End of the Line

Another mediocre Vikings season came to the end of the line today with an overtime loss to the Broncos. It didn't matter anyway, as Washington beat the suddenly helpless Dallas Cowboys to claim the last NFC wild-card slot. But, hey, we improved from 6-10 to 8-8. And, we've experienced the kick-ass offense, the Culture of Accountability and learned it takes 21 days to change a habit. Here's a few of my observations and questions:

1. It's a little scary how Adrian Peterson got shut down 4 weeks in a row. I'm going to chalk that up to defenses being able to key on the run 100% and almost ignore stopping the pass. I hope.

2. Tarvarius Jackson has me confused. At times, he looks poised and competent. At other times, he looks totally lost. I guess the Vikes go into 2008 with him as their starter. But how long do they wait for Jackson's "snails-pace" progression? By the way, how the hell did it get to be 2008?

3. Troy. Williamson. Is. Terrible. Did you see that bomb from Jackson (a perfect pass, by the way) bounce off his shoulder pad? He beat his guy by ten yards. In case you missed it, here it is:
My God, back in THE DAY kids got laughed off the Manz school playground for plays like that. This guy was the 7th pick in the draft. I thought they fixed his vision problems in the off-season. I guess not. If I were the coach, my first off-season move would be to cut Williamson.

4. Remember when the Vikings were a perennial playoff team? I had feathered hair back then.

5. Now Dwight Smith can smoke as much pot as he wants.

6. All hope is not lost for the Vikes. Along with Peterson on offense, I really like the future of the Linebacker position with E.J. Henderson, Ben Leber and Chad Greenway. Yep.

7. The Vikings have got to go back to the old-school uniforms with the gray face masks and stripes on the sleeves. This may be the real reason they missed the playoffs the last two years. By the way, if they ever go to a black third-jersey (like the Lions) I will never watch another game as long as I live.

8. The Vikings lease at the Metrodome ends in 2011. Seriously, where do you think they will play in 2012?

9. When will those long dreadlocks that hang out of the back of the helmet finally go out of style? Seriously, in 20 years those will be laughed at like 70's afros are laughed at today.

10. Do you think there will ever be a steroid investigation in pro football? Do you think that any NFL players might have, just once, taken any performance-enhancing substances? Maybe even by accident? Naw, that's crazy talk.....

11. I have never been more confident that the Green Bay Packers will beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

12. At least Chilly doesn't hide his mouth with that plastic card when play-calling as much anymore. That is one serious positive to come out of the 2007 season.

Just some things to ponder as we move into the new year.

Peace,

Jeff

What Jeff Thinks - Best of MY 2007

Well, yet another year is almost finished. They sure go a lot faster now that I have kids and am getting older. Since 2007 is almost in the books, I thought it would be a good time to name "the best of 2007" in MY opinion. Now, I don't out much folks, so I am very limited when it comes to movies, buying albums, etc. Most of the movies that I see are kid's flicks, for example. So, while I know there are better choices available for most of these picks, these are my favorites for 2007:

BEST ALBUM: Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky." Runner Up: Jason Isbell, "Sirens of the Ditch."

BEST MOVIE: "Knocked Up." Runner Up: "Superbad." (Quick note - "Superbad DID NOT make my wife's "Best Of" list)

BEST BOOK: "Minnesota North Stars History and Memories with Lou Nanne" by Bob Showers. Runner Up: Ahhhhh......... I am admittedly more of a "news guy" than "book guy." Check out Pat Ruesse's excellent column on the North Star book:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/12839841.html?page=1&c=y

BEST CONCERT: Wilco, Northrop Auditorium. Runner Up: For sheer fun, The Flaming Lips at The Myth.

BEST SPORTING EVENT ATTENDED: Wild playoff victory over Anaheim. Runner Up: Many choices here, but I'm going with the Vikings victory over Chicago on Monday Night Football.

BEST BEER: That's a tough one, but I always go back to Summit Winter Ale. Runner Up: All the rest.

BEST SHIRT: My new Sasquatch t-shirt from the BFRO web site. Runner Up: Nothing is even close.

BEST NEW HOBBY: Playing the bass guitar. Runner Up: Blogging (of course).

