For the fans of all but four teams it is a time to transition from the weekly battle with fanatic emotions that bring one to the brink of a heart attack, to the more reasoned look forward at free agency and the draft. Congratulations to the Cardinals, Eagles, Ravens, and Steelers for still having a shot at Super Bowl 43.

  I've yet to decide who to root for - will definitely watch the games because the NFL is the best sports event on TV.  Who would've thought 3-of-the-4 teams with bye weeks lost. For the second year in a row the NFC has a #6 seed marching through the post-season.

  The Cardinals played like crap in December then somehow turn it on in the play-offs and beat Atlanta at home and stomp Carolina on the road. Watching the Cardinals I was amazed at how much talent they have on their roster. Between Dennis Green and Ken Whisenhunt, the Cards have put together a nice roster and could be good for years to come. Since they've never been to a Super Bowl before, I'll likely pull for the Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh - Ken Whisenhunt against the team who passed on him as their head coach.

  John Harbaugh has done a great job as a rookie coach in Baltimore. Still, as a die-hard Viking fan I will pull for coach Mike Tomlin and Mewelde Moore, who used to be my favorite Viking the last 3 seasons. (Maurice Hicks was sure a disappointing replacement for Mewelde.)

A Last Look Back At Wildcard Weekend.

  Philadephia 26, Minnesota 14... My hats off to the Eagles who were the better team. It was a hard-fought game for 3.5 quarters. The Vikings looked fired up, especially on defense. The stadium was loud, the officiating was good - no Vikings penalties the entire first half.

  Minnesota has the talent at the top of the roster equal to and in some cases better than the Eagles. However, in roster positions 16-45 the Eagles were better. To repeat as NFC North Champs next year the Vikes will need to stock the back end of the roster with players good enough to compete for starting jobs. For example, the Eagles have two-time Pro Bowler Lito Sheppard as their fourth CB. We have Marcus McCauley/ Benny Sapp.

  Troy Aikman made the statement, "If Donovan McNabb were the QB for the Vikings and Tarvaris Jackson for the Eagles, the Vikings would be winning the game." Perfectly said and amazing how one position can so totally affect a team's fate. There continue to be a large number of TJack supporters and I just don't know how you can overlook a 45.4 QB rating in the biggest game of your life.

  Tarvaris is simply not an elite NFL QB prospect. Childress may have ruined him by the way he has used Jackson in his 3 years. Tarvaris looks okay when there is no pressure on him. He comes off the bench and wins at Detroit, then throws 4 TDs and gets NFC offensive player of the week after the Arizona game.

  Getting booed at home has caused him to feel pressure in the Metrodome. He tries not to make mistakes, looks indecisive, and looks inaccurate leading to more boo's. He claims it doesn't affect him but it has to. I think if he has a future as an NFL QB, he needs a change of scenery. I don't blame the fans - if I were at the game I'd boo his mediocre play as well.

  When the Eagles scored on the 71-yard screen play to Westbrook to take a 23-14 lead with 6:37 left to play, you could just sense the air go out of the stadium. No one felt Tarvaris could pull out a victory. He proceeded to complete 1 of 11 passes before Birk tossed a snap off his ankle. Some of those incompletions were ugly throws into the chests of defenders or to open space.

  I wonder if Childress considered putting Frerotte in at the 6:37 mark. Probably not, there has not been many signs of deep-thinking by our head coach.

  Kudos to Leslie Frazier for being a deep-thinker and excellent defensive coordinator. He has had to deal with a lot of injuries this year, the biggest being the loss of E.J. Henderson in week 4. Against Philly he lost Darren Sharper. The Viking defense has played well in all 17 games this season. The Offense and the Special Teams have been inconsistent and sometimes putrid but the Defense has been excellent.

  In my next post I will begin ranking the roster as I see it. #1 is easy - Adrian Peterson is the best Viking player. With 4 All Pros and 6 Pro-Bowlers, the top of the roster is loaded.

