The Sports Scream

Vikings Trade Harvin To Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:19:00 +0000

As I pointed out a few weeks ago I thought the Vikings would move Harvin. I am just shocked at what they got for him. It was clear Harvin no longer wanted to be in Minnesota. Until he speaks to reporters we can only speculate if it was due to play calling, Ponder or hit contract. I believe it was a combination of all of them, it was clear he was not happy with play calling at times. He had numerous shouting matches on the sidelines and in the locker rooms, last year he demanded a trade and then back tracked after talking to coaches. Then comes the confidence in Ponder, which is reported he didn't have. What I find strange is Harvin was on track to his best career season with Ponder at the helm. Now I know a lot Harvin's yards came after the catch, but Ponder still got him the ball. Harvin is a great talent, but no way does he deserve Megatron and Fitzgerald type money. Sorry..

So the Vikes got a 1st and 7th round this year with a 3 next year. Will be interesting to see how they approach the draft. They obviously need a WR since their only play maker on the outside is Wright. The biggest question is will they throw money at Mike Wallace or Greg Jennings, especially after being burned in the past by Bernard Berrian. They will probably sign a veteran wide out, but not a top tier. GM Rick Spielman likes to build through the draft and he will continue that this year and keep loading up this team with young talent. Much to the dismay of AP or Kevin William who seemed a little upset about the trade. Nobody can truly evaluate this trade for years to come, it depends on what Seattle does with Harvin and what the Vikes do with the picks.

Time For Sports To Adjust To Modern TImes

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 23:48:00 +0000

So I was watching the WBC today and they brought up an interesting point about protecting players, mostly pitchers and catchers. One person tweeted all runners should have to slide at home and I think it's a great idea. You are required to slide at every other base and while it's a loose rule, it is a rule. One of the announcers mentioned that there is a rule in place you can only take out the catcher only when he has the ball, but let's be honest it's never enforced. While the collision at the plate is one of the most exciting plays it also very dangerous for both players. In this day and age sports bank on a players marketability and when someone like Buster Posey is taken out at home and has to miss time it not only hurts his team, but also the sport. Imagine if a catcher loses an acl to a collision at the plate? That would probably end his career.

Same thing on the flip side with pitchers, they are wide open to injury after every pitch. Each year a pitcher goes down after being hit by a line drive. Even two years ago with Juan Nicasio of the Rockies took a line drive that knocked him unconscious then broke his neck on the fall to the ground. You can't put equipment on a pitcher, but what if we could find a way to add a little padding inside their hats? Now I know what good is a little padding going to do against a line-drive? Well I don't know but we have technology for paper thin plastic to stop bullets so I'm sure there something more MLB could do to at least limit the damage from a line drive.

I know football is trying to adjust the game for less injuries, but I am not sure they are approaching it correctly. They are talking about widening the field thinking if you spread the players out it will limit the hard hits. I believe it will cause the opposite, given a safety more time to get a head of steam before delivering a hit is dangerous. Not to mention it does not appear players are getting the message. We still see players leaving their feet and leading with their heads. The NFL needs to stiffen penalties and I think both leagues need better drug testing. The players are getting too big and too fast, I mean it's unnatural.I am not talking about skinny guys who take steroids to heal, I am talking about the players who can't put there arms down. We look the other way because we love our sports, but steroids are running wild and testing can not catch up to the latest in designer steroids. It's time we adjust the game to modern times and make it safer for everyone.

Rockies to Red Sox

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:45:00 +0000

It's hard being a Rockies fan, I mean really hard. I love Tulo, Cargo and every year I get excited about the young team they have. Then it happens the pitching struggles, Tulo gets hurt and Cargo is Cargo and racks most of the season. I don't mind the losing aspect of it because I am not a diehard baseball fan like football. The issue I have with the Rockies is the way the team is being run. Dan O'Dowd is a terrible GM and no respected manager wants to join the Rockies. They chased Jim Tracy away and hired Walt Weiss to basically be a puppet. I do like Weiss as a coach because of the way he played the game, 100% all the time and I think he could be a good coach if his hands aren't tied. I know the team has taking some of O’Dowd’s responsibilities away, but I can't help to think he will influence a lot of Weiss decisions. It's hard to be a fan of the Rockies when you feel like the owners and G.M could care less. We always hear about the great farm system they have, but I am just not seeing it right now...

