Vikings 2008 Training Camp: Five Burning Questions

Today was the day every player in the NFL dreads - reporting to Training Camp. The actual fun for the Minnesota Vikings beings on Friday, and like every year at this time, there's several questions before our boys lace the cleats and put on the pads. So here's my top five questions for the Minnesota Vikings leading into the 2008 version of Training Camp.

5. How will the Packers allegations of Tampering affect the Vikings, especially Tarvaris Jackson? (Getting this one out of the way first. Even the NFL Commish wants this soap opera to come to a swift end)

Coach Childress stated a few weeks ago that Jackson is his QB and he's got his full vote of confidence. With phone records stating that Favre made several calls to Bevell and Childress, one might think that Jackson will start to question his coach's actual confidence in him. As late as today, the Star Tribune ran a story stating that Antoine Winfield thinks Favre would be a great fit for the Vikings. But Jackson does have plenty of support from other Pro-Bowl veterans to include Sharper, Pat Williams, and Kevin Williams. Jackson needs to do what the rest of the NFL should have done from the begining and just ignore this story. As it stands, he is the leader of the Vikings and he's got plenty to prove.

4. Does adding Jarred Allen truly improve the Vikings' secondary?

It's been no secret in the NFL the past couple of years on how to attack the Vikings defense. Pass, pass, and pass some more. But you have to mix in the run to open the passing game right? Not on the Vikings because....A) You CANNOT run against them due to the Williams Wall and B) The Vikings are innept when it comes to stopping any passing game in the NFL and they often provide mediocre at best QB's with career games. The Vikings have actually had good personnel in the secondary. Guys like Sharper and Winfield play a Pro Bowl calibur game every year, but when you have zero pass rush, there's no way you are going to cover receivers in the NFL when a QB has all day to survey the field. So, if Allen follows up in Purple with what he did last year in Kansas City, the Vikings' Secondary should be vastly improved.

3. Will Bryant McKinnie be suspended after his court date on September 24th?

Since McKinnie is a repeat offender of the League's Personal-Conduct Policy, he's all but guaranteed to suffer a four game suspension, but not until after his day in court. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings organization deals with this situation as well. He's a huge part of one of the better offensive lines in football, but the Vikings have cracked down on what types of characters they have on their team. Should he only get the four game suspension and be welcome back to the team, it will be an interesting month to see how the line holds up in pass protection and providing the holes for the dynamic duo - Peterson and Taylor. The Vikings must address this in camp and find out who will be able to step up in McKinnie's October absence.

2. Has Adrian Peterson fully recovered from last year's knee injury?

Before Peterson suffered his knee injury in hated Green Bay, he was on pace to beat Dickerson's rookie rushing record. When he came back, he didn't have the same explosive press though the line that propelled him during the first half of the season. According to team trainers and coaches, Peterson looks stronger than ever and has that explosive step back. But, can he sustain it through the course of an entire season? The Vikings are lucky enough to have a humble Chester Taylor behind Peterson, but let's face it, without Peterson, the Vikings offense is no where near the same level.

1. Can Tarvaris Jackson lead the Vikings to the Playoffs and beyond?

Ah yes, the million dollar question. Childress seems to think so and has put all of his faith in Jackson (should you truly ignore Favre's phone records). He's still raw, but I firmly believe he's got the arm to become a good QB in this league. This is the year he gets fairly judged. Gone is Troy Williamson and that alone will be a huge asset in Jackson's decision making. The Vikings also landed Bernard Berrian who started showing #1 receiver ability in this league with a rotating QB situation in Chicago that I feel is far worse than Jackson. Sidney Rice enters his second year and has all the makings of having a break-out season. Allison also showed promise last year as a rookie and Bobby Wade will fill the slot this year, a roll he's happy with and damn good at. Jackson has all the tools to show that he's for real this year, and having AD behind him for a little play action never hurts either. Should the Vikings show that they can establish a passing game early on, that will limit the eight and nine man fronts and make AD even more dangerous.

Madden Curse Strikes Again

Last night I was checking out some of the video previews Shacknews put up straight from the E3 floors. One of the titles I was anxious to checkout was EA Sports’ Madden 2009. The game is looking great and for the first time in years, actually looks worthy of a purchase. I say that only because there really haven’t been many graphical updates or noteworthy game play elements to justify paying $60+ for roster updates.

With all the Favre talk over the last week and a half, it finally dawned on me that the Madden Curse has struck again, and nobody’s talking about it. Sure it normally means that the cover athlete is doomed to suffer a year ending injury at some point. But this time it’s worse, yet beautiful for those of us that continually drink the Purple Kool-Aid. This time the curse affects an entire organization and their fan base.

Aside from the effects on the Packers, what about EA? With the game shipping in less than a month, the production part of it is finished. What happens if Favre gets re-instated and the Packers agree to trade him? All of a sudden you have Favre on the cover of the largest sports game in video game history, in the wrong jersey. The only reason he was chosen as the cover boy to begin with was as a tribute to his Ironman legacy in the NFL.

So not only has Favre’s desire to be the center of attention yet another year disrupted the Packers, Vikings (thanks to the Packers asinine allegations), and fans – it will also impact the video game industry and cause the Marketing team at EA Sports to question their decision making.

So do us all a favor Favre and stay retired. It’s one thing (good thing) to send the Green Bay Packers into a state of disarray, but the Vikings and Madden……..that’s going too far.

As for the game itself - from what I’ve seen while watching the E3 2008 footage, it’s looking very nice. I’ll be picking up this year’s addition for sure and can’t wait to run AD all over everybody on Xbox Live!

