Wild – Page 9 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Looks Like the Vikings Second Best Team in NFC, But…

Posted on November 7, 2024November 7, 2024 by David Shama

Going into week 10 of the NFL season, the surprising 6-2 Vikings are probably the second-best team in the National Football Conference.

The 7-1 Lions, who defeated the Vikings 31-29 last month in Minneapolis, are a landslide choice as the premier team in the conference. The Packers, 6-3, would certainly get the vote for No. 2 among cheeseheads while ignoring at least a couple of facts.

Quarterback Jordan Love is having an injury-hindered season impacting his performance. Second, the Vikings defeated the Packers, 31-29, in Green Bay earlier this season in a game where Love threw three interceptions.

Sam Darnold image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

The surprising Commanders, 7-2, will get some “ballots” by east coast fans for No. 2 in the NFC. But Washington will live or die with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and has won four games by five points or fewer including a miracle ending 18-15 victory over the Bears. The Vikings have the edge over the Commanders, with an experienced quarterback in Sam Darnold, and better defense.

Minnesota starts a string of games beginning on Sunday playing opponents they should handle and pad their record against—going to 10-2, or at least 9-3. First up are the 2-7 Jags, followed by two more road opponents, the 2-6 Titans and the 4-4 Bears. Then on December 1 the Vikings are back home to play the 5-4 Cardinals.

All is well? Maybe, but what could go wrong is the kicking game. Rookie Will Reichard is on Injured Reserve and so is long snapper Andrew DePaola.

Four of the Vikings nine games have been decided by seven points or fewer. Miscues with snaps, field goals or extra points could result in close losses in coming weeks.

Not worried yet? Well, 2024 NFL games have fans reaching for Pepto Bismol. So far this is the most competitive NFL season ever. Seventy-five games have been decided by seven points or fewer and 65 by six points or fewer—both the most through Week 9 in league history.

New kicker John Parker Romo and long snapper Jake McQuaide will be scrutinized starting Sunday, with both knowing the bar is high in replacing Reichard and DePaola. Reichard didn’t miss a field goal until last Sunday night, going 14-14 in his first seven games and is perfect on extra points. DePaola is a former All-Pro and Pro Bowler in the last two years.

Romo, 27, has been with three other NFL teams but never played in an NFL game. In 2023 Romo made 17 of 19 field goals for the Brahmas of the XFL.

McQuaide, 36, is a 14-year veteran with 200 games of NFL experience. He was a Pro Bowler in 2016 and 2017 with the Rams.

In tight moments during the weeks ahead, go ahead and cross your fingers for the NFC’s second-best team.

Worth Noting

In case you forgot about the Jaguars, the last time they and the Vikings met was in December of 2020. The Vikings won in overtime in Minneapolis, 27-24.

Jags head coach Doug Pederson has a place in Minnesota football history. He was head man of the Eagles when blowing out the Vikings 38-17 in the January 2018 NFC championship game. Pederson, BTW, may have trouble holding his job in Jacksonville where prized QB Trevor Lawrence has struggled.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell talking about his outstanding seventh year right tackle: “I think Brian O’Neill is having one of his best seasons I know that I’ve been a part of with him, and he’s been an established core player in this organization for a long time. But I cannot say enough about what he means to our offense and what he’s been able to do this year at the right tackle spot, playing some of the best football of his career for sure.”

NBC’s cameras caught J.J. McCarthy on the sideline of last Sunday’s Vikings-Colts game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The impromptu shot showed the injured rookie quarterback, with a stocking cap perched on his head, letting out a yawn during the late-night game.

The Timberwolves, coming off one of the winningest years in franchise history dating back to the beginning in 1989-1990, have sold over 11,000 season tickets for 2024-2025. In its announcement last month, the club said this is the first time reaching 11,000 since the inaugural season at Target Center in 1990. And the Wolves reported adding more new season tickets than any other NBA franchise.

It’s believed that the Wild has about 12.500 season tickets sold for 2024-2025, and renewed about 90 percent of past customers. Since the club’s inception in 2000-2001 yearly season ticket totals have been considerably higher. A source said there was a year that 16,500 were sold.

Julius Randle has 150 points, 45 rebounds and 33 assists in his first seven games with the 4-3 Timberwolves who play the Bulls in Chicago tonight. No other player in franchise history has totaled 150 points, 40+ rebounds and 30+ assists in their first seven games.

Darren Wolfson said on SKOR North the three legal authorities involved with the arbitration process to determine ownership control of the Timberwolves and Lynx are being paid $25,000 per day. The arbitration process between present owner Glen Taylor and the Marc Lore-Alex Rodriguez group is this week in Minneapolis.

