As a kid growing up, my grandpa taught me how to be a sports fan, especially of the Minnesota Twins. I was lucky that when I was a kid, my team was the best in baseball by winning the World Series in 1987, and again in 1991. I grew up knowing that my team was competitive.
My team had one of the best executives in baseball in Andy McPhail, and legend-in-the-making manager in Tom Kelly. The team took risks with young players that turned out to be stars. Players like Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, and Kirby Puckett. Those teams were special. The fact that a small market baseball team won it all twice in four years, it was great for the state of Minnesota, and great for the sport of baseball.
The unfortunate part for me, is that my team is always a rollercoaster. That small market label has always haunted the Minnesota Twins and their fans alike. Sometimes, it hurt because it wasn't a major market with the fullest exposure, but what hurt the most was the fact that sometimes it was used as an excuse.
To go with exciting times of the Minnesota Twins, like the 15 game winning streak during that magical 1991 season, there have been many, and I mean many times, where being a fan not only hurt, but it stung. The mid-1990s teams were painfully awful and it was hard to watch. Year after year, it as the same story. The only positive was that you could go to a game for dirt cheap. And by that, I mean like $1.00 per ticket cheap. Unfortunately you had to watch the game on indoor/outdoor green carpet that was on top of concrete.
In 2001, Tom Kelly decided to step down as manager and Ron Gardenhire took the helm. In the few years after, the magic appeared to be back as another crop of young talent appeared to be ready for a run. Players like Torii Hunter, Corey Koskie, and Doug Mientkiewicz were taking the Minnesota Twins to the spotlight once again.
The team with these players took the Twins to multiple division titles, but unfortunately no championships. To the fans of Minnesota, this was acceptable because our team was competitive again, and they had a chance.
The last four years of Ron Gardenhire's tenure as manager resulted in four straight seasons of 90+ losses and it indicated a time for change. Ron Gardenhire was fired after the 2014 season, and Paul Molitor took the helm as the new leader. In Paul Molitor's first season as manager in 2015, there was a spark that caused many fans to think that maybe there was a chance to be competitive once again. The team was chasing a wild card playoff spot all the way until the final week of the regular season. Unfortunately, they came up just short in their attempt to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Coming into the 2016 season, the hope was high. The Twins had young talent that could once again bring the Twins to the top. Players like Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Eduardo Nunez. The Twins had a good Spring Training in 2016, which continued to cause fans and sportscasters alike predicting a possible division title run for the Twins. Then the regular season started.
The start of the season was bad. It was real bad. The pitching was weak, the offense was invisible, and the defense was playing like a junior high C squad team just learning the game. It wasn't a slow start that would be overcome either. Starting pitchers like Kyle Gibson and Ervin Santana were not pitching that bad, it is just that they not only didn't have run support, but they struggled to get even any hit support. This season is just a couple of games from being completed and the Twins are at 103 losses. They are just three games away from tying their worst season in franchise history. How the Twins can go from competing for a wild card spot a year ago to complete disaster is beyond me. What the Twins do once the season is over is anyone's guess. With perhaps the most beautiful ballpark in all of Major League Baseball, they have to find a solution quick! This team can not afford to rebuild AGAIN, because we have been rebuilding for six years already. The fans are disappearing by the hundreds.
I love my team. I will be a Minnesota Twins fan for life. I just want this fixed now. Us fans deserve some spending to fix this quick.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
For One Night...Everyone Should've Been A Kobe Bryant Fan
Kobe Bryant has been in the NBA for the past 20 years, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. I have never been a Los Angeles Lakers fan, probably because I played the homer card on the deal and was in denial that the Lakers were once a Minneapolis team, even though I wasn't alive when that all went down. So, that didn't make much sense. Then, once Kobe Bryant came into the league and started to shine, I felt he was so entitled that he wasn't seeing the world around him and appreciating the situation he was given. When he came into the league, I was 18 years old. I was immature and quick to judge, and I didn't like how he carried himself. I had labeled a fellow young man as "cocky". And then there was the Colorado incident that probably tested him the greatest during his 20 year car. Being accused of rape is a serious deal, and for most, it would be a career killer. You usually get the endorsements stripped and then the pressure usually puts the career away. That did not happen to Kobe Bryant and for years I was angry that he survived that situation professionally. After all, the timing of the events of how that Colorado situation played out, it had appeared that a professional athlete, with a lot of money, was able to buy himself out of a jam. At that time, being the young man that I was, I believed that. I wasn't alone, that feeling existed nationwide in a lot of people, and by many who were much older than I was. So after those alleged rape accusations were dropped and his wife benefited with a brand new four million dollar ring, I was officially not a Kobe Bryant fan and swore that I never would be.
