Vikings Right Their Ship With Win

The Minnesota Vikings were at the brink of a disastrous season and had to take care of business on the road Monday night in New Orleans. The Saints, one of the League's best offenses was stalled for three quarters and left Minny sitting pretty with a 20-10 lead late in the third. A blocked field goal, being returned for a touchdown got Minnesota on the board as Antoine Winfield took it to the house and turned the tides quickly in the first quarter. A few key fumbles by Reggie Bush and a costly interception near the red zone gave the Vikings the lead at the half even though they put up less than 75 yards of total offense. However, Reggie Bush redeemed himself after halftime by returning two punts for touchdowns and nearly a third that would have sealed the deal for the Saints. With the game on the line, kicker Martin Gramatica had to make a 46 yard field goal to send Minnesota to a 1-4 record. The Vikings responded to Bush's heroics by fighting back with a key touchdown drive of their own off a Gus Ferotte bomb to Bernard Berrian. The field goal went wide left and opened up new life for the Vikings. After a series of great plays that marched Minnesota down the field, Ryan Longwell buried a game winning kick with less than 20 seconds to go. The critics will say what happened to Minnesota's great special teams play? Well, Reggie Bush shredded the men in Purple with over 150 return yards in the second half. And how can we cover a Vikings game without mentioning Adrian Peterson, well he was shut down only rushing for a mere 30 yards on 17 carries. This game was what Minnesota needed, it ended with a WIN. Now sitting at 2-3 and having the Lions next week, the Vikings can get back to .500 and start focusing on winning some tough games that are coming up on the future. But as for Peterson, he should be back to his top form in the weeks to come and if the Defense keeps taking away the ball like it did against the Saints, the Vikings will have no problem righting their ship and making a playoff run.

Week 5 Offensive Grade: B- (Threw the ball well, no run game)
Defensive Grade: A+ (4 Takeaways and a Blocked FG for a TD)
Special Teams: F (Almost cost them the game)
Overall Grade: C+ (Got the Win)

Season Record: 2-3
Season Grade: C-

VIKINGS Fall to Titans 30-17

Well, once again trouble looms in Minnesota. After a week three win, things seemed to be heading in the right direction for the Vikings, however Tennessee dismantled Minnesota's defense and at time the offense struggled. There are some big changes that have to be made if the Vikings hope to turn their season around in the next few weeks. First on the agenda is balancing out the air attack with the potent running game. Adrian Peterson certainly needs more touches it is that simple, give #28 the rock and let him work out! Second, the defensive squad must pick up the slack, certainly the Titans are not as good as the Vikes made them look on Sunday. More aggression against the pass with blitz packages and improved run stopping is needed. Head Coach Brad Childress has to be worried about his team who had some decent goals this season, making the playoffs and for some getting to the Super Bowl. Those things must be thrown away and the Vikings have to take it one week at a time and make sure to prepare well for a solid Saints team who will be ready for a Monday night showdown next week. Adrian Peterson, hang in there big fella, you will get the rock more if Minnesota knows what is good for the team. On the upside, Gus Ferotte has been putting up some numbers, but not making key throws in big spots. If and when the Vikings figure out these problems, they may be able to return to some winning ways.

Week 4 Report Card

Offense Grade: B- (Still have to find a way to score more points)

Defensive Grade: D (A bad week for the men in purple)

Overall Grade: C (Mediocre at its best)

Season Record 1-3

Season GRADE: C- (Underachieving for sure)

Ferotte the Answer?

