All Things 2023 Minnesota Vikings Off-Season Thread

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Gophers_4life said:
The SB is a sterile crowd/environment? That's a new one!
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Yes, undoubtedly.

Looks that way on TV and I have heard it repeated by several talking heads just after the announcement. Usually less than half the fans have a rooting interest in the game, the rest are fat cats and/or there courtesy of sponsors. Same applies to the Final 4. It's a destination that many were going to before the participants were even announced.

Gophers_4life said:
The SB is a sterile crowd/environment? That's a new one!


Well obviously it does.

Why should such an important game have that, though?

Why should a game like that be played in KC, or Buffalo, or Green Bay, in possibly bad field conditions, in a relatively small market, in the cold?


You still get a BYE as #1 seed, which no other team gets. Plenty good enough, in my opinion.
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Why should a game like that be played in KC, or Buffalo, or Green Bay, in possibly bad field conditions, in a relatively small market, in the cold?

Because the home team earned it, just as in every other North American pro sport.

You still get a BYE as #1 seed, which no other team gets. Plenty good enough, in my opinion.

I suppose that is the justification, now that they have switched recently to 7 teams when previously at least 2 teams got a bye. Until the NFL expands to 8 teams per conference.

Also, the #1 seed can lose in the Semis. The Rams got to host the 49ers last year in the NFC Championship, because they won the Division and had a higher seed. That was deserved in my opinion.
 

Ope3 said:
Yes, undoubtedly.

Looks that way on TV and I have heard it repeated by several talking heads just after the announcement. Usually less than half the fans have a rooting interest in the game, the rest are fat cats and/or there courtesy of sponsors. Same applies to the Final 4. It's a destination that many were going to before the participants were even announced.



Why should a game like that be played in KC, or Buffalo, or Green Bay, in possibly bad field conditions, in a relatively small market, in the cold?

Because the home team earned it, just as in every other North American pro sport.

You still get a BYE as #1 seed, which no other team gets. Plenty good enough, in my opinion.

I suppose that is the justification, now that they have switched recently to 7 teams when previously at least 2 teams got a bye. Until the NFL expands to 8 teams per conference.

Also, the #1 seed can lose in the Semis. The Rams got to host the 49ers last year in the NFC Championship, because they won the Division and had a higher seed. That was deserved in my opinion.
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Well I think your opinion on all of these is wrong.

I say it's the most exciting crowd and environment, and I see getting a BYE and guaranteed host in the semi is plenty good enough.

Thinking we'll agree to disagree.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Well I think your opinion on all of these is wrong.

I say it's the most exciting crowd and environment, and I see getting a BYE and guaranteed host in the semi is plenty good enough.

Thinking we'll agree to disagree.
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My opinion is most of that SB excitement is manufactured by the glitz of the pregame and halftime. Not the crowd itself and often not the game. Everyone viewing on TV is usually distracted by the commercials or refreshments to notice such things.

Also, the bad weather potential that you previously referenced to me adds drama and is usually proven out by increasing ratings. I like it.

Agree to disagree.
 

Ope3 said:
Yes, undoubtedly.

Looks that way on TV and I have heard it repeated by several talking heads just after the announcement. Usually less than half the fans have a rooting interest in the game, the rest are fat cats and/or there courtesy of sponsors. Same applies to the Final 4. It's a destination that many were going to before the participants were even announced.
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Absolutely, unequivocally 100% correct.

I would tell ANYONE, don't ever waste your money on going to the SB; the stadium is filled with people that aren't fans of either team, corporate and marketing folks. It's a huge waste of money, unless you just have the cash to burn. Once was enough for me, I won't go back and I doubt I even would if my team went. It's just waste.

I tell anyone that's remotely interested, go to a Wild Card game or Divisional playoff game (I haven't been able to get to an NFC or AFC Champ game yet) if at all possible. The several NFL playoff games I've been to have been hands down the most incredible experiences ever, the stadium is an absolute nuthouse, win or lose.

Find a way to make it to an NFL playoff game, it's worth every penny you'll spend more than likely (although I guess you could have been at last Sunday's Philly-49ers game, but that's a massive aberration)
 

Ogee Ogilthorpe said:
Absolutely, unequivocally 100% correct.

