Throwback Thursday: The Father of the Game

Walter Camp was born on the very same day that I would eventually marry. That was only a coincidence. I swear.

Born in 1859, Camp was hitting his college years at about the same time that rugby was spreading though the most influential colleges of the east. Yale and Harvard were sold on the game. Princeton too. November 23, 1876 is one of those days so critical to the evolution of football. Princeton, taking the lead, sent invitations to Harvard, Yale and Columbia inviting them to Springfield, Massachusetts, so that they could all sit down and decide to play the game the rugby way. All four schools met at the Massasoit House in Springfield on that historic day. They decided on the game and the rules by which most would play that game. 1876 was also Walter Camp's first year at Yale. He instantly became one of the finest all-around athletes in the university. Pitcher and captain in baseball. He ran the hurdles and is credited at Yale with having invented the present hurdle step. Swimming, tennis, crew. Most importantly, then and now, halfback and captain in rugby. He was exceptionally fast and strong. He was a terrific kicker, excelling at both punting and dropkicking. The importance of kicking in the early days can not be stressed enough. It decided games. As great as Camp's physical skills, his greatest might have been his mind. It was a new, evolving sport. Camp could see the game and what it could be. He could see the solutions to situations, the possibilities. He was never confined by what was. From 1876-79, the game was rugby, with a few American embellishments. During the next four years, 1880-83, this would change. With Camp's influence, English rugby became American football. The Massasoit House meeting of 1876 became a football staple. The game was born and designed there. The colleges met again in 1878 with Camp making his first appearance as Yale's representative. Changes really started rolling at the 1880 meeting. Yale finally got their "pet" rule adopted. Eleven men on the field. It had been fifteen. Some give Camp credit for this rule. He was certainly for it but Yale had been pushing for it since before Camp was on campus. Next came the most significant move away from rugby. Camp brought about the scrimmage. Lining up and setting the play in motion. In doing this he created the position of the quarterback, the man who handled the ball when put in play. Initially, the ball was "passed" back with the foot. It would be more than a decade before it was improved with the center snap that we know today. By 1882, some games showed more changes were needed. This was also the same year that the University of California fielded their first football team. Perhaps the single biggest football development of this era. Back on the east coast, Camp came up with the downs and distance. Then, it was three downs to gain five yards. This brought about the lines on the field, our gridiron. Football's evolution was was picking up steam. In 1883, scoring was revised to reflect the importance of touchdowns. For the next two decades mostly "tweaks" were made. That all changed in 1906 when the forward pass was added to the game. Interestingly, Walter Camp was against this change. I wouldn't hold this against him.

Walter Camp spent his life as a constant source of football guidance and wisdom. He created the game that we love today. All those things that differentiate football from rugby are his ideas or influenced by his ideas. Well, outside of the forward pass. He may not have selected the first All-America teams but once he started his selections carried the greatest honor. Walter Camp is American football.

Dolphins Go Knocking

After being turned down by all the fun and dysfunctional teams like the New York Jets and Detroit Lions, HBO finally found a team for their Hard Knocks series. The Miami Dolphins are the chosen team for this summer.

With the brilliance of NFL Films and narration of actor Liev Schreiber, HBO has been bringing their Hard Knocks series to football hungry fans for ten years. Dallas(twice), Baltimore, Kansas City, Cincinnati and New York Jets have all opened their training camp doors to the cameras. This season looked to be in doubt as team after team said "no." The Minnesota Vikings were one of those teams. I was pretty happy about that. While it would be interesting and fun to see an all access Vikings training camp. I just think that the cameras are too much of an intrusion. There's enough information and access out there. The action on the practice fields is well documented through a variety of sources. Local newspapers, camp attendees and podcasts provide an acceptable amount of information. There's enough there. Besides, I can handle a decent amount of mystery. Football is serious business and training camp is the beginning. The cameras and crew are simply a distraction to what really needs to take place. The one thing that I absolutely hate about the Hard Knocks series is seeing player cuts on camera. That act is difficult enough without splashing it across the screen for the world to see. It's not a public moment. The rest of the show is mostly entertaining and fun. The cuts simply suck.

Best of luck to the Miami Dolphins this summer. I'm just glad that it's not the Vikings.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I just started reading a book that's been recommended to me by just about everyone. The Art of Fielding: The Novel by Chad Harbach. I suppose that it being about the sport of baseball is what's allowed me to put off picking it up. I finally picked it up. At the end of the first chapter I was hit with this:

"All his life Schwartz had yearned to possess some single transcendent talent, some unique brilliance that the world would consent to call genius. Now that he'd seen that kind of talent up close, he couldn't let it walk away."

I know exactly how Schwartz felt. I always feel blessed to see the incredible and beautiful from truly remarkable football players. Gifts that separate them from the rest.

Gale Sayers running with the football

Cris Carter catching it

Patrick Willis plugging the hole

Adrian Peterson running through it

Lawrence Taylor blitzing

Raymond Berry running routes

Randall McDaniel pulling

Jerry Kramer and Guy McIntyre too

Ed Reed gliding

Lenny Moore striding

Jerry Rice

Devin Hester returning kicks

Percy Harvin just playing football

Barry Sanders cuts

Reggie White rushing

Jonathan Ogden blocking

Warren Moon passes

Joe Montana with two minutes left

John Unitas and John Elway too

Jim Brown

Ray Lewis and Dick Butkus tackles

Deion Sanders shutting down receivers

Walter Payton

Just a few of my favorite things.

Remembering

Today we honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Some of those have been NFL players. We acknowledge these fallen heroes.

World War II
Cpl Nick Basca                  1941 Philadelphia Eagles
Lt Charlie Behan                1942 Detroit Lions
Maj Keith Birlem                1939 Chicago Cardinals, Washington Redskins
Lt Al Blozis                         1942-44 New York Giants
Lt Chuck Braidwood          1930-33 Portsmouth, Cleveland, Cardinals, Reds
Lt Young Bussey                1941 Chicago Bears
Capt Eddie Doyle               1924-25 Frankford, Pottsville Maroons
Lt Col Grassy Hinton          1932 Staten Island Stapletons
Capt Smiley Johnson         1940-41 Green Bay Packers
Lt Eddie Kahn                    1935-37 Boston and Washington Redskins
Sgt Alex Ketzko                 1943 Detroit Lions
Capt Lee Kizzire                1937 Detroit Lions
Lt Jack Lummus                 1941 New York Giants
Pvt Jim Mooney                  1930-35 Newark, Dodgers, Reds, Cardinals
Lt Don Wemple                  1941 Brooklyn Dodgers
Capt Waddy Young            1939-40 Brooklyn Dodgers
Capt Bill McGraw               1923 Racine Cardinals, 1926 Louisville Colonels
Chief Spc Gus Sonnenberg  1923-30 Columbus, Buffalo, Detroit, Providence
Lt Len Supulski                   1942 Philadelphia Eagles
Lt Chet Wetterlund              1942 Detroit Lions
Lt Jack Chevigny                 1932 Chicago Cardinals (head coach)
Lt John O'Keefe                           Philadelphia Eagles (front office)

Vietnam
Lt Bob Kalsu                        1968 Buffalo Bills
Maj Don Steinbrunner          1953 Cleveland Browns

Afghanistan
Cpl Pat Tillman                     1998-2001 Arizona Cardinals

Belated Birthday Wishes

It's terrible of me that I missed mentioning this when I should have mentioned it. May 17th was a significant football day. That was the day that Hall of Famer Ace Parker hit the nice round age of 100. He's the first member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to reach that mark. Hopefully he's not the last as Ralph Wilson and Ed Sabol are getting close.

