David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Hall Talk Prompts Jim Marshall Stories

Posted on April 6, 2017April 6, 2017 by David Shama

To hear Bob Lurtsema tell it, Jim Marshall belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of consistency and teamwork.

The Vikings are making a push to get Marshall, who played his last season in 1979, enshrined in Canton, Ohio. It might happen but if this were easy lobbying, the former member of the Vikings’ famed “Purple People Eaters” defensive line would already be a Hall of Famer.

Jim Marshall (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Two “People Eaters” are enshrined in the Hall, tackle Alan Page and end Carl Eller. In 1971 Page became the first defensive lineman in NFL history to be chosen the league’s MVP. He was a four-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and also played in nine Pro Bowls. Eller was named All-Pro five times and was selected for six Pro Bowls.

Marshall can’t match the national honors accumulated by his two linemates, but he was an important contributor in taking the Vikings to four Super Bowls in the 1970s. He was chosen for two Pro Bowls but was never All-Pro. He held the NFL record for consecutive games started for many years until Brett Favre broke it.

Lurtsema was a reserve defensive lineman on Vikings teams in the 1970s. His admiration for Marshall continues until this day.

“He instigated the consistency for the ‘Purple People Eaters,’” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “He is a lot of the reason that Page and Eller are in the Hall of Fame.”

Marshall was a superb athlete and he excelled in sacking quarterbacks, but Lurtsema extolled the former Ohio State star’s willingness to play within the team concept. “You gotta realize how good he was,” Lurtsema said. “I couldn’t beat him out of his job. What he did the best was consistency.”

Marshall played at a reported 6-4, 248-pounds. He joined the Vikings in 1961, after one season with the Browns. He played 19 seasons for Minnesota and that service included those Super Bowls and 10 division titles for the Vikings. With a unit consisting of Marshall, Eller, Page and either Gary Larsen or Doug Sutherland, the “Purple People Eaters” ‘ defensive line was legendary for its dominance and it was the heart of Minnesota’s great teams.

Marshall was a team captain, and while greatly respected, he was also a character. He was one of the Vikings who built toy rockets and tried to launch them at training camp in Mankato. Lurtsema recalled the time Marshall added a “passenger” to his three-stage rocket.

The players placed bets on whether during the rocket’s third phase a frog would disengage while wearing a parachute. “Freddie the Frog never survived, I guess,” Lurtsema said. “We looked for him.”

Coach Bud Grant didn’t like to have his players arrive too early for games—believing that was a waste of time and energy. The policy was adhered to when the Vikings had exhibition games and drove their cars from Mankato to Met Stadium. Marshall kept a handgun during training camp and Grant saw a way to make a positive out of his leader having a firearm.

Grant told Marshall that no players were to leave for Met Stadium before 4 p.m., so on exhibition game days players gathered in a circle in Mankato awaiting the countdown. “He pulls that gun out and shoots that gun off, and off we go,” Lurtsema said.

There is no doubt Marshall ranks with the all-time Vikings characters. He is 79 now and has lived a fearless life on and off the field. His mental toughness enabled him to start and play in 282 consecutive NFL games, including 270 with the Vikings. At training camp he once accidentally shot himself, and he could have died after a 1971 snowmobile accident in Wyoming where cash was burned to keep bodies warm. He is also a cancer survivor.

Marshall’s infamous moment on the field was his wrong-way run with a fumble in a 1964 game against the 49ers. He ran 66 yards and into the wrong end zone, and scored a safety for the 49ers. Maybe the only saving grace was the game was played in San Francisco, not at Met Stadium.

Over the years Marshall has made Minnesota home. “Jim did all the charity work, always out there,” Lurtsema said. “Signed autographs, did everything.”

Marshall was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor in 1999, joining a group that comprises the franchise’s best players since 1961. Now the Vikings ownership, management and alumni are hoping for an even higher honor. “There should be a place in the Hall (at Canton) for him,” Lurtsema said.

