I have a lot to get to this morning. Especially since I have to book Rochester (my hometown) and head back up to Hudson to work at Menards, the store of champions, at 4:00, but I thought I'd share some opinions.
Monday Night Football: Dear Green Bay Packers, Your team is absolute dogshit. Can you please teach your field goal unit how to block. Your sworn enemy, Crishad. The only thing that was proven Monday night was that God's hatred for the Vikings outweighs his love for the Packers. Even if the Packers had buried that field goal, there would have been too much irony for the moment as Adrian Peterson of the Bears was called for a horse collar tackle that put them into field goal postition. Even more so, the coin toss didn't even go the Vikings way as the coin hit Brian Urlacher as it was coming down. I thought you had to reflip after that but apparently not. You could even see Urlacher's stupid smile as he ran off the field saying "we get the football!" Ugh. Bottom line is, the Vikings must win Sunday vs. New York. There are some things going for them, but I'll get into that later in the week.
Wild Blockbuster Trade? Get ready for the Marian Gaborik rumor wheel to start spinning. The Toronto Sun reported this morning that Doug Reisbrough has approached Atlanta Thrashers GM Dan Waddell about Marian Gaborik. The rumored deal would send Gabby and Kim Johnsson to Atlanta for Ilya Kovalchuk and Colby Armstrong. Um, yes please! All of this supposedly hinges on Gaborik signing a long term deal with the Thrashers. One could argue that Kovalchuk would not have success in Minnesota because of Jacque Lemaire's system, but here's the big principle. Kovalchuk stays healthy. He has played all 82 games in the majority of his seasons as a Thrasher. This trade would be huge, but it's just a rumor.
Mauer watch begins: The Pioneer Press reported this morning that the Boston Red Sox has have started jerking off and throwing money at Joe Mauer's picture. Mauer can become a free agent in 2011 and of the Sox don't land Mark Teixiera, they'll most likely wait to get Mauer in 2011. This makes sense because Jason Varitek is really old and the Twins are incredibly cheap. Want proof? We've signed NICK PUNTO so far this offseason. Merry Christmas Twins fans! Where this doesn't make sense is that we're talking about Joe Mauer. Let's take a look at the reasons why Joe Mauer should stay in Minnesota. First, every woman in Minnesota wants to use his sideburns as runways. Seriously, Joe Mauer is the biggest sex symbol in Minnesota. I'm serious here. Anytime you talk to any woman in Minnesota and they are a Twins fan, they say their favorite player is Joe Mauer and then they say how they are his future wife. The other reason is that he grew up a Twins fan. There was a story that he locked himself in a room when he wasn't allowed to watch one of the World Series games in 1991 for bad behavior. He's as diehard of a Twins fan as any other fan in the state. Third, his buddy Justin Morneau is locked up for five more years. Fourth, there's a new stadium coming that Mauer will be the starting catcher on opening day. OK, do you need any more proof? I think Mauer is the Kirby Puckett type in that he'll take less money to be a Twin than more money to be a Red Sox (Sock? Um...)
Enjoy the Christmas rush people. I might jump back on soon with a symbol of Christmas Cheer...or jeer.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Good News, Bad News
It was a good news, bad news weekend for those involved in the Minnesota sports scene. We'll start with the good news.
The Gopher basketball team was able to defeat Louisville in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday. This game is a breakout game for the Gophers who I think will be a force in the Big 10 this season. It's been fun seeing how much this team has grown since Tubby Smith took over for Dan Monson. The two players that I've seen the most improvement in have been Michael Westbrook and Al Nolen Jr. Nolen is developing into a great floor general and may have a future at the next level. Westbrook is also becoming a leader on this team. He only had two points on Saturday, but Westbrook is a all-Big 10 candidate once the season starts.
Once again, it should be mentioned that Tubby Smith is a basketball god. I still can't understand why Kentucky fans hated him so much. Well, they do have a ton of incest over there so maybe that's why. Tubby is not only a great coach, but he's a class act as well. Tubby's great in all aspects of coaching including recruiting. People are starting to stay in Minnesota and I can see why. Tell me, would you consider playing in Minnesota more if Dan Monson was on your couch or Tubby Smith was? Thought so. Rodney Williams and Royce White coming to this team will make them so much better.
Then there was the bad news. The Vikings fall to the Atlanta Falcons this afternoon 24-17. The Vikings actually dominated the stat sheet, but they had four turnovers that led to 10 points for the Falcons. All four were fumbles and I believe the Vikings fumbled six times. Adrian Peterson was involved in two of those. AD has earned the nickname "Purple Jesus" for obvious reasons, but he really needs to hang on to the ball. The guy might have worse hands than Troy Williamson at this point. If you need proof on this, I don't think that a screen to Peterson has worked all season because he's looking to run 100 yards after the catch before making the catch.
