Gerald Sensabaugh, Safety for the Dallas Cowboys, just released a statement early this morning:

"I would like to apologize to the Dallas Cowboys and their fans.  After countless hours of watching Sidney's first touchdown replay, I still can't see the ball that my teammates say got by me.  The guys just keep showing me the replay, but I still just can't see the ball.  Everything just sort of happened all at once....  Did they score?  I didn't see it.  I pleaded with coach Phillips to throw the challenge flag after that play, but he wouldn't.  Coach told Keith Brooking to explain to me what had just happened, but he refused and told coach how classless and disrespectful that would be, then started jumping up and down screaming...  Either way, I recognize that regardless of the reality that I still cannot see that ball, it must've happened.  We got the ball back after that play and the score was 7-0, and all my teammates say it happened, too.  I've signed up for both visual and denial therapy to take care of this problem.  I would literally have to beat myself to not win this fight -- Someday I will see that ball.  Someday...."

...Or not.  While I admit it has been incredibly difficult this year to see so many "experts", spanning all networks, under-appreciate the beloved Purple....  It has worked out quite well, hasn't it?

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This coming week in football could be just as satisfying as this past week was.  Speaking of satisfaction -- this week was about as satisfying of a bye week that a fan of the Minnesota Vikings could hope for.  I don't need to go into detail here, we all know why.....  I can't resist -- because the Bears got slaughtered, the Packers got embarrassed, and the Lions did what the Lions do, that's why!  Maybe the only things better would have been:

• If the Saints lost to the Panthers.
• I also saw someone mention that with the Giants losing this week, perhaps their season is shaping up to them needing a win in week 17, so I guess you could debate that it would have been better that they had won?  Maybe.

Anyhow, to the point.  The Vikings could very well be the only winners of the division again this coming week.  With the Bears facing the 49ers in SF this Thursday, the Packers facing the division leading Cowboys, and the Lions facing the division leading Vikings, I'd say that this scenario is very realistic.  Added bonus;  putting any hopes of playoff possibilities even further away from the Bears and Packers.  I know their playoff chances are a longshot already as Gonzo pointed out yesterday, but I'm all for that fat lady's voice becoming even louder after this Sunday.  If the division were to shape up the way we hope, we'd have:

Vikings @ 8-1

Packers @ 4-5

Bears @ 4-5

Lions @ 1-8

How sweet it would be, too.  I'd say at that point we could be comfortable in saying we're in.  I'm really not too concerned about the Packers game, but I really want SF to step up and destroy the Bears.  What do you guys think will happen?

I just saw this:

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson did not practice on Wednesday because of an unknown injury.

Henderson did some light jogging on the sideline but did not wear a helmet or shoulder pads during the portion of practice that was open to the media. He had eight tackles in the 27-13 win over Detroit on Sunday and is the Vikings leading tackler this season.

The Vikings certainly could use him this week against San Francisco and running back Frank Gore, who rushed for 207 yards last week.

This would really stink if he was out for the game Sunday.  I know it says unknown injury, but has anyone seen anything else indicating what the injury is?

Is who concerned yet?  I'm talking about the Chicago Bears, that's who.

The Bears are getting all sorts of negative press after their pathetic demonstration of how to play the game of football on Sunday night.  As far as I can tell, this is the most negative press they've gotten since they signed their "Franchise" quarterback Jay Cutler, and it appears to be making them kind of upset. 

I realize the following are a series of bold statements, especially after only 1 week.  But hey, if Berman can pick Cleveland over Minnesota and King can pick Detroit over Minnesota, on the national level nonetheless, then I feel totally justified writing this....  here's what I think:

• They are realizing that there is a possibility that Jay Cutler is not nearly the calibur quarterback that they were hoping he was, and that they might actually have to admit it soon.  Although the blind allegiance is rampant right now because they are clinging to hope, they can only cling so long.....
• They are coming to grips with the possibility that they could be cozying up next to the Lions in the division with a 3rd place finish, especially after Pittsburgh lays the smack down this week making them 0-2.  I saw as stat on NFL network earlier today saying that since 1990, only 13.8% of teams going 0-2 make the playoffs....  And with us and GB in the division, well, good luck with that Chicago..
• They are starting to become concerned with their lack of 1st round draft picks for the next two years, in effect securing them a seat in the bottom half of the division for a couple years to come.
• The injuries on defense are going to hurt them big time.  I hate injuries, and I thought about not including it here, but it's an unfortunate reality that they have to deal with.  I really do hope for speedy recoveries for those guys.
• They are mad at the media, just like we get upset with the media when they are constantly bashing on the Vikings.
• Their power rankings have fallen significantly after just week one.  I know one could argue the importance of power rankings and that they don't mean squat, but hey, if it is going make Bears fans more upset, I say keep it coming.
• And finally, all that smack talking about us getting Favre and how awful we're going to be as a result.....  I could write a nover here, but I think that will just speak for itself at the end of the season.

Not much brings a bigger smile to my face than to watch the Bears lose and to watch Bears fans lose it.  After week 5, I put them at 1-4, having beat only Detroit.  Maybe then some of these realizations will have truly set in.  It will be very fun to watch!

When Gonzo made a post several weeks ago entitled "As the Media Turns".  I was skeptical of some of the claims in there, especially this:

...On the other side sat the obvious disdain. . .if not outright hatred. . .that the national media has for Minnesota sports teams....

But, I am now a believer.  I don't know if this claim covers all Minnesota sports teams, but if you want my humble opinion, it definitely covers the Minnesota Vikings.  The things I have been reading across almost every major sports network just makes my stomach turn.  You would think that the people who would be most passionate and emotional about the Vikings would be, well, us - Vikings fans.  But that just is not the case.  People really hate the Vikings, and even more so now that Brett Favre is a part of this team.  I would give an honest, non-exhaggerated estimate of 7-to-1 articles I read have a negative twist on the Vikings/Childress/Favre/etc and some of them are just outright bizarre.  I don't know if, as a fan of the Vikings, my purple and gold shaded sunglasses are distorting my view here, but I don't think we are in that bad of shape....  especially no worse off.  What happens if Favre blows it, we still have the same guy we had last year, plus another of equal or even better calibur arguably.

Anyhow, I could go on forever, but I'll stop there.  The main point is this:  I was once skeptical that there was a hatred of the Vikings, and that skepticism has totally chipped away by countless reporters and analysts over the past several weeks to the point where I am nearly certain of it!

Who is a die hard Packers fan - you can imagine the smack-talk that has been going on all summer.  He rubbed it in a little because, admittedly, I continued to become more and more pumped about the fact that we were going to have Favre running the offense.  Then the wind was taken out of my sails yesterday when Favre decided he wasn't going to play....  but only briefly.  Then I realized that I forgot about one very important thing during this whole mess....  we're still better than anything that's in our division.  Finally I asked him "what is our division going to look like at the end of 17 weeks?"  To which he responded two noteworthy things that remind me how crazy Packers fans are and that also deserve a comment.  He said:

The Pack will be 13-3 (6-0 in the division) -  to which I say "You've lost you're flipping mind".  He would only concede to 12-4, but still 6-0 in the division.

The Vikings will still be ahead of the Bears - to which I say "Obviously".

In conclusion - my friend is clearly delusional yet wise at the same time.  I feel sympathy and understanding for his delusion, well, because he's had 15 years of Favre racking his brain while we've only had 3 months.  And as for his wise assessment of the Bears this coming season, it's nice to know that being a Packers fan his whole life hasn't completely eroded his sanity.

What say you, Vikings fans?

As I read posts and peruse this site, I see an awful lot of Vikings fans simply lambasting Brad Childres for everything under the sun.  For a guy that has consistenly moved forward in the division and keeps winning more and more games every year (and I don't see anything indication that this will not be the case this coming season), I can't understand why so many people hate him so much.  I fully understand what it is like to disagree with some of the stuff he does, I imagine that goes on with all football fans, but they don't hate their coaches like Vikings fans hate Childress.

If I go by what I've read so far about Vikings fans general opinion of Childress, I'll probably regret opening up this can of worms, but I guess I want to know "why all the haters"?