Buckle Up, Folks. . .Stadium Fight's A-Comin'

Everyone that's followed the Beloved Purple for the last handful of years knows of the difficulty that the Vikings have had in generating any serious discussions for a new football stadium.  Ever since Red McCombs bought the team in 1998, pushes have been made for a new venue to host Minnesota Vikings football, but the team has been unable to even get a bill out of committee to this point, never mind to an actual up or down vote of any sort.

This history made it a bit of a surprise that a week ago, the Minnesota state senate gave the green light to a study geared towards finding ways to replace the Metrodome.  Though the governor wasn't a fan of the proposed study, and it had its share of other opponents as well, it looked for a moment that there would actually be some substantive discussions towards a new football stadium in Minnesota.

You'll notice that I used the past tense there.  "Looked," not "looks."  I use that tense because yesterday, the Minnesota senate removed the provision for said study from the larger tax bill that it was originally part of.

Keep in mind for a moment that the study would have cost the taxpayers of Minnesota exactly zero dollars.  Every penny for the study would have come from the pockets of Zygi Wilf and the Minneapolis Sports Facilities Commission.  It would be presented at the 2009 legislative session.

Now, as I present my opinion on this, remember that I'm not an expert in any way, shape, or form.  I'm not an economist, I'm not a political scientist. . .hell, I'm not even a football expert.  In the grand scheme of things, I'm just some schmuck with a blog that loves his favorite football team.  I'm not a Minnesota resident, nor do I pay taxes in Minnesota. . .my ties to the state at this point are the family members I have that live there and the Vikings.  With that. . .

What in the blue hell is wrong with the Minnesota senate?  For them to snuff out a study that wouldn't have cost John Q. Public one red cent when they know the Vikings' lease expires in 2011. . .well, I agree with Lester Bagley, Vikings vice-president:

"We're disappointed with the signal it sends to the Vikings, to the ownership and to the NFL," he said.

He's right. . .it does send a message.  And that message appears to be "We don't give a damn if you're the most popular franchise in Minnesota and have been ever since your inception.  Feel free to go ahead and leave at your earliest convenience."

And you know what?  For the first time ever. . .I honestly have the feeling that that's exactly what's going to end up happening.  The state of Minnesota has made it clear that the Minnesota Vikings are not a priority.  I understand that the infrastructure of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area needs to be improved, and obviously that should take priority.  But over the course of the last few years, bills have been passed for

-A new stadium for the Minnesota Twins
-A new stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers
-A new hockey stadium that now houses the Minnesota Wild
-An expansion for the Mall of America

But the Vikings aren't even going to be allowed to have any substantive discussion for a new venue?  Absolutely, positively, mind-numbingly stupid, if you ask me.

Yes, Zygi Wilf is a rich man. . .yes, Zygi Wilf isn't hurting for money, and there's a very good likelihood that he could build a brand new stadium all by himself.  But Zygi Wilf also isn't stupid.  He knows damn well that if Minnesota won't buy him a new stadium, there will be plenty of places that would be willing to take him with welcome arms. . .places that would be far more profitable to him than extending a lease agreement with the Metrodome.  Cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Antonio. . .hell, even Toronto.

Now, there are the high and mighty types out there that will blow the horn about "not supporting billionaires with their tax dollars."  Those people, in my humble yet slightly biased opinion, can feel free to blow it out their ass.  The people of Minnesota had no problem giving Carl Pohlad some of their tax dollars.  He said that the Twins needed a new stadium to remain economically viable.  Bear in mind, this was the guy that volunteered the Twins for contraction a few years ago.  So he got his new stadium, and the first move he made with his team's newfound "economic viability" was. . .to trade away his team's best and most recognizable player rather than giving him a contract consummate with his value?

Yep. . .meet the new Twins.  Same as the old Twins.  But hey, Carl Pohlad's worthy of millions of Minnesota's taxpayer dollars.  Surrrrrrrrrrrrre he is.

