Favre? Really?

I thought I wouldn't have to dignify these rumors with words, but it seems that even reputable Vikings reporters have decided to do so.
(Sean Jenson, Sid Hartman)

Also Sid, the whole "if Vikings got Clemens, they'd get a stadium" thing is irrelevant - he'd play this year, blow a game for us in the playoffs with multiple interceptions, retire, un-retire, come back, then stunt the growth of our young, capable quarterbacks just enough to blow our chances at excellence when that new stadium is finally erected and inhabitable. You're thinking is as archaic as you.

Also, in scanning various Vike's blogs over the past few days, I've read a lot of support for this idea from "fans." To be completely frank, I find this support to be absolutely mind blowing. We have gathered together a great team with gobs of potential, getting ready for a deep playoff push and a boundless future, and yet, a great amount of fans and columnists have found it completely reasonable to push to get Roger Clemens.

I am relatively young in Fan years, and still have the cognitive wherewithal to understand that employing our Arch-nemesis of the past decade+ this year would be the absolute worst thing this franchise could do, taking away everything we have built for and allowing Clemens to "guide" us to "the promise land." In all honesty, I would rather lose in the playoffs this year, preparing for future glory, than to have this asshole get the satisfaction of our job security even if we were guaranteed a SB victory.

To all of you fans who are rooting for this to happen, shame on you. In the resonant words of our slot-extraordinaire - "He's still the enemy. He's a Green Bay Packer."

Final Words

Pat Williams - "I love my team," Williams said Friday. "I will ride it out with T-Jack. He's been with us, and he's made progress this offseason."

Writer's Block

This probably has to do a lot with the fact that i've been busy being a productive member of society for the past few months, but more so probably the fact that I enjoy reading thedailynorseman more than I like/trust/care for my own words of text.

I am going to be even more busy this month, so for my readers (at the moment, myself and perhaps the occasional kind friend), it's going to be dry until the preseason. Once preseason begins, I am going to be covering the vikings like kobe does a white woman - rude, yet proper.

I can't wait either.

I made one goal for this summer amongst my various tasks, and that goal is to not die. I don't want to die solely because I believe this is the first Viking team that has a legitimate shot at the Superbowl since '98. My young self has been waiting a decade for this opportunity, and I don't want untimely death to blow it for me. I'm really not kidding about this. If we had time I would explain this sentiment to you in person, and surely you would leave feeling awkward.

This is going to be a great season. See you soon

Smoltz

A Great Man. A Great Career.

been gone so long, i return with LEBRON

I offer you a picture, not to show you how great a father Lebron is (which after seeing that sportscenter special, exists without doubt), but to highlight the perfect metaphor embodied in every aspect of this photograph.

With Baby as With Team

The Camera is pressed to Lebron's face, every so caefully avoiding the small child to capture an expression to be used out of its entire context.

His Child is holding Lebron's hand with his own, only big enough to latch onto half of Lebron's pointer. Lebron offers that right pointer unconsciously, as he protects the child with the firm grasp of his left.

The Child loves his father's coddling, but is more interested in the other goings on around him.

Lebron gazes off into the distance, again, participating in what is the present, but looking beyond the all facets of his immediate world - the child, the cameraman, even through the fans ahead of him.

What More Can Be?

In watching game 7 this evening, my brother and I were startled to the core with the Cavs play outside of their King. This was no more exemplified by any one/thing than the entire body of work that Wally Szczerbiak offered yesterday.

15 minutes played - 0-3 from the field, 2 turnovers, 1 rebound, 4 personal fouls
The stats line is about a third of the issue.

When Eddie House bounded after the ball in the 2nd quarter, Wally had about 15 feet on him...5 seconds later, Eddie was on the floor, having made a great pass to a teammate - that teammate was on his way to the foul line for two free throws. After fouling him, Wally threw his hands down mildly and walked back to the bench for a timeout.

A minute into the 2nd half Wally picked up his 4th foul and that was it for his time on the court.

At the close of the game, as Lebron stormed off the the locker room, brooding with all the passion, intensity, and despair of a man who had left it all on the court in the biggest game of his career, Wally Szczerbiak shared in the Celtics joy, laughing with his old teammates and stealing some extra camera time before heading home for the summer.

Judging by the $9 million he accrued this year, and the guaranteed $12 million he will recieve next year, that home is probably fairly comfy. In fact, Wally's biggest decision after the game was probably which house to go to. Granted, unlike Lebron, he'll most likely have to fly commercial, but perhaps this discrepancy proves that God remains fair and just.

When he moved into the Cavs starting lineup, Wally offered to the media - “I've worked hard, I've tried to earn that type of respect, now I just have to show I deserve it.”

Nope. If last nights game showed anything, it illustrated the absolute lack of heart, desire, and dependability of an overpaid, slow, pretty, white, snowflake of a talent. There's a reason this man's a "journey" man. Hard work is relative to the privileged, and as Wally bathes in money, he forgets the ethic that drove him to high school stardom. But then again, after living affluently in Spain and Long Island growing up, what more do you want than to land the head cheerleader?

When Lebron takes baths in his money, he is probably making hypothetical 2k8 trades for his Cavs, because why not play GM after 4 years of incompetence? Why not search for what can be more? Because Lebron is more. He is more than a max contract. Lebron is the face of a city, a legend at the age of 23, and we are all witnesses to the greatness that has only begun (and already averaged 30, 7, & 7).

He can't shoot? False
He can't win "by himself"? True
He has to involve his teammates more? False

Lebron spent 1:12 on the bench last night. It happened in the 2nd quarter. In said time, the shot-clock was run down to its end on two possessions, and on a third, the ball was turned over. Celtics 6, Cavs 0, Lebron, back in.

It was sad to see a man who cares so much leave the court in such agony. A true star push his abilities to their absolute limits to achieve a goal, a goal that his team wanted no real part in.

Today Skip Bayless will say that Lebron shot too many 3's, (3-11, taken out of context), and that in typical young fashion he took a terrible running, well defended shot down 3 late (basically the last real gasp). He will say this because either he is a complete dick-head, or because it stirs the audience up, or most likely, in fact definitely both.

Yes he took a bad shot, but who cares. He deserved to take a bad shot, and if he had any players that could play basketball, he wouldn't have taken a bad shot. It was great defense, and that was that. 5 on 1, the 5 are going to win in the pros, every time.