It's a strange time to be a Minnesota sports fan.
As an avid user of performance enhancing drugs, I am choosing not to talk about the Minnesota Twins or Major League Baseball.
And because I'll never understand why grown men on skates and multi-millionaires can't seem to see eye-to-eye (or was it because I don't care) I can't even talk about the hockey situation.
This leaves us with the Vikings and the Timberwolves. Two teams that are currently surrounded by a veritable plethora of questions about trades. One about a trade that many people think is less than smart, and one because of not being smart enough to make a trade.
Kevin McHale likes to talk constantly about how difficult it is to make a trade in the NBA. The folks who run the Sixers, Kings, Hornets, Knicks, Celtics, Hawks, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Bobcats, Cavs, Bucks and Heat didn't seem to agree with Mr. McHale when they all were able to make trades before last Thursday's deadline. You've seen the names that changed teams, and we certainly aren't talking about pushing no name players around the league.
So we are left scratching our heads wondering what happened. Perhaps this team has thrown in the proverbial towel for the season. Cassell (injured and disgruntled) and Spreewell (dumb and old) don't have enough value to be considered interesting to other teams. That leaves the too-big contracts of Wally, Trenton Hassell and T-Hud as possible trade bait. Add these facts to the recent suggestion that KG's knee might be bad enough that it's not worth making a run at it this year, and the knee-jerk canning of Flip Saunders, and in reality, it might be the best thing for the Wolves to continue on as they have been.
I might go as far as to say that it would be a good thing for the Wolves to miss the playoffs. They can re-evaluate in the summer. Spree's contract (thank goodness he didn't bite on the one we offered him last summer) will be off the books. Sammy will realize that he needs to put up or shut up. Wally, now matured, can cuddle up to KG and learn how to play second fiddle. This team is quite literally a hurtin' unit right now, so everyone will have a chance to heal. So, we can all get used to the idea that this season is, in essence, over. But hey, we're Minnesota sports fans. We're used to this.
Speaking of which...
Everybody seems to have a very strong opinion about the Vikings dealing away Randy Moss. I've heard everything from "thank goodness he's gone," to "this will go down in history as the Vikings worst trade," to "they didn't get nearly enough in return for his talent."
Five days after the trade I've read multiple articles and talked to several people about the Moss deal and I'm ready to share my thoughts.
Mike Tice has basically spent 3 years as coach of the Vikings trying to appease Moss, who is no doubt the most talented, dynamic and game-changing player in the NFL. For a week following the Vikings final regular season loss to the Redskins when Moss left his teammates on the field with two seconds left in the game, Tice and the entire Vikings organization made excuses for Randy Moss to everyone that would listen. And yet the following week, on the national stage at Lambau Field, Moss threw them all under the bus one more time by mooning Packer fans. Say what you will about his intent, or the severity of this action, it was, at the very least, ill-timed.
Obviously these actions sparked the trade.
Now think about these things:
*Tice realizes that either he can't handle, or doesn't want to handle, Moss any longer. He realizes that he is spending too much time on a guy that will never be a team player, and by doing so he is hurting his entire team.
*Moss' biggest fan, Daunte Culpepper, now has the confidence to couple with the talent he already had, to realize that he doesn't need a selfish guy like Moss, no matter how talented he is, to throw to. Daunte is ready to be the practical and emotional leader of this team both on the field and off.
*A week ago, perspective Vikings owner Reggie Fowler, says he would never trade the ultra-talented Moss.
The upper management of the Vikings must have at least been kicking around the idea of trading Moss before that comment, but after Fowler's comment, they had a new issue: a time-table. If they believed dealing Moss was best for the team they had to do it before Red left town.
If you trade a talent like Moss, you absolutely must get one of two things return, a superstar or a top 10 pick. Could the Vikings have gotten more for Moss from another team? Probably. Could they do it before Fowler took over the team and didn't allow it to happen? Maybe not. And that, I believe, was the thrust of this trade. Once Fowler made the comment about not trading Moss, this was no longer about getting comparable talent, this was about on-the-field leadership, and time.
The Vikings got the number seven pick in a very deep draft. With that pick they will get an immediate impact player. They have $36 million to play with, and the luxury of working a very intriguing free-agency market before they need to figure out which direction to go with that number seven, not to mention their later number 18, pick.
Some might call it addition by subtraction, but when you have so many other additions on the horizon, maybe it doesn't look so much like a subtraction. Could the Vikings afford to trade Moss in the way that they did? Maybe we just need to at least entertain the idea that they couldn't afford not to.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Jeff: Napoleon-Dynamite or Bonaparte?
It's Christmas, 2005. The Minnesota Vikings are battling the Eagles for the NFC's best record. Daunte Culpepper is the top passer in the conference, Nate Burelson has become one of the league's premier receivers, and the defense, led by Napoleon Harris, is actually stopping people occasionally. Other teams are kicking themselves for passing on Antrell Rolle, Adam "Pac-Man" Jones or Mike Williams in the draft, as one of them makes the biggest rookie impact for the purple since Randy Moss. Oh, and the chemistry will be so good within the team the only injuries will be guys dislocating their shoulder patting each other on the back.
Are you this optimistic? I'm not sure I am either. When word came out late yesterday that the Vikings had traded Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders for Napoleon Harris, and the 7th pick and a late round pick in this April's draft, I, like you, was saying "...that's it? THere's more right? RIGHT?" Apparently not. The Vikes traded one of the top receivers and top talents in the league for one 1st rd pick and a guy named Napoleon--and it's not the French Dictator. Linebackers are a dime a dozen, and good corners are harder to find than a Packers' fan that hates Brett Favre. The Raiders had not one but two good corners, and the Vikes instead get an athletic linebacker that's still searching for a clue. Wait, don't we already have EJ Henderson and Dontarrious Thomas to do that? If the Vikes weren't going to get a corner, something they still desparately need, shouldn't they at least get a linebacker that's a leader? Harris, for all his athletic ability, has leadership qualities that are more comparable to Napoleon Dynamite than Napoleon Bonaparte. Sure the little French guy was under 5'5 and had problems shedding blocks, as well as Russian winters, but at least he'd grab this defense by the facemask and try to restore some order (and also probably order a croissant with mayonaise and yell things like "Zut"!! Sorry, the French are such easy targets). From what we've seen from Harris in his 3 years in the league, he's more likely to yell "Whatever I want to do! Geez!", or "I like your sleeves. They're really big."
The only rational for this deal is the ol' addage of "addition by subtraction". Team leaders Culpepper and Matt Birk have been on record for a few years now as being less than pleased not only with Moss' antics, but the team's lack of discipline against him. Looks like they finally won. The New England Patriots have won 3 of the last 4 Super Bowls not with the most talent, but with the best chemistry, and perhaps that's the direction the Purple are moving. Additon by subtraction. It still doesn't sit well with me. Scroll down this page aways and you'll find the column I wrote about the Vikes NOT trading Moss unless they got a great deal. This was not a great deal, and if this was all there was, they should have kept him another year.
Bottom line is, time will tell. Hopefully in December we'll all be enjoying the Vikings' great season, and not comparing this trade favorably with the Herschel Walker deal of years ago. Hopefully we'll be comparing Harris more to the french Napoleon for his on-field leadership, not to the less-than-Dynamite one. "Hey, give me your tots".
Are you this optimistic? I'm not sure I am either. When word came out late yesterday that the Vikings had traded Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders for Napoleon Harris, and the 7th pick and a late round pick in this April's draft, I, like you, was saying "...that's it? THere's more right? RIGHT?" Apparently not. The Vikes traded one of the top receivers and top talents in the league for one 1st rd pick and a guy named Napoleon--and it's not the French Dictator. Linebackers are a dime a dozen, and good corners are harder to find than a Packers' fan that hates Brett Favre. The Raiders had not one but two good corners, and the Vikes instead get an athletic linebacker that's still searching for a clue. Wait, don't we already have EJ Henderson and Dontarrious Thomas to do that? If the Vikes weren't going to get a corner, something they still desparately need, shouldn't they at least get a linebacker that's a leader? Harris, for all his athletic ability, has leadership qualities that are more comparable to Napoleon Dynamite than Napoleon Bonaparte. Sure the little French guy was under 5'5 and had problems shedding blocks, as well as Russian winters, but at least he'd grab this defense by the facemask and try to restore some order (and also probably order a croissant with mayonaise and yell things like "Zut"!! Sorry, the French are such easy targets). From what we've seen from Harris in his 3 years in the league, he's more likely to yell "Whatever I want to do! Geez!", or "I like your sleeves. They're really big."
The only rational for this deal is the ol' addage of "addition by subtraction". Team leaders Culpepper and Matt Birk have been on record for a few years now as being less than pleased not only with Moss' antics, but the team's lack of discipline against him. Looks like they finally won. The New England Patriots have won 3 of the last 4 Super Bowls not with the most talent, but with the best chemistry, and perhaps that's the direction the Purple are moving. Additon by subtraction. It still doesn't sit well with me. Scroll down this page aways and you'll find the column I wrote about the Vikes NOT trading Moss unless they got a great deal. This was not a great deal, and if this was all there was, they should have kept him another year.
Bottom line is, time will tell. Hopefully in December we'll all be enjoying the Vikings' great season, and not comparing this trade favorably with the Herschel Walker deal of years ago. Hopefully we'll be comparing Harris more to the french Napoleon for his on-field leadership, not to the less-than-Dynamite one. "Hey, give me your tots".
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Jeremy: Red, The Real Foul-er
Jeff is certainly right that Reggie Fowler and his reputation is very much in question. The fact that this guy even had a "rough draft" of his personal bio with inaccuracies, nay, out and out lies, on it, definitely sheds a very bleak light on who, or what, this guy is all about.
Even if the NFL and its owners scrutinize over his personal and business finances and find out that he is, indeed, financially capable of owning an NFL franchise, with the recent findings about his bio, is this really the kind of guy that the NFL wants owning a franchise? And more so, is this the kind of guy that the people of Minnesota want owning the Vikings?
Unfortunately the people of Minnesota don't get to choose, otherwise I wonder if Fowler might have already been thrown under the rug and the name of Glen Taylor brought up once again.
The problem lies with Red McCombs. Here's a guy who bought a franchise within the most coveted of pro sports leagues at a rock-bottom, dirt cheap price. He got the team at such a low rate, compared to other NFL teams, because of the Metrodome and the revenue, or lack thereof, that is can produce. He then turned around and complained that he needed a new stadium because he couldn't make any money with the Dome. When the people of Minnesota reminded him that he got the team so cheap and it should have been implied that he use the money he saved to put up a new stadium, he told them they were crazy, and decided to sell.
Hey Red, here's a car analogy an old used car salesman like you can understand: you can't buy a car with hail damage with a cheap price tag and then expect somebody else to fix it at no cost to you.
Red thinks he's held hostage by the Dome, when in fact he put the lock on his own hands when he bought the team. And therein lies the rub for regular folks like you and I. We are now held hostage by a rich man who doesn't understand the true meaning of a good deal.
And so Red spent his time in Minnesota running things as cheap as possible. Cheap coaching staff, cheap team. But now that Red wants to sell the team, is he looking to sell it cheap? Certainly not. That hail damaged car has a price tag on it that is not one red cent under the blue book value.
