Question for Minnesota Vikings fans

[MafiaMan]

Sorry MM, but I think McMahon will make the Vikings.

I hesitate to say 'I told you so,' but, I told you so!

[redwing77]

I hesitate to say 'I told you so,' but, I told you so!

Why I oughtta......

(I'm not that old....but you get the point )

[MafiaMan]

More importantly than Mike, Ed, or Jim, redwing77, what will our beloved team be like this year without #19?

[fightingsioux4life]

NFC North Champion Chicago Bears you mean

How could they NOT win the NFC North with one of the softest schedules in the NFL? That, plus the fact that the other three teams in the division have too many question marks. The question for you guys is, can you produce in the playoffs this year? Last year's playoff loss to the Panthers must have been tough to swallow. Predicted order of finish in the NFC North:

1) Bears (great D + improved O + soft schedule = first place finish)

2) Vikings (Childress Rebuilding Plan, Phase 1)

3) Lions (Matt Millen must go! Opps, I could get kicked out of Ford Field for saying that!)

4) Packers (Favre should have retired)

GO VIKINGS!!!

PURPLE PRIDE, PURPLE PRIDE!!!

[Sioux-cia]

How could they NOT win the NFC North with one of the softest schedules in the NFL? That, plus the fact that the other three teams in the division have too many question marks. The question for you guys is, can you produce in the playoffs this year? Last year's playoff loss to the Panthers must have been tough to swallow. Predicted order of finish in the NFC North:

1) Bears (great D + improved O + soft schedule = first place finish)

2) Vikings (Childress Rebuilding Plan, Phase 1)

3) Lions (Matt Millen must go! Opps, I could get kicked out of Ford Field for saying that!)

4) Packers (Favre should have retired)

GO VIKINGS!!!

PURPLE PRIDE, PURPLE PRIDE!!!

Like I said, they've pissed off and they've made me cry. They did give us 1985. And the Superbowl Shuffle!!! Might be the only one in my life time but at least it happened in my lifetime.

The Vik's have only pissed you off and made you cry.

Yeah, I agree, Favre should have retired, two years ago.

[Sioux-cia]

I have to agree with you about Favre. When not playing the Bears, I cheered for him many a time (don't tell the relatives in Chicago, the mantra there is 'NEVER cheer for the Pack!!')

I just hate seeing him in the present situation. He's too great a QB to go out like this. Retirement is the better option.

[redwing77]

#1 -- I don't know how the Bears will do in the post season. A soft schedule won't help them, that's for sure. All I can hope for is that they show up.

#2 -- Favre is a great QB... or more likely was a great QB. He's lost it now. In sports, it takes a special player to carry a team and it must be in a typical sport. For example, in hockey or even baseball, one or two players could carry a team (look at Buffalo back when Hasek played for them or Edmonton even last year). It doesn't work in football. Favre is trying to carry his team from Game 1 to Game 16 (if he could carry the team during the bye week, I'm sure he'd try). What this amounts too is INTs, sacks, and botched plays. I'd like him to catch or maybe even surpass Marino's record but he won't do that in Green Bay. He's got nothing there. He's hinted that he'd consider playing elsewhere next year and I think he should. But he also should be forced to relinquish the self-attributed "superman" status he seems to feel he must be in order to put his Packers in a position to win. He should just accept the fact that the Packers will lose at least 14 games this year and move on (Green Bay hired a head coach that Brett liked, not one that could necessarily turn the ship around).

#3 -- I agree with the order of the predicted standings. The Vikings will get second by default because the Packers won't win more than 3 games this year (I predict 2-14) and the Lions just can't be taken seriously as long as they have the second biggest joke as a GM in pro sports (Used to be first, but the Islanders took care of that when they hired Garth Snow). If they do get rid of Millen, though, watch out.

[Fetch]

they are going to interview Farve on Fox tonight (Gretta show) ? ? ?

Bob Seger is going to be on Leno (if it's the same time - Leno will win)

[MafiaMan]

Favre is only 24 touchdown passes away from Dan Marino's all-time record. No way should he retire till he owns that record, being as close as he is to it now. The thing is he's still one of the best QBs in the league, but most people who don't fully understand the game think that he's lost it because his supporting cast is making him look so bad.

