Tuesday, November 22, 2011

No Hurry, Adrian Peterson

Running back Adrian Peterson will be walking around in a boot, and not a snow boot, through this Thursday. Coach Leslie Frazier said Peterson will try to do some work in practice on Friday to determine his playing status for Sunday's game in Atlanta.

My opinion, and likely everyone else's as well, no hurry, AP. Minnesota's record of 2-8 puts the pressure off of a quick return.

An MRI test on Monday revealed a "Grade 1-type" of sprain and "a little bit of ligament damage," according to Frazier. The injury isn't serious, but like I said, there is no hurry.

Toby Gerhart and WR Percy Harvin should take this opportunity to step up their involvement and effectiveness on the field. Harvin has already shown he can be a dangerous threat out of the backfield, but should really take this time to utilize his powerful running and deceptive moves.

Sunday's game held other disappointing news as well. Jared Allen's franchise-record streak of 11 consecutive games with a sack ended Sunday.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Vikings Stadium Update: Lawmakers Listen

The State lawmakers have decided to take testimony from the public on the Minnesota Vikings stadium issue at two all-day hearing. The information gathered will be compiled and used to finalize a bill.

Stay tuned, I will have all the details! Right now I am trying to picture the kinds of bars offered in a new Vikings stadium... It is Thursday after all.

Vikings May Need Total Rebuild

It appears as though the Vikings are in need of a rebuild instead of the current remodel. Our transition from the Brett Favre era to the Christian Ponder era has been full of speed bumps, specifically 7 of them thus far.

We haven't turned the ball over. We've committed penalties, but not so many that they shouldn't be overcome. The Vikings aren't giving away games, yet they are losing them. What does that mean for Skol Nation?

It means that the Vikings aren't as good, from the upper management to the 53-man roster, as they originally thought they were going to be. There is room to change this perception, but it looks as though the Vikings are going to have to shake things down and build them back up for an effective team to emerge.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Pro Bowl Votes: Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson

Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson should, without a doubt, be voted into the Pro Bowl this year.

In 2010, Allen failed to make the Pro Bowl after three consecutive appearances. He had led the team in 11 sacks that was good for 10th in the league.

Allen has received a lot of flak for his year off from the Bowl, resulting in a new vengeance in 2011. He is currently leading the league with 11.5 sacks and is on pace for a record-setting season. Allen needs 11 more sacks in nine games to tie Michael Strahan's 22.5 single-season record.

Allen also has an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Adrian Peterson has made the Pro Bowl every year since he has been in the league (since 2007). There is no reason that Peterson isn't going to continue his run of consecutive Pro Bowls.

Support the Vikings as they pursue Pro Bowl bids - vote Vikings and vote often.

Minnesota Vikings IPO

The new Minnesota Vikings stadium has been a hot issue for a while now - we all know this. Something new has been brought to the stable regarding potential financing for the stadium: Public Ownership.

Just across the border the Green Bay Packers use a business model that could serve as a guidance for the Minnesota Vikings as they continue to grapple over funding streams. Benefits of a publicly held team could provide lasting solutions to numerous obstacles the team faces.

The Vikings would remain in Minnesota, which is great for the state's economy, but the state wouldn't have to foot the bill for a shiny new stadium. There are citizens who are willing, however, and those fans would make this solution viable along with the current owners.

The stock options would generate revenue for the new stadium as well as free up capital for the Wilf family, while the family would enjoy almost all of the control they currently have.

What do you think?

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Minnesota Vikings Stadium UPDATE

This post is kind of ironic given my last post...

This is what I would have written yesterday:

It appears that fans are not alone when it comes to being tired of just HEARING about a potential stadium agreement - lawmakers and the media are as well.

Govenor Dayton met with Representative Morrie Lanning and Senator Julie Rosen to further discuss where any Vikings plans will go from here. It appears that a special session is in the works and that the issue will be pushed into regular session where it would be politically difficult to push through to approval.

However, Rosen did say she wants a stadium bill wrapped up before the regular session in 2012 and that the stadium bill authors are working hard to make that reality. Lanning went on to say that there are three sources of gambling revenue on the (poker) table: Electronic pull tabs, racino and a Block E casino.

A Block E casino would essentially rule out an Arden Hills casino because only a Minneapolis site would work. The other two options leave both locations viable when it came to the funding source.

Below is a press release by the Minnesota Vikings as reported by Fox Twins Cities:

The Vikings are concerned about the turn of events surrounding a stadium solution in Minnesota. While we have been encouraged by the efforts of Governor Dayton and the four caucus leaders to seriously discuss this issue, these recent developments are very disappointing. The Vikings stadium issue has been heavily debated in the public for over 10 years. With less than 90 days left on the team's lease, the urgency to act is on us.

The Vikings continue to stand ready to work with State leaders on a stadium solution that works for Minnesota and the team.

This is what I am writing now:

Less than 24 hours after it appeared a Vikings stadium deal had fallen apart, a new push seems to be on. Gov. Mark Dayton met this morning with lawmakers who support a subsidy. The lawmakers say they plan to introduce a detailed proposal soon and air it in the public hearings.

Though a special session before Thanksgiving is still out of the question, no one ruled out a callback in December or early January before the regular convening.

The team is still backing a $1.1 billion stadium in Arden Hills, but three sites in downtown remain possibilities- all of which carry a lower price tag.

"Stadium plans for NFL's Minnesota Twins hit new delay" - Reuters

Go to this link: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/03112011/2/stadium-plans-nfl-minnesota-twins-hit-new-delay.html for a better view.

The Minnesota Vikings have no shot of getting a new stadium if people think we're voting on another new Twins Stadium.