Packers passing poor handling of Favre situation onto Vikings

Or at least in a very poor attempt, they are trying to push the attention away. It's no secret that the Packers have handled Favre's change of heart in a piss poor manner, but to try and place blame on the Vikings now, well, I guess that's to be expected from the Cheese Heads. Earlier today Fox Sports' Jay Glazer busted the story on how the Packers claim the Vikings tampered with Favre.

Their big claim is that Favre had some inappropriate dialogue with Darell Bevell, the Vikings current Offensive Coodinator. Of course before Favre came out saying he wanted to play again and would like to be granted a release, it didn't matter that he spoke with Bevell on a regular basis. Bevell and Favre became good friends while the two spent time together in Green Bay. Bevell was an assistant for the Pack from 2000-2005 and spent three of those years as the quarterbacks coach.

As to be expected, and reported on by the Star Tribune, the Vikings have denied all claims of tampering passed down to the league by the bewildered Packers.

Enough is enough Thompson, you've put your own team and fans into a box. Since you are confident enough in Rodgers to place a Hall of Fame QB as a second stringer, let him go. Man up and prove that your team is better without Favre regardless of where he goes.

No Straight Hats in MLB Please!

So I'm watching the 2008 MLB All-Star game when the Reds' Edinson Volquez comes in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning with the National League leading 2-0. Being a fan of the American League, I've not seen much of him, though I do remember him from the Rangers......when he actually curved the bill of his hat and wore it straight!

Seriously, it's bad enough to see today's kids walking around with flat billed hats cocked to the side, do we really need this in Major League Baseball!!?? No! Get some kind of MLB hat code in the game and stop this nonsense now. Thank God C.C. Sabathia went to the Brewers so I only need to see him once a year now (can the Twins please play a different team during Interleague play already!). He's the goof that really started this in MLB, and someone needs to end it now.

Now I know what some will say. Change is good, look what the Fab 5 did for basketball shorts. Well that was a change for the better all around. The last thing we need to see is more hairy leg on the court. Watch a NBA game from the early 90's and before, it's a fightening site to behold. But, even with the longer shorts, at least it's consistent in the entire game and it's not like they are wearing them with six inches of fricking boxer shorts showing!

So please, save our historic past-time and bend the damn bill of the hat......and wear it STRAIGHT!

As for my buddy Volquez. He and his flat, tilted hat left the mound with a tie game, 2-2. JD Drew's first All-Star at bat was a homer as he drove Justin Mornaeu in as well. Twins small ball followed by Boston bang. That's what you get for pissing me off with your rediculous hat Volquez!

Birk back in minicamp - Still waiting on Zygi

If there's one thing we take pride in here in Minnesota sports, it's our home town heroes. From Kent Hrbek to Joe Mauer, Paul Molitor to Dave Winfield - we love to root for those that are "one of us" on the field of professional sports dreams.

Vikings Center Matt Birk is no exception, and like those listed above, is a hard working class act. The fact that he's in the last year of his contract and his absence during the volunteer OTA's a couple of weeks ago raised some eyebrows around here.

When it comes down to it, who really cares? Veteran players like Birk should be able to miss OTA's regardless of their contract situation. Hell, the Giants' Michael Strahan skipped out of OTA's, minicamps, and training camp last season and ended up with a nine sack season - four more than the Vikings sack leaders Ray Edwards and Ben Leber. At this time of his career, players like Birk should be able to spend as much quality time with their families as possible before entering the non-stop grind of a NFL season.

Is the timing of his current contract situtuation along with all this convenient? Sure it is, but don't blame Birk, blame owner Zygi Wilf. Zygi has opened his wallet up more as promised so far leading into the 2008 season, but it's a player like Birk, the anchor of the offense and leader of one of the most prolific running attacks in NFL history that deserves a chunk of the coin.

After all, the Madden 2009 Team and Player rankings were recently released and Matt Birk is rated 95. So it's on you now Zygi, take care of the guy that's been a solid cornerstone to your offense, and one that's going to be depended on for a certain running back known as AD. Besides, it's the fans you need to keep happy if you ever want a chance at getting a new stadium and we the fans love our local sports heroes.

GTA IV this GTA IV that, enough already!

I'm one of the few in this country that has yet to buy into the hype of Grand Theft Auto IV. I can't explain exactly why, maybe it's because 90% of the sales are from little rich punks that had to have mommy and daddy pick up the game for them. It's this group of gamers that annoys the hell out of me and forces me to rip my headset off when playing any game over Xbox Live.

What the broom totting witch that's already lost to Obama needs to realize is that her insane push to ban games like this leads to more attention than necessary. Kids notice that politic wackos push so hard to have certain media removed from store shelves and that's what piques their interest.

I have no doubt that this is a great game, but it's what I laid out above that's keeping me away. The game has been out for two weeks now and it's still the buzz on all the gaming sites out there. With minimal advertising compared to other giant games like Halo 3 (which had an insane amount of advertising to include many spots during NFL Kick Off weekend), GTA IV has already nearly doubled Halo 3's sales, smashing world records.

If I ever check this one out, it will be much later down the road when I can use my 10% off used games card at Gamespot. There's plenty of great games out there and many more to come, so please people, enough of the GTA IV hype already!

Vikings Already Climbing the Power Ranking Ladder

Earlier in the month Sports Illustrated's Peter King raised some eye brows by ranking the Minnesota Vikings number seven in his May Power Rankings. Too soon? Sure, and he admitted that it may be, but with the moves this team has made, they have improved significantly.