Ace Parker was a fantastic do-everything football player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He passed, ran, caught, punted, kicked and played defense. He excelled at every single one of them. Parker's impact on the league was remarkable in that serving in World War II took away a large chunk of his career. Another chunk was taken away from the beginning of his career due to to him playing Major League Baseball. Parker finished his brief career with the New York Yankees of the All America Football Conference. The Parker-led Yankees gave the powerful Cleveland Browns quite a scare in the Championship game before falling 14-9. Fittingly, Parker scored all of his teams points in his final game. His 68-game playing career is one of the shortest among any member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Parker's incredible talent was showcased enough during his seven seasons of pro football to earn a bronze bust in Canton.

Happy Belated Birthday Ace Parker.

Finally!!!!

The last hurdle has finally been cleared for the Minnesota Vikings new stadium. The Minneapolis City Council, as expected, approved the financing for the stadium by a 7-6 vote. The whole process has been so draining and taken so long. It's hard to believe that we are finally on the done side of things. This has all been very revealing. I now know more than I ever wanted to know about the political process. Which may actually be a good thing. What's not a good thing is that there are far too many people in politics that have no business being in politics.

Now comes the fun part. Building a dynamite stadium. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and his family are real estate developers. This is what they do. I can't wait to see what they do. There's been rumors that they are fond of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. That's a nice place to start. They are also considering a retractable roof. Love it! The Vikings deserve to have the sun shine on them at home again. With the Minnesota weather that might only amount to a handful of games each year. It would be worth it. Old Metropolitan Stadium might have been a hunk of crap but it was beautiful to be outside. Whatever the Vikings build is going to be beautiful. It's just awesome that we are finally through to the planning stage.

Nearing the End?

Maybe I missed something but it sure seemed like the San Francisco 49ers simply snapped their fingers and got themselves a brand new stadium in Santa Clara. I remember some discussions, some back and forth. Some fight from San Francisco to keep the team there. Then all of a sudden they are breaking ground on that new stadium. It all seemed too easy. It sure hasn't been like that in the state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis. The Minnesota Vikings have been in a fight that's lasted more than a decade. The majority of that combat has been in the last few years. For a while there it looked like it would end with the Vikings in a different city and state. Fortunately, that new Minnesota stadium looks like it's going to be built. Of course, being the Minnesota way, it's not done yet.

The last stadium hurdle is the approval by the Minneapolis City Council. In March an informal vote showed a 7-6 approval. The current bill is a better deal for Minneapolis. So, it's been assumed that the formal vote is a mere formality. Still, 7-6 seems a little shaky. Yesterday, the City Council voted, again 7-6, to approve the financing for the new stadium. Sounds like it's finally done, right? Wrong! Today the Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to vote to ratify the financing plan that was approved yesterday. Silly, right? Right!. Even though everyone involved has been moving along for the past few weeks as if the stadium deal is a done deal, it really hasn't been a done deal. Today, if the same 7-6 vote holds, it really will be a done deal. The Minnesota Vikings will finally have that long sought new stadium. Yippee!

Throwback Thursday: Early Football Days in the States

In the first half of the 19th century rugby was splitting from football/soccer in England. At the same time a young United States was playing the old football/soccer game forced upon them by the British. It was ugly. It was also quite violent. It was soccer with an edge and everyone had different rules. This was especially so at the future Ivy League colleges. They didn't play each other just yet. The games were between the respective classes at the respective colleges. The classes took apart each other, as well as some of the school and some of the towns. The administrations frowned on this. Some even went so far as to ban soccer from their campuses. The evolution towards football might have died there if not for the pickup games played among groups of schoolboys around New England. One such group in Boston formed the Oneida Football Club in 1862. They grew bored playing and practicing both soccer and rugby (with a round ball). Instead they took their favorite features from both soccer and rugby. They liked goal kicking from the former and running with the ball from the latter. Both became features of their hybrid "the Boston Game." The Oneida's destroyed everyone that they could convince to play their new game. They should. It was their game. Some historians consider these Oneida victories the first American football games since it was neither rugby nor soccer. That's a stretch. The game allowed running with the ball under certain circumstances, but it was still essentially soccer. The Boston Game was certainly a big step towards football but it wasn't quite there. The Oneida kids eventually found their way to Harvard. They brought their game with them. Harvard's preference for the Boston Game proved key in turning America away from soccer but at the time they were alone with their new game. A more civilized soccer was coming back to the colleges that had banned it. Since each college had their own rules games between the schools were slow in coming. The NCAA, for some reason, considers a game between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869 as the first intercollegiate American football game. It was a soccer game. Other intercollegiate soccer games would take place over the next few years but they were always a struggle to arrange. It took far too long to haggle over rules before any game could actually take place. Something had to change. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Rutgers all met to draft uniform rules. Harvard was invited but declined as they preferred their own Boston Game. Now, there are always several important steps in the evolution of something beautiful. Harvard declining the invitation to this meeting is one of those steps in the evolution of football. If they had attended they likely would have followed the herd and adopted soccer. American football might have died before it lived. Harvard could find no one to play them at their game but they kept at it. Finally, in the spring of 1874, Montreal's McGill University issued a challenge to Harvard. McGill would come to Cambridge for a Boston Game if Harvard would give them a shot at a game by McGill's rules. McGill played rugby. Harvard took care of McGill in their own game. The game played the next day, May 15, was the first rugby game played on U.S. soil. Harvard did fine and struggled to a scoreless tie. More importantly, they fell in love with rugby. Harvard couldn't wait for more. They played and defeated McGill the following year. Then, they went looking for Yale. Yale agreed to the game. Harvard destroyed them but Yale was captivated by this new game. Aside from this game being the first in the incredible Harvard-Yale rivalry, this game also saw the first uniforms worn in an intercollegiate game. Two of the spectators at this game were a couple of students from Princeton. They ran home singing rugby's praises to any who would listen. Three of the most influential campuses in the country were now playing rugby. Others were sure to follow. American football was right around the corner. In the fall of 1876, the father of the game that we all love today enrolled at Yale. His name was Walter Camp.

Up Next: The Game Is Born

Silly Stanford

When I first heard the little nugget of football news out of Stanford yesterday I thought that it was some kind of joke. It was announced that Stanford's offensive coordinator position has become endowed by a very generous gift from an anonymous donor in honor of graduating quarterback Andrew Luck. Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton is the school's first Andrew Luck Director of Offense. It has to be a joke. Then I heard Stanford head coach David Shaw speaking about the new financial support and the honor to Hamilton and Luck. Shaw wasn't referred to as the Stanford head football coach. He's the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. Come on! Everything's for sale. Everything has a price. I'd like to scrape enough change together and endow Stanford's stupid Tree. Shouldn't cost much. Endow it right out of the school.

