Mookie Interviewed on WCCO; Vikings Back Away From Plan To Buy Land Near Dome

When news of the Vikings backing out of their deal to purcahse parking lots from the Star & Tribune broke, Mookie received a call from Esme Murphy requesting an interview. She and a photographer drove out to Lakeville, MN and shot an interview in his basement Sports Bar & Office. Watch the video

(AP) Minneapolis The Minnesota Vikings have backed out of a deal to buy four blocks near the Metrodome from the owners of the Star Tribune, the newspaper and the team confirmed Wednesday.

The land was part of owner Zygi Wilf's plan to redevelop the surrounding neighborhood with a new football stadium and other amenities, but the parcels were not part of the actual stadium site.

Though the Vikings have put their legislative push for the stadium on hold in light of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse and fatal floods earlier this month, losing the Star Tribune land does not affect the stadium part of the project.

In an e-mail to employees, Publisher Par Ridder said the Vikings had advised the company that the team no longer intends to buy the land from owner Avista Capital Partners.

"While we had reached agreement on a deal in principle, the Vikings reevaluated their plans in light of the recent credit market turbulence and other factors," Ridder wrote.

Vikings vice president of public affairs and stadium development Lester Bagley declined to elaborate on the decision. Bagley insisted the backout was an isolated business decision and not based on a broader concern about the viability of a new stadium.

Wilf has proposed a $954 million facility to replace the Metrodome as the centerpiece of an ambitious redevelopment of the surrounding area on the east edge of downtown Minneapolis.

"We are committed to advancing a Minneapolis stadium solution and investing in a broader economic development plan that would be a benefit to the entire state of Minnesota," Bagley said. "The news today is we've opted out of the deal after doing our due diligence. This is the normal course of business. This is a real estate transaction. It's happening throughout the country in other projects.

"If it doesn't stack up, opt out."

Wilf, a real estate developer, has pledged about $250 million for the new stadium and millions more for redeveloping the surrounding area. The Star Tribune land -- which the team initially intended to buy for $45 million after an agreement reached in June -- is part of that area.

Bagley said, however, that Wilf still owns other downtown parcels and is still pursuing other plans to purchase more land -- including a city-owned parking ramp next to the light rail station at the Metrodome.

The Vikings have a three-pronged plan for the area, including private mixed-use development and an enclosed "winter garden" with entertainment and retail at the rail station.

The third piece is the stadium with some public financing. That project has been shelved for now after the bridge collapse and flooding in southeast Minnesota.

"It's entirely appropriate for the legislature to get together in a special session and address those issues. At the same time, it's not appropriate to advocate a stadium at the time being. We'll get back to that another day," Bagley said.

The Vikings have long been pushing for state support for the project. They hoped for legislative approval next year, and said previously that waiting until 2009 could push the stadium cost to nearly $1 billion.

In his e-mail, Ridder said the Star Tribune and Avista would continue working with their real estate advisers over the next few weeks to determine their next steps.

Ridder said the Star Tribune would press ahead with plans to close an office building that was to be part of the sale and move the affected employees into the newspaper's main building.

The Vikings recently sent a letter to their season ticket holders highlighting the revival of pregame tailgating around the stadium, starting with the regular-season home opener Sept. 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. The four lots the team will no longer purchase are still open for tailgating in 2007 because they'll be managed by a third party on game days, Bagley said.

Vikings Football (Preaseason Reflections)

an you smell it? This last week in Minnesota you can almost smell fall in the air, and for me fall is the best time of year. The smell of fall has and always will be linked, for me, to FOOTBALL! Minnesota Viking football and Minnesota Gopher football (back in the day when we had stadiums outdoors!). You can almost feel the "Electwicity" in the air!

I have been a Vikings fan as long as I can remember. My earliest recollections date back to the fall of 1972. I have a picture of me wearing my Vikings jersey for the first day of school and I am holding my new Viking pencils and Vikings folder (best part of school starting was always getting new Viking school supplies).

By Chamber (The New Blogger Guy) Posted on his MySpace Blog, back in August...

For me the Vikings will never be as good as they were in the 70's. Some of this may be just plain old nostalgia. However, I think they were just damn good and plenty exciting to watch. I would live in die by how the Vikings did on Sunday. Don't get me wrong, I am still a huge Vikings fan, but its just not the same.

We no longer have the Jim Marshalls, Alan Pages, Carl Ellers, Chuck Formans, Fran Tarkingtons, and even the likes of Milt Sunde and Mick Tinglehoff ( I could go on, but I think you get my point). Now we must rely on a young and little known defense (although the have looked decent in the preseason so far....) and and offense that has a great line but little else after that. We are weighing our hopes a rookie running back (Adrian Peterson), basically a rookie QB (Travaris Jackson) and are lacking any type of big name receiver.

I can not get into preseason football until the the last two weekends of it.... so here we go. This weekend should be a decent preseason game to watch, Vikings at Seattle. My intentions are to write one or two blogs a week about the Vikings and my opinions on them.

Feel free to chime in when you agree or disagree (valid discourse only). However, I do tend to get a little "emotionable" when discussing this topic.

Later, Chamberlain

If it Ain't Broke Don't Fix it (Commentary by the Kansas Viking)

Our buddy, Mike Perkins from KanasViking.com shared some opinions on the new Vikings pre-game opening music team introductions which we also agree with:

"Sometimes people don’t realize when they have a good thing and they decided to try and make things better. What usually happens is they make things a lot worse. That’s what the Vikings have done with their recent changes of the opening to the game and the addition of another mascot.

The first thing the Vikings did was introduce a new mascot, Viktor. A cartoonish like character dressed in a Viking costume that looks more like a college mascot than anything else. We don’t need another mascot. We need Ragnar, leading the team out of the tunnel, standing atop his motorcycle, swinging an axe overhead and getting the crowd worked into frenzy. Viktor looks more like he should be doing battle with Nebraska’s Herbie the Husker rather than leading the Vikings onto the field. Plus, the addition of Viktor gives us at least 4 mascots now, if you want to count that purple Barney the Dinosaur character, which I don’t. So Friday night we had Ragnar, Viktor, and Hubs Meed on the field. We need one mascot, Ragnar, not three of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love Hubs Meed. The guy is legend, but bring him out once in a while when someone is put in the Ring of Honor. We don’t need the guy being a mascot anymore than we need to throw a headset on Bud Grant again and let him coach.

Then the Vikings introduced the “Gjallar” horn. This is a giant horn that according to Scandinavian lore, Heimdall used to warn the gods of someone approaching. Later, the Vikings used the horn to signal the start of war. This thing is actually kind of cool and I wouldn’t mind having it here in my driveway. That way I could sound it on Sunday’s and annoy the neighbors. But the Vikings plan on having a “quest” each week, blow this thing to signal that the team is ready to come onto the field. Anyone else besides me see this going downhill fast? It’s not like they will bring out Chuck Mangione and have him raise the roof off the Metrodome. More like there will be an endless stream of “quests” that come out each week, spit into the end of this thing, and embarrass themselves trying to make some sort of sound come out of it. All while the other team is more than likely laughing themselves sick.

But worst of them all, the Vikings changed the beloved opening. No more dark storm clouds. No more lightning and thunder. No more Vikings ship coming out of the clouds, flying over the city of Minneapolis and destroying the opposing team’s helmet as our Vikings rush from the tunnel, led by Ragnar. No, what we have now is Led Zeppelin’s 1970 Immigrant Song spliced with a bunch of old game clips.

Now I like Led Zeppelin as much as the next guy. I was one of the original rock and rollers and grew up in the late 60’s. But this is not suited for the Vikings opening. Since attending my first game, the opening was something that got me and other fans fired up. The first time I experienced it, I almost had to sit down from the excitement. Thinking of that opening in the off season in anticipation of the coming football games gives me goose bumps and gets me pumped up for the coming season. Now we have taken that away and replaced it with something about as inspiring as last years Vikings offense.

Now, I’m all for change, but this smacks of the same thing that Disney has done in order to make ESPN more attractive to the “casual sports fan”. I can take the coaching changes, the new owners, players, even the unimaginative play calling. I’m a Viking fan and will always support the team. I can probably put up with that clownish Viktor if I have to, but please Zygi, please, don’t take away our beloved opening. Viking fans can only put up with so much. Being faced with possibly no place to tailgate this year, I don’t think I could add the disappointment of losing the opening too."

Tailgating Location 2007 Back-up Plan & Map

We have a tentative plan, a default plan if you will for tailgating 2007. If the Vikings have no announcement about tailgating for their diehard fans, we have decided that we will try to tailgate in the Valspar parking lot on gamedays. We don't know details about the lot (Like how many port-o-pottys there are, or cost, or other things like that) but due to a huge demand of some sort of plan, we are posting this info with the hopes that our tailgating tribe can survive. Please check the Kansas Viking site and Battlewagon.net for further information. More details will follow as we work to keep our gang together with the goal of rocking in the free world of Vikings fans.

Open a HUGE .PDF Map for the location of the Valspar Parking Lot (our unofficial back-up default plan)

Raider Brad Says "Update the damn Website!"

The first preseason game is in the books, and the Vikings lost 13-10 on a last second field goal by some no name Ram kicker. Of course, many of the fans weren't there to see it, as the exodus of purple power started at halftime.

The highlight of the night as far as I am concerned, was hooking up with many members of our tailgate "family" outside on the Metrodome Plaza before the game, and inside the stadium later on. It's always great to reunite with brothers and sisters of tailgating after a long off-season.

Raider Brad, a long time Regular, was walking by our table outside the Plaza's Foul Pole bar, when I yelled "IT"S BRAAAAAAAAD!" Notre Dame Dan, Amy, Rocky and myself had been sitting there chuggin Miller Lite's and watching the Plaza's blow up goal posts fall down all evening.

The big topic of the night: "Where the hell are we gonna tailgate this season?"

The default answer:

"Let's try the Valspor Parking lot over there by the DomesPlus."

I promised Brad I would put a new picture of him on the website, so enjoy.

P.S. Welcome to Section 105: Megan and Kristen.

Mr. McDaniel: In a class by himself

There is no doubt in my mind that Randall McDaniel is the greatest Viking of all-time; both on and off the field. I recently met Mr. McDaniel at Matt Blair's Celebrity Golf Outing at Hazeltine for the benefit of Special Olympics. He was imposing, cordial and and just a class act in general. He should be going into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

The Hall of Fame is the greatest individual honor any player can achieve. Because of this, the special club often looks to stars, big name type players that put the ball the endzone. Quarterbacks & Running Backs and even Wide Receivers seem to get all the glory and recognition, but there is no way in hell they could ever score if they didn't have the "grunts" do their part.

Fortuantley, the NFL has a system in place that helps recognize individual talent at every position. It's called the Pro Bowl. Every year players at every position are selected by one's peers to be honored in this game. It could be considered the best measuring stick of playing-day dominance. Randall McDaniel has been selected to play in this game 12 times. This is an ALL-TIME NFL RECORD.

But on his first change to get in to the Hall of Fame laste year, Randall was slighted. This year that must be corrected. It seems that voters can't recognize individual greateness of offensive lineman when they are supposed. The only way an OLineman gets into Canton is if they were part of a Super Bowl team. Case in point, only seven offensive linemen have been elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot -- Forrest Gregg, Jim Otto, Jim Langer, Gene Upshaw, John Hannah, Anthony Munoz and Jackie Slater. They all played in Super Bowls.

While it is always stressed that football is a team game, the Pro Bowl honors individual achievements. To that end, there is little more McDaniel could have done.

From Patrick Reusse's Star Tribune Column December 15, 2006 – 10:45 PM

...Mike Tice once described Randall McDaniel as the Vikings' "first Randy Moss." What he meant was getting McDaniel with the 19th overall selection in the 1988 NFL draft was the equivalent of landing Moss with the 21st a decade later.
Tice was McDaniel's line coach in January 1999 when he said: "Randall was passed over by a lot of teams. He came in and started dominating. The only difference between McDaniel then and Moss now is that Randall plays an unglorified position."

Left guard.

"He's the best to ever play that position," Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson said.
Johnson wasn't talking about McDaniel as the best to play left guard for the Vikings. He wasn't talking about McDaniel as the best he has seen in 15 NFL seasons.

"Best ever ... all-time," he said. "Couldn't have been anyone this good."...

Considering that he not only was a great player but a model citizen as well, seeing players like Michael Irvin get their day in Canton makes me sick.