David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Mystery Solved on Gophers’ Play Caller?

Posted on August 27, 2023August 27, 2023 by David Shama

With esteemed offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca gone to Rutgers since last January, who calls the plays Thursday night when Minnesota opens its season at home against Nebraska?

After Ciarrocca couldn’t refuse an offer for more money, and opportunity to be closer to family back East, Fleck named Greg Harbaugh Jr. and Matt Simon co-coordinators. Simon held that title last season with Ciarrocca but it was Kirk in charge on game days.

For unknown reasons Fleck has kept his play caller for Nebraska and presumably the entire season secret. The prediction here, and acknowledged by a trusted source, is Harbaugh makes the play calls this season.

Why? Because more than anything, Harbaugh coaches the quarterbacks. With that vital relationship, it will seem odd if Harbaugh doesn’t receive the play calling assignment. Ciarrocca was quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Minnesota.

Simon, who specializes in coaching wide receivers, has called plays on an interim basis in two bowl games. His input, of course, is valued as the Gophers move forward, as is the contribution of offensive line coach Brian Callahan who is also the run game coordinator.

Callahan has been coaching the offensive line with considerable success since 2018. The Gophers have rushed with the best teams in the nation and produced an impressive list of All-Big Ten linemen.

Nathan Boe knows Callahan well as a sixth-year offensive lineman. He said his coach brings out the best in everyone’s potential. “He’s really a molder and he molds people into being the best version of themselves,” Boe said. “He’s been very demanding but you wouldn’t want anything less from your offensive line coach. …He’s a masterful mind at creating opportunities, especially short yardage, and goal line. It’s really fun to learn from him and just understand his knowledge of the game.”

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck has to hope 2023 will start a run of stability with the play-calling responsibility and coordinator leadership. Ciarrocca left the Gophers after the 2019 season to accept the same job at Penn State. Mike Sanford Jr. replaced Ciarrocca, but he lasted just two seasons. Ciarrocca, who had the Gophers averaging a near school record 34.1 points per game in 2019, came back for 2022.

Harbaugh, who called plays at Western Michigan when he was an assistant coach there, will go through a growth cycle if he is the play caller at Minnesota. The Gophers will hope he is more than good Thursday night and even better when the regular season ends in November against Wisconsin.

A former college coach, who texts with Sports Headliners, said it will be “fun” to watch how play calling works out for the Gophers. He spoke candidly knowing his name would not be published.

“There is no such thing as co-coordinators on game day! Someone needs total responsibility to make quick and final decisions,” he wrote. “Co-coordinators are good during the week for practice planning or run/pass breakdown, but on Saturday only one coach can truly call plays to be successful.

“I am not a big fan of ‘on the job’ training for play calling at the power five level. To me (the) experience of calling plays at any level is worth more than gold. There is nothing like the speed and pace in the (press) box when calling plays in football. You literally have 4-6 seconds to get the personnel group, formation and play in right after the tackle occurs on the previous play.

“Sometimes the greatest skill of a play caller is the plays they don’t call, meaning they have a feel for what stunt/blitz might be coming and they know not to call certain plays at certain times (turning) into…potentially bad situations. Ultimately, it comes down to the players’ execution of each play. After all, every play works when you draw it up on the board!

“It will be a lot of pressure on the first-time (Gopher) play caller and will be interesting to see how they react. More importantly how do they adjust on the fly—as the game does not slow down. …”

The assumption is Fleck will okay more pass plays this season with promising quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis returning with his strong arm, and record setting rusher Mo Ibrahim gone to the NFL. While the Gophers may approach a 50-50 pass-run ratio, don’t anticipate a wild aerial show. Fleck’s core coaching philosophy prioritizes an effective running game.

Fleck pointed out that in 2019, when the Gophers had two first team All-Big Ten wide receivers in Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson, they threw the ball only 38 percent of the time. Don’t expect the 2023 offense to deviate too much (no matter who is calling plays) from ball possession football.

“There’s reason why we do hire from within to keep that system very similar,” Fleck said.

Fleck is 44-27 in six seasons at Minnesota. The win total is fifth in program history and his 26 Big Ten wins are sixth best. His winning percentage of .619 is third best among 11 coaches with 45 games or more leading programs at Minnesota.

Much of the success has been because of superb defenses led by coordinator Joe Rossi. Since 2019 when Rossi became the full-time coordinator the Gophers are 32-14 overall and 21-13 in the Big Ten. In 2022 the 9-4 Gophers had the No. 4 scoring defense (13.85 points) nationally and No. 9 total defense giving up 295.1 yards per game.

