Former Vikings in the Super Bowl
by medicineball on Feb 7, 2010 9:48 PM CST
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PrintThere were a few ex-Vikings in Super Bowl XLV as the Saints defeated the Colts.
Darren Sharper -- He had a pretty quiet Super Bowl for the Saints, but contributed massively throughout the year with game-changing plays. In retrospect, it's hard to say the Vikings got the most out of Sharper. While he was here, his prodigious talents were wasted under Leslie Frazier. Mr. Frazier? Sir? Are the personnel being used right? The Vikings defense coordinator can be criticized. In defense of Frazier, though, his defense did more to stop the Saints in the playoffs this year than the Colts or Cardinals did. But they did not do enough.
Hank Baskett -- In a highly scrutinized trade for such an unimportant one in Vikings history, Hank Baskett was traded to the Eagles for Billy McMullen a few years ago. Neither has done much in their NFL career. Hank Baskett ended up on the Colts. He plays special teams. In a rather unfortunate footnote to his career, he failed to catch the onside kick the Saints tried as the second half began. The ball richocheted off of Baskett's helmet. A Saint recovered. It turned out to be a pivotal play in the Super Bowl. I guess the final verdict was: yes the Vikings were right to trade Hank Baskett, but the bottom line is it turned out to be pretty inconsequential to the Vikings.
Marcus McCauley -- Former Vikings cornerback played a few games with the Saints in December, then was cut.
Congratulations to Darren Sharper for winning the Super Bowl.
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I'm bitter too
In this case the Vikings can improve by learning a lesson.
Some of it falls on Sharper. I don’t think he gave a complete effort for the Vikings in 2008. Furthermore he was not in great shape. Fans like me thought he was done in the NFL. After the Vikings did not resign him, no team was even interested in him. He went on a workout binge. He got himself into much better shape. Then in the summer he visited the Saints and the rest we know.
That said. I wish we would have had the 2009 version of Sharper in 2008. Some of that was on the coaching staff, and some on Sharper.
The lesson for the Vikings is that player retention matters. A lot of it comes down to keeping players motivated, interested, happy, and working hard. Some of it is also exploiting a player’s strengths. Sharper is a master at reading a quarterback but we stopped letting him do that and that was a mistake.
As a Childress supporter, I sincerely hopes he takes a second look at the Sharper saga and re-evaluates himself on that one. I believe he will and that he and the Vikings will benefit by doing so.
Sharper did get juked pretty hard by Addai on one play, but I bear him no ill will.
I agree with the comments about Frazier – it seems a true top tier coach would be able to adjust his “system” to account for talents like Sharper’s, instead of force the talent into the system.
+1 to Medicineball.
And for what?
It’s not like Frazier has led a Viking D that could defend the pass well even once! The “system” is clearly broken and needs replacing or just to be disposed of.
I remember the TB/OAK Super Bowl had several ex-Vikings
Players and coaches. It was bitter-sweet to watch.
"We have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Odin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come."
-from Bram Stoker's Dracula
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