I don't know about you, but I'm bored. Very bored. Almost as bored as this.

We're in that dull stretch of off season after the NFL draft when not too much is happening. The drafted players are getting signed to contracts, the 90-man roster the team is going into training camp now has to cut a player you probably don't know yet when they add a player you probably don't know yet, and even the stadium situation is mostly settled. Well, "settled" is a relative term because the stadium bill (passed by the Minnesota Legislature and signed by Gov. Mark Dayton) is going before the Minneapolis City Council on Thursday, but since there isn't much the non-Minneapolis resident can do to influence that vote, I refuse to get emotionally involved in that particular hurdle.

Things have gotten humdrum and something had to be done. Welcome to your Track 2 Challenge for the Minnesota Vikings 2012 season soundtrack.

Contest details after the jump.

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The other day we had a song contest on Facebook because I was so giddy about the recent developments in the Minnesota Vikings quest for a new stadium. Our contest was to select a song to commemorate the Minnesota Legislature passing the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. A new stadium is a celebratory occasion and we needed a good celebratory song. But we got a lot of good songs, so, as I'm wont to do, I changed my mind and decided to compile all the songs into an ultimate Vikings stadium party mix.

I present to you a selection of music chosen for you chosen by your fellow Vikings fans. May you crank some of these tunes while Governor Mark Dayton signs the stadium bill. If you think you have a song that needs to be added to the play list, then put a link in the comments. Enjoy!

Track 1

What Vikings play list would be worth its salt if it didn't include "Skol Vikings"? That's why we are starting off this play list with a song we hope we'll sing many, many times in a new stadium.

"Skol Vikings"

Submitted by Josh Dreger, Kevin Jahn, Aj Poulos

The rest of the new stadium play list after the jump!

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After a bit more than a decade, a couple ownership groups, a couple different governors, contentious political debate, hysterics, rallies, trips to Los Angeles, and late nights, it looks like the long wait for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is over.

Simple, no?

All of Vikings Nation breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday when the bill hammered out by the conference committee was finally passed in both the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Senate. I was a little late in that relief because my internet was out. Yes, after watching every up and down in the stadium saga for close to two years I missed out on the happy near-conclusion. So I'm late to the party and a little bitter about that, but this promises to be one heck of a party.

After the jump a stadium saga review and more self-congratulations.

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Sometimes it isn't easy to be a Minnesota Vikings fan. Clearly, that wasn't the case on Thursday last week when the Vikings selected offensive tackle Matt Kalil with the fourth pick overall and then moved to nab Harrison Smith at 29^th overall in the NFL Draft. Vikings fans got to enjoy a pretty good buzz after that first round, but only a few days later less positive stories seem to be taking over.

A former Viking player (Michael Bennett), a current* Viking player (Caleb King), and the spouse of a former Viking player (Amy Senser, wife of Joe Senser), have all been in the news for bad stuff. And there's always the stadium situation to hang around like that dark cloud over Winnie the Pooh's friend Eeyore--provided that cloud was a mess of partisan politics.

More about the partisan games that could affect the stadium bill after the jump.

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Note: This is a pretty long article so put your feet up and grab a snack. It isn't our most hardcore football article ever, but it is about how a Hall of Fame former Viking gives back to the people of Minnesota.

Of all the things I thought I might end up doing when I started writing for the Daily Norseman, I think it's safe to say putting on a pretty dress and going to a swanky gala was not one of them. But Saturday night that's just what I did.

In his interview with Hall of Fame former Minnesota Viking and current Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page, Eric touched on Page's Education Foundation and the work it does. The Foundation, founded in 1988, exists to enable students of color to achieve their dreams of pursuing post-secondary degrees. Saturday night marked the Foundation's 24^th annual gala, a chance to celebrate the Foundation's success and to shake a bit more cash out of the attendees' designer pockets.

Unlike my trip to Winter Park last year with Eric, or training camp in Mankato with Ted, this time I was walking into Target Field's Metropolitan Club sans literary compatriot and in an uncomfortable pair of heels. This was new territory.

Join me after the jump for a rundown of the evening and interviews with two Hall of Fame former Vikings.

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Monday was not a great day for the Minnesota Vikings in their quest to get a new stadium. In fact, it was basically a dinger.

Looking at the current state of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium situation, I find myself wondering if Minnesota lawmakers are capable of the level of cooperation it would take to place an order at Taco Bell, let alone pass legislation to build a $975 million stadium in Minneapolis. That might not be fair, but I'm not feeling particularly fair.

