Lt. Ted Glover, 3rd From Right, Afghanistan Theater, October 2001

Today is a day that has a very special meaning for me. For a lot of us, it's a day off from work, the unofficial beginning of summer, and a long weekend. This year, by the time this posts, I'll be on a lake in Northwest Ontario, far away from the Internet or cell phone reception, fishing with my stepdad, brothers, and friends. Hopefully, many of you will be doing something as meaningful to you with your family.

That's wonderful, it really is. But the reason we can do stuff like that is because a lot of men and women--far too many--paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure the blessings that this great country has bestowed on us. In many ways, enjoying a simple thing like a beer and a cookout might be the best way to pay tribute to these men and women, for when you get right down to it, it's the simple things that make the sacrifice worthwhile.

Earlier this month, the mothership put out a request from veterans. They wanted favorite sports stories from when people were deployed to put on the respective SB nation YouTube channels, and Graham asked what I thought about doing one for OTE. I know I have a face for radio, so a video was out, but I contemplated writing a story. So here's mine:

For those of you that don't know, I spent 22 years in the military, split between the Air Force and the Army. Most of my time was spent as a helicopter pilot, flying CH-47D Chinooks in the Army, and the MH-53J and M PaveLow for the USAF. On September 11, 2001, I was a pilot with the 20th Special Operations Squadron, based out of Hurburt Field, FL. Our flight was on alert for any real world contingency, and as it became evident that this was a terrorist attack, we knew we were going to war.

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The other day I posted a story about Tommy Kramer being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, and we had some great 'back in the day' comments about the Vikings, and some other exploits of Two Minute Tommy, ahem, both on and off the field.

One of those was a sequence of plays that have come to be known as the 'Met Stadium Miracle'.

It was the last home game of the 1980 season, and by the end of 1981, Metropolitan Stadium would be no more. The historic run the Vikings were on was just about over, but with a win against Cleveland, the Purple and Gold would clinch their 11th NFC Central title in 13 years, and Bud Grant would get one last shot at a Super Bowl.

It seemed, however, that it wasn't meant to be. The good guys were down 23-9 in the fourth quarter, and although they scored a TD early, they still needed two scores. All Cleveland had to do was run out the clock, but for some reason, Sam Rutigliano called a pass, which Bobby Bryant picked off on the Cleveleland side of the 50. Tommy Kramer quickly struck, hitting Ahmad Rashad and cutting the lead to 22-15 with right around 2:00 to go.

Cleveland forced the Vikes to use all their timeouts, and when they punted, the Vikings had the ball on their own 20, with only 14 seconds left and no timeouts. If I'm not mistaken, the Browns also ran out of bounds on one play as well, which really helped the Vikes cause.

What transpired? Only the greatest two play sequence in Minnesota Vikings history, that's all:

And that's why Cleveland is the only sports town more tortured than Minneapolis, kids

Note that both teams were on the same sideline, and how cool it was a bunch of jubilant Vikes were running past a bunch of forlorn Browns as the game ended.

Oh, and Viva Two Minute Tommy!

Enjoy your Thursday, folks.

Yeah, I know the stadium battle is over. Well, almost. Once the Minneapolis City Council approves it next week, it will be over. But that formality aside, what would you like to see in the new digs?

Both Mark and Zygi Wilf have said they're still in the conceptual phase, and it will be a year to go from here to breaking ground. That means they still need to hire an architectural firm and plan this thing out.

That's where we come in. Us, the fans. I mean, if it's the 'People's Stadium', we should have some input into how this thing is put together, amirite?

1. MOAR FULLBACKS. I want a fullback Hall of Fame within the Vikings Hall of Fame within the Minnesota 'Sparts' Hall of Fame (if you were here for the legislative threads, you get the reference. If not, may God have mercy on your soul). Starting with Bill 'Boom Boom' Brown and going all the way to Jim Kleinsasser, I want an area that is dedicated to fullbacks. Because you can't have enough fullbacks.

More ideas, and I'd like to see what you guys have, after the jump.