Credible speculation is the Davis family of Minnesota has interest in purchasing the Twins from the Pohlads. Marty Davis, a source said, would be a high profile and determined owner.

The Pohlads, who have owned the franchise since 1984, have long been criticized by fans for not spending enough money on player payroll. What’s generally not known by the public is they have been loyal and generous to employees over the years.

Eric Curry, the well-known Minneapolis area college basketball referee, will work the Maui Invitational in Hawaii that is scheduled November 25-27.

The Gopher football team that plays at Rutgers Saturday morning faces a Scarlet Knights group that after winning its first four games of the season has lost four in a row including a 42-7 beat down by the Badgers in Piscataway. The Gophers, 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, will try to win five consecutive games for the first time since 2019 when they began the season winning nine straight. Rutgers is 4-4 overall, 1-4 in league games.

The quarterback spotlight will be brighter than in most games, with former Minnesota starter Athan Kaliakmanis now at Rutgers matched up against his 2024 successor Max Brosmer. Kaliakmanis, in eight games, has completed 54.1 percent of his passes, with nine touchdown throws and five interceptions—a QB rating of 119.5. Brosmer, in nine games, has completed 68.2 percent of his passes, with 13 touchdown throws and four interceptions— 140.3 QB rating.

Rosters for the annual Minnesota High School All-Star Football game December 14 at U.S. Bank Stadium will be announced next Tuesday on Randy Shaver’s prep podcast (YouTube) and seen later in the day at http://www.allstarfootball.org.

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Bet on Taylor Short-term to Remain in Control of Wolves

Posted on October 22, 2024October 22, 2024 by David Shama

The Timberwolves open their regular season schedule tonight against the Lakers in Los Angeles with ownership of the franchise expected to be resolved in the next few months. A source with extensive pro sports ownership experience, speaking on condition that his name not be published, predicted current owner Glen Taylor will retain control of the Wolves and Lynx after the early 2025 resolution—but that may not be true a year from now.

Taylor is in litigation with potential majority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. The dispute is about whether Lore and Rodriquez met the obligations of a drawn-out sales process that began in 2021. A three-person arbitration panel (based in Minnesota) is expected to rule on the majority ownership in November.

Even if the panel rules in favor of Lore and Rodriguez, there will need to be a sale approval by the NBA. There are two reasons why the source believes the league will favor Taylor’s continued control of the NBA and WNBA franchises.

One is the familiarity and relationships NBA’s owners have with Taylor. He has owned the Wolves since 1994 when he bought the franchise for a reported $88 million. He founded the Lynx in 1999. Taylor has served on the league’s Board of Governors and knows commissioner Adam Silver well. The Wolves and Lynx have been stable franchises financially over the decades, while questions have been raised about the financial wherewithal of Lore and Rodriguez who in June reportedly reached agreement with billionaire Michael Bloomberg to join their group.

The second factor, seemingly in Taylor’s favor, is the litigation involves the original agreed upon sale price of $1.5 billion. Since the time that figure was decided, the value of NBA franchises has more than doubled. League owners don’t want to set a precedent of below market value for franchises, knowing that impacts their businesses.

Taylor, 83, has been showing interest for years in moving on from ownership. “I can see him (eventually) selling 50 percent of the franchise to Bloomberg,” the source said.

In that scenario the sale amount would be a market price well over $3 billion for the two franchises. Bloomberg becomes the majority owner at say a controlling 51 percent, while Lore and Rodriguez could keep what’s believed to be their present 36 percent or they might be bought out at a considerable profit. Taylor might want and accept five or 10 percent ownership, joining other small owners who have been part of his group in the past.

Worth Noting

The Timberwolves finalized their 17-man roster late yesterday with the most notable change from a year ago the absence of forward-center Karl-Anthony Towns who had played with the club for nine seasons. The youngest player on the roster is 19-year-old first round rookie guard Rob Dillingham. The oldest Wolves are guard Mike Conley and forward Joe Ingles, both 37.

Towns, traded this fall to the Knicks, will play for his new team tonight against the World Champion Celtics. The game is part of a nationally televised doubleheader on TNT that also includes the Wolves-Lakers game. With forward Julius Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo, the two former Knicks debuting for the Wolves, the doubleheader will be a focus of national interest.

The Wolves are title contenders along with multiple other teams including the Thunder whose star players include Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren. The 7-foot-1 power forward-center averaged 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, his first in the NBA. Holmgren, 22, could one day join a short list of native Minnesotans who played for the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team.

Burdette Haldorson, an Austin, Minnesota native, played collegiately at Colorado and was a member of the 1956 and 1960 gold medal winning American basketball teams.

