Happy hump day, everyone, and welcome to Skoloholics, your home for Minnesota Vikings Discussion! Every day you can join us for the latest Minnesota Vikings news, lots of Minnesota Vikings talk, also NFL news and updates, and most anything else you may have on your mind. At Skoloholics, the real action is in the comments, so if you haven’t checked out the comments section yet, sign up and join the conversation.

Vikings Conversation and Random Thoughts
We’ve reached the middle of the week, we’re finally on the downhill run to another weekend. It’s been a long week here in the northern Dakota, as temps have been below zero for several days now. It’s supposed to finally reach the zero mark tomorrow around noon, and I cannot wait. They’re talking temps in the 40s by this weekend, and I can guarantee you that North Dakotans will be outside in their t-shirts, and I’ll be one of them.
The two-week window opened yesterday for teams to place franchise tags on players, if they so choose. Many talking heads think the Vikings will place the franchise tag on Sam Darnold, but I am doubtful that this will happen. You never know, but I doubt it. The only way I see that happening is if the Vikings are unsure of J.J. McCarthy’s recovery, and from the sounds of it, the Vikings believe McCarthy is on track to be ready for OTAs. Therefore, I don’t expect to see them tag Darnold. It’s like the media folks didn’t watch that meltdown in the final two games of the Vikings season.
Vikings News
From Vikings.com, the NFL’s 2025 franchise tag window opened for two weeks. On Lunchbreak, they look at the Vikings tag options and they look ahead to the combine.
NFL News
On The Insiders at NFL.com, Judy Batista highlights her top franchise tag candidates.
NFL.com also has a franchise tag primer where they list their top franchise tag candidates. After reading my comments above, I think it’s funny that both of these stories have a picture of Sam Darnold as the thumbnail.
CBS Sports has their top 25 available offensive players.
Media Selection
Here’s a great interview by the fellas from Change Agents with the guy who produced a documentary on the truth behind Anthony Fauci. This is the same producer who produced such films as Zeitgeist, so he’s far from being a “right winger”. Really fascinating, enjoy!
Thread Guidelines
- Keep politics to a minimum. We are adults, news happens, and we can talk about it. What we don’t want is to go down rabbit holes and turn a productive conversation into name calling and personal attacks.
- Be respectful and civil. You don’t need to agree with everyone, you also don’t need to make it personal. Attack the argument, not the poster.
- Keep the NSFW language/pictures to a minimum. We don’t want anyone getting in trouble at work for hanging out here.
- To summarize, behave like adults. Treat each other with respect, and things will be fine. Mods will take out content they feel is pushing the boundary. If you want to reach out about something, please do. We want to have robust discussions, that’s why we’re here, just be civil.
- Twitter sized version: Be cool to one another.
So glad we got rid of this snowflake
https://www.outkick.com/sports/crybaby-nfl-sjw-chris-kluwe-arrested-protesting-maga
Obviously knocked on the head too many times.
Not sure how he managed that as a punter.
Quiet times. Maybe the combine will ramp up things. Prob not.
No way…it’s tampering to talk about free agents at the combine.
Makes total sense to me.
The way that they twist the facts around to fit their narrative is awe inspiring.
Not believable, but still awe inspiring efforts.
This only highlights and reinforces the fact that the Democrats will lie to the American people on everything, to try and get their power back.
Dear Chuck, you need to be censured by the Senate, for lying to the American people.
i agree with the Senator. Those 400 FAA mechanics let go in the US are the reason the Delta plane crashed in Toronto
Well it was coming from the US.
The indication is it was more about the pilots and conditions and not so much about a mechanical issue with the plane.
Of course investigation is still ongoing.
But if everyones cap goes up then they will just pay more for players that we want.
It doesn’t really help us all that much.
Yep, cap goes up, contracts go up, net wash, for all teams. And wherever we were ranked in cap space before this, is exactly where we are going to be ranked after it.
Too bad they can’t increase the roster by a player or two also…
Don’t they kind of do that with the in the increase the size of the practice squad and loosen the rules and allow players to move back and for the weekly?
ish i hope the vikings don’t have to play in brazil
That sounds racist.
It wouldn’t be terrible. You have all off-season to prepare, don’t have to travel out to LA during the season, which could be a short week like they did to us last season, and the team would have 8-9 days off before week 2. I would actually like to see this as it would probably attract a few more new fans also.
Well his first start “might” be against Harbaugh. Hopefully it will be, but nothing is guaranteed at this point.
Nothing like beating your college coach to start your historic NFL career.
If anyone knows where to attack McCarthy, it’s John Harbaugh. The Chargers defense rose to one of the best in the league this year. Harbaugh knows what he’s doing on that side of the ball. Under Harbaugh, the Chargers went from 23rd in the league in points allowed, to 1st.
