Throwback Thursday: Championship Earned, Championship Lost

One of the more striking artifacts found in the Professional Football Hall of Fame is a football carved from shiny black anthracite. Etched with the words: Pottsville Maroons, NFL and World Champions, it is more of a quest than an honor. The Maroons may have been the best team in the NFL in 1925, but they don't have that title.

Pottsville, Pennsylvania in the 1920s was a unique place in a unique time. The small town produced anthracite, shiny black, high carbon coal, lots of it. In the early 20th century, Pottsville was booming. Pennsylvania, with Ohio, was also in the center of the professional football world. The Pottsville football team held it's own against the best in the early '20s. In 1924, Dr. J.G. Striegel decided to spruce up his team. He called Joseph Zacko, owner of a local sporting goods store, and placed an order for 25 matching jerseys. "The color isn't important." When Zacko delivered 25 maroon-colored jerseys, the Pottsville Maroons were born. The freshly attired 1924 team rolled through a 12-1-1 season to win the Anthracite League Championship. In 1925 they would take on the NFL.

Striegel looked to make a strong squad better. One of his holdovers was the punishing runner Tony Latone. His style was a fairly accurate preview of one that would hit the NFL a few years later, Bronko Nagurski. To balance the power of Latone, backs Barney Wentz, Hoot Flanagan and Walter French could fly. Charlie Berry, perhaps the best athlete on the team, was a dangerous receiver and a defensive star. At a time when kicking often decided the games, Berry was one of the best. The Stein brothers, Herb and Russ, Russ Hathaway, Duke Osborn and Frank Racis, who found it appropriate to wear a wool ball cap rather a leather helmet, formed a dominant line. To coach this collection, Striegel hired Dick Rauch. This was particularly significant as most leaders around the league were little more than on-field captains. The Maroons further seperated themselves from the NFL norm when Striegel insisted that all players must live in Pottsville. It was common for players at the time to "job in" for weekend games. This setup allowed for Rauch to practice his team daily. The 1925 Pottsville Maroons were skilled and prepared.

It wasn't the regular season that gave the Maroons their troubles. It wasn't any of the games at all. They dominated. They fell asleep in two games against Providence and Frankford. They made up for those losses with a vengeance in return engagements, by destroying Providence 34-0 and Frankford 49-0. Eight of ten wins were shutouts. There were no Championship Games in those days. Since the Chicago Cardinals had reasonable claims to the title, the two teams arranged for a game to be played in Chicago to settle matters. The Maroons left no doubt with a 21-7 win.

This is where Striegel should have called it a season. Celebrated a championship and their place in history. The NFL in the 1920s was such a different beast from what we know today. Teams were struggling. Some going under. Any chance for a solid payday was a reason to suit up. Striegel decided a payday was worth risking the championship. As the best professional team in the east, the Pottsville Maroons would play a Notre Dame All-Star team. A team that included the Four Horsemen. In the 1920s college football was king, and no team was a greater draw than Notre Dame. The NFL was fighting for legitimacy in those days. Players were jumping from team to team, some were jumping from college teams under assumed names, teams were folding, new teams were stumbling. The NFL needed the respect of the public to survive those tough early years. This was the burden of league president Joe Carr, and his resulting strength. The Pottsville-Notre Dame game was to be played in the territorial market of the rival Frankford Yellow Jackets. Granted, this was a Frankford team that thought that they were getting the Notre Dame game until Pottsville served them a beat down. This was also a Frankford team that quickly scheduled a home game to be played the same day as the Notre Dame game, just to strengthen their complaint against the Maroons. Striegel was warned by Carr three times prior to the game that it couldn't be played within the Frankford market. Striegel still chose the game and the payday. Pottsville beat Notre Dame 9-7. Despite the repercussions, this was a huge accomplishment for the NFL in the public eye. It raised the prestige and respect of professional football. It also cost the Pottsville Maroons a championship. While all this was going on the Chicago Cardinals decided to pad their win total. They played and won hastily arranged games with Hammond and Milwaukee. To cloud matters even more, Milwaukee suited up high school players just to field a team. Everything was a mess. Pretty much the only thing that was clear was that Pottsville violated league rules by playing the game in Philadelphia. They also ignored three direct orders from Joe Carr. The Pottsville Maroons were kicked out of the league. To add insult to injury, the Notre Dame game failed to bring the big money that was expected. The Cardinals were fined and placed on probation for playing an illegal game against Milwaukee. The Cardinals had the best record in the league, once the Maroons weren't in it, and was awarded the NFL title. Interestingly, Cardinals owner Chris O'Brien wouldn't accept the championship. The decision, of course, was the league's to make, not O'Brien's, but the vote was tabled and apparently not picked up again. The NFL never actually went through the formality of awarding the NFL Championship to anyone.

Few question whether the Pottsville Maroons were the best team in 1925. It can even be argued that they were the best professional team ever assembled. Perhaps challenged only by the 1922-23 Canton Bulldogs. They would have been the unquestioned champions if they hadn't disqualified themselves. League president Joe Carr really had no choice but to kick the Maroons out of the league. The public had to see a uniformity in the rules, a legitimacy in the league. The "traveling circus" days of professional football had to end. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the saga is the resolve of the Pottsville residents. For over 80 years they have claimed that 1925 Championship. They have continually urged the NFL to do the same. As recently as 2003, the people of Pottsville have presented their case to the NFL at the annual owners meetings. Author David Fleming wrote "The Breaker Boys" detailing the stories and wrongs done to the Pottsville Maroons. The fact that the 1925 title was never technically awarded only fuels the fire. Even a quick glance at the league standings show the Chicago Cardinals at the top since the Pottsville Maroons weren't eligible. It's easy to side with the Maroons and the people of Pottsville. They had a dynamite team that beat everybody they faced. The Notre Dame game was for respect, their own and for the NFL, and survival. I doubt any of the players regret playing that game despite the cost. The Maroons were allowed back in the league the following year. They nearly won it all too. They faded in '27 and eventually moved to Boston. Since the Cardinal have had such a bleak history, the Bidwill family, current and longtime owners of the Cardinals, have a tight grip on that title that was never awarded. They will never give it up no matter how hard Pottsville tries to claim it.

More Talks With A Twist

The labor negotiations are continuing this week. This time they are back in Minnesota. Instead of their usual two day work week, they are going to stretch it out to four days. That's pretty grueling. I hope that they can last. Actually, I'd like to see them work short of that because they've come to an agreement.