Fast forward to Wednesday night, April 13th. On this night was the final night of the regular season in the NBA, it was the final game of Kobe Bryant's 20th season, and most importantly...the final game of Kobe Bryant's career. You basically had to be living in a box to not know that Kobe's final game was coming this week. I will be honest, I didn't know it was tonight. It was not one of those events that I put on my calendar as a must watch, because earlier tonight, I still was not a Kobe Bryant fan. I didn't like how the Shaq-Kobe relationship panned out after that dynasty had ended. Despite that falling out between two competitive mega stars of the NBA really being about publicity and two passionate players having passion for the game, I still wasn't giving Kobe any slack. So, I noticed on Twitter tonight that Kobe's point total for his final game was climbing quickly. It caught my attention.
I turned on the Lakers game for the fourth quarter. I wanted to see the people sitting court side who were paying $27,000 for a court side seat, and then I realized that half of Hollywood was occupying those seats and it made sense and I should've known. Despite that, I heard a stat right after turning on the game that no player had scored 35 plus points in their final career game. That intrigued me. So I tuned in. At the point I turned on the game, the Lakers were losing by something like 12 points. It kind seemed like it was a shoot around in a meaningless game. I really have to give Kobe Bryant's teammates a lot of credit. There are a lot of young guys on that team and the were totally on board with making Kobe's final game memorable. They knew on every offensive possession of the fourth quarter, they had to get the ball to Kobe. They did exactly that and Kobe didn't disappoint.
When the game sounded the final buzzer, Kobe Bryant had finished the night with 60 points. That's crazy. Kobe Bryant has always made amazing and unbelievable shots, which before tonight, always pissed me off and also jealous since 2004 (the last time the Minnesota Timberwolves made the playoffs). To go along with the fact that Kobe Bryant just scored 60 points in the final game of his career where no other player even scored 35 points in their final game, Kobe's 60 also was the most points scored by any NBA player in the league this year, and it came from a guy who is retiring.
So after 20 years, and for tonight, I was a big Kobe Bryant fan. What he did in his final game is amazing and I am glad that I tuned in for the final quarter of that game. To come out on the final game of your career, with thousands in attendance and millions watching on television and the thousands that some paid to watch, the performance that Kobe put out on the floor was a fitting ending to a wonderful career. It also should've been an event appreciated by the true sports fan no matter what your personal feelings of Kobe Bryant are. I am glad the game was about his contributions to the game and that they left the personal stuff aside. Kobe Bryant made the Lakers organization and the NBA proud tonight. The performance was unbelievable and I am totally glad I tuned into the fourth quarter and watched.
#mambaday
Fast forward to Wednesday night, April 13th. On this night was the final night of the regular season in the NBA, it was the final game of Kobe Bryant's 20th season, and most importantly...the final game of Kobe Bryant's career. You basically had to be living in a box to not know that Kobe's final game was coming this week. I will be honest, I didn't know it was tonight. It was not one of those events that I put on my calendar as a must watch, because earlier tonight, I still was not a Kobe Bryant fan. I didn't like how the Shaq-Kobe relationship panned out after that dynasty had ended. Despite that falling out between two competitive mega stars of the NBA really being about publicity and two passionate players having passion for the game, I still wasn't giving Kobe any slack. So, I noticed on Twitter tonight that Kobe's point total for his final game was climbing quickly. It caught my attention.
I turned on the Lakers game for the fourth quarter. I wanted to see the people sitting court side who were paying $27,000 for a court side seat, and then I realized that half of Hollywood was occupying those seats and it made sense and I should've known. Despite that, I heard a stat right after turning on the game that no player had scored 35 plus points in their final career game. That intrigued me. So I tuned in. At the point I turned on the game, the Lakers were losing by something like 12 points. It kind seemed like it was a shoot around in a meaningless game. I really have to give Kobe Bryant's teammates a lot of credit. There are a lot of young guys on that team and the were totally on board with making Kobe's final game memorable. They knew on every offensive possession of the fourth quarter, they had to get the ball to Kobe. They did exactly that and Kobe didn't disappoint.
