A very early look at the Vikings 2012 schedule

Posted on by

With the future of the Vikings franchise in doubt, it may be time to start considering the idea that the 2012 season will be the last season of Vikings football in the state of Minnesota. If you logged on to NFL.com at 6 pm CT on Tuesday night to get a glimpse of the 2012 Vikings schedule, I applaud your dedication. If you then proceeded to watch 3 hours of NFL schedule coverage on ESPN, that’s fucking pathetic. Almost as pathetic as a Bob Costas monologue.

I caught a few moments of ESPN’s coverage during commercials for the NHL playoffs and Twins game. At one point, I saw Ron Jaworski breaking down the top 15 quarterback match-ups of 2012. On a side note, the best part about Monday Night Football the past few seasons was when Gruden would piss off Jaws. There was nothing better than an intense Gruden getting Jaws fired up. But since the two apparently cannot co-exist together in the booth, Jaws is relegated to breaking down the top 15 quarterback match-ups in 2012. Who fucking cares? Honestly, anyone who is tuned into ESPN’s schedule coverage is already a moron. Anyone who needs Jaws to tell them that when the Steelers play the Giants, Ben Roethlisberger faces off against Eli Manning, probably shouldn’t be watching the schedule release show in the first place. Jaws’ analysis goes something like this:

“And my number three quarterback match-up is Big Ben Roethlisberger against Eli Manning. You know what I love about this match-up? They both have jewelry. And what I mean by that is they both have Super Bowl rings, multiple Super Bowl rings at that. These quarterbacks just know how to win. Big Ben is as tough as they come. And Eli Manning always seems to rise to the occasion on the big stage. This should be a classic match-up of outstanding quarterbacks.”

Really? Thanks Ron. The only thing that could have made it worse would have been if Costas provided that insight. I get it though. Everyone loves the NFL. Except for people in Minnesota. Most people in Minnesota would rather let their professional football team leave. But all other 49 states care about the NFL. A lot. And ESPN probably got a few people to tune into their coverage. I’m not going to lie, I looked over the Vikings schedule a few times over the last 48 hours. I get excited for it. But not for 3 hours of coverage on ESPN with all of those idiots (Trent Dilfer being the worst). Besides, my analysis of the Vikings schedule is far better than anything the talking heads on ESPN could put together.

Week 1- vs. Jacksonville: The Vikings open the season at home for the first time since 2007 against Blaine Gabbert and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Remember Mr. Gabbert? He was the hot girl we really wanted to ask to prom in this post here. I think Ponder is going to make us forget all about the hot girl in this game, and make us thankful we brought him to the dance. I like the Vikings starting off the season 1-0 with a victory.

Week 2- @ Indianapolis: The Vikings will likely get an early season look at Andrew Luck in week 2. Probably better to get a look at the kid early in the year while he is still learning. The Colts suck. I mean, if you thought the Vikings sucked last year, the Colts sucked more. It’s a battle of two teams in re-building mode. I think our overall talent is better. Vikes get a road win in week 2. And yes, start the season 2-0.

Week 3- vs. San Francisco: The last time the 69ers came to the Metrodome was in 2009. And this happened. Look out Greg Coleman!! Kind of hard to predict another game like that. But this will be a tough match-up for the Purple. San Francisco has an unreal defense that could make Ponder’s head spin. And even though they still have Alex Smith (who had a career year last year that he will not duplicate), they do have the Superfreak on their side. Yes, Randy Moss makes his first trip to the Metrodome as an opponent in the regular season. 49ers are too tough and have the potential to make another deep playoff run. The Vikings will suffer their first loss of the year here and drop to 2-1.

Week 4- @ Detroit: Last season in Detroit, Joe Webb led a furious comeback and almost pulled a win out of his ass. Were it not for a missed facemask at the end of the game, the Vikings very well may have won that game at Ford Field. I don’t think this is a home game for the Vikings. But they did play a home game at Ford Field in the 2010 season. So we’ll have to wait and see which logo is at the 50 yard line at kickoff. Megatron is a freak. And as much as I love the Chris Cook acquittal (innocent until proven guilty!!!), I don’t think he can stay with Megatron the whole game (see last season at the Metrodome). Lions win here. Vikings fall to 2-2 (here comes the putter throw…).

Week 5- vs. Tennessee: Pretty mediocre match-up here. If the Vikings are any worse than 2-2 and show signs of struggling at the beginning of the 2012 season, we may need to put the TV blackout watch on for this game. Since I think they will be 2-2 and have a very winnable game at home, we should be safe to watch it on TV here locally. Again, boring match-up. But since it’s at home, I’ll give the edge to the Purple. Vikes move back above .500 to 3-2.

Week 6- @ Washington: As head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Leslie Frazier has a record of 6-16. 2 of those 6 victories have come at FedEx Field in our Nation’s Capitol, including his first win as head coach during the 2010 season. It must be something those guys put in the water. Every year it seems to get better and better for Coach Frazier in DC. In addition, the Vikings will likely get a chance to try and stop Are Gee Three, the likely second overall pick in the upcoming draft. I know it’s an outdoor road game, but Leslie knows how to win there. I am taking the Purple to add another one to the win column. 4-2 (wait…he’s restrained himself!).

Week 7- vs. Arizona: The Vikings were 3-13 last year. But one of their three wins was a 34-10 drubbing of the Arizona Cardinals in week 5 at the Metrodome. The Cardinals suck. They have Fitz, but no one to throw him the football. The Vikings ride the momentum of a fast start at home and move to 5-2.

Week 8- vs. Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay: The Vikings will play 13 of 16 games at Noon CT during the 2012 season, 2 of 16 games in the late game window on Sunday afternoon, and 1 game in prime-time, the game in week 8 at home against Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay. It’s a Thursday night game at 7:20 local time. The NFL wanted every team to play at least one prime-time game. So here is a big stage for the Vikings. Unfortunately, the Vikings have to be one of the worst prime-time teams in the history of the NFL. While most of their failures tend to come on the road in prime-time, Tampa Bay under-achieved last year. And added Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks to Josh Freeman’s offense. Tampa is a better team than the Vikings and I am not sure the Purple is ready to beat a bunch of teams that are legitimately better than them. Another loss in prime-time. 5-3 at the midway point of the season.