The Minnesota Vikings did get their first win this past Sunday with Gus Ferotte taking the reigns, but is he the answer that will solve the woes at the QB position for the Purple People Eaters? Defense has certainly not been the concern for the Vikings. Despite giving up a couple big plays in week one to the Packers and a late touchdown to the Colts in week two, Minnesota has done a solid job on the opposite side of the ball. Certainly, scoring points has been an issue, especially finding the endzone. The running game behind Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson and his counter part, Chester Taylor, has been pretty decent despite some minor injuries. The real question and problem for the Vikings this season has been who is calling the plays under center. Head Coach, Brad Childress, gave his young and somewhat inexperienced Quarterback Travaris Jackson the thumbs up to begin the season. After two woeful performances, the Vikings who had very high expectations for this year fell into a hole and pulled the plug. After naming Gus Ferotte the starter for Sundays game against the Panthers, Vikings fans still were left with a question; is this guy the answer? Actually, a better question is whether or not Ferotte will be able to right the Vikings ship and help them win ball games in order to have a chance at the playoffs. The NFL season is only three weeks old, however every game means so much in a league that is wide open until you fall behind. Ferotte is a veteran, meaning experience and poise. On the other hand, he is getting up there in age and does not have the same mobility that he used to have. Therefore, it will be very important for Minnesota to protect their new, yet old, starter in Ferotte and if they do success could come more than what everyone has expected. As for the running game, it should be even better than last season if the Vikings passing attack becomes more lethal and the play calling less predictable. So after three weeks, it is safe to say that the Vikings are all on board with Ferotte at the helm, but will he be able to steer them to the promise land, this question remains uncertain.

Record: 1-2
Overall grade through week three: C-
Offense Grade through week three: D-
Defense Grade through week three: B
Special Teams Grade: C-
Power Ranking: #20

Cats Burst Cuses Bubble

Orange Crush

Villanova ended Syracuse’s hopes of an NCAA tournament bid after the Cats burst the Orange Bubble by beating Jim Boeheim’s club in the first round of the Big East Tournament. The only postseason play that the Orange will be participating in this March is the NIT, as key losses in must win games essentially did Syracuse in. Inconsistency by the Cuse down the final stretch of the season proves the inexperience and immaturity of a very young team. Freshman stars Johnny Flynn and Donte Green have some work to do if they hope to put themselves in better position next year in order to compete for a National Championship. Reality is that the slipper hasn’t fit the Cuse lately, but certainly the young Orange will hope to reverse the curse in the near future. Meanwhile, Jay Wright’s Wild Cats continue to scratch their way through an up and down season in hope of earning an at large bid into the field of 64. The Cats will now take on the Big East Regular Season Champion Georgetown Hoyas, a win by Nova would solidify an invitation to the big dance.

3/12

Cats Burst Cuses Bubble

Golden Eagles Soar to Victory

Marquette knew it had a tough task at hand facing a solid Notre Dame Ball Club, including Big East player of the year Luke Harangody, who had eaten up opponents all season long. The adversity at hand seemed to fuel the Golden Eagles fire, as Marquette soared to an 89-79 victory, holing Harangody to a mere 13 points. On the other hand, the smallest guy on the floor for Marquette, Maurice Acker, came up huge down the stretch for his team, as the 5’8” point guard scored eight straight points including two big threes to put the Golden Eagles up for good with less than four minutes left to play. With its win Marquette punched itself a ticket to take on Pitt in semi final action which resumes Friday night at MSG. Marquette won its last meeting with the Panthers and realizes that further solid play from its deep back court could be enough to capture another victory over Pittsburgh, which would earn the Golden Eagles a trip to the Championship game.

3/13

Houston Has No Problem

The Houston Rockets have launched their way into the record books, becoming only the fourth team in NBA History to win 19 straight games. The Rockets are the hottest team on the planet, being led by All-Star small forward Tracy McGrady. To the surprise of many, Houston has continued its winning ways even after its Great Wall of China, Yao Ming, went down with a season ending foot injury last month. The Rockets were left with big shoes to fill after the NBA’s most skilled and productive center went out of commission for the year. Houston has had no problem, climbing to the top of the West behind the astronomical play of McGrady’s crew members Carl Landry, Louis Scola, Rafer Alston, and the ageless one, Dikembe Mutombo. The Rockets look to continue their brilliant play and two step their way deep into the playoffs.