Enter: Reggie Fowler. He wants to buy this hail damaged car so badly, and Red wants to get rid of it so badly, that as long as Fowler has the money to buy, Red is ready to sell. Red doesn't care that Fowler has a tainted past as a business man. And just like he didn't give a single thought to how his dealings with the Vikings affected the people who paid the bills, the people of Minnesota, he doesn't care how Fowler's past, or future dealings as the potential owner of the team, might affect the team or the people surrounding it.
Red made it clear very early on that owning the Vikings wasn't about loving football, it was about business. He continued to make it clear during his entire time owning the team and now as he is trying to sell the team. And he is making it more clear than ever by trying to slip it past the other NFL owners that the guy he is trying to unload the team on might (allegedly) be more crooked than any used car salesman that has ever worked for him.
Even if the NFL and its owners scrutinize over his personal and business finances and find out that he is, indeed, financially capable of owning an NFL franchise, with the recent findings about his bio, is this really the kind of guy that the NFL wants owning a franchise? And more so, is this the kind of guy that the people of Minnesota want owning the Vikings?
Unfortunately the people of Minnesota don't get to choose, otherwise I wonder if Fowler might have already been thrown under the rug and the name of Glen Taylor brought up once again.
The problem lies with Red McCombs. Here's a guy who bought a franchise within the most coveted of pro sports leagues at a rock-bottom, dirt cheap price. He got the team at such a low rate, compared to other NFL teams, because of the Metrodome and the revenue, or lack thereof, that is can produce. He then turned around and complained that he needed a new stadium because he couldn't make any money with the Dome. When the people of Minnesota reminded him that he got the team so cheap and it should have been implied that he use the money he saved to put up a new stadium, he told them they were crazy, and decided to sell.
Hey Red, here's a car analogy an old used car salesman like you can understand: you can't buy a car with hail damage with a cheap price tag and then expect somebody else to fix it at no cost to you.
Red thinks he's held hostage by the Dome, when in fact he put the lock on his own hands when he bought the team. And therein lies the rub for regular folks like you and I. We are now held hostage by a rich man who doesn't understand the true meaning of a good deal.
And so Red spent his time in Minnesota running things as cheap as possible. Cheap coaching staff, cheap team. But now that Red wants to sell the team, is he looking to sell it cheap? Certainly not. That hail damaged car has a price tag on it that is not one red cent under the blue book value.
Enter: Reggie Fowler. He wants to buy this hail damaged car so badly, and Red wants to get rid of it so badly, that as long as Fowler has the money to buy, Red is ready to sell. Red doesn't care that Fowler has a tainted past as a business man. And just like he didn't give a single thought to how his dealings with the Vikings affected the people who paid the bills, the people of Minnesota, he doesn't care how Fowler's past, or future dealings as the potential owner of the team, might affect the team or the people surrounding it.
Red made it clear very early on that owning the Vikings wasn't about loving football, it was about business. He continued to make it clear during his entire time owning the team and now as he is trying to sell the team. And he is making it more clear than ever by trying to slip it past the other NFL owners that the guy he is trying to unload the team on might (allegedly) be more crooked than any used car salesman that has ever worked for him.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Jeff: Whoopsy Daisy!!
Well Jer and Chris (hello Mr. Brenna. I miss you. Deeply), you ask for my thoughts on Mr. Reggie Fowler. At least I think that's his name. And we think he's black. And from Arizona. But from the things that came out about him today in the Minneapolis Star Tribune (www.startribune.com), he could be an elderly Asian woman from Timbuktu. Today it was learned that the info sheet that was handed out at Fowler's press conference on Monday was full of "inaccuracies", which is kind of like saying I drive a Ferrari is an inaccuracy. It's flat out wrong. Even a lie. THe sheet, which Fowler now says he never took the time to look at, was full of an alarming number of "facts" that were actually fiction. To me, having just ONE thing on a resume being a lie would be alarming, but several? Many? You tell me how that looks for somebody spearheading a $625 million bid to buy the Upper Midwest's most popular sporting franchise? I don't even know where to begin. Well how about here-- if you've put in the time and effort to make an offer to buy an NFL franchise, wouldn't you take the extra two minutes to read over your biography to make sure it was right? And wouldn't you take the time long before your press conference to do this to make sure it was accurate? Wouldn't you? Maybe it's just me.
Fowler called the bio that was handed out Monday a "rough draft". Um... I've typed up a personal resume once or twice, and even in my "rough draft", there was nothing even close to something that would be considered a lie. And I was just applying for a job waiting tables, or talking on the radio to cattle (I'm hoping I at least have cattle out here as listeners). Imagine filling out a resume or biography if you were applying for easily one of the most high profile jobs in the midwest. You'd want to get everything right, wouldn't you? Again, maybe it's just me.
All of this has to raise redflags galore for the folks in the NFL that decide whether this sale will be approved. There have been questions since Fowler's name appeared out of thin air as a possible owner about whether he really has the funds for this. And these resume flubs aren't going to help. Nobody's sure of his personal worth. He was rated as the 37th richest African American in the United States--of course Reggie, not once but twice, has said he's 11th. He also said he played in the NFL, which didn't happen. Or that he got a degree from Wyoming in Business (it was actually in SOcial work, which, last time I checked, is a lot different from a business degree).
Bottom line is we have no idea who REggie Fowler is or what he's about. Even the little he tells us isn't worth much after today. I had nothing against Fowler before this incident and nothing now, but I'll stand by what myself and many others have said all along-- the best thing for the Vikings AND their fans would be for Glen Taylor to buy this team. That door may have been opened again.
Fowler called the bio that was handed out Monday a "rough draft". Um... I've typed up a personal resume once or twice, and even in my "rough draft", there was nothing even close to something that would be considered a lie. And I was just applying for a job waiting tables, or talking on the radio to cattle (I'm hoping I at least have cattle out here as listeners). Imagine filling out a resume or biography if you were applying for easily one of the most high profile jobs in the midwest. You'd want to get everything right, wouldn't you? Again, maybe it's just me.
All of this has to raise redflags galore for the folks in the NFL that decide whether this sale will be approved. There have been questions since Fowler's name appeared out of thin air as a possible owner about whether he really has the funds for this. And these resume flubs aren't going to help. Nobody's sure of his personal worth. He was rated as the 37th richest African American in the United States--of course Reggie, not once but twice, has said he's 11th. He also said he played in the NFL, which didn't happen. Or that he got a degree from Wyoming in Business (it was actually in SOcial work, which, last time I checked, is a lot different from a business degree).
Bottom line is we have no idea who REggie Fowler is or what he's about. Even the little he tells us isn't worth much after today. I had nothing against Fowler before this incident and nothing now, but I'll stand by what myself and many others have said all along-- the best thing for the Vikings AND their fans would be for Glen Taylor to buy this team. That door may have been opened again.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Jeremy: To Jeff: Okay, Let Me Make Sure I Understand This
Jeff,
Okay, let me see if I understand what happened last night. The Wolves won their first game under McHale against a Nets team that I think everyone would have to agree, at least right now, is a far better squad than the Wolves. But, back the truck up, Olowokandi led the team in rebounds... AND POINTS!?!?!?! Really? Did that happen? Help me out here, Jeff. Am I crazy? Okay, I'm sold, McHale is a coaching genius!!!
Anybody who can get that stiff, that bump-on-a-log, that overpaid and under-producing tazered big man to produce, well, that person has got to get a little bit of respect. Doesn't he? Honestly, was he able to do that? Okay, that's enough McHale butt kissing because I am not that warm to him yet.
Here's the thing that really surprised me. A quote from KG that seems to not only be an endorsement for McHale, but a shot at Flip?
"He's like a breath of fresh air right now. He's given everybody from A to Z confidence."
Wow. Is that a shot? When I first read it, I certainly thought it was.
We seem to agree that McHale, not Flip, as far as team leaders, is to blame here, but were we too quick to judge? Were we, Jeff, heaven forbid, for the first time ever.... wrong?
Jeremy
p.s. Let's take a cue from Chris... what do you make of all this Vikings ownership business?
Okay, let me see if I understand what happened last night. The Wolves won their first game under McHale against a Nets team that I think everyone would have to agree, at least right now, is a far better squad than the Wolves. But, back the truck up, Olowokandi led the team in rebounds... AND POINTS!?!?!?! Really? Did that happen? Help me out here, Jeff. Am I crazy? Okay, I'm sold, McHale is a coaching genius!!!
Anybody who can get that stiff, that bump-on-a-log, that overpaid and under-producing tazered big man to produce, well, that person has got to get a little bit of respect. Doesn't he? Honestly, was he able to do that? Okay, that's enough McHale butt kissing because I am not that warm to him yet.
Here's the thing that really surprised me. A quote from KG that seems to not only be an endorsement for McHale, but a shot at Flip?
"He's like a breath of fresh air right now. He's given everybody from A to Z confidence."
Wow. Is that a shot? When I first read it, I certainly thought it was.
We seem to agree that McHale, not Flip, as far as team leaders, is to blame here, but were we too quick to judge? Were we, Jeff, heaven forbid, for the first time ever.... wrong?
Jeremy
p.s. Let's take a cue from Chris... what do you make of all this Vikings ownership business?
Monday, February 14, 2005
Jeff: An Equally Baffled Response to the Jer...
Jer
My friend, we think so much alike it's scary. If only we could get Glen Taylor on the same wavelength. After feeling the same emotions of outrage and shock when I heard about the fate of "The (Flip) 'Nosis", my blame turned pretty quickly to McHale as well. Before I get to him, I need to reiterate your thoughts on how ridiculous it is that Flip got thrown under the bus for this. Take one look at this team and you can see Sprewell and Cassell are the problems here. They're not trying, and their whining and pouting are infecting other players. If Michael Olowakandi knew what planet he was on, it might affect him too. Not only that, we hear now that KG has been playing on an injured knee, but because he's what every athlete should strive to be, we've heard nothing about it until now because Garnett refuses to talk about it or even acknowledge it. Tell me, please, what coach could do any better with this group?
Now let me get this straight: you can't get anything for Sprewell or Cassell. Nobody will give you anything of value because of their attitudes and age. Cutting Sprewell is not a possibility here? His contract is up at year's end. He's doing nothing for the team and doesn't want to be there. Wouldn't cutting him show the rest of the guys that if you don't perform you're gone? Heck, I'll go a step further. I would have pulled a Jon Gruden with Keyshawn: tell Sprewell not to even report to work. Deactivate him, and then cut him right before the end of the season so that he's not eligble for anybody else's playoff roster. And I'd tell all of this to the media. You HAVE to play hardball here. You HAVE to send a message to your players that the team is more important. Firing Flip and keeping your problems around does just the opposite. The attitudes on this team are only going to get worse now because they know they can get away with it.
Finally, why are Wolves fans not asking for McHale's head now? Jer, you're bang on. Since he drafted KG, he made a horrible trade involving Marbury, let Googs walk for nothing, was as responsible or more so than Glen Taylor for the Joe Smith fiasco, and now this. HOW DOES THIS MAN STILL HAVE A JOB?!?!? Let's just say that IF McHale and Taylor are right in the statements they made about Flip's responsibility in all this. If that IS true, how is McHale not MORE responsible? I give up. Jer, help me, I think I'm hyperventilating.
breathing into a paper bag,
Jeff
My friend, we think so much alike it's scary. If only we could get Glen Taylor on the same wavelength. After feeling the same emotions of outrage and shock when I heard about the fate of "The (Flip) 'Nosis", my blame turned pretty quickly to McHale as well. Before I get to him, I need to reiterate your thoughts on how ridiculous it is that Flip got thrown under the bus for this. Take one look at this team and you can see Sprewell and Cassell are the problems here. They're not trying, and their whining and pouting are infecting other players. If Michael Olowakandi knew what planet he was on, it might affect him too. Not only that, we hear now that KG has been playing on an injured knee, but because he's what every athlete should strive to be, we've heard nothing about it until now because Garnett refuses to talk about it or even acknowledge it. Tell me, please, what coach could do any better with this group?
