After waiting for the one game playoff last night between the Twins and the White Sox it is now time for my baseball playoff preview. First I just wanna pat myself on the back for defending the firing of Ned Yost. Even though the Brewers didn't exactly end the season like the Rockies last year, they did just enough to squeak by the choking New York Mets. So, it looks like the coaching change turned out alright for them. Now, it's time to see who I like for the World Series, though judging by the title of my blog, you could probably narrow it down.
The American League, as usual, is the better league. Tampa Bay is for real. The pitching, led by an incredible bullpen, combined with just enough offense will keep the Rays in the race. Their inexperience will be a factor, won't it? Not necessarily. In fact, it may work out to the Rays advantage. Home games in front of crowds that have never seen playoff baseball will lead to an atmosphere that will be hard to beat. In addition, with half the players never being in the playoffs before, the pressure will not be understood, and they will just go out there and play.The Angels did it in 2002, the Marlins did it in 2003, and the Cardinals, even though some veterans did lead that team, along with manager Tony La Russa as well, did it in 2006.
Will the Rays win the World Series though? Not this year. While it would be a great story, they would have to beat two out of three teams from the likes of the Red Sox, the Angels, and the White Sox.The Red Sox have too much experience, the Angels too much heart, and the White Sox too much power, with just enough of everything else as well. The Rays may win one playoff series, but two will not happen this year. If it does, then crown them World Series champions now!
Looking now into the NL a little deeper, as usual, it is a mess. The Brewers and Mets both struggled down the stretch as the Mets managed to choke just a little bit more than the Brewers. Thanks to the acquisition of Manny Ramirez the Dodgers were able to outlast the Diamondbacks. The Phillies took advantage of the Mets 2nd straight collapse to win the division. Finally, the Chicago Cubs. Oh, how we love those Cubbies!! Could this be the year? I've seen article after article in my Sports Illustrated talking about "It's Gonna Happen". Well, normally I would be screaming up and down "SI JINX SI JINX". But you know what? Something funny is happening here. The White Sox and Cubs are in the playoffs for the first time since...well...since the last time the Cubs won the World Series. So now the real question is:
How will it all play out in the end?
The Cubs and Dodgers will have a classic series due to the fact that the Cubs have to always make things interesting, but the Cubs will end up beating them in the last game of the series to move onto the NLCS.
The Phillies will also get past the Brewers because of the sheer fact that the Brewers do not have enough pitching to slow down the incredible Phillies lineup. CC Sabathia can't pitch every game of the series.
The Phillies though will be beaten by the Cubs in another classic seven game series due to better pitching from the Cubs with their bullpen leading the way.What’s next, stigmata? The Cubs in the World Series? As of right now, yes.
Looking now at the AL, the Angels will beat the Red Sox and the Rays will beat the White Sox due to holding their offenses in check.
This leaves us with an Angels-Rays ALCS. The Rays will give the Angels a fight, but the Angels will win the series in six games because of the fact that they have been in the big game situations in the past.
That leaves the World Series as the Angels against the Cubs. Who will win this series? Somehow, someway, the Cubs will end up winning the series in six close games because of their better power numbers against the Angels, and because of clutch bullpen pitching that does not put any runners on base regularly, something that Francisco Rodriquez can never claim he does, along with most of the rest of the Angels bullpen at this point.
The Cubs will knock in more of these runners on base with their big bats throughout their lineup, and will beat the Angels in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field in the sixth and final game of the series, leaving the Chicago Cubs as the 2008 World Series champions, which will officially break one of the longest championship droughts in sports history and let the Billy Goat, the Black Cat, and Steve Bartman off the hook!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Morning After Pill - Week # 4
Two minutes left in the ball game.
No time outs.
Down by two scores.
And you punt the football away.
Rewind back to last week. The Vikings were playing a Carolina Panther team that was in much the same situation that Minnesota was in yesterday. They had no time outs left, they were down by two scores (20-10), and with 2:46 left on the clock, they faced a 3rd and 39 from their own 6-yard line. They managed to turn that into a 4th and 27 at their own 18.
Did John Fox kick the football away and basically tell his team, "You know, I realize that our chances to win are pretty much zero at this point, but I don't feel as though you guys even deserve the opportunity to try?"
Hell, no, he didn't. . .he had his guys line up and run a play to at least try to convert that 4th and 27. Granted, the Panthers didn't convert and the Vikings pretty much just ran out the clock, but at least John Fox didn't give up on his team.
Now, back to yesterday. The Vikings are down 30-17, no time outs left, right around two minutes left in the game, facing a 4th and 13 from their own 18-yard line. The starting quarterback had just gone out of the game with an injury, and the backup QB was taking the snaps.
