Time to cleanse the palate. And besides, I had this entry in the can prior to the Moss trade so I'm going to run with it.

With their season right around the corner I just have to chime in on my thoughts for the soon-to-be-World-Series Champion Minnesota Twins.

Wait a doggone minute! This is a Vikings site! How dare you right about America's second favorite pastime. Hey, it's my blog. And I feel like hot dogs and Cracker Jack at the moment.

And besides, there are plenty of baseball artifacts interspersed with my Vikings artifacts in my office. Right next to the 1991 World Championship photos in my office is a signed photo of Kirby Puckett holding grocery goods and a Supervalu cap for a spot he had done with the local grocery distributor a few years back. It was given to me by the former Vice President of Frozen Foods with Supervalu. It is a cherished piece of memorabilia in my sports collection.

My wife and I fondly recall the 1991 season. That team had her favorite Twins player of all time. She nicknamed him Dirt Ball. Can you guess who that was? Leave some comments on who you think that might be. If no one gets it, I'll start leaving some clues.

We've only attended a few games at the Metrodome since that time. The issue? We just cannot bring ourselves to go inside on a beautiful summer night to watch baseball being played. Build a new outdoor stadium, and the Maas family would probably buy a ticket package to attend a dozen or more games each season.

So, with that in mind, which stadium should the Blow Hards at the Minnesota State Legislature be concentrating on funding first?

But Is It Sponge Worthy?

I'm going to give this a try. Based on Elaine Benes of the great Seinfeld sitcom, each week or so I will introduce another blog that I have come across and have begun reading on a regular basis. You, my valued reader, will decide if it deserves a permanent link on my site under the category of Sponge Worthy Links.

You recall the Seinfeld episode. Elaine only uses the sponge as her form of birth control. When the sponge is to be discontinued she scavenges the city buying in hordes any sponges she can find. From then on, if a man was not sponge worthy, then he was not worth Elaine's troubles.

The blogs chosen at random, may have nothing to do with football..or even sports. If you have a favorite blog, please pass it along to me by leaving the web address under the Comments section found at the end of each entry.

So, is this site, Stick and Ball Guy, worth our attention? Is this blog truly Sponge Worthy and deserving of a permanent link on the Worlds Number One Vikings blog?

Voting will be open for one week, ending next Friday (3/4) morning.

Oh, Right. This is a Football Blog

I'm sick of talking about with Reggie Fowler has the bling or not. My emotions have just about bottomed out on the Moss trade. So let's talk running backs.

Earlier this week, the running backs that were to be the most coveted by other teams during free agency received the nasty tags instead. Seattle's Shaun Alexander and Indy's Edgerrin James, both were slapped with the franchise tag, meaning that they'll change teams only if picks change hands. It previously was announced that the Bengals would tag running back Rudi Johnson.

That means Bills running back Travis Henry, Broncos running back Reuben Droughns, Chicago's Anthony Thomas, the Chiefs Larry Johnson and maybe the Steelers Jerome Bettis would be front runners and possibly provide their teams with some high draft picks.

What a doggone minute! The Vikes have Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith, and Mewelde Moore. Maybe the Vikes chances of turning one of their running backs into some picks and/or help on defense just increased.

The Vikings have enjoyed depth at running back, especially considering that veteran Moe Williams also played extensively last season. I think one of the aforementioned can be cut loose.

Wide-Receiver, Anyone?

Last week at this time I had no idea the Vikings would be in play for a WR, and by the looks of things, they had better act quickly if they plan to pick up a veteran with half the grapefruits that Moss had.

The Jags have confirmed that they've talked to agent Peter Schaffer regarding the possibility of signing former Titans WR Derrick Mason.

The Redskins ability to trade WR Laveranues Coles apparently hinges on whether they can restructure the contract of LT Chris Samuels. The 'Skins, based on Joe Gibbs' ill-advised statements from last week, have been secretly in contact with the agents for receiver Muhsin Muhammad and/or Plaxico Burress.

Maybe The Brains at Winter Park are snowed in and can't reach their phones?

Giddy in Oakland

Yesterday I spoke of how Howie, one of the super fans of the Raider Nation was giddy over getting Moss. He was standing in his front lawn with both hands in the air dancing around. Now the media is reporting that the front office at headquarters in Oakland is feeling much the same.

Word is that the Raiders believe that Moss and Jerry Porter will create an "unstoppable" 1-2 punch at wideout, given the arm strength of quarterback Kerry Collins.

They believe there will not be a better tandem of receivers in the league. And with the development of Ronald Curry, the Raiders might conjure memories of the Vikes' "Three Deep" lineup of Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed, which propelled the team to a 15-1 record in 1998 in Moss' first season in Minnesota.

The Raiders believe they "stole" Moss. As one Raiders official said, "The Vikes, I think, have lost their minds."

So have I.

Shortly before noon on Thursday, the legions and legions of readers (cough, cough) that come to this blog daily for provocative insight into the world of Minnesota Vikings football were subjected to a whiteout. There was nothing more than a blank screen staring dumbly back at you. Just like the look on Brett Favre’s face after a six interception playoff football game (Jan. 20, 2002 against the Rams).

The whiteout was due to the fact that the Viking Underground and Greet Machine blogs were getting hit so hard from people searching for Moss news that they brought the University of Minnesota servers to their knees.

(Pause for artistic effect)

OK, the truth is the U of M’s library web servers crashed. One side effect was the crashing of PHP capabilities on the blog server. Any page that uses PHP (.phtml), such as the Viking Underground, no longer came up. But the issue has been resolved and I humbly apologize for any distress this may have caused you.

We now return to your regularly scheduled reading.

I'm very, very sorry but the Sponge Worthy entry that was to appear today has been delayed a few days, maybe even until early next week. You see, one of those life changing events has come up. And for the first time, it has hit home not only personally, but as a father as well.

Last football season, my good friend Mark Gresbach had made his annual pilgrimage from Milwaukee to attend a Vikings game with me. Mark and I go way back to the early days of the Internet when message boards were little more than e-mail distribution lists. During the early 1990's, Mark was the guy in charge of the biggest Vikings message board going at that time.

My first posting was something along the lines of, "The Packers suck and always will." Mark sent me a note saying to the effect of, "you gotta tone that down a bit." This from a guy who has Vikes #1 on his Wisconsin plates. We've been buds ever since.

Anyway, Mark brought a special gift for The Boy® this time around. It was a statue of Randy Moss running down a catch. It has been kept in the section of the room that The Boy® reserves only for the most precious of his things.

When The Boy® arrived home from preschool late Wednesday afternoon; I had to explain to him that Randy Moss had been traded to another team. The Boy® immediately went to his room and got his Moss statue and was quietly sad. I captured this photo of him later that evening, statue still in his hand.

The Boy® and I had greatly enjoyed the 2004 campaign. Now four, The Boy® was beginning to understand the game. He even attended his first game with me. He loved it. And when Moss lead the Vikes over lowly Green Bay in the opening round of this past seasons playoffs, Graham was yelling and dancing with me the entire game. It was a special father-son moment.

There is another person for whom I am concerned for tonight. That's Syd Davy of Winnipeg, Canada. Syd and I also go back a few years. We both sit in row 1 of Section 101 at Vikings home games. I've caught Moss twice when he has leapt into the stands after scoring a touchdown.

