David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Claeys Won’t Go Rah-Rah on Saturday

Posted on October 15, 2013October 15, 2013 by David Shama

Interim Gophers football coach Tracy Claeys said this afternoon there is nothing new on a date for the return to work of head coach Jerry Kill. It appears Kill will miss his second consecutive game on Saturday when the Gophers play at Northwestern.

“I don’t anticipate him being at that game,” Claeys said.

Kill is not at his Gophers office and few details have been made available during his absence that began with missing the Michigan game on October 5. Kill likely won’t return to work until he and his medical advisors have a very high level of confidence he can avoid the repetitive seizures that have sidelined him in the past and made national headlines.

Kill talks with Claeys by telephone. How much input does Kill have? “As much as he wants,” Claeys said.

Claeys will coach from the sidelines on Saturday, a change from the press box locations he normally uses as defensive coordinator. But Claeys will continue to handle the defense, plus the responsibilities of a head coach.

Will he offer a pep talk prior to the Northwestern game? “Those rah-rah speeches, you give those and they work for one or two plays,” he said. “As soon as someone belts you a good one, the rah-rah speech is gone. Winning football games still comes down to playing hard and executing. Doing your job. We’ll remind the kids of the things they need to do well and I have no doubt we’ll play hard.”

Claeys will start Mitch Leidner at quarterback but Philip Nelson could play for a series as early as the first half. “There will be no set rotation or anything like that,” Claeys said.

He also said Leidner’s past performance merits the start against Northwestern. Nelson lost his starting job during the nonconference season because of a hamstring injury but the coaching staff doesn’t want to forget about him. “There’s not that big a difference in skill between Philip and Mitch,” Claeys said. “We don’t have to go change our offense that much.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings could be shopping for a quarterback in the first round of next year’s NFL Draft. The top five prospects are Marcus Mariota, Oregon; Zach Mettenberger, LSU; Brett Hundley, UCLA; Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M; and Tajh Boyd, Clemson, according to a scout’s list in the October 14 issue of Sports Illustrated.

During the second half of Sunday’s Vikings-Panthers game a fan was hiding his face with a paper mask — an idea that could become more popular with the Purple off to a 1-4 start including the embarrassing 35-10 loss to the Panthers.

Fans sometimes pay a lot of money before they arrive in their seats for a game at Mall of America Field. First Covenant Church was charging $40 to park a vehicle on Sunday and inside the stadium Adrian Peterson jerseys were selling for $115 each.

When the Vikings play their home schedule at TCF Bank Stadium next year there may not be any single game tickets available. Steve LaCroix, the club’s vice president of sales and marketing, said the Vikings have total season tickets now in the “mid-50’s” range and will add about 2,000 seats to the present capacity of TCF Bank Stadium, 50,805. Announced attendance at Sunday’s game at Mall of America Field was 63,963.

Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson is averaging a career best 16.2 yards per reception. The 27-year-old missed games with the Vikings last year because of violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy but he told Sports Headliners 2013 is a new start.

“I am playing the best football of my career right now because I am just so relaxed and I am just tuned in,” he said last week. “I have no worries. I just go out there and just play football and have fun and entertain the people.”

Simpson, whose teammates nickname him “Juice” because of his energy, is focused too on his off-field behavior. “I am taking care of my business, and being the best person I can,” he said.

Vikings second-year placekicker Blair Walsh is tied with the Bears’ Robbie Gould for the NFL record for consecutive field goals of more than 50 yards with 12 and made All-Pro as a rookie last season. He also set the franchise record for most points in a single season. Asked if he thought about being remembered among the best kickers in NFL history, Walsh said, “It’s way too early for that.”

The PBS telecast last week about concussions and NFL players is a sobering look at pro football. “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” focuses on how the NFL has addressed information about football causing long-term brain injuries. The program can be viewed on PBS.org.

