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Additional Minnesota Viking Commentary

The Dog
No matter how you look at it, when you finally decide to go out a find that new family dog (puppy), on average, within 14 or so years, that dog will be dead.  What I'm saying here is that there is no way to stop the earth from revolving around the sun.  When I peer deeply into the eyes of my little pooch, which is now 4 years old, the probability is quite high that I'll be around to experience the pain of his demise.  This is a fact.  There is absolutely nothing that I can do to prevent it.  

In the best case scenario, a NFL career is allot like the life span of a dog.  In the upcoming season, a player might think that due to the pending lockout or work stoppage, that because he didn't play 4, 6 or 10 games in the upcoming season that this time off can be looked at as if it were a bonus.  That this time would somehow get added onto the end of his career.  The ugly truth is a completely opposite reality.  When I think of all the factors stacked against the players, it becomes too overwhelming to even think about & consider.    

If we were to completely disregard the voracious needs of the fans base in this argument, the only loser in this lock out or work stoppage will be the players.  There is no other loser in this ordeal.  Yeah!  You'll hear words but that's exactly what they are ... words.    

In 1987, the year of scab ball, players crossed that line.  Someone like Lawrence Taylor had such a large discrepancy in salary versus the average Joe NFL player that the pressure to play & get paid was just too overwhelming.  You might be wondering Why?  Because the earth only revolves so many times on a career before it's dead.  Was there a whole bunch of pissed off players ... yeah, but everyone has the right to earn a living ... and by the way, who is now in the Hall of Fame?  

You're going to hear that both the owners & the union are going to get hurt in this deal & blah, blah, blah, but neither are out there taking that punch.  In fact, the fat kids that never got the chance to play & were made fun of are the ones that reap from your blood, sweat & tears.  See the movie Eight Men Out.

If you're a player, you might be wondering why you're holding onto the losing hand.  It's because you are not apart of a public union which can prevent & obstruct the operations of government until the union demands are met.  You cannot bring the paralysis of government by using those that have sworn to support it.  To do the unthinkable & the intolerable.

Will the union get the owners numbers?  Please ... they made that mistake once ... its not going to happen again.  The union has no real leverage.  The union is a sieve.  Will the owners get paid for putting product (scabs) on the field.  You Betcha.  In fact, the fans will be voracious over it as in 1987 the Redskins won three (3) scab games that gave them home field advantage & the right to hoist a Super Bowl Trophy.  The precedent has been set.  Old salts like this idiot will feed that engine.

Do I have an answer for you? No!  I just know that Oswald said that he was a patsy.  What will you say?   

Not Correct!
I've written many many things in this column & I've rarely held back.  In short, I've blasted away with reckless abandon.  Someone once said on a talk show program that a player or a coach might take the criticism personally.  Here is my response to that statement.

So many have said that the upcoming 2011 season is going to be a disaster for the Vikings organization.  To be direct, the coaching changes are very unsettling however the way I look at it, the upcoming season is actually the Vikings greatest opportunity.

Within these words, you can find that answer.  Never shoot the messenger.  

The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: February 18, 2011

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