Week 9- @ Seattle: Unfortunately for the Vikings, it probably won’t be Tarvaris Jackson running the offensive show for Seattle this week. The Seahawks picked up Matt Flynn, the former Packer, who presumably will be their starter (it would be a big slap in the face to Matt Flynn if he gets beat out by T-Jack). I just have a bad feeling about this one. Road game at 3:05 pm CT. Seattle has a sneaky good defense. Two game losing streak for the Vikings. 5-4.

Week 10- vs. Detroit: The Vikings begin a stretch this week in which they play 5 of their final 7 games against division opponents. The NFC North is perhaps the toughest division in football. However, the Vikes played Detroit tough twice last year, should have won the first meeting at the dome, and could have stolen the second meeting. I like the Purple in this one. They are not going to get shut out in division play two years in a row. It is a big game in the middle of the season if the team really has a shot at the post-season. They stay above .500 and move to 6-4.

Week 11: Bye (not sure what the fuck I am going to do this weekend…just track fantasy football all day I suppose…)
Week 12- @ Chicago: The Vikings never win in Chicago. Even if the Bears didn’t have Brandon Marshall and his bi-polar personality, I think the Vikings lose. But since Cutler and Marshall are now re-united, it makes the Bears that much tougher. They always have a good defense. And while their fans are the biggest d-bags in all of sports, I will give the nod to the Bears in the Windy City. 6-5.
Week 13- @ Green Bay: I played golf in Las Vegas last week. The starter on the first tee was from Wisconsin. When I told him I was from Minnesota, he naturally defaulted to saying he hates the Vikings. I am used to it. There is nothing to do in Wisconsin. It is probably the saddest state in America. So I feel a little bit bad for him that he has to resort to that with his first comment to me. Nothing else to talk about. That’s fine. He also proceeded to say that he hates Brett Favre. I think it’s funny that Packer fans hate Favre now. Green Bay told him not to come back. So he went somewhere else. And yes, he picked the Vikings so he could get back at Ted Thompson and the Packers. But, Favre also brought the Packers back to relevance in the early ’90′s. From 1970-1991, the Packers won more than 8 games in a season only twice (1972 & 1989). Enter Favre in 1992, and the Packers would go on to win more than 8 games in 13 of Favre’s 16 seasons with the team, including a Super Bowl Championship and 7 division titles. Favre turned the Packer franchise around and is a football legend (I felt that way before 2009). So don’t pretend like you hate Favre, Packer nation. Aaron Rodgers in the best quarterback in the NFL and the Vikings will not stop him at Lambeau. Vikings fall back to 6-6 and .500 on the year.
Week 14- vs. Chicago: Second time in 3 weeks the Vikings play the Bears, which is a little odd. And with the Bears fighting for the division at this point in the season, I think they will be a little too much for the Vikings (wow, is the Twins pitching bad…just watched Granderson go yard for the third time tonight). Anyways, too much Cutler, Forte, and Marshall. Vikings go on a 3 game losing streak and and their playoff chances slowly slip out of their hands. 6-7 (ok, now we can throw the putter).
Week 15- @ St. Louis: I do think Sam Bradford will have a much better season this year after his Sophomore slump last year. For whatever reason, I have a feeling both the Vikings and the Rams will be hanging on by a string in the Wild Card race in this game, so both teams will be needing a win. I am going to be a homer here (which is rare) and convince myself the Vikings will keep the season interesting. The Purple will end their 3-game losing streak and battle back to .500 and 7-7.

Week 16- @ Houston: The Vikings play their fourth road game in five weeks when they visit Houston (the last 6 games for the Vikings are absolutely brutal!). Houston has to be a favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year. They have a vastly improved defense, and hopefully will have Matt Schaub back for this season. A healthy Andre Johnson and Arian Foster gives the Texans one of the most explosive offenses in the league too. A far superior team to the Vikings. No upset here to save the season. The Vikings fall to 7-8 and unfortunately will probably fall out of the Wild Card race for good this week.

Week 17- vs. Green Bay: Again, why did the NFL make us play Green Bay and Chicago 4 times in the last 6 weeks? That sucks man. If I really analyze this game, there is potential for the Vikings to win their last game ever in the Metrodome and last game ever as the Minnesota Vikings. If you think about it, the Packers should already have the division wrapped up and their playoff fate set. Maybe they will be playing for a bye in the first round or home field advantage. Point is, if the Packers rest some players (and no, they won’t have Matt Flynn as Rodgers back-up like they did in Week 17 last year…), the Vikings might be able to steal this one and finish the Dome off with a victory and an 8-8 season. But, if the Packers employ a full army for the game, the Metrodome will be closed out with a loss. Let’s just assume the latter is going to happen.

So there it is. 7-9 for the Purple this year. If they don’t get off to a fast start based on how much easier the beginning part of the season is compared to the latter portion, the season could get really ugly, really fast. However, I wouldn’t mind getting to a point this season when Jaws features Christian Ponder in one of his top QB match-ups.

An End to the Stadium Saga?

Posted on by

In 1999, Honeywell Inc. was a thriving Minneapolis-based Fortune 100 Company. The Company had over $15 billion in revenue that year, and over $1 billion in profits. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the Company was home to over 7,000 employees in the Twin Cities alone. When Honeywell was acquired by New Jersey based AlliedSignal in 1999, thousands of employees in Minneapolis lost their jobs after the Company’s headquarters were moved to Morristown, New Jersey. While some employees moved with the re-location effort to New Jersey, it meant that thousands of jobs were now leaving the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Although AlliedSignal was over twice the size of Honeywell in 1999, the Company chose to operate under the name Honeywell International, Inc. due to the superior brand recognition Honeywell built while headquartered in Minneapolis for over 100 years.

Similarly, the merger between Northwest Airlines and Delta in 2008 has moved thousands of jobs outside the state of Minnesota (where Northwest was headquartered) to Delta’s headquarters in Atlanta, GA. At the time of the merger, Northwest Airlines was the world’s sixth largest airline in terms of domestic and international scheduled passenger miles flown and the United State’s sixth largest airline based on the total amount of domestic passenger miles flown. And it seems like Delta continues to move any existing operations in Minnesota out of the state to its Atlanta headquarters.

And just a few weeks ago, Best Buy, Minnesota’s third largest Corporation in terms of 2011 Revenue and the world’s largest consumer electronics chain announced that it will be cutting over 400 jobs, which includes jobs from the Company’s corporate headquarters in Richfield, Minnesota. Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that Best Buy’s job cuts won’t end there based on the reaction Wall Street gave to the Company’s restructuring announcement at the end of March.

