According to the STrib, Mike Tice wants to decide on one running back to feature next season. "Whether that's Mewelde Moore, Onterrio Smith or Michael Bennett, I think that has to [be decided] by the time we leave Mankato, if not sooner," Tice said.

That's good news for fantasy football owners, like myself. Also good news for Vikings fans who haven't seen a featured back since Robert Smith hung up his cleats. As you'll recall, Smith stunned Minnesota when he walked away from the game at age 28 after the 2000 season.

From what I saw of the current stable this year, no one totally enthralls me. And I want that big, break-way, top-5 NFL numbers kind of back that Smith was. That's why I'd personally love to see a trade for Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. But, that's just me.

I'd be happy with any of the current four as well. I'd like to see what they could do given the chance to carry the load for the majority of the season. Each excelled this season, when give the chance prior to injury setting in. And with Jim Kleinsasser back next year to clear a wider path, you never know. The Vikes may just have a NFL Leading Rusher candidate in their very midst.

Who would you like?

Sale Coming?

Rumors of a pending sale are flying fast and furious this week. One can hardly keep up with them.

Former Vikings punter and current Vikings Game Day sideline reporter Greg Coleman is friends with Arizona entrepreneur Reggie Fowler who has been off and on news in regards to purchasing the Vikings from Red McCombs. Well, Fowler is back on again. Coleman spoke at length with Fowler recently and gets the feeling that a sale is near. No price mentioned, and Coleman is not sure if Taylor would be involved. Fowler wants a family like atmosphere and has zero intention of moving the team. Coleman also said today on KFAN Radio that Fowler wants to move his entire business to Minnesota as well as his family.

This same news was reported this afternoon on WCCO radio which broadcasts from Minneapolis. Stay tuned!

From the Sidelines

It's the off-season now. So I can't provide Vikings views 24-7 without repeating myself a thousand times or boring you half to death. So, I'm just going to post some non-football related things under the From the Sidelines heading now and then. You might find these things interesting. You might not. But you'll probably come to know me a little bit better than.

I've been taking seafood classes at Coastal Seafoods. What a great place. Knowledgeable staff, great seafood, and the classes have been wonderful to date.

I took my second class, Shellfish, last Thursday (1/13/2005). We learned a few traditional recipes for steamed mussels and clams. It was the mussels that really interested me in this particular class as my wife and I love the mussels served at the Atlas Grill in downtown Minneapolis.

We also sampled raw oysters on the ½ shell. I had done this quite a bit when I lived in Texas. I had found a bar that served up my favorite Belgian ales and also served up raw oysters every Friday. I recall in Texas, though, we laid on the horse-radish sauce pretty heavily. At Coastal it was straight oyster.

But sampling the oyster without sauce brought my attention to the differences between the East coast, West coast, and Japanese oyster. I ended up prefering the East coast (Northpoint) oyster.

But the highlight of the class was learning to prepare Oysters Rockefeller. I prepared this dish after the Vikings lost to the Eagles. It went flawlessly and it erased any memory of the bitter defeat of the Purple.

So, need a way to bury your sorrows after the season? Try a cooking class! It is great fun.

Posted by maasx003 at January 18, 2005 02:44 PM | TrackBack