Everybody, and I mean everybody, is picking the Saints over the Vikings. The raw emotion of last year's NFC title game is gone, so with the season opener upon is, it's time to take a closer look at the box score the last time these teams met. What you'll find may startle you.
Drew Brees was only 17 of 31 for 197 yards. He did throw for 3 TDs. The Saints as a team ran for only 69 yards.
Adrian Peterson ran for 122 yards on 25 carries and 3 TDs of his own. Almost 5 yards a carry. Is there any reason to believe this won't happen again? The Saints made no improvements in the offseason to stop the run.
In fact, Peterson was a big reason the Vikings dominated time of possession - 38:49 to 27:56. They ran 82 plays compared to the Saints' 55. 475 total yards to the Saints' 257. That's crazy.
They held the Saints' offense to 3 for 12 on third down. Their offensive line did not commit one false start penalty in such a harsh environment. The Saints racked up 9 penalties for 88 yards.
Lost fumbles cost the Vikings the game. The renowned stat-nerds Football Outsiders do their best to break down every detail of every play of every game (and they're awesome for it), but one thing they abide by is that it is impossible - IMPOSSIBLE - to predict lost fumbles. They are pure luck and chance. The ball could bounce in any which direction. I'll give the Saints defense credit for stripping the ball when they did, and for being Johnny-on-the-spot, but the bottom line is the Vikings didn't get the bounces.
(Quick aside: I'm not doing the cowardly "we were the better team and we still lost!" act a la Robert Smith. We lost obviously, the Saints won and beat the Colts in the Super Bowl. Clearly they were better.)
(Also, if people want to misguidedly point at Favre's interception costing the Vikings the game, they're probably the same people who think Bill Buckner cost the Red Sox the World Series in 1986. Yes it was a terrible play, but the writing was on the wall at that point. I'm 100% convinced Longwell would've missed the FG. Berrian's fumble at the 10 in the 4th quarter was a dagger. Their offense was rolling, and the Saints offense was sputtering. That cost the Vikes an extra possession. They would've had a lot more time to take the lead.)
So what are people pointing at to be the Vikings' downfall this year? Sidney Rice is out. Yes, it sucks, but Percy Harvin will play. In fact he hasn't missed a practice since doctors said they pinpointed the cause of his migraines (knock on wood). Greg Camarillo's hands have proven impressive in the limited action he's seen. Peterson will get more carries. Shiancoe will get more looks. Rice is a luxury, not a necessity. This is still a good offense without him.
Other absences: Center John Sullivan is questionable with a calf injury. Considering he played just average last year, this isn't a huge loss - Anthony Herrera is talented and capable enough to stand in. Corner Cedric Griffin is also out with a knee - Lito Sheppard and rookie Chris Cook will step in opposite Antoine Winfield. Again, Griffin is average (a poor tackler if anything), those two will shoulder the load on his side of the field. No worries there.
People also think Favre is suddenly a corpse back there because of his ankle. He threw 46 times the last game, a lot even for him. The only way he has that many throws this time around is if the Vikings fall way behind early. Quick reads, screens, a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson. I see no issue with this formula. Childress may prove to be an idiot at times (okay, most of the time) but he's smart enough to keep guys in the backfield to protect Favre.
There is no reason the Vikings should not be confident heading into the Superdome on Thursday. In fact, it's a blessing that everyone's assuming the Saints will roll over them. We'll see how much fire the Saints really have after winning a Super Bowl. Complacency can be a bitch.
(Disclaimer: none of the above information will prevent me from drinking heavily due to my debilitating anxiety regarding this game. It'll be close, down to the wire, just like last time. You've been warned.)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
60 for 60 Ballpark Reviews: Miller Park
Hello and welcome to the my new ongoing series "60 for 60", where I review 60 ballparks in 60 years. I have no particular schedule to review any particular ballpark, just expect some content here and there in the next 60 years. Or maybe I won't live that long, or maybe I won't get to see any other ballpark so I end up reviewing Target Field 58 times. Whatever.
Anyway, let's christen this series by smashing a bottle of sparkling apple juice against my netbook - I give you my all-encompassing, exhaustive review of the Metrodome.
It's a shithole.
So there you have it! That's one down, 59 to go. Gotta say I like my chances in actually completing this.
Anyway, everyone knows the Metrodome sucked, which makes it that much more awesome that we now have a fantastic new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis, Target Field. In our Metrodome days, people had to make the trek to either Kansas City, Chicago, or Milwaukee to witness a game outdoors. I often chose the latter for the shorter drive - I've gone once a year since 2005. Even though Target Field is just a 10 minute walk from where I work, I still decided against forgoing my annual trip to Miller Park, just to make a comparison.
Here are some random pros and cons of Miller Park:
- PRO: tailgating 3 hours before the game starts. Gotta love the haze of charcoal smoke as you walk through the parking lot. Literally thousands of people just hanging out, drinking beer, cooking brats, not a female under 180 pounds to be seen. Lots of fun.
- The Brewers have something new this year - the Diamond Dancers! Yes, baseball cheerleaders. To my knowledge, the only ones in the league. They do a number before the game starts, they stand in center field as they announce the lineups, they wander around the stands during the game. Yeah, they're nice to look at but for fuck's sake, there's no cheerleaders in baseball! I'm gonna go ahead and call this a CON. Major major con.
- PRO: the crowd. This year I chose to go to a nothing game in July - both teams suck, but the crowd still shows up big time. The best example of this was when Rickie Weeks got hit in the head with a fastball, which had to be the loudest spontaneous "OHHHHHHH!!!" I've ever heard. Weeks stays in the game, pitcher immediately makes a pickoff throw, at which point the crowd turns into an old school wrestling crowd giving him bigtime heel heat, especially when he comes out of the game. Seriously, bigtime kudos to Brewers fans.