Syd? Well, Syd has become somewhat famous for catching Randy. Very famous. Leads off the Monday Night Football television introduction famous. This past season, Syd paid a visit to Moss at Winter Park. Moss signed one of Syd's huge arms. Syd had the signature permanently tattooed for eternity.

One wonders what Syd is thinking tonight as he looks at that autograph and recalls the good times.

Another part of the population to worry about is the '98 Fan Base. Just how deep does their love for the Vikings go? This is the part of the Vikings fan base that came aboard the ship during the infamous 15-1 season. Before then, the words blackout and not a sellout were often heard on Vikings game days. Then Randy Moss was drafted and that was followed by 64 consecutive sellouts, attendance records, and a waiting list for season tickets.

One wonders if the '98 Fan Base will erode if the Vikes get off to a rough start this coming season. Will there be empty seats in the upper deck? To the '98 Fan Base, Moss was the Vikings. Even with 9-7 records, fans could still count on Moss to make any game exciting. Now, with Moss gone will the fans return?

Another segment of the population certain to be affected will be the local children's charities. Yes, there will be the nimrods who say that Moss leaving is a good thing. That he was a bad role model. These are ignorant, sorry ass people that only read the headlines in the morning paper and then sit their fat asses at the local coffee shop and talk about what is wrong with the world today but don't want to do anything about it. Moss was not one of those people. He cared deeply for the local youth.

The only thing I heard out of any of Moss' spokespeople on Wednesday night was that the Randy Moss Invitational Celebrity Bass tournament to raise money for the Smile Network on June 29 on Lake Minnetonka will still be hosted by Moss. Vikings player or not. The Smile Network International is a Minnesota based, non-profit, humanitarian organization that provides life altering, reconstructive surgeries and related healthcare services to impoverished children and young adults in developing countries.

Moss will be missed by the kids most of all. Just ask The Boy®. I had to pry the Moss statue out of his hands only after he fell asleep last night. I'm sure it was the same in other households across the Vikings Nation as well.

Ownership Questions

So, what does this trade say about Reggie Fowler's bid to become team owner? I think it shows a certain vote of no confidence by Red McCombs. I think that McCombs inked the Moss trade knowing that Fowler is going to be shot down by the NFL Owners. So, it didn't even faze the ol' car salesman to trade the biggest playmaker in the NFL today with a deal on the table.

"What's that sir? You ordered a fully loaded Cadillac? I'm sorry, the order must have been messed up. I'm afraid you are receiving a Geo Prism. Read the fine-print of the contract, please."

And what if Fowler was completely aware of the trade? What if McCombs provided full disclosure to him prior to the hand-shake?

Just last week, Fowler spoke about his plans for the team, and made it clear that his group would have no plans to trade Randy Moss.

"I think we all have to have a set of standards," Fowler said. "I think Mr. Moss is, if not the finest, one of the finest receivers in the league today. And I think he's a winner. A lot of times when you want to win, you get excited.

"So I look forward to working with Randy, and I think he'll do all the things we need him to do. I don't know that you take some of the best players in the league and start trading them. We need those people to help us win, and I think Randy's one of those guys."

Excuse me. I have to go take a shower. Back in twenty.

And We're Back

So, where does this take the team? Let's look at it from several angles.

We'll start off with Napoleon Harris. Oh yeah, he looks like a team player. Has his own web site and everything. Go there now and sign-up to be part of the N-Army.

Uh-huh. I'll get right on that Mr. Harris, sir!

KFAN radio reported yesterday that they had contacted Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune. McDonald is the preeminent NFL guru on the West coast and saw Harris play over the last several years on a weekly basis. Here are some of the more positive things McDonald had to say.

A terrible player.

Fast, but often out of place.

Injury prone.

Doesn't understand a complex defense.

Often had to be removed from the game.

Totally lost in space.

And again, that was the good stuff. But more on Harris later.

The Draft

The Vikings also get the number seven overall pick from the Raiders. This is where the whole trade hinges. Looks like we can write off Harris as nothing more than serviceable. And the late round pick from the Raiders? So we get a Mr. Irrelevant ala Ryan Hoag of Gustavus Adolphus. Whatever.

In two years time the make or break status of the Moss trade will come down the number seven pick. Do you trust the current brain trust at Winter Park to make the correct call? That is if the team once again understands the 15-minute time limit when they are on the clock. They'll screw this one up again. It's inevitable. But then again.....

Looking at Mel Kiper's Big Board, the first five projected picks are all offense.

1. Cedric Benson Sr. RB Texas
2. Braylon Edwards Sr. WR Michigan
3. Ronnie Brown Sr. RB Auburn
4. Alex Smith Jr. QB Utah
5. Aaron Rodgers Jr. QB California
6. Dan Cody Sr. DE Oklahoma
7. Adam Jones Jr. CB W. Va.
8. Mike Williams Jr. WR USC
9. Derrick Johnson Sr. LB Texas
10. Carnell Williams Sr. RB Auburn

That means the Vikings stand to pick up no worse than the second best defensive player on the board. Maybe it is a can't miss opportunity. But then again, there is the whole clock thing.

And then there are some very good free agent wide receivers currently available to assume the number uno receiver position to compliment Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper. (No, Nate Burleson is not there yet.)

The Vikes would do well to go out and grab Laveranues Coles, or Plaxico Burress, or my pick, Derrick Mason. And do it fast.

What the Raider Nation is Saying

I have the great honor of being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton as a member of the inaugural group of fans ever so honored. So I know quite a few of the fans from around the NFL. I've had beer with Barrel Man of the Broncos. And no, he does not wear anything under the barrel. I've attended a Super Bowl with the Browns' Big Dawg. I've sipped wine with Boss Hoggette. And we keep in touch.

So late Wednesday evening I reached out to two Raiders fans. First up was Hardcore. Hardcore knows his football. Finished third in our Pigskin Pick'em group for HOF fans this past season. If you must know, I finished seventh.

Hardcore said, "I think Moss is a good move, the Raider franchise lends itself to people who march to their own drummer, and I cannot fault Moss too much for his actions, he is a player who wants to win but doesn't know how to convey it correctly to the world. If I remember correctly he has been a model citizen the last 2 seasons (well atleast for him anyway), I think that him and [Kerry] Collins will work great, this will be a GREAT receiving tandem now, [Jerry] Porters problem is he is a #2 receiver, but has #1 ego so this will put him in his rightful role again, and the person who will get the most [out] of this is Ronald Curry."

On Harris, Hardcore said, "Nap Harris had a bad season last year, but is not a bad player, he couldn't get accustomed to the new D last year, and it showed every time we played the Chargers and got scorched by their TE. Who knows if this trade might fall through with your new ownership though, weirder things have happened, we'll see when press conferences happen."

Then I was unable to reach Spike. Spike is cool. Spike is the epitome of the Raider Nation. He and his brother stayed with The Wife® and me in 1999 when we were expecting The Boy®. The Vikings opening home game that season was against the Raiders so the boys made a road trip to attend the game with us.

Spike's brother Howie kept trying to lay hands on The Wife's® pregnant tummy in order to turn the contents in favor of the Raider Nation. And I'm happy to say it didn't work!

So, I heard from Howie. Howie summed us his feelings easily enough. "What the f**k were you guys thinking out there?! I'm thrilled to be getting Moss. I'm standing outside on my lawn with my hands up in the air! I'm giddy, dude. Just f**king giddy."

