Wikipedia is probably the best page on the internet. No, it's not always accurate, but it's the first source to find out pretty much anything about anything.
I know it makes people look cool when they bash Wikipedia, but let's be fair - a page that is viewed constantly gets corrected constantly. A page that nobody cares about is more likely to be inaccurate.
There have been times when people try to put false info into a page and the administrators will lock it and then fix it.
Wikipedia is the best example of everything that is right about the internet. It is one site that I contribute financially to, because it's a site designed to give people information. And that's what the internet was supposed to be about in the beginning, NOT just making money.
I like Wikipedia, but if you use it then you must realize that it does NOT go through a verified editing process, and inaccuracies are found AFTER publication, and then only if someone complains.
It is also incredibly subjective, with opinion often being confused or passed off as fact.
Take the page on Brad Childress for instance, since it is the one you referenced earlier:
Many players have also expressed frustration over the play-calling and overall philosophy of Childress during his 2-year tenure as head coach of the Vikings. A few players, including Brad Johnson, Jermaine Wiggins, and Travis Taylor, asked for and received their releases.
The second sentance implies that Johnson, Wiggins, and Taylor wanted out of Minnesota because they didn't like Childress. Let's set the record straight.
1) Johnson wanted out of Minnesota because he felt that he could still be a starter in the NFL. Minnesota released him from his contract so he could pursue a starting spot. He left Minnesota very amicably, and it had nothing to do with his view of Childress, who he supported time and time again in press conferences.
2) Wiggins was cut, and complained about being cut afterwards. He didn't ask for any release, he had a poor performance and didn't fit in with Childress's system. BTW, where is he playing now? No where. He was a popular player, but not that good.
3) Taylor, like Wiggy, wasn't anything great, and after being released by the Vikings, was released by the Raiders and St Louis before signing a 2 year with Carolina. This obviously means that the coaching staff on those teams are horrible too. Or maybe it's Taylor... hmm.... Also, a big part of his release was his off the field involvement, including getting tasered at a nightclub in Minny.
BTW, I love how in that entire Criticism section on Childress's wiki page, NONE OF IT IS CITED. That is because it is the conjecture and opinion of one person, the person who wrote it. Yet it is passed off as fact the whole time.
Last year in particular, many fans were unable to figure out why the Vikings refused to use Adrian Peterson in the passing game on more than a few occasions.
Many fans? How many is that? A majority? 50%? Twelve? And most fans with a brain knew
why Childress wasn't using him. It is just that many
disagreed with it. So either the person writing that page is an idiot and can't figure out
why, or he or she is expressing their opinion and passing it off as fact.
I like wikipedia quite a bit. I use it as a resource all the time. But I do NOT accept it as any type of authority. Instead, I use it to find information, and then verify the information I find at a reputable site before I use it.