All We Want for Christmas Is...
by Eric J. Thompson on Dec 18, 2009 11:58 AM CST
in Vikings 2009 Season
61 comments
Dear Santa,
Sunday is Minnesota's last game before Christmas. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to write you this year; I have my holiday party for work tonight and a family Christmas tomorrow. I would have written to you last night, but I was too busy watching my fantasy playoff dreams getting crushed by Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark. So rather than give you a full analysis of the upcoming Vikings/Panthers game (I know you're an avid reader of the Daily Norseman now that the North Pole has Wi-Fi), I'll give you my wish list for the game and the rest of the Vikings' season:
- I really wish that you could send some good medicine to Percy Harvin for those migraines he's been having. He really wants that Rookie of the Year trophy as a belated Christmas present, and he deserves it. It'd be a shame for him to miss out on his gift just because he missed games at the end of the year. And of course we need him down the stretch and in the playoffs!
- I wish that Matt Moore plays just like Jake Delhomme and sends lots of gifts to our secondary on Sunday night.
- I wish that the Vikings will capture the #1 spot in rushing defense yet again. It's becoming a holiday tradition! And if we can stop DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, it will go a long way towards getting the top rushing defense and winning the game on Sunday.
- I wish that we don't have a game like the last time we were in Carolina in 2005. You remember that game, don't you Santa? Steve Smith went wild on us, Daunte Culpepper played his last game as a Viking thanks to blowing out approximately 17 ligaments in his knee, and Minnesota lost 38-13. Can we make some positive memories this time around?
- I wish that I could see some good ol' fashioned calf roping on Sunday from Jared Allen. He's been a little quiet lately, and I'd like to see him make a late-season push for Defensive MVP. (Otherwise, Charles Woodson is probably going to win, and you know we don't want that to happen.) I just hope that Allen can outperform Julius Peppers and establish his dominance again.
- I wish for a healthy Brett Favre down the stretch and throughout the playoffs. I know, I know--I spent 16 years wishing for the exact opposite thing to happen. You got me there. But you never came through on any of those wishes, so maybe this year you could take my wish into account. Just this once? I vividly remember watching Tarvaris Jackson in the Metrodome during the playoff game against the Eagles last year. There's a very real possibility of that matchup happening again this season, and I'd much prefer to have #4 behind center.
- I wish that Chris Gamble will learn from covering Randy Moss and take most of the plays off this week. He should just let Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian roam free all day. Could you teach Chris that giving space is better than receiving any interceptions?
(More wishes and my Week 15 picks after the jump)
- I wish I didn't have to think about the threat of a nude Pat Williams if we win the Super Bowl this year. Did he really say he'll "retire if the Vikings win the Super Bowl this season and will walk off the field wearing nothing but tights and socks"? Don't get me wrong, if seeing too much of Phat Pat ensures us victory I'm OK with it...but yeesh.
- Speaking of the Super Bowl, I wish that this team wasn't compared to the 1998 Vikings so much. I see the similarities, but I still remember the t-shirt I had when I was a senior in high school. It read "All I Want For Christmas Is A Super Bowl". It pictured Randall Cunningham as you with our offensive line as the reindeer. Obviously that kind of blasphemy upset you. So I don't even want you to think that the two versions of the Vikings are the same, OK?
- I wish that the Vikings will cruise to an easy win on Sunday to secure the 2009 NFC North title and all but lock up a first-round bye for the playoffs.
Thanks Santa! Merry Christmas everyone!
Prediction: Vikings 34, Panthers 13
Oh and one last thing: I wish that all of my Week 15 NFL picks will be right (home team in CAPS):
SAINTS over Cowboys: I wish the Saints would just go ahead and lose a couple games to give us a shot at the #1 seed. But the Cowboys winning in December is going to take much more than a Christmas miracle.
RAVENS over Bears: I wish that Jay Cutler will keep playing like this for years and years to come in Chicago. I never thought Favre's interception record would ever be in jeopardy, but maybe I was wrong...
Patriots over BILLS: I wish that I could turn on ESPN or sports radio and not have to listen to "what's wrong with the Patriots." It's a little drastic for a division-leading 8-5 team.
Cardinals over LIONS: I wish Arizona played like they did in San Francisco when we played them a couple weeks ago. I'd also wish that the Lions weren't such a train wreck, but I enjoy the two victories over Detroit each year.
CHIEFS over Browns: I wish that this game never even existed.