And rather than line it up and attempt to run another offensive play, Brad Childress sent his punt team out on to the field and gave the ball back to the Tennessee Titans, knowing full well that there was absolutely, positively zero chance that they would get the ball back.
What Brad Childress did today was an act of full-blown cowardice, compared to such NFL events as Brett Favre taking a dive for Michael Strahan to allow him to set the single-season sack record. . .with Denny Green taking a knee and settling for overtime in the 1998 NFC Championship Game. Take any spineless, gutless act that you can think of that's ever been perpetuated on an NFL field, and what Brad Childress did today was exactly the same thing.
Brad Childress gave up on his football team yesterday. I was pissed off when Randy Moss "quit" in the game against Washington in 2004 when there was a playoff berth on the line, but this is worse on so many levels. This guy is the head coach. The "leader" of this football team. Who in that locker room is going to buy into Brad Childress' message of playing hard and giving it all you've got for 60 minutes and all that other inspirational stuff from a guy that thought it would be best to curl up into the fetal position rather than going down swinging?
No, Brad Childress isn't the sole reason that we lost this football game today. (I'm guessing four turnovers, numerous penalties and a bogus spot of the ball on a 4th down when the Titans were on the two yard line had something to do with it). But he's the source of the problem. He's the biggest problem. This team will never, ever see any meaningful success under his watch. He needs to be removed, and he needs to be removed sooner rather than later.
No time outs.
Down by two scores.
And you punt the football away.
Rewind back to last week. The Vikings were playing a Carolina Panther team that was in much the same situation that Minnesota was in yesterday. They had no time outs left, they were down by two scores (20-10), and with 2:46 left on the clock, they faced a 3rd and 39 from their own 6-yard line. They managed to turn that into a 4th and 27 at their own 18.
Did John Fox kick the football away and basically tell his team, "You know, I realize that our chances to win are pretty much zero at this point, but I don't feel as though you guys even deserve the opportunity to try?"
Hell, no, he didn't. . .he had his guys line up and run a play to at least try to convert that 4th and 27. Granted, the Panthers didn't convert and the Vikings pretty much just ran out the clock, but at least John Fox didn't give up on his team.
Now, back to yesterday. The Vikings are down 30-17, no time outs left, right around two minutes left in the game, facing a 4th and 13 from their own 18-yard line. The starting quarterback had just gone out of the game with an injury, and the backup QB was taking the snaps.
And rather than line it up and attempt to run another offensive play, Brad Childress sent his punt team out on to the field and gave the ball back to the Tennessee Titans, knowing full well that there was absolutely, positively zero chance that they would get the ball back.
What Brad Childress did today was an act of full-blown cowardice, compared to such NFL events as Brett Favre taking a dive for Michael Strahan to allow him to set the single-season sack record. . .with Denny Green taking a knee and settling for overtime in the 1998 NFC Championship Game. Take any spineless, gutless act that you can think of that's ever been perpetuated on an NFL field, and what Brad Childress did today was exactly the same thing.
Brad Childress gave up on his football team yesterday. I was pissed off when Randy Moss "quit" in the game against Washington in 2004 when there was a playoff berth on the line, but this is worse on so many levels. This guy is the head coach. The "leader" of this football team. Who in that locker room is going to buy into Brad Childress' message of playing hard and giving it all you've got for 60 minutes and all that other inspirational stuff from a guy that thought it would be best to curl up into the fetal position rather than going down swinging?
No, Brad Childress isn't the sole reason that we lost this football game today. (I'm guessing four turnovers, numerous penalties and a bogus spot of the ball on a 4th down when the Titans were on the two yard line had something to do with it). But he's the source of the problem. He's the biggest problem. This team will never, ever see any meaningful success under his watch. He needs to be removed, and he needs to be removed sooner rather than later.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Smooth Criminals
So, after 85 years, Yankee Stadium has finally closed it's doors for good. Wait a minute...closing the doors in Septemember?? What about October baseball? Oh..nevermind, forgot the Tampa Rays won the division..ha ha!! Well then I guess it's now time for every New Yorker's other favorite sport - looting for profit!!
Here’s the story: over a dozen people were arrested in New York for stealing pieces of Yankee Stadium. Arrested. Is this really an offense? It hasn’t been specified what was stolen, but I can’t really see somebody walking away with anything of importance. I mean I can understand if they stole home plate or maybe some structural supports. Supposedly seats, signs, and even paint off the walls, basically Yankee fans were attacking every single thing that wasn't nailed, bolted, or welded down. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that every toilet paper holder was empty, so that some fan has roll of Yankee ass wipe on their mantle.
