David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ex-NBA Referee Describes Edwards’ Rants as Classless

Posted on February 1, 2024February 1, 2024 by David Shama

Ken Mauer Jr. believes Anthony Edwards was classless when ripping the officiating after his team’s game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City Monday night, but he said that referees Mark Lindsay, Karl Lane and Matt Myers will not hold a grudge against Ant.

Mauer, the St. Paul native who was a highly respected NBA referee for 37 years, didn’t see the game but heard about comments made by the Timberwolves 22-year-old high scoring guard now in his fourth professional season. Although Minnesota won the game between two of the Western Conference’s premier teams, Edwards said the officiating was “terrible,” that it was like competing against eight opponents on the floor (not five) and that his team won despite not receiving the calls they deserved from referees whose integrity he questioned.

Edwards knew his postgame comments invited punishment from the NBA office. Yesterday the league announced a $40,000 fine for his critical remarks after his team’s 107-101 win, a game where he scored 27 points.

“There’s no class there,” Mauer told Sports Headliners yesterday when asked about Edwards’ critical words. Mauer said there is a professional way to converse with officials and how to talk about them. Edwards crossed the line. “I just think they’re (the rants) without merit,” Mauer said by phone from his home in Florida. “I just don’t understand.”

Basketball is an emotional sport, and it can test the self-control of players as it did with Edwards on Monday night. “He’s a young kid,” Mauer said. “He just doesn’t quite get it yet.”

Edwards, who is averaging 25.5 points per game and has the potential to become a consensus superstar, has been in “hot water” with the league before. In 2022 he was fined $40,000 for anti-gay remarks made during the off-season. Last year he was assessed a $50,000 penalty for an incident in the spring when he recklessly threw a chair in frustration that struck bystanders.

Mauer said the league’s referees need to know the NBA office is supportive of them. Fines and reprimands of players show that backing and without such actions referees will be upset.

There will be no inclination by the three officials who worked Monday’s game, or any other league referees, to have a vendetta against Edwards, Mauer said. “Do they carry a grudge? No. Referees, they remember but referees don’t do that (hold grudges).”

By remembering incidents with players or coaches, the potential is created to have future dialogues among all concerned. Referees and players can learn from what happened and be better prepared to handle similar incidents going forward.

Mauer said NBA officials are constantly evaluated. “They get graded for every call for every game.” A supervisor will let them know if they make a mistake.

Mauer’s NBA career ended after the 2021 playoffs. He was suspended without pay for the 2021-2022 season for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID. The league didn’t mandate that players be vaccinated but did so with referees. In a two-sentence letter from the league in September of 2022 he was terminated. Mauer’s convictions told him his treatment was wrong and he initiated litigation against the NBA that is ongoing. He has an appeal for legal funding help on his GiveSendGo web page.

Mauer doesn’t want it to sound like “sour grapes” but he believes the quality of officiating in the league may not be what it once was. “There’s referees that they’re hiring that have refereed only four or five years in their entire careers,” he said.

Mauer can recall an era when it was common for rookie NBA officials to have 10, 12 or more years of prior experience at other levels of basketball. A referee facing a challenging situation for the first time is in a different place than one who has seen those circumstances many times. The league decision makers have for a while now been expanding the number of referees and have prioritized gender hiring. The total number of officials entering this season was 74 and the league had an all-time high eight female referees going into the prior season.

Mauer said contrary to the view of fans and media, officials don’t play favorites with players, teams or venues. They don’t now, nor did they during his time, Mauer maintains.

“There were many times I didn’t even know the player that I was calling the foul on. …We don’t care. We just go and do our job.”

Mauer said coaches, players, fans and media know the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns is a “whiner,” but that reputation doesn’t predispose officials to treat him unfairly. “Referees have guidelines they must follow. They follow (apply) for all the players.”

When Mauer worked in the NBA he talked with Towns and others who complain frequently about calls they don’t like. There’s no upside in that for players, Mauer said. He viewed Towns’ rants as immature behavior.

LeBron James and the Lakers don’t receive preferential treatment because he is one of the greatest players ever, or because his team is a flagship NBA franchise, per Mauer. He believes the league’s greatest players are probably more deserving of favorable calls because they make the difficult look easy despite having defenders hanging on them or hacking their arms.

Home court advantage in the NBA? Maybe so for various reasons like fan support spiking adrenaline in players but Mauer contends refs don’t intentionally favor home teams. Mauer said legendary NBA referee Earl Strom prided himself on a record that showed visiting teams won more often than home teams in games officiated.

Mauer said it was once pointed out during his career that the same was true of him. “I never kept track of things like that. I just go out and do my job.”

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Don’t Bet Against Kirk Cousins Comeback

Posted on January 30, 2024 by David Shama

Kirk Cousins had serious but successful surgery on his right Achilles tendon almost three months ago. At age 35, there is reason to be concerned about future performance by the Vikings’ soon to be free agent quarterback regardless of who he plays for next season.