Howie also told me that he had been cheering all the way home after picking up his daughter from daycare and went on to say that Harris is a solid player who will be a good, serviceable (there's the S-word again) middle linebacker for the Vikings.

Howie also thought that Moss will bring "that Barry Bonds thing to the stadium. The fans will simply show up to see what he can do after watching all the highlight reels from the previous years with the Vikings." There's that '98 Fan Base thing again.

I queried Howie why he should be so excited, especially with all the perceived baggage that Moss will be bringing.

"Talk to the Eagles about Owens first and then get back to me," replied Howie.

Well said, Howie. Well said.

Favorite Memories of Moss

It may help to ease your suffering if you leave a favorite memory of Moss using my Comments link at the end of this entry. I'd be interested in hearing about your memories on Moss. So take a few minutes and jot some down!

From the Sidelines

You can read more about The Boy® at The Wife's® blog and read how he is now into his third language. Smart boy, indeed.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting that Randy Moss has been traded to the Oakland Raiders for starting linebacker Napoleon Harris, the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft and a 2005 late-round pick. The Star Tribune has also posted a similar story.

I can hear people cutting up their season tickets as we speak. Remember the plexi-glass they had at the Dome for Twins games? They'll now have to install that once again but this time for Vikings home games to keep fans from charging the field looking for the culprits that OK'd this trade. People scream about a referendum to pass a stadium bill. How about a referendum to let the people of Viking land have a say in who goes and who stays?

Even though New England has proven you don't need to have a superstar player in order to be a winning team, Moss was beloved by Vikings fans. If this trade is indeed true, a huge void will be left when #84 laces up in silver and black instead of purple and gold.

Yes, I feel like the Tin Man looking for a heart. As mine has broken. The Vikings Front Office could be compared to the Scarecrow.....still looking for a brain. Let's just hope that Daunte Culpepper and the rest of the players are not cowardly lions and can show a lot of courage this coming season.

Let's hope a lot.

I plan to call up my friend Spike of the Raiders this evening. First order of business will be to have Spike FedEx a Raider's Moss jersey to me as soon as one is available. It's the jersey I will be wearing to Vikings games this coming season.

So, how about you? Are you against the trade or opposed to it? Will you show up in silver and black this coming season to voice your opposition to the trade? Who should the Vikings nab with the Number Seven pick in this year's NFL Draft? If the Vikes keep it, that is. Just leave a Comment below and let's get some dialouge going!

Vote a Player off the Ship

In light of the boring off-season period, for the next 10-weeks we are going to try something fun. Each of the next 10-weeks we will vote to kick one Vikings player off the ship. Someone you think is the weakest link...or maybe just dislike.

Each following week, I'll repost the poll with one less player and the process will start all over again! So we'll start with ten and end up that you will have to make a choice between two players! We'll select the one player you cannot live without. That one player that gives you the most confidence each time you see him in purple. Who will it be!?!?

The result of Week One was that Chris Hovan was voted off the ship with a mandate. 70% of you told poor, misunderstood Chris to shove it.

In Week Two you showed that Vikings fans can hold grudges. For years. With almost 60% of the vote, you gave the finger to Morten Andersen. Who can forget the 1998 NFC Championship game?

Well, we couldn't and it is bye-bye Morten.

Week Three saw the closest voting to date with loquacious Kelly Campbell getting the boot by just a few votes over E. J. Henderson.

Who will be booted in Week Four? Voting will be open until Wednesday morning (3/2). Make your vote count!

Moss Off the Table For One Team

Yesterday I had told you of Moss trade rumors heating up once again. Said source said a deal was to be made this week.

Per the source, the Raiders were poised to send a first-round pick, a seventh-round pick, and linebacker Napoleon Harris to the Vikings in exchange for Moss.

With Raiders receiver Jerry Porter signing a new contract, the Raiders won't be swinging a trade with the Vikings for receiver Randy Moss.

And that's the deal that was in place a day ago, but on which the source couldn't elaborate at the time.

So, that's one bullet avoided in this game of Randy Moss Trade Russian roulette. We just don't know how many bullets are left in the revolver. Is it one? Is it two or more? Only time will tell. Let's hope that the chamber is currently empty and that #84 will be streaking down the sideline for the Vikings next year.

From the Sidelines

Besides celebrating Chinese New Year's last weekend, my son Graham also had his practice for the upcoming 2005 St. Paul Celtic Connection celebration taking place at the O'Shaughnessy Auditorium on March 6.

Four-year old Graham has been taking weekly Irish Dance classes with the St. Paul Irish Dancers for some time now. This will be his first recital and should be very fun to watch.

You know the Maas name is one of those long-lived Irish names. We and the Kennedy's go way back and you'll often find us at clam bakes off Martha's Vineyard in the late summer.....along with Reggie Fowler.

So, if you aren't doing anything March 6, stop by the O'Shaughnessy. I just hope they have pints of Guinness flowing freely!

Coming Thursday

That blog is great, but is it sponge worthy?

Pro Football Talk published a few stories late Monday that essentially relayed that a deal is for all intents and purposes completed to launch Randy Moss out of Minnesota. Oh, and that the deal would occur this week.

Didn’t we just read recently that prospective new owner Reggie Fowler said publicly that he doesn't plan to trade receiver Randy Moss?

Pro Football Talk went on to pontificate that they “know the team and the terms, but our source on this one has yet to give us the green light to divulge those details.”

After their first posting of the story, they received an e-mail came from Moss' agent, Dante' DiTrapano.

"There are a lot of rumors but no deal even close," DiTrapano told Pro Football Talk. "He will most likely be a Viking next year.

"As you know, the new year in football is March 2nd so anything you may hear is just speculation at best. I would be the person who knows if there were any activity and there is not."

Well, I don’t know what to think of it. So much in the media these days is to be the first to break a BIG story even if it means the source has not been confirmed.

But on the other hand, season ticket invoices went out a few weeks ago. What would you think the team would be saying at this time? That they are shopping Moss and then watch as the season ticket base erodes by tens of thousands of tickets?

We’ll have to watch this story for any future updates.

Reminder for Vikings Survivor

A reminder to vote in the Vikings Survivor series of polls that started a few weeks ago.

In Week Three of the series to vote one Vikings player off the ship one-by-one, we have a real close battle between Kelly Campbell and E. J. Henderson. They are only a few votes apart. If you haven't voted yet, get your vote in today!

Then come back Wednesday as I'll repost the poll with one less player and the process will start all over again! We'll be down to seven survivors. Who will be the fourth player to walk the plank?

New Blog

The Wife® is turning 40 this March. She has always loved to write and has been published several times. When The Boy® was born life became very hectic and things, such as writing, were put aside. The Boy® is almost five now and can fend for himself. So, with the help of Shane Nackerud at the University of Minnesota, Through the Garden Gate was created to be an outlet for The Wife's® creative prose. Drop in on her blog every so often and check it out. You never know what you might find out about me!

The Maas' have taken the day off to celebrate President's Day so this entry will have a distinctive non-football flair to it. Well, I took the day off. The Wife® actually got to observe the holiday as she is a state employee. She's lucky that way. Get's Columbus Day and other non-significant holiday's off as well.

But President's Day is significant. I have always loved studying the U.S. Presidents. A look at my grade school (Washington Elementary) library card would have shown numerous references to presidential related tomes. Couldn't get enough of it. Going to be playing presidential trivia? I am your ringer. Let's try a couple.