On Monday night, the new Minnesota Stadium Bill was up for vote amongst the House Government Operations and Elections Committee. Having already cleared two hurdles in the legislative process over the past few weeks, Monday nights’ vote was another opportunity for the stadium debate to press on before the scheduled adjournment of the 2012 legislative session in two weeks.

With the opportunity to vote ‘yes’ for a bill that would support nearly 13,000 full and part-time jobs, including 7,500 construction jobs, 9 of the 15 votes cast were opposed the new stadium bill. Note the construction industry in Minnesota in currently experiencing 20% unemployment according to the Minnesota Vikings official website and Convention, Sports & Leisure International (CSL). 9 of 15 were opposed to the idea of attracting major sporting events such as the Big 10 Football Championship, the Final Four, or the Super Bowl to the state of Minnesota. 9 of 15 are OK with the Vikings leaving the state of Minnesota. Note that according to CSL, the new stadium will lead to $145 million in direct annual spending by fans, the Vikings, the team’s employees and players, visiting teams, and the NFL in connection with games and operation of the facility (and that is just the amount related to the Vikings, not to mention the other events that would take place at the new stadium). But I am sure the state of Minnesota can easily make up for that difference without the team…Or people could just take the money they would spend on their season tickets and use that for a vacation with their family…to other states like Florida or Hawaii. I am sure our local economy wouldn’t miss that money staying here or the jobs that would be supported and created by the new stadium. I am sure the folks at Honeywell, Northwest, and Best Buy didn’t care when they lost their jobs.

A study done by the Minnesota Vikings shows that over 27% of Vikings season ticket holders live outside the state of Minnesota…but bring their money here and spend it in our local restaurants and hotels for games. With over 150,000 visitors to Indianapolis for this year’s Super Bowl, central Indiana brought in an estimated $155 million as a direct result of the Super Bowl. But 9 out of 15 said “no thanks” to that kind of economic impact for the Twin Cities on Monday night. New Orleans estimated that the local economy took in approximately $135 million as a result of the Final Four a few weeks ago. But 9 out of 15 said “no thanks” to that kind of economic impact for the Twin Cities on Monday night.

We can even put aside the business and economic impact the Minnesota Vikings and the new stadium would have and look at it purely from a quality of life standpoint for fans. The Vikings currently have season ticket holders in all 50 states, Canada, and England. Approximately 3 million residents (or 56% of the population) in the state of Minnesota follow Vikings games each Sunday. The team’s 65 average television share over the last three years means 65% of the TVs that are turned on during a Vikings game in Minnesota are tuned into Vikings football, according to NFL.com. During the 2010 season, a season in which the Vikings finished 6-10, they had the fifth best television ratings in the league, according to the Star Tribune. People still watch the team even when they are losing. The Vikings have sold out every game since 1997. People care about the team. They are a state asset and are important to our quality of life.

I once heard someone make the argument that people would still spend their money on other things such as bowling and movies if the Vikings left town. While I still subscribe to the idea that most Minnesotan’s would probably save that money and take a vacation to other parts of the country, it is quite possible that people might spend their money on bowling. And what a memory that would create for kids across our great state! Instead of experiencing an NFL game in person, they get to go bowling for the fourth Sunday in a row! Gee Dad! That sounds great! We can make memories that last a lifetime at the bowling alley instead of at a beautiful new NFL stadium with 70,000 other people screaming as Sean Payton breaks Adrian Peterson’s ankle. What a great Sunday afternoon that would be!

Maybe my anger is directed at the wrong people. If those in the legislature are just doing what their constituents want, isn’t the legislature just doing their job? Shouldn’t they be looking out for the interests of those who elected them? And from everything that I know, a referendum that would give people the chance to vote on a new stadium would in fact kill the bill.

But why? That means that some of the same people who are saying no to the stadium are the same people who are watching the team on Sunday’s and spending money on the team. Go bowling on Sunday’s then if you really don’t support the team or them being here. We don’t need them after all, right? I guess it’s the people of Minnesota who really don’t want the team here. And that’s disappointing. So maybe that is who I should be mad at. The cowards that can’t see the big picture. Which when I think about it, cowards would also include those in the legislature who allowed the state government to shut down last summer.

When you make an investment, it costs money up-front before you see a return. Maybe the residents in the Twin Cities and the State of Minnesota just really aren’t that smart. Considering our state has more Fortune 500 companies (20) per capita than any other state, I would have thought the vast majority of people would understand how an investment works and how important it is to keep big businesses and jobs in our economy. Apparently not though. Apparently we are OK with the Vikings and the jobs and money associated with the team leaving town, just like Honeywell and Northwest (and maybe Best Buy…).

Lester Bagley, Vice President of Public Affairs and Stadium Development said today “We have no plans to come back here next year…no action is a decision by the state of Minnesota.” So there ya go. The Vikings aren’t planning on re-visiting the stadium debate next year. And why should they? They have done everything asked of them for the last 10 years of the stadium debate. This year was their best proposal yet and best chance of getting something done. And still nothing. Back to square one. For anyone who opposes a new stadium, you have absolutely no basis to be pissed off if Zygi Wilf or the Minnesota Vikings threaten to leave the state. Or want to leave the state for that matter. In all likelihood, Zygi would sell the team to someone else who would then move it. I don’t think the moving trucks are going to show up at the Metrodome in the middle of the night while Zygi is around. But if the NFL now knows that there is no stadium plan here in Minnesota, why wouldn’t they give the go-ahead to a new owner to move the team to a community with a new stadium that actually wants them?

As a state, we are embarrassing ourselves. And I am trying really hard to distance myself from those who don’t get it. How can this issue be so complicated? Again, maybe I should be more upset at the people of our state who pretend to care about the Vikings and pretend to care about Minnesota being an attractive place to live and work, and then shy away from helping make that a reality. If legislators are just acting in the interest of their constituents, fine. That’s what they are supposed to do. But it seems like there are still some in the legislator who are still more worried about the next election rather than doing what is best for the state. And what’s best for the state is keeping jobs and money here locally. And continuing to provide people who live here with a variety of entertainment opportunities. And based on the decisions made last night by 9 out 15, it doesn’t seem like the best interests of the state were on their minds.

