SB Nation User Blog: ericj69

Vikings interested in Marvin Harrison?

ericj69 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:47:03 -0000

Marvin Harrison

View full size photo uploaded June 25, 2009

Commenter SippyCup beat me to the punch on this on the FanPosts, but I thought it's intriguing enough to warrant front-page speculation. There's news from the Pioneer Press' Charley Walters that The Purple are interested in signing Marvin Harrison to a "one-year, low-end" deal.

Who knows how Walters came about this "buzz" and how much validity there is to the story. But of course, after the past couple months, I think we're all used to stories that have equal chances of being valid or complete BS.

Let's be daring here and assume there is some truth wading through this news blurb. If we don't have to break the bank for a chance to see what one of the best receivers in the history of the NFL has left in the tank, I see no downside to pursuing it. If Harrison flops, then we wasted a couple mil, but at least our young WR corps got to learn from one of the best. If he excels, he adds more more crucial piece to a team that could be thisclose to a championship. Our neighbors at Stampede Blue think the addition of Harrison would basically secure the Vikings a spot in Miami next year.

Plus, we'd be able to witness history--he and Favre could be the first pair of senior citizens to connect on a touchdown pass! Free Early Bird Specials for everyone!

I almost forgot about this! I was in Chicago last weekend for the Twins/Cubs series. While I was...

ericj69 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:18:14 -0000

I almost forgot about this! I was in Chicago last weekend for the Twins/Cubs series. While I was walking/stumbling around Wrigleyville after the game, I saw a t-shirt with this logo on it. No I didn't buy one at the time--Old Style and Chicago dogs can be tough on the wallet--but I'm probably going to order one online pretty soon.

Vikings Give Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels Friday Deadline to Stop Sucking

ericj69 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:18:40 -0000

Vikings Give Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels Friday Deadline to Stop Sucking

DJ Gallo has done it again! Check out his article from his Sports Pickle site for what the ESPN reporters have might have really been talking about when they reported on the Vikings' deadline. My favorite part of the article is the last "quote" from Sage Rosenfels at the end.

Newest Friend of the Daily Norseman: Giants T David Diehl. The lineman made his comedy club debut...

ericj69 — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:02:40 -0000

New York Giants David Diehl performs at Comix Comedy Club

Newest Friend of the Daily Norseman: Giants T David Diehl. The lineman made his comedy club debut by making fun of Brett Favre. Consider me a fan. (H/T to SportsRubbish for the video.)

NFL and Comcast to Kiss and Make Up?

ericj69 — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:59:24 -0000

It looks like the NFL Network and Comcast will end their long-standing feud. Now if they'd only get rid of the DirecTV Sunday Ticket monopoly...

View full size photo uploaded May 19, 2009

So, what's the latest on that lawn mowing guy in Mississippi? I really wish all these news outlets would cover him more! Surgery or no surgery?! Dr. James Andrews! Bicep tendons! Rachel Nichols! Bus Cook! Playing football with high school kids! The most frequently mowed lawn in the history of lawns!

Look, I get it. This is a Vikings blog, the Vikings are our team, and our team and He Who Shall Not Be Named seem to be on a collision course with each other for the '09 season. But I refuse to get sucked into the annual circus of meaningless minutiae when I'm 99% certain that nothing of substance will actually happen for at least a couple of months. I'll let the other great writers on this site give you the day-to-day stuff and try to convince you that he wouldn't be all that bad. (Et tu, Gonzo?) But like I've said before, I plan on enjoying my summer.

While everyone remains enamored with all things F----- (yes, that name is still an F-word until further notice), I have some news that everyone should be happy about, especially Comcast customers like myself. As Peter King reported on Sunday, it appears that Comcast and the NFL are close to finally striking a deal after a lengthy standoff.

So what does this mean for the 24 million Comcast subscribers, including thousands in the Twin Cities area?

It means that Comcast subscribers will get the NFL Network with the regular digital package and they won't have to pony up an additional $7/month to get it as part of Comcast's "pay-tier" sports package. Seven bucks may not seem like a ton, but as any Comcast customer will tell you, we're already paying plenty for what we currently get. (For example: my place has internet, digital cable, HBO and Showtime, and we're north of $150/month. Yuck.)

It also means that we might finally be able to watch the Red Zone Channel on cable. For those unfamiliar, the Red Zone Channel switches back and forth between games on Sunday when a team is close to scoring. Obviously, this is incredibly for convenient for the 1.6 kajillion people that participate in fantasy football these days. Until now, the channel has been exclusive property of DirecTV's ridiculous monopoly on NFL's Sunday Ticket package.

(Note: I'd share my rage with you about how terrible it is that only one company gets exclusive rights to the country's most popular sport when many households can't even get DirecTV, but ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook (aka TMQ) has covered the topic very well throughout the years.)

