How would you sound in Vikings Chat if....

Narf · Post #1 » by **Narf** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:36 am

you said that a Top Free Agent would never sign in Minnesota. It's fly over country. They don't want to play here because of the weather!!

Seriously, how would you sound?

I don't really want to offend anyone, but this statement is completely and utterly devoid of any logic and, quite frankly, asinine. The Timberwolves have had zero cap space for more than a decade, and MLE players have chosen Minnesota over other destinations. In fact, Fred Hoiburg (and a couple others) turned down more money elsewhere to play in Minnesota with KG. Bobby Jackson told the Wolves that if they matched Sacramento's offer he would like to stay. Think about that. Best weather out there, plenty of girls in Bikinis, he'd rather play for the Wolves. Instead we signed Hudson. Not because no one else would sign here, but because our GM was an idiot.

The last time we had cap space to sign a free agent was when McHale first took over. And anyone who thinks LeBron is more likely to sign with the Knicks than he is with the Wolves needs to be slapped. The Wolves are top 5 in young assets, have a billionaire owner with a history of spending money on the team (even when he takes 8 figure losses, which he did), and a pretty damn savvy GM who has already shown a propensity to get very good deals (I don't care what anyone says, Rubio for Foye and Millers expiring was a damn stroke of genius).

Would one of you "No good free agent wants to sign here" explain to me why all those good free agents sign with the Vikings, but no pro athlete wants to play basketball in Minnesota?

Post #2 » by **The J Rocka** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:50 am

Ive been the one saying that Bron would sign with us over the Knicks, im nervous about the Nets tho. I know we can attract good players here. Memphis is the team that lot of players don't want to play for or OKC from articles ive read in the past.

Krapinsky · Post #3 » by **Krapinsky** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:09 am

I think the difference is in football you play 8 games a year in Minnesota (september through january) and in Basketball you play 41 (november though June).

Narf · Post #4 » by **Narf** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:37 am

Dr.Krapinsky wrote:I think the difference is in football you play 8 games a year in Minnesota (september through january) and in Basketball you play 41 (november though June).

IMO, it's the opposite.
In basketball you spend half the time on the Road. If you play 5 games that week, 2 or 3 are in another state and you fly in the day before.
In football, whether you are playing at home or on the road you practice at home. You don't fly to Houston on Monday just because you are playing there.
So in football you spend far more time in the state you signed for than you do in Basketball. Every home game + most of the week during road games.

Err, and for the record...I don't think LeBron is signing here. I simply think it's absurd that people think he'd rather sign in NY because it's a "big market". And I agree that he might sign in NJ, but that's because they have a good core of young talent.

Narf · Post #5 » by **Narf** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:47 am

Speaking of NJ, they could sign Boozer and LeBron next year with a top 5 pick to go with them on their way to Brooklyn. How sick would that be?

casey · Post #6 » by **casey** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:50 am

It has a lot to do with the team, not just the state.

Narf · Post #7 » by **Narf** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:59 am

casey wrote:It has a lot to do with the team, not just the state.

This is for the people keep bringing up the state.

Steve_Holiday · Post #8 » by **Steve_Holiday** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:44 am

NBA players will sign with a team that pays them the most. Hedo left the Magic for Toronto this off-season. Trevor Ariza left the Lakers for the Rockets. James Posey left the Celtics to play for the Hornets, etc.

A lot of these guys live paycheck to paycheck. Even the brilliant Stanford alum Mark Madsen blew over $100,000 on the rights to a stolen website....ha ha?

Post #9 » by **Klomp** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:16 am

Football (real football) is played outdoors....in the cold.

GopherIt! · Post #10 » by **GopherIt!** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:46 pm

Dr.Krapinsky wrote:I think the difference is in football you play 8 games a year in Minnesota (september through january) and in Basketball you play 41 (november though June).

I've thought about that as well. Being in MN for the change of season in the fall through Christmas time was always fine with me. It was Jan/Feb/March & crappy weather that sometimes dragged into May that drove me nuts.

For an NBA player though I would imagine that career demands and being on the road a lot lessens that bite. Whether it is here or L.A. their life is lived in a basketball gym from October to May/June.

Devilzsidewalk · Post #11 » by **Devilzsidewalk** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:35 pm

what matters 99% of the time in the NFL is who's offering the money and with revenue sharing and a soft cap and any team in the NFL can be that team for a given player. Football is way more team-oriented and careers are too short to give guys that kind of choice in where they play like guys have in the NBA. Guaranteed money up front is what matters in the NFL because they know if they don't take it now, they may not have another chance. In the NBA if you're a max contract guy then you're choosing from equal terms from a bunch of different teams so now you can strike money off the list of priorities and choose a team because they have a steam pool instead of a hot tub.

john2jer · Post #12 » by **john2jer** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:31 pm

Little bit can be said about the franchise as well. The Vikings are a slightly more storied franchise than the Wolves. :-)

How many big name free agents are signing for the Detroit Lions these days?

JR Rider · Post #13 » by **JR Rider** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:48 pm

casey wrote:It has a lot to do with the team, not just the state.

nail on the head.
we're not much colder than chicago, milwaukee, new york, new jersey, boston, etc.

very few players get excited about going to a franchise, that is minus a few good years from kevin garnett, is a team with a losing culture.

free agents will come if we can prove we are a legit threat down the line.

Devilzsidewalk · Post #14 » by **Devilzsidewalk** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:05 pm

Lions got Dewayne White, Jon Jansen, Damien Woody. Skill positions they fill in the draft.

john2jer · Post #15 » by **john2jer** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:18 pm

Devilzsidewalk wrote:Lions got Dewayne White, Jon Jansen, Damien Woody. Skill positions they fill in the draft.

Who, who, and who? Isn't Jansen broken down? I get woody every morning and it doesn't get me anywhere. I'll give you WHite, mostly because I don't know.

Point is, how many pro bowl players are signing in Detroit that are impact players? The Lions' win total the last couple years tells me none.

Devilzsidewalk · Post #16 » by **Devilzsidewalk** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:25 pm

Woody was the top at his position when he signed I remember, though he sucked once he got to Detroit. But they got him dammit!!!