Maybe they should talk to the people who worked at Honeywell or Northwest or Best Buy who lost jobs. How did that work out? I hope I can still get a lane at the bowling alley next year.

I’m fucking pissed. That’s all. I want my favorite team to stay here. And it’s looking more and more like that might not happen. The 2012 schedule was released tonight. I have looked at it. I’ll give my analysis on it later this week. I am going to hold off on including that analysis here since I’ll probably let my emotions get the best of me and predict the Purple to go 16-0. At least if I wait until tomorrow, I am confident I will have them no better then 14-2.

Up For Debate

Posted on by

Are people more excited that the Olympics return to NBC’s airwaves this summer or that it’s an election year? I am kind of torn. There are pros and cons to each. Pros for the Olympics: Usain Bolt and the USA Women’s Gymnastic Team. Cons for the Olympics: Constant Bob Costas monologues that absolutely no one wants to hear. Pros for the election year: An opportunity to remove Obama from the White House. Cons for the election year: I have to vote for Mitt “Yes, that is my name” Romney or Rick “Sweater-vest” Santorum for Obama to be ousted.

However, I will say that it is much more fun to debate whether Michael Phelps actually eats 12,000 calories a day or whether Brady Quinn is actually worthy enough to date Alicia Sacramone of the USA Women’s gymnastic team. My take is that he is not. I mean, the guy basically got beat out by Adam Weber in Denver.

There really isn’t anything to debate in an election year. Should we drill for oil on public land? Yes. Should we close the borders to illegal immigrants and make it impossible for undocumented workers to gain citizenship? Yes. Should we build a new Vikings stadium (a local angle in an election year)? Yes. See what I mean? Nothing to debate. It’s pretty clear the decisions that should be made by politicians. No sweat. But seriously. There is no way Michael Phelps actually eats 12,000 calories a day. And is it possible that Shawn Johnson of the US Women’s gymnastic team was separated from Goldy Gopher at birth? Check it out for yourself…I think it’s entirely possible. Also debatable. Also, is Shawn Johnson cute? I kind of think so. I digress.

Point is, sports are much more fun to debate and bring out the emotions in all of us when we find ourselves in a good sports debate. It can get downright heated. Fortunately for me, I am always right with my predictions and opinions. Like that time I predicted that Vince Grier of Golden Gopher basketball fame would be a lottery pick. Or that time I predicted the Vikings would be 10-6 in the 2011 season. Or the time I predicted the Gophers would make the Rose Bowl after starting the season 7-1 in 2008. I could probably go on with more. But you get the idea. I have a great sports predictions mind. I see it clearly. I never let my heart get in the way of my head.

And there is no better time of the year to show-off a brilliant sports mind than March when the NCAA tournament rolls around. There is always that one guy in your pool who picks the 13 over the 4, and when the upset happens, acts like he knew it all along. I wonder how Sean Payton did in his bracket this year. There are those who fill out multiple brackets with different scenarios. They have one bracket with UNC beating Kentucky in the finals. Then another bracket with Ohio State beating UNC in the final four, only to lose to Kentucky in the National Championship. I stick to one bracket for each pool. Every game is picked the exact same. I don’t want any conflicts of interest in any game. Same reason I only do one fantasy football team each year and never draft players from the Green Bay Packers or the Chicago Bears, even if Aaron Rodgers or Matt Forte are the best available and its my turn to pick. I don’t want any conflicts of interest. I will always take a Vikings win over a fantasy football win any day. But the thought of actually caring if Rodgers gets me 30 points on a Sunday make me sick. I would much rather cheer for James Jones and Jermichael Finley to continue dropping passes instead of catching them to ensure that Rodgers adds a few more points to my team’s total. I digress.

But, I am feeling pretty good about the way my bracket turned out. I saw it clearly. My outstanding sports mind struck again. After only picking 19 of 32 games correctly in the first round, and losing a Final Four team in Missouri, I managed to keep it together and correctly pick the 3 remaining Final Four teams, as well as the National Championship game participants, and the overall National Champion. It won me one pool, second in two others, and fifth in another. I finished in the 95th percentile on Yahoo, and absolutely crushed Obama and his bracket (more drilling for oil please, Barry). That’s what having a great sports mind and filing out the same bracket for each pool can do for you.

And since I performed well in this year’s March Madness pools, my confidence level on my ability to accurately predict the outcomes of sporting events is soaring. I’ll take on anyone in sports debate at the moment. And on the heels of March Madness, another incredible sports weekend is on deck. Not only do we get to enjoy a tradition unlike any other at Augusta National this weekend, but the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Men’s Hockey team will be skating for the opportunity to win the programs’ sixth national championship and first since 2003. So, with my confidence sky-high and a huge sports weekend (which actually begins Thursday) on tap, it’s a perfect time for predictions (which can fire up heated debates…). First, The Masters.

