Today sucked.
Like many of you Vikings' fans, it took a little longer for me to fall asleep last night and even longer to roll out of bed this morning. And now nearly 24 hours after Garrett Hartley's 40-yard boot split the uprights at the Superdome, I have taken a step back to reflect on this season and what it meant to the Vikings and the state of Minnesota.
Not shit. That's what.
On August 18th, our former arch-enemy became one of our own. Brett Favre came to town as the missing piece on a 10-6 team which won the NFC North in 2008. To a man, I was not happy about this development. But I figured, if the sole reason (obviously wasn't) for #4 coming to Minnesota was to deliver this franchise, this state, these fans a Super Bowl victory then I was on board.
Well, he failed. And they failed. Plain and simple.
In the playoffs, there are no silver linings or moral victories. If you believe there are, then you are likely the same person that thinks Joe Nathan is a post-season buzzsaw. To me, the bottom line is that we exited the postseason in the same fashion as a season ago: as losers. I could care less that we won 13 games or that we were within three points of a Super Bowl berth. Ask dmk if he took any solace in the fact that the Bills only lost by one in Super Bowl XXV. We've been there before in 1987 and 1998. We've also been shitkicked in the same game at the Meadowlands and you know what, getting beat 41-0 feels better than knowing, KNOWING, we should be on the field in Miami in two weeks had one mistake not been made (you choose the mishap, mine is the penalty on Tahi/Childress/Bevell). But that's sports and sometimes, crazy, inexplicable events happen. It just seems like many of those events seem to occur when the Purple are involved.
But why Vikings fans, bloggers, and bandwagon members are so many of you playing the "Oh we had a great season, thanks Brett for everything you're the best!" card when WE PISSED THE GAME AWAY? AGAIN. SHORT OF THE SUPERBOWL. HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT HE WAS OUR RIVAL FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND CAME BACK TO SPITE HIS FORMER TEAM??? Get fucked. Especially you Michael Rand. IHS puts your pathetic blogging to shame and you deserve to take a crowbar to the grill to get that goddamn smirk off your face. So don't tell me how much fun it was to watch #4 run this offense or how cool it was that we stomped the Cowboys in the Divisional Round, because the fact is that I have still never witnessed a Vikings team make the Super Bowl in four chances.
But the real reason this hurts as much as Darrin Nelson's endzone drop at RFK or Gary Anderson's missed field goal at the Dome is because this team's window to qualify for the Big Game is closing. In the current era of the NFL, continued success is tough to come by and parity is the name of the game. Unlike any other sport, it is a tough challenge to field a winning team year after year. Just look at the elite players with injuries that could have an effect on our defense in 2010...nothing is guaranteed. Nothing.
Prior to the 2008 season, dmk and myself had a conversation about how many years this team had to win a Super Bowl with Adrian Peterson and their elite defense. The consensus was three years, mostly because of the age of veterans like Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, and Steve Hutchinson. Well, 2010 will be the third and possibly final year, and if Brett Favre doesn't return our window will be all but closed with Sage or T-Jack calling the signals. If that happens, then I'll be forced to look ahead eleven years to 2020, when the Vikings will some how find another way to fall in what will then be a vicious 44-year cycle of heartbreak.
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1 comments:
Favre will come back for another year. I can't see that asshole walking away like this. He may not come back until halfway through training camp again, but he'll get the itch or whatever and be in Minnesota next year.
The defense will be fucked if Williams retires, though. And who knows what they'll do with Peterson in the offseason - I wouldn't put it past this organization to do something dumb because of his fumble problems. Chilly probably bought himself some more time too, with the NFC Championship game appearance and the contract extension. Ziggy's not the type to eat a large contract, even if it improves the team.
They need to overhaul the offensive line, get younger in the defensive front, and add some pieces in the secondary. With the potential restrictions in free agency from an uncapped year (the Vikes can basically only sign a free agent if they lose one, and they can only sign one "of equal value" according to the NFL's convoluted system) it's going to be tough. Plus, they'll be facing a first place schedule.
Still, they'll probably be able to pull off at least a 9 win season next year if they're healthy. They'll have another shot. I just wouldn't expect it to end well unless everyone returns, is healthy, and they make some major upgrades on the offensive line and some minor upgrades in the secondary.
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