David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U After USA Player of Year Candidate

Posted on October 24, 2017October 24, 2017 by David Shama

Gopher football fans may want to cross their collective fingers hoping head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff can hang on to Georgia prep football wide receiver Rashod Bateman who is a national player of the year candidate.

Bateman is one of 10 candidates for the American Family All-USA Offensive Player of the Year award reported on this fall in USA Today. The 6-foot-1 Tifton, Georgia star has so far this season caught 55 passes in nine games for 1,198 yards and 15 touchdowns, according to stats from Maxpreps.com. Bateman is averaging 21 yards per reception and verbally committed in June to Minnesota’s 2018 recruiting class.

Early this year most major college football programs considered Bateman a basketball-first guy and weren’t in pursuit of him. Ryan Burns, the recruiting authority and publisher of GopherIllustrated.com, said Bateman had basketball offers from Virginia Tech and Penn State, but Fleck and his staff recognized Bateman’s football talent before others did.

Bateman is listed as a three-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings on GopherIllustrated, but Burns said Bateman’s senior tape will be evaluated after the season and the new ranking will be four-star. The Gophers did their homework on Bateman, a dominant receiver who gets separation on defenders and runs by them.

“Rashod Bateman is an immediate impact player once he steps on (the field) at Minnesota,” Burns said.

Bateman’s profile is rising rapidly and the question now is whether the Gophers can keep him away from other schools and actually sign him to a Letter of Intent in either the early signing period in December, or later in February. Ole Miss has now offered Bateman and Burns expects other SEC offers are coming for Bateman.

“I am not really concerned about most of them right now because he is very firm to Minnesota,” Burns said. “He has even taken an unofficial visit up here during the season.”

The potential scholarship offer of most concern could be Bateman’s home state Georgia Bulldogs, another SEC team and ranked No. 3 nationally in the Associated Press poll this week. Burns concedes the Bulldogs could be too much competition for the Gophers, but also counters with “every kid is different,” and Fleck’s relationship with Bateman might be strong enough to bring the explosive Georgian to Minneapolis.

Matt Simon, Minnesota’s outstanding wide receivers coach, is a big plus for the Gophers, too. Simon, 31, played a major role at Western Michigan in developing wide receiver Corey Davis into a top five NFL draft choice. Simon has already turned heads at Minnesota including for the work he has done with leading receiver Tyler Johnson, who came to the Gophers as a quarterback and is a potential All-Big Ten talent. Johnson has 27 receptions for 499 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games.

If Bateman chooses Minnesota his teammates could include a quarterback with a lot of national hype, too. For the class of 2019 the Gophers are pursuing two top 10 nationally ranked quarterbacks, according to 247Sports rankings. Both are interested in Minnesota and Burns believes the Gophers might receive a verbal commitment from one or the other in the coming months.

Hank Bachmeier from Murrieta, California is the No. 4 overall quarterback. If the Gophers land him he will be the highest ranked quarterback ever at Minnesota since recruiting rankings began in 1998. Alabama, California, LSU, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas and UCLA are among schools that have offered scholarships, according to 247Sports.

Burns said Bachmeier has a relative living in Minnesota and Bachmeier’s parents are favorable toward the Gophers. Burns also said Bachmeier visited Boise State last weekend and is likely to make a college choice before Christmas time.

Max Duggan, from Council Bluffs, Iowa is the No. 10 ranked quarterback nationally in the class of 2019. He has offers from Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin and others, according to 247Sports. Burns said in-state schools Iowa and Iowa State (both have offered scholarships) are “trying their hardest” to interest Duggan who Burns thinks may announce his college choice after January 1 of next year.

The Gophers aren’t likely to receive commitments from both Duggan and Bachmeier. Both of them will want “to be the guy” at Minnesota or whever they go. Burns said the two coveted quarterbacks are interested in the Gophers because they see the potential to play early in their careers, and like other high school recruits they are drawn to Fleck’s energy and vision for the program.

Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Demry Croft is trying to claim the job as Minnesota’s starting quarterback now. He made his first career start last Saturday against Illinois and was nervous. He completed of 5 of 15 passes, throwing one touchdown pass and two interceptions in the win over the Illini. On Minnesota’s last scoring drive the Gopher coaches didn’t call one pass play.