Today ESPN released their May edition of NFL Power Rankings and they have the Vikings at number 12, up from finishing the season at 15 last year. Another clear indication that the off season moves the Vikings made have garnered national attention.

At this point I feel Peter King's seven ranking is rather high, but I do feel that ESPN's number 12 is more than appropriate. I do expect this team to move into the top 10 within the first few weeks of the season. The Vikings have improved on both sides of the ball, targeting two areas of need from last year. They made a double move at WR by improving by subtraction (see ya Troy Butterfingers Williamson) and adding a up and coming receiving leader in Bernard Berrian. The two combined should provide more confidence for Tavaris Jackson in his receiving corp.

The other glaring need that was no secret was at defensive end. While Mr. King felt that the Vikings gave up too much for Jared Allen, I feel the deal was needed and will pay dividends for the next several years. He's only 26 and has established himself as one of the best pass rushers in the game today. The Vikings have good talent in their secondary, but the lack of a consistent pass rush allowed for any quarterback to come in and pick them apart.

The Giants proved last year that a solid defensive line with a great pass rush is more than enough to turn the tides as they did the impossible, they beat the undefeated New England Patriots. With a solid defense, great running game thanks to the dynamic duo of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, and a serviceable passing attack, there's no reason to think that the 2008 Vikings can't be a contender.

It may be early to some to start talking about Power Rankings, but the truth is that we are only a couple of months away from training camp! So where do you have the Vikings ranked in Mid-May?

Gomez already making Twins history

The young center fielder that came to the Twins from the Santana deal is already in the record books. The zesty speedster became the first Twin since Kirby Puckett to hit for the cycle against the hated White Sox last night. It's been nearly 22 years since Puck did this and other than Houston's Luke Scott, is the only player to hit for the reverse cycle since Jim Fergosi did it in 1968.

"It's amazing," Gomez said. "Kirby Puckett, I saw the video of the player. He is an All-Star and I can't explain it to you. That's unbelievable."

Gomez is the eighth player in Twins history to hit for the cycle. Here's a breakdown of all eight:

Player	Date	Opp.
Carlos Gomez	5/7/08	vs. CHW
Kirby Puckett	8/1/86	vs. OAK
Gary Ward	9/18/80	at MIL (AL)
Lyman Bostock	7/24/76	at CHI
Mike Cubbage	7/27/78	vs. TOR
Larry Hisle	7/4/76	at BAL
Cesar Tovar	9/19/72	vs. TEX
Rod Carew	5/20/70	at KC

The Twins currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Indians for 1st in the American League Central.

Iron Man, best comic book movie ever?

Well once again I've failed to be a consistent blogger. I'd promise more again, but refuse to this time as life happens and this unfortunately does not pay the bills. So moving on.....

This morning on the way to that dreaded activity called work, I was listening to KFAN's Power Trip Morning Show here in the Twin Cities. Ah yes, how I love to torture myself listening to other grown men that actually get paid to talk about sports, games, and movies day-after-day. This morning they had an interesting topic that I thought would be fun to expound on. The big talk these days in the realm of movies is the incredibly (and well done) Iron Man. Having seen this on Sunday afternoon, I found the main question of the morning from the Super Star and crew rather interesting.....What is the best comic book movie of all-time? From the three that were a part of the discussion, I heard Iron Man, Spider Man, and Batman Begins. Three outstanding choices, and more surprising to me, three different movies spawned from the question.

As I noted earlier, I wanted to expound on this topic, and here it is. My Top Five Comic Book movies based on the current Iron Man release.

1. Iron Man - This is a hands-down, clear-cut, no-brainer to me. I have to confess, when I first heard that Robert Downey Jr. was playing Tony Stark, I was very skeptical. Actually, I was irritated that someone like him continues to get another chance, but I'm more than pleased now that he did. I could not imagine anyone else playing this role. His on screen charm and witty remarks brought life and heart to a Super Hero character, a combination rarely seen in this genre.

2. Batman Begins - Now this movie was a proper representation of what the Dark Knight is all about. Other than Jack Nicholson's role as the Joker in the prior Batman movies (which very well may be usurped by the late Heath Ledger), the others were far too corny and "light" for me.

3. Sin City - For the record, I place graphic novels right alongside comics which is why this fits here. With an intricate combination of live action and CG backgrounds, Frank Miller's amazing work came to life on the big screen. It didn't hurt that this film included a wealth of outstanding acting talent.

4. 300 - Another breath taking work from Frank Miller comes to life. The Battle of Thermoplyae is shown in gruesome, yet beautiful detail as it should be when you consider the premise of 300 Spartans taking on an entire Persian army. While Iron Man got its high marks for deep characterization and spot-on dialog, 300 sits here for the unbelievably bloody battle scenes.

5. Spiderman - This one set the tone for Comic Blockbusters. While it still had some of the corny elements that many comic book movies suffer from, this one had a passion filled story and did a wonderful job developing Peter Parker.

Honorable Mention: X-men - I had a hard time not fitting this into the top five so I had to mention it here. While there is enough story with in the X-men comics to make movies for ever, this first movie was clearly the Wolverine show, and Hugh Jackman was great in the role. I can't wait to see X-men Origins: Wolverine in 2009.

That's my list and I'm sticking to it. There are several others that I love such as The Crow, Ghost World, Blade, The Punisher (NOT the Lundgren version) and Superman, but the ones I listed I could watch over and over. Feel free to comment on my list and I'd love to see some others. Besides, I'm sure I forgot a few that might make me say.....oh yeah.....