I would tell ANYONE, don't ever waste your money on going to the SB; the stadium is filled with people that aren't fans of either team, corporate and marketing folks. It's a huge waste of money, unless you just have the cash to burn. Once was enough for me, I won't go back and I doubt I even would if my team went. It's just waste.

I tell anyone that's remotely interested, go to a Wild Card game or Divisional playoff game (I haven't been able to get to an NFC or AFC Champ game yet) if at all possible. The several NFL playoff games I've been to have been hands down the most incredible experiences ever, the stadium is an absolute nuthouse, win or lose.

Find a way to make it to an NFL playoff game, it's worth every penny you'll spend more than likely (although I guess you could have been at last Sunday's Philly-49ers game, but that's a massive aberration)
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I guess the only reason I would want to go to the SB would be to check all the Boxes, especially for a Minnesota team.

- Stanley Cup (twice North Stars in 1991 G/3-4 & Golden Knights in 2018 G2)
- World Series (Twins 1997 G2-6-7)
- NBA Finals (not yet) but did go to Conference Finals (Wolves-Lakers 2004).
- Super Bowl (not yet) but have seen 2 Vikes Playoff games (1999 & 2000 seasons).
 
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Ogee Ogilthorpe said:
Absolutely, unequivocally 100% correct.

I would tell ANYONE, don't ever waste your money on going to the SB; the stadium is filled with people that aren't fans of either team, corporate and marketing folks. It's a huge waste of money, unless you just have the cash to burn. Once was enough for me, I won't go back and I doubt I even would if my team went. It's just waste.

I tell anyone that's remotely interested, go to a Wild Card game or Divisional playoff game (I haven't been able to get to an NFC or AFC Champ game yet) if at all possible. The several NFL playoff games I've been to have been hands down the most incredible experiences ever, the stadium is an absolute nuthouse, win or lose.

Find a way to make it to an NFL playoff game, it's worth every penny you'll spend more than likely (although I guess you could have been at last Sunday's Philly-49ers game, but that's a massive aberration)
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Aww dang, I had that in my bucket list but I do agree that championship weekend is the game to watch for NFC ball
 

There's no real Vikings fan who wouldn't at least look at the costs of going, if the Vikings make the Super Bowl in our lifetimes.

Just the fact of the matter.
 

Gophers_4life said:
There's no real Vikings fan who wouldn't at least look at the costs of going, if the Vikings make the Super Bowl in our lifetimes.

Just the fact of the matter.
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Whichever happens first: Gophers Rose Bowl or Vikings Super Bowl. I'm holding my breath.
 

Gophers_4life said:
The SB is a sterile crowd/environment? That's a new one!


Well obviously it does.

Why should such an important game have that, though?

Why should a game like that be played in KC, or Buffalo, or Green Bay, in possibly bad field conditions, in a relatively small market, in the cold?


You still get a BYE as #1 seed, which no other team gets. Plenty good enough, in my opinion.
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I think the #1 seed now has too much of an advantage. I don't like just one team getting a bye.
 



Gophers_4life said:
There's no real Vikings fan who wouldn't at least look at the costs of going, if the Vikings make the Super Bowl in our lifetimes.

Just the fact of the matter.
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If the Vikings ever make it to the Super Bowl in my lifetime, I would not want to be at the game. I'd rather be with family and friends enjoying it together. As already stated, the atmosphere usually sucks in the stadium.

Might be fun to go to the city where the game is being played to party before and after the game I guess.

Rose Bowl is a lot different, I would try to go if that ever happens.
 






Gophers_4life said:
Is this not like saying you'd rather go to Disneyworld with your family than going alone?

... yeah?
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I'm not saying I'd have to go to the Super Bowl by myself. But being at a party with 20 family or friends having a good time sounds a lot better than 2-4 of us sitting amongst non Vikings fans at the game. Especially when you consider the price difference between doing the two.
 

