Say Hello to Your New Vikings

On the surface this years draft does not look that exciting with only one pick on the first day and 4 the second none before the 5th round. Keep in mind that our first round pick was a 26 year old all-pro DE who racked up 15.5 sacks on a D-line that was no where near as dominant as the purple. History says Sack leaders numbers go down the year after leading the league but logic says that its impossible to double team everybody on the line. If any of you are worried about giving all of that money to a man who could face a big suspension and even possible jail time with one more DUI fear not, I've found a post on Pro Football Talk outlining how the Vikes have protected themselves against this sort of thing. If you thought we gave up too much for Allen you're pretty crazy considering the Jaguars gave up their 1st, two 3rds AND a 4th rounder for Derrick Harvey at the 8 spot. Thats a 4th rounder more than we gave up for a proven commodity.

In the second round yesterday we moved up a few spots to select Tyrell Johnson, a safety from Arkansas State. He was the Sunbelt defensive player of the year and had 6 interceptions in his senior year. He made 363 tackles and had 13 interceptions during his time at Arkansas State and was impressive during his school's pro day benching 225lbs 27 times (more than anybody else) running a 4.41 40 and showcasing his 39 inch vertical. Many people were confused by this pick but I like it. Sharper is getting older and though his play doesn't show it yet its only a matter of time before we'll need Johnson to step in.

In the 5th round we moved up to select John David Booty of USC. I never thought I'd say it but thank you Green Bay... we swapped 5th rounders and threw in our 7th round pick. Booty means we'll be able to release Bollinger and upgraded both of our back-up QBs from last year. He's also a good option to have if the T-Jack experiment goes bad. I'll post a video of him in action soon.

Our next selection in the 5th puzzled me a bit. We picked up Letroy Guion, a defensive tackle from Florida State University. I know that Pat Williams is getting a little older, but we signed Fred Evans last offseason. I was thinking the team would go after an OT, but Spielman has a very complex draft board and he was rated 8th overall at his position by scout.com.

With our First pick in the 6th round we selected John Sullivan, a center out of Notre Dame. He will most likely become the center of the future should Matt Birk decide to leave after this season. He's 6-4 and 303 lbs and is extremely reminiscent of Birk.

Our final selection was Jaymar Johnson, a WR out of Jackson State. At 6-1 180 he'll need to bulk up a bit but he'll be used mostly as a kick returner if he makes the team. I was hoping we'd use this pick on OT Brandon Kieth out of Northern Iowa University, but we let him go and Arizona picked him up in the 7th round.

In related new Dominique Barber was drafted by the Houston Texans in the 6th round. He was the only Gopher drafted. As for Hawkeyes Charles Godfrey was picked up in the 3rd round by Carolina, Kenny Iwebema was picked up in the 4th round by Arizona and Mike Humpal was picked up by the Steelers in the 6th.

UPDATE: The Daily Norseman has a list of the 16 undrafted free agents signed by the purple today.

Friday: KG's in town. Saturday: Hockey

Unless you live under a rock or in Nepal, you know Kevin Garnett is going to be in town on Friday. He will be making an appearance on the floor before the game but will not be playing. I expect him to get a very large ovation, but it's a shame that he won't be playing, because the fans here in Minneapolis were really looking forward to having him back in town.
The Wolves ticket reps have based their whole ticket sales plan around this game. They had many of the tickets only available in packages. So with Garnett not playing the Wolves are giving every person who comes into the building will be getting a voucher for another ticket to a wolves game.

In response to the likelihood of former Timberwolves player Kevin Garnett not being able to participate in Friday night's game between Minnesota and Boston, the Timberwolves announced Thursday that all fans in attendance will receive a voucher redeemable for one ticket to an upcoming Wolves game. The gesture is in recognition of the special circumstance of Garnett's return to Minnesota, the fan sentiment surrounding this game and also serves as a thank you to loyal Wolves fans in attendance.

I think it's funny that the title of that story is Wolves Thank Fans with Ticket Voucher. Yeah thanks for buying into our ploy to sell more tickets, and because you don't get what you paid or and because we have so many tickets left this year, we'll give you one, thanks for coming.