Offseason Leaders

The impact of football team leaders are seen during the seasons. That's certainly no surprise as everything done for football comes to the surface during the season. That's what everyone works toward. The weight training, conditioning, film study, everything is done for in-season results. It's during the offseason that team leaders emerge. The players that take charge when the coaches aren't around are often the ones that take charge in the huddle, on the sideline, when the games matter most. Player participation at team facilities are mostly optional right now. I've never understood why any football player would stay away from football workouts at any time during the year. So, it warms me when I see that participation is at or near 100% around the league. The Minnesota Vikings are one of those teams. Unfortunately, two of the missing are receiver Percy Harvin and defensive end Jared Allen. Two very important players to any Vikings success in 2012. Fortunately, both have acceptable reasons for not being there. Harvin just had shoulder surgery and is expected at team workouts as soon as he is cleared. Allen has his own very serious, very dedicated offseason workouts at his home in Arizona. He'll be in Minnesota when the coaches expect him. What especially warms me are the team leaders that are emerging for the Vikings this offseason. Quarterbacks Christian Ponder and Joe Webb, defensive end Brian Robison and linebacker Chad Greenway are setting the tone in the weight room and in on-field conditioning. Coaches and players want to see the quarterback lead. It's only natural to look to that position to step forward. They have to take charge in the huddle and take charge of the game. I'm glad that Ponder and Webb are doing just that and doing it at such a young age. This is Ponder's first NFL offseason. Webb's second. Both are doing what's expected of them and more. It's great to see. It'll be even better to see it all pay off during the season.

2012 Minnesota Vikings Rookies

All nine of the Vikings 2011 draft choices made the team. They had ten selections in the most recent draft. All of those payers compete at positions of siginificant need. Considering that and their abilities there is a better than decent chance that all ten make the team. In fact, I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't. That is an incredible infusion of youth in only two years.

With the recent release of kicker Ryan Longwell, there's about a 100% chance that at least three Vikings rookies will be in the starting lineup against the Indianapolis Colts on September 9. Sixth round kicker Blair Walsh is now the Vikings starting kicker. First round selections tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith were drafted to start. Safety was perhaps the greatest talent void on the roster. Considering that void, Smith's teammate at Notre Dame and fifth round selection Robert Blanton has an excellent chance of starting as well. That would create a situation in which two rookies are starting at the increasingly more important position of safety. It's not ideal but it's better than the situation that the Vikings have put themselves in over the past few years. I love the potential of Smith and Blanton at the back of the Vikings defense. There might be some rookie mistakes back there, especially against quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford in the division, but I'll taking those learning mistakes over ineffective play any day. Free agent receiver Jerome Simpson was likely signed to start and take pressure off the incredible Percy Harvin. Unfortunately, Simpson is suspended for the first three games. That allows for the possibility of fourth round selection Greg Childs to break into the starting lineup, at least for those first three games. He has the size, 6'3" 220lbs, and the speed to be very effective down the field.

There are two other rookies that will likely be the punt and kick returners this season and perhaps for much longer. Childs' teammate at Arkansas and since their grade school days, receiver Jarius Wright will play a lot in the slot on offense. He's a very quick, shifty receiver. He will also be one of the main returners. Cornerback Josh Robinson will play a role in the return game as well. Both have outstanding speed. Robinson is likely the eventual starter at one of the corner spots. He and third-year Chris Cook could form a nice duo for a long time. It might be a stretch to expect Robinson to come in and start right away but stranger things have happened. He has the athletic skills to be an elite defender but it could serve him well to sit and watch a veteran like Antoine Winfield for a season.

The rest of the drafted rookies are tight end Rhett Ellison, linebacker Audie Cole and defensive lineman Trevor Guyton. All will have roles to play and be expected to make significant contributions on special teams. Cole, in particular, could have an expanded, early role. Middle linebacker is one of the bigger team concerns. Expected starter Jasper Brinkley is somewhat unproven and he's coming off a significant hip injury that cost him the entire 2011 season. It's certainly Brinkley's job to lose but if he stumbles it could open the door for Cole to be the sixth rookie starter.

The Vikings are definitely getting younger. Now, they have to get better.

Riding With Dimitroff

Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff has long been one of my favorite NFL personalities. I always enjoy his frequent appearances on Rich Eisen's podcasts. He's always informative and entertaining. His football path has been amazing. Canada, Japan and especially his time working on the grounds crew of the Cleveland Browns. His passion for the game is obvious. He's also very unique in the often macho world of the NFL. For one, he's a vegan. For another, he rode his bike forty miles to get to work on Friday.

Dimitroff took part in the National Bike to Work Day. He pedaled from the 2900 black Peachtree Road in Buckhead to the Falcons practice facility in Flowery Branch, covering approximately forty miles. Biking that distance may not be an every day thing for Dimitroff but biking has always been something that he's enjoyed. He has often joined with the Atlanta Biking Coalition for fun, health and charity. He rode in ABC's 2011 BeltLine Bike Tour and the Pedal with a Purpose to benefit the Georgia Cancer Foundation's 100 mile ride in 2010. Through cycling, Dimitroff has made an effort to promote physical fitness, health and wellness.

On Friday, he got to combine his two of his passions. Football and biking.

Delusional Saints

The New Orleans "Bounty" Saints are out of their minds. Former safety Darrin Sharper was on a soap box for months claiming the bounty claims were false. He kept pleading his former team's innocence while a lineup of Gregg Williams, Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis and Joe Vitt admitted the whole bounty program happened. The clowns that run the team admitted that they had a bounty program. For three years! I don't understand how anyone can deny it at this point. I thought that Sharper was nuts but now linebacker Jonathan Vilma has taken the craziness even further. I never would have thought that was possible. He's suing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for slander and libel. Vilma filed his lawsuit this week in the U.S. District Court in Louisiana. He's accusing Goodell of injury to his professional and personal reputation, accusations of criminal conduct and infliction of emotional distress. It's just my opinion but Vilma trashed his reputation by being part of the Saints bounty system. He did that to himself. It even looks like he was the leader of the bounty program among the players. In his suit, Vilma claims that he neither "embraced" nor "participated" in a bounty program. If he played for the Saints over the past years (he did) he most certainly participated. According to Goodell and the investigators Vilma completely embraced the bounties. It's been reported that Vilma offered $10,000 to any player that knocked Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship game. In his lawsuit, Vilma claims that he never paid, or intended to pay, any player to knock out Favre. He never says that he didn't offer the money. That offer landed him a one year ban. Now, Goodell really needs to hand over all of the evidence against the Saints. If to no one else, he needs to hand it over to the NFLPA.

This lawsuit just seems ridiculous. It looks like a childish reaction to being caught doing something very wrong. The Saints really need to suck it up and shup up. They were caught. They should feel fortunate that they still have that Lombardi Trophy.

