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National Voice Not on Board with QB J.J. McCarthy Outlook

Posted on May 11, 2025May 11, 2025 by David Shama

 

Maybe all of us local rubes are so smitten with the reputation of Kevin O’Connell as a quarterback guru that it takes an authority from beyond fly over-country to voice skepticism about J.J. McCarthy.

Colin Cowherd expressed his doubts the other day about McCarthy who missed his rookie season in 2024 but is considered all but certain to be the Viking starter this season—partially because of O’Connell’s confidence in him and the weak competition from Sam Howell and Brett Rypien.  “In a league where every good team knows who their quarterback is, nobody knows what J.J. McCarthy is.  I am a skeptic,” said Cowherd, the popular national sports talk host.

“First of all, he played for a college team known for a run game and defense.  He was not asked to win games.  He was asked not to lose them.

“What the draft people said about J.J. McCarthy coming in (was) ‘his strength (is) mental prep.  Well, he plays with a chip on his shoulder.’

“Weakness? Modest arm strength, average escape ability. Very few examples of him adjusting protections at the line.

“All this stuff I am supposed to love is this sort of nebulous he is a winner; he plays with a chip.

“How is his arm? How is his athletic ability? How is his size? Eh, huh.”

In three seasons as Vikings head coach O’Connell has dazzled with his impact on quarterbacks.  His most praised work came last season when he transformed journeyman Sam Darnold, in his lone season with Minnesota.  The Sporting News and Professional Football Writers Association of America both named him league Comeback Player of the Year for his 2024 production that included career highs in several passing categories.

O’Connell seems committed to McCarthy who he referred to last year as the “young franchise quarterback.”  The 22-year-old, who was 27-1 as a starter at 2024 national champion Michigan, apparently has successfully rehabbed from knee surgery.

The Vikings made McCarthy their selection at No. 10 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.  He and O’Connell, and others, can express all the confidence about succeeding as an NFL starter but it’s all conjecture.  Just ask Herd.

Worth Noting

Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves 23-year-old guard, made five three-point shots last night to set an NBA record.  His career total of 108 is the highest in league history for a player under 24 years old.

He scored 28 of his 36 points in the second half as the Timberwolves came from behind to defeat the Warriors, 102-97, and take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference playoffs semifinals best of seven series.

Howard Sinker, writing recently in the Fluence Media sports newsletter, reports that Chris Hine’s book on Edwards will be out June 3.  Sinker talked to the Star Tribune’s Wolves beat writer who said Edwards best sport growing up was football and he didn’t blossom in basketball until he was a teenager.

“…Another thing is people may not realize how he can read people,” Hine told Sinker. “He knows how to read a room, and one person close to him called him a ‘politician.’ He’s very in touch with how to deal with people, who has his best interests at heart and who doesn’t, and it’s been that way for a long time.”

The book is titled: Ant: The Incredible Journey of NBA Rising Star Anthony Edwards.

No surprise to the news that the Wolves’ Mike Conley Jr. was named to the inaugural NBA All-Interview team (second team recognition) last week. The Professional Basketball Writers Association recognized players “who are consistently thoughtful, insightful and engaging with the media,” per a news release from the PBWA.

Steph Curry, of the Warriors, and Kevin Durant, from the Suns, were the top finishers in a vote by PBWA members and are joined on the All-Interview first team by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks; Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers; and Draymond Green, Warriors. With Conley on the second team are: Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers; Bam Adebayo, Heat; Josh Hart Knicks and Damian Lillard, Bucks.

John Anderson

Happy Birthday next Friday to retired Gopher baseball coach John Anderson who turns 70 years old.  In various roles, including head coach and as a player, Anderson spent 49 seasons with the Gophers before retiring last year.

Marc Ryan, one of the all-time good guys in the University of Minnesota Athletic Department for 36 years, is retiring effective June 15.  The longest tenured employee in the department, Marc has served in various roles over the years. Currently as senior associate athletics director, he is the sport administrator for nine teams at the U.  His charm and wisdom will be missed!