Finally, it means that Comcast customers will be able to avoid Chris Berman & company during draft coverage! You have no idea how often I pined for the option to switch over to the NFL Network during my epic first-round draft live blog last month.

We're definitely in for a long summer here at the Daily Norseman thanks to the constant drama surrounding Mr. F, but at least we have some news that everyone should be happy with.

NFL to Disband to Prevent Brett Favre from Returning to the NFL

ericj69 — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:56:19 -0000

NFL to Disband to Prevent Brett Favre from Returning to the NFL

Another great jab at He Who Shall Not Be Named by DJ Gallo of Sports Pickle and ESPN Page 2 fame. I'm starting to think that this may be our only solution.

BREAKING NEWS: Farve Plans to Stay Retired (For at Least the Next Five Minutes)

ericj69 — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:39:54 -0000

Cue the World News Tonight music...

According to Yahoo, Brett Favre is not going to sign with the Vikings, citing a "source close to the team". The report also indicated that the Mississippi Man of Mystery will address the situation publicly "soon", which I'm sure means "any time within the next four months."

If you read my story yesterday, it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm pretty excited about this news. Unfortunately, I also realize that this is simply one report from one anonymous source, and this story involves the biggest flip-flopper of all-time.

My personal conspiracy theory: since Favre is getting all of his SportsCenter thunder stolen by Manny Fertility Mania today, he's going to lay low until he can have all the headlines to himself again in a few weeks. Or maybe he's making this "not signing" statement just to stay in the headlines? Just a thought.

Go ahead and feel free to discuss in the comments section, because call me crazy, but I don't see this story going anywhere for quite a while. I better start removing all sharp objects from the area surrounding my computer.

Fine, I'll Acknowledge It, But I Don't Have to Like It

ericj69 — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:52:53 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

This is the only way I want to remember Favre.

Browse more photos »

It's like the Hatfields inviting the head of the McCoy family over for dinner and having him say grace.

It's like the Capulets telling Romeo he should run the family business.

It's like Israel electing a Palestinian President.

It's like Kareem suiting up at center for the '86 Celtics.

It's like George W. Bush taking over the everyday operations at MENSA.

It's like Garfield freely sharing a pan of lasagna with Nermal.

Have I made my point yet? That this whole thing just feels very wrong on every level? OK, good. I've sworn up and down in the comments on this site of all the Favre hearsay stories that I wouldn't write a single article about you-know-who until something actually happened.

Well, much to my amazement and horror, something has happened (or technically, it's about to happen). As Gonzo and Andrew pointed out last night, Favregeddon may be upon us.

I'm 27 years old. I have spent well over half of my entire life hating Brett Favre. Of course I have; I was supposed to! He was the most notable player on my least favorite team for the better part of two decades. It felt really, really good to unleash my passionate disdain for all things Brett Lorenzo Favre.

Back in February, I compared potential Vikings quarterbacks to potential hookups at a bar. Here's what I said about Favre:

Of course there's always the old cougar that would love to go home with you. She probably shouldn't even be at this bar, and she swears she doesn't come here anymore, but lo and behold, here she is. She used to be amazing, and your buddies have plenty of stories about how awesome she was. But you know better. You've seen first-hand that she can sabotage hookups as fast as she initiates them, even when she was in her prime. One minute she's the best looking girl at the bar; the next minute she's an overtanned emotional wreck, sobbing about her biological clock while getting mascara all over your shirt and effectively killing your night.

My opinion hasn't changed in the past three months. Now it seems as though there's a very real possibility that he may play for my favorite team this year. What the hell am I supposed to think?!

Before I even attempt to talk myself into being OK with this, I have some questions to ask.

Is he too old and beat up to be effective?
To paraphrase Happy Gilmore: But he's an old man. I mean, look at him, he's--old! You can't just make him our quarterback, he's--too old!

Favre is going to turn 40 early in the 2009 season. Name me some athletes with a head smaller than a basketball that have had played at a championship level professionally after 40.

And what about those shoulder and bicep injuries? He hasn't had surgery since he faltered down the stretch last season; has rest magically cured his ailments? If so, Wrangler should run advertisements about the miraculous healing power of their denim. I can see it now: "Real. Rejuvenating. Jeans."

How much would it cost?
In 2008, Favre made $12 million with the Jets, making him the 5th highest paid quarterback in the league. I don't think it's much of a stretch for me to say that he's not going to be a top-5 quarterback in 2009. So unless he takes a "screw the money, I just want to stick it to Ted Thompson" discount, why would the Vikings want to overpay Favre when they don't have a ton of cap room to begin with?

What happens to the 3 QBs the Vikings already have on the roster?
Look, I get it--none of the three quarterbacks currently on Minnesota's roster scream out "perennial Pro Bowler." Favre definitely has the track record to out-perform RosenCopter, T-Jax, and Booty Call. Even the most rabid Favre hater will admit that--because I am, and I just did.

