Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Week 16 Recap: Vikings @ Eagles

Missed the first few series of the game due to watching the Gophers basketball team letting a winnable game at Wisconsin slip out of their reach at the end. Here's my random thoughts on the Tuesday night football game:

* When the dome collapsed we had to play Monday night in Detroit. When we played the following week at TCF Bank we had a significant snowstorm. So, when Philly has a snowstorm they can push it back two days and no one has to travel to another site to the play the game? I don't mind if they push it back, but all the way to Tuesday? I don't get it. It must be some prime time TV drama between NBC and ESPN...because Fox and ESPN had no issue sharing the Monday two weeks ago.

* Joe Webb looked good. He didn't turn the ball over. He made clutch throws on third down conversions. He seems to have some pocket presence...and he's just an unbelievable athlete. I wouldn't mind going with him as our starter next year.

* Blitzing Antoine Winfield repeatedly last night was a brilliant move. It was as if I playing Madden. I always get bored playing defense so I just pick the same defensive play every time because I know the offense doesn't have an answer.

* How has Andy Reid lasted so long in Philadelphia? He's probably the longest tenured fat coach in the history of any sport. Fat coaches just don't last in any sport. Name one...they either have health issues or simply can't coach or players lose respect for them because they have a foot fetish.

* Leslie Frazier probably locked up the job with the Philadelphia road win. We have one stinking game left, thank god...but, can we please see a fake punt/field goal, surprise onside or some other outside the box plays. I don't care if the plays fail...I just want some entertainment and I think the fan base is getting tired of doing everything by the book, especially when we're playing for NOTHING.

SBG

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Week 15 Recap: Bears @ Vikings (TCF Bank)

Why am I still writing these...?? I should just give up on the year like the rest of the Vikings. Here are my random and not so random takes:

* You know how you know your team sucks when you're a fan...?? You start criticizing the referees on every call because your team sucks so much that you need their assistance in order for your team to still be somewhat competitive in the game.

* Madieu Williams...how did I leave you off the "The 25 Worst Vikings"...?? You are terrible. And I'm tired of this shit I hear about "safeties really don't make plays when playing in a Cover 2 scheme"...Bob Sanders of the Colts was the sole reason for their Super Bowl run a few years back. The Colts defense was terrible until he came back late in the year from an injury and helped turn their season around. Safeties don't make plays in our system because we have shitty players at that position...Darren Sharper included.

* Leslie Frazier has a rotten hand. However, his defense has been BRUTAL. I've given Leslie and his defense the benefit of the doubt in almost every game this year. But, they've been horrible lately...they play solid in the first quarter and then either give up, get man handled, and/or get out schemed during the last three quarters. That's happened in four of the most lopsided losses this year (@ Chicago, Green Bay, New York Giants, and Chicago). What's the issue? Our guys are ready to play at the start, but then falter for the rest of the game...how do you not put that on the coach?

* The Vikings new stadium shouldn't have a roof. Not even a retractable roof. They belong outside and a retractable roof just sucks balls. What current stadium with a retractable roof really still maintains a vibrant atmosphere inside? Arizona? Detroit? Indianapolis? Some of those locations have more to do with the product they put on the field...but, I just think retractable roofs blow in general.

* Favre comes back only to get drilled into the turf once again, this time he leaves the game with a concussion. Shouldn't Sterger just pursue that Favre has to PLAY behind our dreadful offensive line for the last two games as punishment? I think that will teach him.

* Joe Webb...if he plays, please roll him outside of the pocket on pass plays. Let him see the field and let him work in space instead of him simply dropping back behind our god awful offensive line.

Monday, December 20, 2010

The 25 Worst Vikings...

In no particular order...here's a list of some of the worst players/coaches to represent the Minnesota Vikings in my lifetime:

1. Troy Williamson WR - It's a little dicey to even credit him as being a "receiver".
2. Spergon Wynn QB - Does is name or his play get him on this list...?? I say both
3. Doug Brien K - Missed TWO extra points in ONE game against Buffalo.
4. Fred Smoot CB - Either hurt or was getting burned by opposing WR's...Steve Smith scorching you over and over and then celebrating the "Love Boat" fiasco with a touchdown dance was pretty hilarious (not at the time of course).
5. Les Steckel HC - You were so bad in 1984 (only one year on the job) that Bud Grant had to come out of retirement to clean your mess up.
6. Denard Walker CB - This is what you buy to shore up your starting DB backfield when you have Red McCombs' wallet to work with.
7. Dimitrius Underwood DL - You can thank your first round selection on Randy Moss lottery winner ticket from the year before. You had red flags all over, but Denny was still smokin' the Randy fumes.
8. Brock Lesnar DL - I was pining for Joe Webb to play this year, because athletic ability alone can be an advantage on the field for the sport of football...this wasn't exactly the case for Brock.
9. Wasswa Serwanga CB - We dug deep and far to fill out our roster for the defensive backfield.
10. Dwayne Rudd LB - Another player on the long list of Denny Green's "potential" picks that never panned out. After seeing his name on this list, he's probably busting out his celebratory dance that he used to do whenever he was in a camera shot of a tackle.
11. Bernard Berrian WR - A dandy indeed. I say BE GONE to B TWICE after the year is out.
12. Herschel Walker RB - Nice guy and all, but he didn't do anything for us on the field...plus, he left our cupboard bare for years to come.
13. Bob Lurtsema DL - If your nickname is "Benchwarmer Bob"...you weren't exactly stellar on the field. Even his restaurant/bar failed.
14. Qadry Ismail WR - "The Missile" was another receiver that wasn't exactly equipped with hands either, but he built a nice niche on the kickoff return game as long as he didn't fumble.
15. Erasmus James DL - Injury bug sucked away any chance of a professional football career.
16. Ryan Cook OL - He still hasn't found a position on the offensive line where he can succeed consistently at. He looks good for a game or two, then gets destroyed. This is what we got back in the Daunte Culpepper deal...so that makes it suck even worse.
17. Tarvaris Jackson QB - Not to beat a dead horse, but when Tarvaris plays I feel like it's watching a college game. He can't read defenses (pre-snap or post-snap)...hoping maybe he can scramble a little bit, but I'm just not confident that he can beat an opponent with X's and O's during a game.
18. Nafu Tahi FB - Why do the Vikings still use a fullback? He's not a threat in the pass game...you might as well just use another offensive lineman in the backfield if you sincerely need another blocker...or a tight end if you want to "trick" defenses into thinking you may pass.
19. Thomas Tapeh FB - Didn't play a down as a Viking, but did collect a check from them.
20. Karl Paymah DB - No wonder he was only allowed on the field for special teams in his prior stops...at least Frank Walker is close enough to the receivers to interfere with them if need be.
21. Donald Igwebuike K - The drug dealin' place kicker...Disney needs to make a movie on this.
22. D'wayne Bates WR - Can we please stop signing WR's off the Bears roster (Bates, M. Robinson, Berrian) ...they suck!
23. Koren Robinson WR - A drunk who had the case of the dropsies too.
24. Michael Bennett RB - A speed demon that couldn't capitalize on defensives' focusing more on our passing game (Daunte and Moss) than our running game.
25. The Metrodome - You can call it whatever you want to...but, the place sucks period. No atmosphere, no life, no elements = poor excuse for a place called "home".

SBG

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Week 14 Recap: Vikings vs Giants (in Detroit)

Roof on the ground
Roof on the ground
An upgrade is Detroit bound...??

Here's some other insight on the pathetic performance and festivities of last night's game:

* Brett Favre's hand was purple. His right hand was also down his pants in the crotch area on several camera shots. If you had to sit through and attempt to watch that poor excuse of a game like Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were forced to do...how do you not bite on a Jenn Sterger/sending dirty text message jab at Favre while he's playing with his junk on the sideline?

* Tarvaris Jackson BLOWS. Play Joe Webb. He may not be the answer, but don't let the fanbase (the ones that are still left) suffer more than we already have this year by watching T-Jack attempt to run the offense.

* We weren't going to win the game anyways...but, there were some bullshit calls. Camarillo was stood up on a punt return (one tackler had him by the legs) while another Giant special teams player came in late with a helmet to helmet hit. No call. Very next series...Bradshaw gets held up similar to Camarillo and Asher Allen gets flagged for the exact same thing that they didn't call for us (personal foul: helmet to helmet hit). Also, the block in the back call on Jasper Brinkley (where Booker would've had a kickoff return for a TD) was absurd. Similar to the gift call we got in Washington where they had a punt return for a touchdown negated.

* If Leslie Frazier is retained as the head coach...I think he needs to get rid of Bevell (offensive coordinator). I know we rolled into that game last night short handed...but, we just need some change. I still see Childress' offense at work and I don't like it. If we're going to be boring and ineffective (like last night)...let's pound the ball, burn clock and play the field position game against opponents. I'd accept that philosophy more than dinking and doinking the ball around in the pass game.

* Bernard Berrian has surpassed Ray Edwards on the "Vikings player that I hate the most award". What a pile of shit...I can't wait until he can rot on somebody else's dime and time and then blame everyone not named Bernard or B-Twice for his poor performance.

SBG

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Basketcase Diary: Negative Edition (12/7/10)

Basketball drives me nuts...even if the expectations for a given team are really "Basement Brewster" level low...I still end up cussing at the television due to frustration. I hate turnovers. I can't stand having no flow/movement on the offensive end (with or without the ball). I hate when my team misses FREE throws. I hate lazy defense. I hate refs that call an inconsistent game. Or refs getting bullied by the veteran coaches of the league (cough...Izzo). So, this will be a forum for my rants that occur on the hardwood floor for both the Timberwolves and Gophers...here we go:

* Sebastian Telfair - How has this guy lasted seven plus years in the league? He is diminutive. He has no explosion/first step to his game (which means he can't get to the rim). When he tries to get to the rim...he doesn't finish. He can't D anyone up. He is HORRIBLE at the free throw line (74%)...that's a big man type percentage. My favorite part is where he'll miss both free throws and then come down on the very next possession and chuck up a three within the first ten seconds of the shot clock. Who is your favorite "peaked way too early and obviously doesn't have as much game as what SI wrote about years ago during their adolescent years as an athlete"...Sebastion Telfair or Felipe Lopez...I'll go with the latter.