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Tommy Kramer, erstwhile hero and villain for thousands of Minnesotans in the late 1970's and early 1980's, was elected to the college football hall of fame earlier today.

Kramer was a standout at Rice University, where he was a consensus All American on a losing team. He was the Vikes first round draft pick in 1977, and became a cult hero in his rookie season.

It was December 4, 1977. A home game against the then lowly San Francisco 49ers. The Vikes went down 24-7, Bud Grant brought Kramer in the fourth quarter, and he engineered the greatest comeback in Vikes history to that point, throwing three fourth quarter TD's to give the Vikes a 28-27 win. I still remember that game. When Sammy White hauled in a late bomb for the go ahead TD, I jumped so high on the couch I missed said couch coming down and splattered on the floor. My dad, after he made sure I hadn't killed myself, started whooping and hollering with me.

Yeah, the legend of Tommy Kramer was born.

Kramer was a guy you either loved or hated, and I loved him. He had a Honey Badger don't care attitude on the field, and would throw it into double or triple coverage. He could be terrible for 58 minutes, and then he was a first ballot hall of famer for the last two. He had a dip of Copenhagen or Skoal bigger than a football helmet in his mouth during post game interviews, and every week he just 'took what the defense gave us'.

Yeah, Kramer was maddeningly inconsistent, but man, if the game was on the line, and you needed a touchdown to win it, Kramer got it for you, more often than not. Does it matter that it was his three picks earlier in the game that got the Vikes down by 4 or 6 points with only two minutes to play?

No, no it does not.

Congratulations, Tommy.

Edit: Here is highlights of Kramer's coming out party, courtesy of the YouTubes. Kramer had a cannon for an arm, as you can see on his throw to Sammy White for the clincher:

Outside, freezing cold, awesome uniforms, and Tommy Kramer.

So let it be written, so let it be done:

(St. Paul Pioneer Press) Vikings stadium bill: Dayton signs, spotlight moves to Minneapolis City Hall: bit.ly/JbSiOm

— Vikings News (@Vikings_Live) May 14, 2012

It's official. Well, not quite. The Minneapolis City Council now has 30 days to vote on the stadium bill that Dayton just signed. They already gave their support earlier in the process, so this should be nothing more than a formality, but I'm not going to be 100% relieved until that vote is taken.

But I AM going to go drink some of the bitter tears of the anti-stadium crowd, who showed up to protest the signing of the bill, along with scores of fans that are stadium supporters.

Now the Vikings will begin planning in earnest, and Vikings VP of Stadium Affairs has said it will be about a year before the Vikings can break ground on the new digs adjacent from the Metrodome, as several things need to happen, like, you know, get a final design and all. But there will time for that later.

For now, we celebrate!

From almost the moment Urban F. Meyer was introduced as the head coach in Columbus, OSU fans have had dreams of multiple B1G and National Championships running through their head.

The reaction has been, at least for me, almost comical. It's not that I don't think Meyer was a fantastic hire, nor do I think he'll fail as the head coach. I think he'll be very successful.

But what will be the definition of successful for Urban Meyer at OSU?

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So earlier today, in my haste to write something about anything other than the stadium, a strange sensation came over me. I got cotton mouth, my body started shaking uncontrollably, and then I blacked out. When I awoke, my family and friends were sitting around me in a circle, and they decided to intervene.

One of the things I learned in Stadium Story Rehab is that some people just can't quit cold turkey, and my writing counselor told me that I should ease out of it. That might help prevent a relapse further on down the road, and I thought maybe my counselor is right.

So with that in mind, I'll have to sprinkle some stadium stories in from time to time, and this is my first post-Stadium Getting Approved Stadium story.

One of the priorities of the Wilfs is getting a Super Bowl for THE NEW VIKINGS STADIUM, WOOOOOOO!!! (it still isn't old for me, how about you?), and they feel that they have a better than decent shot.