Nantz: And now, Tiger on the tee at 10 (insert sound of driver hitting golf ball here). Faldo: First time we have seen Tiger hit a draw today Jim….So used…to seeing him hit cuts off the tee now…Working with….Sean Foley now. Of course the best shot shape at 10 is a draw…get the ball moving right to left, hit the slope for a more….manageable approach.                                                                                                                  Nantz: To 11.                                                                                                             Baker-Finch: Hunter Mahan on the tee (insert sound of driver hitting golf ball here)….. Ah, much better from Hunter there. Best driver of the golf ball in the world. Missed the fairway on 9 and 10 however. Led to his bogey at 10……Back to 10.                      Nantz: And now McIlroy (insert sound of driver hitting golf ball here).                       Faldo: Wow-wee Jim! That was a major pull by Rory…                                               Nantz: Well Rory may be playing his second from a similar spot as last year, over by that cabin some 50 yards left of the fairway.                                                               Faldo: Unbelievable Jim….second year in a row Rory has pulled it way left off the tee at 10….and you can see the shock on his face now (camera shows Rory pull his hat down over his face as walks off the tee.)                                                                            Nantz: Advantage Tiger at 10. Let’s go to 16.                                                       Lundquist: (insert sound of heavy breathing into the mic). Phil…on the tee with 8 iron….trails Tiger by 3 (insert long silence….insert sound of 8 iron hitting golf ball…..insert sound of soft murmurs from Augusta patrons while ball travels in the air…insert loud roar from crowd as ball lands 10 feet right of hole and feeds off slope.)Lundquist: This will feed back towards the hole….Oh My!! And Mickelson will have 4 feet to move to 10 under, 2 back of Tiger, and 5 under on the back-nine. (insert more clapping and cheering from patrons). Back to 11.                                                       Baker-Finch: Jason Day…lining up his putt for par now to stay 2 back of Tiger (insert long pause with sounds of birds chirping in background). Well done. Day stays at 10 under, two back of Tiger. Let’s go back to 10.                                                            Nantz: And we see where Rory is in relation to Tiger…almost identical position to where he hit his tee shot on 10 in the final round last year.                                       Faldo: (while giggling) Well he should know the correct shot to play here Jim after last year… (Nantz giggles as well).                                                                                    Nantz: Tiger will play first. 171 left to the hole…. (insert sound of 8 iron hitting golf ball here). And that ball will feed back off the hill a little.                                                    Faldo: Should leave Tiger about 15 feet…probably some left to right break in there…trying to maybe create a little space between he and Rory now after that…..drive by Rory….                                                                                                                      Nantz: To 16.                                                                                                      Lundquist: (insert sound of heavy breathing into the mic). Traditional Sunday pin placement…not many know how to get close to it better than Phil (insert a solid 12 second pause here as Phil lines up his putt). For birdie, to pull within 2 of Woods….. (insert loud roar from Augusta patrons as Phil drains putt). Mickelson moves to 10 under overall, 5 under on the back-side….Back to 10.                                              Nantz: Rory…getting ready to play his second.                                                           Faldo: Just going to have to play sideways, Jim…to get the ball back in play (insert sound of wedge hitting golf ball back into middle of fairway here). Take your medicine Rory…try to hit a….solid approach shot…make your par putt…..and hope Tiger misses his birdie.

Ah yes. I can hear CBS’ coverage in my head now. Tiger and Rory in the final group on Sunday. Big names like Hunter Mahan and Jason Day (and subsequently Jason Day’s smokin’ hot wife) in the final few groups chasing Tiger and Rory. And Phil making a traditional charge on the back-nine, causing Verne Lundquist to give a good ‘ol “Oh My!” at 16. It truly is a tradition unlike any other. The best golf tournament of the year.

And this year will showcase the World’s best playing at the top of their games. Tiger won his first official PGA Tour event at Bay Hill a few weeks ago. Hunter Mahan has won twice this year and is now the highest ranked American in the World. Rory has a victory in the states under his belt this year. Phil won at Pebble and always plays well at Augusta. And I haven’t even mentioned Euros like Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, or Martin Kaymer. Or how about Master’s rookies Webb Simpson (who will also bring his gorgeous wife to our television set this weekend) and Keegan Bradley? Yeah, those guys have never even played in a Masters. What about Bubba? Nick Watney? Jason Day? And last year’s winner Charl Schwartzel? We haven’t seen all of the World’s top players playing this well going into Master’s week in a long-time. Since Tiger’s alter-ego was revealed after Elin took a 9-iron to his car, the talent-pool in professional golf got deeper. No one dominates like Tiger once did, and you have to feel like the top 30 players at the Master’s this week all have an equal shot at winning the tournament. We can’t really be surprised by any winner on Tour this year, including this weekend at Augusta. Even Arnold Palmer has a shot this week.

Obviously guys like Tiger, Rory, and Phil are the favorites. And while the eventual winner at Augusta will have to putt well to win, the tournament truly is wide-open. And while longer-hitters often have an advantage at Augusta, the course will play softer this weekend due to heavy rains that moved through the area on Tuesday and are predicted to impact the tournament’s first round on Thursday. This means that guys will not get as much roll off the tee, and may be forced to hit longer irons into greens. And while the softer greens will hold long-iron shots better, it will also be harder for guys to put the ball in the correct positions on the Augusta greens. The softer course doesn’t necessarily level the playing field for shorter-hitters (like Luke Donald), but it does change the strategy on some holes.

Back in the day when Tiger was better at golf than anyone else was at whatever they did for a living, the debate was “Tiger or the field?” And while it may no longer be “Tiger or the field”, it’s still hard to bet against him at Augusta, especially considering he found the winner’s circle two weeks ago at Bay Hill (and at the Chevron World Challenge last December). He owns the golf course, having not finished outside the top 6 at Augusta since his victory in 2005. He knows the greens better than anyone, even Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne. And dammit do I respect a man who does everything in his power to keep women out of his club. Augusta National truly is the last “He-Man-Woman-Hater’s Club” in the country. Well done Billy. You even manage to side-step questions about women joining your club during your interviews (see CNN article here). The last American bad-ass. A true renaissance-man. Keep it up Billy! You’re doing great!

I’m taking Tiger to win this week. I want him to win. It’s too hard not to cheer for him and want him to win, especially at Augusta. And the best would be if he and Rory head for a showdown on Sunday on the back-nice. Not only would it get Jim Nantz fired-up, but it would build upon a budding rivalry that could be good for the next couple years. And I would love guys like Jason Day, Webb Simpson, Nick Watney, and Bill Haas to be in the mix on Sunday too. Maximum wife coverage for those four please! Plus, it would be better than seeing Tiger’s new girlfriend on TV (see her story here). Let’s hope she is wearing make-up if we do see her…and not drinking…you crazy-girl.

Now, if the greatest golf tournament of the year (and one of the 4 best American sporting events of the year) is not your thing, never fear. If Jim Nantz and his soothing voice and Verne Lundquist’s heavy breathing don’t get you excited, the Gopher hockey team should provide you with an entertaining second option for the weekend. At the very least, you should want them to win this weekend in Tampa (wait, hockey in Tampa in April…?) so that you can get more of this clip here…Hey, isn’t that the McDonald’s in Dinkytown?! Nothing says National Champions better than a good old fashioned Dinkytown riot. Maybe it’s because we have so few championships to celebrate in Minneapolis-St. Paul, that we just don’t know how to act when it happens.

The Gophers will attempt to win the program’s sixth NCAA title in Tampa Bay this weekend, and first since they won back to back Championships in 2002 and 2003 (I know the new crop of students in Dinkytown will do us proud! More car fires please!).

In order to skate for the right to bring back the trophy on Saturday night, the Gophers must first get by the #1 seed in the tournament, Boston College on Thursday night. BC owns a 17 game winning streak and did not allow a goal in their first two games of the tournament, and knocked-out the defending NCAA Champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs with a 4-0 victory in the regional final. Basically, BC is the hottest team in the country and the best team in the country at the same time. Their defense is massive and has goalie Peter Milner between the pipes behind them, who was named the MVP of the Northeast Regional two weekends ago.