How will his on-field mobility be? Hardly a turf-field dancer during his 12 season NFL career, a more limited Cousins could be a stationary target and easy prey in the pocket next fall. That status would make Cousins less productive and potentially prone to injuries including a concussion. Best case scenario might be okay maneuverability next season, with improvement the year after.

There is also a possibility of re-injury to the Achilles. That development would almost assuredly end Cousins’ career which other than last fall has been one of good fortune and durability. Even a less than stable right leg could lessen Cousins’ trademark arm strength.

Advances in surgery and rehabilitation have changed the outcomes of serious lower leg injuries for NFL players. The greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, recovered from ACL knee surgery in 2008 and played 14 more seasons. Adrian Peterson, the Vikings GOAT RB, injured his left knee in late 2011 and recovered from ACL surgery to have one of his best seasons in 2012.

However, Achilles tendon surgery is generally considered more problematic than ACL knee surgery for a football player. Rams’ running back Cam Akers, though, made a recovery in less than six months a couple of years ago, shaving multiple months off his scheduled return to the field. Reports now on the recovery by Jets’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers after his 2023 Achilles tendon surgery are cheery and basketball players like Kevin Durant also have success stories following the potential career-threatening injury.

Cousins is a high character athlete who will follow advice and instruction at a GOAT level. He will use intelligence, common sense, work ethic and determination to provide himself with the best possible recovery outcome. He told NBC a while ago he expects to go from walking to jogging by February 1.

Cousins built his reputation as a top-twelve NFL quarterback on his strong arm, accuracy and football intelligence. Never considered a scrambling or running threat, Cousins does need to achieve mobility and lower body strength similar to the past to make his comeback successful. It’s reasonable–with no guarantees—to think of a recovery timeline that allows him to be on the field when the NFL schedule starts up next September.

Don’t bet against him regardless of where he calls home later in 2024.

Worth Noting

NFC North Division rivals Detroit and Green Bay are reminding Vikings fans of the alternatives in building quarterback success.

The division champion Lions have an eight-year career veteran in Jared Goff. He is similar in experience, league quarterback reputation and skill set to Cousins. The Lions have built an impressive total team and coaching support around Goff that could lead them to a Super Bowl in 2025. The Vikings? Much more of a long shot, although a healthy Cousins and significantly improved defensive personnel would shorten the odds.

The Packers have employed three starting quarterbacks in the last 31 years. The GB way is to identify quarterback potential and develop it. Aaron Rodgers sat for three seasons behind starter Brett Favre. After Rodgers left for the Jets in the 2023 off-season, the Packers turned to Jordan Love who had also been in development for three seasons. Love’s hot finish in his first year as a starter almost got the Packers to the NFC championship game this month.

It’s looking like much-admired Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores will not be hired away for a head coaching job. Flores, the Dolphins former head coach, has a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and three of its teams that remains unsettled. His return for at least one more season will be a major plus for Minnesota.

Gabriel Gonzalez, 20, the outfielder who the Twins acquired from the Mariners yesterday as one of four players coming to Minneapolis in return for second baseman Jorge Polanco is only 5-10 and 165-pounds, but he has surprising power and could turn out to be the gem of the trade for Minnesota. In 477 at bats in the low minors last year he hit 18 home runs.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, speaking before a gathering of more than 300 at the Minnesota Breakfast Club in Naples, Florida this month, talked candidly about his disappointing team. The Wild currently has 47 points, the second lowest total in the eight-team Central Division and is 5-9 this month including a two-game losing streak.

In the fall Minnesota had been forecast as a solid bet for the playoffs but prospects are iffy now. Breakfast attendee Marshall Tanick emailed Sports Headliners that Guerin said his in-season head coaching hire John Hynes (who replaced Dean Evason) is a “very detailed, very organized guy” who will help players in their preparations and performances.

Positives this season, per Guerin, include 39-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury becoming the second winningest all-time NHL goalie and the play of former Gopher defenseman Brock Faber who is impressing after joining the Wild for two games last spring.

Entertaining storyteller Bob Hagan, who for many years headed the Vikings’ public relations department, is the latest guest on Behind the Game with co-host Patrick Klinger and Dave Boden. Hagan, whose well-known quip at news conferences was “time for two more,” talks on the show about a career that made him one of the NFL’s well-known team communications leaders. https://youtu.be/maTN5BM4c4o.

Condolences to the family and friends of Phil Frerk who passed away from congestive heart failure earlier this month. He coached St. Louis Park girls’ basketball teams to state championships in 1986 and 1990. In retirement, the mild-mannered Frerk helped lead the CORES organization that hosted prominent speakers at luncheon gatherings in Bloomington. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Birthday club: Former Gophers All-American tight end and 1970s Viking Doug Kingsriter turned 74 yesterday, January 29. Authoritative Star Tribune Gopher basketball beat reporter Marcus Fuller celebrated his 45^th birthday last week.

