Vikings @ Bengals

There are many endings to celebrate this weekend. The end of the semester (at UMD, at least), the end of Ponder at QB, the end of Josh Freeman’s one-game season, the approaching end of Leslie Frazier’s Vikings coaching tenure, the (hopefully) merciful end of Bill Musgrave’s playcalling, the end of Alan Williams’ non-existent defense, the end of the Vikings 2013 playoff hopes … I could go on, but the point is simply that it’s the beginning of the end and time to celebrate.

This will also be the literal end of the Vikings season at my place. I leave for India next week and don’t return until Jan. 20. So, if you ever plan to come for a Vikings game at my place, this is your last chance. Of course, barring some unforeseen circumstance, I plan to host the usual Super Bowl Party.

As you all know, the Vikings have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and are now playing their best football (what a surprise). Having achieved goal #1 (agonize Rajiv by missing playoffs), they seem intent on achieving goal #2 (agonize Rajiv by dropping in their draft order). Matt Cassel looked like a star and as has happened every time Ponder stayed off the field, Greg Jennings looked every bit the superstar receiver we thought we were getting when we backed up the truck and unloaded bags of money at his home.

The play the Cincinnati Bengals at the Bengals on Sunday. Come watch the Vikings win, lose, or draw while we enjoy some hot wings and anything else Sheila, Jay, and I decide to whip up for lunch. Do let me know if you’re coming so we can make sure we have something for you. It may be finger food this time. Why? Because I have some. If you don’t like it, bring something.

It will be fun and I’d love to see you.

Vikings @ Ravens

So, when I was a kid in India, I was always one of the last ones picked for our neighborhood cricket games. The two best athletes would always self-select as opposing team captains and take turns choosing from the group of kids waiting to play. I remember the anxiety welling up inside me as the other kids were picked one after the other. I’d try and make eye contact and look my athletic best as the captains looked over the gathered group of slovenly kids, but invariably they would look away and pick one of the others. I counted it as a “win” whenever I was not the last one picked. I think there was one time where one of the physically disabled kids was picked before me (at great long-term cost to my athletic self-esteem). Even when I was not the absolute last one picked, there was invariably a grimace on the face of the team captain as he looked over the dwindling group and said “Fine, I guess I’ll take Rajiv” as the best option among a set of bad choices.

I was reminded of this because I thought I saw that exact same grimace on the face of Leslie Frazier as he announced that Matt Cassel would start as QB for the Vikings this week. I can imagine his decision on who to start at QB is not that dramatically different from the one faced by the cricket team captains as they surveyed the dwindling group of ragtag, undesirable kids left to choose from.

I didn’t watch the game last week. I was at the Star Wars Exhibition at the Museum of Technological Innovation in San Jose, California. I heard that the Vikings won, but it was only later I learned that Ponder looked awful and was at his inconsistent best. So, the team played a lousy game, gave up many opportunities to put the game away and still won. Great! That would be a wonderful outcome if the Vikings were 7-4-1 and vying for the playoffs, but not when they’re 3-8-1 and jockeying for draft position. Getting an undeserved win is the worst-case outcome. But, that’s what the Vikings do.

Well, let’s watch the best of the worst QBs in the league this Sunday. Game time is at noon and I’ll find something for you to have as lunch IF you email me and let me know you’re coming over. Let’s celebrate the approaching end of this horrible season.

Vikings @ Packers

Last week, I happened to be watching an episode of a TV show called “American Horror Story.” I’ll leave out the gory details of the episode, but in one scene, a character believes that his gay partner is into bondage and s&m (based on catching him in an inappropriate chat room) and decides to visit a store to buy some items to help bring his partner back to him. As he wanders the store in obvious embarrassment and discomfort, the salesperson identifies some rather painful looking “toys” and explains what they do. Let’s just say I started to cringe and feel severe phantom pains when they showed and discussed things like the “ball crusher” that involves a metal “pouch”, leather belts and spikes. That was one of the most painful moments of TV watching I have had recently.

I had some of those same feelings of “phantom pain” when I watched the Vikings play on Sunday. Actually, I alternated between laughter and pain. Watching the Vikings certainly qualifies as an emotional rollercoaster. I can only hope that at some point this rollercoaster will climb a summit rather than seeming to be in continuous free fall (and gathering speed). Sure the Seahawks are a good team. But did the Vikings really have to go to the extreme lengths of replicating the feeling of a “ball crusher”?

