[Editor's note: This post is the first from a new writer that I am proud to welcome aboard: Drew Lange. Drew is currently reeling after watching his Minnesota Vikings lose last night, but decided to redirect his sorrow into something like productive...the result of which is the very unique post below. Enjoy.]
Before the Vikings – Saints game started last night I could not stand or sit still. I was way too nervous. After years and years of waiting for another big game, I couldn’t handle it. I decided to go walk around the house out at my farm and look for random CDs lying around in our computer room that nobody uses since we all have laptops now.
Among other things I found ‘The Best of Hootie and the Blowfish (1993-2003)”. This interested me since I know of Darius Rucker the country singer from my time DJ-ing on weekends at my local country station. The only real Hootie that I have come across lately is when at a party and everyone gets together to belt out the chorus to ‘Only Wanna Be With You’ in their best (and inevitably worst) Hootie voice.
I am a big Vikings fan and naturally at this time I don’t feel like doing much talking. I had my BlackBerry off during the game, and after the game was over I had 13 new texts and seven Facebook notifications. I answered one text and sent one more. That’s really all the talking I’ve done since the game was over other than say goodbye to my family as I hopped in my car for the ride back into town.
There isn’t much to say.
So with me not doing much talking for a while, I decided I’ll let Hootie explain how the game went in the form of his band’s best songs over a ten year span.
Apologies to fans of the songs Old Man and Me, Be The One, I Will Wait, and Only Lonely. They just didn’t make the cut this time. Not all songs can be translated into how I feel about Vikings – Saints games.
Track 1 – Hold My Hand
“We’ll walk above the water. We’ll rise above this mess.”
The New Orleans Saints are truly a special team. This game was theirs. They were hosting the NFC Championship game for the first time in their franchise’s history, and playing for a chance at their first ever Super Bowl experience just a few years after the devastating Hurricane Katrina ripped through the state. Congratulations Saints. Now go beat the Colts by five touchdowns.
Track 2 – Only Wanna Be With You
“You look at me. You have nothing left to say.”
There really isn’t much to say after last night’s game. The Vikings were the better team, but the team that played better won. It is as simple as that.
Track 3 – Time
“Time is wasting, time is walkin. You ain’t no friend of mine.
I don’t know where I’m going. I think I’m out of my mind, thinking about time”
The Vikings had the ball on the New Orleans 34 yard line with just under a minute left and one timeout. Plenty enough time to move the ball at least five yards closer, maybe pick up a first down and settle for a nice mid-range field goal. They just drove the length of the field, what’s a few more plays right? Wrong. Instead Childress was content with a 51 yard field goal attempt, and we all know how it went from there.
“You left me standing there…..The wind just stripped me bare.”
Dear Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian:
Thanks for helping me out last night. I was sure after my fumble we were doomed, but thanks to your uncharacteristic fumbles coupled with Adrian’s usual antics out there, most people will forgot that I coughed up the ball inside the 10 yard line right before halftime.
Good luck next year and have fun at the Pro Bowl next week.
Love, Reggie Bush
Track 4 – Let Her Cry
“She sits alone by a lamppost, trying to find a thought that’s escaped her mind.”
This lyric actually has nothing to do with what happened in the game, but more with me watching the majority of the fourth quarter and overtime in my kitchen alone so I could pace uncontrollably without anyone bothering me. I couldn’t take it.
“This morning I woke up alone, found a note standing by the phone saying ‘Baby, maybe I’ll be back someday’.”
Maybe the Vikings will be back in this position again. It’s pretty logical that at some point in the franchises entire future they will have another chance at a Super Bowl. Since it is the Vikings however, it is only a maybe. As I said to my dad as I was heading back to my apartment, “I’ll see you in another 11 years.”
Track 5 – Not Even The Trees
“Won’t you tell me if I scream will they bend down and listen to me?”
Hey Vikings management, don’t you see what we have been saying about our coach for the past four years? How about now? Think the Saints have any complaints about their coaching staff? Probably not.
“I’m a stranger in my home.”
12 men in the huddle. I will never get over that penalty. Anytime a team comes out of a timeout, they shouldn’t even have to huddle. Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t timeouts in late game situations used to set up how the next few plays will be run? Why not call the play on the sideline, break huddle there and then rush to the line and snap the ball before the opposing defense is set? This makes much more sense than what actually happened.
“I lay down with memories of you that keep me going on, going on.”
