David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

June 14 Wedding Set for Vikings Center

Posted on June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 by David Shama

It is no ordinary June for Vikings starting center John Sullivan who this week is at Winter Park practicing with teammates. He will be married on June 14 in Long Island, New York. He dclined to give his fiancée’s name but did say the couple will enjoy an Alaskan honeymoon cruise in late June.

Sullivan was drafted by the Vikings out of Notre Dame in 2008. Since 2009, when Sullivan became the starting center, he has missed only three of 77 games. A calf injury, knee surgery and concussion have been challenges. After the Vikings went through one of their recent Organized Team Activities he was asked about his health.

“I don’t know if you’re ever 100 percent as a professional football player but I am as close as I’ve been in a long time,” he told Sports Headliners.

Any lingering injuries? “Nothing. We always call it total body soreness. That just means you got a lot of games under your belt.”

Sullivan, who turns 29 on August 8, was named All-Pro by Pro Football Weekly in 2012. With his age and experience, he could be positioned to have his best season in 2014.

“That’s always the goal,” Sullivan said. “Every year your goal is to play the best you can as an individual, because that’s how you help the team win, and that’s what it comes down to.”

The Vikings’ record was 5-10-1 last season. A prediction late last month by the Las Vegas Hilton wagering authorities said the team will win only six games this season, but that doesn’t mean anything to Sullivan.

“I hadn’t heard that,” Sullivan said. “Frankly, we don’t care what Vegas says. We don’t care what anybody says. The people that have control over that situation are the ones that are here now, on this practice field and this building going to work everyday. We’re going to put the work into it to win as many games as we possibly can.”

The number of wins, of course, will have much to do with quarterback production. In practices Sullivan is impressed with veterans Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder, and rookie Teddy Bridgewater.

“Teddy looks great so far,” Sullivan said. “He’s a confident young guy. He’s made some incredible throws, and obviously we know who Matt and Christian are. They’re both guys that have led teams to playoffs in the past. We feel like we have three guys who can go out and get the job done.”

Sullivan is pleased new head coach Mike Zimmer retained offensive line coach Jeff Davidson who was with the Vikings for three prior seasons. Davidson’s reputation as an instructor and technician is well established at Winter Park.

Sullivan is impressed, too, with his new head coach after watching Zimmer lead the team in spring activities. “There’s no nonsense out here. No BS. Coach Zimmer is concerned with holding everybody accountable and winning football games. That’s all it comes down to.”

Sullivan is a leader who over the years has been involved with community activities including the drive to build the new stadium opening in 2016. Then in 2018 the stadium will host the Super Bowl. Wouldn’t it be special if the Vikings were playing in that Minneapolis game?

“It would be amazing just to be in a Super Bowl,” Sullivan said. “We don’t care where it is. You could play in a parking lot in Missouri. We don’t care.

“Yeah, would it be nice to play in a Super Bowl, here? Of course.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings continue their Organized Team Activity sessions this week at Winter Park. Players and coaches, as part of the franchise’s community work, will help build a playground on Wednesday at Lucy Craft Laney School in Minneapolis.

Pedro Florimon, who hit .108 in 65 at bats with the Twins this spring, is batting .237 in 59 plate appearances since being demoted to Triple-A Rochester. Former Twins starter Scott Diamond, also with Rochester, is 2-6 with a 7.51 ERA. Teammate and hot starting pitching prospect Alex Meyer is 3-1 with a 3.31 ERA and impressive 62 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.

Joe Schmit’s book, Sudden Impact, is now in its second printing. The KSTP TV sportscaster said the first press run was 5,000 and now another 5,000 have been printed.

Schmit’s hometown is Seymour, Wisconsin. That’s also the hometown of prep shooting guard Sandy Cohen who reportedly was recruited by the Gophers but will attend Marquette.

The Minute Men, the volunteer organization supporting Minnesota sports for more than 50 years, will honor outstanding high school lacrosse players at a noon banquet June 15 at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul-Riverfront Hotel. The finalists for Mr. Lacrosse are Max Elsenheimer (Eagan), Michael Lamb (Benilde-St. Margaret), J.R. Riley (St. Thomas Academy), Sam Turner (Academy of Holy Angels), Charlie Venable (Eden Prairie), Carter Yepson (Rosemount) and Conner Yepson (Rosemount). Finalists for Ms. Lacrosse are Sophie Buelow (Chanhassen), Sheila Hirsch, (Edina), Anna Johnson (Eden Prairie), Katie Larson (Apple Valley), Ali Ridge (Minnetonka), Anne Slusser (Blake) and Lydia Sutton (Blake).

