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  Fickle fans are quick to embrace local sports figures, and even quicker to spurn them
Posted by: purplefaithful - 10-08-2017, 03:14 AM - Forum: The Longship - Replies (19)



Fickle fans are quick to embrace local sports figures, and even quicker to spurn them

Five local sports figures that find themselves on the wrong side of public opinion, and wrongly.
OCTOBER 6, 2017 — 9:30PM

The passion for sports in this area has been questioned occasionally through the decades, including by me. You see 10,000 empty seats in a smallish Big Ten football stadium for a new coach’s conference opener and that idea can be reinforced.
One of the main fascinations in covering sports here has been to watch as fans make their decisions on important figures — sometimes without wavering, other times changing with the wind.

Here’s a handful of sports figures who seem to find themselves currently on the wrong side of public opinion:

Rick Spielman: The Vikings general manager has had full authority to bring in personnel since 2011, one year before getting the GM title. Fans still like to throw Christian Ponder at Spielman from that draft, even though the statute of limitations has expired.
There have been other misses for Spielman, but in truth, he has accumulated a defense with seven stars on it, and the offensive limitations can be traced more to injuries than draft failures.
One accusation is Spielman surrendered too much to bring in Sam Bradford from Philadelphia after Teddy Bridgewater’s injury. That’s as preposterous as the ongoing suggestion that the Twins should not have given a huge contract to reigning MVP Joe Mauer, a couple of weeks before they moved into a new ballpark in 2010.
The 2016 Vikings were coming off an 11-5 season, they had the potential to repeat as NFC Central champs, and a competent quarterback was a must to make that happen.
Anybody questioning the Bradford trade when they started 5-0?
Spielman did what he had to do to give the Vikings a shot. There were injuries, yes, and also a coach in Mike Zimmer who got far from the best out of his roster down the stretch.
There’s no good reason for Spielman to be in trouble, other than the possibility the rumors are true that he’s not a favorite of team President Kevin Warren.
Zach Parise: 
Andrew Wiggins: 
Derek Falvey: 
Don Lucia:

http://www.startribune.com/fickle-fans-a...449841743/

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  As Vikings know, not all ACL injuries are career killers
Posted by: purplefaithful - 10-08-2017, 02:57 AM - Forum: The Longship - Replies (3)

Shortly after Dalvin Cook planted his left leg in the U.S. Bank Stadium turf Sunday and felt his knee buckle, instinctively grabbing it with his left hand as the Lions’ Tavon Wilson dislodged the ball from Cook’s right arm, it felt as if the rookie running back’s predicament had stolen the breath from the 66,730 in attendance.
But though coach Mike Zimmer first mentioned the term “ACL” in a somber tone after the Vikings’ 14-7 loss to the Lions, it cast nowhere near the pall on Cook’s career that it once might have.
“I told him, he’s not the first great running back to have an ACL, if it is one, and come back pretty good,” Zimmer said. “Dalvin will have a great career.”
To be sure, the prospects for Cook’s return are good. He has modern medicine — and the example of running backs such as Adrian Peterson — to thank for that. A Northwestern Medicine study showed that 80 percent of NFL players return to play after undergoing an orthopedic procedure like an ACL repair, and Peterson’s stirring performance — winning MVP honors and rushing for 2,097 yards after making a nine-month recovery from a torn ACL in 2012 — helped to demystify the injury to some degree.
http://www.startribune.com/acl-injury-ne...449919903/

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  Gators fans sing along with Tom Petty
Posted by: Vikergirl - 10-08-2017, 12:24 AM - Forum: The Longship - Replies (2)

https://twitter.com/CodyWorsham/status/9...5648618496

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  Gay coffee shop denies service to Christians
Posted by: A1Janitor - 10-07-2017, 05:59 PM - Forum: Sensitive Topics - Replies (8)

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  Bradford strings together another practice ahead of Bears game
Posted by: purplefaithful - 10-07-2017, 05:09 PM - Forum: The Longship - No Replies

Vikings QB Sam Bradford strings together another practice ahead of Bears gameQuarterback Sam Bradford donned a helmet Saturday and led the pecking order with Case Keenum and Kyle Sloter during some pitch and catch near the goal line.
It marks the third straight practice for Bradford, who was limited in Thursday and Friday’s sessions due to his swollen left knee and has not played since the Sept. 11 season opener against the Saints.
Bradford said this week he shouldn’t be a game-time decision, expecting to know after Saturday’s practice whether or not he’ll be able to play Monday night in Chicago.
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-qb-sa...449897283/

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  Linval Joseph leading Vikings’ impressive run defense
Posted by: purplefaithful - 10-06-2017, 09:52 PM - Forum: The Longship - Replies (3)

The Chicago Bears’ offense doesn’t have much bite. They currently rank 29th in points per game and 23rd in total yards. But Chicago’s lone offensive success story this year, an overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, included 222 yards rushing.Overall the Bears rank seventh in yards per carry, but the Minnesota Vikings are currently tied for the third best defense against the run, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry.

Defensive coordinator George Edwards said the team’s run stuffing has started in the middle with Pro Bowl nose tackle Linval Joseph.
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/1...n-defense/

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  Vikings better equipped to handle Bears’ McPhee this time around
Posted by: purplefaithful - 10-06-2017, 09:51 PM - Forum: The Longship - No Replies

The Vikings’ offensive line is unlikely to let McPhee harrass their quarterback the way he did last Halloween. The line has taken huge leaps forward in pass protection, ranking 11th by Pro Football Focus ratings and fifth in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Sack Rate statistic.
Right tackle Mike Remmers, who will likely see the most of McPhee, has given up just one sack this season and rates as PFF’s 19th best tackle out of 68. That’s a big change from last year’s starter at right tackle TJ Clemmings, who rated as PFF’s second worst tackle.
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/1...me-around/

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  Sam Bradford says knee injury ‘should be something that goes away’
Posted by: purplefaithful - 10-06-2017, 09:49 PM - Forum: The Longship - Replies (3)

Sam Bradford said Friday he is feeling better about the long-term outlook of his knee injury after visiting Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion.”I think it was definitely good news down there,” Bradford said. “It was comforting knowing that, if things go according to plan, it should be something that eventually goes away.”
Visiting Dr. Andrews, Bradford said, was to “make sure there wasn’t anything else there” with his knee injury, which NFL Network reported to be a bone bruise.
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/1...goes-away/

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  Who To Start...Beastmode or Gallman?
Posted by: JustinTime18™ - 10-06-2017, 06:46 PM - Forum: The Longship - Replies (5)

I've got Lynch in the lineup, but it looks like Gallman is going to get the majority of the work Sunday...he looked really good vs the Bucs last weekend...Lynch without Carr seems like a bad option...

Post your FF quandaries HERE...

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  Bradford; "It's night and day"
Posted by: JustinTime18™ - 10-06-2017, 05:02 PM - Forum: The Longship - Replies (9)


Sam Bradford - QB - Vikings



Sam Bradford (knee) said he feels "much better" and will practice again on Friday.

That's two practices in a row for Bradford to start the week, putting him on track to suit up Monday night in Chicago. "The two weeks between practices, it's night and day," he said. The Bears aren't a lay-down matchup, especially at Soldier Field, but Bradford's return should elevate Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.





Source: Andrew Krammer on Twitter

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