"I know the Super Bowl process typically happens in the spring," (Mark) Wilf said, "so potentially as soon as a year from now we could be a bidder. We haven't talked to officials about it yet, but we see no reason why we wouldn't be ripe to put in a bid for a Super Bowl, and we're hopeful and we'll do everything we can as owners to persuade our partners that it's a great community, and have a Super Bowl here hopefully as early as 2017."

Not only is this new stadium going to be awesome for the Vikings, the state of Minnesota, and us the fans, but one of the things that wasn't really discussed during the last week of the debate are all of the extra events that the state of Minnesota will be able to get a foot in the door on, and the Super Bowl is one of them.

Besides pro football's ultimate game and the NCAA Final Four, one of the things that no one really mentioned is the Big Ten football championship. Having a new, state of the art facility in one of the premier cities in the Midwest will put Minneapolis back on the sports map in terms of hosting major championship events, and if college football ever decides to go to a playoff format, the new stadium could be a leading candidate for a neutral field playoff site.

To bring it back full circle, I think a Super Bowl will be a given, unless the new stadium is just one of the crappiest new facilities in sports history.

But I have a feeling that with Mark and Zygi Wilf in charge, that's going to be one thing we won't have to worry about.

Oh, one last note. I mentioned it a little bit in the Stadium SMR, but thank you. Thank you for getting active, getting on the phone, and sending those emails. WE did it. WE helped to make this a reality. WE helped to make history, and when we're tailgating and walking through the Vikings Hall of Fame in September of 2016, we'll be able to say that WE helped make this possible.

It's easy to be a fan when you're cheering for a winning team, but sticking with a 3-13 club teetering on the verge of relocation? You hold your head up with pride when you tell somebody you're a Vikings fan, because just as many 'fans' that jumped on the 2009 bandwagon just as quickly bailed in 2010 and last year.

You guys are awesome, and I've never been prouder to be a fan of the Minnesota Vikings.

Someday, we'll get to know the feeling of winning a Super Bowl; I firmly believe that. After yesterday, I have an idea of what that will feel like.

Everyone have a safe and Happy New Stadium Weekend.

SKOL!

For once, I'm not writing about the stadium saga. We won. #Wilfare lost, and can suck my gjallahorn. It' time to talk about...wait for it...WAIT FOR IT...football, WOO HOO!

Over at NFL.com, I saw a story that asked the question: Were the Vikings right to draft matt Kalil?

Well, duh. Yes.

But in all sincerity, there was a sizeable contingent of Vikings fans that thought the best decision for the Vikings would've been to draft CB Morris Claiborne. Although Kalil was my first choice, almost from the moment the season ended, I wouldn't have been too terribly upset had they gone that direction.

But I think we already have validation as to why the Vikes were right to draft Kalil, as opposed to Claiborne. The Vikings are committed to Christian Ponder, and he admittedly had an up and down rookie season. One of the key improvements in said development will be his comfort in the pcket, which he admittedly didn't have last year.

"A lot of times I wasn't comfortable getting to my third, fourth reads, checking the ball down. Instead of just checking it down when a guy is wide open, I'd just run," Ponder said. "... That's something I have to get away from. It's easy to break the habit. It's just going to make it so much better having full confidence in the protection."

One of the fears that we had as fans was that if Ponder were to keep taking the beating he took in 2011, he would get gun shy, injured, or both. The best example I can give of that happening is to Marc Bulger of the St. Louis Rams. When he took over for Kurt Warner in the early aughts, he was an All Pro quarterback, but by the time he left, he was a guy that was expecting to get hit from almost the moment he snapped the ball.

Now, at least the Vikings, by drafting Kalil and moving Charlie Johnson to the inside, have upgraded the offensive line, and have simultaneously given Ponder a shot of confidence that might allow him to develop into the type of quarterback that will be required if the Vikings are to contend in the NFC North.

Wow, that was something else, wasn't it? For once, Charlie Brown kicked the football, and it went straight through the uprights. That was a roller coaster ride that made anything out at Valley Fair a kiddie ride, amirite?

