Yesterday, on Sunday, December 4, 2015, the Minnesota Vikings suffered a humiliating and humbling loss to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 38-7. It is amazing how one loss suddenly puts everything in panic mode. Now, some say there is credible evidence for this new panic mode, but some are also saying that the Vikings are still in first place, it's one loss, and the Vikings have their next game in just four more days on a Thursday night. This is not the time to focus on a bad loss. The Arizona Cardinals are not to be taken lightly as they have only two losses on the season.
The one thing that everyone seems to be giving attention to is the comments made after the game by running back Adrian Peterson. Now, if you read my previous blog about Adrian Peterson entitled "Yo Adrian", you know that I think the Minnesota Vikings handled his situation last year exactly as they should have. After all, he is an employee of a company whom he was under contract for. I don't know many people who work everyday jobs who could go out publicly and state how unhappy they are with their current employer. Most people would be fired. Not only did Adrian Peterson keep his job, he also got paid millions of dollars in salary to be suspended because of his choices, and he even got a new, more lucrative contract once the dust settled. The Vikings flexed their muscle by not caving into Adrian Peterson's demands and social media antics to a point, and I am proud of them for that.
Going into last Sunday's game, Adrian Peterson was the leading rusher in the NFL. Because of the Vikings poor effort against the Seahawks at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis last Sunday, Adrian was only able to get something like 8 carries for 18 yards. This pissed off Adrian Peterson and the one thing you shouldn't do when your hot because of anger is open your mouth, especially in front of a camera and a microphone. It is a typical pro athlete move when they are angry about gameday, Adrain voicing his frustration about the number of carries he received in the game. Adrian also carried on to state that this team was not only outplayed in every way, but also outcoached in every way. This actually floored me, and it floored me for a couple of reasons. First of all, this is the first game of this season where the wheels came off totally and ended in disaster. While you never want this to happen, it is a good time to happen when the loss still leaves you in a tie for first place and a record of 8-4. Second, the head coach is responsible for calling the shots as he is the boss. The head coach has coaches under him to support his choice of playing system that he wants to incorporate into his team, because he is the boss. Most people choose to visit with their boss over some displeasure and in private to iron out some differences and not go to the media first. A good example of being a talented athlete and pissing off your boss is Cordarelle Patterson. Cordarelle had a breakout rookie season, became a threatening kickoff return man, and because of some choices, gets zero playing time at the wide receiver position that he was drafted as and has about a 1% chance of being resigned to a new contract. So, I am warning Adrian Peterson right now. Make sure as a 30-year old pro athlete that you make your choices wisely. I don't care who you are in sports, your records can be broken and you are always replaceable. For a man who is so hung up on breaking many individual NFL records, if you push the coach and Vikings in a way like you almost did last season, they could bench you and chose not to play you for the remainder of your contract. There is no positive outcome to going to a camera and a microphone to call out your head coach, also known as your boss. I hope head coach Mike Zimmer stands up for himself in this situation as he has so far in other situations since joining the Minnesota Vikings because it is refreshing. If you don't do your job up to expectation, and in this case play poorly, you deserve to have your ass lit up and chewed. We have seen it time and time again in pro sports and, in the end, it usually motivates the athletes and gets them back on track. I hope this is the case here with Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings because, after all, it was one bad loss and the team is still in first place, the focus needs to be on getting back to winning and defeating a very challenging Arizona Cardinals team on Thursday night.
In a similar situation on the local sports scene, about a week ago, Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild got very frustrated with head coach Mike Yeo. Suter, like Adrian Peterson, made some unpleasant comments about the head coach in the media. Now in this case, the next day, Ryan Suter and Mike Yeo met in the coach's office and ironed out some differences. Since the public comments in which Suter didn't appreciate being yelled at by the coach, the Minnesota Wild have won three games, and lost only one game in overtime, in which they still receive one point in the standings. Again, the head coach is the boss and when performance is lacking, it is their job to call it out as the players are the employees of a company. The lighthearted funny thing in this situation is that the following day when the coach was asked by the media about the Suter situation, he responded jokingly saying, "I guess Ryan was a little unhappy with me." This was good to see. It is okay if people have differences and talk it out. It is human nature. Being mad is a feeling we all have and it is ok to feel mad. However, it is our responsibility to express it appropriately. The funny thing is, when the feeling is expressed appropriately, the individual looking for results will get them much quicker and with a higher level of success.
