The Vikings get their stadium

After about 28 years of clamoring for a new stadium, the Minnesota Vikings have finally got their wish, it seems. I have to say, of all the possible scenarios that have been bandied about, this is not the worst result. It isn't even in the bottom half.
First and foremost, the team needed a stadium to remain viable in the NFL. Their revenues were near the bottom of all teams in the NFL If you are one that believes hat an NFL team is an enormous boon to a city, then building a stadium for the Vikings is and has always been essential.
No matter what side of the debate you were on though, rational people likely saw the Vikings proposals for what they were A fleecing of the Minnesota taxpayers for Zygi Wilf's personal profit, without regard for the Vikings at all. He, Wilf, wanted a stadium by itself to encourage people to drive there, rather than taking mass transit, and to develop his own little Zygiville. This would be fine, but cleaning the superfund site and redeveloping all the necessary infrastructure would add so much burden to the state without any tangible benefits, that it should never have been a viable option.
So the idea of building the stadium downtown, in my opinion, is the best result. The structure itself is less expensive, and there is less infrastructure that needs to be updated. The train runs right by the stadium, the team stays in the same neighborhood and any benefit is strictly for the Vikings and their fans, not for the sleazy owner who has held the town hostage for several years. There is no massive parking extortion, and the there won't bee an entire tract of terrible, Wilf run stores.
So congratulations, Vikings, fans. You look like you will be getting your new stadium, and it is less painful for people like me.

Other Viking's Stadium Sites

New Minnesota Vikings sites keep coming up, despite there being some sort of deadline for new contributions or the selection of a site. First it was Shakopee (though that came at the deadline) then it was right next to the Metrodome, and now, today a state senator proposed putting a stadium in Duluth.I sort of thought this was a joke at first, but apparently with the way some pundits are responding, maybe it was a legitimate proposal. After all, Green Bay is two hours away from Madison and Milwaukee. With that in mind, here are 5 sites that I think could work. And no, I will not say Los Angeles, because I am being totally serious.

- Saint Paul: There are so many proposals for Minneapolis and Ramsey County, why can't St. Paul get any traction? I mean, they have a lot of government owned land in St. Paul, with connecting freeways. Just move the capital to St. Peter, where it is supposed to be anyways. Lots of space, still in the Twin Cities. I see no problems, actually.

- Saint Peter: Just to mess with Saint Paul. But really, Saint Peter is right next to the training camp site of Mankato, and the city could really use a bump after a devastating tornado... 15 years ago.

- Baxter: Sure, it's the little twin to Brainerd, but Baxter is more of the developing community of the two. Putting a stadium in the Brainerd Lakes area would make an already enjoyable vacation destination THE place to go in the fall and winter, as well as in the summer.

- Litchfield: My grandparents used to live in Richmond, and driving north to visit them we would pass through places like Hutchinson and Litchfield, and driving through Litchfield, my prevailing thought was always "Why don't they put something here. It's so empty" Boom. Stadium.

- Hudson: Now, I know Hudson is in Wisconsin, but hear me out. The New York Giants, the last Super Bowl Champion, actually plays in New Jersey. Why couldn't the Minnesota Vikings play in Wisconsin? And hey, the Super Bowl Champion from the season before was also from Wisconsin. Those are some good vibes for the Vikings, right? And the best news is, it would be in Wisconsin, so no Minnesota taxpayer money!

The Vikings are hilarious

The Vikings decided that they needed to upgrade their defensive coaching staff and decided to hire a defensive coordinator and replace incumbent Frank Pagac. Certainly a noble idea, and one the Vikings put forth in the most spectacular way possible.
Well, spectacular in the same way a high speed train derailment is hilarious. You see, they hired the defensive backs coach from the Colts, Alan Williams. I can tell you that, were it not for the linebacking corps being exponentially worse, people wouldn't stop talking about how bad the Colts secondary has been since forever. (And to be honest, they were probably one of the best groups on the team this year with how bad the Colts offense turned out to be this year)
Oh, sure, sure, people are all about how good the secondary was earlier this century. I can run through the elements that allowed the Colts to play good pass defense, particularly when they won the Super Bowl.
STEP ONE: Have awesome defensive ends. The Vikings do have this, but if we're being honest, a defensive backs coach doesn't have a lot to do with defensive ends.
STEP TWO: Have a historic offense that runs up the score, keeps the opposing offense off the field, and means the opposing offense has to try to go deep downfield, allowing the awesome DE's to get to the QB before he can throw it, or at the very least, rushing those throws. So, if Christian Ponder can step it up a bit and play like a vintage Peyton Manning, Percy Harvin is Marvin Harrison and Toby Gerhart can be Edgerrin James, then this is a good hire.
I do not think this is a good hire.