So, as is our wont here on DN, it's time to break out the SMR. For in this ordeal, there are more winners and losers than usual, and both hero and villain alike need to be highlighted.

Because heroes and villains abound in this drama.

But first, VICTORY DANCE:

SMR, after the jump. GOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

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Hopefully, it won't go into the wee hours like the House did. With any luck, by dinner time here in the Heartland, the state of Minnesota will have a new stadium for us and the Vikings to call home for the next 30 years or so.

The Minnesota House of Representatives will take up the Vikings stadium bill...eventually. They've been on a 20 minute recess for about 40 minutes, and when they do come back in session, they'll take up the Vikings bill, there will be some debate, and then they'll vote on it.

The Senate will vote at noon tomorrow. Which by Minnesota Legislative time means 11:30 PM, near as I can tell. In all seriousness, if you're hanging with us, your wait is almost over. The Vikes almost have a new home.

Here's your live feed:

It's all come down to this: The conference committee, which was charged with making two stadium bills into one, will meet at 9:00 CST this evening. After that, the House of Representatives is scheduled to re-convene at 10 PM and presumably vote on final passage.

The latest info on the Senate is kind of conflicting. Earlier, it sounded like they would not meet until tomnorrow, but now rumor has it that they are also going to re-convene at 10...but there are no senators or staffers around the Capitol right now, if the Twitters are to be believed.

So, with luck, this might be wrapped up tonight. Or it might not. Or some of it might be done. Either way, these last few days have been phenomenal--this is a big deal, and you've shown us that, with over 4,000 comments since this began in earnest on Monday. People have come and gone through these threads, but there's been a core of us that have stuck through most of it. I couldn't think of a better quote to encapsulate how I feel. So, with apologies to William Shakespeare:

This story shall the good man teach his son,
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered,
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he today that sheds his blood comments in these posts with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition.
And gentlemen in England Minnesota now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought blogged with us upon Saint Crispin's Day. Stadium Passage Day

And so we go, once more into the breach. TO THE WALL!!!!!!! Live audio feed here:

The latest on the stadium bill saga, per the Twitters:

House calls recess until 10pm Rep Dean says "likely to possibly take up stadium" #vikings #mnleg @tpt #tptalmanac

— Mary Lahammer (@mlahammer) May 9, 2012

So, it looks like there's a good chance we'll get a final House vote on the combined bill that is currently being hammered out by the House and Senate conference committee sometime after 10 PM, Sen. Sean Nienow and Sen. John Marty be damned.

When we get a definitive time, we'll put up an open thread, and if it takes all night, well, somebody has to mind the store, so we'll be here. Because when Chris and I came in and opened up the store this morning, all the Grain Belt was gone, the back door was left unlocked, and the live bait cooler was empty.

So keep it here for updates on the House schedule, as we'll do our best to keep you up to date.

Two nights ago--at least I think it was two nights ago, the days just seem to run together with this stadium thing, Rep John Kriesel, one of the heavy lifters for the stadium in the House of Representatives, made his closing remarks about why the state of Minnesota should vote for this bill. It comes in at just under 4:30, and it should be required viewing for anyone who is a fan of this team, and understands what the emotional attachment is but has been unable to express it.

If this thing gets done, I think it's cool that a lot of the credit will go to Kriesel, who not only is a fellow combat veteran (woot woot) but is as passionate a Vikings fan as there is on this board.

Regardless, John Kriesel should never have to buy his own beer in the state of Minnesota ever again.

Ever. Again.

It's not over yet. Call your rep, call your senator, and tell them to bring this home.

Rep Kriesel will be leaving the House at the end of this term, and will become a Veteran's service officer for Anoka County. Sir, I thank you for your service to your country, to the state of Minnesota, and to the team we all love.

Godspeed.