3/11

Mountaineers Climb Their Way to Victory

West Virginia earned itself a trip to the Big East Semi Finals after taking a big bite out of UCONN behind the fabulous play of Joe Alexander who poured in 34 points in his team’s 78-72 victory. Alexander has shined in the spotlight of New York City and has earned himself the name Broadway Joe thus far, leading his Mountaineers with huge numbers on the biggest stage at Madison Square Garden. West Virginia earned itself a date with the Hoyas after its win over the Huskies. The Mountaineers will be looking for some revenge, as they last lost a heart breaker to Georgetown due to a missed call as time expired.


3/13

New KIDD on the Block

The addition of future hall of fame point guard Jason Kidd has granted the Dallas Mavericks everything they had hoped for. Kidd has provided leadership on the court, being a mastermind with the ball in his hands. It is obvious that Mark Cuban and the Mavs understood that Kidd could provide the stardom that they needed at the point guard position in order to further compete with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons. Not to say that Devin Harris did not fulfill his role in Dallas, but Kidd simply makes the game of basketball fun and easy for his teammates every time he steps on the court. ALL-STAR forward Dirk Nowitzki is loving the addition of Jason Kidd, as the former Net has increased his new teammates scoring average by feeding Dirk the Rock. Most importantly, Kidd has helped bring consistency to the most important position on the floor, as well as more wins for Dallas.

3/13

Panthers Prevail in OT

The Pittsburgh Panthers showed great resiliency down in overtime to oust the second seeded Louisville Cardinal in the quarter finals of Big East Tournament play, 76-69. A valiant effort by the back court tandem of Levance Fields and Selvon Young, as well as great play by freshman forward Dewan Blair propelled the Panthers to claw its way to another win at Madison Square Garden. Pittsburgh has certainly solidified a spot in the field of 64 and now is playing not only to advance its seeding in the NCAA tournament, but to win yet another Big East Championship. March has certainly been a month in which the Panthers have feasted in the past few years thanks to a tenacious defense and consistent play on the offensive end.

3/13

Top DAWGS

The Georgia Bull Dogs are now dancing, punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament after capturing the SEC Championship on Sunday. Georgia, a team who had only won four conference games all season, capped off an unbelievable run including four wins in four days after beating Arkansas 66-57 on the SEC’s biggest stage. Being victorious in four straight games is a tough feat in the midst of the parody in college basketball. Winning four consecutive games in the SEC tournament is utterly remarkable. Ironically, Georgia would not have been invited to the NIT, let alone the Big Dance as of a week ago. However, the Bull Dogs clearly desired to continue their season with post season play, as the team’s hard work, dedication, and solid play produced great dividends. Clearly, Georgia has instantly turned their season from disappointment to success. The Bull Dogs are now playing with a swagger and confidence, as they have been big bark and all bite, leaving opponents feeling that they “Don’t want to mess with these Dawgs!” Will this Cinderella story continue, only time will tell whether Georgia fights their way toward basketball prominence in San Antonio.

3/16

The Big Disappointment?

The Phoenix Suns have been anything but hot since acquiring Shaquille O’Neal from the Miami Heat. GM Steve Kerr and Head Coach Mike Dantoni had hoped that the Big Aristotle would have provided the Suns with the spark that would propel Phoenix over the top and into the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the only thing that this Aristotle has done is make the world question a block buster trade. It is evident that O’Neal, arguably the most dominating big man to ever play the game, has hit the wall that all great players eventually run into—AGE. After three rings with the Lakers and another in Miami, Shaq may think about retiring after this season. However, the Suns have been dragged down by the weight of their massive center, going from one of the top positions in the West to the bottom echelon of the playoff picture. Clearly, the only thing that Shaq has been lately is a big disappointment. One question looms over the basketball world, especially those in Phoenix. How much longer will O’Neal see court time before Kerr and the Suns pull the plug on the aging one? What seemed to be a move that would bring Phoenix a title has become a desert disaster. Time is running out before the Sun goes down on Phoenix, as this season’s Western Conference is much too deep and can extinguish any team from the playoff picture.