Speaking of which, a note to Mr. Sharper. FALL ON THE FREAKIN BALL INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TURN EVERY TURNOVER INTO A TOUCHDOWN! I said in an earlier post that Sharper was a pro bowl candidate, but it really looks like he's losing a step right now. Tyrell Johnson will probably take his place next season as the starting strong safety. If the Vikings fall on the ball after the Matt Ryan fumble, the game is drastically different.
There were positives in the game though. Tarvaris Jackson, with the exception of a couple fumbles, looked fantastic again. What impressed me was his decision making. Jackson has just looked a lot calmer since coming off the bench. Sometimes he needs to slide and protect the football, but his feet are definatly an asset. Hopefully he continues to improve over the next couple of games.
Visthante Shiancoe is starting to come around as well. 119 yards and 2 TDs. At the beginning of the season, I didn't think that he could catch a cold, but he's developing into a solid option for Frerotte/T-Jack to throw to. I think Shiancoe will use this momentum and have a monster year next year.
The worst thing about this loss is that I now have to become a Packer fan for tommorow night's game. If the Pack takes down the Bears in Soldier Field, the Vikings win the NFC North. Go Pack Go! I'm sure the Packer fans are thinking the complete opposite trying to get a high draft pick. They'll get a top 10 pick in a very deep draft...and probably trade down.
The Gopher basketball team was able to defeat Louisville in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday. This game is a breakout game for the Gophers who I think will be a force in the Big 10 this season. It's been fun seeing how much this team has grown since Tubby Smith took over for Dan Monson. The two players that I've seen the most improvement in have been Michael Westbrook and Al Nolen Jr. Nolen is developing into a great floor general and may have a future at the next level. Westbrook is also becoming a leader on this team. He only had two points on Saturday, but Westbrook is a all-Big 10 candidate once the season starts.
Once again, it should be mentioned that Tubby Smith is a basketball god. I still can't understand why Kentucky fans hated him so much. Well, they do have a ton of incest over there so maybe that's why. Tubby is not only a great coach, but he's a class act as well. Tubby's great in all aspects of coaching including recruiting. People are starting to stay in Minnesota and I can see why. Tell me, would you consider playing in Minnesota more if Dan Monson was on your couch or Tubby Smith was? Thought so. Rodney Williams and Royce White coming to this team will make them so much better.
Then there was the bad news. The Vikings fall to the Atlanta Falcons this afternoon 24-17. The Vikings actually dominated the stat sheet, but they had four turnovers that led to 10 points for the Falcons. All four were fumbles and I believe the Vikings fumbled six times. Adrian Peterson was involved in two of those. AD has earned the nickname "Purple Jesus" for obvious reasons, but he really needs to hang on to the ball. The guy might have worse hands than Troy Williamson at this point. If you need proof on this, I don't think that a screen to Peterson has worked all season because he's looking to run 100 yards after the catch before making the catch.
Speaking of which, a note to Mr. Sharper. FALL ON THE FREAKIN BALL INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TURN EVERY TURNOVER INTO A TOUCHDOWN! I said in an earlier post that Sharper was a pro bowl candidate, but it really looks like he's losing a step right now. Tyrell Johnson will probably take his place next season as the starting strong safety. If the Vikings fall on the ball after the Matt Ryan fumble, the game is drastically different.
There were positives in the game though. Tarvaris Jackson, with the exception of a couple fumbles, looked fantastic again. What impressed me was his decision making. Jackson has just looked a lot calmer since coming off the bench. Sometimes he needs to slide and protect the football, but his feet are definatly an asset. Hopefully he continues to improve over the next couple of games.
Visthante Shiancoe is starting to come around as well. 119 yards and 2 TDs. At the beginning of the season, I didn't think that he could catch a cold, but he's developing into a solid option for Frerotte/T-Jack to throw to. I think Shiancoe will use this momentum and have a monster year next year.
The worst thing about this loss is that I now have to become a Packer fan for tommorow night's game. If the Pack takes down the Bears in Soldier Field, the Vikings win the NFC North. Go Pack Go! I'm sure the Packer fans are thinking the complete opposite trying to get a high draft pick. They'll get a top 10 pick in a very deep draft...and probably trade down.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Ice Cold
Some people have been asking for more hockey posts, so I thought I'd give them a bone today. I haven't had a chance to watch much of the Minnesota Wild this year, but from what I have seen lately, they are absolutly horrid. There are many reasons for this, but all of these reasons seem to stem from the "leadership" of Jacque Lemaire.
Lemaire is a pretty solid coach. He has a couple of Stanley Cups as a player with the Montreal Canadiens (call them Canadians and I will punch you in the face repeatedly) and the New Jersey Devils (as a coach). He's the only coach in the history of the Wild. He led the Wild to the Western Conference finals in their third year of existance. In other words, he's done OK.