Now let me get this straight: you can't get anything for Sprewell or Cassell. Nobody will give you anything of value because of their attitudes and age. Cutting Sprewell is not a possibility here? His contract is up at year's end. He's doing nothing for the team and doesn't want to be there. Wouldn't cutting him show the rest of the guys that if you don't perform you're gone? Heck, I'll go a step further. I would have pulled a Jon Gruden with Keyshawn: tell Sprewell not to even report to work. Deactivate him, and then cut him right before the end of the season so that he's not eligble for anybody else's playoff roster. And I'd tell all of this to the media. You HAVE to play hardball here. You HAVE to send a message to your players that the team is more important. Firing Flip and keeping your problems around does just the opposite. The attitudes on this team are only going to get worse now because they know they can get away with it.
Finally, why are Wolves fans not asking for McHale's head now? Jer, you're bang on. Since he drafted KG, he made a horrible trade involving Marbury, let Googs walk for nothing, was as responsible or more so than Glen Taylor for the Joe Smith fiasco, and now this. HOW DOES THIS MAN STILL HAVE A JOB?!?!? Let's just say that IF McHale and Taylor are right in the statements they made about Flip's responsibility in all this. If that IS true, how is McHale not MORE responsible? I give up. Jer, help me, I think I'm hyperventilating.
breathing into a paper bag,
Jeff
Jeremy: A Letter to Jeff: Was I Wrong?
My Dearest Jeffrey,
I got your voicemail message about Flip getting fired on Saturday night after spending the day in the blackhole of Southern Minnesota at a wedding where I could not get cell phone reception. That was the first I had heard of it, and I was in shock.
Twice in the last couple of weeks in this very space I have proclaimed my belief that nothing going wrong with this team had anything to do with our favorite NBA coach, Flip(nosis) Saunders. Was I wrong? Based on his firing Saturday, I would have to assume that, at least, Kevin McHale & Glen Taylor did not agree with me. But I still ask, was I wrong?
Okay, let's put the niceties aside here. This is not Flips fault, and I feel bad for the man. Flipnosis has been the coach of this team for 10 years. He led the team to eight straight playoff appearances. And he groomed KG into the player he is today. Don't you think that those facts should afford Flip the opportunity to try to turn this team around in the second half of the season, and to see this team through the rest of the season at least?
What happened here? Is this a knee-jerk reaction? I think that what happened was, after realizing that he couldn't unload Spree and Sam because not only are they playing horribly, but they aren't putting in any effort and their brand of cancer is infecting this whole team, McHale got tired of Taylor breathing down his neck to get something done, so McHale realized that the next thing he could do to make a change quickly was to fire the team bench leader.
So, is it Flip's fault that Spree and Sam are cancer? Is it Flip's fault that MCHALE couldn't make a deal?
Jeff, you and I used to be the biggest McHale bashers around. Names like Marbury, Joe Smith and Gugliotta, will remind everyone why. We took the year off from bashing him last year because Sam and Spree seemed like genius moves. And last year, they were.
Is it time to go back to bashing him now?
Sincerely,
The Jer
I got your voicemail message about Flip getting fired on Saturday night after spending the day in the blackhole of Southern Minnesota at a wedding where I could not get cell phone reception. That was the first I had heard of it, and I was in shock.
Twice in the last couple of weeks in this very space I have proclaimed my belief that nothing going wrong with this team had anything to do with our favorite NBA coach, Flip(nosis) Saunders. Was I wrong? Based on his firing Saturday, I would have to assume that, at least, Kevin McHale & Glen Taylor did not agree with me. But I still ask, was I wrong?
Okay, let's put the niceties aside here. This is not Flips fault, and I feel bad for the man. Flipnosis has been the coach of this team for 10 years. He led the team to eight straight playoff appearances. And he groomed KG into the player he is today. Don't you think that those facts should afford Flip the opportunity to try to turn this team around in the second half of the season, and to see this team through the rest of the season at least?
What happened here? Is this a knee-jerk reaction? I think that what happened was, after realizing that he couldn't unload Spree and Sam because not only are they playing horribly, but they aren't putting in any effort and their brand of cancer is infecting this whole team, McHale got tired of Taylor breathing down his neck to get something done, so McHale realized that the next thing he could do to make a change quickly was to fire the team bench leader.
So, is it Flip's fault that Spree and Sam are cancer? Is it Flip's fault that MCHALE couldn't make a deal?
Jeff, you and I used to be the biggest McHale bashers around. Names like Marbury, Joe Smith and Gugliotta, will remind everyone why. We took the year off from bashing him last year because Sam and Spree seemed like genius moves. And last year, they were.
Is it time to go back to bashing him now?
Sincerely,
The Jer
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Jeff: Moss Walking the Plank
If you're a sports fan, you love rumors and trade speculation. If you're a Vikings fan and are sick of Randy Moss' antics, you're especially loving the talks about his exit out of Minnesota. But before you try and throw Moss overboard off the Good Ship Viking, allow me to remind you of this: RANDY MOSS WAS NOT THE REASON THE VIKINGS WERE .500 THIS SEASON!!! After walking off the field, and then the much overblown mooning incident, people seem to have forgotten what a healthy Randy Moss can do. Before he got hurt against New Orleans midway though the season, the Vikings had the #1 offense in football. That's right, better than Peyton Manning and the Colts. With a healthy Randy, it was Culpepper who was on pace to break Marino's records, not Manning. Moss made the Vikes' O unstoppable, and made Scott Linehan look competent, something that was much harder to do when Moss was hurt the rest of the season. Randy is the NFL's most dangerous weapon. Period.
Now, having said that, I do not agree with him walking off the field and do not agree with VIkings' management caudling him when he makes mistakes. Apparently some of the players agree. Moss was quoted this morning saying he really wants to return to the Vikings. Pro Bowl QB Daunte Culpepper's response? "...maybe the Vikings have had enough of (Moss') erratic behavior." Not exactly a ringing endorsement from the guy in charge of getting Randy the rock. An irreconcilable situation like the Cubs had with Sammy Sosa? For the sake of the team, let's hope not.
Here's my point: the Vikings don't NEED to trade Randy Moss. His antics were not the reason the Vikings collapsed down the stretch again. His pouting and selfishness did not keep this team from reaching the Super Bowl. Terrell Owens was every bit the malcontent Moss is, single-handedly destroying a franchise in San Francisco, and weasling his way out of another in Baltimore. Yet ask anyone in Philly about his impact this season with the Eagles, and they'll say he's the greatest thing since the cheesesteak. Winning does this. THe Vikings, because of a terrible defense, only know what that's like for the first half of a season. When the going gets tough however, the defense gets going, and so do any chances of the Vikes steering their ship to the Super Bowl.
If the Vikings get blown away by a trade offer for Moss this offseason, one that includes some stud defenders and high draft picks, they would be crazy not to pull the trigger. But if teams make low-ball offers, the Vikes shouldn't hesitate to hang onto Randy for one more season. THey don't need to be put into a fire-sale mode with Moss. If you can't get a deal for what he's worth, shore up the defense through free-agency and the draft (an actual possibility for the first time in a decade if Glen Taylor buys the team, which is the rumor). Give this great offense a defense to go with it, then see what winning does to team chemistry and to Moss. If they win and Moss is still a distraction, and he really DOES become the reason the Vikes don't go to Detroit next February, then you throw him off the Vikings ship for whatever you can get. If there's no blockbuster on the table for him now, trading him next year won't net you much less than teams are offering at the moment. But if he does perform and does focus on team, which he did in both '98 and '01 when the Purple advanced to the NFC Championship, then you've still got the NFL's most dangerous weapon and all the shenanigans from this past season will be water under the bridge, or in this case, the Good Ship Viking, as it finally sets sail towards the Super Bowl.
Now, having said that, I do not agree with him walking off the field and do not agree with VIkings' management caudling him when he makes mistakes. Apparently some of the players agree. Moss was quoted this morning saying he really wants to return to the Vikings. Pro Bowl QB Daunte Culpepper's response? "...maybe the Vikings have had enough of (Moss') erratic behavior." Not exactly a ringing endorsement from the guy in charge of getting Randy the rock. An irreconcilable situation like the Cubs had with Sammy Sosa? For the sake of the team, let's hope not.
Here's my point: the Vikings don't NEED to trade Randy Moss. His antics were not the reason the Vikings collapsed down the stretch again. His pouting and selfishness did not keep this team from reaching the Super Bowl. Terrell Owens was every bit the malcontent Moss is, single-handedly destroying a franchise in San Francisco, and weasling his way out of another in Baltimore. Yet ask anyone in Philly about his impact this season with the Eagles, and they'll say he's the greatest thing since the cheesesteak. Winning does this. THe Vikings, because of a terrible defense, only know what that's like for the first half of a season. When the going gets tough however, the defense gets going, and so do any chances of the Vikes steering their ship to the Super Bowl.
If the Vikings get blown away by a trade offer for Moss this offseason, one that includes some stud defenders and high draft picks, they would be crazy not to pull the trigger. But if teams make low-ball offers, the Vikes shouldn't hesitate to hang onto Randy for one more season. THey don't need to be put into a fire-sale mode with Moss. If you can't get a deal for what he's worth, shore up the defense through free-agency and the draft (an actual possibility for the first time in a decade if Glen Taylor buys the team, which is the rumor). Give this great offense a defense to go with it, then see what winning does to team chemistry and to Moss. If they win and Moss is still a distraction, and he really DOES become the reason the Vikes don't go to Detroit next February, then you throw him off the Vikings ship for whatever you can get. If there's no blockbuster on the table for him now, trading him next year won't net you much less than teams are offering at the moment. But if he does perform and does focus on team, which he did in both '98 and '01 when the Purple advanced to the NFC Championship, then you've still got the NFL's most dangerous weapon and all the shenanigans from this past season will be water under the bridge, or in this case, the Good Ship Viking, as it finally sets sail towards the Super Bowl.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Jeremy: What's right with the Wolves?
I'll give you a moment to stop laughing after reading the title of this post. I know, I know. I've already written over 20 words, and that should be more than enough to convey what is right with our Minnesota Timberwolves, right?
After my last post about my beloved Puppies, they rolled off 5 wins in a row. My cousin emailed me back to tell me that he was certain that Flip(nosis) was reading Midwest Sports Rubes and the ship had been righted.
The honest truth is that I don't think that 5 game winning streak could have been more damaging, or could have come at a worse time for this team. It was beginning to look like they were going to have to make some huge and sweeping changes very soon, and then they go and win 5 in a row, and give everybody hope that they can turn it around. The winning streak probably set the trade process back at least 10 days, which in the NBA is a lifetime when you are trying to move the biggest egos in the sports world from one city to another.
So here we are, two days after the Wolves have dropped below .500. Fans and some media are beginning to call for Flips head. Nobody understands why a move hasn't been made and we aren't even hearing about the possibility of a trade. It's even gotten so bad that some people are starting to blame KG.
Look, I understand that when things get bad everybody is going to look to the leaders to find out what's wrong. But let's get one thing strait: (and I will fight to the death with anybody on this point) reasons one and two why the Timberwolves are down this year are not Flip Saunders and Kevin Garnett. They are 1) Latrell Spreewell, & 2) Sam Cassell.