I am a big Minnesota sports fan and love all of our organizations. I am ready to attend a parade and celebrate a championship.
#nopackno
Monday, December 7, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
R.I.P. FLIP SAUNDERS
It is not very often that you find a well-liked person in sports, especially in professional sports. Usually, a personality in sports has fans and haters both, but in the case of Phil "Flip" Saunders, it appears he was not liked by all, instead loved by all.
The Minnesota Timberwolves NBA franchise came into existence in 1989 and they didn't even have a permanent home when they started. Their inaugural season featured home games in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It is a true story, because I went to one of those games in the 1989 season. The Timberwolves, like any expansion team, struggled tremendously for the first half decade of seasons. Right out of the gate, one of the players drafted in the expansion draft by the Wolves, Rick Mahorn of the Detroit Pistons, wanted no part of an expansion franchise. Minnesota was not a destination for any NBA player. After all, we have cold ass winters in Minnesota during the NBA season. Players wanted to make their millions and live the life in Los Angeles and play for the Lakers, or be in the media spotlight of New York City. It wasn't until Flip Saunders, who was the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Kevin McHale, who was the President of Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, decided to roll the dice at the NBA draft back in 1995 and bet the farm on an 18 year old named Kevin Garnett with the fifth overall pick.
Flip Saunders and Kevin McHale realized that the NBA picture was stale in Minnesota and the franchise almost was being relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana, which actually failed...thank goodness. With the relocation efforts dead, the risk to shake up the Timberwolves franchise by drafting Garnett worked, and it worked well. The Timberwolves began to pick up steam. Year in and year out, Flip continued to make the franchise relevant and continued to head in the right direction. The Wolves made the playoffs for the first time in 1997 and continued their success by making the playoffs the next seven seasons after that.
By 2004, the tide had really changed. Players took notice of the Timberwolves consistent success and started to want to come to Minnesota to play. The reason is because of the cornerstone of the franchise in Kevin Garnett that Flip and McHale had brought in and took the risk on. With adding strong pieces of Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, along with some promising young talent, Flip and the Wolves were set to make a run at the NBA Finals.
You see, Flip Saunders was the basketball genius that coached the Wolves to the NBA Playoffs in all eight of those seasons. In 2004, he took the Minnesota Timberwolves to the NBA Western Conference Finals, which was just one step away from playing for the NBA Championship. Unfortunately, the Wolves lost a tough series in the Western Conference Finals to Minnesota's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Flip Saunders made the Timberwolves a respected NBA organization. The Minnesota fans were really prideful of Flip Saunders because Flip was also a former Minnesota Golden Gopher by playing basketball for the University of Minnesota. The success that Flip brought to Minnesota eventually led to another opportunity to coach the NBA's Detroit Pistons. Despite being coach of the the Detroit squad, he continued to call Minnesota home. He raised his family in Minnesota and made having a job in Detroit at the same time a successful challenge.
That is the true point of this story, Flip cared about people. Despite all of his success, and the millions he made, he never strayed from that personality that everyone around the country is remembering this week after Flip's passing. He still took the time to respect people and treat everyone as an equally important person. Flip also had a lot of passion for the game. Flip was in a lucky position in life to make a wonderful living at doing what he loved. If Flip were alive today, and despite being the President of Basketball Operations and dealing with NBA money and salaries, the focus of his conversation would be the passion he has for the game and the challenges in the game that he truly enjoyed taking on.
That is Phil "Flip" Saunders. A kind man, who was a role model for respect, who was beloved by anyone he encountered across the nation. Most importantly, a great man who was taken way too soon.
