David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Plan Calls for New Agency to Oversee Entertainment

Posted on November 9, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

The Lambrecht vision for the Metrodome area is to see the facility torn down and replaced not only by commercial and residential development, but also by greenspace development. Lambrecht’s ideas for the area he calls Downtown East include a new medical facility by the University of Minnesota that would work with the existing Hennepin County Medical Center.

In their letter to the governor, Lambrecht and his colleagues reference the lack of forethought and cohesive planning in addressing metropolitan area stadium issues for more than a half century. They have taken inspiration from the Metropolitan Airports Commission, an agency formed in the 1940s to promote not only air travel but to minimize cost and duplication by the area’s multiple airports.

The Metropolitan Entertainment Commission is Lambrecht’s answer to better sports and entertainment planning, starting with the Vikings stadium project. The letter to the governor makes this pitch: “It is time to get the house in order. Between now and the regularly-scheduled legislative session it would be possible to convene a group of qualified and engaged citizens to form the MEC. They could consider governance, operations and financing options. Additionally this group could act as an arbiter for site selection.”

Lambrecht believes with planning from the MEC a $1 billion stadium might be built on the Farmers Market site without using new public taxes or gambling revenues. A varied combination of private and public funds ─ including from the Vikings, corporate community, existing entertainment taxes, and sale of the Metrodome land ─ might satisfy the financing needs.

Critics will have their doubts about parts or all of Lambrecht’s dreams regarding a Corridor-Farmers Market-MEC solution, but no one can deny he was right about the shabby Rapid Park site that became Target Field, a nationally acclaimed urban ballpark sitting on a tight parcel of land surrounded by 21st century transportation and a variety of big city entertainment options.

The man has vision.

More at www.corridormn.com

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Worth Noting

Posted on November 9, 2011December 28, 2011 by David Shama

Today begins the fall signing period for college basketball teams and these are heady times for Big Ten schools. Michigan is expected to sign a top two or three player in Mitch McGary. The Wolverines and Indiana may have 2012 recruiting classes that are close to the best in the nation. Iowa might end up with a top 25 class. Based on 2011 recruiting classes, or projected classes for 2012, the following Big Ten schools either were or could be (again) top 25 ranked: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State.

As reported here on Monday, it looks like the Gophers will sign forward Charles Buggs from Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia and Wally Ellenson of Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

How about this for freak scheduling? The No. 1 ranked Gophers hockey team is in Madison for games on Friday and Saturday against Wisconsin, while the Badgers football team plays Minnesota at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, and then Monday night a national TV audience will watch the Vikings try to upset the undefeated Packers in Green Bay.

Jerry Kill, Gophers coach, talking about a Wisconsin team that except for two last minute plays would be undefeated: “We’re going to have to play our guts out.”

Vikings lineman Jared Allen, a top candidate to be the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the favorite for league MVP, will have a national stage to bolster resumes.

The Vikings, 2-6, don’t command a lot of national respect but they may make Monday night’s game close against the 8-0 Packers. The Vikings have not only found a quarterback in Christian Ponder, but are coming off a bye week that allows players to rest bodies and minds. Because the game is Monday night, the Vikings didn’t practice yesterday and won’t today either.

Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson is being promoted by the school for the Heisman Trophy. He was made available to media, including Minnesota reporters, on Monday via teleconference. That’s uncommon practice for a Big Ten player.

Local author Ross Bernstein has a new book, Raising Lombardi: What It Takes to Claim Football’s Ultimate Prize. He interviewed more than 75 current and former NFL players and coaches who were champions.

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference begins play in 2013 and is expected to announce the name of its commissioner in about 60 days. The league will be based in Colorado Springs and members will be Colorado College, Denver, Miami (Ohio), Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, UMD and Western Michigan. The 2013 start coincides with the beginning of the six team Big Ten comprised of Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Don’t expect the Twins to sell a reduced number of season tickets for next year despite the team’s awful 2011 record. Target Field remains a valued entertainment destination and the franchise has long maintained a list of potential season ticket buyers.

The volleyball Gophers, including the co-Big Ten Player of the Week Ashley Wittman host Michigan State tonight in a match televised by the Big Ten Network.

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Tubby Smith: No Contract Extension Now

Posted on November 7, 2011December 21, 2011 by David Shama

Tubby Smith told Sports Headliners talks about a contract extension between himself and the University of Minnesota have ended for now. He wants to focus on the season ahead and pursue a new practice facility.

A possible extension has been public knowledge since the end of last season and even last month Smith told Sports Headliners an extension agreement might be signed within 24 hours. However, representatives involved in negotiations didn’t finalize an agreement, and the coach wasn’t definitive as to why.

Smith said he isn’t upset and is very comfortable with his contract status. “I’ve got three years on my contract,” Smith said. “It’s nothing I am concerned about. …I know coming off the year we had last year ─ hell ─ I wasn’t expecting to get any extension anyway. That was something that was talked about. It wasn’t me bringing it up.”

Smith, who with base salary and incentives can potentially earn over $2 million this season, said money wasn’t the issue with the extension. So what was?

What likely is a factor from Smith’s perspective is whether the University is going to build a $20-plus million practice facility to match what other major college basketball programs have. It’s probable, too, that Eric Kaler, the new University president who began work on July 1, needs more time to assess the athletic department, including the basketball program, before making long term commitments.

Smith certainly wants to see the Gophers athletic department and University make a “commitment” to the practice building. The lack of a facility is limiting the “progression and development” of the basketball program, according to Smith.

State-of-the-art practice facilities have become major assets in the recruiting pitch of college coaches. The need for such a facility is probably even greater at Minnesota than at most schools because the Gophers both practice and play at 83-year-old Williams Arena. While it’s an exciting place on game day, the arena is a drab looking facility when empty.

Smith, the former Kentucky national championship coach, came to Minnesota in 2007 and said he’s “pretty comfortable” with his situation here, but it’s imperative that the program have what’s needed to be competitive. “The one thing I saw when I first got here was that we lacked the facilities that other major programs had to be successful,” he said.

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