Chris KempThe NFL season is long gone, but that doesn’t mean players, coaches and owners are in hibernation. There still are plenty of headlines: trades, free agent signings, the upcoming draft and my favorite, ticket scalping by a head coach.
In an offseason full of stories, the Vikings and Packers have more than held their own. Where to start? First off, as everyone knows by now, the Vikings finally dumped Randy Moss. In return, they received the seventh overall pick in the draft, linebacker Napoleon Harris, and some locker room stability. Not only will this trade improve its 29th ranked defense, but it should improve team chemistry.
Just because Moss was removed doesn’t mean the hijinks are going to stop in Minnesota. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated and ESPN, head coach Mike Tice admitted to selling tickets for profit.
Though scalping isn’t manslaughter, it’s illegal and looked down upon by the NFL. Mike, I know you’re the lowest paid head coach in the league, but isn’t $750,000 a year and job security (at least for this year) enough? Now you’ll probably be hit with a fine and could risk losing your job (although, that’s a long shot).
In other Vikings news, Kelly Campbell recently was arrested for illegally carrying a firearm and illegal drugs. If found guilty, he could be serving a lot of time in prison. Just in case, work on those hands Kelly. There are things slipperier than a football in the prison showers.
Now to the positive Vikings news. As well as adding Napoleon Harris, the Purple recently signed free agents Pat Williams, Fred Smoot and Darren Sharper. All three of these guys will make an immediate impact on defense. As a Vikings fan, I can’t remember a time where the Vikings have made this many significant moves in the offseason. Their “D” might be for real next year.
There’s some good news in Packer Land too. Maybe the biggest story of the off-season involved Brett Favre’s decision regarding his retirement. He dealt with many personal issues as last season ended.
Within the past year and a half, Favre has had to cope with the deaths of his father, brother and close friend Reggie White. He also is supporting his wife through her fight against breast cancer. No doubt it has been one of the toughest years of his life. Because of these tragedies, Favre was seriously considering retirement, but made it official March 10 that he will be back for at least one more season.
The Packers haven’t made any significant free agent signings. They have lost some players to free agency though. Starting guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle signed with Dallas and Carolina, respectively. These two led one of the best offensive lines in football last year, opening up holes for a potent running game and giving up a team record low of 14 sacks.
Adding to their loses, as mentioned before, ex-Packer safety Darren Sharper just fled to the border. As with most players, money wins over loyalty. It’ll be interesting to see him play against Favre, Walker, Driver and others.
These are just some of the stories coming from the NFL this offseason. Is there any doubt football is America’s most loved sport? With baseball starting, the steroid scandal in full effect and March Madness coming to a close, football is still making big headlines. Now, as the NFL draft approaches, things will really get exciting.