And what is with Leslie Frazier? Ponder was his usual inconsistent self and got pulled in the second half. And, what did I just hear? Frazier has named Ponder the starter for Sunday’s game against the Packers. Apparently, Ponder gives us the “best chance to win.” If that’s true, it makes me worry for these two other quarterbacks. Can you imagine what it must be doing to their self-esteem? They’re (presumably) seeing the same things we’re seeing. And Frazier still insists that “Ponder gives us the best chance to win?” Ouch. Now, clearly Cassel is the backup. It doesn’t matter what he does, he will never be named the starter. But what about Freeman? That is one expensive benchwarmer for the team to buy. Does Frazier not yet know that Ponder is not our QBOTF? Why not give Freeman a shot to end the season and play himself out of a job? Perhaps Frazier trotted out his usual line “There’s still plenty of the season to go. We have to be patient. There is no problem with the plan, players just need to execute better.” Freeman must have done something really awful to be the third-stringer on this team. I am guessing that at some point footage will be uncovered of Freeman kicking Frazier’s kitten or something. I just cannot think of ANY possible reason to continue to play Ponder and keep Freeman on the bench. At this point I think all sense and reason is out the window with this coaching staff and front office. The owners are probably just counting down to the days when we will clean out the current staff and start working on the rebuild.

Well, at least now you have an alternative if you’re into pain? Forget the “ball crusher” and go cheap – get yourself a poster of Christian Ponder. No need for fifty shades of grey. With Ponder, you’ll get hundreds of thousands of shades of grey. Glorious High Definition Grey!

Come for the pain. Stay for the food (LET ME KNOW IF YOU’RE COMING). Watch Scott Tolzien lay his claim to a Hall of Fame bust.

Vikings @ Seahawks

If I was a bandwagon-jumper, this would be the week. After all, Washington State University is my alma mater. And this is one of those "guaranteed loss" weeks. I am betting that this will be a repeat of the Packers game. The Vikes may hold on to keep it close in the first half (if we're lucky) and then will get blown out, losing by at least two touch downs (if we're lucky).

But unlike some of you on this list, I'm not a bandwagon jumper. In fact, I'm finding there's some sense of camaraderie among Vikings fans who sort of enjoy wallowing in the shared misery of continuous losing. It's almost a brotherhood forged by the sense that as a Vikings fan we're emotionally tougher that the rest of you wussy pro-football fans out there. Enjoying a super bowl win is easy. Suffering through year after year (after year after year) of agonizing losses and crushed expectations and still turning on the TV on Sunday is only for the hardier characters among us.

But even I will admit that motivating myself to watch the game is getting almost as hard for me as it is for Jerome Simpson to stay away from alcohol. As I told someone recently, the only reason I've watched games recently is because of the company. Don't show up this Sunday and I'll probably find some better use of my time. And, you wouldn't want that, would you?

So, the Vikings managed to beat a Washington team (yes, I think they SHOULD change their team name. Until then, maybe I'll just refer to them as "they who must not be named") who had a lousier defense than that of Richie Incognito (whose lawyer claims that he loves Jonathan Martin like a brother and people are taking his comments out of context). And they still almost won the game. Actually, it was an entertaining game and I was hoping for a last-second loss. That way, the Vikings would have been able to claim a psychological victory (an "almost win") while maintaining their position in the draft order.

Silly Frazier is playing his silly games refusing to name the starting QB (will it be Ponder, Cassel or Freeman???) or the starting WR (will it be Simpson or Cordarelle???) I don’t blame him. These silly naming games are probably the only way he manages to keep his day interesting. That and checking his resume again.

Sunday, they face another Washington team - the super-power Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. This time they’re not going to be so lucky. The Seahawks are undefeated at home and will remain so after this weekend. They’re 9-1 on the season and are super bowl favorites. Hmmm. I’m almost talking myself into becoming a bandwagon-jumper now.

Come on over and stop me from making the jump!

Vikings @ Cowboys

In the words of one particularly astute football commentator from the sixties, this is the end …

This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end.

Nothing to live or die for. Nothing to watch TV for. Nothing to hope for.

Except next year.

So, let’s talk draft and prospective coaches. QB will be a need as will defensive backs. Who do you think will be good prospects for replacement coach? We can continue this discussion on Sunday when the Vikings head towards their 2-14 or 3-13 season (I’m assuming that by pure luck they’ll manage to win a couple of games where they’re the underdog. There’s always the Lions who find ways to lose …

Regression to the mean suggests that Freeman will have a better outing than last time. There’s no way he can get any worse, is there?

