David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

College Football Weekend a Charmer

Posted on September 3, 2019September 3, 2019 by David Shama

Opening weekend of college football is like Christmas for me, only better. It’s great fun checking in on the televised games, and if I become bored I can head for a break at the swimming pool. Try diving off the outdoor high-board around Christmas time in Minnesota.

FBS Minnesota and FCS South Dakota State got things rolling last Thursday night. FCS opponents are usually scheduled by Power Five Conference teams because they are softer than political campaign promises. The Gophers, though, got the opposite against FCS powerhouses South Dakota State and North Dakota State.

The somewhat wise guy suggestion here is to try lesser FCS teams for the Minnesota opener like maybe Presbyterian from the Big South, or “The Boy & Girl” (William & Mary of the Colonial Athletic Association)—but not the Jackrabbits and Bison who hang out together in the competitive Missouri Valley Conference.

The Jacks know how to schedule nonconference games. After losing a game they should have won with the Big Ten Conference Gophers, they’re at home next Saturday against Long Island University from the Northeast Conference. Make SDSU a big favorite in that game!

If you’re picking up a favorable attitude toward the Jacks, I confess. The program’s boss is John Stiegelmeier, and I like coaches old enough to collect Social Security.

As for the mighty Bison—winners of seven FCS national championships in eight years—they destroyed Butler, 57-10, last Saturday in the second college football game ever played at Target Field. The game was the NDSU head coaching debut of Matt Entz. He’s the program’s third head guy since the national title run started and that speaks to how they know the “secret sauce” in Fargo.

It was encouraging to see the Gophers announce a near capacity crowd Thursday night. Minnesota fans, though, are a casual bunch. They routinely head for the exits in the second half, even when the game is close like against South Dakota State. At Wisconsin games, fans do the “Jump Around” between the third and fourth quarters. In Minneapolis they head for the dorms, the bars and the interstate.

College football is celebrating its 150th birthday in 2019. In the sport’s first game ever, Rutgers defeated Princeton “six goals to four goals” in November of 1869. The Rutgers program hasn’t done a lot to distinguish itself since then, and why the school was welcomed into the Big Ten a few years back is something that makes a lot of the league’s fans wince. Painful, too, was watching the Scarlet Knights start their game down 14-0 to UMass, an awful FBS program.

Rutgers (48-21 winners) was one of three Big Ten teams to play on Friday night. Michigan State looked intimidating while beating up on Tulsa, 28-7. Coach Mark Dantonio’s teams most always play punishing football. He demands it. The guy scowls and I jump a foot, even while watching on TV! Wisconsin embarrassed South Florida, 49-0, to give the Big Ten a Friday sweep.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago the Badger program could be on the decline. I am sure Bucky used my words as bulletin board material for motivation. And, yes, South Florida coach Charlie Strong’s seat is warm in Tampa, and it’s not because of the weather.

Hey, is there any better way to start Saturday morning than by watching college football GameDay on ESPN? Let’s put it this way: if I got stuck in an elevator for a couple of hours who better for companions than Lee Corso, Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit? Corso is a character who does strange things like picking Utah to make the playoff finals, and he brings down the house when he dons a mascot head to pick the winner of a featured game. Davis and Herbstreit are charmers with football IQ’s through the roof.

GameDay’s Desmond Howard can ride in another elevator. Not big on the Des and part of it might be he is a Michigan alum. Hard to forget the uncivil treatment our travel party received from Big Blue fans when we were at a Michigan game years ago. Apparently it was offensive to wear maroon and gold clothing.

Who says there is no security in college football coaching? Kirk Ferentz began his Iowa head coaching career in 1999 and he is still the Hawkeye boss man. Before Ferentz, Hayden Fry was the Iowa head coach from 1979-1998. That’s two head coaches in 40 years. I would tell you how many the Gophers have burned through but I can’t find my calculator.

I am picking the Hawkeyes and Northwestern to tie for the Big Ten West Division title. The Hawks might have top 10 future NFL draft choices in linemen A.J. Epenesa and Tristan Wirfs. Less is usually more at Iowa where Ferentz and staff make the most of their available talent. A big year for the Hawks gets the minds of farmers off crop prices. Iowa defeated Miami (Ohio) Saturday night, 38-14.