The twist this time is that no owners or players are expected at this round of talks. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, players' chief DeMaurice Smith, and their respective staffs will be there. So will attorneys for both sides. Albert Breer of NFL Network describes it as "part of the process". Breer, by the way, has done a stellar job of reporting on all of this. I hope that part of the process is getting it done now. The location of the talks and those present could indicate that the two sides are working to settle the antitrust case between the league and the players. I'd rather see them work towards a labor agreement. That should lead to an antitrust settlement and we'd be done with this crap.

Enough Already

Ten years ago, New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan set the NFL season record for sacks with 22.5. He passed former New York Jet Mark Gasteneau's total of 21.5 by falling on top of Brett Favre. That was pretty much all he had to do. By all appearances, Favre gave Strahan the record. It could have been a broken play (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). For ten years Strahan has gotten grief from everyone. I'm tired of hearing about it. I'm sure Strahan is tired of hearing about it. If this happened on sack #12, no one would be talking about it. Pretty much every defensive player has received a gift sack. Maybe they cleaned up after a teammate did all the work. Maybe the QB tripped stepping back from the center. Maybe it was a broken play. No one complains. It just happens. It happened for Strahan. It gave him an incredible total of 22.5 sacks. Let it be.

Number Fun

I've always had a sometimes odd affinity for numbers and letters. More specifically the patterns that can be found in these figures. As an example, I noticed that the last NFL Championship game in the lives of influential commissioners Joe Carr and Bert Bell had final scores of 23-17. The New York Giants were involved in both, winning one. Carr and Bell are the only commissioners to die in office and 23 is a fairly uncommon point total. This is a pretty incredible occurrence. I may be the only person to think that this is the least bit interesting.

The real intent of this Flea Flicker is another bit of number fun that probably intrigues only me. It is a fascinating pattern that I found in Minnesota Vikings success. Maybe failure rather than success. It depends upon your perspective. Starting with the 1976 season, which culminated in the Vikings last Super Bowl appearance, the outstanding team from Minnesota has had tremendous success every 11 years. They've had some decent seasons in between, but 1976, 1987, 1998 and 2009 were particularly successful seasons. Now, any season that ends short of a Super Bowl win actually ends short of desired success. As a Vikings fan, I have had to adjust my view of success. That will change. The Minnesota Vikings will win a Super Bowl, and they won't stop at just one. It's why all Vikings fans wake up each day. The 11 year pattern goes something like this:

1976: Super Bowl XI was the Vikings last. In those days, Minnesota seemed to make the final game every year. The Raiders sadly dominated. Especially with their offensive line. Fred Biletnikoff was MVP, but it should have been Art Shell and/or Gene Upshaw.

1987: The season was marred by a midseason strike. The Vikings excelled in the playoffs with an awesome defense and receiver Anthony Carter going ballistic. A failed 4th down attempt inside the 10 at the end of the NFC Championship game sent the Redskins to the Super Bowl. Considering the beat down that the Redskins threw at the Broncos, it's easy to imagine the Vikings doing the same. There may have been better Viking teams than the '87 version, but this one may have put up the best stretch of playoff games in the team's history.

1998: The Vikings had one of the best offenses in NFL history. They had a very suspect defense. The offense got on top of opponents so fast that the defense could just sit back and feast on mistakes. Kicker Gary Anderson missed ZERO kicks all year. His missed field goal late in the NFC Championship game led to overtime and the Falcons going to the Super Bowl. This offense was so dominant that nearly everyone had given the Vikings the Lombardi Trophy before the playoffs started.

2009: In my opinion, this was the best Vikings team since the '70s. Terrific balance on offense, defense and special teams. Stupid mistakes at the end of regulation in the NFC Championship game led to overtime and the Saints going to the Super Bowl. Sounds familiar. The Vikings had this game. They held the Saints potent offense to 257 yards while gaining over 450 themselves.

It's awesome to see the Vikings play outstanding football through the regular season. All smiles for 17 weeks. It would be nice to one day see that success continue through the playoffs. It can and will happen soon. I dearly hope that the 11 year pattern is shattered. I don't want to have to wait until 2020, but if I must I will. I hope to see it end with a win.

Vikings ans Titans

The idiotic lockout is difficult for everyone in the NFL. The teams with new head coaches and schemes are at a particular disadvantage. The Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans certainly fall into that category. The similarities don't end there. Mike Munchak of the Titans and Leslie Frazier of the Vikings were standout players in the NFL. Munchak is honored in the Hall of Fame. Leslie Frazier had a strong career cut short with a serious knee injury in Super Bowl XX. Unlike other teams with new head coaches, Frazier and Munchak have the slight advantage of having been with their respective teams for some time. They have a familarity with their teams that some of the other new head coaches don't have. That is a help in this ridiculous environment. Both teams are also likely to start rookie QBs. The Titans drafted, my pre-draft favorite, Jake Locker with the eighth pick in the draft. The Vikings selected Christian Ponder four spots later. This vanishing offseason is not the ruin of these new sgnal callers, but it certainly isn't doing them any favors. They will be aided by further similarities between the two teams. The Vikings' Adrian Peterson and the Titans' Chris Johnson are perhaps the top two runningbacks in the league. The standout running games of the teams will relieve a lot of the pressure on Ponder and Locker. They will be further assisted by strong defenses. The Vikings and Titans are talented teams that ran into some unusual difficulties last year. Neither team responded well to these difficulties. Horrible seasons were the result and both head coaches were fired. Neither team is far removed from very successful seasons. Both could be close to getting back to that success. With consistent play from rookie QBs, a positive influence from new coaches, both with playing experience themselves, a strong running game and defense, success could very well start this season.

Extra Incentive?

Getting football back on track should be incentive enough to get an agreement on a new CBA. If extra incentive is needed for some fool reason, we've found it. If the lockout ends by July 20, Buffalo Wild Wings will give six free chicken wings to anyone who signs the "Save Our Season" petition on the restaurant's Facebook page. Personally, I think, certainly hope, that the lockout will end well before that date. That is free chicken guaranteed. Get it while you can.

The Flea Flicker is getting nothing from Buffalo Wild Wings for mentioning this, except for six free chicken wings for signing the petition. I've never been to the restaurant. Actually, I've never even seen one. I'm just a big fan of chicken wings. Bigger fan of free chicken wings. If chicken wings can help end the lockout, I'll find a Buffalo Wild Wings fast.

The End Is Near

There is so much optimism surrounding the labor talks right now. If they take another break after two days again, I may lose my little mind. Perhaps they do need a break. Perhaps the two days on, too many days off pattern has brought them this close. Personally, I think that they should grind through until it's done, but I've never done one of these so what do I know. I would have tried to settle this mess three years ago.

