VIKINGS THOUGHTS (and more NFL THOUGHTS)

I didn't post a lot of thoughts on the Vikings/Panthers game when I posted my thoughts on Friday. But here was my #1 thought:

First, last week, Donald Driver had a huge first half. At the half, Ted Cottrell told Fred Smoot to cover Driver all over the field, man-to-man, with no help. Smoot stepped up to the challenge and proved himself to be the great cover corner that we knew he was. I am hoping that this week, Smoot is told to cover WR Steve Smith all over.

Well, Fred Smoot was put 1-on-1 against Steve Smith, and I think it would be fair to call Steve Smith the winner of that battle, in a landslide. Right from the start Smith made great plays and made Smoot look like a statue! On the day, Smith had 11 catches for 201 yards. He had big plays for long yardage and he had big plays that were enough to get first downs. And it was all easy. OK, he made one remarkable catch, but the rest was pretty easy.

 

Of course the big story of the game for Vikings fans has to be the knee injury to Daunte Culpepper. The severity of his injury is not official yet, but it is likely that Culpepper will miss the remainder of the season, or at least a big chunk of it. I guess this will give Vikings fans who have been longing for Brad Johnson to become the starter their wish. And it is not a good thing for the Vikings. If Brad Johnson gets as much support from the offensive line as Culpepper has, he will not last very long. So, if this is the case, how long before the Vikings make a call to Jeff George? Or Tim Couch? Or, maybe even Rickie Foggie, or Ryan Leaf?

 

341 yards and three TD passes for Jake Delhomme. Delhomme is another Tom Brady-like QB. He doesn't do a lot spectacularly, but he finds a way to not hurt his team and give them a chance to win each week.

 

OTHER NFL THOUGHTS

Just a few things I noted while watching the games yesterday:

• For the first time in NFL history, the Denver Broncos had a 300 yard passer and two 100 yard rushes. Jake Plummer was 22-35 for 309 yards and four TDs. Mike Anderson had 21 carries for 126 yards and a TD. Tatum Bell had 14 carries for 107 yards. The Broncos beat the Philadelphia Eagles 49-21. I watched this game. At one point, the Eagles had cut the lead to 28-21 (after being down 28-0 at halftime). However, the Broncos then extended their lead to 42-21. Then, with the ball inside the 15 yard line, but less than a minute and a half remaining, the Broncos felt the need to run up the score. Rather than just taking a knee and ending the game, the Broncos just continued to throw it down the Eagles' collective throats. Completely disrespectful and unnecessary.  Just my opinion.

• Former Gopher Marion Barber III got another start for the Dallas Cowboys yesterday. Barber rushed 27 times for 127 yards and two TDs (28 and 10 yards). He added two catches for 15 yards. He is making the question be asked, Should he be the Cowboys starter instead of Julius Jones when Jones comes back. NO! He did this against the Cardinals.

• Miss a game, take your bye week, and then Fred Taylor comes back with a huge day. 22 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown. Teammate Earnest Wilford added 145 yards and a touchdown for the Jaguars. Of course, none of that mattered though as the Rams got the win behind 200 total yards from Stephen Jackson (179 rushing and a 21 yards TD catch).

• Speaking of big games, how about Tiki Barber of the Giants?? 204 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

• Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 188 yards on 40 carries in the Dolphins 21-6 win over the Saints. Brown had 23 carries for 106 yards. Williams had 17 carries for 82 yards.

• Brett Favre threw for 290 yards and a touchdown yesterday. However, he also threw five interceptions. With Favre, it is completely an either/or situation from week to week, or almost from play to play.

• I heard some speculation last night that I thought was pretty interesting. I heard it said that if the Tennessee Titans fail to make the playoffs again this year, head coach Jeff Fisher could be fired. How about that name as a possible replacement for Mike Tice?!?!

• How awful would it be if your local network would have forced you to watch the San Francisco/Tampa Bay game? Joe Nedney's five field goals gave the 49ers the 15-12 win. The QB matchup with Ken Dorsey against Chris Simms! It doesn't get much worse than that!!

Any thoughts on the Vikings, the Panthers, this game or anything NFL, just e-mail me.  

WEEKEND TWINS THOUGHTS

 

WEEKEND BONUS 2 (Saturday Morning)

Terry Ryan with an excellent response to Torii Hunter's concern about new hitting coach Joe Vavra:

He ought to pick up the phone and tell me.Until the man [Vavra] gets here and proves he has the ability to show his worth, then that question will be asked. Torii was a rookie once and we put faith in him.

