David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Fitzgeralds Keep Father-Son Bond

Posted on January 22, 2016January 22, 2016 by David Shama

Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr., the Cardinals slot receiver who is on track for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will know his dad is in the stadium watching him Sunday when his team plays in Charlotte against the Panthers for the NFC Championship.

Larry Sr. will see a game that will send the winner to Super Bowl 50 to play the AFC champion in Santa Clara, California. Dad hasn’t missed a Cardinals game all season, or in the playoffs. The Fitzgeralds are that kind of family.

Growing up in south Minneapolis, Larry Sr. and his late wife Carol emphasized to Larry Jr. and his brother Marcus the importance of family and the right way to behave. No drugs or alcohol. Get your rest and don’t associate with the wrong people. Don’t do anything crazy.

“That’s the way we raised him—to be careful—and to make certain not to run with the crowd and not be a problem,” Larry Sr. told Sports Headliners. “He’s a leader. He’s a winner.”

Larry Sr. grew up in Chicago and played football at Indiana State, and then briefly with the NFL Giants. He knows how violent the game can be. He was hesitant when Carol started Larry Jr. playing football at age 10. “We had some issues in the family about that, but by blessings we got through it,” Larry Sr. said.

Dad could see the passion his namesake had for football. “From that point I could see he wasn’t afraid of football. He wasn’t afraid of contact. That’s the first hurdle right there. Not fear the game.”

Larry Jr. & Larry Sr. (photo courtesy of Lou Lampson)

Larry Sr. still lives in the Minneapolis area and is a veteran sportswriter and sports radio commentator. He will in the press box of Bank of America Stadium on Sunday covering the game. His relationship with former Vikings coach Dennis Green gave Larry Jr. the opportunity to be around pros like Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter. By the time Larry Jr. was starring for Holy Angels Academy pro scouts were telling dad his high school age son could already play in the NFL.

Although Larry Jr. grew up here, he didn’t dream about being a Golden Gopher. Schools like Miami, Oklahoma and Pittsburgh (his eventual college choice) wooed him during the recruiting process. “They were in our house a lot earlier than Minnesota,” Larry Sr. said.

Dad was convinced after his son’s freshman year at Pitt that he had the skills and determination to be a pro. For the last 12 years Larry Jr. has more than proven that including last Saturday night when his long run after a reception set up the winning points against the Packers in an overtime playoff classic. He finished things off with a short run for the winning score.

In seven of Fitzgerald’s seasons he has had over 1,000 yards in receptions including 2015. He had a career high 109 receptions during the last regular season and in December became the 11th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career catches. Six seasons he has had 90 or more catches. He has been selected for the Pro Bowl eight times.

At age 32, Fitzgerald is one win from his second Super Bowl. The Cardinals lost 27-23 to the Steelers in the 2009 game. “We’ll see if this is the best Cardinals team that he’s played on,” his father said. “We’ll find out pretty soon, I guess.”

The Cardinals’ offense was No. 1 in points per game during the regular season. The defense No. 5 in points allowed. Dad thinks his son plays for the league’s best team. “I think they have a group that can go win it all.”

The Cardinals, 14-3, will play a Panthers group that had an NFL-best 16-1 record. If Larry Jr. wants any advice for Sunday he knows his dad is available. “Never stop being a parent,” Larry Sr. said.

Worth Noting

Fitzgerald is on this week’s regional cover of Sports Illustrated on sale in Arizona and other western states, according to SI.com on Tuesday. Legendary quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are on the cover in most states, including Minnesota, as part of the buildup for the AFC title game between Manning’s Broncos and Brady’s Patriots.

Greg Bedard, writing in the January 18 issue of Sports Illustrated, ranked the Cardinals the best NFC team in the playoffs. S.I. said: “Talent, physicality, aggression, daring play-calling—they’re all qualities you look for in a Super Bowl contender, and no one cam match Arizona’s mix of the above.”

Approximately 87 percent of the work is completed on the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium. All the glass for the huge pivoting doors (95 feet at their peaks) will be installed in the next 30 days. Proposals will be solicited for the artificial turf, expected to cost between $1 million and $2 million.

