Thread: Heat Doesn't Slow Vikings (Videos)

"nephilimstorm" wrote:

I like the atricle on Brad...he seems very proffesional...fan friendly...and maybe he doesnt care about his contract...well WIlf will prolly give him the raise..but maybe he just wants to play and have his agent work it out

At least BJ is not acting like Culpepper. I do believe he should get a raise, as T Jack won't be ready to take over for at least this year, maybe two years.

I'm glad to see they are taking the heat seriously! And Wilf is doing better than Red in providing the money for these safeguards. At least he is protecting his investment! :lol:

"nephilimstorm" wrote:

I like the atricle on Brad...he seems very proffesional...fan friendly...and maybe he doesnt care about his contract...well WIlf will prolly give him the raise..but maybe he just wants to play and have his agent work it out

Johnson is a class act. I hope your right about Wilf giving him a raise. He certainly deserves something more.

Posted on Tue, Aug. 01, 2006

[size=18px]Hot day is a bit of a breeze for most[/size]
Players try to keep their cool as heat index tops 100 at camp

BY DON SEEHOLZER
Pioneer Press

MANKATO, Minn. — The first full-squad practice of training camp was every bit as hot as the Vikings feared Monday, but a steady breeze made things bearable.

With a temperature of 98 degrees and a heat index of 106 for the 3:30 p.m. workout, it wasn't comfortable by any means, even for players practicing in shorts. But most of the Vikings believed it could have been worse.

"That breeze kept it moving," Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper said. "You didn't really just have the heat sucking and sapping the energy out of us."

Veteran guard Chris Liwienski agreed.

"It's definitely going to be hot out here, but the wind blowing helps," he said. "There's no doubt about it. We'll take any break we can get."

Not everyone, it should be noted, was so grateful.

Tight end Jermaine Wiggins, for one, wasn't counting his blessings.

"It was hot!" he said. "The breeze is blowing hot air, so it was definitely hot. It was the hottest I've practiced in."

The Vikings prepared for the hot weather by lecturing the players on the necessity of staying hydrated, and the team is using heat-sensor pills again this summer that allow trainers to monitor an athlete's core temperature.

They also have introduced an inflatable ice tub that players can use to cool down after practice.

"That's great," offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie said. "There were 20 guys in there."

With the temperature expected to drop into the 80s today, the Vikings will conduct their first two practices of the camp wearing pads, as scheduled, but coach Brad Childress said he will continue to keep a close eye on the weather.

"With heat like this, you're mindful of it," he said. "I don't think you fear it if you prepare for it. I've got to say our guys have done a great job. There's no doubt that the breeze moving around helps you. It's not like being in Westchester (Pa.) down in the hole in Philadelphia where we couldn't get a breath of air."

Most players said they were looking forward to the cooler weather, but Wiggins said he won't believe the heat wave is over until it happens.

"We'll see how it is," he said. "Hopefully, the temperature works in our favor, but if not, we've just got to go out there and grind it out."

No worries: Wide receiver Koren Robinson made headlines last month when it was reported that he had re-entered a South Carolina rehabilitation facility, but he explained again after practice that he was taking alcohol-prevention classes and had not suffered any type of relapse.

"There's no distraction from me anywhere," Robinson said. "I've got to do what I've got to do to better myself as a person, as a father, husband, brother, all that — as a teammate. I just had to take some time for myself to get right. That's all, pretty much. I don't want anybody to get worried about Koren or anything like that. Koren is good. This is the best Koren right now. I'm going to have fun, joke around and come out here and make plays."

Robinson, whose alcohol problems led to his release by Seattle before last season, said he took the classes to make sure his mind was right and strong heading into training camp.

"Like I say, you just have to be mindful of your situation," he said. "Anytime you can learn something to better your situation, regardless what it is in any aspect of your life, is always good."

Injury report: Manase Hopoi, a rookie defensive tackle from Washington, was held out of practice because of swelling in his foot and was scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test.

Briefly: Childress, asked if he expects Chester Taylor to be the Vikings' featured back: "We'll feature a lot of different guys, but yeah, we brought him in here and signed him as a starter."

Don Seeholzer can be reached at [email protected]

Hot day is a bit of a breeze for most

Early Camp Goal: Beat The Heat