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StribSports UPLOAD is where you’ll see what other people are saying about Minnesota sports. It could be a report from another city’s media following a game. It could be a blog or video from somewhere in Minnesota. It could be serious or funny, on point or off the wall. It could be something you tell us about. Send stuff to UPLOAD here. All correspondence to UPLOAD is on the record unless requested otherwise.
Posts about Vikings
New St. John's coach hosts chat in St. Cloud. Will there be mayhem?
Posted by: Howard Sinker Updated: January 4, 2013 - 1:04 PM
Some football boosters weren't happy when St. John's in Collegeville chose to stay in-house and promote defensive coordinator Gary Fasching to the head football coaching job, replacing the legendary John Gagliardi, who retired after 60 years at the school.
Many were hoping the job would go to Eden Prairie High coach Mike Grant, a Johnnies alum and the son of former Vikings coach Bud Grant.
Others weren't happy that St. John's didn't look far enough outside the school -- that a more dramatic move was needed to regain equal footing with MIAC powerhouse St. Thomas, and to get back ahead of several other schools in the conference that have improved their programs in recent years.
If you doubt the distress, click here to see the comments on the Star Tribune story after Fasching got the job.
Fasching will on the St. Cloud Daily Times web site at 1:30 p.m. to answer questions from Johnnies fans.
Will there be mayhem?
Click here to find out. If you miss the chat, you'll be able to click on the link to read a replay afterward.
Kluwe says Torii Hunter made anti-gay comment; ex-Twin says otherwise
Posted by: Howard Sinker Updated: December 31, 2012 - 9:42 AMSunday's Los Angeles Times features a story about gay athletes and how they still feel unwelcome in most pro sports locker rooms.
Kevin Baxter of the Times wrote: "Consider the numbers. About 4,000 players spent time on active rosters in the NBA, NHL, NFL and Major League Baseball in 2012. With the best estimates of the gay/bisexual population in U.S. ranging from 2% to 10%, it's likely many of those 4,000 athletes are gay or bisexual. Yet not one has come out of the closet. Not this year, not last year, not ever."
Former Twins and Los Angeles outfielder Torii Hunter said he believed an athlete who came out could divide a team.
Hunter, who recently signed with Detroit, said: "For me, as a Christian … I will be uncomfortable because in all my teachings and all my learning, biblically, it's not right. It will be difficult and uncomfortable."
On Twitter this morning, Vikings punter Chris Kluwe responded:
Saw the Torii Hunter comments. It's sad when people take something founded on tolerance and turn it into bigotry. Says a lot about them.
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) December 31, 2012
and followed with
Torii would also do well to remember that religion was used to deny black people their rights not too long ago. Have a little empathy.
— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) December 31, 2012
Hunter took exception with how his comments are being characterized, saying in a extended tweet:
"I'm very disappointed in Kevin Baxter's article in which my quotes and feelings have been misrepresented. He took two completely separate quotes and made them into one quote that does not express how I feel as a Christian or a human being.
"I have love and respect for all human beings regardless of race, color or sexual orientation. I am not perfect and try hard to live the best life I can and treat all people with respect. If you know me you know that I am not anti anything and to be portrayed as anti-gay in this article is hurtful and just not true."
Kluwe was among the highest-profile public figures campaigning in Minnesota's successful Vote No campaign in November, and a few weeks back was sharply criticized by Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer for the "distractions" caused by Kluwe.
The subject came up after Kluwe was fined for taping the words "Vote Ray Guy" to his uniform in support of the former punter's Hall of Fame chances. But it was clear that Priefer wasn't solely talking about the Guy issue.
Kluwe was unfazed by the criticism, saying at the time: "If the team ever wants to replace me, they will; I'm under no delusions as to how this business operates. We all get cut eventually."
You can read the entire Los Angeles Times story here.
Barker/Kill incident dissected by New York Times
Posted by: Howard Sinker Updated: December 15, 2012 - 9:02 AMYou probably don't need to be reminded that Minnesota wide receiver A.J. Barker left the team in a dispute over how his ankle injury was being handled and his treatment by coach Jerry Kill -- or the 4,000-word letter to Kill that he posted on the web.
New York Times reporter Tim Rohan (a former startribune.com Vikings blogger) cited Barker's case as one in a number of examples of coaching walking the line between behavior that is judged as tough discipline as opposed to abusive, and how coaches no longer have the absolute authority that at one time appeared to come with their position.
Rohan wrote:
"This season, Idaho State suspended its football coach, Mike Kramer, for one game for shoving a player to the ground in practice. Last month, Morehead State suspended the men’s basketball coach Sean Woods for one game for pushing and berating a player during a game. On Thursday, Rutgers suspended the men’s basketball’s coach Mike Rice for three games and fined him $50,000 for behavior in practice.
"At Washington State, the star receiver Marquess Wilson quit the football team, alleging that Coach Mike Leach and his staff had intimidated and humiliated players. The university said Wednesday that it had concluded an internal review and determined there had been no wrongdoing by the coaching staff
Among those interviewed in the story is Rick Aberman, a sports psychologist who met with both Kill and Barker. He told Rohan: “This is a new challenge for coaches It may be the one thing that may drive coaches out of the business, because everything’s public.”
