Wild – Page 73 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on June 21, 2012June 22, 2012 by David Shama

When retiring Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi cleaned out his office it must have been a big job. “I threw away more stuff than you can imagine,” he said. “I am a pack saver and I saved everything. If you had sent me an evil note I had it. I don’t know why I did. …”

The Bruce Smith Golf Classic at Faribault Golf Club that Maturi attended Monday is named after the Gophers only Heisman Trophy winner, Bruce Smith. The tournament began in 1975 and benefitted the University of Minnesota’s Williams Fund. Since 1990 event’s proceeds have been given to three Faribault schools.

Smith, who grew up in Faribault and won the Heisman in 1941, is deceased but his son Scott represented his father on Monday. General chair for the tournament is Bruce Krinke and board members include former Gophers wrestler Dave Henry.

Faribault native Seth Helgeson, who will be a senior for the Gophers next season, said junior forward Nick Bjugstad is quiet about whether he will turn pro or return to the team. Bjugstad will be one of college hockey’s premier goal scorers next season if he doesn’t sign with Florida.

Helgeson said teammates communicate with Bjugstad daily. He described Bjugstad as a humble player who “loves” college and his teammates. “You wouldn’t know he’s going through all this stuff right now,” Bjugstad said. “He’s going through a hard time. There’s pressures out there. I think he knows we’re behind him. He knows that we want him back and I think that maybe that’s a little extra motivation for him to come back.”

The Gophers came within one game this year of playing for the national championship. With most of the team returning, ambitions are high. “I think we could do something special,” Helgeson said. “I think we could repeat what we did last year and maybe go beyond. Going to the Frozen Four and losing to Boston College was a little motivation for next year.”

The Wild, with lagging fan interest and a losing team, face a big draft tomorrow. The franchise needs goal scorers and perhaps came close to making a trade in recent weeks for Minnesota’s first round choice, the No. 7 pick in the draft. The Wild also have draft choices in rounds 2-7.

The draft will be at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The first round starts at 6 p.m. Minnesota time on Friday with the remaining rounds on Saturday. The first round will be televised by NBC Sports Network and Saturday’s rounds can be seen on the NHL Network.

Vikings all-pro defensive end Jared Allen is attending the team’s mini-camp practices this week after missing the recent volunteer Organized Training Activities. Fans may remember, though, that Allen chose to miss OTA’s last year and set a franchise record with 22 sacks, nearly besting the NFL’s record of 22.5 by Michael Strahan. Allen said this week he thinks someone can get 25 sacks in one season.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed that Nebraska coach Tim Miles offered scholarships this week to 2014 high school seniors Tyus Jones (Apple Valley), Rashad Vaughn (Cooper) and Reid Travis (DeLaSalle). Jones has earned a roster spot on theUSA 17 and under national team that will compete this summer in the world tournament, according to Lien.

Frank White told Sports Headliners the “media has blown out of proportion” the subject of his grandson Royce White flying on airplanes. “He’s been flying since he was 10 years old,” Frank said.

Flying isn’t his grandson’s favorite activity but Frank said last summer Royce accompanied his Iowa State teammates on a trip to Italy and routinely flew on airplanes during the Cyclones’ 2011-2012 season. The two Whites went by car to the Iowa State-Kentucky NCAA tournament game in March because Royce wanted to be at his best and had some anxiety about flying.

The flying issue has followed White during tryouts with NBA teams and likely will be part of NBA draft coverage next week when the former Hopkins High School all-state forward is expected to be selected during the first round.

A private memorial service for George Chapple (Dark Star) was held Monday night at Interlachen Country Club with more than 200 friends in attendance including out- of-towners. Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse emceed and several speakers paid tribute to the former WCCO Radio personality. Included among the speakers was Kansas City baseball announcer Ryan Lefebvre who telephoned Chapple after every Royals game, according to a Sports Headliners source.

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Long Line of Bidders Expected for Parise

Posted on June 6, 2012June 6, 2012 by David Shama

Noting and quoting from hockey to horse racing, from football to music:

Minneapolis-born Zach Parise, the much praised captain and left wing with the Devils, enters unrestricted free agency in July and the New York Post website speculated today that up to 12 NHL teams, presumably the Wild included, are expected to make “serious inquiries.”