His hands shook with palsy, and most of his teeth had fallen out. He refused to wear dentures, and thus, talked with a lisp. Although he was beset with illnesses, he was the longest-living president.

Know who that was? If you do, leave a comment by using the Comments link at the end of this entry. Here's another:

His health was generally poor. At 24, he suffered a nervous breakdown and spent several weeks in a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Mich., run by the breakfast cereal king, Dr. J.P. Kellogg. He returned there for rest from time to time. He hated confrontation. He was humble to the point of admitting his own limitations.

And one more:

In law school, he was acquired the nickname Gloomy Gus because of his sober demeanor. This president's personality has spawned many books exploring his psychological makeup. He played golf, bowled and swam. He was a sharp poker player.

For more on each President, try this great link at the Detroit Free Press.

Here's an interesting story on the favorite foods of the U.S. presidents. It's a great idea for a cook book and also is amazing to see how past presidential estates were gushing to assist.

Here are some Presidential recipe's you can try for yourself!

And did you know that the U.S. Presidents are some damn fine dancers?

And had really, really good penmanship?

And some of the most interesting historical presidential tidbits often comes from their own presidential campaigns. To wit, here are some actual presidential campaign slogans from past presidents and wanna-be challengers:

1844 Henry Clay: Who is James K. Polk?

Well, Henry he became 11th President of The United States.

1860 Abraham Lincoln: Vote Yourself a Farm.

It was always about the farmers. Even way back then.

1884 Grover Cleveland: Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, The Continental Liar from the State of Maine.
1884 James Blaine: Ma, Ma, Where’s my Pa, Gone to the White House, Ha, Ha, Ha.

Wow. And we thought the last few elections were bitter. 1884 sounds like it was a hoot!

1900 William McKinley: A Full Dinner Pail.

He was standing in a receiving line at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition when a deranged anarchist shot him twice. He died eight days later.

1916 Woodrow Wilson: He kept us out of war.

In 1917 he proclaimed American entrance into World War I a crusade to make the world "safe for democracy."

1928 Herbert Hoover: A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.

His election seemed to ensure prosperity. Yet within months the stock market crashed, and the Nation spiraled downward into depression.

1976 Jimmy Carter: Not Just Peanuts.

I'm not going there.

1988 George Bush: Kinder, Gentler Nation.

Uh-huh.

1992 Bill Clinton: Putting People First.

Especially female interns.

Now then, it's time for you to participate. Who was the greatest president of all time? I've tried to play it even-steven between the Donkeys and the Elephants but if one of these nine doesn't suit your taste, just leave a comment within the poll itself.

Back on February 14th, I had told you about the Vikings needing to look towards Denver to possibly help in adding another dominate defensive lineman to work along side of Pro Bowler Kevin Williams.

At that time I had indicated that the Broncos were shopping former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Trevor Pryce. That has been rekindled as the Broncos are now saying that up to eight teams have articulated genuine interest in Pryce. Those teams include the Vikings, Seahawks, Cowboys, and Raiders.

The Rocky Mountain News also suggests that the Broncos would consent to a third-round pick for Pryce. But with so many teams engrossed with Pryce, look to Denver to up the ante.

Of course, the most captivating opportunity is the Vikings. With a possible change in ownership possibly to occur and with current owner Red McCombs' unwillingness to fork over a bunch of his own money in signing bonuses, Pryce would the perfect offseason asset to bolster the defensive line, since Pryce requires no signing bonus of any kind.

Assuming Pryce stays on the outside, he'd unseat Kenny Mixon. Mixon could still add depth at the position. If, however, the Vikings would move him to the inside, Pryce and Williams could form a potentially assertive interior tandem, the likes of which the Vikings haven't seen since Henry Thomas and Keith Millard were clogging the middle of the line.

Pryce, a once dominant defensive tackle, moved to defensive end in 2002 and remains the best defensive lineman on the Bronco’s roster. He missed most of the 2004 season after undergoing back surgery in September.

The team's willingness to part with Pryce arises from its impending shift from a 4-3 front to the 3-4. The thinking is that the need for a high-priced defensive end is reduced in this new alignment, since the ends primarily are expected to tie up blockers so that the linebackers can make plays.

Pryce, 29, was the 28th player taken in the 1997 draft.

Links and Tidbits

The Keep Moss In Minnesota Petition is now up to 168 signatures. If you haven't signed yet, please take a moment to do so.

Interesting Packer view on the Curse of Max Winter.

The Wife® made the paper last week. Both photo and story. Check it out.

And an interesting start to one of my mornings last week. Read about it at my dog blog.

Happy Year of the Rooster to you and yours! This weekend, The Boy® has been invited to participate in Chinese New Year festivities this Saturday with a classmate from his preschool. I’ve done a bit of research on this cultural New Year so that The Wife® and I could converse with The Boy® and use it as a cultural learning experience. Some very interesting facts have come to light that I will share with you today. (Besides, I need a few days away from football news!)

The Wife® has always thought me a snake. I think women typically think that of most men. I truly believe it is something they learn while in Home Economics class in high-school. One day, little girls go into class all happy and giggly towards boys. That dreadful day, the Home Economics teacher closes the door tight and places brown paper over the window in the door so that no one can peer in. Sixty minutes later these young lasses emerge with The Look.

If you are male over the age of four, you have received The Look from a mother, girlfriend, or wife. The Look is nothing more than the expression one gets from a female when one does something incredibly moronic. Women are born with a natural ability to give The Look. I think The Wife® is up to 4002 instances of when she has given me The Look judging by the notches in the headboard of our bed where she keeps track.

Anyway, back to Chinese New Years. Said wife was born in 1965. Imagine my glee upon learning that 1965 was the Year of the Snake. Hah! And she thought I was the snake. I now know the truth and she will learn of it as soon as she receives the letter I will mail to inform her of this. Ain’t no way I’m going to tell her this in person. She’s still upset that on The Boy®’s daily animal calendar a skunk appears on her upcoming birthday. And The Boy® made the mistake of pointing this out to the The Wife®. At least The Boy® and I experienced some good father-son bonding time in the garage that evening. We were even allowed a space heater.

Me? I was born in the Year of the Ox. According to the Chinese New Year’s legend, oxen are born leaders, inspiring confidence in everyone they come into contact with. Yep, that’s me. A born leader. However, they can be too demanding. Can’t let The Wife® see that. And I probably shouldn’t have left that list of things on the counter for her to accomplish while home today.

The Boy®? Why, he was born in the Year of the Dragon. Dragons tend to be popular individuals who are always full of life and enthusiasm, with a reputation for being fun-loving. They make good priests, artists and politicians. Hmm, a priest in the family? That might be useful for last rites when The Wife® finds out that in addition to being a skunk, she was born in the Year of the Snake. (If you don’t hear from me by Monday, please send the authorities).

Links and Tidbits

Denny Wants Bennett? Vikes Want Feely? Is Reggie Married Or Not?

Cheesehead Craig has posted a Packer version of Fowler's fact sheet. Quoting Bugs Bunny, "Of course, he knows that this means war!"

PR advice for Fowler: Stop being such a mystery!

Fowlers 'Facts' lead to other alarming questions

For Twins fans, here is a great take on the stadium issue.

Yokel: Also see rube, hick, yahoo, hayseed, bumpkin, chawbacon. Defined as not very intelligent or interested in culture.