The reason for the optimism is that it sounds like the talks have moved from the splitting of the revenue. The owners offer of 48% of everything to the players sounds like a go. The owners had a ridiculous formula for splitting the revenue back in March. It kept so much money from the players that they left the bargaining table and we had the lockout. There are still issues to negotiate, like the rookie wage scale, but they should come together. The revenue split was the big battle and that seems to be done. Wrap it up and bring in some football. It's getting late.

Throwback Thursday: Forgotten Pioneer

If you take a look at the list of presidents/commissioners through the history of the NFL, you'll come across the name of Carl Storck. "Who the hell is that?" might be the typical response. Several men tossed the league on their backs and carried it through the 1920s and '30s. What we have today is due to the work of these men. George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara, Art Rooney, George Preston Marshall, Bert Bell and especially Joe Carr put everything they had into the new league. Most, if not all, is well known even today. All are in the Hall of Fame. Carl Storck was with them through those days. He was at the famous meetings that launched the NFL. He was a founding member of the new professional league and owner of the Dayton Triangles. Like Joe Carr, Storck learned the professional game in the tough, competitive Ohio leagues. He played the game, coached the game, knew the game on the field and off. He's mostly forgotten today.

When Carr was elected president of the NFL in 1921, he picked his good friend Carl Storck to be the secretary-treasurer. Carr was an incredible leader for nearly 20 years until his death, on May 20, 1939, of a heart attack. Storck was by his side, his right hand man, the entire time. Even the strongest, most capable leaders need equally strong assistance. This was Carl Storck. He was an asset to Carr. He was an asset to the league. His position as secretary-treasurer/vice president was purely volunteer. He worked for General Motors to support his family.

When Carr died suddenly, Storck was elected to replace him. It was an easy and natural transition, but he was only given a one-year contract. Some owners, the Redskins' George Preston Marshall, were never sold on Storck. They wanted a big name to lead the league. Marshall even approached J. Edgar Hoover for the job. Fortunately, Hoover continued his harrassment of the public. Others looked to Arch Ward of the Chicago Tribune. He turned them down as well. All this time Storck continued his tireless work for the league but never felt secure in his job. He kept working at General Motors just in case. The NFL re-elected Storck in 1940, but again only offered a one-year contract. The owners still kept Arch Ward in their sites. Following the 1940 season, they again offered Ward the job. He again declined, but recommended Notre Dame Athletic Director Elmer Layden-who became famous as one of the Four Horseman of Notre Dame in the '20s. He had never been an executive in the professional ranks, but he had the big name. Layden was hired as the NFL's first Commissioner. He signed a 5-year contract. Storck could have worked under him but declined. He knew that Layden was not qualified to lead the league and decided that he couldn't work in that environment. This was a horrible way to treat a man that had given so much for so long. He was crushed. "He was heartbroken. That's what I always thought my father died of was heartbreak", says Dolores Seitz, daughter of Carl Storck. Shortly after leaving the NFL, he suffered a stroke. On March 13, 1950 Carl Storck died of numerous health issues in a Dayton nursing home. It's interesting that several biographies of Storck claim that he left the NFL due to health issues. He actually suffered the health issues after leaving the league. He was also right about Layden. World War II brought many challenges to the league, but the big name was a failure as commissioner. In 1946, the owners did what they should have done five years earlier. They hired one of their own in Bert Bell.

Carl Storck was such an important part of the first 20 years of the NFL. He was taken for granted when the league needed him most. Carr's sudden death left the league reeling. Storck could have settled that but he was never given the chance. His job was never secure. It's a tragedy that he was treated this way by his friends. It's also a tragedy if Carl Storck is forgotten.

Creeepin' Closer

The owners were pretty slick. They had their sleepover Monday night. Fooled us all. They just wanted to get all the good stuff started bright and early Tuesday morning. Sounds like it went very well. There were apparently no significant dissenters. I can't imagine clowns like Jerry Jones and Jerry Richardson not throwing tantrums, but it sounded peaceful.

A couple things that bounced out of the room included unrestricted free agency starting after four years. That was no surprise. The franchise tag will probably still be in use. The item that surprised me a bit was 16 weeks of Thursday night football games starting in 2012. Personally, I have never much cared for the Thursday games except for Thanksgiving. I don't like the short weeks that are forced on two teams. Throwing Thursday games out there shouldn't be a surprise as it creates a new revenue stream. It's all about the money. I'd gladly take the Thursday games over an 18 game schedule. There is speculation that a full season of Thursday games could bring an additional billion. That could get the owners to mellow on the 18 games.

The most significant result of the meetings was the good feeling amongst the owners. Perhaps they have an agreed upon proposal to present to the players. Perhaps they started Monday night in order to meet up with the players sooner. Perhaps this is all coming to an end. I still think that it ends before July.

Owner Riff?

Today and tomorrow are big days in this ludicrous labor squabble. Tonight is the much anticipated owner sleepover, nestled between the all important meetings. I hope that they have a wonderful time together. Get real close and get something settled. I'm hearing repeated chatter that the real problem in the labor negotiations is less between the owners and players and more between the owners themselves. The NFL has long thrived on revenue sharing. It is what brought the league to the top of the pro sports food chain. TV money and merchandise sales and licensing are split evenly among the 32 teams. This has allowed the small market teams to keep pace with the big boys. Teams get to keep some of the money that they generate through their stadiums with naming rights and other revenues. This is actually what is killing the Minnesota Vikings. They have a horrible stadium situation that generates little money. With it they will not be able to remain competitive for long. This is why the Vikings are at such a critical point in their quest for a new stadium. They don't get a new stadium. They move. Fools like Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys empire want to retain every cent even loosely connected to his stupid star. The other end of the spectrum is more foolishness in the likes of the Bengals' Mike Brown. His small market team stumbles along below the mediocrity line knowing that revenue sharing will keep him basking in his father's legacy. I used to think that every NFL cent should be shared evenly. Partly because I see the Vikings' owners do everything they can to build a championship team only to be held back by the chains of the Metrodome. As much as I dislike Jerry Jones, I respect his efforts to build and improve the Dallas Cowboys product. Whenever I think well of Jones, I have to ignore his Super Bowl ticket scam and his ridiculous stadium video screen. For every Jerry Jones there is a Mike Brown simply skating by. Now, I actually think that the teams should keep the dollars that they generate through their stadiums and their own at home marketing of the team. All 32 teams should be encouraged to put the best possible team on the field. I'm not sure that total revenue sharing provides that. Even small market teams can make up for being in a small market by being creative.