Worth Noting

Former Gophers assistant coach Mike Sherels, who was seriously ill last year, will receive the Courage Award at the Minnesota Football Honors event Sunday, May 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium. The 10th annual gathering is hosted by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Numerous other awards will be presented including the Sid Hartman Media Award to Minnesota native and CBS sportscaster Brad Nessler, and the John Gagliardi Legacy Award to former Totino-Grace High School coach Dave Nigon.

Eight high school scholar-athlete award winners will be recognized: Jacob Brown, Hastings; Noah Carlson, Rushford-Peterson; Brad Davison, Maple Grove; Kellen Erpenbach, Norwood-Young America Central; Noah Gindorff, Crosby-Ironton; Timothy Johnson, Hinckley-Finlayson; Joe Russell, Totino-Grace; and Eric Wilson, Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Houa Thao from St. Paul Harding is the Stacy Robinson Leadership Award winner.

College football players being recognized are Carter Hanson from St. John’s with the Stein-Fallon Scholar-Athlete Award, and Peter Bateman of UMD with the Bobby Bell College Impact Player of the Year Award. Others being honored are Terry Carlyle for the Fred Zamberletti Award; Morrie Lanning with the Bud Grant Distinguished Minnesotan; and Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta Community for the “In The Game Award.” More information on the May 7 event, including tickets, is available at www.nffmn.org.

Congratulations to the Fitzgerald family for raising close to $2 million to benefit organizations locally and nationally that assist in HIV prevention, breast cancer awareness and urban education. Minneapolis sports journalist Larry Fitzgerald Sr. lost his wife Carol to breast cancer in 2003, and he and sons Larry Jr. and Marcus have honored her memory with the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund Benefit.

The 13th annual CFMFB Gala will be tomorrow night at the Minneapolis Event Center and will raise proceeds for the cause. The sports-themed gala features NFL star Larry Jr. and headline entertainer Mike Phillips, who has played with Michael Jackson, Prince and Stevie Wonder. Call 612-770-4575 for more information.

The Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund Community Celebration will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Martin Luther King Center in Minneapolis. Activities will include Larry Jr. signing autographs and also a silent auction. For tickets call 612-619-0102.

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Twins See Catcher Castro as ‘Framer’

Posted on April 4, 2017April 4, 2017 by David Shama

Among the terms heard in Major League Baseball these days is “framing pitches.” Twins fans likely will hear the phrase used a lot this season when media talk about catcher Jason Castro.

The 29-year-old was acquired during the offseason with the hope he can help a struggling pitching staff. Castro’s skill for “framing” is supposed to help Twins pitchers receive more called strikes from umpires. He has a knack for positioning his glove so pitches look more like strikes.

Castro was the Astros regular catcher the four previous seasons, and he gained a reputation for his glove work framing pitches and being among the best in the majors at his craft. “He is one of those ones near the top of the list,” said former big leaguer Roy Smalley, now a Twins TV analyst. “That can be really, really significant when you think about how important counts are to hitters.

“For example, on a 1-1 pitch it’s a huge deal what the umpire calls on a close pitch, whether it’s 2-1, or 1-2. Huge difference on a 2-1 pitch whether it goes to 3-1, or 2-2. Those kinds of things happen five or six times in a ballgame. It can mean the difference between winning or losing a ballgame.”

Castro, signed as a free agent, replaces last year’s starting catcher Kurt Suzuki who the Twins apparently didn’t want back. That’s a savvy move, according to an online story Sunday by Sports Illustrated. The article said analysis from Baseball Prospectus showed Castro was third in the majors (+16 runs) in framing pitches last season, while Suzuki was seven runs below average. For the past three seasons Castro is a plus 37, Suzuki a minus 32, the story said. That translates to 2.3 more wins per season.

Castro, who hit .210 last year, had two hits and two RBI in yesterday’s 7-1 season opening win against the Royals at Target Field. He also helped starting pitcher Ervin Santana hold the Royals to one run on two hits.

In his last 10 starts at Target Field, Santana is 5-3 with a 2.42 ERA.