However, lately there have been signs that the leadership on this team needs to be changed. The Wild play in a defensive system known as the neutral zone trap. Sure, it produces wins but I would rather watch a 63-61 NBA game than this system right about now. Lemaire claims to know what's best for his players, but I think the players are beginning to hate him and not respond. As we've seen with the Timberwolves, when your players don't respond to your coach, you're in trouble.
Just a couple of the moves that have the Wild faithful scratching their heads include the fact that he's gone apeshit on James Sheppard for his disapproval of the system. Sheppard says that he's worried too much about his defense rather than scoring, which happens to be his strength at this point of his career. Lemaire used his poster child, Mikko Koivu, as an example of his perfect player. I guess I can't blame Jacque for that one. Koivu is one of the best players in the NHL today. Yes, you heard me right.
A more questionable move is Lemaire shuffling Brent Burns this season. The first couple of seasons, Lemaire used Burns's versatility and continued to shuffle him from wing to defenseman despite Burnsie struggling at wing. Finally, when Lemaire left Burns alone, he threw up 16 goals last season which was 2nd in the NHL at the defenseman postition. Yes, Gaborik got hurt and they had a need at wing, but Burns is NOT comfortable at the wing postition. Why mess with a guy who has the potential to win multiple Norris Trophies at the blue line? Lemaire went as far as to say that he was dissapointed he had to move him back to the blue line because Erik Reitz brings physicality to the defense. ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME??? ERIK REITZ IS BETTER AT DEFENSE THAN BRENT F'ING BURNS???
The most glaring example is that of which of Marian Gaborik. Gaborik has question marks as far as his commitment goes as he was hurt playing hacky sack and took a month to come back, but he's one of the best players on this team. Re-signing Gaborik would be easier if this were a system where Gaborik wants to play in. I've turned my back on Gaborik the past couple of weeks, but I shudder to think what Gaborik could do in a situation where he didn't have to worry about his defense.
The bottom line is Lemaire has done a lot of things for the franchise, but he doesn't connect with the young players on this team. I don't know much about NHL coaches, so I'm not going to throw names out there, but it seems like whatever Lemaire is doing isn't working. A new GM wouldn't hurt either, Mr. Reisbrough.
Lemaire is a pretty solid coach. He has a couple of Stanley Cups as a player with the Montreal Canadiens (call them Canadians and I will punch you in the face repeatedly) and the New Jersey Devils (as a coach). He's the only coach in the history of the Wild. He led the Wild to the Western Conference finals in their third year of existance. In other words, he's done OK.
However, lately there have been signs that the leadership on this team needs to be changed. The Wild play in a defensive system known as the neutral zone trap. Sure, it produces wins but I would rather watch a 63-61 NBA game than this system right about now. Lemaire claims to know what's best for his players, but I think the players are beginning to hate him and not respond. As we've seen with the Timberwolves, when your players don't respond to your coach, you're in trouble.
Just a couple of the moves that have the Wild faithful scratching their heads include the fact that he's gone apeshit on James Sheppard for his disapproval of the system. Sheppard says that he's worried too much about his defense rather than scoring, which happens to be his strength at this point of his career. Lemaire used his poster child, Mikko Koivu, as an example of his perfect player. I guess I can't blame Jacque for that one. Koivu is one of the best players in the NHL today. Yes, you heard me right.
A more questionable move is Lemaire shuffling Brent Burns this season. The first couple of seasons, Lemaire used Burns's versatility and continued to shuffle him from wing to defenseman despite Burnsie struggling at wing. Finally, when Lemaire left Burns alone, he threw up 16 goals last season which was 2nd in the NHL at the defenseman postition. Yes, Gaborik got hurt and they had a need at wing, but Burns is NOT comfortable at the wing postition. Why mess with a guy who has the potential to win multiple Norris Trophies at the blue line? Lemaire went as far as to say that he was dissapointed he had to move him back to the blue line because Erik Reitz brings physicality to the defense. ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME??? ERIK REITZ IS BETTER AT DEFENSE THAN BRENT F'ING BURNS???
The most glaring example is that of which of Marian Gaborik. Gaborik has question marks as far as his commitment goes as he was hurt playing hacky sack and took a month to come back, but he's one of the best players on this team. Re-signing Gaborik would be easier if this were a system where Gaborik wants to play in. I've turned my back on Gaborik the past couple of weeks, but I shudder to think what Gaborik could do in a situation where he didn't have to worry about his defense.
The bottom line is Lemaire has done a lot of things for the franchise, but he doesn't connect with the young players on this team. I don't know much about NHL coaches, so I'm not going to throw names out there, but it seems like whatever Lemaire is doing isn't working. A new GM wouldn't hurt either, Mr. Reisbrough.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Pro Bowl Selections
So for the most part it looks like the NFL got the Pro Bowl selections right. If you haven't seen them yet, follow the link
http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story?id=09000d5d80d60467&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
I was kind of stretching on some of the earlier predictions I had, but I got most of them right. When I was thinking earlier, I forgot that Drew Brees and Kurt Warner had been putting up video game numbers this season, so those picks are totally justified. That leaves Eli Manning and Rogers. I think it came down to their teams records so Eli got the nod. Greg Jennings being snubbed was also a surprise since he was having a solid name as well, but I can't complain with the four receivers that did get selected.
