Saturday, January 31, 2009

Mixed Emotions on the NFL Hall of Fame

It's a good day to be a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, and even a greater day for Randall McDaniel. If ever there was a guy that deserved to be in the Hall of Fame, it was #64.

He was the first round draft pick of the Vikings in 1988, made the all-rookie team, and then the Pro Bowl...every year, except his final season. He was an incredibly durable player, missing only two games in his NFL career. As a guard. Over 14 seasons. He physically dominated just about everyone that he played against, and was the anchor for the 1998 offensive line that protected Randall Cunningham, went 15-1, and set an NFL recors for points in a season. Over the course of his career, teams he played for averaged over 1,800 yards a season on the ground and 14 touchdowns. He blocked for 1,000 yard backs 6 times in his career, and helped Robert Smith to become the Vikings all time leading rusher in the process. I couldn't be happier for him, for the Vikings organization, and Viking Nation. But I do have a few questions I would like to ask:

1) What the hell took so long for Randall McDaniel? He should have been a first ballot guy.

2) Why are Jim Marshall and Mick Tingelhoff still on the outside looking in? It's the the NFL Hall of Fame equivalent of the first OJ trial, it's such a miscarraige of justice. it's a sham. It's a travesty. It's a mockery. it's a...travishamockery.

3) How the hell can Bob Hayes make the Hall of Fame before Cris Carter? I mean, he was such a memorable player I had to look up how to spell the guys name. Did I have to add an 'e' in Hayes, or not?

I mean, Jesus doing jumprope, who the hell has Cris Carter pissed off? He scored twice as many yards, scored twice as many TD's, was a Pro Bowler twice as often, and the list goes on. I understand that Bob Hayes was a veteran's committee selection, so if you want to focus on other veteran's that should have been selected over Hayes (ahem, Tingelhoff and Marshall) I'm still your Huckleberry.

But okay, let's look at the contemporary guys that got selected over Carter. Bruce Smith, the second best defensive end behind Reggie White, never won a Super Bowl, got in on his first ballot. Okay, fair enough. He should have been. But Carter, the second best WR ever behind Jerry Rice, didn't get in on the first ballot? Why? Rod Woodson. Rod freaking Woodson deserved it over Cris Carter? Are you kidding me? Look, Woodson is a Hall of Famer, I'm not saying he isn't, but can you honestly say he was the second best defensive back in the history of the NFL? He's a top 5, definitely a top 10, but I'm sorry, he wasn't as good at his job as Cris Carter was at his--Carter played longer and is the best revceiver, ever, in the history of the NFL who isn't named Jerry Rice. Woodson got in on the first ballot. And that's bullshit.

Finally, Derrick Thomas. Great player, died tragically, had numbers that put him in the Hall of Fame discussion, but again, was he as much of a standout over his career, at his position, than Cris Carter? Borderline maybe.

My point of this rant isn't that those other guys don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, it's that Cris Carter shouldn't be denied entry because of some bullshit belief that there's not enough defensive guys in, they already selected a WR so you can't have another, or there's already one Viking picked and you can't have two in the same class. Why? Show me where it's written that only one WR, one Viking, or so many defensive players have to go in over offensive players.

You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not. Cris Carter clearly is.

Give him that gay ass yellow jacket.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Getting on the QB Carousel

So I’ve been reading in the blogosphere that the Minnesota Vikings need to address the QB position in 2009, and I agree. You can make an argument that Tarvaris Jackson should be given every opportunity to succeed, but let’s say he isn’t the guy, and the Vikes need to find a new guy to run the show next season. Who would the Vikings sign? Now, I’m not looking at this as a fan who would love to see a certain guy, but as a guy that tries to look at how Chilly, Chris Spielman’s brother, and Zygi will look at it, and go from there.

Matt Cassel—Depending on what the Patriots do with him, I think he’s the guy the Vikes will target. Mr. WIlf has shown no reservations to open up the checkbook, so signing him to a big money contract isn’t the issue. If the Patriots franchise Cassel, now you have to look at doing a deal with the devil (Bill Belichick). Do you give the Patriots two first round draft picks for a guy that’s played full one full season? The Lions did for Scott Mitchell. But that’s the Lions…and it was Scott Mitchell. If you take it, you’re pretty much going all in, because you now go three years without a first round draft pick, when you factor in the Jared Allen trade. By the way, there were a lot of people outside of Minnesota who thought that was a bad trade for the Vikings. Turned out okay, it appears. Would the Vikings catch lightning in a bottle twice, or would Matt Cassel turn out to be just another quarterback who looked really good passing to Randy Moss? I think he’d actually be somewhere in between. No question the Patriots, even without Moss, have a better receiving corps than the Vikings, but the few times I saw Cassel play this year (and they were game snippets, not a complete outing) he seemed to play…older, in a good way, than he is. He seemed to have a veteran presence that belies his youth; that “flatline” that Coach Childress discusses so often when talking about quarterbacks. He reminds me a lot of Brad Johnson, circa 1997-98, and that’s a good thing.

Matt Hasselbeck—He’ll be 34 early into the 2009 campaign, and is coming off of an assortment of injuries that caused him to miss 9 games. And the games he did play in he pretty much sucked, quite frankly, although he was playing injured. But he is a quarterback with a proven track record of success that if healthy, can still play at the Pro Bowl level. Seattle’s wide receivers were a horror shop of injuries this year, and that has to be factored in when looking at Hasselbeck’s performance this year as well. He is a good character guy, another flatliner, and with all things being equal I can see the Vikings making a run at him. He has a more proven track record than Matt Cassel, more veteran presence, which I think weighs heavily into this equation based on the sense of urgency the Vikings have to win now, and he could be had much cheaper than a franchised Cassel. Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell said on the 9th of January that they won’t trade him, but Seneca Wallace played well in his absence, so never say never, especially if the Vikes dangle a good offer in front of them. Seattle needs help, and a couple of mid round draft picks and/or players might look like a good deal.

Donovan McNabb—The Vikings have been an off-season destination rumor for McNabb for a couple of seasons now, but I really don’t see it. Like Hasselbeck, he is a veteran with a proven track record, he has a good relationship with Childress, and would seem like a perfect fit. Had the Eagles gone 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs, I could see Philadelphia seriously consider a change. I mean, they replaced McNabb in Baltimore, they…tied…Cincinnati, and they would have missed the playoffs. But they went 9-6-1…and went to the NFC Championship, which changes the dynamic. McNabb played very well during the post-season, and that made everything that happened during the regular season sort of drift into the background. His post season exploits have probably held off the Philadelphia dogs for one more season, but I’m sure if the Vikings QB and McNabb struggle again in 2009, we’ll be talking about this again next year.

Michael Vick—Speaking of dogs, how about convicted felon Michael Vick? He has serious character issues since, he’s like, in PRISON, really doesn’t show a propensity as a “flatline” guy when he flips the bird to home fans coming off the field, and if he ever does get reinstated by the NFL, will have gone anywhere from three to five (estimate) years from playing professional football. Thanks for playing in the 2009 Minnesota Vikings quarterback sweepstakes. We have some lovely parting gifts for you.