Lou Nanne, who had successful back surgery in July, is ready to resume playing golf in Florida, his second home. He’s had two holes-in-one over the years, with the most recent last year in the sunshine state.

The Minnesota hockey icon, long respected in the local business community, told Sports Headliners he has no interest, or the intention of being part of a group to buy the Twins.

Nanne predicts a healthy Wild team will make the playoffs. “Love what (Filip) Gustavsson is doing,” he said about the Wild’s hot goalie who has helped the team to a 3-0-2 season start.

The Wild plays at the Panthers tonight, facing a team Minnesota swept in two games last season. Florida, the defending Stanley Cup champs, is Nanne’s pick to win the NHL again.

Kevin Sumlin is on the staff of the Maryland football team that plays the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis Saturday afternoon. The former Gopher assistant coach and head coach at Texas A & M and Arizona is associate head coach to Mike Locksley.

Minnesota, 4-3, is about a four-point favorite against the Terps who have the same record. This could be the last time the Gophers are favored in their remaining games, with matchups against Illinois, Rutgers, Penn State and Wisconsin remaining.

With membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, alumni can save 25 percent on tickets for the Homecoming game against the Terps.

It wouldn’t be surprising if during the offseason the Gophers landed a center transfer in the portal allowing talented sophomore Greg Johnson from Prior Lake to switch back to guard where he played as a true freshman.

Happy 81^st birthday today to Minnesota sports icon Dick Jonckowski! His many honors include going into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame last month.

On Thursday Harvey Mackay, the longtime Gophers and University of Minnesota supporter, celebrates his 92^nd birthday. Former Gophers football coach Lou Holtz writes the foreword in Mackay’s new book, You Haven’t Hit Your Peak Yet!

A communicator and motivator extraordinaire, Mackay is a leading inspirational speaker, syndicated newspaper columnist and seven-times New York Times best-selling author. Among his treasured experiences was playing golf at the U for legendary coach Les Bolstad.

A focus for the Vikings Thursday night in Los Angeles will be stopping Rams running back Kyren Williams. He has a rushing touchdown in nine consecutive games including two on Sunday in a 20-15 win over the Raiders.

In their win over the Vikings last Sunday, the Lions took advantage of missing linebacker Blake Cashman who was out with a toe injury. The Vikings need his tackling and steady presence in the middle of the field against the Rams and future opponents. His availability for Thursday night hasn’t been announced.

The 2-4 Rams and 5-1 Vikings are likely to see the return of star receivers who have been out with injuries—wide receiver Cooper Kupp for Los Angeles and tight end T.J. Hockenson for Minnesota.

The game will be televised nationally by Prime and seen locally on Fox 9.

Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson has 6,430 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2020. He is chasing the league’s all-time leaders through five seasons. Only Terry Holt with 6,784 yards and former Viking Randy Moss, at 6,473, had more receiving yards in their first five seasons.

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Perich Teases at Becoming a Generational Talent for Gophers

Posted on October 13, 2024October 13, 2024 by David Shama

Seven games into his University of Minnesota football career, true freshman Koi Perich looks like he will become a generational football player in Dinkytown. He has set a standard for impacting games as a safety and punt returner that teases at a golden legacy he will leave behind at the U.

There he was in the Rose Bowl last night ending the game by intercepting a pass near his end zone as the Golden Gophers held off UCLA for a 21-17 victory. It was the second week in a row for such heroics, having ended the USC game with an end zone interception as Minnesota upset the No. 11 ranked Trojans in Minneapolis.

Perich had two interceptions last night. The first one was a turning point in the game after he intercepted UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers in the third quarter. It was a show-stopper pick with Perich laying out his body to catch the ball inside the UCLA 40-yard line. The Gophers, trailing 10-7, took advantage of the turnover and put together a short drive to go up 14-10 in the game.

Koi Perich photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

The Esko, Minnesota native is an instinctual player with superb athleticism. He is perhaps the most gifted player to come out of the state and play for the Gophers since Rochester running back Darrell Thompson set school records in Dinkytown more than 30 years ago. Perich’s talent can be mentioned in the same breath with two of Fleck’s most prominent players since 2017—wide receiver Rashod Bateman and safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

Perich, who played sparingly early in the season, has won the punt and kickoff jobs, and is a regular presence at safety. He was chosen the National Freshman of the Week (Shaun Alexander Award) following the USC game. He had six tackles, a forced fumble and an interception in the game.

The week before, at Michigan, Perich burst on the college football radar with a team leading 108 all-purpose yards, 82 on punt returns and 26 on kickoff returns. One of those punt returns was for 60 yards and that set up a second half score in Minnesota’s bid for an upset win. Perich had teased his punt return talent with a 28-yard return against Rhode Island before the Gophers started Big Ten play.