The Devils, down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Kings, could see their season end tonight and that game might be the last for Parise with New Jersey, the only team he has played with in the NHL. Larry Brooks, writing for the Post, speculated that Parise’s new deal will be for more than $60 million, plus bonus money, and if Parise doesn’t stay with the Devils he could play next season for the Rangers or Red Wings, two franchises with a lot of salary flexibility.

“The Wild will be in, though Parise might want to think more than twice about going home to join a team in which he would be the best player by leaps and bounds,” Brooks wrote.

Former Timberwolves forward Mark Madsen was announced this week as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Stanford. In an email to Sports Headliners Madsen wrote that in two weeks he will graduate from Stanford with his MBA degree. He ranks with the most personable Timberwolves ever to play in Minnesota.

ESPN.go.com reported that the ESPN telecast of Sunday night’s Celtics-Heat game in Boston drew the largest national rating ever (7.9) for an NBA playoff game on cable TV.

Duluth East’s 7-foot Alkoda Manyang, a senior next school year, is an intriguing college prospect who will be watched closely by high profile basketball programs this summer.

It was 45 years ago yesterday, June 5, 1967, that a group of local investors was awarded an NHL franchise, the Minnesota North Stars.

Barbara Williams emailed that her husband John Williams and also Steve Nestor are “fine” following surgeries yesterday. Williams, the former Gophers All-American tackle, was the recipient of a kidney from Nestor. Both Williams and Nestor are expected to be walking today. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnbjwilliams

Pete Najarian, the Minneapolis native who has gained fame for options trading and appearing on CNBC, will vacation with former Gophers teammates in August. The families of Najarian, Ray Hitchcock, Darrell Thompson and others gather each summer at a Wisconsin Dells resort. “I think the adults have more fun than the kids,” Hitchcock told Sports Headliners. “We tell the same stories over and over.”

Coach Jerry Kill will be part of the Gopher Gallop promotion at Canterbury Park on Friday night, according to an email sent to Gophers fans. The Gophers and the Goal Line Club encourage fans to wear their “Gopher gear” and receive free admission to the race track. Prize giveaways include a trip for two to Minnesota’s opening game at UNLV on August 30.

Canterbury Park’s new 10-year agreement with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux, pending approval by the Minnesota Racing Commission, will provide millions in additional revenue for larger horse racing purses and enable the local track to compete for better horses against regional facilities like Iowa’s Prairie Meadows. Spectators here will see better racing and the Minnesota horse breeding industry will receive a much needed incentive to produce more foals. The larger purses are expected to begin this year.

Mike Max said a permanent replacement for the late Dark Star on The Sports Show is undecided but hockey legend Lou Nanne will fill in this Sunday. Star, who passed away last Friday, was a regular on the TV show for 16 years, along with Max, Patrick Reusse and Sid Hartman.

The inaugural Tapemark Women’s Pro-Am started yesterday at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul. The championship will be played on Sunday. The men’s Pro-Am begins Friday and also concludes on Sunday. Tom Lehman won the tournament in 1990. Last year’s winner was Ben Freeman while six-time tournament champion Don Berry finished second. Check the Tapemark website for updates during the week. www.tapemarkgolf.org

This will be the 41^st year of Tapemark charity golf. The Klas family, including Bob Sr. and Bob Jr., have helped raise about $7 million for local charities benefitting the developmentally and learning disabled.

More than 225 people attended the awards banquet on Sunday announcing Jake Heppner (Eastview) and Christine Easton (Eden Prairie) as the Mr. Lacrosse and Ms. Lacrosse winners. The Mr. and Ms. Lacrosse Goalie winners are Thomas Gilligan (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) and Bailey Dunning (The Blake School). The third annual awards banquet, held at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul, was presented by the Minnesota Swarm and hosted by The Minute Men. www.minnesotaminutemen.com

Dave and Linda Mona have award winning singer Suzy Bogguss booked for the third annual Camden’s Concert on July 25 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Bogguss was at the Dakota Jazz Club last year when the Monas saw her perform and asked the country music star about entertaining at Camden’s Concert III. The Monas liked her music, stage presence and personality. “She’s the biggest name (performer) we’ve had,” Dave said.

