BleedGopher
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per Pat:
Hallman. Charley (Buck) Hallman:
Viet Nam vet, co-found of Twin Tone records, Indy 500 zealot, enthusiast for every Minnesota sports team he covered in 27 years (1970-97) in St. Paul, and the most-memorable character I’ve worked with in what will be 50 years as a Twin Cities sports writer on Labor Day weekend.
Thus, the Willey conversation had Charley still in my mind last week, and then it was revealed that Gophers coach Phil Fleck had received a commitment from Jason Bargy, a defensive end from Illinois and currently the 99th-rated recruit for 2019.
This was exciting news for today’s Gophers fans, since it was Fleck’s first top 100 prospect to commit as he works his third recruiting cycle at Minnesota.
And then came the thought that caused one of those private laughs:
“Dang, if only Charley still was around to cover Fleck, how many players would the Gophers have in the Pioneer Press Top 100?’’
At one time, Charley was covering the North Stars and the Fighting Saints simultaneously. He also covered auto racing – Indy, Brainerd and local tracks – and Gophers hockey.
And when the Kicks came to town, the sports editor said, “Put Charley on it,’’ and soon Willey was the Artful Dodger. Charley loved the Kicks. He loved every team that he covered.
In the mid-‘80s, I’m not sure if it was Lou Holtz’s first season (1984) or second, Charley was turned loose on the Gophers beat. He covered all sports at the university.
He was given a license to produce daily “Gophers Notes’’ and those basically took over the Pioneer Press sports section. When Holtz left for Notre Dame, Charley wrote and lobbied relentlessly for the Gophers to hire John Gutekunst, the defensive coordinator, and that happened.
And soon, out of nowhere, the Pioneer Press Top 100 (nationally, remember) – as researched by Hallman – was being published on signing day. Gutey was getting three or four minimum; might have topped out at six incoming Gophers among the top 100.
I’m guessing, even though Charley would have loved Jerry Kill and become buddies with Tracy Claeys, that eventually he would have been rowing the boat as fast as his thick arms could go after a couple of sitdowns with Fleck.
I sent out texts to Jim Wells and Gregg Wong, two of my colleagues from the St. Paul days, with this message: “If Buck was covering Fleck, and he gave Buck a couple of pep talks, how many recruits would the Gophers have in the Pioneer Press top 100?’’
Wells: “I don’t have a computer right now to calculate such a mind-numbing number.’’
Wong: “99.''
Hallman left the Pioneer Press in 1997 and left this vale of tears in 2015. So, we that worked with the man during those golden years of Gutey’s recruiting bonanzas, can only dream of how great it would have been -- Buck Hallman covering Phil Fleck.
http://www.startribune.com/it-s-har...k-would-place-in-hallman-s-top-100/482490641/
Go Gophers!!
Hallman. Charley (Buck) Hallman:
Viet Nam vet, co-found of Twin Tone records, Indy 500 zealot, enthusiast for every Minnesota sports team he covered in 27 years (1970-97) in St. Paul, and the most-memorable character I’ve worked with in what will be 50 years as a Twin Cities sports writer on Labor Day weekend.
Thus, the Willey conversation had Charley still in my mind last week, and then it was revealed that Gophers coach Phil Fleck had received a commitment from Jason Bargy, a defensive end from Illinois and currently the 99th-rated recruit for 2019.
This was exciting news for today’s Gophers fans, since it was Fleck’s first top 100 prospect to commit as he works his third recruiting cycle at Minnesota.
And then came the thought that caused one of those private laughs:
“Dang, if only Charley still was around to cover Fleck, how many players would the Gophers have in the Pioneer Press Top 100?’’
At one time, Charley was covering the North Stars and the Fighting Saints simultaneously. He also covered auto racing – Indy, Brainerd and local tracks – and Gophers hockey.
And when the Kicks came to town, the sports editor said, “Put Charley on it,’’ and soon Willey was the Artful Dodger. Charley loved the Kicks. He loved every team that he covered.
In the mid-‘80s, I’m not sure if it was Lou Holtz’s first season (1984) or second, Charley was turned loose on the Gophers beat. He covered all sports at the university.
He was given a license to produce daily “Gophers Notes’’ and those basically took over the Pioneer Press sports section. When Holtz left for Notre Dame, Charley wrote and lobbied relentlessly for the Gophers to hire John Gutekunst, the defensive coordinator, and that happened.
And soon, out of nowhere, the Pioneer Press Top 100 (nationally, remember) – as researched by Hallman – was being published on signing day. Gutey was getting three or four minimum; might have topped out at six incoming Gophers among the top 100.
I’m guessing, even though Charley would have loved Jerry Kill and become buddies with Tracy Claeys, that eventually he would have been rowing the boat as fast as his thick arms could go after a couple of sitdowns with Fleck.
I sent out texts to Jim Wells and Gregg Wong, two of my colleagues from the St. Paul days, with this message: “If Buck was covering Fleck, and he gave Buck a couple of pep talks, how many recruits would the Gophers have in the Pioneer Press top 100?’’
Wells: “I don’t have a computer right now to calculate such a mind-numbing number.’’
Wong: “99.''
Hallman left the Pioneer Press in 1997 and left this vale of tears in 2015. So, we that worked with the man during those golden years of Gutey’s recruiting bonanzas, can only dream of how great it would have been -- Buck Hallman covering Phil Fleck.
http://www.startribune.com/it-s-har...k-would-place-in-hallman-s-top-100/482490641/
Go Gophers!!