Ohio State put up 28 points on Florida Atlantic by midway through the first quarter and won the game 45-21 Saturday. Oh, my, a tough day for Bloomington Jefferson alum Lane Kiffin who brings his Owls to TCF Bank Stadium for Minnesota’s opener in 2020. As for the Buckeyes, they remain the gold standard of Big Ten football. How high is the bar in Columbus? Well, last year the Bucks won the Big Ten title, won the Rose Bowl and finished a 13-1 season while an air of disappointment hung over Columbus because their beloveds weren’t invited to the playoffs and to have a chance to win the national title.

What was the worst sign I saw a fan hold up over five days of viewing? “Idaho isn’t even a state.”

Honest. Saw it prior to the Penn State-Idaho game on Saturday.

Best mascot in the country? Gotta go with Sports Illustrated’s online August 12 ranking that chose Georgia’s English Bulldog, Uga.

The best game I watched during my college football weekend was Iowa State’s three overtime 29-26 win over Northern Iowa in Ames. The Big-12 Cyclones, a top 25 ranked FBS team, had to rally on their home field to tie the game at 13-13 and head for the first overtime. Substitute walk-on kicker Matthew Cook, a true freshman, made all four of his field goal attempts, including one from 50 yards for FCS Northern Iowa—another member of the Valley.

My finale was Monday night when Notre Dame played at Louisville. During the weekend I wondered whether Fighting Irish and Green Bay Packers legend Paul Hornung might attend the game. I can’t confirm his attendance, but move to the head of the class if you know Louisville was Hornung’s hometown when he went off to Notre Dame in the early 1950s. I believe he still lives there.

After opening weekend the Big Ten had won 12 of 14 games (most by big margins), but lost two of three on the road. Out West Nevada beat Purdue, 34-31, on a last minute field goal and Northwestern lost 17-7 at Stanford. The Gophers, too, head West later in the week to play at Fresno State. Be warned!

That’s my opening weekend college football saga, with just one request for assistance. Several months ago I lost a TV remote in the family room. No kidding, honest to Goldy! Never did find it. Help.

Comments Welcome

Whew! 9 Win U Prediction Survives

Posted on August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Friday notes column dispatched to readers after last night’s comeback win by the football Golden Gophers against South Dakota State.

Darrell Thompson, the Gophers’ all-time leading rusher, believes this Minnesota team is the deepest he has seen while doing 23 years of color commentary on radio broadcasts. He told Sports Headliners earlier in the week the Gophers will finish 9-3 overall, 6-3 in the Big Ten.

Thompson’s prediction was tested last night against SDSU, a top-five FCS team that was supposed to lose the game by a couple of touchdowns. Instead, the Jackrabbits led 21-20 until the FBS Gophers scored a late touchdown and two-point conversion to win 28-21 in a home season opening game that could have done major damage to prospects for the program’s first nine victory season since 2016.

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck emphasizes the subject of turnovers when talking about why teams win or lose games. His team had no fumbles and a harmless interception last night but turnovers by SDSU redshirt freshman quarterback J’Bore Gibbs led to 14 of Minnesota’s points including a 43-yard interception third quarter return for a touchdown by Chris Williamson.

In an entertaining back and forth game, the Gophers made enough plays to win but gave their fans plenty to fret about. The offensive and defensive lines were way to inconsistent in their performances. Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan was frequently under pressure trying to throw as the Jackrabbits either caused confusion or used speed to go around Gopher linemen. The defense, including the Minnesota line, was exploited inside and out against the Jackrabbits who had more first downs, rushing yards and passing yards than the Gophers.

The Gophers were twice out of position on SDSU kickoff returns including what should have been a Jackrabbit touchdown late in the second quarter. An illegal block in the back nullified an SDSU kickoff return touchdown and a 14-13 lead at halftime.

Minnesota now is 2-0 this century against South Dakota State, having won two games by a total of 10 points. Nothing to crow about, but better than the alternative of being 1-1 after last night.

Thompson was interviewed recently on “Behind the Game,” the Twin Cities cable TV program co-hosted by Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. The show can also be viewed on YouTube.