The Vikings want a stadium with a retractable roof on it.  Every plan that has been presented to this point has featured a retractable roof.  Why?  Because the Vikings AND the city of Minneapolis know full well that this building, when built, can't be a specialized facility just for Vikings football.  It needs to be able to be used year-round for numerous different events.  Heck, what's the Twins' new stadium going to be used for during the off-season?  Snowmobile racing?  Oh, and isn't there some big event in St. Paul this summer sometime?  Some Republican National Convention or something like that?  I wonder why they picked St. Paul, of all places. . .it certainly wouldn't have anything to do with that gorgeous new hockey arena that was built there recently, would it?  You know, the one that was built entirely with public funds?

Remember the glorious time of 1991 and 1992 when Minneapolis hosted the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the Stanley Cup Finals, and the NBA All-Star Game all in the span of 12 months?  There is absolutely, positively no chance in hell of that ever. . .EVER. . .happening again as long as we have the current facilities that Minneapolis has.  And lest you think that's not a big deal, keep this in mind:

Super Bowl XL, which was held in cold-weather Detroit at their brand new Ford Field. . .in a city that is, quite frankly, not nearly as nice as Minneapolis (your mileage may vary). . .was estimated to have made the city of Detroit somewhere between $250 and $350 million dollars (depending on your source).  Prior to his retirement, Paul Tagliabue all but promised the city of Minneapolis another Super Bowl if they got a new stadium built, and I have no reason to think that Roger Goodell couldn't deliver the same thing.

Is Minneapolis so damn principled and so damn high and mighty that they think their economy couldn't stand to have more than a quarter of a billion dollars pumped into it?  I sure as hell hope not.

To be blunt, folks, this thing needs to get done.  Every year this matter gets put off, it leaves Minnesota one step closer to being sans football.  Every year this matter gets put off, the cost of any potential stadium gets more expensive.  Somewhere, someone's going to give this football team a new facility, and it may or may not necessarily be anybody in Minnesota.  The Minnesota state senate needs to wake up to this fact, pull their thumbs out, and get something done.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/story/2008/4/3/22574/86665

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With Henry's release, Chad becomes Bengals idiot

The Pro Football Talk guys provide their take on Chris Henry.

video details and more

Marvin Frazier (Chris Henry's agent) expressed thanks -- appearing as a father figure to Henry in that he's apologetic to those that he screwed over -- by saying:

"I just want to say that we're sorry this all happened, and we will continue to try to work to help Chris," Frazier said. "I do want to thank the Cincinnati Bengals -- Mike Brown, [coach] Marvin Lewis and everyone -- for all they have done to try to help this young man. Many of them have gone beyond the call of duty."

Chad? Well, Chad is an idiot.

"Are you sure? Man, they can't let him go. That dude is good. He's very, very good," Johnson said on 1050 ESPN New York.

"We need him. Those are not easy shoes to fill, regardless of the trouble he has gotten into in the past," Johnson said.

What's this "we" crap thinking he's some "team guy"? Get out of here. The bad thing for Chad is that the guy that makes him look better by comparison was released Thursday. Now, he can claim town idiot. Considering that Mike Brown set that standard pretty high -- and Mark Mallory's well placed fastball during 2007's opening day is right up there -- it's the one thing that Chad Johnson can hang his "accomplishment" mantel on. Being an idiot and catching a few footballs when the game isn't on the line is about all the NFL community thinks you're good for. And they're right.

Through all this, I feel really bad for Carson Palmer. He'll be bombarded with questions regarding Henry and Johnson. Palmer, as he always does, will do the right thing and talk about "team guys" that actually do make football worth paying for. And clearly, Palmer will work with less talent, but the team will be worth cheering for. As of now, if Johnson remains with this team -- and plays -- there's no scenario I see that makes rooting for the Bengals worth my efforts. And that's the saddest part of this whole thing.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cincyjungle.com/story/2008/4/3/20059/94949

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SB Nation Mock Draft Update!