Anyways, I'm going to the Wild game on Saturday for Hockey Day in Minnesota. I plan on being at Alary's by about noon, and in rare form by game time, wish me luck. I don't know much about what Hockey Day in Minnesota entails besides lots of hockey, so here's a great video from tnabacg.



Jon over there claims to have a ridiculously long preview of Hockey Day in Minnesota. So go check that out tomorrow, I'm sure it will be well done.

Also on Saturday, the Hawks are in town to whoop up on the rodents. I'm guessing the line will open around 5 in favor of the gophers. I like the way the Hawks are playing, especially on D, so hopefully they can pull that off. Well i'm off have a good night, i'll leave you with some more links.

A real life Shawshank Redemption.

Thanks to the guy who does the most work here I was able to read this story on Garnett. It's a really interesting point, and I believe he may be on to something.

The guys at www.firejoemorgan.com.com are no longer anonymous. Turns out one of them even writes for the Office.

If you were unable to attend Twins Fest you need to see the Stadium Model and here is a great review of it.



Stubled across this today I think you'll thank me for sharing. The 50 Hottest Women in Sports. Here's a taste, I have a new found appreciation for synchronized swimming.

Watch out Tubby

Don't look now but Iowa just got their first win in Big Ten Conference play last night. They beat a # 6 ranked Michigan State team 43-36. I bet you're asking what was the score after the 2nd half, but that was the final score. I guess you could say that Iowa didn't win, they really just didn't lose the game.

Even though I am a big Hawkeye fan, I feel bad for the people who paid money to watch this game. Iowa shot 27% from the field while MSU shot 30%. Michigan State was missing lay-ups and couldn't hit anything, the were stuck at 18 points for the last 8 minutes of the 1st half and the first 2 minutes of the 2nd half. This loss stopped an 11 game winning streak and tied a school record for least points scored in a game.

To top it off the Iowa students in attendance, stormed the floor. Embarrassing. At least Tom Izzo is still a douche bag. Watch out Tubby

If you don't mind

Iowa will be taking back the Floyd this season.

Lunch Break: Boston Cream Pie edition

Boston, Boston, Boston. The Sawx are 8-0 in World Series games under Francona, The Pats are destroying teams and helping me out in fantasy (Thank you Mr. Brady) and The Celtics are about to open the season with possibly the best trio of all-star players ever assembled in history and with the man who has lead my team since I was in grade school. Oh yeah, and Boston College is still ranked #2 in the BCS.
Minnesota? We’re gonna lose Torri Hunter. Our football team has the most explosive back to hit the league running since LT, but no semblance of a passing game. Our basketball team is going to wreak (but we do have talent and draftpicks). Hell our college football team can’t even beat a team from North Dakota. At least our Hockey team is better than anything in Boston.

Kevin Garnett talks to Dime Magazine about his friendships in the association.

Glen Taylor gives two goll-darn interviews where he talks doody about anyone and everyone who is no longer with the team.

The Wolves have decided to pay Juwan Howard not to play for the team. (and probably end up as a member of the Celtics)

Do not hunt with this man and his dog.

Marrisa Miller has her own Fathead… which makes way more sense than an athelete.

UND is gonna get all PC, and still probably pound the Gophers for the next 10 years.

A-Rod won’t be playing for the Yankees, and Peter Gammons calls him out on his impeccable timing.

The Twins pick up Joe Nathan's option. Totally unexpected, totally.

FreeDarko (probably the best Basketball blog ever) predicts what every single NBA player will do this season. I wish that I’d had time to put up the Wolves roster because they are killer and spot on.

Holy Crap the Hawks won.

Blog, I forgot all about you

Blog,
I'm sorry I have been gone for so long. You have been neglected. It's just that things haven't gone well in my sports universe lately. It has been hard, Iowa football sucks (some may say they always have (I won't be one of them)), The Twins sucked the season away, not that I care, but the Vikings blow (actually that's funny), and The Wild are just getting going (they got some help from drunk me, and friends Saturday).

