It has been a while.......

So I have been computerless for roughly 6 weeks, which has been terrible for my posting. Although to be fair, nothing good has really happened in this state in that time frame.

The Vikings are officially dead. We did finally fire Childress, and it looks like it was a great move. The Vikings are 2-0 under Coach Leslie Frazier. This really isn't surprising at all. Some of us, thought we should have made this move before the season was lost, but Wilf didn't go that route. I for one hope Frazier sticks around, I'd like to see him get a chance at a full season with his own system. It is also nice to see AP in on 3rd down.

The Gophers just hired their new football coach. Jerry Kill. After being promised a big name hire like Tubby Smith, I must say I'm disappointed. I guess he can't do much worse. We'll see, but I'm not sold yet. He has a solid history, but this program is BAD. Can he work miracles? We'll see.

Gopher Hockey was impressing me this season, but now they just got swept on the road at Mankato. Heartbreak. They played well enough to get a point at the minimum, but no. Now the best team in the country rolls into town in UMD. I happen to be going to the game tomorrow night, which will be a blast. It's my first game this year, should be fun! UMD is always a great game to go to.

Twins haven't done too much. Today we traded away Hardy and Harris. Not really sure what that means yet. We got back two minor league pitchers. More on that to come.

Wolves are showing some promise, and K Love is making a case for being called a legitimate Superstar in this league.

It is also fantasy football playoff season! I successfully made the playoffs in all 4 of my fantasy leagues. Three of my teams are in shambles, suffering injuries down the stretch, but at least I have a prayer.

I'll try to make some posts more frequently here. My computer is being looked at, but I'll still have to go home to pick it up, which won't be for about two weeks. Keep checking back! Good Luck to all fantasy footballers, unless you are playing me.

My Plan AKA Reality

Did anyone else feel absolutely disgusted with the performance last Sunday? I don't mean you were upset with how they played, but I mean actually disgusted. Think about it. We had the chance to jump right back into this thing, against what everyone says is a bad bears team, a team ahead of you in your division. You were coming off a huge emotional high from one of the best comebacks in team history. Everyone thought we were back, and ready to make a stand.

That didn't happen.

I'm not going into statistics, as much as I want to, because they are too embarrassing. Third downs anyone? Dropped passes? Slipping on the field?

Thanks to our performance, we sit at 3-6, while we look up at two 6-3 teams, whom have each already defeated us once. This team has a pulse, but not much of one. They have to win their remaining 7 games, and then pray. If we did that, we would beat Chicago and Green Bay, essentially moving us a game closer to each. Those teams also play each other again, which would in turn move us a game closer to one of them. Why I am talking about this I have no idea. Let me get to the real points.

This team is dead. There will be a funeral at the dome on Sunday.

RIP 2010 Vikings

A Team that perished before reaching its true potential

I honestly believe Green Bay will come into Minnesota and defeat the Vikings, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a close game, but I'm taking them easily. I then think Childress will be fired, and Favre will retire. Why you ask? Think about the storyline. Green Bay ends Favre's career on the road AT MINNESOTA. Could it get any better for the Packers? I don't think so. Favre will have no interest in playing out a season that is already lost. There really isn't any point, he has all the records, and he is risking body parts.

The unfortunate news in all of this is that I think it could have been prevented had we made a coaching change last week. We come off an emotional win, the players are still expressing their dislike of the coach, you have two HUGE divisional games coming up, if you are going to make the change, make it then. The team needed some sort of unity, and now it is in shambles. When players are playing for themselves, it never works out. You need unity in football, and the Vikings lost that a long time ago.

What a wreck this season was. You have the same Superbowl caliber team from last year, and it all falls apart. Sure, we could have won most of the games we lost, but a lot of teams can say that. If we had simply won one of those games, it is an entirely different situation, but we couldn't find it in ourselves.

The defensive line doesn't exist. The offensive line isn't stable. The running game has been hit or miss. The receivers have been terrible with the exception of Percy. Our secondary.... well they have been our secondary. The team is in shambles. Lets move on.

If we have a next season, the Vikes will need to address the QB situation. I personally think there will not be a season next year, but we can hope. I'll get more into next seasons details when we are officially dead about 2:30 this Sunday.

Asking any NFL team to win 7 straight games is extremely difficult. Especially considering the crazy year that is this year in the NFL. For this team to do it? Impossible. I'm sorry Vikings fans, I live and die for the Vikes, but if I'm saying it's over, it's over.

Brett, thank you for the run you gave us, it was fun. I hope the Packers fans aren't dicks like usual and accept you into the ring of fame or wherever you'll go there. Stay out of trouble.

The Paul Allen Plan AKA Plan A

Well Vikings fans, we find ourselves in a little bit of a situation. We lost to the Chicago Bears last weekend, in fact, we got rolled by the Bears. We didn't perform in any aspect of the game. The offense was lackluster accept for the first 2 possessions. The defense didn't really show up at all, with the exception of a nice performance by Husain Abdullah, who had two interceptions! Special teams were terrible as well, yielding 140 some yards in returns to Deven Hester, arguably the best return man in NFL history. Let me set the record straight in saying it WAS NOT THE PUNTER! Chris Kluwe had another dominant day, pinning Hester deep and to the sidelines multiple times, but the special teams could not tackle him, he broke ankles, he juked, he jived, he was unstoppable, and we paid the price. On top of this, Ryan Longwell missed his first field goal of the year, and the Vikes just couldn't put it together to find the endzone. Result = 27 - 13 Bears.

NFC Standings

Green Bay = 6-3

Chicago = 6-3

Minnesota = 3-6

Detroit = 2-7

So....... now what?

Well, the backs are against the wall, there are no more options. We are looking at a veteran team, the same team we had last year. Yes, you heard me right, we are missing two starters from last year, and starting this week we might only be missing one starter from last year. Those being Sidney Rice and Cedric Griffin. They know what they are capable of, we were one play away last year, this team should have been in the Superbowl. So how can essentially the same team go from 12-4 to 3-6 in a matter of months??? That is the question everyone has been trying to answer.

Maybe this is what we need. There isn't anything else to think about, we can't look ahead, we can't look behind, we can only look at what is directly in front of us. This team can only focus on the game in front of them. If they are looking past that, we are headed to a 5 - 11 season.