So is it time to jump ship to the local Red Sox? I am dipping my toes in that pool, but not jumping right in. This would be the perfect season to become a fan. The team was terrible last year, they have a new coach, and they dumped players and have low expectations this year. So if anything I can't be considered a bandwagon fan, but that is where my issue is. I never disliked the Red Sox, they are somewhat local and I love the city of Boston...But the fans are terrible, I can never tell who is a fan because it seems like you only hear from them when they are winning or they are such homers that they use every excuse in the book. Blaming the coaching, injuries, the Yankees or the weather, ok maybe not the weather. I am sure most fans are like this and it's not only a Boston thing. I am just exposed to it because of where I live; I also notice it with the area Yankee fans.

But maybe it's that passion that draws me to Boston. The atmosphere at Fenway is like that of no other, I am not sure if it's the overpriced food or crappy seats, but there is something about going to a game in Boston that gets me every time. I have been to Yankee stadium and it just doesn't feel the same. Even though both teams are rich in baseball history there is just something about Fenway and Boston. So this year I am going to pay more attention to the Sox and see where it takes me. Hopefully my boy Willibrooks can stay off the DL and boost my fantasy team. I think it's time to cheer for the home team.

Tough Mudder, Spartan Run, Warrior Dash ?

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:07:00 +0000

It's expensive to get your ass kicked these days. I am sure by now you have heard of these races, Tough Mudders, Spartan Run, Warrior Dash, Steeple Chase and Run For Your Lives. If you haven't basically you pay a fee to run a race on an obstacle course. Each race offers something different, but the most popular one is the Tough Mudders race which known to electrocute racers throughout the course. Don't worry anything harmful or at least they say, it's just loose wires hanging from a net that sap you as you attempt to run through... So much is misery worth? Well most of these courses will cost you between $50 and $100 to wade through waist deep mud, crawl under barbed wire, climb through ice water filled tunnels, jump over a fire wall and get shocked at the end. But wait act now and they will throw in a beer and a t-shirt.

And yet I still want to sign up for a race, I am not sure which one but I am leaning towards our local Warrior Dash and Run For Your Lives. The Warrior Dash takes place in a local park, which includes ziplines, swimings and cargo nets. Nothing too crazy, while the Run For Lives is a zombie themed one where you run through the course with flags on while being chased by zombies... How could that not be fun...

Why would we put ourselves through any of these courses? Well for me it brings back feelings as a kid running through the woods and diving over logs with my toy guns. After reading many reviews of these different races it's easy to see why people would be better off skipping them. You watch a promo video and you are pumped up to run through fire, but in the end you are walking with thousands of people from one obstacle to another. While none of the obstacles are mandatory why pay money to walk and skip the obstacles? Most people admit they would never do it again, because it was brutal on their bodies, but it's the same thing as drinking too much. You get sick and swear you will never do it again, until next week you are pounding the drinks again. I highly doubt I will be as excited as the people in the promo videos, I still think I will put myself through the misery at least once.

Vikings to trade Percy Harvin?

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:36:00 +0000

Will the Vikings try and trade Harvin? Indications are they will listen to offers for him. What scouts are reporting is the Vikings will not receive a 1st round pick for him though. Harvin is a interesting player, there is no doubting his on field effort, but his off field baggage is what scares people.

Harvin is an explosive player on and off the field. During the first half of this season Harvin's name was attached to early MVP. Off the field he is known to argue with teammates and coaches. Local reporters were able to turn away when Harvin had it out with Childress who was not liked among players. That said it raised eyebrows when reports surfaced of him arguing with Les Frazier who is as even keeled as they come. When things don't go right he gets upset and that is partly due to his competitive nature but also his moodiness.

So what can the Vikings expect in return? I'd expect a package of picks such as a 2nd and 4th rounder. It's really hard to envision a marquee player coming back in the deal, just because of the money involved and the market value of that player. I did hear two scenario's neither of which I could see playing out.

The first was the Niners sending Alex Smith to the Vikings for Harvin along with a pick. This won't work for two reasons. Alex Smith wants to start and while he is a good solider I can't seem him sitting behind Ponder. Next why would the Vikings trade for a player who could be released and sign him for nothing? Doesn't make much sense to me.