If the owners can get along and come to agreement with each other, it sounds like an agreement with the players will follow nicely. The setting is perfect tonight. The mood should be right for getting along, finally getting things done during their cozy little sleepover.

Foolish Owners

Much has been made of the NFL owner's hypocrisy in their desire for an 18 game season. They pass pansy rules in the name of safety. Praise themselves for their great concern for the player's well being. They pat themselves on the back for their concussion awareness. Football is a violent game. It always has been. It always will be since that is part of it's appeal. The physical aspect of the game should never be changed. If a player has a certain number of football collisions in their body, why add more? A 16 game regular season is seriously approaching the limits of the human body. Even the most successful current season, winning the Super Bowl, could bring the total games to 20. 22 games? No way. An 18 game season should not even be in the discussion. Part of the plan is to drop two preseason games. I've never understood how the owners can even think to equate two regular season games to two preseason games. It's a ridiculous stab at acting in the concern of the players. Adjusting roster limits to accommodate the owners desire for more is another pathetic attempt at concern. Better tackling technique has always been my preferred avenue for player safety. The "big, helmet first hit" may draw gasps but it is also a good way to miss the tackle. It should be mandated that every person involved in football from Pop Warner to the NFL watch film of Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield. Being a little guy forced Winfield to tackle the right way. I greatly enjoy watching Winfield evade the block of a lineman and bring down a back that outweighs him by 50 pounds. I'd much rather see that than a vicious helmet to helmet explosion. It's better football and the most sure way to get the opponent on the ground. Play over.

The owners have again shown their foolishness and general lack of concern for the players welfare. As this idiotic lockout grows more absurd by the day, agreement deadlines have been tossed about by both sides. I'd say that we are way passed when this mess should have been settled. The deadline should always be now. Anyway, the players say that the timing should allow for as much of training camp as possible. As many reps and conditioning as possible to properly get them ready for the games. A poorly prepared player is the best path to serious injury. The owners? They don't care about all of that. They just want the preseason games to start on time so that they can get the TV and ticket money. Once again, they show no concern for the players. They don't care how much time the players have to prepare for the games. They just want the games and the money to start. This view of the players as disposable has always been at the heart of the labor situation for me. How can anyone bargain in good faith with the presence of such a lack of respect? Sure, it all comes down to money. Both sides want. Both sides will get it. The owners want more than they had with the last labor agreement with less concern for the player's safety. The players are willing to accept less than they had with the last agreement but a greater respect from the owners.

Feisty Corner

A few years ago, Tennessee Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan grabbed my attention. Game after game, he was making big plays. I had never heard of him. He was quickly becoming one of the top corners in the game. He's currently there. Finnegan was largely unknown as a seventh round pick out of Samford. Unlike most top corners, Finnegan had to earn his NFL attention on the fly. Top cornerbacks typically come out of the first round, and they typically come out of the big schools. Top players at the other positions come from all over the draft and all levels of collegiate competition. Even considering Finnegan's level of competition at Samford, it's shocking that he slipped by the NFL scouts and coaches. Even playing safety the majority of the time, his speed and anticipation were clearly evident. He had a stellar college career. The type of career that ends with a selection well before the seventh round. The cornerback position is possibly more dependent on natural ability than any other position. There are aspects that can be learned; little tricks, tendencies of the receivers. Players can't really learn anticipation. They can enhance it, but you either have or you don't. Nobody has ever figured out how to learn speed. The skills needed to play corner in the NFL can usually be easily seen in college. This leads to the quick grab of corners in the first round of the draft. Zone schemes, like the cover-2, can mask some of the coverage flaws in a cornerback's game, but the position still requires great natural skills.

The most startling aspect of Finnegan's game is the aggressive, feisty manner with which he plays. Cornerbacks are rarely able to play like that without a steady stream of penalty flags. The position of cornerback simply doesn't allow it. Somehow, Cortland Finnegan can do it. It's amazing. Sometimes his feisty play can go a bit far as seen in his ridiculous fight with Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson last year. This Johnson-Finnegan rivalry demands watching over the next several years. Cortland Finnegan is an excellent football player and one of the best corners in the game. Beyond that, he has a fantastic name.

Media Clowns

The media is sure found lacking these days. Maybe it's always been this way, and I just imagined it better than it was. The sensational is far more important than reality. Getting it first is more important than getting it right. Between NFL Network's Fran Charles and nearly everybody in the Minneapolis/St. Paul media it's so difficult to find an interesting story or decent interview. So many interviewers seem to have something better to do or they just don't care. They have a list of questions. Without a concern for the answers they just rifle through them. Others just fish for the answer they want. It's shocking how many different ways there are to ask Leslie Frazier if he is going to sign a veteran QB. In my opinion, that question only needs to be asked once. Even if Frazier doesn't give the answer the interviewer seeks, the answer will probably be the same no matter how the question is asked. But, the clowns sure try. I'm sure glad the Vikings head coach has so much more patience than me. I would lose my mind. Attack a journalist or two. There are still decent journalists and interviewers out there. I just wish there was more.

A Lockout Blessing

Not one bit of good has come out of the lockout, until now. This past weekend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Leonard Pope saved a six-year-old boy from drowning. Anne Moore, a family friend of Pope, says that Pope heard her cry for help at a pool party.

"All of a sudden, I saw Bryson going down in the water and I started screaming. Leonard was inside and he came out of nowhere and dove into the water without hesitation", Moore said. "He saved my son's life, and I am so thankful that he was there for me and my child."

Moore has known Pope since he was a kid. As she points out, there was some positives to the lockout.

"My prayers were answered by God when Leonard jumped in and saved my son. The fact that he is normally at camp and could have been in Kansas City proved to me that he was placed here to save my son from drowning, and I thank God that he was here."

I can't guess what God thinks of the lockout, but the Flea Flicker salutes Leonard Pope.

Throwback Thursday: Everybody Wants The Vikings

In January 1977, I eagerly waited for the Minnesota Vikings domination of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI. In the build up to this clash, I discovered something quite shocking. This wasn't nearly as shocking as the actual outcome of the game. It also wasn't as shocking as the Vikings inability to get back to the Super Bowl. It was still kinda shocking. The Minnesota Vikings were initially set to break bread in the American Football League. The reason that this unsettling news popped up in the week before Super Bowl XI is simple. The Oakland Raiders were in the AFL because the Vikings weren't.