GophersInIowa said:
I'm not saying I'd have to go to the Super Bowl by myself. But being at a party with 20 family or friends having a good time sounds a lot better than 2-4 of us sitting amongst non Vikings fans at the game. Especially when you consider the price difference between doing the two.
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Usually just my immediate family that watches the game together.

Damn right, if we can afford it, that our joy in doing so would be 1000x higher being there, if the Vikings are playing.

Probably can't afford it, which is what it is.
 

GophersInIowa said:
I'm not saying I'd have to go to the Super Bowl by myself. But being at a party with 20 family or friends having a good time sounds a lot better than 2-4 of us sitting amongst non Vikings fans at the game. Especially when you consider the price difference between doing the two.
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The prices are truly shocking. I looked a few years ago when it was in NYC and it would have been $4K + per person for airfare, two nights in a hotel and for the cheapest tickets to get in the building. All to not be able to see nearly as well as if you watched on TV. Simply can't justify that, when you could go spend a week in Hawaii for less. I've never priced out the Rose Bowl but I can't imagine it would be that much.
 

So the Vikings DC search seems to be down to Evero from Denver and Brian Flores. Sean Payton met with Evero yesterday about staying in Denver but is now meeting with Flores, which would seem to indicate he's not keeping Evero. But the Vikings can't interview him until the Broncos give permission. Meanwhile both are also candidates for the Cardinals HC position which seems to be going in slow motion. And Evero is also a candidate in Indy, where Irsay wants to keep Jeff Saturday but no one else in management does. What a mess.
 

so just saw that Sean Desai has pulled himself out of consideration for the Vikes' DC job as he is interviewing for the Broncos' DC position.

being a MN fan and a fatalist - I have this sneaking feeling that when the music stops playing in the game of DC musical chairs, the Vikes may be the team left standing.
 

GophersInIowa said:
I'm not saying I'd have to go to the Super Bowl by myself. But being at a party with 20 family or friends having a good time sounds a lot better than 2-4 of us sitting amongst non Vikings fans at the game. Especially when you consider the price difference between doing the two.
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Sitting within about 2 arm lengths of us at the Pats-Eagles SB at US Bank were:

- Five (5) 49ers fans from San Fran, dressed business casual like it was a marketing outing
- Four Vikings fans, allowed to buy tix for being season ticket holders
- Four Packers fans
- Two Patriots fans
- A family of four Eagles fans, husband/wife/2 boys; inexplicable to me how someone could pay the prices in our section for two young boys, ages about 4 and 6, for something they'll likely barely remember.
- 2 Steelers fans

A largely stale atmosphere, compared to a Divisional Playoff game or Wild Card game in one team's stadium. Not remotely close. And that SB was a very close game, down to the wire. I don't think there's any way I would go again, but I won't say never.

Full disclosure, I bought those SB tickets in later December, a few weeks left in the season, when both the Vikings and the wife's Steelers had a pretty decent chance of at least one of them making the SB; they both shit the bed ultimately. But being in MSP meant I also didn't have to pay for lodging, stayed with very close friends, etc. Not a total loss.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
so just saw that Sean Desai has pulled himself out of consideration for the Vikes' DC job as he is interviewing for the Broncos' DC position.

being a MN fan and a fatalist - I have this sneaking feeling that when the music stops playing in the game of DC musical chairs, the Vikes may be the team left standing.
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Well, fuck. I really liked Desai for the job. Evero would also be a good option. I don't know what the f'k the Cardinals are waiting for, but there's a shitload of rumblings that being attached at the hip to Kyler Murray for the next 3-4 years is making that a very, VERY unattractive job.

One thing I had never heard before either is concern over the facilities (with the Cardinals), when it comes to chasing Head Coaches; I guess before he went with Denver, a healthy chunk of the discussion with Sean Payton was tied to a commitment by the Cardinals for a capital facilities improvement. That's no bueno either.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
so just saw that Sean Desai has pulled himself out of consideration for the Vikes' DC job as he is interviewing for the Broncos' DC position.

being a MN fan and a fatalist - I have this sneaking feeling that when the music stops playing in the game of DC musical chairs, the Vikes may be the team left standing.
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The Vikings top 3 choices are Evero, Flores and Desai. If Desai takes the Denver job and Evero and Flores the get HC jobs, it could happen. Or if Evero goes to the Rams instead.
 