The next was a more interesting one, the Vikings sending Harvin and another player to Arizona for Larry Fitzgerald. One paper it seems like a good deal for both teams.The Cardinals could start getting younger and Fitz could get a fresh start while providing the Vikings the wr they desperately need. For this to happen Fitz would have to force the Cardinals to trade him which I just don't see him doing.

Again I don't see either one of these happening, I do believe the Vikings will move Harvin for a couple picks cause that is the current format for the Vikings, they build through the draft. If the Vikings are going to do it, they need to do it now. Harvin is in the last year of his deal and will hold out without a new contract. Either way his days in a Vikings jersey appear to be over.

Oh Stop It Ray, Ray

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:20:00 +0000

I know I am weeks behind on this one, but is anyone else tired of Ray Lewis? Every time the camera is on this guy he cries. My issue isn't so much the crying, but the way he dodges question's about his past by crying and thanking god.

I swear that is the go to move for athlete's trying to shake their past or their get out of jail free card. When Lewis was pressed about his past he said it's the devils work. Then when asked again he said nobody was qualified to ask him about his murder case. I wish one of the victims family members were there to ask him since they are more than qualified. While I know this wouldn't be possible, it would force him to answer questions.

I was a Ray Lewis fan before the playoffs and now I can't stand the guy. Everything he does and says seems to be fake and a show. From the begining I believed this would be a distraction from the team because everything was about Lewis. Now looking back on it, he protected them with everything being about him it almost appeared the team was extremely loose.

It will be interesting to see how he makes the transition from field to booth. He will offer some great insight to the game, but I don't believe he will be able to keep his emotions in check and will make for some great banter among other analyst. I am excited the playoffs are over so I don't have to see the water works anymore, but it was short lived once I realized he will be on my TV every Sunday when the season rolls around.

Quick Pick

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 16:40:00 +0000

Just a quick pick of the NFL playoffs this week..

Denver over Baltimore - In my opinion Baltimores defense is not what it once was and Flacco can't hang with Peyton in a shootout.

Niners over Greenbay - Greenbay is red hot, no doubting that and they were my SuperBowl pick at the begining of the season. The Niners match up well against Greenbay, they run well control the tempo and have a solid defense with Justin Smith returning

Seahawks over Atlanta - Sorry Atlanta I am not sold on you.. You can't run and have a iffy defense, while Seahawks can cover all aspects of the game.. Solid QB, strong ground game and strong defense.

New England over Houston - This game will be a blowout just like a couple weeks ago. Houston has nothing new to offer the Patriots.

The Elusive Hall Of Fame

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:44:00 +0000

This post will be pretty short since I'm not a stats guy, but I know enough to say Bonds, Clemens and Piazza should be in the hall of fame. Bonds and Clemens didn't make it mainly because of their ties to steroids. While Piazza was denied on the suspicion of steroids or performance enhancing drugs.

To me the baseball hall of fame is a museum representing the history of the game, both good and bad. Some of baseball's most beloved players have known to use drugs, abuse women and be racist, so why would we deny these guys for using performance enhancing drugs?

These players belong in the hall and are part of the games history, not to mention they were the reason baseball was riding all time high ratings. At the time when MLB was looking the other way and promoting the monster home runs some of these players were hitting. Let these players in the hall and give them their own wing, let the general public decide if they want to honor these players or not. It's time to take sports writers out of the equation and start letting the stats speak. Right or wrong these players are in the history of the game.

Time to Ponder, Ponder

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:40:00 +0000

I'm a huge Viking's fan as I am sure you have noticed from some of my post. This year I had very low expectations. The team was going with a 2nd year quarterback and rebuilding a their defense, so when the team started out 4 and 1 I was like ok, maybe they can make the playoffs.

The key to the run was the mistake free play of Christian Ponder. He was not taking any real chances down field and not afraid to throw it away if needed. He was not lighting up the stat sheet but he was forcing teams to go the length of the field when they punted away. That was alway's been head coach Fraizer's plan. Strong running game, strong defense and protect the ball. Well around week 5 teams figured out Ponder, they took the simple slants away forcing him to make bad decisions.

