David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Rosen Commitment: Connect with Viewers

Posted on October 7, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

By the late 1980s Rosen became the station’s No. 1 sports anchor. His success ties back to being himself on and off camera. He both celebrates and suffers with the fortunes of Minnesota teams and athletes, but won’t hesitate to “call out” a nice guy like Vikings coach Leslie Frazier if appropriate.

Rosen’s commitment to journalism is appreciated by viewers who are looking for more than scores and sound bites. Last year, for example, he was the first in town to report that catcher Joe Mauer was close to agreement on a new contract with the Twins.

Years ago former Viking turned sportscaster Ahmad Rashad told Rosen he was going to propose to Phylicia Ayers-Allen on NBC-TV. It was the night before Thanksgiving and Rosen informed his WCCO audience to watch NBC the next day for the proposal. “Now if I did that today, everybody would know about it around the country because it would be on Twitter and Facebook,” Rosen said.

He gushes recalling some of his career experiences including covering the “greatest sporting event ever” — the U.S. Olympic hockey win over the Soviet Union in 1980 at Lake Placid, New York. Nor is there any forgetting his interview with baseball legend Sandy Koufax who was his childhood hero.

“I interviewed him (and) I didn’t even know where I was,” Rosen said. “I was so gone.

“I had a great color picture taken with him. That’s one of my prize possessions because he really was my idol growing up and he was so pleasant.”

A lot of pleasant memories will be in Rosen’s new book and while it’s far from a “tell-all” adventure in journalism, Rosen admits there will be details about the difficult times in his life, too. How could there not be during a 40-year career?

But what are those details?

You will have to read the book.

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Minnesota Wild Face Ticket Sales Challenge

Posted on October 5, 2011October 9, 2011 by David Shama

Look for the Wild to announce a sellout on Saturday night when the local NHL franchise opens the regular season at home against Columbus, but ticket sales will be a challenge in coming months.

An NHL source told Sports Headliners the franchise has experienced a drop-off in season ticket sales and the real total now is “between 10,000 to 12,000.” That’s down from a franchise high several years ago of approximately 16,500.

A declining season ticket base leaves a lot of unsold inventory during a 41-game home schedule in the 18,000 seat capacity Xcel Energy Center. Reports were that the building was “half full” during the team’s preseason games.

The problem? “No. 1 is team performance ─ far and away,” said the NHL source. The Wild hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2008.

It’s challenging, too, to sell tickets when the franchise lacks a superstar like Marian Gaborik who now plays for the Rangers. And the difficult economy doesn’t help the Wild either as individuals and corporations have to make choices on where to spend entertainment dollars.

The Wild are gambling that Mike Yeo, a rookie NHL coach, can help restore team performance. The “honeymoon” period that began with the franchise’s inception in 2000 is over and while the Xcel remains a hockey palace, fans want to see a playoff product.

That’s not an easy assignment in the competitive Western Conference. What will help is if the Wild can ditch their typical slow starts and win seven or more of the first 10 games.

That will build confidence in the players and coaches. The Wild are working on the trust factor this week during a trip to the North Shore that includes not only practice in Duluth, but also team building exercises.

The Wild should have solid goal tending and the potential to improve a lack of scoring in the past. Newcomer Dany Heatley has twice been a 50 goals scorer in his career. A line that includes Heatley and Mikko Koivu could be fun to watch.

A healthy Pierre–Marc Bouchard might be worth 60 to 70 points and the Wild hope a better conditioned Guillaume Latendresse will have a productive season.

Pleasant surprises will translate into ticket sales this season and probably more season commitments next year. That’s no honeymoon outlook but an upbeat way to look at things.

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No Division II Football Plans for UST

Posted on October 5, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Fourth-year coach Glenn Caruso told Sports Headliners his roster includes many players recruited by Division I and II football programs but the Division III powerhouse Tommies have no plans to play at a higher level in future years.

The 5-0 Tommies are ranked No. 3 nationally and last Saturday whipped MIAC tradition-rich Saint John’s 63-7 (49-0 at halftime). In Caruso’s first season of 2008 he led the Tommies to the third biggest turnaround in Division III history. In 2009 St. Thomas was 11-2 and last season the Tommies were ranked No. 4 in the country and had a 12-1 record.

Caruso said St. Thomas is comfortable at the Division III level, offering student-athletes a “balance” between academics and football. That Division III tag, though, hasn’t stopped Caruso from attracting quality players. He estimates “probably half” his roster is comprised of players who either could play in the higher divisions, or received offers from Division I or II schools.

Among his standouts are wide receiver-kick returner Fritz Waldvogel and offensive lineman Chad Vandergriff. Could those two Division III preseason All-Americans play for the Gophers? “Oh, geez, I don’t know,” Caruso said. “And for me to speculate on that would probably be ignorant. Just glad they’re playing for St. Thomas.”

Caruso isn’t ready to label the 2011 Tommies his best club “but what stands out is this team hasn’t made similar mistakes twice.” The Tommies were plenty good last Saturday, dismantling the Johnnies with a performance that only surprised Caruso a “little bit.”

“It wasn’t like it was out of the realm of possibility,” he said. “I have often been asked could you ever have dreamed this in your wildest dreams? Well, heck, yea. …I wouldn’t be a competitor if you couldn’t dream about where your program is going to go at the highest of levels. But I did not expect that to necessarily happen this Saturday, but it felt pretty good.”

Caruso, who grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, has worked hard to turnaround the Tommies program. It’s a work ethic he and his siblings learned from their father Frank, an attorney who practiced law at home to give his children more direction.

“My dad worked tirelessly to make sure all of his kids were hard workers, were good- natured people that cared about others (and) that tired to look at the world optimistically,” Caruso said. “…My dad worked his butt off every single day not to try and make our lives easier, but to try and teach us how to navigate all the stuff that’s going to happen throughout our life.”

Caruso and the Tommies are navigating pretty well these days.

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