Just when hopes had been raised because the stadium bill was rolling along nicely in the Minnesota House of Representatives, it came to a screeching halt with a 9-6 bipartisan opposition vote in the House Government Operations and Elections Committee. Technically, it isn't impossible for a stadium bill to pass this session, but according to Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, one of the stadium bill's authors, "Somebody's going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat."

It looks as if passing a stadium bill in the current legislative session would require a unified, bipartisan effort of the Herculean variety and, if the Minnesota Legislature was capable of such an effort for the stadium bill we'd probably already have one passed.

Lester Bagley, the Vikings' vice president of stadium development, doesn't throw around threats, although maybe he should. He isn't given to big hysterics or hyperbole. Bagley chooses his words carefully, so when he says, "We've done everything we've been asked," or that waiting until 2013 "isn't an option" it carries the weight of a concession speech.

But is this the end? Will the Vikings leave Minnesota, their home of 50 years?

What happens next now that the Vikings' best hope for a new stadium this legislative session has hit such a substantial roadblock?

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Wow, for once I have actually gauged a mood correctly. Apparently, there really is a first time for anything. People seemed tightly wound as they pretended to be general managers faced with the task of rebuilding the Minnesota Vikings' roster or hearing about the latest developments in the Vikings' stadium saga. I got the feeling it was time to lighten the mood around DN with a little silliness in the form of another song contest, a choice that was as much for me as any of the rest of you.

Our contest challenge was to submit up to two songs per person to describe how you feel about the Vikings moves in free agency. The repressed DJs out there came through and submitted 49 songs for contest consideration. I'll have to look back on our previous song contests, but I think 49 songs could be a new record. Surprisingly, there weren't any duplicate submissions either. Fortunately, I didn't have find a winner in that bunch all by myself.

It probably isn't a surprise that some people were really gloomy and disappointed about the team's free agency roster moves, but, more surprisingly, other folks felt remarkably optimistic. It seemed wrong to lump it all together, so I decided we'd have a winner for best negative song and a winner for the best positive song.

And the winners are...after the jump. C'mon, you knew I wouldn't tell you before the jump.

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I don't know if it is because of spring or if the Federal Government has been slipping mescalin in the water supply, but people seem to be on edge here at the Daily Norseman.

Sure, the Minnesota Vikings have been amazingly underwhelming in free agency, not busting out one of their trademark "bet-the-farm-papa!" kind of deals, but is that really so bad? Considering one of the team's last big free agency moves was acquiring Donovan McNabb from the Washington Redskins, it seems safe to say there are worse things than the Vikings failing to get all frisky in free agency.

But, even though the team's rebuilding process is focusing on youth and working largely through the draft to retool the roster, it's plain that folks were hoping for at least some excitement. After the 2011 season was one of the worst in Vikings' franchise history, there needs to be something for fans to get excited about and we don't feel like patiently waiting for the draft. We've had nothing but stadium talk, Adrian Peterson's injury updates, roster moves, mock drafting, and a ho-hum free agency to talk about. Oh, and that sweet bit of vindication for finding out it wasn't just disappointed 2009 sour grapes when we said that the Saints were playing dirty. While that's considerably more than we had to talk about last year during the lockout, it tends to get heavy.

All things considered, it seemed like a good time for a frivolous contest.

It's a little too early to give a soundtrack for the 2012 season a title the way we dubbed last season's soundtrack the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011, but it isn't too early have a competition. During a normal year with a normal off season (neither of which we had last year), the off season roster finessing gets more attention so I think it's only right that the 2012 soundtrack should kick off with a track devoted to the Vikings' 2012 free agency.

Like the team's free agency roster moves? Hate them? Don't grouse and grumble about it, work it out in song like those annoying kids on Glee. Yes, you have another way of making your feelings known. A way that will amuse and annoy, a way that will win you the honor and infamy of our famed (and fictional) Burger King crown. We're relatively sure that there are no curses associated with the crown, unlike being on the cover of Madden NFL.

A little music to get you in the appropriate mood...