Gophers fans thinking about buying tickets on Saturday morning at Ryan Field will find plenty of inventory. Although the Wildcats have become a strong program, fan support is underwhelming. Attendance has been less than 39,000 for three of four home games this season. The Ohio State game drew a capacity crowd of 47,130 but thousands of seats were filled with Buckeyes fans.

Here are Sports Headliners’ Big Ten football power rankings: Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue.

The Gophers wear a variety of uniform combinations including the drab maroon jerseys and pants they have dressed in for three of four home games in 2013. Seniors vote to determine the uniform selections from game to game.

Former Gophers coach Tim Brewster, now tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State, turned 53 on Sunday.

Brainerd’s Ron Stolski, the winningest prep football coach in Minnesota history, won his 350^th game last week. His career record is 350-155-5. State prep football coaches closing in on 100 career wins are Jim Galvin, Mounds View, 99-41; Dave Ziebarth, St. Thomas Academy, 98-26; John Austinson, Byron, 98-66; Bob Staska, McGregor, 97-59; and Jeff Weiland, Orono, 97-75.

MIAC attention this week will be on Saturday’s football game at Bethel when the first place Royals, 3-0, play St. Thomas, 2-1. Royal Stadium has a capacity of 3,500 but two years ago attendance was 5,842 when the Tommies came to Bethel. Bethel hasn’t defeated St. Thomas since 2007, 19-18.

Gophers coach Richard Pitino will have his team scrimmage in game format on Friday night at Williams Arena. The scrimmage is open to the public and begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is free.

Pitino’s father, Rick Pitino, is promoting a new book but got the brush off from Boston radio talk show host Fred Toucher who ripped Pitino for ruining the Celtics and then hung up on him after about 10 seconds, according to various media reports. Rick Pitino, coach of the defending national champion Louisville Cardinals, has a self-help book called The One-Day Contract. He is often criticized for his work as Celtics coach and president in the late 1990s.

Former Timberwolves guard and front office executive Fred Hoiberg is starting his fourth season as Iowa State’s head coach. Hoiberg has impressed with his coaching and it might be the Wolves will consider him if present head coach Rick Adelman retires in a year or two. Adelman, 67, has been concerned about his wife’s health and his coaching career seems year-to-year now. Hoiberg celebrates his 40^th today.

Dan Terhaar, former Minnesota Wild broadcaster, is the radio voice of St. Cloud State hockey on KNSI in St. Cloud.

Comments Welcome

My Take on Vikings, Gophers Football

Posted on October 11, 2013October 11, 2013 by David Shama

What I believe and you might want to know about Gophers football and the Vikings:

Gophers fans I hear from are discouraged about the program, including the team’s 0-2 Big Ten start and coach Jerry Kill’s struggles with seizures. After decades of being a passionate fan, one guy contemplates giving up on the Gophers after this season ends. Another man is predicting one or two wins in conference games for not only this season but the ones most immediately ahead.

Then there is a supporter who retains a sense of humor, asking to be assured there are no tall buildings tempting him into suicide when he follows the team next week to Evanston to play nationally-ranked Northwestern. Unfortunately, the Sears Tower in Chicago is not far away from the Wildcats’ campus.

“In the off-chance that the Gophs underwhelm the Wildcats, I‘ll broaden my horizons and develop interests other than U of M football,” the fan wrote in jest. “In fact, I’ve already bought a book on cricket.”

Loyal fans have suffered for decades. Since 1970 Gophers teams have only five times won more than half of their Big Ten games. During that span the Gophers have just six finishes of fourth or higher in the standings. Minnesota hasn’t won the Big Ten title since 1967.

Twice in the last six decades the program showed enough juice to look like it might become an annual force in the Big Ten. The best hope died when coach Lou Holtz left town for Notre Dame after the 1985 season. A flicker of light danced in Dinkytown during the Glen Mason era but the Gophers never achieved better than fourth place finishes (three times) in the Big Ten and couldn’t earn an invite to a New Year’s Day bowl game. Mason’s 10 year record in league games was 32-48.