TOP LOCAL NEWS STORY: The collapse of the 35W bridge. Runner Up: Hennepin County reaches land sale agreement with LPII and construction of new Twins stadium begins. (geez, something really big had to happen locally to trump that runner up for me...)

TOP LOCAL SPORTS STORY: Vikings draft Adrian Peterson. Runner Up: Timberwolves trade Kevin Garnett to Boston.

TOP LOCAL WEATHER STORY: It was a good old-fashioned white Christmas - just like the ones I used to know!

LOCAL "CELEBRITY" MOST LIKELY TO SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST: TIM BREWSTER. Runner Up: That guy Rusty on Channel 5 news.

And here is a sneak peak at 2008:

TOP LOCAL STORY TO WATCH IN 2008: The Republican National Convention being held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. There will be some posts about this in the coming months. All I know is this - those protesters had better not harm the X.

Those are my top stories for 2007. Let me know what you think, and some of your top picks for 2007.

Peace,

Jeff

Back In The Normal Universe

After spending 5 weeks in a parallel universe, the Minnesota Vikings are finally back in their normal stratosphere. They lost 32-21 to the Washington Redskins, blowing their best (and possibly only) chance to make the playoffs for the 2008 season. I had very, very bad vibes before this game. I expressed this to couple of you, but decided against putting any mention of these bad vibes in this blog. I wanted to be positive (the ultimate in irony). In fact, after the Vikings got tackled for a safety early in this game, I declared "I'm going to try and be positive tonight." My oldest son's response was "good luck with that."

Yep. He knows his dad.

Here are some thoughts on the game:

1. Tavarius Jackson is completely overmatched. I am not saying he is not a capable NFL Quarterback. He is not a capable STARTING NFL Quarterback. The Vikings need to find another starting quarterback next year. Jackson has got to quit jumping in the air while throwing. It's killing me.

2. Teams know how to defense Adrian Peterson. Hey, if you can't pass, 8 guys consistently in the box will usually stop Walter Payton and Barry Sanders.

3. Chilly was out-coached tonight. He knew he was duped on that "12 men on the field" challenge by Gibbs. He was completely duped, and he knew it. Lesson learned (?). Probably not.

4. I can't remember the last time the Vikings won a game in which John Madden was the commentator. Seriously, it's been years. He is a jinx - plain and simple. I think Madden only brought up Brettfavre once, though.

5. I knew deep down the game was lost as soon as Fred (Smootzie) Smoots had an interception. Cuz you know, nothing bad that ever happened to Smootzie while he was in Minnesota was his fault ("he wuz robbed") ("nothing happened on that boat"). The fact that he is still playing and will probably be in the playoffs is proof that Satan exists.

6. Another reason I knew they were going to lose? I wore the Old School Cris Carter jersey during the game. Never, ever, get excited enough to ever don Vikings apparel. It'll burn you every time. I even bought chips and salsa and had CR over to watch the game. The last time I did stuff like that the Vikes lost 41-0 to the Giants in the NFC Championship game.

Oh, well. Now that we have passed out of the parallel universe, it is almost comforting to be back in reality. While we were in a parallel universe and the Vikings were winning, I didn't know what kind of other crazy stuff was going to happen. I didn't know if aliens were going to land and abduct me, or if dragons were going to descend on St. Paul. Or maybe good things would happen, like I would understand how to fix broken appliances or something. But probably not. Now things can get back to normal.

Peace, and Merry Christmas.

Jeff

Christmas Card From What Jeff Thinks

I know what you are thinking. Each day when you check the mail and receive Christmas cards from the large majority of your friends, one is missing. Each day, you think "....geez, we received a card from everybody except that ass-hole Jeff." Well, don't feel bad, because we have not sent them out the last few years. Now, this is not some political or religious statement. I love the Christmas season. And it certainly is not because my family is not photogenic. As you know, we are damn good-looking. It is out of laziness, pure and simple, and I apologize for that.

So, I would like each of you to consider this a Christmas Card from What Jeff Thinks. I appreciate your readership and commentary.

And, we'll get back to sending legitimate Christmas Cards in 2008.

Peace,

Jeff

What A Joke

Well, there you have it, folks. Baseball Armageddon. The Four Horseman are mounting up on their steeds. The Seattle Mariners Baseball Club, in their infinite wisdom, have signed starting pitcher Carlos Silva for:

4 years - $48 million dollars.

