David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

O-Line Poses Concerns for Vikings

Posted on December 12, 2017December 12, 2017 by David Shama

A Tuesday football notes column with Vikings, Gophers and prep news.

The Vikings, 10-3, have remaining games with the Bengals, Packers and Bears who have a combined 16-23 record. Two of the three games are at home. If the Vikings are to be upset before the playoffs it likely will be because of the uncertain offensive line.

Injuries to multiple starters had Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer wondering yesterday who will be available for Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Bengals. A patched up offensive line struggled at times in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers who put an end to Minnesota’s eight game winning streak.

“When you have injuries, you’re going to have backup players play in there,” Zimmer said. “We’re not going to make an excuse for this game (Panthers), or for players that come in or anything else. We’ll take ownership of what we did Sunday and we’ll move forward.”

While Zimmer could end up as NFL Coach of the Year, his former boss with the Bengals is on the hot seat. The Bengals are 5-8 under longtime coach Marvin Lewis who is 0-7 in playoff games since taking over in Cincinnati in 2003.

It will be 10 years next month that Lewis hired Zimmer as defensive coordinator. Past Bengals coordinators had struggled including Leslie Frazier who was fired after the 2004 season. Zimmer, in his fourth season as Vikings head coach, helped the Bengals earn top 10 defensive rankings in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Bovada has made the Vikings, at 8/1 odds, the NFC favorite to play in the Super Bowl, according to a story yesterday by Nbcsports.com/Philadelphia.

Stats: the Vikings defense ranks third in the NFL giving up 293.4 yards per game. That unit is second best in fewest rushing yards allowed, 88.3. The offense is seventh best in the league with 369.3 yards a game. Wide receiver Adam Thielen ranks third in total receiving yards at 1,161.

Ray Anderson, the athletic director at Arizona State since 2014 who made the surprise hire this month of Herm Edwards as Sun Devils head coach, was once the agent for former Vikings boss Dennis Green.

Antonio Montero, the Eden Prairie senior who won the 2017 state Mr. Football Award Sunday, may decide to walk-on with the Gophers. He visited the Minnesota campus last weekend and plans a trip to the University of Illinois in January where a scholarship offer could be forthcoming from the Illini, he said.

Montero, who also is considering opportunities at the Air Force Academy and with North Dakota State, projects as a linebacker in college after playing that position and running back for the 6-A state champion Eagles. Montero is about 5-11 and 215 pounds.

Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant raved about Montero. “He’s worked extremely hard,” Grant told Sports Headliners. “He’s not the tallest guy. He’s not the fastest guy. He’s just a great player.”

When Grant watches Montero, he sees an instinctive player who had 190 career tackles with the Eagles. “We like guys who make plays, and that’s what he does,” Grant said.

Major college recruiters can miss on players who are undersized. Recruiting is an inexact process for sure. Recruiters make judgment errors on many players who aren’t undersized, too. “I have given up trying to figure out how anybody recruits,” Grant said. “No one listens to me. …We like guys to make plays, that’s all I know.”

Grant has won 11 state championships. His players work during the offseason on physical development including speed and explosiveness. “We don’t worry about how big guys are,” Grant said.

The Mr. Football Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings, started in 2004. Grant’s had three recipients with J.D. Spielman in 2015 and Blake Sorensen in 2006 also winning the award. That’s more than any other school.

Grant might have a fourth winner next year in quarterback Cole Kramer. He has played 22 games without throwing an interception during his sophomore and junior seasons.

Grant said Benny Sapp III, the defensive back who will sign with the Gophers on December 20, is close to a full recovery after missing all but two games with the Eagles because of a knee injury. “They were able to fully repair the cartilage,” Grant said. “He’s going to be a 100 percent. He’s running. He will be ready to go in probably a month or so.”

St. Cloud Tech’s Brevyn Spann-Ford was the only finalist among the 11 Mr. Football candidates who will be a scholarship recruit in the Gophers 2018 class. Ford, a 6-6, 237-pound tight end, told Sports Headliners his college decision was difficult but he liked the Minnesota coaching staff and the idea of staying close to home. Other scholarship offers included Missouri, North Dakota State and West Virginia.

Jerry Burns, who turns 91 in January, was at Southtown Shopping Center last Saturday as part of Triple Crown’s sports memorabilia show that included a bobblehead of the former Vikings coach. What did he think of the bobblehead?