Desai is out. Not sure I get the Evero love, we just hired the Bronco's D coordinator last season and he was fired. The Bronco's D is good because they have a ton of talent. They were ranked pretty much the same under Donatell and Evero.

The Vikings DC job is very unattractive because everyone knows we have little talent, and the talent we do have is injury prone and old.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Desai is out. Not sure I get the Evero love, we just hired the Bronco's D coordinator last season and he was fired. The Bronco's D is good because they have a ton of talent. They were ranked pretty much the same under Donatell and Evero.

The Vikings DC job is very unattractive because everyone knows we have little talent, and the talent we do have is injury prone and old.
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. . . and not great fits for their schemes.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Desai is out. Not sure I get the Evero love, we just hired the Bronco's D coordinator last season and he was fired. The Bronco's D is good because they have a ton of talent. They were ranked pretty much the same under Donatell and Evero.

The Vikings DC job is very unattractive because everyone knows we have little talent, and the talent we do have is injury prone and old.
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He wasn't fired. He's still under contract, and they asked him to be interim head coach. He said no. Donatell was as much the Broncos DC as Wes Phillips is the Vikings OC. Fangio called everything. Evero was actually running the defense in 2022. If nothing else, he's much more aggressive about blitzing etc. than Ed.

I'm fine with either Evero or Flores. We will likely lose them to a HC job after 1-2 years either way. But at least you get draft picks when that happens.
 

howeda7 said:
He wasn't fired. He's still under contract, and they asked him to be interim head coach. He said no. Donatell was as much the Broncos DC as Wes Phillips is the Vikings OC. Fangio called everything. Evero was actually running the defense in 2022. If nothing else, he's much more aggressive about blitzing etc. than Ed.

I'm fine with either Evero or Flores. We will likely lose them to a HC job after 1-2 years either way. But at least you get draft picks when that happens.
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I don't think that draft picks are ever involved when it's a step up from Coordinator to a Head Coaching position. That's not at all like the Sean Payton situation.
 

I have to say, I'm a little shocked that the Cardinals did not hire their HC this week and the Vikings didn't hire their DC. Monday morning I would have bet a hefty amount that both of those dominoes fell.

Clock is ticking...
 

Ope3 said:
I don't think that draft picks are ever involved when it's a step up from Coordinator to a Head Coaching position. That's not at all like the Sean Payton situation.
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profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

NFL compensatory picks for minority coaches and executives explained

The news that the Lions are hiring longtime Rams executive Brad Holmes as Detroit's new general manager means that for the first time, the league's new rule rewarding teams that help develop minority coaches and executives will be put into place.
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
 

howeda7 said:
He wasn't fired. He's still under contract, and they asked him to be interim head coach. He said no. Donatell was as much the Broncos DC as Wes Phillips is the Vikings OC. Fangio called everything. Evero was actually running the defense in 2022. If nothing else, he's much more aggressive about blitzing etc. than Ed.

I'm fine with either Evero or Flores. We will likely lose them to a HC job after 1-2 years either way. But at least you get draft picks when that happens.
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The Vikings fired Donatell is what I was saying. And even if Evero had more control over Denver's defense this season, it was his first season as D coordinator, with a talented D. Just like Donatell, he's not going to have that luxury here. No matter who they hire, this defensive will continue to stink until they figure out how to draft players on that side of the ball.
 

howeda7 said:
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

NFL compensatory picks for minority coaches and executives explained

The news that the Lions are hiring longtime Rams executive Brad Holmes as Detroit's new general manager means that for the first time, the league's new rule rewarding teams that help develop minority coaches and executives will be put into place.
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
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Interesting, did not know about the minority development incentive program. Thanks for informing me.

From the article, they would have to be with the Vikings for at least 2 full seasons to be awarded such compensation.
 

howeda7 said:
to get in the building.
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Well, being there is kinda the point, no?

You can lazily sit on your couch, with friends and family, every other year. You've done that the last X years.

One time in your life, to say you were there (with your immediate family), and it was the Vikings there .... priceless.
 

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