Later, and if you haven't seen Iron Man yet, get your ass in the theater now!

Purple Pride Ponderings - Favre Light Edition

Purple Pride Ponderings
September 30, 2007
Green Bay at Minnesota

So I’ve yet to get to one of these this season. Some would say that with your team sitting at 1-3 right after the easiest part of the schedule, why bother? Well that’s just not how I was raised. I’m here to stick it till the end – through the good, the bad, and in most cases this season, the ugly.

I'm going to go ahead and get the Favre record done and out of the way. The national love affair with “number 4” is sickening. Yesterday I heard Berman say, “How can you root against Brett Favre? That’s just Un-American.” Shortly after that, I actually re-tasted and re-ate a small bit of what I had for dinner. But, I must say, congrats to Favre, that’s one hell of a record to break and you are one hell of a player. While I can never say I’m a fan, I am an admirer. All week long I was upset about the fact that he would beat the record in the Dome, but now that it has happened, I’m actually glad because all the fans at Lambeau Field didn’t get to witness it in person. Enjoy it while you can Favre, I have a feeling that Manning will one day eclipse your newfound record.

That’s enough attention given to Favre, now on to the game………

Hardly Outmatched
Going into this game, it was stated everywhere of how outmatched the Vikings were going against the surging Packers. When looking more into the numbers after the game, that was clearly not the case. That Vikings had two more first downs than the Packers and the Packers gained only two more yards of total offense than the Vikings. The Packers ran one more play than the Vikings and the Vikings actually gained a hair more yards per play than did the Packers. There was a less than two minute difference in Time of Possession and the Vikings committed one more penalty than did the Packers. One area that sticks out though would be that sack category. Holcomb was on his back three more times than Favre resulting in a much wider margin of yards lost. That is clearly another indication of poor pass protection and McKinney even found himself yanked from the game because of it. And as far as Driver having a field day on Winfield, that was not the case either. Winfield played another solid game and contained that Packers number one receiver rather well.

Let the kids play
What’s with Childress not allowing the best playmakers on the team to get more touches? He was criticized in last week’s game against the Chiefs (and rightly so) for not having Adrian Peterson in the game during the final drive. So how does he follow that up? Well, let’s look at Peterson’s stats – 12 carries for 112 yards. So let me get this straight, you have a playmaker that’s averaging 9.3 yards per carry, and he only gets 12 touches? Give me a break and give him the damn ball 25 times a game, please!

There’s another rookie playmaker on this team that I think needs to be incorporated into this mundane offense more, Sidney Rice. Did anyone notice how Moss-esque his touchdown catch was? That’s not the first time I’ve noticed it either. He made a few nice plays in the pre-season that had me thinking the same thing. He’s clearly a receiver that can go up and make a play, so start chucking it up to him.

QB Kerfuffle
A much needed bye week is upon the Vikings and that will no doubt find the coaching staff in the midst of some soul-searching over the Quarterback situation. While it’s no secret that Jackson is not ready to lead a NFL team, it’s painfully obvious that Holcomb is not who you want any QB to learn from. The best bet for the remainder of the season is for Jackson to stay out there and take his lumps. I’m a firm believer in on-the-job training and without a legit veteran QB on the squad; it’s by far this team’s best option.

Remaining Schedule Hope?
So here we are at the Bye, sitting at a dismal 1-3 when it could have just as easily been 3-1 if not 4-0. Looking at the schedule before the season started, these first four games appeared to be the easiest part of the schedule with the remaining looking rather daunting. That may not be the case after four games played into the NFL season though. In the next four games, only the Dallas game looks to be out of reach for the Vikings. The Bears, Chargers, and Eagles no longer appear to be anywhere near as good as they should be. After that is the Packer rematch and as we saw yet again today, these games are always a close contest. So, the Vikings have a legit shot at getting to .500 or better in that five game stint and if they can muster any kind of offense what so ever, they should be able to obtain that goal.

Thoughts from the other games

Ø Falcons upset Texans (that just does not sound right), Harrington caught saying “See, who needs Schaub!”

Ø Bills finally win; fans still wonder who the hell Trent Edwards is.

Ø Can anyone figure out the Browns? First the Bengals, now the Ravens? They are a Vegas Odds betting nightmare.

Ø How Bout Dem Cowboys! Seriously, this team is for real and Romo is playing out of his mind.

Ø Lions scratch 34 points into Bears once defensive skin, in one quarter! No offense and now serious issues on defense, the Bears are in major disarray.

Ø Culpepper points to his knee and says, “How you like me now?” Vikings fans say, “Was the bang boat really that bad?”

Ø Note to self; NEVER pick a team that starts David Carr.

Ø The 49ers were the Pre-season sexy pick for the NFC West, is that starting to change for anyone else yet?

Ø It’s been highly noted that the Steelers have yet to beat a quality opponent. Losing to the Cards may have re-iterated that.

Ø Colts start slow - then put the hammer down on the overrated Broncos.

Ø How do you ruin a quality playoff team? Replace you quality Head Coach with Norv Turner.

Ø Hey McNabb, now you know how Kitna felt, and then some.

Monday Night Prediction
I’m looking forward to this matchup because I’m still a Moss fan. I look for him to have a Monday Night game very similar to his rookie break-out game against the Packers in Lambeau Field.

Randy Moss – 21
Bengals – 0

Actual score:
Patriots – 45
Bengals – 17

This will be a laugher and Moss does get into the end zone three times.

That’s it for this week and due to the Bye, there will be no Purple Pride Ponderings next week. Hopefully the Vikings find some kind of offense in their time off and Childress keeps his mouth shut when it comes to play calling. Enjoy the week ahead, I know I will - the Vikings can’t lose!