Here's how to play:

1. Wrack your brain and come up with up to two (yes, only two song submissions) bitching songs that you think perfectly describe the Minnesota Vikings' free agency.
2. In the comments section submit the title of the song, the artist who recorded the song, a link to the song's video on YouTube (this makes my life a lot easier), and why you think your song is awesome. All songs for this contest need to be submitted by Friday, April 6, 2012 at 8 p.m. CDT.
3. I will compile your songs into a long, unwieldy list and then harass my fellow writers to weigh in on which songs they think should win for this track. Mostly, they vote for themselves, which is kind of cute but not really helpful.
4. Since this coming Sunday is Easter Sunday, I probably won't post the results until the middle of next week. At that time, you can check out the other winning songs and then gloat when you find you won the top honors.
5. Then, the only thing left to do is bask in the glory of wearing your imaginary Burger King crown.

There you have it, your very first 2012 soundtrack competition. Oh, and, even though it's early, if you have any ideas what we should call the 2012 season's soundtrack, let me know. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Spring is about a month early in the fine state of Minnesota. Pasty people are wearing shorts and tank tops, robins are building nests, and people are thinking of uncovering their air-conditioners...in March. It's all a little strange. Pleasant, but strange.

I have trust issues with spring because Minnesota tends to offer her residents a season and then take it away just to mess with us. I have similar trust issues with the Minnesota Vikings' efforts to get a new stadium built. Positive developments have a way of being mitigated by some fresh hell. I don't like feeling that pessimistic, but it's a challenge not to.

As Chris posted earlier, seven members of the Minneapolis City Council have now expressed official support for the plan to build a new stadium adjacent/overlapping the current Metrodome site. This seven-member majority on the Council, though fragile, is a big step in enabling the stadium legislation at the state capitol to move forward. Facing reelection campaigns this fall, lawmakers want to know that there is Minneapolis support for a new stadium before they commit to supporting it.

Last night the news report I saw suggested that what convinced three previously uncertain Council members perceived as being in the middle (Meg Tuthill, Sandy Colvin Roy, and Kevin Reich) that they should support the stadium legislation negotiated by Mayor R.T. Rybak, Council President Barb Johnson, the Vikings, and the state, were lobbying efforts that the stadium construction would create jobs. That is hardly new, but it seems to have been more compelling when the unions were the ones doing the lobbying rather than the team.

Here's why I'm a little nervous about the Council's current majority of support for a stadium deal. Support from Tuthill, Colvin Roy, and Reich was given conditionally in support of the stadium bill as it is now. That is a big stipulation because in the stadium bill's first committee outing in the state senate, there was no vote on the bill, but there was an amendment to it regarding the length of the team's lease. That's what the Legislature does--it moves bills through committees, tweaking them until they are something that can receive support from a majority. So, if support on the Council is premised on the bill being exactly as it is now, but with the legislative process likely to alter things a bit, is it really support?

I'd like to believe it is simply because the alternative, that a new stadium doesn't have a majority of support from the Council, puts the stadium legislation back in the untenable position it was in before, with legislators withholding support because of the Council's lack of support.

However, with the support from the Council, the Legislature has lost an excuse (there may be more excuses lurking) for not moving forward with the stadium bill. And that means that voter support is still crucial. If you're a Minnesota resident who supports this stadium bill, then contact your representatives. They need to know that the people they answer to come election time want this bill to pass.

Unlike the Minnesota's weather, which we have to simply take on faith and then stay prepared for anything, Minnesota's lawmakers are something that we voters can do something about.

The football mellow that the Big Easy has been riding since the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl in 2009 season has been severely harshed.

During his tenure with the New Orleans Saints, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams designed, oversaw, and even helped fund a scheme that paid bounties to defensive players for making plays that caused injury to opponents. Following an extensive investigation, the NFL has meted out punishments that have succeeded in shocking even those who expected league repercussions to be severe.

Williams has been suspended indefinitely, a move that pretty much blights his career hopes for a long time to come and screws his new team, the St. Louis Rams. Saints head coach Sean Payton, who was aware of the bounties and did nothing to stop the practice, has been suspended for a year without pay. The team's general manager, Mickey Loomis, who knew of the practice and failed to end it when told to by the Saints' owner, is suspended for eight games. That should give Loomis time to work on his resume because it is a rare owner who wouldn't can his ass for disobeying a direct order to end an illegal bounty system that would expose the team to punishment such as this. Joe Vitt, assistant to the head coach, was suspended for six games and fined $100,000. In addition to that, the team has been fined $500,000 and lost second-round draft picks in the 2012 draft and the 2013 draft. Punishments for individual players who participated in the bounty program have not been announced at this time.

