The was the first year that I missed a Vikings home game due to illness when the Vikes beat the St. Louis Rams on December 11. I was knocked out cold due to a nasty stomach virus. The following week I went to the Steelers game despite battling a nasty head cold. What the hell!

This past Sunday, I once again was hit by a virus and had to miss the final game of the season. No more flu shots for me. I haven't been healthy ever since getting once back in November. I mean, it can't be that I am getting old. Growing older is not something that any of us wants to admit to. Gaining experience is one thing. Gaining wrinkles, aches and pains is another.

But enough of the perils of age. What are the bonuses? Learning to pace yourself for a start, which always reminds me of that story of the two bulls in a field? "Let's jump over the fence, gallop across that field and have one of those cows," suggested the young bull. The old bull shook his head. "No," he said. "Let's open the gate, walk across the field, and have all of them."

I like to think that I now have the wisdom of age (if not the stamina). And in that regard, I have to think that I am improving. Maturing like a fine wine, rather than like a cheese and just going bad and getting up people's noses. And let's face it; while there is still room for improvement I must still be young!

One secret of staying young is to offer yourself new challenges. That is one reason I started this blog over a year ago. A new challenge to see if I could succeed at. I think I did alright. According to StatCounter, I averaged 355 hits a day. My high day was on April 30th when the blog was hit 4,635 times during the midst of my annual Mini-Camp reports. And I receive the occasional nice comment like this one:

As a Viking fan living in southern Wisconsin (Janesville), it's tough to follow the team except through national media outlets and the twin cities papers. I just wanted to thank you and let you know that Viking Underground has been an unbelievable asset to our family, who bleed Viking Purple. Thanks for all of your hard work- It's very fulfilling to have such a great resource from a fan's point of view. If you ever need a piece from a guest writer about the unique perspective of being a Viking fan from a part of the country where Cheeseland and Bear Country intersect, please do not hesitate to ask.

Happy New Year!

Tyler, Kendra and Shayla Young

And there is always next year, isn't there? And that hopeful thinking probably accounts for the innate happiness that we should all be feeling today. That the new year will be better than the last one, the weather will be kinder, you'll master some new hobby, and the Vikes will look better than ever.

We have to believe that. It is what keeps us going. What keeps us fresh. What keeps us youthful. And as everyone knows, old Vikings fans never die, they just keep believing.

Tice Approval Poll

Well, it is time for the final Mike Tice approval poll of the season....and perhaps his career. Cast your vote for or against Tice to the left.

And speaking of Ol' Pencil Ear, according to Sid Hartman, Tice will lose his job Monday morning. What does Hartman pin his source on? Nothing. Ol’ Sid, who should have been put out to pasture over a decade ago, is trying to fashion a story and hope he guesses correctly. He has no source, no facts…just a “feeling” and one quote from a Vikings Assistant Coach who said, “It doesn’t look good” which might have been a reference to Hartman’s sport coat instead of Tice’s job.

I did hear Patrick Reusse discuss this on his Saturday morning sports show on local 1500 AM (KSTP). Reusse ridiculed the Hartman story. Reusse went on to say the only item of note that he could pass along was that Zygi Wilf was seen talking with Jim Fassel before the Baltimore Ravens game on Xmas Day. Fassel currently serves as offensive coordinator of the Ravens. He and Wild have a history stemming from the days of Fassel’s stint as head coach of the New York Giants….Wilf’s favorite NFL team up to the point when he purchased the Vikings from the NFL’s version of Scrooge. Reusse alluded that the conversation between these two gentlemen could have been nothing more that two old guys catching up as well as an early job interview…also known as tampering under NFL rules.

To add more to the entertainment value being perpetrated by Hartman, who clearly needs to up his dose of schizophrenia medication, was that Sir Sidney believes the Vikes will hire Fassel (possible) and then Tice becomes offensive coordinator for the Ravens (absurd).

One hopes that Tice keeps his job Monday, if for no other reason to watch Hartman go down in flames and be forced out at the STrib and WCCO. On the other hand, it might be a lot of fun listening to Hartman talk about what a “poor choice it was for Wild to hire Jim ‘Fazzle’ and not keep Tice.” (See Hartman affront Martina Navratilova.)

In any event, whatever happens Monday, I just hope it happens quickly and the Vikings can begin their off-season regimen knowing Tice is still coach or who the new coach will be. There are a lot of free agents to be dealt with. A draft to prepare for. And an easy NFL 2006 NFL schedule to prepare for.

The 2006 Season: A Look Ahead

Home Games: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, St. Louis, New England, the New York Jets Arizona Cardinals, and either Tampa Bay or Carolina.
Away Games: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, San Francisco, Seattle, Buffalo and Miami. They also will play the second-place team in the NFC East, most likely the Washington Redskins.

I count ten sure wins. You?

Indigestible Quote

Love him or hate him, Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune can put up some great fodder for the water cooler. Take this quote that had me reaching for the bottle of antacid:

This will be the 29th consecutive year, by the way, that a ticket is the only way for a Viking to get to the Super Bowl.

That puts the Vikings 12th among the NFC's teams in length of Super Bowl drought -- ahead of only Arizona, Detroit, New Orleans and Seattle, the teams that haven't been there.

One season shy of three decades.

Why, oh why, has it been almost thirty years since the Vikings last played in a Super Bowl? Lord help us!

Little Wing

Those who were reading this blog during the off-season last year know that I won't be talking football 24/7 from, oh, now until the time of the April draft. Yes, the blog will still be primarily all that is Vikings football but that gets slightly boring when the time is not playing.

The same will hold true with my podcasts. To that end, I thought it may be cool to post three versions of the same song and let you decide which version is the best. The first such song I give for you to listen and decide is "Little Wing". The first version you will hear during VU Podcast Thirty-Six is by The Corrs from their Talk on Corners CD. That is followed by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble doing their take from the "The Sky is Crying" CD. Finally, Sting provides his version from the "Nothing Like the Sun" CD. Which version do you think is best? Give a listen and then vote below:

Have some other songs with multiple versions that you'd like me to put up for a vote? Just leave a comment below or send me an e-mail.

Posted by maasx003 at January 2, 2006 06:01 AM