“No big deal, a bobblehead of me,” Burns said. “I am an ugly guy to start with and a bobbehead makes me ugly too, so I am happy for it.”

Grant, 60, has known Burns for a long time, including back in the days when Grant was a ball boy at Viking training camp. Burns, a former Vikings assistant and later head coach, is a Grant favorite.

“I loved being a ball boy down there and trying to interpret what he said to the players,” Grant said. “Burnsie, great guy.”

The Gophers Signing Day Social December 20 at TCF Bank Stadium will inform fans about Minnesota’s 2018 football recruiting class. Doors open at 11 a.m. and a buffet lunch will be served prior to the 1 p.m. program. The cost is $30 per person with more information at GoalLineClub.org.

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Zim Talks Division, but Goals Bigger

Posted on December 9, 2017December 9, 2017 by David Shama

A Saturday notes column kicking off with the Vikings.

Linebacker Ben Gedeon told Sports Headliners Mike Zimmer has talked to the Vikings this week about how the team can clinch the NFC North Division title and a playoff spot by winning Sunday against the Panthers, but then the coach added, “There are a lot bigger goals than just winning this week.”

Gedeon said the team reacted to Zimmer’s words by being quiet and professional. A steady approach reflects their coach. “I think that’s one thing you see with him is he is pretty consistent week to week and I think the message every week has been, ‘We haven’t done anything yet and…not looking too far ahead in the season,’ ” Gedeon said.

The Vikings have won eight consecutive games and with their 10-2 mark have the opportunity to finish the 16-game schedule with the best record in the NFC. They could have home field advantage throughout the payoffs and advance to the Minneapolis Super Bowl on February 4.

Zimmer was asked why some teams are better able to handle success than others. “I think it’s human nature. Some guys get full of themselves and go from there. Everybody is telling them how good they are and they listen.

“But it goes the other way, too. Everybody tells you how bad you are and you listen. It’s really human nature to back off of things.”

Defensive end Brian Robison, now in his 11th pro season, said he’s not surprised by the Vikings’ success. The team knew during the offseason the things that needed attention but realized the potential was present for success, he said. Included on the to-do list were how to handle “critical situations” in games.

A big year could have been derailed by the loss of starting quarterback Sam Bradford early in the season, but Case Keenum has impressed not only his teammates but NFL followers from coast-to-coast. Robison said he isn’t surprised by the performance of Keenum who came into the NFL in 2013 and has been with multiple teams before signing with Minnesota as a free agent this past offseason.

“I’ve known Case for awhile and I thought he’d been a good quarterback for a long time going back to his Houston days and even when he was in St. Louis,” Robison said. “I just think Case got caught up in a situation where he never really got that real opportunity and he was able to do it this year. He’s a smart player and he’s done some things for us this year that have helped us win ball games.”

The Vikings have used the same caterer for Friday locker-room buffets during their winning streak.

Vikings fans have been turning out in large numbers at away games this fall including in Landover, Maryland where a team spokesman estimated there were 5,000 to 10,000 cheering for Minnesota. The Skol chant prompted boos from Redskins fans in Landover. Historically, there have been large turnouts of Vikings fans for away games in Arizona and Florida.

“Get Inside the Game,” the interactive fan experience scheduled January 27-February 3 at the Minneapolis Convention Center as part of Super Bowl week activities, will charge admissions of $35 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under. Fans can experience NFL games via virtual reality technology, run a 40-yard dash against NFL players on a giant LED screen, obtain autographs from NFL players and learn football skills at clinics.

Twins general manager Thad Levine told Sports Headliners he doesn’t believe the franchise’s experience with Tsuyoshi Nishioka is a factor in negotiating with other Japanese players. Nishioka came to the Twins directly from Japan and failed with Minnesota before returning home. Now the Twins have interest in standout pitcher Yu Darvish, the native of Japan who is a free agent.

Levine said to his knowledge Darvish and his representatives won’t be affected by Nishioka’s experiences with Minnesota. He also said he didn’t think the history with Nishioka impacted the thinking of Shoehi Otani who eliminated the Twins and other teams before committing to the Angels.

Otani, often described as the Babe Ruth of Japanese baseball, is both a hitter and pitcher. Levine referred to him as a “significant prospect” who compares favorably with the best pitchers to come out of Japan.

