David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Spring Football Games Not-for-Sures

Posted on April 11, 2014April 12, 2014 by David Shama

The Gophers play their annual Intrasquad Spring Football Game tomorrow at TCF Bank Stadium beginning at 2:30 p.m. Fans might wonder how many more games will be played in future years because there’s a growing awareness about preventing football injuries in college and on other levels, amateur and professional.

Minnesota coach Jerry Kill is concerned and suggests elimination of spring games at Minnesota and elsewhere is a way of reducing injuries. “In the future I don’t think you’re going to see spring games,” Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program last Sunday.

Intrasquad spring games count as one of 15 NCAA approved spring practices for major college programs. Rather than devote time to entertaining fans with a game, some coaches insist there is a better way to get teams ready for next fall’s schedule of nonconference and league games. The University of Pittsburgh, for example, cancelled its spring game for 2014 because head coach Paul Chryst wanted to maximize practice time.

A few other programs reportedly are not staging spring games this year. Among them is Texas A&M, a school that cancelled the game because of stadium renovations. The cancellation didn’t bother head coach Kevin Sumlin who downplayed the value of the annual spring game, describing the event as a “glorified scrimmage,” according to a March 4 story by Zac Ellis on College-football.si.com.

The elimination of spring games may develop into a real trend but it’s probably going to be slow in coming. Passionate fan bases at powerhouse schools like Ohio State wouldn’t be happy to see the spring game go away.

Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer told Doug Lesmerises in a March 19 story for Cleveland.com that he plans to keep the spring game indefinitely. “I just think it’s priceless for a player to get a rep in front of 50, 60, 70,000 (people),” Meyer said. “If I was at a school where you get 400 people (you might do away with it) because what are you really getting.”

Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover sees the advantages and disadvantages of spring games including the issues of having enough healthy players and how to divide them into competitive teams.

“I enjoy it (the spring game). I think it’s good for the fans,” he told Sports Headliners. “I think in our situation it’s good to continue to build support, build enthusiasm. Kind of (create) a buzz around the program but at the same time it does have its challenges.”

Labeled as the spring game, the Gophers’ event tomorrow will be more of a scrimmage. Punt and kickoff returns, for example, aren’t expected to be part of the action. The scrimmage will start at 2:30 p.m. and probably end about 90 minutes later, much shorter than a game.

Back in the 1950s the Gophers had a special spring show delighting fans, while the coaches may have gobbled Maalox. Head coach Murray Warmath sent his team out to play the annual game against an alumni group that included Gophers legends liked Bronko Nagurski and Leo “The Lion” Nomellini.

The grizzled and out of shape alums used their wisdom and skills to give Warmath’s young men all they could handle. Truth was the Gophers sometimes looked bad against the alumni team.

Warmath devoted part of spring practice to preparing for the alumni game, minimizing the time he and his staff could use for teaching. He disliked the game and was delighted when the alumni series ended after a few years.

Tomorrow a Gophers alumni flag football game will be played starting at 1 p.m. The two teams will be captained by former All-Big Ten players Tyrone Carter and Ron Johnson.

BTN2Go will provide live coverage of the intrasquad game. The Big Ten Network will show a replay starting at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Following the intrasquad game players will sign autographs on the field. Admission to the game is free.

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Colabello Delivers Big Bang for a Buck

Posted on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014 by David Shama

Talk about a return on investment. Chris Colabello is co-leader in the American League in RBI with 11 while the Twins are paying him $505,000 this season, almost the lowest salary on the team.

Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson at $502,000 and catcher Josmil Pinto, $500,000, have lower salaries, according to a March 31 USA Today listing of major league opening day player salaries for all 30 teams. Over a 162-game schedule Colabello is paid $3,117 per game. Contrast that with Joe Mauer’s $141,976 based on his $23 million annual salary. Mauer has no RBI so far and is hitting .250.

Although the Twins have only played seven games, Colabello’s impact is evident. His 11 RBI (tied with the White Sox’s Jose Abreu) are five better than Kurt Suzuki who is second on the team. Colabello is hitting .370 with one home run and a team best slugging percentage of .630.

Prior to Monday’s home opener against the A’s came news he had been named AL Player of the Week with outfielder Josh Hamilton who earns $17 million with the Angels. Colabello made the honor look good by singling in the first inning and making a diving catch in right field during the second inning, his initial outfield start of the season. He is expected to play some outfield and first base with the Twins but his primary role is likely to be designated hitter.

The baseball world agreed before the season the Twins would be offensive- challenged this season. But the Twins, 3-4 so far, have averaged over five runs per game and their total of 37 is fourth best in the American League. If Colabello can produce 15 to 20 home runs, 80 or more RBI and hit over .280 this season, the Twins will be much more likely to improve their runs scored over last year when they had the third fewest in the AL.

Perhaps life begins after age 29. The 30-year-old journeyman (Colabello will be 31 in October) went to spring training not even knowing if he would make the Twins’ roster. Last December he turned down a $1 million offer to play for South Korea’s LG Lions.

That is just part of Colabello’s strange baseball story. The Massachusetts native played seven seasons in the Canadian-American Association before being signed by the Twins in February of 2012 and gaining the opportunity to move up from the depths of low level independent league professional baseball.

