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...