Yes, you read that correctly. Never before has a player so completely mediocre (bordering on bad, even) been signed for so much money. This would be funny if the ramifications on baseball were not so sad. Here are Silva's 2007 statistics:

13 wins

14 losses

4.19 ERA

202 Innings Pitched - 229 Hits Allowed

THAT is worth $12 million a year?

My God, what will Johan Santana be worth?? How about 106 GA-zillion a year?

Trade Santana now, Twins, while you can get something in return. What an absolute joke.

Jeff

Midweek Thoughts...

Here are the important topics that are on my mind today:

1. I attended the Viking-Bear game with Pete Monday night. It was a blast. The Vikings won the game 20-13 mainly due to the ineptitude of Bears QB Kyle Orton and the prehistoric Chicago offense. I was a little concerned, however, during the first half when the Vikes were turning the ball over on virtually every drive. I found myself uttering "they are doing it again..." over and over again. They turned it around, however, and I give them credit for winning an ugly game. Which brings me to my next thought:

2. There were lots of Bears fans in attendance on Monday night. Now, I have lived in either Minnesota or Wisconsin my entire life. It is my opinion that people from these two states are inherently the same. Sure, there are some minor differences, but the northern-midwest cultures and outlooks on life are basically the same. I don't know about Bear fans from Illinois. Or White Sox fans from Illinois. Or Blackhawks fans from Illinois. You get the picture. Now, don't get me wrong - Chicago has great fans. But, I have been to plenty of Packers/Brewers games here at the Dome or in Wisconsin, and those fans just want to have a good time and drink some beer. Sure, there is some good-natured ribbing, but overall it's a good time. From my experience, Chicago fans have an air of superiority and smugness about them that is unmatched in the Midwest. They don't smile much either. And they are very loud. Most walked into the Dome Monday night with a look that seemingly pronounced "Hey rubes, I'm from Chicago!" But they were very quiet as they filed out of the Dome after the game, so it was worth it.

3. Speaking of Chicago, anybody out there still think the Twins should have drafted Mark Prior over Joe Mauer?

4. Speaking of the Twins, they missed out on a great opportunity by not obtaining the rights to Japanese star Kosuke Fukudome. What a perfect last name for a Twins player as the new stadium is being built: fuk-u-dome.

5. Speaking again of the Twins, there are rumors that Carlos Silva is going to sign a 4-year contract with the Seattle Mariners worth $44 million. Once again, my Eau Claire public-school math tells me that is $11 million per year. If Carlos Silva, a .500 pitcher at best, is worth $11 million a year, Johan Santana is worth $75 million a year. And my paperboy is worth $200 grand a year. And the guy who served me a burger at Wendy's is worth $500 grand a year. and so on.....

That's all I have for now.

Jeff

The Vision - Becoming Clearer

The September Vision that I had of the Packers winning the Super Bowl is coming along quite nicely. While the Packers were trouncing the St. Louis Rams today, this happened:

Eagles 10 - Cowboys 6.

I'm sure all of you are sick of hearing this, but the Pack will win out, and the Cowboys will choke against the Redskins the last week of the season. The Packers will have home-field advantage in the playoffs, represent the NFC and BEAT New England in the Super Bowl. There is nothing that can be done about this. It's like the sun setting in the West.

Folks, does anyone really believe the Dallas Cowboys are a Super Bowl team? They almost lost to the Lions last week (sorry dools) for God sakes. Then they go and put up 6 points at home to the Eagles? Sweet. Right now, I believe in my heart that the Vikings would put a beating on the Cowboys. In fact, we're so far into this crazy parallel universe that I am going to go out on a limb and say that, as of 12-16-07 at 9:32 PM, the Vikings are the 2nd best team in the NFC. As always, this says more about the NFC than it does the Vikings.

Oh, and by the way, I have good news and bad news for Tony Romo. Here it is:

Good news: Possible Romo love-interest Jessica Simpson attended the game in Dallas today.

Bad news: Possible Romo love-interest Jessica Simpson attended the game in Dallas today.

That story was actually covered on msn.com. Wow, nice game Tony. So much for Jessica Simpson. Better luck next time.

