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Minnesota Vikings News

Vikings say no to new Ramsey County plan
February 11
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Minnesota Vikings rejected Ramsey County's revamped stadium financing plan on Friday, making that three strikes for the county's attempts regarding the prospective Arden Hills site. "Our view is the earlier proposals were more viable," Vikings vice president Lester Bagley said after Ramsey County officials presented their new plan to Gov. Mark Dayton. Previous plans relied on countywide sales, food and beverage tax increases to fund the local share of the $1.1 billion stadium in Arden Hills. Legislators disliked the tax increases, so Ramsey County officials drew up a "user-fee" concept in their third effort. As the Vikings swatted away Ramsey County's proposal, Dayton knocked the"
Vikings stadium financing not close yet
February 10
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's plan to finance a proposed Minnesota Vikings stadium would raise game day downtown parking meter rates to $25. It would add a tax on football tickets and extend existing restaurant and hotel taxes decades past their sunset date. One thing the package would not do, according to a recent financial analysis, is cover the $300 million the city has committed to the stadium project. The plan comes up $55 million short. "It's this financing plan that is a really rotten deal for taxpayers," said Minneapolis City Council member Gary Schiff, who is leading the charge to kill Rybak's financing proposal. "We (will) have gobbled up every sales tax we have, sold bonds,"
Ramsey County revises Vikings stadium financing plan
February 10
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Ramsey County's third stab at a financing plan for a Minnesota Vikings stadium in Arden Hills relies on revenue from parking lot naming rights, parking fees, an admissions surcharge, stadium sales taxes and taxes collected on ancillary developments. The proposal, projected to raise $20.6 million per year from the assortment of user fees, comes as stadium supporters rush to cobble together a workable plan for the legislative session and as funding concepts proposed by Minneapolis and state officials appear to be faltering. Ramsey County Board Chairman Rafael Ortega's name appears on an unsigned "final draft" of a letter that is expected to be submitted to Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative"
Hall of Famer Doleman still rushing
February 10
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"There's a consensus among Pro Football Hall of Famers that Year 1 in this exclusive club is pretty much a blur from the moment one's name is announced in February until the last tear trickles away on enshrinement day six months later. A case in point came Thursday at Winter Park when Chris Doleman, the Vikings' newest Hall of Famer, had to pause during a recap of his wild week to ask reporters the question that pretty much sums up the whirlwind he's been twirling around in since hearing his name called on Saturday evening. "What is today?" Doleman asked. "Thursday?" Doleman's disorientation becomes understandable when the former defensive end starts explaining what he's been through since"
Vikings sign offensive lineman Pat Brown to one-year extension
February 9
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Vikings have signed offensive lineman Pat Brown to a one-year contract extension. Brown was set to become an exclusive rights free agent next month. But that designation basically means that, due to Brown's two-year tenure in the NFL, the Vikings would have been the only team in the league able to sign him for 2012. Which they have now done. Brown saw limited action last season, playing mostly on special teams. He was originally undrafted out of Central Florida in 2009."