  As a sidenote, the Vikes draft at #22 and I would just love to see them get Hakeem Nicks, WR from North Carolina. Bernard Berrian is a good receiver - just not a #1 receiver. He is a #2 and plays similar to Jake Reed used to be a #2. Even when Randy Moss came here he was not the #1 receiver - Cris Carter was. A #1 gets open reliably and moves the chains.

  Hakeem Nicks is a #1 receiver. In the Meineke Car Care Bowl against West Virginia he had 217 yards receiving and 3 TDs. He made an around-the-back catch that was one of the best catches I've ever seen.

Sports this past summer have been pretty mundane thanks to Tiger Wood's knee surgery and the mediocre Atlanta Braves. My condolences to the family of Skip Carey, the long-time broadcaster for the Braves who recently passed away at age 68 from complications of diabetes. I enjoyed listening to Skip and the WTBS broadcasting crew.

TBS created a lot of Braves fans around the country who didn't live near big cities. They were truly America's team in small-town USA simply because they were accessible.  I grew up listening to the Minnesota Twins on a transistor radio and lived for Tv's game of the week and the All-Star game. It was a thrill to see what these players looked like in real life and be awed by their uniforms and friendly, professional demeanors. I grew up with heroes like Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, and Tony Oliva. Radio announcers tried to describe a Bert Blyleven curve ball and it was impossible for them - words could not do it justice.

WTBS introduced small town America to 140 games a season of televised ball. The Braves were not good when I started to follow them but you got to see every player on their roster if you followed them for long. You got to know who was in danger of being sent to the minors and why. I enjoyed watching players like Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Phil Niekro, Glen Hubbard, etc., on a frequent basis and somewhere along the way I quit following the Twins and became a Braves fan. My favorite player for several years was Rick Mahler, a pitcher with not great stuff who struggled on most outings. He had heart, however, and gave it his all. He pitched a 5-inning rain-shortened no-hitter against Montreal one year. I don't think he won more than 14 or 15 games in any one season but I followed his pitching schedule and watched if possible.

I've heard disparaging remarks about Skip Carey over the years - and the other Braves broadcasters. So what if they were homers? To me they seemed impartial enough that I could listen to them comfortably.

The Bret Favre Story

Everyone has offered an opinion and the media have beat this to death relentlessly. Last March it was non-stop coverage of Bret''s tearful retirement. It would seem he is about to be traded to Tampa Bay with an outside chance it could be the Jets. I don't think NFL fans really want to watch a great player finish his career in a different team's uniform with declining skills. Of course, many great players have hung on for too long - Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, etc. Bret had a great year last season but will soon be 39.  In hindsight, he should have taken the 20-mil marketing offer from Mark Murphy to stay retired. It would have been a win-win situation for everyone, including him when the temperature drops and the ground is frozen and the itch to play has faded.

I didn't mind Favre when the Metrodome used to be a house of horrors for him. I disliked him the same as all the other Green Bay Packers. There were some games at Green Bay in which Minnesota led into the fourth quarter and could have won if not for Favre driving the offense down the field for a late TD pass. However, the last few years he has been winning the games in Minnesota as well. Our rivalry, which not long ago used to be tied 42-42-2, has swung to favor the Pack. I'm glad Mr. Favre has left Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers don't scare me.

I think players see rivalries differently than us fans. To us it seems like blasphemy that Bret would want to come play for the Vikings or Bears. I'm grateful I won't have to see an enemy don the purple-and-gold, even if he would have made us a more potent offense. When Jim McMahon finished his career as a Viking, it was different. I'd liked McMahon since he was in college at BYU.

To the players its a paycheck. If you're skilled enough to be paid to play a game, you get what you can while you can. Perceptions about respect and dignity fuel the ego. A moron with great physical skills can earn a paycheck but to be a star, loved by fans and admired, celebrated, and honored - there's a high you can't get through drugs.

