Smash Articles
14
Playoff Teams
Rule Changes
17 Game
Season
Low Lights
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Theilen Fly's Again
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Yes, the ghost & I were there in old fashion purple, amongst
a sea of green, located almost right on the 50 yard line, intently listening for
messages. The first message came during the our tail gate that the game
would go under 46 points, which it did. It was expected to be a shoot out
with much greater scoring ... that just didn't happen. There was another
message given, that cannot be disclosed. All I understood was that we
needed to take care of business here in Philadelphia, PA ... and that exactly
what we did.
Holding firmly onto 57 years of dread, the play of fate unfolded for me to
witness in absolute silence. No words could be spoken within that crescendo
... amongst this hostile environment. You'd get rolled for a nickel by
just looking at the right person the wrong way. If you think the conflict
on the grid was tough ... try serving it up at the Linc. In just a brief
moment in time, I got to see Theilen fly again. It wasn't to the extent of
what I saw down in Charlotte, North Carolina, the year after the Panther's Super
Bowl appearance but it was a wake up call.
Within
me, I knew what was about to unfold, knowing the outcome many months before the
tilt, always knowing that I had to be it's witness. For many months,
following specific instructions not to purchase a ticket until 24 hours before
the event (after October 6, 2018 at 4:25 pm EST). Never being allowed to
plan or prepare until that window opened. From that moment on, finding
& then smoking the meats, assembling "Grandma's Special Red Eye Pork
Chops" (Which are not even my grandmothers recipe), followed by baking
bread in the morning to catch an 11 am ride to the Linc. It was a great
day for tailgating, once the hatred of the green wave had subsided in the
lot.
So, you might be asking, how valuable was Roc Thomas yesterday. That sweep
that he ran was an eye opener and it sent an immediate message to both the
Philly defense ... and more importantly to Latavius Murray. You'd expect
that pounding brute would be used first, but in fact what we got was a whole
bunch of misdirection from Flip. Was it a masterpiece ... hardly ... but
it was the first step toward figuring out those pieces. Roc never got the
chance to catch that ball out in front, at full speed, after bleeding through
the line, but he was a force of reckoning. Murray loaded the box whereas
Roc uncomfortably spread the field. If Flip ever gets "The Roc"
& Cook going ... all those nasty dominos will fall. What resulted was Murray's rips,
after Flips largess & finesse, which is a testament to these two key cogs.
Imaging having a better version of McKinnon along with an even still better
version of McKinnon. You thought the Saints had something ... just wait for this
thing to evolve as Flip just might evolve into the evil scientist.
Sometimes it was hard watching Kirk Cousin's take all those shots after
delivering the ball ... trying to understand how anyone could take that kind of
punishment ... but his work on the field was a wonder to behold. Last
year, we faced Cousin's in Washington ... the game Teddy returned to our
sidelines ... where Cousin's connected with what was a practice team player in
the corner of the end zone. Initially it was ruled incomplete ... because
of course it was an impossible catch. That ball & catch was so
counterintuitive that even instant replay had to rub its metaphorical eyes, all
the while thinking to
itself, "No Way did this just happen". Trae Waynes didn't get
beat on that play as there was no better coverage possible. For that
result to have occurred there has to be a message given so clear & concise
that you couldn't ignore it. It was like Reggie White sacking Warren Moon
by throwing Cris Carter at Moon's legs who was standing about ten yard away from
Reggie in the back field. It would happen only once in my lifetime where
I'm certain that the gods were displeased with Hercules for allowing his anger
to be unleashed in such a manner.
Take heart Viking fans, as you watch the Ram's accumulate victory after
victory on their way to that number 1 seed. There was a point made when
the commentators announced how well these Viking fans turned out in mass numbers
on that Thursday night contest. It gave the Ram's a great confidence boost
playing this squad in almost complete disarray. Some say that from over
confidence comes arrogance, but who am I to say. Those Viking fans might
have left that game disappointed.
They felt something very strong but it was just out of sequence. In some
ways, it was like jumping the gun. In other words, the schedule makers can
sequence events to give the maximum possible to the outcome ... but that will
not be possible come playoff time. On that day, the grid will be the same
and the stars will be in an entirely different arena.
Jimmy Smith & Keenen McCardell
Their is an unmistakable & completely unexplainable bond between
Adam Theilen & Stefon Diggs that just doesn't happen by simple occurrence or
happen stance. Their bond has hurdled every possible obstacle.