As everyone should know, the SB nation Mock Draft is underway! We're nine picks deep right now, with all the action happening over at Matt Miller's Mocking The Draft. This is not your normal mock draft, not by any stretch of the imagination. We've got thirty of the best team writers out there as well as the collective insight of New Era Scouting adding insight and analysis.

Of course, our Jaguars won't be picking till sometime next week, probably on Wednesday, but it's worth checking out. If you recall, I'm sticking to my Draft Board, so as people come off we'll see who the Jaguars might end up with. Obviously my top ten or so is hit pretty hard. There's not much in the way of surprises in the draft, maybe the pick of Leodis McKelvin at number seven. I have University of South Florida's Mike Jenkins as the best Cornerback in the Draft, but it's not a bad pick for the Patriots.

Top five players still unpicked: Ryan Clady, OT Boise State, Mike Jenkins CB USF, Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois, Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida, Jeff Otah OT, Pitt.

The first 9 picks--

#1 Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long

#2 St. Louis Rams - DE Vernon Gholston

#3 Atlanta Falcons - OT Jake Long

#4 Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden

#5 Kansas City Chiefs - DT Sedrick Ellis

#6 New York Jets - DT Glenn Dorsey

#7 New England Patriots - CB Leodis McKelvin

#8 Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan

#9 Cincinnati Bengals - LB Keith Rivers

-Chris

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/story/2008/4/3/194056/8103

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Giants Hosting Browns in Preseason Prime Timer

We asked for prime time, and we got it -- for the preseason, that is.

A few weeks ago, I reported that the NFL schedules for the 2008-2009 season would be released on April 3. Apparently, I was partially mistaken because only preseason games were announced today. Three of our games seem bland as usual, but one of them is most certainly intriguing:

• Game 1: New York Jets (Aug 7-11)
• Game 2: at New York Giants (Aug 18) on ESPN, 8 p.m.
• Game 3: at Detroit Lions (Aug 21-25)
• Game 4: Chicago Bears (Aug 28-29)

In our second preseason games, the Browns will be featured on Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Although the third preseason game is the most competitive game, the second game is typically the second most competitive game. Considering the Browns face the Giants in the regular season though, I wouldn't expect us to throw much of our "true" gameplan against them.

Also notable is the fact that we are facing both New York teams back to back.

For those of you who missed it, Tony Grossi had a very interesting tidbit on Tuesday about our possible Week 1 matchup:

Here come the Cowboys: A league source said one draft of the upcoming 2008 schedule calls for the Browns to open the season Sept. 7 at home against the Dallas Cowboys. The game would be moved to 4 p.m. and aired on FOX as its national game.

I can't say I'd be confident heading into Week 1 against the Cowboys, but it'd certainly be a game that I'd really get hyped for to kick off the season. And, considering the Browns already have a prime time game in the preseason and a possible Week 1 nationally televised game, I can't wait to see just how many prime time games we will have during the regular season.

For the record, the full regular season schedule will be released later in April. Some reports have indicated that it could be released as early as next week.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dawgsbynature.com/story/2008/4/3/192010/5852

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Jack Del Rio signs 5 year contract: David Garrard
just around the corner!

There's a whole lot of quiet days during the offseason.  Days where the best thing you can hope to find is a vague draft preview or a juicy rumor.  

Then there are days like today where we get two big fat stories that put a smile on your face and a spring in your step because you know that the long term future of your favorite franchise is coming together quite nicely.

First thing I do every morning is check my RSS Reader for the latest round of stories off the internet.  On any other Thursday for the last many weeks it's been the same old stuff.  JagNation will have a scoop about a draft prospect, Ask Vic will sarcastically not answer questions, and I'll wonder if anything of substance will happen.  We've got quite a few weeks until the draft, though it's rolling ever closer.   It's just plain slow.

Then I see this (note, that story is no longer posted), saying that Head Coach Jack Del Rio signed a contract extension and would have a press conference later today to announce the news.