Good day to you, proletariat. I know most you like to think of this at our ‘potluck' day, but this is Northwestern week, and potluck is such a...commoner word. Northwesterners are far superior to you, the great unwashed, and they don't do such lowbrow things as ‘potluck'. Oh, there's a feast prepared for you, but we'll call it fyte de village today, and it will be done exceedingly well, dahling. The fare is catered in from one of the finest French restaurants that Chicago has to offer, Les Nomades, and no expense has been spared. Why no, they don't cater, but they do for Northwestern. The cost? Oh, aren't you silly sitting there in your blue collar! That's so cute. They are Northwestern, the 1% of the 1%. Pish posh on the cost. This is money they would've just burned in one of their seven fireplaces, anyway.

So if you wouldn't mind, they'll put you in the good hands of Jean-Claude, the consummate Gentlemen's Gentleman. He'll help you...

//disdainful once over look//

...change into more appropriate attire, and give you a quick etiquette lesson on the use of the shrimp fork and how not to tuck your napkin under your collar. We're looking at you, Iowa fan. So when you're done changing, please follow Jean-Claude to the South Lawn. Once there, find your table on the seating chart and enjoy the 3 piece string ensemble. And please, enjoy some wine. Nothing out of the expensive bottles--those are reserved for Northwestern alumni. For you, we have a lovely selection of box wines. Or light beer.

And do engage in some topical conversation (but not above a whisper so as not to drown out the music) about the shelf life of Pat Fitzgerald, where Northwesternworld is and whether or not Nebraska is scared of it, the beast that might be Cain Kolter, cartwheeling quarterbacks, some backhanded slaps at Illinois and Notre Dame, and reviewing the worst Heisman trophy winner in history.

We also have some guest participation from our friends at Sippin' on Purple and Lake the Posts. They are hands down the two best Northwestern blogs on the Internet, and also the richest. So please, make sure you introduce yourself to them over by the bar. They will be easily distinguishable---they'll be wearing the Armani suit, and you'll be in your...

//another disdainful look

...sweatshirt, I'm sure.

Oh, and when you're done, please leave through the servant's entry. And leave the coat and tie. And the shrimp fork. Jean-Claude, when you're done with the riff raff, call the boathouse and have Capt. Schettino prepare the yacht, there's an after party out on Lake Michigan later. Invitation only, old boy, and you don't have one.

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EDIT: They're still debating. Hence, here's the fee. -Chris

It's been a long two days of debate. I have to go to work, as most of us do, so I checked out awhile ago.

Synopsis:

Julianne Ortman is possibly one of the 11 dumbest people in Minnesota. And she's a state senator.

John Marty got picked on a lot as a kid, and this is his one chance at vengeance. And he makes laws.

Sean Nienow probably eats his own boogers. He shouldn't have access to this much power and responsibility.

Awesome Julie Rosen is awesome. If Minnesota had royalty, I'd let her be Queen.

So I have one of two responses:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, We're going to conference committee!

OR.....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Discuss.

Okay, another open thread. Here's the synopsis if you're just joining us:

A lot of people are introducing bills. Morrie Lanning, the bill author, is acting like the Godfather. Anything he can live with gets approved. Anything he dislikes gets defeated, with one or two exceptions, neither of which have been considered dealbreakers at this point. Here is a live stream you can follow:

Have at it. There will be a vote sometime tonight. Soon, hopefully.

The House of Representatives is still debating the Vikings stadium debate. It's been drama and high comedy so far, mostly high comedy.

It's fun to watch democracy in action, but with the ignorance that some of our legislative leaders exhibit, it's also a bit scary. But come on in, because we're getting closer to a vote. When that will be, exactly, I can't say. But it will be this evening.

Chris here. . .I went ahead and just embedded the live feed into this post as well, so that people can open the thread and read all the comments while still listening to the video. Don't try doing the video on both posts at the same time or anything, though. Just don't. You know what happened in Ghostbusters when they crossed the streams? Yeah, it will be like that, only much much worse. I think. Anyway, we're probably going to be here a while, so enjoy it with your fellow Vikings fans!

SSSSSKKKKKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: It is my understanding that the debate on the Stadium issue will begin somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 PM Central time. Yes, we will start a separate posting for that and, yes, we will embed the video here as we have for all the other committee meetings thus far. -Chris

Over in St. Paul today, I would argue that the most important day in Minnesota Vikings history is about to unfold. The House of Representatives will debate and then vote on the Vikings Stadium bill sometime this afternoon or evening. To my knowledge, there is no time set, because no one knows how long the debate will be. But there will be debate. Passionate, contentious debate.

For those of you who want to watch this historic debate and vote, the link is right here: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp Once it begins, we'll probably start a new thread just for that.

I've been trying to get vote totals, but there are only two pieces of information I can give you on that. On Friday, Gov. Mark Dayton thought it would pass by 2 or 3 votes, and he had heard the Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers privately told NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that there were enough votes to pass.

Speaker Zellers later said that wasn't true, and that he said no such thing to the Commish.

Over ther weekend, Vikings fans have come out of the woodwork to let the pols in St. Paul know how important this team is to us and to the state, and it's paid off with at least one switch-- Rep Ryan Winkler, who voted no on the stadium in the House Government Operations and Elections Committee, which was the House committee that initially killed the bill, will now vote yes. His reasoning is that a flawed jobs bill is better than no jobs bill.

It's not too late to contact Representatives to RESPECTFULLY urge them to vote yes. If you're not sure who your representative is, go to this website:

http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/

Type in your address, and your state representative and state senator will pop up as the first two names. If you want to contact individual members of the House, click right here to take you to a list of Minnesota House members, and urge them to vote yes.

Use this thread to identify House members who are undecided, so we can call and email them and urge them to vote yes, and keep a 51 year tradition in Minnesota. At this point, failure is not an option.

We'll also use this thread to identify any breaking stadium news, updated vote counts, and if it warrants, we'll put a post up about it.

And hey, one more thing. Over these last few dyas, I've never been prouder to call myself a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. Your passion, your activism, and your love for this team has never been more apparent, so let's keep it up through this week and get this thing done.

SKOL VIKINGS. Skol today, Skol tomorrow, Skol forever.

Let me be up front about a couple of things. I don't hate or dislike opponents of the proposed Minnesota Vikings stadium. I understand that there are genuine philosophical reasons as to why people would be against it. Some people believe that under no circumstances should things like stadiums be financed by anyone other than the person or corporation that wants to build proposed stadium, in this case Zygi Wilf and the National Football League.

I'm probably not going to change the minds of the anti-public financing zealot; that is not my intent. I'm reaching out to you, the fence sitter, be you Minnesota politician or fan, unsure of what to make of this whole deal. There was something that was posted on what is essentially an anti-stadium blog earlier today that needs to be rebutted, so I'm going to do it here.

It starts out as you would expect:

BLOOMINGTON, MN – Vikings fans gathered at the Mall of America at noon to demonstrate their lack of financial support for a stadium. Fans called upon state legislators to extract money from Minneapolis taxpayers, and gamblers across the state, to subsidize their game day experience to the tune of $77 per ticket for the next 30 years.

Actually, what we're trying to do is create 8,000 construction jobs in an area that has an unemployment rate of almost 40% in the construction industry. Oh, we're also trying to keep a 51 year tradition in the state of Minnesota. A tradition that has seen 3 and 4 generations of Minnesotans bond over countless moments of thrills, excitement, and yes, heartbreak.

Oh, and that 'extraction' that this post talked about? Not so much. When it's all said and done, there's over a $500 million payback over the course of the life of the new lease of a Vikings stadium.

According to the CSL calculations, those taxes grow to about $1 billion over 30 years — the expected life of a stadium. That would be a net surplus of about $500 million to the state over the typical life of a modern stadium. The Metrodome has lasted 30 years.

Theory one, blown out of the water. But it only gets better. Follow me, after the jump for more.

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Folks, if you've never been a person interested in politics, I can understand why. Personally, if I was given a choice, I'd rather have a sister in a whorehouse than a brother in the Minnesota legislature.

But I'm going to personally ask a favor of you, because I want you to know that you are making a difference. Your voice is being heard, and it's being heard loud and clear.