The Giants need a win today to avoid being swept by the Twins at Target Field for only the second time since Interleague play began in 1997 (also swept in 2002).  The Twins have won seven consecutive games to put their season record at 20-20.

Condolences to my former North Stars colleague Peter Jocketty following the recent passing of his brother Walter, 74. The Minneapolis native was a much-admired baseball executive whose transactional moves helped the Cardinals to championships including the World Series crown in 2006.

Seven players from the 2025 Wild roster will represent their countries at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, from May 9-25.

Canada: goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Jared Spurgeon.

Czech Republic: defenseman David Spacek.

Slovakia: goalie Samuel Hlavaj.

Sweden: defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Marcus Johansson.

United States: defenseman Zeev Buium.

 

Comments Welcome

Twins Prolific Statue Builders, But Where’s Everybody Else?

Posted on May 8, 2025May 8, 2025 by David Shama

 

In April Joe Mauer became the eighth former Twin to have a statue commemorating his career.  The Twins haven’t built a World Series champion in more than 30 years, but the organization is prolific in erecting statues at Target Field.

Carew statue

The eight bronze sculptures have been a nice gig for Minnesota-based artist Bill Mack whose Twins assignments include Rod Carew (April 2010), Harmon Killebrew (April 2010), Kirby Puckett (April 2010), Carl and Eloise Pohlad (October 2010), Tony Oliva (April 2011), Kent Hrbek (April 2012) and Tom Kelly (June 2017).

It seems to this sportswriter and historian that Mr. Mack could assist other local teams whose “statue cupboard” is collectively quite bare.  Those organizations don’t have to adopt an “on steroids” statue building campaign but for starters they could consider the following suggested candidates:

The Vikings.  Ah, yes, let’s start with the franchise that is more important to zealots than family, friends and perhaps their own welfare.  With Adrian Peterson dogged by too many controversies, including a driving incident last month in Minnesota, it’s easier to clear the nominations field for other candidates.

Gracing the cement outside U.S. Bank Stadium should be a statue of Harry Peter Grant. Yes, Bud coached the Vikings to four Super Bowls, and while they all resulted in defeats, he remains atop the “Purple” coaching tree and is among the franchise’s most iconic figures.  Are we forever to be outdone by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who unveiled a bronze statue of Bud years ago near their stadium?

Bud should be joined at U.S. Bank Stadium by a statue of the famed “Purple People Eaters” from his era as coach.  The legendary defensive line scared the deuce out of opposing offenses for about a decade and consisted mostly of Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and Gary Larsen.

At Target Center the legendary George Mikan, voted Mr. Basketball for the first half of the 20th century, is remembered with a lobby statue recognizing both him and the five-time world champion Minneapolis Lakers.  The successor to the Lakers franchise in Minneapolis, the Timberwolves, have done little to approach the greatness of Mikan and Company but that wasn’t the fault of Kevin Garnett.

The former Wolves power forward, who late in his career won an NBA title with the Celtics, was a first ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer in the class of 2020.   Fifteen times in his career he was named an NBA all-star.  Playing for the Wolves, he was league MVP for the 2003-2004 season.

The other Target Center basketball team, the Lynx, has won four WNBA championships. Get Mr. Mack on speed-dial and task him with sculpting a five-person statue of the dynastic group of Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Lindsay Whalen. Fowles and Whalen are in the Hall of Fame, while Augustus and Moore will be inducted later this year.

Whalen, the Hutchinson native who led the Gophers to their 2004 historic Final Four, is deserving of a statue outside Williams Arena.  Women’s basketball at Minnesota and the Whalen name are synonymous.

On the men’s side, immortality isn’t so clear cut.

