Year In Review: Closing The Book On 2007

PJS Note: I've been falling behind in my effort to finish this series, so I'm going to wrap three final planned posts into one. This final installment will cover the Gopher and Vermin of the Year and a reflection on my favorite post during the first year of PJS.

I created Paging Jim Shikenjanski in May for a handful of reasons, but the largest reason is because I saw an opening to provide thoughts, analysis and perhaps some original reporting. The fact is, our periodicals in Minnesota don't rate interest in Gophers sports high enough to lend Gophers sports considerable coverage. Like many of you, I was turning more often to paid services like Rivals and forums like the GopherHole for broader coverage. I also saw a blogosphere that lacked voices for University of Minnesota sports. I began this blog about the same time that Tom at Gopher Nation started his blog. And I'm pleased now that others have popped up.

So long as I continue this blog, I'm going to try and give completely meaningless awards to members of the Gophers sports community. And since it is my wont, they will be both positive and negative. But I'd like to start by revisiting the post that first brought PJS to a broader audience--the post that brought a link from the Star Tribune and many well-read blogs across the country.

PJS' Favorite Post of the Year

About one month after I began PJS, I stumbled upon a thread in a Notre Dame forum where a poster going by the name of MN Irish made a startling (and humorous) claim about our new football coach Tim Brewster. At the time, almost every member of Gopher Nation was completely enamored with our new coach. With his penchant for positivity, Tim Brewster was seen as the anti-Glen Mason. He was relatively charming. He had ambitions for the program. He told us he was going to take us to Pasadena. We learned quickly that he knew how to sway public opinion. But the little nugget that I unearthed in June shed a different light on our new head man.

The allegations were as follows: At a meet-and-greet for Brewster, an Irish fan claims to have approached Brewster to congratulate him on his new post. They eventually began to talk about recruiting, and the Notre Dame fan mentioned that the Gophers and Irish were after some of the same players--an obvious reference to Michael Floyd. And then the juicy stuff from the post on the Irish message board:

"In what I can only describe as bizarre, Brewster basically went off on me, saying how sick he was Notre Dame and our arrogance, pompous attitudes, and fear of playing Minnesota in their new stadium. When I told him it was the collective opinion of ND fans that it was our athletic director who wouldn't budge the schedule, he went off on Weis of all people, called him a "slob, a disgrace to Notre Dame, with his dirty mouth and appearance" or something similar. He said Notre Dame could never recruit another Minnesota player until Weis was under 350 pounds."

Not knowing the veracity of the claims, I didn't judge Brewster in my initial post on this topic here. My post set off a mini fire storm. I received emails from Brewster-backers telling me I wasn't a Gophers fan for relaying the above information. Eventually, the viral nature of the Web took hold. The Star Tribune's Michael Rand linked to the post at the time saying something like "This can't be true, but that doesn't mean you can't read it." Eventually many other blogs sent their readers to PJS.

And while that was all good and well, what makes this post stand out to me is the following. About a week after talk of Brewtser's Weis rant circulated, the STrib's Patrick Reusse picked up the topic and decided to address it with Brewster. For the record, Brewster denied the allegations. I covered that development here. I'm proud of this post not because it made Brewster look bad or because it brought many new readers to PJS, but because the post helped set the record straight. By re-posting MN Irish's claims, many others knew that Brewster was being kicked around by Notre Dame fans. And eventually Brewster was given an opportunity to address the allegations. No matter if you believe Brewster said these things or not, I submit it was a good thing that this blog shed light on these allegations that were already out there. And I'm pleased that post might have led to Brewster giving his side of the story.

And, yes, the post was fun because, in fact, Weis is fat and the little scandal allowed me to point that out!

Gopher of the Year

I kicked around numerous possibilities for this not-so prestigious award. Tubby Smith took Minnesota by storm, and his recruiting class combined with the improvement he has brought to men's basketball is nothing short of amazing. But, Tubby hasn't put in a full season yet and he will be in position for many honors in years to come. There is wrestling coach J. Robinson and his departed star Cole Konrad; good candidates both. But my nod is going to a man who has been received his fair share of criticism here and other places: Joel Maturi.

The year that was will likely be at the center of Maturi's legacy at the University. It's not often an athletic director has the chance to hire a football and a basketball coach in the same year. Maturi did just that and struck gold with Tubby Smith. Many of us wanted Maturi to jettison Dan Monson one year earlier than he did. But Maturi's patience proved wise in March when a national championship coach with a stellar resume decided the Twin Cities would be a perfect place to repair his suddenly sullied reputation.