I know I have made promises before to come back more often, and that usually is short lived, so this time I'm not making any promises, but I will try. I may need some motivations so here are a list of things a few things that make me happy:

1. The Yankee's season was only 4 games longer then the Twins. Go Indians.
2. I don't live in Chicago, suck it Bears, bring back Rexy already.
3. Ozzie Guillen will back next year.
4. Lists.
5. The Wild.
6. The NBA is back soon, which seems to give me plenty to write about.

That was short and sweet.

Anyway, If one doesn't work tomorrow afternoon, I suggest in tuning into ESPN2. Timberwolves vs Celtics in preseason play from Italy.

I Like-a Da Football

As of yesterday the football season has officially begun and I am excited. Not that I don’t love baseball but its not exactly the most action packed sport ever, it gets pretty boring in the middle of the season and I don’t write about NASCAR, golf or soccer. College football started yesterday and NFL teams just cut their rosters down to 53 in preparation for the season to begin next week.

As everybody already knows by now the Appalachian State Mountaineers shocked the world by ripping Ann Arbor’s heart out and muddying Lloyd Carr’s future even further. I think this kid exemplifies the joy felt across the other 49 states. Now, the Gophers find themselves tied with the Wolverines and more importantly Iowa’s bowl expectations are elevated, even if only a little bit. Neither the Hawks nor the Gophers were on television in Minneapolis but we know that the Hawks failed to score a million points and “Gopher Nation” failed to get it’s first win. Jebus over at the Compulsion broke down the entire Big Ten, and I’m lazy so go read his post. (Did we mention that Ohio State lost DE Lawrence Wilson to a broke leg?)

Appalachian State was the only major upset, but out in California the Golden Bears got revenge over Tennessee in the only game pitting two ranked teams against each other. Desean Jackson returned a punt almost 80 yard for a touchdown. For those of you keeping track that’s the sixth of his college career and a 22% return rate. Virgina Tech won their first game of the season and first since the tragedy that occurred on their campus in late spring. Notre Dame proved that it is over-rated after failing to put up a touchdown against Georgia Tech.

Darren Mcfadden rolled over Troy for 151 yards, one TD running and one TD passing. Mississippi State’s Zach Smith needs some asprin. West Virginia will have defenses scratching their heads all season long; Pat White and Steve Slaton each had four touchdowns (one was a pass from White to Slaton). Colt Brennan threw for 6 touchdowns and 416 yards in the first freaking half! My boy Ray Rice ran for 184 yards and 3 TDs for Rutgers. Tim Tebow had his first start for the national champion Gators and managed to throw for 300 yards and added 4 TDs (one rushing) to the blowout. In Nebraska Marlon Lucky introduced himself to everybody outside of The Big 12 with an astounding 233 yards and three touchdowns.

As for the pros, The Vikings have cut their roster down to 53 and made some interesting cuts in the process. The team decided to go with three fullbacks and three tailbacks and keeping Naufahu Tahi over Artose Pinner and Ciatrick Fason. Second year safety Greg Blue was cut in favor of Mike Doss and Tank Williams. Both players went out with injuries last season while Blue is a hard hitting young guy who probably could have helped on special teams. Cornerback Devonte Edwards was released in favor of Marcus McCauly (good call), Charles Gordon (meh) and Ronyell Whitaker. I feel that Edwards is defiantly a better player than Whitaker.

According to The Daily Norsman the team has picked up TE Garrett Mills from the Pats. The Norsman also said that Tyler Thigpen and DE Khreem Smith were claimed off waivers by the Chiefs while Edwards was picked up by the Giants. Here is the current roster with Mills taking Guard Brian Daniels spot.

It's like Christmas morning

If you're not hyped up yet the following videos should help.









Enjoy. Go Hawks.

All you have to do is catch a ball

Some days like today it is really obvious that catching footballs doesn't take the brightest human being. Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman, WR for Iowa, were suspended today by Coach Ferentz, after being arrested on Sunday for racking up over $2000 on a stolen credit card. To make it worse they stole hats and shoes. They play for a D-1 football program, don’t they get enough free stuff, and it’s not like they decided to buy a big TV or something actually cool with the stolen card.