JETS over Falcons: I wish I knew for sure whether Matt Ryan and Michael Turner were playing at 100% this week, because that may sway my pick here.
EAGLES over 49ers: I wish there wasn't a real possibility of Eagles fans flooding Minneapolis for the third straight season. Hearing that "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!" chant makes me want to repeatedly headbutt a pile of railroad ties.
Texans over RAMS: I wish the Texans wouldn't beat up on awful teams at the end of each season to finish 8-8 and be everyone's "sleeper team" the following year. I also wish Steven Jackson didn't have to waste the prime of an incredible career on a string of the aforementioned awful teams.
TITANS over Dolphins: I wish that both of these teams could make the playoffs, because they're a lot more fun to watch than the other AFC Wild Card options.
BRONCOS over Raiders: I wish the Broncos would win this game, because this is my Eliminator pick and I'm 14-0 so far this year. I also wish I could stop laughing at JaMarcus Russell because he can't even get the start over Charlie Frye this week.
CHARGERS over Bengals: I wish that Chris Henry was still with us, because the Bengals have already had enough to deal with this year after Mike Zimmer's wife passed away. I also wish that if I get one pick wrong this week it's this one. Cincinnati deserves some good news.
SEAHAWKS over Buccaneers: I wish this game took place two years ago when both teams were actually decent.
Packers over STEELERS: I wish the defending champions hadn't completely folded down the stretch so they would actually beat the Packers here.
Giants over REDSKINS: I wish the Giants would just make up their mind about whether they're actually good or not. I never know how to pick their games.
Last week: 11-5
Season so far: 144-65 (including correctly picking Indianapolis last night)
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oooo... she's a real stocking stuffer!
nice! very nice!!
fairly easy week to pick. I’m still backing the ’boys to win though… they need this game to launch into post-season play.
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on Dec 18, 2009 12:04 PM CST reply actions
Matt Moore
…didn’t hurt the Panthers vs. the Patriots, but he wasn’t able to take advantage of the Bucs. For his career, he has thrown more picks than TDs.
SKOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where as my fantasy football dreams....
were getting lifted by Manning! hehehehe Of course, I need all the help I can get since I sneaked into the playoffs at 6-8 as the 8th and final seed and playing the regular season teamw ith the most wins at 11-2-1. Of course, here’s to Marshall, Desean Jackson, Tomlinson, The Shank and Longwell to help me dethron my fantasy leagues top team. If I do win, Im debating about whether to take Vernon Davis or Knox in a forced trade. decision decisions.
As much as I would love to see Dallas win, Im with you, though thinking more like the Second Coming to occur here.
"If you're gonna shoot, shoot, don't talk."
"You men are only risking your lives, while I am risking an almost-certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!"
"We have clearance Clarence. Roger Rodger, what's our vector Victor?"
Play T-Jack, seriously
We have a game against the Panthers that if things are going well, T-Jack should go in and finish the game. Maybe he could take over in the 2nd quarter. It would be good experience for him, and it would give Favre more rest and less hits from guys like Julius Peppers.
But if it's tight...
Then I guess Favre should stay in. We need this game to clinch the NFC North.
by medicineball on Dec 18, 2009 12:31 PM CST up reply actions
Agreed
If there’s any garbage time down the stretch, I have no problem with T-Jax taking those snaps.
by Eric J. Thompson on Dec 18, 2009 12:35 PM CST up reply actions
No Doubt
Now that Favre knows our offense better & our receivers better. I can’t imagine him going out and sitting a few series/games and not being able to come back in playing hot. He has the experience.
It might snow in Charlotte.
Not sure if Brett will enjoy playing in the snow…
Brett will play better than Cutler outdoors too!
The game in Chicago is going to be nasty. Cutler should crawl into a hole and cry while Favre shines.
Bernard, Percy and AP oh my!
How often does that actually happen? I’ve always thought of Carolina as pretty warm and coastal. Is this a bad omen?
Think not often....
No omen though good or bad….just the way it is….
Vikings will deal with it….as the Panthers will have to….
So is a wash….
IMO
I would rather be IN the Arena than watching from the stands...That is my life!
* Read Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" if you need further explanation...
by vikingfanfrom afar on Dec 19, 2009 12:00 PM CST up reply actions
Kick off temperatures are projected to be 32 degrees, could get as low as 25 by the end of the game. 0% chance of snow.
PERFECT Day for Football!!
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on Dec 19, 2009 6:50 PM CST up reply actions
Maybe one of your Christmas wishes is coming true.