The Vikings have yet to determine how to best acclimate their players to the facility before the team has its first games in the building next summer. Nothing has been decided regarding practices or even scrimmages.

Jedd Fisch, the former Gophers offensive coordinator under Tim Brewster, joined Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan staff last winter as passing game coordinator. Fisch must have done well because this week he received a two-year contract extension paying him between $650,000 and $750,000 annually, according to a SI.com story on Tuesday.

Former Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher has written a letter to M Club Director George Adzick recommending Darryl Mitchell be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame. Mitchell was captain of the 1982 Big Ten champion Minnesota team Ducher coached. Mitchell was an All-Big Ten selection that season and has become an attorney. “He’s got all the credentials,” Dutcher told Sports Headliners.

Gophers senior Rachel Banham ranked 39th all-time among NCAA women’s career scorers after her 32 point total on Wednesday night in Minnesota’s win over No. 20 ranked Northwestern. She has 2,613 career points. The Gophers, 12-6 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, play in Madison tomorrow starting at 11 a.m. against the Badgers. Wisconsin is 6-11 overall and 2-5 in league games.

The Gophers men’s hockey team, 11-10 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten, plays the Badgers in Madison tonight and Saturday evening. Wisconsin, 4-10-6 and 1-5-2-1, has been struggling but the roster includes pro prospects Luke Kunin and Matt Jurusik. The two freshmen were listed by NHL Central Scouting on Tuesday as top 20 players.

Kunin, who at the beginning of the season was on Central Scouting’s Watch List as a potential first round draft pick, is listed as the 16th best North American skater on Central’s latest rankings. A forward, the Chesterfield, Missouri native leads the team with 9 goals and 18 points.

Jurusik, from La Grange, Illinois, is listed as the 15th best North American goaltending prospect and has a 3.18 GAA this season. He is the only Division I goaltender to make the list. He has one shutout this season, 3-0 against Michigan State.

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Twins Season Ticket Sales on Rise

Posted on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 by David Shama

The Twins are ahead of a year ago on new season ticket sales and renewals, which could end at 95 percent. “We’re expecting to see growth in our overall season ticket base for the first time…since we moved into the new ballpark,” Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners. “That’s exciting.”

Season tickets in 2015 were roughly half of the 24,000 the club sold in 2010, the franchise’s first year in Target Field. After a comeback year on the field in 2014, St. Peter is talking about a season ticket total of more than 14,000 in 2016.

New at Target Field this spring will be an extension of protective netting to shield fans in lower level seats from wayward baseballs and bats. St. Peter said the dugouts at Target Field are closer to home plate than any ballpark in major league baseball. Netting will extend from the existing home plate area to behind the dugouts.

“The netting decision impacts a relatively small number of fans,” St. Peter said. “I wouldn’t say that’s a widespread concern (of patrons). It’s a very serious concern for some fans but I would not classify that as a big concern for the overall fanbase. I think it will be viewed ultimately as a positive for the overall fanbase.”

Major League Baseball recommended in December that teams lengthen safety netting in their stadiums to protect fans seated near the field from balls and bats. The initiative will be welcomed by some customers but will annoy those who want a clear view of the field without looking through netting. St. Peter said the change at Target Field will impact “several hundred season ticket accounts.” The netting will be a height of about six to seven feet above dugout level and in place for the club’s home opener on April 11.

St. Peter said netting has been part of the ballpark layout for a long time and has been in place for some of the Twins’ most sought-after seating. “Fans have adapted to it,” he added.

The Twins have a reinvigorated fan base that is optimistic about the club’s winning season in 2015, the first in five years. Part of that enthusiasm will be on display at TwinsFest January 29-31 at Target Field. Tickets are still available for the annual event that allows fans to meet present and past Twins players.

Fans will be introduced to South Korean newcomer Byung Ho Park, the 29-year-old DH the club signed in the offseason. Park is working out with his former South Korean team in Arizona where that club has annually held spring training.

