Sports Highlights

Training camp reflects Brad Childress' air of professionalism

Vikings Coach Brad Childress has injected a new element of professionalism into the organization, and that influence is reflected in training camp.

2007-07-26
By Jon Krawczynski, AP Sports Writer [distributed by The Associated Press, Minneapolis, MN, 7/25/2007]

Time was, the Minnesota Vikings descended upon Mankato for training camp with a pomp and circumstance befitting the arrival of royalty.

The star players rolled into Gage Hall on the campus of what was then Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato, please) behind the wheels of Lamborghinis, Ferraris and souped-up Hummers. With gleaming smiles and unshakable swagger, the players would navigate a legion of screaming fans begging for autographs, pictures or a simple wave.

Out on the town, they packed restaurants and bars in the area hoping to catch a glimpse of their heroes in an everyday setting, something that rarely happened back home in the Twin Cities.

Purple-clad fanatics would come from all over the Midwest - some taking weeklong vacations from work - to sit in the bleachers on a sweltering August day and watch Daunte Culpepper throw warmup tosses to Randy Moss.

Wanna get a drink at Boomtown - a local bar right across the street from where the Vikings practice - on a Friday night? Better be ready to wait a good 10 minutes in a line while being bumped and squeezed by partyers.

But last year, something happened.

Seemingly all at once, faster than a Moss 40-yard dash, Vikings training camp in Mankato went from a circus atmosphere to a ghost town.

Sure, there were fans lining up at the autograph tents, and some in the stands as practice dragged on, but the celebratory and sometimes euphoric anticipation of season's start simply wasn't there. The bars and restaurants were less crowded and the practices were much more subdued.

The first question is, why?

After a banner offseason, which included the hiring of a new coach and signing of several high-profile free agents, optimism around the team was as high as it had been in years. Folks were talking Super Bowl, or an NFC North title at the very least.

In August of 2006, the public had no idea that those Vikings would field one of the most inept offenses in franchise history and finish the season 6-10. They had no idea Brad Childress would have a heck of a time relating not only to his players, but also to the fans that have so ardently supported this franchise for years.

But from the first morning of camp under the new regime, it was clear that something was different. The straight-laced Childress made it be known early that this was a business trip. He tried to instill an element of professionalism that had been sorely lacking under Mike Tice, and perhaps a trickle down effect was an unforeseen alienation of the fans.

Tice was omnipresent during his days in Mankato, hitting local bars and restaurants, commiserating with fans. Heck, he even kicked an offensive lineman out of a drill in his final season here and inserted a fan who was watching nearby.

Childress was harder to find than Waldo, too busy immersed in getting to know his personnel and his coaches in his first go-round running the show.

Tice also had Culpepper, Moss, Michael Bennett and other stars that reveled in the limelight and had the cache to make the Hansons drive four hours from Hibbing to Mankato just for the chance to see them up close and personal.

Childress's crew is much, much more blue collar.

Think about it. Whose jersey would you pay $150 for last year? Matt Birk? Steve Hutchinson? Supremely talented players, of course, but not the kind of household name that sells tickets.

Now, in the blink of an eye, it's 'Kato time again.

With that ugly 6-10 season in the rearview mirror, and a less-than-inspiring crop of free agents joining a struggling team, what kind of reception will the Vikings receive down there this year?

For the first time in recent memory, there are legitimate concerns that the Vikings might not sell out a home game. Mankato should provide a good barometer to how strong the public support is for this team.

Will they stay away in droves and wait for the preseason games to begin to make a decision on this team? Or will they drink the Kool-Aid Childress has been selling, that another year under his system and the addition of Adrian Peterson to the backfield will be enough to make them competitive again?

We will find out starting Friday, when the first practices are open to the public.

This reporter is a little conflicted.

On one hand, covering a crazy camp with yahoos hootin' and hollerin' at every pass the quarterback completes against no defense is a fun and invigorating atmosphere.

On the other, after spending 12 hours in the hot sun watching 85 guys try not to hurt each other on the practice field, it's kind of nice not to have to wait in line for a cold beer.

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