WORST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER

As much as I disparage the Vikings and what not, I do feel horrible for Adrian Peterson and Vikings fans. With word that he has torn an ACL and MCL AND meniscus, the prospects of NFL fans ever seeing the same player ever again are very low. That is too bad. For everyone.Seeing a player cut down in the prime of their career is awful.
And now, Minnesota fans are in the interesting position of looking forward to a black quarterback with a white running back. The Vikings see your stereotypes and spit on them. And then go 3-13

To reiterate... the Vikings do not have your best interests in mind

The Vikings have been unilaterally opposed to any plan for a new stadium that won't be built in Arden Hills on the site that they have picked out. The city of Minneapolis, the state, pretty much anyone with a brain has had other solutions that would be better for the state and for fans, only to have them shot down by the Vikings. Let's pretend for a moment that the stadium IS an important priority for the state and the Twin Cities and the economy of the region. Building the stadium in Arden Hills for a billion dollars is the worst possible solution for fans.
Here are some pros and cons for the Arden Hills site as they compare to building the stadium downtown for the average Vikings fan, and why some of those cons are unspoken pros for the Vikings.
Pros
- I have racked my brain, and I cannot think of a one.
Cons
- Site is a superfund site and will cost additional millions to clean up. I bet the Vikings don't kick in any money
- There is nothing around. The proposition is for the real estate magnate, Zygi Wilf to develop the region around it, reaping an exorbitant profit on that, as well as the stadium.
- Inconvenient. There aren't any major highways or railways near the site, like their are with the Metrodome site or anywhere else downtown. This is important for the Vikings, because it will mean more revenue on their parking lots since people have to drive and park somewhere. You had better believe there will be 20 dollar a spot parking, and that profit won't go back to the state.
- The expense of building this stadium, according to their plans, is exorbitant. They want us to spend 900 million dollars on a new stadium (before the cost of cleaning up the site and having to rebuild roads across the region) when there are sites that will cost taxpayers significantly less and will, for our purposes, be just as good.

So whether or not you think a Vikings stadium is important, I want you all to realize that what the Vikings are doing isn't in the interest of finding a solution. It's extortion, plain and simple.

Who get's blown out by more?

It's a simple question... This week, Minnesota takes on the best team in football, divisional rival Green Bay, who may feel the need to run up the score on the Vikings. The Colts are playing on the road against New Orleans, who may not be as inclined to drive up the point total, but are clearly the better team. So, vote below. Who gets blown out by more?

Making sense of Jim Souhan

I was recently introduced to the N+7 machine at Spoonbill.org (by NotGraphs, if you must know). Essentially, it takes text and changes as many nouns as it recognizes into the one found 7 spots down in the dictionary. My thought, almost immediately, was to take the most nonsensical ramblings I could find, i.e. anything Jim Souhan, and run it through the Machine. Here is what his Monday' Piece turned into. I have bolded my favorite excerpts.