Now young qb's are going to struggle, it happens and is part of the game. Drew Brees was the reason the Chargers drafted Rivers, then it started clicking for Brees, but not till his 3rd year in the league. My concern with Ponder is the repeat mistakes he continues to make. The most alarming is turning it over in the redzone. Ponder has at least 3 interceptions in the endzone or inside the 5 yardline. That can't happen, not with a team like the Vikings who can not play from behind.

We have heard all season these mistakes are easily correctable and all mental, well in my opinion those are some of the toughest to correct. Ponder still tries to throw across his body, has issues in the pocket and very rarely sets his feet to throw. We know he has the talent cause we have seen him make the the throws, but something is not clicking and the team is wasting what could be Adrian Peterson's best season.

The back-up qb is a position of mystery for me, because I am not sure of the Vikings angle here. They let Sage Rosenfels walk away to keep Bethel Thompson and Joe Webb. Neither who is starter material, Thompson is raw as they come, but with a big arm. Webb while exciting because he can make plays with his leg's struggles with reads and is even quicker than Ponder to his check downs. Having not kept a veteran qb on the roster leads me to think the Vikes planned to ride out the Ponder roller coaster no matter what. Which is why Webb never got a chance yesterday, the Vikes either don't have any faith in him or are afraid to hurt Ponder's confidence.

Depending how the final couple weeks playoff assuming the Vikes don't make the playoffs, Rick Spielman will have some interesting choices to make. Does he keep Frazier, does he still believe in Ponder? I like Frazier and I think he has done a good job this year, I think the last couple years he was in offer his head. This season with an actual g.m running the team Frazier has been able to focus on the football. He says the right things and players respect him which is what you want. Ponder is not so simple, he was the 12th overall pick and at times has played well, but even when he plays well is it enough to out weigh the mistakes or even get this team to the Super Bowl? Probably not, he was not grown and again simple repeat mistakes are very alarming. That said he was Spielman's draft and I am sure will get the full 3 years that Spielman believes are needed to develop a qb... Tighten your belts Vikings fans time to get back on the roller coaster...

Straight Cash Homie....

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:53:00 +0000

Now that the Saints have received their due punishment, every former and some current players are chiming in on the subject. It seems that paying "bounties" happens on every team just not to the degree of injuring a player. It's more a long the lines of first guy on defense to get a pick gets $1000 or first tackle on special teams gets $500. If nobody meets the goal which I hope on special teams that doesn't happen, the money rolls over to the following week. Each guy on the team chips and it is sort of a goal...

Now these figures are pretty small even in my eyes, but some players pointed out that some goals could get as high as 10 to 20K. This is where I get upset, every year some player whines and holds out cause he can't feed his 5 kids and keep gas in his 6 cars..Maybe if NFL players were more responsible with their money they wouldn't have these issues. If NFL players want to throw money in weekly bounty pots each week, don't expect the public to feel sorry for them come contract time or when they lose everything..Worry not soon to be broke EX-NFL player, I am sure SI will write a great story about what you once were...

Bobba Fett and rest of the Bounty Hunter Saints....

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Yes, I know this goes on with every team in some shape or form..What team would not want the opposing teams best players to be out of the game? Nobody wants to endanger someone's career, but hey if he gets a stinger and needs to miss a couple plays no harm done...

But the reports out there are painting a much darker picture of the New Orleans Saints. It stems from the GM all the way down to the players. What's even more interesting is that after the owner told the GM to cut the bounty program it continued. The Saints had developed a reputation in 2009 as dirty players and then I read reports out of Minnesota about the Saints targerting Farve and Peterson complaining they were trying to twist his ankle the following year...Even though I am a Vikes fan I wrote it off to sour grapes, cause they lost a game they should have won.

Now the reports are flying that Jonathan Vilma threw 10K on the table and said "This goes to whoever knocks Favre out of the game", that the Saints targeted Kurt Warner the week before playing the Vikings and Greg Williams preached players giving "remember me shots to qbs" and told his players to deliver them to Peyton in the Super Bowl.

Greg Williams comes from the Buddy Ryan tree of coaching and yesterday Damian Woody who played for the Jets under Rex Ryan claims this is nothing new in football... Now you have to wonder how deep the shit gets..Possible Rob Ryan in Dallas could use the same "motivational" tool? The league has done nothing but push player safety for the last couple seasons so they need to bring the hammer down on the Saints and make an example out of them, regardless if everyone is doing it or not...