And a massive defense is the last thing the Gophers want to see while playing on a smaller ice-sheet in Tampa (the Gophers play on a larger, Olympic-sized rink at Mariucci Arena). The Gophers have been built for speed (not comfort) for the last few years and try to use their speed and quickness on a bigger ice-sheet to gain an advantage on bigger, slower defenses. However, that advantage is neutralized while playing on a smaller sheet. And while the Gophers will argue that they are used to playing on the smaller sheet having played at Xcel Energy Center their last 3 games, they have not faced a team with the size of BC.

The Gophers are under-dogs no doubt against BC. However, for a team that has been the hunted in the country’s best conference all season, it may be a welcomed relief to have the pressure shift to the other locker room. In addition, the Gophers played their best hockey of the year in St. Paul two weeks ago, defeating Boston University 7-3 and North Dakota 5-2 en route to winning the West Regional and earning a berth in the 2012 Frozen Four (in Florida…). While BC did not allow a goal in their regional, the Gophers scored 12 of them. Kent Patterson looked sharper in the Regional and will have to be on his game in Tampa Thursday night if the Gophers are going to move on to Saturday. And they will need the Rau-Budish-Bjugstad line to have a huge game. Bjugstad and Budish have the size to match BC’s size on the blue-line, which can hopefully give Rau a little more space to create.

Ok, ok. No, this isn’t USA vs. The Soviet Union in the 1980 winter games (Do you believe in miracles? Yes!). It would not be that type of upset if the Gophers beat BC. But it would be an upset. I am going to wear my Maroon and Gold proudly this weekend, and it starts right here with the upset pick on Thursday night. The Gophers looked far too impressive against BU and UND two weeks ago for me to pick them to lose to BC. Lot’s of pressure to keep that 17 game winning-streak alive for BC as well. Plus, we have Don Lucia’s hair on our side. If Patterson plays well in the nets, the Gophers win. I don’t see the Gophers being able to put up 5 or 7 goals against BC and their defense. It seems more like a 2-1 or 3-2 type game that the Gophers will have to grind out.

And when the Gophers get past Boston College, they will get the winner of the first semifinal on Thursday between Union College (NY) and Ferris State (yes, they have D-1 hockey teams). Let’s be honest, while Minnesota sports has a history of stubbing their toe in the big games, the Gophers should be able to beat either of those teams considering they would have gone through a gauntlet of programs the first three games of the tournament (Boston University, North Dakota, and Boston College).

I am going to get my riot gear ready for Saturday night. I heard some people say that if (when!) the Gophers win on Saturday, U of M students should “act like they have been there before.” They will…by rioting. No better symbol of a Gopher championship than a burning car outside of the Dinkytown McDonald’s. That’s how we celebrate. You’ll see. We know how to riot. Because we HAVE been there before. (just don’t park your car in Dinkytown Saturday night).

April: Green jacket for Tiger. Championship for the Gophers. Las Vegas. NFL schedule release (yes, I get excited for that). Matt Kalil in Purple. Certainly plenty of items up for debate this month. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts. Fortunately for me, I need not worry about being wrong. My track record speaks for itself. Coming off my March Madness predictions, I am feeling confident. It’s shaping up to be a good month. And it starts tomorrow. Enjoy.

 

No Closure

Posted on by

Being a Minnesota sports fan, I am all too familiar with the continuous heartbreak and disappointments that fill our yearly sports calendar. And sometimes, I just need to have a good rant to rationalize my feelings. And this seems like the perfect forum.

With all 4 major sports and a Big 10 University occupying the sports landscape, there is never an off-season for Minnesota sports fans. We approach each season with blind faith and optimism, hoping that this year will be different. Minnesota sports fans have mastered the art of cautiously watching our favorite teams, waiting for the other shoe to drop, only to eventually lower our guard and let hope and belief sink in. We open up just enough right before that big kick to the nuts, and then spend the following hours…days…weeks…months…years telling ourselves “I should have seen it coming.”

The Twins (0-9 in last 9 playoff games), the Wild (see this season’s second half collapse), the Wolves (only one season advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs), and the Gophers (Final Four season erased, any Gopher football season, and the loss to Holy Cross in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament) have all provided us with plenty of heartbreak and disappointment. Some more so than others. However, for all of the sports options we are blessed with (or cursed with…) here in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, no team captures our attention and emotion like the Minnesota Vikings. According to this article from the Star Tribune this past winter, the Minnesota Vikings had the 5th best television ratings out of all 32 teams in the NFL during the 2010 season (a season in which they went 6-10). As the article highlights, their ratings were better than big cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. Further, of the league’s top rated markets in 2010 (New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis) only the Vikings had not been to a Super Bowl in the last 3 years (i.e. would those other shitty markets attract the same high ratings if their local team was losing like the Vikings? I don’t think so.)

And with the team’s popularity and loyal fan base spreading throughout the entire state of Minnesota (and parts of Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska), perhaps no kick to the nuts that left us rolling on the ground were more painful than those kicks during the 1998 and 2009 NFC Championship games. It was like a kick to the nuts, followed by a kick to the stomach while you are rolling on the ground holding your nuts. You would have thought I would have learned to wear a nut-cup for every Vikings game after what happened against the Falcons in the ’98 Championship. It was my first true experience with Vikings heartbreak. My father went through 4 Super Bowl defeats, the Drew Pearson push-off in the ’75 playoffs, the Darrin Nelson drop in the ’87 NFC Championship. He was experienced with Vikings heartbreak. Even he didn’t see 1998 coming. I figured that the first heartbreak would be the hardest. I figured I would just get immune to it after a while. I figured that was the only way my father could possibly continue to tune in after all these years. It was hard the first time, but after a while, he just got used to it. The losing and heartbreak became almost self-fulfilling.

But his love and passion for the Vikings is real. He carries the heartbreak with him everywhere. He’s not ashamed of it. He’s not afraid of the kick to the nuts. He never has to worry about letting his guard down, because he never puts it up. And I employ the same approach to the Purple.