The jury is still out on whether Tim Brewster was a good hire or not. When Maturi introduced Brewster to the maroon and gold faithful, our athletic director told us that Brewster was a recruiting guru who could bring better talent to the football program. While I haven't covered football recruiting extensively, Brewster has delivered in that area and is poised to bring Minnesota a better freshman class than Glen Mason ever did. So, Maturi was honest with us about what he hired.

Additionally, and this is speculation, I imagine Maturi had wiggle-room to make one big-money hire or two mid-level hires. He likely didn't have the money available to pay big bucks for both football and basketball. So, Maturi had to make a call. He took a risk on Brewster, but that gave him the ability to go for a high-profile coach in Tubby Smith. Maturi could have made a larger gamble, and hired a middle-of-the-road basketball coaching prospect and the same for the football team. But I believe he made the right choice in hiring one sure thing, especially considering the football program is going to receive a boost in interest no matter what with the opening of TCF Bank Stadium.

For 2007, Joel Maturi gets my nod as the Gopher of the Year.

Vermin of the Year

Once again there were quite a few people in contention for this dubious honor. We had alum Denny Neagle receive a mention in The Mitchell Report. We witnessed alum Kevin McHale trade Kevin Garnett, culminating his decade-long effort to turn Minnesota professional basketball into a nationwide laughingstock. There was Tim Brewster's blather-filled 1-11 season. And most recently Kyle Okposo ditched his teammates in the middle of a disappointing season at Mariucci Arena.

But this year's Vermin of the Year far outdid the competition by bringing bad press and shame to the University of Minnesota. PJS' 2007 Vermin of the Year is Dominic Jones. After a lengthy and annoying investigation into an allegation of sexual assault committed by Gophers football players, in July we had a development that brought just ridicule and a black eye to the University.

I wrote the following at the time here:

The Star Tribune reports today that Minnesota football player Dominic Jones has been charged with third degree sexual assault, after a lengthy investigation.

Attached here is the juicy stuff, and by juicy I mean thoroughly disgusting. This is the charging document, and it isn't suitable for those not wishing to read graphic sexual exploits. I'm not going to quote it here, but by all means read the document in its entirety if you want to know what really is alleged here.

To summarize: Lots of vodka, dorm room, passed out college student, college football players, ejaculation, DNA evidence and digital documentation. DISGUSTING!

I haven't followed further developments in the case and honestly don't know where the charges against Jones stand as I write this. This mindless, stupid act brought the required press attention at a time when Tim Brewster was preparing for his first season on the job. Jones was pegged in the starting lineup as a starting corner back, and we all know that if it were not for this shameful indiscretion, the Gophers really could have used him.

To his credit, Tim Brewster acted quickly and forcefully in his decision to suspend Jones indefinitely from the football team. That sent a message, in my opinion, from day one that Brewster was not going to tolerate lawlessness on his football team. In one fell swoop, Brewster initiated a culture of accountability.

For 2007, Dominic Jones is your Vermin of the Year. I hope at this time next year I can have more fun with this and give this honor to someone like McHale, who I'm just clamoring to hammer.

Football Player Charged With Assault, Apparently Preparing For Career In Professional Wrestling

Minnesota's star defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg has been charged with fifth degree assault after apparently practicing a choke slam outside of a liquor store.

From the Star Tribune: "William VanDeSteeg was arrested about 1:10 a.m. outside the Biscay Liquor Store, accused of assaulting two men who were left with "visible physical injuries," according to documents filed by the McLeod County Sheriff's Office. One of the men told authorities that VanDeSteeg grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. VanDeSteeg, 22, was released from jail after a court appearance Monday."

First of all, picking someone up from their neck is damn impressive, even if it indicates said assailant has more of a future in the WWE than a boardroom. Second, VanDeSteeg impresses here because in the past when Gophers football players have been arrested, they were so smart they videotaped their sexually explicit indiscretions. VanDeSteeg knows that the first rule of beating an assault charge is don't create evidence of said assault charge.

VanDeSteeg is coming off of a disappointing 2007 season which was set back by injuries. He didn't live up to the hype that came after a 2006 season in which he racked up 10 sacks. VanDeSteeg is entering his senior season in maroon and gold. For the record, the Star Tribune wasn't able to coax much of a comment out of Tim Brewster, who said he didn't have all of the information needed to comment.

Jon at TNABACG has more on the assault charge here.

Brewster Dismisses Four Players Inovlved In Investigation

Minnesota football coach Tim Brewster issued a statement today indicating that Dominic Jones, and the three other Minnesota football players under investigation in a sexual assault case have been dismissed from the team.

