Seasons
SEASON: 63 | YEAR: 2011
HEAD COACH: WAYNE KOSTROSKI
Game 767 | January 6, 2011 | Don Lucia, Brad Frost
The Gopher hockey coaches talked about their teams and the decision to launch a Big Ten hockey league. Lucia's men's team finished fifth in the WCHA and lost to Alaska Anchorage in the first round of the playoffs. Frost's women's team finished 26-10-2 and advanced to the NCAA Regionals. Frost introduced Dunkers to defenseman Anne Schleper; a first-team All-WCHA player from St. Cloud.
Game 768 | January 23, 2011 | Kurt Rambis
A 14-year NBA veteran player; Rambis was entering his second season as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He told Dunkers he was excited about the acquisition of forward Michael Beasley and the chances of adding Spain's Ricky Rubio in 2011. Unfortunately for Rambis, his team compiled a 32-132 record in his two years as head coach and he was fired after the end of the 2010-ll season.
Game 769 | January 28, 2011 | Bert Blyleven
Shortly after learning he had been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Blyleven told Dunkers he had never given up hope. With 287 career victories and 3,701 strikeouts (fifth all-time), Blyleven was named on 79.7 percent of the votes in his 14th year on the ballot. He told Dunkers that he greatly enjoyed his role as a Twins television commentator; something he began in 1996.
(LtoR) Dave Mona, Bert Blyleven, Dave St. Peter (physician), Wayne Kostroski
Game 770 | February 22, 2011 | Jerry Kill
Admitting that he had not been his wife's first choice either, the new Gopher football coach told Dunker members he was familiar with both the Big Ten and the Midwest recruiting area from his years at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois. He said he was happy that virtually all of his assistants were joining him in Minnesota. Looking at a home schedule that included Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin, he said that was both the good and the bad news.
Game 771 | April 14, 2011 | Joel Maturi
After introducing some 29 different Dunkers programs over his nine years as U of M Athletics Director; Maturi finally had a chance to be the subject of the meeting himself. He talked about major issues facing college sports such as expansion of major conferences and the topic of paying a stipend to student athletes. He talked about the search leading to the hiring of Jerry Kill, the decision to add Nebraska to the Big Ten and the potential monetary impact of a Big Ten Championship football game.
Game 772| April 26, 2011 | Ted Mondale
The newly appointed head of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission indicated the Commission was going to play an active role in finding a new facility for the Minnesota Vikings. Mondale acknowledged that the Vikings were totally focused on the Arden Hills site while acknowledging that the Metrodome and Farmers Market sites in downtown Minneapolis had advantages in existing infrastructure. In any case, Mondale said he and Gov. Mark Dayton agree that finding a solution for the Vikings stadium was a high priority.
Game 773 | May 12, 2011 | Wheelock Whitney, Sid Hartman, Tom Swain
Looking to long-time Dunker members for a program, Whitney, Swain and Hartman, on the 50th anniversary of the arrival of both the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, talked about how Minneapolis and Saint Paul worked together and independently to position this region for an expansion of major league sports. The program was so well attended and popular that members suggested looking internally for additional panel-type programs.
(LtoR) Dave Mona, Wheelock Whitney, Sid Hartman, Tom Swain, Wayne Kostroski
Game 774 | May 25, 2011 | Ron Gardenhire, Bill Smith
Filled with enthusiasm after a strong spring training, the Twins manager and general manager talked about prospects for 2011 with a payroll in excess of $110 million. Newly acquired second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka broke his leg in the first week of the season. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau missed major parts of the year and the team stumbled into last place with a record of 63-99. Smith was fired after the season as Terry Ryan returned as Twins general manager.
Game 775 | June 28, 2011 | Maya Moore, Cheryl Reeve
After 12 seasons as one of the worst teams in the WNBA, everything came together for the Lynx in 2011. Moore, the league's number one draft choice, was named Rookie of the Year and Reeve was Coach of the Year as the team finished 27-7 and rolled through the WNBA playoffs. Former Gopher star Lindsay Whalen was named to the WNBA fist team, and Seimone Augustus was named Playoff MVP. The championship team received a welcome parade through the streets of downtown Minneapolis.
Game 776 | July 27, 2011 | Leslie Frazier
When Brad Childress was fired on November 22, 2010, Frazier was elevated from defensive coordinator to interim head coach. He became the permanent head coach on Jan. 3, 2011. As a player, Frazier led the defense of the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears with six interceptions. He left a position under Tony Dungy in Indianapolis to come to the Vikings after Mike Tomlin was hired away to become head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Frazier told Dunkers he was very high on first-round draft choice Christian Ponder who became the starting quarterback midway through his first season.