Finalists for Mr. Goalie are Max Fehey (Eden Prairie) and Aaron Wiederhoeft (Prior Lake), while finalists for Ms. Goalie are Oralee Hespenheide (Bloomington Jefferson), and Maddie Kohlbeck (Farmington).

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If Not U, Jeff Jones Headed to Iowa CC?

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014 by David Shama

Jeff Jones, the nationally recognized Washburn High School running back who is arguably the prize recruit in the 2014 Gophers football class, could be headed to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs.

Jones needs a higher score on his ACT test to be accepted by the University of Minnesota. He will take the test for a fourth time on June 14. Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins declined to specify what score Jones needs to become eligible to play for Minnesota this year.

“I honestly think he is going to get it (the improved score),” Jenkins told Sports Headliners. “He’s improved each time. He is confident he’s going to get it. He knows junior college is not where he wants to be.”

Jenkins said if Jones doesn’t qualify for admission to Minnesota he will need to spend two years at a community college and earn a degree to then have immediate eligibility at an NCAA program, presumably the Gophers.

Jenkins has spoken with Iowa Western coach Scott Strohmeier and is enthusiastic about the program that is annually a national power. Jenkins described the Reivers, who won the 2012 National Junior College Athletic Association championship, as a “great program” that has sent more than 20 players to Division I schools the last two years. “It’s definitely a program he (Jeff) wants to be part of,” Jenkins said.

But Jones, of course, would rather be a Gopher, fulfilling the commitment he made in February when he signed his national letter of intent binding him to Minnesota. Jones is the only Rivals.com four-star recruit in the Gophers 2014 recruiting class. He turned heads playing in the prestigious Under Armour All-America Game in Florida last January, gaining 72 yards and being named Team Nitro MVP.

In past years the best Minnesota football preps have chosen schools other than the Gophers so Jones’ commitment to play for his hometown team is viewed as a step forward for UM coach Jerry Kill.

In pursuit of a qualifying ACT score, the 6-foot, 200-pound Jones could take encouragement from former Washburn tight end Ra’Shede Hageman who didn’t become eligible to play for the Gophers until June of his senior year. Hageman became an All-Big Ten defensive lineman and was selected in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft by the Falcons.

Worth Noting

Iowa Western Community College’s Strohmeier has been head coach of the Rievers since 2008. He is from Watkins, Minnesota and played quarterback at Fergus Falls Community College and the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Jenkins said Hageman has signed his contract with the Falcons and purchased a Porsche.

The Chanhassen house of former Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is for sale at $1.75 million, according to a Wednesday Bizjournals.com story by Jim Hammerand.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer after being asked yesterday if players attending the organized team activities are buying into a new coach and system: “I don’t worry about if they are buying in. My job is to coach them hard and try to get them to be the best players they can be. …”

Zimmer on what he’s seen from All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson: “Yeah, he looks great. He’s made some tremendous cuts, you’d have to ask him, but he seems excited to be here, about some of the things that we are trying to do with him and I think it’s only going to continue to get better.”

With reported trade rumors involving Kevin Love, it’s fair to wonder if the Timberwolves All-Star forward will participate as scheduled in the July 13 celebrity softball game at Target Field. The game is part of the MLB All-Star Game promotional activities and it seems likely Love, sure to be greeted by boos, will become a cancel if traded to another NBA club between now and July 13.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino, who was hired about 14 months ago, will receive a raise and if the increase isn’t agreed to yet it will be soon. Pitino’s initial salary was set at $500,000, plus $700,000 of supplemental compensation.

Randy Wittman, fired as Timberwolves coach in 2008, is close to a contract extension with the Wizards.

The MIAC all-sports standings recognize an overall annual champion for each gender. For the seventh consecutive school year St. Thomas has finished first in both the men’s and women’s all-sports standings. St. Olaf and Saint John’s were second and third in men’s sports while Saint Benedict and Gustavus were runners-up in women’s athletics.

The St. Thomas men have finished first 28 times in 52 years, while the women have done it 23 out of 32 years. The Tommies have finished first in both genders 19 of the past 30 years, an indication of the many winning teams and seasons at the St. Paul school.