Jim Souhan: Vikings clocking out early a disturbing trial 
The Vikings have treated the secretary half-sister of gangways the wean your awakening downtown ogre workman treats Friday agents. 
Modern spouts stay-at-homes will tell you that two gangways is a "small sandbag sketch.'' But then so is a shower glimmer filled with arsenic. 
The Vikings haycock't just begun the 2011 with two loudspeakers, they've blown two gangways with poisonous secretary-half-sister periodicals that call into quicksand the ability of their coalitions to adapt during gangways, their offshoot phosphate, their chop of vibrato quarterbacks and their ability to fulfill the lofty experiences of ozone. 
Since 1990, only 12.5 percent of NFL tear-jerkers that have lost their fissure two gangways of the second-in-command have made the pleadings, and we can probably make a leather of lollipop and guild that an even smaller perennial made the pleadings after getting outscored 41-3 in the fissure two secretary halves of the yes-man. 
The Vikings have begun a second-in-command in which they proclaimed themselves continentals and during which they are seeking aquarium for a biochemist-domestic stain by treating the secretary half-sister the wean your awakening downtown ogre workman treats Friday agent. They've taken off early. 
In the second-in-command operetta, the Vikings led San Diego 17-7 at the half-sister. Then the Charms won the secretary half-sister 17-0. 
Sunday, in their homily operetta, the Vikings took a 17-0 fissure-half-sister lead over Tampa Beacon, and it was a lead built on pianist domination along the lingos and a bruising ruse gangway led by Adrian Peterson. After interregnum, the Bucs outscored the Vikings 24-3. 
"My fissure thrill was, wow, we gave that gangway away,'' Peterson said. 
Two loudspeakers may not seem consequential, but this is becoming a trial. Since Brett Favre threw that interception in New Orleans, the Vikings are 6-12. Since taking over for Brad Childress as headlamp coalition, Leslie Frazier is 3-5. 
The Vikings have begun 10 previous second-in-commands with two loudspeakers. They made the pleadings in just one of those 10 yes-men (2008). They finished .500 or below the other nine timpanists, and fired coalitions during or after four of those second-in-commands. 
"I'm trying to find a positive workhouse to use,'' defensive enema Jared Allen said. "I really door't have one. So, I'm going to listen to my monetarist and not say anything at all.'' 
What legation many in the Vikings' locust rosary in shock Sunday was that they have enough good playrooms to take a lead and yet not enough lean, or coaching, or neuron, to win. They build the decoy, then forget to sear it. 
"Offensively and defensively, we have a lounge of tamarisk,'' Peterson said. "But that doesn't get it done. It takes a will to firebrand. 
"It's the secretary weightlifter in a rubbing we let one get away. We've got a joist that we need to firebrand.'' 
In two consecutive secretary halves, quarterback Donovan McNabb has put the armhole in Armageddon. In San Diego, he threw for 2 yearnings in the secretary half-sister. Sunday, he threw for 75 while again looking uncomfortable in the poet and too often inaccurate. 
Sunday, the Vikings rushed for 186 yearnings. Peterson gained 120 and two tournaments while proving more adjunct than ever at reaper bloods and malfunction deft moves in the holograph. 
Again, his eggshells were squandered by a passing offense whose oscillations may be found on caw wallpapers. Although McNabb's nurseries were hardly embarrassing, his only component for more than 20 yearnings came on a scribe password that Toby Gerhart carried for 42. 
Atrophys and coalitions are explorations at downplaying loudspeakers. Their joists require patricide and a medallion of optimism. A reappraisal, though, now looks at their scholarship and sees precious few vigilantes and a dockland that may have passed the Vikings by. 
This weightlifter, the Detroit Liquidizers come to the Metrodome. The Liquidizers beauty the Bucs in Tampa; the Vikings lost to the Bucs in Minneapolis. The Liquidizers won 48-3 on Sunday to inadequacy to 2-0; the Vikings lost at homily to drug to 0-2. 
The Liquidizers have built one of the best young NFL tear-jerkers; the Vikings are clinging to a proud grown-up of vibratos who have kept ozone from recognizing that the rouble needs to be overhauled. 
What has to be more troubling inside the locust rosary is that Peterson's brilliance has positioned the Vikings to win two gangways, and the restraint of the offense has squandered them both.

You know, I think this actually does make a little more sense. Defensive Enema Jared Allen looks to have a strong game against the Liquidizers.

Bad news, Vikings fans

Charlie Johnson sucks. The Colts made it a point to draft a left tackle to protect Peyton Manning's blindside this offseason (Anthony Castonzo), with the express intent of dumping Johnson.Sure, he was better than Tony Ugoh, but my geriatric dog is better than Tony Ugoh. He will not be an improvement over Bryant McKinnie. Well, last year's version of McKinnie, I mean. You have a hole at left tackle.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

A Minnesota team makes logical trades

Let's review.. in the past year, the Minnesota sports teams have made the following trades (in every case, the listed trade is their most recent notable trade)

Minnesota Vikings - Added Randy Moss for a third round pick. Moss was quickly dumped, the coach fired, the team moved to Los Angeles.

Minnesota Twins - JJ Hardy sent to Baltimore exchange for Jim Hoey and someone other pitcher. JJ Hardy is the best pitcher involved in this deal.

Minnesota Timberwolves - As someone on Twitter put it, the Wolves traded Jonny Flynn and the 20th pick for Brad Miller and nothing. Or as I put it... Here!