Dull Days

The NFL offseason has changed greatly in my nearly forty years of football mania. The Super Bowl was played in mid-January in those days. The Pro Bowl (that game's in jeopardy) was a week later. From then until training camps in July there was essentially a football blackout. Mrs. Flea Flicker would've been so happy. The draft was held in secret compared to the extravaganza of today's NFL. There was no free agency. The sport that we all love today is a whole other beast. When the final whistle blows at the Super Bowl now, the next season starts. College All-Star games, the Scouting Combine, free agency and the NFL Draft. It's wall-to-wall excitement and coverage. Some think that it all dies down after the draft. It really doesn't. Many think that we are now in the dull days of football. We really aren't. With the new CBA, draft picks are signing at an alarming rate. Some teams have signed all of their new, shiny players. That's exciting. There are Mini-camps and Organized Team Activities (OTAs) through early June. Those are exciting too. There's a bunch of stuff now. The Minnesota Vikings even signed a free agent this week, defensive end Nick Reed. That's very exciting. There are dull days in the NFL but these aren't them. No, those dull days start in about a month. From mid-June through early-July things do die down. That's the time between the end of team offseaon activities and the grind of training camp. That's when coaches get their one real break of the football year. In a couple of weeks, you'll have the football dull days. We just have to fight through them.

Throwback Thursday: Way Back

You can find hints of football throughout history and around the globe. For instance in 300 B.C. the Chinese played a ball game called Tsu Chu. Tsu meaning "to kick the ball with feet" and Chu meaning "ball made of leather and stuffed." Sounds a bit like football. This game never moved to the west so it never touched the evolution to football. The Greeks played a game called Harpastron that might have kick started the football path. Harpastron is usually cited as the Greek word for football but it actually means "handball." Wrong body part. Most scholars group Harpastron with a half dozen other Greek games to the category of ball games, but not kicking games. These games still likely played a role in football evolution in that the Romans stole them from the Greeks and eventually took them to England in the early A.D.'s. The games they brought to their new northern friends involved kicking a ball more by chance than by rule. When the Romans finally went home they left their games behind for the English. That's when they started kicking. They also started brawling. Many of their kicking games more resembled riots. Destroying property and each other. The mayhem got the attention of the Monarchy and the church. Neither liked it much. In 1314, Edward II banned the game, now considered football. Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV all continued the ban of football. Even Henry VIII found time in his busy schedule to enact still another law against football. By the 17th century, the game started popping up, gaining popularity. So much so that James I finally gave the "ok" to play again. The church too. In 1633, the Church of England issued formal approval of playing football. Everything was splendid in the football world. Early in the 19th century all that changed. Someone had the bright idea to run with the ball. Some think that guy was William Webb Ellis of Rugby School in 1823. Others think that it might have been a kid named Mackie fifteen years later. Whoever caught the ball and ran created a new sport. Rugby. The path from what we now call soccer to American football was cleared.

Up Next: The ball bounces across the Atlantic. or The colonies take over.

Neverending

The story of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium never seems to end. The bill passed the House and the Senate last week. That was the biggest hurdle. It felt like a done deal. Governor Mark Dayton signed the bill on Monday. As we learned so well from Schoolhouse Rock, the bill became a law. It felt like a done deal. Everyone's calling it done. NFL Network, ESPN, AP, every news service, fans, enemies. Everyone. Ideas are forming. Plans are being made. The Vikings have made contingency plans with the University of Minnesota to use TCF Bank Stadium for as many as four seasons, but likely only one. It feels like a done deal. It's still not a done deal. It's really kind of annoying. Ten years of waiting seems to have finally paid off yet it all could still fall apart. The NFL still has to approve it but that's pretty much anticlimactic. They hate the Metrodome. Pretty much everybody hates the place. The last hurdle is really the approval of the Minneapolis City Council. It's considered by many to be a mere formality. Thus, all the smiles. The City Council had given an informal approval about a month ago but it was only a 7-6 vote. That seems a bit shaky. The stadium deal now is better for the city than it was at the time of that vote so the 7-6 vote should, at worst, stand. Minneapolis mayor RT Rybak and City Council leader Barb Johnson have both maintained positive views. Both were at the press conference following the Senate vote last week. Still, the Minneapolis City Council  doesn't meet until May 25. That's when this ordeal finally ends. That's when all the happy people will truly be happy people.

The Apple And The Tree

No Newtonian Physics here. Sports Illustrated recently had an excellent article about Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant and his son Kobe. Wrong sport but it of course got me thinking about the right sport in a similar way. It directed my thoughts right at family legacies in football. Certainly the Manning's rule the roost in that regard as they've long been considered football royalty. Peyton and Eli Manning are such terrific quarterbacks that it's so easy to dismiss the skills of their father. Archie Manning was at least both his sons equal in athletic ability. His sad days with the New Orleans Saints of the '70s happened to be the time that I was discovering and understanding football. I was always impressed by the elder Manning. He just had the misfortune of playing with a horrible team. The Saints never did a thing to improve the quality of players around their quarterback. They added running back Chuck Muncie but he didn't stick around for long. I can't think of one decent receiver from those Saints team. The offensive line didn't do much for him either. Manning had to run. Fortunately, he could. What really garnered my thoughts was the impact that having a father playing quarterback in the NFL had on Peyton Manning. Eli Manning was a little too young to truly experience his father's playing days. Peyton grew up around NFL locker rooms and training camps. Most kids don't get any real football instruction until high school. Peyton had it all around him his entire young life. The same can be said of the quarterback that replaced him in Indianapolis, Andrew Luck. His father, Oliver Luck, was a decent quarterback for the Houston Oilers. Ironically, Archie Manning joined that Oilers team towards the end of his playing career. Seeing the younger Luck throw the football for Stanford the past three years it was plainly evident that he was well versed in offensive football. Hearing him speak football is like hearing a coach, or a Manning.

The athletic ability inherited from an NFL player can't be denied. I just think that growing up in a football environment can have as much of an impact. How to practice football. How to study football. How to watch game film. Bill Belichick may not have had the athletic ability of the Mannings or Lucks but he learned a lot of football from his father. Steve Belichick spent his entire life in football as a player and mostly as a coach and scout. He wrote what many consider the scouting bible. Little Belichick learned how to break down game film while most kids were still watching cartoons. Just like his father, football would always be Bill Belichick's life. It's no wonder coach's kids often make terrific quarterbacks. From Jim Harbaugh to Kellen Moore, they just get football. Partly because it's all they've known but mostly because it's all they care to know.

I've seen a bunch of second generation football players. Sometimes I wake at night realizing that I'm not too far away from seeing a third generation. I wonder which family that will be.

Offseason Injuries

Injuries are an unfortunate part of football. They're expected during the season. No one expects them during the offseason. Players are taking it easy, going on vacation, dabbling in their outside interests. The closest that the players come to football is lifting weights, running. Low impact stuff. It's even more low impact with the relaxed offseason routine dictated by the new CBA. It's about as low impact as the no impact offseason of baseball. That's why the injuries so far this offseason are so shocking. Shocking in their number. Even more shocking in their severity.