I was suprised Darren Sharper didn't make it for the Vikings until I looked at his stats. Sharper only has one interception this year and that usually is the benchmark for pro bowl safeties. It's kind of weird that both teams only have three safeties each. I thought there would be a backup for both postitions, but oh well.
Matt Birk also didn't get in this year. Although Birk hasn't played great this season, I thought Birk would get in on his reputation as he has the past couple of years. The Giants offensive line has been one of the best in football so Sean O'Hara isn't a bad choice at all.
Matt Ryan was another guy I think should have went to the pro bowl. He's done everything he can possibly do to make the Falcons a better team and if you would have told me they would be 9-5 right now back in August, I would have thrown down a lot of money against it. The guy is a lot of fun to watch. I probably won't watch the pro bowl, but still Matt Ryan is the next great NFL quarterback.
http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story?id=09000d5d80d60467&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
I was kind of stretching on some of the earlier predictions I had, but I got most of them right. When I was thinking earlier, I forgot that Drew Brees and Kurt Warner had been putting up video game numbers this season, so those picks are totally justified. That leaves Eli Manning and Rogers. I think it came down to their teams records so Eli got the nod. Greg Jennings being snubbed was also a surprise since he was having a solid name as well, but I can't complain with the four receivers that did get selected.
I was suprised Darren Sharper didn't make it for the Vikings until I looked at his stats. Sharper only has one interception this year and that usually is the benchmark for pro bowl safeties. It's kind of weird that both teams only have three safeties each. I thought there would be a backup for both postitions, but oh well.
Matt Birk also didn't get in this year. Although Birk hasn't played great this season, I thought Birk would get in on his reputation as he has the past couple of years. The Giants offensive line has been one of the best in football so Sean O'Hara isn't a bad choice at all.
Matt Ryan was another guy I think should have went to the pro bowl. He's done everything he can possibly do to make the Falcons a better team and if you would have told me they would be 9-5 right now back in August, I would have thrown down a lot of money against it. The guy is a lot of fun to watch. I probably won't watch the pro bowl, but still Matt Ryan is the next great NFL quarterback.
BRICK WALL
So on Sunday I said that the Vikings had a real shot of making noise in the postseason. Well, remember how Pat Williams went off on a cart in the second half at Arizona? Yup, Phat Pat is now out 2 to 6 weeks with a fractured shoulder. Two weeks would be ideal for ol' Phat Pat to eat running backs such as Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, and Jonathan Stewart but I don't think that's going to happen. Fractured shoulder sounds pretty serious to me and if Williams came back in two or even three weeks, I would be stunned. Now the problem turns to who is going to replace Pat Williams on the defensive line. There are many candidates for this, but I think the best one would either be Brian Robison (who may be injured, but I'm not sure) and Jimmie Kennedy. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Kennedy(...Kennedy), he was the 13th overall pick in the 2003 draft by the St. Louis Rams. Now, the Rams defense hasn't gotten better since then, so I'm just going to let you assume that he absolutely sucks. Kennedy was cut earlier by Jacksonville this season and when Pat and Kevin Williams were suspended in Starcapsgate '08, the Vikings pounced on him immediately. The purple will just have to wait and see how this turns out. If the Vikings expect to win, Michael Turner and Matt Ryan need to be destroyed at any cost by the defensive line.
In other news...
I was watching ESPN this morning and saw one of those annoying product ads. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. These are the ads that start off with something ridiculous like, "Do you have problems using a pencil?" As that's being said they show some moron trying to write and screaming "I can't do it." Then, the ridiculous product is introduced. Well, I usually don't get too worked up about these ads, but this one sent me over the edge.
The product was a Snookum (?) blanket. This one started by showing a woman that was too cold, but she didn't want to turn up the heat because it would jack up her heating bill. She didn't want to use a normal blanket because it falls off when she wanted to change the channel on the TV or answer the phone, or any other ridiculous thing. So, she went ahead and got the Snookum blanket which was a blanket with sleeves! Now you too can look like a priest anytime you want around your house. SIGN ME UP FOR THIS ONE!
Here's the best part about this. Not only does it act like a blanket, but it also can be used as a hospital gown around the house, around the campfire, and they even suggested sporting events! I would seriously pay the 19.95 plus shipping and handling if they had one with Green Bay Packer logos all over it and give it to some 450 pound Packer fan who would definitely test the "one size fits all" mantra that the Snookum guarantees. Not to mention, most of rural Wisconsin would wear the damn thing like a hospital gown with nothing underneath. With that said, when we would watch Packer games from now on, we would see more crack than the Miami police department and it would be BRUTAL.
