David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on December 8, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Although not popular with the masses, Matt Capps might be of more help to the Twins next season than anticipated. He was targeted by boo-bird fans last season (4-7, 4.25 ERA), but he had a sore right forearm. Capps has sometimes achieved impressive numbers as a big league closer. He had ERA’s of 2.28 and 3.02 with Pittsburgh and 2.74 for Washington before joining the Twins.

The Twins have acquired right-handed pitcher Daniel Turpen from the Rockies as the player to be named later in the Kevin Slowey trade. Turpen, 25, had a 2-4 record and 4.83 ERA with 11 saves in 48 appearances (one start) at Double-A Tulsa last season. He will be assigned to Triple-A Rochester’s roster.

With a 7-2 record and goals against average of 2.14 and save percentage of .932, Josh Harding is probably the Wild’s MVP so far. Harding has seven of the team’s 18 victories and helped the Wild to the most wins and points in the NHL. He’s been given the most extensive playing time in his career by new coach Mike Yeo.

This team is building confidence by the week, receives scoring from various players and has shown a franchise-rare ability to come from behind in wins. The Wild have won five straight games and play the Kings in Los Angeles Thursday night.

At home the team has sold-out only two games, the opener and the day after Thanksgiving game, according to a Sports Headliners source. Past disappointments, high price tickets, and even HDTV are reasons the franchise that used to automatically post sell-out signs is no longer doing so. The Wild haven’t made the playoffs for three years.

Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers hockey team, 13-4-1, is the only team in the country with 13 wins. Minnesota has 20 WCHA points for the first time in 12 games since the 2006-07 season. The Gophers, 10-2 in the WCHA, host Michigan Tech on Friday and Saturday nights.

Ch. 23 will show Saturday afternoon’s St. Thomas-UW-Whitewater Division III football semifinals playoff game from Whitewater, Wisconsin. The telecast will be produced and shown nationally on the ESPN3.com Website. The game can also be heard on WCCO Radio.

Tommies coach Glenn Caruso is a Division III finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award. This is the first time in St. Thomas history the football team has advanced to the Division III semifinals.

Concordia, St. Paul senior offensive left tackle Tyler Hendrickson is a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. Last year Hendrickson, from St. Paul, finished third in the voting which recognizes the top junior or senior offensive and defensive linemen in the nation. The winner will be announced on January 22.

Defending Class 4A champion Hopkins plays Cretin-Derham Hall starting at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday in one of many games that are part of the Breakdown Tip Off Classic at Minnetonka. That game is on the Main Court while at 7:45 p.m. Tartan and Apple Valley on the West Court.

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Vikings Kicker Wants to Qualify for Golf’s U.S. Open

Posted on December 7, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Ryan Longwell wants to play in next June’s U.S. Open if his off-season golf plan develops to his liking.

The 37-year-old Vikings placekicker has a passion for golf, learning the game at an early age from his father, a club pro. Longwell said his handicap as of last July was “+ 0.4.” Not bad for a guy who didn’t play high school or college golf.

Longwell told Sports Headliners that during the off-season he will work with a PGA instructor, learn how to play tournament golf and track his progress. The approach will be to have a golf plan “versus just try to go and play and get good.”

Longwell, who makes his home in the Orlando area, hopes to play smaller tournaments in Florida during the next football off-season. “Get some tournament experience and then see where we are in May-June ─ (maybe) make a run for qualifying for the Open,” he said.

Longwell failed to qualify for the Open last year but hopes his plan involving the PGA instructor will lead to a different outcome. The U.S. Open will be June 11-17 in San Francisco.

Longwell signed a new four-year contract with the Vikings this year, and plans to be with the team next season. But eventually there will be life without football and golf intrigues him.

“I would love to try it (the PGA Tour),” he said. “I guess the thing I’ve always held on to is I have never been able to play year-round being in Green Bay and Minnesota (as a player). I would like to give it maybe two full years type of thing. See how good I could get. See if my game really improves. I mean it may not, but I think chances are it could. …”

Longwell will start the golf project the first week in January. Although he acknowledges his inexperience with tournament golf, he also knows the pressure he’s mastered as an elite NFL field goal kicker is an asset.

“I do think I have a huge advantage mentally ahead of a majority of people,” he said. “It’s one thing to hit balls on the range and another thing to go play tournament golf ─ and dealing with pressure ─ I certainly understand from this job. …”

A visitor suggested one day he might be on the Champions Tour. “… I gotta do some damage before that if I want a shot on the senior tour,” Longwell said.

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Gophers Basketball Notes

Posted on December 7, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

There’s talk the Gophers will be announced as one of the teams playing in the 2014 Preseason NIT Tournament. Sports Headliners reported recently the Gophers will participate in the 2013 Maui Invitational, and it’s known Minnesota will play in the 2012 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas. Teams at the Atlantis tourney will include Duke and Louisville.

The 9-1 Gophers have been winning without injured players but did see the return of center Ralph Sampson III last night, contributing 10 points in a win over Appalachian State. “We’re gonna be a real good team once Ralph gets back,” guard Julian Welch said last weekend.

Even if the NCAA grants Trevor Mbakwe a medical redshirt allowing him to play next season, it’s probably a lock he won’t return to the Gophers unless his surgically repaired right knee has left him physically subpar and he requires more time to recover before he can compete on the pro level. Mbakwe is likely to try the NBA even as a second round draft choice, or use another pro basketball option.

Welch said “it helps a lot” playing more minutes now because he doesn’t worry about making a mistake and being removed from the game. In the Gophers first four games the junior college guard transfer never played 20 minutes but now is a team leader in both minutes and performance.

Rodney Williams likes the new assignment of playing power forward created by the absence of Mbakwe. “I’ve got a lot of mismatches because I can use my speed to get around the bigger guys,” he said recently.

The Gophers and Penn State are the only Big Ten teams who will play their first two conference games on the road. Minnesota is at Illinois December 27 and at Michigan January 1.

Tubby Smith, now starting his fifth season as Gophers coach, has a career 32-40 Big Ten record. After four seasons Dan Monson, his predecessor, was 26-38 in conference games.

The announced attendance for last Saturday’s Gophers women’s game against No. 1 ranked Baylor at Williams Arena (capacity 14,625) was 3,814. The Gophers trailed 48-21 at the half and lost 89-60.

This Friday at 5 p.m. is the deadline for men’s basketball season ticket holders who want to transfer their tickets to an “immediate family member,” according to an email from the Gophers athletic department.

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