1500 ESPN SportsWire - Minnesota Vikings

Vikings stadium fund gets refueled with cigarette, corporate taxes

apnews@1500espn.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:59:07 -0500

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings stadium finance plan, take two.

At the request of Gov. Mark Dayton's administration, the Legislature is temporarily rerouting money from a new cigarette tax and from a corporate tax to backfill a lagging stadium fund.

The fix is part of a giant tax plan on course for final legislative approval. The House signed off early Monday.

Last year, lawmakers authorized a new form of gambling to cover debt on the state's $398 million stadium share. But those games have failed to take off as hoped, leaving some worried as a summer bond sale...

Chris Cook's advice to rookie on top wideouts? 'Let me handle them'

tpelissero@1500espn.com — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:08:23 -0500

Chris Cook knows exactly what he'll tell Xavier Rhodes if the rookie asks for advice about handling the big, talented receivers the Minnesota Vikings face twice a year in the NFC North Division.

"Just let me handle them," Cook said this past week in an interview on 1500 ESPN.

Cook laughed after he said it, but he wasn't entirely joking.

Though he has struggled to stay on the field in his three NFL seasons, Cook has rare physical traits (6-foot-2, 212 pounds, 32½-inch arms) for the position and has had some of his brightest moments against the likes of Detroit...

Gov. Dayton proposes cigarette tax hike to help fund Vikings stadium

apnews@1500espn.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:22:07 -0500

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Gov. Mark Dayton proposed a new backup plan Thursday to shore up the state's lagging share of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium, suggesting lawmakers use money from a tax increase on cigarettes and closing corporate income tax loopholes.

Dayton's revenue commissioner, Myron Frans, unveiled the latest proposal in the House-Senate tax conference committee. It threw the contentious stadium issue back in the lap of lawmakers as they rush to wrap up this year's session by Monday.

"We think this will solve the stadium financing issue," Frans said.

The...

Chris Kluwe lands on his feet, signs one-year deal with Raiders

anonymous@1500espn.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:46:13 -0500

It didn't take long for Chris Kluwe to find work.

Released by the Minnesota Vikings on May 6, the veteran punter signed a one-year minimum contract with the Oakland Raiders, his friend Brendon Ayanbadejo reported for FoxSports.com.

"I'm excited to be an Oakland Raider and be playing in California," Kluwe, who went to high school in Los Alamitos and attended UCLA, told Ayanbadejo. "Now, my family can actually come to...

Vikings confirm the inevitable: Joe Webb is moving to wide receiver

anonymous@1500espn.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:41:52 -0500

It's final: Joe Webb is moving to receiver.

Webb and coach Leslie Frazier said as much to the Star Tribune, confirming a decision that seemed inevitable since the Minnesota Vikings signed Matt Cassel to back up quarterback Christian Ponder.

"We had been talking about it for a while, and we made the decision that this was the way to go after we had our draft," Frazier told the newspaper.

Two weeks ago, Webb told

Pelissero: Doubters in his ears, Erin Henderson ready to play angry

tpelissero@1500espn.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:57:26 -0500

Erin Henderson is sick of hearing about Brian Urlacher.

He's sick of hearing about a lot of things, really. But nothing gets under Henderson's skin like the suggestion he can't, or shouldn't, or won't be the Minnesota Vikings' middle linebacker in 2013.

"Coach told me all the time, 'Play angry. You're too nice sometimes. Play angry,'" Henderson told 1500ESPN.com by phone on Wednesday. "I haven't been more pissed in -- I couldn't tell you. I don't think I've ever been this pissed in my entire life, to just hear people talk about stuff that they have no idea what they're...

Only first-rounders left after Vikings sign three more draft picks

tpelissero@1500espn.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:34:33 -0500

For the second consecutive day, the Minnesota Vikings signed three of their draft picks, announcing on Wednesday afternoon they've finalized deals with punter Jeff Locke and offensive linemen Jeff Baca and Travis Bond.

That puts six of the Vikings' nine draft picks under contract more than two months before training camp, leaving only first-rounders Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson to go.

Terms of the deals signed on Wednesday weren't immediately available, though the way rookie contracts are scaled under the collective-bargaining agreement doesn't

Leslie Frazier shoots down report of Vikings pursuing Brian Urlacher

anonymous@1500espn.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:06:45 -0500

A Chicago gossip columnist says free agent linebacker Brian Urlacher is leaning towards signing with the Minnesota Vikings.

According to coach Leslie Frazier, the Vikings aren't interested in the longtime Chicago Bear.

"Brian has been a great player in our league for a long, long time," Frazier said in an interview with NFL Network on Wednesday morning.

"He was a thorn in our side for many years. At this...

Vikings sign three draft picks, will spend most of pool on 1st round

tpelissero@1500espn.com — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:01:24 -0500

The Minnesota Vikings have begun signing their draft picks, a little sooner than last year.

Linebacker Gerald Hodges posted a photo of himself on Twitter signing his contract late Thursday morning at Winter Park.

"Happiest moment of my life," the fourth-round draft pick tweeted.

Hodges' contract is for four years and $2,580,108 with a signing bonus of $420,108, an NFL source said.

Prorated, the bonus and Hodges'...

Zulgad: For Vikings' new stadium roof, 'clear is the new retractable'

jzulgad@1500espn.com — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:50:13 -0500

MINNEAPOLIS -- One of the primary points of discussion in recent months about the design of the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium has been whether there would be a retractable roof.

Although it was unclear who would pay for such a feature, there seemed to be a belief that being able to push a button and peel back the roof on a pleasant fall day would enhance the fan experience.

But when the Vikings, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and Dallas-based HKS Sports & Entertainment Group unveiled the design for the $975 million stadium on Monday evening at the Guthrie...

Live from the Guthrie: Watch Vikings unveil stadium plans Monday night

anonymous@1500espn.com — Sun, 12 May 2013 14:45:11 -0500

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, the Minnesota Vikings and HKS Sports and Entertainment are scheduled to unveil plans for the new $975 million stadium on Monday night.

Return to this link to watch a live stream from the Guthrie Theater, where the program is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (Live stream is courtesy KSTP-TV)