Camden’s Concert raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The two previous concerts have raised $26,000 and $32,000.

The Mona’s grandson Camden Mona is 4½ years old. He takes many medications because of Cystic Fibrosis but is feeling fine and looks like any normal pre-schooler. Last year the Monas staged a contest and invited concert goes to guess the number of M&M’s in a jar, telling them if they doubled their total it would be closer to the number of pills Camden takes in a year.

“He took 10,570 pills last year including enzymes,” Dave said. “A woman who has Cystic Fibrosis guessed 10,300.”

The benefit event on July 25 includes a silent auction with sports offerings and other items, plus food from Pinstripes restaurant. Tickets are available by calling the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 952-979-1111, or via the organization’s website. www.hopkinsartscenter.com/

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Vikings & Other Notes

Posted on June 4, 2012June 4, 2012 by David Shama

Joe Webb told Sports Headliners the coaches have told him he is the Vikings No. 2 quarterback. The third-year quarterback is behind Christian Ponder, a rookie last season, but Webb’s attitude was upbeat at the team’s Organized Team Activities at Winter Park. “I am fired up,” Webb said last week.

Often wearing a smile, he has a passion for football and life. He grew up in a family where religion was emphasized and so too was a positive outlook. “It’s just a blessing to be on the field,” he said. “One percent of players make it in the NFL.”

Webb has started three games in his NFL career. He plans to be ready if the opportunity to start comes again. With experience, he’s learned the playbook better, sees the field of play better and has learned to work on his mechanics.

Webb, whose contract expires after next season, also feels comfortable now being a leader. “I speak up to guys a lot more,” he said.

A sixth round draft choice in 2010, he played not only quarterback but wide receiver and even safety at UAB. His athleticism has created speculation the 6-4, 230-pound athlete might become a wide receiver with the Vikings. “My heart is in being a quarterback but I want to help the team anyway I can,” he said.

Coach Leslie Frazier said if Adrian Peterson isn’t recovered from his knee injury in time for the opening game the plan is to start Toby Gerhart and not use multiple running backs. He described Gerhart as a “solid” alternative. “…We’re not afraid of Toby having to start,” Frazier said.

Lester Bagley expects ground to be broken next spring on the new Vikings stadium downtown. He doesn’t anticipate any developments to delay that schedule. Bagley, who has been the club’s lead executive for years on the stadium project before gaining state and city approval this spring, believes it’s likely owner Zygi Wilf will be involved with commercial development near the stadium site.

Ian Thomsen, writing in the June 4 issue of Sports Illustrated about the Celtics aging big three that includes Kevin Garnett, said in 2007 Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor gave in on “his demand” that point guard Rajon Rondo had to be included among the players Boston would send to Minneapolis in exchange for Garnett. Rondo, 26, now ranks with the NBA’s best point guards and in a playoff loss to the Heat had 44 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Minneapolis-born Zach Parise earns praise in the May 29-June 4 issue of The Fleisher Report. The report quotes Kings goalie Jonathan Quick as saying Parise’s “speed and competitiveness” are special. Quick observed that how Parise plays “usually” determines how the Devils fare.

In the same issue ex-Minnesota Wild defenseman Willie Mitchell, back with the Kings, credits that organization with giving him an opportunity while only an eighth grader.

KARE 11 news and sports personality Eric Perkins will travel to London to report on the summer Olympics.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed that boys basketball coach Reggie Perkins is leaving Washburn to coach at Bloomington Kennedy. Perkins coached Washburn in the Class 3-A championship loss to DeLaSalle in March.

Friends of Corky Taylor are saddened by the former Gophers basketball player’s battle with lung cancer.

Canterbury Park will hold a memorial service in the paddock open to the public starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday for Dark Star who passed away last week. Star’s second home was the Shakopee racetrack.

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