And the message the legislators are hearing is: "Pass the stadium bill and keep the Vikings in Minnesota."

How do I know that? Because Jeff Anderson, the Director of Corporate Communications for the Minnesota Vikings, called me earlier and told me as much.

"The intensity of this issue has risen significantly in the last two weeks and is at an all time high," Anderson said. It's now or never, this is your last chance to weigh in on the measure, and legislators are hearing from the pro-stadium voters at a pace that far outpaces the anti stadium voters."

The Vikings are asking for your support over the weekend to keep the full court press on, make your voice heard, and get this thing done.

The staff of Daily Norseman would like you drop what you're doing and call or email your representative and senator in the Minnesota legislature. Let them know that voting no on the Vikings stadium bill is unacceptable, and they will pay a heavy price politically in November if they do vote no. When you call or email--be polite and respectful, but also be firm and resolute that under no circumstances will they be getting your vote if they vote no.

Then, call your friends. Tell them to call or email. And if they're anti-stadium folks, hey, they're good people and they're still your friends. But unplug their phone and Internet until Tuesday morning.

"But Ted," you ask, "how do I know who my representative is? How do I know who my senator is?"

Why, fellow Vikings stadium supporter, let me hook you up. If you're not sure who your state rep and state senator are, click on this link:

http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/

Type in your address. Your state rep, state senator, and US reps and senators will be listed. Click on the STATE representative's name, and his/her contact information will come up, to include phone number and email address. Make a call. Send an email.

It also wouldn't hurt to call or email the respective Democratic and Republican party leaders in the House. For the Republicans, the Speaker is Kurt Zellers. The House Majority Leader is Matt Dean. The Majority Whip, which is the person that is responsible for 'whipping' up votes to make sure you have enough to pass a bill, is Rod Hamilton. For the Democrats, the Minority Leader is Paul Thissen, the Deputy Minority Leader (well, one of them. The Democrats have literally a dozen deputy Minority Leaders) is Debra Hilstrom, and the House Minority Whip is Terry Morrow.

I can't stress enough that when you call or email--BE POLITE. You'll be talking to that rep's staff member, and they're fielding literally thousands of calls, and hopefully, that number will only increase over the weekend. Ripping their head off serves no purpose, so don't be a dickhead.

But let me assure you, Vikes fans, that YOUR MESSAGE IS BEING HEARD, LOUD AND CLEAR. Hopefully, your message will become so loud and so clear over the weekend, that the only politically viable answer for your representative will be to vote yes. The pro-stadium calls and emails are routing the anti-stadium ones, and if we can really turn up the heat, we're going to win.

Throughout the weekend, the Vikings may be holding some rallies for stadium support with prominent Vikings players. As those are announced, we'll post them here on DN, and we encourage you to attend and make your voice heard even more.

What I thought was damn near impossible a little over two weeks ago is tantalizingly close to happening, but this is not the time to put it on cruise control. Drink a Monster, push on the gas pedal, and help get this thing across the finish line.

We're almost there folks. Just a few more days, and a few hundred thousand more calls and emails.

Well, what are you waiting for? Get on the phone!

Last week, DJ wrote up a nice piece on his thoughts about the Rose Bowl taking it's place on history's scrap heap, next to horse drawn carriages, surgery without anesthesia, and all but one half of one of Michigan's national championships.

I wanted to write a rebuttal earlier, but I had a lot of commitments elsewhere in the SB Nation, and to be honest, I kind of needed to count to 10. Thousand.

I stand here today in defense of the Rose Bowl, and in defense of the traditions that made college football better than damn near everything else on the planet.

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With the NFL Draft in the books, it's time to dust off the Stock Market Report. Although I did an abbreviated first round SMR, (which I had to edit when the Vikes traded back into the bottom of round 1--crazy night that) we've had a little time to sift through the madness that was Draft Weekend, it's time to take an in-depth look at who the Vikings got, how they got ‘em, and where they got ‘em.

