Wild – Page 81 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Lurtsema Advice to Vikings: Avoid Te’o

Posted on April 23, 2013April 23, 2013 by David Shama

Bob Lurtsema, who has impressed with his past opinions on the NFL Draft, cautions the Vikings about selecting controversial Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o.

Lurtsema, who in 2011 labeled now Vikings’ tight end standout Kyle Rudolph as the “sleeper of the draft,” doesn’t hold back when talking about Te’o who several months ago was connected to a national story about a girlfriend hoax. “There is something wrong with the kid and I wish him well, but the Vikings don’t need those kinds of headaches,” the former Vikings’ defensive lineman said. “Distraction, distraction, distraction.”

Te’o has worked on restoring his reputation and mock draft writers have him being chosen during the first round, perhaps selected by the Bears at No. 20 or the Vikings at No. 23 or 25. But some observers like Lurtsema think having Te’o around will create locker room problems and bad press.

Lurtsema said Te’o tried to rationalize his slow 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine this winter because he was under pressure. That makes Lurstema wonder how Te’o will respond to the pressure of game situations including when from his linebacker position he makes audible calls impacting teammates. “As a defensive lineman I don’t want to wonder, ‘Where did he get that?’ ”

Lurtsema believes in giving “guys second chances but there’s something wrong there.” The Vikings parted ways with problem players in the past including this winter sending Percy Harvin to the Seahawks. If the Vikings draft Te’o on Thursday night they “bring in the biggest PR problem in the world,” Lurstema said.

“I wouldn’t touch him with a two million foot pole,” he added about Te’o, a player who had a disappointing national championship game against Alabama in January.

With two draft picks in the first round and one in the second, the Vikings’ priority should be a cornerback, linebacker and defensive tackle, Lurtsema said. Veteran corner Antoine Winfield left the Vikings for the Seahawks during the offseason. “I don’t think they realize how much they will miss Winfield,” Lurtsema said. “I hope it doesn’t show up that much.”

Lurtsema does put an asterisk by his priorities for the Vikings and their early choices in the draft that continues Friday with rounds two and three, and Saturday with rounds four through seven. While he liked the improvement of the team’s offensive line last season, he would take a “slam dunk” offensive guard if that kind of talent were still available to the Vikings at No. 23 in the draft.

Between now and the draft Lurtsema doesn’t expect Vikings general manager Rick Spielman to reveal intentions. “I’ve never seen a guy with so many curveballs,” Lurtsema said in admiration.

Vikings & Other Notes

Spielman is enthused about this year’s draft. “I think this is one of the most interesting drafts because of the depth, and us (selecting) at No. 23 and 25,” he said at his news conference this afternoon.

The Vikings have 11 draft slots including those two first round opportunities. Spielman said the club has “8,000 different scenarios we can go in.”

He predicted an active trading week by NFL teams and the Vikings could be in the mix. With so much depth in the draft, the Vikings might move back in the order of selections believing they can still acquire players to help them and perhaps add draft choices for 2013 or 2014. “I don’t see us looking to move up but that could change,” Spielman said.

Spielman believes the quality and depth of the draft is such that he expects to acquire “significant players” even in round four. He projected acquiring players in the draft who will be a “major part” of the team in 2013.

Spielman said the club will sign Pat Williams to a contract on Thursday and release him Friday so he can officially retire as a Viking. The former defensive lineman, 40, left the Vikings after the 2010 season as a free agent.

Condolences to former Vikings’ defensive end Carl Eller regarding the death of his mother. Ernestine Eller, 87, passed away last week, and a memorial service will be held tomorrow starting at noon at Zion Baptist Church in Minneapolis, according to an obituary in today’s Star Tribune.

The Gophers announced today that Daquein McNeil has signed his National Letter of Intent and will be eligible to play as a freshman next fall. McNeil, who averaged 19 points per game playing for a New England prep school last season, had college offers from prominent basketball schools including Louisville.

Rookie Oswaldo Arcia, playing in his fourth major league game for the Twins this afternoon, hit his first career home run. His three run homer gave the Twins a 4-3 win over the Marlins. He hit three home runs in 33 at bats playing for Triple-A Rochester earlier in the year.