I don’t know which is worse, this or 1998. That ’98 team was special and had the all the records, but the game last night was a killer. There isn’t any other way to put it. I would rather watch Gary Anderson miss a field goal over watching anything from last night’s game. I don’t even want to know how to spell the word football anymore. I hate foobtlal.
Track 7 – Hey Hey What Can I Do
” She’s the only one that I been dreamin’ of. Maybe someday she will be all mine.”
The Vince Lombardi trophy. I wonder what it looks like. Think the Vikings could just buy one?
Track 8 – Tucker’s Town
“You do that thing you do, and then you laugh at me.”
How many screens did the Saints run last night? It was insane. They knew the Vikings were vulnerable on the outsides and had spotty tackling, so they attacked it.
A major thing at the end of the game that eventually led to the Saints winning was starting corner Cedric Griffin hurting his knee on the kickoff to start overtime. This forced Antoine Winfield, who is still rehabbing a fractured foot from the middle of the season, to move outside from the slot position he was in all game. Winfield was a step behind on a play that allowed Robert Meachem to drag across the middle and pick up a first down on the final drive.
Track 9 – I Go Blind
“Every time I look at you, I go blind.”
The Saints running backs and tight ends combined for eight of the teams 17 receptions, mostly because the Vikings linebackers struggle in pass coverage and Sean Payton knows this. He did a great job creating matchup problems that worked to his advantage, like getting a Ben Leber to try and chase someone down the sideline which resulted in a HUGE pass interference penalty.
“Something in me just won’t give me a chance. I think it’s that I feel more confused”
Ryan Longwell didn’t get a chance to touch the field. I will never understand why.
Track 10 – Sad Caper
“Do you really want to play these games, just to keep things going?”
Again, this could come down to Coach Childress and his late game antics, but let’s explore what happened right before halftime.
The Saints had the ball on their own 42 yard line and had a fourth-and-one with just over a minute left. They lined up and attempted to draw the Vikings offside before eventually taking a delay of game penalty and punting the ball. Here’s the thing though, Kevin Williams DID jump offside. Either center Jonathan Goodwin didn’t see him or he just didn’t snap the ball. Let’s hope it was the first option. Any and every time someone on the defense jumps across the ball, the center should snap the ball. Who cares if it results a fumble or a turnover, it is a free play and you get the ball right back anyway. In this particular case it would have been a first down and a chance to lead going into halftime. I was convinced this would be a determining factor in the game. Unfortunately I was wrong.
Track 12 – Use Me
“He told me that I ought not to let you just walk on me”
The Saints beat the crap out of Brett Favre last night. At times I didn’t even want him to come back into the game in fear of him pulling the move where he pretends to be less injured than he really is and ends up doing more damage than necessary. Amazingly that really didn’t happen, but it could have, and that made me worried.
Track 14 – Innocence
“Because I wanna feel like I did. And I wanna feel innocence.”
My only other memory as a Viking fan watching an NFC Championship game would be back in 1998, where I simply sat in my chair staring at the TV as my dad and his friend laughed in the other room and told me to get used to it. I don’t even remember watching the 2000 game against the Giants, which is probably a good thing. I wish I could go back and remember what it’s like to root for a team that hasn’t killed me twice in my life.
“That someone has come and gone. I’m stuck up here with you.”
Not to start the Favre “Will He Stay or Will He Go Now” Tour of 2010, but I’m sure this is the last we will see him. Just watch any of his postgame new conferences from the year. He looked like he was going to curl up inside the podium and take a nap. He’s just simply worn out. If he retires, the Vikings are stuck with “Head Coach” Childress, who would be out the door if it weren’t for number four. Instead he gets a contract extension. Great.
Track 15 – Space
“We’ve been trying so long. You’ve been pushing too hard.”
Why are you throwing across your body!? It’s third down and you are in field goal range!! There is five open yards in front of you, just step up, take three or four steps, then slide!! Don’t be a hero there is a reason Ryan Longwell is the kicker. Just let the game happen the way it is supposed to.
Track 17 – Goodbye Girl
“I was meant for you, and you were meant for me.”
The Saints were meant to be in the Super Bowl. There is no other way to look at it. The Vikings were the better team last night, but the Saints played the better game. It seems like New Orleans was destined to go to Miami, and you just can’t mess with fate. Minnesota could not have put themselves in a better position to win than all the chances they already had. It just wasn’t meant to be for the Vikings.
About Drew Lange