By the way, I will be attending the Vikes-Bears game Monday night at the Dome with my friend Pete. If history remains true, we'll be sitting next to some "really nice people" from Illinois. More on that later.

Peace,

Jeff

More Stuff Falls In My Lap

I wasn't really planning on blogging today, but sometimes stuff just falls in my lap and screams to be written about. Today, we have Dwight Smith of the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings, as you may know, have won 5 out of their last 6 games and can possibly make the playoffs. They have also enjoyed a nice run off of the field, with nobody getting arrested in months(!). This is where Safety Dwight Smith comes into the equation. From today's Star Tribune:

Vikings safety Dwight Smith faces significant NFL discipline after admitting that he smoked marijuana Thursday night in downtown Minneapolis.

Minneapolis police cited Smith for possession of marijuana and obstructing traffic, both petty misdemeanors, at the intersection of 2nd Avenue S. and 4th Street S.

Smith was among a group of players Thursday night who attended a fundraiser hosted by linebacker E.J. Henderson at Bellanotte restaurant. According to the police report, an officer saw Smith's car impeding traffic in front of Sheik's Palace Royale nightclub at 10:11 p.m. The officer approached the car and "smelled the strong odor of marijuana," according to the report. The report also said Smith "admitted he just got done smoking some marijuana."

Nice. You know, I really believe that the Vikings have rid their team of most of their bad characters recently, but as I have commented to many people, Smith is a reminder of "the Fred Smootzie days." I hear Smith interviewed after games and I think "bad guy." This is not Smithzie's first brush with the law in downtown Minneapolis. As you may remember, he was caught in a stairwell "receiving a favor" from a woman (must have been a fan) from Hudson. Now, I am not saying that smoking pot and "receiving favors" are on par with domestic abuse, robbery, etc., but, my God, have some smarts! If you need to do this stuff (because you're keepin' it real), don't do it in public in downtown Minneapolis with cops everywhere. What an idiot.

But here is the funny part that caused me to have to blog immediately this morning. It turns out Coach Childress actually took time during the offseason to "educate" players on "the dangers of downtown social life." According to the same story by Kevin Seifert and Judd Zulgad here is what Chilly did this summer:

Childress said he personally walked the beat with Minneapolis police officers during the offseason, attended a squad meeting and left his cellular phone number on a bulletin board to promote his accessibility with police.

Childress also visited individual nightclubs, including Spin -- where cornerback Cedric Griffin was arrested in April. Childress said he used those visits to develop a detailed video and educational program for players during offseason workouts.

I had to read that three times and make sure that it was the Star Tribune and not the Onion that I was reading. Chilly actually visited EACH downtown establishment that his players might show up at (you know, there are a few strip clubs down there) so he could warn them of their dangers. I am not making this up. Here's a quote from Chilly:

"I don't have my head in the sand," Childress said. "We are always trying to be proactive about these things. I stood up there and told them, 'Hey fellas, I've spent time down there.' Here are some of the things that go on."

Now that is funny. Chilly is going to tell his players about what goes on in the clubs in Minneapolis. You know, I think I am going to try and use this one on my wife. "Honey, I HAD to go to each and every strip club in Minneapolis so I could warn my kids of some of the things that go on there."

You cannot make this stuff up. Sometimes stuff just falls in your lap.

Go Vikes.

Jeff

Where Have You Gone Kent Hrbek, A Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes To You...

You know, there used to be a day when baseball players didn't look like Gold's Gym workout fanatics. A guy could look like a fat tub of goo and still play in the majors based on his ability. Look at Babe Ruth. Hot dogs and bourbon, baby. A more recent example, and one of my favorite players of all-time, is Kent Hrbek. He got by on The Big Three - Beer, Brats & Bowling. And I loved him for that. You know that Kent didn't dabble in any "extracurriculars" on the side.

Well, we found out today why many players in recent memory looked like Gold's Gym workout fanatics. Many DID dabble in the extracurriculars, you see. They were on frickin' steroids. The so-called Mitchell report was published today and implicated more than 80 Major League Baseball players, current and past, for using steroids. This really doesn't shock me, but there it is in black and white. I have to read more of this report to digest what it implies. There are some well-known names on this list. Roger Clemens, Lenny Dykstra, Andy Pettitte, David Justice, Mo Vaughn, Miguel Tejada, Rafael Palmeiro (don't they mean Viagra?), etc. Before I can comment more on the implications of this report, I have to do some thinking. However, there are a few names on the report that I am ready to comment on:

1. Chuck Knoblauch. Now we know why he suddenly couldn't throw to first base. We also know what might have contributed to him being such an ass-hole off the field. Roid-rage, baby. Or maybe he was just an ass-hole.