The Yankees organization should have been better prepared because they could have capitalized on this. "Bolt those suckers down!! They're worth $1,500 on E-bay!! " What they should have done was set up registers outside, and let people take what they want. Seat from Yankee Stadium? $500. Dirt from the field? $30. Then they could have donated the money to Steinbrenner. I hear he’s hard for cash these days.
I still think a bigger crime is being a Yankee fan. Can we start arresting people for that instead?
Here’s the story: over a dozen people were arrested in New York for stealing pieces of Yankee Stadium. Arrested. Is this really an offense? It hasn’t been specified what was stolen, but I can’t really see somebody walking away with anything of importance. I mean I can understand if they stole home plate or maybe some structural supports. Supposedly seats, signs, and even paint off the walls, basically Yankee fans were attacking every single thing that wasn't nailed, bolted, or welded down. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that every toilet paper holder was empty, so that some fan has roll of Yankee ass wipe on their mantle.
The Yankees organization should have been better prepared because they could have capitalized on this. "Bolt those suckers down!! They're worth $1,500 on E-bay!! " What they should have done was set up registers outside, and let people take what they want. Seat from Yankee Stadium? $500. Dirt from the field? $30. Then they could have donated the money to Steinbrenner. I hear he’s hard for cash these days.
I still think a bigger crime is being a Yankee fan. Can we start arresting people for that instead?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Morning After Pill - Week # 3
Yep. . .it's a fine Monday to be a Viking fan. Of course, every Monday is a fine Monday to be a Viking fan, just like every other day is a fine day to be a Viking fan, and to hell with anybody that says otherwise. Really, it's just a matter of whether I spend Monday being Happy Kev, which is better for all of the people in my immediate vicinity, or Angry Kev. . .which is not as good for all the people around me, but much better for this blog, since Angry Kev seems to be a much better writer than Happy Kev.
And now that I've celebrated my multiple personality disorder and referred to myself in the third person a few times, join me in taking a look back at yesterday's Viking triumph over the Carolina Panthers.
Don't get me wrong. . .I still really, really don't approve of Brad Childress' handling of the quarterback situation this past week. It's not the benching of Tarvaris Jackson that I have an issue with so much as how the matter was handled, but that's another debate for another time. What I WILL say, however, is that if this is the kind of thing that it took for Childress to actually open up the offense and try something other than "let's hand the ball to #28 until he collapses," then I'm alright with it for now.
The Vikings certainly weren't afraid to come out throwing on Sunday, as the first six offensive plays were all passes. . .in six minutes of actual game time, Gus Frerotte had thrown two fewer passes than Tarvaris Jackson had averaged in the first half of the previous two games. And Gus was making decent throws, despite one of those six passes being intercepted by Chris Gamble on a Bernard Berrian deflection (on a ball that Berrian really should have caught) and one was hauled in by Visanthe Shiancoe, only to have it knocked away by Gamble near the first down marker.
But near the end of the first half, it didn't appear as though anything was going to really change. The Vikings had driven 69 yards to the Panther 11-yard line, taking 15 plays and just over eight minutes to do so, but once again came away with nothing but a Ryan Longwell field goal to cut their deficit to 10-3. But just before halftime, CB Antoine Winfield made the play that just might have saved this season for Minnesota.
Panther QB Jake Delhomme dropped back to pass on a 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 29. Winfield, who had started out lined up on the outside receiver, came screaming in from Delhomme's right on a corner blitz. Delhomme, who appeared to be completely locked on WR Steve Smith for the entire play, never saw #26 bearing down on him. . .part of the appeal of only being 5'8", I guess. . ..and Winfield crushed him, knocking the ball loose as Delhomme went down. Winfield scooped up the ball and bounced into the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown, and the Vikings went into the locker room with a tie game and all the momentum on their side.
They carried that momentum over to the second half in a big way. Taking the second half kickoff, the Vikings stormed down the field, moving 80 yards in five plays, scoring on a 34-yard touchdown pass to. . .Visanthe Shiancoe? THAT Visanthe Shiancoe!? Yeah, nobody was more surprised than me. Well, except maybe Visanthe Shiancoe. The other big play on that drive was Frerotte hitting Bernard Berrian for a 47-yard gain on 3rd and 7 to keep the drive alive.
The Vikings defense took it from there, and the Panthers didn't mount a serious scoring threat the rest of the afternoon.
