Vikings Notes

I know its been awhile since my last post, but travel knocked me off my schedule. Here's some thoughts on the eventful last few days.

• First off, congratulations to Darren Sharper and Koren Robinson for being named to the Pro Bowl. If the Vikings can add some more free agents like them next offseason, we won't have to rely on a dead Packers team to make the playoffs. I think that both Antoine Winfield and Pat Williams have turned in Pro Bowl caliber seasons as well, but they faced some pretty strong competition and I don't think that the players named were undeserving.
• The Vikings are a much different team this year, if you haven't already figured it out. And the confidence the defensive is exuding really makes me excited for next year. If they add another blue chip defender or two in free agency (and they definitely have the cap room), they'll be a force to be reckoned with. So while Sharper may have been a year ahead of himself, it's pretty cool that it was believable when he said "you have to try to win the game on defense. That's the type of attitude I want us to have as a defense. Not rely on anyone else. Try to win the game by ourselves."
  
• Patrick Reusse is hands down the best Vikings columnist. He was dead on when he called Pat Williams the Vikings' MVP, he smartly pointed out that just because a rookie doesn't put up a Randy Moss type season doesn't mean he is a bust and he was right again in calling out Vikings' fans on Monday. He wasn't the only one that has noticed fans' refusal to embrace Daunte, either. The big man himself doesn't want to play where he isn't wanted. I wouldn't want to play here either, since it seems that despite Daunte's success, whenever he hits a rough spot, whether it's poor play or injury, fans immediately embrace the white guy that steps in.
  
• Finally, I leave you with another classic Mike Tice move: he tried to put some of the blame for the loss on the fans and replay operators. And while he tried to make it not look like that was what he was doing, it was exactly what he was doing. There's no other reason to bring up the replay thing, since it is something that could be handled internally. And there' s no other reason to suggest that Vikings' fans, after years and years of making the Metrodome one of the loudest place to play in the NFL, are not diehards. Let me just reiterate that I cannot wait until the Vikings have a real coach.