Flyover country: The middle class Midwest that is typically "flown over" by scheduled airlines in their hops between their major hubs. Flyover country is populated by yokels, rubes, hicks, yahoos, hayseeds, bumpkins, and chawbacons.

This has happened once before. On February 5, 1998 Tom Clancy signed an agreement to purchase Minnesota Vikings for slightly more than $200 million, an NFL franchise record at that time. You would have thought that the financial geniuses at Winter Park would have done some homework to see if the check would actually clear the bank. They did not, and Vikings fans were embarrassed nationally when the deal fell apart after Clancy became embroiled in an expensive divorce.

Jump ahead to 2005 and Reggie Fowler has offered Red McCombs somewhere between $625 and $635 million for the Vikings franchise. There are questions about Fowler’s ability to actually write the check. And now this.

Evidently, Fowler's resume needed some fine-tuning in order to eliminate a couple of, well, falsehoods. And I find that to be, frankly, unfortunate. Black, white, purple, green, yellow, or calico, truthfulness should matter. And superfluities, exaggerations, and/or flat-out lies on a resume typically are the easiest way to spot a person of questionable character.

On Wednesday, Fowler said that, contrary to a biography that had been previously distributed, he never played in the NFL or the CFL. He apparently was in camp with both leagues but never made a final roster.

Fowler claims that he never saw the erroneous version of the "Reggie Fowler Fact Sheet," and that a new version was issued by his public relations firm after the Minneapolis Star Tribune discovered that the first version contained numerous inaccuracies.

The new version also omits reference to the fact that Fowler participated in the Little League Word Series. Apart from the question of how in the world such a barefaced untruth made its way onto the fact sheet, I can't even begin to understand why anyone would deem that information relevant more than 30 years after the fact, even if it were true.

The revision likewise clarifies his college degree, which previously had been identified as business, with an emphasis on finance. Now, the fact sheet states that Fowler earned a degree in social work.

Even if Fowler didn't see the first version of the fact sheet containing the various untruths, someone working for him is either a manifest liar or grossly inept. So in my judgment it doesn't say much about Fowler's assessment when it comes to hiring folks to work on his behalf.

As far as Fowler’s team of investors, it seems like some embellishment is also par for the course as well. My close, personal friend Sid Hartman reports today:

Alan Landis, one of the partners of prospective Vikings owner Reggie Fowler, told some people connected with Fowler that he is a big stockholder in the Yankees and the YES Television Network. According to the Yankees, Landis owns about 1 percent of the team and YES. Landis was one of about 15 people connected with Fowler who toured the Metrodome following the Fowler news conference Monday. The word is that Fowler and his developers are going to look into the possibility of remodeling the Metrodome so it could create a lot more income.

So Fowler and Landis apparently missed school the day that truthful resume' writing class was in session.

Since Fowler be doing a lot of hiring when he assumes full ownership of the Vikings, I don't hold out much hope for a rebirth of the franchise under his leadership.

Sorry, for the short entry today but I must work on my resume' so I can submit to Winter Park for any job openings should Fowler get approved. You know, I was NFL Assistant Commissioner from 1994-1997. That's got to be good for Director of Pro Personnel with the team, don't you think?

Reminder: Keep Moss In Minnesota Petition

I decided to try a on-line petition to see how many signatures I can gather from people in favor of keeping Randy Moss in Minnesota. I'll then take it over to Winter Park to deliver to Reggie Fowler if/when he is approved as the new owner of the Minnesota Vikings. Here is the link.

After just one day, there are 94 signatures. Pretty amazing. Not bad. So let's keep it going. Please pass the link along to friends and co-workers and let's try to break 100!

Housecleaning

There are some features to point out on the Viking Underground blog. First, on the left navigation bar, you will now notice a custom rolling 30-day calendar. Here, you will find significant NFL and Vikings dates as well as current and past player birthdays. Also included will be key dates in Vikings history. I'll be adding things over the next few days. If you have any suggestions for the calendar, or even birthdays, just pass along to me and I will load it in. The calendar has its own XLM feed so feel free to use on your own blog as well. Under the calendar you will see the Topix Vikings news RSS feed and the local weather.

I've moved all the links, calendars, search functions, archives, etc. to the right navigation bar. Here, if you have a RSS feeder you can even add my site to your feeder by using the Syndicate This Site link at the top right.

Vote a Player off the Ship

In light of the boring off-season period, for the next 10-weeks we are going to try something fun. Each of the next 10-weeks we will vote to kick one Vikings player off the ship. Someone you think is the weakest link...or maybe just dislike.

Each following week, I'll repost the poll with one less player and the process will start all over again! So we'll start with ten and end up that you will have to make a choice between two players! We'll select the one player you cannot live without. That one player that gives you the most confidence each time you see him in purple. Who will it be!?!?

The result of Week One was that Chris Hovan was voted off the ship with a mandate. 70% of you told poor, misunderstood Chris to shove it.

In Week Two you showed that Vikings fans can hold grudges. For years. With almost 60% of the vote, you gave the finger to Morten Andersen. Who can forget the 1998 NFC Championship game?

Well, we couldn't and it is bye-bye Morten.

Who will be booted in Week Three? Voting will be open until Wednesday morning (2/23). Make your vote count!

Keep Moss In Minnesota Petition

I decided to try a on-line petition to see how many signatures I can gather from people in favor of keeping Randy Moss in Minnesota. I'll then take it over to Winter Park to deliver to Reggie Fowler if/when he is approved as the new owner of the Minnesota Vikings. Here is the petition and the link:

Vikings fans and Randy Moss share a common goal. That goal is to bring a Super Bowl championship to Minnesota. That goal will be in danger of not being met if Moss were to be traded from the team.

We must, as fans, not allow for this to happen. We need as many signatures as possible to make a difference. We must not allow Moss to leave the Vikings. Once Reggie Fowler is approved as the new owner of the Vikings, it will be up to him to decide the fate of Moss. After the NFL has approved Mr. Fowler, I will take the signed petition to Winter Park and personally deliver it to him.

Please sign.

Foes of Anoka Stadium Strategize

And speaking of people doing petitions, up in Anoka County Tuesday evening there were fourteen people attending a meeting at the Anoka County Library in Circle Pines who have plans to derail a new Vikings stadium before the first shovelful of dirt is dug.

The citizens group Taxpayers Against an Anoka County Vikings Stadium were meeting to strategize how to block any increase in the county sales tax to fund a stadium.

Under a plan endorsed by the County Board, Anoka County would contribute $240 million toward construction of a proposed $700 million stadium in Blaine, with the team owner and state contributing equal amounts.

"We need to tell [Vikings bidder] Reggie Fowler to assume his adult responsibilities and pay his own bills," said Burt Hanson, a retired trucker from Anoka who attended.

The group has a petition, which has gathered 139 signatures. I think we should be able to get that many to keep Moss in Minnesota, don't you think?

If Reggie Fowler ends up owning the Minnesota Vikings, he will need to look no further than recent Super Bowl history to find a blueprint from which he can draw up a path from which he can hope to hold the Lombardi trophy high over his head.

Look at the participants from the recently played Super Bowl XXXIX in which the New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Both these teams matched up very closely when it came to measuring their finances. Both teams played in brand-new stadiums, and each team contributed more than $300 million to the stadium cost.

