I'm a casual UFC and boxing fan (I'll watch the big ppvs but that usually amounts to a couple times/year) and I'm going to a bar with some friends to watch this. $20 cover plus drinks so it won't be cheap and in my heart I'd say it's about 85% chance the fight stinks... but on the off chance something awesome happens, I want to see it!

Will you be watching?

Also, to whoever scheduled my fantasy football draft on Sunday morning... not good

$72 Million for a High School Stadium? In Texas, It's Only Up from There"We're out on the field getting the Tigers ready for another successful run at a state title," chirps the voicemail for the Katy High School athletics department.
Before being asked to leave your "growl" and "pawprint," you'll learn what the school's marching band sounds like, the number of national (three) and state (eight) football championships the Tigers have won and that Gary Joseph serves as both the head of the athletic department and the head football coach—all without anyone answering the phone.
It's an understatement to say football is important to the Houston suburb, and if the impressive voicemail greeting doesn't convince you, consider the $72 million the district just spent on a new stadium. Yes, for high schoolers...
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/27294...ce=cnn.com&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=referral

Disclosure: this is not meant to be a QB comparison, but does only look at the plays for the main QBs each year (Bridgewater and Bradford).  This is looking at play calling situations, therefore stats (yards, TDs and the like) aren't even included.


I've been looking at when plays are called recently and just wanted to share.  I'm considering pass plays as all passing attempts, QB rushing attempts (I know a couple are actually called runs, but for the most part it's pass plays) and sacks.  These are all of the plays where a pass is called.

2015:

1st down pass plays: 132 pass attempts, 10 rush attempts and 13 sacks.  Total: 155 (29% of total pass plays)
2nd down pass plays: 179 pass attempts, 13 rush attempts and 13 sacks.  Total 205 (38.3% of total pass plays)
3rd down pass plays: 132 pass attempts, 19 rush attempts and 17 sacks.  Total 168 (31.4% of total pass plays)
4th down pass plays: 4 pass attempts, 2 rush attempts and 1 sack.  Total 7 (1.3% of total pass plays)
Total number of pass plays: 535


2016:

1st down pass plays: 200 pass attempts, 10 rush attempts and 8 sacks.  Total: 218 (35.8% of total pass plays)
2nd down pass plays: 187 pass attempts, 7 rush attempts and 11 sacks.  Total 205 (33.7% of total pass plays)
3rd down pass plays: 152 pass attempts, 3 rush attempts and 17 sacks.  Total 172 (28.2% of total pass plays)
4th down pass plays: 13 pass attempts, 0 rush attempts and 1 sack.  Total 14 (2.3% of total pass plays)
Total number of pass plays: 609


It's interesting that the Vikings passed a lot more on first down in 2016 as opposed to 2015.  I would guess that is mainly due to Peterson.


I also wanted to specifically look at goal-to-go pass play calling (I'll also put in the main RBs rushing attempts).

2015:

Goal-to-go pass plays: 17 pass attempts, 1 rush attempt (pretty sure this was a designed run), 3 sacks.  Total: 21 (42% )
Peterson/McKinnon/Asiata rush attempts: 22/5/2.  Total 29 (58%)

2016:

Goal-to-go pass plays: 34 pass attempts, 0 rush attempt, 1 sacks.  Total: 35 (53%)
Peterson/McKinnon/Asiata rush attempts: 0/8/23.  Total 31 (47%)


Now for a trivia question: how many pass plays were called on first and goal in 2015?

Here are some hints.
In 2015, there were 11 3rd down pass plays called.
In 2015, there were 19 first down rushes between Peterson, McKinnon and Asiata.
In 2016, there were 9 first down pass plays called.
In 2016, there were 12 3rd down pass plays called.

A year ago Wednesday, Teddy Bridgewater collapsed on the grass practice field at Winter Park, lying on his back with a left knee so mangled that it ended his season, potentially this one too, and threatened the career of a 23-year-old rising star who carried hopes of ending the Vikings’ Super Bowl drought.
It was a day that immediately altered general manager Rick Spielman’s vision, which had finally neared fruition behind a tenacious defense, a future Hall of Fame running back and an improving young quarterback who had nearly led the Vikings to their first playoff win since Brett Favre was under center seven years earlier.
Now, a year later, so much has changed. The defense remains stout, though disturbingly vulnerable at times last season. The future Hall of Fame running back is gone, playing now in New Orleans. And the young quarterback is rehabbing as best he can, throwing passes at team activities but still listed officially as physically unable to perform.
http://www.twincities.com/2017/08/25/bra...ntil-2019/

Not going to the game? Join your fellow vikings fans in our chat room.

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http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/25/politics/k...index.html

I haven't voted Republican since 1984, but this is a ticket I could get behind. Disagree with him plenty, but I've always admired John Kasich. If there were more Republicans like him I might still be a Republican. Who knows, after the Trump disaster, maybe the party will swing to the side of prudence and sanity. Hickenlooper, the governor of Colorado, is also a good and sensible man. I've actually met and spoken to him. He's one of the most genuinely kind, unaffected and good-natured politicians I've ever met. Might be a little TOO nice for the slimy, rough and tumble world of national politics though. 

Looks like he's getting cut. 33 years old and the 49ers are going with youth in his spot. No idea if it makes sense or not as a stopgap. Guess it depends how happy they are with the battle between Robinson/Gedeon/Lamur.....probably isn't even on their radar. 

Which required me to modify something like 1500 accounts. So if something seems off with your account, like you can't access a category or something please let me know. Everything seems correct but I get a little nervous when doing stuff like this. 

All I can say is hope and pray for the best for all of us down here near the coast of Texas. What we do know is that the flooding will be catastrophic. Let's hope that the weather forecasters are wrong on their predictions, as they are quite often.
Either way, we look like we are in for about a week of absolutely the worst possible weather we have seen around here in a long long time. Chances are I may not be able to inform you all on what conditions here are looking like.
Take care everyone. And for those of you who are down here with me, I just say please prepare and get out if you can. Hopefully all we will have to put up with where we are is rain and flooding. The flooding  but around here that is MAJOR problems. I'll keep you all informed when possible.

Behind Jaleel Johnson’s dominant effort in the second half of last week’s preseason game in Seattle was a simple sidestep to a different position.
A couple weeks ago, the Vikings moved Johnson, the rookie fourth-round pick out of Iowa, back from nose tackle to the under tackle position, also called the three-technique defensive tackle. That’s where the Vikings need the most help next to nose tackle Linval Joseph. It’s also where coaches and teammates saw Johnson thrive against the Seahawks, and the position where he racked up 7.5 sacks as a senior for the Hawkeyes last fall.
“I feel like he can be a little more free at [under tackle] than at nose,” Joseph said of Johnson’s move. “At nose, you make one mistake you really mess up the whole defense. That’s pressure on him right there.”
Against the Seahawks, Johnson bashed through Seattle’s line for five run stops in 29 snaps, a flash of production the Vikings shouldn’t ignore as they’re again expected to be without injured first-round pick Sharrif Floyd at defensive tackle.
However, Johnson is only getting started...
http://www.startribune.com/after-experim...441696583/