If I were to give a game ball to anybody from the defense, however, it would have to be E.J. Henderson. If the Pro Bowl rosters come out in late January or early February and E.J. Henderson isn't the starting middle linebacker for the NFC, then I'm sorry, but the system is broken. Henderson was an absolute monster against the Panthers, putting together 12 tackles (11 solo), with 3 of those tackles going for losses, a quarterback hit, and basically being everywhere on the field all the time.
Hopefully this is the start of something bigger for the Vikings. They've got a tough one coming up on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, followed by a trip to New Orleans for a Monday night battle in Week 5. After a slow start, it would be nice if the Vikings could get it together and turn the corner before too much longer.
And now that I've celebrated my multiple personality disorder and referred to myself in the third person a few times, join me in taking a look back at yesterday's Viking triumph over the Carolina Panthers.
Don't get me wrong. . .I still really, really don't approve of Brad Childress' handling of the quarterback situation this past week. It's not the benching of Tarvaris Jackson that I have an issue with so much as how the matter was handled, but that's another debate for another time. What I WILL say, however, is that if this is the kind of thing that it took for Childress to actually open up the offense and try something other than "let's hand the ball to #28 until he collapses," then I'm alright with it for now.
The Vikings certainly weren't afraid to come out throwing on Sunday, as the first six offensive plays were all passes. . .in six minutes of actual game time, Gus Frerotte had thrown two fewer passes than Tarvaris Jackson had averaged in the first half of the previous two games. And Gus was making decent throws, despite one of those six passes being intercepted by Chris Gamble on a Bernard Berrian deflection (on a ball that Berrian really should have caught) and one was hauled in by Visanthe Shiancoe, only to have it knocked away by Gamble near the first down marker.
But near the end of the first half, it didn't appear as though anything was going to really change. The Vikings had driven 69 yards to the Panther 11-yard line, taking 15 plays and just over eight minutes to do so, but once again came away with nothing but a Ryan Longwell field goal to cut their deficit to 10-3. But just before halftime, CB Antoine Winfield made the play that just might have saved this season for Minnesota.
Panther QB Jake Delhomme dropped back to pass on a 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 29. Winfield, who had started out lined up on the outside receiver, came screaming in from Delhomme's right on a corner blitz. Delhomme, who appeared to be completely locked on WR Steve Smith for the entire play, never saw #26 bearing down on him. . .part of the appeal of only being 5'8", I guess. . ..and Winfield crushed him, knocking the ball loose as Delhomme went down. Winfield scooped up the ball and bounced into the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown, and the Vikings went into the locker room with a tie game and all the momentum on their side.
They carried that momentum over to the second half in a big way. Taking the second half kickoff, the Vikings stormed down the field, moving 80 yards in five plays, scoring on a 34-yard touchdown pass to. . .Visanthe Shiancoe? THAT Visanthe Shiancoe!? Yeah, nobody was more surprised than me. Well, except maybe Visanthe Shiancoe. The other big play on that drive was Frerotte hitting Bernard Berrian for a 47-yard gain on 3rd and 7 to keep the drive alive.
The Vikings defense took it from there, and the Panthers didn't mount a serious scoring threat the rest of the afternoon.
If I were to give a game ball to anybody from the defense, however, it would have to be E.J. Henderson. If the Pro Bowl rosters come out in late January or early February and E.J. Henderson isn't the starting middle linebacker for the NFC, then I'm sorry, but the system is broken. Henderson was an absolute monster against the Panthers, putting together 12 tackles (11 solo), with 3 of those tackles going for losses, a quarterback hit, and basically being everywhere on the field all the time.
Hopefully this is the start of something bigger for the Vikings. They've got a tough one coming up on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, followed by a trip to New Orleans for a Monday night battle in Week 5. After a slow start, it would be nice if the Vikings could get it together and turn the corner before too much longer.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Just like hockey....
I was emailed a potential blog idea pertaining to the firing of Ned Yost. However, I'm probably not going in the direction that most people think I'm heading with this topic. I believe baseball is a very bizarre sport. It's a sport full of accepted norms and unwritten rules, but they're followed because, "it's how things have always been done." Imagine yourself as the CEO of a business with an inept manager running one of your branches right before a crucial stretch for the company. Would you hesitate to fire that manager? Of course not. And yet somehow, when the Brewers make a similar decision with Ned Yost it's "drastic" and "desperate". Instead of considering that nothing like this has happened in recent baseball memory, let's view this move from a different angle.
The Brewers were sinking fast, having lost a 5 1/2 game lead in 13 games. With 12 games to go, there seemed to be almost no hope of them playing a game better than the Phillies to snag the wild card. After the collapse was complete and the season over, Ned Yost would have almost certainly been fired. Why wait? If you can do something about a bad situation, don't you have to do it?
