David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Finding Paradise During Winter from Hell

Posted on January 20, 2014January 20, 2014 by David Shama

My wife and I are regular January refugees from Siberapolis. For warm temps, tropical breezes, sunny skies and gorgeous beaches, we’re ready to place St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands near the top of our early winter destinations.

Today’s Sports Headliners doesn’t have much to do with sports except I am a sportswriter and you probably visit my website expecting to read something about the Gophers or the pro teams in town. In case you want to exit from the site now, just know this column is about our trip to St. John and not only offers no sports scoops but also may send those who have spent recent weeks in frigid-snowy Minnesota into a permanent funk.

St. John was a getaway recommendation by a former local sports executive who may consider a Minnesota winter more distressing than a last place team. We occasionally console each other about winters here. This one probably has half of the state’s population popping Prozac or drinking gallons of Jack Daniel’s.

Is spectacular weather a technical term used by meteorologists? We found the tropical climate in St. John superior to experiences in the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands (all three) and Mexico. We’re still trying to decide whether to give St. John a tie with Hawaii, or just a close second.

We enjoyed five beaches in six days while walking, sunbathing and snorkeling. Google the famous Trunk Bay beach and then click on images. The beach is just as advertised, among the most beautiful in the world.

Keep it quiet but seldom used Reef Bay offered us a rare private beach experience. With no road access, we could only access the beach on foot. After a steep, rugged downhill trek, the reward is a gorgeous isolated beach, and you might have it all to yourself.

A dose of adventurous spirit is required for visiting the island. St. John consists of hilly terrain everywhere. There might be more Jeeps and other four-wheel drive vehicles per capita than any place in the Caribbean.

The night we arrived gave us a quick introduction as to why this is Jeep Country. In our vehicle we followed our host toward the house we had rented for the week. We were soon trailing her vehicle up and down steep hills and around sharp (blind) curves—all by the light of our headlights and a full moon. (Historical note: apparently a shipment of streetlights never has arrived at the docks of St. John.)

After awhile our host stopped in the middle of the road and walked back to announce something that startled us. “The turn ahead requires a leap of faith,” she said.

We soon realized this was code for a sharp turn into a narrow driveway that plunged down like a world-class roller coaster. After a flight delay in Minneapolis, a five to six hour airplane ride to St. John’s sister island of St. Thomas, a 40 minute taxi ride across that island to a ferry dock and a 20 minute boat ride to St. John, this was not an announcement we appreciated.

Making our test of faith more challenging was a first time experience driving a larger model of Jeep. We couldn’t see much of the road ahead and the expanse of the hood seemed about the size of an aircraft carrier flight deck.

We said to hell with faith and let our host drive the beast first down and then up the narrow driveway to our vacation home located on a hill overlooking a postcard pretty bay. The next morning we traded in the beast for a Wrangler that was much more driver-friendly.

Along with our daily experiences at the beach, driving provided us with some of our best entertainment on the trip. In Cruz Bay, the island’s hub, we were prepared to stop any second for a driver coming to a halt on a narrow two way street to visit with an island neighbor. “Don’t rush, mon.”

The first time buying gas on St. John we noticed a long line of cars at one entrance to the station. Vehicles were lined up out into the street. It never occurred to me drivers were in a one-way queue to fill the tanks of their vehicles.

We pulled into the other entrance of the gas station and proceeded to the one available pump. I soon figured out the situation after hearing a car horn, and being redirected by a man in charge of the lineup.

Idiot driver from Minnesota!

I felt a bit uncomfortable about the gas station incident for about 30 minutes until we were dining on Caribbean lobster. Or was it mahi-mahi? Or grilled shrimp or pulled pork?

All I know for sure about St. John food is it was mostly superb and all good. There are lots of places to eat on the island, making you forget there’s just one gas station that sometimes has long lines and even runs out of fuel.

There is also (I repeat) plenty of sunshine and warm tropical temps and breezes.

Not all is perfect in paradise. There are mosquitoes to be found in January. The troublesome insects located us soon after our arrival. Today I have less than fond memories of them when looking at the red bumps on my limbs.

The other night we headed back to Minneapolis. After a long flight from St. Thomas (included refueling in Puerto Rico) the flight attendant welcomed us to MSP. She didn’t bother to announce the temperature or this week’s weather forecast.

We already know. Figured it out back in November.

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Jerry Kill Headed Back to Sidelines

Posted on January 10, 2014January 10, 2014 by David Shama

Will Jerry Kill coach from the sidelines next season?

“I may coach from a helicopter,” Kill told Sports Headliners this week. “I get so tired of answering that question.”

The Gophers football boss has also joked about coaching from a stadium “Jumbotron” during games. Because of struggles with epilepsy, Kill coached from a press box for much of the 2013 season and not from the sidelines.

Kill has made adjustments to his lifestyle including easing back on his almost 24-7 schedule. Coaching from the press box rather than the sidelines was part of the change but next fall he expects to be on the field with the team during games. “I certainly plan on doing everything the way I‘ve always done it,” he said.

During the second half of the Texas Bowl last month Kill was on the sidelines. The move down from the press box was another indication of Kill’s improved health and avoidance of seizures during games.