The funniest thing about all of these products is that some moron lunges to their phone to buy them. For a select percentage of people, this hospital gown would serve a purpose, but I highly doubt that nobody really cares that much about having the blanket fall off of them if they go to pick up their child or their dog on a cold night. If anything, they would simply tuck them under the blanket as well.
Pro Bowl Reaction - The NFL Pro Bowl rosters will be announced later today. I'll jump on with my reactions, but as far as Vikings go, I'll predict these players will make it.
RB Adrian Peterson
G Steve Hutchinson
C Matt Birk
DE Jared Allen
DT Pat Williams
DT Kevin Williams
LB Chad Greenway
CB Antoine Winfield
S Darren Sharper
Peterson, Allen, and Kevin Williams should be locks, but I think that the other players are very deserving of making the pro bowl roster. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. As for the Packers, I don't know too much, but here's who I would take...
QB Aaron Rodgers
WR Greg Jennings
LT Chad Clifton
DE Aaron Kampman
CB Charles Woodson
S Nick Collins
Any player on the Packer defense is not a lock because they've been absolutely awful the last couple of weeks. However, Woodson has a great number of his interceptions in the fourth quarter and most of those sealed Packer wins in the first half of the season. I'm not a big fan of Collins, but he has the numbers that could make it to Honolulu.
In other news...
I was watching ESPN this morning and saw one of those annoying product ads. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. These are the ads that start off with something ridiculous like, "Do you have problems using a pencil?" As that's being said they show some moron trying to write and screaming "I can't do it." Then, the ridiculous product is introduced. Well, I usually don't get too worked up about these ads, but this one sent me over the edge.
The product was a Snookum (?) blanket. This one started by showing a woman that was too cold, but she didn't want to turn up the heat because it would jack up her heating bill. She didn't want to use a normal blanket because it falls off when she wanted to change the channel on the TV or answer the phone, or any other ridiculous thing. So, she went ahead and got the Snookum blanket which was a blanket with sleeves! Now you too can look like a priest anytime you want around your house. SIGN ME UP FOR THIS ONE!
Here's the best part about this. Not only does it act like a blanket, but it also can be used as a hospital gown around the house, around the campfire, and they even suggested sporting events! I would seriously pay the 19.95 plus shipping and handling if they had one with Green Bay Packer logos all over it and give it to some 450 pound Packer fan who would definitely test the "one size fits all" mantra that the Snookum guarantees. Not to mention, most of rural Wisconsin would wear the damn thing like a hospital gown with nothing underneath. With that said, when we would watch Packer games from now on, we would see more crack than the Miami police department and it would be BRUTAL.
The funniest thing about all of these products is that some moron lunges to their phone to buy them. For a select percentage of people, this hospital gown would serve a purpose, but I highly doubt that nobody really cares that much about having the blanket fall off of them if they go to pick up their child or their dog on a cold night. If anything, they would simply tuck them under the blanket as well.
Pro Bowl Reaction - The NFL Pro Bowl rosters will be announced later today. I'll jump on with my reactions, but as far as Vikings go, I'll predict these players will make it.
RB Adrian Peterson
G Steve Hutchinson
C Matt Birk
DE Jared Allen
DT Pat Williams
DT Kevin Williams
LB Chad Greenway
CB Antoine Winfield
S Darren Sharper
Peterson, Allen, and Kevin Williams should be locks, but I think that the other players are very deserving of making the pro bowl roster. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. As for the Packers, I don't know too much, but here's who I would take...
QB Aaron Rodgers
WR Greg Jennings
LT Chad Clifton
DE Aaron Kampman
CB Charles Woodson
S Nick Collins
Any player on the Packer defense is not a lock because they've been absolutely awful the last couple of weeks. However, Woodson has a great number of his interceptions in the fourth quarter and most of those sealed Packer wins in the first half of the season. I'm not a big fan of Collins, but he has the numbers that could make it to Honolulu.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Beginning of something beautiful?
Coming into today's Vikings game against the Arizona Cardinals, I wasn't sure what to expect from my beloved Vikings. As mentioned before, when something positive is on the line, the Vikings find spectacular ways to lose. Today, the Vikings found a way to win.
The Vikings turned to Tarvaris Jackson for the start today and that alone made you think that they were going to get clobbered. However, things started turning the Vikings way in the middle of the first quarter. Bernard Berrian, who is looking more and more like an adaquate pickup for this offense, ran a punt back for a touchdown. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, Kurt Warner looked something more like he did in his New York Giants days rather than his "Greatest Show on Turf" days with the St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals continued to make mistakes and the Vikings pounced on them repeatedly.