The bottom line on Yost is that he's a bad manager. His in-game decisions are questionable at best and it seems to me, from reading between the lines of quotes, that Ryan Braun has either called him out or gone right over his head in public at least twice this year. Where was he when the whole scuffle happened in the dugout? How about the collapse from last year when they blew an 8 1/2 game lead? Throw in his insane whining about the CC Sabathia one-hitter and you've got an all-out distraction for a team making a pennant run.
It seems crazy that the Brewers fired him with 12 games left, but I think it's crazier that they waited this long.
The Brewers were sinking fast, having lost a 5 1/2 game lead in 13 games. With 12 games to go, there seemed to be almost no hope of them playing a game better than the Phillies to snag the wild card. After the collapse was complete and the season over, Ned Yost would have almost certainly been fired. Why wait? If you can do something about a bad situation, don't you have to do it?
The bottom line on Yost is that he's a bad manager. His in-game decisions are questionable at best and it seems to me, from reading between the lines of quotes, that Ryan Braun has either called him out or gone right over his head in public at least twice this year. Where was he when the whole scuffle happened in the dugout? How about the collapse from last year when they blew an 8 1/2 game lead? Throw in his insane whining about the CC Sabathia one-hitter and you've got an all-out distraction for a team making a pennant run.
It seems crazy that the Brewers fired him with 12 games left, but I think it's crazier that they waited this long.
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Morning After Pill - Week # 2
At one point during yesterday's Vikings' game, a game that my beloved team lost by a final score of 18-15, I honestly thought that the mighty Peyton Manning and company were going to come into the Dome and leave with a loss. I believe it was right after Ryan Longwell hit his fifth field goal of the afternoon, one that came from 28 yards out to make the score 15-0 in favor of the Vikings.
Yes, at that point, I thought that the Vikings were going to come out victorious and avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.
And then, the folks at CBS made the mistake of showing a shot of Brad Childress on the sidelines.
It was at THAT point that I knew we were screwed.
See, prior to that point, the Vikings' defense had held Manning and Harrison and Wayne and Addai to zero points in 40+ minutes of football. It was the first time that the Colts had been shut out through the first half in almost two calendar years. He was harrassed, he was throwing interceptions, he was getting sacked, the crowd was electrified. At that point, Harrison and Wayne had a combined ONE catch for FOUR yards. Joseph Addai had NEGATIVE rushing yards.
But I knew that somehow. . .some way. . .that Brad Childress, creator of the prevent offense and master of losing close games in situations where you clearly should not, would find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So Brad, I write a personal letter to you now:
Were you really so naive or arrogant (or both) enough to think that the Minnesota defense, as good as it is, was going to be able to stop Peyton Manning for an entire game? Did you really think that you could keep sending Ryan Longwell out there on possession after possession and have that be good enough to beat a team the caliber of the Indianapolis Colts? Did you think for one second that when you got the ball back on your own 2-yard line with less than two minutes left and Indianapolis having all three of their time outs that you could NOT EVEN MAKE AN EFFORT TO GET A FIRST DOWN and be able to just coast into overtime?
See, Mr. Childress, anyone that's watched the Vikings for any amount of time over the last 2+ years knows that these are the kind of games that you excel at losing. In this, your third season as the Vikings' head coach, you've been on the sidelines for 34 games. . .14 victories and 20 losses. Of those 20 losses, 13 of them have been by seven points or fewer (yes..I looked it up!!), and in the majority of those games, the Vikings have had an opportunity to either tie or take the lead in the closing minutes. And they have not. . because of you.
I have never, ever, in my life seen a more unimaginative and more uncreative offense than the offense that I've seen from the Minnesota Vikings over your tenure as head coach. I think that a half a dozen of my readers, armed with nothing more than a copy of Madden '09, a case of Miller Lite, and a few large pizzas, could put together a far more creative and far more coherent offensive game plan than what we've seen for the last 2+ years. Hell, Dan Dierdorf was calling the plays in the CBS booth before the ball was being snapped. . .and he was nailing it EVERY. . .SINGLE. . .TIME. If he knows what's coming, don't you think that everyone on the other sideline knows what's coming, too?
As of today, Adrian Peterson is on pace for 2,152 rushing yards. . .and 8 touchdowns. The fact that AP can do anything in THIS offense is a testament to his unbelievable ability and talent, and it frightens me to think about what the guy would be capable of in an offense that could put up points in the Big Ten Conference, never mind the National Football League.