Later,
Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com

35W Bridge Collapse

By now the entire world knows about the 35W bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis. It’s a somber day here in the North Star state and the catastrophic event affects the entire Twin Cities area in one way or another.

As of now, the death toll stands at four, but is expected to increase as 20-30 people are believed to be missing. This is not like a plane going down where you have a manifest of people. Unfortunately, no one really knows who exactly was on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

Disasters always seem to bring out the best in people and this is no different. Stories of heroes are already being talked about, and I’m sure we are to hear many more. Not all will have a happy ending, but the way in which the entire Twin Cities area responded to this is remarkable.

Despite what some say, the Minnesota Twins made the right decision to go ahead and playball last night. The last thing the responders and emergency crews needed was another 25,000 people flooding the streets. Today’s game with the Royals has been postponed as well as the ground breaking for the new stadium.

It will take a long time for this to get cleaned up, but it does appear that our Government will be stepping up to help in the effort and get a new bridge in place as soon as possible. For those not familiar with the area, this is not just a regular side street bridge that fell; it’s also an Interstate freeway. My drive to work does not include 35W, but I was still affected, sitting in traffic on 494 when I’m normally moving along just fine. There’s no question that this is a crippling event for this area, but things could be worse and we will all get through this.

Throughout the next week or so, many of us will realize that someone we know or knew was affected by this in a tragic way. Already this morning I’ve gotten an email from former co-workers that the nephew of an Attorney we all supported is one of the ones claimed deceased. On a less tragic scale, one of my good buddies called me this morning and told me that he was sitting in traffic on that very same bridge at 5:15 (the collapse happened at 6:05). That was the third time he had traversed that bridge yesterday.

For now, all we can do is hope and pray that the missing 20-30 people don’t increase the death toll. Sports must take a backseat for the time being so check back later for my takes on the Vikings Training Camp, the loss of KG, and some gaming quickies.

Thanks, and God Bless Minneapolis
Keith

Adrian Peterson Signs

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Vikings have agreed to terms with running back Adrian Peterson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 draft.

Per Schefter, Peterson has signed a five-year, $40 million contract, with $17 million in guaranteed money.

Schefter adds that the base value of the five-year package is $25 million.

Peterson is the latest player drafted in the top 16 picks to sign a deal for less than the maximum term of six years.

The maximum annual average of $8 million is actually greater than the average value of LaDanian Tomlinson's contract, who signed nearly three years ago an eight-year, $60 million deal. But it's not presently known what Peterson will have to do in order to cash in on the $15 million or so in incentives.

Now get your butt in camp rookie, and please stay healthy!

Purple Pride Ponderings: 2007 Camp Preview

****Note****
This was originally written on Wednesday July, 25th and a few items have changed since then, such as the signing of WR Sidney Rice. Stay tuned for more of my takes on training camp and the up coming season. Don't forget that I'll also sprinkle a few gaming and technology topics on this lovely blog.

Purple Pride Ponderings
Camp Preview
July, 25 2007


Well, today is the day that players and coaches arrive in Mankato, the site where Vikings Training camp has been held for 42 years running. If your wife or significant other is anything like mine, today sends a chill through their bones and reminds them that summer really is coming to an end (though that’s a tough sell with 120 degree heat index in the Twin Cities today). She may roll her eyes as I set myself for the upcoming season - which includes Fantasy Football drafts, trips to training camp, pre-season game viewing mediocrity, and over zealous Super Bowl dreams (not to mention running three boys to football practice and games), but she still loves me and knew about this NFL baggage when she married me.

In light of all the negativity that surrounds the NFL right now (and the NBA, and MLB, and even the PGA now!!??), let’s get into this year’s Training Camp Preview.

Signature Please
The one thing I can’t stand about the business side of the NFL is the way in which rookie signings are managed. In the NBA, all the draft picks, even the top ten guys, are signed right away and are participating in Summer Leagues. That assures that come training camp, they are all there and ready to go. Not the case in the NFL, instead, we get to sit back and watch greedy agents play their little chess game with the first round guys which leads to many not participating in the first few days (even weeks sometimes) of camp. This is nothing but a major set back in my opinion. But, I guess that’s why they have all the mini camps and OTA’s well before training camp opens.

As of this writing, none of the top 14 picks in the draft have been signed, which of course includes Adrian Peterson. While today is the reporting day, Friday is the actual first day of practice. Hopefully he’ll get signed in time for that, but that would mean picks six and or eight would need to be signed first thanks to the ridiculous way NFL signings work. From what I hear, Sidney Rice is expected to sign sometime today, our savior at WR……..uh, yeah.

Give the Kid a Chance
It’s no secret that the Vikings have the league’s worst group of QB’s (and WR’s). But, that does not mean that one in particular can’t rise above all the negativity and prove that he’s a NFL quarterback. All this press about how the season hinges on how Tavaris Jackson plays is a little off par to me. If anything, it comes to those around him, or more importantly, those protecting him. The offensive line will have to step and play as they look on paper. It’s not fair to judge Jackson off of a couple of end-of-the-season, worthless games from last year. He wasn’t even at the electrifying 100% that we saw in the preseason last year. It’s no secret that the offensive line under-achieved last year so now it’s time for them to step it up. This is a line that should have had time to jell and will be expected to protect a raw second year QB and open monster holes for the potential dynamic duo running backs.