Mason took over a struggling program from coach Jim Wacker. In 1999, his third season at Minnesota, the Gophers were much improved. They upset No. 2 ranked Penn State and finished with an 8-4 overall record including 5-3 in the Big Ten.

This is Kill’s third season at Minnesota. His team isn’t nearly as good as Mason’s 1999 club. Kill inherited a mess from Brewster, his predecessor, and maybe a more difficult job than Mason found awaiting him in 1997.

An optimist will argue the program has been down for so long it’s going to take awhile longer to become more competitive. Give Kill four recruiting classes (he has had two of his own making) and then judge the program, according to supporters.

The results on the field during the Kill era certainly leave room for much improvement, although the Gophers did qualify for a bowl game in 2012 — the first for the program since 2009. But there are no overall winning records in either of the two full seasons under Kill. Big Ten results in two-plus years are painful with Kill having four league wins against 14 losses. The defeats have been mostly one-sided. Minnesota has only twice lost games by 14 points or less.

Kill’s epilepsy is a threat to his future and has become the face of the program nationally. His seizures have to be stopped or managed effectively enough so that he can do his job and not be a bigger news story than the team.

Count on Kill, a strong character guy and good football coach, to exhaust all possibilities in becoming seizure free. He is one of the most determined individuals I have ever met. Kill’s integrity won’t allow him to coach in the months and years ahead if he can’t be fully functional in his nearly 24-7 role as head coach.

The announcement yesterday that defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys will become interim coach while Kill takes time off to concentrate on treatment and management of his epilepsy is no surprise. But it is a responsible action and welcome news for a coach with multiple game day seizures at Minnesota including this year.

A silver lining for the story is how Kill’s struggles have raised awareness about epilepsy and seizures. In addition, Minnesotans have been reminded about the problems and disabilities that confront so many people, and become more tolerant of them.

The best outcome for Gophers football is for Kill to get well and be able to provide stability to a program that has been fragile for too long including because of the coaching merry-go-round. He has already shown he can guide his players to dramatically improved academic performance. More recruiting classes with better talent (there’s a woeful lack of offensive and defensive playmakers on this year’s team) — along with the maturation process for players that comes with time in the weight room — will bring better results on the field.

Regarding the Vikings, let’s address the most recent drama with this franchise. Two weeks ago fans and media jumped into conspiracy mode after hearing Christian Ponder had a bruised rib. Wasn’t this, they speculated, just a contrived excuse to bench the erratic quarterback?

Uh, no, not really. Ponder’s rib injury is real, still a problem and could be for awhile.

Matt Cassel will probably start at quarterback for the Vikings on Sunday at home against the Panthers. On some future date this fall newly acquired Josh Freeman will almost surely come on the field during a game, either as a reliever or starter. So four games into the season the 1-3 Vikings don’t know who their regular quarterback is.

Not good.

The Vikings began this season 0-3 and since 1990 only three NFL teams with that record have made the playoffs. The Vikings are not going to win all of their remaining 12 games so probably the best they can hope for — a big hope — is to win nine of them and finish 10-6. That might — a big might — win the NFC North and provide a ticket to the playoffs. A 10-6 record, though, is unlikely to qualify for postseason as a wildcard team.

Ponder is a bright guy who may overthink his options when on the field. He does play with hesitation and is indecisive.

Local fans have made Ponder Purple Enemy No. 1 and subjected him to more abuse than any Viking in recent memory. An unhappy crowd is a subtraction in the home field advantage department. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that many boos,” Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said about a home game this year.

Management has ego invested in Ponder, having taken him as the 12^th pick in the first round of the 2011 draft. He was to become the franchise quarterback but if he falls out of favor and Cassel or Freeman takes the Vikings to the playoffs, management still looks good because they acquired both of those players in the last nine months.