Gopher junior Jordan Murphy, who has started the season with 10 consecutive double-doubles, isn’t projected to be selected in the two rounds of the 2018 NBA Draft, according to a mock listing by Nbadraft.net. Gary Trent Jr., the freshman at Duke and ex-Apple Valley star, is projected as the No. 15 selection in the first round. J.P. Macura, who played at Lakeville North and is a senior at Xavier, is predicted as a second round selection and the No. 55 pick.

Paolo Uggetti, writing December 6 for Theringer.com, said the Timberwolves starting lineup through 19 games logged more minutes than any other NBA team. Coach Tom Thibodeau used his starters 484 minutes, or 145 more than the No. 2 Pistons. Thibodeau, dating back to his first NBA head job with the Bulls, has long been known as a coach who likes to use his regulars for max minutes.

Dick Jonckowki said sportswriters LaVelle E. Neal and Charley Walters, along with ex-Gopher Jim Carter and former North Star Lou Nanne, will roast ESPN 1500 talk show host and Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse on January 26 at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul. The luncheon is sponsored by the Minnesota Minute Men and Jonckowski will emcee.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Lynx star Lindsay Whalen, 35, is thinking of retirement after next season. The Minnesota native could be considering her post-playing career options. She will serve as a Timberwolves analyst for eight games on Fox Sports North starting with Tuesday night’s telecast of the 76ers game.

Whalen’s coach, Cheryl Reeve, speaks to the CORES lunch group January 11 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Reeve has coached the Lynx to four WNBA championships in the last seven years. More information, including reservations, is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Dorothy McIntyre, the former executive with the Minnesota State High School League, has a new book called Two Rings: A Legacy of Hope. She co-authored the novel with Marian Bemis Johnson. McIntyre previously helped write a book about the early years of girls high school basketball in Minnesota.

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Here’s Your College Football Finale

Posted on December 7, 2017December 7, 2017 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota season is over but my college football notebook has unfinished business. Here’s an offering of year-end thoughts about not only the U, but also the Big Ten Conference and national scenes.

Many Gophers fans remain open-minded after one season of the P.J. Fleck era—disappointing as it was at 5-7, ending with just two league wins and outscored 70-0 by the final two opponents. That’s the fair approach because it’s too soon to judge Fleck and his staff.

The 37-year-old coach has big ambitions for Minnesota and will mostly either realize them or fail based on the talent of his players. Minnesota’s 2018 recruiting class is No. 31 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings. If that impressive ranking sticks through Signing Day on December 20, the Gophers will have their highest ranked recruiting class since 2008 and head coach Tim Brewster.

A prominent businessman, U alum and big-time Gopher booster thinks Fleck is going to be a coaching star. He told me this fall Minnesota will be on its way as soon as Fleck’s second season. The view from here: with so many inexperienced and new players in 2018, that’s not likely.

Fleck needs to not just eventually breakthrough with a couple of winning seasons, but more importantly develop a program with continued success. Can he do it?

That’s the golden question in Dinkytown. He has only been a head coach for five years. At Western Michigan he had one knockout season, his last one in 2016 when the Broncos were 13-1 and a damn good team. His first season at Western, in 2013, the record was 1-11, then came two 8-5 years.

Fleck’s combined record as a head coach is 35 wins, 29 losses. Certainly circumstances, including resources available, have much to do with a coach’s record but it’s interesting the Broncos program he left behind was just 6-6 overall and 4-4 in Mid-American Conference games this past season. Maybe the Broncos missed Fleck’s leadership that much, or perhaps he left a program still not built for sustained high level success.

The Mid-American has long been an incubator of coaches going on to big-time jobs—from Ara Parseghian to Urban Meyer. The league has also produced its share of Big Ten coaching busts including Darrell Hazell who was a one-season hit at Kent State before piling up the losses at Purdue over four years. Brady Hoke used some brief success at Ball State to move on to San Diego State for two seasons before he failed at Michigan.

Gophers’ athletic director Mark Coyle is all in on Fleck, having hired him for more than $3 million annually last January. This fall Coyle proposed extending Fleck’s original five-year contract through the 2022 season (pending Board of Regents approval next week).