Packers @ Vikings

Welcome one, welcome all to the tragi-comedy that is the Minnesota Vikings.

The desperation bowl game that masqueraded as Monday Night Football lived down to its immeasurably small expectations and dived deeper. It was so bad that by half time, the group of us watching the game were rolling over laughing with tears in our eyes. Luckily we did not indulge in the many drinking games that were suggested (drink when a Vikes CB gets burned, drink when a sure-fire interception is dropped, drink when Freeman overthrows a receiver by more than 10 yards, etc.) It is probably just a coincidence that the movie I watched two weekends ago was the Titanic. Then, last Sunday, it seemed like I was watching the Titanic again. Except there was no Kate Winslet. And no awe-inspiring special effects. And no Celine Dion.

But there was the sense of impending doom before the show even really started. There were the laughably cheesy moments of obvious emotion manipulation. And, there was, of course, the big, grand, crash-and-burn, spectacular, drawn-out sinking scene with the virtual stench of death all around. To give the game some credit, all this happened before halftime. I bet Celine Dion wishes she had chosen to sing “My Heart Will Go On” after this game instead of after that other movie. Although, I think maybe she would have chosen to sing “I Surrender” (from her 2002 album ‘A New Day Has Come’ if you’re interested).

Like a bad sequel, the Vikings continue the drama with some outrageously funny (in a sad, pathetic, ridiculous sort of way) decision making. After Freeman’s “Hey suckers, my awful performance in Tampa was real. I really am awful” performance in New York, the coach decided that even the worst QB performance in recorded history was better than anything Ponder or Cassel could do, and named Josh Freeman the starter for Sunday’s game. Then, after someone (probably Wilf, who is watching his franchise become the laughingstock of the NFL) knocked some sense into the coach, an announcement was made that Freeman actually couldn’t start because he suffered from a mysterious rib injury, um {already used that}, avian flu, uh {not dramatic enough}, flesh-eating bacteria infection, errr {may be a little TOO unbelievable}, CONCUSSION. Yes, that’s it. A few days after the game, he suddenly realized that he must have sustained a concussion during the third quarter without being hit. Poor guy can’t play. And we’re back to Cassel McNabb Webb T-Jack Favre Rosenfels Frerotte Culpepper CHRISTIAN PONDER. Wooohoooo! Amazing what time can do to perspective. Ponder suddenly seems like the best option for the Vikings. Frazier, of course, insisted that everything is fine with the team and that they continue to have a great game plan (like throwing the ball 50+ times with a brand new QB and the best RB in all football) and only minor adjustments are needed before they can turn this thing around (yep, like right back towards the iceberg). But don’t worry folks, this situation is only temporary until we can convince Tim Tebow to sign with theVikings.

So, we have the Vikings hosting the Packers on Sunday night. What can I say to convince you to come over for the game on Sunday night? To help you with your decision, here’s a list with the …

TOP TEN REASONS YOU SHOULD COME OVER FOR THE GAME ON SUNDAY NIGHT

10. You’re lonely and you have no other friends

9. You’ve already watched all the Twilight movies

8. There are no ‘Dora the Explorer’ reruns on Sunday nights

7. You love “Titanic” and enjoy watching big things sink

6. You’re a fan of Shakespeare and are up for ANY version of “The Comedy of Errors”

5. You get a kick out of watching things self-destruct

4. You’re a Vikings fan and a closet masochist

3. You’re a Packers fan and you’re looking forward to gloating

2. You think the best way to drown your sorrows is good Beer (or three)

And, the number one reason to show up on Sunday night …

1.       You know Sheila is there until 5 and will have whipped up something great for dinner

Panthers @ Vikings

Come on. You have to give the Vikings credit for keeping it exciting. Most of us had stopped surfing the Internet for cheap Super Bowl tickets and flights to New Jersey. In fact, we have now discovered that Sundays in December are suddenly open for all those other important duties like picking lint out of the pockets of dress pants.

Plus, it was a bye week for the Vikings. You know - the week where people start to forget there’s supposed to be a professional football team in Minnesota.

Then the Vikings decided it was the perfect time to pick another inconsistent, reject QB from a lousy team to shore up the offensive firepower we were obviously lacking. (Never mind that Josh Robinson couldn’t defend a warship from an attack by garden gnomes.) Leslie Frazier and Rick Spielman have been diligent in explaining that this does not change anything for Ponder (who is “still our starter”) or Cassel (who had good “execution as a quarterback”). I mean, why would Ponder worry just because the Vikings bring in another QB at a higher salary than him? It’s not like he has lost the support of fans or anything. He claims he’s recovering quite well from his “rib injury.”