3/13

The HEAT Is OFF in Miami

The Miami Heat officially mailed in their season Monday Night with the announcement that All-Star Guard, Dwayne Wade will sit out the remaining 20 games of the season to rest an ailing knee. Miami sits at an NBA worst 11-51 and definitely will not even reach the twenty win mark now that Wade is gone for the year. There is no doubt that Pat Riley’s Heat is strictly playing for Ping Pong Balls in hopes of winning the lottery and acquiring the number one pick in the draft come July. It is hard to believe that Miami is only a year and a half removed from an NBA title. Who ever thought that D-Wade’s team from South Beach could be so cold for so long. Miami fans have to be wondering if a disastrous season like this can be overcome next year. Michael Beasley is awesome there is no doubt about that, maybe acquiring a talent like B-Easy might be enough to eventually defrost the frozen Heat in Miami.

The SAINTS are MARCHing On

The Slipper Fit the Saints Friday Night, as Siena Danced its Way to the second round of the NCAA Tournament behind outstanding play by Kenny Hasbrouck who cashed in 30 points and the leadership of senior guard Tay Fisher, who netted 19 points in route to a blowout victory over #4 seeded Vanderbilt. With Siena’s season on the line, first team all-MAAC junior guard Kenny Hasbrouck led the Saints along with captain Tay Fisher who shot his way into the spotlight, drilling six threes to lead his Saints to a runaway victory over the Commodores 83-62. Fisher was the spark plug and X Factor which ignited Siena, earning the team a trip to the second round. Although a small mid major school, the Cinderella story for Siena may be far from over, as the Saints upset the nationally ranked Stanford Cardinal and a solid Boise State Bronco club earlier this year. A season of dreams is unfolding into a story book ending for the Saints who continue to play Cinderella as the Saints marched one step closer toward basketball immortality.

The Saints are Marching In

The Slipper Fit the Saints Monday Night, as Siena Danced its Way into the NCAA Tournament behind the leadership of senior guard and birthday boy, Tay Fisher, who netted 21 points in route to a MAAC Tournament Championship in Albany, New York. After little court action in the first two games and Siena’s season on the line, captain Tay Fisher shot his way into the spotlight, drilling six threes to lead his Saints to a runaway victory over conference foe Rider, 74-53. Fisher was the spark and X Factor which ignited Siena, earning the team its fourth trip to the Big Dance. Although a small mid major school, the Cinderella story for Siena may be far from over, as the Saints upset the nationally ranked Stanford Cardinal and a solid Boise State Bronco club earlier this year. A season of dreams is unfolding into a story book ending for the Saints who cut down the nets and get one step closer toward basketball immortality.

3/10

Top 10

1.Clemens Will have to work out of another Jam, this time there is no pen to bail him out.
Roger Clemens is clearly the most recent big name baseball player who is being accused of juicing in the Mitchell report. Clemens who has been one of MLB's poster boy's on and off the field is now in a huge jam that he may not be able to work out of. We all want to believe the 7 time Cy Young award winner and the guy who is second on Baseball's all time Strikeout list, but this Rocket seems deemed to come to a crash landing. There is much speculation that Clemen's former teammate Andy Pettit will not be providing any relief in the case as he will have to take the hill against Congress himself and also testify against the Rocket if indeed Clemens did get injected with more than just B12 shots.

