Rube Rant

Newsflash: The Twins are terrible. They started 0 - 9 then they got on a little bit of a hot streak but now they lose basically every day. Some times I think that historically incompetent performance is exciting but then I think back on examples of it and find myself despising such occurrences. So I have no interest in them losing a record number of games or having a historically bad winning percentage or anything like that but when they're bad during the sports abyss that is the time between the Wolves season ending and the start of Vikings Training camp there is not much to focus on locally so I understand why some people may want them to tank.

It's May 8 and they have no chance of a playoff spot. They are still in a terrible position as far as pitchers go and while they have plenty of guys who can hit home runs, they seem to never happen at the most opportune times. This team will probably lose 95 games this season and as much as the players need to perform better I'm putting a lot on the ownership.

yeah, yeah it's super cliche to rip a teams owner when they're bad but the refusal to spend money by the Pohlads is unacceptable.  They have a chance to get a once great pitcher and they don't even send a scout to check him out. Are you kidding me?! I hope that people stop going to the games. I've heard repeatedly that Target Field is one of the nicest in the MLB. I've been there and know that it is a gem but people need to just refuse to go there.

When the team loses and isn't even competent then the organization from the top down should suffer for it. If they spent money, if they tried to bring in quality free agents but were unsuccessful that would be one thing. Instead they make stupid trades. Refuse to pay players and laughably even when they open up the check book to stay above the salary floor it doesn't work. Everything needs to change with the Minnesota 9. Everything!

I'm not even a ball guy and I can't help but get fired up because going to a game at Target Field is still a good time. Until it improves I refuse to spend any money to see them live. I'm boycotting, plain and simple. Hopefully I'm not the only one that takes that approach either!

Force their hand. Hit em in the pocket book! Then just try to suffer through until July and Vikings training camp gets under way!

Flash off

Option day has come and from what I can tell, the right decisions have been made.

Xavier Rhodes and Shariff Floyd had their 5th year contract options picked up by the Vikings. Their first round running mate, Cordarelle Patterson did not.

So CP - "Flash" - is now in a contract year.

I despise contract year players. So many times players break out in a big way in the last year of their contracts. It happens in the NBA & NFL on a nearly yearly basis.

The only ones who deserve big contract extensions or contracts with other teams are those who have multiple years of high level production. Or just consistent levels of productivity.

That does not include the aforementioned Flash Patterson.

Maybe he'll have a spectacular year. Which I can only imagine would mean great things for the entire team but flash off.

I don't want him on the Vikings next season. Not as a kick returner. Not as a "wide receiver".

Go away CP, just flash off.

Super 7

I've hit on this a little bit in the last few days but things keep progressing and it's very noteworthy.
Newsflash: The NFL draft was this weekend.

With the second pick in the draft Carson Wentz was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles. It's been discussed ad nauseam so I'm going to leave it at that.

In the fifth round his left tackle Joe Haeg got snatched by the Indianapolis Colts.

Like I said, I've covered this stuff in the past few days but there is new information that ought to be relayed.

After

Rube Rant

Not everything that happens in the world of sports is blue skies and bunnies, even when the scope of focus is limited to the area which I desire to cover. So when a rant is required because of stupid or annoying things happen this will be the format. I can't quite say I hope it's a weekly thing but I plan on it being a recurring post.

And in case you were wondering, no there won't be profanity or coarse use of language.

The thing that has my ire from this past week is the approach that the GM took. In general I approve of and enjoy the players that Rick Spielman takes with the draft. He has brought in many good players, more successful draft selection and free agent acquisitions then failed ones. He has also made good trades along the way, look no further then the trade he made with the Dolphins to flip a third round pick for a third and fourth next year and sixth yesterday.

But then he just made an obnoxious number of silly trades in the later rounds. Thanks to one Christopher Gates over at The Daily Norseman the trades were deciphered.

Essentially, what the Vikings did was

-Move down two spots in Round 6 (from 186 to 188)
-Move up thirteen spots in Round 7 (from 240 to 227)
-Pick up two mid-round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft from Miami (third round pick, conditional fourth round pick)

I'll get to the rant after the break