Wild – Page 86 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

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.

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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).

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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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