When the game sounded the final buzzer, Kobe Bryant had finished the night with 60 points. That's crazy. Kobe Bryant has always made amazing and unbelievable shots, which before tonight, always pissed me off and also jealous since 2004 (the last time the Minnesota Timberwolves made the playoffs). To go along with the fact that Kobe Bryant just scored 60 points in the final game of his career where no other player even scored 35 points in their final game, Kobe's 60 also was the most points scored by any NBA player in the league this year, and it came from a guy who is retiring.
So after 20 years, and for tonight, I was a big Kobe Bryant fan. What he did in his final game is amazing and I am glad that I tuned in for the final quarter of that game. To come out on the final game of your career, with thousands in attendance and millions watching on television and the thousands that some paid to watch, the performance that Kobe put out on the floor was a fitting ending to a wonderful career. It also should've been an event appreciated by the true sports fan no matter what your personal feelings of Kobe Bryant are. I am glad the game was about his contributions to the game and that they left the personal stuff aside. Kobe Bryant made the Lakers organization and the NBA proud tonight. The performance was unbelievable and I am totally glad I tuned into the fourth quarter and watched.
#mambaday
Thursday, March 24, 2016
The Minnesota Wild Love The Pressure...Apparently
The Minnesota Wild are in a familiar position again this year as they are fighting for the final wild card spot in the NHL Playoffs. Most teams, cities, and fans would be more than happy with the fact that their team is competing every year in a professional sports league. However, the scene is a little different in Minnesota. You see, ever since the Minnesota Wild opened their checkbooks and signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter each to 13 year contracts worth nearly $100 million dollars each, everyone was bought in. Even ESPN, said after the signings, that the Wild were instant contenders and favorites for the NHL Finals for the Stanley Cup Championship Trophy. The Minnesota Wild went out and continued to build the team by bringing pieces like Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, and Goalie Devin Dubnyk. Everything was looking right.
For sports fans in Minnesota, the actions being taken by the Minnesota Wild were refreshing. There finally was an owner who wanted to compete, and he wanted to compete now. The refreshing part is that the owner was willing to open the checkbook and spend. As much as I like to find a great deal and be thrifty, there is no place to be thrifty in professional sports. Especially when the majority of professional sports team owners are each worth billions. So here we go, or so we thought.
While the Minnesota Wild have made the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, it is usually as a wild card team, which is not what the fans, the team, and the owner had in mind. The major problem with this is that when you come into the playoffs as a low seed, then your first round is massively challenging by having to face a number one or two seed, which is usually a division champ or the best team in the conference. Now the one team that the Minnesota Wild is tired of facing in the playoffs is the rival Chicago Blackhawks. The past two seasons have ended with the Chicago Blackhawks knocking the Minnesota Wild out of the playoffs. Two years ago, it was in the first round. Last year, it was in the second round, which hurt worse. And then there is this year...
The 2016 version of the Minnesota Wild has looked similar to the 2014 and 2015 versions of the team, which is loaded with talent, appears to have good chemistry, but there is something definitely wrong. First of all, just after the first of the year of 2016, the Minnesota Wild went into a massive slump. They were losing many games consecutively, and not even really being competitive. There have been massive losing slumps that plagued the previous two seasons, which contributed to the poor seeding for the playoffs. It happened again this year, and the owner had enough. This year's losing streak was long, the power play was almost nonexistent, and it was time for a change. Mike Yeo, the Wild's Head Coach for the past several seasons, was let go. The inability to score a goal on a team that was so loaded with talent was unacceptable, as it should've been. So, a new coach was brought in. After new Head Coach John Torchetti was brought in, the Minnesota Wild had scored 5 goals or more in their first three games with Torchetti at the helm. Not only was the scoring up, but so was the scoring on the power play. The coaching change came at a time where it was do or die as far as the season goes, because the Wild had just dropped out of a playoff spot.
So here we are today, Thursday, March 24th and the Minnesota Wild just won a game tonight against the Calgary Flames at home at the XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota by a score of 6-2. This kept the Minnesota Wild in the eighth spot in the playoff race, which is the second and final wild card spot. It is unfortunate that the Wild are going to either have to settle for the eighth playoff spot, or go home as they only have seven games remaining in the regular season. The positive to this situation is that usually a team can get hot in the playoffs and make a run for the championship. This, however, in hockey is very difficult.
