The Vikings Stadium debate has consumed the state of Minnesota for around a decade now. The 2011 state legislature has bills introduced in both branches that could finally rectify the situation and lock the Vikings up in Minnesota for decades to come. If we do this right they shouldnt need a new stadium in my lifetime. Yes they may need renovations in 30-40 years and upgrades as we go but the major issue will be solved once and for all.
The Vikings are the last remaining major team in Minnesota to have their facility situation addressed and resolved. There has been conflicting information coming from the legislature as to whether or not the issue will even get a hearing.
One big obstacle to the bill going to committee has been the absence of a committed local partner. That situation seems to be changing and is very fluid. Recently 3 sites existed for a potential new venue. First on the site of the current stadium (the #biginflatabletoilet). Second on the site of the Farmers Market in Minneapolis near Target Field which would create a stadium district, but would be more expensive. Then there is the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills which was considered the least likely early on in the process.
In recent days a group of investors made a serious push for the Farmers Market site, however Hennepin County Commission Chair Mike Opat recently announced they were pulling out as an option for a local partner. This all but killed the chances for the Farmers Market site and left a big question mark for the current stadium site as well.
The Vikings and Ramsey County have been negotiating feverishly for the TCAAP site and according to County Commisioner Tony Bennett are nearing an agreement with transportation issues being the last major hurdle.
The wild card and unknown in all of this is a statement paraphrased on Twitter by KFAN which was made by Lester Bagley, the Vikings Stadium representative, that the team has been actively negotiating with 2 potential local partners and that a deal will be finalized soon. The question remains who is the 2nd local partner and which site is being pursued.
One thing is certain and that is time is running out on this legislative session, as there is only 17 days remaining, and potentially the Vikings future in Minnesota.
Vikings fans and any other Minnesotan that understands the benefit provided to our community by the team, the time is now and your assistance is needed in making this deal a reality. The dome is down, the lease is up, & there is 17 days remaining in the 2011 #mnleg session. We need to make this happen by contacting our legislators to get them behind this and get the bill approved so that Governor Mark Dayton can sign the long anticipated bill for the new home of MINNESOTA Vikings football and our favorite team.
Since the Metrodome opened, the state general fund has received over $320 million in revenue of which the Vikings are responsible for over $186 million with $0 out of the general fund. Ted Mondale the Governors point man for a new stadium released numbers from a study showing that a new venue would result in a profit of over $500 million to the state of Minnesota after all was said and done, again with $0 general fund dollars.
If the Vikings leave, the state of Minnesota stands to lose a lot of revenue and jobs at a time when both are at a premium. PLEASE visit the sites below to get on board the Vikings bandwagon and to contact your legislators to get this vital legislation into the hands of Gov. Dayton who has promised his signature:
www.savethevikes.org/huddle-up/
www.vikings.com/stadium/
VOYAGEUR COUNTRY-RED ZONE: Fans perspective and analysis of the Minnesota Vikings, other favorite NFL teams on occassion including Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. Additional opinions on traditional rivals the Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears as well as other hated teams the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Vikings 2011 Offseason
The 2011 Vikings offseason started with a lot of uncertainty about the direction & future of the team. Coach Brad Childress was fired just past the midpoint of the season and replaced by Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier on an interim basis. The Vikings closed out the 2010 season with a 6-10 record and more questions than answers.
Many people assumed that based on the way the season progressed Leslie Frazier would be let go with the Wilfs preferring a fresh start and overhauling the coaching staff. Surprisingly however the Wilfs moved quickly after the season and offered Frazier the Head Coach position on a permanent basis.
Frazier conducted a thorough review of the remaining coaches and several changes were made to the staff. His first and easiest move was to make Fred Pagac the permanent Defensive Coordinator after being promoted on an interim basis to that role when Frazier assumed the role of Head Coach. Brian Murphy departed early on in the process which created an opening for Mike Prieffer as Special Teams Coordinator. Darrell Bevell the Offensive Coordinator was allowed to depart for Seattle (thankfully) also as Frazier was already looking at options for his OC, which he filled with Atlanta QB coach Bill Musgrave (a one time NFL backup). One move that really stands out in my opinion though is the hiring of Mike Singletary, former head coach of the San Francisco 49'ers and longtime bears LB, as the teams LB coach/Ass't Head coach. Singletary not only brings valuable experience to the team but a fire & passion that has heen sorely lacking in previous coaches.