Atleast now we know why Greg William's defenses are usually near the bottom of the league in tackling..Too busy going for the kill shot...

Lin Vs Tebow

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 13:58:00 +0000

From one mania to the next, Timmy vs Linsanity...Maybe because I don't follow much basketball that the coverage Jeremy Lin is getting on every channel doesn't bother me as much as Tebow does. Or maybe the fact that Lin is a feel good story and he continues to impress when people think he will fail. Yes the Heat shut him down and yes he struggles with turnovers, but what he has done thus far from no where is remarkable.

I'm tough on Tebow, because he has so much hype surrounding him for accomplishing zero in the NFL. Tools like Skip Bayless like to give him way more credit than he deserves and not enough to the Denver defense who got the turnovers and made up for Tebows typical 5 for 15 weekly completion ratio. I get that he's a polarizing figure and with the attention from every angle. I just don't see what the hype is for a qb who's team covered up his lack of NFL skill.

Now on the flip side Jeremy Lin deserves it because the kid came out of no where turned the Knicks around and is hitting game winning shots. He has proven he can play but does not seek out the attention Tebow has. Tebow appears humble, but he seeks out the media any chance he gets and uses that to preach. Lin has taking the NBA by storm and now has his share of "haters" from Mayweather playing the race card..Shocking really.. Or Steven A Smith writing Lin off because he had one bad game against one of the best if not the best defense in the league. I love people saying he is getting the attention because he is asian, maybe he is getting the attention because he was a bench warmer and breaking records that the best players in NBA history set.... Grab a seat and enjoy the rest of the show

Year of the QB and other football thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:16:00 +0000

So this was the year of the qb, to be an elite team you needed a high power offense and a qb to throw all over the place...No so fast, 4 of the top passers in the league started the playoffs and only one remains.. Brees,Stafford and Rodgers all made early exits from the playoffs and it came down to 2 reasons.. Lousy defense and lousy ball protection, the Saints and Packers both had suspect defenses but were bailed out by their quarterbacks.

Rodgers looked flat and while his receivers did drop quite a few balls he missed wide open passes and looked slow going through his reads. Rodgers extended plays with his feet, but to many times missed the open man. His defense did him no favors getting zero pressure on Manning and horrible tacking. Green Bay had one of the worst defenses in the league but close to the top in takeaways.. The Giants protected the ball and Eli avoided turnovers...

Brees was his typical Brees self, the guy puts up amazing numbers but every game will throw at least 3 no look deep passes. If you look back to the game against Detroit, he had 3 int's dropped and came back to win the game. This week that did not happen, the Niners took advantage of every chance they got. On defense Greg Williams chose to blitz Alex Smith and I'm not sure why... Smith is one of the best quarterbacks in the league against the blitz. Smith is not flashy and will not put up huge numbers but he plays it safe and the Niner play to his strengths.

What separates Brady from the others (besides still being in the playoffs) he doesn't force the ball down field. That's why he is able to control the game better and limit his turnovers. Using his two tight ends he is allowed to work the middle of the field and his receivers pick up huge chunks of yards after the catch. Yes the Patriots defense is suspect and they did play Tim Tebow, but if they can get the same type of pressure on Flacco this week, I think the results will be the same. The Broncos had one of the best defenses in the league and Brady picked them apart...Which leads me to McDaniels..

People are upset over the Patriots bringing McDaniels back a week before the game. Yes I understand your point, but if he was a ball boy it wouldn't be an issue. McDaniels was let go in St.Louis thus voiding his contract making him available to hire. It's within the rules so move on..

Giants fans it's the morning after and you are still crying over the terrible calls.. Let it go, you won the game..This stuff has been going on all season long with blown calls, it's part of the game and will continue to be part of the game. The NFL needs to hire a full time review crew instead of having the field crew review it. Put it directly on the NFL and not the judges on the field who are basically part time employees..

Next week...I like the Pat's over Ravens 28-14 and Niners over Giants 21-7

OSU Bowl Ban

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:54:00 +0000

So OSU found out their fate this week with the lose of 9 scholarships, 2012 bowl ban and an added year of probation. I found it funny that Gene Smith was shocked about the 2012 bowl ban, Gene what did you think would happen? A slap on the wrist? While what happen at Ohio State is no where near Penn State or Miami alleged behavior, they did have some major infractions and with multiple players.