And I smiled, because I knew for the next few years the team would be in good hands.  Jack Del Rio, 45-35 as the Head Coach of the Jaguars will be our head coach for the next 5 years, at least according to his contract.  Sure, the NFL is a fickle league and something terrible could happen, but at the very worst it's three more years with Del Rio, and I'm OK with that.  Owner Wayne Weaver clearly models himself after the Rooney's of Pittsburgh in his vision of stability at the top of the team.  Weaver could have given Jack a 3 year "get over the top" contract, or a 4 year deal that says "you're the guy, but not THE guy".  But no, it's a five year deal.  Tom Coughlin wins the Super Bowl and only gets four years.  Wayne Weaver is making a big statement here that Jack Del Rio is his coach and the Jaguars are his to shape and grow.

Not bad for a guy that could have put his career in jeopardy when he dumped Byron Leftwich for David Garrard.  You could say that the two of them now have their fates connected.  More on that in a minute.

Regular followers of the team know that Mr. Weaver does not speak publicly about his team very often.  It's easier to get a straight answer from the Bush Administration then to see the Jaguars owner speaking to the media.  But here we are, another ordinary Thursday and there's Wayne Weaver offering his comments about the Jaguars:But the thing I think I am most excited about is what Jack and his staff have done in terms of fostering an environment that has created an attitude with our players, that they really have an expectation to win, and they believe that they can compete at the very highest level.  So I guess in saying that, inn making today's announcement, I think what it does, it creates a stability and a continuity that moves us closer to my commitment to this community and Jack's commitment to bringing a championship to Jacksonville.

Sure, it's largely ownerspeak, they're not going to come out there and say something less than positive, but it's about setting the tone and staying on message, and you can't watch the press conference and not leave with the highest expectations about 2008.

Watch Jack recognize by name the equipment managers and support staff and give them credit for putting him in a position to sign this extension and win.  

Contract Terms:

Just like everyone else, I'd like to know the exact terms of the contract.  Unfortuatnly for us, Wayne Weaver avoids the issue: "It's a five-year contract.  As we've always said, we don't disclose the economic terms of the contract.  For some reason, ther eis no secrets in this industry.  You guys seem to have your sources to find that out, but I will assure you that it's a contract tht rewards Jack for the great job he's done here."

Five years, I'd bet it's around 4.5 million per year, but we'll have to wait a bit for the details to come out.  

One other bit that's not in the Press Conference video but that is in the transcript is this little tidbit about the Collective Bargaining Agreement:Wayne Weaver: "One of the things, and I'm probably being a little naive to even mention this, I felt that I wanted a continuity through the current CBA and then past 2012.  So don't read that as an opening to ask questions about the CBA".

It's a little bit of speculation, but you can see that Wayne Weaver is making his 2008 team with an eye on the CBA horizon.  It's nothing worth making a big deal about, but it's clear that he's concerned about what happens after the CBA expires.

On David Garrard:

Perhaps the most important information  to emerge from the conference is that Quarterback David Garrard is close to signing a contract extension.

Wayne Weaver Says: "I thin you can expect something on the quarterback.  We hole it'll be sooner than later.  We thing the world of David.  He's the guy that we believe can lead us and bring us that world championship here to Jacksonville  so hopefully we'll get that done sooner than later".

There you go, it'll be sooner rather than later. What that means is anyones guess, but I'd bet it happens sometimes before the OTA's start in May.

In Conclusion...

What a nice surprise.  It was clear that extending Del Rio needed to be a priority, as nobody wants a lame duck coach, but I had honestly let this slip my mind.  Too many mock drafts have clouded my brain a bit.  Here's a spot of trivia for you to pull on your friends. Jimmy Johnson was the person who pointed Wayne Weaver toward Jack Del Rio when he was looking for a new coach.  

I'll be back later with our preseason schedule and some other odds and ends.