“I proved everybody wrong my whole life,” Kill said. “I believe I’ll be driving by March, maybe even sooner. I am doing well. I look forward to getting behind the wheel and driving to work.

“All the people that have put my situation (down), and a lot of other people down, all that does is motivate me. I’ll be doing everything like I’ve done my whole life and I am gonna do it better.”

Ignorant fans have disparaged Kill because of the seizures but he is revered by thousands of Minnesotans who admire his courage, values and coaching. Kill has battled his way to success first as an undersized football player and later as a coach who not only had to rebuild college football programs but deal with cancer and epilepsy.

Last season was Kill’s third at Minnesota and the team had a breakout year with an 8-5 record. The 8 wins were the most since the 2003 team won 10 games. The 4-4 Big Ten record was the best since 2005. Among the wins was the program’s first over Nebraska since 1960.

The improvement from 3-9 to 6-7 to 8-5 indicates the program is turning around after decades of inconsistency and periods of dismal results. “It’s happened faster than I thought it would because I still think we need a couple more recruiting classes,” Kill said. “Certainly one (more class).”

Wide receiver Derrick Engel, tackle Ed Olson and H-back Mike Henry won’t return on offense because they are seniors. Key seniors from the defense are tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, linebacker Aaron Hill and cornerback Brock Vereen. Placekicker Chris Hawthorne will be gone, too.

Kill praised the seniors but is optimistic about the future. “I think we got some kids who are ready to step in and play,” he said.

The Gophers will return most of their regulars and Kill expects his best Minnesota team yet in 2014. “I think we should be better in all phases of the game,” he said. “I’ll be disappointed if we’re not. I think our kids understand that. We’ll know in the offseason. We’ll see how hungry they are and how hard they work.”

The Gophers lost the Texas Bowl when Syracuse’s Brisly Estime returned a punt 70 yards to set up the winning touchdown in the game’s closing minutes. “We had three or four guys that didn’t make plays (on the return),” Kill said. “We had our chances to bring the ball (carrier) down where he gets a 10 yard return, or something of that nature.”

The Gophers didn’t lose the 21-17 game just because of the punt return. Kill blamed problems with “execution” during the disappointing game. Minnesota had been favored to win over a team that came to Texas with a 6-6 record.

“You can’t define the whole season by one game,” Kill said. “Am I disappointed and are my kids disappointed about the bowl game? Certainly. You’re always disappointed when you end the season with a loss.

“But we’re also a very young team, and they (the Gophers) should be starving when they come back into school because now they know what they can do and what they didn’t do well. It will be pointed out. We’ll move forward and we’ll get better. …”

Kill is quick to praise his assistant coaches. He said the group has been together longer than any major college football coaching staff in the country. The assistants are loyal but that doesn’t mean changes can’t happen including at this time of year when other programs are reorganizing their football staffs.

“Most of the coaching positions (in college football) open up over the next two months,” Kill said. “Time will tell on that.”

At some programs offensive and defensive coordinators earn between $500,000 and $1 million. Other assistants also earn salaries deep into six figures. “It’s different than it was five or 10 years ago,” Kill said. “You can’t blame anybody if they go work for $100,000 more, $200,000 more or whatever it may be. You just can’t. There’s nothing you can do about it.

“We’ve had guys together for a long time. We’re going to do everything we can to keep them together but I also understand that some of them may want to be a head coach if that opportunity arises. Maybe not at Division I. Maybe it’s 1-AA.”

Kill is the lowest paid head football coach in the Big Ten at a reported $1.2 million annually. That is likely to change soon since he is highly valued by the University of Minnesota leadership including president Eric Kaler.

Kill said no one has “sat down” with him yet regarding compensation. “I really haven’t focused on all that,” he said. “I’ve had a lot more to deal with than those things. I figure if those things happen, hell, that’s great. All I can do is worry about what I can control. My job is to keep getting our program better.”

Kill prefers to emphasize the need to better compensate his assistant coaches and have a football complex comparable to most other programs in the Big Ten. “I think everybody knows what we need to do. We just gotta get it done and I am sure our administration will.

“The sooner we can break ground on a facility the better. That helps in recruiting. Everything I’ve been told we’re making progress so that’s the most important thing. The most important thing is the coaches and that new facility.”

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Vikings Need to Avoid Panic Hire

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

Dave Mona was retained as a consultant by the University of Minnesota in 2010 to assist in the search for a new football coach. It was a successful process leading to the hire of Jerry Kill as coach.

Hiring Northern Illinois’ Kill, a low profile coach who didn’t come from a football power conference, wasn’t enthusiastically endorsed by the public. However, Kill has improved the Gophers in each of his three seasons, demonstrating he has a plan and the ability to build a competitive Big Ten Conference program.

Mona, a University of Minnesota alum and now a recently retired business executive, isn’t surprised by Kill’s success. He and then Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi were repeatedly told during the search that Kill was viewed as a special coach by his peers.