I am not against players selling or trading personal merchandise for cash, but is against the rules. The players, coaches and university knew this yet did nothing. So in my eyes, OSU got off easy and I am a OSU fan, I view it as one lost season at the beginning of a coaching transition. It will be Urban Meyers first season and he will be playing with JT recruits. So far this has had zero affect on Meyer's recruiting because his first class won't be attending until 2013 anyways.

Gene Smith count your holiday blessings the penalty was not worse, because not only could you have received a multiple year bowl ban, but you could have lost Urban Meyer and the OSU fan base for years and not to mention possibly your job... Merry Christmas -NCAA-

Tebow Does It Again...

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0000

All right I am convinced there is a higher power at work, I am not much of a religous person but some how Tebow continues to do it. How else can you explain Marion Barber not only running out of bounds when he could have ended the game, but coughing up the ball in overtime when the Bears are in field goal range.

Something is going on here, I am still not convinced Tebow can be a pocket passer because boy did he throw some ducks..but in crunch time he gets the job done. Dare I say what would happen if Tebow made it to the Super Bowl, it could happen... Dilfer,Grossman, both qbs who made it to the Super Bowl on the strength of their defense and special teams. As quarterbacks all they had to do was manage the game...As we are learning Tebow can do that pretty good.

Tebow and the Broncos beat a good defense in the Chicago Bears and this week I expect the Patriots to throw some new looks at Tebow.. Yes the Patriots secondary is terrible, but that said the Patriots will bring the pressure to Tebow. If this game becomes a shoot out, we will see what Tebow can really do with the ball..

Baseball,Steroids and Awards

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:41:00 +0000

With Ryan Braun allegedly failing a drug test, we are once again faced with the question..Should baseball writers have a re-vote on major awards? I personally think they should for one reason, if baseball writers are going to hold it against a player in hall of fame voting (Bonds, Clemens,Etc) then why not hold it against current players who win awards?

Writers should not be allowed to look the other way for one voting and not the other. If the hall of fame of going to be treated like some sacred ground for only the best players "clean" players then the awards should be treated the same. Either that or allow all players in the hall of fame that deserve it. The hall of fame is a museum for the history of baseball good or bad...

The Commish has spoken... Blocks Paul to Lakers

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:02:00 +0000

The NBA is back in the PR cross hairs this morning, after the Lakers ,Hornets and Rockets worked out a blockbuster trade for Chris Paul, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol being the main components, Stern apparently killed the trade after other owners complained.

I didn't really follow much of the recent lock-out but I know one subject was competitive balance. So for this trade to be proposed or approved in the first place was a mistake. Never mind the fact the Hornets are a league owned team makes the fact that much worse. Throw in the fact that Stern had to step in and block the trade created a public relations mess for the NBA.

Players are pissed as you can see from this article on Pro Basketball Talk. Laker fans are pissed, because most feel this trade some how was going to lead the way for the Lakers to land Dwight Howard, but really this might be a blessing for the Lakers. The odds of them landing Howard for Bynum straight up was unlikely and I did not hear much about a third team involved to get another mega deal done. Even with Paul the Lakers would be down to Bynum as their one big man and let's be honest Bynum is not dependable. So the commish has laid down the law and it might end up the best for the Lakers...

Take the money and run Albert !!

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Should have Pujols stayed in St.Louis for less money? That's pretty debatable..Judging by this article on HBT.com, the fans and media in St.Louis are quite bitter. I don't think I could ever fault someone for taking the money and running, but at what point do dollars become cents? St.Louis where Pujols could do no wrong to a new market where the expectations will be off the charts.

We are talking $200 million St.Louis offered to the $250 he is getting from the Angels. After what amount of money is $50 million dollars not that much...I don't know about you but I could never spend $200 million in my lifetime, my child's lifetime or her kids lifetime... Invested properly it would be pretty tough to burn through..So back to my point is it worth it to give up everything you know and a place where you can do no wrong for $50 million? Yeah I'd probably take the extra $50 and run.....

Packers Undefeated Season.....