Bret probably has no particular desire to play for the Vikings or Bears except as a means to give the finger to Packer management. Imagine the scandal if Bret returned on September 8th, on MNF, as a Viking and soundly beat the Packers? How better could you give the finger to bosses who you think have done you wrong.

Seattle comes to town this Friday

The NFL Network will be televising the game at 9:30 MDT. I can't wait to see Jared Allen and the rest of the Viking defense. I want to see the offense too, but man I Love defense.

Vikes release Safety Dwight Smith

  At age 29, and having had 4 interceptions in each of his two years at Minnesota, Smith was released today. Coach Brad Childress simply stated "We are going to go in another direction". Good job coach Childress.

  Smith has been one of my least favorite Vikings since he was seen along the sideline laughing during the 34-0 loss at Green Bay. Having the league's last ranked pass defense the past two years, with two different defensive coordinators, required someone have accountability.

  The draft is not deep at safety, beyond Phillips from Miami.  The chances of Phillips still being on there at #17 aren't real strong. One mock draft has the Bears taking him at #15. The Vikes could find some quality from free agency. One of the FA Safeties that interest me is Gibril Wilson of the Giants.

Kenechi Udeze diagnosed with Luekemia

  My heart goes out to Kenechi, the human being.  Football is just a game. Kenechi had his best year as a Viking at left DE and he is an important part of our present. However, his future is more important than any game. From what I have seen of luekemia, it doesn't matter how big or strong you are - luekemia can be a fast killer. Hopefully, it was caught early or is a form that has a decent survival rate.

  The sports blogs have been filled with many good wishes and offers of prayer since this news came out. Some posters even suggest that donating money to medical research is better than praying. No topic is safe from bloggers trash-talking each other.

  I'm not a praying man, normally. I believe in a hands-off God who would never answer a selfish prayer or approve of an ulterior motive. I have said a prayer for Kenechi, however, in hopes that he may live a full life far beyond his 24 years. My best wishes to a good young man and all his family and friends.

Interesting Players Cut Before Free Agency Officially Begins

  The NFL manages to stay interesting and relavent even between seasons - next the designers of SIM CITY, SIM ZOO, etc., will develope a SIM NFL franchise game where you jockey through free agents, the draft, and undrafted college players and make such wise decisions and timely moves that the next Super Bowl is practically won before the next season actually begins.

  The Atlanta Falcons got the ball rolling by releasing several "name" players, like Alge Crumpler, Rod Coleman, and Byron Leftwich. Then Miami released Marty Booker and Zach Thomas. Chicago released Muhsin Muhammed. Green Bay released Bubba Franks. This should be the bargain period where quality can be had without over-paying.

  Over-paying begins after March 1st when players like Visanthe Shiancoe make out like bandits.

  I was shocked to see the Vikings have the 3rd highest payroll in the NFL at 121 million dollars (click on the Salary tab on the team front page). This hardly seems possible because year-after-year I'd heard the Vikes were 20-25 million under the cap. It must be those in-season contract extensions, such as Kluwe and Herrara received. It shows McKinnie making 17 million - 2 million more than Hutchinson. The signing bonuses have to be included here because no way could your two highest paid players be offensive linemen by a longshot. (I didn't say they weren't important but Moss was paid 8 million this year - Brady was paid 10 million!)

  Erasmus James has stolen $10 million from the Vikes? Our third highest paid player is Troy Williamson at 9 million dollars? Sheesh...we have a lot of dead money.

A Glance Back At The Pro Bowl

  I usually don't watch the Pro Bowl but since 7 Vikings were playing this year I decided to. I'm glad I did. It was an entertaining game and our Vikings performed very well. Adrian Peterson earned MVP and a new Cadillac CTS. He ran with the speed and quickness he showed before the knee injury and subsequent wearing of the knee brace.