2. Rondell White. Now, come on. Really? Did steroids help Rondell hit the ball further? I don't know, he never hit the ball.

3. Derrick Turnbow. Where did Derrick apply the steroids - his hair?

This, no doubt, taints the game of baseball. Baseball is the Grand Old Game, however, and has survived other scandals. It will survive this one.

At least we'll always have Kent Hrbek. Beer, brats & bowling.

Peace,

Jeff

Guest Blogger #1 - tony8489

On the first anniversary of What Jeff Thinks, I solicited readers to see if anyone was interested in Guest Blogging. The first reader to take me up on this offer is tony8489. I've known tony8489 since the days of Manz Elementary school in Eau Claire. He's big into politics, current events, sports, etc. He like to stir up and take part in conversation. Always has. However, tony 8489 has not chosen to write about the aforementioned topics. You see, right before Thanksgiving, tony8489 lost one of his best friends (if not his best friend). His friends death was very, very unexpected and he left a wife and five sons behind. Oddly enough, this individual was also a childhood best friend to another reader of this blog (and one of my best friends), Pete. Small world. So, I know two people who are experiencing the grieving process right now.

Were not supposed to lose our best friends in their forties. That is supposed to happen in our 60's, 70's and after, right? And they are not supposed to leave young kids behind. But this has happened, and tony8489 has written about it. Quite eloquently, I might add. He has described this post as a "cautionary tale." Here you go....

Guest Blogger #1 - tony8489:

I will never forget the day I met you. You came over to our college house with another buddy and we hit it off quite well. You were so handsome back then, but I think maybe we all were. So full of life. No receding hairlines, grey hair, or round, protruding bellies. We were so young, and quite soon, it would be off to the races. But not yet. No, we had too much to do. You had said that your long time girlfirend since high school wanted to see other people, and you were not really ok with that. So, to hide your deep sorrow, you partied like it was your last day on earth. You actually set the house record for splitting a 1.75 liter of Canadian Club with another whiskey night soldier. Plus the drinks at the Albatross, plus the after bar party. Toss in the two packs of smokes, and John Belushi had nothing on you. Your partying became legendary, but so did your brooding about your girlfriend. You actually found yourself putting your head in the oven, but that was laughed off as something that you really didn't do, right? Anyway, you got back together with her, because that part of your life was already predetermined, I guess.

College came and went, and you got married right away. No one got married that young, not even back then! Of course, it was not that fantasy life you see in the movies, but reality never is. Reality is like that cold winter slap that hits you when you grab the morning paper. It stings, and you just long to get back inside. But you could not. Too late. The partying never really stopped, however, Nor did the late nights, nor did much else. Remember when you came down to Milwaukee to see me that one year that I lived down there? You got pissed at the wife, and just drove until you got to my door. Remember that pool game we played with the locals? We beat them, and they were waiting for us outside and we had to fight our way home? And then they tried to run you over with their car? Those days out of college were like a music video. So much fun, it was hard to believe they would ever stop.

Zach was born. Your life changed. Everything changed. Most everything. You started to finally settle down. Built the house in Lakeville. Then Mitch. Then Jake. Then the twins! Five boys! Now comes the mansion. You needed it just to hold all the toys. Remember when I switched careers to go into sales? You asked me if I wanted to come over there and build up your business with you. God, did we have fun. Opening up accounts left and right. We shared the same office and grew even closer. We would talk about everything. You were in my wedding, and were one of my brothers. You had the answer for everything. Business issues, family issues, life issues. I leaned on you heavily for advice.

A few years ago some storm cloud gathered. Your circle started to shrink. I could see it, but could not really do anything about it. Kind of like looking at a display on the sidewalk. Separation, but the cold glass ensures you only get so far. And the glass is unbreakable. First you turned your back on your best friend. No one turns their back on their best buddy. That is a clear violation of one of life's concrete rules. Then you turned your back on your parents. Again, something that someone does not do. Your response? "Fuck'em. I don't need them". Really?

