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!