Admission to the Gophers’ spring football game on Saturday is free but donations to the Gary Tinsley Memorial Scholarship Fund are encouraged, according to Gophersports.com. Game time is 1 p.m. with preceding activities including a flag football event involving Gopher football alumni starting at 10:45 a.m. in TCF Bank Stadium.

The Wild is 1-1 in games this season against the Kings, the team Minnesota hosts tonight at Xcel Energy Center. Trying to solidify its position in the NHL playoffs, the Wild’s remaining games after tonight are with two teams Minnesota is undefeated against this season, the Oilers (3-0) and Avalanche (3-0-1).

Wild players will wear custom-designed camouflage jerseys during warm-ups tonight. The jerseys will be auctioned online (Wild.com) starting Thursday with proceeds going to the Minnesota Wild Foundation and Defending The Blue Line.

1 comment

Taylor May Change Wolves Sale Plan

Posted on April 17, 2013April 17, 2013 by David Shama

Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners on Monday he might change his intent to find a majority buyer for his Timberwolves. He also said the future of his team for next season starts with coach Rick Adelman who he believes will decide to stay with the franchise.

Taylor, the club’s majority owner since the mid-1990s, has been shopping the team for awhile because at 71 years old he thought that might be a good idea if he encountered health problems. While Taylor has identified potential out of town buyers, he hasn’t found one from Minnesota and he wants the Wolves to continue to play in Minneapolis.

“I don’t have a deal (to sell),” said Taylor who turns 72 tomorrow. “I may go back to what I originally started out with. Go out and look for some minority interests. I would look for people who do live in the state to replace some of the people that have been my partners in the past. … So I may just change my tactic next summer and go back to talking to some of those people — that maybe their interest isn’t to run the club — but they would like to be a partner in it.”

Former UnitedHealth executive Bill McGuire is the new owner of the Minnesota United FC soccer team. McGuire was a high school basketball player and is a Wolves season ticket holder. He has the financial resources to become the Wolves’ majority owner, keeping a Minnesotan in charge of the franchise.

Taylor said McGuire hasn’t expressed interest in buying him out but could be on a list of potential minority investors. “He’s the type of person I would ask. He’s a friend and I respect him. He’s a good business guy, and he’s got an interest in the Timberwolves.”

Crushed by injuries, the Timberwolves end their regular season tonight at San Antonio. The team’s hard luck year included the absence of Adelman who left the team for 11 games to support his wife Mary Kay. She suffers from seizures and Adelman’s coaching future is uncertain.

Taylor said Adelman is waiting for medical consultation on his wife and that information could come in the next 30 days. “We’re hoping so, yes,” Taylor said.

Adelman, 66, is among the NBA’s most admired coaches and it’s believed if necessary he will retire to spend more time with his wife. Although Taylor has a president of basketball operations (David Kahn) with an expiring contract and challenges with player personnel, it is the coach and his availability for next season that is priority No. 1. He described Adelman as “the key” to the immediate future.

“I think right now the No. 1 decision for me is Rick,” Taylor said. “I just think with his experience and his relationships with these players and this team, that’s such a critical part of our plan. And whatever he decides could affect some of the other decisions.”

Kahn’s contract expires May 27. Taylor said all the injuries this season make it difficult to evaluate whether to retain Kahn, and the Wolves’ owner wouldn’t say whether he will announce a decision prior to late May.

Flip Saunders began his Timberwolves’ career as the team’s general manager and then was quickly given the coaching job. Would Taylor consider Saunders for either the coaching or general manager positions?

“I just think that I should just not answer that question but first find out what Rick’s decision is going to be,” Taylor said. “I just think that’s way premature to say what I might do because at this point I believe Rick is going to stay. He hasn’t said that but that’s my belief.”

Taylor said he recalled in 2005 then general manager Kevin McHale fired Saunders because McHale thought a change was needed. The Wolves were losing games and Taylor was told by McHale the players-coach relationship wasn’t what it should be. But later Taylor didn’t hesitate to recommend Saunders for another head coaching job in the NBA. Saunders is now involved with NBA commentary for ESPN but he and Taylor are friends.

