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
Thursday, March 24, 2016
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
Monday, December 7, 2015
Athletes Are Employees Too
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
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, 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
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