The Pats are one of only three NFL teams that play in privately financed stadiums. The Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins are the others. Patriots owner Robert Kraft financed the entire construction of what is now Gillette Stadium by borrowing $312 million. The Eagles contributed $330 million to the building of their home, Lincoln Financial Field.

So, to follow suit, one should expect Fowler and his minority interest to put up $300 million plus towards a new Vikings stadium. Even that is a small portion of the reported $1.5 billion needed to build a hotel, corporate headquarters, housing, a theme park, and shops surrounding the centerpiece stadium that the Fowler group has been quoted as being interested in building in neighboring Anoka county.

The huge price tag is because we are talking sports complex, not just a stadium. According to the Anoka County web site, there would be a 70,000 seat fixed-roof domed stadium; 20,000 surface parking spaces ideal for tailgating; 100,000 sq. ft. team headquarters and training facilities; 300,000 sq. ft. medical center; two 250 room business-class hotels and conference center; 100,000 sq. ft. of Vikings-themed retail and hall-of-fame. Retail Shops at the Preserve - 650,000 sq. ft. of retail and entertainment with public plazas and pedestrian corridors. Also included in the complex would be a Corporate Center – 1.3 million sq. ft. of corporate headquarters, offices and commercial space; the Residences at the Preserve – 200 units of upscale townhomes; and The Rice Creek Conservancy – 250 acres of preserved wetlands and trails.

Why would Fowler put up $625 million for a team and then drop that much coin for a stadium and other things? Both the Eagles and Patriots stadiums generate a ton of revenue for their teams. The Patriots' home boasts 6,000 club seats costing $5,000 per season on average. The stadium's 80 luxury suites sell for $165,000 on average. The Eagles' 172 luxury suites and 8,200 club seats cost $135,000 and $2,300 per season, respectively.

According to Forbes magazine, both teams earned $38 million per year from their premium seating last year. The Patriots made $26 million last year in sponsorship revenue from pricey deals with companies like Bank of America, Ford Motor and McDonald's. The Eagles made $23 million in marketing revenue, which came from the likes of PepsiCo and Sovereign Bancorp.

Think what the Vikings could do with the likes of corporate heavyweights Target Corp., United Health Group, Best Buy, Super Valu, 3M, US Bancorp, General Mills, Northwest Airlines, Cenex Harvest States, St. Paul Cos., Xcel Energy, Medtronic, Land O'Lakes, and Hormel located within the Minnesota border.

While lucrative stadiums put the Pats and Eagles near the top of the league's financial hierarchy, every NFL team (except the Arizona Cardinals last year) is profitable, thanks to a strict player-salary cap and a lucrative TV deal. Owners paid out 64% of revenue to players last season. Each team received a total of $81 million last season from The Walt Disney Co., Viacom and News Corp. as part of an eight-year TV contract worth $17.6 billion. The salary cap and rich TV deal gave NFL owners a cumulative operating profit of $850 million last season, compared with collective losses for both Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.

The Pats and Eagles are among the NFL's most valuable franchises. The value of both teams has jumped more than 50% over the past two years.

Pats Franchise Value: $861 million
Pats Value Rank: Fourth
Pats Total Revenue: $191 million
Ad/Sponsor Revenue: $26 million
Premium Seat Revenue: $38 million
Naming Rights (Gillette): $95 million

Eagles Franchise Value: $833 million
Eagles Value Rank: Fifth
Eagles Total Revenue: $198 million
Ad/Sponsor Revenue: $23 million
Premium Seat Revenue: $38 million
Naming Rights (Lincoln Financial): $140 million

If you are looking to build a winner for a future Super Bowl, consider this: Since Forbes started valuing NFL franchises in 1998, the Super Bowl winner has been the more valuable franchise each year. This includes 2002 and 2003, when the winning team was the underdog going into the game.

When picking a Super Bowl winner, it pays to follow the money.

2004 SB
Winner, New England with a franchise value of $756 million
Loser, Carolina Panthers with a franchise value of $642 million

2003 SB
Winner, Tampa Bay with a franchise value of $606 million
Loser, Oaklnad Raiders with a franchise value of $421 million

2002 SB
Winner, New England with a franchise value of $524 million
Loser, St. Louis Rams with a franchise value of $448 million

2001 SB
Winner, Baltimore Ravens with a franchise value of $479 million
Loser, N.Y. Giants with a franchise value of $387 million

2000 SB
Winner, St. Louis Rams with a franchise value of $390 million
Loser, Tennessee Titans with a franchise value of $369 million

1999 SB
Winner, Denver Broncos with a franchise value of $320 million
Loser, Atlanta Falcons with a franchise value of $233 million

So, up front, it would appear that Fowler is crazy. Crazy like a fox.

Note: I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts about Fowler now that 24-hours has passed since the annoucement. Do you think another outside party is the best fit for the Vikings? How does this change the plan for improving the defense via free agency? Does this improve the chances of getting the stadium issue resolved? Leave a comment using the Comment link at the end of today's entry.

Reminder for Vikings Survivor

Reminder to vote in the Vikings Survivor series of polls that started recently.

Chris Hovan was voted off the ship in Week One. Morten Andersen appears headed for Davey Jones' locker in Week Two. If you haven't voted yet, get your vote in today!

Then come back Wednesday as I'll repost the poll with one less player and the process will start all over again! We'll be down to eight survivors. Who will be the third player to walk the plank?

Fantasy Racing Reminder

For all you NASCAR buffs out in football land, its your last chance to sign-up and enjoy fantasy NASCAR racing with your football buddies.

In order to join the group, just go to the game front page and click on the "Sign Up" button to create a team. After completing registration, or if you already have a team, click the "Create or Join Group" button and follow the path to join my existing private group. Then, when prompted, enter the following information...

Group ID#: 24451
Password: purple

Good luck! And let's have some clean racing!

Perhaps the principal football matter related to the pending sale of the Minnesota Vikings is whether Reggie Fowler will choose to keep or to trade receiver Randy Moss. The question would most likely be driven by the possible local reaction to such a move.

It’s common knowledge that Fowler will be trying to get a new stadium for the team from the time he is approved by the NFL and signs his name on the check that he will give to Red McCombs. For any hope of a new stadium, Fowler will need the public on his side. Trade Moss and he'll risk alienating the people who are in best position to rally around new ownership in its inevitable quest for the new venue that McCombs and his car salesman demeanor simply couldn't obtain. If Fowler gets the Vikes, my bold prediction is that Moss stays.

Moss and the Broncos

Word out of Denver is that the Broncos are shopping former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Trevor Pryce.

Pryce, a once dominant defensive tackle, moved to defensive end in 2002 and remains the best defensive lineman on the roster. He missed most of the 2004 season after undergoing back surgery in September.

The team's willingness to part with Pryce arises from its impending shift from a 4-3 front to the 3-4. The thinking is that the need for a high-priced defensive end is reduced in this new alignment, since the ends primarily are expected to tie up blockers so that the linebackers can make plays.

Pryce, 29, was the 28th player taken in the 1997 draft. In 2001, there were rumors of a possible trade of Pryce straight up for Vikings receiver Randy Moss, before Moss signed a long-term extension to stay in Minnesota. If Pryce is healthy, look for those rumors to rekindle.

Links and Tidbits

Vikings Set to Name QBs Coach.

Taxpayers Against an Anoka County Vikings Stadium.Wow, they even have a petition. Maybe I could start a Taxpayers Against the Taxpayers Against an Anoka County Vikings Stadium?