In his statement regarding the punishments the league handed out, Commissioner Roger Goodell said:

Since word of the League's investigation in the Saints bounty program came to light, we've talked a lot about the toll that practice takes on opposing players. Here at DN we've reviewed the toll that the Saints/Vikings NFC Championship game had on our team, not only in terms of ending the Minnesota Vikings' incredible 2009 season, but also in terms of the injuries piled up during that game (Brett Favre, Sidney Rice, Cedric Griffin). Vikings fans likely aren't alone in that pastime, I imagine fans of other teams around the league are reviewing games their teams played against the Saints and wondering "what if" too.

Well, here are a couple more "what ifs". What if you're a Saints offensive player who had nothing to do with the bounty program? And, what if you're a long-suffering Saints fan who bought into the Bayou Messiah vibe that the Saints (and the NFL) embraced?

More about how the bounty system damage keeps going after the jump.

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With the distractions of unseasonably lovely March weather here in Minnesota, the not guilty verdict in Chris Cook's assault trial, and the Vikings' largely underwhelming free agency moves, there hasn't been a lot of talk about the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill's progress through the Minnesota Legislature. Mildly interesting in that "watch your government at work" way, the bill's path through the committee process hasn't been stunningly encouraging for stadium supporters. But that doesn't mean stadium supporters should give in to all-out despair either.

Lots more after the jump.

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Tomorrow, the state of Minnesota is going to enjoy record high temperatures and sunshine, the likes of which we haven't seen since October. So, if you happen to be in our fair state, roll up your sleeves and soak up that long-absent vitamin D, or take your smartphone out to the park and join the Daily Norseman open threads. Go wild.

But, if all that pesky sunshine and the warm temperatures aren't your thing, you can always hang out at the State Capitol and watch Minnesota's democracy inaction in action. Nope, not kidding about that.

Minnesota Momentum has put out a call for Vikings fans to show up at the capitol tomorrow in a show of support for the stadium bill that is starting to work it's way through various committees. The stadium bill (Senate file 2391) is scheduled to go before the Senate Committee on Local Government and Elections on Wednesday, March 14th at 1:00p.m. in Room 15 of the State Capitol.

The team is hoping that fans will show up in force (and in purple and gold) to show the Minnesota Legislature that there is public support for a new stadium. Considering Governor Mark Dayton's statement that the stadium bill's chances of passing are 50-50, a strong showing of public support may be necessary to improve the stadium bill's odds of passing.

While we here at the Daily Norseman have been keeping busy with the not-so-shocking revelation of the New Orleans Saints' "Bountygate", finding out which free-agents the Minnesota Vikings are planning to re-sign, observing Chris Cook's trial proceedings, and debating what new general manager, Rick Spielman, will do with the third overall pick in the coming draft, the Vikings' bill to build a stadium overlapping their current stadium is beginning to chug through the Minnesota Legislature.

Although I couldn't find something specific to Minnesota's legislative process, with its bicameral Legislature the process for a bill becoming a law in the state of Minnesota is pretty similar to this.

The bill for a new Vikings' stadium is starting to make its way through various committees, shepherded by Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) in the state Senate and Rep. Morrie Lanning (R-Moorhead) in the state House of Representatives. These two have been critical to the process, drafting the basics of the stadium bill while waiting for the team, Minneapolis, and state to come to an agreement on the specifics of a deal. Full specifics are not yet available to the public, but the details that have emerged, at this point, are similar to what we've been hearing for the past week. Given some of the different interests that have already voiced their opposition to any use of government money in support of a professional sports team, or to the expansion of gambling in the state, the bill may have a challenging time getting passed before the Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on April 30.

Here are a few of the challenges that could slow the bill's progress.

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If you're paying attention to the Minnesota Vikings' stadium situation, then you know that the Vikings have struck a deal with Minneapolis to build a new stadium both on and near the current Metrodome site. It would be great for the team and its weary fans if this meant that the end of the stadium drama was in sight.

I forget how long ago it was that Governor Mark Dayton stated that the current Metrodome site was the only site for which a stadium bill could be passed in the current legislative session. That statement gave momentum to a site that had previously been considered the site least likely to tempt the team away from it's preferred site in Arden Hills. However, facing down the idea that the only way to pass a stadium bill in the current legislative session was to make a deal to build on the Metrodome site, the Vikings experienced a remarkable change of heart and have worked to craft a deal to build there. This plan calls for building a portion of the new stadium near the Metrodome so the Vikings could play there longer before moving to TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. So, there it is, a done deal that just needs to cruise through the Legislature?

Maybe.

