one of the two advantages of driving to work each day is that i get to listen to KFAN on my trip in and my trip back. i can\’t do NPR anymore, KQ is too angry, \’CCO is too old, and my musical tastes are stunted as of 1997. so it\’s an easy decision. the drawback at this time of year is that this a football state during football season, yet i\’m not a football fan. i pay cursory attention, maybe have the game on in the background of whatever else i\’m doing, but don\’t follow very closely.
it was hard to ignore, however, all of the lather and blather that followed adrian peterson\’s performance against the bears on october 14th. the team had finally decided to give him a chance to be the featured back, and he responded by rushing for 224 yards and three touchdowns. vikings rubes went berserk. \”best running back in the league.\” \”best vikings running back ever.\” all the hyperbole you could imagine; aaron gleeman aptly started to refer to peterson as \”Purple Jesus,\” appropriate given the attention and worship that the rookie running back was receiving from vikings fans. to me, it was a little much. could\’ve been a lucky game by a decent back, sure. but comparisons to ladanian tomlinson? chuck foreman? barry sanders? a little soon, don\’t you think?
and then peterson and the vikes took on san diego last sunday. and– i hate to admit it– i\’ve grabbed a plastic Solo cup and am in line for some purple kool-aid. while i didn\’t watch the game, i saw enough replays to make me wonder if all of the hoo-ha might be deserved. while he\’s not sanders-like (sandersian?) in his spins and abilities to make people miss at the line, A.D. can juke and get around defenders faster than anyone i think i\’ve ever seen. and, once he\’s past them, he seems to have the ability to turn it up to 11 and leave all pursuers in the dust. it\’s spectacular to watch.
and it\’s an attraction the team desperately needs right now– needing local TV outlets to pick up remaining tickets to prevent blackouts twice already this season. can A.D. make vikings games an event to be anticipated again, something that hasn\’t happened (for fair-weather fans like me) since 2000? we\’ll see. but, until then, another cup of that kool-aid, my good man.
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