As John McEnroe would say, ‘you CAN’T be SERIOUS!”

Brett Favre—Oh God, here we go. Let me say this before I go any further: If Brett Favre hadn’t played almost his whole career in Green Bay, would you still want him on your team? Last off-season, the answer was yes, if you looked at the situation dispassionately. Favre, like it or not, is one of the five best quarterbacks who ever played, and was coming off of one of the more remarkable seasons in his career, leading the Packers to the NFC Championship. I was all for Favre coming to the Vikings, and I still am, with a couple of caveats. He’s one year older, and is realistically a one year guy for the Vikings. His shoulder is messed up, and if that isn’t fixed, don’t bother. But IF his shoulder is healthy, and IF he wants to play for Minnesota, I say go for it. I think Favre thought he could orchestrate his departure from Green Bay, and when he landed in New York, his give a crap level went down. I don’t think he half-assed it or mailed it in, but he didn’t play with the passion or fire he has in the past. I think he would in Minnesota, and has one good season left in him.

John David Booty—Maybe JDB will be a good quarterback someday; I hope he is. But this is a veteran team that is built to win now, and I don’t think this is a realistic option. You’d face a mutiny on two fronts: One, you throw Jackson to the curb for a guy that’s never played a regular season down, and you alienate him. Two, you don’t necessarily upgrade the position with a veteran on a veteran team, so you risk losing the locker room. I can easily see the locker room split in a Jackson camp and a JDB camp, and that is a disaster waiting to happen. But that said, no one, and I mean NO ONE thought Daunte Culpepper was ready in 2000 after the Vikings failed to lure Dan Marino out of retirement. Still, JDB isn’t an option for 2009 if the Vikings want to seriously contend for the Super Bowl.

But he should be ready by 2012, when the Vikes have relocated to LA.

BUILD A DAMN STADIUM!!!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Random Thoughts

First of all, to my two or three loyal followers, sorry for the length of time between posts. Real life gets in the way of this stuff too often, and frankly it's kind of irritating.

Vikings Thought For the Day: There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth now that billionaire Ed Roski is one step closer to buidling a stadium near the City of Angels. There are a lot of naysayers that think one of two things: foremost, that LA will never build a stadium because LA doesn't want an NFL team there, and two, even if they do, the Vikings will never move. Let's look at those two things a little more in detail.

Even though Los Angeles hasn't been too keen about luring an NFL franchise since the Rams and Raiders left, it's the NFL that wants a team there. There is tremendous amounts of money to be made, and if there is a semi-serious effort to build a facility there, the NFL will bend over backwards to see that it succeeds. Ed Roski is more than semi-serious, and he's cleared a major hurdle. It's not a done deal, but it's further down the rabbit hole than any other stadium effort has gotten in LA.

Most Viking fans think that LA is the only possible destination, and if LA isn't feasible, the Vikes aren't moving. The Vikings are last in the league in terms of value and profitability (they actually went from a $16 million profit to a $19 million loss between '06 and '07) and there is more than one location that would crawl over broken glass to get an NFL franchise in their city. Los Angeles is the pre-occupation in everyone’s mind when it comes to this team re-locating, and you think that if you can somehow cross that city off the list, the Vikings are safe. Not necessarily so. There are plenty of cities that would kill to have the NFL, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Vikings relocate to a city that no one is talking about. Portland, Toronto, Vegas (20-1 longshot there—get it?), Birmingham. Hell, even Chicago wants a 2nd team.
People laughed when the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, which was/is considered a cow town. If a city with a decent population wants a team and will build a new stadium, the Vikes will leave, whether it’s LA or somewhere else.

Or how about…London? The NFL sells out an 80,000 seat stadium in 10 minutes, they have a media market that is almost as large as Los Angeles, playing games over there to match a 1 pm EST start means every game in London is in primetime, they have an untapped reservoir of souvenir sales, and a star to market them (AP).

Finally, to those fans that think the Vikes have too much tradition and history with the state to move, I offer up the Baltimore COlts and the Cleveland Browns, two franchises that had a more storied tradition with their cities than the Vikings have with Minnesota. If they can move, the Vikes can move. And they will, if the Legislature doesn't do something.

Still, at the end of the day, when push came to absoulte shove, they got something done for the Twins and Gophers, and I feel they will get something done for the Vikings.

Ohio State Thought For the Day: I got almost nothing. Looks like recruiting is going well, and even though I don't know anything about these guys right now, I'm sure I'll love watching most of them suit up for the Scarlet and Gray in the coming years. 25 years from now, when we look back on the Jim Tressel era, we'll appreciate what he's done even more than we are right now living in the moment.

Cardinals Thought For the Day: Did George Paletta get his degree from Jose's school of Medicine in Grenada or something? I mean, Troy Glaus had shoulder issues late last season, and the Cardinals JUST NOW operated on him??? I understand that injuries are a part of the game, I get it. But is it me, or have the Cardinals had WAY more than their share of bizrre shit happen to their marquee players over the last 4-5 years. Mark Mulder, Chris Carpenter, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Ballgame, Mike Matheny, and now Glaus? The Cards had some power issues before this happened, and now it looks like Glaus will miss the first part of the season. He's a historically slow starter to begin with, so does this mean his power issues will linger into possibly June or July? On the positive side, everything points to Chris Carpenter being on track and ready to go on opening day. But we've been down that road before. Good luck to Mark Mulder, by the way. I heard on local sports talk radio that he was going to throw for a couple of teams this week and that could end up as a spring training invite as a non-roster player. I know there's a lot of anger towards him from Cardinal fans that felt the Cards got screwed in a deal that saw Dan Haren blossom into a star in Oakland, but I never saw a guy work as hard as Mulder did to try and get back into game shape. I wish him nothing but the best.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Vikings Draft Musings

With a division title under their belt and only a few needs that need to be addressed this coming off-season, the Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a somewhat enviable position as they prepare for the 2009 draft. Unlike years past, where there were almost too many holes that could be plugged with the draft, the Vikings have only a few needs, and it’s almost a stretch to say that. With maybe the exception of the quarterback position, the Vikings enter the 2009 NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting with a pretty strong roster from top to bottom. There are several positions that need to be addressed, but with the overall strength of the roster, the Vikings can go with the “best player available” strategery at the expense of having to reach for a player at a position of need. See Underwood, Demetrius. These needs are in no particular order, and with the willingness of owner Zygi Wilf to spend money for whatever free agent the club identifies as a need, these could very well be taken care of prior to the draft.

QB: Is it going to be Tarvaris Jackson or not? If it is, he needs a backup, unless the legend that is John David Booty will suffice. If it isn’t, there won’t be a Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan in the low 20’s available, and let’s face it, the Vikings aren’t going to draft a quarterback on the first day to be a backup. If you think that QB is your number one priority, make a trade for a proven guy that’s going to hit the free agent market, and don’t half ass it. Whoever you deem the top quarterback on the free agent market to be, go get him. I would be utterly shocked if the VIkes use a first day pick on a quarterback.

