(Photo Courtesy of The Viking Den)
Minnesota has a very robust and well-versed Vikings blogging community. Often times, opinions between each of those blogs can be hard to follow. So, as a courtesy to our wonderful readers, we decided to compile some of those opinions all in one place. Well…sort of. TC Huddle teamed up with Vikings Gab, Vikings Territory, and The Viking Den to get to the bottom of 12 all-important free agency and offseason questions. The answers to questions 10-12 are below. You can find the answers to questions 1-9 by following the links to each site.
If you are looking for free agency discussion, you’ll have to offer your patronage to the blogs above to hear our thoughts on free agency.
If you find some of your favorite Vikings writers are in disagreement, never forget that TC Huddle is smarter and always more right. Enjoy!
10. Another year has passed without Cris Carter being selected to the HOF, will he have to continue to wait or is his time coming?
Adam Warwas (Vikings Territory)– I really, really thought he would make it this year. Naturally, I now really, really, really think he will make it next year. Eventually he will get in, and I hope we don’t have to wait for all the people he has pissed off over the years to die before he finally does.
Branden Lemke (Vikings Gab)- There is clearly something from his playing days off the field that is keeping Carter out of the Hall Of Fame. There’s no other excuse for him not to be in. I honestly have no idea when his time will be, it should have already happened.
Brett Anderson (Vikings Territory)– Don’t even get me started! The fact that Carter was passed up again this year for the Hall of Fame is absolutely ridiculous. So, I guess the answer to this question is yes, he will have to continue to wait, and yes, his time is coming (or at least it better be!).
Dan Buri (TC Huddle)- He comin’! He comin’! No doubt he’ll get the nod eventually. (Interesting aside. Just the other day a buddy is out at a tiny bar on the West Coast and in walked big Gilbert Brown of the Super Bowl Chumps the Packers. Apparently Brown held court for 15 minutes and talked about how much he used to punk Cris Carter. Don’t worry, I told him to ask Brown why Carter has the most touchdowns in a game against the Packers…twice.)
Gil Alcaraz IV (The Viking Den)– Your guess is as good as mine. The general consensus was that Cris Carter would have gotten into the Hall of Fame already, and yet here we are in 2012 and his bust still doesn’t grace the halls of Canton. His time will come eventually.
Joe Buri (TC Huddle)- Cris Carter is within 3 years of being elected to the Hall of Fame. My prediction: Canton gives him a big bear hug in 2014.
Randy Perrin (Vikings Gab)– Really though, how did he not get in this year? I don’t know what he did that keep voters against him but shows that HOF isn’t all based on your play. To be honest it doesn’t get any easier for him from here on out but hopefully he will get his nod sooner than later.
Sean Ryan (TC Huddle)- It happens next year. Lock it up. I think he’s paying the price for the Philly shenanigans and personality conflicts.
11. What are your thoughts on “bountygate”? What do you feel the punishment for the Saints should be now that they have been found guilty?
(Photo Courtesy of Business Insider)
Adam Warwas (Vikings Territory)– I am honestly not all that upset about it. This is one of those things that I would be very upset if it were the Vikings that had been busted, but since it is another team under the microscope I’m not all that angry. I do think it was wrong, however, and I do think they should be punished as a franchise and individually. The franchise should lose significant Draft picks in 2012 and possibly beyond.
Branden Lemke (Vikings Gab)- Well it was clear to most Vikings fans in the 2009 NFC Championship game that dirty play was going on, and why the refs didn’t pull more flags is beyond me. I think both Sean Payton and Greg Williams will receive fines and/or suspensions, maybe even a draft pick taken away. There’s a lot of different ways this situation could go.
Brett Anderson (Vikings Territory)– I’ve kind of avoided talking about the whole bounty thing… One, it starts to open up old wounds caused by the NFC Championship game against the Saints that I thought I had long since been closed… And two, it’s already been addressed up and down by every sports media source. Since you asked, though… I guess my thoughts are, “what goes around comes around.” And it’s going to be coming around sooner than later for the Saints. Punishment? Well, I think Gregg Williams should be permanently suspended from the NFL. I think Sean Payton should be suspended for up to a season for allowing it to happen under his roof. I think Mickey Loomis should be fired by the Saints owner for allowing things to continue after he had been directed to put an end to it (I don’t know about you guys, but if my boss specifically asks me to stop doing something and I continue to do it, there will be consequences). I think the players proven to be involved by the NFL’s investigation should have to pay a fine and be suspended for one game in the 2012 season (the specific game could be selected by the team). And I think the Saints should lose their second and third picks in this year’s draft as well as their first pick in the 2013 draft (because they don’t have a first round pick this year).
