From: jag@unislc.uucp (John Ganske)
Subject: Minnesota Vikings News 8/21/92
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 17:15:50 GMT
Keywords: cris carter column barreiro hartman


The amount of Vikings news in the paper seems to have decreased
lately, so I can't be very choosy about what I post.  Here's
what I found for Friday August 21, 1992 in the Minneapolis
StarTribune.

   from a column by Dan Barreiro (a regular sports columnist on the
   "Trib" staff) titled "Changes suit Cris Carter fine":

     In the second quarter of the Vikings' 30-0 victory over the
     Kansas City Chiefs last Saturday night, Sean Salisbury lofted
     a pretty pass into the end zone and toward Cris Carter.  
     From the stands, it looked as if a Chiefs defender might have
     stuck his hand up long enough to distract Carter.

     "No," he said. "It was in my hands and I just dropped it. I
     had a bad game.  Everything that was in my hands I should
     have caught.  Every time I dropped it, it was just me."

     There are two things you can count on from this Carter -
     great effort and brutal honesty.  As the Vikings meandered
     through a mediocre 1992 season, many players continued to 
     pretend that the team was fine and there was nothing to 
     worry about.

     Henry (Whine Time - nickname from Dan, not me) Thomas
     continually wondered by media members were questioning
     the team's position at all (an unbearable habit that he
     has continue through this preseason, as if the press has
     manufactured this team's previous struggles, as if it was
     some other team that put that rancid show against the 
     Packers in Jerry Burns' farewell game last December.)
     There were others who played this game of charades 
     throughout much of the season.

     Then there was C. Carter, who could see defects, and knew
     the Vikings needed to address them on the field and in the
     locker room.  "Sometimes I say too much, and when I was
     younger, somtimes I got myself in trouble," he said.
     "But we have to face what's going on, and last year I
     wanted us to get better.  If you're not a good team, then
     you need to be able to say you're not a good team.  There
     were people (on the team) saying we were a good team when 
     all you are able to accomplish is a record of 5-6."

     The Vikings have played two preseason games and won them 
     both impressively, yet it is far too early to say the Vikings
     are improved.  Dennis Green should understand that is is going
     to take more than a couple of preseason victories to erase
     from the fan's memories that discracefull season-ending 
     belly-flop to Green Bay and all that it symbolized about this
     organization the last three years.  But it is not too early
     to say this: Green has the attention of every member of this
     team, including Carter.

     "(Green) definitely has sent the message that he is the coach
     of this team and he doesn't necessarily care if we like him,"
     Carter said.  "That's OK.  He's upfront about that, and he's 
     consistent.  Superstar players or free agents are being pretty
     much treated on the same level, which is a change around here.
     Denny (my note - would Mr. Green encourage the use of        
     "Denny"?) is evaluating everybody.  Whether it's myself, or
     A.C. (the other Carter) or (Chris) Doleman or Carl Lee, where
     I think in the past maybe there was the feeling not everybody
     was being evaluated the same way."

     This is an uncharacteristically subtle way for Carter to say 
     the Big Knockers (me - what????) got too much limo treatment
     and need to drive their own cars.

     This change was pretty much expected since the day Green took
     over in Minnesota.  But Carter says he has been pleasently
     surprised by something else about Green.  "I'm surprised at  
     how well he and his staff are able to teach," he said.  "It's
     really exciting because the staff is real excited and upbeat.
     They tell you exactly what they want you to do."

     A year ago, Carter led the Vikings with 72 catches for 962   
     yards.  Carter did not give the Vikings the deepest threat,
     but he did offer them the surest hands.  He also played with
     fire in the belly.  "I'm always going to play hard," he said.
     "It's not going to change, if it's Dennis Green or Jerry Burns
     or Buddy Ryan."

     It is not quite that simple.  Just before the 1990 season    
     started, Ryan and the Eagles did the most humbling thing that
     can be done to a football player - they put Carter on waivers.
     "There are very few players who go through a whole career    
     without being released," he said. "O.J. Simpson was released.
     Herschel Walker was released."

     Yes, but not in the prime of their careers.  When Carter was
     released, he was only 24 years old and had played only three
     seasons.  This is what he admits now: "It was probably the 
     best move of my career because it made me work a lot harder
     at my game.  I took things for granted a little bit.  When I
     got to Minnesota, I worked twice as hard as I did (in        
     Philadelphia)."

     During the Vikings' mediocre 1991 season, Carter's performance
     was one of the few pleasant distractions for the purple      
     faithful.  He is hoping for even more this season.  His role, 
     he says, has been clearly defined.  "I think they have me in 
     the right spot,"  he said.  "They'll be putting me in motion
     a lot, working the middle of the field, and sometimes running
     deeper routes than last year.  I'll also help out on the 
     protection as an extra blocker on the outside."

     "That will free Hassan (Jones) and A.C. to do other things, 
     which will keep them happy," Carter said.  "I think it's going
     to be easier for everybody to keep their enthusiasm for 16   
     weeks in this system.  Everyone knows their role.  We have a 
     system."  

     If the system does not work, Cris Carter will be the first to
     let everybody know.

  from Sid Hartman's column:
    
     The Cleveland Browns have seven outstanding running backs,   
     including holdout Eric Metcalf, former Michigan star
     Leroy Hoard (whom the Vikings are high on), Kevin Mack,
     James Brooks, and Randy Baldwin, whom they claimed on waivers
     from the Vikings last year.  Don't be surprised if the Vikings
     talk about a deal while in Cleveland on Monday.

  from me:

     Hey Sid, how the heck are we supposed to know if the Vikings
     do talk deal with Cleveland so that we can be not surprised?
     I guess Sid will give us the inside scoop.   
  
- respectfully submitted by a member of the "purple faithful" -

John Ganske      -------------------------
a readheaded dad, vegetarian, cyclist, runner, volleyball player,
programmer, and all-around good guy, glad to be back in Minnesota
and soon to become small-time (very small-time) farmer 
     -----------------------------------------------------  
Unisys Corp.                            jag@unislc.slc.unisys.com 
Roseville, Minnesota                    612 635-7545  
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