Leslie Frazier improved the quality of this team significantly prior to a single player transaction being made. Our coaching staff went from probably a D+ to a B+ overnight, with serious possibilities of a higher rating. Our defense will play with more fire, our special teams with more focus and discipline, and our offense will be playing with a plan not just plodding along.
One big problem however for this coaching staff is the NFL lockout which continues and prohibits teams from player contact. As a result Frazier can not get playbooks out and can not take advantage of his allotted extra mini-camp.
Another issue Frazier faces are some tough personnel decisions, which again can not yet be made due to the lockout. Some of those player decisions have already been made and some will depend on the new CBA terms. Brett Favre has retired (again but this time won' t be back). Travaris Jackson was not tendered and will not be back (confirmed when his #7 issued to new QB Ponder). Ray Edwards was tendered but is insisting he won't be back espescially at lower amount than recently signed Brian Robison. Sidney Rice is a big question mark at this point for the team but they definitely want him back. There have been rumors but nothing with any finality that Bernard Berrian will be released (we can only hope) but the team is likely waiting to see what happens with Rice and its prospects in free agency before pulling the trigger.
Finally the 2011 draft which occurred 1 week ago was steeped in mystery due to the NFL lockout and prohibition of player trades being allowed. Surprisingly it was an active draft weekend of trades involving picks. The Vikings entered the weekend lacking a 3rd round pick for the Randy Moss debacle created by Brad Childress. They were awarded 2 compensatory picks however for a total of 8 picks going into the draft. They made a trade with Cleveland in the middle of the draft to move down and picked up 2 additional picks for a total of 10.
By all accounts the draft was a successul one for the Vikings with grades ranging anywhere from a C+ to an A-. Prersonally I had them rated as a B+ for needs and value with impact to be decided in the coming years. The one question and controversy was the Vikings selection of Florida State QB Christian Ponder at #12. Many had him rated as a late 1st round to early 2nd round at best, therefore he was considered by many to be a reach this high. Although the pick itself was thought of as a good acquistion.
The assertion the pick was a reach is one I flat out disagree with although admittedly I was looking elsewhere on draft day. Ponder is the most NFL ready of all QB' s in this draft class and is flat out the smartest. He also is very familiar with the system new OC Musgrave will be implementing with the purple. My only knock would be potential/upside, not that he doesnt have any, just that his upside is lower than many. Although with Ponder you are getting someone that will succeed at this level, upside is raw talent and never guaranteed, it does not always translate to NFL success.
The rest of the draft saw the Vikings fill all the major existing and projected holes in the lineup, with the lone question marks being OL and WR, which although addressed could use strengthening in free agency. The Vikings got the highest rated TE in the draft Kyle Rudolph out of ND, he was projected as a 1st rounder but fell to the Vikings in the 2nd. An excellent supplement and future replacement for Visanthe Shiancoe. In the 4th the Vikings got more value with projected 2nd rd. pick DT Ballard out of Iowa falling to them due to a failed test for marijuana at the combine. Finally OT Demarcus Love out of Arkansas who was projected as an early round pick fell to the Vikings in the 6th round. These 4 players as well as the other 6 draft picks selected should instantly upgrade an aging Vikings roster. Expect more changes in the coming weeks once free agency begins and don't be surprised if a couple trades are in the offing.
Many people assumed that based on the way the season progressed Leslie Frazier would be let go with the Wilfs preferring a fresh start and overhauling the coaching staff. Surprisingly however the Wilfs moved quickly after the season and offered Frazier the Head Coach position on a permanent basis.
Frazier conducted a thorough review of the remaining coaches and several changes were made to the staff. His first and easiest move was to make Fred Pagac the permanent Defensive Coordinator after being promoted on an interim basis to that role when Frazier assumed the role of Head Coach. Brian Murphy departed early on in the process which created an opening for Mike Prieffer as Special Teams Coordinator. Darrell Bevell the Offensive Coordinator was allowed to depart for Seattle (thankfully) also as Frazier was already looking at options for his OC, which he filled with Atlanta QB coach Bill Musgrave (a one time NFL backup). One move that really stands out in my opinion though is the hiring of Mike Singletary, former head coach of the San Francisco 49'ers and longtime bears LB, as the teams LB coach/Ass't Head coach. Singletary not only brings valuable experience to the team but a fire & passion that has heen sorely lacking in previous coaches.
