Brought to you by Mr. Cheer or Die and the Vikes Geek, welcome to the
Views and Personal Photos on the Vikes from the Inaugural Hall of Fame fan.
Brought to you by Mr. Cheer or Die and the Vikes Geek, welcome to theAs reported in the STrib, the Vikings indicated they might be looking to upgrade depth at QB via the draft. The STrib reports that one possibility is Delaware’s Joe Flacco, who is rocketing up the draft charts this offseason. Flacco, who threw for 4,263 yards and 23 touchdowns last season for Delaware, is expected to visit Winter Park.
In fact, Flacco was there today. I caught up with Flacco and was able to ask a few questions.
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And Bernard Berrian has chosen his number. I was guessing it would be #82. Not to be.
Yep, the Silent Assassin will sport #87. For those keeping score at home, #87 had been assigned to TE Braden Jones. The new number for Jones is 47.
It's Sunday and I'm feeling lazy. But instead of taking the day off from a blog entry, here is a short video to look at during your morning cup of Joe. as you watch the video please consider: There are no computer graphics or digital tricks in these images. Everything that you see happened in real time exactly as you see it.
The recording required 606 takes and in the first 605 takes there always was something, usually of minor importance, that didn't work. It was necessary for the recording team to install the set-up time after time and it took several weeks working day and night to achieve this effect.
The recording cost 6 million dollars and it took 3 months to finish, including the engineering design of the sequence. There are only six Honda Accords built by hand in the whole world, and to the horror of Honda engineers, the recording team disassembled two of them for the recording. Everything you see in the sequence (besides the walls, floor, ramp and untouched Honda Accord) is part of those two automobiles.
Enjoy. Have a nice Sunday.
Just playing around with a new application. Here are some of my personal photos from a game a long time ago from a moment that seems far, far away......
Updated note: I decided to pull the slide show as I wasn't able to give it a "false start" to prevent it from automatically starting when the blog was first opened. Win some, lose some.
The week is just flying by. I have a case of writers block in addition to a very busy work schedule. It is still frozen here in the Minnesota Tundra so in order to warm you up I have created a new VU YouTube video. This one is a collection of my personal photos from the Vikes 29-22 win over the Raiders on November 18, 2007.
Enjoy!
Here we go with the latest VU Videocast with VU analyst Cheer Or Die, Jr. Watch as we make our picks for the NFL Divisional Playoff round.
Coming Saturday
Saturday, the VU will again host another Live Blog. It's Instant Messanger for football fans. Come and share your thoughts as we watch Saturday's games!
Due to my son's pinewood derby day for his Cub Scout pack, the expected start time of 3:30 pm CST (on Saturday) may, and probably will be, a little delayed. I'll start the Live Blog once we return and I'll keep it going into the AFC late game (Jags at Pats) as long as people are on.
On this weeks VU Videocast with VU analyst Cheer Or Die Jr., we make our wild card picks for the slate of this weekends NFL games.
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The Viking Underground's own analyst Cheer or Die Jr. takes a look at the Vikings upcoming game in Denver as well as the Vikes playoff chances. He also discusses the AFC playoff picture and makes his Super Bowl picks.
I break down the upcoming game against the Washington Redskins with Viking Underground analyst Cheer or Die Jr.
Or watch on YouTube:
Yet another classy move from the Wilf's, all season ticket holders were sent a 2007 multi-media CD this week. I was quite impressed with it. From the Vikings You Made the Team CD, the following videos can be downloaded for Quicktime:
Download KickoffHighlight file
Download OpenHighlight video file
Download PreSeasonHighlight file
Download MidSeasonHighlight file
The following audio highlights can also be downloaded:
(Still need more Vikings media? Those looking for the photo gallery from the Oakland game click here)
I have uploaded photos from the first minicamp session to the Flickr page. You will start to see photos along the upper banner, changing each time you refresh the page. Just click on any photo to view the Flickr photo stream.
I have also started posting video. The first video from minicamp shows Ben Leber and E. J. Henderson running a linebacker drill. You can see this video on the VU Videocast page. More video should appear soon as I work on uploading them.
I also have decided to try and complete my report complete with photos sometime this evening. So stay tuned.
Some of you were wondering when I would be updating the Viking Underground Videocast page again. Long story short, the UThink server was having some neurotic moments post its recent upgrade. Large video file uploads just weren't able to be uploaded. Thanks to Shane of the Greet Machine, the intellect behind the UThink project, that seems to have now been resolved and VU Videos are back in business.
So, with no further ado, I bring you VU Video Twelve.
Please note: Comments and trackbacks are not working properly right now within the UThink environment of the University of Minnesota Library system. Not sure at this point when it will be resolved. I certainly hope this week!!
VU Podcast Thirty-Nine
Wow! Two podcasts in two days! I must be in a generous mood! A special treat from December 5, 1998. Back during the 1998 season, I was a "sidekick" on Ragnar's radio show. With VU Podcast Thirty-Nine you listen in as Ragnar delivers the news that the NFL has banned me, Mr. Cheer Or Die, from appearing on the Metrodome Jumbotron. And we conduct an interview with Brad Johnson's mother, Ellen Johnson. If you have never heard Brad's mother before, take an opportunity to listen in. She is something else!! A very special lady indeed.
Head over to the VU Podcast page and give a listen! Then let me know if you enjoyed this trip down memory lane and I'll work on getting some more up.