I just read that Harvin practiced today, so hopefully he will play this Sunday and the rest of the year!
Additional Wish, for E.J. Henderson
- Santa, please bring some healing to E.J., even if it takes him a while to complete it, don’t let him be crippled. And if it isn’t too much to ask, bring him back to us next year in training camp, we already miss him.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
GREAT call.
Should have included that. But it’s hard to think of everything over your lunch break at work :)
by Eric J. Thompson on Dec 18, 2009 1:09 PM CST up reply actions
Oh, and before I forget!
Santa, eric added a picture of a naughty girl, I’ll volunteer to reform her… character, if you’ll leave her under my Christmas tree. Thanks!
:)
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
If the drug policy in our country wasn't dictated by idiots, misinformation, and fear...
Percy Harvin would be able to smoke his medicine and everything would be just fine.
‘And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws’.
Bah
Smoking cigarettes, even ‘second hand smoke’, will cause cancer, but smoking pot doesn’t harm the lungs at all? Harvin doesn’t need to have his lung capacity compromised; I’m sure there are other medications that are available to him :)
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
I'd take slightly compromised lungs over a migrane
A person who indulges smokes about the 1/4th amount of greenery as they do cigarettes. Its just a simple tradeoff of cost and reward, what it takes to get the desired effect.
There are things called vaporizers which eliminate the compromising of the lungs by turning the smoke itself into vapor (get it?) making it a much healthier alternative.
Would you rather have your star rookie WR popping pills with a wide variety of side effects or would you rather him indulge himself, which we know he’s done in the past. I choose the latter, as Percy probably knows how it affects him (probably knows very well at that) and it probably makes him a happier player.
With that being said, what’s important is the Vikes winning games and Percy contributing to that end. If he can’t contribute due to his off-field activites, he needs to take the right steps to cement his role on this team.
Sippycup, I’m with you.
-Tokin smokin’ Vikings fan
by why am i in omaha on Dec 18, 2009 1:49 PM CST up reply actions
Don't mind me, I'm just still bitter about losing my cigarettes :)
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
He doesn't have to smoke his "medicine".
There are many ways to introduce the drug to your system.
‘And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws’.
First of all
You don’t need to smoke pot. Even if you do there are ways that are safer than others to smoke the week some just vaporize it meaning your not burning the plant itself just getting the liquid out of it in steam form. This is the best way of getting the chemical into your system with the least amount of loss. However you can take THC orally and injest it as well. It is about seven times less effective but then you can condesnse a lot of THC into a pill…
So lungs aren’t the only issue here.
+1 on Vaporizers.
But he will still test positive. Roger G’s iron fist wont soften any time soon.
Bernard, Percy and AP oh my!
There is no tar or cianide in pot...
It clears out of the lungs about tens times quicker than cigarettes, but I still don’t think thats the answer. Funny none the less.
Bernard, Percy and AP oh my!
Chiefs-Browns
I think Santa heard your christmas wish and has already started to fulfill the items on your list. The game is blacked out here in MO for the first time since 1990. So as far as I am concerned it will never have existed. It says something when the University of Missouri Tigers are the best football team in the State of Missouri.
Dear Eric
While I’m sure this post was very insightful you lost me at the picture of the naughty elf.
Bears vs. Vikings Tickets - $150
Beer and food for 24 tailgate bus trip - More than $150
Watching Jared Allen destroy Jay Cutler LIVE - Priceless!!!!
SKOL Vikings!!!!
That is where he picked me up....
Guess I am more visual….
Some like print, some like curves and color (not much purple in the shot, but is OK, passes muster)….
I like both – words with a point/senseas well as pointless and senseless pics!
Have to hit the receptors all fans with these posts….
’Specially us that like the intellectual (?) stimulation…
Good post, enjoyed….
Ho Ho Ho all….soon Sunday and VIKING time!!!
I would rather be IN the Arena than watching from the stands...That is my life!
* Read Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" if you need further explanation...
by vikingfanfrom afar on Dec 18, 2009 3:39 PM CST up reply actions
Ok I’ve read the post and as I suspected very well written…now back to the naughty elf >;-)
Bears vs. Vikings Tickets - $150
Beer and food for 24 tailgate bus trip - More than $150
Watching Jared Allen destroy Jay Cutler LIVE - Priceless!!!!
SKOL Vikings!!!!
by boomy44 on Dec 19, 2009 12:37 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Few adjustments....