The first to be struck down was Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters. He ruptured his Achilles tendon doing football drills in Texas. Reigning defensive player of the year, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles tendon playing basketball in Arizona. Then came Cleveland Browns second year defensive tackle Phil Taylor. He tore his pectoral muscle while working out. Finally, Tampa Bay Buccaneers second year defensive end Da'Quan Bowers tore his Achilles tendon during the team's offseason workouts.

Three torn or ruptured Achilles tendons! In my life as a football fan I probably recall only a handful of Achilles tendon injuries. Most notably Dan Marino. Three in a span of a couple of months is incredible. You don't expect a concentration of such injuries in live regular season football action. You definitely don't expect them in the offseason months. A torn pectoral muscle isn't much fun either. All of these players will be out for a while. Many expect the entire season. Suggs says differently. So does Bowers. I hope that they are right. Their teams need them. Suggs and Peters are among the best in the league at their positions. Bowers and Taylor were expected to make huge strides in their second season.

My first thought was that these injuries were due to the relaxed offseason training. They suddenly exert themselves after doing so little. That's not really the reason. Playing basketball. Working out. Football drills. These are simple, routine activities. These are just freak occurrences. Really bad luck. I hope this luck changes. These injuries are bad enough during the season. We shouldn't be seeing them in the offseason.

All the Best, Ryan Longwell

Unfortunately, it got lost among the stadium votes but the Minnesota Vikings bid farewell to kicker Ryan Longwell. Most care little for kickers. They come and go and no one really notices that they were ever there. Unless of course they miss a field goal. Everyone knows the kicker then. Ryan Longwell wasn't like that. Unlike most kickers, he was fairly normal. He was also a team leader. Something kickers never are. Longwell was part of the Vikings' difference making free agent class of 2006. Steve Hutchinson, Chester Taylor, Ben Leber and Longwell played key roles as the Vikings gradually improved each year until they were on the brink of the Super Bowl in 2009. Longwell was an excellent kicker. Perhaps the best in Minnesota Vikings history. Not only that, he's been the only Cal player on the team since his signing in 2006. He'll be missed.

People perked up when the Vikings selected Georgia kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round of the recent draft. I guess we all know why they selected a kicker now. They Vikings are clearly on a youth movement. If they consider the kicker in that movement, they must be serious. Walsh has some huge shoes to fill. Ryan Longwell won't easily be forgotten in Minnesota.

Rookie Signings

In it's first shot, he new CBA has brought about a remarkable change in the signing of rookies. The first to sign was Chicago Bears second round pick, South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery. He signed just days after the draft. The New York Jets signed Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill soon after. The Bears expect to sign the rest of their picks at such a clip that senior director of football administration Cliff Stein has set mid-May as his target date for having all six picks signed. A feat already completed by the Carolina Panthers. The Washington Redskins San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks and others are on a similar rapid pace with most of their players signed. Incredible. Mid-May might have been the earliest that you'd see a pick sign in the old days, two years ago. I remember being stunned in 2004 when I saw that the Vikings had signed fourth round pick Mewelde Moore just weeks after the draft. Typically, teams wouldn't even start negotiating with their picks until July. The new CBA has changed all of that. The salaries are essentially determined before the agents of the players pick up a phone or enter a room. It's a great new day. Holdouts benefit no one. They only cause harm and I've never understood it even being an option. If nothing else came out of the lockout mess, the rookie salary scale was a great one.

I'd sure like to see the Minnesota Vikings jump into the signing party.

Finally

Two of the greatest scores in Minnesota Vikings history are 71-60 and 36-30. The first is the House vote on the final Minnesota stadium bill. The second is the vote in the Senate. Finally, after more than ten years of usually frustrating work, ground will be broken in the spring or summer of 2013 on the building of a new stadium in Minneapolis. The Vikings will have a much needed new home. The state of Minnesota will have a venue that can host events like Super Bowls, Final Fours, National Conventions, concerts, etc. in quality, with class. The Metrodome has long been a joke.

The governor still has to sign the bill into law. Governor Mark Dayton has long been one of the biggest stadium supporters and intends to sign the bill. It's finally happening. It couldn't have happened without the efforts of bill authors Senator Julie Rosen and Representative Morrie Lanning. Rosen, in particular, has been a rock. Ever. From my perch, it often looked like she carried this bill through all it's stops and criticism. She will never have to buy another beer in Minnesota. Ever. Again. Representative John Kriesel emerged as a star. Not just through this legislation but in general. Too many politicians are in politics for all the wrong reasons. Kriesel is in it for all the right reasons. He's in it for only one term to make a difference. He has no interest in a political career only in doing what he can to make the state of Minnesota better. He can see the big picture not just the interests of a few. His speech to close House debates is must listening for all Vikings fans. There are so many that worked together to make the stadium a reality. It was tremendous to see all the Minnesota Vikings fans come together. Grassroot organizations Minnesota Momentum and Save the Vikings have been a constant source of information and motivation for years. Seeing the passion of Vikings fans all over the world was amazing. They rallied. They flooded the legislators with phone calls and emails. The capital building was flooded with fans over the past deciding days. The difference made by the fans was mentioned often by the Vikings and the legislators. Vikings fans from all over the world made a difference. Some Arizona fans sent pizzas to their fellow fans camped at the capital. Beautiful.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication to Minnesota of the Wilf family. Through all the frustrations and inaction, false starts and broken promises, they never once threatened to move the team. Other owners have relocated with less provocation. Bolted under the cover of darkness. The Wilf's stayed with it. The Vikings fans and the state of Minnesota are fortunate to have the Wilf family owning the team. The team would likely be elsewhere if not for the Wilf's patience and dedication. Everyone has feared the intentions of the owners from New Jersey since they bought the team in 2005. The only real threat to the Vikings legacy in Minnesota was the Minneosta legislature. Thankfully most of them came through.

Finally.

Throwback Thursday: The Metrodome

I hate to jump the gun. Put the cart before the horse. I hate to speak of the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome as a thing of the past. There are just too many things can happen to dynamite the plans for a new stadium in Minnesota. I'm just optimistic that it will continue to come together.

The Minnesota Vikings moved into their new digs the same fall that I went off to college, 1982. It was a new beginning for both of us. I'm sure that was merely a coincidence. Nearly all of the Vikings legends of the late '60s and 70s had retired or had moved on to warmer football fields. The one that remained was head coach Bud Grant. Seeing Grant in the cold at Metropolitan Stadium was a natural. There was something very unnatural about seeing him indoors, on a carpet. He probably felt it as well. Grant would coach one more season but come out of retirement for another to make things right after the disaster of 1984.

The Minnesota Vikings began to change with a domed home. They moved to more of a speed team to take advantage of the fast track provided by the carpet. They started to draft differently. In came players like Darrin Nelson, Steve Jordan, Carl Lee, Joey Browner and Chris Doleman. The grind it out days of Bill Brown, Dave Osborn, Roy Winston, Stu Voigt and Carl Eller were in the past. It was sad and exciting.

