This phrase could be seen on any NFL message board moments after the Superbowl: "WE ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPS!!!!" Who is we? As a poster on this board what did you do to get the team to the Superbowl? Was Cowher reading your post about the need for more Trick plays using Randle El as a QB that helped propel the Steelers to victory? Was the chant of "Sea HACKS!" you started in the Superbowl the real reason the Seahawks couldn't pull it out in the end? The answer to these outrageous questions is obviously no (if you answered yes, well disregard my comments and keep on doing what you do). Let me make this clear that the intent of my article is not to bash fans who use "we" when referring to their team, but to examine why so many of us have such an emotional response to the play of the beloved (insert favorite team here).

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It has been quite a while since I last posted a blog.  I was a bit caught up in my final days of school (and the Grad parties that followed) so I decided it was time to take a break from the Blog-o-sphere.  But I am back now, I have a bit more of a consistant schedule so for the few of you who actually read me, I'll be back writing at my previous pace fairly soon.  So without further adui, I bring to you Wisconsin_Viking's Blog. 

A lot in the spoting world has gone on since I was gone.  We saw the crowning of two champions.  One deserving, and one... well completely undeserving IMO.  I was happy to see that the Heat won in the NBA Finals.  I give a lot of Props to the Heat, and I feel really good for guys like Payton and Mourning who finally got their rings after years of service to the NBA. 

But onto the series that is still burning in my mind.  How in the hell can a team from Carolina win the Stanley Cup?  That's like a guy from Maine winning a race in NASCAR!  Let me make this clear, I do not believe the players on the Hurricanes did not deserve a cup, becuase they battled well to win that cup, and faught a lot of adversity to do so.  But Carolina?  The same fans who couldn't give away their games 1 and 2 tickets in the Finals.  The same fans who produced one of the most dismal victory parade showing in recent memory.  Carolina doesn't deserve a hockey team, let alone a hockey team.  The NHL needs to end the souther experiment and realize people in the south don't give a shit about hockey.  The League needs to move or even contract a few teams. 

Southerners will never completely "get" hockey.  It's a sad reality, but the main reason hockey will never catch on in the south like it has farther up north is the snow factor.  Many people in the south will never play a game of hockey in their lives, they simply cannot relate to a sport they have never played, even recreationally.  My favorite thing to do with my winters has been to skate for hours on one of my several outdoor rinks in my city.  People in the south will never have that opportunity to really play hockey, and I believe that's the main reason it will never catch on. 

Wild Trade AHL MVP O'Sullivan and 17th overall Pick for Pavel Demitra.  I'm unsure what to think about this move from the Wild.  I am very happy to see the Wild go out and get a quality left winger with the talent to skate on the same level as Gaborik.  (something none of the Left Wingers on the roster pre-Demitra could do)  I am also happy to see that this is a guy that will encourage Gaborik to stay in Minnesota, because he was Gaborik's linemate on the Slovakian Olympic squad, and through interviews i've heard and sports-radio they are very good friends.  But the problem I have with this trade, is the value the Wild gave up.  The 17th pick was Edmonton's, that the Wild got when they traded Rollie the Goalie.  So basically the trade is O'Sullivan and Roloson for Demitra.  O'Sullivan is the definition of a playmaking center.  90 points in the AHL this season, including 42 goals.  Talent like that doesn't just fall from the sky.  Yes it's only the AHL, but when a player shows that much promise at the lower level, (a kid they got in the second round) He has to be kept around, and at least given a shot to make it with the Wild.  I think I'd have been happy with this trade, if it was anybody but O'Sullivan.  But we all must remember, the Kings have to have a reason to make the trade as well.  If Demitra can come in and score 30 goals, and have a productive year, and If his signing results in Gaborik deciding to stick around long-term, I think the deal is worth it.  If Gaborik chooses to test free agency, and head to a new team, the Wild have shot themselves in the foot, trading away their best young talent, and bringing in a guy who will only be productive for 3-5 more years while losing thier best shot at contention now. 