WEEKEND BONUS (Friday afternoon)

I read a couple of articles and I have to comment. I am assuming many of you have already read Charley Walters' article this morning, the one with quotes from Torii Hunter? Well, if not, click here to read it. But as I was reading it, there were some comments of Torii's that I agreed with, but I still am bothered by reading it.

The first Hunter quote is interesting. "I just work here. I better not comment."

OK, like Hunter has the ability to not comment on anything! Secondly, even after saying he shouldn't comment, he came up with plenty to say on the topic!

 

Big picture, I have to ask myself if Torii is talking so much right now in an attempt to get traded! I think that he wants to be dealt and is saying things to assure it happening.

I never knew (Vavra) was a hitting coach. I wish they would have called me for some insight or whatever. Scottie wasn't so bad. But if they felt they needed to do something, go get Don Baylor or somebody like that.

"I've played in the big leagues seven, eight years, and now we have a different hitting coach I feel probably can't help me. Not that I'm being cocky or anything. If Don Baylor or somebody who had been around, a Paul Molitor, that's somebody I probably would respect and listen to.

"It's not being negative or anything, it's just that I'm pretty much where I'm supposed to be and I want to get better. But I'm only going to get better if I have somebody who has a track record."

Scottie doesn't have a track record, either, but at the same time, he's been with us for so long that we can talk to him and have an understanding with him. I've been around a long time and Scottie's still there, as a third-base coach. Who do you think I'm going to be getting my information from? So now, you're stepping on toes."

Yeah, not much to say, huh? Just some thoughts:

1. I had never really heard much about Vavra myself, so that is a fair statement.

2. Why should Terry Ryan feel obligated to talk to Hunter even if Hunter may be part of the Twins future?

3. Scottie wasn't so bad? Are you serious, Torii?

4. I completely agree that Don Baylor would have been my choice too. But we don't know if Terry Ryan talked to him at all. Maybe he did. Also, Baylor has stated that he wants another managerial job, and Mr. Ryan may not be interested in having that around.

5. Seven or eight years, and Ullger hasn't helped you either. You're a league average, at best, offensive centerfielder! I would think any change would be helpful to you!

6. Not being cocky???

7. Don Baylor and Paul Molitor would be people you would respect? Probably? I would hope so. But there is a reason that Vavra was brought in. He must know something. Give him a chance.

8. And suddenly those are the only types of coaches you would listen to? Nice!

9. Not trying to be negative? Good way of showing it!

10. You are where you are, and you've never gotten better. We can blame Mr. Ullger if you want, but take a little responsibility yourself! Be accountable for your own play too!

11. So, at least Scottie's a guy you can talk to... that is good. What do you talk about? Hitting, or other? And what is this understanding? That you won't listen to him either?

12. Who will you get your information from? Hopefully Mr. Vavra can help you. But in a big way, you're right on this one. There will be stepping on toes involves. I have no idea why Ullger is still around? Is it because he is the next manager? I don't understand that either.

So, just a short little article of quotes that Charley Walters coaxed out of Torii, but it is deep now. Hunter must go. I am in agreement that a bigger name was needed. But is it Torii's job to question? Yes, I understand that he was just answering questions asked of him. But a little tact would be good. Like I said earlier, I think that Torii is trying to get out of Minnesota. His comments may do it for him! WE, or at least I, can only hope so!

 

(Ironically, these are the types of comments that I would LOVE if Kevin Garnett would make them. Why? Because he has earned the right to say them!)

 

Any thoughts? E-mail me.

 

MOVIE THOUGHTS

Well, I had not rented a movie for a long time. I went into the store after work on Friday and rented three movies. I watched just one on Friday night, one on Saturday morning and one Saturday afternoon. They were three very different movies, but each was pretty good in its own right. I will just give a brief review of the three movies, trying not to give away too much, but also trying to give an idea of whether or not I liked it. So, here we go:

 

Bigger than the Sky

I had never heard of this movie, but as I have said numerous times, I like renting those movies too because sometimes you find a very underrated movie. I won't say that this is underrated as it is not a great movie by any means. I, of course, am not saying it is horrible, must-turn-it-off-right-away either. It is good. But it is what it is. It is a drama without a lot of major drama. And the reason I rented it? Amy Smart was in it!

