The NFL restricts its YouTube videos (of course they do) from being embedded into an article or blog like we normally do here, so you can go to their youtube page HERE to watch for yourself. The Vikings start at the 1:03 mark.

According to Adam, the Vikings are going to finish at 5-11 and the disappointment will start immediately. Looking at the schedule from a wide angle (we need to mostly throw last season for each team out the window but it’s difficult), games look to get tough early. But the Vikings open the season at home vs the Atlanta Falcons, who ESPN has picked to win 7 games this year, so hopefully we can get off to a good start, right?

via GIPHY

Here were Mr. Rank’s final results for the 2019 Minnesota Vikings:

1. Falcons – L
2. @ Packers – L
3. Raiders – W
4. @ Bears – L
5. @ Giants – W
6. Eagles – L
7. @ Lions – L
8. Redskins – W
9. @ Chiefs – L
10. @ Cowboys – L
11. Broncos – W
12. BYE
13. @ Seahawks – W
14. Lions – L
15. @ Chargers – L
16. Packers – L
17. Bears – L

Good thing we have Adam Rank so I don’t have to watch the Vikings and be heartbroken this season. What a blessing. It’s going to be terrible when we go 0-6 vs. the Division… just when you thought the Lions were back on the downfall… And, so much for US Bank Stadium being a homefield advantage… Although 3 of our 4 wins come at home, they come against the Raiders, Redskins, and Broncos. We’d might as well bring the Rutgers Football team to town for a Sunday night, amirite?

At least we get that one road upset in week 13, coming out of a bye (when nobody ever wins), on the road vs. the Seahawks (where nobody ever wins)… that’s a glimmer of future hope, right?

via GIPHY

There is no light at the end of the tunnel, Vikings fans. Here is our friend (and admitted Vikings fan himself) Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, telling his audience on the NBC Sports Network about how much Kyle Shanahan might rather have Kirk Cousins as his quarterback, opposed to Jimmy Garoppolo, should the Vikings flop in 2019 and want to make a change going forward.

Roll that tape:

Oh, and quickly back to Adam Rank, before we finish up. He also predicted the Bears to go 16-0 and the Packers to finish 12-4… That’s easy to do when you have a shit team like the Vikings on your schedule…

Adam Rank… thank you…. for being a complete fucking moron.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The morning after our Vikings shut-out the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers, in Lambeau, this happened:

Teams complaining to NFL that Packers violated IR rule, and think Aaron Rodgers should now have to be released, per sources:https://t.co/Zyt0fWjJFe

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 24, 2017

How do you think Packer fans are digesting this one? Not very well, you’d assume. It’s probably sticking in their gut like those four glasses of eggnog I chugged before bed.

Per reports, multiple teams have reached out to the NFL complaining that Green Bay violated one of the league’s IR rules. Following their week 6 loss to your Minnesota Vikings, the Packers placed Aaron Rodgers on “temporary IR.” The All-Pro QB eventually returned last week, only to throw 3 INTs in a loss to Carolina. On Tuesday, Green Bay ONCE AGAIN gave Rodgers the Sam Bradford status. Injured. Reserved.

Vikings activate Teddy Bridgewater, place Sam Bradford (knee) on IR https://t.co/igGVPkCkhX pic.twitter.com/wYv3itVXCV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 8, 2017

Unfortunately (or fortunately), for an already depressed Cheesehead Nation, that move appears to have been a no-no. Outside of stating he was “sore”, from the Panthers game, there was ZERO indication Rodgers suffered a NEW injury. For him to be put back on reserve status, in that short of a time frame, something NEW had to be ailing him. It couldn’t be related to his prior collarbone problem. If it is related to the collarbone, that’s a violation of the NFL rules. The consequence of breaking said rule is that the player, in this case Aaron Rodgers, MUST BE RELEASED.

Care to comment, Ted Thompson?

It looks like I’m going to be a couple of hours late to my respective holiday gathering. This odd development trumps the pending awkward, bloviated family conversations. If a so-called “blood-relative” doesn’t understand the circumstances, well, then I question if we’re even relatives at all.

All of the early indications are that Rodgers being released won’t happen. ESPN gave a little explanation as to why the 6 time Pro-Bowler won’t leave the Green and Gold. The NFL’s Management Council must approve all transactions. Apparently, that group would have brought something up to Green Bay if there was an issue.