The opinion here is the first attribute an athletic director needs is the skill to identify and hire the best coaches. How is Coyle doing?

It’s too soon to judge Coyle who was hired at Minnesota in 2016. However, it’s interesting that Fleck isn’t the only ex-Mid-American head coach with limited experience and success that Coyle has hired. As Syracuse’s athletic director he hired Dino Babers who coached at Bowling Green where he was 18-9 in two seasons and won the 2015 MAC championship. Babers has coached Syracuse for two seasons with 4-8 overall and 2-6 ACC records both years.

Among the best things that have happened to Gophers football this century is being placed in the Big Ten’s West Division. The power in the conference rests in the East where bullies Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are usually better than most teams in the West—or is that all except for Wisconsin?

Mike Riley was the wrong coach for Nebraska but his presence in Lincoln was a plus for the Gophers who beat his team 54-21 this season. New hire Scott Frost looks like instant improvement for “Big Red” and leaves the West Division with only one apparent coaching soft spot, at Illinois where Lovie Smith is 5-19 (2-16 Big Ten) in two seasons.

The coaching scene in the West Division looks like it’s really settling in except for some drama at Minnesota and with the Illini. Frost, the former Nebraska quarterback who turned UCF from a 0-12 team in 2015 to an undefeated one this fall, looks like a perfect fit in Lincoln. Northwestern, with former Wildcat All-American linebacker Pat Fitzgerald heading the program with success since 2006, is already the West Division’s legacy model fit.

As head coach, Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez resurrected Badgers football in the 1990s. As athletic director, he remains the CEO of the program. Now with Madison native and Alvarez disciple Paul Chryst as head coach the Badgers keep winning division titles, and it’s “On Wisconsin” every year.

It’s not easy to win at Iowa but head coach Kirk Ferentz has made an 18-year career as the Hawkeyes boss. Here and there Iowa has known glory including the 2016 Rose Bowl and the day this fall when they embarrassed Ohio State with a 55-24, beat down in Iowa City. Things remain stable at Iowa with Kirk’s son, Brian Ferentz, seemingly a solid bet to one day succeed his dad as head coach.

Jeff Brohm’s first season as Purdue head coach gave long suffering Boilermaker fans some bright moments including a 31-17 win over the Gophers. Purdue, with an overall 6-6 record and 4-5 in the Big Ten, will play in its first bowl games since 2012. A year ago Purdue finished 1-8 and 3-9 under Hazell. With his offensive pedigree, Brohm could be the right guy at a school that years ago was referenced as “Quarterback U.”

The Gophers are the opposite of “Quarterback U.” Minnesota’s last All-American quarterback was Sandy Stephens in 1961. The NFL last drafted a Gophers quarterback in 1972 when Craig Curry was an eighth round pick.

Quarterback Victor Viramontes, the junior college transfer from California expected to sign with Minnesota December 20, is already a social media fave of Gophers fans. He was even interviewed on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” last Sunday before going to church.

Perhaps Viramontes, who has drawn comparisons to former Florida Heisman winner Tim Tebow, can emerge as a starter next year and also a star. The Gophers will need box office appeal not only because of this year’s record. The home schedule is not exactly a who’s who of college football—New Mexico State, Fresno State, Miami (Ohio), Iowa, Indiana, Purdue and Northwestern.

Speaking of college football’s elite, the Big Ten was left out of the four-team playoff to determine the national champion. The selection committee may well have put the best teams in the field—it’s hard to vote for the Big Ten champion Buckeyes after the debacle in Iowa City—but the playoffs do have a provincial look. Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oklahoma collectively cover a small part of America geographically.

The prediction here is that won’t happen in a few years because the playoff will likely be expanded from four to six teams. Champions from the five Power Conferences, plus a wild-card team would ensure more geographic balance and lessen second-guessing about who gets in the field. The motivation for going to six teams will also be to create more TV viewers and advertising revenues.

In case you didn’t notice, TV is king. The guy who spends $100 per ticket at the stadium isn’t as important as all those folks sitting at home in their recliners watching the endless parade of TV commercials. The ticket buyer is fortunate if he or she is provided more than six-days notice regarding the start time for the next game.

Meanwhile, the viewer at home may be sitting in his pajamas and enjoying all the game action up close on an Ultra HD TV. Commercials? Whoever invented the mute button is a genius.

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