In a statement, Brewster said: "It is an honor and a privilege to wear the uniform of the University of Minnesota and we have exceedingly high expectations for each of our student-athletes. We spend a considerable amount of time addressing our players regarding their personal conduct and we will not compromise our values. We are establishing a culture of integrity and we will demand that our players are held accountable for their actions."

Dominic Jones, a standout cornerback, was charged Monday with third degree sexual assault. Teammates EJ Jones, Keith Massey and Alex Daniels are still under investigation. According to Associated Press reports, being dismissed from the team does not mean the players' scholarships have been revoked.

In my opinion, this is a good move for Brewster. Anything but zero tolerance in this case would be a mistake. The players will have a chance to prove their innocence. Until then, I agree with Brewster's decision to give the team a chance to operate without this cloud hanging over it. This should also send a message to every other player on the roster and future recruits.

Dominic Jones Charged With Sexual Assault

The Star Tribune reports today that Minnesota football player Dominic Jones has been charged with third degree sexual assault, after a lenghty investigation.

Attached here is the juicy stuff, and by juicy I mean thoroughly disgusting. This is the charging document, and it isn't suitable for those not wishing to read graphic sexual exploits. I'm not going to quote it here, but by all means read the document in its entirety if you want to know what really is alleged here.

To summarize: Lots of vodka, dorm room, passed out college student, college football players, ejaculation, DNA evidence and digital documentation. DISGUSTING!

Not that it matters, but Jones is a star Gophers cornerback.

Alex Daniels, Keith Massey and E. J. Jones, also Gopher football players, remain suspects in the case.

My initial reaction, aside from being completely sickened, is that Tim Brewster needs to act quickly. Innocent until proven guilty and all that, but the last thing any Gopher fan should want is athletes like this in the program.

Brewster has issued a statement. It states: "This disappointing news for our entire team. The student-athlete arrested last night has been suspended from the football team and cannot participate in team activities. The three student-athletes previously arrested in conjunction with this matter will remain suspended until more information becomes available."

I understand not wanting to rush judgment on any of these players. But unless the charging document is completely false, it would appear this situation calls for more drastic measures than suspension.

Sid, Prosecutor Not Worried About Facts Or Ruining Reputations Of Three Minnesota Football Players

In Sid Hartman's Star Tribune column today, the aged sports columnist coaxes Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to talk about an investigation he knows he shouldn't. The victims in this? University of Minnesota football players Alex Daniels, Keith Massey and EJ Jones and the rest of the Gophers football team

It's one thing if Sid was reporting something new, like a conviction, an indictment or even a smoking gun. But he tells us nothing. The players may be turn out to be guilty, but that doesn't excuse Freeman for blabbing to the press about an ongoing investgation. Here's what Sid wrote:

Investigation of players continues
The investigation of three Gophers football players -- Alex Daniels, Keith Massey and E.J. Jones -- is ongoing, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. The three were jailed and released, but not charged, last April in connection with the sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman.

"I can't talk about an ongoing investigation, but you're an old friend and I'll just tell you that we are investigating every angle of this case as thoroughly as it can possibly be done, and we are talking to Gopher football players," Freeman said.

Freeman said he hopes to complete interviews soon with several Gophers
players. Meanwhile, Gophers coach Tim Brewster doesn't know what to do about
the three players, who are innocent until proven guilty.

So, Freeman admits he cannot talk about an ongoing investigation, then proceeds to do exactly that. Why? Because Sid is 94 and they've known each other a long time? Is that a good enough reason to give weak information regarding a criminal investigation to a sensational reporter?

If Freeman has something to report, like actual charges, then by all means call a press conference. Until then, he needs to keep his mouth shut.

As a reporter by day, I understand Sid's temptation. He probably feels giving an update on this is solid reporting. But it's the opposite. For starters, Sid shows his narcissism by throwing in the quote, "but you're an old friend and I'll just tell you ..." Yuck.

Secondly, Sid should remember an incident in North Carolina a few short months ago when some Duke lacrosse players were wrongly fingered by an overzealous prosecutor and a media looking for juice. The players were innocent. Their reputations? Beyond tarnished.

At this point, the investigation has proved nothing. But, still a prosecutor is talking to Sid about the investigation--and who knows what else Freeman whispered to Sid off the record. Both the media and the prosecutor need some facts before suggesting sexual assault. If these players are proven innocent----and again there have been no charges----will Sid and Freeman apologize for continuing to drag their names into the public eye?