So, in a funny way, that first Vikings heartbreak really fueled my passion. I was a Vikings fan since birth. Instead of wrapping me in a blanket when I was born, my Dad put a Vikings jersey on me. There are home videos of my father attempting to play with me before I could talk, only to see his attention quickly turn to the television while yelling “fumble!”. He was already making sure I knew what was important in life. So while I was a fan during the 1998 NFC Championship at 11 years old, it took a swift kick to the nuts and punch to the face to truly appreciate what I had in front of me as a Vikings fan. I was no longer hungry for a Vikings Super Bowl. I was starving for one (thanks Coach Brew).

Season’s went by. The Vikings continued to do their part to break hearts and disappoint. 41-0 2001 NFC Championship. The 2003 season started 6-0, and ended with the 18-17 loss at Arizona in the final game of the season, with KFAN’s Paul Allen screaming “NOOOOO!” The Randy Moss trade. There was Daunte’s 2005 knee injury. The 2008 Wild Card loss at home against Philadelphia. You get the point.

When Brett Favre brought his Wrangler’s and camera phone to Flying Cloud Airport prior to the 2009 season, I was ready for anything. The circus was in town. And coincidentally, the Vikings had one of the best teams in the NFL. Their 12-4 regular season and 34-3 demolishing of America’s team in the divisional playoff round set-up a potential life changing moment. Was it finally going to be our turn in New Orleans? Were the Vikings going to make it back to the Super Bowl? Since 1992, only two teams in the NFC have not been to the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings. But something about Brett and his camera phone and Jenn Sterger made the 2009 season feel extra magical. They had us sold. This was THE year.

Even throughout the course of the game, after all that happened, I still thought we were going to win. When Chester Taylor busted that 17 yard run down to the Saints 33 with just over a minute to go, I thought it was a done deal (goosebumps…great novels by R.L. Stine by the way). Just run the ball 3 times, pick up 3 yards, send in Longwell, split the uprights, and let me embrace my father with a hug and share tears of joy together. That was how it was supposed to play out. Even after the 4 turnovers that the Vikings committed earlier in the game. Did not matter. It was still our game to win.

And we were finally going to shut up all the Saints fans and ESPN analysts. The facade that Saints fans were putting on during the 2009 season was hilarious. The same people in New Orleans that wore paper bags to games and called their team the “Aint’s” were now all of the sudden huge fans? It’s pretty easy to cheer for your team when they are good, and turn your back on them when they are bad. The New Orleans Superdome installed multi-colored seats years ago to ensure that no two seats next to each other were the same color. The reason? To make the stadium look more crowded than it actually was for Saints games. Because no one showed up. Because they had a terrible fan base. But all of the sudden in the 2009 season, they were the best fans in the NFL. It was sickening that people were buying that. Give me a break. I digress. To this day, the loss to New Orleans still doesn’t sit well with me. I am pretty confident the only thing that will ever bring me closure and allow me to move on will be a Super Bowl Championship.

It is not just the fact that the Vikings lost. It was the way everything happened. It was the 4 turnovers in regulation that each either took potential points off the board for the Vikings or directly led to Saints points. AP’s fumble happened at the Saints goal line (possible Vikings TD or FG). Percy’s fumble happened inside the Vikings own 10 yard line (led to a Reggie Bush touchdown 3 plays later). Brett’s first pick happened inside the Saints 25 (possible Vikings TD or FG). Berrian’s fumble happened at the Saints 10 yard line (possible Vikings TD or FG). The Vikings 3 fumbles were a direct result of poor ball-handling. Nothing else. But what about Brett’s first interception that was picked off by Jonathan Vilma? Yes, that Jonathan Vilma. The same Jonathan Vilma that threw down $10K in the Saints locker room prior to the game for anyone of his teammates who deliberately injured Brett. Coincidentally, the interception by Vilma was a direct result of a high-low hit by Remi “Someone Like You” Ayodele and Bobby McCray. A high-low hit which game official Pete Morelli would later apologize for missing. A high-low hit that left Saints players running off the field shouting “Pay me my money!” (see ProFootballTalk.com article re-counting that play and the Saints reaction here.) A high-low hit that led to an admission from the NFL two-days after the game that they missed the call. Had the call been made, it would have led to a 15-yard penalty, kept the Vikings drive alive, and set them up for potential points (and led to a Vikings victory in regulation…).

The way the game played out never sat right with me. But when it was revealed last week that the New Orleans Saints had a bounty program operating during the NFC Championship game, it all started to make more sense. I wouldn’t call it closure (something I will only get with a Lombardi Trophy). However, it makes me feel a little bit better knowing that my suspicion was not far-fetched. The Saints set up a program to reward their players to intentionally hurt opponents. And the coaching staff signed-off on it. Everyone was involved. Bottom line. Football is inherently violent. To incentivize your team to purposely injury the opponent and intentionally trying to shorten their careers is pathetic. Do I think the Vikings would have won the game without the bounty program? Well, yes…actually I do. At the very least, Favre would have been healthy enough to run at the end of the game instead of throwing across his body for the Vikings 5th turnover. The bounty program directly led to a bruised ankle for Brett and bruised nuts for Vikings fans everywhere.

OK. Maybe that is a little extreme. But to know that was the type of shit the Saints were trotting onto the field in that game is pathetic. Congratulations New Orleans Saints fans. You came out of hiding just in time to cheer for a team with a “pay for injury” program in place. Does it make the Super Bowl sweeter for you all? It doesn’t make the loss any less painful for me. In fact, it just adds one more layer to the Vikings history of heartbreak to know that an opponent employed a bounty program against us in the NFC Championship. I guess I feel slightly better knowing that only cowards could knock us off. And everyone else knows it now too. However, not even a nut-cup can protect you against a bounty program.

 

 

Every Vote Counts

Posted on by

Wow. Dwyane Wade going after Kobe in the All-Star game. Bloody nose, concussion. What’s next? Is this the new NBA All-Star game? Seems like all the major sports have experimented lately with changing up their respective All-Star games.

The NHL decided it might be fun to hold a draft for their all-stars, electing two team captains and having them pick their own teams from an “all-star” pool. How embarrassing if you are the last draft pick. Do you even show up to play? Did anyone even know there was an NHL All-Star game?

Bud Selig decided to allow Major League Baseball’s All-Star game to end in a tie as a way to drum up support for America’s past time. When that tactic failed during the 2002 All-Star game, Selig decided to award home-field advantage in the World Series to the league that won the All-Star game. Since 2003, the year this change was first implemented, the team with home-field advantage in the World Series has won 6 of 9 Series’. Fortunately for Twins fans, we can watch the All-Star game stress free knowing we will never have to worry about home-field advantage in the World Series. That would require us to win two playoff series’ first, which can be tough when you cannot even win one game (more to come on the Twins and their mess in future posts).