The difference on this team last year from prior years was chemistry. Part of that had to do with Spree and Sammy. They were happy to be here, they deferred the lead role to KG and their attitudes were rewarded with a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
The difference on this team this year from last year is again chemistry, or lack thereof. Spree and Sammy, feeling that is was them who made the difference in the team last season, wanted more money and more input on the team this season. They aren't getting that for two reasons. First, because KG is still in town and he (rightfully) gets all the input he wants. And second, because before the season started they put money before team, with Sam showing up to camp late and Spree making his now famous "feed my family" comment.
I said in my last post that the only people that matter on this team are KG and Flip. I still believe that. But guys like Fred (The Mayor) Hoiberg, who has the highest 3-point % in the league, Wally (World) Szczerbiak, whose effort is never in question, and Mark Madsen, who this team is missing more than anyone cares to admit, are also important to the chemistry of this team. And where those guys, along with Flip and KG, understand that they are just as important to the chemistry of the team as last years MV3, guys like Spree and Sammy do not. And that is the gap in this team that is causing a division that seems almost insurmountable right now. At least Spree is only under contract for the rest of this season and we're only obligated to Sammy through next year. I haven't even touched on Troy Hudson, whose rap career and bank account have suddenly turned him into the second coming of Cassell whose career-long adage has been "I'll shoot myself into the game, even if it means shooting my team out of it."
As per usual, I had the Wolves on the TV last night at work, and as per usual, I kept somewhat of an eye toward what was going on in the game as I worked. I can't count how many times I stopped in front of a TV, looked at the score, and simply shook my head. It got so bad that when I stopped by her table, an elderly woman having dinner with her son said to me, "either you have a nervous tick or you are unhappy about something going on it that game."
I don't have kids. I have sports. I have the Vikings, the Gophers and the Wolves. And right now my teenager, who really did a lot of growing up last year, is hanging out with the wrong crowd.
After my last post about my beloved Puppies, they rolled off 5 wins in a row. My cousin emailed me back to tell me that he was certain that Flip(nosis) was reading Midwest Sports Rubes and the ship had been righted.
The honest truth is that I don't think that 5 game winning streak could have been more damaging, or could have come at a worse time for this team. It was beginning to look like they were going to have to make some huge and sweeping changes very soon, and then they go and win 5 in a row, and give everybody hope that they can turn it around. The winning streak probably set the trade process back at least 10 days, which in the NBA is a lifetime when you are trying to move the biggest egos in the sports world from one city to another.
So here we are, two days after the Wolves have dropped below .500. Fans and some media are beginning to call for Flips head. Nobody understands why a move hasn't been made and we aren't even hearing about the possibility of a trade. It's even gotten so bad that some people are starting to blame KG.
Look, I understand that when things get bad everybody is going to look to the leaders to find out what's wrong. But let's get one thing strait: (and I will fight to the death with anybody on this point) reasons one and two why the Timberwolves are down this year are not Flip Saunders and Kevin Garnett. They are 1) Latrell Spreewell, & 2) Sam Cassell.
The difference on this team last year from prior years was chemistry. Part of that had to do with Spree and Sammy. They were happy to be here, they deferred the lead role to KG and their attitudes were rewarded with a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
The difference on this team this year from last year is again chemistry, or lack thereof. Spree and Sammy, feeling that is was them who made the difference in the team last season, wanted more money and more input on the team this season. They aren't getting that for two reasons. First, because KG is still in town and he (rightfully) gets all the input he wants. And second, because before the season started they put money before team, with Sam showing up to camp late and Spree making his now famous "feed my family" comment.
I said in my last post that the only people that matter on this team are KG and Flip. I still believe that. But guys like Fred (The Mayor) Hoiberg, who has the highest 3-point % in the league, Wally (World) Szczerbiak, whose effort is never in question, and Mark Madsen, who this team is missing more than anyone cares to admit, are also important to the chemistry of this team. And where those guys, along with Flip and KG, understand that they are just as important to the chemistry of the team as last years MV3, guys like Spree and Sammy do not. And that is the gap in this team that is causing a division that seems almost insurmountable right now. At least Spree is only under contract for the rest of this season and we're only obligated to Sammy through next year. I haven't even touched on Troy Hudson, whose rap career and bank account have suddenly turned him into the second coming of Cassell whose career-long adage has been "I'll shoot myself into the game, even if it means shooting my team out of it."
As per usual, I had the Wolves on the TV last night at work, and as per usual, I kept somewhat of an eye toward what was going on in the game as I worked. I can't count how many times I stopped in front of a TV, looked at the score, and simply shook my head. It got so bad that when I stopped by her table, an elderly woman having dinner with her son said to me, "either you have a nervous tick or you are unhappy about something going on it that game."
I don't have kids. I have sports. I have the Vikings, the Gophers and the Wolves. And right now my teenager, who really did a lot of growing up last year, is hanging out with the wrong crowd.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Jeremy: Unloading
I received this email today:
"midwest sports rubes is due for an editorial about t-wolves basketball, especially now that they have fallen to .500, trail seattle by 8+ games, are standing in 8th place in the west, and couldnt beat the lakers even with kobe benched. -cuz"
My cousin knows me well. He knows me well enough to know that this Wolves slump makes me sick to my stomach. He knows me well enough to know that I have an opinion on it. And most of all, he knows me well enough to know that it makes me so mad that I don't really want to talk about it.
I'll start by comparing the Wolves, or what I think the Wolves should be, to toilet paper. Yep. Toilet paper. You know the commercial I'm talking about. "Charmin Ultra, Less Is More." The old adage "addition by subtraction" I think applies well to the Wolves right now.
Less Is More. Less players, less complicated defense, less quick shooting, less settling for outside shots, and less selfish play.
If you look up and down this team at players, stats, minutes played, etc. it's tough to figure out what's wrong. They are averaging more points per game (+3.8 ppg), more team assists per game (+.3 apg) and more rebounds per game (+1 rpg)... but that's because they have to, because they are also giving up 7.1 more points per game than last year.
Besides giving up more points per game I cannot find one stat that will support why the Wolves are an absolutely horrible team right now.
So where do I take this?
The thing that set the Wolves apart from everybody else last year is that they weren't like them. Simple right? They were a team that played defense as well as they played offense. They moved the ball around the parameter until the found the best lane or the best shot. They took the outside shot when they had it and they nailed it. They were unselfish. They knew that KG was the leader of the team and nobody questioned it. They played the game that Flip coached, they didn't question, they played together and they won.
This year they are just like everybody else. They play bad defense. They don't move the ball around enough. They take bad shots too quickly. They play selfish. There are too many guys who want to be the man instead of letting KG do his job. And they are questioning every move that Flip makes because they were all good players on a great team last year who somehow perverted their success into thinking they were all great players on a great team so they should all be a part of how the team wins this year.
My opinion on this team? Only two people matter: KG and Flip. As harsh as this sounds, everybody else on this team means nothing. Unfortunately there's only three guys on the court who seem to buy into this philosophy: KG, Flip and, ironically, Wally. I don't love Wally, I don't even particularity like him as a player that much, but Wally gets it right now. He understands that he's not KG and he never will be. He might even understand that he'll probably never be a Spree or a Cassell, but what he does understand is that as long as he plays his hardest, works on his defense, shoots his open shots and makes a good fraction of them, he's going to be an impact player on this team with a consistency that Spree and Cassell have never dreamed of.
Look, Wally's not going to save the world. He's not even going to save the Wolves. But (as much as I hate to say this) if all of the players on this team would take Wally's lead, who takes his lead from KG, and work hard and keep their head in the game, the whole team would be better off.
"midwest sports rubes is due for an editorial about t-wolves basketball, especially now that they have fallen to .500, trail seattle by 8+ games, are standing in 8th place in the west, and couldnt beat the lakers even with kobe benched. -cuz"
My cousin knows me well. He knows me well enough to know that this Wolves slump makes me sick to my stomach. He knows me well enough to know that I have an opinion on it. And most of all, he knows me well enough to know that it makes me so mad that I don't really want to talk about it.
I'll start by comparing the Wolves, or what I think the Wolves should be, to toilet paper. Yep. Toilet paper. You know the commercial I'm talking about. "Charmin Ultra, Less Is More." The old adage "addition by subtraction" I think applies well to the Wolves right now.
Less Is More. Less players, less complicated defense, less quick shooting, less settling for outside shots, and less selfish play.
If you look up and down this team at players, stats, minutes played, etc. it's tough to figure out what's wrong. They are averaging more points per game (+3.8 ppg), more team assists per game (+.3 apg) and more rebounds per game (+1 rpg)... but that's because they have to, because they are also giving up 7.1 more points per game than last year.
Besides giving up more points per game I cannot find one stat that will support why the Wolves are an absolutely horrible team right now.
So where do I take this?
The thing that set the Wolves apart from everybody else last year is that they weren't like them. Simple right? They were a team that played defense as well as they played offense. They moved the ball around the parameter until the found the best lane or the best shot. They took the outside shot when they had it and they nailed it. They were unselfish. They knew that KG was the leader of the team and nobody questioned it. They played the game that Flip coached, they didn't question, they played together and they won.
This year they are just like everybody else. They play bad defense. They don't move the ball around enough. They take bad shots too quickly. They play selfish. There are too many guys who want to be the man instead of letting KG do his job. And they are questioning every move that Flip makes because they were all good players on a great team last year who somehow perverted their success into thinking they were all great players on a great team so they should all be a part of how the team wins this year.
My opinion on this team? Only two people matter: KG and Flip. As harsh as this sounds, everybody else on this team means nothing. Unfortunately there's only three guys on the court who seem to buy into this philosophy: KG, Flip and, ironically, Wally. I don't love Wally, I don't even particularity like him as a player that much, but Wally gets it right now. He understands that he's not KG and he never will be. He might even understand that he'll probably never be a Spree or a Cassell, but what he does understand is that as long as he plays his hardest, works on his defense, shoots his open shots and makes a good fraction of them, he's going to be an impact player on this team with a consistency that Spree and Cassell have never dreamed of.
Look, Wally's not going to save the world. He's not even going to save the Wolves. But (as much as I hate to say this) if all of the players on this team would take Wally's lead, who takes his lead from KG, and work hard and keep their head in the game, the whole team would be better off.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Jeremy: Toughen Up, Lose The Dome, Part 2
This Sunday three NFC teams will take the field in the Divisional Playoffs who call a domed stadium home: Minnesota, St. Louis & Atlanta. This got me to thinking today: how do domed teams fare in Super Bowls? So I did a little research. What I found was literally unbelievable to me.
First of all, let's break this down. 39 Super Bowls have been played and completed. Not counting teams that have played in multiple Super Bowls, that means that 39 teams have won the Super Bowl in its history, and a total of 78 teams have played in the Super Bowl.
Out of the 39 teams that have won the Super Bowl, only one, the '99-'00 St. Louis Rams played their home games in a domed stadium.
Out of the 78 teams that have played in the Super Bowl, only two have played their home games in domed stadiums: the '98-'99 Atlanta Falcons and the '99-'00 St. Louis Rams.
Pretty unreal isn't it?
