Whatever Happens in the Vikings Locker Room

Author: Scott Taylor

November 20, 2009

Scott Taylor's E-Take is sponsored every Friday by Manitoba Harvest, the global leader in hemp foods & oils, and your online source for natural, sustainable and certified organic hemp food products. www.manitobaharvest.com.

MINNEAPOLIS – Standing inside the Minnesota Vikings locker room is a claustrophobic experience.  Canad Inns Stadium might be an aging dump, but at least the Bombers have a decent locker room.

The Vikings, on the other hand, change their clothes in a closet.  Compared to the CFL, a NFL roster is bigger and the players are considerably larger and yet the 8-1 Vikes, one of the two or three best teams in the National Football League, have a locker room that is half the size of the CFL’s Blue Bombers.

It is in this type of atmosphere where problems get started.  It’s hot sweaty and tiny.  If you don’t like somebody and you’re not happy, this is a place where a real good argument could start.  After all, guys like Ray Edwards and Kevin Williams barely have enough room to turn around, let alone feel at home.  It’s close and uncomfortable and when it’s loaded with media idiots, it’s a good place to get understandably snippy.

Not surprisingly, in the Minnesota Vikings tight quarters, all is puppy dogs and roses.  These guys love each other and they veritably worship at the shrine of their 40year-old quarterback, who has his stall beside Tarvaris Jackson’s, located right as you enter the room.

It was suggested, before the season began -- by the NFL columnist from ESPN, Adam Schefter first, and others (who just stole the column) later -- that Vikings players didn’t like Favre and were unhappy that he signed with the team.

In fact, the ESPN report, saying Favre’s arrival had caused a “schism in the locker room,” angered the veteran quarterback who responded by saying: “You guys have to keep stirring the pot I guess.  Somebody has to make up a story like this.   I can assure you, I don’t think any guy in the locker room, me included, would use that word (schism).  We’d probably come up with something a little different.”

Of course, it was all a crock.  It was a made-up reaction by a guy who was killed on the story by both Jay Glazer from Fox and half a dozen bloggers (including this one) who knew that Favre would eventually sign with the Vikings (he just wasn’t going to training camp).  In fact, for days, ESPN’s anchors barbecued Glazer for even suggesting Favre might sign in Minnesota.

It was a lesson in journalism.  So many mainstream media columnists and reporters get all snippy and childish when they don’t get the story first and you can always tell, just by the illogical vitriol they fire off, that someone missed the scoop.

Anyone who has spent any time around the Minnesota Vikings this season has received a pretty clear message that Favre likes his teammates and his teammates like him.  In fact he has called this Vikings team: “The best team I’ve played on.”

Last Sunday, after the Vikings disposed of the Detroit Lions 27-10 to go to 8-1 on the season, Favre spent his time at the press podium lauding his mates.  “This is a good group of guys at every position,” said Favre softly.  “They’re all fun to work with and they all make great plays.  I’m lucky to be part of this.”

Indeed.  Just for good measure, here are a few individual takes from Minnesota’s “Silver Fox”:

Favre on rookie receiver Percy Harvin: “Nothing surprises me about that guy.  He’s built like a runningback, runs like a runningback and plays like a receiver.  Nothing he does amazes me.  He’s the type of player you can throw a three-yard pass to and he’ll turn it into a big gain.  Percy is an extremely talented young player who will only get better.  He can make big plays.  It’s a joy to be part of his career at this stage.  He’s just remarkably talented.”

On receiver Sidney Rice after Rice’s 201-yard performance: “The only thing I have to do with Sidney is get a ball near him that he can catch.  Today I got balls near him.  He’s truly amazing.  One of the things about him is his ability to catch a ball that I throw high.  He’s like a great rebounder in basketball.  The best rebounders aren’t always the tallest guys.  They’re the guys who get position, anticipate where the ball is going to be and make a decision that they’re going to tet the ball and nobody else is.  With Sidney, if I can get a ball near him, he bails me out.  It’s all Sidney.  He’s proven he can make big, important plays.  I just benefit from his skills.”

On runningback Adrian Peterson: “He’s absolutely amazing, the way he can stop and go.  You can’t bottle him up in the open field.  The guy is just so impressive.  What do you say?”

On Peterson’s 43-yard run that ended with a fumble: “I’ve been around the game a long time, so I won’t say that’s the greatest run I’ve ever seen, but it was close.  He should have been down four times and he just beat people.  It was amazing to stand behind him and watch the moves.  It was one of the most incredible things I’ve seen in my career.”

On the rest of the Vikings: “Obviously, I made a good decision to sign here.  Our guys have done what they’ve always done.  I just have to be sure I’m on the same page with them.  It’s a great offensive line, we have a great defence, great special teams.  This is a very, very good football team.  It’s up to me to catch up to them.”

This does not sound like a guy who is hated by his teammates.  This sounds like a professional athlete who is genuinely happy to be part of something that could be great.  On Sunday, the Vikings play an underachieving Seattle Seahawks team in the Metrodome and barring a disaster, Minnesota should improve to 9-1.

And you know what’s really interesting?  Favre is 40 and has a two-year contract and no one has even hinted that he might retire at the end of this first season.  So much for the notion that the veteran Vikings didn’t want Brett Favre in their locker room. 

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