OT: Todd Steussie, I mean Ryan Cook, has become a false start machine, which is great if there was a need in the NFL for offensive lineman who twitch more than Michael J. Fox when they go in the set position. There isn’t, so that’s a big drawback for the big man. When the Vikings actually get the ball snapped, his run blocking is pretty good, and in my opinion he tends to get better in that department as the game progresses, but he seems very inconsistent as a pass blocker. He’s a serviceable lineman, but is still sub-par as an NFL starter. Same for the two primary backups, Marcus Johnson and Artis Hicks. All three seem to do pretty good for short periods of time, but none of them can elevate their performance and stay consistent for an entire game, like former journeyman Anthony Herrera has done. On the other side, Bryant McKinnie isn’t going to go to the Hall of Fame, but it’s not his on field performance that is the problem. If he doesn’t get his off the field issues straightened out, he could be facing a one year suspension. Therefore, I think it’s necessary for the Vikings to look for a tackle in the draft.

C: The most unsettled position next to quarterback is the center position, and that is very troubling. Matt Birk has played at a very high level for 10 years, and it seems that the Vikings are lukewarm, at best, to bring him back for the 2009 campaign. As good as the left side of the line has been, it’s the center that makes the blocking audibles at the line, and Birk has been almost taken for granted he’s been go good at it. If the Vikings aren’t going to bring Birk back, then the question remains whether or not it will be Cook or John Sullivan that will take over. If it’s going to be Cook, who was a center in college, that makes the drafting of a tackle even more imperative. If it’s going to be Sullivan, then the Vikings will need to find a backup for him.

DB: CB Antoine Winfield and S Darren Sharper have been great players for the Vikings, but Sharper seemed to have lost a step this year, and with the combination of age and reckless abandon that Winfield approaches the game, he’s down to maybe two years left at the high level he’s playing at. He is north of 30, and has never shied away from contact. The Vikings got younger last year with the selection of Tyrell Johnson, but when Sharper went out in the playoff game against Philadelphia, deep pass coverage took a noticeable drop. Madieu Williams was a significant upgrade over Dwight ‘The Original Stairmaster’ Smith, so the Vikings are drafting both the CB and S position for depth and eventual successor to a proven veteran, although the CB has a chance to be a nickel guy right off the bat, depending on the status of Charles Gordon.

DE: I think this depends a lot on what the status os Kenechi Udeze is. First of all, I hope that he lives a long and healthy life, whether he steps between the lines again or not. If doctors clear him to play, I really, really like the line of Allen, Williams, Williams, and Udeze, with Robison, Edwards, and Evans being the primary backups. Maybe throw Jimmy Kennedy in there, too. He seemed to be okay as a late season fill-in. So, Udeze healthy I think the Vikings bypass DE in the draft, if not, they draft for depth.

If I had to place a bet, I'd say the Vikes address the QB issue through free agency, and my money there is on Matt Cassel. Then they spend the first couple of picks on the defensive backfield and then move to the offensive line.

Of course, all rational bets are off if James Laurinaitis or Malcolm Jenkins are still on the board. If one of those two guys fall to the Vikings, I'd soil myself with joy if the Vikings picked them.

But that's just me.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Random Thoughts

Viking Thoughts for the Day: Well, I guess there’s going to be an open competition for the quarterback position next season. That’s a good thing, but I hoped it isn’t rigged in the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals sort of way. Of course, if Tarvaris Jackson had played football like the Globetrotters play basketball, maybe there wouldn’t be a need for an open competition…Not sure who the quarterback competition will be, but if I had to guess it will be someone that currently isn’t on anyone’s radar…I have mixed emotions about Leslie Frazier being in the running for a head coaching vacancy. As a fan of the game, I think he deserves a chance to be a head coach. His body of work over the years shows that he knows the defensive side of the football, and indicates he can make a successful transition from top assistant to numero uno honcho. As a fan of the Vikings, I’d like a defensive coordinator to stick around longer than a teenage baby daddy, because defensive coordinators leave Minnesota with more regularity than a drunk leaves a Wisconsin bar. And is it just me, but do the Vikings have more than their fair share of assistant coaches that leave Minnesota and the success of the remaining head coach elsewhere? Brian Billick, Mike Tomlin, Tony Dungy…Speaking of Tony Dungy, he announced his retirement today, and he got his career started in Minnesota, so I think it’s more than appropriate I spend a minute or two on this…Many of you remember him as an up and coming defensive coordinator that turned the Vikings defense of the early 1990’s into a fearsome unit, but how many of you remember him as the starting quarterback at the University of Minnesota in the 1970’s, or as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers ‘Steel Curtain’ defense? There’s not a lot of guys better than Tony Dungy, and he proved it could be done with a calm voice and a nudge as opposed to yelling and a swift kick in the ass. He will be missed, but you get the feeling Dungy will make a far greater impact in whatever he does next than what he did in football…If I had to lay odds on Gus Frerotte coming back to the Vikings, I’m giving it about as much chance of Kevin James pushing back from the buffet table...

Ohio State Thought for the Day: Goodbye, Beanie, and good luck in the NFL. I wish you had been healthier while you were in Columbus, but thanks for pouring the 55 gallon drum of whoop ass on Michigan while you were here…I don’t think any other Buckeye has a decent chance of being a first day draft pick if they leave early, so I hope no one does. Jim Cordle is okay, but will help himself more by staying. The wildcard has to be Ray Small, but I don’t think he’ll go. He has a good chance to start next year, and if he leaves now he could have that dreaded “attitude problem” tag attached to his name. You could argue that Brian Hartline should leave early because he’s going to graduate in May, but I think that’s the perfect reason to stay. No school to worry about, degree in hand, still on scholarship AND playing at Ohio State? I mean, it’s not like the guy is passing up NFL millions.

Tim Tebow Thought for the Day: This is my usual spot for my Big 10 thought of the day, but as you know, the Big 10 is part of college football, and Tim Tebow is college football right now, so by federal law, I must now rename this the Tim Tebow section. Look, I have nothing against the guy. I want to hate him, and I want to hate Florida, but I don’t. You would think it would be easy to because I witnessed Florida’s dismantling of Ohio State live and in person, but it’s not. You see, all the Florida people I ran across after the game were the most gracios, humble, and complimentary winners I have ever been around. So as much as I want to hate Tebow and Florida, I don’t. I can’t stand the fuckin’ SEC, but that’s something else entirely. So there. And if St Tim of Gainseville played for OSU and got this much attention, I’d be eating that shit up. I’d even offer to have his child out of wedlock. But that’ll never happen because I don’t look like this, he doesn’t play for OSU, and I’m not gay. So really, can we stop with all the ‘Tebow is Jesus” bullshit? Besides, I thought Barack Obama was Jesus. I mean, Tebow just plays football and has questionable mechanics to make it at the next level, but Obama’s gonna pay all my bills. But back to Tebow. He’s good, I get it.