#r.i.p.flip
The Minnesota Timberwolves NBA franchise came into existence in 1989 and they didn't even have a permanent home when they started. Their inaugural season featured home games in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It is a true story, because I went to one of those games in the 1989 season. The Timberwolves, like any expansion team, struggled tremendously for the first half decade of seasons. Right out of the gate, one of the players drafted in the expansion draft by the Wolves, Rick Mahorn of the Detroit Pistons, wanted no part of an expansion franchise. Minnesota was not a destination for any NBA player. After all, we have cold ass winters in Minnesota during the NBA season. Players wanted to make their millions and live the life in Los Angeles and play for the Lakers, or be in the media spotlight of New York City. It wasn't until Flip Saunders, who was the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Kevin McHale, who was the President of Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, decided to roll the dice at the NBA draft back in 1995 and bet the farm on an 18 year old named Kevin Garnett with the fifth overall pick.
Flip Saunders and Kevin McHale realized that the NBA picture was stale in Minnesota and the franchise almost was being relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana, which actually failed...thank goodness. With the relocation efforts dead, the risk to shake up the Timberwolves franchise by drafting Garnett worked, and it worked well. The Timberwolves began to pick up steam. Year in and year out, Flip continued to make the franchise relevant and continued to head in the right direction. The Wolves made the playoffs for the first time in 1997 and continued their success by making the playoffs the next seven seasons after that.
By 2004, the tide had really changed. Players took notice of the Timberwolves consistent success and started to want to come to Minnesota to play. The reason is because of the cornerstone of the franchise in Kevin Garnett that Flip and McHale had brought in and took the risk on. With adding strong pieces of Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, along with some promising young talent, Flip and the Wolves were set to make a run at the NBA Finals.
You see, Flip Saunders was the basketball genius that coached the Wolves to the NBA Playoffs in all eight of those seasons. In 2004, he took the Minnesota Timberwolves to the NBA Western Conference Finals, which was just one step away from playing for the NBA Championship. Unfortunately, the Wolves lost a tough series in the Western Conference Finals to Minnesota's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Flip Saunders made the Timberwolves a respected NBA organization. The Minnesota fans were really prideful of Flip Saunders because Flip was also a former Minnesota Golden Gopher by playing basketball for the University of Minnesota. The success that Flip brought to Minnesota eventually led to another opportunity to coach the NBA's Detroit Pistons. Despite being coach of the the Detroit squad, he continued to call Minnesota home. He raised his family in Minnesota and made having a job in Detroit at the same time a successful challenge.
That is the true point of this story, Flip cared about people. Despite all of his success, and the millions he made, he never strayed from that personality that everyone around the country is remembering this week after Flip's passing. He still took the time to respect people and treat everyone as an equally important person. Flip also had a lot of passion for the game. Flip was in a lucky position in life to make a wonderful living at doing what he loved. If Flip were alive today, and despite being the President of Basketball Operations and dealing with NBA money and salaries, the focus of his conversation would be the passion he has for the game and the challenges in the game that he truly enjoyed taking on.
That is Phil "Flip" Saunders. A kind man, who was a role model for respect, who was beloved by anyone he encountered across the nation. Most importantly, a great man who was taken way too soon.
#r.i.p.flip
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
WNBA On The Verge Of A Major Problem?
I'm back. My college semester just ended, so I can finally actually have time to send out a new post. Thanks for being patient. My post today has to do with the WNBA. Why the WNBA when they are not in season or in training camp. Well, the days of the WNBA in the United States being a low paying league may finally caught up to them. You see, a couple of months ago, I heard about one of the star players from the Phoenix Mercury, Diana Taurasi, being held out of the entire upcoming WNBA season. This surprised me. Why would a team not have their star player participate in the upcoming season when they are under contract? The answer has to do with a league overseas. Are you confused yet? Hang in there. The WNBA players, which is a women's league DO NOT make near what the men players make in the NBA. In fact, a rookie will only start at about $35,000 dollars a year. That is to be a professional athlete in a league located in the United States. The imbalance in salaries between the men and the women is ridiculous. In the case of the Minnesota Lynx, Glen Taylor owns both the Minnesota Lynx and the men's version in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves. I know that there are rules in each league, but can't there be some profit sharing to equal things out a bit. I know the Minnesota Lynx season is only about three months and maybe a fourth with postseason play. So it's not nearly as long as the men's NBA season that can go from training camp in October to the NBA Finals in June. However, can you believe that the WNBA actually has a maximum salary in their league. The WNBA even has a daily allowance for their players. Should there even need to be a daily allowance in professional sports? That maximum salary that I mentioned is $115,000 dollars. Now don't get me wrong here, I would love to make $115,000 dollars a year, but I don't. For an athlete of the WNBA, they are clearly not being treated as an equal. Now I know it is their choice to pursue professional sports as a career, but career of an athlete has a short time span whether you're a man or a woman. This imbalance is now creating a huge problem for the WNBA. You see, many of these female athletes go overseas during the off season of the WNBA to play in their leagues to earn more money. Not just a little bit of money either, but up to as much as 10 or 11 times as much as they make in the WNBA. Maya Moore, star player of the Minnesota Lynx, went and played in a league in China. Her talents brought that team a championship, for her an MVP award for the championship, and also a salary of $600,000 dollars plus bonuses. So why even bother with the WNBA in the first place? Some WNBA athletes will admit that playing in the WNBA gives them exposure. It is being in a highly visible league that does not pay well that affords them the additional opportunities overseas. That is why they play in the United States. Where it is catching up with the WNBA is that players are now start to sit out the upcoming season. I mentioned Diana Taurasi sitting out this upcoming WNBA season. The reason why she is doing this is because her team in Russia wants her to be fresh and ready for their season. She makes a ton more money over there so it is worth it for her. The collective bargaining contract for the WNBA players states that the league can fine players under WNBA contract for missing time due to overseas commitments. Diana Taurasi is on the suspended list in the WNBA, so she can't be fined. Besides, they are not only paying her salary for their league, but they are also willing to pay her her WNBA salary in addition to sit and train. Candace Parker plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and has not resigned her contract yet, so she is sitting out the first half of the WNBA season and cannot be fined. Sylvia Fowles is now the most recent player, who has not resigned yet and cannot be fined, that is now not only demanding a trade from her Chicago team, but also sitting out if Chicago doesn't figure out a sign and trade deal. These are major faces of the WNBA. They are the reason that some of their fans fill the stands. If a team from overseas is willing to pay a WNBA salary to have their players opt out, doesn't that mean the WNBA is behind the times by paying chump change to the women who have committed to playing professional basketball for a career. I am lucky. I am a fan of the Minnesota Lynx who have had an outstanding team for the past few years. They have won two championships in the past three seasons. I am also happy to hear that all the stars of the Minnesota Lynx have not been mentioned or associated with a story of sitting out a season. So the team that are the ones in Minnesota professional sports to bring home a championship since 1991 is a professional women's basketball team that are the lowest paid by 10 miles. It is a great example that money not being the driving force of producing a championship. I think this is going to be a growing problem in the WNBA until the league figures something out. The ones, of course, who end up being the biggest losers in this is the fans. They will have teams with their star players sitting out because the league can't compete financially, or they don't want to compete financially.
#showthemthemoney
#showthemthemoney
Monday, April 6, 2015
Break Out The Bats, Gloves, and Suspensions?
Today the Minnesota Twins will begin their 55th Major League Baseball season. This 55th season brings a lot of questions and a new manager to lead the way.
The Twins finished spring training with a record of 14-16-3, which some casual fans may say is not so bad. Paul Molitor, former All-Star who played with the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Minnesota Twins, is now leading the ship over at Target Field. Ron Gardenhire, who managed the Twins since 2001, was let go during the offseason as the Twins had just completed their fourth consecutive 90-loss season. As a big Twins fan, every year of the past four seasons was a pill harder and harder to take. The front office of the Minnesota Twins had finally had enough, at least that is what they say. Along with replacing Gardenhire, they also terminated the services of pitching coach Rick Anderson. Many were big fans of Rick Anderson and as time went on, I was not. It was hard seeing so many pitchers leave the Minnesota Twins and become big successes. Francisco Liriano had a near Cy Young award winning season in 2013 and he wasn't the only pitcher to do well. Kyle Lohse also had a high level of success after leaving the Twins, which included a big pay day contract in the middle of it all. Kyle Lohse also got to taste the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Johan Santana, who was outstanding with the Minnesota Twins and like so many other players, became too expensive for the Minnesota Twins checkbook. Johan Santana did not go on to a World Series, but played in a big market with the New York Mets where he went on to throw the ever elite No-Hitter. This is just a few of the examples of pitchers who left and became success stories and in some cases household names. There are more, but this is why I felt that Rick Anderson needed to leave along with Ron Gardenhire.