We on Fire Screamin HOT HOT HOT!  The Twins have been absolutely smokin' in the last few weeks.  Completely dominating the NL in interleague play (is there any question which league is playing better baseball right now?).  Liriano, Santana, Silva, Radke, and even Boof have all turned out great performances in the rotation, and the Twins offense has responded by backing them up with some run production.  Despite winning 14 of their last 15 (or is it 15 of thier last 16?) the Twins are still aproxamately 11 games back in the division. 

The law of averages shows that the Twins will cool down eventually (along with the Sox and Tigers) but when a Team plays this hot, they should make up some ground, and it just hasn't happened. 

Youth is Served.  The Twins have finally put their trust in the kids, and the Twins are finally playing great baseball.  Liriano was taken out of the bullpen (Thank you Reyes for playing well enough to fill the role of lefty specialist for Liriano, without you... Liriano is still in the pen.)  Kubel was inserted into the outfield and has been playing full-time.  Cuddyer has finally lived up to the potential I've been dreaming about for the last 3-4 years.  Punto has given the Twins solid defense at 3rd base, and has done OK at the plate as well (he's no Miguel Cabrera, but it's good enough for now).  

But the most impressive play I've seen from the Twins comes from the M&M boys, Mauer and Morneau.  Mauer has been phenominal for the Twins this year, leading the league in batting average, around .385 now.  Does anyone else laugh when they realize a 1-3 night will actually hurt Mauer's average?  Justin Morneau has been nearly as impressive this year, belting out homers and knocking in RBI's for the Twins.  He is finally living up to the 30+ home run potential he has.  It will be a shame if (statistically) the 2nd best first baseman in the AL is left off the roster. 

Boston, and New York should not count for the all-star voting.  They cannot be trusted with the relatively easy job of selecting an all-star team.  We see it eveyr year, loads of Red-sox and Yankees voted into the all-star games on the backs of uneducated fans voting on name recognition or pure homerism.  This is true of fans of all teams, but due to the sheer mass of these two fan bases, their impact is exponentially greater than the idiots supporting, for example, the Devil Rays. 

Jason Varitek is the least deserving all-star game this year.  Hitting a laughable .253 with 7ish home runs.  Not a terrible year, but with the phenominal catching the AL has seen this year, he has no business being in the All-star game.  He should do Major League Baseball a favor and fake a sore hamstring and pull out of the game to allow more desreving canidates in.  The starter for the All-star game should be Joe Mauer.  In many cases this type of statement may be my homer side showing through, but a guy flirting with a batting average of .400 and over 30 walks should start the allstar game, there is just no question.  With that being said, there are several quality players who are deserving of an allstar bid.  Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez is hitting .285 and leads all catchers with 15 Homers and over 50 RBI.  AJ Pierzynski has been hitting .366 for the year, and as the catcher for the gut who picks the team, he has quite an advantage for making the squad.  Pudge has also turned out some great performances this year, his .300 batting average and 7 HR, in a normal year may have been good enough for an all-star berth, but I believe he will be one of the guys on the outside looking in. 

The Twins should send 4 allstars to Pittsburgh this season, but Ozzie Guillen will never allow it.  Mauer should have been voted in as a starter, Justin Morneau should go as well as a back-up.  Liriano and Santana should both be in the pitching staff for the AL allstars.  But becuase you can't always get what you want (or even deserve) The Twins will likely send two to the game, Santana and Mauer.  Morneau will be snubbed because he won't be voted in, and with guys like Konerko very close to him in stats, it will be next to impossible for Guillen to select him.  Liriano has been phenominal this year, but I believe he won't make the game becuase he is a rookie, and it's rare for rookies to make the all-star game (and starting the season in the bullpen doesn't help either). 

Well, That concludes my blog for the day, It feels good to be back and blogging again. 

Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Fansisco Liriano and Johan Santana should all be all-stars.  And if Nathan would ever get some Save opportunities, he would be deserving as well. 

