Thread: Vikings Need To Shake Things Up and Reconnect W/ Fan Base

An article by Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press that I agree with whole-heartedly:


Vikings suddenly in buzz-free zone with bucks to burn
TOM POWERS
There's no buzz. Everyone is just sort of … blah.

The NFL's free-agent signing period began at 11 Thursday night. Here in Minnesota, home to some of the world's most hard-core — if not hardheaded — football fans, the opening bell was greeted by a yawn. Oh, there's interest, but not as much as we usually see for all things involving the Vikings.

This is not a very strong free-agent class. However, the Vikings have roughly $21 million to spend. That can buy a lot of mediocrity, which would represent an upgrade at several positions. Shouldn't that $21 million shopping budget be the talk of the town? That just seems like a big deal to me.

Zzzz... Are the Twins in Florida yet?

Plus, there is the impending return of injured players Chad Greenway, Erasmus James and Tank Williams. Combined with the fact the offense couldn't possibly get any worse, all this should count for something. Shouldn't it?

Zzzz... . How about those Wild?

Perhaps everyone remains hung over after an unmitigated disaster of a season. And perhaps they also are a little miffed about ownership and the coaches remaining in denial about everything from lousy personnel decisions to Brad Childress' self-proclaimed "kick-ass" offense.

That title, incidentally, accurately reflects what the fans would like to do to the fellow who foisted such an abomination upon them.

But we've had lousy Vikings teams here before, and interest always remained high. What we haven't had is a Vikings team that not only is terrible but also uninteresting. Until now.

I'm right where I ended last season: Win or lose, good or bad, I just want the Vikings to be interesting again. They have become predictable on and off the field, plodding along.

This offseason, the Vikings need to do something to create a stir. (Something legal.) They need to get people talking again, and not about how they couldn't bear to watch the same garbage in 2007.

It's going to be tough. This free-agent market won't yield much. It might come down to the draft, which begins April 28. But if the Vikings head into the season with everyone sort of flat like this, it won't take much for a major disconnect. A couple of early losses, and people will be running for the hills. We could be looking at potential TV blackouts within a year because of lack of attendance.

So what should the Vikings do? To start with, how about: "nothing stupid." They got off to a good start at doing "nothing stupid" when they released Fred Smoot on Thursday. Bringing back that loser would have been a major mistake.

Then they had better not waste the No. 7 overall pick on Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. The Vikings need a veteran quarterback to back up Tarvaris Jackson. Not another project. Look, is Jackson the guy or was last season all a dream, like the dream season on "Dallas," the popular TV show back in the 1980s?

But I've got to think that even our merry little bunch at Winter Park knows better. Clearly they're talking as though they might take Quinn because they know a couple of teams below them in the draft have their eye on him. It's a game. A transparent one, but a game nonetheless.

If the Vikings can come up with a couple of wide receivers and a tight end, via free agency and the draft, their fans finally might lift their long faces out of their soup. The problem is that the big names in the free-agent market are elderly gents. However, I'm all for a one-year rent a player if it makes things interesting.

Another approach would be to impress the masses with sheer volume, signing and/or drafting half a dozen potential receivers. This is what the team needs more than anything. Never mind an offensive lineman, never mind a backup this or that. We're beyond subtleties here. The Vikings need to take a frying-pan-to-the-head approach.

Their receiving corps is awful. So the team should stock up on guys who might be able to catch the ball. Everything else will look better if the quarterback can throw downfield once in a while. It especially will look better from the cheap seats.

They've got to do something (legal) to get people talking again. The organization has to patch up its relationship with the fans. It needs to do that before the differences become irreconcilable.

Tom Powers can be reached at [email protected]

There is one thing I can guarantee and that is Tom Powers is one of the shoddiest journalists to ever hold a position (with the exception of bono).
He will, as he always should, have to eat his words.
I can't recall him ever being correct in an article that he has written.

"Prophet" wrote:

There is one thing I can guarantee and that is Tom Powers is one of the shoddiest journalists to ever hold a position (with the exception of bono).
He will, as he always should, have to eat his words.
I can't recall him ever being correct in an article that he has written.