D Better without Tomlin?
You better believe it. Tomlin came in and did some great things and helped turn the Vikings into a run stopping machine. As is known around the league, the pass defense was a completely different story. Sure they were near the top of the league in interceptions and take away’s as a whole, but the secondary gave up more yardage than a one-on-one drill involving Fred Smoot and Steve Smith. Enter Leslie Frazier, a coach whose resume is as great as the ’85 Bears team he played for. He has helped improve the defense of the Eagles, Bengals, and most recently and notably, the Colts. Dungy brought him on last year as a Special Assistant to himself as well as the Defensive Backs coach. The Colts passing defense improved from 15th in 2005 to 2nd in 2006. There’s no doubt that the Vikings’ rush defense will remain solid thanks to Williams’ plugging the middle for yet another year. Add Erasmus James and linebacker Chad Greenway (who missed the entire season last year and will be a big help in nickel coverage) into the mix this year and you have the potential for a solid defensive unit overall. One thing that must improve is the pass rush though. Look for second year player Ray Edwards to make a move in camp and earn the starting job at right end.

That’s a Wrap
That’s it for now, I’ll get more in-depth as camp moves on and we get a couple of preseason games out of the way. I know there was way too much of a positive tone laced throughout this article, but hey, it’s the very beginning of training camp, every team is 0-0 and we are supposed to be optimistic about our teams, right? Trust me, I’ll do my fair share of savaging this team as camp moves on (and I’m sure it will start with the first pass Williamson drops – so in other words, very early).

Football season is here boys and life is good……..for now.


Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com

EJ Henderson's Hard Work Pays Off

EJ Henderson, the Vikings leading tackler this season with 108 so far, signed a five-year deal on Friday worth more than $25 Million.

Henderson was set to hit the unrestricted free-agent market this off-season but got his wish instead - to stay in Minnesota, a place he now loves and wants to continue to play for.

Henderson is a pivotal part of a resurging Defense for the Vikings and now anchors a linebacker corps that was in recent history, the team’s downfall on that side of the ball.

"It feels good to have the Vikings show their confidence in me by making this kind of commitment," Henderson told the Vikings' website. "I feel good about this team and where we are going. It's good to know I will be here for the next several years, and hopefully I end my career as a Viking."

McHale Owes T'wolves Fans an Answer

The Answer that is.

If there's a GM in the NBA right now that should be doing all he can to give Allen Iverson a new home, it's Kevin McHale. He owes it to Kevin Garnett, and he owes it to every Timberwolf fan.

After the influx of bad moves he has made as a GM, to include costing this team countless first round draft picks, the answer should be smacking him in the face. The fact that he has not pulled the trigger or not allowed Billy King to hang up the phone until a deal is done, completely eludes me.

When KG says "Make it happen McHale, I want to play with AI", AI should have been suited up for the game against the Spurs last night.

KG and AI would be a perfect fit for the Wolves, and for the NBA. Two players with contrasting work ethics, but a blend of talent on the court that would be like no other in the league. For years McHale has been trying to build around KG to make bit players better. The time is now to make KG better and you do that by jumping on a once-in-a-lifetime pickup like Allen Iverson.

The time is now, if AI does not play ball in Minneapolis, odds are that KG won't either, and as soon as February when a deal with Chicago or LA is sure to happen. Add AI to KG, and you pack in the Target Center night after night. Fail to add AI, and you lose KG and any possibility of even giving tickets away to a Wolves game.

Back and Active!

Much like the Vikings are in the playoff hunt still (thanks to a bunk NFC), I'm back and plan on posting at a regular rate again. I recently joined NFL-Bloggers so hopefully I'll gain a reader or two. Gets old when I'm the only one reading my gibberish, and that's only because I need to proof read.

Anyway, I'll be back with a little pre-game talk for Sunday's game.

Thoughts: Dan Brown's Angels and Demons

So I finally finished Angels and Demons last night. It took me longer to finish than most books as it was hard for me to get into. Overall I was disappointed because I enjoyed The Davinci Code. Angels and Demons lacked quality character structure and the plot moved along too slow. Without giving away anything to the story, the ending had some rather ridiculous events that made me say "alrighty then" in Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura voice. After two books, I'd say Dan Brown is a mediocre author, by no means a Stephen King or R.A. Salvatore.

Next up is The Caddie, by Michael Vernon. I've been looking forward to this one - two passions of mine come together, golf and literature.

Childress Comments on Dwight Smith Ordeal

Today Coach Childress expressed his disappointment in the Smith fiasco from Friday night and had this to say:

“We did a ton of good things on [Friday] night and those good things, unfortunately, get marred when somebody in our organization misbehaves,” Childress said. “I want everybody to know that we are committed in this Vikings organization — myself, our staff, our football team, our organization — to doing things the right way. That is one of the things that I’ve been charged with, and I’m disappointed when we are able to be judged outside of those white lines that we work so hard to prepare for.”

Surely there will be some kind of punishment for Dwight's public display of affection, hopefully they hit him hard in the wallet, that's the only thing these guys cherish is their money.

Let the Games Begin

Let the Games Begin
Let’s avoid the fanboy antics this time around

With the fast approaching release date for EA Sports’ Madden ’07, I thought now would be a good time for me to shed some light on the whole Next Gen console thing.

Sure many Xbox 360 owners out there are saying “Next Gen? Try current Gen, something that started last November, not this November!”

Ah yes, nothing like a little fanboyism, it’s almost as annoying as sitting next to some cheeseheaded freak at the Metrodome during a Vikings – Packers game……I said almost! For those reading this still wondering what the hell the Gen in Next Gen means, it’s Generation – you know, ever since Jennifer Lopez went all JLo on us, we have to keep coming up with ridiculous short cuts to say everything these days. Oh how I love America – fast food, fat kids, and kool new wayz spell everything.