The call then comes. You have done it. You had all the answers I was seeking. How do I make it in the business world? How do I handle marriage? How do I handle a screaming kid in the middle of the night? All your answers made perfect sense. But now you are not here. And we all have questions. And you cannot answer them. How are we supposed to find the answers for this? More importantly than me, how about your five children?

Pioneer Press VIP Update

As you may recall, I have been named a St. Paul Pioneer Press VIP. Because of my VIP status, I was informed via postcard that, for an extra 10 cents a day, my paper would be delivered right to my door (rather than right to my door, as it currently is). Well, a few interesting developments have happened since that postcard.

I fully intended to call and complain (bitch) about the added cost for a mythical service that I already am receiving but then I got my next bill for the paper. I noticed that the additional fee was not yet added. So, I decided to wait before calling and see where the paper ends up. The paper has been within a few feet of my porch door every day, but (oddly enough) not as near as the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune is neatly placed snug against my porch door each day. Now, this is not something that I like to admit. Being a St. Paul guy, I want the Pioneer Press to do well. I want it to do better than the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune even though I subscribe to both. You see, I need my Sid along with Soucheray. But, the Strib is also 50 cents a day so it really should be placed on my kitchen table each morning.

A weird thing happened, however, when I found out my Pioneer Press delivery guy also actually works at THE CHECK. By the way, once he heard that he was my delivery guy, the first thing he said was "I'd like to apologize for anything that has happened." I thought that was funny. Anyway, he's a good guy so I decided to ask him about the "VIP thing." His response was interesting. He had never heard of the "service." He didn't know that some people on his route were paying an extra fee for "delivery right to their door" and some were not. No clue.

So my question to you is: what kind of crazy, bunko scam is this? There is no question that I am cancelling the VIP service the first millisecond that I receive the charge on the bill. The delivery guys don't even know about it! I'm a little embarrassed for my beloved St. Paul Pioneer Press, people. This is the paper I have been reading my entire life, even as a lad in Eau Claire for God sakes. Back to the Don Riley days (The Bushers). If you need the extra dime a day, just ask. I'll pay it. But to mask it as some "service" is kind of sad.

This would be like THE CHECK saying, "Hey we'll sell you some nice laser checks but they are more money if you want a background color like blue or green!" Hey, wait a minute.......

What do you think about this "service?" What would you do?

Jeff

Saint Paul - SI's New Hockeytown U.S.A.

In the same issue of Sports Illustrated that named Brettfavre the Sportsman of the Year, a new Hockeytown U.S.A. is named. (Side note to Jase - all kidding aside, Favre is well-deserving of that honor, and should probably be named the NFL MVP). In his article in the latest edition of SI, Hockey writer Micheal Farber goes in search of the true Hockeytown U.S.A. Detroit held the honor previously, and the current contestants came down to Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo and St. Paul. The winner, and new Hockeytown U.S.A.?

St. Paul.

Here is what Farber has to say about his choice:

The Wild has sold every ticket to every game since it entered the NHL as an expansion team in 2000, but it has never tried to bigfoot hockey in a city that was home to America's iconic coach, Herb Brooks; the No. 2 U.S.-born career NHL scorer, South St. Paul's Phil Housley; the only cartoonist to draw a Zamboni-driving bird, Charles Schulz; and the leading state high school tournament in the nation. This is the unwritten hockey schedule in the Twin Cities: boys' hockey Tuesday night, girls' hockey Thursday night, the University of Minnesota Friday and Saturday nights. Boys and girls also play on Saturday afternoon. It is no coincidence that the Wild often plays on Wednesday and Sunday. This is a franchise respectful of the game, aware of its niche and almost obsequious in its treatment of fans. Minnesota high school hockey jerseys ring the outer concourse of the arena. Pictures of season-ticket holders appear on game tickets. The Wild even employs a full-time hockey curator to protect and promote the state's hockey heritage.

That's pretty cool considering that the previous franchise, the beloved North Stars, relocated to the hockey hotbed of Texas due to combination of the evil Norm Green and the short-sighted local politicians. Sometimes it takes losing something to realise how valuable it was. This is the case with hockey in the Twin Cities. More from Farber:

Now Minnesotans are buying what the Wild is selling. Season tickets are capped at 16,500; the waiting list is 7,500. There are 32 stations on the team's radio network, extending through the Dakotas, into Iowa and Wisconsin and even Thunder Bay, Ont. NHL hockey again appears entrenched, despite the many other options available.

