Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reports that Vikings coach Mike Tice has admitted to scalping Super Bowl tickets as an assistant coach, but not as a head coach.

It's a reversal for Tice, who told SI.com he's had nothing to do with selling Super Bowl seats at a mark-up.

Tice also told Mortensen that media reports regarding his involvement contain "innuendos that might force me to take legal action."

More as it becomes available....

Drive By

Today, I drove by Winter Park on my way back from lunch. Ton’s of press and vehicles out there. It was just nuts and lots of press had to park on the street as there was no room left in the parking lot.

And there was Mike Tice standing on the corner, waving tickets in one hand and talking on his cell phone with the other.

Update One

Just spoke with the Smooster (he and I are good buddies and I’m allowed to call him this…not you common people). So what does he think about this Tice fiasco?

Smoot, a former second-round pick whose deal included a $10.8 million bonus, said he didn’t regret joining Tice’s team despite the allegations.

“That’s he-say she-say,” said Smoot. “You know what? That didn’t really concern me. It ain’t like he went out and hurt nobody or nothing like that.”

“Half the players don’t even go to the Super Bowl,” added Smoot, noting he usually gives his tickets to his father. “…I know I don’t. (If) I’m not playing in it, I won’t be there.”

Smoot, who called Tice “a genuine guy,” said scalping won’t be an issue with him in a Vikings uniform next season.

“For what I’m trying to do as a Minnesota Viking, he is not gonna need a ticket to the Super Bowl,” Smoot said. “We gonna go free.”

You can read the text from the Smoot press conference here.

More…Assuming Smoot's bonus money is paid as a roster bonus -- the Vikings' usual practice, allowing the entire bonus to be counted against the cap this year -- the Vikings' available cap space will be cut from $31 million to roughly $18-$19 million.

More…ESPN now reporting a 5 PM press conference!

More…Teddy Cotrell is suppose make an announcement Thursday that will cause all the fans to go “crazy”. KFAN speculating a 2-5 defense (that’s a joke!). But Teddy is going to speak and no one knows what its about.

Crazy off-season, eh!?!?!

Update Two

Agent Dante' DiTrapano, who represents Raiders receiver Randy Moss, said earlier this afternoon that neither he nor his client are the source of the anonymous tip to the league office that Vikings coach Mike Tice has been scalping (allegedly) Super Bowl tickets.

Posted by maasx003 at March 9, 2005 01:26 PM | TrackBack