Wednesday, 11 October 2017

Peterson finally gets #23

For 10 years in the North Star State, Adrian Peterson was the star man, leading the Minnesota Vikings' rushing attack. Setting franchise records for both yardage and touchdowns, the 7th overall pick from the 2007 draft even came within 9 yards of beating Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record back in 2012, just a year after returning from an ACL injury in record time.

Saturday, 3 September 2016

Opinion: Bradford trade smacks of Vikings desperation

For the first time in four years as Vikings general manager, Rick Spielman blinked.

On Tuesday, his starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a tragic, season-ending knee injury. On Thursday, he went on the record saying the Vikings wouldn't jeopardise their future finding Bridgewater's replacement. On Saturday, he may have done just that, sacrificing a first-round pick in 2017 and anywhere between a fourth-rounder and a second-rounder in 2018.

For that price, you almost want a sure thing. You want to be able to bring in a guy you know can deliver the goods for a full 16-game season and well into the playoffs. At this stage of the season, those guys just aren't available, and prices are inflated when other teams know you're desperate, but you still want a guy you can count on.

The Vikings got Sam Bradford.

Vikings trade first-rounder for Bradford




The Minnesota Vikings have traded a first-round pick in the 2017 draft for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford. The Eagles will also receive a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for the man selected at number 1 overall in 2010.

Friday, 8 November 2013

A game of two halves for Vikings

The Vikings' defensive line had a lot to smile
about in the second half against the Redskins
The Minnesota Vikings finally won their first game of the season on American soil last night, overcoming the Washington Redskins 34–27 at the Metrodome to go 2–7. The game featured a rejuvenated Christian Ponder, who threw for two touchdowns and just four incompletions all night, but it was the Minnesota defence that showed the most improvement from their final-minute defeat to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday.

Monday, 3 June 2013

Chelsea's managerial merry-go-round comes full-circle

Mourinho has returned to Chelsea after
six years away from Stamford Bridge
Well, it's not like no one saw it coming, but the inevitable has been confirmed. José Mourinho has been confirmed as Chelsea's 11th manager of the Roman Abramovich era (if you don't mind the Grover Cleveland-esque custom of numbering his two spells separately).

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Manchester United and Real Madrid: a match made in heaven

When Manchester United drew Real Madrid in the round of 16 of this year's Champions League, many marked it out immediately as the tie of the round. Real manager José Mourinho even went so far as to say that it was a match better suited to being the final of the competition than to decide who reaches the last 8.

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Hargreaves out in the cold

Few things can be more devastating to a footballer than to have their career curtailed by injury, but that seems to be the direction in which Owen Hargreaves is heading since Manchester City announced that the one-year pay-as-you-play contract he signed last summer would not be renewed. The former England international's struggles with various leg injuries have been torturous, as he made one comeback after another, only to last just a few minutes before breaking down again.