St Louis Cardinals Thought for the Day: I have none. They’ve kind of pissed me off with their inactivity. Do something! Anything! Get a starter, find another bat, just stay away from low hanging fruit!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

And the Greeatest Viking/Buckeye is...

Okay, the poll says Cris Carter, and that's a fine pick. But this is a blog about several teams, one of which is in Minnesota. And in Minnesota, apparently, you can vote, re-count, double count, subtract, and do whatever the hell it is you want to to get Al Franken elected, so I'm overturning the result of this poll and installing/declaring Jim Marshall the winner!

Remember, a vote for Al is 2 votes for Stuart Smalley! Look, I was rockin' Jesse 'The Body" as Governor, because as he says, his muscles were bigger than Mean Gene's head, and the dude was a Navy Seal.

Al Franken is just a bad comic who couldn't make it in radio.

And since I live on the Illinois side of St Louis, I know a little bit about chief executive corruption as well. I am willing, for the right price, to install anyone as the "Greatest Buckeye/Viking".

Darrion Scott, Mike Doss, Derek Ross, Winfield Garnett, or even LeShun Daniels will be elevated to the top, so give me a bleeping price.

On a serious note, no one can deny the greatness of Cris Carter. Robert Smith and Antoine Winfield have both had distinguished careers as OSU alum playing for the Vikes, but Jim Marshall holds a special place in my heart, which is why he may have finished a distant second in the poll, he'll always be my personal favorite.

Marshall played in an era that helped make pro football what it is today. His streak of 282 consecutive games is staggering, and it's insulting that the streak was a: broken by a punter, and b: not heralded and given more reflection as said punter approached and then passed it. And he did it at the most demanding position on the field, defensive end.

He went up against, and often whipped, lineman who were 20 and 30 pounds heavier, because he played at abour 230 pounds. And he did it for over 20 years. He has 127 sacks unofficially, because the sack was not a statistic that was kept when he played. He does hold the NFL record for most fumble recoveries, and as a member of the Purple People Eaters, he was a key component in one of the greatest defensive lines in NFL history.

Sadly, when people think of Jim Marshall, they think of this. Not the entire body of work. What they don't mention about the wrong way run is that Marshall sacked Billy Kilmer later in the game and that caused a fumble to set up the winning score for the Vikings. You see, Marshall was often overshadowed by Alan Page and Carl Eller, who are both in the Hall of Fame, and deservedly so. But Marshall is remembered for two things, the wrong way run and poor Super Bowl performances in which his vaunted defensive line was manhandled, for the most part.

But for those of you that think Cris Carter is the winner, you have a valid argument, and one that is tough to beat. Carter's long distinguised career included many fantastic highlights, both for the Buckeyes and Vikings. His career stats put him in elite company, and it is a certainty he will be in Canton, sooner rather than later.

But I feel it is almost my duty to let younger Viking fans know about how great Jim Marshall truly was, and how deserving he is for enshrinement in Canton. Remember when it was third down, and the Vikings needed a first down? You knew, just knew, the ball was going to Cris Carter. And you got this sense of excitement, anticipation, use whatever word you want. But the ball got to Carter, he made the first down, you went wild, and life was good.

Well, it was that way with Marshall in the 1970's. When the Vikings needed a big play, a sack, a forced fumble, you knew, you just knew, Marshall was going to be there to make it happen. Either bringing pressure from the perimeter to force an early throw, a sack, or a forced fumble, it seemed that when the Vikes needed to get off the field, Jim Marshall was the guy that made the play.

No, I can't give you any eye-popping stats like I can for Cris Carter, and to a lesser extent, John Randle. But I can tell you that Jim Marshall WAS the Minnesota Vikings and epitomized their hard nosed approach to football in the bruising NFC Central, and if anyone deserves a place in Canton, it is he.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Comparing Mike Tice to Brad Childress

When Mike Tice took over for Denny Green in late 2001, the Minnesota Vikings were a team in turmoil, but only one year removed from the NFC Championship. Granted, it was the 41-doughnut game, but still, it was the NFC Championship. Korey Stringer had tragically died during training camp, Denny Green had lost the locker room with preferential treatment of certain players, some of Denny’s assistant coaches only had two qualifications for employment-- they kissed Denny’s ass and had plenty of chapstick-- because they didn’t know beans about football, and the defense that had been kept together with duct tape and bailing wire finally imploded. Daunte Culpepper was out for the year with a knee injury, a former wide receiver was a starting cornerback, and Vikings fans were suffering through the Spergeon Wynn era, which was about as painful to watch as Cloris Leachman in one of her dancing outfits. And who are you kidding? You’d hit it.

When Brad Childress took over for Mike Tice approximately eleven seconds after the 2005 season ended, the Vikings were a team that had been the butt of every joke in the NFL for most of the season. The Love Boat had been all over the news, as had revelations about Tice scalping Super Bowl tickets. Daunte Culpepper left his knee and career on the field in Carolina, right next to Fred Smoot’s charred remains. But through it all, the Vikings came off the canvas to finish 9-7, and by almost every measuring stick Mike Tice left the franchise in better shape than when he inherited it. Oh sure, they underachieved, but there was never a dull minute with Ringmaster Mike and those Wild and Crazy Vikings. Tice’s career was as colorful as Childress’ has been bland, but the results, in many ways, are strikingly similar, with Childress having a distinct advantage in one area.

After four years and one game, Tice went 32-33, with a 1-1 post season record.

After three years, Childress has gone 24-24, with a 0-1 post season record.

Tice’s draft record is spotty at best, with 2005 the beginning of the end. The Vikings had two first round picks and whiffed horribly on both of them. I blame that draft disaster on me, because I attended the Vikings draft party live and in person, much like I blame the 2006 Ohio State BCS Championship on me as well. Nothing like seeing old Red McCombs come out and yell “Purple Pride!”, only to be almost booed and fuck you’d off the stage. I was 38 at the time and pissed my pants I was laughing so hard. As usual, I digress. Tice did have some pretty good picks, though, from Brian Williams (who became a pretty good cover corner but was let go in favor of Fred “I’m Steve Smith’s Bitch” Smoot), Bryant McKinnie, Nate “Poison Pill Payback” Burleson, EJ Henderson, and Kevin Williams. But there were a lot more misses than hits, so his draft record can only be described as minimally acceptable to borderline failure, especially considering that 2005 draft. With two first round picks, the Vikings currently have zero players left from that draft still on the roster, and that is unacceptable.

But Tice was a master recruiter, and he got some pretty good talent to sign with the Vikings through free agency. Corey Chavous, Darren Sharper, Antoine Winfield, Pat Williams, and the aforementioned Smoot are his big free agency prizes. Now I admit Smoot was a bust in Minnesota, but the pick was lauded at the time, by no less than the New York Times.

