Another Football Weekend
By Tom Grout
November 16, 2008
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!!!!!
Tom --
Speaking of artform, you have perfected the understatement: "I think the Wolves are getting there though but it will be awhile before they are a playoff team." Yes, it will. Right now the team is a collection of parts laying on the garage floor. If they fit together at all, will you have a Lexus or a Pinto? Or a toaster?
You think we've got a realistic chance of getting Hardy? What's the cost going to be? They will loose CC and then Sheets, maybe. They need pitching. I'm not sure Mil will settle for Duensing & Swarzak. You think?
The Vikes. Good effort, close game. Another let down. They have great personnel, and a few voids. One is the center of the defense. Its hard to keep in mind that the Vikes seriously miss Henderson. Napolian Linebacker just isn't the same thing. Second void is QB. Frerotte is a quality backup. That's it. Third void is a talented game-planner. Not sure if that's Childress or one or more others on the staff. But each game the other team has the much better game plan, even with lesser talent. There may be one more void . . . at head coach.
I may be dreaming TDog, but I am hoping we could land Hardy with Blackburn or Perkins along with a minor league pitcher or two. Since the rest of our starters are young I think the Twins could afford that.
Another sorry loss in a season of sorry losses.
Again, here's a 4th and 1 that they decide not to punt in their own territory. I think that shows desperation on the Vikes part and has been proven already that that is not the place to gamble.
The play calling is atrocious, they miss Henderson in the middle and the Williams boys (along with Allen)may find themselves in front of the commissioner asking for mercy.
A season that started with such promise is now tattered. The only way the Vikes get into the playoffs is to win the division.
That may not be too difficult with the way the Bears and Packers are playing, but even if they do make the playoffs, is it a "one and done" thing?
Frerotte is _not_ the answer! Has anyone been watching what that kid Thigpen has been doing down in KC? *sigh*
At this point, I question Childress' ability to plan, analyze talent and lead a professional team.
He's gotten the players, now it's his turn to make them winners.
If all we needed was a quarterback, then to heck with Gus and TJack, perhaps it's time for a little Booty!?
I'm out of the loop on winter baseball but the Twins look like a team that needs middle infield help this spring and I don't think giving up young pitching talent is the way to get that done.
What else do they have to trade besides pitching?
Tom it is funny you say that about Jeff Garcia. Ever since he filled in for Mcnabb and the Eagles a couple of years back, I have loved to watch that guy play. We get a lot of Tampa Bay games here (not so many Vikings games, I didn't get to see this one) and he has that determination and "I'll try anything to win" spirit that makes Brett Farve one of my favorite players. Did anyone else catch the pregame show where one of the announcers said that Minnesota could have had Jeff Garcia but Childress was not interested? I really hope I heard that wrong, otherwise, my hatred for the incompitence that is the Childress era of the Vikings will grow. At this point, I really do agree with bigsley, put in the Booty kid. I have felt for a long time that the Vikings need a Franchise guy at QB, (and I don't think Jackson is the guy) not just the hot hand to win us a couple of games for now (see McMann,Moon, Cunningham, Jeff Goerge, Brad Johnson and now Farotte) but no future. Is Farotte our future? I mean he is so old, you have to worry about him falling on the way to the game on the ice and breaking a hip...That's a bad one, sorry. By the way, I totally realize that saying we should get a franchise player goes against me being mad they didn't get Garcia or Farve for that matter, but those guys are so good I would be willing to wait a couple of years to have them here.
Ask The Giants or Patriots or the Colts what you get when you play a guy who is young and let him be your future(and Booty may not be the guy either, but give him a shot)...Rings.
The Gophers? They're doing as good as they can. They are competitive and it'll take a couple years of outstanding recruiting to make it to the upper levels.
Jeff Garcia? I've always liked him and he hasn't stuck with teams and I have never understood why. Their first play was a weak side roll-out to send a message to Allen and the defense that they weren't going to allow the front four to beat them. The Bucs did a good job.
The Vikes? They are competitive. There are a lot of teams with weak spots, ours happens to be the qb and wide receivers. I do think that the Vikes have not shown good drafting ability or coaching ability. We have the team we have for the rest of the season but there should be major changes in front office and coaching after it's done which will end without making the playoffs.
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