But since the Vikings are almost certain to keep less than four QBs on their 2009 roster, do they give up on the Booty Experiment after just one year? Are they OK with giving up a 4th round pick for Sage riding the pine most of the season? Is Childress willing to swallow his pride and admit The Tarvaris Jackson Experiment was for the most part a failure? Even if my nightmare ends and Favre doesn't sign with the Vikes, what damage has already been done to their psyches? I don't have an easy answer for any of those questions.

Are we really OK with every story about the 2009 Vikings revolving around one player?
Because that's exactly how it's going to be in the mainstream media. Sure, Favre will bring the Vikings more press coverage than we've ever dreamed of. But is that necessarily a good thing? Will the best running back in the NFL be OK with the 'round-the-clock Favre Circus overshadowing his awesomeness? How will Jared Allen, Percy Harvin, Antoine Winfield, the Williams Wall & co. deal with the constant distraction? Remember, not everyone on the Jets was thrilled with the team bringing in Favre last year. Would the extra national scrutiny be worth it?

Is it really worth threatening my father's health?
I'm only half-kidding about this one. Do you remember the "I LEARNED IT BY WATCHING YOU!" anti-drug commercial from the late 80's? That's just how I learned to hate the Packers and Brett Favre growing up--by watching my dad.

My old man is a bona fide professional Favre hater. He's amazing; the guy has never wavered once. I almost feel like I should thank Favre, because he's always given my father and I a great conversation topic that we can mutually share our disgust for. But if the Vikings sign Favre, I honestly fear that one of his major organs will explode. No, really.

On top of that, if Favre plays in 2009, he has a chance to break Jim Marshall's all-time consecutive games played streak. Marshall is one of my dad's favorite players ever. Would we as Vikings fans be OK with seeing Favre break that streak while moonlighting for the team that Marshall gave 19 years to?

My dad has endured all four Super Bowl losses, and perhaps more painfully, the infamous Drew Pearson push-off in the 1975 Championship Game. Hasn't he suffered enough?

Don't get me wrong--I realize that Favre to the Vikings has a chance to be something special. If he plays well and the team stays healthy, the Vikings might have a Super Bowl caliber team. It would also be really fun to see Packer fans squirm and try to convince themselves that they're just fine while the mere thought of Favre coming to Lambeau in purple gives them hives.

I also realize that this kind of thing isn't completely unheard of in the sports world: look at Johnny Damon going from the Red Sox to the Yankees. On a personal level, I'm still getting used to cheering for Joe Crede at the Metrodome after spending the previous 8 or 9 seasons loathing him with the White Sox. Heck, even the younger sister in "A League Of Their Own" switched teams. But Favre to the Vikings would be roughly 235,684 times bigger than any of these.

If this actually goes through and Favre does become a Viking, I'm guessing I'll probably just have to stay loyal to my team and try to ignore the dry heaves I get every time I see that purple #4 jersey. I'll have to slowly re-program my brain's reaction from "glee" to "disappointment" when I see a Favre interception, and vice versa for touchdowns.

I have one last thought, and this one is for Mr. Favre himself.

Brett, if you're actually serious about joining the Vikings, I have the perfect way for you to start winning over new fans in Minnesota: DO US A FAVOR AND MAKE UP YOUR F---ING MIND SOONER RATHER THAN LATER FOR ONCE IN YOUR F---ING LIFE! Whatever you decide, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE just let this be resolved well before August. I have a summer to enjoy, and I don't want to spend it writing about what you may or may not do. Thank you.

OK, I'll stop there. I'd like to say writing this made me feel a lot better, but it really didn't. There's no simple on/off switch for diehard sports fans and their hatred. I will still hate Brett Favre until further notice. If he does become a Viking, I guess I'll just have to carry a puke bucket around with me when I watch the first few games.

Because it's like an Ohio State football star going to law school at Michigan--it just doesn't feel right.

Harvin Hospitalized

ericj69 — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:08:28 -0000

As our excellent FanPosters pointed out earlier, Percy Harvin wasn't at today's rookie minicamp. The guys over at Access Vikings just broke the news as to why he wasn't.

Harvin wasn't there because he fell ill at the Atlanta airport on his way to Minnesota. Apparently he was suffering from extreme dehydration, and some strenuous workouts this week appear to be the culprit in the early going.

Obviously, this is pretty scary coming not even a week after Saturday's draft. However, Swine Flu has already been ruled out and I imagine that he'll be just fine after taking it easy and getting some fluids.

Harvin is expected to be hospitalized for a couple days, and he will of course miss the minicamp this weekend. We'll be sure to let you know more as we hear it.

Hey Lance...

ericj69 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:42:16 -0000

Hey Lance...