The Straw that Makes Me Snap

Philadelphia beats the Vikings 23-16, and I couldn't yawn enough to pass the time. Football in this state has hit ROCK BOTTOM, and the only thing we fans have left is the hope of a good tailgate party. Tailgating is the saving grace of a bad team, but as if another boring ass Vikings loss, in a boring ass performance by a boring ass "kick ass" offense wasn't enough, well, here comes news that our tailgating lots has fallen victim to the "No Fun League."

Our tailgating day started out with the normal cast of characters. It was a cold day in October, so many of us were wondering what the rules were in the new lot for contained fires in those metal, portable fires. This is the time of year when it tends to get get Chilli outside, and there is no better smell than those nice campfires in the tailgate lot.

Our buddies Karki and Rowebote are genius tailagters who set up camp about 20 car spots from us. One of their acts of brilliance has been to provide killer music at volumes loud enough for us all to enjoy. Like everyone else who tailgates for entertainment, they also like to burn a fire to keep warm.

This Sunday we all learned that the fine print in our agreements to a season ticket tailgate pass, are many rules, ordinances and that ban vehicle height, length, fires, and loud music. Yup, tailgating in these lots are pretty much regulated to death. This is the final straw for me. I can handle moving from lot to lot, year to year, but taking away things that are the essence of tailgating should be unconstitutional. I am going to post Karki's comments from another board, because 100% agree with him. He wrote this on the NORTHSTARWRITERSFORUM.COM Vikings web board on October 29th:

Loud music and fires banned in tailgating lots

As unbelievable as that headline is, it's the truth. Thanks to the dwellers of the condos that now exist on the old Washington Avenue site complaining and getting Minneapolis to pass a city ordinance, tailgating music cannot exceed 90 decibels and no fires for heat are allowed, even within a completely enclosed fire pit (which we had). Only small charcoal or gas grills for cooking will be allowed.

We actually had a discussion with the poor guy who had to enforce it (and who was no more happy about it than we were, but had to do his duty lest his employer, the company the Vikes contracted to manage the lots, get fined for non-compliance), and there isn't much we can do about it. If we defied the bans, we'd get our tailgate passes yanked, and if it were to continue, the managing company would probably get fined and ultimately permission to use the lots which Zygi obtained would probably be revoked. (It was a series of one-year agreements, so they could end it after any season.)

So be advised, any of you coming for any remaining Vikings home games, that thanks to the complaints of those stupid busybodies, you'll have to shiver in the December cold and keep the music turned down while you tailgate. (Because it's apparently unreasonable to move next to a stadium and then have people tailgating next door as a result. In a related story, they'll move next to the airport and then bitch about the plane noise - oh wait, they've been doing that for years around here, too. Morons.)

I know Zygi thinks a downtown Dome replacement is the only thing the state will fund and that's why he abandoned the Anoka County plan, but having to put up with the Minneapolis powers-that-be perpetually treating the Vikings and their fans the way a baby treats a diaper is intolerable.

They have used that Dome lease as an excuse to beat up on us every way they can, pretty much simply because they know there is nothing the Vikes can do about it. (Think Kevin Bacon in Animal House: "Thank you sir, may I have another?!! Thank you sir, may I have another?!!")

And judging by this, that clearly isn't going to change, even with a new building. Zygi had better be prepared to have these kind of folks as a thorn in his - and his fans' - side for a long time to come.

What? Adrian Peterson is Overrated?

I found this Posted Oct 16th 2007 10:56AM by Michael David Smith, an AOL writer

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/tag/AdrianPeterson/
Filed under: Vikings, Minnesota, Featured Stories, The Word

In case you haven't heard, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson looked pretty good on Sunday against the Bears. All he did was finish Sunday's win over the Bears with 361 total yards and a Vikings record 224 yards rushing.

That performance Sunday has made him the talk of the NFL, and no less an authority than Ron Jaworski says he's already the best runner in the league.

But is it time for us to slow down just a little bit and look at things objectively? For starters, let's remember that the Bears defense of 2007 is a far cry from the Bears defense of 2006. Yes, they've got a lot of the same guys in the same uniforms, but the fact is, the Bears have struggled all year -- even the pathetic Packers running game made some big plays against the Bears a week ago. So Peterson's big day didn't come against great opposition.

And then let's remember that most fans only see the highlights, and the highlights don't show the bad plays. Peterson gets stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage quite a bit. He got stopped at the line on four of his carries Sunday and behind the line on four other carries. The Vikings' offensive line deserves plenty of the blame for that, but a running back who fails to pick up a single yard on 40 percent of his carries has some work to do.

Bye Week Bitterness, Denial and Angst.

I know, I shouldn't be panicking after a 1-3 start like everyone else in the Twin Cities, but I am, just for different reasons.

It's not that I am alarmed by the fact the Vikings are doing worse on offense than last year's anemic team. Despite the fact that "Kick Ass" O is averaging one touchdown per game (a rate lower than last year), I still think T-Jack is learning, and Kelly Holcomb is the best 3rd String QB in the NFC North. It's not the players fault that the Vikes forgot to get a viable veteran back-up for the 2007 season. They are what we thought they were.

The Defense has been pretty serviceable to sometimes great. I mean, losing three games by 13 points? That says your defense is doing the trick and keeping the squad in games. Against the run, the "Williams Wall" and company are holding opponents to 62-yard-per-game average. Oh sure the d-backs are giving up passing yardage, like Brittany Spears gives up her panties, but that is nothing too alarming.

I can tolerate the penalties too. The Vikings are, once again, one of the league's most penalized teams, but jeepers, how many new systems are they expected to learn? It's not like they are in college and have the same "Program" year after after year, right?

So why am I so bitter and frustrated with the "G-Damn Vikings?"

Frankly it's the 1-3 start against pansy ass teams that should have been easier to beat than your sister in an arm wrestling match. Crap, just try and lose to that, and it's nearly impossible. The Chiefs, the Lions and the Packers all got free kicks to the nuts, and we the fans just watched.

So why is it so easy to beat the Vikings? It's gotta be the coaching. I hate writing it, and I hate talking about it, but Damn, what the heck does this team need? It needs some creative plays and it needs to adjust when that first kick to nads is delivered. I thought we finally had a coach who understood that. I thought we had a savy leader who was ready to lead a team. After watching Childress Coach the past two seasons, I don't see any signs of my original hunch coming true.

This past bye week, I watched great games all over the NFL. I saw teams that trailed halftime make adjustments to grab victory in the 2nd half. I saw less talented teams, run schemes that worked for the players they had. I get envious when I see Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, and Brian Billick coach their teams like Super Bowl winners. That's what bugs me most. This team needs to step up, and start playing some football. and they need a Coach that wants to show them how.

Most of all, I am tired of the same old story after every game. "We were close. A play here, a penalty in our favor there, and we win that game."

STOP IT! I'd rather hear, "We blew it, I am over my head, I need help." Coach Tice was many things, but he wasn't an excuse maker. When he was outmatched, they bought consultants and helped make the team winners (9-7). In this regime they spin, and spin and spin like the Republican Presidency, and sell us hope for a future. Well, guess what, every team has a future, but it's how you handle the now that makes champions. Simply put, I say once again, Vikings, "NUT UP or SHUT UP," but most importantly, "ENTERTAIN ME!" (apologies to Notre Dame Dan).

Rant Over! Play some G-damn football, and just once, beat the Bears at their new Spaceship Stadium, okay?

Bucs Trade For Chester T & McKinnie?

News: The Tampa Tribune reports that there are early talks between the Vikings and Buccaneers that would send RB Chester Taylor and OT Bryant McKinnie to Tampa Bay in exchange for either a player or two and/or a package of draft picks. Earlier Tuesday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Vikings coach Brad Childress is planning on splitting the reps between Taylor and rookie Adrian Peterson, but with the Bucs hobbling at running back and left tackle, and in first place in the NFC South, those plans might change.

Analysis: In Tampa Bay, Taylor would be a prominent member of the offense and be a decent No. 2 Fantasy RB. That would be a lot better than the No. 3 Fantasy RB he is at this point in Minnesota. The Vikings are on bye in Week 5 but play at Chicago at Week 6 and could have a hard time running the ball in that game. If Taylor is still playing there, use him as a third rusher.

Mookie Quoted in Star Tribune Story on Business of Tailgating

Parking-lot picnics pose profit potential
The increasing popularity of tailgating is finally prompting retailers to get a piece of the pie.

By Aimee Blanchette, Star Tribune
Last update: September 29, 2007 – 9:51 AM

Tailgating has become a $12 billion industry, with merchants offering everything from gas-powered appliances, portable satellite dish televisions and grills that attach to a truck's hitch. Consumers are snapping up such tailgating-specific products in an effort to bring all the comforts of home to the parking lot.

As many as 51 million Americans are expected to tailgate this year, and the total has been rising about 12 percent a year for at least the last five years, according to the American Tailgating Association (ATA). Tailgaters are spending lots of money, too -- about $250 per person annually, according to the association.

The growing segment is a marketer's dream. Fifty-seven percent of tailgaters make $75,000-plus annually; 82 percent are homeowners and 41 percent said that they spend more than $500 a season on food and supplies, according to a survey by the ATA.

Veteran tailgater Chris Corless points out that tailgating has become more sophisticated over the years. At the Vikings home opener, he saw people steaming lobsters and mixing drinks from the back of their trailer-turned-bar. Corless plans to order a grill that can attach to the hitch on his Jeep, so that he can cram in more supplies for game day. And as far as all the new products to recently hit the tailgating scene, the only thing that surprises Corless is that it's taken so long, because many of the products trace their inspiration to parking lots years ago.

"We talk about the missed business opportunities all the time," Corless said of his regular tailgating group. "We say, 'we should do this, we should do that.' When you see people who've made their own, you know if they put a design together, someone could manufacture and sell it."

Vikings tailgating fanatic Marcus (Mookie) Anderson prefers a grass-roots approach to tailgating. "Our own uniqueness is what makes tailgating great," he said "Businesses are trying to capture that in a bottle."

Anderson, who hasn't missed a home game since 1997 and travels to many of the out-of-town games, owns www.vikingstailgate.com, a website devoted to Vikings tailgating. He receives e-mail every week from companies that want to advertise their tailgating products on his site. The ATA also recently sent him 50 copies of its new magazine, Tailgater, to distribute in the lots.

While most tailgaters are in it just for fun, others have found a way to turn their passion into a career. Stephen Linn is the author of the "FOX Sports Tailgating Handbook," and the author/host of "The Ultimate Tailgater" series of books and shows. His website, theultimatetailgater.com, has cooking videos, recipes, tips and podcasts.

"My line is: We don't picnic in America anymore, we tailgate. It's part of our social culture and who we are now," Linn said.

This year, the Vikings have designated four new parking lots within sight of the Metrodome for tailgating.

Minneapolis "wasn't a great tailgating city before, because it was so spread out and you'd have to find a private lot here and there," Linn said. "It wasn't a spirit issue; it was a logistics issue and the new lots should help."

Linn predicts that "going green" will be the next trend in tailgating, with environmentally friendly service ware and more people using solar power for their equipment.

After realizing that tailgating had become such a large market, ShowProCo. decided to add a Tailgate/Picnic Show to run in conjunction with its annual Sports Licensing and Entertainment Marketplace expo. The second annual convention is in January and thousands of new products will be unveiled to retail buyers with the hopes of getting them on store shelves, said Ann Keush, the show director.

"Tailgating is big business. We envision that soon, maybe someone will open a chain of tailgate stores," she said.

Aimee Blanchette • 612-673-1712

Aimee Blanchette • ablanchette@startribune.com

The Purple People Eater A.P.B Truck Info Wanted!!!

By Mookie (and e-mailer Ed Sokol)
From time to time through this blogging business, we come across some interesting comments and requests. This past weekend, I received and e-mail from a gentleman named Ed Sokol, who is seeking information about a particualr vehicle.
This is a cool story. We need your help to complete this. It is somewhat of a mystery, but we are trying to trace the history of Ford truck that was made in 1971. Apparently, the vehicle, as pictured throughout this article, was called the "Purple People Eater," and all we know so far is that:
1. It was made in the Ford Plant here in Minnesota, (the DSO Number of the vehicle is 581600) in November 1971. The # 58 means it was created in the Twin Cities.
2. The truck was made in 1971, (we have found a source who remembers painting the vehicle in November).
3. The Vehicle was only made for 1-month.
4. There is a Purple People Eater sticker on the truck, the truck is in all original condition.
5. We are guessing that this truck was special ordered, but by whom we are not sure. We are thinking the Vikings as they were in the playoffs in 1972.

Here's what we are hoping to find out:
Who had this truck special ordered? What purpose was this vehicle to serve? Who was the original owner?
 The only guy that remembers the truck is the ford painter. Hopefully a Purple People Eater will remember the truck and how it was promoted and for whom. It is a great piece of Vikings History.
ar of the truck is 1972.

By all accounts, the the truck seams to be a 1 still around.
 
If you know any details, or are able to help us trace the history of this vehicle, please e-mail mookie@vikingstailgate.com