Expect to see Ponder taking advantage of his MBA to land a corporate job before the end of the season. No matter what doublespeak we get from Rick and Leslie, the Ponder era in Minnesota is officially over. I would be surprised if we saw him on the field again this season. Although Frazier insists that Ponder will start if he’s ready to play, my prediction is that Cassel will start this Sunday. If he continues to play well and win, he will remain the starter for a couple of games. Then, don’t be surprised if he gets “injured” and Freeman is forced into the game. Frazier will than hold a press conference about how they had to “do what’s best for the team” and Ponder is a “fine young player with a bright future ahead of him.” Just not with one of the lousiest teams in the league.

Frazier and Spielman have finally realized they would prefer not to be without jobs and have swallowed their pride and admitted they failed miserably with the Ponder experiment. This is a last ditch attempt to save their jobs and if Freeman starts in a few weeks and lights it up – getting the Vikings into the playoffs, both of them will have saved their jobs.

Now if only we can ensure that Musgrave also gets a “rib injury” (the kind that doesn’t involve any actual physical harm to the guy), the team might actually have some hope.

I’m going to go out on a limb and predict two consecutive wins. They play the Panthers this week and the Giants next week – both struggling teams. We’ll see …

Hope to see you on Sunday, or sometime this season. Forward this to any new faculty/friends you think should be on this list.

Steelers "@" Vikings

Do you find yourself occasionally skipping on your way to work? Do you sometimes worry your overly positive attitude is rubbing off on your co-workers? Have you ever caught yourself happily whistling in public? Ever feel your optimism is causing a rift between you and your significant other? Have you noticed yourself admiring the beauty in the world around you and felt glad to be alive? If so, I think I have the cure for you.

The Vikings play the Steelers in what has been dubbed the “Desperation Bowl” in London this Sunday. And you can resolve all your positivity issues in one fell swoop by coming over to watch the game on Sunday. Both the Vikings and the Steelers are unexpectedly 0-3 and in “must win” situations.

Before you all start clamoring for my hide, let me acknowledge what I said about the game last week “this, I assure you, is a guaranteed win for the Vikings. The poor Browns are in for a beating like no other as the underachieving Vikings take out all their frustrations on a poor and undermanned team. I promise you there is no way the Vikings will lose this Sunday. I’m even willing to put money on it. You want to lose some money? Stop by my office today and lay down some cash on the Browns.”

And, before you start guffawing and bellowing at my optimistic prediction, let me remind you that NOT ONE OF YOU stopped by my office to put any money down on the Browns. I always pay my debts and I would have paid you off if you had had the guts to plonk down some moolah on the Browns.

The good news is that change is in the air. Historically, any time a coach has wanted to yank a player without making it seem like they have pulled the plug on a starter, they have leaked news about a mysterious “injury” sustained by the player. Word from the Vikings is that Ponder sustained a “rib injury” at some point during the game last week. My prediction is that if Ponder starts to falter again, Matt Cassel will enter as QB and Ponder will be told to “rest his injury until he is 100%.” Then, the Vikings will ride Cassel until it appears that he’s even worse than Ponder. If Cassel wins, he’ll continue to play. Weeks after the injury is healed, Frazier will say, “Ponder is still our #1 QB, but I do not want to mess with the momentum as long as we’re winning.” If Cassel loses several games, Ponder will be back and the fan base will be somewhat mollified that Cassel got his chance.

For all practical purposes, this season is over. So, why should you come over on Sunday? The kids are with me this weekend and Sheila and I are going to whip up some fun stuff for lunch. We have not created our menu yet, but I assure you it will be something interesting. Probably at least *some* Indian food. So, come to eat and we’ll have the game going in the background. If you want to eat, you must RSVP. I ran out of lunch last week – the Hyderabadi Chicken was a hit!

Hope to see you on Sunday, or sometime this season.

Browns @ Vikings

Isn’t it liberating, in a sense, to have all Vikings playoff expectations removed so very early in the season? We can now just relax and enjoy the season and wallow the misery without getting stressed about whether the Vikings will manage the last-minute surge to make the playoffs only to lose in the first round. Aaaaah, breathe deep. Breathe free.