-Chris  

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/story/2008/4/3/16481/24225

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Bengals release punter, Danny Baugher

Lost in all the Chad Johnson, Chris Henry hoopla is that the Bengals also released punter Danny Baugher. Baugher signed a two-year deal with the Bengals on February 5th, in part because Kyle Larson wasn't under contract when free agency kicked off this year. Larson signed a five-year deal on March 5 and the team, not needing another punter on roster -- nor the competition -- released Baugher Thursday afternoon.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cincyjungle.com/story/2008/4/3/16106/26695

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Chris Perry and Domata Peko escorted out of club

Pro Football Talk found this WLWT blurb about an incident involving Henry, Chris Perry and Domata Peko at a night club called "BANG".

Meanwhile, News 5 has learned of an incident at BANG Nightclub last week.The club released a statement on Thursday that said, "On March 30 around 1 a.m., there were incidents involving members of the Cincinnati Bengals Football team at BANG Nightclub. Chris Henry, Chris Perry and Domata Peko were escorted out by police at the close of the club. Charges have not been filed, pending the settlement of punitive damages."

More Trouble for Bengals [Pro Football Talk]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cincyjungle.com/story/2008/4/3/153955/3457

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Mort on Bengals releasing Chris Henry

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cincyjungle.com/story/2008/4/3/153552/3154

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49ers YouTube Awesomeness

Seeing as we've got some time before our pick in the SB Nation Mock Draft and things are just about as dead as can be, I'm trying to mix in some new things.  Since YouTube has so much entertaining stuff on it, I thought I'd come up with some links to 49ers videos, as well as anything else that brings entertainment to the masses.  

• This first one is unrelated to the 49ers, but might be the best worst thing EVER.  A promo video for the Glasgow Diamonds.  Consider it a cheesier version of the Super Bowl Shuffle.  And I guarantee that many of you saw or heard about it at some point.


• Apparently every team felt the need to come up with a horrendous rap video, including YOUR San Francisco 49ers


• A cool Bill Walsh tribute video from the local CBS News


• A quality trailer from 1988

This final video includes some Patrick Willis highlights (pictures and video) from college and the pros and is pretty solid.  A lot of the stuff on YouTube is game recaps which are not exactly the most compelling of videos.  If you know of any other quality videos, consider this an open thread for that.  They can be all 49ers or completely unrelated to anything.

video details and more



Read The Full Article:
http://www.ninersnation.com/story/2008/4/3/153344/4533

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Draft prospects the Indianapolis Colts are
interested in: 2008

I've been able to piece together some information on draft prospects the Colts have expressed interest in. These are players the Colts have either interviewed, worked out, scouted (attended Pro Days or work outs), or discussed favorably at the NFL Combine. I've placed the sources above to the names:

New Era Scouting:
Justin Beaver, RB, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Mackenzy Bernadeau, G, Bentley College
Alley Broussard, RB, Missouri Southern
Titus Brown, DE, Mississippi State
Curtis Cutts, S, Central Michigan
Jeremy Geathers, DE, UNLV
John Greco, OT, Toledo
Joey Haynos, TE, Maryland
Marcus Howard, DE/LB, Georgia
Tyrell Johnson, S, Arkansas State
Danny Lansanah, LB, Connecticut
Jona Lee, MLB, Charleston Southern
Blake Mitchell, QB, South Carolina
Jalen Parmele, RB, Toledo
Jack Williams, CB, Kent State

KFFL:
Joey Haynos, TE, Maryland
Jolonn Dunbar, LB, Boston College
Luke Swan, WR, Wisconsin
Jon Banks, LB, Iowa State
Curtis Johnson, LB/DE, Clark Atlanta
Michael Peterson, TE, Northwest Missouri State
Andy Studebaker, LB, Wheaton College
Dan Davis, DT, U Conn.

Coltpower (Note: This is from their front page, not from subscriber info)
Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee

Herald-Dispatch:
Bernard Morris, QB, Marshall
Doug Legursky, C, Marshall

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2008/4/3/14161/29558

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