One of the recurring themes in the Vikings' quest to get a new stadium built is that just when you think things are set they change. Just ask Ramsey County.

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The NFL Combine has been taking place in Indianapolis at Ford Field and it's showcasing more talent than you can shake the proverbial stick at, free agency is nearly upon us, the Minnesota Vikings are still working on a stadium agreement in Minneapolis, and the Daily Norseman has just reached 7,000,000 hits. All told, life is pretty good right now and what it might lack in outright excitement it is making up for with hope and relatively little drama (knock on wood). If you wanted to nitpick, we might say the only possible thing missing is some mirth and silliness. Therefore, I bring you the winners of our most recent photo caption contest, slightly late.

This time around contest participants vied for two top awards-the Writers' Choice Award that was chosen by the DN writers, and the People's Choice Award that was voted on by the DN members.

Join me after the jump to find out who won our coveted Burger King crown. Clearly, we need a bigger budget.

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Although Minnesota's harsh winter weather isn't living up to the hype this year with a rash of unseasonably warm weather and a serious lack of snow, I have definitely come down with a case of the winter blahs. The Minnesota Vikings' 2011 season was done on the first day of January, the post season wrapped up almost two weeks ago, and we still have nearly a month until free agency will begin. Yes, we have hit that really boring stretch of time when very little is going on in the world of professional football.

Except the Vikings' stadium quest, but I'm so tired of reading about the stadium situation that I can't bring myself to write about it. Not that there is anything I can say that hasn't already been covered by Chris or Ted.

This soul-sucking lack of football wouldn't be so bad if I had another sport to distract myself with, but I don't. I have a tepid interest in the Minnesota Timberwolves and I'm glad they are on the rise, but I'd be lying if I said I was following them closely. Hockey overlapped so much with football that I've missed most of the Wild's season, which now seems to be flagging. Baseball doesn't interest me at all, so hearing that the Minnesota Twins are getting geared up for spring training is about as fascinating to me as a wallpaper comparison. It's a boring winter wasteland.

So it seemed like a good time to manufacture some fun with another of DN's classic contests, the caption contest. That's right, we're un-retiring our Burger King crown and we're looking for a winner. But this time, there's a twist.

What twist could we add to an otherwise straightforward competition? So glad you asked.

As you might have guessed (or I might have told you, can't remember), in the past people have submitted their clever captions in the comment section below, I then compile the captions, present them to my fellow DN writers (who regret that I have their email addresses), we choose a winner, and I post the results. We're still going to do that. But, this time, in addition to a winner chosen by the DN writers, we're also going to crown a people's choice winner.

Here's how it will work: if you're reading the submitted captions and you find one you think should be the winner, cast your vote by choosing to rec that caption. The caption with the most recs will be the DN People's Choice winner and will enjoy the adulation of his/her peers. Hopefully, that's enough because cash and prizes aren't in our 2012 budget.

So, just to recap, we have another caption contest. Study the picture of Christian Ponder and Donovan McNabb at the top of the page, then compose a fitting caption and post it in the comments section below. Make us laugh and wow us with your cleverness. All entries will be presented to the DN writers and we'll choose a winner, but you can also vote for the People's Choice winner by choosing to rec a caption that you think should win. I'll compile the results and we'll crown the DN Writers' Choice and the DN People's Choice.

All captions need to be submitted by Monday, February 20, 2012 at 8pm CST. I'll publish the results later next week and we'll crown our winners. Good luck!

With Valentine's Day coming up on Tuesday next week you're probably contemplating what new and wonderful thing you can do for your Valentine to make the holiday special. Or, you might be a nervous wreck who has just realized the holiday of romance is just a week away and you have yet to make any plans.

Well, not to fear because the Minnesota Vikings' convalescing running back, Adrian Peterson, is here with the answer--he's giving you the chance to win a Valentine's Day phone call for your Valentine. That's right, our favorite running back could call your Valentine for you on February 14. What Viking fanatic wouldn't want a call from Peterson on Valentine's Day? With Adrian Peterson as your cupid, you won't look stupid. Well, you probably won't look stupid, but that could change if you decide to wear fuzzy cupid wings.

Why would Peterson come to your aid on Valentine's Day? Well, Adrian Peterson is trying to raise money and awareness for Football for Good, an organization that helps at-risk kids. Football for Good has partnered with GlobalMojo, to "leverage their browser app to generate funds for Football for Good." When you make purchases from Football for Good's online partners (like FTD, hint-hint), it raises money for the charity.