After Watching more than 8 hours of draft coverage, I ask myself, "was it really worth it?"  Of course the answer is yes, but this reaction raises serious questions about myself.  I did everything possible to avoid going to work on that saturday, but it was unavoidable, then spent all day sunday watching the draft and (slowly) getting my homework done.  What is it that interests so many of us about the draft?  It is painfully slow, and the analysis painfully generic.  Mel Kiper and company make snap judgements of players they have barely heard of not too long ago, and it is almost universally optimistic.  "Hey this kid could be a good fit" "this guy has lot's of potential" I'm not bashing the draft, i'm just trying to explain my addiction. 

First let's review the positives.  It is realtime analysis, there is always a good highlight reel, and it gives information about every draft pick as it happens, giving me, the viewer a much more knowledgeable viewpoint when it comes to the draft.  There are plenty of interviews, players, coaches, GM's etc.  Stuff that one would not normally see much of from the usual sports programming on ESPN. 

But to the negatives, It's painfully slow.  It is an entire weekend of (for me at least) borderline anti-social behavior.  Sitting myself down in the basement with a laptop and a pizza, and barely moving for four hours.  Usually I would watch the draft with a couple friends, but they had scheduling conflicts, so I was home, alone with my PSH brethrin, analyzing a draft with the same insight I crticized the "experts" for using. 

The NFL Draft has become a stand alone event, nowhere can a single event give so much false hope.  For there are far more busts than booms in any draft, and It's impossible to accurately grade a draft untill they come into the NFL and prove it.  For Every Tom Brady, there are 5 Ryan Leaf's.  For Every Barry Sanders, there a many KiJana Carter's. 

False hope, that is what the NFL draft is all about.  If a team can manage two starters out of a given draft, they have done alright, yet every fan touts all of thier prospects as future starters, when in reality, they are future benchwarmers, future career back-ups, future busts. 

I guess i just can't explain the NFL Draft, for everything it is on the surface, it is an event I looked forward to for nearly a month, and it is an event I will be analyzing and talking about for weeks after.  Something no single NFL game can achieve other than the superbowl.  The NFL Draft is everything a football junkie loves but just cannot explain, and that is why I love this game. 

Chad Greenway:  LB (Iowa)

Yes, even after all of that I still feel compelled to give out my opinion.  Greenway is a hardworking kid from South Dakota, The Vikings needed a linebacker coming into the draft, and they grabbed one quickly in the first round.  Greenway will probably be a rookie starter, playing the weakside linebacker across from Free Agent Ben Leber.  Who plays the middle is anyone's guess right now, but I've always been an E.J. Henderson fan, so I'll be rooting for him.

Greenway was one of the NFL Draft's most unfairly judged prospects IMO.  Yes he didn't post great workout #'s, but the fact is, he was a playmaker for the Hawkeyes and that didn't change with a slow 40, and low bench reps.  I Think Greenway will be considered the 2nd best Linebacker when all is said and done, and many teams will regret passing on this guy. 

Cedric Griffin:  CB (Texas)

Any pick from Texas brings a smile to my face, as I've been a fan of the program for a while now.  But Cedric Griffin made that smile bigger when i reviewed the tape available on him, and saw a lot of Brian Williams in him.  He is a big hitter, may not be the greatest in coverage, but scouts have said he plays the zone well, perfect for the cover 2.  Griffin will endear himself to the Vikings faithfull very quickly with punishing blows, and the fans will soon be uttering Brian who?  This is definately a system pick, and it shows a belief in the Triangle of Authority that it's best to find guys that fit the system, rather than drafting guys they think they can mold.  In the Tice era, I think too much emphasis was placed on best player avialable.  While it is a good policy on paper, it can lead to taking players that don't exactly fit in, or lack the mental skills needed for the position (something the Vikings haven't put much emphasis on before)

Ryan Cook:  OL (New Mexico)

Small school player, probably too tall for center.  He should provide immediate depth at the position if Birk would happen to become injured again (not that unlikely), and will likely be groomed for guard or tackle in the future.  The first "Huh?" pick of the draft for the Vikings, and I can't say I know much about the guy good or bad.  I trust the Vikings staff, maybe too much, but I'm not gonna critisize the draft untill he winds up on the field (or doesn't make it to the field).  At the time this pick was made, I immidiately thought they should have taken Eslinger, but something must have scared teams away from the Gopher All-American because he slid all the way to the 6th round. 