Why not right? What a story it would be. Brett Favre, backs against the wall, team in turmoil, season already lost, one foot in the grave, no one giving you a shot. Why the hell not. For all practical purposes, no one gives this team a shot at the playoffs. Everyone is gone, there is no one left, no supporters, no believers. Can I blame you? No. I myself am one of these people. However, the players may still believe. They might decide, you know what? I'm sick of all this S$%T. Let's how everyone what we can really do, and make a run at this thing. Favre knows this is his last shot, why not rally the troops! Why would you not do everything in your power to get everyone jacked up for these last games. GIVE IT A ROLL BABY! Everyone has counted you out, but you know what, the last time I checked, this team still has a pulse. If the whole world gives up on you, you still have yourself to believe in. And that's something. It may be the only thing you have to go with, but it's better than nothing.

There is no reason this team should win another 3 games this year, they have played like garbage. However, as crazy as it sounds, if any team is going to do it, why not this years Vikings. They have experience, they have talent, but can they pull it together, can they play as one?

What a perfect setup this week is. The division leading, Green Bay Packers, head into town, fresh of a bye. Why would the Vikings not want this matchup. It is simple, Lose and the season is over, Win and things get a little more interesting. It's black and white. All or nothing. There won't be any hanging around, it's now or never. We lose, Favre and Childress are gone, we win, the beat goes on.

With everything this crazy insane team has faced, I will take the stand, I'll say they go on the roll. The NFL is so crazy this year, why the hell not. Lets roll 7 straight off, lets make the playoffs, lets make some damn noise. Everyone has given up on you, shut them up, make a stand. Play like you did in college, play like you did in pee wee league, play like you mean it. LETS GO BOYS YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Straight Gone Homie

It is times such as these that make it so difficult to be a sports fan, especially in this state. The Twins rolled over to the Yankees, something they do every year, then the Vikings, a team that even the national media thought had a solid shot at making another deep run, are on life support. That leaves us with the Wolves and Wild, and while both teams have looked decent early on, they don't exactly provide this state with any promise of postseason activity, much less success. So here we go again, lets look at the Vikes.

The Vikings lost this week 28-18 at New England. They out-gained the Patriots in total yards, they had less penalties, they had more first downs, and they basically dominated the time of possession. Typically these things result in wins, but not on the road with terrible coaching decisions against good football teams.

While the Vikings showed glimpses of pressure on Sunday, they were never able to get to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. They also were not able to stop Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who torched the Vikings for 112 yards, 62 of which came on the Patriots backbreaking drive that gave them a 10 point lead with 2 minutes to play. Thats correct, a running back that many of you probably haven't heard of, ran for 112 yards against the vaunted Vikings run defense. Over half of the yards came when the defense should have known they were going to run the ball. Missed tackles all over the place.

The Patriots converted three huge third downs on the last drive, something that is not acceptable for the football team we are claiming to be. The Vikings had all the momentum after we pulled within 3 points with nearly 8 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. The defense needed to make one stop, to get our offense the ball, and let them win the game. The defense decided not to rally. In fact we let the Patriots run all over us for an 80 yard touchdown drive in 5:30 minutes. Nice. Way to step up.

If it isn't one thing, it's the other. The Vikings aren't playing as a team, they aren't meshing, and they aren't going to play any more than 16 games this season. It's embarrassing that a team with this much talent, is playing the way it is. In my opinion, a huge part of that, is coaching. Brad Childress has more talent than he knows what to do with. Offensively he can't think, at all. We should be scoring more points than we are, we should be running screens, sweeps, slants, deep balls, anything, for the love of god. It might be time to bring someone else in, and I mean now, maybe it will provide a spark.

Randy Moss, nice to wave at you as you passed by. I don't blame you one bit. You had 13 receptions in 4 games, that is embarrassing. We didn't throw the ball to you, at all. Don't give me BS statements that safeties were always rolled over to him and he was double and triple covered. Do you not think he has faced that his entire career????? You game-plan for that, and honestly, you still throw the ball to him, he can make it happen. Why bring him in if you aren't going to use him? A decoy? Please, teams that have 2 wins in 7 games don't need decoys, they need players who make plays, and they had that with Moss, and didn't use it.

Adrian, you are ridiculous. I wish we used you more, at times it seems like you can't be stopped. Typically that's when we throw passes to Bernard Berrian or bring in Toby Gerhart to pound out a yard. Nice calls Childress, you idiot. I've never really liked Childress, but I've been accepting enough to not demand another coach. I'm getting to the breaking point.

For those of you wondering what we do now, we hope. There isn't much more you can do. It's a long shot, but if we figure it out soon, and by that I mean this week, we could still win our division. We are 2 games back of the Packers in the loss column and still have a game against them this year. We need to win the next 5 games in my opinion. No questions asked. Win 5 in a row, against teams we can beat, and then see where we are at. I firmly believe if we lose another game in the next 5, we are done. RIP 2010 Vikings if they don't start it up now. The backs are against the wall, lets see how they react.

Arizona comes to town this weekend, thats a team we should beat by at least 14 points, game in hand the whole second half. I'm sure we will scheme to their level, and end biting our nails until the very end. I'll take the Vikings 20 to 17 this week, and I don't even feel good about it.

Vikings Banter

Where do you even begin? I have been delaying this post for two weeks thinking I could get an identity of the Minnesota Vikings. Here I am two weeks later and I still feel the same way I did then. First off, lets go over some thoughts from last nights game:

1. How does Childress not challenge the Quarless Touchdown??? Doesn't every NFL team have someone that watches every play to see if there is something that needs to be reviewed? Especially touchdowns and close plays? There is no excuse for what happened on that play.
2. The entire Visanthe Shiancoe play was unbelievable. I saw the replay and said, "there is no way they can reverse the TOUCHDOWN CALL ON THE FIELD." Then he comes out and says that, "the ground helped him catch the ball..." it was at this point that I lost it. If the ground helped him catch the ball that should in turn mean HE CAUGHT THE BALL! I have never, ever, in my short lifetime of watching football, heard the phrase that the ground helped a player catch the ball. It makes absolutely no sense. The ground can cause a fumble, it can cause a player to drop the ball, but helping him catch it?!?! Absolutely terrible officiating. On top of it all, what a terrible pass by Brett Favre. He is wide open running down the middle of the field, hit a receiver in stride, MY GOD.
3. The Vikings killed themselves with penalties, especially at the end of the game. AP gets a huge 25 yard pass and gets the Vikings down to the 15 ish yardline with under a minute left and we go false start followed by facemask to move us back to 1st and 30. Unlike Childress I'm not bitching about the facemask call, you would have to have been blind to not call it, but in that situation you have to try and push him by Favre, you CANNOT take the penalty.
4. I didn't think the officials cost us the game, unlike the rest of the state of MN. I saw no problems with the non-interference calls at the end of the game. It is tough to make that call in that situation. I don't believe it was offensive interference on Moss on his huge gain, but the live look made it look like it was. It looked like interference, so they are going to call it, not much you can do, that didn't lose us the game. Play smart at the end of the game! The way we were moving the ball, I think we would have gotten in had we not set ourselves back to 1st and 30.
5. I'm not worried about the Packers, they are injured and honestly didn't play that good last night. We lost 7 points on the Shiancoe call, we lost 7 more on the non-challenge, and Favre gift wrapped 14 points of two interceptions in the 3rd quarter. We play them again, and I think we will be ready, not to mention upset.
6. Do we have defensive line?

So now we sit here at 2-4 with the New England Patriots staring us in the face. Good Luck. I don't think that is a winnable game for our current team. Brady is arguably the best Quarterback in the league, especially with time. Our line can't get pressure, and our D-backs can't cover receivers all day long, I think that will equal a very very very long day for the Vikes.

The worst part is that we have basically beat ourselves in every single game. This is not a 2-4 team, this should be at worst a 4-2 team and honestly it should probably be better than that. The nice thing is that the NFC is a battle right now and no one is out of it. We are only one game back in the loss column to our division leaders, and we play them each later this year. The season is by no means over, but a few things need to change.

1. The D-Line needs to show up, the defense has played fine this year, but if the D-Line actually got some pressure, the defense could be elite.
2. AP needs to be used more in the offense. He is the best player in the NFL and we use him like an everyday running back. Throw him the ball, screen him the ball, sweep him the ball, get him the ball!
3. Stop turning the ball over - it is hard to win when you are turning it over time and time again.
4. Play smart - ESPECIALLY IN CRUCIAL POINTS OF THE GAME - stop killing ourselves with penalties...... PLEASE - YOU CAN ACTUALLY CONTROL THIS ONE!
5. It is time for a change of scenery at the QB position. Yeah, you read that correctly, in my mind the time has come. Favre has a broken ankle, and probably a lot more in his body that is broken. He is holding onto the ball too long, and he can't run for first downs. This is huge because with our system, there are many times when a scrambler can take 5-10 yards no problem. It makes the defense respect the run more. If it doesn't work out it doesn't work out, but we are 2-4, and it is time to go! Give Jackson a shot, he is fresh, maybe he will surprise us. Brett isn't exactly winning us games with his arm right now anyway. One could argue he is losing us games.

So that's where I'm at right now. Again, I think this team is destined for 2-5, an then hopefully we can go on a huge 8-1 run to end the year, I know it sounds crazy, but it's our only shot! This team has the talent to beat anyone, and they are starting to slowly bring it together, but it has to happen, and it has to happen soon.

Sports Briefs

Here are a few things I'd like to comment on in the sports world.

2010 Twins = Dead!

2010 - 2011 Timberwolves = Looking much improved and somehow gathering a little bit of excitement in this town???? Yeah - Go See It!

In my mind 2010 hockey is dead in this state. All levels. I hope I'm wrong, but for the first time in my life I'm ready for it to be the 2011 season opener for both of my favorite teams.

Head to Head collisions in the NFL - needs to result in suspensions - especially when there is no question it was intended. Injuries are crazy this year, players are faster and stronger every year.

2010 Twins = Still Dead!

Tim Brewster was fired over the weekend - I think this is unfortunate - he was only a few plays away from having an undefeated record as the Gophers head coach

Maturi - Who is probably one of the worst athletic directors in the country -Says he is looking for a big name guy, similar to what he did when he brought in Tubby Smith - My money is on Mike Leach -

As for Playoff Baseball

I'll take the Giants over the Phillies

I'll take the Rangers over the Yankees

Now to the fun post - Vikings...........

Playoff Baseball - Continued

Playoff Predictions

Figured I might as well throw them out.

I'll take Texas in 5

I'll take Braves in 5

I'll take....... Phillies in 4 - I really want the Reds to win but I can't honestly take them against the Phillies.

For the record I picked Texas to win that series before they won earlier today. Cliff Lee? Come on, how do you pick against him?

We'll see how this goes. GO TWINS!

Playoff Baseball - AKA Twins vs Yankees

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh yes, Fall has arrived and with it Playoff Baseball. The local team has once again made it to the postseason and once again will be squaring off against the much hated New York Yankees, who happen to be the defending World Champions. It is a bit different this year in that the Twins will be the team with home field advantage, as the Yankees enter the playoffs as a Wildcard team. Fun Fact - the Yankees have never gotten out of the first round as a Wildcard team. Regardless - it is still the Yankees, and we are still the Twins. Lets take a look at a few reasons why the Yankees will win and then a few reasons why the Twins will win. Then we'll make a bold prediction, like always!

Why the Yankees will win:

• We are 2-9 against them in the postseason the last three times we have played - including a painful sweep last season
• Derek Jeter is Mr. Playoff Baseball
• Alex Rodriguez is hitting over .900 against almost all of relief pitchers and hasn't not homered against Matt Guerrier
• They have a better Ace than us
• They have more power than us
• They have the swagger against us - until we actually beat them - why wouldn't they. I read the other day that our current manager is something like 15 - 58 against the Yankees since taking over in 2002. Seriously, look at that and think about it
• Our closers throw fastballs over the middle of the plate. While this is ideal for bad teams, it isn't for a team that hits for power
• The Twins are without Justin Morneau - a crucial piece of a playoff roster
• Because nothing good ever happens to teams I cheer for

Why the Twins will win:

• First year at Target Field
• We have better bats than we have had in the past
• Our starting pitching had been excellent toward the end of the year
• The whole team is pissed off that the New York fans are already wondering who they will play in the second round due to their EZ PASS in the Twins
• Joe Mauer will dominate and show the Yankees why he made the decision he did
• Delmon Young is on fire
• Jim Thome probably knows this is his last legit shot at a title, and damn it, he deserves it
• We are something like 82 -4 when leading after 7 innings this year
• THIS BASEBALL TEAM IS DUE FOR SOMETHING EPIC

