- Microtantrum
- All Kinds Of Time
- Up The Middle
- Better Than A Stick In The Eye
- A Little Levity
- Happy Birthday
Bernard Berrian threw a microtantrum on Twitter after the game, the Pioneer Press‘ Jeremy Fowler reports:
@B_Twice: 4 the record don’t ever question my heart or toughness.Played plenty games injured. U just don’t hear bout it. N warmup had nothin 2 do w/it
@B_Twice: RT @BryantMckinnie: @B_Twice don’t even let them get 2 u, some ppl just don’t understand.–> been quiet 2 long bout stuff.
@jblackwood26 responded to Berrian’s original tweet with: @B_Twice how about staying healthy I don’t question your effort but you haven’t been much of a factor last 2 years
To which Berrian responded: @jblackwood26 oh that’s cuz I played damn near the whole season injured. Brainiac
@AARF Tweeted: Damn ugly to watch so explain why we should cont RT @BryantMckinnie @B_Twice don’t even let them get 2 u, some ppl just don’t understand.
To which Berrian responded: @AAARF u say your a fan right?Win lose or draw I watch my bulls play whenever I can. That’s just what real fans do. #period
Berrian followed up with: @B_Twice: Played last week with the same injury. Funny no one said ish then. Next time I’ll play run half speed then wait 4 y’all whack comments
The Strib‘s Judd Zulgad tweeted: @JuddZulgad: Favre said he thought @B_Twice aggravated the groin injury early in warmups but it appears as if Berrian is saying that’s not the case.
Berrian responded to Zulgad with: @B_Twice: @JuddZulgad key word is thought. Stop always Tryin to start something.
After which, Zulgad tweeted to his followers: @JuddZulgad: Folks, I know your upset about the Viking loss but let’s show some class toward at @B_Twice . Thank you.
Let’s first point out that precious few people have thousands of people criticizing their job performance for the world to see on a regular basis. You’ve got to have a measure of respect for people who are willing to deal with that.
Let’s also give Berrian a ton of credit for his willingness to address that criticism directly through Twitter. The guy is nothing if he’s not authentic.
Now, let me add to the criticism.
While I obviously don’t have access to Berrian’s medical reports, when a groin injury is cited, that typically refers to a groin pull.
That’s an injury I’ve had…and played through. I played through it so stupidly that it got to a point where I couldn’t drive myself home after a game. They can be that painful.
But it’s not an injury that comes on suddenly. If you have one, you know you have it and you can pretty much gauge the severity of it. It’s not an injury like a hamstring, which can feel just fine and then all of a sudden you tweak it and you can’t go anymore.
So forgive me if I’m a little skeptical about Berrian’s extremely late scratch due to a groin injury. It does seem to me that if it was so bad he couldn’t play, he’d know that in time for the Vikings to prepare for his absence.
While it looked as if Sidney Rice would be back against the Bears, the ultimate decision appears to have been left up to him and Rice erred on the side of caution rather than his team. Rice’s situation is a bit more understandable, given the type of surgery he’s returning from.
Still, with both Berrian and Rice on the bench from the opening kickoff, and then losing Percy Harvin late in the game, that doesn’t leave a lot of options for Brett Favre.
ALL KINDS OF TIME
The clock’s running down
The team’s losing ground
To the opposing defense
The young quarterback
Waits for the snap
When suddenly it all starts to make sense
He’s got all kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time
Those are the lyrics to the best song ever written about football, All Kinds Of Time by Fountains Of Wayne. The song has been going through my head all season long as I’ve watched the Vikings front four consistently fail to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Yesterday, it was just more of the same as Jay Cutler picked the Vikings apart. Jay Cutler.
Why? Because he had all kinds of time.
Cutler’s an entirely different quarterback when he’s facing pressure and you saw that the few times the Vikings actually did get in his face.
Watch the full version of All Kinds Of Time by Fountains Of Wayne at Audiolicious.tv.
UP THE MIDDLE
Jared Allen has gotten a lot of heat this season, and rightly so, for his failure to get to the quarterback. He’s been shut down all too often this season and he rarely commands the double teams he used to.
To his credit, he agrees. Allen is perfectly honest in saying that that’s what he’s paid for, to get sacks.
Ray Edwards has gotten some heat for his surprising lack of production as well. He probably deserves more criticism.
But where oh where has Kevin Williams been? You rarely hear his named called anymore.
I don’t know why I didn’t realize this earlier, but I think the problem with the Vikings front four is that Kevin Williams and Letroy Guion or Brian Robison or whoever Williams is coupled with in passing situations, are not getting any push up the middle.
Both Allen and Edwards have nearly gotten there many times this year. Close, of course, doesn’t count. But all opposing quarterbacks have had to do this year is step up into the pocket to avoid their rush and they haven’t been made to pay for stepping up.
BETTER THAN A STICK IN THE EYE
I think we had four opportunities for interceptions yesterday.
Chris Cook could’ve had a pick earlier in the game but on the very next play, Husain Abdullah came down with the tipped pass for his first interception of his career.
Ben Leber had a chance at one and then Abdullah had his second pick of a Cutler throw in the end zone to stop a potential scoring drive.
Husain Abdullah’s two picks should be a positive development but, you know, too little, too late.
THERE’S STILL HOPE
If you’ve made it this far, then you’re a die-hard Vikings fan or an eternal optimist or both. I’ll count myself as both.
The fact is, however ridiculous it sounds, the Vikings still have a chance to make the playoffs.
It’s highly unlikely; the chances are extremely remote; but the Vikings could rip off a winning streak to go 10-6, claim the NFC North with momentum carrying them deep into the playoffs.
Stranger things have happened.
And what a storyline that would be, huh?
A LITTLE LEVITY
Thought you might need a bit of a laugh today.
Mashups are an Internet phenomenon where someone “mashes” two things together to create a unique third thing.
There is a particular type of mashup that occurs frequently in response to something in the popular culture. It’s the Downfall mashup. People take a scene from the movie Downfall where Adolph Hilter goes ballistic in reaction to some bad news and add subtitles to make fun of some current event.
There was a Downfall mashup for when Brett Favre first signed with the Vikings:
Someone’s finally made a Downfall mashup for Randy Moss getting cut by the Vikings. [WATCH Hitler Freaks Out Over Randy Moss’ Release.]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Happy birthday to defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy (31).