The most valuable players on the Minnesota Vikings roster

With Vikings training camp well underway, many of us Vikings fans have started getting geared up for the upcoming season. Yay fall! Yay football! Yay Vikes! Am I wrong? I didn't think so. Anyway, with that comes thinking about the Vikings roster. And the players that this team just can't afford to see get hurt this season. My list:

1. Jared Allen: Obviously. Without Allen, the entire dynamic of the defensive squad changes significantly. This section of the team is built around this player - which could ultimately lead to success (if he stays healthy) or failure (if he gets injured). Generally speaking he's not a guy to sit out a game, so let's just hope that continues this season. Knock on wood.

2. Jasper Brinkley: there is no one that can viably back him up if he gets hurt, which leaves us with a very open hole at middle linebacker. He may not be the best in the league, but he's the best thing we've got.

3. John Sullivan: He's an elite center. He calls out the plays. He just signed a contract with the Vikes for $25 million over five years. Since the team has so much invested in him, there's obviously not a fall back guy that can do the job like he can. And since he's such an integral player to the success of this team - both as a player and a leader - he needs to stay healthy.

4.  Matt Kalil has shown himself to be a necessary addition to the team - an anchor to the offensive line. If he goes down - which is highly possible, given this is his first year playing on a professional level - there is no backup plan. Literally.

2012 Vikings Cheerleaders

The Vikings are away at training camp, which means it's time to really start thinking about the upcoming season. So that's what I did: I sat down and thought about it. And then I realized that I never actually sat down to look at the Vikings cheerleaders that made the cut over the winter from the auditions at the Mall of America. I kind of forgot how awkward it is to look at cheerleader photos. Everything is so...posed and overdone. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure all of these girls are lovely and talented people. But there's just something that's so glamour-shots-esque about looking at cheerleading photos. Don't believe me? Check out the Vikings cheerleaders bios and then tell me what you think...

Vikings Training Camp: and so it begins

Well, it's officially training camp time. And if you're a TRUE Vikings fan, you're in Mankato watching the team. Right? SIKE. Most of us have jobs and families and lives that keep us out of Mankato for training camp. Although I do give props to anyone who heads down there to check out the team - I'm with you in spirit!

Anyway, with it being Training Camp time, let's look at some underdogs to watch for - aka they have a strong potential to be added to the Vikings roster.

1. Tyler Nielsen - he's rated in the top 20 undrafted players in the nation.
2. Robert Blanton - fifth round draft pick of the Vikings in this year's draft.
3. Everson Griffen - one of ESPN's top 20 draft picks

Who are YOUR must watches of the upcoming season?

Gopher Football Beer Sales

Ok guys, I know that this has nothing to do with the Vikings - my usual football team of choice. But I have to say that I can't neglect to post something interesting when it happens to come along about my alma mater - the Golden Gophers. After some serious battles over the past few years when it comes to alcohol sales at the new TCF Bank Stadium, there was a bill passed in the Minnesota legislature over the winter that would allow the school to sell alcohol at the stadium. And the school has finally agreed to allow sales at the stadium starting this year. They have made it very widely known, however, that there will only be liquor sales at two concessions counters on the West end of the stadium - the area furthest away from the student section.

You may be wondering - if the school has been SO opposed to allowing alcohol sales for the last several years, what's prompting them to all of a sudden go along with it? My guess is that this is a two fold answer:

1. The school has been receiving a lot of public backlash for not letting alumni have a beer while they watch a game. You have to remember that the majority of football fans - at least in this part of the country - are alcohol drinkers. And they don't want to be told by the school that while they are paying for their ticket, they can't choose whether or not they are going to have a beer at the game. The school is going to choose for them.

2. The U of M needs money. And without raising event ticket prices, there's one big way that they can easily raise money: by selling booze. They'll obviously over charge for it like every other venue does - $7 a beer makes them a TON of money in the long run over the course of a season. Hell, it will also encourage more acts to perform there.

My opinion: I think it's TIME that the U of M decides to let the fans choose their beverage of choice. It's a good financial decision and a good public image decision for the school. And it makes me super excited to get my Gopher football tickets this year!

New Vikings Stadium: what about the roof?

When it comes to a new Vikings stadium, you can bet your bottom dollar that fans are interested in one major thing: the ROOF.

A stadium roof is always a hot topic in a state that has a brutally cold winter season, but it's especially relevent after the roof caved in at the Metrodome two seasons ago.

Vikings management has made it clear that there WILL be a roof on the new stadium, but they've also hinted at the possibility that part of it will be retractable and open up to see part of downtown. While that will be an extra cost, if it's just a portion of the roof that's retractable they can definitely keep the cost lower than what it would be with a fully retractable roof. In addition to that, it would be awesome to have a view of downtown without obstruction while hitting up a game on the Vikings schedule.

So what do you think? Should they have a retractable roof? A full roof? No roof at all? Inquiring Minnesota minds want to know!

Pending Issues before training camp

While we're well on the road to victory this season - I only say that because of the approval of the stadium (helloooo team motivation) and the early practices - the Vikings roster has several issues to work out before the end of training camp and *gasp* the start of the pre-season in August. The biggest of these issues include:

1. Adrian Peterson's knee - which is actually just going to require a lot of rest before the regular season starts up.

2. Building the second line - yes, a team can have a great first line, but the guys that go in when the first line is tired or injured need to be just as solid. Aka if they're not worked just as hard as the first line, we'll have another season like last year.

3. Keeping the defensive line one of the best in the league - which will require a lot of motivation and continued beefing up. Did I mention that whenever I think about the defensive line and food I think of Campbell's Chunky Soup? From their NFL player commercials? I'm weird, I know.

Chris Kluwe of the Vikings Roster for Marriage Equality

Chris Kluwe of the Vikings roster has come out asking fans to support marriage equality on the current bill being presented to Minnesotans for a vote on the issue. This is the first sports star in the state to ask for fan support in either direction of the bill. In a recent interview Kluwe says:

"I’ve always believed that people are inherently the same and should have the same rights and equal protection under the law. It really doesn’t matter what you do with who or whom as long as you’re not infringing on someone else’s rights. Everyone should be free to live their own life however it makes them happy."

It's quite a statement for an athlete to become political over such a controversial issue. But good for Kluwe for standing by what he believes in and asking his own fan base to keep an open mind over this issue.