For those of you who don't follow the Vikings, I wanted to let you in on some of the more interesting distractions sub-plots that may be wafting through the air in the Metrodome on Sunday.
Patrick Reusse summarized these 'beyond the game' issues in an article which appeared today in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
These are things that don't concern us too much, but for those who don the old Norseman gear and love to polka, pound schnapps, and say you betcha, it's getting close to put up or shut up time on a couple of fronts.
One is the years-old issue of how to bring a new stadium to the Twin Cities area to replace the outdated Metrodome. We won't get into those details here other than to say, Vikings fans, take it from us, you really don't want to lose the NFL. Been there - done that. Our former team is now 700 miles away and is 7-0. Bud Adams is still asking us how his bleep tastes.
Yeah I know, we're better off now but the five year gap without a home team was worse than any playoff drought.
Another issue for Minnesotans is a head coach who is precariously close to being run out of town. We've been through that here with a number of coaches too, so that's not really on our care meter either. But yeah, if there's any way to get the "Fire Chilly" chants going early in this one, it could work to the Texans favor.
Yet another theme is a disillusioned owner named Ziggy. I don't know much about that but Vikings fans should re-read my comments above on one way a disillusioned owner can become a content, richer, and fatter owner - although in this case it seems that unlike Adams, Wilf would sell outright and not seek relocation while he remains the owner.
So be aware, this game brings a lot more than what meets the eye. But fortunately (?), all we have to worry about is how to stop one of the best running backs to ever come out of our great state, and try to figure out how to run the ball effectively against a great run defense, and how to keep Kevin Williams and Jared Allen off Matt Schaub.
The Texans need a statement game and this one is a really good candidate - all things considered. I would love to see it happen since this is my annual roadie and I expect to be one of the few wearing Texans gear in a mass of purple.
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