By late Saturday evening all 14 Big Ten Conference teams will have played a season opening nonconference game. Every coach will welcome a win but three have such poor career records they badly need a ‘W.’ The college coaching records of Rutgers’ Chris Ash, Maryland’s Mike Locksley and Illinois’ Lovie Smith are 7-29, 3-31 and 9-27 respectively.

In Big Ten games only the three coaches are 3-24, 1-5 and 4-23.

Counting conference and nonconference games, every Big Ten team will play at least six teams that participated in a bowl game last season. Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin have eight such matchups, followed by Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Rutgers with seven each.

Among the Power Five Conferences, the Big 12 is the only one without its own stand-alone TV network. Those networks are major revenue and exposure generators, and the day might be coming when there is only a Power Four consisting of the Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 and SEC. If the Big 12 dissolved, would Oklahoma and Texas join the Big Ten’s West Division? If so, Purdue could move to the East Division so the conference can be balanced with two eight-team divisions.

Minnesota’s next game is at Fresno State a week from Saturday evening, and fans without access to the CBS Sports Network won’t be able to watch on TV.

Barbara Butts Williams is being honored by Twin Cities Business Magazine in October for her board service to Allina Health. She was the wife of the late John Williams, the community minded Minneapolis dentist who was a 1967 first team All-Big Ten offensive tackle on the Gophers Big Ten championship team.

Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald will soon start his 16th NFL season, all with the Arizona Cardinals. Paul Allen, the Vikings radio voice, ranks Fitzgerald the NFL’s third best all-time blocker among wide receivers. Allen said during the simulcast of the August 24 Minnesota-Arizona preseason game only Hines Ward and Anquan Bolden rank ahead of Fitzgerald.

With nine teams, including Minnesota United, vying for a playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference, club CEO Chris Wright is pleased the Loons have veteran 31-year-old goalie Vito Mannone playing for them. Wright told Sports Headliners Mannone “is not nervous” in big games and has faced a lot of pressure in his career including in the English Premier League. “Big goalkeepers win big games,” Wright said.

Alpine skiing great and Minnesota native Lindsey Vonn, whose foundation works to empower young girls to grow as athletes and individuals, speaks at the State Theatre September 23.

Jeff Passolt, the St. Louis Park native who won Emmys for sports and news TV journalism, speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, September 12 at the Bloomington Event Center, 1114 American Blvd. Public reservations are accepted until Monday, September 9 by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Comments Welcome

Vikings May Face Kickers’ Revenge

Posted on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 by David Shama

In two of their first three regular season games the Minnesota Vikings could see two former field goal kickers and kickoff specialists who they gave up on, Blair Walsh now with the Atlanta Falcons and Daniel Carlson from the Oakland Raiders.

The Falcons, who play the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in the season opener September 8, signed Walsh a few days ago because of preseason frustration with kicker Giorgio Tavecchio. Walsh, 29, hasn’t kicked in the NFL since the 2017 season with the Seahawks. He spent four-plus seasons with the Vikings before being cut in 2016.

Walsh, a Vikings sixth round draft pick in 2012, had a terrific rookie season. He converted 92.1 percent of his field goals, making 35 of 56 attempts. He was perfect on extra points, 36 of 36. He is infamous in Purple Nation, though, for his missed field goal in January of 2016 that cost the Vikings a playoff win against the Seahawks.

While there is no guarantee Walsh will win the Falcons’ kicking job and have the opportunity to take revenge on his old team, Carlson is all but a lock to be swinging his leg for the Raiders when they come to Minneapolis for the third game of the season September 22. Only an injury will prevent Carlson, who the Vikings waived after the second game of the season last year, from potentially making a winning kick at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Carlson, 25, was 1 of 4 on field goals for the Vikings who hastily gave up on their fifth round draft choice after the rookie had a bad day against the Green Bay Packers, missing three field goals. The Raiders gave him a second chance, and he produced making 16 of 17 field goals in 10 games last season. In preseason he is a perfect 4 of 4 on field goals, including the game winner against the Packers last week.

In a soap opera that could be referred to as how the “Kicking Tee Turns,” the 2019 Vikings will have their fourth new kicker to start a season in four years. After Walsh, for part of 2016, came Kai Forbath, who stayed on through 2017. Then Carlson started off 2018 only to be replaced by Dan Bailey. Bailey, 31, made a mediocre 75 percent of his field goals last season and is facing competition in training camp from rookie Kaare Vedvik who the Vikings acquired August 11 from the Baltimore Ravens by sending a 2020 fifth round pick to them.

