Patrick Reusse: After an ugly victory, apologies flow freely

There was no-nonsense commentary written here last week in which it was stated the Vikings and coach Brad Childress should never feel the need to apologize for a victory.

Five days later, I would like to apologize for those 23 paragraphs. I also owe an apology to "gogomezgo," "veegez" and more for hinting their posts at startribune.com were anything less than astute.

While we're at it, let's insist that Sunday's audience in the Metrodome and the several hundred thousand Midwesterners watching on television receive an apology for the 12-10 victory over the Detroit Lions from Childress, from the 44 Vikings who participated, from the cheerleaders and from the entire Wilf family.

An apology is due to the Lions for writing here that Sunday's game was a guaranteed Vikings victory. Plus: Judd Zulgad, our Vikings beat writer, agreed that he owes the Lions and his readers an apology for his public forecast of a 31-9 Vikings victory.

Most important, I'm offering an apology to Leigh Bodden, a Detroit cornerback who was the victim of a bogus pass interference call that cost his team what would've been a hard-earned first victory of the season.

Bodden was running with receiver Aundrae Allison and there was contact as soft as Dreft baby detergent. An official in the neighborhood suffered a hallucination and threw a flag for pass interference.

This allowed the Vikings to advance 42 yards, going from what would have been third-and-20 at their 32 to first-and-10 at Detroit's 26 with 2:15 remaining.

What happened? "Nothing," a still-puzzled Bodden said later in the Lions locker room.

He took a few more questions about the play and then I said to him: "The NFL has been known to issue apologies to teams a day or two after extra-bad calls. Do you expect to get one?"

Bodden said: "I hope so. I'm hoping we get an apology, but that's not going to get us a win. I think that [call] really took us away from getting a 'W' today."

Another apology should be directed to Dan Cole, the midday host on KFAN-AM and the Twin Cities' leading loyalist to the "Motor City Kitties." He took Deuce, his 5-year-old son, to the Dome on Sunday, and the impressionable lad made it to an NFL game's finish for the first time.

"We'll be fortunate if this experience does not turn the Deuce into a cynic for life, considering the manner in which he watched an athletic contest stolen from the rightful winners -- from the Kitties," Cole said.

Several sports columnists and NFL writers here at the Star Tribune owe apologies to readers for all those times last season that we stated the Vikings were benefiting from a tremendous '07 draft class.

It was more than Adrian Peterson, the running back who landed in their laps at Winter Park. They also got receivers Sidney Rice and Allison, cornerback Marcus McCauley and defensive end Brian Robison.

Rice has been injured and invisible. Allison's most notable moments have involved being called for offensive pass interference. McCauley finally has made it to the active list. Robison is a backup who almost shared a sack Sunday against Detroit's gawky Dan Orlovsky.

And while we're at it, there's more:

• I owe an apology to Gophers coach Tim Brewster. Observations were offered during his 1-11 debut in 2007 that he was a blowhard and did not have a chance to build a first-division program in the Big Ten. Now, after Saturday's upset at Illinois, it's clear that Brewster does have a chance, and only the first of those observations seems irrefutable.

• Finally, and most sincerely, I want to apologize to our grand yellow Lab, Stout, for OK-ing a midlife surgery for the big fella that has cost him a great deal of friskiness.