In the latter half of the 1950's, the NFL's footing had become much more sure. The tireless work of commissioner Bert Bell had a lot to do with that. Several people wanted in the NFL's little party. Perhaps due to the nearly 40 years it took to get to that point, the NFL liked their exclusive little party just the way it was. 12 teams was enough. They told everyone "NO". Lamar Hunt was one of those turned away. He wasn't one to accept rejection too easily. He got a few of his rich, crazy friends and formed the American Football League. They would present a challenge the NFL had never seen.The Minnesota Vikings were set to be one of those teams in the new league. The ownership group was there and the Vikings mascot was selected. This was all set to be presented to the public. When the threat became a reality the NFL had to act quickly. They grabbed Dallas and welcomed the Cowboys to challenge Hunt's Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs). Both George Halas and Paul Brown have taken credit for the Minnesota Vikings heist. I'm sure that both played a part, but I believe that Halas had extra motivation to take out a midwestern AFL threat to his Chicago Bears. Plus, he had a history with one of the members of the Vikings ownership group. Ole Haugrsrud owned the Duluth Eskimos in the 1920's. He may have saved the NFL when he signed Stanford great Ernie Nevers. Fans flocked to see Nevers play, increasing the interest in and finances of the struggling league. When the Eskimos folded, Haugsrud was promised a part of any future NFL team in Minnesota. Now was the time to make good on that promise and throw a shot at the AFL. The old league, with heavy support from Halas and Brown, stole the Vikings from the new league. There was never a question whether the Vikings owners would bolt to the established NFL if offered the chance. This was just days, perhaps hours, before the AFL was to present themselves to the world. The reeling newbies quickly settled on Oakland. Thanks to the Minnesota Vikings, we have Al Davis to humor and terrify us. Actually, I'm certain that an Oakland team would have happened at some point. They just wouldn't have been an AFL original. The Raiders, Chargers, Chiefs and Broncos do make up a nice division. All former AFL teams with a shared history of on the field batttles and a near decade war with the NFL. It's even harder for me to imagine the Vikings not linked with the Packers, Bears and Lions. The NFC North just feels right.

A Sleepover!?!

The NFL owners are getting together for league meetings in Chicago next Tuesday. They've been told to be prepared to spend the night. This could mean so many things. Word around the campfire is that the players and owners are in agreement on 80-85% of a new CBA. The lockout could be over in a matter of days. The feeling here at the Flea Flicker is that this cozy sleepover is for a vote on this new CBA. I don't see June passing into July without this mess ended. I'm typically optimistic. This lockout has certainly tested that, but it will not break me. So, to get to the end of the rainbow, the owners will snuggle up and have a sleepover.

Every time I see Carolina Panthers idiot owner Jerry Richardson he seems lost. He always looks puzzled as if he has no idea where or who he is. Richardson has been one of the most abrasive owners toward the players. This has always seemed odd since he used to be one. A much younger and more alert Richardson used to catch passes from Johnny Unitas. One would think that he would be more understanding. Perhaps it's true that your heart dies when you enter the corporate world.

Rumor Site Done Right

Back in February 2005, a website broke the news of a fairly big trade between the Vikings and Raiders. Randy Moss was going to Oakland. I wasn't sure what to make of this website. Pro Football Talk (PFT) is a rumor mill. They would throw news at the wall and see what sticks. They nailed the Randy Moss trade before anyone else. Every other news site ran with PFT's breaking news of the Moss trade. I was impressed but I was not sold on the site. It struck me as far too "tabloid-like". I could do without it. I would stick with the supposed legitimate sites. Well, five years later, I realized that I was wrong. PFT is the creation of lawyer Mike Florio. He is also a life long Vikings fan. That can only help his standing in any circle. When I learned of Florio's law background, I decided to pay PFT a return visit a couple years ago. Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams were wrapped up in the ridiculous Star Caps fiasco. I needed someone to make sense of it all. Florio's law experience and excellent ability to explain it was a great help in understanding that hot mess. The same goes for the current labor storm. His writing is also entertaining. That alone can go a long way in explaining the law. He also will throw some jabs when some of the league's untouchables are being idiots. He's pulling no punches when viewing these labor issues from his point of view as a fan first. PFT is still a rumor mill as it pulls news from sources across the land. This consolidation of news and rumors is helpful, saves time. Florio and contributors, such as Greg Rosenthal, frequently add their own editorials to these news bits. It's often good stuff. Florio and his little site hit the big time when NBC bought into it. This brought the life long Vikings fan into the glare of television. He's a regular guest on NBC's Sunday Night Football. Florio is big now but he still keeps it small. NBC did the right thing for all and kept PFT as it's always been. Prestige has come with PFT's improved economic neighborhood. PFT Live has regular interviews with the power players in the league like Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith and Leslie Frazier. Dismissing PFT and Mike Florio back in 2005 was a mistake. Any fan looking for a quick glance at current NFL news would do well to check out Pro Football Talk.

Little Crabbytree

San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree probably didn't make too many friends or fans with his rookie holdout last year. Claiming that he should be paid top-5 money despite being picked tenth. That strikes the Flea Flicker as a pretty foolish stance. He's continuing to show more reasons why a receiver that can't catch, Darius Heyward-Bey, was drafted ahead of him. The idiotic lockout has fouled up every team's offseason. The 49ers situation is more wacky than most. Like many teams, the 49ers have had some player-led workouts. Unlike most teams, the 49ers are brought together by a free agent. QB Alex Smith has no contract. He has no team. There seems to be little doubt now that Alex Smith will be re-signed, potentially paving the way for 2nd round pick Colin Kaepernick. Little Crabtree has skipped nearly all of these workouts. The fact that he is in the same general geographic area as these workouts seems a bit selfish. He claims to be working out on his own, running routes. His words, "I do just what they have been doing here. At a park. Nice field. It's in the mountains too." Very nice. Cool place. Everyone needs a little me time. Crabtree said that he prefers working out on his own so he can try things without embarrassing himself. I've paid pretty close attention to football for close to 40 years. I've seen and heard a lot of stupid things involved with the game. This last little Crabtree nugget is quite possibly the most stupid, certainly the most insecure. "When we have team functions. I'm there. I'm a team player." Classy. These workouts are a team function, Michael, and you're not a team player. When little Michael did finally make it down from his mountain to work out with his team, his new shoes hurt his little feet. This new aggravation kept him out some more.

Crabtree has the receiver skills to be one of the best. He will never see that potential with this attitude. He intentionally alienated his teammates last year, continuing to do so this year. A QB needs to be able to trust his receivers. It's troubling to see so many receivers fail to grasp that.