Tyler Nubin photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Gopher preseason All-American safety Tyler Nubin has taken note of Rossi’s wisdom. “That’s a guru, man. He knows it all. We have a check, a call for everything. He’s one of those guys that will sit in his office until 3 o clock in the morning and just game plan cause that’s the type of guy he is. …The things that you can do extra in order to put yourself ahead of the game, he’s a perfect emulation of that, and that’s what we try to accomplish every single day.”

Worth Noting

Jerry Kill, who turned 62 last Thursday, saw his New Mexico State Aggies lose 41-30 Saturday to UMass. A peerless rebuilder of programs, he led the once hapless Aggies to a surprising 7-6 record last season during his first year in Las Cruces. The former Gophers’ football boss is a ball coach through and through. He may try to coach forever.

The Vikings have the leverage in contract talks dragging out with tight end T.J. Hockenson. He is under contract this season and although he’s undoubtedly seeking a lot more than $12 million in 2024, the club knows it can franchise tag him for about that amount. His camp can argue the going rate for the better tight ends in the NFL is more and to keep him happy a richer deal is deserved but that negotiating approach isn’t that formidable.

The Vikings have one of the better tight end rosters in the league, with Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt backing up Hockenson. That quality depth is assured if Hockenson is injured or for any reason unavailable.

The Vikings must reduce their roster to 53 players on Tuesday. Here is a guess at rookies who make the team: WR Jordan Addison, CB Mekhi Blackmon, OLB Andre Carter, LB Ivan Pace, CB/special teams NaJee Thompson.

The Twins decision makers are all-in on position-less baseball as they continue to show. Joey Gallo started in center field Friday night, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see rookie second baseman/DH Edouard Julien play at first base.

MLB.com points out the AL Central Division leading Twins and second place Guardians have decided every game they’ve played against each other this season by one or two runs. There are six remaining games between the two this season, with a three-game series starting Monday at Target Field.

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Receiver Jalen Reagor Targets Breakout Year with Vikings

Posted on August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 by David Shama

Jalen Reagor, the reserve wide receiver who the Vikings acquired almost a year ago in a trade with the Eagles, is on the spot as he prepares in training camp for his fourth NFL season. There is no guarantee he will make the final roster and even if he does this is the final year of his contract, with free agency ahead in 2024.

Reagor is receiving opportunities in the preseason. He is tied with tight end Nick Muse for most receptions on the team with six. His 65 yards in catches is tops on the Vikings.

August is the time for the 24-year-old former first round draft choice to prove his value and set the stage for what he hopes will be a breakout season even though it will likely be as a sub behind starters Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn and Jordan Addison.

“Last year I got here the week of the first game, so it was kind of hard to adjust but having a full offseason, you know, (with) K.O. and the guys helping me I feel pretty good,” Reagor told Sports Headliners.

K.O, head coach Kevin O’Connell, is an offensive guru with a talented group of playmakers including the peerless Jefferson, veteran Osborn and promising rookie Addison. The wide receiver roster includes four former first round draft choices in Jefferson, Addison, Reagor and N’Keal Harry.

The talent in the WR room is a plus to Reagor. “It just breeds competition,” he said.

Reagor’s value to the Vikings includes his speed. He can “take the top off defenses” and he said there might not be anyone on the roster who could motor faster in the 40-yard dash. “There’s not many receivers (in the NFL) that can run like I can,” he said. “I feel like that’s what I bring to the game, and then being able to do the in between stuff, the reverses, the tosses, the little trick stuff and be a complete receiver. So I feel like all around (talent).”

Reagor’s versatility could work in his favor in being able to make the team. He has 18 career rushes for 83 yards. He also returned both punts and kickoffs for the Eagles. With the Vikings last season, he returned 26 punts for 167 yards in 17 games.

Critics have said the 5-11, 197-pound former TCU star is slowed in his routes by physical defenders and that he doesn’t block effectively. The Eagles, who drafted him in 2020 ahead of Minnesota selecting Jefferson, gave up on him when they made the August 31 trade to the Vikings in return for draft choices.

Jalen Reagor photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

This summer Jefferson was voted by his NFL peers as the No. 2 player in the league behind only quarterback Patrick Mahomes from the Chiefs. Although Jefferson is 24 also and entering his fourth NFL season, Reagor said he can learn from the team’s superstar receiver.

“Being No. 2 (ranked) as a receiver, that’s just like a receiver winning the Heisman (Trophy),” Reagor said. “He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. I am proud of him. It’s good to be on the team with him and watch and learn from him every day.”

