For the past couple of weeks or so, I haven't been all that active around these parts. Partly because of my new job, partly because of my favorite uncle status among my countless neices and nephews, but mostly because of the disgusting and horrid advertisement of Adult Swim's series "Delocated" located in the above header and to the right side of the main page.While I'm sure the show is some-what funny and that the picture is somehow related to one of the episodes, it is extremely vulgar, tastless, and has no business being on the main page of a site that prides it'self in being a "family" one.

Not only is it just plain unpleasant to look at, but I have to look over my shoulder every time I feel like opening up the Daily Norseman to keep any coworkers from seeing the ad. While I completely understand that SBNation has to make a little money from advertising, there has got to be plenty of other advertising partners that could take the place of the current one. So this is me, a humble and noble pawn, asking a knight to tell the king to please do something about this ad.

Hey guys,

First post ever here and I was just really curious what you thought about the crop of Free Agent WR next year.

Here are the big names

Reggie Wayne (IND) - The Colts are an organization that tends to take care of their own. Though they're in a precarious position after signing Manning long term and with Robert Mathis looking for his own deal, the Colts will have to make room. On the bright side, the new CBA couldn't have come at a better time for the Colts who would have been due to dole out a large sum for a potentially high draft pick.

Wes Welker (NE) - Through 5 games, Welker is on pace to break the season record for receptions and shatter the record for receiving yards. It's safe to say heÕs Brady's favorite target on 3rd downs to move the chains and virtually impossible to cover out of the slot due to his quickness, intelligence, and hands. You have to think Brady will make a push to keep him around if the front office shockingly has other plans.

Vincent Jackson (SD) - Partially due to his actions and injuries, the Chargers have been reluctant to sign Vincent Jackson to a long-term extension. If there's any animosity between the two parties, this could be the time where there's a split. Still, the best guess is that the team will pay Jackson like a number one receiver and keep him in San Diego.

DeSean Jackson (PHI) - Jackson is the perfect weapon for the Eagles offense that relies upon big plays. Though the organization was unwilling to cave to his offseason demands, they'll have to think long and hard about doing everything in their power to retain Jackson. Though Maclin may be the better overall receiver, Jackson's vertical ability has a great impact on the way defenses approach the Eagles' offense. Though based on his comments and actions of several months ago, it appears that Jackson could be lured away from Philadelphia with a lucrative offer.

Dwayne Bowe (KC) - One subpar season aside, Dwayne Bowe has emerged into the number one receiver the offense needs. He's a big body and a good route runner with a large catching radius. His most impressive attribute is his body of work around the goal line. He's a complete mismatch with the fade, slant, and back shoulder passes and has shown the propensity to make the acrobatic catches on numerous occasions.

Marques Colston (NO) - When healthy, Colston is a match-up nightmare for any corner. He's an incredibly physical receiver and a sure-handed, polished route runner. When he's available, he brings another dimension to the Saints offense that none of their other talented weapons possess. Though Brees has proven capable of running the offense without him, they're even more dangerous with him.

Steve Johnson (BUF) - Still working on his meager rookie salary, Johnson figures to be a big part of the Bills' long term plans. On a team with few superstars, the Bills can afford to lock up Johnson long term and maintain an effective passing attack. After he and fellow free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick are locked up, Bills fans can breathe easier about the bright future of their offense.

Brandon Lloyd (STL) - Lloyd's next contract will largely depend upon his production over the remainder of the season. Though he hasn't been as explosive and consistent as a year ago when he broke out at age 29, he still appears to be a dangerous receiver with the league's largest catching radius.

Robert Meachem (NO) - Meachem is one of the younger receivers that could be a nice pick-up for an offense with a larger workload to offer. He's a good downfield threat and has nice instincts in the red zone. Unlike Colston, Meachem is more of a luxury for the offense.