Okay, first off.. The Cowboys are in a near must-win to help secure playoff hopes! This will be a tough road game for the Cowboys, but, it seems that this is the only team that may have a chance at upsetting the Saints & their perfect season thus far. I’m thinking that since the Cowboys normally have a rough December in recent years, that this particular year if there is any game that they need to win, it will be this one. On a side note, this game is on a Saturday night on the NFL network. Seems even good teams don’t necessarily play their best. (I mean come on!!! How can the Steelers lose to the browns!) — FYI – If you don’t have NFL network, tune into nfl.com and watch it LIve on HD. (I did this for the Colts/Jags game..)
Packers/Steelers. Steelers are last years defending superbowl champions. They started out pretty hot, but basically faded away since than. I think at the moment they are on a 5-game losing streak. Quite embarassing! I can’t imagine them adding 1 more game to this. On top of that, I don’t want to hear any of it from Pack fans if they do beat the Steelers, because the Vikings played them when they were healthy and playing good.
Broncos/Raiders – if anything the Raiders have been good at this year, is being the party spoilers. With wins against teams like the Eagles, Bengals, & Steelers. Could they help play a role in the upset again?? Who knows, but it will be hard for them Raiders considering they are on the road this go around.
I would also probably switch up the Titans/Dolphins – either way that 1 is a near coin-flip.
Other than that, the PICKs look good. I’m taking a gamble myself choosing the upsets here, but they happen, and I think they are due. If the Saints lose, we can finally stop hearing about how both undefeated teams will end up in teh superbowl. Also, it may break up the momentum for the Saints.. Guess we’ll see this Sat./Sun
better watch out for panthers
they are not a good team but if you turn it over they could make you pay if we play mistake free football don’t know that many teams that can beat us but a lot of teams say that.keys for sucess basically same as last week run the ball and use play action stop the run and then tee-off on whoever they want back at qb all i have to say is put winfield on steve smith.back to back div. champs never thought i would say it go steelers for one day
From a fan's point of view
I’m really not too concerned. Considering that the Panthers have so many injuries to their starters, the Vikings will be mostly going up against 2nd and 3rd stringers.
However, if I was a player, I would not take any of this for granted and play 100%. I would focus on taking a big early lead and allow for 2nd & 3rd stringers to play in garbage time. It’s always a good sign if we get a chance to put in T. Jack… I wouldn’t mind seeing Sage take a few reps as well.
percy don't risk it
for this one game if you don’t feel right then don’t play we need you in the playoffs and probably see if we can get him in there the last 2 weeks if possible don’t mess with our future.hell if pot is wat get rid of your migraines petition the nfl to let ya have some grass lol won’t happen roger would crap himself and investigate the whole team.
....
Migraine Issues are come and go as injuries need time to heal. I would think that if Percy felt fine & didn’t have any migraines he may be best off to play. But I would think it would only be best to play him if he has had a chance to go over the game plan. If he did indeed practice today, I hope he’s up to speed. He has only missed 1 game due to his migraines and that was last week. He has missed practice before due to migraines, but they were more short term.
The way I see it, if he’s feeling good enough to play this Sunday, may as well give him the chance to play in case he’s not 100% next week.
Wouldn’t hurt to have migraine specialists look him over while he is having migraines & while he’s not having migraines as well to help determine how to repress his migraines.
I didn't see anyone being negative about Daunte
Although I do agree that he generally gets a bad rap. I just don’t see it in this thread.
yeah...
He was injured against the Panthers and has never been the same QB.
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on Dec 18, 2009 6:46 PM CST up reply actions
He got a bad rap for good reasons
…chief of which, and most annoying of all the reasons, is how he would CONSISTENTLY lose games for us on the potential game-winning drive or the last critical drives of a game. He’d fumble or throw an interception, repeatedly. He had little girly hands and could barely grip the damn football. I don’t miss that chump at all.
I was a big Culpepper apologist until
the boat fiasco, and then him demanding $10 million coming off of a serious knee injury. Then he stomps off like a two year old and rehabs in Florida, fires his agent, and sends out these bizarre emails to certain press. Could Childress have handled the situation better by not going public and dissing Daunted about rehabbing at a gym in a strip mall? Yeah, but Culpepper was more at fault than Chilly was, and I was happy that they got a second round draft pick for him.
I can’t believe they spent it on Ryan Cook, but considering all the Raiders got for Moss was a fourth rounder, it was a good deal.
"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."
