Archive for January, 2011

Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen was arrested at a traffic stop near USC’s campus today. Police officers were apparently performing a traffic stop when pulling Griffen over. Instead of showing an ID and cooperating with the officers; he didn’t have an ID, became aggressive towards the officers and assaulted one to the point he had to be tased. Griffen is now being charged with felony battery. This is also not the first time Griffen has been in trouble with the law. In 2009 Griffen was cited by the Nantucket Police Department for a noise violation at a party. No [...]

Adrian Peterson and Antoine Winfield represented the Vikings at the Pro Bowl, and both ended up being big factors in the “game,” a turnover-laden 55-41 win by the NFC. Adrian got the ball early and often for the NFC, finishing with 80 yards and a TD on 14 carries. Peterson’s TD was his fourth career Pro Bowl score, a new record. Most importantly, he didn’t get hurt. Peterson’s teammate Antoine Winfield, meanwhile, notched two tackles and picked off one pass for the NFC defense. Winfield’s INT was one of five for the NFC, who turned over the AFC a total [...]

For the past couple of years Vikings fans had two main themes: 1) Brad Childress is not up to standards as an NFL coach. 2) Leslie Frazier is a talented assistant and we’d hate to see him get away. Childress tried to do his best with an offense that was anything but k___ a__ (with the exception of 2009) while Frazier quietly orchestrated his defense to being one of the best 10 in the league from 2008 to 2010. This is also the same fanbase that saw former assistant coaches in Tony Dungy, Brian Billick and Mike Tomlin go on [...]

The Vikings‘ Pro Bowl contingent just keeps growing-and-growing. Now E.J. Henderson has been added to the team as a late replacement, joining teammates Adrian Peterson and Antoine Winfield. Kevin Williams had been set to make the trip also, but pulled out to attend the birth of his child. Henderson had a good year in 2010, bouncing back from the horrific leg injury that prematurely ended his 2009 season. Note that I said “good” and not “great.” The only Viking linebacker who arguably had a great season was Chad Greenway, but for whatever reason, Greenway was passed over in favor of [...]

When last we left Herschel Walker he was trying to carve out a career for himself in MMA.  Now, at the age of 48, Walker says he could be ready to perform a career U-turn and go back to what he used to do best, play football. In a conference call ahead of his scheduled second MMA fight, former Viking running back Walker said he knows he could help an NFL team, claiming he is still fast enough to run a 40 in under 4.5 seconds. Walker said he’d love to make an NFL comeback at the age of 50, [...]

AP today named its 2010 All-Pro squad, and not surprisingly, not a single Viking made the first team.  Adrian Peterson was the lone Viking to secure a spot on the second-team. A few other Vikings did get a mention here and there.  Jared Allen received two votes, and Steve Hutchinson and Antoine Winfield each got one. For the curious, the entire All Pro team.  Next year the Vikings will have at least five guys on there including Joe Webb.  Right? Follow FanSided on Facebook. Follow The Viking Age on Twitter.

Viking fans are irritated if not downright angry that the hated Packers are once again headed to the Super Bowl.  But believe it or not there is a silver lining in the whole Packer Super Bowl trip for the Vikings:  Green Bay’s Tramon Williams is now out of the Pro Bowl, meaning Antoine Winfield is in. So the Packers and their fans get a shot at a fourth Super Bowl trophy, and the Vikings and their fans get to watch Antoine Winfield play in a meaningless game. I’d call that a fair trade. Barf. Seriously though, congratulations to the Packers [...]

Brett Favre provided the media and fans with many a wacky day in his roughly two years as a Minnesota Viking, but few were wackier than August 4th, 2010.  That morning began with reports that Favre had sent messages to several Viking teammates indicating he was set to retire from the NFL rather than return for a second season as Minnesota’s quarterback.  “This is it,” Favre reportedly texted Ryan Longwell, Visanthe Shiancoe and others.  By lunchtime ESPN had begun the wall-to-wall Brett Favre retirement coverage, comprised of endless tape loops, stat graphics and emotionally-overcome talking heads.  Finally, after weeks of [...]

It doesn’t take much to set off a round of wild off-season speculation.  All you need is a coaching hire, a prominent free agent and a glaring need at a key position and, voila, a fire-storm of guess-work and opinion. Take what’s been going on today in Viking Nation as an example.  This morning the Vikings announced the hiring of former Titans RB coach Craig Johnson as their new QB coach.  No big deal really, except that prior to 2010 Johnson served as the Titans’ QB coach, in which capacity he oversaw the early development of quarterback Vince Young, a [...]

The Vikings appear to have completed their search for a man to replace Darrell Bevell.  ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that Atlanta Falcons Assistant Head Coach/QB coach Bill Musgrave has agreed to join the Vikings as their offensive coordinator. Musgrave began his NFL journey as a QB with the Cowboys, 49ers and Broncos.  In 1997 he dove into coaching as an offensive assistant for the Raiders, and after one year moved to the Eagles where he served in the same capacity.  In 1999 he moved to Carolina as QB coach, and in 2000 was promoted by that organization to offensive coordinator. [...]