Raising Taylor’s optimism for next season are conversations he’s had with his two star players, power forward Kevin Love and point guard Ricky Rubio. Love played in only 18 games this season because of injuries and Rubio missed early games recovering from the torn ACL that sidelined him a year ago March.

The two players have informed Taylor about their summer plans to prepare for the 2013-14 season, describing not only what they intend to do but also the names of people who will assist them. Love and Rubio also told Taylor they welcome having a Wolves’ assistant coach monitor their work. “To me, it speaks of confidence,” Taylor said.

Worth Noting

A decision regarding the site for the NHL’s Winter Classic in 2015 could be announced next month, according to a knowledgeable pro hockey source. He said it’s not known when the league will make its choice but the Wild is pushing for 2015.

Both TCF Bank Stadium and Target Field are under consideration for the outdoor game annually played on New Year’s Day. The Twins want the game, and they and the Wild can use the attraction to reward season ticket holders who will receive priority seating.

The NHL likes to involve teams who have North American appeal and the Wild have attractive players in Niklas Backstrom, Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter, but the franchise has yet to establish itself as a postseason winner. “If they make the playoffs (this spring) they have an outstanding chance of getting the game (for 2015),” the source said.

The 2014 Winter Classic will be hosted by the Red Wings and played at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

The Wild are ranked No. 15 among 30 teams in the latest ESPN.com NHL power rankings.

Sports Illustrated looks clairvoyant regarding Twins’ rookie center fielder Aaron Hicks who has only two hits in 45 at bats this season. In its April 1 baseball issue the magazine said Hicks’ .370 batting average and four home runs in spring training were misleading, pointing out that most of his success came against “fringe” major league and minor league pitching. S.I. said the four home runs came with an “asterisk,” pointing out three were wind-aided.

Meanwhile, the Twins’ two regular center fielders from last season are having mixed results. Denard Span is hitting .313 with two stolen bases in 13 games for the Nationals. Ben Revere, now with the Phillies, is hitting .207 with five stolen bases in 14 games but he made headlines with an extraordinary catch earlier this week.

The Twins (6-7) have a two-game winning streak after defeating the Angels last night, 8-6. The Angels (4-10) are tied for the worst start in franchise history, matching the 1961 season when the club was in its first season ever.

The Gophers had their 10^th spring practice yesterday and all sessions have been indoors. Rather than risk pulled muscles or other cold weather induced problems, the Gophers have stayed inside where they can also better focus on execution.

Happy birthday to former Gophers’ basketball coach Jim Dutcher who turns 80 today.

G.G. Smith, Tubby Smith’s son who had been an assistant men’s basketball coach at Loyola University Maryland, was promoted last week to the head job there. Does that mean Tubby’s son Saul Smith, who was an assistant at Minnesota, will be added to the Texas Tech staff where his dad now coaches?

Comments Welcome

Kill Last in Big Ten Head Coaches’ Pay

Posted on February 20, 2013February 20, 2013 by David Shama

A list of notes including a few compiled during vacations the last two weeks.

The Gophers Jerry Kill is the lowest paid football coach in the Big Ten. Purdue’s Danny Hope, who reportedly earned $970,000 last season, was at the bottom in annual earnings but he’s been replaced by Darrell Hazell who will be paid about $2 million. Published reports have Kill’s annual pay at $1.2 million.

Hazell has only two years of head coaching experience while Kill has 18 including two at Minnesota. Hazell had an overall record of 16-10 in two seasons coaching Kent State in the Mid-American Conference. Kill was 23-16 in three seasons at Northern Illinois, another MAC member.

Dave Doeren, Kill’s successor at Northern Illinois, was paid $420,000 there but will make $1.8 million at North Carolina State, according to a February 12 article on college football coaches’ compensation in USA Today.

If the Gophers have a winning season in 2013, look for Kill’s salary to become a major news item in Minnesota.