Near-Metrodome stadium site pushed
February 9
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes by the Vikings, the city of Minneapolis and the Legislature to prepare for the possibility of a stadium vote in the next two weeks. The chance of this happening will be contingent on favorable action being taken by the Minneapolis City Council and the Legislature. The only site on the table now is the one adjacent to the Metrodome. The plan is similar to what was done in St. Louis, when the latest Busch Stadium was built for the Cardinals. The Vikings would continue to play in the Metrodome while about 75 percent of the stadium would be built on the current Metrodome parking lot and land east of 11th Avenue South. The stadium could be"
In Arden Hills, Republicans and DFLers agree on no Vikings stadium
February 8
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The busiest booth Tuesday at Mounds View High School on Minnesota caucus night may have had little to do with presidential politics -- and everything to do with a new Minnesota Vikings stadium. There, in the lobby of the high school in Arden Hills, volunteers were busy collecting signatures opposing having Ramsey County fund a new Vikings stadium unless it is approved by a citizens referendum. The Vikings want to build a $1.1 billion stadium in Arden Hills and, although the team is now exploring building in Minneapolis, the Ramsey County location remains the team's preferred site. "Republicans are signing 3 to 1 to the Democrats," said a smiling William Krueger, the chair of the Senate"
Vikings, not Rams, would seem to be likely trade partner
February 8
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Rams coach Jeff Fisher has been open about his willingness to trade down from the No. 2 draft pick. Ditto for Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman when it comes to the No. 3 pick. Any team willing to pay the heavy price to move up that high probably is doing so for only one reason: They need a quarterback. Badly. Since neither the Rams nor the Vikings are going to draft a quarterback, teams looking to pick Heisman Trophy-winning QB Robert Griffin III should be dealing with the Vikings instead of the Rams. After all, why overpay at one store when the one next door can undercut the price? A look at the draft value chart -- the thing that Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson made famous when he was"
Arden Hills stadium site cleanup gets contract
February 8
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"A St. Paul company won a $20.6 million contract to clean up the state's largest Superfund site, land in Arden Hills that also is being considered as the potential home of a proposed $1.1 billion Minnesota Vikings stadium. The Ramsey County Board, by a 4-3 vote Tuesday, approved the contract with Carl Bolander & Sons Co. for the cleanup of 430 acres, some of which could be used for a stadium, other unspecified development and a wildlife preserve. Even though the board approved the contract, nothing will happen unless state money comes through and the contract returns to the board for another approval. In voting against the contract, some commissioners said the proposal was premature and"
Flanked by union workers, Rybak pleads for Vikings stadium
February 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Appealing for City Council support for a new Vikings stadium, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak surrounded himself with construction workers on Monday and said the project would create more jobs than any "single action that you can take." Rybak and Barb Johnson, the City Council president, did little to disguise that the press briefing was an overt attempt to apply political pressure for the project, which does not appear to have the backing of a council majority. Rybak did not directly answer when asked whether he had majority support for a city subsidy package and chose instead to remain optimistic about the project's political chances. Union leaders used Monday's event at the Metrodome to"
The Cris Carter conundrum
February 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"You don't know the angst the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee faces until you spend a perfectly good Monday afternoon trapped in the vortex of NFL wide receivers. Do so, and the Cris Carter outrage -- and there has been plenty over the ex-Vikings WR getting passed over for enshrinement over the weekend -- becomes a bit muted. Because trying to determine the best wide receivers in NFL history, aside from the obviously elite like Jerry Rice, is a near-impossibility. For every fact that points to Carter as a sure-thing Hall of Famer and a top-10 all-time receiver, there is another group of players or numbers lurking that cast a doubt. For instance: • The Pro Football Hall of Fame"
Vikings' George Paton gets 2nd interview for St. Louis Rams GM job
February 6
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota Vikings director of player personnel George Paton will have a second interview for the St. Louis Rams general manager job, as early as today, according to a person close to the situation. Paton, who joined the Vikings in 2007 after six seasons as director of pro personnel for the Miami Dolphins, first interviewed with the Rams last week."
Rybak, labor join together for stadium announcement
February 6
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Keeping up the pressure to forge an overall deal for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will join labor and business leaders Monday in announcing "workforce agreements" for the project. Rybak says the agreements will create good jobs building a new stadium next to where the Metrodome now sits. Joining Rybak in this announcement will be City Council Chairwoman Barbara Johnson and other council members, labor union representatives and out-of-work Minneapolis residents. The agreements come as Rybak, along with Gov. Mark Dayton, continue their push for a new stadium at the site of the Metrodome, where the team has played for the past three decades."