Worth Noting

The Gophers baseball team opens its 2017 Siebert Field schedule tonight in a 6:30 p.m. game against North Dakota State. The Gophers and head coach John Anderson are 18-8 overall and 6-0 in Big Ten games. Sports Headliners reader Steve Hunegs notes that while the Gophers have had three different head football coaches in the last three years, Minnesota’s baseball program has three since 1948.

A Gophers athletic department source emailed that the 2017 salary pool for football assistant coaches is $3.1 million, compared with about $2.9 million last year. The top paid assistants are offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and defensive coordinator Robb Smith, who each earn $700,000. P.J. Fleck, who was named head coach January 6, reportedly makes $3.5 million and is the highest paid Gophers football coach ever.

Newly signed Vikings reserve quarterback Case Keenum was a teammate of Minnesota starter Sam Bradford when the two played for the Rams in St. Louis in 2014.

Legendary ex-Vikings coach Bud Grant, who turns 90 on May 20, holds his annual garage sale at his Bloomington home May 17-19. “This will be his latest, last garage sale,” son Mike Grant told Sports Headliners with a smile.

Area resident and Sun Country executive Eric Curry didn’t officiate last night’s NCAA title game between North Carolina and Gonzaga, but he had another busy basketball season working games in various parts of the country. Curry’s assignments included the Armed Forces Classic at Pearl Harbor, the Mountain West Conference championship game and three rounds in the NCAA Tournament. He estimates flying more than 100,000 miles over a five month stretch.

Minnesota philanthropist Wayne Kostroski will help debut Taste of the Master Chefs in Augusta, Georgia on Friday. Kostroski, of course, is founder of Taste of the NFL (“the party with a purpose”) that has raised millions to fight hunger in the United States. The new event in the hometown of the Masters Golf Tournament will benefit the Salvation Army of Augusta.

“…My incentive has been that with all of the high-end parties and corporate hospitality during Masters week, I did not see one event that was geared to provide dollars and/or relief to local families in the Augusta area,” Kostroski wrote in an email.

Former Gophers football coach Lou Holtz is an avid golfer and has been a member of Augusta National Golf Club for almost 15 years. Holtz turned 80 in January and still plays the legendary course.

Holtz, who once was an assistant coach at Ohio State, joins Nike founder Phil Knight as guest coaches April 15 for the Buckeyes annual spring football game.

Michele Tafoya, the sideline reporter on NBC TV’s Sunday Night Football who lives in suburban Minneapolis, speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, May 11 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotseth@comcast.net.

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Gophers Fleck Eyes Stadium Expansion

Posted on April 2, 2017April 2, 2017 by David Shama

You have to give P.J. Fleck credit for ambition and vision. The new Gophers football coach hasn’t even completed the team’s spring practice schedule, but last Friday night he was talking about expanding the seating capacity of TCF Bank Stadium.

The dynamic 36-year-old arrived in Minneapolis January 6 after four years as head coach at Western Michigan, and he started pointing the program toward eventual Big Ten and (yes) even national championships. On Friday evening he stood in front of a packed room at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park and spoke about creating a lot more ticket buyers at TCF Bank Stadium.

“You see, we have 55,000 seats in our stadium, but my plan already three years down the road is to expand it to 85,000,” Fleck told an audience of high school and youth football coaches.

Fleck wants to grow his program’s budget and referenced a “certain rival” who has $40 million more in budget than the Gophers. How to catch up?

“(Add) 30,000 more seats,” Fleck said. “But to be able to do that we have to connect people who don’t even like football.”

At the Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic Fleck didn’t talk Xs and Os. Instead the message was often about “culture,” or connecting with people inside and outside his program. He hinted at aggressive marketing efforts for Gophers football coming this spring and summer.

Part of the messaging will be to convince the public, even those who don’t care much about football, that the Gophers enrich the quality of life in the state with what they do both on and off the field (think community service)—and are worthy of support including on Saturday afternoons at TCF Bank Stadium. “Our program is about two things. Serving and giving. That’s it,” Fleck told the audience.

When speaking about budgets, Fleck didn’t say who that “certain rival” is but it could likely be Wisconsin. The Badgers draw sellout crowds of more than 80,000 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. There is no doubt behind the scenes Fleck is taking dead aim on the Badgers who turned around their program in both results and support in the 1990s. Wisconsin has won 13 consecutive games against Minnesota.