Peter, a man (played by Marcus Thomas) with a very lonely, boring life sees that there is an open audition for a community theatre play of Cyrano de Bergerac. He goes to the library and really gets into the book. he goes to the audition and is horrible but somehow does land a part in the play. The play is really a lot of interaction between different types of people and personalities, and how they can sometimes come together to form something really good. Of course, that summary can be used to describe a few different scenarios in the movie.

John Corbett of Raising Helen or My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame is also in the movie, playing one of the actors. Smart plays the lead actress role. Sean Astin also plays a small, but very well done, role in this film. 

I would say that it is good. It was interesting to learn a little bit about Cyrano, but now that I have seen it, I won't be renting it again. 

Crash

I have always been very interested in civil rights types of issues, admittedly from a distance. In college, my favorite book was The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass. Movies that aren't afraid to discuss in honest terms the racism and bigotry that is real in America still. This is a movie that throws so many racial and societal prejudices out there and tackles them head on. In many cases, the fear of "different" work both ways. So many movies show us a white woman seeing a black man and getting nervous. Well, that same black man may get annoyed by this, but he may go around mocking or ridiculing someone of an Asian ethnicity, and all of these roles and fears go both ways.

The movie takes place in a number of segments of society in Los Angeles. There are the racist cops intertwined with the good cops. We see affluent black characters and black characters that are thieves. We see good white cop and bad white cop. There are people of nearly every single race and socioeconomic background in this movie. And the Melting Pot brings us so many situations of prejudice and discrimination.

I like this movie because it clearly shows jus how messed up bigotry is. But it is also honest with us and tells us that we can say all the right things and do the right things and even think the right things. However, when push comes to shove, or we are presented with a really tough situation, our true colors tend to come out.  So the movie doesn't just give us all of the answers. It frequently throws out the problem and shows that there is not a quick answer.

The cast in this movie is incredible. If you can believe this, even Ryan Phillippe was good in this one! Sandra Bullock and Brendan Fraser were great in their roles. Jennifer Esposito was great as usual. Don Cheadle is an amazing actor and did really well in this one. He is so consistent. He was just as good in this movie, in a more limited role, as he was in Hotel Rwanda. Ludacris was surprisingly terrific, and his on-screen partner Larenz Tate was great! And, I'm normally not a big Matt Dillon fan, but I thought he shone through in this movie.

I have to again admit that there were a few scenes in which my jaw dropped and then there were a few others where my eyes were, ummm... sweating! Great movie! One I need to see again, and would encourage others to watch as well!

Kicking and Screaming

And after those two movies, well, I needed a laugher. And who better right now to go to than Will Ferrell. I really wasn't expecting a lot going into this movie, and I have to say that I was greatly and happily surprised with how good this movie is. Ferrell has always been in competition with his tough, over-competitive father, played wonderfully by Robert Duvall. Despite their ages, the father can still beat the son in everything. The father coaches a soccer team that his son and his grandson play on. His son is the star. His grandson doesn't get off the bench. The father is so competitive that he trades his grandson to another team. The new team, the Tigers, are terrible and have no coach. So, Ferrell's character, Phil, decides he'll coach just one game. He does coach, and ends up taking over for the full year. Everything starts out great, but as his team gets better, his father and he get more competitive, and of course, Ferrell's comedy comes out very well. There is a lot of good about this movie, and it is actually something that the kids can watch! Oh, and sports fans, Mike Ditka actually plays a very important character. It is far more than a cameo as he appears throughout and has many key lines. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone, especially some of those parents who seem to think that they know all. I know this would be an exaggeration, but there is a lot to be said to such parents!

Any thoughts on any of these movies, or anything else new that you have seen lately? E-mail me.

 

NFL "EXPERT" PICKS

Well, we've got co-winners this week, and neither has won yet this week, so that is a good thing! Will Young and Melissa Lien are both 10-3 so far this week. Since all twelve of our panelists chose the Steelers to win tonight, no one can catch them. SBG, Ben, Brent and Cory each are one game behind the leaders this week.

 

Here is the recap of our Week 8 picks. (You can see the up-to-date standings by checking out the NFL "Expert" Picks page here.)

 

 

 

Summary

Looking at the selections of the 12 panelists, here is who the collective "We" think will win each game: