Randy Returns and All is Cool

It still sucks to think that this Vikings team could have Randy Moss. There was no reason to trade him back in 2005. I wrote then that it was a mistake, I write now that it was a mistake, and seeing Randy in a Raiders uniform at the Dome last night, just brought out all the anger I had toward Red McCombs, that sorry ass used car salesman from Texan who sold our best vehicle for dirt cheap.

McCombs can kiss my you know what for trading Moss to the Raiders. Just because Red didn't get what he wanted, a new stadium (and good luck to Zygi in trying the same thing by the way), Red decided he would punish Vikings fans and send the team's identity to the Oaktown reclamation projects.

But Randy was and is loved by REAL Vikings fans. We all know he was the face, the poster boy, the lightning rod of the purple for almost a decade. I hope he comes back as a Viking someday, but if not, I know he will go into the Vikes Hall of Fame, and will come back for the hanging of the jersey from the rafters- or the bannner on the wall, or the ring of honor- whatever. Randy was our icon, the guy who mooned the Cheeseheads, the guy who caught ALL the bombs, the chuck it deep dog, rip the NFL completely up Viking who defied everyone.

Randy the fans miss you, and you are always welcome back. The response at the dome last night showed this, and Moss was quoted as appreciating the loud cheers,

"It's no different. It was good to see the fans and feel the love. I'm cool with the fans. But to hell with the organization. I'm still mad at them. I wanted to really stay. They change uniforms, change shoes and bring a defense in, and they wouldn't do that stuff when I was here. The organization can go to hell. As far as the state, and the fans, I still have love for them."

Once again, I have to agree 100% with Moss.

Hot Dog Eating Vikings

Found this on a blog, thought it was cool, so here ya go:
One Johnsonville Bratwurst weighs about 85 grams (3-oz. or 0.2-lbs.). We already know that Takeru Kobayashi set a new world record by eating 58 brats, sans buns, last weekend, but how does this compare to what a real person - i.e. a non-competitive eater - can eat? The St. Paul Pioneer wondered the same thing. Instead of taking the boring route and surveying people around the office, they tracked down some big eaters and asked the Minnesota Vikings' offensive line how much they thought they could eat. Even with an average weight of 245.8-lbs, compared to Kobayashi's 160-lbs., and the appetites to match the amount of energy they use on the field, most of the players said that they could eat fewer than a half-dozen of the sausages. The tackle, Mike Rosenthal, joked that he could eat 60, but every player said that there was no way they could do it in that time limit of 10 minutes.

Say what you will about competitive eating as a sport, but it clearly takes a specific set of skills to do it.

Here is the rest of the St. Paul Pioneer Press Story:

How many brats could you eat, and what is the most you have ever put away in one meal?

Tackle Bryant McKinnie (6 feet 8, 344 pounds): Can I have all day to eat the brats? It's the bread that fills you up. If I didn't have to eat the bread, I can probably eat 58 if I had all day. I'd have to be hungry. Thanksgiving is when I have the most food at one time. I have the turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, yams, stuffing.

Center Matt Birk (6-4, 300): I'd say I can eat five brats. I can eat them real slow and be sick to my stomach and enjoy them on the way down and have a beer with it. Or, I can shove them down my throat real fast and be miserable the whole time. In the end, it'll be the same result. The most I ever ate at one sitting was a calzone with four chicken breasts and a pound of cheese. I've got Kobayashi when it comes to calzones.

Kicker Ryan Longwell (6-0, 192): I've been in Wisconsin for the last nine years. I'm very familiar with Johnsonville brats. They are tasty, but if I get two of them, that's one too many. And I can't even imagine 58. That guy is unbelievable. He throws them down like they're nothing, and then at the bell, he shoves in like 10, and he chews them all. It would take me two weeks to eat 58 Johnsonville brats. In college, there was an all-you-can-eat burrito place, and I think I ate 2½ burritos. It ruined me for the next week.

Guard Chris Liwienski (6-5, 330): I can probably get six brats down if I was really pressured. That's without being really sick to my stomach. I don't know how you do 58. That's unbelievable. That double porterhouse steak from Manny's is probably the biggest thing I've ever eaten at one time.

Tackle Mike Rosenthal (6-7, 317): I can eat 60 brats. (Laughs). And the biggest meal I ever ate was six Cinnabons in one sitting. Go to the Cinnabon store, and you'll see how much that is. It's like a cake. It's a brick of six.