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:31:00 +0000

Does anyone see a NFC team knocking off the Packers? Probably not, not that it can't happen, but it is unlikely to happen. Look at the NFC so-called powerhouses and who installs fear in the Pack...NFC East, Dallas or Giants.. No...NFC West, San Fran.. Probably not.. NFC South, Atlanta or New Orleans.. Maybe New Orleans but Atlanta no.

The Packers SHOULD have a easy trip to the Super Bowl, looking at the NFC landscape there is not a team with a strong enough secondary to hold up against Rodgers. The Giants came close in a shoot-out with them, but their cornerbacks failed at stopping the big play... It took Rodgers about 15 seconds and 3 plays to go from his 20 to field goal range for Crosby.. That's efficent !!

To beat the Packers you need an above average offense along with a top defensive pass rush and an above average dime package. Keep Rodgers off the field with your offense and slow him down with your D. Let's face it you probably won't shut them down totally.So who fit's that bill...I got nothing.. The closesest I could come would be Baltimore or Pittsburgh, but I would need a hybrid.. Balitmore's defense with Pittsburgh's offense. Baltmore alone might have a chance with decent play from Flacco. So there you have it...Move over Mercury Morris, you are going to get some company...

The NBA is back....Whooo Hoooo... I think

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:12:00 +0000

So the NBA is back… Do you care? I don’t and frankly I didn’t even notice it was gone. To me the season is too long and too many teams make the playoffs, so if your team misses the playoffs they really suck. Last year was interesting with the whole Lebron to south beach, but this season I just don’t see many story lines. The biggest story coming out of the lockout was all the trades and big free agent signings that were going to take place. So far the biggest talk is Chris Paul to the Celtics, but I would be shocked it that happened. That said are you happy the NBA is back or could care less?

Time to fire Frazier

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

The season is not over yet and the Vikings are faced with the question "Is Frazier the right man to lead this team?" If you judge a team by their record and performance than no he should have been fired weeks ago, but let's look at the bigger picture.

The Vikings secondary has been terrible all season and but at least when Winfield and Cook were in there they were somewhat respectable outside of the safety position. The lose of Winfield and Cook has caused a total collapse of the secondary, proof this weekend when Tebow looked like Rodgers in the pocket passing. The Vikes are starting a DB who was on his couch watching 3 weeks ago and one with two bad knees from ACL surgery. These DB's shouldn't start in the UFL never mind starting for the Vikings.

People are complaining about Frazier bringing in McNabb and starting him over Ponder. There was zero chance Ponder could have played on day one, the lockout took any chance of that happening and threw it out the window. Frazier went after McNabb as a bridge to Ponder and was someone he was comfortable with from their time in Philly. Yes the move backfired with McNabb being benched and now waived, but the thought behind it was a good one. You do not throw your rookie quarterback into the fire and risk not only injury but his confidence.

Frazier is a great person as anyone who has met him will tell you, but I am not sold he is coaching material. I would like to see how he does with a normal off season and not inheriting over rated defense. Frazier has proven he can keep a steady ship, but I would like to see him grow as a coach. This year he has failed to make adjustments throughout the year not only with personnel but his coaching. Too many times we see Harvin or even Peterson on the bench in critical situations. You want to see the coach learn from mistakes like a player, but Frazier has often repeated the same mistakes. Truth is Frazier is safe this year, but if this team doesn't take big leaps next year Frazier might not make it to week 13.

The Tebow Trap Has Been Set...

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Let me make this clear I like Tim Tebow as a person, from what I heard about him from his time down in Florida he does and say's everything right. While teamates were out partying he was inside studying and basically staying out of harms way. I'm sure a lot of student athlete's are like this, but usually we only hear the negative.

The trap was set in Denver the day Tebow was drafted, the trap has been sprung now that he is winning. The truth is Tebow is not a throwing quaterback. He is a fullback playing the quaterback position and we are now seeing that. His so called mechanic change has gone out the window and he misses more passes than he completes. I know big guys can play quaterback one just needs to look at Culpepper, but Tebow does not have the mechanics Culpepper did.

