Something I missed the other day was a piece from Mark Craig on the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about Hall of Famer to be Cris Carter becoming a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Carter made the remarks at a press conference at Winter Park about his Hall of Fame selection.

Carter was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the 1990 NFL season. . .not so much because of his production, but because of his off the field issues. He was an abuser of cocaine and alcohol, and his coach Buddy Ryan finally took a stand and cut him. The Vikings, as the now-famous story goes, put in a $100 waiver claim to acquire Carter's services.

"I think that 100 bucks has to rank right at the top as the best [bargain] in NFL history," said Jerry Burns, Carter's first head coach in Minnesota and one of the former Vikings who attended the press conference.

I think anyone would be hard-pressed to disagree.

But it was a risk that the Vikings were willing to take because, as Carter says, the Vikings had a plan to get him clean.

He was eventually challenged by a woman named Betty Triliegi, who was an assistant to one of the Vikings' co-owners at the time. She challenged him not to drink for one week. Carter met that challenge. . .and, apparently, liked it so much that he hasn't had a drink since September 19, 1990.

Just another reason to be happy that the guy that had one of the most ludicrous Hall of Fame waits in recent memory will be going in after creating most of his magic as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.