There will be many questions to probably answer when the offseason rolls around. What do we do with the new interim Head Coach that was brought in? What happens to all the assistant coaches that have been around for years? Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville have had very disappointing seasons, what do we do with them? How much longer do we go with the Parise and Suter leadership as they get older and we pay them more and more each season? My hope... is that we just run the table and bring the Stanley Cup to Minnesota so all of these questions will be very simple to answer. Buckle up, the next two weeks of the remainder of the regular season promise to be intense, but also exciting.
#gowild
For sports fans in Minnesota, the actions being taken by the Minnesota Wild were refreshing. There finally was an owner who wanted to compete, and he wanted to compete now. The refreshing part is that the owner was willing to open the checkbook and spend. As much as I like to find a great deal and be thrifty, there is no place to be thrifty in professional sports. Especially when the majority of professional sports team owners are each worth billions. So here we go, or so we thought.
While the Minnesota Wild have made the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, it is usually as a wild card team, which is not what the fans, the team, and the owner had in mind. The major problem with this is that when you come into the playoffs as a low seed, then your first round is massively challenging by having to face a number one or two seed, which is usually a division champ or the best team in the conference. Now the one team that the Minnesota Wild is tired of facing in the playoffs is the rival Chicago Blackhawks. The past two seasons have ended with the Chicago Blackhawks knocking the Minnesota Wild out of the playoffs. Two years ago, it was in the first round. Last year, it was in the second round, which hurt worse. And then there is this year...
The 2016 version of the Minnesota Wild has looked similar to the 2014 and 2015 versions of the team, which is loaded with talent, appears to have good chemistry, but there is something definitely wrong. First of all, just after the first of the year of 2016, the Minnesota Wild went into a massive slump. They were losing many games consecutively, and not even really being competitive. There have been massive losing slumps that plagued the previous two seasons, which contributed to the poor seeding for the playoffs. It happened again this year, and the owner had enough. This year's losing streak was long, the power play was almost nonexistent, and it was time for a change. Mike Yeo, the Wild's Head Coach for the past several seasons, was let go. The inability to score a goal on a team that was so loaded with talent was unacceptable, as it should've been. So, a new coach was brought in. After new Head Coach John Torchetti was brought in, the Minnesota Wild had scored 5 goals or more in their first three games with Torchetti at the helm. Not only was the scoring up, but so was the scoring on the power play. The coaching change came at a time where it was do or die as far as the season goes, because the Wild had just dropped out of a playoff spot.
So here we are today, Thursday, March 24th and the Minnesota Wild just won a game tonight against the Calgary Flames at home at the XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota by a score of 6-2. This kept the Minnesota Wild in the eighth spot in the playoff race, which is the second and final wild card spot. It is unfortunate that the Wild are going to either have to settle for the eighth playoff spot, or go home as they only have seven games remaining in the regular season. The positive to this situation is that usually a team can get hot in the playoffs and make a run for the championship. This, however, in hockey is very difficult.
There will be many questions to probably answer when the offseason rolls around. What do we do with the new interim Head Coach that was brought in? What happens to all the assistant coaches that have been around for years? Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville have had very disappointing seasons, what do we do with them? How much longer do we go with the Parise and Suter leadership as they get older and we pay them more and more each season? My hope... is that we just run the table and bring the Stanley Cup to Minnesota so all of these questions will be very simple to answer. Buckle up, the next two weeks of the remainder of the regular season promise to be intense, but also exciting.
#gowild
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Cincinnati Bengals and Fans...There Are No Words
Last Saturday night, as it was 20 degrees below freeze my nuts off, I decided to turn on the television and I stumbled across the NFL Wild Card Playoff Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. It was about the beginning of the fourth quarter when I tuned in and I was multitasking with the television on. I had no idea what I was about to see.
I am a fan of the NFL, and further more, my team is the Minnesota Vikings. I know that the Minnesota Vikings have not yet won a Super Bowl. They have been there four times (before I was born) and quite frankly should have won it all in 1998, when Gary Anderson missed a routine field goal instead sending the Atlanta Falcons to the big game. That was heartbreak that was similar to what I felt after the Vikings 10-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. So anyways...