- Thanks to the gargantuan, elaborate steelwork that looms over everyone's heads, Miller Park always feels much more like a football stadium than a ballpark. It's why I never wanted Target Field to have a roof - the Miller Park roof is monstrous and tends to dominate your view. CON
- PRO: the food. Duh, it's Wisconsin. I ate a brat, hot dog, and an Italian sausage in less than an hour. My heart was screaming at me. So, so good though.
- CON: lack of history at ballpark. One simple display for the Milwaukee Braves, some nice statues out front but hardly anything else. Target Field eviscerates Miller Park in this category.
- That day's giveaway was a Brewers tailgating apron. Unwise if you ask me - this may lead to a decline in shirt sales since every Brewers fan always spills copious amounts of brown mustard, ketchup and "secret sauce" on their 2003 Richie Sexson t-shirt jersey. Still, this is such a goofy handout that it earns a PRO.
- Speaking of jerseys, there were some very odd jersey sightings. Denard Span t-shirt (okay, its baseball, but wrong state), Olin Krutz Bears jersey (wrong sport, and its a friggin offensive lineman, a shitty one at that), and most strange of all, an Atlanta Falcons Ray Buchannan jersey. Must I be reminded of the 98 NFC title game everywhere I go? Ugh. I'm gonna call this a CON.
- PRO: the guy who sang the anthem was one of the sound crew guys. He sang into his headset. I'm not kidding. Big bonus points for this.
- Random aside: some Brewers no name catcher takes 20 minutes to walk to the plate every at-bat like he's Drew McIntyre or something. I noticed Pudge Rodriguez (they were playing Washington) saying something to him, probably something along the lines of "Your entrance is going to last longer than your at-bat." Sound guy enabling nobodys: CON
Summary (aka Skip All That Other Crap And Just Read This): I'll sum it up in one sentence - Miller Park is an average ballpark that in and of itself provides a subpar atmosphere, but the fans and the tailgating make it worthwhile.
Anyway, let's christen this series by smashing a bottle of sparkling apple juice against my netbook - I give you my all-encompassing, exhaustive review of the Metrodome.
It's a shithole.
So there you have it! That's one down, 59 to go. Gotta say I like my chances in actually completing this.
Anyway, everyone knows the Metrodome sucked, which makes it that much more awesome that we now have a fantastic new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis, Target Field. In our Metrodome days, people had to make the trek to either Kansas City, Chicago, or Milwaukee to witness a game outdoors. I often chose the latter for the shorter drive - I've gone once a year since 2005. Even though Target Field is just a 10 minute walk from where I work, I still decided against forgoing my annual trip to Miller Park, just to make a comparison.
Here are some random pros and cons of Miller Park:
- PRO: tailgating 3 hours before the game starts. Gotta love the haze of charcoal smoke as you walk through the parking lot. Literally thousands of people just hanging out, drinking beer, cooking brats, not a female under 180 pounds to be seen. Lots of fun.
- The Brewers have something new this year - the Diamond Dancers! Yes, baseball cheerleaders. To my knowledge, the only ones in the league. They do a number before the game starts, they stand in center field as they announce the lineups, they wander around the stands during the game. Yeah, they're nice to look at but for fuck's sake, there's no cheerleaders in baseball! I'm gonna go ahead and call this a CON. Major major con.
- PRO: the crowd. This year I chose to go to a nothing game in July - both teams suck, but the crowd still shows up big time. The best example of this was when Rickie Weeks got hit in the head with a fastball, which had to be the loudest spontaneous "OHHHHHHH!!!" I've ever heard. Weeks stays in the game, pitcher immediately makes a pickoff throw, at which point the crowd turns into an old school wrestling crowd giving him bigtime heel heat, especially when he comes out of the game. Seriously, bigtime kudos to Brewers fans.
- Thanks to the gargantuan, elaborate steelwork that looms over everyone's heads, Miller Park always feels much more like a football stadium than a ballpark. It's why I never wanted Target Field to have a roof - the Miller Park roof is monstrous and tends to dominate your view. CON
- PRO: the food. Duh, it's Wisconsin. I ate a brat, hot dog, and an Italian sausage in less than an hour. My heart was screaming at me. So, so good though.
- CON: lack of history at ballpark. One simple display for the Milwaukee Braves, some nice statues out front but hardly anything else. Target Field eviscerates Miller Park in this category.
- That day's giveaway was a Brewers tailgating apron. Unwise if you ask me - this may lead to a decline in shirt sales since every Brewers fan always spills copious amounts of brown mustard, ketchup and "secret sauce" on their 2003 Richie Sexson t-shirt jersey. Still, this is such a goofy handout that it earns a PRO.
- Speaking of jerseys, there were some very odd jersey sightings. Denard Span t-shirt (okay, its baseball, but wrong state), Olin Krutz Bears jersey (wrong sport, and its a friggin offensive lineman, a shitty one at that), and most strange of all, an Atlanta Falcons Ray Buchannan jersey. Must I be reminded of the 98 NFC title game everywhere I go? Ugh. I'm gonna call this a CON.
- PRO: the guy who sang the anthem was one of the sound crew guys. He sang into his headset. I'm not kidding. Big bonus points for this.
- Random aside: some Brewers no name catcher takes 20 minutes to walk to the plate every at-bat like he's Drew McIntyre or something. I noticed Pudge Rodriguez (they were playing Washington) saying something to him, probably something along the lines of "Your entrance is going to last longer than your at-bat." Sound guy enabling nobodys: CON
Summary (aka Skip All That Other Crap And Just Read This): I'll sum it up in one sentence - Miller Park is an average ballpark that in and of itself provides a subpar atmosphere, but the fans and the tailgating make it worthwhile.
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