Blown Up, Sir!

The Minnesota Vikings have spent their training camp days at Mankato State University for the last 47 years. That will continue but their home away from the football field will change. Gage Hall has been the dormitory that housed the Vikings teams since 1965. Hot, humid days turned into less hot, still humid nights. Without air conditioning for many of those years, the complete exhaustion from football was the only thing that allowed for some sleep. Despite the hard work on the football field and the brutal heat, the players had many great memories from their time at Mankato. Fireworks, bocce ball with Bud Grant, late night pizza deliveries from Jake's, the usual training camp hijinks. Perhaps the most famous stunt was Keith Millard tossing coach Monte Kiffin off the top of Gage Hall. It was just a mannequin but no one knew that at the time. Good times.

Gage Hall was the tallest building in Mankato. It is no more. Gage Hall was imploded yesterday morning. Hundreds gathered to watch the building come down. 47 years standing and the building came down in seconds. The site will be redeveloped for parking. Two new buildings have already replaced the dormitory after the university decided that it was cheaper to build new, more modern on-campus housing than rehabilitate the old complex. The Vikings were the last to use Gage Hall as it closed following their training camp last summer. Not only was the old dormitory the summer home to the Minnesota Vikings it was the home to more than 50,000 Mankato State students.

Hearing about Gage Hall has been a part of my football summers since the early 1970s. I've never been to Mankato, let alone walk the halls of Gage. I only feel like I have. The players are likely glad to get out of that old building but they must still be a little sad.

Supposed Sanctions

Like Pete Carroll before him, Chip Kelly was a few steps ahead of the law. Like USC, Oregon was hit with sanctions by the NCAA infractions clowns just after their head coach left town. Both coaches apologized to the people that they left behind to deal with their mess. Mighty big of them. Unlike USC, Oregon's punishment was something less than even a slap on the wrist. Was Phil Knight's money in play? Maybe? It's a mystery.

Just over two years ago, the Oregon football team was busted for writing a $25,000 check to Will Lyles for what turned out to be non-existent recruiting service material. I would have no problem coming up with some real recruiting service material and I wouldn't charge $25,000 for it. No, Will Lyles is a Texas-based "middleman" that is a mentor, of sorts, to high school athletes. He was a mentor to LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk. Both were top running backs in Texas and both found their way to the campus of the University of Oregon. Shortly after Seastrunk signed a Letter of Intent to attend Oregon, Lyles received that nice, big check. Rather than provide any recruiting material, Lyles provided a five-star running back. The athletic director said that the violations were unintentional. So, I guess that the school didn't mean to spend $25,000 for a running back. For this pretty significant recruiting violation, the Oregon Ducks will lose one scholarship in each of the next three years. Wow! Oregon's depth chart probably goes at least five deep at every position. So, they have 24 scholarships to offer rather than 25 each of the next three years. New coach, Mark Helfrich shouldn't lose much sleep. The punishment is laughable. Oh, the NCAA also handed out an 18-month show-cause penalty to Chip Kelly that basically bans him from taking another college job. That's a stiff penalty seeing as he'll be working for the Philadelphia Eagles for at least the next 18 months. Many people, trying to explain away the way too light penalties, point out that the current players shouldn't have to suffer for the actions of others. Well, it's always going to work that way. No one finds out about violations before they happen. USC faced real punishment recently for sketchy things that Reggie Bush did, under Pete Carroll's watch, almost a decade ago. Punishment always comes after the crime. That's just how it works. USC people are probably pissed seeing these pathetic Oregon penalties. Ohio St. people, too. Oregon should have gotten at least the bowl bans that USC and Ohio St. received. Paying someone for a recruit is far worse than players trading gear for tattoos or Bush getting stuff from a wannabe agent. Boise St. recently lost three times the number of scholarships that Oregon lost. Boise St.'s crime? Recruits crashed on the couches of Boise St. football players during visits. Incredible. Even that pales in comparison to the Portland University golfer that was fined for using a school hose and school water to wash her car. Come on! Supposedly Oregon's penalties came back light because they cooperated fully with the investigation. Nice. Kiss ass and you get something closer to "bad dog" rather than anything slightly resembling a punishment. Part of Oregon's punishment was actually a public reprimand. That should teach 'em.