* Devoe Joseph - He just got back in the mix...but, what's up with this guy struggling so mightily during the early going? He really didn't come on until the Big Ten Tourney last year...he played well during that 4 game stretch. Are we expecting too much from him from such a small sample size last year...and was that just a mirage (4 games is hardly a trend)...or will he be the real deal like so many of us just assumed he'd be coming into this year...??

* Free throw shooting - Atrocious. It's been so bad for the Gophers at the line that I miss the ever so selfish/unlikeable, Lawrence Westbrook. He would at least hit clutch free throws. Currently, we have TWO guys making free throws above a 67% clip (Blake and Maverick...two guys that barely get to the line anyways...and even Blake has missed some crucial free throws). And, it was crappy last year too (just not at this pace)...I mean it's so bad I would turn this into an opportunity to help raise money towards a new practice facility...make players make free throws during games...have fans contribute based on free throws made during games/or have them donate a sum of their choice if the team hits a certain percentage (example 80%) for each game. Plus, our program benefits by winning more games if we make more free throws...I mean this is probably the easiest fix to improve your team...plus, you have tangible evidence for Tubby that you are trying to work with him.

* Blake's perimeter defense - I love Blake's game. However, when mediocre teams/players are bombing three's on you at a ridiculous pace while you're playing straight up man to man defense...and then the coach has to go to a 2-3 zone so you're not overexposed (which is really ridiculous considering zones force teams to shoot from the perimeter) on the defensive end...pretty much sums up that you suck balls at playing any type of defense.

* Love's interior defense - Kevin Love is putting up gaudy offensive numbers. However, he is getting destroyed on the other end of the court. When he was teamed up with Al Jefferson...I gave Kevin the benefit of the doubt, because Al sucks at defense and I thought Kevin was at times overcompensating for Al's suckiness on D. I was wrong. Darko was out due to injury and Amare Stoudemire KILLED Love. Probably not the best match up for Kevin...but, I don't think it really matters anymore who the opponent is across from him.

SBG

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Week 13 Recap: Bills @ Vikings

Vikings dominate the Bills and quarterback Fitzpatrick as Leslie Frazier improves his head coaching record in the NFL to 2-0. As always here are my random observations of the game:

* A Joe Webb sighting is made in week 13 as a kickoff returner (in place of Percy Harvin). I was crying for this about 10 weeks earlier (before Randy Moss trade). I'm not sure if he'll pan out as a player in general at either position (quarterback or receiver), but the guy has physical abilities that no one else has. And if there's a sport that you can get by with raw athletic ability alone...it's football. Let him play.

* Favre gets hurt on first series...on a play where he throws an interception of course. Am I the only one that number 1...doesn't care...and number 2...thinks that maybe he was milking the injury based on the end result of the play (the interception)...and number 3...how can his consecutive game streak still go forward when only playing the first few snaps. If that's the case shouldn't Morten Anderson, Gary Anderson or some other kicker plead their case of longevity against Favre's...???

* Bills suck. But with that said, how about Leslie Frazier winning big (38-14) without Harvin or Hutchinson this week. Plus, you lose your starting quarterback in the first series. Then your backup quarterback throws a pick six to put your team in a 7-0 hole early in the first quarter. Like I said...Bills suck, but maybe we still need to direct some applause for Leslie Frazier and staff.

* Jackson made some great throws today, however I think he permanently placed himself as a backup for the rest of career with his erratic play during the duration of the game. He had three interceptions...two of them were ugly, bad decisions (first and last picks)...the second one he threw, he could have easily just ran for 4 or more yards to convert on the 3rd and 4...instead he threw behind Camarillo and became a victim of the tipped interception. He is not the answer at quarterback...this year or next year.

* Jared Allen finally played a complete game for the first time this year. Timberwolves used to have a reserve guard named James "Hollywood" Robinson. Flip only played him in garbage time when we were on the wrong end of the scoreboard. He dominated in these situations...scored bunch of points. Jared seems to have a similar trait...except he needs the Vikings to have a big lead in order for him to be a consistent force on the defensive end. That hasn't happened much at all for us...having just a lead or being tied is difficult enough...thus, Jared has had a down year.

* Welcome back Sidney Rice. It doesn't matter who our coach or quarterback is next year...Sidney Rice's contract needs to be extended. After watching numerous years of lousy to mediocre to above mediocre play...not many receivers have a knack for attacking the ball in a jump ball situation. Sidney Rice again proved that fact today by going after a T-Jack thrown ball and wrestling it away from one defender knowing that the safety was coming over to make a hit as well. See, I thought Favre made Rice last year...he obviously helped the development...but, I just think he's a keeper. Even if he can't blow past anyone with his speed.

SBG