The Vikings could have an explosive offense, just like last season. With a wide receiver group that wants to be the best in the NFL, a deep tight end roster, five returnees in the offensive line, a quality quarterback in Kirk Cousins and veteran running back in Alexander Mattison, the Vikings will score impressively like they did in 2022 when they won 11 one-score games and averaged 24.9 points per game.

Minnesota seemingly took a page from the NBA with a “if we have the ball last, we’ll win” approach while pulling out six fourth quarter wins. No wonder Reagor said if his offense has the last possession in a tight game “it’s going to be a problem.”

And he hopes to be part of the solution this fall.

Worth Noting

The Athletic asked its NFL writers to vote on the best stadiums in the league and U.S. Bank Stadium is No. 1. “This wasn’t even close,” Jon Machota wrote in an article posted yesterday by the Athletic. “Half of the voters placed it No. 1 in their rankings.”

SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles ranked second, with Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, third. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and Lumen Field in Seattle rounded out the top five.

Gopher senior safety Tyler Nubin is receiving a lot of preseason hype. Publicity includes second team (The Athletic) and third team (Phil Steele) All-American recognition, and listings on watch lists for three prestigious national awards honoring defensive players: Chuck Bednarik, Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski.

Nubin admits the attention “is cool” but tempers his enthusiasm. “It doesn’t really matter because like you said it’s preseason so it’s just a guess. I have to go out there and perform. …”

Nubin will be a playmaker and leader for the Gophers’ defense. So, too, will redshirt junior linebacker Cody Lindenberg. “It’s great to see his growth for sure,” Nubin said.

Lindenberg brings the “juice” to practices. “His energy, you can really feel it,” Nubin said.

Gophers’ multi-positional offensive lineman Nathan Boe, now in his sixth year with the program, comes from a family that has long followed Minnesota football including during its glory days. When coach P.J. Fleck was recruiting Boe out of Lakeville North the coach told him the Gophers were a “sleeping giant.”

That resonated with Boe whose grandfather and great grandfather listened to the Gophers on the radio. Boe said: “We have a long tradition here and it’s really fun to be part of it. …”

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, who the Gophers face in Chapel Hill September 16, is the No. 5 player in college football, per ESPN.com who rated the top 100. Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt, the Totino-Grace alum and North Oaks resident, is No. 11 on the list. Former Gopher running back Bucky Irving, who gained over 1,000 yards last season for Oregon, is No. 77.

The Twins open a two-game series in Milwaukee tonight against a Brewers team that is No. 10 in the MLB.com power rankings. The Twins are No. 13 in the latest rankings.

Trevor May, who pitched for the Twins from 2014-2020, has 12 saves while holding opponents to a .220 batting average this season with the Athletics. Will the Twins have interest in signing the 33-year-old right hander as a free agent in the offseason? He makes $7 million with Oakland, per Spotrac.com and is the highest paid player on the budget conscious team’s roster.

The Northwoods League, that includes teams from Minnesota and showcases college baseball players in the summer, set a new attendance record with a total of 1,313,916. The old record was 1, 262, 610 set in 2019.

Wild preseason and regular season tickets go on sale Thursday, with availability via Wild.com/tickets and Ticketmaster.com.

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Communist China Can Boast about Wolves Player

Posted on August 20, 2023August 20, 2023 by David Shama

The Timberwolves will have five players participating in the FIBA World Cup that begins play this week. From a political perspective, the name jumping out is Kyle Anderson who has become a Chinese citizen and is expected to play for China’s national team starting Saturday against Serbia in the Philippines.

Anthony Edwards will play for the United States, Karl-Anthony Towns for the Dominican Republic, Rudy Gobert for France, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker for Canada. But Anderson has chosen Communist China—America’s No. 1 adversary and a nation with a long-term ambition to achieve global dominance.

But why?

Anderson is 29 and has nine years of NBA experience. He was born in New Jersey and attended college at UCLA, and he has been intrigued by China for a while. His maternal great grandfather was Chinese and family history is important to Anderson who visited the country a few years ago with his mother where they met relatives.

Using the connection with his great grandfather, Anderson was eligible to become a Chinese citizen and represent that nation on its FIBA team. He has adopted the name Li Kai’er.

U.S. law allows for dual citizenship. It’s not clear whether Anderson is renouncing his American citizenship but that seems unlikely with his lucrative NBA career. Giving up American citizenship is generally considered irrevocable and could cause issues with entry back into the United States. Anderson will earn $9.2 million playing in the NBA next season, per ESPN.com, while players reportedly earn a pittance competing for the FIBA World Cup.