--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre
I forgot about the circumstances around his departure
I just remember that he put more fear in me than possibly any quarterback ever. He was in all those damn close games against us and he was just really intense, and in all honesty he was really good too. He just doesn’t even seem like the same person now.
by Donald Driver on Dec 19, 2009 12:31 PM CST up reply actions
One thing about Daunte
which I figured out in 2005, was that he was/is a classic ‘front-runner’. If he got off to a fast start, he ‘got his roll on’, and he generally played very well.When he got off to a slow start, he went to the sidelines and pouted, and he stunk. If he got on a hot streak, he was deadly, but if you got him off his game early, he never bounced back, and it carried over from week to week.
I wish he would’ve had a chance to see what he could’ve done with Chilly and the WCO, because I think he could’ve been successful in it but he pissed and moaned his way out of town.
"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."
--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre
Completely agree
Culpepper plays the same way the Vikings did. Bristling with talent and confidence, sometimes upsetting or almost upsetting much better teams, but often playing down to an inferior opponent. The Vikings almost never had a comeback win during the Tice era. There just wasn’t consistency.
by medicineball on Dec 20, 2009 8:03 AM CST up reply actions
Culpepper & Moss
I don’t have words to express how extremely disappointed I was by those two. Two super-stars that gelled perfectly together had turned into such a cancer on the team that they had to be excised. Ultimately, I blame Tice for utterly failing to properly mentor/develop and guide both when they were younger and get them on a better track; by the time Chilly arrived, there really wasn’t much he could do. Their sense of entitlement had grown so enormous that they believed they could get away with anything and dictate the outcome.
I’m actually not upset for Culpepper & Moss, I’m upset for the loss that the Vikings suffered when they had to go.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
I agree
Moss was traded after the 2004 season. Then “love boat” was 2005. A few games later was when Culpepper was tragically injured. It was the kind of injury that players bounce back from these days (ACL tear).
Zygi Wilf moved very fast to fire Mike Tice at the end of the season, and to hire the new coach. But by the time Childress was head coach, there was no communication with Culpepper at all. He was rehabbing at a Florida strip mall gym or something. Obviously, Culpepper has never been the same. That’s when Culpepper demanded his $10 million bonus. He had to be traded at that point.
Personally, I feel that we should have fired Tice after the 2004 season and kept Moss. That said, what’s done is done.
Panthers game is on tonight.
by medicineball on Dec 20, 2009 8:01 AM CST up reply actions
Donald I need your presence on the field Sunday. Tell Aaron to go back to his favorite target and hit you for at least 7 grabs.
Jack of all trades-Master of None.....
by Yardpenalty.com on Dec 19, 2009 4:01 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah, what he said
Get a couple scores and 100 yards receiving. It’s the championship game for me.
"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."
--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre
Well now I really need you it's championship weekend!
Aaron Rodgers, Randy Moss, Donald Driver, Percy Harvin, Kellen Winslow Jr, Beanie Wells, Jamaal Charles, Garret Hartley, and GB DEF. Championship game. vs Matt Shaub, Andre Johnson, Roddy White, Hakeem Nicks, Joseph Addai, Thomas Jones, Todd Heap, Robbie Gould, and BUF DEF. Im projected to win 153-129
Jack of all trades-Master of None.....
by Yardpenalty.com on Dec 22, 2009 5:30 PM CST up reply actions
What do you think?
Jack of all trades-Master of None.....
by Yardpenalty.com on Dec 22, 2009 5:31 PM CST up reply actions
At first glance I'd say you have the better team
You never know what to expect from Buffalo’s defense though
by Donald Driver on Dec 23, 2009 1:37 PM CST up reply actions
Thanks for your input and I see you scoring 2TDS vs SEA, That was a tough loss to PIT they cheated! Refs sucked
Jack of all trades-Master of None.....
by Yardpenalty.com on Dec 23, 2009 2:11 PM CST up reply actions
the oicture in the article just made me a Vikings fan
Where are them Vigueens?
When Chuck Norris dives into water he doesn't get wet, The water gets Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris has counted to infinity....... Twice.
When God said let there be light, Chuck Norris said," Say Please."
Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.
There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
Hey Steelers fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOphGZZrE44&feature=related
by Baltimore Warrior on Dec 18, 2009 8:04 PM CST reply actions
Cowboys will win this week... I hope and think there is a good chance.
The Skins gave away their game to the Saints. The Saints can’t keep turning the ball over and winning can they?
Bernard, Percy and AP oh my!
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