This series gets underway Wednesday night at 7:30 Central Time. Liriano vs Sabathia in what I view as the series decider. I think the Twins HAVE to win Game 1 if they intend on winning the series. We will not beat the Yankees 3 out of 4 times including 2 on the road. I like our chances against Pettite in Game 2 and I love our chances in game three if Duensing can pitch like he has been. If the Twins win this series I think it will be in 3 games. No I'm not joking. If this goes any further I don't think we pull it out, the Yankees own us too much. They will come through, they will hit devastating home runs against our closers, they will beat us. The Twins need to come out strong and Liriano needs to post 6 or 7 solid innings. I think Mauer and Thome are going to be the pulse of this playoff team and they will need to be hot for us to move forward. If they are hot, they will take the pressure off Delmon and that will be when he thrives. I know a little bit about Delmon Young, and let me tell you, he is swinging the bat well right now. I expect big things from him in this series, but only if the big name veterans can take a little pressure off him. The Twins also need to play sound defense, but you already knew that. We can't give the Yankees more outs than they already have, they will make you pay. I guess we should get to the prediction now.

PREDICTION:

I'm just going to get out and say it. I think the Yankees win this series in 4 games. I don't think we will win game 1, and when that happens, it will be over essentially. We'll sneak out game 2 and lose 3 and 4 at New York. I've been a Twins fan since I can remember, and I've always thought they would win their first round series, even when we were huge underdogs, but I just can't do it anymore. The Yankees have our number, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm sure we will lose some crazy demoralizing way, we always find some way to make it hurt more and be able to say, "we should have won." Should have won doesn't get you 27 World Championships, WINNING DOES. The Yankees know how to win, the Twins know how to contend. Don't worry, we'll be back next year, contending again, and probably winning the division. Maybe we will get lucky and not get matched up against the damn Yankees then.

Everything Lately

So it's been a rough week at work, and tomorrow is my first day off in a while, so tonight I celebrated at the local watering hole, AKA OLD CHICAGO.

I was there with some great friends, and we talked about everything sports. There were some interesting situations concerning MN Sports presented to me tonight, and I'm curious to how everyone would have responded to them.

First of all - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TWINSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!! - As of two nights ago, the Twins clinched the AL Central over the lowly Chicago White Sox. This basically means nothing more than we are going to the playoffs. We will HOST the first round of the playoffs and there is about a 50/50 chance we would host the second of the playoffs if we get there.

The Vikings decided to lose to themselves this week and are now 0-2. This is terrible news for my bold prediction of 13-3, but hey, mathematically it is still alive. We'll talk more about the Vikings in a moment.

My Timberwolves Season Tickets came in the mail today. No that isn't a joke.

The Wild opened up an exhibition game last night, HOCKEY IS BACK!

Finally the Gophers lost to USC 32 to 21 a week after losing to South Dakota by 3. I'm not really sure what that means other than a lot of people are extremely upset that we scored the last touchdown to kill the spread of 11 1/2.

Lets talk now about the Vikings. Many of you are probably wondering why I didn't post anything about the Vikes after their week 1 loss to the Saints. It was mainly due to me being upset. We had chances in that game. Then week 2 rolled along and we beat ourselves. Props to Miami for not making mistakes. This isn't the terrible Miami Dolphins team of a few years back. It is a decent football team, a team I thought we would lose against this year. However, when you turn the ball over like we did, get beat in both trenches, and have what looks like half the team not try, you aren't going to win many football games. At this point I would call the play of the Vikings pathetic. At least look like you want to win. I give AP props, he is still running the ball as hard as ever, but he can't do it all. Now the Lions roll into town. Everyone is probably thinking easy win. WRONG. The Lions have looked good in two football games this year, and while they are 0-2, they bring some exciting young talent to Minneapolis. (In my opinion the Lions should be 1-1 - See Calvin Johnson Process Catch) The Lions are also playing with a fire inside of them, watching their games, you can see they want to win. I haven't gotten that from the Vikings. I could write a book about how bad our play calling is. I have no problem whatsoever with them going for it on either of the 4 downs we had this week. What I do have a problem with, is selling the play. Miami was murdering us in the trenches, and we basically said AP was going to run it at you. I know he needed 2 yards, and he usually can get that on his own, but not when the whole stadium knows he is getting the ball. Spread the line out. Put 2 or 3 receivers on the line, get some of those defensive backs out of the backfield, and at least make the defense think about a quick slant. SERIOUSLY. There is no way we should have lost that football game. Regardless, I like the Lions this week. I think everyone is assuming we will win this game easily and finally get back on track. It isn't that easy. The way Jahvid Best is running, and the way we have let people run on us, lookout. I'll take the Lions 31 - 17.

Lets go to the TWINS! As of right now the Twins are tied for the best record in baseball. That is pretty sweet. We will open up the ALDS at home on October 6th at Target Field. Playoff baseball is back. I am interested to see how the Twins will perform at Target Field as it gets colder and colder. As of right now the Twins could host a World Series game in November if they get there! Imagine that. Either way, we are on fire, especially without our best player. I have heard through the grapevine that Morneau is considering getting a pinch hit appearance here and there over the next week if it continues to go well for him. If we don't see him next week, I think we will have to make our run without him. GO TWINKS!

Finally, here is the situation presented to me at the bar. If you could choose 99 losing seasons and 1 championship for the Twins, or 100 Winning Seasons and no championships, what would you choose. I chose 100 Winning Seasons without question. Think of all the pain and agony the Twins have caused me in the playoffs. I wouldn't be the person I am today without it. (I would like to especially thank Torii Hunter at this point) There have also been epic times, and I would much prefer the roller coaster ride every year than winning the whole thing one time. Needless to say there was some drama concerning this question. What do you think?

The other question was how many professional championships will this state win in the next 60 years. Friend A, Friend B, and Bartender all said 2. I said a different number. That may or may not be revealed at a later time. So how many?

Vikes Saints

This will be quick as I have been tailgating at my house all day long. Hey don't judge me. It was my first day off in a while.

I think the Vikes roll. If you know me you know I've been talking about this game for months. I think the Vikings are as pissed off as I am. I'm so sick of every single media outlet picking the Packers to win the division and the Superbowl. Give me a break. Lets give some respect to the team that won the division and 12 games last year. This is the same team, a little older. While I know health is a concern, I'm confident enough in the team we send out tonight.