Vedvik, 25, missed two field goal attempts last Saturday in the Vikings’ preseason game against the Cardinals. Asked after the game about his level of concern regarding the misses, head coach Mike Zimmer offered a one word answer, “High.”

Two of the Vikings’ three NFC North Division rivals also have fans on edge about who will be kicking field goals and probably also handling kickoffs. The Packers aren’t signaling yet that veteran Mason Crosby who has been the guy since 2007 will return. The Chicago Bears may be settling on Eddy Pineiro after bringing in a puzzling nine candidates at one time for tryouts in the offseason, including former Golden Gophers kicker Emmit Carpenter.

Cody Parkey, the Bears regular kicker last year, was released in March after he had a Walsh-like miss in the playoffs. That 16-15 loss to the Eagles was one of three playoff games in 2019 decided by three points or fewer. Six of the 11 postseason games were decided by six points or fewer.

The coming and going of kickers offers drama, but that’s nothing like the difference they can make in helping to win championships.

Worth Noting

In its NFL Preview issue out last week, Sports Illustrated predicts the Vikings will win the NFC North with an 11-5 record, defeat the Packers in a Wild Card playoff game and then lose to the New Orleans Saints who will advance to the Super Bowl, losing 27-23 to the New England Patriots.

Among the NFL’s 32 teams, the magazine ranks the Vikings defensive backs fourth best. Receivers are No. 5; defensive line and linebackers No. 12; quarterback No. 16; offensive line No. 23; and running backs a surprisingly low No. 26 considering Dalvin Cook’s breakaway talent.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners the unexpected appearance of a squirrel at Target Field during two recent games could prompt some retail opportunities for the club, or worked into game presentations, but he doesn’t expect the critters to become a “dominant theme.”

The squirrel capers don’t have Target Field maintenance on high alert. “I don’t know how many home games we’ve played at Target Field but we’ve had two nights where we’ve had a squirrel. … I am not sure we’ll see a squirrel here in a long time,” St. Peter said.

The Twins are committed to hosting events other than baseball at Target Field including a hockey game, and St. Peter said his first preference is to work with the Minnesota Wild in staging the NHL Winter Classic at the downtown Minneapolis stadium.

After this Saturday’s North Dakota State-Butler football game at Target Field, head groundskeeper Larry DiVito has five full days to ready the grass field for the Twins’ big series with the Indians that begins September 6. St. Peter is confident the field will be fine when the Indians, who are trying to overtake the Twins for first place in the AL Central, come to town. “We wouldn’t be playing football if we weren’t supremely confident in our ability to do it,” he said.

Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday MLB staged Players’ Weekend where players chose nicknames to appear on the backs of jerseys. A weekend Wall Street Journal story said the newspaper analyzed 832 nicknames that the players chose, and the national publication wasn’t impressed: “The results were like the 2019 Detroit Tigers: completely forgettable.”

While bringing up classic names of the past like the Sultan of Swat, or Shoeless Joe Jackson, WSJ said nicknames from 2019 players like Smitty or Goldy mostly didn’t cut it. Willians Astudillo, the Twins roly-poly utility man, inexplicably used his last name on the jersey instead of his recognizable nickname, “La Tortuga,” the Journal reported.

The WSJ didn’t take on the subject of the weekend’s either all-black or all-white uniforms MLB teams wore.

Bill Robertson, the longtime Minnesota hockey executive, has known new Wild general manager Bill Guerin for years including dating back to Olympic hockey days in 2002. “His leadership, instant credibility as a former standout NHL All-Star performer, and use of modern technology, will be keys to his success,” said Robertson who is men’s commissioner for the Bloomington-based WCHA. “His relationship building abilities will also assist him with the front office staff and in the community. I wish him nothing but success.”

Thoroughbred trainer Francisco Bravo, the late Ralph Strangis, who served as Minnesota Racing Commission chairman, and thoroughbred owners and breeders Joni and Barry Butzow will be honored at Canterbury Park Saturday as the newest members of the racetrack’s Hall of Fame.

Comments Welcome