Fleck, who years ago started a bucket list that included becoming a Big Ten coach, is full of energy and ideas. He concedes his dynamo style and lofty ambitions aren’t for all, but some authorities think Fleck deserves a place among America’s most promising young coaches.

“I’ve got a good feeling about him taking this job,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe told the coaches Friday night at the clinic, which is an annual project of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association. Cutcliffe is 62 and old enough to be Fleck’s dad, but he knows the young coach’s story at Western Michigan where in four years he took the Broncos from 1-11 to 13-1, and built a fan base never seen before in Kalamazoo.

Fleck received a standing ovation when he stepped to the podium Friday night and then he reached out to his audience. His talking points included praise for the work of the state’s prep coaches. He acknowledged there are many resources to make Gophers football elite but said, “…If we didn’t have the (quality) high school coaches we have in the state of Minnesota, I would not have taken the job. I recruited this area. I remember it vividly.”

Fleck referred to himself as a young “schmuck” when he was recruiting as a member of the Northern Illinois staff and Minnetonka High School coach Dave Nelson showed him the kindness of inviting him into the Nelson home. That made a lasting impression on Fleck and he acknowledged Nelson, the MFCA Hall of Fame coach who was seated in the audience.

Many coaches in attendance at the DoubleTree are admirers of former Gophers head coach Jerry Kill. “Jerry Kill saved my career,” Fleck said. “I was let go when (Northern Illinois head coach) Joe Novak retired. Jerry Kill retained me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jerry Kill.”

Worth Noting

MFCA executive director Ron Stolski said there were over 1,700 attendees at the clinic—the ninth consecutive year attendance has increased.

Totino-Grace’s Jeff Ferguson was recognized as the MFCA’s Man of the Year. His Eagles won the 6A state title last year. In 15 seasons as head coach of the Eagles his record is 173-21, with eight state titles in classes 4A, 5A and 6A.

Clinic speakers included North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman and several assistants. Bison defensive coordinator Matt Entz told Sports Headliners that 40 percent of the NDSU players are Minnesotans.

Stolski will speak at the Bison spring football clinic on Friday. The Brainerd coach’s talk is titled “A Coach’s Journey: Lessons Learned in Six Decades on the Field.”

The clinic’s keynote speaker will be Jon Gruden, the former NFL head coach and now an ESPN football analyst.

The Twins announced this afternoon they have placed left-handed pitcher Glen Perkins on the 60-day disabled list with a left posterior shoulder strain. They have also selected the contract of catcher Chris Gimenez and optioned first baseman Kennys Vargas to Triple-A Rochester. Minnesota’s roster is now set at 25 with 13 pitchers, two catchers, five infielders and five outfielders.

Rick Stelmaszek, the longest tenured coach in Twins history with 32 seasons through 2002, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at tomorrow’s Twins regular season opener at Target Field. Minneapolis rapper Dessa will sing the National Anthem, accompanied by a brass quintet from the Minnesota Orchestra.

World War II vet Henry “Hank” Langevin, 94, will raise the American Flag. He was born in St. Paul in 1922 and enlisted in the Army in 1941. He trained for two years to be a paratrooper and later as a glider. He fought in the Battle of Sicily and the Battle of the Bulge.

An online story in last Thursday’s Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that per the Westgate and Station Casino sports books, the Twins’ odds of winning the World Series are 100-1, with only four other MLB clubs facing longer odds. The Twins’ predicted win total is 74.

A week ago today the Gophers basketball team held its season-ending banquet on the floor of Williams Arena for the first time ever. “It was absolutely fabulous,” said former Gopher Al Nuness who attended. “I can’t figure out why we never had it there before. Everybody was just mesmerized.”

Minnesota native and Kings coach Dave Joerger talking about the Timberwolves who haven’t made the playoffs since 2004: “I think the future is very, very bright. This is a team that will be in the playoffs next year. …Nothing but the best is in front of them.”

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