Today God smiled on Mankato and decided not to punish it anymore. There was a steady breeze during the morning practice and I hope it holds through the afternoon.
That just puts everyone in a better mood. The fans in the stadium stands were there in force and those who had been fortunate enough to score some of the "special guest of the Vikings" passes were socializing while toddlers tried to toddle out onto the field. If there had been potato salad you'd swear you were at a picnic. You know, other than the 90 guys in purple, gold, and white running around on the field with those shower cap things on their heads.
Morning practices are called walk-thrus, but half the time they look a little more like stand-thrus as coaches teach and players listen. Important, but not very action-packed. Although, there was a hint about what they would work on this afternoon.
In his presser after the walk-thru, Frazier answered questions about absent tackle Geoff Schwartz. Schwartz was taken into the Twin Cities to evaluate an abdominal strain. There are concerns that it might be related to his recent hip issues so the team did not want to take chances with it.
During the afternoon practice the team will focus on two-minute drills for both the offense and defense. This will be the first time the Vikings have worked on two-minute drills this camp. Frazier said he feels this is an aspect of the team's play that needs a lot of attention.
At 1pm I'll be at a Minnesota Momentum gathering that I'm told will be a show of thanks for fans regarding the Vikings' successful bid to get a new stadium built in Minnesota. I'll tell you all about it.
Catch you on the field this afternoon!
Oh, and in case he's reading and feeling neglected--IT WAS NICE MEETING YOU, JOE OBERLE. I promised him I'd write it in big bold letters.