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Vikes & Fans Will Be Immersed in Off-Season Drama

Posted on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 by David Shama

Now the Great Quarterback Watch begins. “Purple Nation” waits in anticipation the next few months to learn how the Vikings intend to solve their quarterback dilemma and who will lead the offense next season.

Fairly or not, the result may define the general manager era of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Why fairly? Because it may not be known for a while if the Wilf ownership group dictates a strategy that the franchise’s inexperienced GM disagrees with but is forced to carry out.

The Wilfs have declined past purges of the roster and the resulting long-term strategy to rebuild the club. Their “competitive rebuild” approach of recent years dictates roster patching with a minimum goal of qualifying for the playoffs.

The Wilfs want badly to win the Super Bowl. Zygi Wilf, often seen as ownership’s leader, is a serious football fan who is pained by Vikings losses. The Wilf family has stepped up with a willingness to provide the resources needed for a successful franchise including the state-of-the-art practice facility in Eagan and downtown’s U.S. Bank Stadium.

The guess here is ownership will have to be talked out of re-signing free agent Kirk Cousins if Adofo-Mensah wants to go in a new direction. If Cousins recovers by next fall from his right Achilles tendon tear last October, the offense could be among the best in the NFL. The Wilfs may take that position and argue the defense can be patched up through the NFL Draft and free agency.

The result? A likely playoff team emerging from a competitive NFC North Division but not an elite group.

Cousins is all but certain to favor staying in Minnesota. The 35-year-old likes Kevin O’Connell personally and likes the head coach’s offensive system. That system is not an easy one to master but can produce high scoring results. Cousins has about two years invested in the system, and it makes more sense to enjoy the rewards of familiarity rather than the challenge of starting over.

And how could Cousins not want to stay here and enjoy the company of pass receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson? Jefferson, a superstar, has 11 career games with at least 150 yards in his first four seasons and that’s an NFL record. As a rookie this fall Addison emerged as a talented big play target and complement to Jefferson at wide receiver. Although Hockenson is a tight end, he is also a deep and intermediate threat.

Signing Cousins will be expensive but it’s safe wagering money to think he will demand less money from the Vikings than a rival organization chasing him. Cousins might be willing to accept compensation of $30 to $40 million on a two-year deal. The length of the contract could be a challenge for both Cousins and any front office that pursues him.

But that’s not to minimize the importance and amount of money the Vikings must be accountable for to their owners and NFL salary cap. Adofo-Mensah will have payroll challenges including with Jefferson who is in line for a deal that annually will rival Cousins. The Vikings have a long list of free agents including starters and headed by sack artist and defensive end Danielle Hunter who will be looking for a per yearly deal of perhaps $20 million.

Because of their 7-10 season, the Vikings will draft at No. 11 in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. They could decide to say no thanks to Cousins and draft a quarterback with the intent of starting the rookie next fall. That says rebuild and a focus on the playoffs in a couple of years.

At No. 11 the Vikings might put a trade package together and jump up even further in the draft. That might ensure the Vikes can select one of the top quarterbacks in the draft and may ultimately be their strategy.

There are six quarterbacks who could go in the first round: Caleb Williams, USC; Drake Maye, North Carolina; Jayden Daniels, LSU; Michael Penix Jr., Washington; Bo Nix, Oregon; and J.J. McCarthy, Michigan. At least a couple of them will likely still be available at No. 11.

However, the catch is it looks like there’s a gap in desirability right now between the first four and the last two quarterbacks. Nix, who turns 24 next month, may not appeal to the Vikings who could prefer McCarthy if positioned to choose between the two and failing to move up in the draft order. McCarthy is as athletic or more so than his prolific rivals, has played in a more conservative offense and is perhaps more intriguing because at 20 years old he is the youngest of them.

Williams, Maye, Daniels and Penix could be year-one starters, with the outlook more uncertain for Nix. Don’t wager anything other than yesterday’s garbage that a young McCarthy will be ready to lead an NFL team next fall.

If the Vikings tell Cousins the plan is to draft McCarthy and school the former Wolverine for a couple of years, then Kirk would almost for sure take that deal if the other contract terms were agreeable. Then the Wilfs remain in their comfort zone of “competitive rebuild.”

How competitive will the team be if there is a Cousins return? Much of that will be answered by if Hunter returns, a quality edge rusher is added or developed to complement him, and the GM finds some cornerbacks who can consistently tackle and not get lost in coverage. And, oh yes, the miracle worker defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, returns rather than accepts another NFL job, possibly as a head coach.

Lots of “Purple” drama is coming in the offseason.

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