Sunday, August 24, 2014

The 2014 season has a special feel to it

COACH MIKE ZIMMER

It’s been a while since I have written a blog and it’s time to get back to work. I had worked at a company for over 25 years and in May it ended. I decided enough of frustration and time to look for a fresh start.

This decision affected heavily my training camp times since I started over and had no vacation time. I had gone to camp the previous 20 years with the last 16 years of that only missing 5 days. In 2014 camp I made it a total of 5 days.

I still have my season tickets so that has not changed. I have been to 154 games with 150 at home and 4 road games.

TRAINING CAMP OBSERVATIONS

I want to give you my take of the Training Camp I did take in. I only made it the 5 days so I put more of myself into it than normal. I studied hard as I watched practice and came out thoroughly impressed.

The first change I noticed was the fact the players ran some drills and then the entire team went to the middle of the 3 fields to do stretches I do not believe I have seen that since the Dennis Green days. It was refreshing to see the coaching staff implement this.

The next change I noticed was about halfway through practice the team would take a water break. It was so nice to see that once again this coaching staff believes in keeping the players hydrated.

The one observation that I really enjoyed as watching closely as coaches from the different groups really worked on fundamentals.

I really wanted to keep an eye on Coach Mike Zimmer and see just how hands he was during practice. It did not take long as I watched Zimmer get into the faces of the defensive backs in different drills.

One drill that I saw Mike really on top of things was when the offense was on the 5 yard line and some of the defensive backs were in the end zone. Zimmer abruptly stopped the play and yelled at the players to get on the 1.5 yard line instead of the end zone. How many years have we seen the Vikings defenders defending the end zone while they were in the end zone. How is this going to stop the opponents I thought to myself way to many times?
19-ADAM THIELEN



THE 53 MAN SQUAD

I do not believe or even want to attempt to guess who makes the 53 man squad except for one in particular. I will say that one player I know will make the squad and that is former Minnesota State University player, Adam Thielen. He is so good at his route running and has tremendous hands. His long punt return for a near touchdown Saturday night in Kansas City. I noticed in camp that players really support him and hang with him such as Patterson and Jennings. He works his butt off and deserves his shot at the NFL.

TCF BANK STADIUM SEATING

Friday August 1st was our first experience in our new seats. We have bench seats in the upper deck. TCF is a smaller stadium so our seats seem closer that they were at the Metrodome. We are in seats one and 2 and thus far it is great to be close but so far through 2 games fans seem to be up and down the steps every play making it difficult to watch at times.

The one big complaint I heard not once but several times as the bench seating has numbers and if the person is a little bigger they may end up squishing you a little more. In the dome each person had a seat and that was their designation.

We me an adjustment for the Arizona game and that was we orders seat back chairs. It was 55.00 dollars per seat but it was well worth it. They were extremely comfortable and we now have a seat designation. The seats are set up for us before the game and then taken down after the game for us.

TRANSPORTATION TO THE GAME

I am recommending you take the light rail. We park down by the dome for 4.00. We park about a couple blocks north of the old Metrodome and then catch the new Green Line light rail at the Metrodome stop and that drops you off right across from TCF on the back side. The cost for 2 of us was 7.00. The total for the night was 11.00 I feel it is easier and less stress that parking down by the U and sitting in traffic jam before and after the game. Yes, the light rail is busy after the game but I am still convinced this is the way to go.

THE 2014 VIKINGS

Yes, the team is 3-0 and that is exciting so I will be cautious to be predicting an undefeated season. I will go down as saying without a doubt and 110% that this team will be improved vastly over the last few years.

The coaching style, the players speaking in the media along with the excitement fans are showing at TCF leaves me with a feeling like I had in 1998.

The Arizona game watching Teddy Bridgewater lead the team to the comeback and listening to the fans chant Teddy, Teddy, Teddy the entire 4th quarter gave me sent purple chills through this 50 year old body. The fans leaving the game with the chants continuing and were really echoing down the stairs as we left TCF.



FIRST ROUND PICKS

The last 3 seasons may go down as the best in many years. Matt Kalil, Harrison Smith, Sharrif Floyd, Cordarelle Patterson, Xavier Rhodes and now Teddy Bridgewater and Anthony Barr are the new cornerstone for the long future. Smith may be one of the top safeties in the game.

VIKINGS FANS, I TRULY FEEL WE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS SEASON.

Thanks for reading

GO VIKES

Purplestick

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