The Metrodome made for a fun change. A different game. A much louder game. The team may have lost the home field advantage provided by the intense cold. They gained an advantage from the intense volume. The players loved it. It was always loud but never as loud as it was in 1998. Rookie receiver Randy Moss brought an explosiveness rarely seen in the NFL. A 15-1 season only increased the volume. They may have stolen the name from Mad Max but the Metrodome became the "Thunderdome." It was beautiful. The Vikings have had some success in the Metrodome, putting together a 159-94 record. Like their outdoor home, the Vikings never won the great prize in their indoor home. Hopefully, the Vikings change that in the 3-4 years they have before they move into a new home.

Despite the fun, the Metrodome was always a wreck. It was made on the cheap. The turf was like playing on gravel. During my lone visit there, I found seats behind pillars. Who does that? The mess that is the Metrodome was at it's awful best when the roof came down at the end of the 2010 season. Fortunately, it came down a handful of hours before the place was filled with people. It needs to be replaced but it did have a bunch of fun times.

Through the Senate!!

The Minnesota stadium bill cleared the Senate by a 38-28 vote. Listening to the State Senators was even more mentally draining than the House debates of the night before. The Senate even tossed in an amendment that prohibits any Minnesota Vikings TV blackouts of games played at a new stadium. The FCC and the NFL might have something to say about that. One clown tried to add essentially the same amendment several different ways. Fortunately for all he failed in every way. Another clown ended up voting for the stadium bill simply so he called for a re vote afterwards. It's amazing that anything ever gets done. Through this numbing process I'm constantly reminded of the delightful instructions of Schoolhouse Rock. The path of a bill to a law seemed much more thrilling in those excellent little cartoons.


Now, the bills passed by the Senate and the House bounce into a Conference Committee where they are reconciled into one bill. I believe that the Vikings are also part of these meetings. They likely want to be as both bills now include increased financial contributions from them. Despite negotiating a set amount months ago the Vikings probably expected to pay a little more but would like to have a say in the amount. The reconciled bill will then go back to the House and the Senate to be voted on again. After it's hopefully passed there, the governor finally gets to make it a law. Governor Mark Dayton has been pro-Stadium from the beginning. His signing should be automatic. Following that, the Minnesota Vikings will have a new home.


If I understand this process correctly, the biggest hurdles are the two that the bill just cleared. But who knows? Of the couple hundred people that I've seen debate over the last two days, there's only about a dozen that I would trust to make decisions.

And the House Played On...

I could never be a politician. I could never make it through a debate. I spent too much time watching a stream of the Minnesota House of Representatives debate the stadium bill. I had to get real dumb to stand it. Before I mention the thrills that this little venture brought me, I have to say how remarkable it is that I'm able to watch this at all. Technology truly is amazing. I'm sitting in California watching the government in Minnesota in process. Albeit a very slow process. Now, listening to some of these people speak is truly mind numbing. How are some of these people elected? It's amazing that anything ever gets done. I can understand people being against devoting funds for a stadium. I don't agree with it but I understand that view. However, many simply don't understand what they are debating. They don't understand the economics of professional football. To cover that lack of knowledge they make shit up. If they are going to debate, pass or not pass bills, they really should dig deep and read up on the topic. They spent 9-10 hours hashing things out and they very well could have cut that in, at least, half if they came prepared.

Anyway, the stadium bill passes!!! 73-58. A greater margin than was expected.
It's on to the the Senate.....

The Vote

Today and hopefully tomorrow may very well be the most important days in the life of the Minnesota Vikings. Today the stadium bill goes before the State House of Representatives for a floor vote. If it passes, it moves on to the Senate. If it fails, the 2012 season could be the team's last in Minnesota.

This is just what the Minnesota Vikings and all their fans have wanted for the past decade. A vote by the legislature on a long needed new home. It's just shocking that there's so much uncertainty with the outcome. My belief is that it'll pass but it won't be the slam dunk that it really should be. The Vikings belong in Minnesota. Even those that don't follow football should understand that. The Vikings are as important to the culture of the state as any of the arts. Just as those that love the Vikings should respect those that love opera the opposite should also be true. The existence of one shouldn't be at the exclusion of the other. Both make the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota a better place. Many of the legislators that oppose the financing of a new stadium claim that the public shouldn't be helping a wealthy owner. They completely miss the importance of the Vikings to the state of Minnesota. Despite what documents might say the Vikings are owned by the fans. An ownership far more important than anything that money says. Besides the Vikings will only be leasing the stadium. The team will only use the stadium at most, and hopefully, 12 days out of the year. It will be a people's stadium and the state can expect the windfall from the many local and national events that will be held there. Including, and certainly not limited to, Super Bowls, Final Fours, National Conventions, concerts, high school events, etc. It's all in the hands of the legislators and perhaps that's what frightens people the most. These elected officials have barley shown the ability to clap their hands let alone do any work with them.

Today, all Vikings fans hope for the best.

Vikings Lineup

With the past few days not being the typical fun football days it seems a fine time to take a far too early look at the Flea Flicker's projected Minnesota Vikings starting lineup. It's ridiculous to do this but it sure is fun.

Offense
WR Percy Harvin
TE   Kyle Rudolph
LT   Matt Kalil
LG   Brandon Fusco
C     John Sullivan
RG  Geoff Schwartz
RT   Phil Loadholt
TE   John Carlson
WR Jerome Simpson
QB  Christian Ponder
RB  Adrian Peterson

Defense
RE  Jared Allen
NT  Letroy Guion
UT  Kevin Williams
LE  Brian Robison
LB  Chad Greenway
LB  Jasper Brinkley
LB  Erin Henderson
CB  Chris Cook
CB  Antoine Winfield
S     Harrison Smith
S     Robert Blanton

QB: The quarterback job is Christian Ponder's. He'd have to fail miserably to lose it. That's not going to happen. It's unfortunate that a player as talented as Joe Webb is left on the sideline. He can make things happen. I'd like to see him on the field in some capacity. Sage Rosenfels brings veteran experience and stability. He's a coach with a helmet.

RB: Adrian Peterson is a beast. He'll be back. Toby Gerhart is terrific. He needs to get more touches and help keep Peterson fresh. Lex Hilliard will likely be RB 3. At fullback, Ryan D'Imperio showed some good things toward the end of last season. Jerome Felton was still brought in as a free agent. Rookie Rhett Ellison was drafted as a tight end but can probably fill a dual role. Unlike a lot of teams, the Vikings still use a true fullback on occasion.

WR: Percy Harvin has been fantastic. He'll be even better this year. He's a very, very unique football player. Ponder was all smiles after throwing to Jerome Simpson for the first time. Fast and incredibly athletic, Simpson finally showed some of his skills in Cincinnati last year. He's suspended for the first three games and has some personal settling to do. If he can improve on his little breakthrough of last year, his addition could be explosive. I think that the Vikings now have a deep, young, but mostly unproven receiver rotation. There's a lot of potential. Michael Jenkins adds the little experience that there is. Before he went down with an injury, Jenkins seemed to develop a nice rapport with Ponder. Second year Stephen Burton and rookies Jarius Wright and Greg Childs will likely round out the group. Childs could be a star.