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Spurs’ Profile Opposite of Timberwolves

Posted on May 28, 2014May 28, 2014 by David Shama

The Spurs lost on national television last night to the Thunder in game four of the Western Conference playoffs. The best of seven games series will send the winner to the NBA Finals against the Eastern Conference playoff champion.

The Spurs are tied in their series with the Thunder and despite playing with an “elderly roster” might advance to the finals for a second consecutive season. The Spurs’ franchise is dramatically dissimilar to the Timberwolves.

The success of the Spurs and failures of the Wolves is a tale told in numbers and about people. The Spurs have been in the playoffs for 17 consecutive seasons. The Timberwolves haven’t been to the postseason since 2004.

The Timberwolves’ first season in the NBA was 1989-1990. Since then the franchise has only once advanced to the conference finals. That was in 2004 and was preceded by seven years of first round playoff exits. During the period from 1999-2014 the Spurs won four NBA titles. The most recent championship was in 2007, but last year the Spurs led the Heat 3-2 in the finals only to lose the last two games.

The Spurs’ “Big Three” consists of power forward Tim Duncan, 39, shooting guard Manu Ginobili, 36, and point guard Tony Parker, 32. Duncan was on the first Spurs title team in 1999 with superstar center David Robinson, long ago retired. Despite becoming an elite team after that first title the Spurs kept excelling in the draft and on the court. Ginobili was a second round choice, the 57th player selected in the draft. Parker was the team’s No. 21 pick in the first round.

But the Spurs’ draft expertise hardly stops there. The Spurs have accepted for years that their “Big Three” is aging and with declining skills the remaining roster had to step up. The club’s personnel decision makers, starting with coach Gregg Popovich, have built a deep roster with players possessing complementary skills and a team-first approach.

The starters include 22-year-old small forward Kawhi Leonard, a rising star with rare athleticism and a pair of the largest hands in the NBA. The Spurs found Leonard available in the 2011 draft after 14 other players were taken ahead of him in the first round including Derrick Williams who the Timberwolves selected with the No. 2 selection.

Starting center Tiago Splitter was the No. 28 pick in the first round of the 2007 draft. Along with Splitter, Duncan, Leonard and Parker, the Spurs have shooting guard Danny Green as their fifth starter. Another late first round or second round pick? Nope. The Spurs acquired Green after the Cavaliers gave up on him.

The Spurs have been committed to finding players with varied approaches including high interest in players from other nations. Nine players on the roster are from foreign countries including key reserves Ginobili, small forward Marco Belinelli, forward-center Boris Diaw and and guard Paddy Mills.

Popovich is an extraordinary teacher and motivator. He’s been exerting his will over the Spurs franchise for 18 seasons. How good is he at passing judgment on personnel, developing players, and making the right moves during practices and games? Good enough to be the longest tenured coach with one franchise in not only the NBA, but also the NFL, NHL and MLB. Meanwhile, the Wolves have gone through five coaches since Popovich took over the Spurs.

Starting to get the idea the Spurs are extraordinary at finding and developing talent despite rarely having a lottery pick, or even late mid-round pick? Now compare the Spurs with the Timberwolves who have owned six top 10 picks in the draft since 2008, and in 2009 even had four selections during the first round. The results? Not a single winning season during that time period and only two lottery draft choices remain on the roster, power forward Kevin Love and point guard Ricky Rubio.

Since Love joined the team for the 2008-2009 season, the Wolves haven’t even been close to a .500 season record except for 2013-2014 when the club finished 40-42. According to numerous reports, Love is so frustrated with losing he wants to be traded. While the Wolves’ All-Star wants out, the Spurs’ “Big Three” have stayed so long in San Antonio they are legends and their careers aren’t over.

The Spurs almost defy logic with their success and are searching this spring for another NBA title. The Wolves are occupied with other searches like trying to figure out either how to keep Love (he becomes an unrestricted free agent next year) or score big by trading him for draft choices and players. And apparently trying to find a coach after Grizzlies’ coach Dave Joerger said he will stay in Memphis instead of coming home to Minnesota, his native state.

Decisions about Love and the new coach will be led by Flip Saunders, the Wolves’ second year president of basketball operations. Down in San Antonio things aren’t in such disarray. Not only has Popovich been around a long time but general manager R.C. Buford has been with the Spurs since 1994. This spring he was named NBA Executive of the Year. It’s been a good spring for rewards because Popovich was named NBA Coach of the Year (twice in the last three seasons).

The Spurs? Remarkable.

The Wolves? Not so remarkable.

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