It will be interesting to see who Fleck starts at quarterback on Saturday at Iowa. Redshirt senior Conor Rhoda, who started the first six games of the season, has thrown for 839 yards and five touchdowns. Croft is a superior scrambler and running threat on option plays. Rhoda has 11 yards net rushing yards this season while Croft has 159 yards despite starting only one game.

Minnesota, 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten, will be at least a seven point underdog in the Iowa game that starts at the unusual time of 5:30 p.m. Iowa, also 4-3 and 1-3, has defeated the Gophers seven consecutive times in Iowa City, with the last Minnesota win coming in 1999. The Hawkeyes also retained Floyd of Rosedale in Minneapolis last season with a 14-7 win.

The Gophers have lost two straight to Iowa but that’s a lot better than the record against Minnesota’s other border rival, Wisconsin. The Badgers have won 13 consecutive games against the Gophers.

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Ric Flair Film to Preview Here Friday

Posted on October 22, 2017October 22, 2017 by David Shama

There are characters—and then there is Ric Flair who spent part of his youth in Edina and is the subject of an ESPN documentary that airs November 7. Minnesotans will have a preview look at the show on Friday night as part of the Twin Cities Film Festival at the ICON Theatre in St. Louis Park. The film is part of ESPN’s much praised “30-for-30” series.

Jim Brunzell, who has known Flair since the two attended Verne Gagne’s pro wrestling school in suburban Minneapolis in 1972, will be at the ICON with Verne’s son Greg, and the two will do a Q&A with show attendees. Brunzell, who partnered with Greg in the 1970s to form the famous “High Flyers” tag team, told Sports Headliners that Flair might also attend the showing Friday night.

Flair almost died earlier this year and Brunzell said doctors have cautioned the 68 year old about travel. Although Flair has been retired from wrestling for years, he does promotional work for World Wrestling Entertainment, the pro wrestling industry giant. Often referred to as the greatest professional wrestler ever, he paid a price for his demanding career in the ring and his extravagant lifestyle out of it.

Brunzell said Flair had an awful pain in his stomach this summer and was hospitalized. He had internal bleeding and was put into an induced coma. “During that time he was on the edge of leaving us,” Brunzell said.

Part of Flair’s colon was removed and he was placed on a defibrillator for heart arrhythmia. He was in the coma for nine days. “He can’t remember anything but he knows right now he will never have a drink again,” Brunzell said.

Flair told Brunzell he is “very fortunate that I didn’t kick over.” Flair also said he plans to “lead a better life” in terms of his habits.

Flair admitted to Brunzell he had too much idle time in hotels and airports during his wrestling career. Drinking alcohol filled a lot of hours. “He told me he got in the habit of drinking too much,” Brunzell said. “He was drinking to the tune of about 3,800 calories a day (of alcohol).”

Years ago Brunzell and Greg Gagne attended a party at the Sofitel Hotel in Bloomington where the booze flowed. Guests brought refreshments like whiskey, vodka and rum. They dumped everything into a container lined with a garbage bag—brewing up “mother hunch punch.” Brunzell said the concoction “was like firewater.”

Flair appeared at midnight near the hotel swimming pool. He was dressed in cowboy boots, cowboy hat and a handmade wrestling robe that might have cost $10,000. Brunzell said Flair started dancing, took off his robe and revealed his naked body. The hotel staff told Flair that wasn’t acceptable. Brunzell and Gagne headed to their hotel rooms in case things got a little crazier.

Brunzell tells the story to make a couple of points including how much Flair loves to be around people—to see them smile, to feel their energy and to entertain them. On any given night Flair might do just about anything to get people’s attention and feed his ego. “There’s stories that people just can’t fathom, and they’re true,” Brunzell said.

In the online ESPN “30-for-30” trailer, Flair said, ““Everybody wanted to be me. Every man because I had the nicest clothes, the biggest cars and the more (most) women, and I was the best wrestler.”

Flair claims in the documentary to have slept with 10,000 women. Brunzell, who has known Flair for more than five decades, won’t put up an argument about the number saying, “Well, it’s close, and I can tell you that for a fact. …”

Flair has been married four times and he lost his son Reid to a drug overdose in 2013. His relationships have been strained with those closest to him. He often faced the question of how his actions would impact family and himself. “Many times he went the wrong way on that question,” Brunzell said.

