Sid Hartman: Pohlads step up to plate to help county save deal

The big question among some downtown business owners is whether the Pohlad family, which has done everything possible to keep the Twins here, would sell the team if the plan to build the new stadium falls through.

In a visit with Carl Pohlad, I got the impression that he might not want to own the team any more if the ballpark deal falls through.

However, the Pohlad family is now seriously financially involved and is trying to make sure it does everything it can to make sure the ballpark project doesn't fail.

Talks between Hines Development, the ballpark site landowners, and Hennepin County are at a stalemate. From very good sources, who don't want to be quoted, I am told that the Pohlads are now dealing only with Hennepin County because of that impasse.

The good news is that the Twins and Hennepin County are in the process of talking about renegotiating their original deal in order to keep the project on time and on budget without sacrificing the outstanding parts of the ballpark.

The two parties hope to accomplish this without having to alter the legislation passed in 2006.

To save the ballpark, Hennepin County likely will begin acquiring the land through condemnation. This ensures the landowners will receive no more than the fair market value for the land. By using the quick-take provision, the county could gain access to the land shortly after starting condemnation to keep development on schedule.

Here is where the Pohlads come in.

If the price for land under condemnation came in much higher than the $13.25 million for which the county has budgeted, then the Pohlads would have to come up with the additional money.

Then you wonder: To get the ballpark deal done, would the Pohlads also have to help the county if the infrastructure connected with the ballpark runs over budget?

So in short, if the Pohlads don't go into their own pockets to save the ballpark, it won't happen. But it looks like they are determined to do so.

Defense needs to improve

Everett Withers, the Gophers' new defensive coordinator, has a great reputation for developing defenses in the NFL and in college. After only five days of practice, he admits that the Gophers defense "has a long way to go and, obviously, we've got to get faster.

"... But you know I'm proud of the guys' effort. They're practicing hard, they're working hard, they're eager to learn, so all we've got to do is coach them up and try to get them in the right spots and get them playing fast."

Withers is putting in a new defensive scheme.

"I thought the defense last year -- they didn't do a whole lot on defense, they played some base fronts and base coverages, we're just trying to improve on what they did last year," he said. "This was a good football team last year. What we've got to do is get them playing with a lot more confidence and playing faster and tackling and making plays."

Withers inherits a defense that blew a 38-7 lead against Texas Tech in the Insight Bowl, but he said he has been impressed with the players' efforts.

"This football team has a good work ethic, and what we've got to do is take that work ethic and build into a new scheme a new attitude and get them playing with some confidence," he said.

How good can this Gophers defense be?

"I can't look in the future," Withers said. "I mean it doesn't matter what team you're on -- whether you're in junior high school or you're in the NFL -- you don't know what that is until you line up and play a game."

Jottings

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi makes it clear that he was much impressed with the job Jim Molinari did coaching the men's basketball team, and the interim coach will get strong consideration for the permanent job. Maturi said he has a tradition each Saturday of running during the football season, first going around the Metrodome, then sprinting to the site of the new Gophers football stadium, thinking about how it will transform the football program.

Maybe the Wolves aren't winning and, as a result, aren't drawing crowds. But owner Glen Taylor paid $76 million for the team 12 years ago, and now the Memphis franchise -- a poor market compared to the Twin Cities -- will sell for $360 million if the buyers, former Wolves players Christian Laettner and Brian Davis, can get the money.

David Lockwood, former Gophers defensive coordinator, was among many who watched the scrimmage Saturday. Lockwood has landed a job as defensive backfield coach at Kentucky, where Joker Phillips, his friend and former Gophers assistant, is the offensive coordinator and helped Lockwood land the job. With nine of the 11 defensive starters returning, Lockwood said the Gophers defense should improve.

Among the recruits at the Gophers scrimmage Saturday were: Eden Prairie's Ryan Grant, who has been offered a scholarship, and Ryan Orton who has signed a tender; Champlin Park linebackers Sam Maresh, who has been offered a scholarship, and Jarid Jackson, who is a candidate for one; Holy Angels wide receiver Brendan Kelly, who has been offered a scholarship, and offensive lineman Cory Christianson, who is a candidate; Gopher signees Ryan Wynn of Maple Grove and Chris Bunders of Osseo; Cretin-Derham Hall's Joe Schafer, who is being recruited, and defensive end Tyler Westphal from Menasha, Wis.

Gophers football coach Tim Brewster has scheduled a big barbecue on the practice field on April 6, the day before the spring game, for all the former Gophers letterwinners he can reach.

Robert McField, a 6-6, 235-pound defensive end who was a Gophers freshman last year, is not out for football while trying to improve his academics. ... Ben Gaither, a former Wayzata quarterback who walked on last year and impressed the former coaching staff, has decided to give up football but will stay in school.

Sidney Lowe, who was a head coach, assistant coach and a player for the Wolves, is in his first year as coach at his alma mater, North Carolina State. The team plays top-seeded North Carolina for the ACC title. ... Ex-Gophers offensive tackle Joe Ainslie decided to work out at Wisconsin's pro football day because he knew there would be a lot of scouts looking at Wisconsin All-America tackle Joe Thomas. ... Former Gopher Dusty Rychart just finished his fifth season in the Australian National Basketball League. Rychart's team, the Brisbane Bullets, won the league championship on Friday. Rychart scored 21 points to lead the Bullets to a 103-94 victory over Melbourne. For the season, Rychart averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per game.

Lou Nanne said there were at least 10 to 12 NHL scouts watching the boys' hockey state tournament, with at least four players expected to be drafted high this year among the dozen who will be picked from Minnesota.

Ryan Harris, the former Cretin-Derham Hall football player, was among the Notre Dame players who worked out for NFL scouts last week on the same day as quarterback Brady Quinn.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on Podcast twice a week at www.startribune.com/sidcast. shartman@startribune.com