There was really only one off-season story for the NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings.  I’m actually impressed with this team and it’s fanbase after the letdown of Brett Favre teasing them like that.  While the fiasco was consuming the Twin Cities, I honestly believed that if Favre decided to stay in retirement it would deal a crippling blow to the Purple and it’s faithful. Not the case.

In the initial aftershock stages of the rejection, of course, most Vikings fans had one of two immediate reactions: Either they popped a bottle of Scotch out on the lake in celebration, or popped a bottle of Scotch out on the lake in despair.  Much of the latter was compromised of the Vikings’ marketing department, whose 4^th-floor office windows had to be welded shut. 

But most of those fans who supported bringing Favre on board just crossed over to the other side, where the fans still hated him and refused to cheer for him in a Vikings uniform. So the team and it’s Zubaz sporting faithful actually moved on from the Favre Flirting episode pretty easily, and have passive-aggressively sighed in acceptance that Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels are what they have to deal with in 2009. 

Purple Bleeding Zubaz Faithful - Online Photo - No Source Available

The jury is out on their draft, just like everyone else.  Phil Loadholt seems like a steal in the 2nd round, and by chancing Percy Harvin in the 1st, they definitely added a new dynamic element to their offense. What Harvin does with the chance is up to him.  So far he’s pretty much lived up to his ‘flake’ and ‘feminine hygiene product’ labels. Historically, players like Percy Harvin make very little impact in their rookie seasons. I believe there will be more bloopers than highlights out of Parvin in 2009, although this is coming from a guy who has Devin Hester on his squad – the human blooper AND highlight reel of the NFL.  Hester is Kurt Rambis and Dominique Wilkins all rolled into one.

Loadholt has earned the coaching cliché of “he’s right where we expect him to be”, which is oftentimes code for “yeah, he’ll make the team but he’s not blowing us away”.  That certainly doesn’t mean he can’t become a solid, steady force, but a guy that big doesn’t play long, and you’d like him to be making an impact early.

Adrian Peterson’s influence when healthy isn’t necessary to detail to anyone on this continent, and Chester Taylor will continue to be the best 2^nd-string tailback in the NFL (someone has to do Purple Jesus’s blocking and pass-catching for him).  Practice-squad stud Albert Young from Iowa will ensure stability in the backfield, even in case of emergency.

Bernard Berrian needs to have his first 1000-yard season to justify his free-agent contract, but which of these QB’s seem capable of making any of their wideouts blossom into legit playmakers?  Berrian will most likely keep coming up with the periodical big play but fall short of ever drawing a consistent double-team.  Sydney Rice is doing okay in drills, but overall the offense is pretty sluggish.  

Luckily the defense and running game will rise to the occasion for Minnesota in 2009.  The outcome of the Williams-Wall’s Starcaps case will have a say, but Jared Allen, Antoine Winfield, E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway should be able to hold down fort through a reasonably easy first-quarter of the season if need be. 

Minnesota Vikings Jared Allen - Online Photo No Source Available

Then there is the always-pending stadium dispute between Vikings ownership and the city of Minneapolis which has occasionally broken through the FavreFest media frenzy this offseason.  It can be argued that the Vikings have a pretty good case: the city says they don’t want to pony up to finance shiny new digs, and potential taxpayer reaction has been lukewarm.  But two new stadiums have been built in town over the last two years for the Twins and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and somehow the Vikings got passed over.  Somewhere in Los Angeles, a Purple clock is ticking.

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