Chris Doleman elected to Hall; Cris Carter denied
February 5
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Former Vikings defensive end and linebacker Chris Doleman was one of six players elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Also elected were Curtis Martin, Cortez Kennedy, Dermontti Dawson, Willie Roaf and senior selection Jack Butler. Doleman will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 4. He joins 10 other former Vikings who have been inducted. This is the fifth time in the past seven years that the Vikings have had a former player elected to the hall. The others: John Randle (2010), Randall McDaniel (2009), Gary Zimmerman (2008) and Warren Moon (2006). Former Vikings receiver Cris Carter was among the finalists who didn't make it. Carter is the No. 4 career receiver in NFL"
Stadium plan near Dome on fast track
February 5
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Negotiators are hurriedly finishing a plan that would have a new Minnesota Vikings stadium alongside the Metrodome substantially complete by 2016, requiring the team to play only a handful of games at the University of Minnesota. Ted Mondale, Gov. Mark Dayton's chief stadium negotiator, said Friday that the fast-moving plan should be completed this week and could dramatically accelerate a decision to select a location for the long-debated project. Although the newest plan involves an array of details, Mondale said the goal is still to offer an overall stadium plan -- financed partly by money from electronic pulltabs -- in time for a legislative vote this spring. The latest proposal would"
Chris Doleman gets the call from the Hall, Chris Carter denied
February 5
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"For Chris Doleman, maybe this was how it was destined to happen. Sure, he had been pounding on the door of the Pro Football Hall of Fame for some time, eligible for eight years and a finalist for the second time in 2012. And yes, at times, Doleman had even begun cushioning himself for the cruel letdown if the Hall's selection committee ultimately decided to keep him locked out -- again. "When you go through this process sometimes you say to yourself, 'Well if it happens, it happens. And if it don't, it don't,'" Doleman said. Yet on Saturday evening, while at Super Bowl XLVI in the city where he was born, Doleman finally experienced the thrill he'd longed for, voted into the Hall of Fame as"
Hall passed: Parcells, Brown and Carter snubbed
February 5
NFL.com
 columnist Pat Kirwan
"For the past seven years, I've had the privilege of doing the live radio show during the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions in Canton, Ohio. When the ceremony comes to an end, I always feel like the selection committee got it right. The voters have a very tough job. I feel that way tonight, after the announcement of the Hall of Fame Class of 2012. Those six men all deserve the honor. But it's still hard to look at some of the men who didn't make the cut and think they don't belong, as well. The snubs » I really thought Bill Parcells would get into the Hall of Fame on his first attempt. There may have been a sentiment in the voting room that Parcells might work in the NFL again as a team"
Despite 3-13 team, Jared Allen earned honor
February 4
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Five men have won Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year while playing for teams with losing records. Vikings defensive end Jared Allen deserves to join them as No. 6 during Saturday night's televised NFL awards show. At least that was the opinion on this particular ballot when it was cast last month. We'll have to wait a few hours longer to see what the other 49 voters decided. Despite claims by Allen and teammates that Allen was out of the running because of the team's 3-13 record, that simply wasn't the case. Especially during a season that produced no clear-cut favorite and a co-front-runner -- Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware -- who also played for a non-playoff team. Allen"
NFL expands Thursday schedule
February 4
New York Post
 
"Are you ready for a lot more prime-time football? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell used his annual Super Bowl news conference yesterday to reveal the league is dramatically expanding the Thursday night package on its own network starting this fall. In what appeared to be a way to up the pressure in its long-running dispute with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision over New York-area carriage of the NFL Network, the league said that channel will now show Thursday games from Week 2 through Week 15. The NFL Network previously broadcast Thursday games the final eight weeks of the season, but Goodell said the expansion resulted from a desire to guarantee every team in the league at least one"
Can Vikings find No. 1 receiver in free agency?
February 3
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Giants are living in some kind of dream world right now. It's a place where one can give up 400 points, be outscored during the regular season and still end up in the Super Bowl with another Tom Coughlin-coached team that's peaking at exactly the right time (BTW, can we officially stop putting this poor man on the hot seat every time the Giants lose a game?) It's also a world where an undrafted receiver (Victor Cruz) spends his rookie season as an invisible practice squad player before catching 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns as a 25-year-old second-year pro. Now that's a place the receiver-challenged Vikings would love to visit. It's doubtful the Vikings have a practice"
Goodell: If NFL expands, it'll add two more teams
February 3
CBSSports.com
 
"It's no secret the NFL wants to expand to Los Angeles. And while so much of the attention has been focused on which franchise would relocate to L.A. -- whether it's the Chargers, Vikings, Jaguars or Rams -- we haven't discussed much the possibility of the NFL expanding. Apparently, that's an option. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday on Costas Live on the NBC Sports Network that if the league places a team in L.A., the NFL probably would add two more franchises to make it an even 34. Goodell said the league "doesn't want to move any of our teams" and "we probably don't want to go to 33" if the NFL decides expansion is a good choice."