Typically, within a franchise, there is one outstanding athlete, along with a
slew of also rans ... but that is not in Minnesota. The question is ...
why??? Well, if you've ever seen an interview by either Diggs or Theilen
their responses are both measured & guarded ... in many ways. However,
there is a historical link to the past that too many youngsters just don't
understand where the answer to this sole-bonding between these two starts with
asking Stefon Diggs what he knows about Jimmy Smith & Keenem
McCardell. He just might have something to say about these figures of our
NFL history that might help explain how both Diggs & Theilen carry
themselves & the burdens within this franchise. This just doesn't
happen ... as it is counter to everything in this franchises history. We
all just might learn a thing or two from this simple character by the name of
Diggs ... that just might help us all in our daily lives. There is a bit
of wisdom there that transcends the
A-typical.
Back in the day, the Jacksonville Jaguars became one of the newest franchises in
the NFL. In creating this franchise, they were allowed to assemble players
in what one might describe as absolute desperation ... others might say ... a
complete crap shoot. What evolved from that process were two unknown
receivers being fed by a man named Brunell that turned the NFL on its
head. McCardell & Smith were a marvel in an absolute environment that
could be best described as a fledgling trying to find its way in life.
They took that impossible task and turned it into a series of master pieces.
Although there is no confirmation or evidence to this whatsoever, somehow that McCardell
& Smith bond has found its way into the Modern era because when I see Diggs
do his thing on the grid, I see an extension of a bygone era. It was as if
that bond was somehow infused into Diggs & Theilen giving a rebirth to
something that we thought we'd never see again. It's more than refreshing
... it is profound.
Side Note:
There were numerous messages for me on this day. On my right, were two
Viking fans too afraid to wear their purple & cheer overtly for their
team. On the left was a family of four all wearing green. My
introduction on the right was with a message that was so forthright & direct
as to bring me directly to my knees. Just in case I didn't hear it, it was
repeated for me. For the next 3-1/2 periods ... not much more was
said. From behind I was asked by some loud mouthed & overtly
disrespectful woman, "Are you a real Viking?" This question
wasn't a mistake to which people sometimes have no control over what they might
blurt out. To which, the mother of the group on my left responded wearing
her green attire, "How would I know what he is ... I'm just trying to enjoy
the game ... Peace Symbol (with two fingers in the air). I thought very
hard about that question for a moment not believing what I just heard being
uttered. I then leaned over to the mom on my left and asked, "Did I
hear that right ... Did she just ask me if I was a Viking?" She
nodded yes, to which I said boldly for all to hear in that quieted group,
"Yes, I am a Viking". Astounded the mother asked for the woman
behind her as well as her group, "How do you know that?" Then I
thought ... how do I get her to understand 57 years of my history ... and just
nodded yes, and restated it again. After a while, she told me that
her husband, one further seat away from me, wearing his Eagle Green, was also a
Viking Fan. She said that he just had his birthday where his birthday cake
was adorned in purple & gold, which should tell you something about the
father. Then he opened up to tell me that he traveled with his son last
year to watch the Super Bowl in our new stadium which brought a twinkle to his
eye trying to describe it. It was his first & only visit to that new
stadium, where it was too painful for me to ask, were you torn up inside knowing
how you felt about the Vikings not being there. Sometimes what we fail to
understand is that just might have been his one & only opportunity to get
that close to it ... even though he clearly understood that it wouldn't be
adorned in purple & gold.
Profound Statement:
"God made us ... The devil puts us together". Along
time ago, as a boy, I had tried to understand this reoccurring loop by
asking the question, "Why haven't the Vikings won that Super Bowl
Championship?' To which I was given this profound jewel. I have
heard many people speak in regard to just a small part of what Joe Paterno
brought & did for Penn State. It was his love, his mistress & his
passion, barring maybe his family. What destroyed him was his association
with what turned out to be pure evil that hid his true intentions for all to
see. To drive out the innocence that represent the region that is
Minnesota would be a sin but on the other hand it is not hard to see a mans true
intentions. Not to be disrespectful, but for Head Coach Mike Zimmer ... it
has nothing to do with a crystal ball ... that can only forecast a future that
can be cursed to know.
The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: October 8, 2018
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