Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 7/24

We are approximately T-24 hours from the Minnesota Vikings' first Training Camp practice of 2014, ladies and gentlemen! Everyone will be getting to Mankato today, and the team will take the field for the first time tomorrow.

Just a heads-up that we're going to be doing separate Open Threads for Training Camp-related stuff. We'll have the regular Open Thread for the normal zaniness and shenanigans that it entails, but we'll have a separate one with the feed from our writers on the scene. We're probably going to have to institute the "no GIF" rule on the Training Camp open threads so they don't bog down, much like we did for the draft. But, again, that's what the regular open thread is for.

Since the last time we brought you an Open Thread. . .

-CCNorseman brought you his prediction for the 53-man roster.

-The folks from Electronic Arts think that Adrian Peterson is the NFL's best running back.

-Blah blah Kluwe blah blah lawsuit blah blah delayed blah blah.

-The Vikings have a lot of young, up-and-coming talent on their roster.

-The new Vikings' stadium is, apparently, a danger to birds everywhere.

From some other sources across the internet. . .

-Wide receiver Sidney Rice, whose only season of note came with the Vikings, announced his retirement from the NFL yesterday.

-Defensive lineman Spencer Nealy, he of the recent four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, was released by the team. They signed tight end Mike Higgins to take his spot.

-Teddy Bridgewater threw out the first pitch at Target Field yesterday. . .without a glove. (Well, not on his throwing hand, anyway.)

The rules of the Open Thread are the same as always, ladies and gentlemen. . .no politics, no religion, no feeding of the trolls, keep the language relatively clean (using spoiler tags, if necessary), and keep the GIFs relatively work-safe.

More Mandatory Fun for everybody. . .hooray!

With that, the beer light is on and the bar is open for the last day we will be without Minnesota Vikings football until (hopefully) February. Enjoy your day, everyone!