Club Members,

  
Team News:
Hello everyone – it’s been a week so I felt it was time to write all of you. We saw our team lose a close one; so let’s discuss this a little. We were one turnover or a flip of the coin away from going to the Super Bowl. It’s always hard to have your season end like this. Our guys held the Saints to 257 total yards – compare that stat with the five turnovers we gave them and our defense kicked butt. When you look at the offensive stats – we kicked butt there also, which only means our mistakes cost us the game. Had we not had the mistakes; we would have won that game as big as we won the Cowboys game, but we didn’t. So, now that a week has passed it’s easier to accept the loss, only because we have too.
 
The league has reviewed some of the calls in the game and admitted the hit to Brett’s knees was a penalty and should have nullified the first interception and awarded the Vikes a first down on the play. They basically said no comment to the Leber pass interference call in overtime – which is an interesting position in itself. The league also agreed there was an unnecessary roughness hit on Brett after he handed the ball off. It’s not much help after the fact, but, hopefully the league learns something that helps prevent this in the future.
 
Not much else to say about the game – we did lose, it did hurt.
 
The next phase in the football year now begins and for fans it starts with questions. Questions like “Will Brett Favre return?” “Will Pat Williams retire?” “Will E.J. be healthy and can he return?” “What is the prognosis with Cedric?” “What’s the deal with the William’s wall legal action?” I’m sure I missed some of your questions – draft possibilities and unrestricted free agents and restricted free agents. With regard to free agents I know this – Chester Taylor, Artis Hicks, Benny Sapp, Jimmy Kennedy and Greg Lewis are all unrestricted free agents and Ray Edwards, Tarvaris Jackson, Fred Evans, Naufahu Tahi, Karl Paymah, Ryan Cook and Eric Frampton are restricted free agents. Every one of the restricted free agents will become an unrestricted free agent if the CBA is extended before the start of free agency with the exception of Eric Frampton (I’m not sure of the dates or any possible extensions pending).
 
I know everyone has an opinion of who we should draft and who we should resign – so I’ll let you guys discuss that amongst yourselves again this year. For me I believe it’s a higher priority to evaluate our free agents – I believe the Vikes are the most talented team in the league and it would seem important to me to resign the key folks that helped that talent pool. I also believe that this team has done the best job of improving year after year (after the Zigi ownership change) than any team in the league. It’s my position this year (as it was last year) that this team will field the best team possible and will improve again next year.
 
Club News:
We once again raised money for charity this year – $2100.00 dollars in all. We donated $500.00 each to The Page Foundation, The Link, The Keyboarding Club (Brent McClanahan’s charity) and Boys to Men (Oscar Reed’s charity) with an additional $100.00 going to Brent’s charity throughout the year. We had our biggest can drive support this year. We had the Purple Reign Racing Team show up at a game with one of their cars and Brent McClanahan (wearing Super Bowl rings) and the Bakersfield club joined us for a game. So all in all we had a good year as a group.
 
We will be going back for training camp again next summer – dates are not confirmed, estimated as the first or second week in August. These dates always take longer than I like to confirm – we have to wait for the Vikings to finalize their camp plans and the Vikings have to wait for the league to complete the game scheduling before they can complete their camp plans. The estimated dates come from me looking back into history and seeing what was done in the past – it’s my best guess. Our agenda will stay the same – a couple of days at camp, tours of Winter Park and the Dome and a dinner with Viking alumni as guests. If you haven’t been to one of our summer camp events you should consider coming.
 
There’s a good chance we’ll be soliciting board members again for next year. Lyle has retired to Arizona and it’s looking probable we’ll be losing Rick next year. Rick is considering a job back in Minnesota and I hope him and his family the best with these difficult decisions. Last year Eric and Linda followed work to help their families and it’s always a little sad when good folks leave, but seeing how I made the same decisions in my life I wish them the best. Besides – if Rick moves back to the Minneapolis area; we’ll be able to see him at our Minneapolis dinner.
 
For you first year members; you won’t be hearing from me as much during the off-season as you did during the season. You will hear from me and I will answer some of the questions from above; when they are announced, you can expect a letter approximately every month.
 
Fun Stuff:
Did you know Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins had the first 5,000 yard passing season (1984)?
 
Bo Jackson: "If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
 
Vince Lombardi: "The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur."
 
"Football is like life; it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority."
 
Terry Bradshaw: "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid."
 
William "The Refrigerator" Perry: "I've been big ever since I was little."
 
Joe Namath: Prior to Super Bowl III: "I've got news for you. We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it."
 
Paul Tagliabue: "I'm a firm believer that all sports will eventually be global. Someday, we may have a quarterback from China named Yao Fling."
 
Thanks everyone for another great year – I’ll be seeing you.
 
Go Vikes!
 
Wm. R. Martin
President
Southern California Viking Club