It was an entertaining game. Ponder looked good in parts and awful in other parts. Even Adrian looked good at times and awful at others. But, don’t worry. The head coach is no claiming that he’s to blame too. How nice that we can add him to the list of good-for-nothing, emotionless, incompetent, unimaginative, back-pedaling, out-of-position, air-headed, tackle-fearing, overpaid, unprepared, stinking pile of drones who make up a good part of this team.

Breathe deep. Breathe free. Enjoy the empty and clear feeling of no expectations for the rest of this season.

You should consider coming over this week. We play the 0-2 Cleveland Browns at home and this, I assure you, is a guaranteed win for the Vikings. The poor Browns are in for a beating like no other as the underachieving Vikings take out all their frustrations on a poor and undermanned team. I promise you there is no way the Vikings will lose this Sunday. I’m even willing to put money on it. You want to lose some money? Stop by my office today and lay down some cash on the Browns. So, breathe deep and enjoy this victory.

Vikings@ Bears

Before I even begin my rant about the Lions game, I must express my deep sadness at the horrible illness contracted by their running back Reggie Bush. You have to admire his courage – being out there and battling for his team despite having such an awful and contagious disease. Also surprising is that there has been NO news coverage about his illness. I have heard NOTHING mentioned in the press about this. Yet, it is apparent he has something horrible and contagious. It was apparent for all of us to see on Sunday. That’s the only explanation for the Vikings defense being so completely unwilling to even touch the guy. They didn’t even seem to be willing to get too close to him. Sad.

But on to the rest of that game. Since Time Reilly has urged me to be more optimistic, let’s start with the bright spots for the Vikings. If we look at the Vikings offensive line, … ok scratch that. So, what about our defense. You could say … hmmm … ummm … Moving on to special teams, our rookie punter had a … ummm … well … okay. I guess this was a bad idea. But I tried? The best part of the Vikings game last Sunday was the fact that the Lions tried so desperately hard to lose the game. They felt so sorry for the pathetic Vikings that they even gave back FOUR touchdowns, refusing to take credit for marching up and down the field at will.

Coach Leslie Frazier at least had this incisive and carefully-thought-out analysis of how we are going to fix the problems and win this season: “We all need to play better.” Nice plan. That makes me very optimistic for the season. If only he hadn’t already said that after the three losses in the preseason, it may be a little easier to take him seriously. I’m sure Bill Musgrave is hard at work designing clever plays that involve Ponder rolling to the left and throwing across his body, running Adrian up the middle on first, second, third, AND fourth down, designing an awesome two yard dump-pass play for third-and-eight situations, etc. So, we’ll be okay. Or at least, we’ll be back to normal for this coaching staff. Is that optimistic enough, Tim?

The game will be on. Come for the beer and company. The 0-2 start will at least dampen any enthusiasm the fans have for this season. So, any silly win against a mediocre team can be celebrated for the rest of this year. Let the fun begin!

Vikings @ Lions

Hard to believe, but it is finally here – THE 2013 VIKINGS FOOTBALL SEASON OPENER!

So, we enter another incredibly uncertain season. There are a swirl of critical questions that will make or break the season. How good will Adrian be? Will Ponder finally live up to the (minimal) expectations that people have of him? How is our secondary going to manage against the high-flying offenses of the NFC North? Will Bill Musgrave finally get fired? How far into the season before you hear me yell “Good for nothing scoundrels” at the screen?

The Vikings have a killer (character-building) schedule their first four weeks before the bye week. They start with two division games on the road (Lions and Bears) followed by two home games against the Browns and Steelers who are both expected to be significantly improved from last year. At the moment, I’m all excited and pumped up about the season and I’m going to predict the Vikings entering the bye week at 3-1.

Which means, that with my awesome super-duper-accutronic-prediction-hat on, if you come this Sunday, you’ll be treated to a VIKINGS WIN! Come on, help celebrate the end of the first week of classes and a Vikings win with some beer and good (or sometimes bad) company. Let me know if you can make it.

Titans @ Vikings

I know exactly what you’re thinking right now. “Is this guy serious? Does he really expect anyone to watch the 0-3 preseason Vikings in a game where the majority of players will be available at a grocery store near you within a week?” You may also be wondering why I’m sending this email so late, given that the game is tonight. Well, I was out of town, but now I’m back. Hopefully jet lag won’t get the better of me and I’ll manage to stay awake for the whole game. But I need you to enthrall me with your delightful conversational skills in order for that to work.