Flea Flicker All Time NFL Team

Here's how I see it:

Offense

WR  Jerry Rice-SF 49ers
OT  Anthony Munoz-Cincinnati Bengals
OG Randall McDaniel-Minnesota Vikings
   C Mel Hein-New York Giants
OG Gene Upshaw-Oakland Raiders
OT Art Shell-Oakland Raiders
TE  John Mackey-Baltimore Colts
WR Don Hutson-Green Bay Packers
QB John Unitas-Baltimore Colts
RB Walter Payton-Chicago Bears
FB Jim Brown-Cleveland Browns
  K Jan Stenerud-Kansas City Chiefs

Defense

DE Deacon Jones-Los Angeles Rams
DT Joe Greene-Pittsburgh Steelers
DT Alan Page-Minnesota Vikings
DE Reggie White-Eagles, Packers
LB Ray Lewis-Baltimore Ravens
LB Dick Butkus-Chicago Bears
LB Jack Ham-Pittsburgh Steelers
CB Deion Sanders-Falcons, 49ers, Cowboys, etc.
CB Night Train Lane-Rams, Cardinals, Lions
  S Ronnie Lott-San Francisco 49ers
  S Ed Reed-Baltimore Ravens
  P Ray Guy-Oakland Raiders

I have to place Cris Carter on this team as a 3rd receiver. It is impossible to leave Rice or Hutson off any all time team, but no receiver ever caught the ball better than Carter.
Ray Lewis needs to play on the outside of any team with Butkus. It's sad, but Lewis can make plays from anywhere on the field.

Absence of Common Sense

It's impossible not to be relieved over the continued talks between the owners and players. Relieved even more by the continued absence of the lawyers. The lockout is into it's fourth month. Four lost months! The Flea Flicker is ever so thankful that, unlike NFL work stoppages of the past, this one didn't take place during the season. It's still distressing to hear these clowns talk in terms of weeks to go, instead of hours and days. It should be settled soon, but I've thought that before.

What is most disappointing is that if even a few of these combatants possessed a bit of common sense, this lockout would never have happened. It's never made sense to wait until March for serious talks. This labor situation didn't suddenly present itself this year. Everyone has known of it's approach for years. Fix it. Don't wait. It certainly never made sense to push it into the courts and the ridiculous time frame of the law. Everything, including time, simply stands still when lawyers are involved. When people are serious about finding a solution, one can be found. Just a little common sense will help.

Common sense is missing from far too many things in the NFL. The labor mess is just the most obvious. The Star Caps fiasco involving the Vikings' Kevin and Pat Williams and others could have been avoided with a little common sense and, of course, no courts and lawyers. Even officiating on the long forgotten playing field. The grassy one with the lines. The "tuck rule", Calvin Johnson's obvious touchdown catch against the Bears, most roughing the passer penalties, etc. There are just too many stupid decisions being made. Get back to the game of football.

Could It Be?

A small paper from North Andover, Massachusetts is reporting that the lockout is near an end. Claiming NFL sources, Bill Burt is reporting that the owners and players were close to an agreement Thursday to end the lockout. "Some coaches and players have been contacted about returning to work probably next week and possibly as soon as this weekend." If this was as certain as it sounds, it would be spreading like wildfire. It's huge news. Spokesmen for both the NFL and whatever the players are calling themselves are claiming that it's bogus. Someone has to break this news. Why not the spunky little Eagle Tribune and Bill Burt? Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith were seen having a "jovial" dinner in New York. That's pretty interesting news. Whatever the real status of this report, this idiotic lockout is coming to an end. I can just feel it.

Throwback Thursday: Huddle Up

It's hard to imagine football without the huddle. It's one of the most democratic processes in all of sport. From the early '90s Bills to 2-minute drills, we sometimes see threats to our iconic huddle. It's hard to imagine but there was a time when there was no huddle. As football evolved from rugby, the line of scrimmage was formed. Plays were called from there like our present day audible or everyday Peyton Manning. Eventually there was a brief meeting before the players broke to their respective positions. In 1892, one of the first huddles was called out of necessity. Gallaudet University is a school for the deaf in Washington D.C. In games against other schools for the deaf, QB Paul Hubbard had his teammates form a huddle to keep the opponents from seeing their play calls. Gradually, colleges started seeing the benefits from these quaint little get togethers. Illinois coach Bob Zuppke, in the 1910s-20s, was one of the first to regularly use the huddle that we know and love today. Eventually, everyone would. Now, we have the spread offenses in several colleges to muck it all up. The huddle needs to be preserved.

Chris Cooley, Troublemaker

Washington Redskins tight end, Chris Cooley has impressed me as a football player in his seven years in the league. Considering that he looks more like a bartender or your pool man, it's a bit surprising. He has become one of the best tight ends in the league. The Flea Flicker advises every football fan to know him as a player. Cooley was on NFL Network's Total Access last week and proved to be quite the character off the field. I've long known Cooley to be a bit goofy. He went to hilarious when he told Rich Eisen about some of his prank phone calls. For three years, Cooley, playing a huge fan of Cardinals kicker Jay Feely, has been calling Rams QB A.J Feeley. Telling him how great he is kicking the ball for his favorite team. QB Feeley, amused and puzzled, has kept many of the messages. Not to leave kicker Feely out of the fun, Cooley has often reversed the game for him. Cooley upped the prank call ante this offseason when he decided to have some fun with disgruntled Bengals QB Carson Palmer. Playing Broncos executive Vice President John Elway, he has called Palmer explaining his hatred for Tim Tebow and his need for Palmer to lead the Broncos. Why stop there? Cooley couldn't stop as he called Palmer again, this time as new Broncos coach John Fox, saying how much the team needed him. Cooley then decided that Bengals coach Marvin Lewis needed to be a part of this when he called to tell about all the tampering going on with Carson Palmer.

The lockout needs to end just to keep Cooley away from the phones.

Lost Lambeau

The most perplexing discovery from my drive through professional football history is the great lack of respect shown to Earl "Curly" Lambeau. People today are well aware of the stadium that bares his name, but few really know of the man. It's actually understandable that many don't know him when no one has really written about him. The only real biography written of Lambeau, that I'm aware, was published in the last decade. Founding football fathers like George Halas, Tim Mara, Art Rooney, Joe Carr, Bert Bell and Paul Brown are well documented. Even George Preston Marshall is treated with respect, and he was nuts. Vince Lombardi won one fewer championship than Lambeau with the Green Bay Packers. Lombardi has a library full of books. The Super Bowl Trophy is even named after him. Lambeau has a stadium. He should. His father, Marcel Lambeau, actually built the early Packers stadium. Maybe Lambeau field is actually named for Marcel.