Tavarias Jackson:  QB (Alabama State)

Another small school player, and another guy I haven't heard much of pre-draft.  He is definately a developmental prospect, and seems to be Brad Childress' pet project at QB.  I've heard a lot of criticism of this pick from various boards, and I don't buy into it.  The Vikings were in a position where they felt they weren't gonna get him if they stayed put, and they made a move to get thier guy.  It will be a few years before we know what kind of talent this kid has, so like the pick above, it's wait and see.

Ray Edwards:  DE (Purdue)

Kind of a surprising pick becuase I feel the Vikings have already established a lot of depth at the position, and may have been better off adressing other needs.  Edwards is a pick with certain character issues that cannot be ignored.  He had a conflicting personality with his coach at Purdue, and along with family struggles he had to declare for the draft earlier than expected.  I was calling for a RB just for tradition's sake, but the Childress draft era marked the end of the 4th round RB era (Smith, Moore, Fason).  Hopefully he can provide the Vikings with some more depth, with Udeze coming off his second surgury in 2 years, the position is not 100% stable.

Greg Blue:  S (Georgia)

I'm glad the Vikings grabbed a safety in this draft because Offord, Tank Williams, and Dustin Fox all have either character or injury concerns heading into the 2006 season.  This is a solid pick to provide some more depth at a position that has steadily improved for the Vikings since Sharper came to the Vikings.  The Final pick of the draft for the Vikings, the Vikings ended their draft like they started it, defense.

That effectively ends my Vikings draft analysis.  All things considered it looks like a draft for the future rather than for the present, which seems to be a good idea since the Vikings are in a transitional year, with the implementation of two new schemes, and a lot of new coaches. 

Artis Hicks

The Vikings made a draft day move to slide down a few starts, and gave up their 6th rounder to aquire this guard from the eagles.  He has been a solid player for the Eagles throughout his career, but with the addition of new blood at the position in Philly, Hicks became expendable.  Childress was quick to scoop up one of his former players, and has already said he plans to start hicks at OG, and let Rosenthal and Marcus JOhnson compete for the RT position.  I like the move because it gives the line somebody who knows Childress' system well, and should be able to help out the other guys on the line.  If Childress' assessment is correct of this talent, the Vikings have filled out 4 of thier offensive line positions so far, and it will be a tight battle for the final spot at RT. 

The Twins have officially been swept by the Chicago White Sox.  Yet again the Sox look to be the favorites for the central division.  But that by no means the Twins are out of playoff contention. 

The Twins starters have been ineffective at best for most of the season, but that is an encouraging note.  Even with the struggling starters, the Twins have managed to win some games, and were at a respectable .500 at one point in the season.  I have no doubts the staff will turn it around, mainly becuase talent just doesn't disapear.  I'm not really sure what is going on with the rotation, my theory is many of these pitchers are out of rythem due to the WBC.  Once the Twins staff gets itself rolling, they will be hard to stop, and I believe there is only one team in all of baseball that has as much talent 1-5 as the Twins do.  That team is the Chicago White Sox. 

Twins fans, I encourage you not to panic, but instead look at the bright future the Twins have.  Scott Baker has statistically been the best pitcher, and he is a rookie.  Fransisco Liriano will be in the rotation sooner rather than later, giving the Twins another flamethrower in the rotation.  I'm still amazed the Twins got Joe Nathan, Fransisco Liriano and Boof Bonsor (AAA), for only A.J. Pierzynski.  That is a trade that has to be considered one of the greatest in Terry Ryan's career (Along with the trade that aquired Silva and Punto for MIlton).  Justin Morneau has found a power stroke, and Lew Ford has been hitting well also. 