I think the Vikes ROLL. I'm going 38 to 28 Vikings. Here are a few predictions.

• Percy Harvin scores twice
• AP runs for over 150 and 2 touchdowns
• Favre does throw an interception
• Reggie bush scores twice
• Colston gets worked over all game
• Brees throws 2 picks
• Pierre Thomas has a quietly good game

So there you have it. I apoligize for the lack of elaboration. I'm fired up, AP jersey is on, ready to roll baby. Get on board, it's going to be a fun season! SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Setting Sail

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Football season has finally arrived! Tonight, your very own Minnesota Vikings will take on the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. The game will take place in New Orleans at 7:30 central time. I'll give you a prediction of the game in the next post, but first of all lets take a look at the whole season!

The Vikings are coming off a 12 win season, the most wins they have had since 1998. Last year was also the most painful year since 1998, but it is a new year, with great things to come. The point is that they were a solid football team last year, and are returning basically the same team, but a year older. This whole "year older" thing typically isn't a problem, but when you start talking about turning 41 in the NFL, it becomes a problem. Brett Favre, the Vikings Quarterback last season, did indeed return for another season in the NFL. The Vikings will go as far as he and his banged up body can take them. Health will be the toughest opponent for this team this year. Which considering our schedule, is saying something. Lets take a look at the offense and defense.

Offense -

• The Vikings have, in my opinion, the best running back in football in Adrian Peterson. He is coming off a nice season of 1383 yards and 18 touchdowns. Most Vikings fans would probably agree that he seemed to have an off season last year as well. Which considering the numbers he still had, is scary. I look for Peterson to have a great year, rushing for 1650 yards and 21 touchdowns. He will take some pressure off Favre this year, which will be needed if Favre is to make it through the season.
• Receivers - This has become an interesting position for the Vikings since basically the beginning of training camp. We watched Javon Walker come and go, saw the signing of possession receiver Greg Camarillo, and saw the Vikings best receiver undergo hip surgery at an inopportune time. This leaves us with Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, the before mentioned Camarillo, and Visanthe Shiancoe. There will be other contributors, but in my mind those are the main four. I look for Harvin to have a breakout season. I think this is the year of Percy. I'm giving him 80 catches and 10 receiving touchdowns to go along with any other return touchdowns he might produce. Shiancoe will quietly have a decent year, and all the other receivers will have their games. I think we will depend on Harvin before Sidney Rice gets back from hip surgery.
• This leaves us with the QB position. I don't even know where to begin or where to end. I think if we can protect Favre, he will have another dominant season. There is no reason he couldn't throw for 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns again, while keeping his interception total in single digits. If he gets time, receivers will be open, and he will find them. I'm going optimistic this season, so I say he stays healthy, and we roll all season long.

The Defense -

• Defensive Backs......... So I've always been a little sketchy on our defensive backs, and that isn't changing much this year. I do love the drafting of Chris Cook, but unfortunately it looks like he will be missing some time with a foot injury. It leaves us with Winfield, a superstar when healthy, Asher Allen, who I enjoy watching play, and the veteran Lito Shepherd. At the safety positions we have Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams. INJURY PRONE. Winfield and Williams will miss time with injuries this season. It is only a matter of time. At that point we start to get into the younger talents that make mistakes a championship football can't have. I'm not overly concerned about the defensive backs we will start in a perfect world, but I am concerned in the defensive backs I know will be starting at points in the season. The D-Line and Linebackers can take some pressure off the secondary, but how much remains to be a question.
• Linebackers - I love the Vikings linebackers, lets just get that out there. E.J Henderson, Chad Greenway, Ben Leber, Jasper Brinkley, I can't get enough. I think they will have rock solid seasons. Henderson is a miracle story considering how gruesome that injury was last year. I think he feels like he has something to prove, and I would not want to be the person he is tackling to prove it. I'd like to see some more sacks by the linebackers this year. I'm willing to risk the open middle of the field for some big quarterback hits and potential turnovers. I think our offense will be more than capable of making up any big plays the defense yields.
• D-Line - Possible my favorite part of the team to watch. The Williams Wall, Jared Allen, and Ray Edwards. There is no reason it shouldn't be one of the best D-Lines in the league. They will cause havoc, and they will have great seasons. I look for Allen to bring home 16 sacks this year. I'm also going to say they cause more fumbles this year. With all the focus on AP fumbling, I think the line might have said "hey, maybe we can cause running backs to fumble too!" I think there will be an added emphasis on stripping the ball this year. Look for it to start tonight against the Saints.

So there you have it, the rundown of most of the positions. So what does it all add up to you ask? Well let me tell you. I will admit that I made a bold prediction around a month ago that the Vikes would go 14-2 this season if they could stay healthy. Now they have already lost star Receiver Sidney Rice for up to 8 weeks, so healthy doesn't appear to be happening. I however, do not think Rice costs this team much. I think he was beneficial of Favre stepping in and hitting it off with him. I'm assuming Favre does that again this year with a different receiver, that receiver being Percy Harvin. Taking Harvin's year with AP's, I think great things are in store for this team. I've never been more confident in a Minnesota team for a championship shot than I am with the 2010 Minnesota Vikings. I'm going to say we go 13-3, win the division by 2 games and take down the number one seed in the NFC. With home field, there is no way we should lose, no matter the opponent. I think the Vikings roll to Dallas for the Superbowl. At Destination Dallas, we defeat the Baltimore Ravens 38 - 31 - and finally win the big game. Judge if you want, but this is a damn good football team. They won 12 games last year without having played together. There were a lot of new faces and plays. This year there is one mission. Destination Dallas. I for one can't wait to get there.

Skol Vikes.

Guess What's Back.....

After a few weeks on the DL, my computer has made its way through a rehab stint and it now healthy enough for the big leagues. It is nice to have it back, and it should lead to more posts on the blog. Another factor in more posts will be the Twins coming down the home stretch, the Vikings season getting officially underway, and a bit of a buzz about other Minnesota sports (gopher football, wolves basketball, wild hockey, gopher hockey) starting up. Should be a fun couple of months coming up!

Since the last post I've had two more fantasy football drafts. These are the "big leagues" of my fantasy football leagues. I'm happy with one draft, and not that happy with the other. Here are a rundown of the two teams.