Playing for the Twins’ Class AA New Britain team in 2012, Colabello hit .284 with 19 home runs and 98 RBI. He was runner-up for Eastern League MVP.

Last season playing in 89 games for Class AAA Rochester, Colabello won the International League’s MVP award hitting .354 with 24 home runs and 76 RBI. He was also the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Part of 2013 was spent with the Twins and the hitting numbers were dramatically different than in the minors. Colabello hit .194 with seven home runs and 17 RBI in 55 games.

The 6-foot-4, 218 pound Colabello, whose father Lou played for Italy in the 1984 Olympics, has changed his batting stance this season, moving closer to the plate, and appears to have shortened his right-handed swing while sending hits to the opposite field. He looks confident and swings assertively while not being overly aggressive.

Batting cleanup for the Twins is a long way from independent league baseball three years ago. The Twins found a bargain.

Worth Noting

Graham Woodward has been released from his basketball scholarship at Penn State and will transfer to another school, according to a story this morning on the website of the Centre Daily News located in State College, Pennsylvania. Woodward, the former Edina High School guard, played as a freshman for Penn State this past season.

Gophers women’s basketball fans will expect to be entertained by the coaching style of Marlene Stollings. As head coach at VCU last season, Stollings’ team set school records with a 75.8 points per game average and 235 three-point field goals. The Rams scored 90 or more points five times and twice scored a school-record 112 points. Stollings met the media yesterday when she was introduced as the Gophers new coach.

Two of the Gophers’ highest profile women’s sports are hockey and volleyball. Both head coaches, Brad Frost and Hugh McCutcheon, are males. Perhaps the presence of those two influenced hiring a female to be the next women’s basketball coach, thereby providing more gender balance in the athletic department.

Admirers of former Gopher and NBA player Jim Petersen, now an assistant coach with the WNBA champion Lynx, might wonder if he had interest in the women’s opening at Minnesota. Petersen, a former McDonald’s prep All-American at St. Louis Park, not only has coaching and playing experience but his visibility in the state has remained high as the Timberwolves TV color analyst.

Among the changes the Wild might make this offseason is adding former Gopher Thomas Vanek to the roster, according to a hockey source who spoke to Sports Headliners on condition of anonymity. Vanek is a potential 30-plus goal scorer and while he is a high priced talent his addition to the Wild payroll could be balanced by letting Dany Heatley go, the source said. Both earn similar annual salaries.

Vanek, who has played with three teams this season, has scored 27 goals and would boost the Wild’s scoring. He will be an unrestricted free agent during the offseason.

The Wild will make the playoffs for a second consecutive season. The source said if the Wild fail to impress in the postseason a change in head coaches is possible with Mike Yeo losing his job.

The Wild, who play tomorrow night at home against the Blues, have finished the road schedule for the season at 17-17-7. The Wild earned points in seven of its last eight road games (5-1-2) and earned 26 points in the last 20 away games (11-5-4). As of yesterday morning, only the Bruins and the Avs had better road records than the Wild since the start of 2014.

After outstanding seasons by the winter teams, including three men’s titles and two women’s, St. Thomas is in first place in the MIAC All-Sports standings for both genders. St. Olaf is in second place in the men’s standings while Saint Benedict is second among women.

KARE TV’s Randy Shaver will speak at the May 8 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. Shaver was a sportscaster at the station for almost 30 years before becoming a KARE weeknight news anchor. A booster of high school sports, he started the “Prep Sports Extra” in 1984 and has coached football at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. He is a Hodgkin’s survivor, and the Randy Shaver Cancer Research & Community Fund has raised almost $5,000,000 for cancer research and patient aid in Minnesota.

CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Reservations for the lunch and program can be made by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

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U RB Goal to Become Big Ten’s Best

Posted on April 7, 2014April 7, 2014 by David Shama

A year ago in spring practice running back David Cobb didn’t know how much he would contribute to the Gophers’ success. Now he wants to be the best runner in the Big Ten Conference.

Cobb was one of the team’s surprises last fall, becoming the No. 1 running back and rushing for a Gophers’ best 1,202 yards. Among Minnesota’s roster of running backs, he offered the best combination of speed, elusiveness and power as the Gophers did some surprise work achieving a 4-4 record in the Big Ten, the program’s best since 2005.

That breakout season for the then junior from Killeen, Texas boosted his confidence. “I definitely think I am a lot better than what I was at this time last year,” Cobb told Sports Headliners in late March. He and teammates are going through practices leading up to the annual spring game this Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

The success of 2013 came about because Cobb was physically stronger, understood his assignments better and played with confidence. It was a transition no one was certain would happen.

When a player isn’t even included on the travel roster for a game, doubt can develop. Thoughts occur about whether the program is the right fit. Cobb played minimally as a freshman in 2011 with 10 carries and 57 yards rushing. The numbers as a sophomore declined to one rushing attempt and eight yards.

“You question yourself and you question the coaches whether they want you here,” Cobb said. “This is where you want to be. The hardest thing for me was knowing what I could do but just not having the opportunity.”