Rep. Lanning: Dayton's 'harsh' words do not help Vikings stadium deal
February 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Gov. Mark Dayton's pointed comments Monday that Senate Republicans were "unfit to govern" may affect one of the biggest issues at the state Capitol – whether to pass legislation for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium. Dayton's statements came after Senate Republicans rejected former state Sen. Ellen Anderson as the governor's choice to chair of the Public Utilities Commission. The Senate Republican opposition to Anderson was led by Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, who is also the chief Senate author of stadium legislation. The DFL governor said he warned Republicans that ousting Anderson was "going to severely damage our relationship" and added that "I'm not going to be able to trust that you"
Target Center deal bound to a 'mistake'
February 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"They call it an albatross. A mistake. Worst decision ever. These are some of the ways Minneapolis leaders describe the bailout of Target Center in 1995. Minneapolis owes roughly $55 million from its purchase of the arena. But the home of the Timberwolves -- which is managed privately -- also has taken annual operating subsidies of about $1.6 million from the city. New figures released last week predict that the city will have to spend more than $32 million over the next decade to keep Target Center up to date. Now Mayor R.T. Rybak's push to subsidize a new Vikings stadium in a deal that also renovates Target Center and retires its debt has highlighted how the arena has become the bane of"
Peterson considered changing number
February 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Vikings running back Adrian Peterson kind of tweets like he runs: Aggressively and with a lot of exclamation points. On Friday, Peterson floated the idea of changing his uniform number from 28 to either 23 or 21. He did this via his Twitter account, @Adrian Peterson. Today, Peterson has been tweeting with the zest of an powerful All-Pro running back looking for a little defensive back to run over. Tweeted Peterson: "So here is the deal with the number change! So I received a call and I was informed that I would've to buy all jerseys that's been produced ... Thus far! N the total amount that I would have to pay blew my mind!!!!!" Peterson says someone, whom he didn't name, told him it would"
Retirement near, Birk hopes past will not cloud his future
February 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Matt Birk's itinerary speaks to his life's work and current cause, his worries and aspirations. Birk, the Cretin-Derham Hall alum and former Vikings star, just packed his belongings in Maryland and shipped them to Minnesota. He is traveling to Indianapolis for the weekend, which was his goal all along. But instead of playing center for the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl, he will, for the second time, attend the game as a candidate for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given to the player who best combines good works and excellent play. When he returns to Baltimore, Birk will drive an RV filled with his wife, six kids and family dog to Florida, where he will contemplate"
McNabb has three teams in mind but won't name them
February 2
NFL.com
 
"Donovan McNabb says his future is bright. Part of that future could include a return to the NFL next season. McNabb, who was released by the Vikings midway through his 13th season, didn't sound like a player who has completely walked away during an interview with "Super Bowl Live" on Wednesday. The phone hasn't rang for McNabb, but he believes he has something left to offer in the right situation. "I see three teams in the NFL, right now, that I feel like I can add a little bit of flavor to it from what they have," McNabb said. "I won't mention those teams. But, if the phone rings, there will be a lot of decisions to make on that.""
Vikings add CFL linebacker
February 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"If nothing else, the Vikings are moving closer to the Grey Cup after officially announcing the signing of CFL linebacker Solomon Elimimian. Elimimian, 25, who helped the British Columbia Lions win the Grey Cup this past season, joins the team because, well, it needs some bodies under contract at the linebacker position. The 6-foot, 227-pounder is undersized for the NFL game, but he can hit and tackle. A CFL player poll named him the CFL's hardest hitter in 2011. He led the Lions in tackles with 98, and also had four sacks and two interceptions."
Electronic pulltabs gain favor for stadium
February 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"State officials say they are confident that electronic pulltabs in bars and restaurants could generate $72 million annually -- enough to fund the state's share of a proposed Minnesota Vikings stadium. Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans said on Tuesday that the latest projection relies on different calculations than an earlier estimate that put likely revenues at less than $40 million, because they also included tax relief for the charitable gambling industry. A legislative stadium working group, which met with Frans late on Monday at a St. Paul restaurant, has tentatively endorsed using electronic pulltabs as a way to provide $340 million toward the state's share of a stadium, projected to"
Clinkscales, Paton interview for Rams GM job
January 31
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"After a two-week "intermission" following the hiring of new head coach Jeff Fisher, the St. Louis Rams are re-starting their search for a new general manager. On Monday, the Rams interviewed Joey Clinkscales, vice president of college scouting for the New York Jets, and George Paton, director of player personnel for the Minnesota Vikings. Clinkscales was among nine original general manager candidates that the Rams had received permission to interview in early January, or shortly after Billy Devaney was fired from the GM job."