I am not writing about my team the Vikings this time. I felt passionate about writing about what I witnessed in the fourth quarter of that Wild Card Game from last Saturday night. What I didn't know to the fullest effect was the rivalry and bad blood between the Cincinnati and Pittsburgh franchises. Apparently before the game, the referees had to stand on the 50 yard line during warm ups so the teams would leave each other alone and not get into a scuffle. Really?
When I turned on the game, I believe the Steelers had a 15-0 lead. It looked grim for the Bengals. However, the Bengals did make a comeback. There was a play early in the fourth quarter where there was a pretty solid legal hit that caused the ball to come loose and have Pittsburgh challenge the ruling on the field that the ball was fumbled after leaving the Cincinnati Running Back unconscious.
When that hard hit was put on the Cincinnati Running Back, Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati players and fans alike were angry that a penalty was not assessed. The insult to injury was when the dust settled, Pittsburgh's Head Coach Mike Tomlin threw the red flag on the field challenging the refs ruling of down by contact. So after Cincinnati's Running Back is knocked out of the game by a hard legal hit, and having Pittsburgh when their challenge contesting that the ball was fumbled, Cincinnati now had a new mission.... getting even for knocking out their player.
I have no problem with accountability. If you have read my stuff before, I love accountability as I feel it is healthy. So, when Pittsburgh got the ball back later in the quarter, Cincinnati player #55, Vontaze Burfict, had an opportunity to sack Ben Roethlisberger, and he did it hard. See, Burfict decided to put all his weight on the shoulder of Ben Roethlisberger and it ended up putting the Pittsburgh Quarterback and the medical cart heading back to the locker room for further examination.
The already sad situation took a turn for the worse when a fan decided to throw debris and trash at Ben Roethlisberger when the cart was heading off the field. I mean, really? Do we really need to try to injury someone by throwing things at them because you are mad at ref's call.
I get it that it is the playoffs and everything this on the line. I also understand that the intensity level is also heightened during the playoffs with all the teams trying to accomplish the same thing. I can't understand the mentality of breaking the law because a person is so pissed off over a football game. Remember, this is coming from a die hard NFL fan who is writing this. I would NEVER go to such a level. There were multiple fans that continued to litter the end zones after the refs made the ruling of the fumble. It was crazy and absolutely unacceptable.
To continue on with the fourth quarter, Cincinnati did continue its comeback by scoring on a touchdown caught by Wide Receiver A.J. Green. Remember #55, Vontaze Burfict? He celebrated more than Green on the touchdown. Burfict decided to lead a few players off the field and up the tunnel to the locker room after the touchdown, even though there was still a long time left to play in the fourth quarter. At this point, the game was completely out of control.
So, now the score is 16-15 in favor of the Cincinnati Bengals after the comeback was completed, but there was still time on the clock and Pittsburgh gets the ball back. While Roethisberger was getting examined, the Pittsburgh Back Up Quarterback came into play. Anyways, Roethisberger came back out on to the field and returned to play. During the final drive by the Steelers, Roethisberger made a pass attempt to Star Receiver Antonio Brown. The Cincinnati Bengals again were obviously not happy that Big Ben Rothelisberger came back to play, because on that pass attempt to Antonio Brown, #55 Vontaze Burfict, took a cheap shot after the ball had gone by and drilled the Pittsburgh Wide Receiver in the head. As a result, Antonio Brown was experiencing concussion like symptoms and now was in the protocol due to a cheap shot. After the referees flagged the personal foul for the hit, Burfict argued and fellow Cincinnati defensive player, Adam Jones, came to back up his teammate in discussion with the referees. The problem with this was that Adam Jones became so determined to have his voice and side heard, that he put his hands on a ref, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag. After the personal foul penalty and the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the Steelers were suddenly on the 35 yard line and ready to kick the winning field goal. This is exactly what happened.
When this kind of activity takes place during a professional sporting event, I feel bad for the fans who paid a lot of money to see a good game go sour. In this case, with the Cincinnati fans choosing to act the way they did, I am okay with them losing the money by helping cause a loss when a win was in the bag. The players that choose to take matters in their own hands and make the Cincinnati Bengal uniform look foolish, they should be released. How many times have you been told that you are a representative of your employer when in public and you are expected to be professional. Apparently, the players of Cincinnati, who were on national television, didn't get that memo. I also blame the coaching staff of Cincinnati. There was no leadership on the field during the time the unprofessional activities. It is just flat out disrespectful to the leadership of the Cincinnati Bengals when a player's personal agenda took center stage. I get that adrenaline gets going and players get caught up in the heat of the moment, but when a head coach has to tell his team to wear helmets off the field for safety, that is when players need to have the harsh part of the lesson of accountability. If these guys are not released, it is telling our young people that acting this way to get your message across or get your need met is acceptable, when instead it is not.