The NCAA is out of their minds. It's as if they blindly throw darts at a wall to determine sanctions. Miami has been a hot mess for the better part of the past decade. All of the seedy, boozy, booster-sponsored fun that you can ever imagine taking place in and around a football team took place at Miami. It's not the first time that these kinds of shenanigans have taken place on that very campus. You'd think that Miami would be under a microscope. The booster is even in jail now but who knows if any punishment will ever come down on the school. The NCAA has hacked up that entire investigation. Everything in that case is so out in the open that an investigation isn't even necessary. It really doesn't make much difference. They'd rather go after a golfer that has an issue with her dirty car. The NCAA has made their investigations and their penalties pretty much pointless. The punishments rarely fit the crime and there is absolutely no consistency in the punishments. If nothing else, the NCAA has moved Oregon a great deal closer to USC as the most hated team in the Pac-12. I never would have thought that was possible.

Top 10

The NFL Network finally completed their reveal of the Top 100 players in the league as voted by the players. This adventure started way back on the last day of the 2013 NFL Draft. This ranking of the players, by the players, has been done for a few years now. I find it to be some fun stuff. It's far more interesting to me to see how the players see themselves than some media knucklehead.

This is how the Top 10 fell:

10. Patrick Willis-San Francisco 49ers linebacker
9.   Von Miller-Denver Broncos linebacker
8.   Arian Foster-Houston Texans running back
7.   Aldon Smith-San Francisco 49ers linebacker
6.   Aaron Rodgers-Green Bay quarterback
5.   J.J Watt-Houston Texans defensive end
4.   Tom Brady-New England Patriots quarterback
3.   Calvin Johnson-Detroit Lions receiver
2.   Peyton Manning-Denver Broncos quarterback
1.   Adrian Peterson-Minnesota Vikings running back

I like this Top 10.

But, this is how I see those same ten players:

10. Arian Foster
9.   Aldon Smith
8.   Von Miller
7.   Calvin Johnson
6.   Patrick Willis
5.   Tom Brady
4.   Peyton Manning
3.   J.J. Watt
2.   Aaron Rodgers
1.   Adrian Peterson

I was stunned when I saw Rodgers pop up at #6. I think that he's the best quarterback in the game right now. That takes nothing away from Manning or Brady. I just think that he does some things, mainly with his mobility, better than the rest. I have Smith and Johnson lower than the players have them simply because of the players that I have ahead of them. I do think that Smith gets a huge boost from the attention paid to his fellow Smith on the 49ers defense, Justin Smith. Aldon Smith's production dropped significantly when Justin Smith was out of the lineup at the end of this past season. The other 49ers defender in the Top 10 is a favorite of mine.  If I could take one player from any other team in the league and put him on the Minnesota Vikings, I would take Patrick Willis. He's the best inside linebacker in the league. He's one of the best that I've ever seen at the position. The incredible 2007 NFL Draft put three players on this year's Top 10. Patrick Willis, Calvin Johnson, and Adrian Peterson. Ah, Adrian Peterson. The best player in football. You won't find any argument from me. It's cool to see a running back voted #1 in this passing league. As a Vikings fan, it's been an absolute honor to watch him play football over the last six seasons. Last season, after coming back from a shredded knee, Peterson gave me chills every single game day. It was an incredible season to behold. Just incredible.

Congratulations Adrian Peterson!!!!

Throwback Thursday: Original Two

The just completed Stanley Cup Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins sparked a lot of talk about hockey's Original Six. Those original teams in hockey had me thinking about football's original teams. The NFL that we know today started out as the American Professional Football Association in 1920. The only teams to play in that first season that are still playing today are the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals. The Green Bay Packers were around but they didn't join the new professional football league until 1921. The league changed it's name to the National Football League prior to the 1922 season. The APFA/NFL was lucky to make it out of that first decade. Teams came and went. There was a high of twenty-two teams and a low of only ten. Teams like the Columbus Panhandles, Duluth Eskimos, and Milwaukee Badgers took the field against the big, bad Chicago Bears. Professional football was not the lucrative business that it is today. In 1925, the New York Giants joined the league. The 1920s started with only two teams that would survive. The decade closed with four teams that would make it to the present day.