Perich has become a target for opposing players when he is trying to return punts—and not always in a high character way. In the USC game a Trojan tackler picked up the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Perich and body slammed him to the ground in WWE style. That was an infraction and so, too, was last night’s incident when a UCLA tackler was penalized for targeting Perich.

So far nothing seems to rattle the precocious Perich who appears to take the good and bad in stride—with rock solid confidence and either a fiery expression or smile on his face. Among the moments that have made him beam was the crowd storming of fans at Huntington Bank Stadium after the Gophers stunned the Trojans.

“That was awesome,” Perich said a week ago. “There was a part where I was in the middle and I don’t know who lifted me up, but I could just see everybody on the field at the same time. That was one of the coolest moments of my life.”

Perich, who has already endeared himself to countless Gopher fans and sent them shopping for his merchandise (https://athletesthread.com/collections/koi-perich), didn’t arrive on campus until June. His learning curve has been fast and his production proved why most every college football program in the country wanted him.

Perich, though, was loyal to Minnesota. He believed in head coach P.J. Fleck who has sent not only Winfield to the NFL, but also 2023 All-American safety Tyler Nubin. “I trusted him for what he has done,” Perich said.

It also didn’t take long for Fleck to believe in his teenage star. “He’s a great football player and he’s just scratching the surface,” Fleck said recently. “He really is special in the way that he approaches the game.

“I’ve always said what I love about Antoine Winfield Jr. is there was always a smile on his face. What I love about Tyler Nubin is there was always a smile on his face.

“There is always a smile on this kid’s face. Not only there’s a smile on his face, there’s always hope in his eyes.

“And he’s the hope. He’s the solution. He’s the confidence. He’s the reason like that’s always in his eyes and it doesn’t matter what he’s doing.”

Along with Perich’s talent and confidence comes a ferocious will to win. “You want to go play him in pickleball, good luck… .He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met, but you saw that. And that’s why everybody in the country wanted them (him).”

The Gophers are 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in Big Ten games. They have too often been mediocre, including on offense but guess who might—sooner or later—take some snaps on that side of the ball? Yup, the playmaker from up north. With Perich, opponents don’t know what’s coming next.

Wild’s Owner Talks Schedule, Expectations, Kaprizov

The Wild plays at Winnipeg tonight as part of an October schedule that has Minnesota on the road for the remainder of October. The Wild opened the regular season with home games last Thursday (3-2 win over the Blue Jackets) and Saturday (5-4 shootout loss to the Kraken).

In a recent interview with Sports Headliners Wild owner Craig Leipold said he takes his input from the players and coaches and that they are embracing the schedule that has them on the road for seven games this month. “…Let the players bond together and spend more time together, and feel like they’re a team, is really an advantage that we think we have,” Leipold said.

Here is a brief Q & A from an in-person conversation with Leipold who has owned the franchise since 2008.

What are you most excited about as the season starts up?

“I want to get the bad taste of last season out of my mouth. I don’t want to think about the problems our team had last year (including missing the playoffs). Our team is better than that. I am anxious to see the team back on the ice. I am very excited about the way that they’ve been practicing in preseason.”

NHL media authorities are unsure if the Wild can make the playoffs.

“I think that’s fine. I think that’s probably accurate right now. I say we are a playoff team. I get my read a lot from (GM) Billy (Guerin). Billy agrees this team is a playoff team. We should be in the playoffs. We expect to be in the playoffs and if we’re not we’ll be very disappointed.”

What are the strengths of this team?

“Everything kind of builds around (forward) Kirill Kaprizov. He is a special player. I think our first line is going to be really strong.

“We have practiced the penalty kill very hard. Our power play was in the top 10 last year. I think we’re going to be better this year. Preseason, our first line power and second line power play did fantastic.

“But we all know that’s preseason. I like our team. I think we’re going to be a grindier team, made of grinders, and I think we lacked a little bit of that last season.”

Kaprizov has two more years remaining on his contract and there is already speculation about his long term NHL home. The Wild will retain him, right?

“Ultimately that’s going to be Kirill’s decision, but we think we’re going to have a very compelling case. First of all, we own his rights for two years. We’re excited about that. He’s excited about being here.

“You know, I guess it is the down side of having a marquee player like this is that it gets people talking a lot about, what if you lose him?

“Well, we haven’t been thinking about that except for the fact that we’re not going to lose him. We’re going to make sure that this is where he wants to be. He will see that this is a team he can win (with) here, in this market. And as I’ve stated before, nobody is going to outspend us when it comes to Kirill.”

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