Vikings interested in OG Pitts
The Minnesota Vikings are linked to a report stating that they might be interested in veteran OG Chester Pitts. Fitts is recovering from microfracture surgery to his knee and is currently rehabbing. While Pitts is not currently in football shape but believes he will be ready by the time training camp opens.
Pitts said in the Fox Sports report that he has talked to several teams and no contract has been offered yet from anyone. Pitts has been a very durable starter over the past 7 seasons, starting every game for the Houston Texans.
Williams Wall could be crumbling down early in 2010.
The Minnesota Vikings DL players, Kevin and Pat Williams might end up missing the first four games of the 2010 season after a judge’s ruling on Thursday. Even though a judge ruled that the NFL violated the players rights under Minnesota state labor laws, Judge Gary Larson asked attorneys from both sides to submit briefs to allow the Williamses to continue to be able to play without suspension.
The Williamses attorney, Peter Ginsberg, said he was disappointed that the NFL wanted to move forward with a suspension and violate the player’s rights under state law.
It will be interesting to see if the league does suspend Pat and Kevin Williams, prior to the start of training camp and what affect that might have on Brett Favre’s decision to return to the Vikings in 2010.
NFL kickers turn to golf.
Minnesota Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell is set to enter a qualifier golf tournament while trying to enter the field for the U.S. Open. Longwell’s father was a club pro while Ryan was growing up in Seattle. Longwell lives in Windermere Fla, very near to Tiger Woods where he has participated in a few golf tournaments and recently played with a few tour pros.
Longwell however, isn’t the only NFL kicker interested in making the field at the U.S. Open, Jacksonville Jaguars K Josh Scobee has entered an event at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville. In order to move on to the next round, Scobee needs to finish in the top 5 in Monday’s event.
Toby Gerhart-Vikings new closer
The Minnesota Vikings have drafted a new closer for games and his name is Toby Gerhart.
Last year, the Vikings employed RB Chester Taylor as a change of pace back for spelling Adrian Peterson, but this year, Minnesota will have a new weapon to protect leads.
Minnesota Media tires of Favre
Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre won over a lot of supporters in the land of 10,000 lakes, but at least one member of the local media has had enough. Tom Powers of Twincities.com scribed a column this morning stating he’s had enough of the drama which seemingly surrounds Favre every offseason now.
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Perhaps what set Tom Powers off was yesterday’s string of stories surrounding pending ankle surgery for Favre. As the day turned into early evening on the east coast, the story became that Favre surgery was going to be very minor, a clean up of a procedure which had already been done prior.
Mr. Powers starts his column, “Oh, for the love of Pete. Go have the ankle surgery and quit squawking. Man up, will ya?” Powers continues on, “Furthermore, he doesn’t need an excuse to report late to camp. Nobody cares. Just show up and play well. He’s earned that.”
I couldn’t agree more. At the age of 39 last season, Favre managed to put together his best statistical season of his career and was 3 points from returning to the Super Bowl. I have been a long time fan of Favre the player and the man. He has accomplished some pretty remarkable things on and off the field. He’s managed to overcome personal problems and deal with serious family issues all the while managing a Cal Ripken-like streak at the quarterback position. For those things alone, I’ll always hold Favre in high regard.
But the past few years, the chronic media Favre watch has just become too much to bear. This spring at least we had the distraction of the Donovan McNabb saga for a few weeks, then the disturbing details of events surrounding Pittburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger.
But today as the calendar flipped to the month of May and the opening of training camp inches closer, the media will start focusing on what has seemingly become the rite of passage into another NFL season. Favre. Will he or won’t he play. Ugh. Is it September yet?
