Quick Column: NFL Thinking

I've worked the weekend and didn't see much of Sunday's football action but I still have some thoughts about the results.

The difference a year makes, huh?

At the end of last year the Vikings were one running play (rather than one pass) from getting to the Super Bowl.

One year ago, Brett Favre was having the "best" season of his career and Minnesota fans were praising him like he was a career Viking and Viking HOF'er. People were ultimately loving Brett Favre's stats; 33 TD's vs. 7 INT's. They loved 4,202 passing yards and the best passer rating in his career, 107.2. They happened to lose in the NFC Championship game with a chance to win it and wanted Brett Favre back.

I don't blame fans, Viking fans, NFL fans, friends or family at all for that. The Vikings had it going on last season. The got numerous bounces within games leading them to win games.

However, I had a different opinion. I do love Brett Favre and what he did for the Packers all of those years. Though I have seen him throw so many interceptions, have my childhood best friend Will, make so much fun of me because my favorite player did that, that I knew it was a one year wonder.

Favre's TD % is one half the number than it was last year and his INT % is five times higher than last year. His 10 TD's and 17 INT's are 11 TD's fewer and 14 INT's more than at the same point last season.

CHILDRESS FIRED! As I sit here at 11:15am, listening to KFAN and watching the old Twitter feed, Childress is gone and Leslie Frazier is in.

Again, what a year makes for Brad Childress too. A year ago his job was safe and Brett Favre kept covering him for, what I believe, his mediocrity as an NFL head coach. In his four seasons as head coach he's gone from 6-10 to 8-8 to 10-6 and then 12-4 last year before deteriorating so much this season, 3-7 before being fired today. The lifespan of a coach; stop winning and you stop coaching.

Here's a Tweet from Vikings write on ESPN1500.com Tom Pelissero.

Brad Childress' firing comes 368 days after #Vikings signed him to a contract extension. What a difference a year makes.

But it's interesting what changes in a year. Last season the Packers were killed by the Vikings. This season the Packers took it to the Vikings, twice.

Last season the Cardinals beat the Packers in the playoffs with Kurt Warner and this season they are no where to be found.

Last season the Bucs were no where to be found and were one of the worst teams in the NFL. This season they are 7-3 and in the strong NFC South.

Last season the Jets were on the brink of not making the playoffs and were borderline average. But they got on a roll and played well in the playoffs. This season, it seems, they are capitalizing on every single break, just as the Vikings did last season.

What a difference a year makes.

Quick Column: Twins Territory

Photo courtesy of Joel Dischinger





















Photo courtesy of MinnPost.com





A number of topics to come in no particular order and none will come to real fruition. It's just the times. Essentially, it's just that I have to get a long tweet out without researching too much further.

As we all know, a Minnesota favorite, Randy Moss was traded back to the Vikings. That stomped all over the air waves and the print media and the broadcast media all morning and afternoon; squashing much of the productive and intelligent Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees playoff chatter. Well, that's the second time an NFL story has put the hammer to a significant day in Minnesota Twins history. The first, back in the middle of August was Brett Favre coming back via private plane in handcuffs with Ryan Longwell, Jared Allen and Steve Hutchinson. That was the same day that Jim Thome (is my homey) drilled a game winning home run, defeating the White Sox and making a statement in the American League Central versus the White Sox.

So, let's bury the "lead" story. The Minnesota Twins are the lead story, it is just that this American society needs something newer than a game that hasn't even happened yet! That is amazing, when talking about Americans.

I'm here to say to Minnesotans that they best get their priorities straight. These guys coming from New York are giants! They have taken you out in the playoffs three straight times. They are not afraid of you. The Twins can't have the state overtaken by Moss talk. Not on game one of the ALDS vs. a historical giant in the game of baseball. It takes huge amounts of focus to beat these guys, just ask the Boston Red Sox. So, all of you Minnesotans and media members; please refocus your energies to put the Twins in the lead story.

It was just surreal listening to the Twins get buried all day long as I listened on my KFAN app on my phone. And granted, I was listening to play-by-play man for the Vikings, Paul Allen. However, Dan Cole was all over football too. However, once I flipped it to 1500 ESPN Radio with Patrick Reusse and Phil Mackey, most of the conversation centered around the Twins. Though they happened to be broadcasting live from Gate 29 at Target Field.

You have the rest of the NFL season to talk about an aging superstar and a guy who plays when he wants to. Minnesota, and Minnesotan sports fans, the Twins need you! Don't drop out of the marathon at mile 23 when there's a good chance of finishing and finishing 26.2 miles well!

Quick Column: Top 5 Sports Thoughts for Today

This is five sports thoughts for today, Sunday September 26, 2010.

1. I really like watching football. Working on Sunday's is a real cramp in my sporting life. (might as well second that for Saturday too)

2. Did the Twins win the Central Division early and then go home and wait for the playoffs? Their losing streak is at three games and they are one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the best record in the American League. The New York Yankees are hot on their tail as well; if it was not for my beloved Boston Red Sox taking two of the first three games from the Yankees (who lead 2-1 in the top of the 8th at this moment at Yankee Stadium) they could also be ahead of the Twins for the best record in the league.

The Twins own the best home record in the American League at 52-25 (New York is second at 51-29). So, I know the Twins clinched first, long ago, and I know some guys need some rest. But why start playing 'sprint' (thinking they can turn it on with the flick of a switch) with a baseball season when they've been playing 'marathon' all season long. I think they need to keep winning, winning now, to claim the best record so they have home field advantage the whole way through.