Miguel Sano (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

After Twinsfest, Park will go to the Twins’ training complex in Fort Myers where he will be joined by 2015 rookie slugger sensation Miguel Sano who is transitioning from third base to right field. Twins manager Paul Molitor prefers to try Sano in right field rather than left field because that is a more expansive area to defend at Target Field.

Twins legend Rod Carew, still recovering from a near fatal heart attack last year, may attend TwinsFest. “(He is) getting stronger at home,” St. Peter said. “Still hopes to potentially get to TwinsFest. In addition, Rod is very focused on getting to Fort Myers for spring training.”

Torii Hunter, who retired after last season, will attend the team’s fan festival. The Twins hope he will accept a future role with the club. “I am optimistic Torii will be involved with the Twins over the long-term,” St. Peter said.

Michael Cuddyer, recently retired from the Mets, reportedly remains under contract with that club. St. Peter said his organization may one day want to talk with Cuddyer, a former Twin, about a non-playing role. “Longer-term, by all means, we have interest in Michael Cuddyer ultimately being part of our organization.”

Worth Noting

Bret Bielema, who angered Gophers fans when he was head coach at Wisconsin, will be a headline speaker on Friday, April 1 for the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park. Bielema, now at Arkansas, irked Minnesota coach Tim Brewster and Gopher nation by opting for a late game two-point conversion in the Badgers’ lopsided 41-23 win in 2010.

The annual clinic is attended primarily by Minnesota high school football coaches and last year had a record 1,267 registrations. The Gophers are among the clinic organizers and it was ex-Minnesota coach Jerry Kill (who replaced Brewster in 2010) that helped book Bielema awhile ago as a featured speaker. Kill and Bielema are friends.

Jim Dotseth, one of the clinic administrators, has met Bielema and described him as “amenable” and a regular guy. “I think they (clinic attendees) will be excited about having him speak,” Dotseth said. “He’s a pretty successful coach at the Division I level.”

Bielema defeated the Gophers eight times as Wisconsin’s head coach and led the Badgers to three consecutive Big Ten championships and Rose Bowls. He is rebuilding an Arkansas program that closed last season by winning six of its last seven games including a Liberty Bowl victory. (See the YouTube trailer on “Being Bret Bielema.”)

The MFCA Clinic will be March 31-April 2. Other headline speakers will be head coaches Tracy Claeys from Minnesota, P.J. Fleck of Western Michigan and John Stiegelmeier from South Dakota State. More at mnfootballcoaches.com.

Knowledgeable sources still don’t know of a favorite for the Gophers athletic director opening other than interim boss Beth Goetz.

Minnesotans who love to bash the Iowa Hawkeyes might be looking with jealous eyes toward “Baja Minnesota.” The Hawkeye football team won the Big Ten West, played in the Rose Bowl and finished with a 12-2 record. The men’s basketball team is 5-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 1996-1997 season. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 9 nationally in both the A.P. and coaches polls—the highest ranking for the program since November of 2001 when Iowa was No. 7.

Mike Mularkey, the former Vikings tight end named the Tennessee Titans head coach a few days ago, started his coaching career in 1993 as an assistant at Concordia, St. Paul.

It’s a big week for the nationally-ranked MIAC-leading St. Thomas men’s basketball team. Coach John Tauer’s 13-1 Tommies are on a nine game winning streak and play at Carleton on Saturday afternoon—the only team to defeat UST so far. The Tommies’ conference record is 8-1 while Carleton is 7-2, the same record as the St. Olaf team that plays at St. Thomas tonight.

Tyus Jones, two years ago a high school All-American at Apple Valley, hasn’t played in the last eight Timberwolves games, according to stats from ESPN.com. The 2015 first round draft choice was recalled from the NBA Development League on December 22. After coming back to the Wolves, the 19-year-old point guard played in the team’s next seven games. With the Idaho Stampede, Jones averaged 24.7 points and five assists in six games. He is averaging three points and 1.6 assists with the Wolves this season.

Jones’s brother, sophomore point guard Tre Jones from Apple Valley High School, is being recruited hard by Texas Tech and former Gophers coach Tubby Smith.