The 1930's brought some stability to the NFL. The small town teams, except for that cute Green Bay team, started to fade away. The remnants from the semi-pro, pre-NFL days were replaced by big city teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Rams. A Brooklyn/Boston team that can be linked to our present day Indianapolis Colts rounded out a ten team league that brought about a brighter future for professional football. As the '30s became the '40s, the war years created some difficulties for the NFL just as they did everywhere. Some teams joined forces to survive, but they did survive. The end of the war found a second professional league in the All-America Football Conference. By the end of the decade, that new league would provide the NFL with two new teams in the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. This created the 12-team league that entered the expansion of the 1960s and a football war with the AFL.

Technically, the NFL has an Original Two. There's no real way around the fact that only the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals have played in all of the APFA/NFL's 93 seasons. Granted, the Cardinals have moved around some in those 93 years. They even joined forces with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1944 to survive World War II. I tend to think of the Packers and the Giants as original teams as well. Curly Lambeau and his Packers were playing competitive football before the new professional league was formed. They just signed up a year late. The Packers and Giants were part of the professional football chaos of the 1920s. They lived it and made it through. They deserve some recognition for surviving that decade. So, the NFL has their Original Two. Original Four if you cut a couple teams some slack.

Early Signings

Since Sonny Dykes has yet coach a game for Cal it's a bit early to come to any conclusion as to how he does things. If this spring is any indication, Dykes gets his recruiting started early. Under Jeff Tedford, Cal would get a sprinkling of commits by June. Early commits are pretty common for schools like Alabama, LSU, Ohio St., and other top football schools. Kids line up for those scholarship offers. Those schools can recruit on name alone and could fill their available spots in seconds. Cal has to work a little. Dykes and his staff appear to be doing some work. Through this past weekend, Cal has seven commits.

S   Quentin Tartabull-Bishop Alemay HS, Mission Hills, CA
RB Vic Enwere-Stephen F Austin HS, Sugar Land, TX
QB Luke Rubenzer-Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, AZ
DE Isadore Outing-Andy Dekaney HS, Houston, TX
RB Tre Watson-Centennial HS, Corona, CA
WR Jalen Harvey-El Cerrito HS, El Cerrito, CA
S    Koa Farmer-Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA

Farmer committed last October so he's technically a Tedford recruit. This ia a real nice start to Cal's 2014 freshman class. The two Texas recruits Vic Enwere and Isadore Outing intrigue me. Not only are they terrific football players, they are terrific students. And, they are from Texas. Dykes has stated that his staff will target Texas in recruiting. Enwere and Outing are an indication that he's holding true to that statement. Texas has an abundance of football talent.  It's a good place to have a recruiting presence. I like when Cal can attract players from out of state. There's no doubt that there's a ton of talent in California but I like it when Cal can make a national statement. It looks like Dykes has that in mind and Texas is at the top of his list. With Dykes and his version of the spread offense being the future of Cal football, Rubenzer could be a critical part of his plans. Tedford brought in some talented quarterbacks the last couple of years, Zach Kline and Jared Goff in particular. This year's starter will likely be one of those two. Although Kyle Boehm and Austin Hinder are in the battle as well. Rubenzer has the pressure and advantage of being Dykes' first quarterback recruit. Rubenzer is a serious dual threat. He has tremendous running skills. He will be joining some serious arms in 2014. This is the most quarterback talent that I can ever remember Cal having at one time.

I like the safeties that Cal has in this class. Very nice.

I've always wondered about Cal's lack of early commits. Was Tedford simply waiting to make scholarship offers? Waiting for other schools to fill most of their spots? Who knows. I think that committed players recruit other players. Seeing other players committed to Cal builds interest in Cal. I don't really see any downside to getting early commits. It must be kept in mind that none of these commits really mean a thing until the letters of intent are signed. The more that I see and hear of Sonny Dykes the more that I like him as Cal's head football coach.