Childress has had his fair share of free agent success as well. He’s signed Chester Taylor, Bernard Berrian, Madieu Williams, Ben Leber, and Steve Hutchinso, all who have had a significant impact on the success of the Vikings

Where Childress has seemed to far exceed Tice is in his ability to draft. 2006 was like winning the lottery for Childress, as five of the seven draft picks have become starters. Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Ryan Cook, and Ray Edwards stand out in that group, and if Tarvaris Jackson pans out, it will be one of the all-time great draft classes in team history. 2007 was pretty good as well, with Adrian Peterson headlining a class that also includes key contributors Marcus McCauley and Brian Robison. The players selected in 2008 don’t really stand out, unless you consider John David “Gino Torretta” Booty a steal. But you must factor in the trade that brought Jared Allen to the Vikings for a 2008 first and third round pick…a deal that Red McCombs would have never done.

Speaking of ownership, when comparing Tice to Childress, that is the one variable that is undeniable, and skews the results towards Tice. While Tice was coach, Red McCombs ran the Vikings much like Ebeneezer Scrooge ran his business, only without the Christmas epiphany. His epiphany was to trade Randy Moss.

What a fucker. A school of business at...Texas. The same Texas that beat Ohio State.

Somewhere, God is pissing his pants he's laughing at me so hard.

Brad Childress has had the luxury of Zygi Wilf, who throws money around like Pacman Jones in a strip club, only in a classy, let’s not shoot people or ‘make it rain’ sort of way.

When Childress has asked for something, either in terms of people, facilities, or coaches, he has received it.

Tice had to pay for repairing the air conditioning at the teams Winter Park headquarters out of hide. No wonder he scalped Super Bowl tickets.

I guess the point of this is that Tice wasn’t nearly as bad as he is remembered, and Childress isn’t as incompetent as he is perceived to be. Unless, of course, he is calling a goddamn screen pass on third and 9. Then he’s a dope.

Both had their shortcomings, and both have qualities that I tend to like. Tice was a guy I would have loved to have played with or played for, and his Monday pressers became must-see TV. And when you factor in the fact he had a penny pinching owner that was cheap on everything, from facilities to coaching staff budget, I think Tice deserves another chance at a head coaching job somewhere that will give him a level playing field. Childress gives off more of the parent vibe, and like my Dad, he pisses me off with some of the decisions he makes, and I don’t understand them at the time.

My hope is that 20 years from now, I’ll realize he was right. Especially if there’s a Super Bowl trophy in the glass case.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Final Thoughts on the Fiesta Bowl

Well, damn.

A couple of silver linings from the Fiesta Bowl:

I thought overall it was a great game. Ohio State acquitted themselves well and regained some of their tarnished reputation, but take nothing away from Colt McCoy and Texas. That is a great team that many argue should have played for the National Championship. Save for a missed tackle with less than 20 seconds left, Ohio State probably wins that game. By the way, I agreed with the blitz call in that situation. And admit it, Heacock was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. If he blitzes, and the guy scores because of a missed tackle (which he did), everyone scratches their head and says what the hell is he thinking, blitzing in that situation? The only call was to drop into a zone and prevent the TD. If he drops into a zone, and McCoy gets all day in to survey the field, someone gets open and they still might score. No matter how good your corners are, they can’t cover all day with no pressure. Now everyone scratches their head and says what the hell was he thinking dropping into a soft zone? The only call was to blitz and to put pressure on McCoy. You can’t give an All-American all that time. Nope, if the tackle is made, it’s a fairly short gain, Texas has to burn their last time out, and they have maybe two plays left. It’s still anyone’s game.

I’ve read a fair amount of criticism directed at the coaching staff, but my sentiments on that are different. I had no problem with the conservative gameplan on offense for this game, especially with Terrelle Pryor taking most of the snaps. Get too aggressive and make a few mistakes, I think the “here we go again” mentality creeps in and things steamroll against the good guys. What I did like was the Pryor-Boeckman shuttling. I thought Coach Tressel did a great job of realizing when Pryor was starting to get overwhelmed, rattled, go on a cold streak, whatever it is you want to call it, and calling in Boeckman to provide a calming effect with his senior leadership. I wonder if he had done that against Penn State what might have happened…

Speaking of Todd Boeckman, he has made my all-time top 10 favorite Buckeye list for the way he played, and the way he carried himself on and off the field this season. It would have been easy for a guy in his position to fracture the locker room, but he didn’t. He was the consummate teammate and leader, and I hope he is rewarded for his efforts with a job playing on Sundays. If I could paraphrase the junior senator-elect from Minnesota:

He’s smart enough, he’s good enough, and doggone it, people like him!

Now, for the “Tressel Needs to be Fired” crowd: Shut up. Please, you’re embarrassing yourself. Jim Tressel has presided over what is one of the greatest periods of Ohio State football in the history of the program. Do you really want another John Cooper era? Really?

He has been to a New Year’s/BCS bowl in 7 of 8 years, and is 4-4 in bowl games. He has three appearances in the National Championship game, and won it. Until 2006, he beat top 5/10 programs with regularity, and you can argue that with the 2009 Fiesta Bowl that he has turned the corner on the “Big Game Jinx”. He owns Michigan, going 7-1 with a 5 game winning streak, and has won the Big 10 title 5 of his eight years in Columbus. A couple of plays go the other way and Craig Krenzel doesn’t get knocked goofy in Ann Arbor in 2003, and he might be undefeated against Michigan with four NCG appearances and 6 Big 1o titles. Indiana, as an institution, has won the Big 10 twice. Michigan State, 7 times. Northwestern and Purdue, 8 times. Minnesota hasn’t won it since 1967. I find it ironic that a Big 10 championship and a BCS bowl is now considered a letdown. Considering where this program was, I’ll take that all day every day, and twice on Sundays.

I’m not a recruiting expert, but the guys who are say Ohio State has had a top 10 recruiting class four out of his nine years (counting 2009), and with a top ranked 2009 following up a top five 2008 class, Ohio State has the most promising young talent in the program since Woody Hayes was bragging about his 1968 team…at the end of 1967. Terrelle Pryor has huge upside, it seems that the offensive and defensive line issues have been addressed, and guys like DeVier Posey bring WR speed and playmaking ability that hasn’t been around these parts since…Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez, guys Jim Tressel also managed to recruit.

So contrary to popular belief, the sky isn’t falling, Chicken Little. Enjoy what we have now, because whoever succeeds Tressel will be hard pressed to match his achievements. And you’ll probably be bitching about how that guy sucks in comparison to Tressel.

Purple Buckeye One Hitters:

--If I was Beanie Wells, I’m gone. The guy is a beast, but he can’t stay healthy. Make the NFL jump before your stock falls any farther, or you get hurt and don’t even make it to the NFL.

--If Beanie comes back, the running game is in great shape.

--If Beanie goes, the running game is in great shape.