Now before I get any further, I’d like to point out that I was not picking on Xbox 360 users when I mentioned fanboys. Believe me, there is plenty of Sony and Nintendo fanboys out there as well, which brings me to the reason for this article. Do not blind yourself when it comes to picking out a new console this time around based off your affection for the current system you own.

Too many people are quick to call a winner in this upcoming generation of gaming. I’ve got an idea, why don’t we wait until all three systems are out with at least a year’s time after their release under their belt before we go on claiming a victor. To be honest with you, console wars bore me, they bore me to tears. Seriously, ask a PS2 only owner who won the current gen console race and they will laugh and say the PS2 of course. Same goes for the Xbox and Gamecube owners. In other words….it’s pointless!

You see, I was lucky enough to own all three, and I plan on owning all three in the upcoming console war (though Sony’s price tag is making it hard to swallow – I hate having to take out another mortgage!).

So here are a few pluses and minuses to each system, something that may help you decide which is right for you at the time. A solid approach would be to get the one you like first and then wait for the others to drop in price and catch up on the gaming goodness they have to offer.

Microsoft Xbox 360

Bill Gates wanted to make sure his white and green glowing box was first out of the gates this time around. Launching a full year ahead their competitors, Microsoft learned something from Sony’s reign in the current generation. Many still believe that Sony may not have been the best system last time around, but their year jump start kept them on top.

+ A full year head start on user base, and more importantly, game development.

+ Xbox Live – a robust online community including demos, patches, additional game content, and the successful Xbox Live Arcade.

+ Compared to the PS3, a friendly price with two different bundles, though you would be a fool not to get the full package.

+ A rumored price drop of the $399.99 package just weeks before the PS3 lauch…..a $100 price drop.

- Overheating issues with the initial launch units, though some claim the same with current units. Make sure you have an area to place your 360 that allows it to breathe.

- Only a handful of “must have” titles so far.

- Xbox Live still has a yearly subscription fee.

- Lacks true HDMI output.

Nintendo Wii

The system with the silly name (wanna play with my Wii?) and control scheme that was looked at as “gimmicky” – that is until E3 2006 hit. Nintendo had one of the most successful E3’s to date and the once made fun of name and controller are now still a huge buzz within the gaming world. Not only does the controller look to change the way we game, it’s sure to appeal to non-gamers, thus increasing the user base of the console, which in turn appeals to more developers. It may not be as pretty graphically as the competition, but it could end up being a heck of a lot more fun.

+ Nintendo has already stated that the Wii will cost no more than $249.99 and that the games will not cost anymore than the price of Gamecube games ($39.99 - $49.99).

+ Unique controller that was hit of the E3 show this year, and in a very positive way.

+ New Zelda and Metroid at launch as well as several titles from Ubisoft and EA.

+ 100% backwards compatible with the Gamecube plus the ability to download the entire library of past Nintendo systems (NES, Super Nintendo, and N64). Turbo-Grafx 16 and Genesis titles will also be available for download.

- In terms of graphics, it will not be on par with the Xbox 360 and PS3.

- Games not created in HD, system only supports RCA, S-Video, and Component Video.

- Still only supports Dolby Pro-Logic II vs, Dolby Digital or DTS.

- Revolution was a great name, now we play with our Wii’s?

Sony PS3

Going into E3, Sony was still on top of the gaming world. Blu-Ray support was strong, and the system was already known to be a graphical power house. But then the price was announced, and even though a high price was expected, it was still too much for the average gamer to swallow. On top of that, HD- DVD’s so far have been out performing Blu-Ray discs. Sony very well could have shot themselves in the foot if things don’t change in that front. But, when it comes to the games, there were many shown at E3 that had fields of gaming journalists say ohh and ahh more than a late night Cinemax program.

+ Blu-Ray support. Current Blu-Ray players cost near a grand, so the PS3 gets you watching Blu-Rays discs on top of playing the Next Gen titles.

+ Stong Development support. Sony still has a large arsenal of gaming developers on deck for the PS3.

+ An online system to rival Xbox Live, and as of now, it’s still free.

+ PSP will finally find another use other than collecting dust as Sony plans to find ways to tie the portable in with the PS3

- $600 dollars is a lot of bacon (the $500 package is a joke).

- Games are rumored to cost no less than a Xbox 360 game ($59.99), and could be as much as $100 thanks to development costs for Blu-Ray.

- Launching a year after the 360 and close to the price friendly Wii could seriously hurt sales.

- Piss poor E3 showing has Sony behind the eight ball at this point.

So there you have it, each system truly does have something to offer that everyone can enjoy. I suggest that everyone keep an open mind this time around. With three solid systems, there is plenty of competition and in the long run, it’s good for gamers.

Now as Madden fans, you have to ask yourselves this one question – Can I wait until November for a true Next Gen Madden fix, or do I pick up a 360 and Madden this month?

That’s where I think it can get tough right now. And who’s to say that everyone going after the graphical eye candy of the Shaun Alexander donned Madden won’t be jealous as the Wii version becomes a hit thanks to the new controller scheme?

Only time will tell, and ultimately, it comes down to a matter of preference. The only thing I ask is for everyone to avoid the tired fanboy antics. Console wars are going to happen, but everyone has a choice and there’s no need to look down on another for their choice. In this day and age of gaming, we all win no matter what system we choose.

Later,
Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com

E3 2006 Thoughts: Fanboys Beware!