The program has a controversial past marked by NCAA violations that have clouded glorious accomplishments and memories.  The most accepted place to start, with buy-in from both fans and compliance-minded U administrators, would be a statue of the first three scholarship Black players at Minnesota.  Lou Hudson, Archie Clark and Don Yates were marvelous recruits who made the 1964-65 Gophers among the best teams in America, finishing the season with a 19-5 and ranked No. 7 in the nation.

With its ageless “pride on ice” program mantra, Gopher men’s hockey has a long list of superb contributors to championships and other honors.  The U Athletic Department should dig deep into its past, though, to honor two Minnesotans with bronze statues.

John Mayasich, who played for Minnesota from 1951-1955, is regarded as one of the greatest amateur players in the history of American hockey.  Labeled the Wayne Gretzky of his time, Mayasich was a four-time All-American, and he remains the Gophers’ all-time leader in career goals (144) and points (298) in 111 games played.

The Gophers have won five NCAA men’s hockey national championships.  The immortal Herb Brooks, the architect of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Miracle on Ice, coached three of those teams in his short tenure as Gopher coach. From 1972-1979 Brooks, a St. Paul native, dedicated his roster to using home grown talent and won national titles in 1974, 1976 and 1979.

The potential workload for Mr. Mack is growing and it only gets heavier with Gopher football.  Huntington Bank Stadium is built on a fairly tight footprint but make way for these five statutes:

Bronko Nagurski is one of the most famous names in college football lore.  In the latter 1920s he played tackle, fullback, defensive and offensive end, linebacker and even quarterback. A beast whose strength was way ahead of his day, he was named a consensus All-American in 1929 at two positions, tackle and fullback.

Bernie Bierman, the “Grey Eagle.”  How can you not memoralize the coach of five national championship teams: 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1940 and 1941.

Bruce Smith.  Can’t leave out the only Heisman Trophy winner in program history who was a great tailback on the 1941 national title team.  And, oh yeah, Hollywood made a move about him: “Smith of Minnesota.”  He was one of the stars, of course.

Bobby Bell, like Nagurski, could have been a great player at multiple positions.  He settled for terrorizing opposing offenses as a defensive tackle on national title and Rose Bowl teams that went 22-6-1 from 1960-1962.  He was the 1962 Outland Trophy recognizing the nation’s best interior lineman.

Greg Eslinger.  Gotta include one person who played recently enough that most Gopher fans who are alive today saw him play.  The most decorated offensive lineman in school history during a career that spanned from 2002-2005, the two-time All-American will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.

Herb Brooks statue

A Herb Brooks statue is in place close to Xcel Energy Center, home of the Wild.  Located at 317 Washington street, the statue is adjacent to the RiverCentre and Herbie’s on the Park, the restaurant where you can order a Moscow Mule—a favorite libation of the late Mr. Brooks.  No other hockey statue is in the neighborhood and that’s understandable given the Wild’s fairly brief and modest history.

While Wild fans might dream of Stanley Cups and a storybook career for Kirill Kaprizov that could one day warrant a statue, the suggestion here is for the Wild to play a little politics.  In search of funding to renovate the arena, including monies from the city of St. Paul, the Wild could honor former mayor Norm Coleman.

Without Coleman’s effort to build the arena and romance the NHL to put a team back in Minnesota to replace the North Stars, there would be no Wild.  At least in St. Paul which was in competition with Minneapolis for an NHL team.

I remember a local magazine cover from more than 25 years ago with Coleman sitting at his desk, wearing ice skates on his feet and resting them on top of his desk. I will try to find the photo if Mr. Mack calls.

Build a statue for Norm at his arena.

4 comments

Ryan Tannehill May Still Wait in Wings for Vikings QB Job

Posted on May 5, 2025May 5, 2025 by David Shama

 

Concerns about 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy and whether he can pull his weight this fall in his first year as an NFL starting quarterback won’t be answered until at least after the first several games of the regular season.  Even if he delivers, injuries could sideline him from leading an offense that is a vital part of a Minnesota Super Bowl contender.

