Should they stay or should they go?

[frequency]

I am a huge NFL fan and I try to enjoy every aspect of the game. I am also a Minnesota Vikings fan. I have to say that Packers fans are quite fortunate. You never have to worry or wonder if your beloved team will leave one day. The Vikings seem to be "for sale" every few years and a move to another city is possible. Your thoughts?

Does Adding Favre Mean Vikings Are For Sale? Ten Yards

 

[PackersRS]

Don't want that, I mean, I would laugh for some time, sure, mock the ex-queens fans. But the rivalry would be gone, or at least softened. When there was the NFC Central, TB was a big rivalry. Of course GB x MN was allways bigger, but you get the point.

 

[Hauschild]

I'm not sure why anybody would even entertain the notion that Wilf would sell the Vikings - especially THIS season with the media-induced recession we may never fully climb out of - meaning the Vikings are worth (a reported) 100 million dollars less at this point in time as opposed to this point last season.

That dude didn't get rich by accident.

 

[nelanator]

You guys are idiots if you think that Forbes article holds any water. Like I said in the other, Forbes called Kevin McHale the best GM in sports a couple of years ago. They are an absolute joke when it comes to sports commentary. Give me a break, Florio.

 

[cyoung]

I love the Packers and Vikings rivalry, I'd hate to see it be any different.

 

[frequency]

Agreed cyoung

 

[Packerlifer]

I look forward to the day the Vikings leave Minnesota. Probably for Los Angeles, maybe Toronto. I hate that Arena League stadium they have there in the Metrodome. Crowd noise? Sure, if you can contain 70,000 voices beneath a teflon top, place mikes and speakers close to the visiting team's bench, the lighting and background contrasts. It's about as rigged a home field as you can have. If the Vikings played outdoors on real grass, like they did in the old Metropolitan Stadium, they'd probably have lost half the games they won in the Hump vs. the Packers. The simple fact is this: The Vikings lease in the Metrodome expires in 2011, the NFL and Los Angeles want a franchise in the nation's second largest sports market, the Vikings currently rank last in the league in the revenue their stadium generates for them, the Wilfs and their ownership partners are equity rich but cash flow poor (they're managing only to make the interest payments on their purchase of the franchise), after more than a decade of discussions there's no progress on a new stadium for them in Minnesota; even as the baseball Twins and college Gophers have new stadia for themselves under construction. The Wilfs and their partners are out-state business people with no particular sentimental ties to Minnesota, if it comes down to a bottom line decision. If they moved the franchise, or sold it to someone else who would move it, its value and profitability would soar in LA compared to Minnesota. And LA has a history of getting its major sports franchises by relocation from other venues: the baseball Dodgers from Brooklyn, the Rams from Cleveland & the Raiders from Oakland in previious NFL periods, and there once was an NBA team known as the Minneapolis Lakers. The talk of a Vikings move is becoming more and more open as the time ticks down. Either Minnesota comes up with about $700 million to fund the lion's share of a new stadium or the Vikings only have about 30 games left in Minnesota.

 

[Hauschild]

I look forward to the day the Vikings leave Minnesota. Probably for Los Angeles, maybe Toronto. I hate that Arena League stadium they have there in the Metrodome. Crowd noise? Sure, if you can contain 70,000 voices beneath a teflon top, place mikes and speakers close to the visiting team's bench, the lighting and background contrasts. It's about as rigged a home field as you can have. If the Vikings played outdoors on real grass, like they did in the old Metropolitan Stadium, they'd probably have lost half the games they won in the Hump vs. the Packers. The simple fact is this: The Vikings lease in the Metrodome expires in 2011, the NFL and Los Angeles want a franchise in the nation's second largest sports market, the Vikings currently rank last in the league in the revenue their stadium generates for them, the Wilfs and their ownership partners are equity rich but cash flow poor (they're managing only to make the interest payments on their purchase of the franchise), after more than a decade of discussions there's no progress on a new stadium for them in Minnesota; even as the baseball Twins and college Gophers have new stadia for themselves under construction. The Wilfs and their partners are out-state business people with no particular sentimental ties to Minnesota, if it comes down to a bottom line decision. If they moved the franchise, or sold it to someone else who would move it, its value and profitability would soar in LA compared to Minnesota. And LA has a history of getting its major sports franchises by relocation from other venues: the baseball Dodgers from Brooklyn, the Rams from Cleveland & the Raiders from Oakland in previious NFL periods, and there once was an NBA team known as the Minneapolis Lakers. The talk of a Vikings move is becoming more and more open as the time ticks down. Either Minnesota comes up with about $700 million to fund the lion's share of a new stadium or the Vikings only have about 30 games left in Minnesota.

You're entire posts smacks of complete homerism. I mean, please..."rigged" stadiums??? That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've read in quite a while. Every team gets to build their stadium any way they see fit, right? Or, are you that type of Packers fan that feels everything that happens to the Packers is the direct result of 31 other teams and fans conspiring against them??? Actually, I never believed the dome's advantage was crowd noise as much as it was the original astro turf that was taken out about the time Green Bay begin to find consistent success at Minnesota. It was the "quick" field and defense that killed Green Bay for all of Holmgren's years - not crowd noise. Notice how even Brett Favre consistently won once the Vikings went to the newer, slower surface. At any rate, if Favre signs with Minnesota, the talk of the Vikings leaving will be moot because Wilf will eventually get his new stadium. Speaking of which, I saw a mock-up of it and it looked unbelievable.

