David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on September 14, 2011October 9, 2011 by David Shama

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier asked about what happened to his team in the second half after leading San Diego 17-7 at halftime last Sunday: “We didn’t change a whole lot of things we were doing. We wanted to be able to execute a little bit better and we didn’t always execute as well as we should have. …”

It was almost 50 years ago to the day that the Vikings played their first regular season game ever. On Sunday, September 17, 1961 the expansion Vikings surprised the blue blood Chicago Bears, 37-13. Rookie quarterback Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes in one of the great upsets in NFL history. Attendance at Met Stadium was only 32,236. The largest home attendance of the season was 42,007 for the Green Bay game.

Gophers linebacker Brendan Beal, who has yet to play in a game because of his knee injury, was scheduled to practice yesterday.

It’s not likely Eric Decker’s favorite activity on a football field, but the former Gophers wide receiver and part-time punt returner took a punt back 90 yards for a touchdown on Monday night for Denver, his first such TD of a two year pro career. Punt returners are prime targets for tackling and collision mayhem.

Former Tennessee national championship coach Phil Fulmer will speak at the MFC (Minnesota Football Coaches) Clinic next March at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.

The Old Timers Football Banquet will honor Jim Carter, Jerry Keenan and Tom Idstrom on September 20. The event begins at 6 p.m. in the Prom Center. More information is available by contacting Gary Gustafson, 651-777-0286.

The Wild open training camp on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. Fans can watch scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Fans should enter Gate 1 starting at 9:50 a.m. The scrimmages can also be seen at www.wild.com.

Official scorers are criticized for favoring the home team but what fans may not realize is they are paid by Major League Baseball, not the local franchise.

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Purple Ouch: Game Stats and Score

Posted on September 12, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Seen through a Purple lens the post-game numbers were ugly.

In their season opening game in San Diego yesterday, the Vikings had 10 first downs and 28 yards passing. The Chargers had 31 first downs and 330 passing yards.

The worst numbers of all: Chargers 24 points, Vikings 17.

The Vikings’ offense was a second half no-show after Minnesota held a 17-7 halftime lead. Quarterback Donovan McNabb and his receivers never established a rhythm including late in the game when they trailed 24-17. When the Vikings had their last possession of the game with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, McNabb and friends went three and out.

Coach Leslie Frazier and coordinator Bill Musgrave took a conservative approach most of the day, seemingly trying to win the game against the favored Chargers with minimal offensive mistakes and a stout defense. Except for Adrian Peterson, who rushed 16 times for 98 yards including a 46 yard first half run, there wasn’t much life to the offense.

Even the team’s second best playmaker, receiver Percy Harvin, could only produce two receptions for seven yards. Harvin, though, returned the game’s opening kickoff 103 yards, providing an initial spark for a team that could be points challenged this season with an iffy offensive line, so-so receivers and a 34-year-old quarterback who is trying to become the Comeback Kid after last season’s disappointing season in Washington, D.C.

The Vikings’ defense, despite missing three starters from last year’s line, deserved better yesterday. The defense gave up one short touchdown to the Chargers in the first quarter after McNabb “completed” a pass to San Diego linebacker Saun Phillips at the Minnesota six yard line. In the second half the defense was on the field too long and although Vikings’ end Jared Allen killed one San Diego drive with a nifty running interception, the Chargers and quarterback Phillip Rivers established a rhythm and produced points.

McNabb and the Vikings had very little of each yesterday.

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Worth Noting

Posted on September 12, 2011October 9, 2011 by David Shama

The average NFL franchise is now worth $1.04 billion, according to Forbes.com. In its latest valuation of franchises, the magazine ranks the Vikings 28^th among 32 clubs at a value of $796 million. That value would increase dramatically with approval of a new stadium in Minnesota or relocation to Los Angeles.

Former Gophers and Vikings assistant coach Tony Dungy said Thursday night on NBC’s Green Bay-New Orleans game if he were starting a team he would choose the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers ahead of any quarterback in the NFL.

Enduring image from that game: Saints QB Drew Brees joining in the singing of the National Anthem while other players stood in silence.

The September 5 issue of Sports Illustrated reported that if Dungy had become president of the Seattle Seahawks, his first choice for coach was Leslie Frazier of the Vikings.

Former Gophers administrator McKinley Boston, who has been athletics director at New Mexico State since December of 2004, was elated with Saturday’s upset by the Aggies over Minnesota. He described the win as the biggest, “not even close,” during his time in Las Cruces. “We’ve been looking for that signature win. …I can see us having a great season based on this,” Boston said.

The Aggies are 6-21 in their last 27 games, but 1-1 so far this season and Boston was optimistic about his team earlier in the summer, although the Western Athletic Conference coaches poll projected a last place league finish for New Mexico State.

The Gophers athletic department gave away 7,000 free vouchers to University of Minnesota freshmen for Saturday’s game but the 10,000 seat student section still didn’t fill up at TCF Bank Stadium.

Athletic department marketing executive Jason LaFrenz said the student sale so far totals about 5,700. He hopes it will reach “8,000 to 10,000.” The Nebraska and North Dakota State games are sold out except for seats being held for sale to students, he said.

Gophers’ athletic director Joel Maturi meets with Dr. Eric Kaler this week, only the second time the two have met since the new University president assumed his duties on July 1.

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