Mario Manningham (NYG) - With Manningham and Cruz behind Hakeem Nicks, the Giants have found a nice threesome. They seemed disappointed in Steve Smith's decision to bolt for Philadelphia without the option to match the contact, so there's no question the front office will look to keep the remainder of their receiving corps intact.

Mike Wallace (PIT) - Restricted - No receiver in the league forces safeties back like Wallace. His deep speed is second to none on the perimeter and he capitalizes on it with the ability to run those vertical routes proficiently. He's improving in other areas of his game and is an extremely valuable piece to the Steelers' offense.

More after the jump...

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Very recently, we saw the post on how All Day had tweeted his thoughts of changing his number. Much to most of our and many others horror. Well, after looking into it a bit more, seems All Day was informed that under NFL rules, he would be liable for the jerseys already printed and the ones printed until a change was official. Reports say to the tune of over $1 million. Needless to say, Peterson has quickly changed his mind about a possible number change.

Remain calm, all is well.

Recently took part in a mock draft on Twitter with several other NFL Draft enthusiasts and got to make all the picks for the Vikings. You can check the entire 3 round mock here. Lots of interesting picks to be sure, but before you get to far into it, know that there were no trades and I made the critical assumption that the Vikings go after a WR in free agency. There will be too many out there once FA starts for the Vikings to not go after one or two. As a result, here are the first three picks for the Vikings:

1. Morris Claiborne, CB LSU - Kalil was gone and there were no trades. Even if I wasn't assuming the Vikings take a FA WR, Claiborne is the pick. The secondary has little to no talent and Claiborne is the top CB prospect regardless of defensive scheme. Blackmon isn't in the same mold as Calvin Johnson/Larry Fitzgerald and I would pass on him until picking outside of the top ten.

2. Kelechi Osemele, OL, Iowa State - There aren't a lot of LT prospects after the 1st round, but adding talent to the OL is still a big priority. Both Guards (Hutch/Herrera) have struggled with injuries the past couple of years and both are closer to on their way out then reaching their peak. Osemele played LT at Iowa State, but projects as a OG/RT in the pros because of his foot speed. He'd be best at OG (IMO), but could also swing at tackle if needed.

3. Josh Chapman, NT, Alabama - The Vikings seem set at DE in terms of both starters and back-ups looking to crack the starting lineup, but the interior has lost a lot of depth and worse, has seen a huge nose dive in production at NT with Phat Pat retiring. Chapman was an immoveable object while playing for the #1 defense in college football. If you hadn't heard, he played most of the past season with a torn ACL. Yup, one of the best NT in college football and he was playing on one leg. He recently had surgery to repair his ACL and should be ready to play by the time the season rolls around.

Lets us know what you think/how you wold have done it differently. Also, if you are on twitter, be sure to follow everyone making the picks. Lots of great draft info from all who participated.

I don't mean sadly as in I was entertaining the thought of him in a Vikings uniform. As per the several discussion's here on DN, most know I was pretty much against that. The sad part is, according to Yahoo Sports, it's looking very certain that Manning will not be returning to the NFL as a player. More after the jump.

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Howdy ho fellow Viking fanatics. Up and coming is the biggest game not involving the Minnesota Vikings there is. While this puts the game on an equal standing with some curling events the flow of the nation is such that most if not all of us will be watching this with at least 300 of our closest friends. Because of this I thought I would introduce you to how my friends and I cook up our superbowl breakfast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wZDv9pgHp8Q

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Aloha, I was born, raised and still living in Honolulu and I was very happy that it was a picture perfect postcard (try and say that 5 times fast) kind of day at the Pro Bowl. Whenever Hawaii is featured on national TV I always hope the sun is out so we can get the snowbound viewers a reason to come to the 50th state.

Good thing the game was played when it did cause if it was played a week earlier the TV viewer would wonder why the sky looked so hazy. Our trade winds died on us last week and we had southeasterly winds and when that happens the volcanic smoke from the still erupting Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii Island drifts over the State so all you would see is a hazy horizon but all that cleared out in time for the Pro Bowl.