--Randall McDaniel, John Randle, and Cris Carter all made the final 15 for the NFL Hall of Fame voting. McDaniel and Carter are no-brainers in my opinion, and John Randle should be. He has more sacks than any other interior lineman in NFL history, and I think he eventually gets in, but a lot of people look at him as a pass rushing specialist, so I think he has an uphill battle.

--The Cubs sign Milton Bradley, the Cardinals sign a guy with an ERA that was north of 8.00 in 2008. While Milton Bradley is blowing up in the locker room, Royce Ring will be blowing up on the mound. Sweet.

--I do like the Khalil Greene signing. However, I will miss the resistible force (or is it the moveable object) that is Cesar Izturis.

--Off Topic: Although my condolences go out to the Pohlad family, I have mixed emotions about his legacy as Twins owner. Yes, he brought the only major professional sports championships to Minnesota, and he actually got an outdoor stadium deal done, but he was more than willing to sell the team and let them move, and/or contract them for a hefty profit. Marry that up with an unwillingness to keep top flight talent and his legacy is quite a cloudy one.

--2009 NFL Draft: 107 days

--2009 Buckeye Season Opener: 240 Days

--Pitchers and Catchers Report…37 Days

That’s all for now. Take care and thanks to all six of you that bothered to read this.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Well, that pretty much sucked ass.

Although I'm very disappointed in the outcome of the game, I tip my hat to the 2008 NFC North Division champions. There are a lot of things to like about this team, from ownership on down. Adrian Peterson is a once in a generation type player, an owner that has no problems spending money to bring in top talent, and a dominating defense that is has a championship swagger about them.

But Tarvaris Jackson has become the 600 lb. gorilla in the room. I think it's premature to say that Tarvaris Jackson isn't an NFL quarterback, but there is a sense of urgency about this team that will not allow the quarterback position to remain in a state of flux. Either Jackson is the guy, or he isn't. Fish or cut bait. Shit or get off the pot. Insert your cliche here.

For every bad decision or series of drives that Jackson has, like his horrible interception today that Asante Samuel returned for a touchdown, he has a good series or game that gives you a glimpse into his potential, and makes you think he's the guy, like the TD drive right after the interception. Cool in the pocket, good decisions, solid throws. Or like his come from behind victory against Detroit. Or his 4 TD performance on the road against Arizona. Or his 4th quarter, come from behind victory against the Giants. The kid has shown NFL talent, but at what point does your patience run out?

This is a team that has few weaknesses. There are some key veterans that are aging, like Darren Sharper, Antoine Winfield, and Pat Williams, but they either have one or two years of productivity left or a promising young guy waiting in the wings to take their place. The right side of the offensive line needs some help, the defensive line needs a bookend pass rusher to complement Jared Allen, and...the 600 lb. gorilla.

I'll entrust the Vikings front office on the quarterback evaluation. But the winow of opportunity for this core of Vikings players is as open as it as going to get, so get a guy that can drive this car to Super Bowl glory, be it Tarvaris Jackson or someoene else.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Top 10 Viking Playoff Wins

With the "Drive for Five" commencing tomorrow, I thought this would be a good time to take a walk down Vikings post season memory lane and take a look at what I think are the 10 best Viking playoff victories in franchise history. I gave more weight in the rankings to conference championships than divisional or wildcard games, but with that said I think we will all agree on what the #1 game is. Anyways, sit back, relax, and enjoy the blog.

10. at New Orleans, 1987 (Wildcard): Vikes 44, Saints 10. The first post season appearance by the New Orleans Saints turned out to be the most lopsided post season victory in Vikings history. The Vikings jumped out to a 31-10 halftime lead, and Wade Wilson hit Hassan Jones on a 44 yard hail mary as time expired in the first half. The Vikes amassed over 200 yards rushing from the likes of Darrin Nelson, DJ Dozier, Alfred Anderson, and Rick Fenney.

9. Los Angeles, 1976 (Conference Championship): Vikes 24, Rams 13. The Rams took control early, but the momentum completely changed when Bobby Bryant went 90 yards on a blocked field goal, and although the Rams got close, the Vikes closed them out in the 4th quarter to send Minnesota to their third Super Bowl in four years, and fourth overall. Chuck Foreman had almost 200 yards of total offense, and the aging but proud Purple People Eaters harassed Pat Haden (yeah, the same guy that does the Notre Dame games) all day long.

8. Washington, 1976 (Divisional): Vikes 35, Redskins 20. George Allen brought his over-the-hill gang to Met Stadium to meet the almost-over-the-hill Purple People Eaters, and the Vikings set the tone early. Brent McClanahan (who would later become part of Viking Super Bowl infamy, but I digress) ripped off a huge run on the first play from scrimmage, and both he and Chuck Foreman had over 100 yards rushing on the day. Sammy White caught a 27 yard touchdown pass that deflected off the back of Chis Hanburger, and it was essentially over by halftime.

7. at Dallas, 1973 (Conference Championship): Vikes 27, Dallas 10. Rookie Chuck Foreman gave the Vikes an early lead, but future dope addict Golden Richards returned a punt to make it close. Two big plays by the Vikings, a 54 yard Fran Tarkenton to John Gilliam pass and a 63 yard Bobby Bryant pick six put the nail in the coffin for Dallas, sending Minnesota to their second Super Bowl in four years. The Gilliam touchdown was my earliest Viking memory, because my Dad got up from his chair and whooped and hollered, and I am proud to say that he passed that family tradition down to me, and it continues to this day.

6. Cleveland, 1969 (League Championship): Vikes 27, Cleveland 7. The last NFL championship was won by the Minnesota Vikings over the Cleveland Browns in a game that sent the "40 for 60" Vikings to what was then called the AFL-NFL Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Purple People Eaters dominated Cleveland, and the Vikes jumped out to a 27-0 score before Cleveland avoided the shutout in the fourth quarter. Oh, when I'm on my deathbed I'll know I'll be going to Hell if I hear Hank Stramm and that whiny little voice say "65 Toss Power Trap" over. And over. And over.

5. Los Angeles, 1974 (Conference Championship): Vikes 14, Rams 10. I remember this being a close game throughout, and Rams quarterback James Harris giving the defense fits but threw two costly picks as the Rams were driving. The Vikes won behind a steady, but not spectacular running game spearheaded by an aging Dave Osborn, #41 in your program, but #1 in your heart.

4. Los Angeles, 1969 (Divisional): Vikes 23, Rams 21. My Dad is getting older, and his memory isn't what it once was, but he remembers this game pretty well. Joe Kapp went and won it in the fourth after he tried to lose it for the first three. The Rams jumped out to a 17-7 lead at the Met. He willed the team to a late fourth quarter touchdown, and Carl Eller sacked Roman Gabriel in the end zone to cap a 10 point, come from behind victory.