League A

QB: Matthew Stafford
QB: Vince Young
RB: Chris Johnson
RB: Shonn Greene
RB: Rashard Mendenhall
RB: Michael Bush
WR: Roddy White
WR: Vincent Jackson
WR: Anthony Gonzalez
WR: Dez Bryant
WR: Devin Aromashodu
TE: Kevin Boss
K: Matt Prater

This draft happened a day or two before Vincent Jackson said he was prepared to sit out basically all season long. That was unfortunate for me to say the least. Hopefully he gets traded and is dominant somewhere else for a season. Otherwise I need to hope one more receiver, other than Roddy White, turns out. If that happens I think I'll be alright. I have three solid running backs, and I think Stafford will be good in a league where there are no penalties for turnovers.

League B

QB: Matt Schaub
RB: Frank Gore
RB: Rashard Mendenhall
RB: Lesean McCoy
RB: Kevin Smith
RB: Felix Jones
WR: Mike Wallace
WR: Steve Breaston
WR: Devin Aromashodu
WR: Laurent Robinson
WR: Malcolm Floyd
WR: Sidney Rice
TE: Jason Witten
K: Matt Prater

This team is wild. I draft a lot of receivers and running backs in the hopes I stumble on a gem. If that happens I should be set. I have a great QB and TE, which typically isn't my forte in leagues. I also grabbed two or three solid running backs. Receivers is up in the air. I think Breaston and Wallace could be good, and I think the three other guys have upside. I then have Sidney Rice, who I am hoping will step in later in the season and make my already good team GREAT. That's just my plan though, we'll see how it works out.

So you can guess which team I like and which team I don't. Either way I have one more draft left, and it's the league I've won 3 years in a row. That means it's time to get serious. I have a plan, just have to execute.

Until then - GO TWINS!

Also I highly recommend you go to the state fair. Many many many many new great food options.

Fantasy Team Number One

So tonight was my first fantasy football draft of the 2010 season. This draft was for a new league for me, a league with my fellow Target co-workers. The draft took place at Old Chicago after work today, and we received some nice specials for having our draft there. We were there for happy hour, which I haven't decided if it helped or hurt my team, but it did make for some great drink specials. For 7 dollars we got unlimited pizza and some cheat sheets/fantasy magazines/and big board. All in all it was a good deal.

So to the draft. Like I was saying this is my first year in this league, and I'm not sure what to expect. I'm an avid fantasy footballer, for those of you that don't know me. I mess around with other fantasy sports, mainly the sports with longer seasons. I commend those of you who can commit to longer seasons of fantasy sports, it is just hard to do when you are busy all of the time. Fantasy football is a different story. I have won our friends league 3-straight years and have been playoff bound in my other leagues for longer than that. I know nearly every player and also have opinions on all of them. I felt like the Target league has numerous players who aren't very active in fantasy land, but I could be wrong. The league is headed by someone who claims to have played fantasy football since, "before I was born." He made numerous statements about that and how he seems to know everything about football, needless to say I'm counting the days until our matchup. Overall I think it will be a competitive league, but I feel I will be one of the most active managers, something that should hopefully keep me near the top of the league all season long.

So this draft was not an auction style draft, something that all of my other leagues are. Instead this is old school, mainly because the commish is old school. We drew cards and selected players turn by turn. I wanted pick 1-3, 6, or 11. Instead I drew the 4 pick, something I wasn't that happy about. I attempted a few trades, but they were quickly shot down by the old school commish. We have 11 teams in this league, why that is I don't know. The commish wanted to have a bye, which I think is stupid. Generally you have a team that is bad enough to count as a bye, if not multiple teams. Either way, we have 11 teams. Pick 1 went to Maurice Jones-Drew, Pick 2 was Chris Johnson, and Pick 2 was Minnesota Running Back Adrian Peterson. I knew these would be the first three picks, I just didn't know what order they would be in. I got a little excited when Adrian wasn't picked in the top 2, for a moment I thought he could fall one more pick to me at 4. However, he didn't, and I ended up having to go a different route. So here is a pick by pick basis, of what I can remember (it was happy hour), of my team.

Pick 4 - Ray Rice - I basically had to take Ray Rice here. We are in a PPR league, and Rice had over 70 receptions last year. Taking this into account, Rice could be argued for the 1st overall pick in the draft. I'm very happy with this pick, especially since Flacco has a year under his belt, and he now has Anquan Boldin to throw to. That should hopefully open up the field for Ray Rice to run wild. Pick Grade = A+

At this point I should add that we went up and down and up and down the draft order. So I picked at 4, waited for us to go all the way up to the 11th pick and then back down to the 4th pick again. So the 11th pick had back to back picks at 11 and 12. Think of it as up and down a ladder.

Pick 19 - Randy Moss - At this point I wanted to snag a top level receiver. Andre Johnson, Miles Austin, and Reggie Wayne were gone. I saw Moss staring at me and had to take him. I feel like the Patriots will be a solid team this year, and if Moss stays healthy, he should be very productive. He also has the capability of going for 180 and 3 any game. Love this pick. Pick Grade = A-

Pick 26 - Calvin Johnson - Usually I make it a point to not draft Detroit Lions players, unfortunately I never listen to myself and always seem to draft Detroit Lions players. I guess if you are going to draft a Lions player, it would be Calvin. He is arguably the most gifted receiver in the league, and is capable of a huge season. The Lions should be better than they have been the past few years, or at least that's what I told myself before I made the pick. Johnson is also loved in fantasy land, and has huge trade potential. People love his big play capability, even though he seems to get hurt every year, and hasn't reached his true potential. Here's to hoping he gets there this year. Pick Grade = B+

Pick 41 - Jahvid Best - So the whole "I won't pick any Lions players," thing didn't really last. Then the "I'll only pick one Lions player," thing died as well. I took rookie Running Back Jahvid Best with my 41st pick in the draft. I think this was a solid pick. There wasn't a ton left at Running Back depth at this point, and Best should earn the starting role in Detroit. I loved Best in college, and that no doubt played a role in me drafting him. He brings everything to the Running Back position. He has breakaway speed, ankle-breaking moves, and perhaps most importantly, football intelligence. If Best can play his way into the starting role in the preseason, or early on, he could have a solid year for what will hopefully be an above average Lions team. Pick Grade = B+

