twins/mlb
Jim Souhan analyzes the local sports scene and advises you to never take his betting advice. He likes old guitars and old music, never eats press box hot dogs, and can be heard on 1500ESPN at 2:05 p.m. weekdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m.-noon.
Find him on Twitter
Posts about Leslie Frazier
Carter in, Peterson waiting
Posted by: Jim Souhan Updated: February 2, 2013 - 5:35 PM
I covered Cris Carter's arrival in Minnesota. He had earned his dismissal from the Eagles, abusing drugs and alcohol. The Vikings picked him up on waivers because Jerry Burns thought he could turn into a great receiver. Burnsie was right.
Carter was your classic underperforming diva wide receiver when he arrived. He and I hit it off the following training camp. He agreed to a long sit-down interview. He told me if I told his story honestly, we'd get along fine, and if I didn't, he'd punch me in the eye.
I didn't pull any punches, and he didn't throw any. He wanted to make his story public, and he was my go-to guy in the lockerrom until I left the Vikiings beat to cover baseball following the 1992 season.
When I began covering football again, in 1998, Carter and I didn't have the same relationship, but I loved watching him play. Dennis Green gave perhaps the quiintessential quote on Carter: He said Carter expanded the field. It was an early version of the ``catch-radius'' idea. Green meant that with Carter, a quarterback could throw the ball three feet out of bounds, or five feet over his head, or at his toes, and Carter would catch it.
Near the end of his career, I asked Carter how he played so long, as a guy who was willing to go over the middle to make catches. He began listing the people he employed: Nutritionist, physical therapist, chiropractor, chef, personal trainer...the list went on for a while.
I'm not sure I ever covered a more dedicated athlete.
His downside was linked to his greatest strength: He put so much into playing football that he couldn't stomach those who didn't match his commitment.
I think he was deserving of the Hall of Fame. He was elected to the Hall on Saturday in New Orleans.
I'm at the NFL Awards Ceremony, awaiting word on whether Adrian Peterson will win the MVP award.
Carter and Peterson have very different personalities. They have this in common: There is or has been any doubt about their desire to be great.
I stopped Vikings coach Leslie Frazier on the red carpet and asked if he's talked with Peterson about the award. ``Oh, yeah,'' Frazier said. ``He's still upset that he didn't win the Heisman. He'll be the first to tell you he should win this.''
Mark Craig and I will have all the Hall of Fame and NFL award coverage from New Orleans in tomorrow's paper and at startribune.com.
Frazier wins award
Posted by: Jim Souhan Updated: February 1, 2013 - 11:03 AMI was on Leslie Frazier's flight to New Orleans, via Atlanta. I recommended he hire a new travel agent. An NFL head coach needing a connecting flight? C'mon.
Turns out he was headed to New Orleans for more than networking. Frazier was honored at the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation Awards ceremony on Thursday.
The Pollard Group promotes the causes of minority coaches. Frazier and Bengals coach Marvin Lewis were the recipients of the Johnnie L. Cochran Salute to Excellence Awards.
Another Vikings note: A writer friend of mine told me he was walking down the same street as Vikings running back Adrian Peterson this week in New Orleans.
Peterson passed a homeless man, doubled back, and handed him a bill. The man's eyes grew wide when he realized it was a $100.
-Spoke with Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald this morning for a piece I'm writing for tomorrow's paper. Fitzgerald is up for the NFL Man of the Year Award, along with Dallas tight end Jason Witten and Browns tackle Joe Thomas. Those with Minnesota ties who have won the award include Matt Birk, Cris Carter and Madieu Williams.
-I'll be in New Orleans through Monday, covering the game. Please keep up with Mark Craig's work all week from here.
-I'll be on 1500espn at 2:05 and KFGO in Fargo at 3:05, and then back on 1500espn tonight on Tom Pelissero's show at 6:40 p.m. I'll also be on the Sunday Show from New Orleans, 10-11:30 a.m.
My Twitter handle is @Souhanstrib.
Vikings are 9-6? Vikings are 9-6
Posted by: Jim Souhan Updated: December 23, 2012 - 6:24 PMWin or lose next week, make the playoffs or not, the Vikings are overachivers this year, and the way they manhandled two of the league's best teams lends credence to Leslie Frazier's approach.
The Vikings manhandled the 49ers at home. They manhandled the Texans on the road.
When Christian Ponder doesn't lose the game for them, the Vikings tend to win.
They're 9-6 now, and one victory away from the playoffs, and winning with a style that seems sustainable and a young roster that seems capable of growth.
Ponder and the defense should get much of the credit for the victory. I think the coaching staff should get a game ball for this one. Chad Greenway said the game plan was to choke off the Texans' running game, which woulid hamper their ability to use play action and bootlegs. It worked.
While Andre Johnson caught passes in the middle of the field, he didn't hurt the Vikings' deep.
Offensively, Bill Musgrave designed another game plan that set Ponder up to succeed. He scripted easy throws early, and obviously encouraged Ponder to use his legs when appropriate. Ponder has looked like a much more confident quarterback the last two weeks, especially when on the move.
I know the Pagano-Arians pairing in Indianapolis will receive most of the coach of the year votes, and they have a great and emotional case. I think Leslie Frazier deserves consideration, it not a slew of first-place votes. This team looked hopeless last year, and he has this gorup of players playing with fire and cohesiveness.
As I've noted before this season, Frazier has also helped make this a class organization. I can't remember the last time I covered a winning Vikings team that was this much fun to be around.
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I'll be on 1500ESPN at 2:05 on Monday with Patrick Reusse, and on WJON in St. Cloud with Jay Caldwell at 7:15 a.m.
Please follow me on Twitter at @Souhanstrib.
Big weekend for Mn sports
Posted by: Jim Souhan Updated: December 17, 2012 - 9:12 AMPondering Ponder Again
Posted by: Jim Souhan Updated: December 9, 2012 - 6:07 PMYou can look at it as a positive, that the Vikings' running game and defense were strong enough on Sunday that they rarely needed to throw the ball.
Or you can look at it realistically and say that quarterback Christian Ponder continues to regress.
Sunday, he completed 11 of 17 passes, which is fine, but he threw for just 91 yards against a defense stacked up to stop Adrian Peterson. He took just one sack, but almost fumbled while foolishly trying to throw the ball away on a play that could have turned into a game-turning fumble.
He threw one awful interception into triple coverage. And he continued to look skittish in the pocket.
His post-game press conference lasted less than two minutes, because we have nothing left to ask him and he has nothing left to say.
He's a nice guy, if that sort of thing matters to you. He really is. He's accountable and friendly and honest and all that good stuff. But he's playing lousy football.
If there was a positive development in the passing game, it was that there were a few Michael Jenkins sightings on Sunday. He caught four of the five passes thrown his direction. With Kyle Rudolph catching zero passes, Jenkins at least helped move the chains a few times.
My Monday column is about what the victory meant for the team and Leslie Frazier.
I'll be on WJON in St. Cloud on Monday at 7:15, and on 1500ESPN at 2:05 p.m. with Reusse & Mackey.
Please follow me on Twitter at @Souhanstrib.
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