He was brain dead because of the stuff he did off the field as much as anything like helping organize the
love boat cruise on Minnetonka and letting it get out to the media. You do that kind of stuff, don't forget to pay the right people to keep quiet. That mess effected his career, pocketbook and reputation as much as the injury.
I don't disagree that he was pretty good on the field prior to the injury. Some of the stuff he said and did after hurting his knee, like working out at a mall
without team trainers and acting as his own agent derailed any chance he had of a comeback and for me made him seem brain dead.
I was a fan of Daunte on the field not so much after the antics that ended up getting him traded to Miami.
You are trying way to hard.
The organizers of the "love boat" was Fred Smoot, Mewelde Moore and Lance Johnstone The only person who was confirmed (he admitted it) to have broken the law by having a paid for sexual encounter with a stripper was the Captain of the love boat and Fred and Alma employee (who interestingly enough was not charged...sarcasm alert)....not a Viking player. Several Viking players pleaded guilty to misdemeaners to make this very public incident go away.
Daunte Culpeper? Was guilty of being in attendance to a party in didn't plan.
Daunte working out in a mall? He must have looked really silly running wind sprints in front of Old Navy. Oh... there was a gym IN the mall? What was he ever thinking?
You say he should have been working out with team trainers? You do realize that few football players of his caliber are willing to submit their health to medical staff paid by the team....the whole conflict of interest thing. Also he wanted his contract addressed. He wasn't interested in being around the new coach "Chilli" who had a history of being petty and antagonistic (later cut a player on Christmas Eve). Remember Chilli had inserted himself into the middle of the conflict after being hired.
A smart coach wouldn't have taken sides and let the thing play out....he wasn't privy to any of the promises that had been made prior to the start of the season and understandable changed after he was hurt. Which is interesting by itself. Remember Daunte had held out for one day prior to the start of the season and only returned when Ziggy gave him 1 million and promised to renogotiate his contract after the season. Daunte played the season with a head coach who had never been a coordintator of any kind and a former oline coach making his debut as offensive coordinator. With no offense Daunte was asked to run more frequently by Tice and 3 days later suffered what would become a career ending injury.
You say he should have had a agent? First off; why would that bother YOU? You do realize he fired his agent after his agent went public with trades demands....something he told him NOT to do. Daunte was extremely naive in believing that he could sit down and talk man to man with Ziggy. That was not going to happen with front office personel like Brezenski making power grab plays. Brezenski inserted himself between Ziggy and Daunte and the rest is history.
I certainly understand Ziggy not giving money to a player that suffered the injury Daunte did. I understand Daunte wanting the owner to live up to his promise after he left everything (including his career) on the field. What I don't understand is why any of this would lead you to claim Daunte is brain dead and stop being a fan?