Although my article has been optimistic so far, I also believe the Twins will not make the playoffs unless they shake up the roster.  They need to find a DH, whether it come internally, or through a trade, because Rondell White is playing terribly, and has no visible competition  right now.  Kyle Lohse is prime trade-bait, with one more year of arbitration left, a team could get a marginally priced starter, whom could thrive in the right situation.  I'd like to see the Twins go out and get themselves a big bat, or a productive third baseman. 

Trading Lohse would create bullpen issues because Liriano is the only left hander in the bullpen currently, and he would certainly be inserted in the rotation if a trade is manufactured.  The Twins would either have to survive without a lefty in the pen, or they would have to make another deal to fix that hole in the rotation. 

Brad Radke is overpaid.  There, i said it.  I've always been a huge fan of Radke, but a small market club like Minnesota cannot afford to pay a guy this much money to, for lack of a better word, suck.  Yes he is a Twins icon, and has never pitched for another team, but the Twins cannot afford to be loyal.  Radke could gain a lot of interest from a team like the yankees, or other large market clubs with bottom of the rotation issues.  If Kyle Lohse's market value is low, (which is very likely after his recent performances) the Twins will have to make a larger shake-up to re-arrange the roster, and Radke could be that. 

The Twins need a stadium.  The Dome is the single worst stadium to watch a game at.  The sightlines are ugly, and in most of the seats it's impossible to see the entire game.  The stadium was innovative in the 80's, but now it's a dinosaur, and all three proposals need to be approved, and the Dome blown to the ground.  A new ballpark would be a great revenue generator, and would completely solidify the Twins future in Minnesota.  A new ballpark would be just the catalyst that would increase the payroll budget, allowing the Twins to compete a little easier with the Yankees and Red Sox of the world. 

Jim Thome would have been a great pick-up.  I know the Twins were interested, but The Phillies were asking for either Liriano or Baker in the deal, and that was the sticking point.  IF the Twins could have found a way to get Thome over, I believe the Twins would be a much better team because of the great production he is giving the White Sox. 

The Minnesota Twins were the model of a great team in desperate need of a bat, any bat.  This year, the run production has been adequate, they're no Murderer's Row, but they get the job done.  But this year the entire staff has struggled.  Johan has started out 0-2, and will try to get on track Vs.  Mark Buehlre and the White Sox today. 

Silva has pitched deep into ballgames, but has been unable ot keep the ball out of the stands, and it may be a while before the Twins new infield can adjust to Silva's defensive reliant pitching.  I still believe he is going to be a Cy Young canidate, as I predicted earlier in the season, but he will need to get on track quickly. 

Kyle Lohse has been his typical self, and his typical self is what Twins fans cringe at.  With Liriano sitting in the pen, with electric stuff, it's going to be hard for Lohse to keep his spot in the rotation with these kind of performances. 

Brad Radke has been terrible, plagued by early home runs, he has been unable to give the Twins quality starts.   This is a slow start for Radke, who is usually for a consistant, but unspectacular outing. 

Scott Baker has been the team's best pitcher so far, shutting down the Yankees and beating the Angels.  He is one of the Twins with the brightest futures and paired With Liriano represents the future of the Minnesota Twins pitching staff. 

Liriano has been great in the pen, but one can only get so much from that, if he continues to perform well, he will force the Twins hand, and get himself inserted into the rotation, similar to how Morneau broke his way into the line-up just a few years ago.

The New Twins offense is definately refreshing from what we saw last year, Lew Ford has been solid, and the Twins will need his bat if they expect to do well this season. 

Shannon Stewart has done alright, but is injured yet again... He was the Twins best hitter out of the gates, and prompted me to pick him up on my fantasy team for a few days, grabbed a HR or two out of him, and sold him high.  (Craig Wilson)

Morneau has shown the Power twins fans everywhere are raving about, he finally showed some clutch hitting beating the league's best closer, and one of the league's most dominant lefties. 

Luis Castillo has been below average defensively, but his bat has also done well at the top of the order and has set the Twins up with baserunners.  He has tweaked his ankle recently and coudl be out a couple of days, so look for Luis Rodriguez to get some playing time.