The Yankees won the World Series in the first year of their new stadium, now why can't the Twins?

They only will if they can grab home field advantage throughout the American League Playoffs.

Though, I'm not sure they can without Justin Morneau's bat either. But that's a whole Top 5 Sports Thoughts for Today on its own.

3. I saw a quick, in-game highlight package of today's Lions vs. Vikings game. It was a montage of all of the hits Brett Favre took in the game. If the Vikings let him get hit like that every week or every other week, he could be in for a longer season than it already feels like for him. It only takes one hit for him to go down, especially at his quadragenarian status.

4. Shannon Rowbury won the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile this afternoon in New York City with a time of 4:24.12. She edged out Sara Hall who was just under a quarter second behind in second place, 4:24.34.

Alan Webb, who's had an average running career, finished fourth in 3:53.72 but is coming back from Achilles tendon surgery this season. Now that it's over, we'll have to see more from him next year, but I'd love to see him fill his potential that he established in high school at the Prefontaine Classic where he set an American record for the mile run for high schoolers.

5. A big rivalry: Green Bay at Chicago tomorrow on Monday Night Football.
Prediction: Green Bay 27 Chicago 20

Quick Column: Twins Trade For Matt Capps

A Quick Column that truly exemplifies the word quick.

The Twins traded a highly touted catching prospect Wilson Ramos and another minor league pitcher Joe Testa. In return they received Washington Nationals closer, Matt Capps.

Now last night and this morning Twins fans were griping about how they felt that they gave up too much and it was like the Jeff Bagwell-Larry Anderson trade by the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros in the early 90's.

I just find it funny that if the Twins didn't make a move, and I will point out, just like every other year so many Twins fans would be griping about that too. Why didn't we trade player A for player B or were there talks to give up player A and B for player C?

The Twins finally made a move and we complain about it. Do I think the Nationals got a good deal? Sure, I think we gave up a nice prospect for a mid-level closer. But you have to give up something to get something and I think alot of that opinion stems from midwestern values. We're conservative out here. If we don't think something is a sure fire steal or a trade in the Twins favor we don't do it. We might have pulled the trigger if it was Bryce Harper and Matt Capps for Wilson Ramos and Joe Testa. Ha! If you don't know, Bryce Harper was the #1 pick in this year's Major League Baseball draft and there was no chance on that happening.

It is good to have an opinion about your favorite nine and management but there comes a time where you also have to understand you don't own the team, nor manage it.

I think the Twins gave up a notch or two higher than they could have but I think they still got a solid piece in the bullpen. Move Capps to closer, leave Guerrier to set-up in the 8th, Rauch can throw in the 7th and your starter and the other four arms in the bullpen can come in and work the rest of the game, assuming your starter can only go 4,5,6 innings.

I just thought it was funny to hear fans say the Twins got ripped off. But they would have been ripped off at their team if they didn't make a trade. There was no way they would have gotten Lee, Haren or Oswalt. That just traces back to conservative midwestern trade values.

The Twins made a move, though I don't think they were overwhelmed with what they got, they got a good arm and I like it.

Wait and see how August and September play out. There's plenty of baseball left.

Phil Mackey's opinion of the trade from ESPN1500.com

Aaron Gleeman also had a more un-favorable opinion of the trade but I can't find the article.

Quick Column: KSTP AM 1500

Within the last month KSTP AM 15oo announced they're switching from a talk format to an all sports format. They will pick up ESPN programming and be known as The SportsTalk Station.

This has been a part of news where KSTP Channel 5 announced a re-hiring of their former sports anchor/director Joe Schmidt and hired a very talented and intelligent former KFAN employee, Darren Wolfson. Just the signing of Wolfson, who had been without a full time job and freelancing for a year, piqued my interest.

KSTP then announced that they were going to the sports format. And even more recently Phil Mackey, announced on his twitter that he would be leaving KFAN where he interned and worked for five years to co-host a 12-2pm show with Patrick Reusse. Phil is a young graduate of the University of Minnesota and is supremely knowledgeable about so many things but covered the Vikings and the Twins for the radio station.

Also today, Tom Pelissero, of the Green Bay Press-Gazette said that he was joining KSTP AM 1500. Pelissero, covered the Packers for the Green Bay Press-Gazette and was their assistant sports editor.

I guess what I want to say is KSTP AM 1500 is making itself completely more relevant to younger sports listeners in the Twin Cities market by adding Darren Wolfson, Phil Mackey and Tom Pelissero. I haven't ever though of them as a formidable sports talk station that was actually listenable but with my knowledge of these guys from the work they've done they are going to give KFAN a run for their money in some segments of the radio industry.

Now, I also don't know if they're all tied in with radio but I bet some will transition to some of their television coverage because it's been so bad for years, not only talent but information. Photojournalism has been fine, but they can use a hand with talent and information output.

It makes me almost wish I had taken that part-time production job at KSTP Channel 5 a couple years ago. I could have been in a place to switch paths by now and open it up with these sports minds. Time to try it out now then I guess.

I'm on the bandwagon, way to go KSTP AM 15oo, ESPN radio!

(Now...too bad I didn't think of looking for a job there until now....let's look now I guess.)