Happy New Year, RandBallers
Posted on December 31st, 2007 – 4:44 PMBy Michael Rand
That will about do it for us today. Yes, we know: 3 longish posts, two involving math. It was quite the day. There likely won’t be much happenin’ around these parts tomorrow as we take the last in a long line of glorious days off. But do feel free to check back here and share your New Year’s Eve stories. Be safe out there. If you’re going to drink, don’t drive. If you’re going to drive, don’t drink. If you’re going to get [redacted] and stumble around, stay the hell off our lawn! Cheers 2007 … let’s do this, 2008.
11 Responses to "Happy New Year, RandBallers"
So you’re not live-blogging the Chick-Fil-A Bowl? Feh. Marthaler’s back from vacation, put him on it already.
Hey, look - there’s curling in that picture!
Stu - I couldn’t possibly fit the Peach Bowl into my schedule tomorrow. There’s outdoor hockey on TV! Be sure to watch it or I will find you and bust your freakin’ head!
Paging AZGopherGirl: Jon’s covered this over at his place, but Biscay Liquors is in the news. Awesome.
And here’s the Strib story.
He picked a guy up by the neck?! Who is he…the Terminator? Good Lord!
You were right about all of that GSL craziness you spoke of during the Prep Bowl, Stu.
I’m back from my vacation in Seattle !! (Does that weather ever s.ck !!) I had to kiss some serious butt from a mite pretty bartron at a “sportsbar” to put on the Wash/Viking game. Turns out they could care less about that stimulating encounter. What a surprise !!
Anyway, I want to get back to the Fla/Michigan game and I see no reason to (continue) kicking sand in your face about your team (pretty tacky that would be). So instead let me just say that with Tavaris still around next year(this qb who might make a decent backup somehwere) the Vikings will continue to go nowhere, since the only actual offensive asset they have is Peterson…and Peterson has proved, over and over, that despite his larger than life press clippings (press here, not in Seattle) he cannot beat a defense all by himself.
In fact, I think no matter what happens, no matter who the new qb, that Peterson will never again set up his gaga numbers again for whatever reasons, physical or psychological. And as I said it before and will again, players can and often are flashes in the pan. Peterson is more than that but less than he showed earlier in his rookie year. In any event, Jackson must go, since any D will quite naturally ignore him and go 8 or 9 in the box on Peterson. Da Bald Vike Coach says he sees something in Jackson. Duh, what ? All I and 30 people in that Seattle bar saw of Jackson was him on his butt or throwing wild ints. Sorry your team lost, but then to lose again to Denver with their relatively poorly rated run D must have even hurt more. So in the offseason, lobby for Jackson’s unconditional release and we can start arguing all over again next year…
HAPPY NEW YEAR RANDBALL!!!!!
-ACCESS VIKINGS
Figures you come back now, PPP, and were absent after that Packers vs. Bears “game.”
Peterson definitely won’t put up numbers like he did early this year if the Vikes can’t pass, there you are right. Jackson may not be great, and clearly needs to work on his decision making, but he did show improvement. Having a WR corps would help–you or I could have caught those two passes Williamson dropped. The axe has to fall for him–he’s officially a bust for the Vikes. Maybe some other team can teach him how to catch.
Someone else who should improve his decision making? Zygi Wilf. As in, improve your decision to fire Childress. That he didn’t make the adjustment to 3/4 WR set earlier in the Washington game, and couldn’t get them ready for a game where they controlled there destiny, and one where they needed to win to have a chance is inexcusible. The very little bit of goodwill that Childress fostered by maintaining his even keel during the 5 game winning streak is all but gone.
I think most of the Vikings points have already been discussed in previous threads–now it’s time to sit back and prepare for the draft.
Wait, what, there’s other sports going on?
Now that’s just someone up there ill-suited for social interaction who tries to impress others through negativity by way of ignorant stereotyping.
Seattle weather has been great the last several weeks*. (There’s been snow but nothing to fuggup traffic, it’s been fairly mild, sun breaks every fourth day or so, and little rain… IOW, par for the season thus far.) And I would take it 11 times out of 10 over Twin Cities weather unless the ice rinks were actually in good condition before Winter Break. Otherwise, what’s the point? Seattle’s winter wonderland is all of 30-45 minutes away. Hello, Cascades! IOW, why fuggup daily life when you can outsource winter?
/rant (may it be my only one in 2008)
*Apparently, I’m not supposed to talk about reversing the stereotype here. Otherwise, more outsiders will keep coming. Oh, well. Thankfully, visitors see what they want to see here. The rainy stereotype merely helps negativists fail to see the beauty and benefits of Seattle. But even in the summer when it is sunny and 70 every day, the positivists go home raving about the lucky break they got with the weather.
’bout time Zookers, TD! Maybe they’ll get back in this game. 21-10 now. They’ll have to continue making defensive stops and convert on the turnovers. If that lineman/backer guy in the first half doesn’t impede the INT return, it’s a completely different ballgame right now. Oh, drat. USC has first and goal at the two. Double drat, three score game. Miracle time, Illini!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Shifty,
I will say something about Seattle sport’s fans. They are a little more realistic, even less fanatic, than those overfilling the Dome seats. For one thing, they are not as pumped on their Seahawks as we are/were on the Vikings i.e. their fans seem very discriminating knowing that that even though they are in the playoffs, they still have glaring weaknesses.
And as an aside, as for that @$*^@# weather, yes it’s warmer but warm + wet = raw and while we can dress here for cold, it’s impossible to dress for raw.
And finally, sports reporters out there, both tv and print, after the Bronco game, in particular, and the Redskin game went way out of their way suggesting that if the Vikings wanted to not simply play stuck in neutral again next year that they trade, borrow and steal enough $ to trade up or buy a decent qb since no one except loyal Viking fans here believe this Jackson is anything more than a work in progress that shows only incremental progress…..but Shifty, that’s not negative thinking, simply a little reality check and that should never hurt any team
I forgot (some) of the trades the Vikes should make before next season. I came up with these talking to one of the only Viking friends who makes any sense.
1) Williamson (Magoo), of course, But, I’m wondering didn’t his lack of perception come up in his combine ?
2) Jackson, also of course. EXACTLY what did this visionary coach, renowned builder of quarterbacks, see in this guy, and why can’t he see he was just wrong…when so many in the sports world outside of flyover land know this guy needs to go..
3) and finally, Chucky Cheese, since what good did having the “best rushing duo” ever do the Vikings. The Vikings don’t have the luxury now to keep both rbs esp. with no qb in the wings, so why not trade the slower weak sister who only has a year or two left anyway ? Dump him while a good trade could be made, esp since zip will come from Magoo and precious little from the pretender, Jackson, but Chucky Cheese might bring in a replacemant for Sharper, another old shoe about to go..