E3 is now over, and throughout the week I was attacked by a few select for supporting Nintendo and their new direction. Some went as far as to label me a fanboy. Sad thing is - they were all either Sony or Microsoft fanboys.

It’s true that I’ve always believed in Nintendo, how could I not, I grew up on the illustrious company. Before the NES was ever out, I was hooked on video games. From Atari 2600 to Colecovision, I had them all, and continue to own every console possible today. When the NES came out, they took gaming into a new direction and are responsible for the way we play today. They were the start of franchise names like Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and a slew of others.

Other companies “followed” this trend and brought us memorable characters such as Bonk, Sonic, Spyro, and Ratchet and Clank.

Today, I play games on every system, and I support them all. When I’m at work, if I’m not playing my DS (ok, so it’s the kids DS, I’m just waiting for the more fashionable and brighter DS Lite), I’m playing my PSP. At home, I bounce around from PS2, GameCube, Xbox, and PC. All this while being addicted to World of Warcraft. Honestly, I think I have gaming ADHD, it’s hard for me to have say, a four hour session on just one game. I like to play a little of this, play a little of that, and wonder why I never beat certain games.

So a week before the big E3 show, Nintendo drops the bomb about the big name change. Revolution had been planted in everyone’s mind, and from what we new about the console, appeared to be rather fitting. When the announcement of Wii hit, the internet nerds (that includes me) filled message boards everywhere with their displeasure about the name. Sony and Microsoft fanboys started up jokes and everyone, including Nintendo fanboys, knew the Wii was destined for failure.

Well guess what, Nintendo is getting the last laugh.

Nintendo blew up E3 as the Wii became the main focus of the expo. In less than a week’s time, Nintendo turned nay-sayers into believers. When your booth has up to a five hour line and the others are a ghost town, you know you’ve done something right.

“The Wiimote (what everyone has dubbed the new controller) is the next Nintendo gimmick”, is what everyone was saying before the show. From what I’ve read and seen now, the word gimmick never enters a sentence when one talks about the Wii. Everyone that got a chance to play it walked away wanting more. It’s intuitive and will change the way we play games. Sure there’s a learning curve, but I remember having to learn how to use dual-analog controls as well.

What’s left now on the negative front towards the Wii is the diehard fanboys that refuse to buy into the hype. “Like I really want to look like some tard waving my hands around while playing a game”, is what you’ll hear them say. From what I’ve seen, everyone was having fun. Isn’t that what games are supposed to be, fun? Remember (for those old enough) back in the 80’s when gaming was fun and who was responsible for it?

That’s ok though because those fanboys can stick to playing games forever with their thumbs and boasting about how many polygons per second their machine can pump out (who sounds like the tard in that scenario?).

Fact of the matter is, Nintendo took a huge chance with the Wii, and if E3 is an early indication, took one that is going to change the face of gaming forever. I’m just as excited as the next gamer for the incredible graphics and games shown for the PS3 and 360, but as the five hour long line has proven, I’m even more excited to try something new and different.

What Nintendo has done is good for the gaming industry and a needed step to change the vastly becoming monotonous industry. As the past has shown, others will soon follow Nintendo’s lead (is Sony’s “new” controller enough proof for you?) and that will only lead to greater things for gamers.

And now for my winners and losers of this year’s E3:

1. Nintendo is clearly the winner of the show (big surprise after reading the above eh!). Their Press conference was entertaining and filled with information and plenty of first ever seen Wii action. There were 25+ Wii titles playable on the E3 floors and most reviewers left wanting more. Besides the Wii, Nintendo made a big splash with the DS to include the DS Lite and tons of killer apps for the handheld system. And finally, there was even a little GameCube love, to include the next installment of Paper Mario, which is good-old Mario side-scrolling action with the Paper Mario look. I truly believe that most gaming sites and magazines will agree with me when I say Nintendo hands down, stole the show. Oh, and did I mention that Solid Snake is going to be in the upcoming online enabled Super Smash Bros. Brawl!!??
2. Microsoft was clearly behind the eight ball this year because their system launched last November so there was no longer any new system hype. But, they came through and delivered an impressive array of Next-Gen (can we call it Current-Gen already?) titles for everyone’s favorite green glowing box. The Halo 3 trailer was huge (and a tease), and Gears of War appears to be on par with anything Sony is throwing their way. The next phase of Xbox 360 games will be well worth the wait.
3. Sony’s press conference put them in a bad situation for the entire E3 show. It was boring and the price (which everyone expected to be high anyway) still leaves a bad taste in most gamers’ mouths. The two package deal is a joke because no one would want to miss out on what’s missing form the 600 dollar package. Then there was the unveiling of the new controller. Same as the PS2, but look, it has built in motion sensors! Nice one Sony, way to ride Nintendo’s coat tails already. But, Sony does have some gorgeous games coming up including Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear Solid 4, and the ever so impressive looking Eight Days.

So there it is, like it or not, that’s how I saw it and I’m sticking to it. I have a strong feeling that many gamers out there will be getting the “Next-Gen” system of choice (PS3 or 360), and adding a Nintendo Wii to their gaming arsenal. Nintendo was genius this time around, and I’m sure the sales will prove that this fall and holiday season. Personally, I look forward to all the new systems and can’t wait to get my hands on all of them. It’s just too bad Sony is gonna make me take out another mortgage on my house to get a PS3.

Now remember fanboys, you only miss out on other gaming experiences by staying “true” to your console. It’s video games, not football teams, remember that and rejoice in the future of gaming.

Later,
Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com