VU Videocast Ten
In this videocast I simply talk about some Vikings headwear laying around the house.
Other Stuff
Not much time to write today, sorry about that. But I invite you to check out two blogs of note. First, over at Vikes Geek, Geoff writes a very nice analysis of the Cottrell firing. We'll have to get Geoff back on for a podcast in the near future.
Over at the Greet Machine, Shane's stadium Voters Guide has been getting a lot of interest from the local politicians. Keep checking out the Greet Machine all week as Shane provides some updates on the local stadium issues.
I was hit hard with the stomach flu on Friday and although I was feeling a bit better by Sunday my stomach just wasn't quite there yet. I think the older one gets, the harder the flu can be. At any rate, The Commish was able to enjoy the game from the famed front row seats with a buddy of his. The tickets did not go to waste!
Just a short note that I now enter my "insane time" at the real job. My postings could be erratic at best. It will be this way probably until the end of the year. I'll do my best to keep it going.
Hiking Viking
You've read about his legendary exploits here all season long. Now the big boys are picking up on it. Daren Bloomquist, aka Hiking Viking, had a short story in Sunday's STrib. Missed it? Read it!
And look for yet another exciting story from Hiking Viking later this week.
Tice Approval Poll
Head Coach Mike Tice continues to ride a wave of support. Following the win over the Detroit Lions his approval rating shot up from 68% to a regular season high of 73%. What will it be following the game against the Rams? Vote to the left.
And a new poll can also be found to the left. Earlier this season I had asked you for your opinion on the teams MVP and 75% of you voted for the teams punter, Chris Kluwe. Will that change this time around? I think so.
VU Podcast Thirty-Three
In a special "Guest Only" podcast I talk with Daren Bloomquist, aka Hiking Viking, about his recent excursions to place a Vikings flag at the summit of his climbs in New Mexico as well as Brian Beckey of the San Francisco bay area. Both great Vikings fans. Listen in.
VU Videocast Seven
Time to change patches on the Game Day helmet and talk some more Bears smack.
Dr. Phil
Anyone else see the FOX pregame show in which Frank Caliendo dish out his picks as Dr. Phil and console a distraught Daunte? If you haven't, you can head out to the FOX NFL home page and look for the Dr. Frank link. What did you think? Funny? Not funny? Deserved? Not deserved?
The farther we get into the NFL season, the more exciting it gets. Can the Colts go undefeated? Which coach will be fired next? Will T.O. be picked up by another team? And perhaps most importantly, can the Bears drop one divisional game....to the Packers no less....before the showdown with the Vikes on January 1, 2006?
The Packers will have two chances to beat the Bears and one is this Sunday. The next is the lead-off game of a fantastic Xmas Day double-header. (Did you know most games will be played Saturday the 24th?)
On Xmas Day at 4 PM CST the Packers host the Bears. That is followed at 7:30 PM CST by the Vikings playing at Baltimore. Doesn't get much more exciting than that for NFC North fans. And both games will most likely be meaningful and ripe with playoff possibilities.
For more on how I feel about cheering for the Packers this coming Sunday (and again on Xmas Day!) just pick up the Sunday Star Tribune and look for a story by Michael Rand.
The Last Time This Happened Was, Uh, I Don't Know!
Our very own Darren Sharper was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November this week. Wow! A defensive player....not an offensive player....was named player of the month!?!?! Somebody pinch me! I must have fallen asleep and been dreaming about the 70's!
And I really love the quotes that have been coming from Sharper. To wit:
"You know what it is? I'm around better guys that really allow me to do what I do," he said, when asked how the Vikings' scheme suits him. "The players I'm around are extremely talented. You think about it. I don't really have to worry about the run because we shut the run down. So I just can concentrate on defending the pass. One thing I always notice is that when you play with scrubs you can look like a scrub. When you play with good players, you look like a good player, too."
So, I guess what Sharper is saying is that the Packers are scrubs. Couldn't have said it better myself!
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Sharper is the first Viking to receive the award since defensive tackle John Randle earned it in December 1999. Six long years!
Pro Bowl
Recall when we were talking about Chris Kluwe as being the only Vikings representative in the Pro Bowl this season? Well how about Sharper, Pat "The Planet" Williams, and Antoine Winfield? Would that be great or what? You can help in making that happen by voting for them, and other deserving Vikings players, at the NFL site.
Videocast Three
I've posted another videocast over on the VU videocast page. In this videocast, I talk about my "old" tailgate jacket.
If you have an old favorite Vikings hat, or jacket, or whatever....tell us about it by leaving a comment below. (Mark G., that means you have to talk about that white Vikes cap!)
Speaking of Curses
I blame Shane over at the Greet Machine for bringing up Vikings related curses. This week he wrote about the Vikings Kensington Runestone curse. So, that got me thinking about curses while I was going over the remaining home games and looking at the tickets. Take a look.....and it is not for the squeamish...what do you see?
That's right, the players featured on the remaining home game tickets are Matt Birk (out for the season), Kenechi Udeze (out for the season), and Daunte Culpepper (out for the season and whereabouts unknown).
Shane, you better not have started something or so help me.......
Courtesy of Josh Nelson (KrayzieViking) the Viking Underground brings you the World Premiere Video release of a Randy Moss tribute. Special thanks to Shane Nackerud of the Greet Machine for his help in finding server space.
We’re a little worried about bandwith, so if you have any issues, let me know. The file is a ZIP so you will have to download and save to your computer to view.