Club Members,
 
Team News:
Hello everyone – is everybody still riding the high from Sunday’s game. The Cowboy’s came to Zigi-hood and left with their stars between their legs – our team really looked sharp in all phases of the game. I haven’t reviewed the game, but it looked to me like we saw the best tackling yet this year. The Cowboys actually ran more plays then us and had a little bit of an edge in time of possession. I’m not completely surprised by this – when you have scores of 47 and 45 yards, you don’t eat much time. But the primary thing I saw was just great tackling; when the Cowboys completed a pass they were tackled right there, I don’t believe there was one missed tackle. This defensive effort made it virtually impossible for the Cowboys to get down the field. Along with great tackling – we saw a great pass rush, Romo was pressured all day and he made the mistakes because of this. Yes; this was a great game – when you can smoke a team that everyone says (talking heads on TV, no intended insult here) is the best team in the playoffs, you made a statement.
 
Well in this game victories are short lived and this week is no exception – we have the Saints to think about. So; here are some of my rambling thoughts regarding the Saints. Before next week we will hear the same mind numbing talking heads tell us how great the Saints are – I’m here to tell you the Vikes are the better team. Let me remind you of who the Saints played and how those games went. To start with the Saints played the Bucs twice and the Bucs beat them once – it was the second to the last game, but the number one seed was still in question. The Bucs record – 3 and 13, oh there’s a power house. The Dolphins scored 34 points against them and they were a below 500 club. They also drew the Lions, Rams and Redskins in this year’s schedule (when you play out of your division and you draw these teams you had better win) and the Rams and Redskins almost beat the Saints scoring 53 points between them. Remember the Saints had to play the Eastern conference this year and the Cowboys went into their house and beat them, this was the game that got the December monkey off of Romo’s back. Why do I mention these things – because the Vikings are the best team the Saints will face this year. The Saints haven’t faced a defense as good as ours; we were second in scoring to the Saints but, we drew the Ravens and the Steelers – not the Rams and the Skins. And lastly – I’ll take Percy over Bush anytime, our special teams are better, kicking and receiving.
 
I’m here to say right now – we play our game and T-Jack will see time in the fourth quarter to protect Brett for our final game, we win this game big.
 
Club News:
Not much for club news this week, but I would like to thank the 130 members that showed up for the game last week. Everyone was well behaved except for me – when I got home Chris was laughing at me for being so horse, I could hardly speak.
 
The NFC Championship game is at 3:30 PM California time and I want to see everyone at Northwood’s – except maybe Larry, if he’s not at Northwood’s he’s at the game.
 
Players Corner:
 
Ray Edwards
Number 91
Defensive End
Height: 6-5
Weight: 268
Age: 24
Born: 1/1/1985 in Cincinnati, OH
College: Purdue
 
John Sullivan
Number 65
Center
Height: 6-4
Weight: 301
Age: 23
Born: 8/8/1985 Mount Kisco, NY
College: Notre Dame
 
NFL Hall of Famers:
In 1964, Carl Eller, a consensus All-America with the University of Minnesota, was a first-round draft pick of both the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills of the then-rival American Football League. A 6-6, 247-pound defensive stalwart, Eller opted to stay in a familiar environment and signed with the Vikings. For the next 15 years through 1978, he was a fixture in one of pro football’s most effective defensive alignments. He finished his career with one final season with the Seattle Seahawks in 1979, having played in 225 regular season games.
 
During Eller’s career the Vikings enjoyed great success on the field. Starting in 1968, Eller’s fifth campaign, Minnesota won 10 NFL/NFC Central Division titles in the next 11 seasons. The Vikings won the 1969 NFL championship and NFC crowns in 1973, 1974, and 1976 and played in four Super Bowls.
 
A major factor in this long string of successes was a ferocious defensive line often referred to as “The Purple People Eaters.” Eller was the left end of a line that included Jim Marshall at the opposite end and Hall of Famer Alan Page and Gary Larsen at the tackles. Extremely quick and mobile for his size, Carl was an excellent defender against the run and superb as a pass rusher. In one three-string season from 1975 to 1977, he recorded 44 sacks, according to unofficial statistics (sacks did not become an official NFL statistic until 1982). He also was effective in blocking kicks and, during his career he recovered 23 opponents’ fumbles, the third best mark in NFL annals at the time of his retirement.
 
He became a regular his rookie season and was named first- or second-team All-Pro every year from 1967 through 1973. He was All-NFL or All-NFC 1968 through 1973 and then All-NFC again in 1975. In 1971, he won the George Halas Award as the NFL’s leading defensive player and was selected to play in six Pro Bowls (1969-1972, 1974, and 1975).
 
Go Vikes!
 
See you all at Northwood,
 
Wm. R. Martin
President
Southern California Viking Club