From the Sidelines

What Social Security Crisis?

Social Security's first beneficiary was Ernest Ackerman of Cleveland, Ohio, who retired one day after the Social Security Act was signed into law 14 August, 1935. A nickel was withheld from Ackerman's final paycheck, but he received his one-time lump-sum Social Security payment, which was 17 cents.

That 12-cent return was the beginning of unforeseen things to come. Soon, congressional amendments added benefits for spouses, minor children and survivors, and by 1950 the program assured virtually universal coverage. 1972 saw the addition of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program (AKA "welfare"), and by 1975 the addition of annual Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) assured the SS juggernaut's exponential growth. In 1977, Medicare became an independent entitlement, spun off from the Social Security system. Today, despite its humble beginnings, the Social Security system confronts our young people with the grim prospect of paying for unfunded promises made to past generations.

Notwithstanding the "welfare reform" acts of the 1990s, when Social Security turned 65, SSI benefits covered 6,688,489 Americans at a cost of $32,165,856,000, while Social Security itself disbursed some $431,949,000,000 to 45,877,506 beneficiaries. However, those staggering numbers are mere chump change compared to what lies ahead.

President George W. Bush's modest proposal to reform Social Security appears to be a good start at diverting this behemoth from its collision course with insolvency. Predictably, though, the latest retort from the Left is, "What insolvency? What crisis?" Indeed, these do-nothing Demos claim the Fed's IOUs in Social Security's so-called "trust fund," combined with minor tweaks to the system, will keep it solvent for generations.

The President's three-year PRA opt-in for SSI taxpayers born after 1950 would allow them to put up to four percent of their wages in their PRAs. At retirement, those invested in PRAs would be guaranteed to receive at least what their payout would be if they only had SSI income. But those beneficiaries whose PRAs have a higher return can share in that return, which reduces the burden on the SSI fund, and the principal balance is fully inheritable.

Quote of the week...

"Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to [members of Congress], because you already have something similar, called the Thrift Savings Plan, which lets [you] deposit a portion of [your] paychecks into any of five different broadly-based investment funds. It's time to extend the same security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans." --President George W. Bush

Good idea....

"My financial adviser Ric Edelman...thinks the time to start educating people about money is when they are children. He's set up a retirement plan called the RIC-E-Trust that can provide retirement security. A $5,000 one-time tax-deferred investment at birth, with an average interest rate of ten percent compounded, means that a child would have $2.4 million when he or she is 65 years old. Who needs Social Security with that kind of nest egg?" --Cal Thomas

This week's "Democrat Jackass" award

"Do I know of a senator who will support privatization of Social Security? The answer is no. No, I don't know of a single Democratic [sic] senator. They all agree that there should be no privatization of Social Security. I agree with them." --Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nial)

This week's "Braying Jackass" award

"Back on September 11, terrorists attacked our metropolitan cores, two of America's great cities. Years later, we are given a budget proposal by our commander in chief, the president of the United States. And, with a budget ax, he is attacking America's cities. He is attacking our metropolitan core." --Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley, comparing President Bush to Mohamed Atta & Co.

BY CHARLEY WALTERS, Pioneer Press

The word leaking out of the Reggie Fowler investor group trying to buy the Vikings is that an announcement that Red McCombs has agreed to sell the NFL team to the Arizona businessman will come Monday.

Regardless of its true worth, Fowler's bid could become the established price for McCombs. That's obviously McCombs' sale strategy.

Some very, very remarkable information coming out of the Diamond State.

Within the last few days we’ve seen a step up in information pertaining to the sale of the Minnesota Vikings. From Delaware there now comes factual corroboration a sale could be imminent.

The Delaware Secretary of State's web site now has this interesting listing showing that on February 4, 2005, an entity known as Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC was formed. Near the bottom of the page insert Minnesota Vikings into the Enter Entity Name and up pops file number 3917457. Sort of like watching the X-Files all over again, isn’t it?

Why Delaware? Delaware is an exceptionally frequent locality for the establishment of business organizations.

So, someone be it Reggie Fowler or Glen Taylor set this association in place to receive the assets of the Vikings once the sale is finalized. We could be very close folks. If it is Fowler, do recall that the NFL will still have to approve the final sale.

Follow-Up: I received a tip from a co-worker who lives in Rhode Island about this information. It appeared that his e-mail was a cut & paste job so I edited to my taste and immediately posted it while also e-mailing him back to inquire about the source of the information. I now know that Pro Football Talk was his source and deserves full credit for breaking this news.

Follow-Up II

I had contacted Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune about the Delaware information and heard back early Sunday morning. Here was his e-mail response:

It's Fowler. We saw it here at Strib a few days ago, but didn't get too
excited. Red has the Vikes incorporated in Texas. At first, we thought
he had switched to Delaware, but found out this is where Fowler will be
incorporating if he gets the Vikes. Reusse.

The Vikings are about to be sold again for the second time in eight years. Back in 1998 the rumored potential buyers were Shruti Misra, Carl Pohlad, Roger Headrick, Tom Clancy, Glen Taylor, J. Bruce Llewellyn, and eventual winner Red McCombs.

Back in 1998 I recall being in Phoenix on business. One evening as I flipped through the various channels available at my resort hotel, I came across an all-time movie classic, Patton. Early in the movie, George C. Scott, as the volatile World War II commander, directs his driver to a deserted battlefield, littered with shards and stones from a millennia-old massacre of Carthaginians by Roman legions.

"Two thousand years ago, I was here," muses Patton. In the background, unobtrusively, though hauntingly rendered, is a somber, scintillating ghostly piece of music marked by soft trumpet flourishes and the steady throb of a bass drum. And the musical score put me in deep thought.

Yes, here we are again as in a time before.

Again, we must battle through another ownership bidding war, possibly just as hard on us, the troops, as it was in 1998. Which general will emerge to take the Viking legions to the ultimate victory? Unlike 1998 there are only two leaders emerging to take over the reigns of the Minnesota Vikings Football Club.

Reggie Fowler: Last time I checked, a person still couldn’t make a snowball in Hell, and that’s about the odds of this bid being accepted. Fowler may have a lot of rich friends, but it's become pretty apparent he doesn't have the net worth to qualify as a majority owner, and it doesn't sound like his buddies want the role. Oh, and his buddies are New York and New Jersey investors who could give a rats ass whether the Vikings stay here or not.

And Fowler doesn't have a Minneapolis area code yet. I haven't seen his East Coast buddies start digging on the proposed Anoka sight. What if the stiffs over at the Minnesota State Legislature tune out the stadium talk again and the lure of big money elsewhere drives Fowler's group to LA or elsewhere like McCombs threatened?

We will start to read more and more comments coming from NFL HQ's that states the next owner of the Vikings won’t go to the highest bid, but the one they feel is best for the team and community. This isn’t it.

Glen Taylor: Yes, I have saved the best for last. Does Taylor have the money? Taylor is was reported to be worth over $1.9 billion. Since 1998, Wall Street's love of printing companies, whic h is Taylor's claim to fame, has grown stronger, and Taylor's company has become even more valuable. Using the estimates of DeWese, who consults on printing company deals nationally with Compass Capital Advisors in Radnor, Pa., and a revenue figure of $900 million, Taylor Corp. could be worth $2 billion later this year, after subtracting its relatively modest corporate debt.