Talk to Brunzell for awhile about his friend and it doesn’t take long to understand why he says the “30-for-30” documentary about Flair’s life will be compelling and sad. The two have known each other since 1968 when they met at the University of Minnesota. Brunzell, from White Bear Lake High School, was a sophomore on the Gophers football team when this kid with literally one of the biggest heads on the team showed up for practice.

Flair stood 6 feet tall and weighed about 300 pounds. He practiced for five days. Then guess what?

The coaches learned the freshman hadn’t bothered to register for classes at the University. Well, despite the warning, Flair didn’t register, and that ended his brief Gopher football career.

Flair, who managed to do a little socializing at a fraternity during his short stay at the U, never earned a college degree and sold insurance before turning himself into a professional wrestler. He went on to become a “Mount Rushmore” wrestling icon because of his persona (including his signature “woo” catchphrase), and also his skills and athleticism in the ring.

Brunzell refers to the gifted Flair as one of the top five wrestlers of his era. “He could do anything and he worked his rear off, and he took hellacious bumps (punishment),” Brunzell said.

It would be a homecoming for Flair, who now lives in Atlanta, to come back to Minnesota later this week for the showing of his documentary. “Well, I think deep in his heart, he was proud to come from Edina,” said Brunzell who recalled that Flair, once known as Rick Fliehr, was an adopted child who spent some of his school years at a boarding school in Wisconsin.

Whether Flair is able to return here or not, he will long be remembered by Minnesotans and others across the country as a larger than life wrestler and entertainer. As Flair says in his ESPN documentary, “Diamonds are forever and so is Ric Flair.”

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Rethinking 2014 Draft & Bridgewater

Posted on October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 by David Shama

A Thursday notes column focusing on the Vikings and Gophers.

While the Vikings wait to see when—or even if—injured quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater will play again, some observers might be looking back to a decision Minnesota made in the 2014 draft.

The Vikings used the 32nd pick in the first round to choose Bridgewater and four selections into the second round the Raiders took Derek Carr. Both young quarterbacks became starters during their rookie seasons, with Carr throwing 21 touchdown passes for 3,270 yards and Bridgewater at 14 TD throws and 2,919 yards.

Carr increased his numbers to 32 and 3,987 yards in 2015, while Bridgewater had 14 TD passes for 3,231 yards. Last year Bridgewater missed the entire season because of a devastating late summer knee injury. Carr started 15 games in 2016 until he broke his leg, and he threw 28 touchdown passes for 3,937 yards. He also had a career high 96.7 passer rating.

Bridgewater’s career rating is 87 and he has thrown 28 touchdown passes for 6,150 yards with 21 interceptions. Carr’s career numbers are a rating of 88.4, with 89 touchdowns, 12,118 yards and 35 interceptions.

Teddy Bridgewater (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Statistics are often not conclusive, including when comparing young players. Since 2014 Carr has been give more opportunities to produce impressive numbers than Bridgewater who just this week has been able to practice with the team for the first time in over a year. However, before this season Carr was ranked No. 11 on the NFL Network’s top 100 players list. In 2016 Bridgewater was No. 96 on the same list. Partly because of his upbeat personality, Bridgewater is popular with Vikings fans and teammates but few NFL teams, if any, would likely select him before Carr if there was a 2014 draft-do-over.

With Bradford sidelined with his own knee issues, the Vikings may decide to ride out this season with backup Case Keenum who has played effectively as their starting quarterback. Then they will decide whether to make a commitment to Bradford or Bridgewater in 2018. The next few seasons should for certain answer the question of whether the Vikings made a mistake in selecting Bridgewater instead of Carr.

Right now if Keenum was injured and couldn’t play, rookie Kyle Sloter would replace him. Offensive tackle Cedrick Lang was with Sloter in Denver earlier this year including during preseason. Lang doesn’t expect his teammate to be nervous when he plays in his first NFL regular season game.

“He can play. He’s got a lot of confidence,” Lang said about the first-year QB who was in four preseason games with the Broncos and threw three touchdown passes.

The Vikings leave for London next Wednesday night, arriving on Thursday morning. The team will head for the hotel and start making preparations for the Sunday, October 29 game against the Browns.