Even with that said, I think this topic will be around for a while. NFL teams outside of Wisconsin won’t simply stop imagining what it would be like to have Rodgers under center. ESPN has already called it a “Classic NFL scandal.“

In the event Green Bay faces no consequences from this move, at least it’s free entertainment. Watching irrational Packer fans lose their composure is one of my favorite hobbies:

A Packer fan sent a really disturbing NSFW note to Anthony Barr for injuring Aaron Rodgers: https://t.co/wVsB12Dh6v

— Sports News N Stuff (@SportNewsNStuff) December 14, 2017

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

Your Minnesota Vikings defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday by a score of 34-7. As #SkolNation basks in the blowout, a different topic is circulating around the rest of the NFL:

What is a Catch?

The Patriots and Steelers contest was Sunday’s most anticipated matchup. With first place in the AFC on the line, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady did it again. However, their “W” wasn’t without controversy. No, no, no. That’s not because New England got caught cheating.

How many “Patriots are cheaters” tweets can I see on my timeline in a span of 60 seconds?

— Loren Bentley (@lorenbentleyy) December 18, 2017

The controversy actually came from the men in stripes. Steelers TE, Jesse James, appeared to secure the GW TD with less than 30 seconds left. After further review, the play was reversed and ruled incomplete:

Steelers potential game winning TD ruled NOT a catch. WOW. pic.twitter.com/cE6lHTnObk

— LeadingNFL ™ (@LeadingNFL) December 18, 2017

Two plays later, Big Ben threw an interception. Ball game.

As I mentioned, the whole “catch” conversation is back at the forefront of water-cooler discussions around the country.

This topic is so last week, am I right?

#SkolNation was all over the “catch-rule” when Adam Thielen’s back of the end zone TD catch, vs. the Panthers, was ruled incomplete. Just like our public schools and unemployment rate, Minnesota is a mile ahead of the rest of the country. Way to be leaders rather than followers.

At least one example every week of how dumb the NFL catch rules are. This week, it’s this Adam Thielen TD being reversed. Yes, the ball moves, but it never touches the ground, and he literally “maintains possession.” The movement strengthens his possession. ? pic.twitter.com/7yuBI3WGQM

— Simon Samano (@SJSamano) December 10, 2017

In atypical fashion, I have no unwarranted to guidance to offer on this subject. ZERO. Trying to break it all down just pisses off my brain.

So, I’ll let you consider this an official inquiry with the NFL. Unfortunately, I’m not even sure they know the answer. Here is what their rules define as a catch:

• A player is considered to be going to the ground if he does not remain upright long enough to demonstrate that he is clearly a runner. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball until after his initial contact with the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete.

Ok. In the Steelers’ situation, he was trying to break the plane. The second the ball does that, it’s six points. That rule, combined with the catch definition, seem to contradict one another. If I want contradictions, I’ll talk to a meteorologist. If I want something that’s open to multiple interpretations, I’ll study legal jargon.

The league office is all hands on deck in regards to this ongoing controversy. Roger Goodell and company have called in the big guns.

The NFL Senior VP of Officiating, Al Riveron, released an explanation as to why the initial call on the field was reversed. It wasn’t your average written statement. Riveron goes full Morgan Freeman/Shawshank Redemption on the bit:

The video is an explanation from @NFL SVP of Officiating Al Riveron on the reversal at the end of the #NEvsPIT game. pic.twitter.com/hm5EeoZTER

— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) December 18, 2017

It doesn’t appear Al will be nominated for an Oscar anytime soon.

Thankfully for Viking’s fans, the Thielen “drop” from Week 13 didn’t carry the same implications Jesse James’ did. After Pittsburgh’s loss, it appears that the Patriots will have home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs. If the Purple end up meeting New England this season, that game will take place at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Goodnight, @usbankstadium! We’ll see you in February for #SuperBowlLII ? pic.twitter.com/uDlMl2teDg

— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 28, 2017

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

However, there are some sports stories, no matter where they come from, that need attention ASAP. This is definitely one of those times.

Tiger Woods is making another comeback. STOP. Don’t click out. I know it’s tempting. We’ve heard this 3328 times, just to see Tiger play below-average, at best; oftentimes dropping out of the tournament all-together either before or during play. But this time seems different. Here’s why:

Let’s quickly look at how we got here, from a place where Tiger Woods was the greatest athlete in the world… as a golfer.

When Tiger was dominating everyone on the golf course, and just a look from him would drop women’s panties and golfers’ confidence, Woods was a KILLER. He was better than you, and he knew it. Also, you knew it, I knew it, your brother/sister in-law knew it, mother, father, …… you get it. Tiger was better than everyone on the planet and it wasn’t even close. You would be checking scores on weekends just to see how far ahead he was.