For DD, a kid who was known as one of the best freshmen WR in the country last season, to buy hats and shoes with a stolen credit card is beyond dumb. He may not be in the same circumstances that one Pierre Pierce was in, but it has its similarities. He was set to make millions in the NFL in the near future, like Pierce in the NBA; all he had to do was make it through college with out being injured, or do something stupid. Then they both do something completely dumb and short sighted. Now he may struggle to get noticed, like Pierce who's trying to lobby is way in to the NBA probably as you read this.

If this all comes out to be true, which it seems like it easily could be I hope these two are far from the team. I know this will hurt the team but they don’t deserve the opportunity they just gave up. At least they’ll look cool all of there hats and shoes.

Well that's about all I have, now I'm going to go cross DD off the 2007 Iowa Football calender/poster my brother sent me today. It's a damn shame.

These guys might have a better take then me.

Press Citizen : Two Hawkeyes suspended indefinitely

The Hawkeye Compulsion : Things just got Real

EDSBS : Fulmer Cupdate :Iowa Shopping Trip Edition

I bet you didn't know

Are you sitting down? I have some huge news for the few readers we do have. I am sure that the following may come as a huge surprise. At least two of the writers on this site are huge Iowa Hawkeye fans. Yeah, I fucking said it. Go Hawks bitches. Don't be surprised by the previous statements, I did write about the Hawks a few times in the early history of SPK.

There are many reasons for a kid who has primarily grown up in Minnesota to be a Hawkeye fan. The following few attempt to explain that. I lived in Iowa City from when I was 9 months to about 8 years old. Both of my parents went school and worked at the University Of Iowa and I have a few friends from back then and tons of family who have attended Iowa (all passionate fans). When I was 8 we moved to Minnesota and you would think my allegiance would shift there. Absolutely not. I have lived in MN since about 3rd grade and have had no reason to become any sort of Gopher fan. Any school whose Football team takes a backseat to their Hockey won't bring about great things. I could have easily switched my "teams" while living in MN but there wasn't anyone I knew who showed any passion for gopher football.

The entire state of Iowa views the Hawks as a type of religion. Every Saturday in the fall the state converges on Iowa City. There is no such thing as a traffic jam in Iowa unless you're trying to get to the game. The place is like a carnival on game day; you've got tail gaiting everywhere, concerts being thrown on top of a bus that serves as a GIANT KEG and la piece de resistance, Big-Ass turkey legs. There is a dude who stands in front of his huge grill screaming, "Big-Ass turkey legs, I got your Big-Ass turkey legs hmear!" This is a site to behold. Hell, Muck and I got served as minors for the first time after a Hawks game. Compare those festivities to what goes on before a Gopher's football game.


To be honest, I can't remember any of my friends ever saying they went to games. My family has always been extremely passionate about Iowa Football. From when I can remember, the argument about who was better (Iowa state/ Iowa), with my grandpa has always been alive, and the Hawks always won.

The reason there has been such a layoff of the Iowa football subject is due to the poor end of the last season (minus the bowl game loss). The Ohio State game on was tough on any Iowa fan, and I have decided to completely move on from last year and only remember the Bowl game against Texas, which was a positive step in the right direction.

Over the past 8-10 months I have been looking for a blog on Iowa Football. One would think that this task would be simple; before those 8-10 months I would have tended to agree. Shit, Iowa has a very large fan base, and travel's well. All I was asking for was a blog, how hard was that. I guess it was hard, until yesterday (well maybe a few weeks ago, but I found it yesterday), when I found The Hawkeye Compulsion. This site is exactly what I was looking for; actually I don't think I could have described a better one, but I would like to thank dmbmeg, for showing it to me.

Well, anyway there are approximately 423 hours till kick off at solider field, which I will be unable to attend, I am going to the home opener though. I hope that the Iowa fans out there are willing to listen to what I have to say about this season, because this is only the beginning. More to come later, that was just me explaining myself, there will be much more coherent thought coming in the future.

I have two video's to leave you with and both great, one comes from The Hawkeye Compulsion and the other from my cousin.

Andy Brodell, I can't wait


Touchdown!!!!!!!!