As mentioned above, it looks like the NBA is adding blood into their all-star game (more LeBron James in the all-star game would also help; maybe try playing him all 48 minutes?). And Roger Goodell is kicking around the idea of completely removing the actual playing of the Pro Bowl from the Pro Bowl to see if that can increase Pro Bowl ratings. As I discussed here earlier this month, I would be devastated without the Pro Bowl. You don’t need to threaten me with taking away the Pro Bowl to get my attention, Roger. Peyton Manning, the late Sean Taylor, and Bryant McKinnie have all provided me with good enough reasons to tune in.

I watched a little bit of the Pro Bowl this season, mainly to see if Jared Allen could get the 1 sack he needed to break Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record. Allen finished the 2011 season with 22 sacks, a single-season Vikings record, and just a half-sack less than Michael Strahan’s 22.5 sacks during the 2001 season. Apparently sacking quarterbacks in the pro-bowl is not allowed, which makes me wonder why Bryant McKinnie was kicked off the 2009 pro bowl team. His effort wasn’t really needed. And it also makes me wonder why the Vikings didn’t have anyone from their offensive line make the 2011 Pro Bowl since blocking is not required

Allen needed just one sack in the Pro Bowl to set the single season sack record. Where was Brett when we needed him!? You know Brett would have laid right down in his Wranglers and Crocs to ensure that Allen got the record. What if Brett could have been the quarterback sacked during two different record-setting sacks? Why didn’t Aaron Rodgers lay down for Allen in the Pro Bowl? It would have been another opportunity for him to one-up Brett by having his name attached to a record that Brett’s once was.

Still, even though Allen fell a half sack short of Strahan, his effort was still good enough to win him NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Wait, the Internet is telling me that Baltimore Ravens Defensive End Terrell Suggs (a Minneapolis native) was named the 2011 Defensive POY. That makes sense. Suggs had 14 sacks on a defense that also features Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed, allowed the third fewest total yards, and third fewest points in the NFL during 2011. Allen had 8 more sacks than Suggs (22) on a defense that was 21st in total yards allowed and 31st in points allowed during the 2011 campaign.

This raises the question of if it is harder to be really good with lots of other really good players around you (like Suggs) or be really good, and even dominant at times, with very few good players around you (like Allen). What if you put Allen on the Ravens defense, with Haloti Ngata also drawing double teams. Would he get to 30 sacks? Would Terrell Suggs get 22 sacks on the Vikings? And spare me the technical mumbo-jumbo about the fact that the Ravens play a 3-4 defense and the Vikings play a 4-3 defense. Just go with the hypothetical question for a moment.

Allen had the better season, and was the better player this year. He should have won defensive player of the year. Would those who didn’t vote for him have changed their mind if Allen had broken Strahan’s record? Or even tied it? Was 1 sack worth that much? His overall performance for the whole season on a terrible defense while facing constant double-teams was not good enough for voters? I get it though. Kind of hard to give a POY award to anyone on a 3-13 team. But Jared Allen was the lone bright spot on the Vikings defense, and perhaps the entire team, during the 2011 season.

Brian Robison signed a 3-year $14 million contract prior to the start of the 2011 season to play opposite Jared Allen on the defensive line. Robison had a strong start to the season, and then faded during the middle portion of the year, and then decided to kick TJ Lang of the Green Bay Packers in the nuts. Remember in the movie Wedding Crashers when Bradley Cooper (back when he was a prick before The Hangover when he was a bro) asks the butler while the butler is watching TV “Is that what you get paid to do?” The butler responds by saying “It’s exactly what I get paid to do.” I imagine that is what the conversation between Leslie Frazier and Brian Robison went like after that kick to Mr. Lang. Regardless of Brian’s soccer skills, I like him as the other starting defensive end. But he does need to cut his hair.

Kevin Williams has clearly lost a step (maybe he needs more StarCaps?). Had I started a blog three years ago, this post would have been focused around Williams being the best player on the Vikings defense. Injuries and age have slowed Williams down, and he clearly missed playing next to his brother Pat “I ate Bryant McKinnie” Williams this past season. Pat took up space and allowed Kevin to move more freely. Kevin will enter the last year of his contract this season. He has a two-year option for the 2013-2014 seasons which could pay him a total of $16.8 million over those two seasons. I cannot see Williams coming back for that much money after the 2012 season. Maybe he comes back with a pay cut, but there is no way the Vikings pay that amount of money to a 32 year-old DT who is showing signs of slowing down.

The Vikings should cut Remi “Someone Like You” Ayodele. It would free up cap space this year and next year. He did nothing for the Vikings in 2011, and his most famous play relating to the Vikings was when he combined with Bobby McCray for a high-low hit on Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship, which led to a Jonathan Vilma interception (see this article written after the game by CBSSports.com Senior Writer Clark Judge). I don’t want anyone associated with that 2009 Saints team on the Vikings (except for Marques Colston…he can join). But other than that no one (and maybe Robert Meachem too). But that’s it (well, maybe Carl Nicks). That’s all. No one else please…No, I am not over that game.

I would like to see the Vikings use Christian Ballard and Letroy Guion (whom the Vikings would have to re-sign this off-season) as the other DT to compliment Williams this season. The team should continue to experiment with Everson Griffen at linebacker, but also try to include him in situational pass-rushing opportunities. I wouldn’t mind seeing Griffen rush the passer standing up (like DeMarcus Ware) next to Jared Allen on some plays. I think that could give opposing defenses a little something extra to account for with Griffen’s athleticism right next to Allen.

The defensive line was clearly the best part of the Vikings defense during 2011. In all likelihood, that will continue to be the case in 2012. What happens if the rest of the Vikings defense is better? Will Jared Allen put up better numbers? Or will they be worse? If you think like most of those who vote for defensive player of the year, a lower sack total in 2012 would give Allen a better chance to win defensive POY. Maybe the change the NFL needs to make to the Pro Bowl is to allow quarterback sacks. Allen would have broken Strahan’s record with that change this past Pro Bowl, and maybe could have swayed enough voters to give him POY honors.

Tuning in for the Wolves game now, muting Jim Peterson. And Kevin Gorg.