Congratulations to my Minnesota Vikings, who impressively and courageously qualified for their first playoff berth in four years on Sunday, after, uh... losing to the sorry, no-account Washington Redskins, for their fourth loss in five games. Michael Wilbon:
The Vikings' position in the playoffs should be vacated. After losing a playoff spot on the final play last season, Minnesota couldn't beat the going-nowhere Redskins on the final day. It's hard to tell which team is a more disappointing chump outfit, the Vikings or the Seahawks. The Vikings get the vote, though, because Randy Moss, with one play left and his teammates on the field playing for a spot in the playoffs, just walked off the field. Moss is a great player but one utterly without character as measured in football terms. Any team with him as its best player is doomed, and any coach who presides over such an outfit, as much as I like Mike Tice and respect his football I.Q., has to go.Yes, the Vikings were a blocked last-second Carolina field goal away from a fourth consecutive non-playoff season, despite two having two relatively healthy superstars on offense the entire time. Congrats on the contract extension, Mike! Posted by Stephen Silver at January 3, 2005 12:49 AM
Steve:
I was almost as enthused with Mike Tice's contract extension as I was with the news that the Bears would be bringing back Chad Hutchinson and Jeff George next year...all good news for the Packers in the NFC North.
Next weekend worries me, a third rematch in a season seldom goes to the team that won the first two games. But the Packers do have Tice on their side.
Posted by: John B. at January 3, 2005 08:20 AMMaybe we could give that spot to the Saints, who won a must-win game on the road against one of the hottest teams in football who needed that win just as bad as New Orleans did.
Still - maybe the rivalry with Green Bay will motivate the Viks to give us a decent playoff game. It could happen.
Posted by: Gib at January 3, 2005 09:17 AMmike tice is like a real-life ralph wiggum.
Posted by: LilB at January 3, 2005 02:28 PMalso note that this year's playoffs will include a Jim Mora-coached team.
Posted by: LilB at January 3, 2005 02:29 PMJohn B.
teams playing against a team they beat twice in the regular season are 10-5 historically. You need not worry. Remember this is the Red/Tice Vikings you are talking about. GB could beat them at Lambeua in January 99 out of 100 times.
The Vikings cannot possibly be playing worse (yes I mean that). They need some of that foam they use on runways to stop planes to halt this skid - or more likely a one and out in the playoffs.
Posted by: J. Lichty at January 4, 2005 10:45 AM