2. Caroll Talks with Atlanta
Pete Caroll spoke with Falcons owner Arthur Blank about the head coaching job up for grabs in Atlanta. Caroll seems interested in the position which would be another great challenge as he would have to try to resurrect one of the NFL's worst and most troublesome teams. Caroll leaving would be a huge mistake, as he is the stamp of USC football. Furthermore, Caroll would be leaving the Nations top ranked team for 2008 and would forgo another legitimate chance at a National Championship. Remember sneaky Pete did have a couple NFL stints before one with the Jets and another with the Pats, both unsuccessful.

3. Tennessee Volunteered to Upend Ole Miss' Untarnished Record
The Volunteers behind excellent play by Taylor Smith handed the Rebels their first loss of the year in the SEC opener. Smith poured in 21 including the game winning field goal with less than 5 seconds to remain to earn Tennessee an 85-83 win and improving their season to a 13-1 start.

4. Celtics get no Lucky Charms in loss to Bobcats
Boston had only dropped three games overall during there present run during the 07-08 campaign, shredding through the NBA on a historical pace. However, Charlotte was a thorn in the C's side on Wednesday night beating Boston 95-83 thanks to a healthy dose of J Richardson who went off for 34 points. Before the game MJ gave a motivation speach to his team, clearly #23 knows what he is talking about and who better to listen to and play for than "His Airness."

5. Kidd Shaves Both Mustache and Triple Double Streak Wednesday
New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd had grown an interesting "Mangnum PI" mustache four games earlier and had been on a tare on the hardwood recording 3 straight triple doubles going into the game against the Sonics. Well that streak ended as did the mustache which left Kidd back to his normal self. However, more importantly the Nets captured another victory behind J Kidd's 16 points, 11 dimes, and 5 boards. Number 5 is on a historic pace of his own already having 9 triple doubles before the All-Star Break.

6. TO maybe a no go for Dallas, Harrison back for the Colts
Terrell Owens missed practiced once again on Wednesday as his high ankle sprain is still plaguing the most productive Pro Bowl Receiver in the NFC. Although Owens has not ruled out the possibility of lacing em up against the G Men this weekend, things don't look great for Big D. Meanwhile, Marvin Harrison will play against the Chargers, meaning Payton Manning just got his favorite target back just in time. San Diego's secondary is steller and the addition of Harrison provides Manning with two number one type targets in the Colt's hope of advancing to the AFC title game.

7. Pistons Breaking Down Against the NBA's Best
Detroit dropped another game last night, this time to the Dallas Mavericks. The Pistons were extremely hot before playing the Boston Celtics three days ago, however now they have lost two straight and will move on to play San Antonio in their next contest. Detroit is a premier team in the East, however Flip Saunders has to be a little concerned that his team did not show up to play against the Mavs in an important game between the two heavy weights. Credit to the big German, Dirk Nowitzki, who showed why he is the NBA's reigning MVP with a 23 Point night on 10-15 shooting, as well as snaring 9 rebounds.

8. Hawks Soar to Victory Despite King James' 31.
Atlanta spoiled another great game by LeBron who is hurting this season for the same supporting cast he had last year in Cleveland's run to the NBA Finals. Once again the King was outstanding cashing in for 31, 10, and 6. However it was not enough as Joe Johnson netted 29 and Josh Smith added 19 for the Hawks who are a much improved team thus far in '08.

9. LA Rolls Kobe Proving that Winning is Everything
In the past the only criticism about Kobe Bryant was that he has not always been a team first player. However, this certainly has not been the case this season. After all of the trade talks and controversy between Bryant and the Lakers, only good has come about for Los Angeles. Once again Kobe set up teammates and dished the Rock to one of his favorite targets big man, Andrew Bynum, in a solid victory taking the sting out of Chris Paul's Hornets (LA 109 - NO 80).

10. UNC Stays Perfect
Tyler Hansborough and the Tar Heels remained undefeated after their win against UNC Asheville on Wednesday night. The play of the game was clearly Hansborough's posterizing dunk over 7'7" 360 pound giant Kenny George. Hansborough finished with 23, while Ellington added 19 in Carolinas victory.