Yes, the Vikes have looked scarily bad this preseason. The all-important third preseason game which is supposed to give the best indicator of the “real” offensive power of this team turned out to be a bust. Like last year, it appears that theVikings are a mediocre team without Adrian Peterson, Ponder is really not an NFL QB, and Bill Musgrave really is an incompetent, boring, predictable offensive coordinator who has not business keeping his job. But, it’s too early for me to start judging and this may turn out to be a better season than I currently expect. Fire Bill Musgrave. {oops, did I say that out loud? I didn’t mean to. It’s too early to judge}

Well then, why should you come? One word. Beer.

Geoff has offered to bring me a Winnipeg beer to taste and I have several other interesting beers for all of you. Come for the beer and the company and we’ll have the game playing in the background.

Vikings @ 49ers

Things are looking a little scary for the Vikings after their horrible performances in the first two preseason games. I actually lost interest and at the urging of my kids switched from the Vikings game to an Elvis movie (well, it was his death anniversary that day) after half time. From what I read after the game, I made the right decision.

Of course, the coaches and players are saying “it’s just preseason and no one gives a damn” and “obviously we lost – Adrian Peterson is not playing” etc.

This week, the starters plan to play into the third quarter and Adrian Peterson WILL be playing, at least for a while in the first half. If Ponder and his new crew of receivers don’t dominate that first half, this season is doomed to be another series of head-shaking wondering of what might have been. It may be earlier than usual before we start chanting the Vikings unofficial tag line of “There’s always next year.”

Unfortunately, I will not be around to see what happens. I have to make a quick trip to Copenhagen, Prague, and Dublin. It isn’t as fun and exotic as it sounds. I’ll be barely spending 24 hours in each city and I’ll be back here by Wednesday night. Basically I get to Copenhagen on Sunday, fly to Prague on Monday, fly to Dublin on Tuesday and fly back to Duluth on Wednesday. I’ll spend more time inside hotels evaluating their convention space than I will in the open air of those cities.

Vikings @ Bills

This is my annual intro message to you all. Welcome to another season of football and to the 10^th year of this list.

If you receive this message, you are still on (or have been newly added) to the (in)famous VINeR (Viking Information Network by Rajiv) list that will update you on my annual Vikings frustrations as well as whether my 110-inch screen is open for the upcoming Vikings game of the week. And, to clarify again, that’s pronounced WINNER (not “WHINER”).

Most of you long-timers on this list have seen all this information before.  There are no changes this year. This email list was started primarily to let people know whether I am home watching the game or not so people could drop by if they were so inclined. It has been going for ten years now. It has evolved into a weekly rant from me on how the game went and how I expect it to go the upcoming week. As is completely normal, my expectations for the 2013 season are tempered by the fact that (a) they overachieved beyond all expectations last year, and (b) the NFC North will clearly be the strongest division in football this year and NO team will get through the schedule without multiple losses within the division.

First, the basic annual housekeeping message:  Really, no one is forced to be on this list and you will not be hurting my feelings one bit if you drop me an email asking to be removed from this weekly list. However, historically (and remember that this is the TENTH year that this list has existed), this is not a high-traffic list and you should not get more than one message a week from me.  Please let me know if your changing interests and allegiances have resulted in you wanting to be dropped from this list. If you think there is someone who ought to be on this list, feel free to forward this email on to them and they can contact me to get added to the list.

It would be appreciated if you dropped me an email letting me know you are coming – just so I’m motivated to shower and get out my pajamas before the game – but if you find yourself free one afternoon, feel free to drop by. I am almost always watching the game (unless I tell you otherwise). Often, I watch the game alone. Sometimes one or two people show up, and rarely, there is an unexpectedly large group. So, prepare yourself for any eventuality!

For the usual crowd, the same 110-inch screen should keep you happy. In the event of an unusually large crowd, there is also the small 73-inch screen downstairs. Plus, if you’re not so interested in the game, there’s a ping pong table downstairs and also some PS3 games.

Of course this is a preseason game. The only reason to watch is that this is the only preseason game where the starters will see significant time. The biggest question mark on the team continues to be Christian Ponder. We have more depth and talent at most other positions than we did last year. And NO, I do not expect Adrian to reach 2000 yeards this year (if you were wondering what I think). During the first half, we’ll see if Ponder really has established any sort of rapport with his new receiving corps. I was at last week’s game and I was impressed with the “raw” Cordarelle Peterson and look forward to his kick returns. Otherwise, just come for wine, beer, and company. If you let me know in advance that you’re company, I can make sure there’s food for you and so you don’t have to worry about dinner.

Hope to see you tonight (sorry for the late email) or sometime this season.

Let the fun begin.