Pick 48 - Brett Favre - Yeah I did it. What the Hell. It is his last year, a year I think the Vikes will dominate, why not back it up with the selection of their Quarterback. If Favre stays healthy I think he will throw for 35 Touchdowns and 4000 yards easy. I'll take that with the 48th overall pick in the draft. This is me riding my feeling more than anything. It will come down to health, but in my mind, its destiny. Pick Grade = A+

Pick 63 - Vernon Davis - I hate Vernon Davis. I do respect what he did last year however, so I drafted him. He was just sitting there, staring me in the face, saying, "I'm projected 15 spots higher than anyone else that is left, what are you thinking?" SO I TOOK HIM. GIVE ME A BREAK OK! I'm hoping he has another solid season, if he does I'll probably try and shop him later on. Pick Grade = B-

At this point I should mention a little bit about the setup of the league. We play one QB, 2 RB's, 2 WR's, 1 WR/TE, 1 K, and 1 DEF. We get a point a reception, and 1 point every 10 rushing/receiving yards. We also get a point every 25 passing yards. We lose points for interceptions thrown and getting sacked. There are a few other wild rules, like bonus points for 300 passing or something, but I figured those won't really apply that much. So I don't even have to start a Tight End technically. I drafted one anyway, which brings me to my next pick.

Pick 70 - Owen Daniels - Yeah I drafted another Tight End, get off my back! Much like Vernon Davis, Owen Daniels started talking to me as well. He said "Mike, listen, last year before I broke everything in my knee, which really hurt by the way, I was on pace to lead the league in receiving." I said to Owen, "lead the league for Tight Ends?, big deal." He said, "NO, LEAD THE LEAGUE IN RECEIVING!." I said, "wow.... seriously?" He said, "YEAH MAN." Then I drafted him. What was I supposed to do, he talked me into it. So what, I drafted two tight ends.

Pick Grade = B with potential A+

Pick 85 - Reggie Bush - I think Reggie is a steal here. He can have ridiculous games, when he catches 10 passes, and is worth the risk at 85. If there are some injuries in New Orleans, this could be my best pick of the draft, period. It wasn't that long ago that Reggie Bush was one of the most coveted players in all of fantasy football, especially in PPR leagues. Oh, and did I mention I get points for Punt Return and Kick Return Touchdowns?

Pick Grade = A

Pick 92 - Percy Harvin - So maybe I ran with the Kick Return thing, or maybe I'm a homer, but I took Harvin here. I have the Favre to Harvin connection, and I think if they both manage to somehow stay healthy, they could be deadly. Harvin has big play capabilities and at this point in the draft, I'm looking for upside and possibilities. This could be a steal. Plus he's a Viking, whats not to love?

Pick Grade = B

Pick 107 - CJ Spiller - Went with another upsider here if you will. Spiller has lots of hype coming out of college, and comes into a backfield that is plagued with injuries. I figured there was no way he would last this long, so when he did, I was eager to snag him. I love to take rookie running backs, because typically one of them turns out to be pretty solid. I'm hoping Spiller is that guy this year.

Pick Grade = B+

Pick 114 - Santonio Holmes - Holmes is suspended for the first four games of the year, or so I was told by my fellow draftees. I'm guessing he brought a gun to a nightclub or something. Regardless I think he is a steal this late in the draft. I have some excellent receiving options already, so why not take a flyer on Holmes. He appeared ready to take the next step last year to an elite receiver. He was very solid all year, but just not elite. I think with a new offense, and a very confident team in the NY Jets, this could be his year. There aren't a ton of established receiving options in that offense, so I'm hoping Holmes fills those shoes.

Pick Grade = B

Pick 129 - Michael Bush - Bush is a running back for what should be a terrible Oakland Raiders team. For some reason he is ranked high in most fantasy guru's minds. He was also ranked fairly high in my fantasy magazine, so I figured I'd take him late in the draft. I didn't really want to take him, but felt like I had to take the best player available according to multiple sources. If McFadden stays injury prone, who knows, maybe he'll pan out as a nice bye week filler.

Pick Grade = C

Pick 136 - Vince Young - Needed a filler for a bye week or if Favre (knock on wood), gets hurt this year. Vince Young came back with a vengeance last year, and was a solid fantasy option late in the season. He runs for a lot of yards, and wasn't that bad as a passer either. He plays at Dallas on Minnesota's bye week, a game he should be motivated for to say the least. I don't mind this pick at all, it could turn out to be a bargain at 136.

Pick Grade = B-

Pick 151 - Tennessee Titans Defense - They play Oakland at home in week 1. Enough said.

Pick Grade = A+

Pick 158 - Matt Prater - My last pick, the Denver kicker. He has a good leg, capable of 50+ yard field goals, that's all I'm looking for.

Pick Grade = B

So my starting lineup looks like this:

QB Favre

RB Rice

RB Best

WR Moss

WR Johnson

WR Daniels or .......

DEF TENN

K Prater

Possible Starters

RB R. Bush

WR Harvin

RB Spiller

WR Holmes

TE Davis

For Fun

QB Young

RB M. Bush

So there it is for you fantasy lovers. Draft 1 of 4. I probably won't go into as much detail for my future drafts, mainly because I'm guessing about 2 people are still reading this right now. First draft of the year though, football is coming, I'm excited! Until the next post - GO TWINS!

Into the Night

So I was home for the weekend and didn't have computer access, hence no posts since the Twins prediction (which I must say was accurate). Since then we have had some drama in the sports world, some good, some bad. Here are a few of them.

• Dustin Johnson - Johnson suffered multiple heartbreaks on Sunday in the final round of the final major of the year. He had a one shot lead and was in the final group of the tournament, all he had to do was par. His drive went far right, into what looked like some rough dead ground. He hit his second shot near the green and then chipped to 5 feet, a putt to win the tournament, or so he though. He missed the putt and was presumably headed to a playoff. However a rules official came over to him and said there was an issue. Johnson had grounded his club in a bunker on his second shot, a bunker that Johnson, and honestly no one, even realized he was in. He suffered a two stroke penalty and missed out on the playoff. I felt terrible for Johnson and didn't even watch the playoff between the other two players. My main problem with this, is that the bunker had people standing in it. Literally there were dozens of people in this bunker before he hit and as he was hitting. In that situation, I think maybe a rules official could have mentioned to him that it was a bunker. It's frustrating, I couldn't even tell that he grounded his club, but he was honest, and said he did. I guess it takes something like this to happen for it to never happen again. Johnson will win a major, most likely sooner than later.