Then, there was the play of Jackson. Jackson only threw the ball 16 times, but he was very smart and patient when he had to throw the football. He threw a gorgeous pass to Berrian to put the Vikings ahead 14-0. Then, after another Cardinal turnover, Jackson threw another touchdown on a screen to Chester Taylor. Jackson continued to impress throughout the game as he wound up with four touchdowns. The Vikings cruise to a 35-14 victory on the road (although I think the crowd in attendance was 60 percent Vikings fans) and are on the verge of their first division title since Daunte Culpepper was taking the league by storm in 2000.
So, after this performance, I can't help but wonder. You can say I'm jumping the gun all you want, but I ask this question. Why can't the Vikings make a run in the playoffs? Most Minnesota teams have faltered in big game situations lately, but these Vikings seem unflappable in their last couple of big contests. Last year, the Vikings had a chance to go to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, but dropped a big Sunday night game to the Washington Redskins. That seems to have changed this year. The Vikings were able to defeat the Packers at the Metrodome in a game that was considered one that would tell who would control the division. (The Packers have been in free fall ever since.) Then, a showdown with the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. After a sluggish start, the Vikings unleashed the fury of the 99 yard pass and found themselves on top of the division. Then there was today, which you should read the previous paragraphs if you still need convincing. The Vikings have seemed to shed their fear of big games, and that would benefit the purple.
The Vikings personel is also incredibly better than it was in previous playoff runs. This team may be as talented as the 1998 team that missed the Super Bowl by that much. Of course, Randall Cunningham was WAY better than Tarvaris Jackson is right now, but if you look at some areas, they are better than that '98 team. Instead of the explosive offense coming through the air, the explosiveness has come from the running game. Adrian Peterson has evolved into the best running back in the NFL and Chester Taylor is a very solid backup. The passing game may not be as great as it has been in the Vikings glory days, but Peterson is fully capable of carrying this team deep into the playoffs.
The Viking defense also is markedly improved and it starts with Jared Allen. I was one of those who bashed Allen at the beginning of the season, but Allen has the same impact on defense that Adrian Peterson does on offense. Jared Allen has 14 1/2 sacks after today's game. Last year's leading sack man, Ray Edwards had 5. Allen has turned this defense into one of elite status and they get better each and every week. Not even Arizona, who had the league's 2nd best passing offense coming into today's game could maul the Vikings in the air.
So, again, I could be jumping the gun, but based on recent performances, the Vikings could surprise each and every one of us and play deep into January or even GULP! February?
The Vikings turned to Tarvaris Jackson for the start today and that alone made you think that they were going to get clobbered. However, things started turning the Vikings way in the middle of the first quarter. Bernard Berrian, who is looking more and more like an adaquate pickup for this offense, ran a punt back for a touchdown. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, Kurt Warner looked something more like he did in his New York Giants days rather than his "Greatest Show on Turf" days with the St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals continued to make mistakes and the Vikings pounced on them repeatedly.
Then, there was the play of Jackson. Jackson only threw the ball 16 times, but he was very smart and patient when he had to throw the football. He threw a gorgeous pass to Berrian to put the Vikings ahead 14-0. Then, after another Cardinal turnover, Jackson threw another touchdown on a screen to Chester Taylor. Jackson continued to impress throughout the game as he wound up with four touchdowns. The Vikings cruise to a 35-14 victory on the road (although I think the crowd in attendance was 60 percent Vikings fans) and are on the verge of their first division title since Daunte Culpepper was taking the league by storm in 2000.
So, after this performance, I can't help but wonder. You can say I'm jumping the gun all you want, but I ask this question. Why can't the Vikings make a run in the playoffs? Most Minnesota teams have faltered in big game situations lately, but these Vikings seem unflappable in their last couple of big contests. Last year, the Vikings had a chance to go to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, but dropped a big Sunday night game to the Washington Redskins. That seems to have changed this year. The Vikings were able to defeat the Packers at the Metrodome in a game that was considered one that would tell who would control the division. (The Packers have been in free fall ever since.) Then, a showdown with the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. After a sluggish start, the Vikings unleashed the fury of the 99 yard pass and found themselves on top of the division. Then there was today, which you should read the previous paragraphs if you still need convincing. The Vikings have seemed to shed their fear of big games, and that would benefit the purple.
The Vikings personel is also incredibly better than it was in previous playoff runs. This team may be as talented as the 1998 team that missed the Super Bowl by that much. Of course, Randall Cunningham was WAY better than Tarvaris Jackson is right now, but if you look at some areas, they are better than that '98 team. Instead of the explosive offense coming through the air, the explosiveness has come from the running game. Adrian Peterson has evolved into the best running back in the NFL and Chester Taylor is a very solid backup. The passing game may not be as great as it has been in the Vikings glory days, but Peterson is fully capable of carrying this team deep into the playoffs.