There's a reason for the absence of praise for Lambeau. Everybody hated him. Well, most people hated him. Most fans hated him in the late '40s. They loved him a decade later when the Packers couldn't win. Some even wanted him back, but Lombardi got the job. For some reason, Lombardi especially hated Lambeau. He couldn't stand being around him. Lambeau was the greatest advocate for the forward pass in the early pro game. Having Johnny "Blood" McNally and Don Hutson catching passes would promote that. Actually, those could be the only two players that could stomach the coach a little. Lambeau was weak at the x's and o's of football. The players often took care of that for him. Lambeau's greatest strength, like Lombardi, was motivation. If the Packers players couldn't kill their coach they would kill the team opposite them. They often did. Six NFL championships is the most of any coach. That alone should merit a few books and praise, but no. Enough Packers fans have written books. You would think that more than one would tackle Lambeau, and certainly much earlier than 40 years after the coach's death. Many coaches are hated. Lombardi was hated by a few. Paul Brown too. The great ones often are. I think that the difference with Lambeau was that he wanted his name to be bigger than the game. All the other great coaches had football first.

Pint Sized Treasure

There are often players that everyone loves to watch play. It doesn't matter the team. Sometimes it's for their unbelievable talent. Sometimes it's for the great joy with which they play a game. For me, Maurice Jones-Drew brings a bit of both. It's hard not to like a tough football player of Jones-Drew's stature. A 5-7 210lb man is not actually a small man. A 5-7 football player is considered small, especially next to a 6-8 350lb lineman. Maurice Jones-Drew is a powerful runner and a blast to watch.

I have long been aware of the powerhouse that Bob Ladouceur has built at De La Salle High School in Concord, CA. The coach and the school have been hard to miss. From 1992-2004, the Spartans won 151 consecutive games, more than doubling the previous national record of 72. Maurice Drew, as he was then known, was a major factor in the latter part of that streak. On Oct. 6 2001, De La Salle played Long Beach Poly on national television. It was the first time that the #1 and #2 teams in the nation had ever played. It was a matchup that was further documented by the book "When the Game Stands Tall". Drew scored all four TDs in the 29-15 Spartans victory. Drew was rated the best all-purpose back in the nation. As a Cal alum, I always hope that the best Spartans decide to make the short commute to Berkeley. Unfortunately, very have few have made that decision. To insult even more, Drew chose to go to UCLA. As a sophomore, he gained 322 yards and scored 5 TDs against Washington. Another of his big games was a Flea Flicker tear jerker. Drew erased a decent Cal lead seemingly all by himself. He scored every way possible and it felt like every time he touched the ball. He led UCLA to a win. Drew was raised by his grandparents, Maurice and Christine Jones. At the height of Drew's UCLA career, his grandfather died of a heart attack while watching his grandson play at the Rose Bowl against Rice University. Head coach Karl Dorrell broke the news to Drew on the sidelines during the game, and he ran to the locker room and left to go to the hospital. To honor the man who raised him, Maurice Drew became Maurice Jones-Drew.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Jones-Drew with the 60th overall pick in the 2nd round. For the first few years of his pro career, he split carries with Fred Taylor. Together, they formed one of the best running duos in the league. In each of the last two years as the main man, Jones-Drew has eclipsed 1300 yards.

Maurice Jones-Drew is one of those football players that simply makes the NFL a better league. He's dynamite on and off the field. I feel fortunate to have followed his career since his high school days. I look forward to the rest of his excellent, entertaining career. Jones-Drew is a treat.

Stupid Things

With this stupid lockout being really stupid, I've had excess time to think of other stupid things in the NFL. Most have been stupid for some time. So, none are really earth shattering.

I've never understood the thinking behind having a 53 player roster but dressing only 45 for games. Perhaps no thinking was involved. Coaches have enough to worry about without having to decide which eight players don't get to wear the spiffy uniform. Sometimes injuries make the decision for the coach, but it's usually a stupid numbers game that they have to play. One of the eight is usually an "emergency QB". Often the third QB. He gets to dress, but if he enters the game the other QBs can't re-enter. This is ridiculous. Dress 53. Don't worry about emergency QBs. Don't worry about who has entered the game or can't enter the game. Just play football.

Charging regular season prices for preseason games is stupid. Beyond stupid, it's criminal. In any other purchase you will pay a lower price for a lower quality product. If the NFL insists on this sort of price format, they should charge regular season prices for the postseason, especially the Super Bowl.

Fortunately ESPN has put an end to their stupid practice of placing some clown in the broadcast booth. Dennis Miller and Tony Kornheiser have no business being anywhere near a football game. The games were unwatchable with them in the booth. Being different simply for the sake of being different is often a stupid path. The difference between those jokes of a broadcast team and the current Ron Jaworski-Jon Gruden team is astounding.

Changing a rule simply because Tom Brady is hurt is stupid. If Ryan Fitzpatrick's season is ended by a tackle at the knees would the rule have been changed? The safety of every player is important.

A kicker, Mark Mosley, winning NFL MVP honors is stupid.

Cris Carter missing Hall of Fame induction once is stupid. Three times! Come on!

Back In The Day

With less than 100 days until the first scheduled game, every fan is getting nervous. Those that can end this haven't seemed to care too much. Perhaps the recent talks, minus the troublesome lawyers, will generate some movement. These talks are, at least, a positive step. If the lockout ended now and everything was jump started, harm to the 2011 season will be limited. If the start date of training camps is moved back, the quality of play that we are accustomed to will be diminished. The pace of the offseason, until the current labor fiasco, has been taken for granted. There is normally continuous team contact with the players. Some even work out daily at the team facilities throughout the offseason. There are several team workouts or OTAs. Organized Training Activities is such a stupid name for a team practice. There was a time when none of this took place. Back in the day, there was little to no contact between the team and the players after the last game of the season. This day was not that long ago. If a player was injured, there might be some rehab work to be done at the facility. At the very least, the trainer would take a look at the progress of the injury. There was no free agency on this day back then. Actually, it was much like a lockout, minus the despair of a vanishing season. The players came to training camp to get into shape and to install any changes to the offense and defense. Both are normally done in the offseason now. The situation that we are in now isn't much different than a typical offseason in the '70s. Seeing as the Vikings went to three Super Bowls, I kinda liked that decade. Excellent football is still possible without today's active offseason. Teams are just dependent on the offseason to accomplish what most teams had to in training camp back in the day.

Sometimes I think that this idiotic lockout is a cruel joke thrown at the fans. No one has laughed. It's never been funny. This needs to get settled. Great football can still be found with the abbreviated schedule that these clowns are forcing upon themselves. Back in the day they proved it.