• Twins take 4-Game Lead over White Sox - The Twins took 2 of 3 from the Sox, swept the A's, and have taken the first game of the Sox series with an epic walk-off home-run from Jim Thome. The Twins are playing great baseball right now, and considering arguably their best player has been out for over a month, everyone should be excited about this team. The Twins have two more games against the Sox, and with Liriano going tonight, are looking to distance themselves from the Sox. At this point I'm thinking more about positioning in the playoffs, and becoming one of the best teams in baseball, more than I am about edging out the Sox in the AL Central.

• Brett Favre is Back - I, and many people, saw this one coming. He is officially back, and in my mind the Vikings are officially one of the best football teams in the NFL. In my mind we are the best, and there will soon be a lengthy Vikings prediction post. Favre practiced today and I'm assuming will take a few reps in the next preseason games. September 8th is only a few weeks away!

I don't have much else to cover for now. For those of you that are from the Brainerd Lakes area, Sheps on 6th is having its annual ELBOW CONVENTION this weekend. Even if you aren't from up there, head on up, it will be a fun time. I'll be making an appearance both nights, come grab a drink and talk sports!

Bring the Pain

Arguably my most favorite team in sports opens up a huge 3 game series against arguably my most hated team in sports tomorrow night in Chicago. The two teams are deadlocked at 63-49 atop the AL Central. While these teams will still play each other six more times this year, this series is still vital, and will no doubt feel like late September at the ballpark. The Twins are 6-3 against Chicago this year, and look to improve upon that record in Chicago. Lets take a quick look at the matchups.

Tuesday Night - Baker vs Garcia

Wednesday Night - Perkins vs Danks

Thursday Night - Liriano vs Floyd

Obviously the most questionable matchup is Perkins' who is filling in for Slowey. I have a lot of confidence in Slowey right now, so it is too bad he is out. Liriano has been pitching well up until his last start. Apparently he had a little be of a "dead arm" during his last start, according to the manager. He got an extra day of rest from his last start, so he should be ready to go. Baker has pitched well of late too, going 8 strong innings against Tampa Bay last week, and winning his last 2 starts before that. All in all the Twins starters have been rolling pretty solid lately, I see no reason why that shouldn't continue.

The White Sox counter with Garcia tomorrow night. He has won two starts in a row, however they were against Seattle and most recently the Tigers. This isn't really impressive since Seattle is dead last in nearly every offensive statistical category in the league and the Tigers are on a losing streak that would make the Timberwolves envious. His two starts before that he was against two better teams in the A's and Twins, and he lost both, going only 1 1/3 innings against the A's and yielding 11 hits to the Twins. Dank's has a no decision and loss in his last two starts, and while the no decision was a good performance, I see no reason why he should pitch well against my Twins. Floyd has won three starts in a row, big deal, lets see you do against the L-Train.

Before the Twins went into Cleveland, I made a call to a close friend of mine that the Twins were going to take 2 of 3 in Cleveland and then roll into Chicago and bring out the brooms. While this call appears to be taking shape, it is difficult to sweep in the MLB, much less on the road. I think we'll lose one of the three games, but a series win would be huge for this team. They come home for a long home stand after this, and what better way to do it than on top of the division. Hopefully Morneau will be back for the home stand, but it looks like they are going to take as much time as he needs with this. He will not be traveling with the team to Chicago, so don't expect to see him pinch hit in big situations down there. Do expect Delmon Young to go yard twice in the series though. That's all I got. Go Twins.

For the Love of Favre

With all the coverage on the Favre saga V.3.0 I figured what the hell, lets get the blog up and going. People have been telling me to start one to write about all my sports rants, so here it is, hope it is enjoyed. I'll do my best to post frequently, and hopefully the technical aspect of it will improve as I learn more and more about how to add things to the blog. So here we go, post number one!

The first post is dedicated to the Viking's Quarterback situation. As some of you may or may not know, there is a considerable amount of drama concerning the current situation. Will Brett Favre be back? or will it be the T-Jack show? At this point I'm 100% sure that Favre will be back. I posted I was sure even after his so called "this is it" text messages were reported. Why am I so sure? There are many reasons.

First of all why go through all of this? Why have surgery? Why workout with the High School team? Why not tell the Vikings before the draft? Why not tell the Vikings before Donovan McNabb was sold at the dollar store? Why are the Vikings seemingly not at all concerned? Too many signs point to him coming back.

Another reason is why would you want to go out like he did. In all honesty I think we all remember it like it was last night. Favre rolls out to his right, with 15 yards wide open in front of him, and throws across his body, on a play that should have been called a run 110 percent of the time, and well, I think you know the rest of the story. Everything last season pointed to Superbowl Championship. From the numbers he posted, to the great plays like Greg Lewis' touchdown in the last seconds, to the destruction of the Cowboys, and lets face it, the destruction of the Saints in every aspect but the scoreboard. I realize that's the one that counts, but you get my point. We weren't supposed to end that dream season in the Superdome. There was more on the table, and everyone on that team knows it. That interception still has a bad taste in his mouth, and why would he want to end his storybook career with a play like that. He should end it the right way, with a ring.

The final point is that he is walking onto a better team than last year. We have basically the same team but everyone is a year older, which is beneficial for more players than it is harmful. Harvin has a year under his belt, Favre has a year of timing down with the offense, and the defense has had a chance to get healthy. Adrian should be upset at the year he had last year, because while it was still a solid year, he knows he could have done better. I think everyone on the team knows this is the year, the best chance they have had and probably will ever have to win a Championship. I think all of these things coming together is far too much for Favre to walk away from. The stars are aligned, this is the year, this is the team. So if you are worried about number 4 not coming back, start worrying about how the Timberwolves are going to win more than 4 games this year instead.

My time frame for Favre coming back is the third week of August. I've heard a few analysts say they think it will be before the third preseason game, however I think that he might want some attention before that point. The Favre noise will die down a little over the next week, and that should trigger him to say something to the media, most likely that he is coming back. I'll say around the 23rd or so of August. Be ready! Get back here Favre, and in the words of Paul Allen, "LETS PLAY!"