Now, I'm sure that you're of the understanding that many people will attempt to place the blame for the offensive ineptitude at the feet of your quarterback, third-year player Tarvaris Jackson. And I'll admit that Jackson has had his struggles as a starting quarterback. He's immensely talented, but for some reason just doesn't seem to "have everything together." At least, that's how I'm sure it would look to an outsider. But how, exactly, do you expect the guy to "get it" with the way you run an offense?
In the season opener in Green Bay, the Vikings threw 7. . .SEVEN. . .passes in the first half. How in the heck is a quarterback supposed to develop any sort of rhythm when he only throws the ball seven times in one half of play? In today's game, young Jackson threw just nine passes in the first half, completing five, including two beauties at the end of the half to get the Vikings into position for. . .you guessed it. . .another field goal.
In addition to that, there is no "mid-range" passing game in this offense. At least, that's the impression I'm under. Every pass that you allow Jackson to throw is either a 3-yarder or an attempt at a 50-yarder. There's nothing in between. How on earth do you expect anyone to develop any sort of rhythm or rapport with their receivers if you're constantly expecting them to throw low percentage passes?
Most coaches tailor their offense to fit their personnel. You seem to be hell-bent on doing exactly the opposite.
And that's why I refuse to throw Tarvaris Jackson under the proverbial bus at this point in time. It's clear that Jackson has talent. . .he's mobile, he's got a strong arm, and he appears to be a relatively bright guy. All of that stuff leads me to ask myself how much better he could be if he wasn't hamstrung by one of the most inept offenses I've ever had to witness. Let the guy loose and let him make plays. We heard all off-season about his improvement and his progress. . .let him prove it on the field.
Don't get me wrong, Mr. Childress. . .I love my team. I always have. It's been a 20-year love affair with myself and the Minnesota Vikings, and even your ineptitude isn't going to be enough to change that. Therein lies the only small joy that I can derive from this. Either things will change and the team will get things turned around. . .or you'll continue to waste the immense talent that you've been surrounded with over your time in Minnesota, and you'll be standing in the unemployment line shortly after Week 17. In any event, it's a win-win situation for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans.
Mike Tice was fired by Zygi Wilf, and he accomplished far, far more with far, far less than you've been given in your time as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. At this point, I would be more than happy to welcome ol' Meathead and his pencil back to the Minnesota sidelines.
Please. . .for the sake of my sanity. . .get this together and pointed in the right direction.
Yes, at that point, I thought that the Vikings were going to come out victorious and avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.
And then, the folks at CBS made the mistake of showing a shot of Brad Childress on the sidelines.
It was at THAT point that I knew we were screwed.
See, prior to that point, the Vikings' defense had held Manning and Harrison and Wayne and Addai to zero points in 40+ minutes of football. It was the first time that the Colts had been shut out through the first half in almost two calendar years. He was harrassed, he was throwing interceptions, he was getting sacked, the crowd was electrified. At that point, Harrison and Wayne had a combined ONE catch for FOUR yards. Joseph Addai had NEGATIVE rushing yards.
But I knew that somehow. . .some way. . .that Brad Childress, creator of the prevent offense and master of losing close games in situations where you clearly should not, would find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So Brad, I write a personal letter to you now:
Were you really so naive or arrogant (or both) enough to think that the Minnesota defense, as good as it is, was going to be able to stop Peyton Manning for an entire game? Did you really think that you could keep sending Ryan Longwell out there on possession after possession and have that be good enough to beat a team the caliber of the Indianapolis Colts? Did you think for one second that when you got the ball back on your own 2-yard line with less than two minutes left and Indianapolis having all three of their time outs that you could NOT EVEN MAKE AN EFFORT TO GET A FIRST DOWN and be able to just coast into overtime?
See, Mr. Childress, anyone that's watched the Vikings for any amount of time over the last 2+ years knows that these are the kind of games that you excel at losing. In this, your third season as the Vikings' head coach, you've been on the sidelines for 34 games. . .14 victories and 20 losses. Of those 20 losses, 13 of them have been by seven points or fewer (yes..I looked it up!!), and in the majority of those games, the Vikings have had an opportunity to either tie or take the lead in the closing minutes. And they have not. . because of you.
I have never, ever, in my life seen a more unimaginative and more uncreative offense than the offense that I've seen from the Minnesota Vikings over your tenure as head coach. I think that a half a dozen of my readers, armed with nothing more than a copy of Madden '09, a case of Miller Lite, and a few large pizzas, could put together a far more creative and far more coherent offensive game plan than what we've seen for the last 2+ years. Hell, Dan Dierdorf was calling the plays in the CBS booth before the ball was being snapped. . .and he was nailing it EVERY. . .SINGLE. . .TIME. If he knows what's coming, don't you think that everyone on the other sideline knows what's coming, too?