The good thing is that Cincinnati defensive player #55, Vontaze Burfict, was suspended by the NFL for the first three games of next season. Which is good. Of course this guy is wanting a meeting to see if the suspension can be reduced. Please! You chose to hurt people and play dirty. Take your millions that you will get paid while sitting at home and please just shut the hell up and apologize for your actions.
I had respect for the Cincinnati Bengals NFL franchise, but that has taken a massive hit and it will take me quite a while to cheer for the Bengals again in the future.
#playhardplayclean
I am a fan of the NFL, and further more, my team is the Minnesota Vikings. I know that the Minnesota Vikings have not yet won a Super Bowl. They have been there four times (before I was born) and quite frankly should have won it all in 1998, when Gary Anderson missed a routine field goal instead sending the Atlanta Falcons to the big game. That was heartbreak that was similar to what I felt after the Vikings 10-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. So anyways...
I am not writing about my team the Vikings this time. I felt passionate about writing about what I witnessed in the fourth quarter of that Wild Card Game from last Saturday night. What I didn't know to the fullest effect was the rivalry and bad blood between the Cincinnati and Pittsburgh franchises. Apparently before the game, the referees had to stand on the 50 yard line during warm ups so the teams would leave each other alone and not get into a scuffle. Really?
When I turned on the game, I believe the Steelers had a 15-0 lead. It looked grim for the Bengals. However, the Bengals did make a comeback. There was a play early in the fourth quarter where there was a pretty solid legal hit that caused the ball to come loose and have Pittsburgh challenge the ruling on the field that the ball was fumbled after leaving the Cincinnati Running Back unconscious.
When that hard hit was put on the Cincinnati Running Back, Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati players and fans alike were angry that a penalty was not assessed. The insult to injury was when the dust settled, Pittsburgh's Head Coach Mike Tomlin threw the red flag on the field challenging the refs ruling of down by contact. So after Cincinnati's Running Back is knocked out of the game by a hard legal hit, and having Pittsburgh when their challenge contesting that the ball was fumbled, Cincinnati now had a new mission.... getting even for knocking out their player.
I have no problem with accountability. If you have read my stuff before, I love accountability as I feel it is healthy. So, when Pittsburgh got the ball back later in the quarter, Cincinnati player #55, Vontaze Burfict, had an opportunity to sack Ben Roethlisberger, and he did it hard. See, Burfict decided to put all his weight on the shoulder of Ben Roethlisberger and it ended up putting the Pittsburgh Quarterback and the medical cart heading back to the locker room for further examination.
The already sad situation took a turn for the worse when a fan decided to throw debris and trash at Ben Roethlisberger when the cart was heading off the field. I mean, really? Do we really need to try to injury someone by throwing things at them because you are mad at ref's call.
I get it that it is the playoffs and everything this on the line. I also understand that the intensity level is also heightened during the playoffs with all the teams trying to accomplish the same thing. I can't understand the mentality of breaking the law because a person is so pissed off over a football game. Remember, this is coming from a die hard NFL fan who is writing this. I would NEVER go to such a level. There were multiple fans that continued to litter the end zones after the refs made the ruling of the fumble. It was crazy and absolutely unacceptable.
To continue on with the fourth quarter, Cincinnati did continue its comeback by scoring on a touchdown caught by Wide Receiver A.J. Green. Remember #55, Vontaze Burfict? He celebrated more than Green on the touchdown. Burfict decided to lead a few players off the field and up the tunnel to the locker room after the touchdown, even though there was still a long time left to play in the fourth quarter. At this point, the game was completely out of control.