TE: Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson should provide a dynamic receiving duo for Ponder. Whether they have a similar impact as the New England Patriots' tight ends of a year ago remains to be seen but that seems to be the goal. Rhett Ellison will add some position versatilty.

OL: The improvement here should be drastic. There will be at least three new starters. Only John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt return as starters. Rookie Matt Kalil became the starter as soon as he was drafted. He alone makes the line better and he's yet to take his first NFL snap. Many around the Vikings have already named last year's left tackle Charlie Johnson as the starter at left guard. I have some doubts. I think that second year Brandon Fusco is ready. Those that say Johnson starts say that Fusco and Schwartz battle for the right guard spot. I can understand where Johnson's experience would be beneficial to a rookie like Kalil but I see the Vikings putting the best five linemen on the field. I see that including Fusco and Scwartz as the starting left and right guards. There is some nice depth here. Johnson, Joe Berger, Chris DeGeare and DeMarcus Love could all fill in and play multiple positions.

DL: Kevin Williams, Jared Allen and Brian Robison are solid to awesome. Letroy Guion is the newcomer to the starting lineup. He's been right on the verge of a breakthrough for a couple of years now. Never quite sustaining his often explosive play. This is his chance. End Everson Griffen has to get on the field. He's unusually versatile. New defensive coordinator Alan Williams has to find a way to take advantage of Griffen's skills. The Baltimore Ravens did several interesting things with a similarly talented Adalius Thomas a few years ago. Williams might want to start there. Use him as a roving lineman/linebacker hybrid. He can probably even take on some safety-type coverage responsibility. A remarkable player. Christian Ballard, Fred Evans D'Aundrae Reed and rookie Trevor Guyton will provide nice depth.

LB: Chad Greenway is super. Erin Henderson is steadily improving. Middle linebacker might be the position that concerns me the most on the team this season. Jasper Brinkley missed the entire 2011 season with a hip injury. He's solid against the run but struggles some in coverage. If he's at all slow to return to form those struggles could increase. Larry Dean, Marvin Mitchell, Solomon Elimimian and rookie Audie Cole provide depth. Elimimian could be the wildcard. From the CFL, he can run and hit a ton.

DB: Chris Cook returns. If he can keep his off the field business in order, he could explode on the field. His battles with Detroit's Calvin Johnson are instant highlights. If Antoine Winfield can stay healthy, his football is still excellent at 34. Free agent additions Chris Carr and Zack Bowman will compete as will Brandon Burton, Asher Allen and rookie Josh Robinson. It might be a little optimistic but Robinson has the skills to start early. Safety play in Minnesota has been real sad for too long. Harrison Smith, like Kalil, became a starter as soon as he was drafted. Fellow rookie Robert Blanton could start as well. His main competition will likely come from second year Mistral Raymond. Raymond, realistically, has the edge based solely on his one whole year of experience. So, that edge is slight. Jamarca Sanford helps. Helps a lot on special teams.

Only two seasons have passed since the Vikings were a whisper from the Super Bowl in 2009. It's striking to look at this roster and see only six starters from that NFC Championship game. John Sullivan, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams, Jared Allen, Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield. It's just amazing how fast a team can change if you blink. Peterson, Sullivan, Allen and Greenway are still on the right side of 30. The Vikings have become a young team. It's all potential now but there's some real nice potential.

There it is. The offense and defense of the 2012 Minnesota Vikings. A whole lot can change over the next four months. The Flea Flicker will be here when it does.

Cursed?

I just can't shake the loss of Junior Seau. He was an amazing football payer. Beyond that, he always seemed so filled with joy. I only assumed that happines followed him off the field. As his passing has brought the expected media coverage I was shocked to discover a disturbing number. The 1994 San Diego Chargers made it all the way to the Super Bowl. The years since have not been kind to that team. Junior Seau was the eigthth player on that team to pass.

Linebacker David Griggs died in 1995 after his car slid off an expressway and hit a large sign pole.

Running back Rodney Culver died in a plane crash on May 11, 1996. The crash of ValuJet Flight 592 killed all 110 people aboard, including his wife.

Linebacker Doug Miller died in 1998 as the result of a lightning strike.

Center Curtis Whitley died on May 11, 2008 as the result of an overdose.

Defensive end Chris Mims died of an enlarged heart on Oct. 15, 2008.

Defensive end Shawn Lee died from cardiac arrest on Feb. 26, 2011.

Linebacker Lew Bush died of a heart attack on Dec. 8, 2011.

Lightning, a plane crash, two passing on May 11. I really hope that this ends. Too young. Too soon.

Very Sad

Wednesday was a very sad day. Junior Seau took his own life. It's sad that the happiness that he so obviously found in football didn't follow him after his playing days. The Seau that I remember was always smiling. It may be a leap to assume that Seau's troubles resulted from the violence that he experienced on the football field. Still, it's a leap that's so easy to make. The evidence continues to build showing that head trauma in football leads to issues later. In that sense it's interesting that the NFL's punishments of Jonathan Vilma, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Scott Fujita for their involvement in the New Orleans Saints bounty game were handed down the same day that Seau took his life. Football's a violent game. The idiots in New Orleans took it upon themselves to intentionally make it more violent. They made the violence, the injuries a game. As with the Saints' coaches and general manager that were suspended earlier, the question shouldn't be whether the penalties were too severe. It should be whether they were severe enough.

Since Wednesday, I've been remembering the incredible passion with which Junior Seau played football. His love of the game was always so obvious. I so wish that happiness had stayed.

RIP Junior Seau

Throwback Thursday: The Met

As the Minnesota legislature shows everything wrong with politics, in general, and politicians, in particular, it's easy to look back on more happy stadium times. On December 20, 1981 the Minnesota Vikings played the Kansas City Chiefs in Metropolitan Stadium. It was the last time that the Vikings stepped on that field. There's a big, bushy mall on the site now. Some people even visit Minnesota simply to set foot in that mall. I've been there. Saw a roller coaster. Saw a stadium chair attached high on a wall. Former Minnesota Twins great Harlem Killebrew once hit a monster home run that hit that very chair. It was Metropolitan Stadium then. One of many. My only thoughts that day in that mall were of the stadium that once stood there.

Affectionately known as "the Met", Metropolitan Stadium was a wreck. It was beautiful. When I first discovered football and the Minnesota Vikings I didn't understand the little home of my team. It compared more easily to high school football stadiums than anything else in the NFL. It was small, seating less than 50,000. Both teams were on the same sideline. It was also very cold. Winter comes hard in Minnesota. Metropolitan Stadium showed that so well. I learned about cold watching football games on TV in a living room in California. The cold brought a closeness between the Vikings and their fans. They were all in it together. Players and fans often celebrated that union in the parking lot after the games. Thirty years in the mess that is the Metrodome could never touch the twenty years of home games at "the Met." The dome was a never a home.