Cobb learned the coaches did want him. Among those who have helped is Nate Griffin who has the title of offensive quality control coach but has a background working with running backs. “I can’t thank him enough,” Cobb said.

Early last season the Gophers were searching for a No. 1 runner. Some observers thought that runner might be Donnell Kirkwood but he missed games because of injury. The chance to play more became available to Cobb.

He seized that opportunity to get on the field and become a starter. Now he has a more ambitious goal. “I want to be the best back in the Big Ten. If I am the best back in the Big Ten that does our team a whole lot of favor. As a team we want to win the Big Ten and we feel like we will win the Big Ten.”

Worth Noting

Running back is a position to watch with the Gophers. Kirkwood led Minnesota in rushing during 2012 with 926 yards. The senior is the team’s most experienced back. Junior Rodrick Williams is Minnesota’s most powerful runner and has caught Cobb’s attention. “That’s a load to bring down at 5-10, 250,” Cobb said earlier this spring.

Cobb has seen Williams benefit from increased confidence. “When you know the offense, you play with a lot more confidence,” Cobb said. “He’s playing faster and he’s looking great. Picking up blocks, running people over…making moves. So he’s looking good. I definitely see the change.”

Redshirt freshman Berkley Edwards will be among the fastest backs in the Big Ten. The Gophers will use him on more than plunges into the line. Play calls for Edwards could include reverses and pass receptions—opportunities to put his speed and elusiveness out in the open field.

“I definitely know that we’ll both be on the field at the same time,” Cobb said. “He’ll help complement me and I’ll complement him as well.”

Former Gophers defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman said he won’t be disappointed if he isn’t chosen during the first round of the May 8 NFL Draft. “Not really. There’s a lot of great players that have went second round that were able to do well so that doesn’t really concern me at all.”

The 6-6 Hageman weighs over 300 pounds and is viewed as someone who could play multiple positions on the defensive line. He said that versatility and his explosiveness after the ball is snapped are attributes pro scouts like.

What do scouts doubt about the Minneapolis native? “Just my motor. Just my consistency. …But that’s something I can easily change,” Hageman answered.

Rick Pitino, the legendary Louisville basketball coach and father of Gophers head men’s coach Richard Pitino, admires Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague. “He is regarded as one of the top five AD’s in the business,” Pitino said last Thursday on 1500 ESPN following the Gophers NIT championship. “…He’s an awesome AD. He is going to bring them to heights they’ve never seen before.”

Verbalcommits.com is reporting Djuan Piper, the Seattle small forward who is targeted by the Gophers, will make a college commitment this week.

Although there has been no official announcement and update, Saint John’s in Collegeville, not St. Cloud State, will host the Tackle Cancer All-Star game on June 28 starting at 1 p.m. The North versus South game showcasing outstanding senior players from the 2013 Minnesota high school football season can’t be held in St. Cloud because the artificial field is being replaced at Husky Stadium.

Players and coaches representing 85 schools and 30 conferences will participate in the game, and they were selected by members of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association. College-bound players include Columbia’s Lord Hyeamang (Apple Valley); Penn’s Drew Trabing (Prior Lake); Eastern Michigan’s Tim Gordon (Cretin-Derham Hall); Montana State’s Joey Marinello (Eastview); Northern Iowa’s Ezra Szczyrbak (Moose Lake/Willow River); North Dakota recruits Keaton Studsrud (Benilde-St. Margaret’s), Grant Aplin (Chanhassen), Reid Taubenheim (Farmington), Deion Harris (Hibbing) and Connor Bolduc (Mahtomedi); and North Dakota State’s Aaron Steidl (Alexandria) and Christian Triplett (Delano).

Head coaches for the game are Bill Weiss of Chisago Lakes Area (North) and Mike Grant of Eden Prairie (South).

The Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association honored Grant last month with the Tom Mahoney Man of the Year Award. Grant has won nine state titles including three in a row.

Former Vikings center Matt Birk spoke at the recent MFCA Clinic and talked about the importance of making the right choices and decisions. He has authored a book titled Pro Wisdom: The 7 Choices That Lead to Greatness.

Birk is an appeals judge for the NFL, deciding whether players will be disciplined by the league.

The Twins lost 99 games in 2011, and 96 each of the last two seasons. They will lose 100 this year if Sports Illustrated is correct. In the magazine’s baseball preview issue last month the Twins’ record was forecast at 62 wins, 100 losses. The Twins were ranked No. 14 in the 15-team American League.

The magazine quoted an anonymous and rival scout on the Twins. Among the more interesting comments was that pitchers “Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco will be a tremendous upgrade to their staff,” plus this evaluation of center fielder Aaron Hicks:

“I always had high hopes for Aaron Hicks, but he can’t keep it together. Too many hitters think they’re supposed to be power guys instead of learning how to handle the bat.”

Hicks, who is outstanding in the field, is hitting .190 in six games so far this season after batting .192 as a rookie in 2013. Nolasco has started two games and is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA. Hughes has one start, 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA.

The Twins, 3-3 so far this season, have their home opener this afternoon against the A’s. The prediction here is the Twins will win 70 or more games and easily avoid a 100 loss season.

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