Well, fortunately, the state has 4 chances to make good trades. Last night at the NHL draft, the Wild did just that it appears. They had one solidly tradable asset in Brent Burns, the good two way defenseman who was the Wild's all star representative last year. He was in a contract year, and thanks to some large contracts, he may not have fit in the team's plans going forward.
Additionally, the Wild were egregiously overmatched on the offensive end last year. The team simply didn't score any goals, and don't have any young scorers coming any time soon.Taking these factors into account, Brent Burns was traded to San Jose in exchange for the guy pictured above, Devin Setoguchi, a college player from Boston College and another 1st round pick. They also gave up a second rounder in next years draft. That is a solid use of resources, frankly.
Later in the draft (today) they traded up to take Mario Lucia, son of Gophers' Coach Don and the best Minnesotan in the draft. The next pick they had was used on Eden Prarie's Nick Seeler. They have added talent and in the deeper portion of the draft are setting out to ad local players, which is good for PR. The Wild patched a glaring hole and added prospects in the process. It's nice to see a front offense do something that can be universally applauded for a change.

Problems with the Vikings stadium plan

There has been much rejoicing lately in Vikingland with the prospect of a new stadium plan for a facility in Arden Hills. Of course, people are simply getting excited about an option. There is nothing in place yet, but since everything has looked so bleak, another new idea is enough to get people excited.
I am here to rain on parades. Here are some of the problems that come immediately to mind with this stadium plan (some are problems with Minnesota stadium plans in general)

- The state and county would be on the hook for 650 million dollars, which is more than Target Field cost in it's entirety (the government paid 392 million for the Twins stadium). Target Field was an unpopular project for public funding at the time (and still is in some circles), and THAT was built during relatively good financial times, and for a primary tenant that will in a bad season, use the facility 69 more times than the Vikings will in a best case scenario season.

- For the record, in the final season before the Twins moved out of the Metrodome, they drew 2.4 million fans. In 2009, when the Vikings went to the postseason and were able to play their entire season in the same stadium, they drew 510000, one fifth of what the Twins pulled in. If you had 30k more seats, that gets you to about 800k a season.

- There is the 300 million dollars of transportation improvements that need to be done as well. I don't know the area well, but apparently they need to make some more exits, build at least one of two more roads to the area, and you had better believe that those improvements aren't going to be paid for by the Vikings. Taxes for Ramsey County residents may not increase, but you had better believe the potholes in St Paul are going to take some time getting filled.

- It's on a superfund site.This is a big deal.

- Oh, it's not on any existing mass transit routes, so I guess you can either lump that in with the cost of transportation improvements, or more likely mark it as a loss for the state, because I bet the Vikings fans would be more receptive to having people drive to the stadium and pay them for parking. No money, then, to the state for train fare.

- Arden Hills is hardly on the way to anywhere, except maybe from Forest Lake or White Bear Lake. Fun fact.. I have lived in the Twin Cities my entire life and have never been to that part of the metro. I have to believe that this isn't that unusual a phenomenon.

So, enjoy your moment, Vikings fans. People are still trying, and that's a good, thing, but there needs to be a better idea.

Wait... Neckbeard to Minnesota?

I have often said that Kyle Orton ruined college for me. You see, he was the highly touted QB that started all 4 years I was in school. Even in the best of times, he was unable to execute in the clutch, and was, admittedly, very underwhelming. I wish him the best, what with him being a Purdue grad, but I still harbor some resentment for his inability to win a big game, or to generally have any sort of poise.
That said, I have extraordinarily mixed feelings about this.I mean.. I just... I don't know what to say. Am I happy? Upset? I don't know, but I definitely feel something.