 

[Hauschild]

Google Image Result for http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/future/vikings901.jpg

 

[Packerlifer]

Sure, there's an architectural design out there for the stadium they want. But a design isn't a new stadium. There's still no consent from any level of public entity in Minnesota and no agreement or arrangemnt for funding and there's no progress on getting it. Listen closely to what Lester Bagley, Vikings' vice president and point man on the new stadium, has been saying lately. He's been talking more openly than any one else in that organization that the Vikings are frustrated and could be moved. He's expressing the sentiment of the owners they don't want to say publicly themselves. Public sentiments in poll after poll indicate there's little support for public financing of a new Vikings stadium in Minnesota and now in hard economic times the prospects are even less. Leaders from the governor on down are opposed to public financing of another new stadium. Turf is certainly part of the "home field advantage" of the Metrodome but visiting teams have always included the noise problem there and the league has warned the Vikings about their placement and volume adjustments calibrated to interfere with the visiting team. There's a clear and peculiar difference in the performance and record of both the Twins & Vikings at home compared to away and of top clubs when they come in to The Hump. Even in Minnesota they admit it's the Dome. Anyway, when the Vikings move we'll probably get the Rams moved into our division so there'll still be 2 dome teams in the NFCN and with horns on their helmets.

 

[doughsellz]

Actually, I never believed the dome's advantage was crowd noise as much as it was the original astro turf that was taken out about the time Green Bay begin to find consistent success at Minnesota. It was the "quick" field and defense that killed Green Bay for all of Holmgren's years - not crowd noise. Notice how even Brett Favre consistently won once the Vikings went to the newer, slower surface.

The playing surface did have it's advantages but teams were able to beat the Vikings regularly at the Metrodome so it's not just that. The non-turf Bears dealt the Vikings several upset losses at MN.

#4 began wearing earplugs in domes. That's when he began to perform better. The noise was definitely a factor for him.

 

[PackersRS]

I've always looked at home support and noise being more influential in a positive way to the home team than in a negative way to the visitor. IMO it encourages the players to give their maximum effort when they're tired. I'm not completely disregarding it's affect on the opposing team, but an experienced team shouldn't be so disrupted by the crowd.

 

[net]

Favre is "unretiring"(again) because he can't stand not being on the main stage, regardless of the consequences it causes.
Wolf has an expensive turkey on his hands, and one way to generate some cash is to bring in a star, like Favre. Favre brought in lots of money for the Jets last year.
It has some business sense on both sides.
But my most fervent wish is to have a stack of Green and Gold Packers players piled on a 40 year old purple-clad QB who got rich and famous thanks to the Packers and now wants to defeat them.

 

[robdog]

I think Favre is "unretiring" because it is just hard to let go of football/the NFL. He has been playing the game for most of his life and to one year just give it up, so hard for some people.

I am sure he wants to go out on top with a Superbowl ring, but I just do not see that in the cards for him.

About the crowd noise, I can only image what that sounds like. I know when I go, I add as much as my pipes permit.

 

[Hauschild]

The playing surface did have it's advantages but teams were able to beat the Vikings regularly at the Metrodome so it's not just that. The non-turf Bears dealt the Vikings several upset losses at MN.

#4 began wearing earplugs in domes. That's when he began to perform better. The noise was definitely a factor for him.

All I can point at with great accuracy is that Brett Favre - as well as Green Bay's record - drastically improved once that old turf was removed and replaced with the natural, slower crap.

Now, it may also have been the Vikings losing John Randall. All I can say is that Dennis Green built that defense to beat Green Bay and he was mightily successful - much like Lovie Smith of late. Ear plugs versus speedy turf coupled with a rabbit-quick defense. I'll let you determine which is more "reasonable" and "probable".

 

[Packerlifer]

I've always looked at home support and noise being more influential in a positive way to the home team than in a negative way to the visitor. IMO it encourages the players to give their maximum effort when they're tired. I'm not completely disregarding it's affect on the opposing team, but an experienced team shouldn't be so disrupted by the crowd.

It is to be expected that the home crowd will be a "12th Man" for the home team. In places like Seattle, Kansas City, Cleveland and at times Lambeau that's particularly the case. But that's noise and effect generated by the crowd, not noise from a large group simply contained within an enclosed space. Take the top off the Hump and see how much the decibal level will dissipate.
I've watched too many games, not just the Packers, in which too many good teams go into the Metrodome and have almost a complete "personality change" from how they perform even as the visiting team in other venues not to believe that stadium has a signal effect against them.

 

[PackersRS]

It is to be expected that the home crowd will be a "12th Man" for the home team. In places like Seattle, Kansas City, Cleveland and at times Lambeau that's particularly the case. But that's noise and effect generated by the crowd, not noise from a large group simply contained within an enclosed space. Take the top off the Hump and see how much the decibal level will dissipate.
I've watched too many games, not just the Packers, in which too many good teams go into the Metrodome and have almost a complete "personality change" from how they perform even as the visiting team in other venues not to believe that stadium has a signal effect against them.

I agree with you to some extent. You do see teams have a change of personality. But not the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, Giants... Teams that are accostumated with big games, playoffs and such.