  The Giants had just one representative Osi Umenyiora (apolgies for my spelling). The entire NFC South had just one representative - Jeff Garcia of Tampa Bay.

  All 7 of the Vikings contributed to victory and it made me wonder - with a core of 7 Pro Bowl Players on our team, 6 of whom were voted as starters, how did we not finish better than 8-8? With the players we have - the quality of talent - the Minnesota Vikings should have had a better record and made the play-offs.

  Why didn't we? The answer has to be either coaching or quarterback play. Maybe both.

  The Giants won a Super Bowl with 1 Pro Bowl Player. (Yes, I know they have many great players but only 1 was considered so by the people who voted.) How did the Giants win? You would have to say good quarterback play and great coaching.

  With 7 Pro Bowlers can the Vikes make it with Fair QB play and Fair coaching? Not likely.

Congratulations to the New York Giants for a masterfully played Super Bowl. Your coaching, game preparation, execution, and heart were all truly admirable. I hope that all the Giants fans and players will enjoy the next 5 months before the next season begins.

The Giants season of 2007-2008 really demonstrates how the NFL is a week-to-week league. NY began the year with losses to Dallas and Green Bay. If the NFL was run like NCAA Football, 0-2 would mean no chance at a championship. But in the NFL, if you can somehow reach the play-offs, the game that matters to you is the one in front of you - take care of business and win, then remain alive for another week. The Giants were amazing at being able to focus one game at a time.

The Patriots have had a season of infamy and continuous scrutiny. First came "Spygate" then came the "Perfect Season" - talk of which began after week two. Among the many distractions were charges of "running up the score" after blowing out Washington, Don Shula claiming the Pats deserved an asterisk if they went unbeaten, a restraining order against Randy Moss, a rumored filming of the Rams final walk-through practice before the Patriots first Super Bowl victory, and so on.

Opponents geared up to play the Patriots. Teams like Philadelphia and Baltimore brought their "A" games. Even the Giants in week 17, with nothing to play for except professional pride and duty, gave the Pats their best shot and made them earn finishing the regular season 16-0.

The stress of the perfect season had to be enormous on New England. Five months of building pressure - perhaps it took its toll. When it came down to the biggest game of the year and all the inner strength and energy a player could muster was required, it seemed the Giants had more. The Patriot offensive line looked flat-footed, unable to cope with NY's defensive speed and schemes.

There may never be another team get this close to 19-0 again and perhaps no coach would want to because of the pressure it brings with it.

19-0 would have been good for the NFL fan base of the future. The Dolphin's perfect season of 17-0 in '72 has already been 35 seasons ago. The players who played then are now old feeble-bodied men. What percentage of fans ever watched the '72 dolphins play except for the Super Bowl highlights. The number of fans who witnessed that season will continue to die out.

Baseball fans can relate to their past. The strike zone and distance between bases was the same in 1908 as now. Some dude hitting .350 in 1897 must have been a pretty good batter.

Football is an ever-evolving sport and one era hardly resembles another. Names like Red Grange, Otto Graham, Sam Huff, Y.A. Tittle, have meaning to a smaller, and smaller number of fans. It is hard to compare QBs and RBs from different eras. Experts contend that Jim Brown was maybe the best RB ever. he played before my time and he looks like a helluva athlete on film busting through arm tackles of plodding, white, 200-lb. linebackers and 220-pound defensive linemen.

The grins with missing teeth, the beer-bellies, the lumbering gaits from old NFL films don't impress me much.  How many players from the '72 Dolphins could make an NFL roster today? Perhaps Paul Warfield? We won't know because 35 seasons is like comparing apples and oranges.

A 19-0 Patriot team would have been a good modern benchmark for the younger fans today to compare future teams to. A sport needs benchmarks &comparisons to remain relevant.

The comments circulating the day after SB-42 are amazing: "The Patriots are a finesse team, the Giants punched them in the mouth and they couldn't respond. The Best team won last night. Belichick was outcoached. Brady was rattled."  Ad nauseum.

