David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Smith Shadow Still Relevant to Wolves

Posted on August 11, 2014August 11, 2014 by David Shama

Remember forward Joe Smith? You can be sure the Timberwolves do, and his shadow could be hanging over the rumored trade with Cleveland—for both the Cavs and Minnesota.

The Timberwolves were punished years ago by the NBA for signing Smith to a contract in violation of the league’s salary cap. Glen Taylor was the Timberwolves owner and had to live through a difficult period when his franchise wasn’t allowed annual first round draft choices because of a league reprimand.

Today Taylor still owns the Timberwolves and media reports indicate his club has agreed to trade All-Star forward Kevin Love to Cleveland on or shortly after August 23. Andrew Wiggins, the overall No. 1 pick in last June’s NBA Draft, will be eligible to be traded by the Cavs on that date—30 days after he signed his rookie contract. The Wolves will also reportedly receive another Cavs forward, Anthony Bennett, and a future No. 1 draft choice.

Basketball fans are convinced this trade will happen. But the deal would later be vetoed by the NBA if there were any violation of league trade rules prior to August 23—involving teams or players including Love. In addition to the Smith fiasco, the league has some history of taking assertive action with trades.

It doesn’t take any assumption to believe Taylor and the Wolves don’t want a problem. During an interview with Sports Headliners last week Taylor insisted no trade involving Love has been agreed to and multiple trade partners are in the mix.

Taylor described August 23 as a “trigger point day” with the Cavs or another club. “I think it (the trade) could come together in one or two days,” Taylor said. “We could give ourselves until October 1 (early days of training camp) but I don’t really see it falling that way.”

Taylor said Cleveland, Chicago, Golden State and Philadelphia have been involved with trade talks. Love has made it known he wants to be traded rather than re-sign with the Wolves when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Taylor gave the impression that on August 23 or 24 the Wolves might allow teams one final and best offer for the coveted 25-year-old power forward. A Love trade could also involve a third team—one that would send a power forward to the Wolves.

Worth Noting

The Wolves are on the spot to sign point guard Ricky Rubio—their No. 2 box office attraction after Love—to a contract extension. Rubio isn’t half the player Love is but he has plenty of upside and few NBA players have his flair in the open court.

With former Washburn four-star running back Jeff Jones now admitted to Minnesota it is certain he will not attend Iowa Western Community College even if the NCAA doesn’t grant him eligibility to play for the Gophers this year. Jones and the Gophers are awaiting word on an appeal made to the NCAA about whether Jones can be academically eligible in 2014. Even if Jones isn’t eligible this year he can work on his grades as a freshman at the University and become eligible for 2015, whereas if he attends Iowa Western he will need to earn a two-year degree before gaining eligibility to play for a FBS school.

Former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher arranged a lunch last week that included ex-Gophers Randy Breuer, Flip Saunders and Jim Petersen. Also attending was Dutcher’s son, Brian Dutcher, a University of Minnesota alum and now associate head coach at San Diego State.

Jim Dutcher coached 11 seasons at Minnesota and was also head coach for six years at Eastern Michigan. In each of those 17 seasons he always had a center that went on to play in the NBA including Breuer and Petersen.

A look at Sports Illustrated’s fantasy rankings of NFL players from the magazine’s August 4 issue could put a scare in Vikings fans. The Vikings gave up 480 points last season, the most in the NFL, and improvement will be needed to slow down all the offensive weapons in the NFC North.

In the fantasy rankings of quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers from the Packers is ranked No. 1 while the Lions’ Matthew Stafford is No. 4 and the Bears’ Jay Cutler is No. 11. Vikings’ rookie Teddy Bridgewater is ranked No. 28 among 32 quarterbacks listed.

Calvin Johnson of the Lions is No. 1 among wide receivers with the Bears’ Brandon Marshall No. 2. The Packers’ Jordy Nelson is No. 6 and fellow wideout Randall Cobb No. 10. The top Viking is Cordarrelle Patterson at No. 25. Minnesota’s Kyle Rudolph is the highest ranked NFC North tight end at No. 10.