So, now the score is 16-15 in favor of the Cincinnati Bengals after the comeback was completed, but there was still time on the clock and Pittsburgh gets the ball back. While Roethisberger was getting examined, the Pittsburgh Back Up Quarterback came into play. Anyways, Roethisberger came back out on to the field and returned to play. During the final drive by the Steelers, Roethisberger made a pass attempt to Star Receiver Antonio Brown. The Cincinnati Bengals again were obviously not happy that Big Ben Rothelisberger came back to play, because on that pass attempt to Antonio Brown, #55 Vontaze Burfict, took a cheap shot after the ball had gone by and drilled the Pittsburgh Wide Receiver in the head. As a result, Antonio Brown was experiencing concussion like symptoms and now was in the protocol due to a cheap shot. After the referees flagged the personal foul for the hit, Burfict argued and fellow Cincinnati defensive player, Adam Jones, came to back up his teammate in discussion with the referees. The problem with this was that Adam Jones became so determined to have his voice and side heard, that he put his hands on a ref, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag. After the personal foul penalty and the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the Steelers were suddenly on the 35 yard line and ready to kick the winning field goal. This is exactly what happened.
When this kind of activity takes place during a professional sporting event, I feel bad for the fans who paid a lot of money to see a good game go sour. In this case, with the Cincinnati fans choosing to act the way they did, I am okay with them losing the money by helping cause a loss when a win was in the bag. The players that choose to take matters in their own hands and make the Cincinnati Bengal uniform look foolish, they should be released. How many times have you been told that you are a representative of your employer when in public and you are expected to be professional. Apparently, the players of Cincinnati, who were on national television, didn't get that memo. I also blame the coaching staff of Cincinnati. There was no leadership on the field during the time the unprofessional activities. It is just flat out disrespectful to the leadership of the Cincinnati Bengals when a player's personal agenda took center stage. I get that adrenaline gets going and players get caught up in the heat of the moment, but when a head coach has to tell his team to wear helmets off the field for safety, that is when players need to have the harsh part of the lesson of accountability. If these guys are not released, it is telling our young people that acting this way to get your message across or get your need met is acceptable, when instead it is not.
The good thing is that Cincinnati defensive player #55, Vontaze Burfict, was suspended by the NFL for the first three games of next season. Which is good. Of course this guy is wanting a meeting to see if the suspension can be reduced. Please! You chose to hurt people and play dirty. Take your millions that you will get paid while sitting at home and please just shut the hell up and apologize for your actions.
I had respect for the Cincinnati Bengals NFL franchise, but that has taken a massive hit and it will take me quite a while to cheer for the Bengals again in the future.
#playhardplayclean
Friday, January 8, 2016
NFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: VIKINGS VS. SEAHAWKS
For the first time since 2012, the Minnesota Vikings are fun to talk about in January. It is a relief that we are not like a number of teams, for once, that have to talk about what coaching changes will be made and how a high numbered draft pick will make this team better. The fact of the matter is that hiring Head Coach Mike Zimmer two years ago was finally the right move. The Vikings defense was a mess, and we're not talking a small mess, but instead a giant one.
Two seasons ago, the Vikings ended up giving the most points in one season in the history of the NFL. For many of us that have friends and families who are fans of the rival Green Bay Packers, this was a hard pill to swallow. The Vikings also took a big gamble by drafting Quarterback Christian Ponder as the franchise quarterback by drafting him 12th overall in the NFL Draft. Thankfully, the Vikings moved on from the Christian Ponder era.
When Mike Zimmer was hired prior to the 2014 season, the Vikings knew their defense was sure to improve as Mike Zimmer had been a long time defensive coordinator for both the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings didn't want a one sided team, so Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman decided to work his magic on draft day in 2014 and move up back into the first round and draft Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the final pick in the first round. This gave the fans the hope they have been hungry for since 2009, the last time the Vikings won the NFC North Division.
So, looking ahead, the Vikings had a very successful 2015 campaign. They went 11-5, a record that nobody could really only dream of considering they had a second year coach and second year starting quarterback. Speaking of that defense, the Vikings were one of the best when it came to allowing points scored by opposing teams. Teddy Bridgewater also showed great improvement. Teddy Bridgewater had a career high in a game this season by throwing for four touchdowns and running for one. Teddy also threw for over 3,000 yards this season, something that hasn't been done for a while, and also something that should silence the critics who continuously compare Teddy Bridgewater to Christian Ponder.