The Viking defense also is markedly improved and it starts with Jared Allen. I was one of those who bashed Allen at the beginning of the season, but Allen has the same impact on defense that Adrian Peterson does on offense. Jared Allen has 14 1/2 sacks after today's game. Last year's leading sack man, Ray Edwards had 5. Allen has turned this defense into one of elite status and they get better each and every week. Not even Arizona, who had the league's 2nd best passing offense coming into today's game could maul the Vikings in the air.
So, again, I could be jumping the gun, but based on recent performances, the Vikings could surprise each and every one of us and play deep into January or even GULP! February?
Friday, December 12, 2008
The beginning of the end...
And so it began. Chris Schad, probably the most offensive sportswriter in the history of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, set out for a new medium to vent his weekly frustrations about Minnesota sports and other things. But how did we get here? Why am I doing this? Well, first of all I would like to thank Rick Burgesteiner for his support and showing me this website. As some of you may have noticed, the size of the UWRF Student Voice newspaper has been shrinking over the past year and I have too big of an ego not to have my voice heard. So, I've become a blogger. Not your prototypical blogger who sits at his computer playing Magic the Gathering (but I've heard Ozzy Osbourne supposedly does) but one who drinks beer and swears at his TV religiously anytime a sporting event is on.
You may ask yourself if I am qualified to rant and scream on the internet. My response is to have you look at my mother's side of the family and find out for yourself. My mom is just as crazy as I am. If she hadn't been on an anti-swearing rampage in recent years, I'm pretty sure that she would refer to the coach of the Vikings as "Brad Fucking Childress." From there, is my uncle Carl, who just like I, sits in front of his gigantic TV every Sunday and watches football like an audience at a Billy Graham rally. (On a sidenote: What do Billy Graham and the Vikings have in common? They can both get 64,000 people to stand up and scream JESUS CHRIST on any given Sunday.) My other uncle, Timm, is a strong Vikings fan, but also is involved of the realm of professional wrestling. Then my late Grandpa Jerry was so hardcore of a fan that he A) probably threw that Windsor bottle that took out the refree when Drew Pearson pushed off on Ahmad Rashad in the 1976 NFC Championship game and B) Grounded Timm for cheering for the Houston Oilers to piss him off. Now you may ask about my dad's side of the family, but I strongly believe that they are all closet Packer fans. Although my dad will NOT give up on the Timberwolves. THEY WILL RISE AGAIN....(at least he thinks so)
So with that, I thought I would get you caught up to date on how I see the world of sports at the current moment.
Vikings - The Vikings have a strong history of choking in this spot. It doesn't matter how close they are to a playoff spot or division title but they just don't find ways to lose. They find SPECTACULAR ways to lose. In 2003, the Vikings had the Cardinals beat until Josh McCown to Nathan Poole (both of whom can burn in hell). In 2000, the Giants curbstomped the Vikings 41-0 in the NFC Championship game. In 1998, Gary Anderson missed one kick all year. The one that would have sent the Vikings to the Super Bowl. Don't even ask about the 1970's. I would be more comfortable had the Saints held on to defeat Brian "I have more concussions than brain cells" Urlacher and the Bears, but the Vikings needed to hold up their end of the bargain regardless. The task at hand is to put Kurt Warner's ass where his head currently resides and vice versa. I have a feeling Jared Allen will play this week so that's a good thing going for the purple. Tarvaris Jackson will start, but I'm not scared. I said at the beginning of the season that I have faith in Tarvaris and I still do. Remember, he was very solid towards the end of the year last year, and we need to know what we have in T-Jack. If we don't have much hello Graham Harrell, or Tim Tebow, or Colt McCoy, or Sam Bradford, or Donovan McNabb.
Twins - The Twins went to the winter meetings looking to boost their offense. Names that were thrown out were J.J. Hardy, Garrett Atkins, Adrian Beltre, and Jason Donald (a prospect in the Phillies organization). So who did the Twins haul back to Minneapolis? NICK PUNTO! Yes, thank god he's back to save our offense. He hauled in a whopping 41 RBI last season. YES!! If I were the White Sox, Indians, or anybody else in our division I would crap my pants seeing the mear sight of Nick Punto in the batters box. Yes, he plays amazing defense, but we already have a great defensive infield. We need a guy who can hit balls deep enough so that people can't crowd the infield like Adrian Peterson is at the plate. The Twins still haven't addressed their third base need and they still need a set up guy to get to Joe Nathan as they screwed up another elbow injury (Pat Neshek).
Wolves - They finally fired Randy Wittless. The bad news is that Kevin McHale is roaming the sidelines. This move had more good news than bad however, as McHale is no longer making personell decisions. No longer will we see a future superstar like Brandon Roy, Josh Howard, Rip Hamilton, or O.J. Mayo seem like they're in our grasp only to have them taken away. I hope the Wolves can turn it around, but first they need a coach that is willing to travel to road games.
Wild - Please, trade Marian Gaborik ASAP. The best thing that can happen for this team is Gaborik coming back, lighting the world on fire, and then dealing him to an Eastern Conference team. I liked the Montreal deal, so maybe they can rekindle that interest.