Leslie Frazier improved the quality of this team significantly prior to a single player transaction being made. Our coaching staff went from probably a D+ to a B+ overnight, with serious possibilities of a higher rating. Our defense will play with more fire, our special teams with more focus and discipline, and our offense will be playing with a plan not just plodding along.
One big problem however for this coaching staff is the NFL lockout which continues and prohibits teams from player contact. As a result Frazier can not get playbooks out and can not take advantage of his allotted extra mini-camp.
Another issue Frazier faces are some tough personnel decisions, which again can not yet be made due to the lockout. Some of those player decisions have already been made and some will depend on the new CBA terms. Brett Favre has retired (again but this time won' t be back). Travaris Jackson was not tendered and will not be back (confirmed when his #7 issued to new QB Ponder). Ray Edwards was tendered but is insisting he won't be back espescially at lower amount than recently signed Brian Robison. Sidney Rice is a big question mark at this point for the team but they definitely want him back. There have been rumors but nothing with any finality that Bernard Berrian will be released (we can only hope) but the team is likely waiting to see what happens with Rice and its prospects in free agency before pulling the trigger.
Finally the 2011 draft which occurred 1 week ago was steeped in mystery due to the NFL lockout and prohibition of player trades being allowed. Surprisingly it was an active draft weekend of trades involving picks. The Vikings entered the weekend lacking a 3rd round pick for the Randy Moss debacle created by Brad Childress. They were awarded 2 compensatory picks however for a total of 8 picks going into the draft. They made a trade with Cleveland in the middle of the draft to move down and picked up 2 additional picks for a total of 10.
By all accounts the draft was a successul one for the Vikings with grades ranging anywhere from a C+ to an A-. Prersonally I had them rated as a B+ for needs and value with impact to be decided in the coming years. The one question and controversy was the Vikings selection of Florida State QB Christian Ponder at #12. Many had him rated as a late 1st round to early 2nd round at best, therefore he was considered by many to be a reach this high. Although the pick itself was thought of as a good acquistion.
The assertion the pick was a reach is one I flat out disagree with although admittedly I was looking elsewhere on draft day. Ponder is the most NFL ready of all QB' s in this draft class and is flat out the smartest. He also is very familiar with the system new OC Musgrave will be implementing with the purple. My only knock would be potential/upside, not that he doesnt have any, just that his upside is lower than many. Although with Ponder you are getting someone that will succeed at this level, upside is raw talent and never guaranteed, it does not always translate to NFL success.
The rest of the draft saw the Vikings fill all the major existing and projected holes in the lineup, with the lone question marks being OL and WR, which although addressed could use strengthening in free agency. The Vikings got the highest rated TE in the draft Kyle Rudolph out of ND, he was projected as a 1st rounder but fell to the Vikings in the 2nd. An excellent supplement and future replacement for Visanthe Shiancoe. In the 4th the Vikings got more value with projected 2nd rd. pick DT Ballard out of Iowa falling to them due to a failed test for marijuana at the combine. Finally OT Demarcus Love out of Arkansas who was projected as an early round pick fell to the Vikings in the 6th round. These 4 players as well as the other 6 draft picks selected should instantly upgrade an aging Vikings roster. Expect more changes in the coming weeks once free agency begins and don't be surprised if a couple trades are in the offing.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
MN Leg 2011 Vikings Stadium Bill Special Session
Well....between twitter and posting here on my blog, I feel like I have addressed everything a fan can with regards to the Vikings and a new stadium. At times this has been frustrating, since some people write one thing then get so many pats on the back they are burping all night.
Granted I am not doing this for personal recognition or ego, I am doing this as a lifelong Vikings fan and to keep the team where they belong in Minny. While I want my effort to be appreciated, even more important to me is that it is effective.
As of today 5/1/11 there are 22 days remaining in the Mn legislative session. The Vikings Stadium bill has been introduced in both chambers but has yet to advance in committee. Legislators claim they are too busy and there are more pressing issues. My response is you have had all session to acomplish these goals and have done nothing but bicker and failed to govern effectively. You are tasked with the responsibility of handling the peoples business and multi-tasking when necessary. Some of the budget issues should have been dealt with before things reached these levels. Additionally a stadium bill and the budget are seperate stand alone issues.