Freeman was too talented for the Vikings not to sign despite problems with the Bucs and coach Greg Schiano. Sometimes guys with troubled pasts become major contributors on new teams. Allen had DUI problems with the Chiefs but has been invaluable here. Years ago Cris Carter had drug problems early in his NFL career but he became a Hall of Fame receiver for the Vikings.

In the pass-happy and parity oriented NFL, the Vikings need better quarterback play than they have had in recent seasons. Adding to the pressure to find a savior at quarterback is NFC Division rivals Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay have superior QB’s.

This Vikings roster is too talented not to be in contention for the playoffs. Head coach Leslie Frazier, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and defensive coordinator Alan Williams are on the spot. They have been coaching here long enough to be well beyond the “honeymoon” period.

Despite problems at quarterback, the Vikings defense has been a disappointment and is more responsible than the offense for the team’s 1-3 start — three losses by a combined 15 points. The Vikings rank 14^th out of 16 NFC teams in total defense.

This team should be 2-2, if not 3-1.

Among players who deserve a smiley sticker are wide receiver Jerome Simpson and kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Simpson is the team’s top pass catcher with 19 receptions for 342 yards. He looks more engaged than last season, his first with the team. Patterson, averaging a league best 33.8 yards on kickoff returns, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the month for September.

1 comment

Owner: Wolves Have Title Aspirations

Posted on October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 by David Shama

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor was asked this week if he expects his team to end a 10-year absence from the playoffs next spring. The Wolves had playoff potential last season but injuries ruined their season and the club finished with a 31-51 record.

“When I talk to team members and coaches and all that, their expectation is they want to prepare to win the (NBA) championship,” Taylor told Sports Headliners. “They’re not just saying they want to make the playoffs. The expectation is how deeply can they go.”

The Wolves have a nucleus of three players who are among the best in the NBA at their positions, power forward Kevin Love, point guard Ricky Rubio and center Nikola Pekovic. But the optimism coming from Wolves training camp is also based on other players including offseason acquisitions Kevin Martin at shooting guard and small forward Corey Brewer.

New president of basketball operations Flip Saunders is responsible for those moves and others. His work has impressed Taylor who gives Saunders an “A” grade since being hired last spring.

“I had high expectations of Flip and he’s made all of them come true,” Taylor said. “His level of communications is excellent and I am very appreciative of all he’s done.

“In the personnel area we had talked previously about the type of personnel he wanted. He just moved on it very quickly and found the type of players the staff wanted.”

Saunders has more than 20 years of professional basketball experience. This is his second period of employment by Taylor and the Wolves, having worked here from 1995 – 2005, first as general manager and mostly head coach. Head coaching assignments with the Pistons and Wizards followed before Taylor brought him back to his organization.

Taylor describes his top basketball executive as a “unique” hire because of their previous relationship and all of Saunders’ skills. He said Saunders’ experiences after he left the Timberwolves of working for other teams and also a short period as an NBA analyst for ESPN “rounded out his understanding of the league.”

Taylor is projecting the Wolves will make money in 2013-14 for the first time in years. “It’s not like we’ll make a lot, probably $2 or $3 million,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s other basketball team, the Lynx, is in the WNBA Finals for the third time in three years. Last year the franchise earned a profit approaching $500,000, the first time the Lynx made money, Taylor said. This year the team could finish in the black and “approach” $1 million.

Taylor said the pending deal with the city and AEG Facilities to renovate Target Center for $100 million is taking “longer than anticipated” but he remains optimistic about it being completed. After the renovation he expects Target Center to be a better arena than “over 50 percent” of the other NBA venues.

Worth Noting

New Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman had differences with his Bucs coach, Greg Schiano. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said, however, Freeman is excited about a “fresh start” here and believes the two will “co-exist.”

Although Freeman’s career performance has been inconsistent, he was reportedly wanted by multiple NFL teams. After being released last week by the Bucs, David Steele wrote the following on Sportingnews.com: “The rest of the NFL likely doesn’t feel about him the way the Bucs do. He’s done nothing to make the entire sport give up on him now, as it did on JaMarcus Russell.”

Rib injuries are slow to heal and whether Christian Ponder is healthy enough to be an option to start on Sunday against the Panthers isn’t known. But Matt Cassel seems the more likely starter with Ponder trying to heal and Freeman too unfamiliar with the offense to start.

Ponder may soon lose his starting job for the remainder of the season. “I am a man of faith,” Ponder said. “I believe that God’s got my future in his hands. I don’t know what that means. But I am trying to get healthy and I think ultimately it will make me a better quarterback.”

Is Ponder’s confidence shaken after being replaced two weeks ago by Cassel and now the acquisition of Freeman who has started 59 NFL games dating back to his rookie season in 2009? “In my eyes I am getting prepared to play,” Ponder said. “As long as I play well, then I am the one on the field.”

Vikings defensive end Kevin Williams is a team leader and is unsure what impact Freeman will have. “I don’t know, we’ll have to see. The management made a decision, we have to go with it.”

Williams, though, knows Freeman has talent. “He’s a first rounder for a reason. He has great potential. He just has to bring it to the table and shine.”

Tomorrow the Vikings are offering “No Service Fee Day” sponsored by U.S.Bank. Fees are waived for fans purchasing single game tickets through Ticketmaster.com.

Steve LaCroix, the Vikings vice president of sales and marketing, e-mailed that tickets remain for home games against the Redskins November 7, the Eagles December 15 and the Lions December 29.

The Vikings sold “just under” 8,000 new season tickets this year, according to LaCroix.

The SportingNews college basketball yearbook ranks the best coaches in each conference. Mick Cronin is No. 4 in the American Athletic, Shaka Smart No. 1 in the Atlantic 10 and Buzz Williams No. 1 in the Big East. All had their names prominently mentioned with the Gophers’ opening last March after Tubby Smith was dismissed.

Although the magazine said it was time for Smith to move on, he is rated the third best coach in the Big 12 where he now leads the Texas Tech program. The top five coaches in the Big Ten, according to the publication that predicted the Gophers will finish ninth in the conference, are Tom Izzo, Thad Matta, John Beilein, Bo Ryan and Tom Crean.

Timberwolves players Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio bought 500 tickets to give away for last night’s Lynx WNBA Finals Game at Target Center. The Lynx, with a 2-0 series lead in the best of five series, play the Dream on Thursday night in Duluth, Georgia with ESPN 2 televising the game starting at 7:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

It might be an interesting meeting today for Gophers football coach Jerry Kill and athletic director Norwood Teague. The two normally meet at noon on Wednesdays, and Kill suffered a seizure last week preventing him from coaching the team on Saturday at Michigan. Although Kill has experienced multiple seizures since becoming the Gophers coach, last week was the first time he missed a game.

The Gophers 0-2 start in Big Ten games isn’t pretty and neither are their offensive and defensive numbers in conference games. Minnesota ranks 10^th in rushing offense and eighth in rushing defense. The Gophers are 11^th and eighth in passing offense and defense. Minnesota is tied for last in scoring offense and ranks eighth in scoring defense.

Matt Majka speaks to the CORES group on Thursday, November 14 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. Majka is chief operating officer of Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, a company whose business interests include the Minnesota Wild. Reservations for the luncheon and program should be made by Monday, November 11. Anyone interested can contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

The Wild, 0-1-1 against Winnipeg last season, play the Jets tomorrow night at Xcel Energy Center. Zach Parise has 23 points in 24 career games against the Jets, while Jason Pominville, has 23 in 27 games. Both Wild wings have played most of their NHL careers with other teams.

It’s a major disappointment for the Wild to have Charlie Coyle, the 21-year-old center with star potential, out three to four weeks with a sprained knee.

Comments Welcome