That is what I like to hear.

Peace from Hockeytown, U.S.A.,

Jeff

The Vikes

A few weeks back, the Vikings played their worst collective game in over 10 years and lost to the Packers 34-0. Adrian Peterson got hurt and looked like he might be lost for the season. The team sat at 3-6 and it looked like they were on their way to a last-place finish. Needless to say, I was a little down on the squad. I'm kind of at a loss to explain what has happened since that time.

Sure, they beat the Oakland Raiders at home which is somewhat expected. Then, however, they proceeded to dismantle the Giants at New York 41-17, and destroy the Lions 42-10 at the Dome. It's not so much the outcome of these games that has surprised me. Here is what has surprised me:

1. Adrian Peterson did not play in 2 of the 3 victories. Antione Winfied did not play in all 3.
2. Tavarius Jackson has not only looked competent, he has looked confident. He can suddenly complete slant passes.
3. They have discovered a pass rush.
4. The play of the linebackers has been outstanding, especially E.J. Henderson.
5. They have consistently converted on 3rd down.
6. They have not only attempted, but converted, multiple trick plays.
7. They have not committed stupid, untimely penalties.
8. The play of the young wide receivers, particularly 21 year-old Sidney Rice. has been great.
9. Most importantly and amazingly, Brad Childress does not seem over matched. The play-calling has been..........good.

OK. Is this the "purple kool-aid" moment of 2007? Have they temporarily crossed over into a parallel universe? Possibly. The Vikes have been known to "tease" their fans at some time each year, before the "other shoe drops." Sure, the Vikes sit at 6-6, and the best that they can hope for is a Wild Card playoff berth. Is it time for the "big let down?"

I believe the upcoming game against lowly San Francisco will tell you more about this team than any other game this season. The Vikings enter a game, on the road, against an opponent that they are expected to beat. The game has playoff implications. If they blow this one and lay an egg against the 49ers, it's time pack it in folks. If the Vikings win this game, however, they will sit at 7-6 and control their own destiny. I can't believe that I just typed those words about the 2007 Minnesota Vikings. My preseason prediction was 4-12.

I must admit that I like what I see from some of the young Vikings. T-Jack, Chad Greenway, Sidney Rice, Aundrae Allison, E.J. Henderson, Cedric Griffin. The one thing that makes this year seem a little different, of course, is Adrian Peterson. He is the Real Deal, and if he stays healthy, there is finally hope for the future.

Has the purple kool-aid, once again, gone to my head? I guess we'll see.


Peace,


Jeff

Sasquatch's Cousin (Kind of a Dork)

As usual, I have been scouring the news for more proof of the existence of The Sasquatch. It turns out that Sasquatch's cousin, the Yeti, has been in the news lately. For you Bigfoot-family virgins out there, the Yeti is a ape-like creature that is said to live in Tibet and Nepal. The Yeti also goes by another name that I am sure that you have heard before - The Abdominal Snowman. This is because the creature exists in the snowy, mountainous regions of the aforementioned countries. By the way, whoever coined the phrase "abdominal" for this creature really picked the right catch-phrase. What else have you ever heard described as "abdominal" other than The Snowman? Well, maybe some Vikings play calling earlier this year, but not much else. But the name has stuck. I looked up the word in the dictionary and it means "odious, loathsome, detestable." Wow, not good. But that makes sense because the Yeti has always got the short-end of the stick when it comes to Sasquatch lore. He's kind of a dork, but more on that later.


The Yeti has been in the news lately because ape-like footprints have been discovered near Mount Everest. Here is the low-down from a story by Gopal Sharma (who else?) for MSNBC.com:

KATMANDU, Nepal - Members of a TV production team investigating the existence of the legendary Yeti in Nepal said Friday that they have found footprints intriguing enough to merit further investigation.

The team of nine producers from "Destination Truth," armed with infrared cameras, spent a week in the icy Khumbu region where Mount Everest is located and found the footprints on the bank of the Manju River at an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,850 meters).