Ron Gardenhire didn't have that same fire that he had when the team was successful. When Gardenhire was given somewhat of an ultimatum after the 2013 season, you would like to think that it would serve as a wake up call. It appeared that it did not as Gardenhire's team in 2014 showed no improvement. The sad thing about the 2014 season is that Target Field was the featured ballpark by hosting the elite Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This was the first time the Minnesota Twins were the hosts of this game since 1985 when the game was played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Thankfully, out of sympathy, the Minnesota Twins did have two players on the 2014 All-Star squad. Hometown kid Glen Perkins and catcher Kurt Suzuki were able to play in the mid-summer classic, unlike hometown hero Joe Mauer, who is currently getting paid $23 million dollars a season to be an average base hitting player.
I don't like being negative, but the Minnesota Twins have a lot to prove to win their fans back. These fans are willing to spend their hard earned money to be competitive. I am not saying they have to necessarily win, but they need to be competitive. It is hard to be a Minnesota summer sports fan when you know you baseball squad is out of it by the All-Star break.
While the Twins did make some changes in leadership, brought in Starting Pitcher Ervin Santana in the highest free agent contract in Minnesota Twins history at four years for $55 million dollars, and brought back fan favorite Torii Hunter, they fans had something to maybe buzz about. The reality is that the central division in the American League may be the most difficult in all of baseball this season, which doesn't bode well for the Twins. Sports Illustrated in fact went out on a limb and predicted the Cleveland Indians, who have a young powerful starting rotation, to the World Series champs this year. The Detroit Tigers lost Starting Pitcher Max Scherzer, but brought in prized pitcher David Price who shut down the Twins today on Opening Day in Major League Baseball. The Kansas City Royals made it to the World Series last year and are ready to prove that they are not just a fad with their young and talented squad. The Chicago White Sox also made many changes in the offseason to improve their team with their focus on another Central Division title. So the Twins have a challenge this year with the division mates being all competitive. Just a couple of days ago, the Twins were also dealt with some more bad news. Their big money free agent pitcher, Ervin Santana, was informed that he failed a test for a banned substance and was dealt an 80-game suspension as a penalty, which is half of the season.
In closing, I hope the Twins can put a spark in our summer sports season like the Minnesota Wild have done in the NHL during the late winter and spring. It would be refreshing to be talking again about the successes of the Twins. The last four seasons for the Twins have proved one thing. If you lose badly in Major League Baseball, that trend can continue for many consecutive years if it isn't addressed immediately. The Twins skid is now nearing a half of a decade and they barely fill half of their beautiful stadium that is only five years old. Good luck Paul Molitor and the Minnesota Twins!
#twinsbiggestfan
The Twins finished spring training with a record of 14-16-3, which some casual fans may say is not so bad. Paul Molitor, former All-Star who played with the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Minnesota Twins, is now leading the ship over at Target Field. Ron Gardenhire, who managed the Twins since 2001, was let go during the offseason as the Twins had just completed their fourth consecutive 90-loss season. As a big Twins fan, every year of the past four seasons was a pill harder and harder to take. The front office of the Minnesota Twins had finally had enough, at least that is what they say. Along with replacing Gardenhire, they also terminated the services of pitching coach Rick Anderson. Many were big fans of Rick Anderson and as time went on, I was not. It was hard seeing so many pitchers leave the Minnesota Twins and become big successes. Francisco Liriano had a near Cy Young award winning season in 2013 and he wasn't the only pitcher to do well. Kyle Lohse also had a high level of success after leaving the Twins, which included a big pay day contract in the middle of it all. Kyle Lohse also got to taste the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Johan Santana, who was outstanding with the Minnesota Twins and like so many other players, became too expensive for the Minnesota Twins checkbook. Johan Santana did not go on to a World Series, but played in a big market with the New York Mets where he went on to throw the ever elite No-Hitter. This is just a few of the examples of pitchers who left and became success stories and in some cases household names. There are more, but this is why I felt that Rick Anderson needed to leave along with Ron Gardenhire.