For more information on Football for Good and how this browser application works you can visit Football for Good's website. Adrian Peterson has also been promoting Football for Good and the Valentine's Day contest on his Facebook page.

The Super Bowl has come and gone, the final remnants of the 2011 NFL season are over, done, finished.

Seems a fitting time to wrap up the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011, our effort here at DN to have some fun with a season that seemed to do its best to depress and annoy stalwart Minnesota Vikings fans. The off season, filled with stadium debate and political posturing, isn't promising to treat us well either, but at least we'll have a few months before on-field issues can irritate us again. So, angle your monitor away from the boss and kick back, we're bringing you the final two tracks from the UMM2011.

Join me after the jump for the winners of the Track 12 and 13 challenges and a look back at all the UMM2011 winners.

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The on-field struggles for the Minnesota Vikings are over until next season revs up, but the off-field struggles to obtain a deal for a new stadium continue like a kind of political soap opera. And, like a soap opera, there are myriad interests at play over this single issue, making for some very interesting (potential) bedfellows.

According to the early stadium bill framework, there are three principal interests involved in working out a deal to finance and build a new stadium for the Vikings: the team, the state, and a local equity partner. But the longer this process goes on, the more I've come to realize that you'd almost need a program to keep track of all the different entities that have an interest in this stadium legislation. Clearly, not all of these interests have to agree in order for a deal to be completed, but, for even a fraction of them to come to a workable agreement, it has got to be like herding cats.

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Here at DN we like to give the people what they want. Sometimes we're better at that than we are at other times, but creating the best interactive Minnesota Vikings fan community is the goal. And it is that interactive quality that has made the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011 fun.

With the UMM2011 drawing to a close, the time has come to present your final challenge topic. Well, it would be time for the final challenge topic, but I'm calling an audible because I really liked two of the challenge topics that DN readers submitted. So, that means we'd have 13 tracks awarded to DN readers and a bonus track.

Track 12 Challenge Topic

Collectively, there's a pretty big Chris Kluwe crush going on here at DN. The Vikings' punter, Kluwe is a geek renaissance man who is becoming known as much for his band references and his funny tweets, as he is for his directional punting. He's a sci-fi-reading, World of Warcraft-playing, snarky response-writing, NFL oddity--and that's why we love him. Hence the Track 12 challenge is to submit a musical ode to Chris Kluwe. Kluwe is such a character, one can only wonder what kind of songs he'll inspire.

Track 13 Challenge Topic

Vikings fans might not have been anticipating a championship-worthy team in 2011 the way they were in 2010, but I think it's safe to say that they were hoping for something better than 3-13. But with a lousy season comes a high draft pick and hope for a better season next season. That's why the Track 13 challenge is to choose a song for the Vikings' roster in 2012. Who will they draft? A receiver? An offensive tackle? A corner back? We don't know, but we have the hope that all it takes is a good draft to turn our team around. Track 13 is a track for the hope that the, as yet unknown, 2012 roster will hold.

There are your two final UMM2011 challenges. Don't forget to label which challenge topic your musical selection is intended for, two song selections per challenge topic, and all submission must be in by Tuesday, January 31, 8pm CST. I'll post the results later in the week. I'm looking forward to seeing the songs you submit.

In case you had noticed, and you probably did because DN readers are a pretty sharp bunch, there's been a longer than usual delay between when songs were submitted for the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011 Track 11 challenge and the results. I can explain.

Sometimes in life we're happy because good things happen to us, but sometimes we're happy because disappointing or irritating things happen to people who annoy us. Sure, it's petty, and wrong to feel that way, but it happens. It could be when you see a person who cut you off stopped by the Highway Patrol further up the road getting a ticket. It could be when somebody who made fun of you in high school goes bald. It could be when a person who snores ridiculously loudly has to share a room with another person who snores ridiculously loudly. Well, here's when it happened for me.

You don't need to shame me, I know it's not nice. But there I was feeling mellow and at peace with the world, and I found it difficult to dive into the list of 36 song submissions for the Track 11 challenge, a song for fans of the 3-13 Minnesota Vikings to drown their sorrows in. If ever a fan base deserved a good drinking song, it's the Vikings fans, those hardcore fans who have stuck with this ill-fated team for the last two seasons. And yet, I just felt too good to listen to sad or angry drinking songs.

Join me after the jump for how I refocused on drinking songs and the Track 11 winners.