Gophers - The basketball Gophers are going to get their test next Saturday against Louisville whom some predict to win the National Championship. The good news is that the game is going to be played in Arizona on a neutral court. While I'm not ready to pencil Tubby and Co. into the Final Four just yet, they will be an improved team from a year ago. The only bad thing is that we'll have to wait until Big 10 season to see what they can do.
OK, that's enough writing for today, but if I see something that I got to spit out, this is where you'll find it.
You may ask yourself if I am qualified to rant and scream on the internet. My response is to have you look at my mother's side of the family and find out for yourself. My mom is just as crazy as I am. If she hadn't been on an anti-swearing rampage in recent years, I'm pretty sure that she would refer to the coach of the Vikings as "Brad Fucking Childress." From there, is my uncle Carl, who just like I, sits in front of his gigantic TV every Sunday and watches football like an audience at a Billy Graham rally. (On a sidenote: What do Billy Graham and the Vikings have in common? They can both get 64,000 people to stand up and scream JESUS CHRIST on any given Sunday.) My other uncle, Timm, is a strong Vikings fan, but also is involved of the realm of professional wrestling. Then my late Grandpa Jerry was so hardcore of a fan that he A) probably threw that Windsor bottle that took out the refree when Drew Pearson pushed off on Ahmad Rashad in the 1976 NFC Championship game and B) Grounded Timm for cheering for the Houston Oilers to piss him off. Now you may ask about my dad's side of the family, but I strongly believe that they are all closet Packer fans. Although my dad will NOT give up on the Timberwolves. THEY WILL RISE AGAIN....(at least he thinks so)
So with that, I thought I would get you caught up to date on how I see the world of sports at the current moment.
Vikings - The Vikings have a strong history of choking in this spot. It doesn't matter how close they are to a playoff spot or division title but they just don't find ways to lose. They find SPECTACULAR ways to lose. In 2003, the Vikings had the Cardinals beat until Josh McCown to Nathan Poole (both of whom can burn in hell). In 2000, the Giants curbstomped the Vikings 41-0 in the NFC Championship game. In 1998, Gary Anderson missed one kick all year. The one that would have sent the Vikings to the Super Bowl. Don't even ask about the 1970's. I would be more comfortable had the Saints held on to defeat Brian "I have more concussions than brain cells" Urlacher and the Bears, but the Vikings needed to hold up their end of the bargain regardless. The task at hand is to put Kurt Warner's ass where his head currently resides and vice versa. I have a feeling Jared Allen will play this week so that's a good thing going for the purple. Tarvaris Jackson will start, but I'm not scared. I said at the beginning of the season that I have faith in Tarvaris and I still do. Remember, he was very solid towards the end of the year last year, and we need to know what we have in T-Jack. If we don't have much hello Graham Harrell, or Tim Tebow, or Colt McCoy, or Sam Bradford, or Donovan McNabb.
Twins - The Twins went to the winter meetings looking to boost their offense. Names that were thrown out were J.J. Hardy, Garrett Atkins, Adrian Beltre, and Jason Donald (a prospect in the Phillies organization). So who did the Twins haul back to Minneapolis? NICK PUNTO! Yes, thank god he's back to save our offense. He hauled in a whopping 41 RBI last season. YES!! If I were the White Sox, Indians, or anybody else in our division I would crap my pants seeing the mear sight of Nick Punto in the batters box. Yes, he plays amazing defense, but we already have a great defensive infield. We need a guy who can hit balls deep enough so that people can't crowd the infield like Adrian Peterson is at the plate. The Twins still haven't addressed their third base need and they still need a set up guy to get to Joe Nathan as they screwed up another elbow injury (Pat Neshek).
Wolves - They finally fired Randy Wittless. The bad news is that Kevin McHale is roaming the sidelines. This move had more good news than bad however, as McHale is no longer making personell decisions. No longer will we see a future superstar like Brandon Roy, Josh Howard, Rip Hamilton, or O.J. Mayo seem like they're in our grasp only to have them taken away. I hope the Wolves can turn it around, but first they need a coach that is willing to travel to road games.
Wild - Please, trade Marian Gaborik ASAP. The best thing that can happen for this team is Gaborik coming back, lighting the world on fire, and then dealing him to an Eastern Conference team. I liked the Montreal deal, so maybe they can rekindle that interest.
Gophers - The basketball Gophers are going to get their test next Saturday against Louisville whom some predict to win the National Championship. The good news is that the game is going to be played in Arizona on a neutral court. While I'm not ready to pencil Tubby and Co. into the Final Four just yet, they will be an improved team from a year ago. The only bad thing is that we'll have to wait until Big 10 season to see what they can do.
OK, that's enough writing for today, but if I see something that I got to spit out, this is where you'll find it.
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