In addition to that take into account that the Falcons had home field advantage in the playoffs until the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings, which was played in the Metrodome, and the Rams had home field advantage throughout the '99-'00 playoffs. And to throw even more fuel on the fire, guess where the Rams played that Super Bowl on January 30, 2000 when they beat the Tennessee Titans? You guessed it, a dome. The Georgia Dome in Atlanta. So, the only team from a domed stadium to ever win a Super Bowl had the luxury of playing their entire playoff schedule, including the big dance, indoors.
Teams that play in domed stadiums do not play well in the playoffs unless they play in domes. The Vikings and the Rams winning their playoff games last weekend was an anomaly.
Is there any greater evidence that football should not be played indoors? Why would any owner even want to build a domed stadium? For the comfort of his team? Because apparently comfortable teams get too comfortable and can't win the big games.
First of all, let's break this down. 39 Super Bowls have been played and completed. Not counting teams that have played in multiple Super Bowls, that means that 39 teams have won the Super Bowl in its history, and a total of 78 teams have played in the Super Bowl.
Out of the 39 teams that have won the Super Bowl, only one, the '99-'00 St. Louis Rams played their home games in a domed stadium.
Out of the 78 teams that have played in the Super Bowl, only two have played their home games in domed stadiums: the '98-'99 Atlanta Falcons and the '99-'00 St. Louis Rams.
Pretty unreal isn't it?
In addition to that take into account that the Falcons had home field advantage in the playoffs until the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings, which was played in the Metrodome, and the Rams had home field advantage throughout the '99-'00 playoffs. And to throw even more fuel on the fire, guess where the Rams played that Super Bowl on January 30, 2000 when they beat the Tennessee Titans? You guessed it, a dome. The Georgia Dome in Atlanta. So, the only team from a domed stadium to ever win a Super Bowl had the luxury of playing their entire playoff schedule, including the big dance, indoors.
Teams that play in domed stadiums do not play well in the playoffs unless they play in domes. The Vikings and the Rams winning their playoff games last weekend was an anomaly.
Is there any greater evidence that football should not be played indoors? Why would any owner even want to build a domed stadium? For the comfort of his team? Because apparently comfortable teams get too comfortable and can't win the big games.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Jeremy: Do I Still Live In Minnesota?
On Sunday November 28th the Vikings beat the Jags when Kevin Williams recovered a fumble and returned if 77 yards for a touchdown with under two minutes to play. The game was at the Metrodome, where the Vikings should never ever lose a game. A day or so after the game I talked to Jeff on the phone and said these words: "It's nice to be on the winning end of a game like this when we have gotten so used to losing them." In other words: lightning has struck. And lightning can't strike the same team twice can it? Certainly not in one season. Right?
I called Jeff again yesterday after the Vikings went up 14-0 just five minutes into their Wild Card Game with the Packers. "Hey, who are the Packers playing today? Cause it sure doesn't look like the Vikings." Apparently I was wrong because they were playing the Vikings, and roughly three hours later the second lightning strike of the season was complete.
Were ya like me? Did you have that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach everytime the Vikings did something right? Everytime they had a long play, did you do like I did and look to the upper right hand corner of the TV screen for that familiar little yellow box and the world "FLAG"? Were you surprised everytime you didn't see it? Did you shake your head in utter disbelief all FOUR TIMES (!!!!!) that Favre threw an interception? Did you get a little nausous when you noticed that the Vikings had scored 31 points? The same number that they had scored in their previous regular season losses to the Pack?
Watching the Vikings game for me brought on one old emotion and one new emotion that I haven't felt in awhile. The old emotion was: we've been here before, Favre is still leading the Packers, there's bound to be penalties, I just don't trust this team. The new emotion, the one I haven't felt in awhile was: we are playing with heart, I'm confident that we can score everytime we have the ball, our defense isn't going to beat us today.
I don't think that I was wrong to feel the first emotion. As a life-long fan of this team they've really given me no reason to believe anything other than that. But you knew, you just felt something different, the moment Daunte scrambled and found Mo Williams who rambled down the sideline for the opening drive touchdown. That second emotion was valid too. We were excited, we had come to play, and we had done exactly what everyone in the world said we had to do to win this game: we got on them early. And we kept getting on them.
For the second time this season I can say it: it's nice to be on the winning end of a game like this.
Suddenly the Vikings are the sexy choice in the NFC. My favorite NFL analyst, Sean Salisbury, (sensing any sarcasm?) took about .0743 seconds to jump back on the Vikings bandwagon and choose them to beat the Eagles next week and go to the NFC championship game. I'm not ready to go quite that far, but I will say this: if they Vikings play next Sunday like they played on this Sunday, they will not lose. But do we suddenly have a chance to go to the Super Bowl? Um, I think not.
Look, I'm just like any other Viking fan: the world is certainly a better place the Monday after a win. But we've got to be realistic here. Don't we?
Or do we?
I called Jeff again yesterday after the Vikings went up 14-0 just five minutes into their Wild Card Game with the Packers. "Hey, who are the Packers playing today? Cause it sure doesn't look like the Vikings." Apparently I was wrong because they were playing the Vikings, and roughly three hours later the second lightning strike of the season was complete.
Were ya like me? Did you have that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach everytime the Vikings did something right? Everytime they had a long play, did you do like I did and look to the upper right hand corner of the TV screen for that familiar little yellow box and the world "FLAG"? Were you surprised everytime you didn't see it? Did you shake your head in utter disbelief all FOUR TIMES (!!!!!) that Favre threw an interception? Did you get a little nausous when you noticed that the Vikings had scored 31 points? The same number that they had scored in their previous regular season losses to the Pack?
Watching the Vikings game for me brought on one old emotion and one new emotion that I haven't felt in awhile. The old emotion was: we've been here before, Favre is still leading the Packers, there's bound to be penalties, I just don't trust this team. The new emotion, the one I haven't felt in awhile was: we are playing with heart, I'm confident that we can score everytime we have the ball, our defense isn't going to beat us today.
I don't think that I was wrong to feel the first emotion. As a life-long fan of this team they've really given me no reason to believe anything other than that. But you knew, you just felt something different, the moment Daunte scrambled and found Mo Williams who rambled down the sideline for the opening drive touchdown. That second emotion was valid too. We were excited, we had come to play, and we had done exactly what everyone in the world said we had to do to win this game: we got on them early. And we kept getting on them.
For the second time this season I can say it: it's nice to be on the winning end of a game like this.
Suddenly the Vikings are the sexy choice in the NFC. My favorite NFL analyst, Sean Salisbury, (sensing any sarcasm?) took about .0743 seconds to jump back on the Vikings bandwagon and choose them to beat the Eagles next week and go to the NFC championship game. I'm not ready to go quite that far, but I will say this: if they Vikings play next Sunday like they played on this Sunday, they will not lose. But do we suddenly have a chance to go to the Super Bowl? Um, I think not.
Look, I'm just like any other Viking fan: the world is certainly a better place the Monday after a win. But we've got to be realistic here. Don't we?
Or do we?
Friday, January 07, 2005
Jeff: Throwing gas on the fire...
Happy Friday--unless you're a Vikes fan. Good lord. Mike Tice is just an idiot. Just plain dumb. You know about Randy Moss walking off the field in DC before the game was over last week. You know it just adds to his bad reputation. You know he's been "Randy just being Randy" for his whole life. You know he doesn't need motivation from fans or the media to play well (think what you will of him, but on national tv games, when healthy, he just flat-out dominates). According to Daunte and Matt Birk, the players and Moss hashed things out and have moved on from the incident in DC. Your fan base, although more pissed off and frustrated than ever, were shifting focus from another selfish Moss act to focusing on the inevitable heartbreaking loss to the Pack this Sunday (not that I'm not confident in the Vikes right now--lost 7 of 10, 2-15 outdoors under Tice, oh and we're playing the team that always gets the better of us when it matters. ALWAYS. But other than that I love their chances) So what does Tice do? He tells Moss to call into Tice's weekly radio show last night "to defend himself", hoping Moss would clear the air on his actions last week (despite evidence to the contrary that it wouldn't happen!!!) The show's host, Dan Barrero, is one of the most negative, sarcastic, smartasses ever to hit the airwaves (which means I love him). He's not about to ask Moss cupcake questions. To quote Swingers, he's not going to talk about "puppy dogs and ice cream". Of course Moss says he's not sorry for walking off the field, and of course Moss says he could very well do it again. Barrero asks the tough questions, and Moss either brushes them off or gives answers that you don't want to hear from a guy you're paying $80 million.
Tice defended his star player the entire interview. Now all of Viking-dom is irrate at Moss. But here's why I think Tice is an idiot: Um, Mike? WHAT ELSE DID YOU EXPECT RANDY TO SAY?!?!?!? A lot of people hate Randy because he's selfish and cocky and admits freely he plays when he wants to play. Fine. But Randy is who Randy is. He's been the same guy for the 7 seasons he's been in Minnesota. He's not going to change. He didn't put a gun to Red McCombs head to pay him $80 mill with a $20 mill signing bonus (a contract extension I was against, might I add). Randy is going to do what's best for Randy, and as Vikings fans we have to hope that means dominating on the field most of the time, and we are at his mercy because of that contract. But again-WE KNOW THIS.
Tice has been in Minnesota, as either head coach or a coordinator, for most of Moss' 7 seasons. If anybody should know Randy, it'd be Tice. If anybody should know that Randy wasn't about to come on the radio, 3 days before the team's biggest game of the year, and kiss ass and apologize. He's never done it--HE NEVER WILL!!! He said as much in the interview!!! My question is what on God's green earth did Tice think he would accomplish by bringing Randy on the radio, knowing he'd get grilled for the Redskins shennanigans and everything else?!?! Your fans were focusing on the game at hand, your players had made their peace with him, and Moss hates talking to the media anyways. Why bring this up again? WHAT WAS THIS SUPPOSED TO DO?!?!?
I've tried to be a positive Vikings fan. Am trying to find the silver lining. Everything is stacked against this team right now, and they have noone to blame for it but themselves. I hope the impossible happens, and the Vikes pull out a miraculous win. But I'm counting on that about as much as hearing Moss apologize for his actions, or Mike Tice getting fired after this season for driving this team into the ground 2 straight years. Have I mentioned how much I love this team?
Tice defended his star player the entire interview. Now all of Viking-dom is irrate at Moss. But here's why I think Tice is an idiot: Um, Mike? WHAT ELSE DID YOU EXPECT RANDY TO SAY?!?!?!? A lot of people hate Randy because he's selfish and cocky and admits freely he plays when he wants to play. Fine. But Randy is who Randy is. He's been the same guy for the 7 seasons he's been in Minnesota. He's not going to change. He didn't put a gun to Red McCombs head to pay him $80 mill with a $20 mill signing bonus (a contract extension I was against, might I add). Randy is going to do what's best for Randy, and as Vikings fans we have to hope that means dominating on the field most of the time, and we are at his mercy because of that contract. But again-WE KNOW THIS.
Tice has been in Minnesota, as either head coach or a coordinator, for most of Moss' 7 seasons. If anybody should know Randy, it'd be Tice. If anybody should know that Randy wasn't about to come on the radio, 3 days before the team's biggest game of the year, and kiss ass and apologize. He's never done it--HE NEVER WILL!!! He said as much in the interview!!! My question is what on God's green earth did Tice think he would accomplish by bringing Randy on the radio, knowing he'd get grilled for the Redskins shennanigans and everything else?!?! Your fans were focusing on the game at hand, your players had made their peace with him, and Moss hates talking to the media anyways. Why bring this up again? WHAT WAS THIS SUPPOSED TO DO?!?!?