When the dust settled, there are 10 new players that can call themselves ‘The Fighting Irish of Minnesota Vikings', and after a disastrous 3-13 season in 2011, a lot of help was needed. So hopefully, help is on the way.

Little River Band, take it away:

Hang on, help is on the way,

I'll be there as fast as I can.

SMR, after the jump.

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After filling needs on both sides of the ball on the first two days of the draft, the Vikings continued that trend in the 4th round.

Well, sort of. With the 23rd pick in the 4th round, the Vikings selected WR Jarius Wright from Arkansas. Wright had a monster year in 2011, catching 66 passes for over 1,100 yards and 12 TD's. In a conference call with reporters, he says he is best on the inside, playing the slot, and I envision that's what the Vikings see him doing in Minnesota.

Wright is fast, has sure hands, and will help create mismatch problems going against nickel or dime corners on the inside, and he should be able to open up space underneath for Percy Harvin, or the two tight ends, John Carson and Kyle Rudolph.

Wright also shows value as a returner, and with the Vikings looking to limit Percy Harvin's special teams play, Wright will probably compete for a job as a punt or kick returner.

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So after three rounds of the draft, how are we feeling? Personally, I like the direction the Vikings are heading. They've nabbed two definite starters in Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith, and in Josh Robinson they added a guy that will bring some depth and competition at the cornerback position, as well as provide a possible option in the return game.

Yesterday, coach Leslie Frazier mentioned linebacker and wide receiver depth was a concern, so I would expect the Vikings to address those needs early today. With 5 picks in the next two rounds, the Vikes have the ability to either stand pat and bring in a lot of guys, or package those picks in attempt to move up and grab a guy they've targeted.

Hey, at least we aren't Jacksonville. Drafted a punter in the third round, really?

So keep it right here for all your Minnesota Vikings draft day needs. Eric and I are at Winter Park, and although I have to leave to start heading home after the 4th round, Eric will be here all day. And of course, Fearless Leader be at DN Base Camp. So whether it's the draft, or a stadium vote over in the Legislature--the Senate, last I read, is supposed to vote on the Vikings bill today--we'll keep you up to speed on everything.

SKOL!!!!

With the first three rounds of the NFL draft in the books, the Vikings addressed three huge areas of need--offensive line, safety, and cornerback.

Although the picks have been well received by most of the fans, what are they saying around the NFL?

Let's take a spin around the sports world and the blogosphere to see what the general consensus is on the first three rounds of the draft for the Vikings:

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The Minnesota Vikings stadium bill crept closer to approval, as it passed through the last committee hearing before getting voted on in both houses.

In a sometimes contentious hearing, marked by stall tactics and at one point a committee recess immediately followed by the committee reconvening (lolwut), the bill passed on a 7-6 vote, moving to the floor with no recommendation by the committee.

Senator Julie Rosen, stadium bill author in the upper chamber, has said she has the votes to ensure passage, and as of this writing, it looks like the Minnesota Senate will vote on the bill sometime tomorrow. There is no schedule on when the House of Representatives will vote, but Rosen is 'confident' that there are enough votes in the House to assure passage as well.

Although the bill passed, Sen. John Marty tried just about every legal maneuver in the book to try and kill it. In the end, though, the vote was taken and it passed, and that's the important thing.

Look, I get that there are passionate feelings about this on both sides of the aisle, but what I don't get is why some people, like Sen. Marty, do everything in their power to try and kill the bill and prevent it from even getting to a vote. Are they afraid it will pass?

Either way, there are still a lot of hurdles to face on this. First off, remember that these are two similar, but separate bills. Both the House and Senate must pass their versions. From there, the bills will go into a conference committee, where the two bills will be merged into one, identical bill. Then that final bill will go back to the House and Senate to be voted on again. If it passes those votes, then Governor Dayton will sign the bill, and we will have a new stadium.

But for tonight, we celebrate. I can't decide what is more impressive, the first three picks of the draft, or the that the stadium bill, after more than a decade of squabbling, stalling, and delay, is finally thisclose to getting approved.

SKOL!