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Just when fans of the Minnesota Vikings and residents of the state of Minnesota thought that the stadium debate would be guided by some clear political leadership, Governor Mark Dayton called a press conference. Mark Dayton has always struck me as a likeable guy, the kind of person who would be a good neighbor or somebody you'd want in your book group. However, when the cameras are on him and he has to be a political leader he looks sweaty and sickly, like he did yesterday during his news conference to address the stadium proposals he received last week.

I don't blame Dayton for being anxious about the situation, if I had to deal with as charged an issue as the Minnesota Vikings stadium situation I'd be popping Paxil like Tic-Tacs. However, the stadium debate has been on the political horizon for a long time and was something that Dayton spoke about when campaigning for governor. What everyone was looking for yesterday was for Dayton to reveal which site he would support. What we got was a list of pros and cons for each of the sites under serious consideration.

A definite answer, it was not.

What did we learn from yesterday's stadium developments? More after the jump.

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With as many intriguing twists and head-scratching turns as the Minnesota Vikings' efforts to get a new stadium built in Minnesota have taken, the development that continually fascinates me is that the Metrodome site is likely the frontrunner in the stadium sweepstakes.

Dome sweet home, sort of

If there was ever a time when fans, teams, and players liked the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, I don't remember it. I'm not saying that there haven't been people who thought the Metrodome was the bee's knees, just that I can't think of any.

At the time it was built the Dome was seen as a workable, if not thrilling, option for a year-round sports facility that would house the Minnesota Twins, the University of Minnesota Gophers football team, and the Minnesota Vikings. It would also provide a place for high school sports championships and a variety of events and activities for Minnesotans regardless of what our fickle weather was doing outside. People weren't thrilled about the slightly generic facility, but they were all in it together-both literally and metaphorically.

However, thirty years later the Twins are playing at Target Field, the Gophers are once again on the University of Minnesota campus, playing at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Vikings are the last of the Metrodome's original anchor tenants. And, for the last ten years, spanning three different team ownership groups, the Vikings have also been trying to get out of the Metrodome. So far, to no avail.

All of that could change with the team's current lease at the Metrodome being up next month. For the last couple years the Vikings have said that they have no interest in signing a new lease until a deal for a new stadium is reached. With the Minnesota Legislature not scheduled to convene until January 24, 2012 and no stadium bill in the "finishing touches" stage, the team looks like it's on track to be homeless come February.

Lots more stadium talk after the jump.

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During a season when not much went right for the Minnesota Vikings, Jared Allen and his run on the NFL single-season sack record was a much needed bright spot. Although Allen didn't beat Michael Strahan's record that was set in 2001 at 22 1/2 sacks, Allen did break the Vikings' single season sack record set by Chris Doleman 20 years ago.

Therefore, it seemed fitting that one of the tracks on our Ultimate Misery Mix 2011, the musical soundtrack for a thoroughly disappointing season, should be devoted to one of the few bright spots. Jared Allen has been a fan favorite and a solid pass rusher since he joined the team as a free-agent in 2008. Known for his big personality as well as his big plays, I was curious what kind of songs Allen would inspire for the Track 10 Ultimate Misery Mix 2011 challenge.

Join me after the jump for a look at some fun musical selections and the song that wins this challenge topic.

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Eventually, the day may come with the folks here at the Daily Norseman no longer have a huge, collective man-crush on 13-year Minnesota Viking Jim Kleinsasser. Yes, eventually, that may happen, but it doesn't look like it will happen any time soon. Between the Track 9 challenge for the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011 and this caption contest, there's been a lot of love for Kleinsasser flying around the site lately.

That affection has prompted some great submissions for the caption contest.

Whose caption reigned supreme and will win the dubious honor of our crown? Find out after the jump.

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There were a lot of great songs submitted the Track 9 challenge of the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011--choosing a good song to describe the un-showy, but quietly remarkable career of Jim Kleinsasser. Kleinsasser played his final NFL game on Sunday after spending his entire 13-year career with the Minnesota Vikings. Because there were so many great songs submitted for that challenge, there was interest in having the entire list of songs submitted available for your listening enjoyment.

The Daily Norseman strives to give the people what they want so, without further ado, here is the complete list of songs submitted in ode to Jim Kleinsasser.

Study this picture of Jim Kleinsasser before the cameras after playing his final NFL game on Sunday, and submit your clever caption before 8pm on Friday for your chance to win our rumpled Burger King crown. I'll post the results of this caption contest with the results from the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011 Track 10 challenge.