Resolution of a stadium bill does not preclude you from doing your due dilligence on other issues. Funding for this bill has no bearing on the budget as all funding mechanisms proposed are new revenue streams specifically for the stadium.
Proposed funding mechanisms place the majority of the burden on Stadium/Viking supporters. The bill also gives local government the chance to govern for themselves, deciding what is best for their community and helping it to grow in difficult times.
Legislators the time is now! The dome roof is down & is no longer a viable venue for the Vikings or Minnesota. The Vikings lease is up, and the Vikings were promised this issue would be addressed in the 2006 legislative session when they graciously stepped aside for the Twins & Gophers so their situations could be resolved.
The key words here are honor, integrity, duty to those who elected you and the state as a whole. This bill saves & creates jobs, drives additional revenue with $0 general fund dollars and the majority of the burden is not placed on most taxpayers. Just because you may not have been in the 2006 legislature does not absolve you from honoring their promise, you joined freely and are tasked to follow up on all responsibilities of your predecessors as well as new challenges.
As a fan and a constituent I hope you are up to the challenge of doing your sworn duty.
Governor Dayton if the legislature is too busy to handle all their responsibities, I challenge you to call a special session. If they are too busy to handle their responsibilities then surely they are too busy to go home. Time is over for excuses. This issue has been tabled for a decade now, it needs to be addressed once and for all. There will always be new challenges and new excuses.
As someone wisely once said "Lets Get 'er done!!"
Vikings fans visit the following websites, & follow on twitter for more information & stadium updates:
www.vikings.com & @vikingsfootball on Twitter
@mnmomentum @vikesstadium on Twitter
Additionally to contact your legislators and urge them to support this vital legislation PLEASE visit:
www.savethevikes.org/huddle-up/
(click on act now) & @savethevikesorg on Twitter
SKOL VIKES!!!
Granted I am not doing this for personal recognition or ego, I am doing this as a lifelong Vikings fan and to keep the team where they belong in Minny. While I want my effort to be appreciated, even more important to me is that it is effective.
As of today 5/1/11 there are 22 days remaining in the Mn legislative session. The Vikings Stadium bill has been introduced in both chambers but has yet to advance in committee. Legislators claim they are too busy and there are more pressing issues. My response is you have had all session to acomplish these goals and have done nothing but bicker and failed to govern effectively. You are tasked with the responsibility of handling the peoples business and multi-tasking when necessary. Some of the budget issues should have been dealt with before things reached these levels. Additionally a stadium bill and the budget are seperate stand alone issues.
Resolution of a stadium bill does not preclude you from doing your due dilligence on other issues. Funding for this bill has no bearing on the budget as all funding mechanisms proposed are new revenue streams specifically for the stadium.
Proposed funding mechanisms place the majority of the burden on Stadium/Viking supporters. The bill also gives local government the chance to govern for themselves, deciding what is best for their community and helping it to grow in difficult times.
Legislators the time is now! The dome roof is down & is no longer a viable venue for the Vikings or Minnesota. The Vikings lease is up, and the Vikings were promised this issue would be addressed in the 2006 legislative session when they graciously stepped aside for the Twins & Gophers so their situations could be resolved.
The key words here are honor, integrity, duty to those who elected you and the state as a whole. This bill saves & creates jobs, drives additional revenue with $0 general fund dollars and the majority of the burden is not placed on most taxpayers. Just because you may not have been in the 2006 legislature does not absolve you from honoring their promise, you joined freely and are tasked to follow up on all responsibilities of your predecessors as well as new challenges.
As a fan and a constituent I hope you are up to the challenge of doing your sworn duty.
Governor Dayton if the legislature is too busy to handle all their responsibities, I challenge you to call a special session. If they are too busy to handle their responsibilities then surely they are too busy to go home. Time is over for excuses. This issue has been tabled for a decade now, it needs to be addressed once and for all. There will always be new challenges and new excuses.
As someone wisely once said "Lets Get 'er done!!"
Vikings fans visit the following websites, & follow on twitter for more information & stadium updates:
www.vikings.com & @vikingsfootball on Twitter
@mnmomentum @vikesstadium on Twitter
Additionally to contact your legislators and urge them to support this vital legislation PLEASE visit:
www.savethevikes.org/huddle-up/
(click on act now) & @savethevikesorg on Twitter
SKOL VIKES!!!
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