Dan Buri (TC Huddle)- I think Minnesota should be awarded the 2009 Super Bowl, Nate Pool retroactively steps out of bounds, the Giants are disqualified for stealing radio communications, Gary Anderson remains perfect, Darrell Green slips and Mike Lynn’s fax machine breaks. I think all that should be the punishment for bountygate. Wait…no wait…let me enjoy this…just let me enjoy this…
Gil Alcaraz IV (The Viking Den)– “Bountygate” isn’t that big of a surprise in my mind. It was only a matter of time before something like this surfaced and I honestly believe that the New Orleans Saints aren’t the only team that does it. That, however, doesn’t make it acceptable. The NFL is going to have to come down hard with the banhammer and set an example for other teams who make a sport out of sending opponents home on a stretcher. Things have already started to go south for the Saints this offseason, so why not steal a few draft picks, slap them with some suspensions and call it day. As for Gregg Williams, the label of “NFL outcast” seems appropriate.
Joe Buri (TC Huddle)- Fines for players and coaches involved, if and only if it can be shown that “bounties” were placed on certain players. Money shouldn’t be used as motivation for injuring other players. While injuries are inevitable, and will always be a natural consequence of the game, they shouldn’t be an end in and of themselves. “Pay-for-injury” incentives make injuries an end in and of themselves.
Randy Perrin (Vikings Gab)– I understand pay for performance but paying to injure someone is unfortunate and unacceptable. I’m sure the league will come down hard with fines, suspensions, and loss of draft picks. As for our 2009 championship game, as much as it hurts to know that Favre might not of got injured, the bounty didn’t cause all of our turnovers and it didn’t put 12 men in the huddle.
Sean Ryan (TC Huddle)- Take away the NFC Championship game, bring Favre and Manning back to their respective teams and replay the 2009 Superbowl.
12. The Vikings and City of Minneapolis have reached a tentative deal to build a stadium near the Metrodome, so if the City Council and State Legislature agree to it, are you happy with the location?
Adam Warwas (Vikings Territory)– Sure. Downtown has always been great at hosting football Sundays for fans, and I think this will be a great improvement. I think Arden Hills would have had more potential to really plan out a “Football Amusement Park” in an unique and epic way, but as long as they are inside the correct borders, I’m happy.
Branden Lemke (Vikings Gab)- Build it wherever you want. As long as it’s in Minnesota, I’m happy!
Brett Anderson (Vikings Territory)– I have also avoided touching on the stadium issue too much because I am not from Minnesota and have only been to a game in the Metrodome three times. Personally though, I just want a stadium. I don’t care where it is. I understand the need to put it near the Metrodome because of the existing infrastructure and the desire to keep the stadium in a downtown metropolitan area. I never had any gripes with the location of the Metrodome from the few games that I’ve had the privilege to attend. I think the stadium issue has been dragging on for so long that most people just want it to be over with. They want the assurance that the Vikings will, in fact, be in Minnesota for many years to come. Beyond that, I could really care less. (I just hope we have a retractable roof!)
Dan Buri (TC Huddle)- Is the stadium in LA? No? Yea, I’m happy. Thanks for asking.
Gil Alcaraz IV (The Viking Den)– Anywhere in Minnesota is better than Los Angeles. It may not be the ideal site and the deal will more than likely have some flaws, but at least we can still call them the Minnesota Vikings.
Joe Buri (TC Huddle)- No. I am not happy with the location. I think the stadium should be built in downtown Saint Paul. (And, no, I am not bitter that the City of Saint Paul passed on the opportunity to build a Twins stadium back in 1997.)
Randy Perrin (Vikings Gab)– I’m a Vikes fan from Syracuse, NY, so I’m not overly familiar with Minnesota except for the select times I’ve been there for a game. It sounds like Arden Hills would be the best location, but as long as they remain in Minnesota that’s the important part.
Sean Ryan (TC Huddle)- Anywhere but LA.
TC Huddle would like to thank Vikings Gab, Vikings Territory and The Viking Den for their wonderful insight. We always love the Vikings takes these blogs offer. They are excellent. We would especially like to thank Randy Perrin of the Vikings Gab for organizing this round table. We apologize for the male-dominance in this round table, but we’re pretty sure Spanky and Alfalfa organized the meeting, so again we apologize. Thanks again to these three blogs. It is always enjoyable to come down from our swanky TC Huddle high-rise offices and meet with the common folk.
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