RIP Junior Seau

Still Teammates

It had been a long run. Since elementary school. Jarius Wright and Greg Childs have always been teammates. They played the same position too, receiver. One is big and fairly fast, Childs. The other is fairly small and very fast, Wright. They play the same position but bring different skills. They've played together since elementary school. Through high school and the University of Arkansas. The teammate thing had to end when they hit the separation process called the NFL Draft. So they thought.

On Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings selected Jarius Wright and Greg Childs in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Still teammates. The odds are remarkable. Warren, Arkansas is a town of 6,000. The odds of one their own making it all the way to the NFL are long. Friends and teammates? Teammates that play the same position? Teammates that play the same position that get drafted by the same NFL team? Inconceivable! The Vikings have a real need at receiver. Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, each with unique skills, can fill that need. They can make it a strength. Together they can. It's all they've ever known.

The Vikings found a couple more sets of teammates in this draft. First round tackle Matt Kalil was followed by his USC teammate, fullback/tight Rhett Ellison. Great friends too. First round safety Harrison Smith will have Notre Dame company with fellow safety Robert Blanton. It's a strong possibility that the two Golden Domers will start together at safety for the Vikings this fall. There's a bunch of Notre Dame players on the Vikings. Center John Sullivan, tight ends Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson and now the two rookie safeties. They were once all together in South Bend. Still teammates.

Minnesota Vikings Draft

Rick Spielman did a terrific job with his first draft as general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. This NFL draft was unique in that the first two picks have been known for quite some time. As a result, the draft essentially started with the Vikings third pick. Spielman created an air of confusion with the media and perhaps other teams in the weeks leading up to the draft. Throughout the draft evaluation process most assumed that the Vikings would select USC tackle Matt Kalil. Spielman maintained that they had options in Kalil, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackman and ideally to trade down, just a little. They wanted to keep a shot at one of those three elite players but it could be any of those players. All three played positions of significant need for the Vikings. About an hour before the draft Spielman made a trade with the Cleveland Browns at #4. The Browns wanted to insure that they could select Alabama running back Trent Richardson. In exchange for dropping back one spot, the Vikings received the Browns picks in the 4th, 5th and 7th rounds and still had their player of choice. The Minnesota Vikings were now ready to roll with thirteen picks in the 2012 NFL Draft.

I believe that Matt Kalil was always the top choice of the Vikings. I also believe that he was the right choice. He will become the starting left tackle and solidify a very young offensive line. Most draft "experts" rate Kalil a notch below Cleveland's Joe Thomas and Miami's Jake Long when they entered the league. Kalil has that same elite potential. He may need to get stronger but his footwork and movement is at least equal to Thomas and Long. Kalil left USC early so he's a year behind the other two when they entered the league in both physical and football development. Kalil's senior football season will see him practicing against Jared Allen and competing against elite pass rushers Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, Cliff Avril and Aldon Smith. The offensive line got stronger with Kalil and as result so did the entire offense. Christian Ponder, Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, Percy Harvin and the rest of the Vikings playmakers will be happy for the next decade, hopefully longer.

The trade with Cleveland before the draft gave Minnesota the means to trade back into the first round and select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. Safety was essentially a void on the Vikings roster. I seriously doubt that the starters last year would have made a 53-man roster of any of the other 31 teams in the league. The Vikings clearly liked what they saw of Smith at the Senior Bowl where they coached the North squad. Smith is a smart, instinctive football player. He was the leader of the Notre Dame defense, calling adjustments and making sure that everyone was lined up correctly. The Vikings need him to do the same for a defensive backfield that's been a mess for a couple of years. He's a starter now. The Vikings offense and defense got much better in that first round.

It's a stretch to say that Central Florida corner Josh Robinson will join Harrison Smith as an opening day starter in the defensive backfield. Hopefully, he'll see a lot of playing time as a rookie in nickel and dime coverage. The future corners in Minnesota are likely Robinson and Chris Cook. Robinson brings something that the Minnesota defense has lacked for a long time, speed. He should be an immediate contributor as a returner. Fourth round Arkansas receiver Jarius Wright brings speed to the other side of the ball. Head coach Leslie Frazier said that the team needed a fast, downfield receiving threat. Wright provides that. He's a little small at 5'10" 185 lbs so he may need some time to adjust to the physical nature of the NFL game. He was an All-SEC performer so he's had to deal with talented corners and first round draft picks like Morris Claiborne, Dre Kirkpatrick and Patrick Peterson. He'll find his way through, and hopefully, past NFL defenses. Fullback/tight end Rhett Ellison will help fill the extra blocker role left open by the retirement of Jim Kleinsasser. Ellison was a player that I thought would interest the Vikings. I hoped that they could get him later in the draft but the Vikings obviously decided that they couldn't. The last fourth round pick was Wright's Arkansas teammate, receiver Greg Childs. Before a patella tendon injury in 2010, Childs was on track to be a late first, early second round draft selection. He might have come back too early but he's healthy now. He ran very well at his recent Pro Day at Arkansas. What Wright brings in pure speed, Childs brings in size. At 6-3, 220 lbs he will hopefully provide what Minnesota lost when Sidney Rice left in free agency. Receiver was right behind left tackle and secondary on the Vikings list of weaknesses. Hopefully, they filled that need with what they found in Arkansas. The Vikings continued the teammate route in the fifth round when they selected Harrison Smith's partner in the Notre Dame defensive backfield, Robert Blanton. Blanton played corner in college but will play safety for the Vikings. Partly due to the talent level at the safety position but hopefully due to their play, I wouldn't be surprised to see Smith and Blanton as the Vikings starting safeties this season. Their sixth round pick was a surprise, Georgia kick Blair Walsh. Ryan Longwell is still going strong but he's nearing the end of his terrific career. Drafting Walsh might have been a "we'll see what happens" pick. The Vikings added inside linebacker Audie Cole of North Carolina St with their first pick in the seventh round. It's certainly a position of need. He sounds a lot like projected starter Jasper Brinkley. Terrific run stopper. Suspect in coverage. Special teams will likely be his best route onto the roster. Brinkley missed all of last season with a hip injury. Cole also brings insurance if Brinkley falters. The Vikings last pick of the draft was a personal favorite of mine, Cal defensive lineman Trevor Guyton. I expected him to be drafted earlier. Most of his college career was spent backing up and supporting first round picks Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan. Throughout his college career Guyton made plays. Especially when his team needed it the most. He gives the Vikings position versatility along the line as he can play both end and tackle.

The Vikings also traded two of their later picks, a fifth and seventh, in separate trades. It brought them a fourth and sixth in the 2013 draft. So the Vikings added ten players this year, all in areas of significant need, and strengthened themselves for the draft next year.

I really like this draft. Talented, high character players. Strong teammates. Some actually were teammates in college. They found two immediate starters and impact players in the first round. Josh Robinson and Jarius Wright are likely the kick returners and should contribute significantly in certain packages right away. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Childs and Blanton emerge as starters early. Ellison will be involved in the tight end rotation and line up in the backfield as an extra blocker. I like Guyton to make the team and strengthen the depth of the defensive line.

Nice job Rick Spielman and all the scouts and coaches on this draft.