As of today, Adrian Peterson is on pace for 2,152 rushing yards. . .and 8 touchdowns. The fact that AP can do anything in THIS offense is a testament to his unbelievable ability and talent, and it frightens me to think about what the guy would be capable of in an offense that could put up points in the Big Ten Conference, never mind the National Football League.
Now, I'm sure that you're of the understanding that many people will attempt to place the blame for the offensive ineptitude at the feet of your quarterback, third-year player Tarvaris Jackson. And I'll admit that Jackson has had his struggles as a starting quarterback. He's immensely talented, but for some reason just doesn't seem to "have everything together." At least, that's how I'm sure it would look to an outsider. But how, exactly, do you expect the guy to "get it" with the way you run an offense?
In the season opener in Green Bay, the Vikings threw 7. . .SEVEN. . .passes in the first half. How in the heck is a quarterback supposed to develop any sort of rhythm when he only throws the ball seven times in one half of play? In today's game, young Jackson threw just nine passes in the first half, completing five, including two beauties at the end of the half to get the Vikings into position for. . .you guessed it. . .another field goal.
In addition to that, there is no "mid-range" passing game in this offense. At least, that's the impression I'm under. Every pass that you allow Jackson to throw is either a 3-yarder or an attempt at a 50-yarder. There's nothing in between. How on earth do you expect anyone to develop any sort of rhythm or rapport with their receivers if you're constantly expecting them to throw low percentage passes?
Most coaches tailor their offense to fit their personnel. You seem to be hell-bent on doing exactly the opposite.
And that's why I refuse to throw Tarvaris Jackson under the proverbial bus at this point in time. It's clear that Jackson has talent. . .he's mobile, he's got a strong arm, and he appears to be a relatively bright guy. All of that stuff leads me to ask myself how much better he could be if he wasn't hamstrung by one of the most inept offenses I've ever had to witness. Let the guy loose and let him make plays. We heard all off-season about his improvement and his progress. . .let him prove it on the field.
Don't get me wrong, Mr. Childress. . .I love my team. I always have. It's been a 20-year love affair with myself and the Minnesota Vikings, and even your ineptitude isn't going to be enough to change that. Therein lies the only small joy that I can derive from this. Either things will change and the team will get things turned around. . .or you'll continue to waste the immense talent that you've been surrounded with over your time in Minnesota, and you'll be standing in the unemployment line shortly after Week 17. In any event, it's a win-win situation for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans.
Mike Tice was fired by Zygi Wilf, and he accomplished far, far more with far, far less than you've been given in your time as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. At this point, I would be more than happy to welcome ol' Meathead and his pencil back to the Minnesota sidelines.
Please. . .for the sake of my sanity. . .get this together and pointed in the right direction.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Everybody clap your hands...
There are so many good things about sports. The spirit of competition, the great food, the trash talking, and the world class athletes just to name a few. However, I mentioned before a few things that annoy me at sporting events. After watching a few games this past week I decided to make a list to include some of the ones I haven't mentioned. Enjoy!
Signs that suck up to the network televising the event - Everyone’s seen them and groaned. Disgraceful signs taking up valuable airspace, which somehow make it on TV because they give the network some publicity. These signs must stop. They teach kids that you can get popular by selling out. Never sell out. Tell them how you really feel. Nothing would make me happier than seeing a sign stating NBC in HD Sucks Nuts (It really does by the way).
Halftime interviews with coaches - When was the last time these coaches actually said something meaningful? I’d much rather have Suzy Kolber interviewing Joe Namath a few times than ever see Bill Belicheck’s mug on TV. Joe Pa is probably the only person somewhat comical and enjoyable, but he's usually in a rush to probably go take a shit. So the leave the old man alone.
Baseball players adjusting 947 different things after each pitch - This one goes out especially to Nomar Garciaparra. Did your gloves really become totally messed up after you watched that ball go by? I mean, Nomar doesn’t even swing and all of a sudden he’s an absolute obsessive compulsive mess. Or what about David Ortiz spitting on and slapping his hands together after EVERY pitch. What happened to the rule that batter’s couldn’t leave the batters box during an at-bat? Why is that rule not in place?
Electronic cheer reminders - When you have to use a JumboTron to remind your fans to cheer, maybe those fans shouldn’t be there. I find it absolutely pathetic when sports fans don’t know when to cheer at events. It’s like going to a concert and not knowing which band is playing.
