David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

No Joy in Childress Firing Anniversary

Posted on November 18, 2011December 17, 2011 by David Shama

I wonder if all the knucklehead fans who hated Brad Childress are still happy he’s no longer coaching in Minnesota. It was almost a year ago (November 22) that the Vikings fired their coach ─ public enemy No. 1 to much of the fan base.

The record was 3-7 when Childress was fired. The 2011 edition is 2-7 with seven games remaining on the schedule. Childress coached a team with uncertainty at quarterback and failing personnel in other positions. His successor, Leslie Frazier, is reading the same script.

Although Childress wasn’t liked by the masses, his firing hasn’t improved ticket sales. The truth is there are more empty seats at home games this season than last.

Did his dismissal quiet the critics? Hardly. Even the Monday Night TV crew was calling out the Vikings for lack of discipline during Green Bay’s beat down of Minnesota, 45-7.

Until last year Childress coached the Vikings to improved records each season. He was 6-10 in 2006, then 8-8, 10-6 and 12-4. The last two records were good enough to give the franchise its first consecutive division titles since 1977-78. And the 2009 team was within a play or two of qualifying for the Super Bowl.

Less than 12 months after the 2009 NFC championship loss, Childress was fired. Yes, he made a mistake in allowing the toxic Randy Moss on his roster and he should have informed ownership when he decided to dismiss the controversial wide receiver. And, yup, there were locker room problems.

But locker room morale gets fixed over time and the resume of Childress’ work suggests he was capable of the task. He earned a reputation in Philadelphia as a valued assistant and before that was an accomplished college coach. His expertise was offensive football and he knew personnel, too. He had a lot to do with building the Vikings into a winning roster, but then some players grew old and others were injured.

Childress was trying to figure out how to plug the holes when he was fired. Frazier and company are doing the same.

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Big Ten Expert: Gophers Kill ‘Great Coach’

Posted on November 18, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Gophers football notes:

Big Ten Network analyst Chris Martin raves about Minnesota coach Jerry Kill. “He’s one of the best coaches out there,” Martin said. “He’s won every place he’s been.”

Martin told Sports Headliners before last Saturday’s game against Wisconsin that he “truly believes Kill is a great coach.” The Gophers are 5-17 during the last two seasons and the program hasn’t won a Big Ten title since 1967, but that doesn’t damper Martin’s enthusiasm for Kill and his staff. “I know he will get them back on top,” Martin said.

He also described defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys and offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover as “brilliant.” Those two, along with Kill and the other coaches have the Gophers playing with maximum effort, according to Martin, a former defensive back for Northwestern.

“They play harder than anybody in the Big Ten,” Martin said.

Martin played for the Chicago Bears when Greg Schiano was an assistant coach there in the 1990s. He believes Schiano, now head coach at Rutgers, could be in the “conversation” as the next Penn State head coach. Schiano was an assistant at Penn State before he joined the Bears.

Injured Gophers defensive back and kickoff returner Troy Stoudermire is a senior and hasn’t played since the fourth game of the season but he might receive a medical redshirt allowing him to play next season.

At least one pro scout was at Saturday’s Minnesota-Wisconsin game. Gophers wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight is the one Minnesota senior who might be chosen in next year’s NFL draft.

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Gophers, Twins & Other Notes

Posted on November 18, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday but was in the office about 5 a.m. Tuesday. That’s a typical arrival time for him.

GopherIllustrated.com. reports that defensive back Jeremy Baltazar from Blinn College in Brenham, Texas has given a verbal commitment to the Gophers for 2012. He visited campus last weekend.

Cornerback Kyle Henderson, who transferred to the Gophers from Minnesota State-Mankato State, said perhaps six to eight of his former teammates could have played Division I football. “The talent level is not terrible in Division II by any means,” he said.

Because of a commitment to play MarQueis Gray at quarterback, Gophers freshman Max Shortell has been on the field for only a few plays since he started the Michigan game on October 1. Kill said he’s “pleased with the progress” of the 19-year-old quarterback. “…Actually he’s probably farther along than what I thought he would be when he came here,” Kill said. “He’s worked hard.”

Round one of the 32-team NCAA Division III playoffs are about to start and no game has more local interest than St. Thomas hosting St. Scholastica. UST will be at home for the noon start tomorrow and hopes to improve its all-time first-round playoff record to 3-0. The MIAC website reports that the Tommies’ Fritz Waldvogel tied a Division III record by catching a pass in each of 40 career regular season games.

Twins executive Jim Rantz describes newly signed infielder Jamey Carroll as a “young” 37 year old. He said Carroll has taken care of himself and his personality will be a positive in the clubhouse.

Rantz said minor league pitching prospect Kyle Gibson won’t throw with “any velocity” until June or July after his Tommy John surgery. Rantz wouldn’t predict whether Gibson’s recovery schedule will allow him to pitch in organized baseball in 2012.

Max Kepler, the native of Germany who the Twins signed at 16, turns 19 in February and Rantz said the former infielder is considered a prospect at all three outfield positions. It’s possible Kepler will play for the Twins Class A Beloit team next year.

Coach Don Lucia’s No. 1 ranked Gophers hockey team has scored a goal in the last minute of regulation play in five of 12 games this season and only one goal has been an empty-net goal. Seven times this season the Gophers have scored during the last five minutes. Minnesota plays at St. Cloud State tonight and tomorrow night.

The Wild has the second-ranked prospects in the NHL, according to an ESPN Insider story this week. Mentioned in the article were Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin and Johan Larsson. ESPN Insider discounted any player who had begun his entry-level contract.

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