Revised Ramsey County financing plan isn't ready yet
January 31
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Ramsey County's third effort at a viable financing plan for a new $1.1 billion Vikings stadium won't be ready for a few days, Commissioner Tony Bennett said Monday. "We're working on it. It won't be early in the week," he said, adding that the plan might not be ready until next week. Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, gave the county a deadline of last Friday to present a new plan. County officials couldn't work that fast and plan architect, Finance Director Lee Mehrkens, was off late in the week. The county last summer put forward its first plan: a proposal to raise the county sales tax by half a percentage point to support issuance of $350 million in bonds. St. Paul City Hall didn't like the"
Vikings, Mpls. now looking at a stadium site next to the Dome
January 31
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Minneapolis and Minnesota Vikings officials said Monday they're scrutinizing a parcel of land next to the Metrodome in hopes of continuing to play at the old stadium while the new one is under construction. Even as the owner of a major technology center on the site insisted that he's not selling, Vikings' Vice President Lester Bagley said they want to see whether building at the Dome location can be done without having to spend the $48 million it would cost for the team to play up to three seasons at the University of Minnesota. "We're trying to be smart about making that work, and it's in everybody's best interest to limit or eliminate any time spent playing at the university," he said."
Ramsey County: No Vikings stadium funding plan yet
January 30
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Ramsey County's third effort at a viable financing plan for a new $1.1 billion Minnesota Vikings stadium won't be ready too soon, Commissioner Tony Bennett said Monday. "We're working on it. It won't be early in the week," he said, adding that the plan might not be ready until next week. Sen. Julie Rosen, R- Fairmont, gave the county a deadline of last Friday to present a new plan. County officials couldn't work that fast and plan architect, county finance director Lee Mehrkens, was off late in the week. The county last summer put forward the first plan: a proposal to increase the county sales tax by a half percentage point to support the issuance of $350 million in bonds. St. Paul City"
Colts have a Favre-like quarterback controversy
January 30
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Michael Rand
"An ironman quarterback -- a Super Bowl winner, an icon in a city, one of the greatest of his generation, a surefire Hall of Famer -- gets caught in a no-win situation with the organization he has come to define, and the only solution appears to be quitting or moving on. Haven't we heard this story before? Yes. It was 2008, and the quarterback was Brett Favre. Now it's 2012, and the quarterback is Peyton Manning. They, of course, arrived at their positions by much different means. Favre threatened to retire so many times that eventually the Packers -- with Aaron Rodgers waiting in the wings having been drafted in 2005 -- had to take him seriously. When Favre tried for another hero's return,"
NFL has a record of success on campus
January 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The NFL team had decided it was time for a new stadium to replace its outmoded downtown domed arena, and agreed to a public-private deal to build on the dome's footprint. In the meantime, it proposed to play at the stadium of the large university nearby. The school agreed, and a deal was struck. A future scenario for the Vikings and the University of Minnesota? Maybe. But it actually happened to the Seattle Seahawks and the University of Washington in 1999, when the Pac-10 school let the Seahawks move to Husky Stadium for two seasons in a deal that both sides said worked out well. With the Metrodome site picking up momentum as the potential location for their next home, Vikings officials"
U likely to allow alcohol for Vikes at TCF stadium
January 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The University of Minnesota's president said Friday that alcohol sales at the U's TCF Bank stadium would probably be allowed should the Minnesota Vikings play there temporarily. The ban on sales at college games would be unchanged. President Eric Kaler said that the university was considering the issue, with the final decision on enacting separate alcohol policies for pro and college games likely headed to the Board of Regents. The Vikings and the university are in stepped-up negotiations to have the team play at TCF for three years should a new Vikings stadium be built at the site of the Metrodome, the team's home for the past 30 years. "If we're going to let the Vikings use TCF Stadium,"