Back To Court We Go

And the saga continues. Today our favorite idiots go before the 8th Circuit Court for the NFL's appeal of Judge Susan Nelson's ruling to lift the lockout. I guess that I was just naive. I didn't really have an opinion when this mess hit the courts. It was all bad from the beginning. How could it get any worse? When the courts got involved it got a whole lot worse. Lawyers are idiots. They took something great, football, and just started batting it amongst themselves. Playing their own little game of keep away. Keeping the game from the players and the fans. Never really seeming to care whether either will ever see the game again. The owners and the players obviously set all of this in motion, but the lawyers set it all on fire. The lawyers put it in the courts, and the courts drained the life out of everyone.

Now, word is out that the lead players and DeMaurice Smith met with the lead owners in Chicago the past couple of days. Supposedly these were secret meetings. They may have started that way. They aren't very secret now. It's kinda hard to keep a secret these days. The really cool thing about these "secret meetings" is the happy lack of lawyers. Something might actually get done now. Today's appeal hearing may provide the final push to a settlement. Someone is going to be on the short end of the decision and may have to concede a bit. Even if the final decision comes later both parties should know today which way the court is leaning. Both can't have the leverage. Hopefully, finally, we can see a settlement when we know which side has that leverage.

Throwback Thursday: The Championship Game That Changed It All

Well, it may not have changed it all, but it changed a lot. From 1920-31, the NFL Championship was determined by the regular season record. There was no championship game. In 1932, the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans (today's Detroit Lions) finished the regular season tied for first. So, for the first time in NFL history a one game playoff was staged to determine the 1932 NFL Championship.

Severe weather in Chicago prevented the game from being played at Wrigley Field. So, the game was moved indoors at Chicago Stadium and played on a modified field-only 80 yards long including end zones, and 40 yards wide. As the stadium was home to the NHL Chicago Blackhawks the sidelines were right up against the hockey boards. To accommodate the shortened field new ground rules were drawn up: no field goals were allowed, and kickoffs were from the ten-yard line. Each time a team crossed midfield the ball was moved back twenty yards. It is a ridiculous stage for the first championship game, but you do what you gotta do. The Bears won on a touchdown pass from Bronko Nagurski to Red Grange. There's a nice passing combination. On the play, Nagurski took a handoff and headed towards the line. He spied a wide open Grange and fired a jump pass. Rules at the time stipulated that a forward pass had to be thrown from at least five yards behind the line of scrimmage. The Spartans argued that Nagurski didn't drop back five yards before throwing the pass. The play stood and the Bears later added a safety for a 9-0 win and the 1932 NFL Championship.

So many things changed due to this game. Until this game, the ball was placed wherever the play ended even if it was on the sideline. In 1933, the new rule required the ball to be spotted on the hashmarks most near the end of the play. The goal posts were moved from the end line to the goal line. These changes were made due to the positive impact of the forced rules needed for the smaller field in Chicago Stadium. The most significant rule change was that the forward pass became legal anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. These changes distanced the pro game from the college game so much so that the NFL stopped following the college rules. In 1933, the NFL discontinued the use of the Collegiate Rule Book and began to develop it's own rules. Finally, the excitement generated over this championship game resulted in, well, a championship game.

It's amazing that one game changed so many aspects of the professional game. It was a game that wasn't even scheduled to be played. It was an accidental game that resulted in a permanent championship game. Professional football changed because this game that wasn't supposed to be played was played on a field that it wasn't supposed to be played on.

Vikings Receiver Legacy

With Camp Ponder essentially being a passing camp, I was once again thinking of the Vikings legacy at the receiver position. Doesn't everyone? It's interesting to look at teams and see a golden history at a particular position. The San Francisco 49ers have had an incredible run at QB. There has been a bit of a drought recently, but there is no denying their past. The All America Football Conference days of the late '40s had Frankie Albert. He was followed by Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle. John Brodie prompted the 49ers to trade Tittle to the Giants. Brodie may not have lived up to his immense potential, but he was an excellent QB. He led some strong teams in the early '70s. After a few bleak years, the 49ers hit the mother lode with Joe Montana and Steve Young. In a 50+ year stretch the 49ers had three Hall of Famers and two excellent QBs (Albert and Brodie) lead the team. The Bears have had a similar run of excellence at the linebacker position, middle linebacker in particular, with Bulldog Turner, Bill George, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher. With Urlacher's likely, I consider questionable, induction into the Hall of Fame, all five will be honored in Canton. I meant to use this Flicker to talk about the Vikings history at the receiver position. I'll get to that now. The Vikings have had a nice run of very good to excellent receivers. Paul Flatley had a much too brief career in the '60s. He was outstanding for a few years, including rookie of the year honors. The '70s with Fran Tarkenton is when the run really started. John Gilliam was All-Pro in the early part of the decade. When Sammie White and Ahmad Rashad joined the team in '76, passes filled the air in Minnesota. White was rookie of the year, and was the deep threat to Rashad's underneath routes. If Rashad had played his entire career with the Vikings and Tarkenton, he'd be in the Hall of Fame. The first half of his career was wasted with the Cardinals and Bills. The '80s were mostly a dark time for the Vikings, but the Carters helped bring the team back into the light. Anthony and Cris were a dynamic duo. Cris Carter was incredible throughout the '90s. With perhaps the best hands ever, he defined how the position should be played. His absence from the Hall of Fame is a crime. Cris Carter and Jake Reed were dominant later in the decade. Each gained over 1000 yards for at least 3 consecutive years. In 1998, the Vikings receivers went from great to insane with the addition of Randy Moss. Defenses were helpless. Moss is the most physically gifted receiver to ever play. When properly on his game in his prime, he could not be defended. After Carter and Moss, there was a receiver void in Minnesota for too many years. That void has been filled. When healthy, Sidney Rice can be as dynamic as Larry Fitzgerald. Both have a similar skill set. Percy Harvin is something else entirely. He is simply a great football player. Some parts of his game remind me of Anquan Boldin. Great hands, very physical. They are both surprisingly powerful for receivers. Harvin takes his game further with running skills more comparable to a back. A great player. The Vikings receivers may not have the championships and hardware of the 49ers QBs and the Bears linebackers. The Vikings were on the cusp of championships several times in the '70s, and in 1987, 1998 and 2009. Ahmad Rashad played at a Hall of Fame level while in Minnesota. Cris Carter should be in the Hall of Fame. He'll be there soon. It diminishes the Hall every year that he is not. Moss, despite some foolishness, will be there too. Rice and Harvin are just starting their careers. Hopefully they will hold the honors and championships the Vikings so richly deserve.