Everytime he completes a good pass or one that 95% of the quaterbacks complete with their eyes closed, we hear how great of a arm he has and he just needs time. He does complete passes in clutch situations and get's the job done, but is that enough to complete with the big time teams? The only competitive teams he beat are the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers and most people will agree those teams are worse than their records indicate. Denvers defense is more vital than Tim Tebow and probably has kept them in more games than Tebow has won them. I believe that is getting lost in Tebowmania.

The Denver fans love Tebow, they were chanting his name from day one and this put's John Fox and John Elway in a bear trap set by Tebow and the public. Elway has been careful with his comments to the media and through Twitter with regards to Tebow. Though he won't commit to Tebow 100% he has not gone away from suppoting him, but Fox in his first year as Denvers coach did not draft Tebow and Elway wants a passing qb. Behind closed doors one has to think they were hoping Tebow would make it easy to draft a qb in April.

He hasn't done so and tightened his trap by winning games in the final quarter, better yet final minutes and overtime. Tebow plays terrible for 3 quarters, but comes up in the 4th and the public only sees it as "He's so clutch" and "Tebows a winner" So the trap has been sprung, do Elway and Fox hitch their wagon to Tebow for the next couple seasons or do they risk public push back and draft a qb?

Chris Kluwe A Breath Of Fresh Air

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:04:00 +0000

It’s a breath of fresh air to read this article on Yahoo from Les Carpenter about Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. Most athletes especially football players get lumped in the jock role of not being very bright, a meathead and in this modern NFL all about the money. Chris comes across of the complete opposite of all those and if I wasn’t a Vikings fan I’d would probably have had no idea who he was from his Twitter accounthttp://twitter.com/#!/ChrisWarcraft). Most people I following on Twitter talk about upcoming teams, other players, working out or pitching some product. This is not the case with Chris, usually he is complaining about a video game or mocking the NFL. To all 3 of my readers if you get the time give the article above a read and you’ll appreciate the breath of fresh air Chris has given the NFL

About that Chris Johnson Hold Out...

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:32:00 +0000

As Chris Johnson continues to hold out in hopes of a new contract we can again ponder "Is it a good idea?" I am very much on the fence on this one, being a Vikings fan I think Adrian Peterson is more deserving then Johnson of a new contract and handling it the proper way, by showing up and not becoming a distraction to his team. Peterson has been more consistent and a more complete back than Johnson, but this post isn't about that it's about should a player hold out for a new contract?

A NFL running back has one of the shortest playing careers of any position and while great running backs are rare, serviceable good running backs are a dime a dozen.Plus what about the fact that teams can basically cut a player at any time, should we expect a player to honor his contract when the team doesn't have to? I don't think Johnson deserves what he is requesting to be paid as one of the highest impact players not just at his position but the overall. The days of a running back dictating that type of money are gone and qbs are higher impact players than running backs. I think Johnson should be paid as a top tier running back and while I don't think holding out is a great idea for other positions, I feel it is almost justified as a running back. They are one injury away from calling it a career, might as well get as much as possible when you have the leverage.

After Stone Accident Stadiums Need To Revisit Safety

noreply@blogger.com (KS1980) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:37:00 +0000

Was it only a matter of time before something tragic happened? Did a human being, a father to a 6 year old son have to die in order to open our eyes? If you are not aware of the terrible Shannon Stone story please vist Hard Ball Talk here to read it. This horrific event could have been avoided if we looked at the signs.

As people sometimes we need to be protected from ourselves and this is an example of what happens when our host fail to watch over us. Baseball is by far on of the most dangerous sports to watch along with hockey. I can remember watching the Lansing Lugnuts from the first base line at sunset, I could barely see the batter. Then a foul ball would rip right past my head and a couple rows behind me, but these are the risk you take as a fan to sit close to the field. Hockey is the same way if you are just above glass level and someone misses on a slapshot it's coming up. My point is there will always be risk at games.

With Mr.Stone it was different, there was no foul ball or slap shot, just Josh Hamilton tossing up a ball at the end of the inning. Looking at pictures of where the accident happened it is clear the MLB needs to mandate a higher railing system around the league or keep fans further back. Even if they installed some type of landing on the other side of the rails, this could have been avoided. We have seen this happen before at ground level when people reach for foul balls and go over the wall. Maybe now is the time to start elminating fans from the game and take a row or two out. Something must be done so nobody has to lose their life for us to learn a lesson.