Mona learned lessons during the search that apply to the Vikings who are looking for a head coach to replace Leslie Frazier. At some point there will be a candidate or two the Vikings will like a lot before completing their reviews. “There’s a bit of a panic factor that you don’t want to lose your guy,” Mona told Sports Headliners. “The thing (the search) gets compressed. In business, a search might take months, a series of interviews.”

The Vikings fired Frazier in late December. General Manager Rick Spielman wants to have a new coach by January 25, if not sooner. Spielman and Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf face that deadline and the competition of several other NFL teams looking for head coaches while knowing assistant coaches are in demand also.

Mona said if multiple NFL teams make hires before the Vikings, the organization can’t panic. “Can you stand up to the criticism you’re going to get in the media? ‘What’s wrong with the Vikings? Why aren’t they making their move?’

“I think no matter how tough Spielman is, it’s hard to resist that (pressure) when it looks like you’re falling behind the pack (even though) you may be doing it the right way.”

A factor sometimes receiving minimal mention during searches is “chemistry” between the decision-makers who have to work together. “You need to have strong chemistry between the ownership, the general manager and the coach who is hired,” Mona said. “…If there’s not good chemistry and you get off to a bad start, it rarely gets better. I think you’ve got to have people who philosophically are on the same page.”

Coaching searches often result in hires who are the opposite of the leaders they replace. A coach with a reputation for being offensive oriented is replaced by a defensive authority. A rah-rah leader is hired to take over for a coach who was quiet on and off the field.

Mona was warned by human resources experts about hiring opposites. “You have to be careful not to go too far because in solving one problem, you might create another,” he said.

The co-host for years of the Sunday morning WCCO Radio “Sports Huddle” program, Mona has followed the Vikings since the franchise began in 1961. How does he describe the type of coach the club should hire?

“Ideally, I think this person is going to have to identify and develop a quarterback that can lead the team for the next decade. Someone with proven experience recognizing and developing skill in quarterbacks.

“I (also) think a good evaluator of people and the ability to put out a team that reflects what’s happening in a changing league. We’ve been a solid 4-3 team. There’s a lot of success out there with 3-4 defenses. There are offensive schemes we’ve probably stayed away from.”

Worth Noting

Expect a high school quarterback and junior college linebacker to enroll at the University of Minnesota later this month. Both would take part in spring football, with the quarterback having four years of eligibility and the linebacker three.

Gophers offensive tackle Ben Lauer has been named to the Football Writers Association Freshman All-America Team. He was a first team selection.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will visit Rice Lake, Wisconsin later this month to see highly recruited prep star Henry Ellenson, brother of Gophers sophomore forward Wally Ellenson.

The Gophers basketball team plays at Penn State tonight against a Nittany Lions roster that includes freshman guard Graham Woodward from Edina. Woodward has played in 12 games, averaging 2.6 points per game.

The Gophers avoided a 0-2 start in the Big Ten season by defeating Purdue, 82-79, on Sunday at Williams Arena. Coach Richard Pitino’s Gophers lost their first conference game last Thursday against Michigan at Williams Arena.

“Coach said it wasn’t really a must-win (Sunday) but we felt it was a must-win as a team,” said Minnesota guard DeAndre Mathieu. “…0-2 in the Big Ten wouldn’t have been what we expected. We expected to be 2-0 and we came out 1-1. We’ll just have to be satisfied (with) 1-1.”

The Gophers wore gold home uniforms for the Michigan game and then brought out their home whites on Sunday. Are they superstitious about uniforms? “I think so because we won every game in the whites so far,” Mathieu said. “Even the big game over Florida State we wore the whites.”

The Gophers led Purdue by 19 points multiple times but the game was close in the final minutes. Pitino said the first 35 minutes of the game’s 40 minutes “absolutely” were his team’s best of the season.

A look at the most immediate games ahead on the schedule indicates how important the Purdue win was. Although PennState is 0-2 in the Big Ten with 16 and 20 point losses to Michigan State and Illinois, Minnesota knows road wins don’t come easy (last season the Gophers lost eight of nine away from home). After Penn State the Gophers have consecutive games with top 25 ranked teams—at Michigan State, home against Ohio State, at Iowa and home with Wisconsin. OSU, MSU and Wisconsin are ranked among the top five teams in the nation.

Gophers forward Oto Osenieks was inspired as a teenager in his native Latvia when he watched American basketball on TV. He came to the United States where he first played AAU basketball followed by one year of high school competition. He has become a starter for the Gophers as a redshirt junior and turns 23 in March. “I am old,” he said.

There is an extraordinary new sports book on Ted Williams that reports on his life including the 1938 season with the Minneapolis Millers. There are other Minnesota references including to Bob Short who moved the Lakers from Minneapolis to Los Angeles before buying baseball’s Washington Senators and making Williams his manager. The Kid The Immortal Life of Ted Williams is written by investigative journalist Ben Bradlee, Jr. and is 855 pages.

Right wing Eriah Hayes, a La Crescent, Minnesota native, has played in two games for the NHL Sharks since being recalled from Worcester of the AHL. The former Minnesota State, Mankato player had eight points in 29 games for Worcester, his first full season of pro hockey. During the 2012-13 college season he led the nation in shots on goal with 186.

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