Cornerback Fred Smoot (5-11, 190): I think I can put down about 20 brats, maybe 25. It depends on whether I was timed or not. Kobayashi was timed. I'm a big Thanksgiving dinner person. I can eat a little bit of everything from the turkey to the ham to the dressing to the macaroni. Whatever you've got at Thanksgiving, I'm going to eat it.

Guard Anthony Herrera (6-2, 315): I don't eat brats, but I can probably eat about four. The biggest meal I ever ate was a macaroni and cheese pie with stewed chicken. It weighed about seven pounds.

Guard Steve Hutchinson (6-5, 312): I can eat a couple of brats. I'm not a power eater. My biggest meal? I can probably eat a hundred chicken wings. I'm not one of those guys who try to eat the triple volcano sauce. I just like regular hot sauce.

Tight end Jermaine Wiggins (6-2, 260): How many brats can I eat? Maybe three. It's too nasty for me to do more than that. I don't power eat. I just eat a regular portion of food.

Safety Darren Sharper (6-2, 210): I've never had a brat in my life, and I played in Wisconsin eight years. When I was going through puberty I could eat 1½ pizzas by myself. You know what they need to do? A documentary on the day after an eating contest to see what happens to the guy who won.

We are Tailgating at Rapid Park 2006

The most common question of the off-season for last year's diehard tailgaters: "Where do we go next season?" has formally been answered. We are tailgating at Rapid Park!

After discussing options with our long-time tailgating neighbors, Kansas Viking, Spiking viking, the Battlewagon Boys, OJ, Saueey, Stier's gang, the New wave Rollers, Stripper Skipper, and Brandon's Road Agents, it was a consensus that we would move. We hope to see all of our old friends, and meet many new friends this 2006 season.

It all starts Monday Night when Randy Moss brings his high flying act back to the circus tent. As you all know, I am a big Moss fan, so don't be shocked if I show up with my Raiders #18 jersey (I can finally fit in it) and my "Smoke what I wanna smoke, play when I wanna play" Vikes hat. We should have NEVER traded that guy! End of story. See you all soon.

Read more about Rapid Park from Kansas Viking's web site.

World History, Music, Pop Culture, John Madden and Super Bowl Wrinkles

I actually watched part of the Oakland Raiders 16-10 win over the Phildadelphia Eagles last night. I don't know why?

During one part of the game, they actually showed Madden (Born in Austin, MN by the way?) getting measured up for info that would be used to make his bust in the Hall of Fame. During that segment, I saw pictures of hime from 1976, the year the Oakland Raiders beat the Vikings in the Super Bowl, and it really hit me. It has been 30 years since the Vikings have played in the Bowl.

I tell ya, that has been a fast 30 years. I was just 11 years old back then and so much has happened in that time, personally, historically and in sports.

In that time:

The Twins won Two World Series Championships

Kirby Puckett's entire professional baseball Hall of Fame career took place. Then The Puck passed away.

Kevin Garnett was born 5-19-1976

The Vikings have had 6 head coaches

The Minnesota North Stars played in 2 Stanely Cup Finals, then moved to Texas

The Gophers footballl program hasn't improved one bit, the basketball teams went to Final 4's (but the women's was the only one that counted because of a cheating scandal)

Prince has put put over 30 albums, a hit movie, and several #1 billboard hits, and was enshrined into a a newly formed Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

I graduated high school, and college.

The World Wide Web was created, and computers have taken over the World.

Tampa Bay has defeated the Oakland Raiders in a Super Bowl!

Disco died, Punk rock came and went, grunge was a style, Johhny Cash died, U2 started up, and Madonna sold her soul to devil twice.

The Rolling Stones played the half-time show of the last Super Bowl.

Two of the 4 Beatles have died.

Two Bushes have been president.

The Iron Curtain has fallen, the Berlin Wall was taken down, Europe shares a common monetary system.

The Red Sox have won a World Series.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have won a Stanely Cup.

Larry vs. Magic, NCAA Finals, and 5 or 6 NBA Championship Games?

Tiger Woods has won 12 Majors?

Please feel free to share your fascinating facts! This list could go on forever. Imagine what could happen in another 30 years? Here's hoping my 2-year old son will get a chance to see a Super Bowl someday!