Four players from the division are in the top 15 among running backs with Matt Forte from the Bears No. 2, the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson No. 3, the Packers’ Eddie Lacy No. 5 and Reggie Bush of the Lions No. 15.

Anthony Barr, the former UCLA linebacker who was the Vikings’ top first round pick with the No. 9 selection this spring, was rated the best athlete in the country coming out of high school in Los Angeles by prep recruiting authority Tom Lemming. Barr started in the 10-6 win over the Raiders in the Vikings’ first preseason game last Friday night.

Adam Thielen, who signed with the Vikings as a free agent last year and played on the practice squad, made an impression Friday as a receiver, punt returner and special teams tackler. The former Minnesota State player attended Detroit Lakes High School where he not only played football but was on the Lakers’ state championship golf team as a senior.

Trevor May’s name is on the Twins’ blueprint for a winning future so the right-hander’s pitching debut Saturday against the Athletics was disappointing. He lasted only two innings and walked seven batters in an apparently nervous debut. At Triple-A Rochester the 25-year-old made 17 starts for the Red Wings, going 8-6 with a 2.93 ERA (95.1 innings pitched, 31 earned runs) and 91 strikeouts and only 37 walks.

Minneapolis area resident and former pro tennis star David Wheaton has a book coming out called, My Boy, Ben. It’s the story of Wheaton’s close companionship with a yellow lab by that name.

Comments Welcome

Bet the House: Vikings to Go 8-8 in 2014

Posted on August 8, 2014August 8, 2014 by David Shama

A summer tradition in this column is Bob Lurtsema’s annual prediction of the Vikings’ season record. This week the ex-Viking defensive lineman was prepared to talk about wins and losses including his off target forecast from last year—after nailing the Purple’s record in 2012.

Earlier this year Las Vegas odds-makers had the Vikings winning 5.5 games in 2014 and now the number has moved up slightly to 6, Lurtsema said. Even at 6 he believes the Vikings aren’t given proper respect.

“Take your mortgage, car and every nickel, and bet the over (to win more than 6 games),” Lurtsema said. “I really feel very comfortable they (the Vikings) will win 8 or 9 games.”

Lurtsema’s official forecast is for an 8-8 Vikings record in 2014.

About this time last year Lurtsema was feeling even better about the Vikings and predicted an 11-5 finish. That optimism at least partially came from the 2012 season when he forecast a 10-6 record including the playoffs. Sure enough that’s what his old team achieved two years ago while surprising most NFL authorities.

So what happened in 2013 as the Vikings stumbled to a 5-10-1 record? Well, the Purple lost five games in the closing minutes while making fans endure one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. Those collapses prompted Lurtsema to offer a minimal explanation about his off target 11-5 prediction: “I was right…if the games had been 58 minutes (not 60),” he quipped.

Lurtsema is a close observer of the Vikings and it isn’t just the usual fan optimism of having a new coaching staff that has him smiling about Mike Zimmer and his assistants. Lurtsema has preached that a team’s success is “65 percent” determined by the staff. He believes Zimmer and his staff are exceptional and will lead a Purple revival.

The Vikings open their preseason schedule tonight and Lurtsema said there are several things to watch for including how defensive players pursue ball carriers. As defensive coordinator of the Bengals, Zimmer’s players ranked high among NFL teams in total assisted tackles. “That tells you players are pursuing,” Lurtsema said. “It’s a good habit to have.”

Lurtsema will watch tonight to see how the Vikings use linebacker Anthony Barr, their No. 9 first round draft choice in last spring’s NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings sometimes position the gifted athlete on the line of scrimmage as part of a five-man group. The normal set is four defensive linemen but Barr could sometimes make it five, lining up as an end and pass rushing specialist.

Lurtsema admires offensive coordinator Norv Turner. During the preseason Lurtsema expects an emphasis on long passes, with the offense using “vertical routes” to loosen defenses. “They’re really gonna make it exciting for the average fan,” Lurtsema said.

He has another message for fans regarding tonight and the preseason. Don’t get too upset when a favorite player—perhaps a star—is cut from the roster. Zimmer and staff, Lurtsema said, are creating work habits in training camp with a goal of playing up to expectations. “He wants athletes with heart and something between the ears,” Lurtsema said.

With 40 new players on the roster since last season, including 10 draft choices, there will be lots of competition to make the final 53-man roster. Watch the special teams tonight to see which unknown players are impressing.

Worth Noting

Tonight’s game at TCF Bank Stadium will be the only one on the Vikings’ home schedule played on a weekday night. Traffic and parking comments could enliven social media late this afternoon and in the early evening. Last year traffic was awful for the Gophers-UNLV game played on a Thursday night in late August at TCF Bank Stadium. On Tuesday of this week, 80 minutes before the Twins game at Target Field, traffic was moving at 10 miles per hour on east-bound I-394 between highways 169 and 100.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and the game will be simulcast on KARE 11 and KFAN-FM. Commentators will be Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Greg Coleman and Ben Leber.

The Raiders, 4-12 last season, have long been a controversial franchise, and stirring things up now are reports the team may move to San Antonio. In an Internet story yesterday from the San Antonio Express-News, former Vikings owner and San Antonio businessman Red McCombs said last month’s visit to the Texas city by Raiders owner Mark Davis was “sincere.” McCombs also said he is willing to become a local investor if the Raiders relocated.

There were 33 Minnesota high school football programs scheduled to start practice last Monday in preparation for opening games on August 22 or 23. The other prep football programs in the state begin practice next Monday.

Among the notable early games will be Minnetonka at Hudson High School (Wisconsin) on August 22. Another Wisconsin high school, Superior, plays the same night at Hopkins.

David Cobb told reporters after practice this week he expects the Gophers to emphasize short passes this season including screens and swing passes. Cobb, who led the Gophers in rushing last season with 1,202 yards, had only seven pass receptions. He is on the Doak Walker watch list for the nation’s best running back.

Former Gophers basketball players Al Nuness and Jim Brewer will be part of the Proviso East High School inaugural hall of fame class on August 30. The Maywood, Illinois school is known for its basketball alumni including Nuness who was all-Big Ten second team for the Gophers in 1969 and Brewer who was an All-American in 1973.

Next season expect the Gophers to hold a ceremony to retire the jersey of Randy Breuer. The former Lake City High School star is No. 3 in all-time scoring for the Gophers with 1,777 career points. Breuer, a 7-3 center, played four seasons with the Gophers starting in 1979-80 and averaged 16.6 points per game on the 1982 Big Ten championship team.

The Gophers athletic department and its multimedia rights holder, Learfield Sports’ Gopher Sports Properties, announced yesterday a three-year agreement with 1500 ESPN Twin Cities to broadcast Gopher men’s hockey and men’s and women’s basketball games. The agreement starts with the coming seasons and runs through 2016-17.

The Northwoods League became the first summer college baseball league to go over 1 million in attendance for one season after games played on Wednesday of this week. Madison (Wisconsin) leads the 18-team league with an average of 6,139 per game.

Dave Tentis, 52, is the only Minnesotan playing in this week’s PGA Championship in Louisville. The Woodbury resident shot an eight over 79 yesterday and tied for 144th in the field. He is the PGA head professional at Troy Burne Golf Club in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Comments Welcome

Kill Ranks U D-Backs with Big Ten’s Best

Posted on August 6, 2014August 6, 2014 by David Shama

Gophers football notes…

Jerry Kill has praise for his defensive secondary as the Gophers prepare for their 2014 season and opening game on August 28 against Eastern Illinois. “We’re deep in the secondary—secondary-wise we’ll be as good as anybody in the Big Ten,” the head coach said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle program on Sunday. “We’re athletic.”

The secondary players aren’t drawing national attention but program insiders are impressed including Kill who said on the radio there is “tons of talent” available. However, Lindy’s Big Ten preview magazine, for example, isn’t on board and ranks the Gophers defensive backfield No. 13 in the 14-team Big Ten. And the Jim Thorpe award is given annually to the nation’s best defensive back and no Gophers are included among the 39 candidates on the 2014 watch list.

Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover sends passers and receivers against the secondary in practice and said on occasion “we’re not going to look good.” Senior safety Cedric Thompson, senior cornerback Derrick Wells, and junior cornerback Eric Murray are among the talented defensive backs. With plenty of talent and experience, the secondary can “get you frustrated,” Limegrover said.

Former Gophers offensive lineman Ed Olson, a senior on last year’s team, referred to the defensive backs as “studs.” “They will live up to the hype,” he told Sports Headliners. “They’re a great group of guys. They work hard and they’ll never give up.”

The collective skills of the secondary players should ultimately help make redshirt sophomore Mitch Leidner better in his first full season as the starting quarterback. Leidner only threw three touchdown passes last season but the defensive competition in pre-season camp this month figures to help him.

Olson describes Leidner as an outstanding leader and the “hardest worker” he’s known. “I remember when he came in as a freshman he was on my off-season workout team. Didn’t really know him. He’s probably the best pick I ever made. He came up to me and said, ‘You won’t regret this pick.’

“I’ll never forget that. He stepped up. We won like the off-season ‘Rose Bowl’ (competition) and everything. He’s a big reason for it. Great friends ever since.”

At practice this week Olson watched his brother Tommy Olson who is on the Rimington Award watch list for the nation’s top center. Tommy started the last four games of 2013 at center after being moved from guard prior to the season beginning. As a senior, this will be his last chance to have his best season. “He’s really into football this year and he’s loving it,” Ed said.

His brother also said Tommy has added about 10 pounds and weighs well over 300 but he has also emphasized flexibility in the off-season. “He’s gotten a lot stronger and faster,” Ed said. “He says he’s the fastest and strongest he’s ever been. He can’t wait for the start of the season.”

With no more football in his future, Ed has gone on a low carbohydrate diet and dropped about 90 pounds from his playing weight of 320. He wore jersey No. 58, the same number his father, Ed Sr., did playing for the Gophers in the early 1980s. Now Tommy will wear No. 58. “Really cool,” Ed Jr. said about Tommy continuing the tradition. “Couldn’t think of anyone else wearing it.”

Ed Jr. was recruited as part of coach Tim Brewster’s 2009 recruiting class. He was redshirted that year, and then played as a starting tackle in 2010 before Kill succeeded Brewster for the 2011 season.

Olson has watched the program go from a Big Ten punch line to a respected program. The Gophers won four league games last year for the first time since 2005 and went to a second consecutive bowl game. What about a New Year’s Day bowl game in 2015?

“I can’t make any predictions now but if they take it day-by-day and keep improving like they have been, the sky’s the limit for these guys,” Olson said.

Dan O’Brien, Gophers associate athletic director, has worked with Kill since the coach came here from Northern Illinois and sees him every day. He said Kill is driving a motor vehicle, an indication of being seizure free for a long while.

“I think he’s managing his schedule well,” O’Brien said. “He seems like he has great energy. I know he’s excited for the year. He thinks this will be our best year in his time here.”

Both the Gophers and Stillwater-based Creative Charters are sponsoring fan trips to Minnesota’s game in Fort Worth against Texas Christian on September 13. The trip is something new for the athletic department, while Creative Charters has been organizing football and basketball trips for many years.

O’Brien said the intent of the TCU trip is to allow fans to get “closer to the team.” Part of the fun will be having the Gophers Marching Band in Fort Worth. But other than the TCU travel package (a few openings remain) and a possible bowl game trip, the athletic department has no further plans for fan travel. “We have zero interest in doing it more than once a year,” O’Brien said.

Freshman walk-on quarterback Jacques Perra is a player to watch develop. At Roseville Area High School he played for former North Dakota State quarterback Chris Simdorn who led the Bison to NCAA Division II titles in 1989 and 1990. Perra was the 2013 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year and threw 35 touchdown passes and only four interceptions.

The Big Ten Network crew that stops at Big Ten schools previewing the football programs will be in Minneapolis to showcase the Gophers for a report airing August 16.

The Gophers and other Big Ten programs reduce their nonconference games from four to three and increase league games from eight to nine starting in 2016. Michigan State has arguably become the best program in the Big Ten but the Gophers don’t play the Spartans again until 2017.

Comments Welcome