Sorry, DaveK, but some of these statements are laughable. Favre's still one of the best QBs in the league? I can think of 10 QBs in the league at this point that I would take on my team over the Brett Favre of today. And you're kidding yourself if you think his supporting cast made him look bad by helping him toss 29 interceptions last year or the duck in the NFC playoff game a few years ago against the Eagles. People love to blame that game on the 4th down and 99 (27 or 30something I believe it was actually) to go for the first down that was converted, but the Packers were driving in OT when Favre threw an absolute quacker that was picked off. How about the game where he throws a TD although he's about five yards across the line of scrimmage, a play that resulted in the Pack settling for 3 instead of 7 when Favre needed about two steps to rush for the TD himself. I can still hear John Madden "Look at that Brett Favre...wow is he having fun!". Um, no, John, he just KILLED his team with that stupid mistake.

Trust me on this...this is Brett's last year and he will never break Marino's TD record.

[Shawn-O]

As it stands today, I would take Brad Johnson over Favre any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Favre's decision making is atrocious, and he no longer has the physical talent to overcome the stupid decisions he makes. He should have hung 'em up.

As for history, it will look very kindly on Brett. No-brainer, first ballot Hall of Fame. I wouldn't put him in a class with Bradshaw, Montana, Elway, Aikman....but he's in that group right behind (Steve Young, Roger Staubach, and the like....). Fire away, Packer rubes.

[mikeypat15]

Go Bears!!! The Defense will be there all season and into the post season.

[Sioux-cia]

Go Bears!!! The Defense will be there all season and into the post season.

Wooooo, Whooooo!!!!!!!!!!

[CoteauRinkRat]

Sorry, DaveK, but some of these statements are laughable. Favre's still one of the best QBs in the league? I can think of 10 QBs in the league at this point that I would take on my team over the Brett Favre of today. And you're kidding yourself if you think his supporting cast made him look bad by helping him toss 29 interceptions last year or the duck in the NFC playoff game a few years ago against the Eagles. People love to blame that game on the 4th down and 99 (27 or 30something I believe it was actually) to go for the first down that was converted, but the Packers were driving in OT when Favre threw an absolute quacker that was picked off. How about the game where he throws a TD although he's about five yards across the line of scrimmage, a play that resulted in the Pack settling for 3 instead of 7 when Favre needed about two steps to rush for the TD himself. I can still hear John Madden "Look at that Brett Favre...wow is he having fun!". Um, no, John, he just KILLED his team with that stupid mistake.

Trust me on this...this is Brett's last year and he will never break Marino's TD record.

No kidding, I actually started laughing out loud.

Favre should have called it quits in the offseason. I hope he has other reasons to play than to just hold on to try and break some records.

[fightingsioux4life]

Like I said, they've pissed off and they've made me cry. They did give us 1985. And the Superbowl Shuffle!!! Might be the only one in my life time but at least it happened in my lifetime.

The Vik's have only pissed you off and made you cry.

I have been a Vikings fan since I was old enough to understand what football is.

.....I was too young to remember the 1970's Super Bowl-losing teams (and I am grateful for that! ).

.....I lived with the 1980's all-Defense, no-Offense teams.

.....I lived with the late 1990's, early 2000's all-Offense, no-Defense teams.

.....I put up with Mike "not ready for primetime" Tice and Denny "take a knee" Green.

.....I cheered the day Red "cheapskate" McCombs sold the team.

.....I cried my eyes out after the 1987 NFC championship game.

.....I nearly threw up (literally) after the 1999 NFC championship game.

.....I wanted to crawl in a hole after the 2001 NFC championship game.

And I still wouldn't change my allegiance to another team if you paid me.

Now that the Vikings have an owner who will spend money and a head coach with a clue, I think the years ahead are promising. But even if they aren't, I will always be a Vikings fan.

GO VIKINGS!!!

[Sioux-cia]

That's the way it is for 'true' fans. I hate those so-called fans who only suppport their team when it wins.

I know I have tunnel vision when it comes to Chicago athletics and fans but, IMHO, Chicago fans are the best! Damn, you only have to look at our teams , , and the waiting list for season tickets, , to know that.

I love a good rivalry. Much to the embarassment of my relatives, I will cheer for the Pack before I will cheer for the Vikings. It's more fun given where I live now. If I were still in Chicago that would never happen. Since leaving Chicago, I am now cheering for both the Sox and the Cubs!! That almost got me kicked out of my sisters house! According to the relatives, cheering for the Cubs is tantamount to cheering for the devil. But, I just can't help myself!