Brad Childress returns to coaching with Browns
January 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Brad Childress' return to the NFL will come as offensive coordinator of a Cleveland Browns team that scored only one more point (218) than it did as an overmatched first-year expansion squad in 1999. Fired as Vikings head coach after a 3-7 start in 2010 and out of football for the first time in 33 years in 2011, Childress was reunited with fellow former Eagles assistant Pat Shurmur, who is coming off a 4-12 season in his first year as an NFL head coach. It's unknown whether Shurmur, who went without an offensive coordinator in 2011, will hand over the play-calling duties to Childress, whose only experience with calling plays came as a first-year head coach with the Vikings in 2006. "I know"
Lawmakers favoring electronic pulltabs for new Vikings stadium
January 27
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota lawmakers narrowed their focus on electronic pulltabs to fund a new Vikings stadium Thursday night, just hours after Minneapolis officials got a glimpse of the obstacles that remain at the local level. Lawmakers drafting a stadium bill emerged from a two-hour meeting at a St. Paul restaurant to say they are leaning toward using revenue from electronic pulltabs to pay for the state portion of the project. "We are absolutely looking toward that direction," said Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont. "There was a very favorable response to charitable gaming." The consensus is that the other leading funding contender - slot machines at horse-racing tracks - wouldn't get enough support as part"
NFL could block Vikings' stay at TCF Bank Stadium
January 27
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The NFL is annoyed with the idea of the Minnesota Vikings playing up to three seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. There is the $67 million financial hit, not to mention potential logistical nightmares while waiting for Metrodome 2.0. And league owners still would have to sign off on this concept before the Vikings play a single down at the University of Minnesota. "I can tell you there won't be a lot of happy campers among the membership (owners)," said a person close to the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of stadium negotiations. "TCF is a gem, but it's not an NFL stadium." The experiment worked for one game in December 2010. The Vikings excavated TCF"
Mpls. council majority slows down Dome plan with call for vote
January 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"City Council insistence that public funding for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium must go before Minneapolis voters put the brakes on Mayor R.T. Rybak's plan for the Metrodome site Thursday. Sandra Colvin Roy, whose stance on the mayor's stadium plan was previously unknown, became the seventh member of the 13-member council standing against the proposal absent a citywide referendum. That vote is required under the city's charter if the city spends more than $10 million on a stadium, but the mayor and council President Barb Johnson would like the Legislature to override it. "Looking across the street at Occupy Minnesota and thinking about what's going on in our country right now, some of the"
Vikings coaches gain ground at the Senior Bowl after 2011 lockout
January 26
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The lockout-shortened offseason set back no-longer-interim coach Leslie Frazier and his staff, and they spent 2011 trying to navigate a tailspin. Now the Vikings' coaches are reveling in this week's Senior Bowl bonding experience while overseeing the North team. The Vikings retained all but one position coach, and after hiring defensive coordinator Alan Williams, the team expects to improve thanks to continuity and a retooled roster. Coaching the North team allows Williams to sample his two-linebacker-coach system, led by demoted coordinator Fred Pagac and aided by Mike Singletary. "We get to test it out at the Senior Bowl to see how we will work together and see how we will jell,""
L.A.'s status may affect Vikings stadium talks
January 26
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"With a Feb. 15 relocation deadline looming and the Vikings without a stadium agreement, the NFL on Wednesday declared the Los Angeles market dead for 2012. That decision preserves the team in Minnesota next season as it negotiates with Minneapolis and the state to fund a replacement for the Metrodome. Competing developers have yet to offer terms conducive to lure an NFL team to the country's second-largest city and there is not enough time for owners to approve relocation, said Eric Grubman, the league's executive vice president of business ventures."