I've tried to be a positive Vikings fan. Am trying to find the silver lining. Everything is stacked against this team right now, and they have noone to blame for it but themselves. I hope the impossible happens, and the Vikes pull out a miraculous win. But I'm counting on that about as much as hearing Moss apologize for his actions, or Mike Tice getting fired after this season for driving this team into the ground 2 straight years. Have I mentioned how much I love this team?
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Jeremy: An Open Letter to Jeff
Jeffrey,
First, I want to apologize to you. In an earlier post you commented that you sometimes feel like I think of you as less of a fan because you had to choose which teams to cheer for. I love you, man. I definitely don't think of you as less of a fan. You know me, I get like this when things are especially hurtful in my sporting world. I become resentful of teams like the Lakers, Michigan football and the Yankees because they always win and I feel like their fans have it easy. I begin to hate places like the New England area for having two championships in one calendar year and ending an 86 year championship draught in baseball. I start to feel like we here in Minnesota are the last truly tortured and loyal fans on earth. I know this isn't true, but it makes me feel better, much like a pint of rocky road made me feel better when that bastard Bruce broke my heart (did I just reveal that?). In any case, YOU'RE MY BOY, BLUE.
Moving on, I need to rant about some sporting type stuff...
The Wolves are horrible. What the heck is going on? Garnett scores a franchise record 47 points and adds 22 rebounds against the best team in the West right now, and they somehow manage to give up 121 points... in regulation? Are you kidding me? It's possible that their defense right now is worse than the Vikings. They play the expansion Bobcats tonight in Charlotte and I have ZERO confidence that they can win.
Speaking of the Vikings defense... Green Bay for the third time this season in the first round of the playoffs this Sunday. I know it's very hard in the NFL to beat the same team three times... but then again, we ARE talking about the Vikings here. I give them a small shot because they are playing in Green Bay, which is just about the only outdoor place where they play halfway decent. This team has no heart, Jeff. I heard that the game-time temperature is expected to be 25 degrees. A little quick math tells me that's roughly 47 degrees cooler than they prefer to play in. Vegas is favoring the Pack by about 6 points right now. I fully expect that number to go down as the week goes on because anybody who is betting on the Vikings to cover that 6 points has DEFINITELY been out in the cold way too long.
Did you see that my Gophs won the Music City Bowl? Yeah, it was probably the sloppiest football game I've ever watched. So many penalties at absolutely horrible times, plus, I've never seen a quarterback overthrow so many wide-open receivers as Pennington did for Alabama. The Goophies have a shot to be better next year. They basically get their entire set of skill-position players back, but with Mason still coaching this team, I have my doubts. I'm calling it right now, here's my time-line for Gopher-football next year. Mid-August: I will once again get excited for Gopher football. September: Gophers yet again breeze through the non-conference schedule as Mason sings the praises of his team and himself. Early October: excitement will ensue as the Gophers have a great early season, the running game still looks solid, and Cupito looks like he's matured. Early November: I will be disappointed that the Gophers can't carry their winning ways into the Big 10 season (I will make no public predictions regarding Michigan or the game following Michigan). Late November: I will be calling for Mason's head after the Gophers manage to lose their final two games to Wisconsin and Iowa. Maturi will call me for advice After a long discussion, in which the phrase "better late than never" is uttered by me no less than 12 times, Maturi will respond by canning Mason. Late December: coached on an interim basis by Bozo the Clown, who is actually able to put together a gameplan that utilizes the talent on the team, the Gophers rout Coppin State in the Motor City Bowl. (Here comes the wishful thinking.) Early January: USC wins yet another National Championship, offensive coordinator Norm Chow decides he's ready to be a head coach, and leaves the warm Southern California climate for the frozen tundra of Minneapolis.
By the way, as long as you've known me have I ever been THIS jaded as a Minnesota sports fan as I have been in the last two months? In the last week I have said that I had no confidence that the Vikes could win in D.C. (they didn't), now I'm saying I don't think the Wolves can beat anybody. Seven weeks prior to this I was sitting in a lower-deck endzone section of the Metrodome next to Porta as the Gophers collapsed against Iowa and the only reason it didn't break my heart was because I absolutely knew it was coming. DO YOU SEE WHAT THESE TEAMS HAVE DONE TO ME??????????
With Love & Admiration,
Jeremy
p.s. The road to knighthood is paved with strength and nobility, Jeff, not LSD and sideburns.
First, I want to apologize to you. In an earlier post you commented that you sometimes feel like I think of you as less of a fan because you had to choose which teams to cheer for. I love you, man. I definitely don't think of you as less of a fan. You know me, I get like this when things are especially hurtful in my sporting world. I become resentful of teams like the Lakers, Michigan football and the Yankees because they always win and I feel like their fans have it easy. I begin to hate places like the New England area for having two championships in one calendar year and ending an 86 year championship draught in baseball. I start to feel like we here in Minnesota are the last truly tortured and loyal fans on earth. I know this isn't true, but it makes me feel better, much like a pint of rocky road made me feel better when that bastard Bruce broke my heart (did I just reveal that?). In any case, YOU'RE MY BOY, BLUE.
Moving on, I need to rant about some sporting type stuff...
The Wolves are horrible. What the heck is going on? Garnett scores a franchise record 47 points and adds 22 rebounds against the best team in the West right now, and they somehow manage to give up 121 points... in regulation? Are you kidding me? It's possible that their defense right now is worse than the Vikings. They play the expansion Bobcats tonight in Charlotte and I have ZERO confidence that they can win.
Speaking of the Vikings defense... Green Bay for the third time this season in the first round of the playoffs this Sunday. I know it's very hard in the NFL to beat the same team three times... but then again, we ARE talking about the Vikings here. I give them a small shot because they are playing in Green Bay, which is just about the only outdoor place where they play halfway decent. This team has no heart, Jeff. I heard that the game-time temperature is expected to be 25 degrees. A little quick math tells me that's roughly 47 degrees cooler than they prefer to play in. Vegas is favoring the Pack by about 6 points right now. I fully expect that number to go down as the week goes on because anybody who is betting on the Vikings to cover that 6 points has DEFINITELY been out in the cold way too long.
Did you see that my Gophs won the Music City Bowl? Yeah, it was probably the sloppiest football game I've ever watched. So many penalties at absolutely horrible times, plus, I've never seen a quarterback overthrow so many wide-open receivers as Pennington did for Alabama. The Goophies have a shot to be better next year. They basically get their entire set of skill-position players back, but with Mason still coaching this team, I have my doubts. I'm calling it right now, here's my time-line for Gopher-football next year. Mid-August: I will once again get excited for Gopher football. September: Gophers yet again breeze through the non-conference schedule as Mason sings the praises of his team and himself. Early October: excitement will ensue as the Gophers have a great early season, the running game still looks solid, and Cupito looks like he's matured. Early November: I will be disappointed that the Gophers can't carry their winning ways into the Big 10 season (I will make no public predictions regarding Michigan or the game following Michigan). Late November: I will be calling for Mason's head after the Gophers manage to lose their final two games to Wisconsin and Iowa. Maturi will call me for advice After a long discussion, in which the phrase "better late than never" is uttered by me no less than 12 times, Maturi will respond by canning Mason. Late December: coached on an interim basis by Bozo the Clown, who is actually able to put together a gameplan that utilizes the talent on the team, the Gophers rout Coppin State in the Motor City Bowl. (Here comes the wishful thinking.) Early January: USC wins yet another National Championship, offensive coordinator Norm Chow decides he's ready to be a head coach, and leaves the warm Southern California climate for the frozen tundra of Minneapolis.
By the way, as long as you've known me have I ever been THIS jaded as a Minnesota sports fan as I have been in the last two months? In the last week I have said that I had no confidence that the Vikes could win in D.C. (they didn't), now I'm saying I don't think the Wolves can beat anybody. Seven weeks prior to this I was sitting in a lower-deck endzone section of the Metrodome next to Porta as the Gophers collapsed against Iowa and the only reason it didn't break my heart was because I absolutely knew it was coming. DO YOU SEE WHAT THESE TEAMS HAVE DONE TO ME??????????
With Love & Admiration,
Jeremy
p.s. The road to knighthood is paved with strength and nobility, Jeff, not LSD and sideburns.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Jeremy: An Argument For Parity
The question of whether or not parity is good for the NFL has been a hot debate over the last couple of years. Many people still wish for the days of the dynasty. I am here to not only say that I feel parity is good for the NFL, I believe it would be good for all pro sports.
First, let's talk about how parity happens. Now I understand that parity isn't exactly something that you can manufacture. But one of the reasons that every single team has a shot at going to the big show in the NFL every year is because the NFL does not have guaranteed contracts. The only money that is guaranteed in the NFL is the signing bonus, and most teams spread the signing bonus out over the life of the contract so that if they do lose a player to injury, trade or otherwise, they are only responsible for what is left on that player's signing bonus. Since the contracts are not guaranteed, like in other sports, it's much easier to release players. The long-term commitment that you make to a player isn't necessarily as long-term as it may seem. Because of all of this contracts tend to be shorter in terms, and, generally, have a year or two at the end that are optional. All of this put together means that big name players, like a Terrell Owens, can move around the league more easily, and because of a salary cap and other things the NFL has put into place in order to protect the competitive nature of the league, the money isn't going to be much greater from one team to another, and so, players tend to gravitate toward teams that have the greatest chance of winning in the very short term.
So why is this a good thing?
First of all, it's great for the fans. In August of every year almost every fan in the entire league believes that their team has a shot to go at least to the playoffs, and maybe the Super Bowl. And none of them are wrong. Every team does have a shot because the system that is in place makes everybody truly even on opening day, unlike the NBA or MLB, each of which generally have one or two very clear favorites to win the title, and this almost always comes to fruition throughout the season.
Second, it's good for the teams. It means that every year, every team has a shot to rebuild into a championship caliber team that will be a serious force within three years. I've believed for many years that in the NFL you have a three year window to win. You have (1)your rebuilding year, (2)your figuring out your identity year, and (3)your year when it all comes together and you take a shot. If it doesn't pan out after the third year you go back to the drawing board.
First, let's talk about how parity happens. Now I understand that parity isn't exactly something that you can manufacture. But one of the reasons that every single team has a shot at going to the big show in the NFL every year is because the NFL does not have guaranteed contracts. The only money that is guaranteed in the NFL is the signing bonus, and most teams spread the signing bonus out over the life of the contract so that if they do lose a player to injury, trade or otherwise, they are only responsible for what is left on that player's signing bonus. Since the contracts are not guaranteed, like in other sports, it's much easier to release players. The long-term commitment that you make to a player isn't necessarily as long-term as it may seem. Because of all of this contracts tend to be shorter in terms, and, generally, have a year or two at the end that are optional. All of this put together means that big name players, like a Terrell Owens, can move around the league more easily, and because of a salary cap and other things the NFL has put into place in order to protect the competitive nature of the league, the money isn't going to be much greater from one team to another, and so, players tend to gravitate toward teams that have the greatest chance of winning in the very short term.
So why is this a good thing?
First of all, it's great for the fans. In August of every year almost every fan in the entire league believes that their team has a shot to go at least to the playoffs, and maybe the Super Bowl. And none of them are wrong. Every team does have a shot because the system that is in place makes everybody truly even on opening day, unlike the NBA or MLB, each of which generally have one or two very clear favorites to win the title, and this almost always comes to fruition throughout the season.