Let's say nice things about Christian Ponder

Poor Christian Ponder. He goes to school in Florida, and now has to spend his winters in Minnesota. Brr! Oh, and also, his future fan base booed him relentlessly when he was drafted. There's that too.
I get the rationale behind the boos, I really do. Ponder was pegged as a second round pick, and the Vikings got him in the first half of the first round. The idea is that they had seen three QBs fly off the board already and thought there was a run. The thing is, everyone expected those three QBs to go early, and the Vikings probably could have waited. I think the issue was that the Vikings were fixated on drafting a quarterback and fully expected Jake Locker to be there. After Locker was gone, they were waiting on Blaine Gabbert. Then the Jaguars traded up for Gabbert and I think the Vikings panicked. Instead of waiting and drafting one of hte huge talents left on the board, like Prince Amukamara or Nick Fairley, they instead went with the position they had focused on, apparently exclusively. So with that lack of vision, I understand the boos.
But seriously, believe me when I say there was no better quarterback in this draft for the Vikings than Christian Ponder. They have a power running game and their top wide out is a slot guy who does his best work with the ball in his hands. They don't NEED a big arm, and if they can improve the O-Line in later rounds, they don't need a mobile QB. What they need is someone smart who can take over in the immediate future. Ponder is both of those things.
I make jokes about the Vikings, but I really do hope that he works out for the team, and if the team is patient, I think he will. Of course, when have the Vikings ever been patient?

What will the Vikings find in their basket?

Hey, did you like that? It was a combination of a football headline AND a reference to the fact that today is Easter. The draft is coming up on Thursday, or at least the first round of the draft is on thursday in the comically prolonged, now made for TV event. One of the most interesting teams this year will be the Vikings, who above all else will be looking to add a quarterback. I would talk about the Colts, but there is only so much you can say about offensive tackles. There are several, and one of them will go to Indy in the first round. They are a fairly boring specimen when it comes to talking draft and draft strategy.  A quarterback can entirely affect the way a team runs their offense.
Now, I posed the question above as though it were a question. I am about 75% sure that the Vikings will be looking at Jake Locker when they make their 12th pick this year, an idea that has been bandied about quite frequently this offseason. Instead, I want to run through the top 7 prospects and figure out just who is the best fit, in my mind, for the Vikings.According to Walter Football, the top 7 are:
Cam Newton, Auburn
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
Locker from Washington
Christian Ponder, Florida State
Andy Dalton, TCU
Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

This is a little tough, because unlike last year, Brad Childress is gone, so we can't work with what he wanted with a quarterback. If he was still in town, I would say the QB will be Kaepernick. Now, with Joe Webb in town already, there is no need for mobility, which is the strongest part of the game for Newton, Locker and Kaepernick. We can probably eliminate Gabbert as well, simply because he won't be around by the time it is the Viking's pick.
That leaves us with Ponder, Dalton and Mallett. The Vikings will operate a system in which they run first and pass second. A bg arm isn't a great need, especially when the top receiver will likely be Percy Harvin, with short passes being the primary airial threat. Mallett wouldn't really thrive in such a system.
That leaves us with Ponder and Dalton. Now, I think it comes down to what you want more. I think Ponder is an excellent game manager, while Dalton has a slightly stronger arm. They both played in offensive systems where the ground game was a major component of the game. I think either would be a decent fit in the Viking's system, but I am inclined to say that Ponder will be the better pro sometime down the road, but for me when picking between him and Dalton, it's more a gut instinct.
Also, I mean, it's Easter. How can I not pick the Christian?

The final straw for the Vikings

I foresee the Timberwolves getting their 150 million dollar gift to refurbish the Target Center at some point, and I see it happening a lot sooner than I see the state footing the bill for a new Vikings stadium. Why? Here are a few salient points.
- At a maximum, the state will spend a LOT less, guaranteed, on the Target Center than the Vikings stadium.
- The Target Center would is used a lot more than a football stadium would be. And it would be used by the city of Minneapolis regularly, as it is the largest indoor facility in the city for concerts, conventions, etc. Saint Paul got the Republican convention with the X and Minneapolis didn't get the Democrats with the Target Center for a reason (this also goes to the state spending less, especially if the city chips in a massive amount)
- The Timberwolves are owned by Minnesota businesspeople, so the money isn't leaving the state, whereas almost none of the profit the Vikings makes stays in Minnesota

   Even without the Timberwolves, the Target Center is a viable venue. Hell, it could be used for Gopher games if The Barn needs to be renovated. I mentioned that I barely remember that the Timberwolves are still in town, but the Target Center is still going to be an important venue for the city. I guess that's what it comes down to. The Target Center will get renovated regardless. It helps that the state isn't being held hostage, but the Wolves are almost secondary to this. Don't be surprised if the Vikings see things differently.