Roster Turnover

With yesterday's signing of linebacker Desmond Bishop, the Minnesota Vikings filled their most significant remaining hole. There will be competition for several spots throughout training camp. There should be competition at every position. Well, every position but running back. Adrian Peterson has a firm grasp on that job. The Vikings will put solid football players at every position for the 2013 season. There's always room for improvement but there are no glaring weaknesses. That's pretty remarkable considering that they stumbled through a 3-13 season as recently as 2011. Even more remarkable is that there are only six starters remaining from the terrific 2009 team that outplayed the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game. The Vikings returned all 22 starters from that team the next season. In only two seasons, there has been a nearly complete turnover of the Minnesota Vikings roster.

When Leslie Frazier replaced Brad Childress as head coach the team was certain to move in a different direction. That change in direction was further cemented by the promotion of Rick Spielman to general manager following the 2011 season. The Vikings have a pretty promising operation going now. Strong drafts in recent years have shown that. Those drafts have improved the talent level on the field. Having five first round picks in the last two drafts have certainly added to that talent. If quarterback Christian Ponder can take the next step as a leader and passer the Vikings have an incredible nucleus of young players in Minnesota. The future is bright. The future didn't look too bright as everything fell apart, including the stadium roof, during that disastrous 2010 season. The turnover of the roster has been incredible. Even the kicker and punter have changed. On offense, only Adrian Peterson, center John Sullivan, and right tackle Phil Loadholt remain from that 2010 season. On defense, only defensive end Jared Allen, defensive tackle Kevin Williams, and linebacker Chad Greenway remain. Allen and Williams are entering the final year of their contract so further changes are likely in store for the 2014 season. The hope here is that Allen will be re-signed.

Ever since free agency entered the NFL about twenty years ago, roster turnover has taken place at a greater clip. The salary cap has also done a number on roster stability. I think that the Vikings turnover since 2010 has still been remarkable. I also think that the Vikings turnover has much more to do with the coaching change from Childress to Frazier and the greater decision-making authority given to Spielman. By the way, Rick Spielman has done a fantastic job reshaping the Vikings roster. Childress was always quick to rely on free agency to build his roster. The Vikings have backed away from that since the coaching and administration changes. They're still willing to spend in free agency if need be. The addition of receiver Greg Jennings earlier this offseason is proof of that. The Vikings free agency acquisitions are more likely bargain players on one-year deals. The draft is the path to roster building for the Minnesota Vikings these days. They've quickly become one of the youngest teams in the league. They've also become a much more talented team. If Ponder progresses as we all hope, the Vikings are setting themselves up to be a strong team for a while.

Very Nice

The NFL announced that the Deacon Jones Award will now be awarded annually to the defender who leads the league in sacks. This is a real nice move to forever honor Deacon Jones. The former Los Angeles Rams great defensive end was the first to use the term "sack" to describe the disposing of quarterbacks. It's only appropriate that his name continue to be associated with sacks.

I tend to think of the old football greats being players from the 1930's and 40's. 101-year old Ace Parker might be the only one of those players left. Even players from the 1950's are getting few in number. Very sad. Deacon Jones entered the league in 1961. Maybe it's more my refusal to accept getting old but I don't think of the 60's as being all that long ago. Jones played through that decade and into the '70's. 74 years of age is far too young to die of natural causes. Deacon Jones was one of the most, if not the most, active links to the football days of a half century ago. He was an incredible Hall of Fame ambassador. He was at every induction ceremony. He was one of the few from his playing days that regularly made it to Canton. He was always there to welcome the new members to his exclusive club. Warren Sapp was so looking forward to that Jones welcome this August. It was difficult to watch Sapp's sadness in talking of the passing of Deacon Jones. I feel it too. I'm going to be attending the Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year. It's also my first visit to Canton. While my main reason for attending is to see Cris Carter receive his much deserved honor. I was also looking forward to seeing all the football greats. Deacon Jones in particular. With this being the 50th Anniversary of the Hall of Fame, there is going to be one of the largest turnouts of football greats that Canton has ever seen. There's a huge void in that group now. Everybody in Canton on August 3rd will feel it.

The game of football has changed so much since the 60's and even the 70's. Jones would have hated playing under the rules today. Those rules would have done nothing but increase his hatred of quarterbacks. He would love the idea of an award in his name honoring the take down of quarterbacks. Thanks to the Deacon Jones Award quarterbacks going forward will again be feeling pain in his name.