Second, it's good for the teams. It means that every year, every team has a shot to rebuild into a championship caliber team that will be a serious force within three years. I've believed for many years that in the NFL you have a three year window to win. You have (1)your rebuilding year, (2)your figuring out your identity year, and (3)your year when it all comes together and you take a shot. If it doesn't pan out after the third year you go back to the drawing board.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Jeff: Stop the Vinsanity. Please
Earlier this week, the most overrated player in the NBA was dealt from the Toronto Raptors to the New Jersey Nets for a couple of Williams, an aging and perhaps washed-up former all-star center, and a couple of 1st round draft picks. Sports stations and websites have been howling about how the Raptors got ripped off, dealing Vince Carter, a perenial fan selection to the All-star game and "one of the game's most talented players" for virutally nothing. That they just started the ball rolling for the Raps to move out of Canada and cripple the franchise. Maybe. But I say maybe not. Carter made his name winning the Slam Dunk contest a few years back when that still meant something, displaying an array of dunks that could have defeated MJ and Nique in their high-flying primes. A 20-pt-a-night scorer, Vinsanity brought the Raptors to the brink of the NBA Finals, missing the game winning fade-away pointer in game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-Finals against Philly in 2001. His popularity was never higher and it seemed his talent was soaring like one of his gravity-defying jams. However, it seems Carter's desire has been fading away ever since.
According to an ESPN.com poll, it seems there's still plenty of folks out there who think Vince can rise back to his 2001 stature as one of the league's top players teamed up with Jason Kidd. This is what happens when people only watch his occasional Sportscenter highlight dunk. They don't see his unwillingness to get in the paint, pass, defend, or do anything but shoot fade-away 3's and make an open-court dunk. Despite this year's career low totals, Carter still has a career scoring average of almost 23 pts a game, but if there were a way to measure heart, desire, and leadership, Vince would be in negative numbers. Not only do his lack of desire to play team basketball make Kobe look like unselfish, but his pouting, whining and dissatisfaction when things aren't going his way have made him a clubhouse cancer.
Need proof? In 2002, Carter suffered an injury called "Jumper's Knee" (or as I like to call it-- "Wuss-itis") and was lost for the last 3 months of the regular season. Instead of folding like a cheap tent or pulling a Vince and "fading away" the Raps rallied without their star and made an incredible run to get into the playoffs--back when that meant something in the Eastern Conference. Coincedence? The next year Carter was relatively healthy, and the same group finished with 4th worst record in the league.
Bottomline is Carter didn't want to be in Toronto and it was obvious they didn't want him. They basically gave him away to the Nets, and although they may have gotten a better deal had they waited a little longer, the Raps are sending a message. They feel like they can make a run to the playoffs (which isn't saying much in the East), and wanted to rid themselves of the distraction of Carter. THey have an up-and-coming star in 2nd yr forward Chris Bosh. Like the Wolves did with KG, the Raps want to surround Bosh with "good guys" who will be a positive influence on him. Look for Bosh to break out and the Raps, at just 9-18 with Carter, to slide into the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed. This team will be a prime example of the Sports Guy's Ewing Theory.
As for the Nets, they'll have plenty of highlight-reel plays, with JKidd throwing lobs for Carter and Richard Jefferson. A playoff team? Maybe, but I can think of, well, just about anybody else I'd want taking crunch-time shots instead of Carter or RJ. The word "soft" comes to mind for both guys. The Nets are team who needs to trade JKidd and rebuild. Instead they dealt some assets for a guy who might put some butts in the seats but won't do a whole lot for them in the standings. Style over substance. That's too much of the NBA today.
According to an ESPN.com poll, it seems there's still plenty of folks out there who think Vince can rise back to his 2001 stature as one of the league's top players teamed up with Jason Kidd. This is what happens when people only watch his occasional Sportscenter highlight dunk. They don't see his unwillingness to get in the paint, pass, defend, or do anything but shoot fade-away 3's and make an open-court dunk. Despite this year's career low totals, Carter still has a career scoring average of almost 23 pts a game, but if there were a way to measure heart, desire, and leadership, Vince would be in negative numbers. Not only do his lack of desire to play team basketball make Kobe look like unselfish, but his pouting, whining and dissatisfaction when things aren't going his way have made him a clubhouse cancer.
Need proof? In 2002, Carter suffered an injury called "Jumper's Knee" (or as I like to call it-- "Wuss-itis") and was lost for the last 3 months of the regular season. Instead of folding like a cheap tent or pulling a Vince and "fading away" the Raps rallied without their star and made an incredible run to get into the playoffs--back when that meant something in the Eastern Conference. Coincedence? The next year Carter was relatively healthy, and the same group finished with 4th worst record in the league.
Bottomline is Carter didn't want to be in Toronto and it was obvious they didn't want him. They basically gave him away to the Nets, and although they may have gotten a better deal had they waited a little longer, the Raps are sending a message. They feel like they can make a run to the playoffs (which isn't saying much in the East), and wanted to rid themselves of the distraction of Carter. THey have an up-and-coming star in 2nd yr forward Chris Bosh. Like the Wolves did with KG, the Raps want to surround Bosh with "good guys" who will be a positive influence on him. Look for Bosh to break out and the Raps, at just 9-18 with Carter, to slide into the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed. This team will be a prime example of the Sports Guy's Ewing Theory.
As for the Nets, they'll have plenty of highlight-reel plays, with JKidd throwing lobs for Carter and Richard Jefferson. A playoff team? Maybe, but I can think of, well, just about anybody else I'd want taking crunch-time shots instead of Carter or RJ. The word "soft" comes to mind for both guys. The Nets are team who needs to trade JKidd and rebuild. Instead they dealt some assets for a guy who might put some butts in the seats but won't do a whole lot for them in the standings. Style over substance. That's too much of the NBA today.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Jeff: Oh really?
I apologize for calling any of you MN sports fans crazy for having an emotional attachment the Metrodome--aka the worst pro sports facility in America today. But in a way, you guys are all crazy, and that's the point: Minnesota probably has the best fans in the country, and you have 2 of the worst owners in sports in the same town holding the fans hostage with one big giant plastic ugly Metrodome. MN sports fans are playing a game of chicken with Pohlad and the Used Car Salesman (I am positive he is evil because he is from San Antonio, as is anybody I know who moved there), and I think fans from other parts of the country are proud of MN sports fans because they're standing their ground. However, I've seen what a new rink has done in Vancouver (oh wait, we don't have hockey), and a beautiful new baseball park in Seattle, but the taxpayers were forced to pay for most of it. Even with the lockout in the NHL (keeping in mind that Canadians are completely irrational and dilusional when it comes to hockey, and have also been drinking a lot more Molson since there hasn't been any hockey to watch) I'd say if you asked either fan base if it was worth it to pay more in taxes to keep their teams (true in both cases) and get new facilites, most would say yes. Eventually, Hennepin or Ramsey county taxpayers may have to suck it up and help pay for one and give in to the Evil Friends of Sid (Hartman). I hope the fans win and Pohlad and Red will sell to somebody like Glen Taylor who actually cares about the fans and the teams. Although my opinion on this site apparently doesn't count for much, in my brief time in the midwest, I can say that nobody deserves new digs more than the fans of the Land O' 10,000 lakes.
I do not, and should not, pretend to know what it's like to be born and raised in Minnesota and grow up with all these teams. At the same time, I still consider myself as passionate a sports fan as Minnesota Jer, cheering as hard for my teams as you do for yours. There are times when it seems like you think of me a lesser fan because I had to choose my teams, rather than being born into them. However I assure you that having to choose your sports affiliations at an early age and having to live with those choices is just as difficult as being born into them.
And hey, at least we can agree on one thing: we both hate Iowa.
I do not, and should not, pretend to know what it's like to be born and raised in Minnesota and grow up with all these teams. At the same time, I still consider myself as passionate a sports fan as Minnesota Jer, cheering as hard for my teams as you do for yours. There are times when it seems like you think of me a lesser fan because I had to choose my teams, rather than being born into them. However I assure you that having to choose your sports affiliations at an early age and having to live with those choices is just as difficult as being born into them.
And hey, at least we can agree on one thing: we both hate Iowa.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Jeremy: The Black Eye of the Sports World
It has not been hard to see over the last few years that Major League Baseball is in serious trouble. Year in and year out fans, sportswriters and players alike talk about how the Yankees spend so much money. About how George Steinbrenner is constantly trying to buy a championship. Listen, I'm probably one of the biggest Yankee haters around, but in a major league sport where teams are allowed to spend absolutely as much as their heart's desire to win, how can anybody blame Steinbrenner for what he does? Perhaps the reason that so many people hate the Yankees as much as they do isn't because they win so much, or that they buy the best talent in the league to win, but that we are all jealous because the owner's of our own teams aren't willing, or don't have pockets deep enough, to do the same. The league is lopsided toward big market teams and teams with the richest and most eccentric owners.
Despite all of it's problems sitting in the stands at an outdoor baseball stadium with a plastic glass of beer and a hot dog topped with all the fixin's still feels like one of the most pure fan experiences in sports. Even if that outdoor stadium is indoors and the grass is plastic, there's something American about the experience.
A few years ago baseball looked like it had a chance to make a comeback. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire battled in the late summer to see who would break the all-time season homerun record. It was quite possibly the most storied record in all of sports and the entire country was interested to see who would get it done. In the end McGuire ended up outdueling Sosa.
A couple of years later Barry Bonds beat the record set by McGuire. It was a bit anti-climactic when Bonds did it. It felt too soon, the ink of McGuire's name had barely dried when Bonds beat it.
With all the recent news of steroids and human growth hormone and creams and on and on and on, Bonds record looks like complete crap. Baseball already had a paper thin reputation with most of the country. The casual fans of baseball have been beat up for the past decade at least but the powers and money in baseball never seem to be concerned about the fans or the future of their sport. I just wonder if baseball will be able to recover from this latest set-back and win back some of the fans, like myself, who wonder if it still has anything worthwhile, and honest, to offer.
Despite all of it's problems sitting in the stands at an outdoor baseball stadium with a plastic glass of beer and a hot dog topped with all the fixin's still feels like one of the most pure fan experiences in sports. Even if that outdoor stadium is indoors and the grass is plastic, there's something American about the experience.
A few years ago baseball looked like it had a chance to make a comeback. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire battled in the late summer to see who would break the all-time season homerun record. It was quite possibly the most storied record in all of sports and the entire country was interested to see who would get it done. In the end McGuire ended up outdueling Sosa.
A couple of years later Barry Bonds beat the record set by McGuire. It was a bit anti-climactic when Bonds did it. It felt too soon, the ink of McGuire's name had barely dried when Bonds beat it.
With all the recent news of steroids and human growth hormone and creams and on and on and on, Bonds record looks like complete crap. Baseball already had a paper thin reputation with most of the country. The casual fans of baseball have been beat up for the past decade at least but the powers and money in baseball never seem to be concerned about the fans or the future of their sport. I just wonder if baseball will be able to recover from this latest set-back and win back some of the fans, like myself, who wonder if it still has anything worthwhile, and honest, to offer.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Jeremy: Toughen Up, Lose The Dome
I was cozied up on the couch in my comfy pants, my favorite hooded sweatshirt and a comforter as I watched Daunte and the Vikes drive down the field on their first possession against the Bears earlier today. It was a good drive. Balanced, time consuming, several players were involved. I was comfortable with my position on the couch and with the way the boys were playing. I thought to myself "Wow, they really look like they've figured it out!"