His attitude back then was also that of a KILLER. In 2006, before his father died and before he was the newest superstar caught up in scandal, Tiger Woods did an interview with Ed Bradley for 60 Minutes. All you need is 30-60 seconds of part 1 to see what I’m talking about. He doesn’t even need to say what he’s saying to give away his confidence. YOU CAN SEE IT IN HIS FACE AND CONSTANTS SMIRK. It says ‘I’m untouchable.’ We all would come to find out that he was not untouchable. not even close. If you are having issues remembering the Tiger I’m talking about, just watch these. I was in love.

When this was the Tiger Woods everyone knew, I was the perfect age for fandom. Life was good back then, as a young Minnesota sports fan. I was 8-15 years old (1998-2005), the Vikings were running “Three Deep” and the Gophers 1997 banner was still hanging. Minnesota hadn’t won anything since ‘91 (which I didn’t remember) but with the teams we put out every year, it was just a matter of time before Minnesota won something again, right? WRONG. My dad was always right. I was just a dumb kid. (Don’t freak out. My dad loved me and we have a great relationship.)

However, golf wasn’t something I was used to watching back then. it was a niche sport. But, all of a sudden, this American 20-something is running EVERYONE on the golf course. And doing it with ease. As they talk about in these interviews, HIS PEERS WERE SCARED OF HIM. People, this isn’t an opinion. It’s fact. I’m so glad I found this interview because it shows everything I am saying in 2 simple videos, right before the spiral occurred. I immediately needed to get me a set of golf clubs so I could fist pump like Tiger. I was glued to the TV, watching golf? EVERY Sunday. I was going to school and talking about Tiger. Look at me right now… This is the first thing I’ve written, outside of Minnesota sports, in months. I was in love. I may still be. And, I wasn’t/am not the only one.

But then, in one bad turn, all of that disappeared. Tiger was human. And we all found that out very quickly.

He never came back. He was never the same. That killer was gone. And injuries piled up fast. The back injuries were the most frustrating. Tiger was changing his swing and swing coaches. He was changing caddies and just about everything else in his life.

We kept on waiting for his comeback… He was so dominant before that once he got things back in order, he would be back right? Other stars had scandals and came back from them.. So we waited. But, it never happened. And, that killer instinct… that confidence… it seemed to be gone.

And then, as everyone is wondering when Tiger will make his next come back, from his latest injury… this happens:

*DISCLAIMER*: What follows is strictly my opinion:

Tiger Woods is likely addicted to opiates. It shouldn’t be that surprising, if we think about it. With the continued back pain, repeated surgeries, and immense pressure Tiger succumbed to what so many other HUMANS have. That search for a fairy-land of no worries and no pain.

The world of prescription medication.

When Tiger was pulled over and arrested for DWI, there was NO alcohol in his system. But… well.. you watched the video. It dawned on me when I watched that video. That killer instinct is hard to rid yourself of but opiates are one thing that will do it (again: my opinion). Afterward, he was admitted into a rehab facility to better deal with the drugs he was taking. It’s a little surprising to me how little coverage this the drugs got. Nice work by he and his spin team.

My thoughts on Tiger’s demise only strengthened when I saw him interacting with the media, as he gets ready for another comeback that starts tomorrow. It’s like the old Tiger mind is slithering back into the now-older Tiger body.

Read/listen to some of the quotes from Tiger over the last couple days. If the first problem was the back pain, which he thinks the most recent surgery fixed, and the possible background problem was the prescription drugs, and he now has that under control…. oh shit… watch out PGA. The short version of this press conference, with some of the best quotes, is first. You can watch the full thing below that.

“I’m loving life now.”@TigerWoods had plenty to say during his press conference on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/aTM3pv9aLW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 28, 2017

At today’s press conference, @TigerWoods said when asked about the younger generation dominating golf, “I would like them to feel like what some of the past guys had to go against all those years.”

? is ready for his time to be ? again.#HeroWorldChallenge

— Play It Safe (@AlwaysLayUp) November 28, 2017

But hey… words are just words, right? Ha… Here is Tiger through 2 rounds this weekend. This tournament has 18 of the best players in the world. He isn’t even playing that well right now. Obviously plenty of rust to be knocked off.

Do not try this at home.

Results may vary. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/Knl9bAWBTv

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 1, 2017

Golf just became relevant again.

Since we’ve already had 47 videos in this article. Why not one more of the “YouTube Golfer”

MSF Boss Man
Minnesota Sports Fan
MinnesotaSportsFan.com @RealMNSportsFan