You can read the entire story here.
Wisconsin fans react to Bielema's exit: 'This makes me happier than putting up 70'
Posted by: Brian Stensaas Updated: December 4, 2012 - 10:08 PMAs you might imagine, reaction in the Badger State to the report Bret Bielema took the head football job at Arkansas came fast and furious Tuesday afternoon. A quick read through message boards and comment streams associated with stories here, here and here run the gamut.
Good for Bret
Bo knows: Was BB perfect? Of course not. But he did still manage to lead Wisconsin to 3 straight Rose Bowls. This state has been too spoiled in recent years by Barry, Bo, and Bret and forgot where the athletic program used to be.
Good riddance, Bret
Toadmanjack: Don't let the door hit you in your goofy-looking living-off-of-Barry-Alvarez-a**.
We’re happy
Badger Bob: This makes me happier than putting up 70 last week.
We’re in trouble
GSOBadger: This is horrible news. We had a chance to get a good win in the RB, now probably gone. We were poised for a great season next year, now probably gone. We have a great recruiting class lined up, expect many to bail.
This is exactly what the program needs
RichardSRussell: You don't expect a guy with a Hawkeye tattoo to have the same level of loyalty to the cardinal and white as, say, Pat Richter. Still, I thought he'd have enough loyalty to his TEAM not to drop this kind of distraction on them just a few weeks before the Rose Bowl. Best of luck anyway, Bret. And remember who gave you your big break.
This program will never win another game
Tobin: Seriously, this is a big problem for Bucky. Any new coach coming in will want to hire his own coaches. Look at how Bucky struggled adapting to the new coaching this year. We were set up for a great year next year with the O-line more experienced and our super RBs and Stave able to play again. Are there any Urban Meyers out there?
After initial spouts of reactionary posts, many – like Tobin here - turned to speculation. A popular thought to replace Bielema is Paul Chryst. He’s the offensive coaching mind who left the Badgers last season for Pittsburgh and eventually hired away ex-Badgers QB Brooks Bollinger from his coaching post at Hill-Murray High School. The thought makes sense, although later in the evening Chryst issued a statement saying he's perfectly happy at Pitt.
Other suggestions that came up again and again: former Vikings offensive coordinator and Badgers QB Darrell Bevell and former coach and current Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez.
It should also be noted that a certain former NFL MVP currently spending time coaching high school football and mowing his lawn in Mississippi came up a few places.
Yes, there are some out there pining for Coach Brett Favre in Wisconsin. Another name seen more than once? Former Vikings coach Brad Childress, who ran a kick-(rear-end) offense at Wisconsin as offensive coordinator in the 1990s.
Some Lions accuse Vikings of 'headhunting'
Posted by: Howard Sinker Updated: November 12, 2012 - 2:10 PMLions wide receiver Calvin Johnson didn't think anything illegal was going on, but head coach Jim Schwartz and some of his players weren't happy with the Vikings' defensive tactics during Sunday's game.
Meanwhile, Lions fans weren't too thrilled with the play of their team in the 34-24 Vikings victory.
Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reported that, on two occasions after catching passes, "Johnson took shots to the head -- one, by safety Harrison Smith and another by linebacker Jasper Brinkley. He ducked out of the way of a couple other flying tackle attempts. Remember, it was against the Vikings in Week 4 that Johnson suffered a stinger on a helmet-to-helmet hit by linebacker Chad Greenway."
Schwartz told the News: "They hit him in the head twice. Only one (Brinkley) got flagged."
Johnson, who caught 12 passes for 207 yards, didn't think there was intent to injure.
You can read his response here.
About the hits to the head, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said he didn't know if the Vikings were targeting Johnson's head. "Calvin is a tough guy and he stayed in and made some big plays. But there is no place for that in this league."
While you're reading, you should go down to the comments at the bottom of the page. Lions fans talking about Stafford and his receivers (other than Johnson) sound a little bit like many Vikings fans talking about Christian Ponder and his receivers (other than Percy Harvin).
Without the ESPN girlfriend thing, of course.
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recent posts
- New St. John's coach hosts chat in St. Cloud. Will there be mayhem?
- Peterson's season? Ninth best by a running back
- Kluwe says Torii Hunter made anti-gay comment; ex-Twin says otherwise
- Broman about to set state basketball scoring record ... or is he?
- UMD football coach headed to Western Illinois
- Jeff Dubay talks about his addiction
- Christian Ponder and ESPN's Samantha Steele marry in Hudson
- Former Twins pitcher Frank Pastore dead at 55
- Barker/Kill incident dissected by New York Times
- No words needed: Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale + video
- Bowl-O-Rama! A fine bowl guide, even if it disrespects the Gophers
- St. Olaf football coach moving to Augustana
- Maryland's Big Ten decision: Money over tradition
- Timesucker: Where they're ranking the Gophers in the AP poll
- Twins name Doug Mientkiewicz manager at Fort Myers
- Pregame amusement: 'Do the Cutler' dance video
- If this baseball thing doesn't work out for Trevor May
- Wisconsin fans react to Bielema's exit: 'This makes me happier than putting up 70'
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