Smash Articles
14
Playoff Teams
Rule Changes
17 Game
Season
Low Lights
-
-
-
-
-
-
| |  
St. Louis Factor
It's just not the same. The
Chicago Cardinal's franchise left St. Louis for greener pastures in the desert
in Arizona. Now, the latest slight has the St. Louis Ram's franchise
returning to the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. St. Louis has been
left high & dry with no NFL franchise and it's probably similar to Cleveland
leaving for Baltimore, MD ... except for one key regard. Both of St.
Louis's quarterbacks are now directing the action for our beloved Vikings franchise.
The Heisman trophy recipient Sam Bradford became St. Louis's NFL franchise
quarterback being drafted #1 overall in the NFL's 2010 draft. If you were
a Ram's fan there was without doubt a huge investment placed in the hope that
this new franchise quarterback would lead their city to the promised land.
Of course this never happened as the history under coach Jeff Fisher never
materialized into a Super Bowl championship, or anything close to it.
With such great aspirations, along with so much hope, St. Louis became a
breeding ground of controversy, and mishap, where Sam Bradford became the poster boy
for a good deal of everything negative that occurred. For
instance, Sam Bradford was the recipient of the last huge rookie contract, which
exposed the franchise to a significant liability, that ripped the franchise
apart. Changing that rule alone put the Ram's franchise at a significant
& complete disadvantage, for everything that followed the Bradford contract
tied up the Ram's future money. Then one thing after another transpired
under the Fisher regime putting the franchise into a tail spin.
It is clear that the faith in Sam Bradford never wavered in that a 2nd contract
was signed with the Ram's. When the results didn't happen after that first
year, Sam was dealt to the Eagles. It's not clear what happened however
history may now be repeating itself.
Not so long ago there was another Heisman Trophy recipient that struggled mightily
under the Boston Patriots. In 1970 Jim Plunket, who attended
Stanford University, claimed that #1 college piece of offensive hardware by beating out Joe Theisman of
Notre Dame as well as Archie Manning only to be thrust into the mire of
Patriot-land. As it turned out 1970 was the year of the quarterback before
the Marino era. Boston's team wasn't very good and Plunket struggled
mightily ... that is ... until he landed in Oakland. What resulted was a
Super Bowl 15 championship over the Eagles led by Jim Plunket, one of only a
very few that have both a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl Ring. Hopefully,
under Mike Zimmer's crew ... history will repeat itself.
Due to the departure of the Ram's franchise the City of St. Louis thought that
they didn't have an NFL team for which to root. Well many of them at this
point still may feel this way however ... in time ... they in fact will have a
team to root for. Sam Bradford was their poster child
and both Sam Bradford and journeyman Shaun Hill, both former Ram's quarterback's
are ... without question ... running the show in Minnesota. Sure if you
were a St. Louis-fan-backer, you might feel ... hey why couldn't they do that
here in St. Louis ... but if they tune in to a Vikings game ... like they did
last Sunday ... there could only be one feeling. "That's my guy ...
and my faith put into him over all those tough years ... was something
justified. I believed in Sam Bradford ... and we all waited ... where it
became the carpet, being ripped beneath my feet, that prevented the eventuality.
Sam Bradford has the ability to win a championship ... where every St. Louis
Fan can say ... he was our guy". As distasteful as it might be the
cities of St. Louis and world region of the Viking nation are now indelibly
linked under the leadership of St. Louis's quarterbacks. The coo of
pulling Sam Bradford out of the hell fire of Philadelphia may be Rick Spielman's
greatest move ever.
The media has it wrong. Like it or not the Vikings gave up our 2017 1st
round draft pick and a conditional 2018 2nd round draft pick, assuming that this
franchise makes it to the Super Bowl. The 2nd round draft pick is
conditional based upon Sam Bradford's performance in regard to how well the team
does where that 2nd round pick can turn into a 4th round pick. Why is this
important, to get the draft pick values correct, well it is because we now have a 2nd team & fan
base which is now rooting for the Minnesota Vikings to get to this years Super Bowl,
if things don't work out in Philadelphia in 2016. For the city of
Philadelphia rooting for the Vikings is a winning situation as if we win ...
they win. The conditional pick by Rick Spielman may prove to be a
brilliant move on his part.
Two entirely different cities rooting for the Vikings ... seems hard to fathom
but keep in mind ... neither of these cities are on the NFL elite Super Bowl
status, like Pittsburgh, Boston, Dallas or even Green Bay. Philly hasn't
won a championship since 1960 and has no Super Bowl trophies. St. Louis
had one but the hardware left for Los Angeles. Now how does that idea hit
Yah!
The tide is building as not only regions are polarizing toward this Minnesota
Viking franchise, other young fans are opening their eyes ... maybe for the
first time ... toward our beloved franchise. This franchise ... the most
unfortunate franchise is history ... is clearly the underdog,
where maybe even "NFL-distant" woman will open their eyes and hearts to
our beloved group. I know my wife was astounded watching last weeks Sam Bradford's
highlight film as he connected with this upstart by the name of Diggs, et
al. She was astounded and impressed having watched Ponder by
comparison. This thing is building quickly and the buzz is becoming
deafening.
If you bleed purple, at this juncture, it's hard not to temper everything around
you. It wasn't all that long ago that someone with significant money
interests in the Metrodome pulled off a trade for Hershel Walker. In that
opening contest Hershel had a magnificent debut ... only to falter badly afterwards
... just about the time when his shoe came off. Could history be
repeating itself again? No one knows however this franchise has been hurt
enough where maybe it's our time ....
The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: September 21, 2016
|