When I suggested a multi-track challenge to help fill out the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011, I knew it would be kind of a mess to keep everything straight and organize all the musical selections. However, the reality of dealing with all 74 song selections was more of a mess than I predicted. Fortunately, once again my fellow writers here at DN came to the rescue and helped me select winning songs for five more tracks of the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011. The season (and year) may be over, but at the Daily Norseman the music is still going strong.

The submitted songs highlighted the eclectic musical tastes of the DN readers and the general attitude of fans toward the Minnesota Vikings recording one of their worst seasons in team history. You'd think it would be a gloomy outlook, but, all things considered, it's pretty plucky.

Join me after the jump for the next five tracks in the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011. We might have to organize a time-share for the Burger King crown.

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It was kind of late in the NFL season when I got the idea for the Ultimate Misery Mix 2011. Of course, until the season was half over we still clung to the hope that the Minnesota Vikings' 2011 season wouldn't be quite as bad as it was. But it has been that bad. Actually, the season has been worse than I expected. But, much to my surprise, people seem to enjoy competing for the honor of wearing our tattered Burger King crown by choosing songs for our Ultimate Misery Mix 2011--our musical way of laughing about one of the worst Vikings seasons in the history of the franchise.

Sunday is the Vikings last game and so far only four tracks have been chosen for our Ultimate Misery Mix 2011. As far as albums go, four songs seems a little on the skimpy side. Not only that, but how ultimate is our misery if we can work up only four measly tracks? Not very Ultimate.

How can you make our mix more Ultimate and get your hands on our Burger King crown? Good question. Join me after the jump for details.

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The Minnesota Vikings 2011 season is nearly over, all that remains is one more game. While this season has been full of challenge and disappointment for fans, with the unsettled state of the Vikings stadium situation in Minnesota, the end of the season doesn't give us the respite we deserve. That isn't much of a holiday gift for long-suffering Vikings fans. In fact, it ranks right up there in the hierarchy of bad gifts with stale fruitcake and tacky holiday sweaters.

Whatever else may await us in the New Year, Vikings fans will witness significant change in our team during the off-season. Players we've spent years cheering for will depart, new players will arrive, injured players will rehab, and a new home will be found for the team. Hopefully, fingers-crossed, that new home will be in Minnesota. In light of all that's going on, this song just feels right.

Our troubles might not be out of sight next year or miles away, but that hope is renewed each year. After a season like 2011, Vikings fans could use some renewed hope.

As a world of economic hardship, war, pain, and loss swirl around us, we come together here at the Daily Norseman and share the simple joy of talking about Minnesota Vikings football. We talk about players' performance and antics, we break team news, we crack jokes, we argue, and we debate. Mostly, we try to find a way to have a good time no matter how the Vikings are playing. That might seem silly to other people, but talking about Vikings football is one of those small joys that helps make the lousy things in life a little more bearable for us.

There are Vikings fans all over the world who come together here to talk about the ups and downs of the season, to analyze roster moves, to discuss potential stadium sites, to just hang out with other people who cheer for the same win-challenged, purple-clad team. We're a community. We might not have a fixed location, but we have an anthem, well, we do if you count "Skol Vikings." We might not know what one another looks like, might not recognize other DN members if we saw them on the street, but some of us are so familiar with each other on this site that we know who's who simply from the subject line on a comment. We might not have anything else in common with one another other than being a Vikings fan, but here, that's enough.

At the end of this season Vikings fans don't know what will happen with the team's roster, coaching staff, draft, or stadium. But an ever-growing number of Vikings fans know they have a website they can visit, anytime, anywhere, that's dedicated to sharing all the Vikings drama.

Sure, we could have gone the humorous route this holiday and asked readers to vote on the Viking player they most want to find under the mistletoe (Shiancoe, absolutely Visanthe Shiancoe), or to choose which players they think are most likely to get a lump of coal this Christmas (probably Chris Cook), or to decide which player looks most like an elf (tough call, but I'm going with Greg Camarillo), but sometimes a little sappy sentiment is okay too.

So from me, and the rest of the Daily Norseman staff, we wish you and yours a merry little Christmas. Wherever you are, whether in Minnesota or on the other side of the world, you're part of what makes this site a great Vikings fan community and we're glad you're here. No, our troubles might not be miles away next year, but we'll be right here to share it all with you, and we'll even try to have fun with it.

Merry Christmas and Skol!