3. at New York, 1997 (Wildcard): Vikes 23, Giants 22. Denny 'The Sheriff' Green gets his first playoff win as Vikings coach in a game the Vikings had absolutely no business winning. They looked lethargic and disinterested the entire game, and in the last 90 seconds scored 10 points to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

2. at San Francisco, 1987 (Divisional): Vikes 36, 49ers 24. And it wasn't that close. The 49ers were the #1 seed going into the playoffs, and a Reggie Rutland/Najee Mustafaa 48 yard pick six put the 49ers into a 20-3 hole which they would never climb out of. Joe Montana was so bad that he was benched, and Anthony Carter had 227 yards receiving, which is/was an NFL playoff record. He also had 6,407 yards in punt returns that game as well.

1. at Green Bay, 2004 (Wildcard): Vikes 31, Packers 17. How do I love this game? Let me count the ways. The Vikes underachieved all year and backed into the playoffs after they lost at Washington and Randy Moss walked off the field. No one, and I mean no one, thought the Vikings had a chance. Daunte Culpepper played flawlessly, the defense picked off Brett Favre four times, Randy Moss treated Al Harris like a little bitch the whole game, and then mooned Lambeau. Joe Buck's head almost exploded, I pissed myself I was laughing so hard, and after the decade long media orgasm over Brett Favre, it was nice to see him get his ass whipped by the Vikings. In the playoffs. At Lambeau. Ironically, the Lambeau moon by Moss was the catalyst that lead to his trade that brought the Vikings the Troy WIlliamson pick. What was your favorite Troy Willimason moment?

Oh, and burn in Hell, Red McCombs.

And I can't get out of here without mentioning the 1980 hail mary against the Browns. It wasn't a playoff game, but it clinched the division for the Vikings. Joe Senser and Ted Brown ran a hook and ladder to set up the Touchdown Tommy Kramer to Ahmad Rashad and his one handed catch, and for pure theater, I think it was the most exciting game I can ever remember watching.

Enjoy the game.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Thinking about...stuff

Vikings thought for today: I can’t argue with Peyton Manning as the league MVP, but I expect to see Adrian Peterson win one or two before his career ends. I thought he was a serious candidate to win until his late season fumbling problem, because you can make a legitimate argument that no player is more valuable to the Vikings than Peterson is to the Vikings. I think Pat Williams will play, but Philadelphia never runs the ball, anyway. Still, his presence is needed on that defensive line, as he takes up 14 blockers per play, giving Jared Allen and Kevin Williams an opportunity to have a big day against an effective, but just-a-step-slower Donovan McNabb.

If I was Zygi WIlf, I’d be on the phone to any potential Southern California buyer asking how much. I mean really, fans are so disenchanted with a…division…title…that they don’t want to come watch the first home playoff game since 2000? Add that to the comments of state senator Larry Pogemiller, and the Vikings are pretty much as good as gone. Seriously, when the fan base bitches about a head coach that just won the division title and state politicians literally laughs the Vikings out of the building when a new stadium is brought up, do you really think that the Vikings will be in Minnesota much longer? The NFL would love to put a marquee player like Adrian Peterson in a media market like Los Angeles, and thanks to a fickle fan base and an ignorant legislative body, the NFL will get their wish.

Ohio State thought for today: The Ohio State fan in me wants to see Beanie Wells wearing the Scarlet and gray next year, but a running back can only absorb so many hits before he ends up like Earl Campbell. I appreciate his passion and his determination to leave Columbus with a lasting legacy, but I can’t fault him if he bolts for NFL riches.

I still don’t get how a formation with both Todd Boeckman and Terrelle Pryor in it will be beneficial. Are you going to have them both line up in the backfield? Are you going to line Boeckman up wide and throw him the ball? Really? Are you going to throw him a screen and then send Pryor deep? Run an option with Boeckman and Pryor? I’m not Jim Bollman or Jim Tressel, but I just don’t see the upside here. I’d spend more time coming up with a way to shut down Colt McCoy, but we’ll see come Monday.

The country may have entered an economic downturn earlier year, but the Big 10 has been in a down cycle since January of 2007. Michigan laid an egg against USC in the Rose Bowl that year, OSU got killed by Florida, Michigan then got beat by Appalachian St. in the 2007 season opener, and then OSU got killed…again…but by LSU this time. I submit that if OSU beats Texas Monday, Ohio State gets a large measure of redemption, and the Big 10 will start the road to recovery. But for the conference to fully recover, they need to do better than 2-5 in bowls (assuming OSU wins), and marquee teams need to at least show up against out of conference marquee opponents.

St. Louis Cardinals thought for today: I’ve been patient, I really have. I didn’t have a problem with not spending insane money on the latest and greatest free agent. I think it’s a great idea to rebuild the farm system and get some young, fresh talent. But the terms “low hanging fruit” and “keeping the powder dry” have become synonymous with another word: “cheap”. The Cardinals have now finished in second place for another affordable free agent in Brian Fuentes, and have now decided that Adam Kennedy is the answer at second base as opposed to Aaron Miles or Javier Lopez. I’m aware that Miles isn’t going to go to the Hall of Fame, or even to the Hall of Pretty Good. It’s not the fact that they didn’t sign Miles, who’s value I think is over-rated in the eyes of many Cardinal fans; it’s the fact that they haven’t signed…anyone. I give John Mozeliak credit where it’s due; trading Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus was a phenomenal trade, and giving Kyle Lohse an extension was a smart move. But the Cardinals are over-valuing talent on the farm at the expense of making the club better, and Miles would have been good insurance if Adam Kennedy ends up playing more like Adam Carolla. I get the importance of a good farm system, but at what point does this club become the St. Louis Twins? They’re not there yet, because they have a good track record of keeping marquee (not Marquis) players, but once guys like Chris Carpenter, Rick Ankiel, Yadier Molina, and…gulp…Albert Pujols are gone, the record seems to indicate that the Cardinals will look from within to replace these players, and not pursue quality from the free agent pool.

But man, what progress on Ballpark Village!!

Big 10 thought for today: Yesterday I wrote that to fix the Big 10, you need to add a team, split into divisions, and have a conference championship game. Let me caveat that by saying that works only if every major conference does that, and this becomes the foundation for a college football playoff. If you go that route, the bowls must be completely eliminated. Quarter and semi-final games are played at the higher ranked teams home stadium, with the Championship game played at a neutral site, just like they do in the NFL…and in the FCS. The only potential problem with that is the ranking of the teams. Give it to sportswriters and/or coaches and I think there would be a natural bias towards their region or conference. I can’t honestly say if that exists in the FCS or not, because I frankly don’t care what happens in the FCS. But I haven’t heard a lot of complaining about it, so it must not be too problematic. If you try to incorporate the current BCS bowls as a semi-final and championship game location, you’re asking fans to travel across the country on consecutive weeks, or at best in two weeks, to watch their team play. That’s asking a lot in robust economic times; in an economy like this, it just isn’t feasible for 95% of us. If the NCAA isn’t going to go that route, then just eliminate the damn BCS and go back to the way it used to be, and cut the number of bowls down to about 20 or so. Maybe I’m just waxing nostalgic, but I miss the gluttony of football on New Year’s Day, and I think it stinks that all the major bowl games have been rendered essentially irrelevant. And I might do better than 9-18 on my office bowl pick ‘em.