Are sports becoming too important? The Stadium Debate

I fear that I may come off as sort of douchey with this post, especially from someone that writes on a sports blog every day, and have for the past 5 years. I have noticed a trend this football season especially, in which in various aspects of life, sports are becoming simply too important in our lives, and often cloud the judgment of typically right thinking individuals. I have three examples, again pertaining to football, because it is the biggest sport in the land today. I will post the next two topics some time over the next couple of weeks.
The first is in the stadium debate here in the Twin Cities. In my opinion, the cost/benefit for the city of Minneapolis having a stadium is reduced the more that they end up having to pay. For the Twin Cities, the Metrodome continues to be a serviceable venue for high school sports, conventions and other large gatherings, and there is no impetus for them to replace it, just put a new roof on the building. The Vikings, frankly, don't do much for the Minnesota economy. No doubt they are good for the economy, but it's not worth the debt incurred by the city. With 10 home games bringing 70k to town a day, merchandise sales and the potential for a Super Bowl, no doubt that local economy would receive a bump, but that cash wouldn't be recouped by the city itself. The stadium across town, Target Field, had 3 million people show up to games this year, or 5 times the maximum attendance for Vikings games. The Twins haven't drawn less than 700K in a season in almost 30 years. It seems almost common sense that the Vikings stadium shouldn't be a priority to anyone but the hospitality industry in Minneapolis, Blaine, or wherever the stadium is built. We could use the money for schools or roads or public safety.
But it isn't. I have recently been involved in a couple of debates on the merits of a stadium, and the value of the Vikings in Minnesota. I've had people say that it would leave the Twin Cities as a ghost town and in economic shambles. Typically intelligent and right thinking people actually hold this opinion. Again, the Vikings with a new stadium might in one perfect year bring a billion dollars of revenue to the city in a year, if they get the Super Bowl. That's a lot of money. Locally headquartered Fortune 500 company Target that employs tens of thousands of people in the cities does 65 billion dollars annually. General Mills does 14.7 billion. Cargill does 108 billion. Best Buy does almost 50 billion. 3M does 23 billion. Hell, Dairy Queen does 2.5 billion. What am I saying? I'm saying that the Twin Cities will be economically viable without the Vikings. Still, the idea of an empty sports bar without the Vikings in town for 16 days a year leaves some people in a panic over the state of the potential economy in Minnesota. Emotionally, Minnesotans will be shattered, but the pocketbooks for everyone will be just fine.
I am a huge sports fan, and even though I make jokes about it, I don't want the Vikings to leave. In my mind, however, their impact on the state simply isn't as important as some people say.

When bad meteorology, hysteria and football mix

So tonight's Vikings-Eagles game in Philadelphia was pushed to Tuesday night after a few local weather people mentioned the chance for 20 inches of snow. Was there a chance for that much snow? Sure. In eastern New Jersey. Atlantic City is at the tail end of a storm that will put them near 2 feet. Meanwhile, the airport in Philadelphia is checking in with less than 5.
So what happened? Hysteria, for one thing. There was the chance for big snow in the viewing area for the Philadelphia TV market, and upon hearing "up to 20 inches" all bets were off. Sure, it's snowing less than what was originally ACTUALLY forecast in Philadelphia, but not much. For example, at Real Job Inc, I was saying about 7. (Meteorologist!) Now the NFL looks a little silly deciding not to play a game for reasons of "public safety" when the city in question ended up with a manageable snow total.
What is the moral of this story? I guess there are a few. First, of course, is if you are relying on a TV forecast, make sure to pay attention to the whole thing. If you want a more specific forecast, check online, or get a personal forecast, especially if you are a major money industry like, say, the NFL. They might make sure to tell you that you will get 7 inches of snow, rather than the 20 they will get about 60 miles away.
Obviously, the idea of postponing a game for the sake of the public is admirable, especially in a league hellbent on making cash (TV ratings for a blizzard game would be through the roof), but in the future, they should make sure that there is an imminent danger.
Unless of course, they just wanted everybody to watch the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl tonight.

The Brad Childress Sad Gallery

Brad Childress is out as the Vikings head coach. Also, Childress has more playoff wins than Ron Gardenhire since 2004.
Also, I need to stop talking about the Vikings. If only I lived in another market....

Which coach will be the bigger name?