[redwing77]

Childress does appear to have a clue. And, you know what? Even if he falls flat on his face, he's already done one thing Tice could never do: Stand up for discipline.

Today on KFAN they were applauding Childress for his decision to activate the player (player wasn't mentioned, I assume it was Smith?). I frowned at this. Why is it that it is commendable to do something a coach should do anyways? I know the answer to this question and the response is simple: Why they don't do it, I don't know, but they should. It's about time pro athletes are responsible for their behaviors. No, I'm not saying they must be prudes, stay at home drinking pink lemonade and talking about the latest stock forecasts, but if they screw up, they face consequences. They break the law, they really face consequences. I respect Childress for that.

Do I think the Vikes will win it all this year? Nope. Too many question marks and not enough offensive explosiveness. Do I think he will eventually put the hurt on the NFC Central? It's a VERY strong possibility at this point, but it is all prediction on my part.

[Shawn-O]

Childress does appear to have a clue. And, you know what? Even if he falls flat on his face, he's already done one thing Tice could never do: Stand up for discipline.

Today on KFAN they were applauding Childress for his decision to activate the player (player wasn't mentioned, I assume it was Smith?). I frowned at this. Why is it that it is commendable to do something a coach should do anyways? I know the answer to this question and the response is simple: Why they don't do it, I don't know, but they should. It's about time pro athletes are responsible for their behaviors. No, I'm not saying they must be prudes, stay at home drinking pink lemonade and talking about the latest stock forecasts, but if they screw up, they face consequences. They break the law, they really face consequences. I respect Childress for that.

Do I think the Vikes will win it all this year? Nope. Too many question marks and not enough offensive explosiveness. Do I think he will eventually put the hurt on the NFC Central? It's a VERY strong possibility at this point, but it is all prediction on my part.

I agree, at least there is some accountability for a change. I'm not ready to make room for Childress' bust in Canton just yet, but we're already seeing a change with this team. They shoved the ball down Washington's throat, on the road, on grass, in a hostile setting when they had to have it. That is the kind of game where we've seen the Vikings lay down like dogs the last 10-15 years. They are playing with more of an edge, and they seem to have cleaned up the offsides/procedure crap at the line of scrimmage that plagued Tice. Clock management seems to be back in vogue at Winter Park, too. Do I think the Vikings even make the playoffs this year? It's 50-50 at best, but they will be interesting and entertaining, and in the thick of almost every game.

Speaking of breaking the law, what's up with the cheeseheads signing K.Robinson? Talk about a sign of desperation.

[Shawn-O]

For a one year deal, as it stands today I would add Delhomme, Johnson, Brees, Pennington, and Hasselbeck into the conversation....but I see where you're going. It's just one guy's crazy opinion.

[Uncle_Rico]

My ever-lasting memory of Brad Johnson is throwing not one, not two, not three, but four interceptions in a playoff game against the Eagles in 2001... three of them coming in the 4th quarter.

Well Brett Favre definately has Brad Johnson beat then cause Brett threw not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six interceptions vs the Rams during the playoffs in 2002....two being returned for touchdowns.

[redwing77]

Can I take none of the above?

I think DaveK is right on when it comes to Johnson's prowess (He is mediocre). And I believe everyone else is right when they say Favre just doesn't have it.

Who would I pick over Johnson? I don't know, 99% of the league have a starting QB that is better than the Vikings. But then again, DaveK, would you take Aaron Brooks over Johnson?

The fact of the matter is that Johnson isn't the future of the Vikings. He is just a "stopgap" for this team. He's not the worst starting QB in the league (Aaron Brooks!) and he certainly won't be in the top 15 of QBs either.

I'll even go as far to say that the Vikings' biggest question mark doesn't lie in the QB position. He's questionable, but he's not the biggest issue. I still think WR and HB are bigger issues.

[Eskimos]

As for Brett Favre and where he ranks among the all-time greats... I think he's extremely underrated. Only Madden gives him the respect he deserves. I used to consider Dan Marino the greatest QB of all-time, but now I have to go with Favre. I would put Elway, Staubach, and Young in the top tier with Favre and Marino. Bradshaw, Montana, and Aikman belong in the 2nd tier in my opinion along with Tarkenton and Fouts.