What Anderson has done seems disrespectful at worst, and naïve at best. The Chinese Communist Party and its propagandists will utilize Anderson’s basketball participation and citizenship to its advantage. The party knows how to use sports to enhance its image and take the focus off its abuses including human rights, biological threats, spying and corporate theft in America, military armament, intimidation of Taiwan, and support of despots at home and internationally.

A former NBA authority, speaking anonymously to Sports Headliners about Anderson’s alliance with China, described it as a “horrible idea for his future.” How Anderson will be perceived by some Americans in the years ahead will include his confirmed loyalty to China by becoming a citizen in that tyrannical country.

The authority suggested Anderson’s China connection could become a distraction as he plays out the remainder of his career. NBA teams and locker rooms don’t need distractions and franchises have choices as to who fits on their teams. “Those considerations are on top (in addition) of talent,” the former insider said.

The source isn’t suggesting Anderson will be blacklisted but his Chinese connection is now part of who he is and will “hang over him.” The public and employers have a right to wonder how Anderson might be manipulated and used by a mega adversary of the free world.

The NBA and China have long held a business relationship. The large Chinese market has been a target for the league’s development of fans and revenues. But always lurking in the background, the authority said, is the realization of what the Chinese Communist Party is and represents.

Anderson was acquired by the Timberwolves last summer in a free agent signing. Playing mostly as a key reserve, the 6-6 small forward averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He is known for his all-around skills, unselfish play and being a good teammate.

Anderson’s profile now, though, includes more than basketball and he apparently is enthused with his citizenship decision. “Hello, fans in China, this is Li Kai’er. I’m so happy to announce I will be representing China in the World Cup. Really proud and honored to wear the Team China jersey,” Anderson said in a video posted on his Weibo account.

Timberwolves leadership didn’t respond to interview requests by Sports Headliners. In today’s individual rights environment NBA players have considerable freedom to do as they please during the offseason.

Worth Noting

Ivan Pace, the promising Vikings free agent rookie linebacker is only 5-foot-10, and must prove his pass defense abilities, but he is impressive in the preseason. He was responsible for play calls in last night’s game with the Titans.

Not only do the Vikings stay at the Omni Vikings Lakes during training camp but so, too, do the Titans and Cardinals when they are in Eagan this month for joint practices. The hotel is part of the Vikings Lakes complex that includes the TCO Performance Center which is still considered state-of-the-art in the NFL.

Jack Gibbens, the former Gophers linebacker who started two games for the Titans last year, got the nickname “doctor” from his head coach Mike Vrabel. Why did Gibbens get that tag last year as a rookie? He’s “Dr. Gibby” because he is smart.

The August 31 Minnesota-Nebraska game at Huntington Bank Stadium (capacity 50,805) will sell out soon. The Gophers figure to be about a seven-point favorite against the Cornhuskers.

Stillwater-based Creative Charters has sold out its travel inventory for the Gophers game at North Carolina next month.

Byron Buxton, out of the Twins lineup with a right hamstring strain since August 1, still has a chance at playing in 100 games—something he has done one time in his nine-year career. He has been in 85 games and, if healthy, figures to play in most games when he soon returns.

MLB.com points out this morning that the Twins, with a 13.1 FanGraphs WAR, have the best starting pitching rotation in the majors. WAR means wins above replacement.

The Twins announced today they have switched right-handed relievers on the roster, sending Jordan Balazovic to the Saints and bringing up Oliver Ortega from St. Paul.

Minnesotan Eric Curry starts his 25^th year of basketball officiating this fall and again plans to work games in the Pac-12, Mountain West and Big Ten. His wife Kelly, a former top assistant on Lindsay Whalen’s staff with the Gophers, is out of coaching and working in business.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy, with a sponsor’s exemption, will play in the PGA Canada CRMC Championship at Cragun’s Resort August 31-September 3. The course is one of two at the popular Brainerd area resort renovated by Minnesota golf legend Tom Lehman.

Hannah Boraas, headed to Montana State after leading Alexandria to the 2023 Class AAA state golf tournament title, is a protégé of former Gopher men’s coach John Means.

Da Beauty League, the summer hockey league that features NHL and NCAA players at Braemar Arena in Edina, has its semi-finals Monday night and championship game Wednesday.

The Bloomington-based CORES lunch programs featuring prominent speakers, mostly from Minnesota sports, is seeking new leadership to continue. Anyone interested in learning more about the volunteer-based organization should email Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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