000 are possible.

Wild owner Craig Leipold said on Monday the organization’s “great” prospects was a factor in the willingness of free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to sign with his franchise. He also said the Wild has sold “almost” 2,000 new season tickets since the signings of Parise and Suter was announced last week.

Leipold indicated a winning Wild team can have a domino effect on the franchise for the building of a new practice facility across from Xcel Energy Center and for helping secure the NHL Winter Classic for the Twin Cities.

How often does a grandfather catch his grandson in an official baseball game? Tink Larson isn’t sure of the answer but he was the catcher for grandson Clint Larson in a town baseball game last month. Playing for the Waseca Braves, 20-year-old Clint was throwing to 70-year-old Tink.

“It just so happened this particular night that we were ahead so it was a good time to have him pitch and me catch since no one feels that there has ever been a grandfather that has caught his grandson,” Tink wrote in an email. “…Most people that age have long been retired and most couldn’t still catch. He (Clint) had two strikeouts and a comebacker to the mound so it was a pretty easy inning.

“When I was 60 I caught my son Mike, who was close to 40, in an amateur state tournament game at Miesville. That was in 2002. I also caught an inning in the state amateur tournament in 2003 at Northfield. …”

Eight MIAC football players have been selected as preseason Division III All-Americans by Beyond Sports Network. St. Thomas offensive lineman Curtis James and Saint John’s defensive back Bobby Fischer are first team picks.

Tommies defensive lineman Riley Dombeck and defensive back Chinni Oji are on the second team while St. Thomas linebacker Harry Pitera and punter Garrett Maloney are third teamers. Also on the third team is Bethel offensive lineman Josh Wolfe and Concordia offensive lineman Tom Knowlton.

Comments Welcome

Worth Noting

Posted on July 9, 2012July 9, 2012 by David Shama

Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners the Wild’s acquisition of free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter last week will likely make the team “12 to 15 points better” next season.

The Wild had 81 points last season and missed the playoffs. An additional dozen or more points would have pushed the club ahead of teams who qualified.

“Each player is in the top 10 in the league,” said Nanne, the former Minnesota North Stars player and executive. “Suter played more minutes than any player in the league last year. Parise is the hardest worker in the league.”

The Wild will introduce Parise and Suter, both 27, at a news conference today. Parise, a forward, accounted for 69 points last season playing for New Jersey. He scored 30 or more goals in five of the last six seasons and brings badly needed offense to the Wild. Suter, a defenseman, had career highs in points, 46, and power play points, 25, last season with Nashville. He was third among defensemen in power play points and 10^th in scoring.

Nanne said no NHL team has ever executed a one-two signing at the same time with so much star power as the Wild accomplished last week. The signings set off euphoria among hard core fans and excited casual followers of a franchise that has seen season ticket sales decline.

But not now with fans buying over 1,500 new full season tickets and Nanne predicting the Wild could approach sellouts for every game next season gate receipts, corporate revenues and TV ratings will be headed upward. “This is a move (signing Parise and Suter) they needed to make,” Nanne said.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is 71 but team president Chris Wright told Sports Headliners he doesn’t believe the Mankato billionaire is aggressively shopping the team. However, Wright believes Taylor is “willing to entertain people who might want to have this franchise long term.”

The priority consideration, Wright said, is keeping the team in Minneapolis. “The Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Timberwolves are Glen Taylor’s legacy in this market,” Wright said. “Over a longer period of time he wants to make sure that it’s in place. …”

The Wolves, 26-40 last season, haven’t finished over .500 since 2005 when the club was 44-38. Wright said there’s a “real drive in the organization” to win next season. “The goal is absolutely to make the playoffs next year,” he said.

Taylor has owned the team since 1995 and wants to win an NBA championship after seeing his 2011 Lynx become WNBA champs. Admired coach Rick Adelman is 66 and has never coached an NBA champion. Adelman impressed in his first season here during 2011-2012 and so, too, did young stars Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

“The great thing is that they (Rubio and Love) really like each other,” Wright said. “They work hard with each other. They’re the backbone of our franchise right now.”

Love is an ESPY candidate for “Best NBA Player.” Fans can vote online until 10:59 p.m. tonight Minneapolis time. www.espn.com/espys

Joe Mauer’s grandfather Jake and about 20 other relatives and friends were scheduled to board a bus this morning at Mauer Chevrolet in Inver Grove Heights and ride to Kansas City for tomorrow night’s All-Star game. The Twins catcher will be a reserve for the American League all-stars.

Jake told Sports Headliners his grandson will pay for the bus and take care of the group’s lodging in Kansas City. The group buses home on Wednesday.

The Vikings have a database of 18,000 email contacts used for advocating support to build the new downtown football stadium approved this spring. The Vikings will use their contact list in the fall prior to November elections for House and Senate seats in the state legislature, reminding stadium supporters who did and didn’t vote for the new facility expected to open in 2016.

Steve LaCroix, the Vikings vice president of sales and marketing, has an unusual challenge in the years ahead. Because the Vikings aren’t expected to occupy their new stadium for four more years, the club will play all or part of future seasons at not only Mall of America Field but also TCF Bank Stadium. That’s a lot of variables involving individuals and corporate partners LaCroix and staff will sort through.

Vikings cornerback Marcus Sherels, 5-10, has struggled to gain weight during his football career including with the Gophers. He was up to 177 pounds late last month, according to his brother Mike who will help coach the Gophers linebackers next season.

Jim Marshall, the retired Gophers athletic trainer, turned 82 last Tuesday. For many years Marshall assisted legendary Gophers trainer Lloyd “Snapper” Stein who retired in 1975. On this date 37 years ago Minnesota governor Wendell Anderson declared Lloyd “Snapper” Stein Day in the state. (Source: June 1975 University of Minnesota Alumni News).

Comments Welcome