Doubts are present now and could increase about whether newly acquired 24-year-old Sam Howell can be a quality replacement for McCarthy if needed. Before completing a deal with the Seahawks for Howell in April, the Vikings reportedly had conversations with 36-year-old Ryan Tannehill who sat out last season but is a former Pro Bowler.

A former front office executive with NFL clubs, speaking on condition of anonymity, offered perspective on Howell and Tannehill. “I thought they’d sign Tannehill who is more accomplished than Howell, but there’s a big cap savings as Howell costs $1.1 million this season. And Tannehill would’ve been at least at the $10 million they paid (Sam) Darnold last year.

“And they can perhaps put this cap savings toward re-signing Stephon Gilmore or another quality corner which would help the corner situation that wasn’t addressed in the draft, or a good vet safety to compete with Theo Jackson, with Cam Bynum gone.

“Howell at least is a decent and somewhat experienced QB with 18 starts in Washington in two years (2022-2023).  In 2023 (17 starts) he threw 21 TD passes but also led the league with 21 interceptions. Also had five rushing TDs that season so he can run a bit.

Kevin O’Connell image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

“Kevin O’Connell will coach up Howell to be more careful with his throws. They only invested a swap of fifth round spots to get Howell so if he doesn’t perform well enough in training camp and preseason games, or if McCarthy gets re-injured or isn’t where they want him to be, they could still try to sign Tannehill during training camp or in regular season.”

Tannehill expressed desire last season to play for an NFL team but was selective about the opportunity that he would welcome.  The Vikings, during the summer or season, with their loaded roster and superb coaching, might well be of interest to the veteran who last played for the Titans. But Minnesota could also need to be convinced he is the right guy to ride in on the white horse wearing a white hat.

It’s believed Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins like horses, too.

Worth Noting

The prediction here is the Timberwolves will win their best of seven Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Warriors in six games.  The Wolves have more length, depth and a better blend of youth and experience. The Warriors are uber dependent on Steph Curry, 37, and 35-year-olds Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

Warrior fans should jump off the Golden Gate Bridge if any of three are injured and sidelined in the series that begins tomorrow night at Target Center.

The Wild need to extend star forward Kirill Kaprizov’s contract this offseason or the next.  How important is the assignment?

“Oh (blank),” Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners. “It’s the franchise.  How important is it to be in the league?”

The team’s offseason to-do list should also include adding two or three quality forwards, Nanne said.  He believes the roster has a good core but can improve with help at the wing and center spots.  The defense can get a boost too if young defenders David Jiricek and Zeev Buium come through, he added.

Nanne, the state of Minnesota hockey legend who turns 84 next month, predicts the Panthers and Stars will play in the 2025 Stanley Cup finals. The healthier team will win, he believes. “It should be a big series between those two, I would think.”

No doubt Twins fans are frustrated after last season’s 12-27 finish to the schedule and this year’s 15-20 start.  Dave Mona, for example, posted this on Facebook recently: “I’ve been a Twins fan since they moved here in 1961, but it’s getting harder and harder. (Edouardo) Julien is a liability at second base. (Jorge) Alcala is (a) disaster in the bullpen. The offense is loaded with guys who can’t hit. …Their best prospects can’t seem to recover from sprained ankles and pulled hamstrings. Hard to watch.”

Don’t be surprised if the Vikings and the Minnesota Sports and Events group bring the NFL Draft to Minneapolis for the first time ever, perhaps in 2029.  The host cities have been announced for the next two drafts, Pittsburgh in 2026 and Washington D.C. in 2027. The draft drew a record breaking 775,000 fans in Detroit about a year ago.

Marcus & Bruggers

Congratulations to Sam Bruggers from Champlin Park for his film work on winning the annual Bob Marcus Award from the Football Film Federation.  High school football film is a backbone of success for prep programs.  The Marcus award is named after the successful former Gopher and Viking video expert.

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