The 1998 Season

Note: 1998 was the second season that I wrote down thoughts the entire year. Therefore, the 1998 season summary will come in multiple additions to my blog. Today's 1998 entry will be July thoughts.

July 1998

This week I had to go to Wisconsin, the land of cheese curds and hobby farms.

My business had led me to a two-day client visit in the small town of Janesville. It’s a lovely rural town with friendly people, reminding me of Jamestown, ND, my own hometown.

After the first day of business, I decided to take my group into Madison for an exceptional meal at L’Etoile on the square overlooking the Capitol. We arrived in town with time to spare before our reservations, so we stopped into a nearby cocktail lounge called Genna’s beforehand to socialize.

Wearing my Viking Underground dress shirt, I noticed some Packer fans staring at me from across the bar, mouths agape, not quite sure of what they were seeing. One person — I refer to him as "One Eyebrow" — slouched over to me after a short while, hairy knuckles scraping the wooden floor, sniffing the air as if checking for immediate danger. The ensuing conversation went something like this:

OE: Ugh, we kick your butts again this year.

Mr. COD: Oh really? You think you can stop our offense?

OE: Vikings have offense?

Mr. COD: We sure do, my mentally challenged friend. How ’bout we see how you will match up on defense and how your team can stop our top offensive players?

OE: Me understand.

Mr. COD: You know we just drafted Randy Moss. How do you plan to stop him?

OE: Easy. Cornerback and strong safety double team.

Mr. COD: Wow! Well, that takes care of Moss. What about Jake Reed?

OE: Reed big and strong but we play other corner deep and weak-side linebacker up.

Mr. COD: Hmmmm. I guess that will slow him down. Now what about perennial All-Pro Cris Carter? How will you stop him?

OE: Carter old and slow now. Nickel back covers. No problem.

Mr. COD: Are you sure you’re not Mike Holmgren? I mean, how will my team even get a first down against your brilliant thinking?

OE: (Big toothless grin) That right! No first downs, no first downs!

Mr. COD: Let me get this straight. You’ve doubled up Moss, have Reed covered short and long and can effectively take care of Carter.

OE: You almost as smart as me.

Mr. COD: Well, let’s say we run Robert Smith in a trap play. How can you possibly stop that? You’ve got all your D-backs and one linebacker committed now.

OE: We have stud defensive line. Smith never get through.

Mr. COD: So the D-line stays home to take care of Smith?

OE: Smash him to bits.

Mr. COD: Well, what if, just maybe, Brad Johnson fakes a hand-off to Smith which commits your D-line. Johnson rolls around to the strong side, which keeps the middle and strongside linebackers home, not knowing if Johnson will run or throw. There is no pass rush because the D-line is all on top of Smith and your weakside linebacker is committed to Reed. Moss is streaking down the sideline with a corner and safety hanging on for dear life while Carter has made the nickel back turn around in his jock. So what you’re telling me is there is no one covering our big tight end, Andrew Glover, and Johnson completes a 25-yard pass right down the middle of the field. Or did you have a plan for that too?

OE: (Long pause. Sound of crickets can be heard.) Oooh! We cover tight-end with safety!

Mr. COD: So now you’ve pulled the safety off Moss and your cornerback ... by the way, how fast is your corner?

OE: Fast. Him got 4.45 speed.

Mr. COD: Molasses in January, my friend. Moss has 4.28. So once you’ve pulled the safety off, Johnson just hits Moss for an 80-yard touchdown instead of throwing to Glover.

OE: (Sound of hairy knuckles scratching prominent brow ridge) We pull strong-side linebacker to slow Moss down!

Mr. COD: Which frees up the strongside so that when Smith breaks through, and believe me, that Vikings All-Pro offensive line will make a hole, the Viper ends up going, and going, and going all the way into the Thunder Zone.

OE: We have weakside linebacker shadow Smith. That take care of that.

Mr. COD: Which leaves 6-foot-3 Jake Reed against one of your shrimp corners and the game becomes boring with Jake catching pass after pass after pass.

OE: We bring up Nickel! Nickel save us!

Mr. COD: And then I get to see Carter point to God in the end-zone after each of his many touchdowns that day!

OE: (Now severely glassy-eyed and it’s not due to the beer) Me no play this game no more. Head hurt bad!

Mr. COD: Wait! You didn’t tell me how you will take care of Johnson if he decides to throw another touchdown to himself again this year! Well, thank you for the enlightening chat. Stop by anytime.

Posted by maasx003 at November 6, 2004 06:44 AM