Linebacker Eric Wilson said players have been told to set time devices to London time about eight hours before arriving there. To minimize exposure to light and cope with jet lag, players will wear dark glasses. While there will be no formal team sightseeing, players are expected to go off on their own but have been told to stay in groups.

The Gophers have played in five consecutive bowl games but the streak is in doubt halfway through this season. Minnesota is 3-3 overall and 0-3 in conference games. To get the prerequisite six wins for bowl eligibility, the Gophers will almost certainly need to win Saturday against Illinois. After that Minnesota could be an underdog in its five remaining games.

Postseason games are a well deserved reward for players and coaches. Yet Gophers coach P.J. Fleck is mum on them with his team. “I don’t mention it until you’re bowl eligible, and then you probably mention it for about ten seconds, then you move on,” Fleck said.

Fleck’s focus is on the day-to-day process of building the program and achieving his vision for Gophers football. “It’s been 50 years since we’ve won a Big Ten championship, and that’s why I came here. There’s different avenues of that happening. There’s a process and progress to that—and every day that’s all I know how to do is get better than the day…before.”

Illinois, 2-4 and 0-3 in Big Ten games, has started 14 true freshmen, the most in the country. The Illini also appear to be the worst team in the Big Ten. They have a three point win over Ball State and 13 point victory against Western Kentucky. Big Ten losses include an 11 point defeat against Rutgers, probably the conference’s second worst team. The Illini rank 117th nationally in total offense and 94th in total defense. They do lead major college teams in forced fumbles with 12.

Fleck and his coaches, including wide receivers coach Matt Simon who is originally from Farmington, developed Corey Davis into a first round NFL Draft choice at Western Michigan. In the staff’s first season at Minnesota the wide receivers, including sophomore Tyler Johnson, redshirt freshmen Phillip Howard and Mark Williams, and true freshman Demetrius Douglas have impressed.

Fleck said the staff has a “strategic” way of developing the hands of pass receivers including hockey goalie drills for eye-hand coordination. “We have over 120 different ball drills that our players can choose from to use in different aspects of where they’re at in their development,” he said.

Fleck wasn’t publicly committing earlier this week as to who his starting quarterback will be on Saturday. It’s interesting, though, that on the depth chart where Demry Croft and Conor Rhoda are listed as alternate starters, true freshman Tanner Morgan has moved ahead of redshirt freshman Seth Green. Morgan was first listed ahead of Green prior to last week’s game against Michigan State.

The Gophers game at Iowa on October 28 will start at the unusual time of 5:30 p.m. FS1 has the rights to the telecast and chose the time.

Carter Coughlin, the Gophers sophomore defensive end who has started all six games this season, is listed at 240 pounds on the depth chart but weighs 225. “I am on a new weight program to help get my weight up, but at least I haven’t been dipping,” he said.

The former Eden Prairie all-stater is a speed rusher. He started one game last season, while participating in 11 total, and he is an improved player since his freshman year.

“I can remember the first couple games last year I was like shaking, I was all over the place,” Coughlin said. “It felt like it wasn’t even football. It was like just mind blowing.

“Now it’s just like every single time I go out there I feel poised. I am super confident that I know what I am doing. Super confident in my ability, so that’s allowed me to play a lot better I think.”

A media panel included Gophers Nate Mason and Amir Coffey on its 10-player preseason All-Big Ten basketball team announced today. Mason made All-Big Ten last season as a junior, while Coffey was selected to the conference’s All-Freshman team.

Beginning with the 2018-19 Big Ten season, the men’s basketball schedule will increase to 20 conference games per team and the women’s basketball schedule will expand to 18 league games. Men’s teams will play seven opponents twice and six teams once (three home, three away). The women’s format will have teams playing five opponents twice and eight teams once (four home, four away) each season. For the 2017-2018 seasons, men’s teams are playing 18 league games, while women have 16.

Minikahda Club teaching pro Jeff Sorenson shot a six under 66 last week to set a new course record at the Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. He and five others qualified for the Taylormade National Championship at Pebble Beach next March.

Minnesota Football Coaches Association members have until Sunday to nominate players for the all-star football game December 9 at U.S. Bank Stadium. More at Allstarfootball.org.

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