And bring back the Bluebonnet Bowl!!

But a playoff isn’t going to happen anytime soon. There is too much money in the bowl system for the schools and conferences involved to eliminate them, and that money helps to fund not only football, but other sports that aren’t high revenue producers. A playoff that eliminates the bowls will produce a large amount of money, but only for a select few schools. Secondly, I thought part of the growing disparity between the Big 10 and the rest of the country would be solved by a conference championship, but that’s only part of the problem.

Yesterday, Kirk Herbstreit brought up a great point about the speed disparity between USC and Penn State (and the SEC and the Big 10, for that matter). It’s not the speed at the skill positions, it’s the speed on the interior line and linebacker that is just killing the Big 10. And in the groupthink that is the Big 10, you first play to win the Big 10 first, not the national championship. So do you go and start recruiting a team to play with the USC’s of the world, but might not be physically imposing enough to withstand a Big 10 schedule? Because I submit that if you put Florida or USC up in our climate in October and November and make them play as physically as the Big 10 plays week in and week out, they wouldn’t be as effective as they are on a regular basis.

Thanks for reading, all three of you.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

How to Fix the Big 10

Happy New Year!!

I'm not nearly as hung over as I thought, and watching the Gophers look terrible, for the most part, has pissed me off so much I have come up with a solution to the Big 10 problem. No, SEC fans, we can't disband it. But we can make it better.

After watching the Big 10 get steamrolled during bowl season so far, it's become apparent that the conference is hurt by two things: Ending the season before Thanksgiving while everyone else plays leaves too much time between the regular season and their respective bowl game, and with the conference out of the limelight for those two weeks while everyone else plays, I think recruiting takes a hit as well. Of course, it doesn't help when you have your 5th, 6th, and 7th place teams playing 3rd, 4th, and 5th place teams of other conferences, but I digress. I am a big traditionalist, so my natural inclination is to not support the addition of a 12th team and a conference championship game, but the time has come for the Big 10 to enter the 21st century and do it, as long as you keep most significant and historical rivalries intact.

So, who should the Big 10 add? I think the most natural answer, both from a geographic standpoint and rivalry standpoint, is Notre Dame. Adding Notre Dame makes perfect sense. They add to an already rich history, the addition is mutually beneficial for both the school and the conference, and they have natural rivalrieas already set up with Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue. And when setting up the divisions, let's be more creative than North/South or East/West. I think the conference should be split geographically along an East West orientation, but let's call the divisions the Great Lakes and the Great Plains Division, because it's cool.

So, breaking down the divisions would look something like this:

Great Plains (West):
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Notre Dame

Great Lakes (East):
Michigan
Micigan State
Purdue
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State

In the Great Plains, you keep natural/trophy/historic rivals MN-IA, MN-WI, IA-WI and NU-IL. In the Great Lakes, you keep natural/historic/trophy games with UM-MSU, IN-MSU, MSU-PSU, The Game, and PU-IN. Notre Dame still keeps their MSU and UM rivalry games because they can still play them every year, and then rotate between the remaining four teams in the division. The only real rival/trophy games that stands out as one that is in yearly jeopardy is the UM-MN game for the Little Brown Jug, but you can easily schedule a UM-MN game on a yearly basis. And really, when one team wins the trophy once every 20-25 years, how much of a rivalry is it? The OSU-IL game for the Illibuck isn't a yearly game anymore, either, and there's no real rivalry there, as much as Illinois might think so.

I think Notre Dame is the obvious answer, but they do align with the Big East in other major sports like basketball, so I could see them going to the Big East if they abandon their independent status. If not Notre Dame, I think there are a few possibilities that would be intriguing, and somewhat out of the box. Keeping in mind that a new entry into the Big 10 must be a school that borders a current Big 10 state (Big 10 rule), the pick would come from the Big East or Big XII North. I think Pitt, Cincinnati, or West Virginia would be prime candidates to join. Pitt has an up and coming team, and could renew an historic rivalry with Penn State. Cincinnati football has been revived under Brian Kelly, and they would play a perfect New Jersey Generals to Ohio State's Harlem Globetrotters on a yearly basis. West Virginia fans are still bitter about Rich Rodriguez going to Michigan, so if RichRod can be successful in Ann Arbor, that makes for great theater, and a great rivalry. So let's replace Nore Dame with one of these three teams. Division breakdown looks something like this:

Great Lakes (East):
Penn State
Pitt or Cincy or WVU
OSU
UM
MSU
Indiana

Great Plains (West):
Purdue
NU
IL
WI
MN
IA

Again, most rivalry/trophy games of meaning are left intact, with the main exception of the Old Oaken Bucket game. But again, on a case by case basis, you can schedule natural rivals in different division every year, and rotate the remaining teams through the schedule. But with Pitt in, you would revive a great Pitt-PSU rivalry, and there would be a natural geographical rivalry with OSU. And with kids growing up in Northern Ohio hating the Steelers, it might help recruiting...who knows? Cincinnati has a natural rivalry with OSU, West Virginia with OSU, Michigan, and Penn State.

Let's look west. The Big XII has taken a decidedly southern flavor in recent years, and that's okay...for some. For the old Big 8 crowd, it isn't sitting well. Big XII headquarters was moved from Kansas City to Dallas, and the conference championship game is going there as well, thanks to Jerry Jones and his billion dollar playground. From the Big XII, I see two possibilities, Missouri and Nebraska. Mizzou is a longshot, though, because they have a rivalry in Kansas that is every bit as bitter as OSU-UM. Even though they have a budding rivalry with Illinois, I don't see them giving up over 100 years of the Border War for the Arch rivalry.

So that leaves...wait for it...Nebraska. Yeah, Nebraska. Another powerhouse program on the way to redemption, with only a faded rivalry with Oklahoma keeping them where they are now. And the ruination of the grat Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry was the prime reason that I feel you need to keep OSU-UM in the same division. They only play every few years now, and at one time it was one of the top three rivalries in the country. So if you can add Nebraska, it would look something like this:

Great Plains (West):
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Nebraska

Great Lakes (East):
Michigan
Micigan State
Purdue
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State

The only drawback is that there aren't any rivalries that jump out for Nebraska in the Big 10, but Iowa and Wisconsin, the two strongest programs in that division, would quickly become top rivals with the Cornhuskers.

Now, for the conference championship game. It could be rotated throughout the Midwest, and there are some great facilities that can host it. Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Soldier Field, Ford Field in Dertoit, even the new Vikings stadium, if they ever build the damn thing. But how about, at least in the inagural championship game, you go to Lambeau Field?

You have the Mecca of football (and God I hate to say that) hosting one of the most historic games in college fottbal history. It would make great theater.

Anyways, enjoy the bowls today. And let's hope Iowa, Penn State, and Michigan State can get some respect back for the conference today, and Ohio State can bring us all the way back on the 5th.