QBs' intangibles impress assistant
January 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Vikings aren't in the market for quarterbacks this offseason. But they have three interesting prospects with which to work on the North team at this week's Senior Bowl: Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, Boise State's Kellen Moore and Michigan State's Kirk Cousins. Quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson has spent significant time with that trio over the past four days. Cousins, he said, has exhibited obvious strength and a competitive desire to prove he belongs. Moore's savvy has stood out. And Wilson has been impressive with both his pocket presence and mobility. Yes, Johnson understands major doubts exist regarding the size of Wilson (5-10 1/2, 203 pounds) and Moore (5-11 1/2, 191). But Johnson"
Vikings' new hire Williams not rushing things
January 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Go ahead. Fire the direct questions at Alan Williams. He knows they're coming. As the new Vikings defensive coordinator, Williams understands it's imperative he establish a voice. And soon. It's his turn now to plot the master plan for a defensive rebirth. But only if he can successfully pick off the myriad questions that have greeted him at the doorstep of his new job. So about that NFL coaching experience, those 10 consecutive seasons working with defensive backs in Indianapolis ... What took the 42-year-old so long to move on and move up? "People can easily forget why you coach," Williams said. "You coach to win championships. You coach to help people improve. And that's what I was"
Zygi Wilf 'optimistic' on stadium at Metrodome site
January 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said Wednesday he was "optimistic" that the team could agree on a new stadium at the Metrodome site, although the Vikings at least publicly held out hope that the project could still be built in Ramsey County. That was a change in tone from last week, when Vikings officials described themselves as "frustrated" over being told by state officials that only the Metrodome was considered a viable site. With Gov. Mark Dayton trying to shepherd the Vikings and Minneapolis toward a new $918 million stadium at the Metrodome, city officials and key legislators met with Wilf and Dayton for three hours Wednesday. Afterward they announced they had made progress but"
Christian Ponder's season up for review
January 25
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Vikings quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson imagines Christian Ponder is in the head-shaking phase of his postseason evaluation. "They go back, watch all their tape and figure out, 'Man, what was I doing?' " said Johnson, who, along with the rest of the Vikings staff, is coaching the Senior Bowl's North team this week. "That's pretty normal." Ponder's rookie season was an amalgam of promise and curiosity, in which he threw for 300-plus yards one moment and was benched after a three-interception performance the next. In 11 games and 10 starts, Ponder completed 54.3 percent of his passes for 1,853 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He finished the season with a hip pointer that affected"
Interviews provide Vikings a closer look at draft prospects
January 25
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"By all accounts, Auburn long snapper Josh Harris is a super-nice guy. He's polite. He speaks clearly. He plans to marry his girlfriend, his father is an attorney and he will pursue a law degree if he can't make an NFL roster. And he likely has no chance to be drafted by the Vikings, who have Cullen Loeffler as their long snapper. But that didn't stop the Vikings from ushering Harris into the team's evaluation gantlet for a 17-minute, 48-question interview with general manager Rick Spielman, followed by a meeting with special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer and possibly a trip to the whiteboard for an X's and O's quiz. Spielman allowed four Twin Cities reporters to observe Spielman's"
Assistant's fire impresses Frazier
January 25
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"When Leslie Frazier first worked alongside Brendan Daly with the Vikings in 2007 and '08, he was impressed by the young defensive line assistant's brainpower and gusto, identifying him as "a guy who was coming." Daly has spent the past three seasons as the defensive line coach in St. Louis but has now returned to the Vikings. And so far at this week's Senior Bowl, Daly has been his energetic self with the North linemen. "He does [have a fire about him]. A lot of energy. A lot of enthusiasm," Frazier said. "That's contagious. That carries over. We need that." Frazier continues to note the influence Daly seemed to have in Chris Long's growth in St. Louis. Former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, a"
Vikings staff continues to take advantage of 'week-long interview' process at Senior Bowl
January 25
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Leslie Frazier's enthusiasm for this week's Senior Bowl activities isn't waning. The Vikings head coach continues to stress the positives he and his staff are taking away from coaching the North squad this week, able to learn an awful lot about a large group of draft prospects. Evaluating talent and athleticism is one thing. Getting a feel for a player's personality and character is a whole different project. Later this evening, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman will walk a handful of Twin Cities-based reporters through the behind-the-scenes interview process that the team is using with players this week. At this evening's press conference, Frazier again emphasized the worth of the"
Storm builds over Dome plan
January 25
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Gov. Mark Dayton's sudden push for a Minnesota Vikings stadium at Minneapolis' Metrodome site drew some positive reaction as legislators opened the 2012 session Tuesday but also hit a potential roadblock. Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, the chief House stadium author, said it would be difficult to win enough votes for a Vikings stadium package that also included a plan to provide financial relief to Minneapolis' Target Center. In response, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak reiterated that he and the City Council would back a stadium plan only if there were monetary help for Target Center to pay down its debt and help with remodeling. "He may believe it's more difficult at the Legislature; it"