Mike Zimmer Has A Doghouse, And You Don't Want To Be In It

When I was becoming an NFL fan, and not just a Vikings fan, there was one coach that stood out more than others for me, and he was my favorite non-Vikings coach or player. His name? Bill Parcells, and Bill Parcells took no crap from anyone--media, players, or other coaches.

Parcells was a master motivator. Sometimes he did it behind closed doors, and sometimes it was in the media. Sometimes, it was with players, and sometimes, it was geared towards other coaches or owners.  It was usually pretty awesome, and a Parcells quote never disappointed.  From referring to a player as 'she', or talking about grocery shopping, or his fantastic presser about the media getting played by Terrell Owens, Parcells was a quote machine, and his press conferences became must see TV.

As we know, Parcells is a mentor to Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, and although Zimmer is a bit more subdued, it's still pretty obvious when a player is in the Mike Zimmer Doghouse, and it's becoming apparent that is a place someone doesn't want to be.

Take the case of CB Josh Robinson, for instance. Robinson has been nursing a hamstring for a little over a week now, and Zimmer is becoming frustrated with the situation. When asked about his status then, Zimmer came off as aggravated, and said, among his many other colorful quotes in camp, that 'you can't make the club in a tub'.

Earlier today, Mike Zimmer became visibly frustrated with Robinson's status, although to be clear, we don't know if it's because of the nature of a hamstring injury in general, or Robinson's approach to rehabbing. AJ Mansour of KFAN fills us in:

Asked about the practice statuses for Robert Blanton and Josh Robinson today at Winter Park, Zimmer responded by saying, "Blanton's going to go today. And the other guy? Who knows?"

If the quote wasn't enough, the body language did the rest of the talking. Rolling his eyes and waving his hand through the air showed plenty of the disgust that he is dealing with right now.

So although it might not rise to the level of Bill Parcells referring to Terry Glenn as 'she', it's still another telling difference between this coach and any previous ones the Vikings have had.

And I love it, man. LOVE. IT.

So it seems Josh Robinson is patient zero in the Mike Zimmer doghouse. How long will he bethere is anyone's guess, but based on Zimmer's reaction, it could be awhile. Although he'll probably survive the cut down to 75, I would not be the guy to flim flam the Zim Zam, as it were.

But that's just me.