That would value Taylor's ownership interest at $1.78 billion, making him the richest Minnesotan. Already a saint in the Twin Cities for saving the Timberwolves franchise from moving to New Orleans, Taylor would most assuredly keep the team in Minnesota. No question about it.

There just is more information that Fowler about how Taylor runs a sports franchise. The Timberwolves are debt free, and only lose money based on how the leagues Collective Bargaining Agreement, and television contract are divided. If the situation warrants where some public funding is needed for a stadium, fellow Minnesotan Taylor is clearly better positioned to get it. Who is going to pay for the roads to and from the new stadium afterall? I also like the idea of both teams getting a better bargining rights with local vendors, radio contracts, and advertising.

And Taylor would be the perfect owner. He just signs the pay checks and hands over the operations to those nearest the game. With the Timberwolves, Taylor hired Duluth native and Boston Celtic great Kevin McHale to run the show. Rest assured that Taylor would bring in a football-minded person, very close to the game, to be the Viking GM.

But back to the all-important stadium issue. In 1998, Taylor talked with, and had the endorsement of, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. Both parties were on friendly terms. Jump ahead to 2005 and we see that Minnesota Majority leaders Steve Sviggum of the House and Dean Johnson of the Senate favor a Taylor-owned Vikings in order to get a new stadium built or the Metrodome renovated.

And you just know that Taylor’s marketing department is ready to move in and sell the Vikings to a community hungry for next season to start.

So what’s my reservation about Taylor? I'd like to know just who are Taylor's partners. Should Taylor, God forbid, meet an untimely death or sell his share of the team, a non-local could feasibly become majority owner by just purchasing the necessary amount to put him or her over the required thirty percent.

Then it would be a matter of time for a rare Vikings losing season to come along and dwindle the ticket base, giving the new owner the impetus to move the team to Los Angeles, for example.

But Taylor receives my endorsement, albeit not a ringing one. And he is certainly capable of being the General Patton we need to go toe-to-toe with the State Legislature and the Minnesota public to get a Vikings stadium resolution completed.

Meet Glen "The Tank" Taylor, new majority owner of the Minnesota Vikings.

Links and Tidbits

Patrick Reusse, of the Star Tribune has posted a story on Taylor's hope to eventually own the team.

Reusse also has another post about the current stadium hierarchy in Minnesota.

A Future Father - Son Talk at the Maas'

A young man was about to finish his first year of college. Like so many others his age he considered himself to be a very liberal Democrat and was for
distribution of all wealth. He felt deeply ashamed that his father was a rather staunch Republican which he expressed openly.

One day he was challenging his father on his beliefs and his opposition to higher taxes on the rich & more welfare programs. In the middle of his heart felt
diatribe based upon the lectures he had heard from his far left professors at his school, his father stopped him and asked him point blank, how he was doing in school.

He answered rather haughtily that he had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain. That he had to study all the time, never had time to go
out and party like other people he knew. He didn't even have time for a girlfriend and didn't really have many college friends because of spending all his time studying. That he was taking a more difficult curriculum.

His father listened and then asked, "How is your friend John?"

The son replied, "John is barely getting by", he continued, "all he has is barely a 2.0 GPA", adding "and all he takes are easy classes and he never studies." But to explain further he continued emotionally, "John is so very popular on campus, college for him is a blast, he goes to all the parties all the time and very often doesn't even show up for classes because he is too hung over."

His father then asked his son, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your friend who only had a
2.0?" He continued, "That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair equal distribution of GPA."

The son visibly shocked by the fathers suggestion angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I worked really hard for mine, I did without and John has done
little or nothing, he played while I worked real hard!"

The father slowly smiled and said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

Welsh Fan in Balls Up
Feb 8, 2005

The Welsh national flag flies right below Old Glory on the Maas flag pole. Suffice to say we fell in love with the country many years ago and keep tabs on friendships struck while visiting. We also track stories coming out of Wales. This one caught our eye.

A Welsh rugby fan cut off his own testicles to celebrate Wales beating England at rugby, according to British newspaper reports.

Wales's 11-9 victory over England at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was their first home win in 12 years.

Wow! And we think we're tough! Funny thing is, I've been to Caerphilly. Great little town. Fantastic castle. If I ever go back, I may elect to stay out of the pubs!

If we lose to the Packers next year I'm going to cut off my.....

Another Find Courtesy 89.3 FM

Back on January 26, I told you about a new radio station in the Twin Cities at 89.3 FM (The Current). I also told you about a new band that had caught my attention one morning as I drove to work.

The group is called Two Time Polka. No, I haven't gone bonkers and started listening to polka music. This is a Cajun band. Think John Fogerty and you have a rough idea. It is truly good stuff.

Now 89.3 has come through again introducing me to great Jazz singer. Madeleine Peyroux's voice carries a unique blend of jazz and pop. Some people think she sounds like a postmodern heir to the smoky-voiced Billie Holiday. I also hear a little Ella Fitzgerald, a little Rosemary Clooney, and a dash of the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

This is great music to have on at dinner time or relaxing with a cocktail or glass of wine. I suggest you give it a go for Valentine's Day. You won't be disappointed.

Housecleaning

It's Friday so time to clean stuff off my desk that has been building up as of late.

I've slowly made some additional changes to the site over the last few weeks. Sometimes I keep them for a few days and then decide I really don't like that change and delete it. Others have stayed.

Along the left sidebar you can now see:

Under Movies: A little video of me from the 1997 season that appeared on ESPN. Recall the game?
Under Links: I have added the Dogs of Our Lives (a blog dedicated to my past and current dogs); the Spiking Viking personal web site; and the Astronomy Photo of the Day. Also added under the "Keep thy enemies close at hand" category is the Oracle of Cheese which is the personal blog of none other than frequent commentator to this blog, Cheesehead Craig. And at the top is the George Washington of Blogs at the University of Minnesota, the Greet Machine whose author is responsible for the look of the Viking Underground.
Under Shameless Plugs: This is a entirely new category and seems to be a popular thing for bloggers to do. Here is where you can find what I am reading, watching, and listening to, with links to each for more information.
Under RSS Feeds: I have decided to stick with the Topix Vikings feed. This will update automatically whenever new Vikings news stories hit. Also under this category, is a live weather update so you non-Minnesotans can check out our misery factor anytime during the winter.

Along the right sidebar you can now see:

A PayPal donation button: This is a service by PayPal wherein you can send a on-line donation directly to me. You need to have a PayPal account in order to do so. Any funds raised will go back into the blog. What costs? For instance, I might attend a minicamp and post all my photos for everyone to see. That can cost a handsome sum. For an example of past stuff here are two links:

Vikings mini-camp 2001

Carolina Panthers at Vikings from 2001

Anyone else think that the New England Patriots are the greatest team of all time? I'm willing to bet all you arm-chair quarterbacks that with two weeks to prepare, head coach Bill Belichick could come up with a way to beat the '85 Bears, the '72 Fins, the '75 Steelers, the '66 Packers, and any other team that you want to offer up as the Greatest Team Ever.

Belichick has carefully hand-picked and nurtured each player to ensure that each is willing to do whatever is necessary to beat you. I really enjoyed watching the Patriots this year. Anyone who can beat the conceited Peyton Manning and also dash the hopes of the worst fans in the league (Eagles) is A-OK in my book.

Anyone else agree? Anyone not? If so, why?