Ron Gardenhire didn't have that same fire that he had when the team was successful. When Gardenhire was given somewhat of an ultimatum after the 2013 season, you would like to think that it would serve as a wake up call. It appeared that it did not as Gardenhire's team in 2014 showed no improvement. The sad thing about the 2014 season is that Target Field was the featured ballpark by hosting the elite Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This was the first time the Minnesota Twins were the hosts of this game since 1985 when the game was played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Thankfully, out of sympathy, the Minnesota Twins did have two players on the 2014 All-Star squad. Hometown kid Glen Perkins and catcher Kurt Suzuki were able to play in the mid-summer classic, unlike hometown hero Joe Mauer, who is currently getting paid $23 million dollars a season to be an average base hitting player.
I don't like being negative, but the Minnesota Twins have a lot to prove to win their fans back. These fans are willing to spend their hard earned money to be competitive. I am not saying they have to necessarily win, but they need to be competitive. It is hard to be a Minnesota summer sports fan when you know you baseball squad is out of it by the All-Star break.
While the Twins did make some changes in leadership, brought in Starting Pitcher Ervin Santana in the highest free agent contract in Minnesota Twins history at four years for $55 million dollars, and brought back fan favorite Torii Hunter, they fans had something to maybe buzz about. The reality is that the central division in the American League may be the most difficult in all of baseball this season, which doesn't bode well for the Twins. Sports Illustrated in fact went out on a limb and predicted the Cleveland Indians, who have a young powerful starting rotation, to the World Series champs this year. The Detroit Tigers lost Starting Pitcher Max Scherzer, but brought in prized pitcher David Price who shut down the Twins today on Opening Day in Major League Baseball. The Kansas City Royals made it to the World Series last year and are ready to prove that they are not just a fad with their young and talented squad. The Chicago White Sox also made many changes in the offseason to improve their team with their focus on another Central Division title. So the Twins have a challenge this year with the division mates being all competitive. Just a couple of days ago, the Twins were also dealt with some more bad news. Their big money free agent pitcher, Ervin Santana, was informed that he failed a test for a banned substance and was dealt an 80-game suspension as a penalty, which is half of the season.
In closing, I hope the Twins can put a spark in our summer sports season like the Minnesota Wild have done in the NHL during the late winter and spring. It would be refreshing to be talking again about the successes of the Twins. The last four seasons for the Twins have proved one thing. If you lose badly in Major League Baseball, that trend can continue for many consecutive years if it isn't addressed immediately. The Twins skid is now nearing a half of a decade and they barely fill half of their beautiful stadium that is only five years old. Good luck Paul Molitor and the Minnesota Twins!
#twinsbiggestfan
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Yo, Adrian!!!
