Saturday, May 19, 2012

The Vikings are back...and so are we

Vikings_Packers If you don’t know by now, us here at WhatWouldBudDo.com aren’t really in to the style of blogging/posting that takes place after every single piece of news that comes out. As we worked on some site maintenance the past two weeks, outside of the Vikings winning in Carolina, there wasn’t a ton to write about. And since we like to give an “outside the box” view on most things, we figured we’d use the bye week to get caught up on other things.

With that said, all of a sudden it’s Packer Week. Coming off a pretty impressive win against the Panthers, followed by their byen week, the Vikings jump right back in to it with a visit to Lambeau. The optimism is a little higher than it was going in to the week seven loss vs the Packers, and rightfully so. Christian Ponder has shown a style of play that wasn’t expected when he was given the keys to this team. He’s played pretty well and has shown some poise, resiliency, leadership and a passion to win.

But let’s get carried away. The Vikings are still facing the undefeated, defending champion, Green Bay Packers this weekend IN Green Bay. This is the second time the Packers will see Ponder, and you can be they’ll have a game plan ready for him now that they’ve seen some game tape. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the odds of the Vikings game plan to stop Rodgers and the Packers’ offense is going to be much less effective than the game plan the Packers defense will throw at Ponder.

With that said, it’s another opportunity to see how the kid can handle the main stage. It’s Monday Night Football and football fans from across the country will be watching. If he shows any encouraging signs, even with some rookie mistakes, people will take notice…and they’ll be as intrigued as we are to what the future may hold.

Speaking of the future, I’d like to take a second to give my stadium opinion. I’ve always been pro gaming for any stadium issues. Pull tabs are played across the entire state in bars and restaurants…and I’m willing to bet 99% of those that do play them, don’t have a gambling problem. If the money being generated from the pull tabs were for education and youth programs (which some are), no one would be “anti gaming expansion”. But since it’s for a football team that generates this state LOTS of money, people who don’t watch sports get all pissy.

The reason I like the electronic pull tabs idea: It would eliminate illegal happenings in today’s pull tab vendors. Yes, I’m from a small town…I know what goes on behind the scenes at establishments that have pull tabs. The owner of the establishment will pay the pull tab employee for an almost empty box, collect the winnings, split it with the pull tab employee, and make sure the correct amount goes back in to the gamer side of the pull tabs themselves. That way, everyone comes out ahead….but it’s still illegal.

I’m not real high on raising taxes to build a stadium. But I think you’re an idiot if you are against a .05% tax increase for every $100, to build something in your community that will generate BUTT LOADS of money…for which you can spend in places like schools, roads, parks, youth programs, churches…etc. Not to mention increasing your home value. But no…that would be too wrong of our society apparently.

Enough stadium talk. I’ll wrap up with what I hope to see from Ponder and the Vikings this weekend. I hope that ponder keeps his cool and continues to show that fighting style of play that he’s apparently had his whole life. I also hope to see him continue to sell the play fake as well as he has. Brett Favre was the best quarterback the Vikings have had at selling the play action since the 70’s…and he was only here for two years. Ponder has shown he’s committed to selling it every time…and that is a MUST when you have Adrian Peterson as your running back. It’s a small thing…but it’s a positive one.

Game prediction: Packers 37, Vikings 29