But, as often happens when I'm cheering on any of my beloved Minnesota teams, I forgot who I was watching, and the next thing I knew Daunte threw an interception, and the reality of being a Vikings fan would set in heavily over the next 3 hours.
On a mild late fall day in Chicago, despite Daunte's best efforts, the offense never found any momentum. They had three long, time-consuming drives that ended with zero points. The defensive pass rush was good, but as a whole we made yet another terrible, inexperienced quarterback look like a pro-bowler. And turnovers were a problem all day.
During the Mike Tice era the Vikings are 1-12 in outdoor games. 0-5 in 2002, 1-4 in 2003, and 0-3 so far this year. The Vikes DID beat the Texans at Reliant Stadium in Houston this year, which has a retractable roof, but I'm not sure if the roof was open or closed that day. Nonetheless, it took them overtime to win the game.
Trend?
The truth is that this isn't a new problem. The Vikings have never played well on the road, especially outside. Since the Denny Green years this team has been built for speed and finesse on astroturf with an emphasis on the offensive side of the ball.
But this might be the single most glaring problem that the Vikings have: they just aren't tough mentally or physically.
The lack of toughness comes through in many areas of the game. If the Vikings get behind early in a ballgame, you can bet that they won't have the intestinal fortitude to make a comeback. As stated before, anytime they have to play outside, they have almost no ability to adjust, and if it's even a little bit cold forget about it. The defensive line is built for a speed pass rush, but they are too small and the translation is that their run defense is just about the worst in the league. Anytime an opposing offensive line can get physical with our D-linemen, like the Bears did on Sunday, our guys are so tired by the end of the game that we might as well throw the practice squad on the field.
I've never been one to get involved in the stadium debate. I'm a huge Vikings fan, so I'd love to see them get a new stadium, but if it has to be funded by public dollars, I'm just not sure that I support it. Red McCombs wants a retractable roof stadium, but despite the fact that he bought this franchise for next to nothing, relative to other pro sports teams, because the stadium revenue was so low, he doesn't want to put a penny into a new building.
I do not support Red as the owner of the Vikings, but I am now placing myself squarely on the bandwagon carrying the folks who are pulling for a new Vikings stadium... with a couple of qualifications.
I think the Vikings should get a new stadium, but I think it should be an outdoor venue with no retractable roof.
Look at the Packers. Lambeau Field is probably the toughest place to play in the entire NFL. Part of that has to do with the amount of paint thinner Packer fans huff before each game. But the biggest advantage the Packers gain at Lambeau, especially late in the season, is that they are acclimated to the weather conditions and they are tough enough to play through those conditions when most teams are not. An outdoor stadium would give the Vikes a similar advantage and help them when they have to go on the road and play outdoors.
Right now the Vikings play a minimum of 9 games in domed stadiums each year (8 home games and one game in Detroit). Many years they also play games in other cities with domes like Seattle and St. Louis. But even if you could guarantee that they would win all of the games that they play in domes that would still be roughly just over half of their games, which would put them, at best, in the middle of the pack in the NFC.
In order to get to the level of the elite teams in the NFL you need to be able to produce double-digit win seasons year in and year out. They are nowhere near that level right now and it is my opinion that until Red & Tice can figure out how to toughen the team up they might ever get to that level. When the stadium finally does get approved, committing to an outdoor stadium, and getting back to the tough, hard-nosed football that the Vikings of the 70's were known for, is a good start down that road.
But, as often happens when I'm cheering on any of my beloved Minnesota teams, I forgot who I was watching, and the next thing I knew Daunte threw an interception, and the reality of being a Vikings fan would set in heavily over the next 3 hours.
On a mild late fall day in Chicago, despite Daunte's best efforts, the offense never found any momentum. They had three long, time-consuming drives that ended with zero points. The defensive pass rush was good, but as a whole we made yet another terrible, inexperienced quarterback look like a pro-bowler. And turnovers were a problem all day.
During the Mike Tice era the Vikings are 1-12 in outdoor games. 0-5 in 2002, 1-4 in 2003, and 0-3 so far this year. The Vikes DID beat the Texans at Reliant Stadium in Houston this year, which has a retractable roof, but I'm not sure if the roof was open or closed that day. Nonetheless, it took them overtime to win the game.
Trend?
The truth is that this isn't a new problem. The Vikings have never played well on the road, especially outside. Since the Denny Green years this team has been built for speed and finesse on astroturf with an emphasis on the offensive side of the ball.
But this might be the single most glaring problem that the Vikings have: they just aren't tough mentally or physically.
The lack of toughness comes through in many areas of the game. If the Vikings get behind early in a ballgame, you can bet that they won't have the intestinal fortitude to make a comeback. As stated before, anytime they have to play outside, they have almost no ability to adjust, and if it's even a little bit cold forget about it. The defensive line is built for a speed pass rush, but they are too small and the translation is that their run defense is just about the worst in the league. Anytime an opposing offensive line can get physical with our D-linemen, like the Bears did on Sunday, our guys are so tired by the end of the game that we might as well throw the practice squad on the field.
I've never been one to get involved in the stadium debate. I'm a huge Vikings fan, so I'd love to see them get a new stadium, but if it has to be funded by public dollars, I'm just not sure that I support it. Red McCombs wants a retractable roof stadium, but despite the fact that he bought this franchise for next to nothing, relative to other pro sports teams, because the stadium revenue was so low, he doesn't want to put a penny into a new building.
I do not support Red as the owner of the Vikings, but I am now placing myself squarely on the bandwagon carrying the folks who are pulling for a new Vikings stadium... with a couple of qualifications.
I think the Vikings should get a new stadium, but I think it should be an outdoor venue with no retractable roof.
Look at the Packers. Lambeau Field is probably the toughest place to play in the entire NFL. Part of that has to do with the amount of paint thinner Packer fans huff before each game. But the biggest advantage the Packers gain at Lambeau, especially late in the season, is that they are acclimated to the weather conditions and they are tough enough to play through those conditions when most teams are not. An outdoor stadium would give the Vikes a similar advantage and help them when they have to go on the road and play outdoors.
Right now the Vikings play a minimum of 9 games in domed stadiums each year (8 home games and one game in Detroit). Many years they also play games in other cities with domes like Seattle and St. Louis. But even if you could guarantee that they would win all of the games that they play in domes that would still be roughly just over half of their games, which would put them, at best, in the middle of the pack in the NFC.
In order to get to the level of the elite teams in the NFL you need to be able to produce double-digit win seasons year in and year out. They are nowhere near that level right now and it is my opinion that until Red & Tice can figure out how to toughen the team up they might ever get to that level. When the stadium finally does get approved, committing to an outdoor stadium, and getting back to the tough, hard-nosed football that the Vikings of the 70's were known for, is a good start down that road.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Jeff: The Other Side of that Coin...
I know, I know--you're probably as sick as I am of hearing about the whole Artest thing. But I talked about it today on the radio and I was surprised to hear how many people don't think the fans are the problem here. Look, as Jer pointed out, Artest has gotten what he deserves. I think the suspension was a bit harsh, because as Chad Ford pointed out today on ESPN.com, the only punch Artest threw was when he was back on the floor and one of those doofuses charged at him. I really think Stephen Jackson should have gotten more because his actions were totally unprovoked. IF you're going into the stands to defend your teammate, to me that means you're pulling him out of there as fast as you can and trying to pull people off of him. Instead Jackson was throwing punches at anybody and everybody while Artest was getting gang tackled by countless drunk, beligerent idiots. And Jermaine O'Neal might get less because he's had a spotless record and was defending a teammate ON THE COURT (which to me is a huge difference), but that punch he threw looked so devastating. But Artest went into the crowd and that's something you just can't do, no matter what a fan says, does, or throws. And shouldn't Ben Wallace get more blame or a stiffer suspension because he started all of this?
Now, the fans. Detroit's crowd Friday night made the Scottish Soccer Hooligans look like school girls. Again, Artest should take blame for going after people in the crowd but there is no excuse-NONE- for the idiot that threw that beer. Or any of the other people that started attacking players or came onto the court or threw MORE beer. Fans have the mentality now that paying for that ticket entitles them to say and do whatever the hell they want. And apparently, the NBA agrees. What did you hear from the Detroit Pistons CEO? Blamed ALL of it on Artest. Didn't say how disappointed he was in his fans for how they acted or any of that. Nope, let's blame Ron-Ron. And that's what everybody else is doing. Artest is a guy with a checkered past so he's an easy scapegoat for all of this. Fans and media can persecute Artest for all of this (even though he should be sharing the players' side of the blame with the rest of the guys who got suspended), and everybody will overlook who out of control the fans were.
If you've watched TV or ESPN at all in the last few games, I'm sure you've seen this brawl from about 3 million different angles. I would love to see the Detroit Police go after each and every person that threw something or came on the court. They should have plenty of footage to do it. How? NOt as hard as you would think. Those lower bowl seats weren't purchased by someone just walking up to the gate. They were either season ticket holders or people that had to buy them well in advance, meaning that the Pistons should have everybody's credit card and addresses. Start taking blocks of seats, track the people down, and see if they match the descriptions on tape.
Also, I saw a couple of interesting suggestions about suspending beer sales in Detroit as penalty, or not letting fans into the rematch in March. You can be sure neither will happen, because owners love the income too much. They won't even discuss whether beer sales should be tempered or moderated because people will pay outrageous prices for a beer at a sporting event--and obviously Detroit fans are buying a LOT of them. And they're not going to turn the fans of Detroit away because ticket sales, and especially those in the lower bowl where the melee happened, are their biggest revenue maker. Owners will run the risk of fans doing this again, and inevitably it will happen, if it means more money in their pockets now.
Now, the fans. Detroit's crowd Friday night made the Scottish Soccer Hooligans look like school girls. Again, Artest should take blame for going after people in the crowd but there is no excuse-NONE- for the idiot that threw that beer. Or any of the other people that started attacking players or came onto the court or threw MORE beer. Fans have the mentality now that paying for that ticket entitles them to say and do whatever the hell they want. And apparently, the NBA agrees. What did you hear from the Detroit Pistons CEO? Blamed ALL of it on Artest. Didn't say how disappointed he was in his fans for how they acted or any of that. Nope, let's blame Ron-Ron. And that's what everybody else is doing. Artest is a guy with a checkered past so he's an easy scapegoat for all of this. Fans and media can persecute Artest for all of this (even though he should be sharing the players' side of the blame with the rest of the guys who got suspended), and everybody will overlook who out of control the fans were.
If you've watched TV or ESPN at all in the last few games, I'm sure you've seen this brawl from about 3 million different angles. I would love to see the Detroit Police go after each and every person that threw something or came on the court. They should have plenty of footage to do it. How? NOt as hard as you would think. Those lower bowl seats weren't purchased by someone just walking up to the gate. They were either season ticket holders or people that had to buy them well in advance, meaning that the Pistons should have everybody's credit card and addresses. Start taking blocks of seats, track the people down, and see if they match the descriptions on tape.
Also, I saw a couple of interesting suggestions about suspending beer sales in Detroit as penalty, or not letting fans into the rematch in March. You can be sure neither will happen, because owners love the income too much. They won't even discuss whether beer sales should be tempered or moderated because people will pay outrageous prices for a beer at a sporting event--and obviously Detroit fans are buying a LOT of them. And they're not going to turn the fans of Detroit away because ticket sales, and especially those in the lower bowl where the melee happened, are their biggest revenue maker. Owners will run the risk of fans doing this again, and inevitably it will happen, if it means more money in their pockets now.
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