Before anybody comes back with the number of Super Bowls won argument, that is a moot point as far as I'm concerned. I rank QBs by how well they played their position, not by how many Super Bowls their team won. QBs don't win Super Bowls all by themselves, it takes a team effort. So Dan Marino wasn't on a Super Bowl winning team, he was still a better QB than Bradshaw, Montana, or Aikman. Put Bradshaw, Montana, or Aikman on those Miami teams of the '80s and '90s and they don't win any Super Bowls either. Those guys were very good QBs who were fortunate enough to play for great teams.

Young ahead of Montana? Huh??

There is no way Brett Favre is the #6 QB in the league right now.

[Smoggy]

Johnson may not have the greatest arm, but he is still playing in this league (the oldest) after being a 9th round draft pick. His win % is over 60 and near 70 I believe and he's only played for a couple years in what could be considerred a great team. One game of high turnovers doesn't make or break a QB.

[AccountingStu]

Rex Grossman is better than Brad Johnson?

Not a chance. The Vikes will win the North this year, and one of the main reasons will be Brad Johnson controlling the ball, making smart passes to possession receivers (or what will be deemed sometime later this season as possession receivers). Childress will stick to the running game, as evidenced by Chester Taylor's 31 carries v. the Redskins and this should open the passing game.

If anybody watched the Monday night game, you would've noted Brad's ability to remain calm, work the clock, and find the open man on third downs and when coming from behind--something sorely missed during Daunte's tenure.

While we're on the topic of the Vikes, has anyone heard the Vikings organization has suggested that Washington screwed with their Motorola headsets a few times during Monday's game? Somehow, I wouldn't put it past the Redskin's loony owner Snyder. (Conspiracy: Theissman commented that there was a sudden gust of wind that drove Vike's kicker Longwell's field goal try way off: Could there be an air vent in the brand new stadium used in such occassions? It sounds odd, but the Redskins are a $1.5 billion organization perfectly willing to spend big bucks to make big bucks. Also, of the recent Super Bowl victors, what percentage of these teams play in a new stadium, or a newly renovated one?)

[Eskimos]

While we're on the topic of the Vikes, has anyone heard the Vikings organization has suggested that Washington screwed with their Motorola headsets a few times during Monday's game? Somehow, I wouldn't put it past the Redskin's loony owner Snyder. (Conspiracy: Theissman commented that there was a sudden gust of wind that drove Vike's kicker Longwell's field goal try way off: Could there be an air vent in the brand new stadium used in such occassions? It sounds odd, but the Redskins are a $1.5 billion organization perfectly willing to spend big bucks to make big bucks. Also, of the recent Super Bowl victors, what percentage of these teams play in a new stadium, or a newly renovated one?)

Seriously? That is one big conspiracy theory you have going for you. who cares anyways, the Vikes won the game.

[redwing77]

Rex Grossman is better than Brad Johnson?

Not a chance. The Vikes will win the North this year, and one of the main reasons will be Brad Johnson controlling the ball, making smart passes to possession receivers (or what will be deemed sometime later this season as possession receivers). Childress will stick to the running game, as evidenced by Chester Taylor's 31 carries v. the Redskins and this should open the passing game.

If anybody watched the Monday night game, you would've noted Brad's ability to remain calm, work the clock, and find the open man on third downs and when coming from behind--something sorely missed during Daunte's tenure.

While we're on the topic of the Vikes, has anyone heard the Vikings organization has suggested that Washington screwed with their Motorola headsets a few times during Monday's game? Somehow, I wouldn't put it past the Redskin's loony owner Snyder. (Conspiracy: Theissman commented that there was a sudden gust of wind that drove Vike's kicker Longwell's field goal try way off: Could there be an air vent in the brand new stadium used in such occassions? It sounds odd, but the Redskins are a $1.5 billion organization perfectly willing to spend big bucks to make big bucks. Also, of the recent Super Bowl victors, what percentage of these teams play in a new stadium, or a newly renovated one?)

Sorry, though I do think the Vikings will be better this year than last year, they won't win the North. The Bears have it too good. And if Rex "Wood for bones" Grossman goes down (Yeah, wood. Only Kyle Boller is more fragile) they do have Griese, who I think is one of the better backups in the league regardless (Though I will admit it will be awfully tough to win the Super Bowl with Griese).

Nope. Vikes won't win the North. Nice conspiracy theories anyhow. Agree with Eskimos on those though.