It was a great Super Bowl that could have gone either way. I hope the Patriot fans will recover soon and grow to apreciate the great season you had. You are the modern day benchmark. A 16-0 regular season has never been done before and future teams will be compared against you. The Patriots might be the first Super Bowl losing team to be re-membered longer than the winner. All other Super Bowl losers were quickly forgotten.

Congratulations New England Patriots on a Fascinating 2007. Good luck in 2008.

Best wishes and Be Well.

The Senior Bowl offered up a small fix for the football fan having NFL withdrawals. For me it was a difficult weekend - no NFL and my 8th day to quit smoking. After 33 years of smoking and 5 failed attempts to quit, I finally succeeded - thanks to the drug Chantix along with a nicotine patch.

Players I wish were Vikings....

Sedrick Ellis - The USC DT who will probably be a top-5 pick. He looked like a young Warren Sapp and was almost unblockable. Ellis was double-teamed on almost every play and still dominated.

Erik Ainge - QB from Tenesee. My friend Schuchie was right,  Ainge could be a good NFL QB. He has good footwork, good mechanics, a good pocket presence. He led the South offense over 90 yards for the winning TD.  He has good size, 6-4, appeared to have okay arm strength, but had good accuracy.

Lavelle Hawkins - WR from California. Some mock drafts show the Vikings taking his teammate, DeShawn Jackson, WR, with the 1st-round pick. Hawkins could be a good fit as a 2nd-or-3rd round pick. He's not a #1 receiver because he's rather short - about 5-10 and 180 lbs. However, he has good hands and a nose for the ball. He made a nice adjustment on a Chad Henne underthrown pass for a touchdown catch. My opinion is Hawkins would be a better #2 receiver than Bobby Wade (who I strongly dislike because he gets about zero yards after a catch).

That's it, the rest of the players at the Senior bowl looked like projects.  Chad Henne looked okay and it wouldn't upset me if the Vikings drafted him. He needs some work but he's already better than Holcomb and Bollinger. Of the QBs I saw play I'd rate them as:

1. Erik Ainge, Tennesee - already discussed, I really liked him. 1-2 years away from starting in the NFL. Reminded me a little of Vinny Testaverde.

2. Chad Henne, Michigan - tall, seems to have a good arm. Needs 2-3 years on an NFL bench.

3. Joe Flacco, Delaware - quite tall, 6-6 I believe. Big arm. Looks like a project - worked from a spread offense in college, took snaps from the shotgun. Looks uncomfortable up under center and clumsy in his footwork which fouls up his mechanics and causes a loss of accuracy. If he lands with the right NFL team with a good QB coach, this guy could be big star. However, if he ends up with the wrong team he could be out of the NFL altogether in 3-4 years.

4. Andre Woodsworth, Kentucky - good physical tools, more athletic than the other QBs. Like Flacco he is changing his footwork and mechanics to fit into the NFL style. He looks very awkward and self-conscious. He made about 3 throws right on the money and several others that you weren't sure who he was throwing at. Seemed to pause in his throwing motion like he was mentally checking out his posture and ball position. Big project that could pay off - worth a 4th round pick for some team with patience.

5, John David Booty, USC - not overly tall, not great arm strength. Good at rolling out, shows some elusiveness. Throws accurate mid-range passes but didn't see him throw deep. In my opinion, comparable to Bollinger - somewhat more athletic than Brooks. Probably a career backup in the NFL.

6. Colt Brennan, Hawaii - Lost a lot of money on Saturday. Probably went from a 1st-day pick to being lucky if he is drafted at all. He's short, weak-armed, and not very accurate. Benefitted in college from a run-and-shoot offense. Put up record-breaking passing numbers but his talent won't translate to the NFL, just as a million yards rushing in a wishbone-style running attack doesn't translate the same to the NFL.