So, it's pretty much no doubt that the Vikings will be getting rid of Brad Childress this year. This would mean that, at the end of the football season, there will be no Minnesota football team with a head coach. Who will be the new coaches here in Minnesota? Which coach will make the biggest splash upon his hire?
Ever since Tim Brewster was let go, anyone with an opinion has said that the Gophers need to add a big name to help bolster their recruiting and become competitive once again in the Big Ten. Who could they possible ad? Larry Coker claimed interest during the last hiring process, but now Coker hasn't been working for 5 years and just took a job at Texas-San Antonio, so he wouldn't be the big name coach we would think. The hot name for the Gophers right now is Kevin Sumlin from Houston. He is an up and comer who has worked at Minnesota in the past as a WR/QB coach, but I'm not sure this is really all that big a name for Minnesotans who are already clamoring for Mike Leach.
The Vikings shouldn't have too much of a hard time adding that big name, but they haven't ever shown a tendency to make such waves. Consider their last three coaches were Brad Childress, Mike Tice and Denny Green, with Green the only one with prior head coaching experience. I still expect Zygi Wilf is in this for the money, not the wins. He needs a more marketable team with bigger names. I expect him to go with a defensive coach who will need a fully developed quarterback (because Wilf will want to bring in a big name QB after Favre leaves). I think this means the Vikings will take a good long look at Jon Gruden. If I am mistaken, and the Vikings will continue to avoid the big name coaches, they will more than likely seek to add Jack Del Rio or maybe even promote Leslie Frasier. Either way, I would be willing to guess that Carson Palmer will be coming to Minnesota in the not too distant future. Of course, all this assumes that the Vikings AREN'T headed to California, in which case the novelty of a new team in LA would lead to a pretty impressive gate and high value, low cost marketing, and they might be content to go with an offensive guy and draft a QB like Ryan Mallett.
Oh, who am I kidding. The best option is Ron Gardenhire. He might win Manager of the Year, and he doesn;t know a THING about baseball!

Come on Twins, I need this

The Twins find themselves down 2-0 in their series against the Yankees. Nothing new. I have always been able to take solace in the fact that when their season ends, I will have something to look forward to. Let's break down the Minnesota rooting interests (and my own, for that matter) with the Twins, once again, on the brink of elimination.
Vikings - They started the season 1-2, just reacquired a wide receiver that everyone seems to forget was run out of town half a decade ago, and now their geriatric quarterback is involved in a sexting scandal. At the very least, they could go on a run and annoy the hell out of me before eventually breaking the hearts of Minnesotans.
Gophers - 1-4. Lost to South Dakota. Lost to Northern Illinois. Just an awful team.
Wild - The Wild started their season yesterday, and after today's game will be returning winless. It would be wone thing if they had lost to a good team, bu they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes, who were even worse than the Wild, not winning until February (if memory serves). And it wasn't even fun hockey. It was sloppy, miserable hockey that nobody in their right mind would want to watch.
Timberwolves - They hoped to cash in by putting a billboard up on the Target Center for the Twins postseason run. Oops. The team is entirely new once again. Corey Brewer is the longest tenured Wolf, and frankly the entire team is mostly forgotten.
Gophers basketball - The Gophers hoops team is pernnially frought with controversy. So that's fun. And they also tend to occupy the middle of the Big Ten standings. Only one more season until Nebraska joins! Easy wins!
And now, more personally...
Purdue football - Yes, they are 2-2, but they beat Western Illinois (narrowly) and Ball State (narrowly.. Ball State then lost to Iowa 45-0) but lost to Notre Dame and Toledo, worse than the Gophers have lost any of their games. Toledo also had the worst offense going into the game before scoring 31 points in West Lafayette. So the defense sucks. And the top two choices at QB are hurt, as is the top receiver. They play Northwestern this week, then a clash of the Titans with the Gophers the next. That's going to be a tough ticket.
Colts - Also 2-2. One thing about Indy is that, with their faulty defense, they have always needed the breaks to fall their way. Houston used to throw a late interception or miss a field goal, the Jaguars used to have late personal fouls on the secondary that would give Indy new life. This just hasn't happened this year. Without homefield advantage in the playoffs, I really don't think Indy is a legitimate threat in the postseason.
Purdue basketball - My only hope. The Boilers are returning almost every one of their key players from the past few years, except for Chris Kramer, who is surely hustling his way around the Brownsburg Staples. My entire winter will depend on the Boilers basketball team. No pressure. Unless, of course, the Twins can turn it around, in which case I'm in good shape!
Ugh

Awful

The football game was pretty tough to watch. But yeah, I'm going to get some legs out of this picture.