It seemed like Fort Myers media gave the Twins secondary coverage after the Red Sox last week when spring training opened. As one of baseball’s flagship franchises, it’s no surprise to see the Red Sox receive more publicity in the Fort Myers area where both Boston and Minnesota are preparing for the MLB season.

Fox Sports North will televise seven Twins spring training games starting with a game against the Red Sox on March 8 (6 p.m. Minneapolis time).

The Twins have 15 home games in April when the Minneapolis weather is unpredictable. They have 16 games at Target Field after Labor Day when the club is likely to be out of playoff contention. That’s 31 games or 38 percent of the home schedule on problematic dates.

NFL free agency begins March 12 and the world knows the Vikings covet a speedy wide receiver. The Packers’ Greg Jennings draws most of the speculation about joining the Vikings but the Steelers’ Mike Wallace could also help. He has averaged as much as 21 yards per catch during his four-season NFL career.

Have to wonder if Vikings’ wide receiver Percy Harvin is envious of the prime role Adrian Peterson receives in the offense, and wants to play for another team that makes him the featured player. General manager Rick Spielman said the team doesn’t plan to trade Harvin but there are skeptics.

I haven’t seen the financial figures but with some games having announced attendance of less than 60,000 fans, gate receipts for 2012 home Vikings games had to be down from 2011 when the team always played before crowds of 62,000 or more.

Vikings executive Lester Bagley will speak to the Minnesota Men’s Breakfast group in Naples, Florida on Friday. Attendees include prominent Minnesotans who during the winter months hear from Minnesota business and other leaders.

Ted Mondale, executive director of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, will be the speaker on Thursday, March 14 at the C.O.R.E.S. luncheon in Bloomington. Mondale will provide an update on the new Vikings stadium. 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.

Prep basketball juniors Tyus Jones and Rashad Vaughn are top 15 players nationally in the class of 2014, according to Rivals.com. Apple Valley High School’s Jones, a point guard, is the No. 3 player while Cooper High School’s Vaughn, a shooting guard, is ranked No. 12.

Here’s another perspective on the two: each has the potential to be an All-Big Ten player. Two Minnesota natives playing for the Gophers have never been named first team All-Big Ten in the same season.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien e-mailed on Monday that 6-9 Osseo High School junior Ian Theisen has offers from Cal Poly, Drake, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State and Vermont.

The basketball Gophers, at Ohio State tonight, have only one Big Ten road win so far, a victory over Illinois on January 9. The Buckeyes are 8-5 in Big Ten games and ranked No. 18 nationally.

With only five regular season games remaining, the best guess is the 6-7 Gophers will finish 7-11 or 8-10 in the final Big Ten standings. In addition to tonight’s game in Columbus, the Gophers have home games remaining against 11-2 Indiana and 0-13 Penn State, and play at 3-10 Nebraska and 5-8 Purdue. Minnesota was ranked among the nation’s top 10 teams in the Associated Press poll last month.

Former Gophers basketball starters Al Nuness, 67, and Jim Petersen, 51, celebrate birthdays this week.

As of Monday morning the St. Thomas men’s basketball team field goal percentage of .529 was the best in the nation for Divisions I, II and III. The Tommies were No. 1 among more than 400 Division III teams in scoring margin, winning percentage and assists-turnovers ratio.

The Tommies, 24-1, are No. 1 in the nation, according to the D3Hoops.com poll. St. Thomas will host an MIAC semifinal playoff game starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. If the Tommies win, they host the league playoff title game at 2 p.m. on Sunday. NCAA Division III tournament pairings will be announced Monday.

The Hamline women’s basketball team lost to St. Benedict 85-79 in an MIAC opening playoff game last night. Winners of only seven games last season, the Pipers started their schedule 0-5 but finished the year 14-12. Senior Steph Pilgrim leads conference scorers at 16.3 points per game.

Looking for a local sports hero? Mine is Wild goalie Josh Harding who has multiple sclerosis, and has been an advocate for years in the fight against breast cancer.

Mistaken identity: last time I visited Walmart a customer thought I was the greeter.

Comments Welcome