I am a big Minnesota Vikings fan. They have been my team from the day I was born, and will be my team forever. I am really struggling with this Adrian Peterson nonsense that is going on. Many times when a professional athlete is making a career change either via a trade, or signing on with a new team by the way of free agency, you must likely will hear the line, "At the end of the day, it's a business." Sometimes the athlete says that to support their decision to sign with another team. Sometimes the athlete ends up saying it because they were traded, which didn't make them happy, and all they have to fall back on is that statement. This is something that Adrian Peterson needs to be aware of, the NFL is not only a sport, but also a business. I don't like getting into the politics, because it frustrates me when some teams are able to spend more money which creates an imbalance in sports. However, Adrian Peterson's choices most certainly affected a business and it put the Minnesota Vikings not only in the spotlight in a negative manner, but also in a bind. Adrian claims to be upset with the Minnesota Vikings for not letting him play during the investigation last season when the Vikes put him on the Commissioner's Exempt List. Despite being on this list, Adrian was sitting at home, but still receiving his paycheck each week. The Vikings wanted to play him badly after be deactivated for a week, but when several of the Minnesota Vikings sponsors threatened to pull the sponsorship because of what Adrian Peterson chose to do, what else were the Minnesota Vikings supposed to do? They had to make a business decision to keep their business viable. Now, if it had been me that chose to do the actions that he did, I would been sent home...without a job and without anymore paychecks. Adrian Peterson was allowed to make a plea deal (like all athletes that run into trouble magically do) and get the felony charges removed. He was then suspended for the rest of the year, and finally stopped getting paid.
Now it is 2015, and everything is behind Adrian Peterson, although the trauma his son is probably still experiencing from the incident is still as fresh in his mind as the day it happened. Adrian is lucky, he finally has the opportunity to have life back, and focus on playing in the NFL again. However, Adrian has chose to not let things go. Adrian feels everything is owed to him. Adrian feels that the Minnesota Vikings screwed him over, even though they have said time and time again that they welcome him back with arms wide open. Instead of being grateful for his second chance, he now demands a trade, and he wants to be traded to Dallas, near his hometown. He feels that he shouldn't have to renegotiate his contract and that's fine. If he wants to stick to the numbers on the contract, then he should remember one number at this time. That number is three, the number of years left on his contract. He owes that to the Minnesota Vikings if they chose to keep him no matter of how big of a fit he throws. It's all me, me, me with Adrian Peterson. Before he was charged with crime that he chose to commit, the Vikings were "all in" with having Peterson be the face of the Minnesota Vikings. In every drawing or image shown in the media of the new Vikings stadium being built, Adrian Peterson's picture was a part of those images. They are not part of those images anymore. The ones to take the worst punishment is the fans. The fans who spend their hard earned money to go to the games. What did the fans do? It was selfish enough to affect the 2014 season the way it did, but dang it! Let's not let it affect the 2015 season. We have Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, the most promising player at quarterback since Brett Favre. We brought in Mike Wallace at wide receiver to make the big plays. We have also made numerous free agent signings and already had a solid defense. Adrian, please don't screw up our 2015 season, the fans don't deserve it.
So if it were up to me to handle the Adrian Peterson situation, here is what I would do. I would approach Adrian and tell him that we would like him to play for the Minnesota Vikings for the 2015 season. After all, if Adrian Peterson is pissed, he will run hard this upcoming season. He hasn't played in almost a year when the new season begins, and if he sits out (called a "holdout") he could be sitting out of action for a second consecutive season. If he does this, it will have a drastic effect on his effectiveness as a star NFL running back. I think it would be career suicide if he sat this season out. So, I would tell him that he has three years left on this contract that he will not be released out of. I would also tell him that he will be almost 34 years old when his contract is up, which means he may likely be past his prime. So...I would tell him that if he comes back to the Vikings and play 2015 with full effort, then after the season I would trade him if still requests it. By doing this, the Vikings get him for one more year in his prime and it allows the team to make alternative plans at the running back position for the future instead of being screwed on the spot. By doing this, it would give the Vikings some leverage back. Now I know Adrian Peterson is making huge money, which affects the Vikings salary cap, but it could be worth it if he shuts his mouth and runs angry. The other catch to this is that NFL Free Agency has already began and teams are moving quickly to put their teams in place prior to the NFL Draft. Many teams are not willing to pay for Adrian Peterson's contract and don't want to give up a high draft pick for someone who only cares about himself.
Now I could be wrong here, and the Vikings could still trade him during the NFL Draft. I just hope that he is not given what he wants by being traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he wants to go. I am just tired of Minnesota sports teams being in the position to have to trade a superstar player because of a fluke or losing. It is those days that makes it hard to be a Minnesota sports fan.