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Winter Travel Tales from the Sky

Posted on January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 by David Shama

Do you hate travelling by airplane?

It seems like I can never be prepared enough. Among the strangers flying with us on Saturday was a toddler screaming worse than a demoralized Vikings fan following another playoff collapse.

The father paced the aisle trying to comfort the noise polluter while I covered my sound portals with earmuffs I hadn’t intended to use until the airplane had crossed the Iowa border and neared MSP airport. Dad apparently had no plugs to insert into the little redhead’s mouth.

Why hadn’t I packed a few baby pacifiers covered in melatonin?

While Red rested his screaming head against dad’s chest, some passengers sighed with maternal empathy and delight.

I gritted my teeth and pulled out my hair!

If the GOP can have a Kiddie Table Debate, why can’t the airlines have a Kiddie Plane?

When the volatile youngster wasn’t reaching historic decibel levels, those of us seated in the middle and back rows of the aircraft were trying to discern garbled communications from a flight attendant on the speaker system.

Completely inaudible.

For all we knew, the flight attendant might have been announcing the airplane was about to nosedive into the Atlantic Ocean. Even more interesting, perhaps crashing because of mysterious forces emanating from the Bermuda Triangle.

Those of us in the middle and back rows were unable to understand multiple announcements. We were oblivious as we flew through the skies partially fortified by free soft drinks while salivating at photos of expensive food items for sale. Why hadn’t I packed the homemade peanut brittle left over from Christmas?

A last minute change in itinerary had my wife and I flying over Caribbean waters at an earlier time than originally scheduled last Saturday. Before departing from a West Indies resort, I telephoned the airline to express concern about having only 80 minutes to go through U.S. Customs and change planes in an East Coast city before flying to Minneapolis.

A nice agent named Mark (poor fellow, he had no last name) informed me 80 minutes was within the legal limit airlines must allow for passengers to switch planes. I might have told him these fast turnarounds are best suited for track teams—especially sprinters and marathoners.

I hate running and fantasized about riding a golf cart with a V8 engine to propel us around the airport, absolutely convinced our departure gate would be located a county or two away from where we checked into Customs. Mark, however, had another idea.

He suggested taking a flight from the West Indies that left two hours earlier than we were scheduled. And at no additional cost, and putting us into our changeover city three hours before the connecting flight to Minneapolis.

I gave Mark the go ahead to switch our flight. He put me on hold. This took awhile. I showered and shaved.

He came back on the line when I was reaching for my nail clippers.

It was interesting that the earlier flight time was actually the time we had signed on for back in June when buying our tickets. In October had come word we had to take the later flight out of the West Indies that would have left us in dash-for-the-gate mode to catch our plane to Minneapolis.

What happened to make the good flight reappear?

No clue. The nice man didn’t say.

At an airport in the West Indies we were greeted by an enterprising young man in his late teens or early 20s. This unidentified fellow informed us the lines to check our luggage were becoming lengthy and suggested my wife and I go in separate directions. One of us should claim a place in line while the other used a kiosk to print boarding passes.

After this advice, he looked at my hands—hoping to see currency soon to be in his pocket.

We stared at each other.

I told him all I had in my wallet were large bills. “I can make change,” he said.

He did.

At the airport we had TSA Pre-Check status. However, I removed my shoes, belt, wedding ring, wallet, jacket and every scrap of paper I had collected since New Year’s Day (2000). Be grateful. Perhaps in a regular security check line I might have stripped down to my boxers.

By now you are wondering why I keep referring to the West Indies, rather than identifying the country where we vacationed. The reason is I don’t want to piss off you and other readers. Never mind that we enjoyed eight days where the temperature was about 90 degrees warmer than Minnesota. You don’t want to hear about the refreshing breezes, and the perfect days and nights. Who cares about the postcard gorgeous beach, multiple swimming pools, and delicious seafood?

You have no interest in paradise, right? Forget all that stuff referenced above.

Just know this: pack baby pacifiers on your next plane trip.

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