I heard the criticism from Cris Carter and others about the game and what it has become and I have to agree with all of you who say the game has become a joke. I just hope the game stays in existence and stays in Hawaii cause no matter the criticism, Hawaii loves the game mainly cause we don't have an NFL franchise and I don't see one forthcoming in my lifetime, but it gives the fans a chance to meet their football heroes up close during the practice sessions and the events all week leading up to the Pro Bowl are events themselves.

Ranging from a block party to Sunset On The Beach, where a movie screen is set up right on the beach and a movie is shown (Remember The Titans was shown) and where the NFL cheerleaders came out before the movie to perform so I hope and pray that the Pro Bowl will continue and it stays in Hawaii. It is scheduled to be played at New Orleans next year but maybe Hawaii can be the permanent home cause if the players had a say, the resounding chorus would be "We want the game in Hawaii".

By the way, just to let you know, I did watch a little of it but I lost interest years ago but that doesn't mean I don't want the game here. It benefits the State and the Hawaii fans are in love with this game. Loved seeing Jared Allen talk to the local news reporters and being his happy silly self. Aloha from Hawaii.

With the Super Bowl less than a week away, scouts have now had a chance to evaluate more players through the East/West Shrine Bowl as well as the Senior Bowl. So, we will get our first update of the off-season. I’ll do another update after the scouting combine, and then again a few days before the draft. You can see my earlier edition here, but for convenience I’ve included the previous rankings below. Again, after scouring the internet for various draft rankings, I decided to average all of these rankings into a cumulative player ranking to see what kind of consensus (if any) there was about the top 10 player rankings. Check them out after the jump.

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Two things on this Monday evening...

1. Brad Childress is going to be the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns...

via www.cocktailmatch.com

I could say a lot of mean things here (as I don't have a whole lot of respect for the way Chili coached our team during his tenure in Minny), but I will instead give a word of warning to Browns fans: prepare to take a step backward before moving forward under Chili. The reason? Chili is about as un-imaginative as they come in terms of designing offenses. Even more distressingly, though, is his stubborn approach to team-building, which favors "his personnel" over plain talent. He can't take a perfectly-formed round peg and coax it into a square hole. Instead, he has to have a square peg to fit that square hole...even if the square peg is perhaps a little ragged around the edges, if you know what I mean.

I think that Chili's approach to team-building can work, but only after the right personnel are chosen and provided Chili has enough control in that area to choose such players. Anything less of those two conditions will produce an utter disaster in Cleveland (although it probably can't get much worse over there, so...).

2. After watching a few snippets of the Pro Bowl last night, I was astounded at how pointless and even shameful the whole affair is. I probably hadn't watched a moment of Pro Bowl action for 3-4 years, but it has gotten measurably worse even in that short time frame. Baseball's All-Star Game got pretty lame in the late 1990s, prompting a much-needed "home field advantage in the World Series" incentive that kept players interested, but it never wreaked of the filth of the current Pro Bowl. Why even play the game? ANYTHING has to be better than what I saw last night. Once upon a time, I actually did enjoy viewing the Pro Bowl. Now? It's a complete joke that needs to be phased out in light of the ever-increasing violence of the sport. Football cannot be played without violence, and makes a mockery of the sport to try and do so.

Looking back, 2011 season was an enjoyable one. This post does a nice job on the things we'd have missed out on if the lockout cancelled the season.

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story/09000d5d8266d430/article/from-gronk-to-tebow-2011-season-full-of-enjoyable-moments

News flash... Joe Webb made this list.

27. Joe Webb's talent. There was not much to love about the Vikings' season, except watching their No. 3 quarterback show all of the football world that he has game.

I look forward to what 2012 has in store with the Ponder + Webb combination after a full off season, OTA, mini-camps, and full training camp. The Vikings do have 'game' and 2012 is the year to start turning it 'ON' with a better OLine that can be around for the next 5-10 years.

Enjoy!