#govikesgo
Now it is 2015, and everything is behind Adrian Peterson, although the trauma his son is probably still experiencing from the incident is still as fresh in his mind as the day it happened. Adrian is lucky, he finally has the opportunity to have life back, and focus on playing in the NFL again. However, Adrian has chose to not let things go. Adrian feels everything is owed to him. Adrian feels that the Minnesota Vikings screwed him over, even though they have said time and time again that they welcome him back with arms wide open. Instead of being grateful for his second chance, he now demands a trade, and he wants to be traded to Dallas, near his hometown. He feels that he shouldn't have to renegotiate his contract and that's fine. If he wants to stick to the numbers on the contract, then he should remember one number at this time. That number is three, the number of years left on his contract. He owes that to the Minnesota Vikings if they chose to keep him no matter of how big of a fit he throws. It's all me, me, me with Adrian Peterson. Before he was charged with crime that he chose to commit, the Vikings were "all in" with having Peterson be the face of the Minnesota Vikings. In every drawing or image shown in the media of the new Vikings stadium being built, Adrian Peterson's picture was a part of those images. They are not part of those images anymore. The ones to take the worst punishment is the fans. The fans who spend their hard earned money to go to the games. What did the fans do? It was selfish enough to affect the 2014 season the way it did, but dang it! Let's not let it affect the 2015 season. We have Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, the most promising player at quarterback since Brett Favre. We brought in Mike Wallace at wide receiver to make the big plays. We have also made numerous free agent signings and already had a solid defense. Adrian, please don't screw up our 2015 season, the fans don't deserve it.
So if it were up to me to handle the Adrian Peterson situation, here is what I would do. I would approach Adrian and tell him that we would like him to play for the Minnesota Vikings for the 2015 season. After all, if Adrian Peterson is pissed, he will run hard this upcoming season. He hasn't played in almost a year when the new season begins, and if he sits out (called a "holdout") he could be sitting out of action for a second consecutive season. If he does this, it will have a drastic effect on his effectiveness as a star NFL running back. I think it would be career suicide if he sat this season out. So, I would tell him that he has three years left on this contract that he will not be released out of. I would also tell him that he will be almost 34 years old when his contract is up, which means he may likely be past his prime. So...I would tell him that if he comes back to the Vikings and play 2015 with full effort, then after the season I would trade him if still requests it. By doing this, the Vikings get him for one more year in his prime and it allows the team to make alternative plans at the running back position for the future instead of being screwed on the spot. By doing this, it would give the Vikings some leverage back. Now I know Adrian Peterson is making huge money, which affects the Vikings salary cap, but it could be worth it if he shuts his mouth and runs angry. The other catch to this is that NFL Free Agency has already began and teams are moving quickly to put their teams in place prior to the NFL Draft. Many teams are not willing to pay for Adrian Peterson's contract and don't want to give up a high draft pick for someone who only cares about himself.
Now I could be wrong here, and the Vikings could still trade him during the NFL Draft. I just hope that he is not given what he wants by being traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he wants to go. I am just tired of Minnesota sports teams being in the position to have to trade a superstar player because of a fluke or losing. It is those days that makes it hard to be a Minnesota sports fan.
#govikesgo
Saturday, March 21, 2015
New Blog, New Topics!
Welcome to my newest blog called Minnesota Sports Scene. Many of you read my other blog called, "Blogging Rookie" and I hope you enjoy and share my passion with Minnesota sports. I look forward to writing about sports items that are going on in all levels of sports throughout the state of Minnesota. Now, what I write is my opinion, and as always it is ok to disagree with my thoughts. I encourage anyone who reads my blogs to leave comments after reading my blogs. Who knows, it may prompt me to write about something that you bring up.
I would say that my favorite sport is baseball. I have been a Minnesota Twins fan since I was about nine years old. My wife is not really a sports fan, and most of my family is not sports fans, except my brother and my two brothers-in law. So, I am excited for this and here we go...
I would say that my favorite sport is baseball. I have been a Minnesota Twins fan since I was about nine years old. My wife is not really a sports fan, and most of my family is not sports fans, except my brother and my two brothers-in law. So, I am excited for this and here we go...
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