One of the low points of this past season was a game against the Vikings first playoff opponent, the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks put a whooping on the Vikings by beating them by a score of 38-7. This one sided contest has made the Vikings fans extremely nervous. As the fans finally get to feel the excitement of making the playoffs and also coming off a big win beating the Green Bay Packers at Green Bay, the Vikings first round match up may be the most difficult first round game.
I am not sure what to think about the Vikings first round playoff game. I won't lie, I am very nervous that a repeat of the regular season match up with the Seattle Seahawks may occur again. I mean, why would we allow a team to beat us as badly as the Seahawks did at any point of any season. So, I was kind of one of the fans who was hoping that we could've lost that final regular season game against the Packers so we could have had a first round match up with the Washington Redskins. Then, I realized that it is the NFL Playoffs. First of all, if there is any hope to make to the grandest stage of them all, the Super Bowl, then you have to beat the good teams. So, the Vikings will have to continue to look forward and play the way that gave an 11-5 record. In addition to that, the weather will be much colder and three key players that were injured and out for that first meeting with the Seahawks, will be back, Those players are Linval Joseph, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Barr. These three players are all difference makers.
With the weather being extremely cold at game time by having a high of two degrees above zero with a windchill of -15 degrees. My prediction is this. I am going to be extremely positive here and believe in the Vikings and their game plan with a healthy team, which is the situation we have here. I think the coldness will keep the overall score down, but I think the Vikings will win by a score of 20-17. I think it will be close, and I think the Vikings know this is a golden opportunity and will take advantage of it.
Good Luck Vikes!
#skolvikings
Two seasons ago, the Vikings ended up giving the most points in one season in the history of the NFL. For many of us that have friends and families who are fans of the rival Green Bay Packers, this was a hard pill to swallow. The Vikings also took a big gamble by drafting Quarterback Christian Ponder as the franchise quarterback by drafting him 12th overall in the NFL Draft. Thankfully, the Vikings moved on from the Christian Ponder era.
When Mike Zimmer was hired prior to the 2014 season, the Vikings knew their defense was sure to improve as Mike Zimmer had been a long time defensive coordinator for both the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings didn't want a one sided team, so Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman decided to work his magic on draft day in 2014 and move up back into the first round and draft Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the final pick in the first round. This gave the fans the hope they have been hungry for since 2009, the last time the Vikings won the NFC North Division.
So, looking ahead, the Vikings had a very successful 2015 campaign. They went 11-5, a record that nobody could really only dream of considering they had a second year coach and second year starting quarterback. Speaking of that defense, the Vikings were one of the best when it came to allowing points scored by opposing teams. Teddy Bridgewater also showed great improvement. Teddy Bridgewater had a career high in a game this season by throwing for four touchdowns and running for one. Teddy also threw for over 3,000 yards this season, something that hasn't been done for a while, and also something that should silence the critics who continuously compare Teddy Bridgewater to Christian Ponder.
One of the low points of this past season was a game against the Vikings first playoff opponent, the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks put a whooping on the Vikings by beating them by a score of 38-7. This one sided contest has made the Vikings fans extremely nervous. As the fans finally get to feel the excitement of making the playoffs and also coming off a big win beating the Green Bay Packers at Green Bay, the Vikings first round match up may be the most difficult first round game.
I am not sure what to think about the Vikings first round playoff game. I won't lie, I am very nervous that a repeat of the regular season match up with the Seattle Seahawks may occur again. I mean, why would we allow a team to beat us as badly as the Seahawks did at any point of any season. So, I was kind of one of the fans who was hoping that we could've lost that final regular season game against the Packers so we could have had a first round match up with the Washington Redskins. Then, I realized that it is the NFL Playoffs. First of all, if there is any hope to make to the grandest stage of them all, the Super Bowl, then you have to beat the good teams. So, the Vikings will have to continue to look forward and play the way that gave an 11-5 record. In addition to that, the weather will be much colder and three key players that were injured and out for that first meeting with the Seahawks, will be back, Those players are Linval Joseph, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Barr. These three players are all difference makers.
With the weather being extremely cold at game time by having a high of two degrees above zero with a windchill of -15 degrees. My prediction is this. I am going to be extremely positive here and believe in the Vikings and their game plan with a healthy team, which is the situation we have here. I think the coldness will keep the overall score down, but I think the Vikings will win by a score of 20-17. I think it will be close, and I think the Vikings know this is a golden opportunity and will take advantage of it.
Good Luck Vikes!
#skolvikings
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