One of the three footprints found on Wednesday is about 1 foot (30 centimeters) long, with an appearance similar to those shown in sketches of the purported apelike creature, the team said.

Of course, you have the "it's a bear crowd," but not according to archaeologist Josh Gates:

"I don't believe it to be a bear. It is something of a mystery for us. This print is so pristine, so good, that I am very intrigued by this," said Gates, flanked by his team members.

That is all fine and good but I must say, and lets not mince words here, nobody really cares about The Yeti. If this was a story about Sasquatch footprints found in, say, Northern California, everyone would be freaking out (no question). But Nepal? Who cares. Who is going to Nepal soon? Nobody. Plus, most Yeti sightings are by freaky, wizard-looking people who live in the mountains. People who live in the mountains are probably crazy, and don't have as much credibility as people who see Bigfoot and live in the woods.

When I think of The Sasquatch, I think of a powerful, 8-foot muscular creature roaming the forest. When I think of the Yeti, visions of a tubby, white Orangutan come to mind, probably hiding in a cave. Actually the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, does have one famous image. Here it is:

Yes, it's the lovable "bumble" from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He was mean at first, but then was tamed and actually put the star on the Christmas Tree at the end of the show. Nice. Would The Sasquatch put the star on the Christmas tree? No. He would DESTROY the Christmas tree. Therein lies one of the fundamental differences between the two.

So, I can't get too fired up about the Yeti footprints discovered in the mountains of Nepal. They'll probably lead right to a cowering creature hiding in a cave. I'll keep searching for Sasquatch news.

Peace,

Jeff

Purple Kool-Aid Time?

Wait a minute here. Vikings 42 - Lions 10? That's 3 wins in a row. AP looks healthy. T-Jack actually looks like an NFL (or CFL, at least) Quarterback. Is it time to drink the Purple Kool-Aid?

I will have more to say about this later. Now, The Boy and I are going to attend the Wild game against the hated (and dirty and cheap) Vancouver Canucks. Should be a battle. Matt Cooke sucks.

Peace,

Jeff

UPDATE: We just returned from the X, and the Wild thwarted the hated Canucks 2-1 to take over sole possession of 1st Place in the Norris, uh, Northwest Division. A good time was had by all. By the way this man is my new hero:

His name is Aaron Voros. Once in a great while, a guy is called up from the minors who just can't be sent back. This guy agitates, scraps, camps in front of the net. All good stuff. And he scored the winning goal tonight. Jacques Lemaire loves him. He said in the post-game wrap up that every time Voros scores a goal he responds "like it's the first goal he's ever scored." I like that. He's another good shot from the game tonight. Voros is the guy screaming at the hated Canuck on the ground:
Good times. Have a good night.

Jeff

One Year Later

I hope you are sitting down for this. Today, December 1st, 2007, is the one-year anniversary of What Jeff Thinks. Yes, I know that is amazing. It has been one year of incredible insight, rants, visions, tirades, innuendos, off-base prognostications, inaccuracies, and attempts at humor. There have been 157 total posts, including my first one on December 1, 2006. I am quite proud of some posts, and others are complete crap.

Obviously sports, sports stadiums, The Sasquatch, & tunes have been the major topics that I have written about. As you may recall, this blog was created by my wife because she was tired of listening to my rants about the aforementioned topics (especially, at the time, the Twins stadium). Well, this blog has served me well in the "blowing off steam" department. There have been some great conversations in the comments sections, too. I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read the blog, and those who have added comments. I'd also like to thank the "spell-check feature" on Blogger which has saved me from embarrassment many times. A special thank-you, however, goes out to "the regulars" whose comments have become an integral part of What Jeff Thinks. Some of the comments are better than the actual posts!

I have to admit there have been a few occasions that I have pondered shutting the blog down, but then something happens in the news that "I have to write about." So, here's to Year II of What Jeff Thinks. I'm sure there will be much to write about. The continued building of the Twins stadium, more proof of The Sasquatch (as if more is needed), concert reviews, putting plastic on windows, etc. I'd even allow for "guest posters." If you have something you'd like to rant about, send it to me. I'll post it as a "guest blogger," unless it is much funnier than anything that I have ever written. Then, we'll see.

Anyway, thanks again for Year I.

Peace,

Jeff