I know...I have hated every article I ever read by this idiot....however, this one makes a lot of sense to me and I agree with every word of it. But heck, its really common sense so I dunno wtf the Winter Park crew is doing....

"audioghost" wrote:

"Prophet" wrote:

There is one thing I can guarantee and that is Tom Powers is one of the shoddiest journalists to ever hold a position (with the exception of bono).
He will, as he always should, have to eat his words.
I can't recall him ever being correct in an article that he has written.

I know...I have hated every article I ever read by this idiot....however, this one makes a lot of sense to me and I agree with every word of it. But heck, its really common sense so I dunno wtf the Winter Park crew is doing....

He's just whining because he would actually have to use journalistic skills, which he does not have, to unearth something to write.
He liked the days of a retarded coach that would blab stuff to him and when he could write an article with minimal effort.
He is truly a waste of space on their staff and I have no idea how he keeps his job.
Many on this site could write a more insightful article than him off the cuff.

I guess the way I see it is, if there isn't any Great players in FA and a bunch of mediocre/potential players, what's the hurry?

"Prophet" wrote:

"audioghost" wrote:

"Prophet" wrote:

There is one thing I can guarantee and that is Tom Powers is one of the shoddiest journalists to ever hold a position (with the exception of bono).
He will, as he always should, have to eat his words.
I can't recall him ever being correct in an article that he has written.

I know...I have hated every article I ever read by this idiot....however, this one makes a lot of sense to me and I agree with every word of it. But heck, its really common sense so I dunno wtf the Winter Park crew is doing....

He's just whining because he would actually have to use journalistic skills, which he does not have, to unearth something to write.
He liked the days of a Challenged Hillbilly Lover'd coach that would blab stuff to him and when he could write an article with minimal effort.
He is truly a waste of space on their staff and I have no idea how he keeps his job.
Many on this site could write a more insightful article than him off the cuff.

Look I agree this guy usually sucks but this article is true...the fans are turning their back on this team and we need something to shake things up a bit...a big name...like a Joe Horn and a Calvin Johnson....we need something to get excited about and we need it to actually work out. Look at how excited we were to get Smoot and Williams and Sharper....BIG names...and they've helped our defense a ton...we need to do the same for the offense because this offense needs some veteran leadership and not by a 38 yr old geez who cant play any more that nobody respects like BJ...

"PurplePackerEater" wrote:

I guess the way I see it is, if there isn't any Great players in FA and a bunch of mediocre/potential players, what's the hurry?

Well they gotta do something...make a trade or something...get someone!? The Raiders got Moss for a 7th round pick and Napo...trade a 5th rounder and Dontarrious for a decent WR like Jerry Porter! We should have been more active when pursuing Deion Branch in trade discussions this season...

"audioghost" wrote:

"PurplePackerEater" wrote:

I guess the way I see it is, if there isn't any Great players in FA and a bunch of mediocre/potential players, what's the hurry?

Well they gotta do something...make a trade or something...get someone!? The Raiders got Moss for a 7th round pick and Napo...trade a 5th rounder and Dontarrious for a decent WR like Jerry Porter! We should have been more active when pursuing Deion Branch in trade discussions this season...

And the 7th overall pick in the draft.

"aceclown" wrote:

"audioghost" wrote:

"PurplePackerEater" wrote:

I guess the way I see it is, if there isn't any Great players in FA and a bunch of mediocre/potential players, what's the hurry?

Well they gotta do something...make a trade or something...get someone!? The Raiders got Moss for a 7th round pick and Napo...trade a 5th rounder and Dontarrious for a decent WR like Jerry Porter! We should have been more active when pursuing Deion Branch in trade discussions this season...

And the 7th overall pick in the draft.

Oh yeah...I forgot about that...cuz we wasted it...

I don't think it
would take much to get a guy like Porter....

I hate powers, and I have faith in the Viking organization to take us into 2007 strong... but...

I hate to admit it, but he is right.
A LOT of fans have been disheartened.
Two things sell tickets: Big name players, or a winning record.
It as been a while since the Vikings lacked both.
I don't think we will get any big name players in this off season, mostly because the pickings are rather slim.
All the "big name" players this FA would be mediocre name any other.
So the only thing I can hope for is that we start winning some games...