People wearing jerseys of teams that aren’t playing - This is only acceptable if your under the age of 6. Wearing an Adrian Peterson jersey to a Detroit Lions - Atlanta Falcons game should result in automatic expulsion from the stadium with a possible lifetime ban. Simply an unforgivable offense.
Suits in prime seats - That's nice that your company has some backdoor connections that allows you to sit in the bottom few rows whenever you feel like it. But could you please not wear a suit to a baseball game? There’s kids with gloves sitting in the 500 level while you chat away on your cell phones, maybe paying attention for the last inning or so. You can do that at the top of the stadium while the kids would get the thrill of their lives sitting so close to home plate and actually having a chance to catch a foul ball. Get over yourself!
Green Bay Packer fans - They’re more plentiful than mosquitoes and twice as annoying. All the cheeseheads make me want to never eat dairy again. I don’t know what the allure of that franchise is but it seems to infect people and become more toxic than The Plague.
Fans interfering with the game being played - Cubs fans associate one name and one name only with this annoyance: the dreaded Steve Bartman. One bit of fan interference can ruin an entire franchise’s hopes of glory. Mr. Bartman did this exact thing back in 2003 by interfering with Moises Alou catching a foul ball which would have allowed the Cubs to be 4 outs from the World Series. Every baseball fan knows the catastrophe that resulted from Mr. Bartman’s lack of intelligence. Jeffrey Maier, the legendary Yankee kid who snagged Derek Jeter’s non-HR out of Tony Tarasco’s glove, is another perpetrator in this category. Let the play take its course, your there to watch, not play!
Signs that suck up to the network televising the event - Everyone’s seen them and groaned. Disgraceful signs taking up valuable airspace, which somehow make it on TV because they give the network some publicity. These signs must stop. They teach kids that you can get popular by selling out. Never sell out. Tell them how you really feel. Nothing would make me happier than seeing a sign stating NBC in HD Sucks Nuts (It really does by the way).
Halftime interviews with coaches - When was the last time these coaches actually said something meaningful? I’d much rather have Suzy Kolber interviewing Joe Namath a few times than ever see Bill Belicheck’s mug on TV. Joe Pa is probably the only person somewhat comical and enjoyable, but he's usually in a rush to probably go take a shit. So the leave the old man alone.
Baseball players adjusting 947 different things after each pitch - This one goes out especially to Nomar Garciaparra. Did your gloves really become totally messed up after you watched that ball go by? I mean, Nomar doesn’t even swing and all of a sudden he’s an absolute obsessive compulsive mess. Or what about David Ortiz spitting on and slapping his hands together after EVERY pitch. What happened to the rule that batter’s couldn’t leave the batters box during an at-bat? Why is that rule not in place?
Electronic cheer reminders - When you have to use a JumboTron to remind your fans to cheer, maybe those fans shouldn’t be there. I find it absolutely pathetic when sports fans don’t know when to cheer at events. It’s like going to a concert and not knowing which band is playing.
People wearing jerseys of teams that aren’t playing - This is only acceptable if your under the age of 6. Wearing an Adrian Peterson jersey to a Detroit Lions - Atlanta Falcons game should result in automatic expulsion from the stadium with a possible lifetime ban. Simply an unforgivable offense.
Suits in prime seats - That's nice that your company has some backdoor connections that allows you to sit in the bottom few rows whenever you feel like it. But could you please not wear a suit to a baseball game? There’s kids with gloves sitting in the 500 level while you chat away on your cell phones, maybe paying attention for the last inning or so. You can do that at the top of the stadium while the kids would get the thrill of their lives sitting so close to home plate and actually having a chance to catch a foul ball. Get over yourself!
Green Bay Packer fans - They’re more plentiful than mosquitoes and twice as annoying. All the cheeseheads make me want to never eat dairy again. I don’t know what the allure of that franchise is but it seems to infect people and become more toxic than The Plague.
Fans interfering with the game being played - Cubs fans associate one name and one name only with this annoyance: the dreaded Steve Bartman. One bit of fan interference can ruin an entire franchise’s hopes of glory. Mr. Bartman did this exact thing back in 2003 by interfering with Moises Alou catching a foul ball which would have allowed the Cubs to be 4 outs from the World Series. Every baseball fan knows the catastrophe that resulted from Mr. Bartman’s lack of intelligence. Jeffrey Maier, the legendary Yankee kid who snagged Derek Jeter’s non-HR out of Tony Tarasco’s glove, is another perpetrator in this category. Let the play take its course, your there to watch, not play!
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