The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

Another Football Weekend

By Tom Grout

November 16, 2008

2 comments

It was another football weekend and it wasn’t a very pleasant one for Minnesota fans. It is a little sad.

The Gophers, minus Eric Decker, came out smokin’ and took a good lead over Wisconsin and it looked like they were going to bring Paul Bunyan’s axe home. A funny thing happened on their way of grabbing that axe, it was the second half. As good as the first half was it was that bad in the second half.

The team seemed to implode in the second half which has to be frustrating for the coaching staff and the team. They just can’t seem to finish games. What is hurting the Gophers the most is that they have no running game. I understand there may be some injuries on the offensive line but they really don’t have any kind of good running back either.

With no running game and the fact that they had freshman receivers due to Decker’s injury quarterback Adam Weber had a great game. He got little protection but completed passes in the first half and made some very nice runs in the game. Without this guy the Gophers would be a very, very poor offensive team.

The Gophers went from maybe having a bowl game on New Years day to maybe playing the Outhouse Bowl in Moose Jaw Alaska where Sarah Palin will punt the first ball.

Yeah I know I’m being hard on them again. They do have a lot of potential so hopefully they can get themselves back together here with more tough games ahead.

Now we come to the Vikings. Aw, do we have to? Yes because the readers love to respond to anything Viking. Uff-ta Ya.

A close game but you all know what they say about coming close, the horse shoe/dancing thing.

Actually I kind of enjoyed a part of the game, only it was Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia. He did one of the best Fran Tarkenton impressions that I have seen in awhile. I didn’t think his old legs could dance around like that, but hey, he carried that team on his back in the second half. I bet the Viking defensive linemen are a little tired today.

You know, I’m not sure what is wrong with these guys. I know we have used up a lot of space here blaming the coaching staff and of course that is warranted. But I think we may have to assume they just aren’t that good. On a positive note, they are still in the race for the Central Division or the North Division or whatever the heck they call it.

Stay tuned next week for another fun time on the old Minnesota grid iron.

-Speaking of fading in the end of ball games, how about those Timberwolves? They lost another one in the last quarter last night against Denver. Now here is a team that has losing one down the stretch mastered down to an art form. At least on this night they didn’t lead the game all the way to the end. They trailed at half time and then played a great third quarter before they lost it at the end. They have won their first game and haven’t won since.

I think the Wolves are getting there though but it will be awhile before they are a playoff team. One thing they need is a big time point guard. The other thing they need is another coach. As bad as the Wolves may be, if they are as close in the games that they have been but losing in the end, maybe it’s not the players. I am no expert when it comes to basketball, but I think this group could do better with a better coach. Is Flip Saunders still in the state?

-Hot stove league baseball again. It has been said the Twins may be close to signing Casey Blake for third base. I know Blake is getting older, but he may be a nice fit IF the Twins can find a way to get J.J. Hardy from Milwaukee to play shortstop. Stick these guys in the lineup with what the Twins have already and that would be a pretty darn good lineup. Getter done!!!!!