Game 777 | August 3, 2011 | Peter Jacobsen
One of the most popular players on the Champions Tour, Jacobsen was here to compete in the 3M Challenge. Jacobsen won seven PCA tournaments and two Champions events. He entertains audiences at golf events with his impressions of other golfers, and he was a guitarist and lead singer in the band Jake Trout and the Flounders which also featured golfer's Mark Lye and Payne Stewart. At the meeting, Tom Duffy was recognized for the outstanding golf programs he has brought to the Dunkers.
(LtoR) Wayne Kostroski, Peter Jacobsen, Tom Duffy (physician)
Game 778 | August 5, 2011 | Tom Kelly, Rick Aquilera, Al Newman, Mike Pagliarulo, John Gordon
The Twins dedicated an entire weekend to the 20th anniversary of their World Series victory over the Atlanta Braves. John Cordon, in his final year as "Voice of the Twins," interviewed manager Tom Kelly, pitcher Rick Aguilera, infielder Al Newman and third-baseman Mike Pagliarulo. All four discussed what made the season memorable and the World Series, considered by many to be among the most memorable in baseball history with the heroics of Kirby Puckett and the seventh-game pitching effort by Jack Morris.
Game 779 | September 29, 2011 | Karl Mecklenburg
After graduating from high school in Edina, the unrecruited Mecklenburg went to Augustana College in South Dakota. Wanting to compete at a higher level, he walked on at the University of Minnesota where he earned a scholarship and became one of the top defensive player's in the Big Ten. Drafted in the 12th round by the Denver Broncos, he eventually played in six Pro Bowls and was enshrined in the Broncos' "Ring of Honor." He gives motivational speeches these days and recently published a book, Heart of a Student Athlete.
Game 780 | October 12, 2011 | Jerry Kill
Midway through his first season as coach of the Gopher football team, Jerry Kill talked about both his health and his observations about what it will take to return the Gophers to being competitive in the Big Ten. He said that with the help of Dunker Pat Smith and doctors at the Mayo Clinic his seizures were under control. He also thanked the Minnesota high school coaches, former Gophers and the many residents of Greater Minnesota who welcomed him and his wife during a rapid tour of the state before the start of the season.
(LtoR) Wayne Kostroski, Joe Maturi (physician), Jerry Kill, Dave Mona
Game 781 | November 3, 2011 | Tubby Smith, Pam Borton
Both Gopher basketball coaches talked about the expected positive impact of freshmen to their teams. Coach Smith added the top-ranked players in both Minnesota (Joe Coleman) and Tennessee (Andre Hollins). Tubby also said he expected Trevor Mbakwe to be one of the top players in the Big Ten after starring on a collegiate all-star team over the summer. Coach Borton said newcomer Rachel Banham (Lakeville North) would start a point guard and remind a lot of fans of Lindsay Whalen.
Game 782 | November 21, 2011 | Mike Yeo
After a series of interviews with veteran coaches, Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher looked within the team's organization and promoted Yeo to succeed Todd Richards as the third head coach in team history. Yeo had taken a last-place team in Houston and turned them into West Division Champions in the American Hockey League in 2010-11. In other off-season moves the Wild acquired Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi to add offensive scoring power.
Game 783 | December 2, 2011 | Big Ten Basketball Champions: Clyde Turner, Ron Behagen, Jim Brewer, Corky Taylor, Dave Winfield
Under first-year coach Bill Musselman Gopher basketball took on a new look in 1971. The team's exciting pre-game show filled Williams Arena 30 minutes before each game, and Musselman brought in high-profile recruits such as Clyde Turner and Ron Behagen to mix with returnees Jim Brewer and Corky Taylor. Needing one more player, the team turned to the intramural ranks to find Dave Winfield, and the Gophers went on to win the Big Ten championship. The players were at Dunkers as part of a 40-year reunion.
(LtoR) Wayne Kostroski, Dave Winfield, Clyde Turner, Greg Troland, Corky Taylor, John Feigel, Ron Behagen, Dave Mona, Jim Brewer
Annual Meeting 2011 | December 15, 2011 | Sid Hartman, Dave Mona
Sid Hartman and Dave Mona entertained Dunkers with a series of brief interviews of local sports newsmakers. All past Norm McGrew Scholarship winners were invited to join the meeting and old fashioned cake donuts were at each table in the tradition of original Dunkers meetings in the late 1940s through the 1960s.