McCarthy also knows Harbaugh’s tendencies and defense and has now had a year under O’Connell’s tutelage. The Chargers don’t stand a chance.
McCarthy is years away from having enough understanding, knowledge, and experience, to take on a pro defense and beat it with his brain. Years away. Mahomes wasn’t able to read a defense until his fourth year, and McCarthy is eons away from Mahomes level of QB play.
I am not sure how much he will have to figure out pre-snap initially.
KOC will get them to the line of scrimmage early and then talk to him about the defense thru the headset much like he did with Dobby.
JJ (QB) will just have execute and react to protection breakdowns and the like.
Not saying that will eliminate the learning curve but it could very well flattening it a bit.
I don’t disagree with this, but acting like McCarthy has the inherent talent right now to excel at playing the position of QB in the NFL, and be smarter, more talented, and more able, than his former coach, is a stretch.
Sounds like Trey Smith will be a FA Guard.
I said Guard. A stud Guard will be available.
Can you say Guard?
Can he play Guard? Oh, wait…
The story of how Michigan got the UP is pretty fascinating.
It is.
Nothing at all to do with the cheese-eaters.
Pretty cool read. I never knew. Funny that the Gov threatened to secede from the Union…..and they just ignored him.
“Upper Michigan, someplace special…..”
I used to live in da U.P.
Escanaba In Da Moonlight is a classic. It MUST be watched the night before deer season opens.
I go with Jeremiah Johnson.
I don’t know anything about the movie.
But I was in Escanaba many times.
I love visiting the U.P. We drive up to Marquette once or twice a year. Biggest city in the U.P., on the lake, great scenery. Go when the trees are changing colors, awesome drives.
A few really cool breweries also. And they offer things that my stupid state doesn’t 🙂.
Go to the Keweenaw for colors.
Did a hot air balloon ride in the Houghton/Calumet area once.
Gorgeous.
I lived in Negaunee and Ishpeming.
But Yes. Marquette breweries were cool.
Good dey eh?
We drive by both those towns. We did stop at Upper Peninsula Brewery in Negaunee. Was cool, I think we were told that it was slaughter house back in the day.
But if we did, we can’t just point at our hand and say “I live here” anymore.
LOL.
I’ve never seen this for Wisconsin.
Michigan yes. Never for Wisconsin though.
It’s our cushion for when Canada invades the USA.
Wait, they let women fly planes?
As it turns out the company that crashed the plane in Toronto goes out of their way to not have men on their flights.
You mean Delta does this?
It was a Delta plane but flown and crewed by another company. I believe Endeavor.
And vote. And they have the nerve to speak their minds now!!
For God sake! What’s next!
Well… Physiologically and mentally, women are better equipped to be pilots than men. On average, they multitask better, can withstand G forces better, and process data faster than men.
No, I got the joke, I was providing little known data about female pilots (including fighter pilots) to the masses.
Remember the unjust criticism of Kara Hultgreen after that F-14 crash?
Indeed I do. It was ridiculous IMO. At the time of the crash, and her death, Hultgreen ranked No. 1 in defending the fleet from simulated attacks by enemy aircraft and in air refueling. She ranked No. 2 in tactics to evade enemy aircraft and in combined familiarization with tactics and aircraft. She had a total of 1,242 hours of flying time and 58 carrier landings, including 17 night landings.
She was a damn good pilot. She was the first female carrier fighter pilot in the Navy, and when she crashed and died while attempting a carrier landing, “pilot error” was the common refrain, even though the the left engine stalled. Male pilots went so far as to say she caused the engine to stall, without any proof that actually was the case.
Cold east of the divide into NoDak, not not terrible west of the divide. It finally quit snowing this am. I have a 94 F350 chains on all four and a snow plow to plow my 200 yd driveway. I was struggling to keep it open. Also running out of places to put snow, one can only make a berm so high until it falls back on drive. Its like driving through a car width little tunnel.
A little pricy but I can see family giving grandpa one.
Not much need for the snowplow attachment in Florida I would guess.
Wow, man I’d love to have that.
Skid steers are $$$.
A neighbor offered to sell me his well maintained S250 (2006), had about 1200 hours on it. He was asking 30 but said he could be persuaded to give it to me for 28. Would have come with a bucket. Wife and I talked about it, all in the tractor does more for me, and 28 would only have been the start, need to get all new skidsteer attachments.
My wish is to get a 4 series JD tractor with a cab. Some day perhaps. It’s only money.
Sounds cheap to me.
The JD 331 Skid Steer we bought for work in late 2022 & 2023 with two attachments was $102,000
Shit for 30 dollars I would have taken it, no brainer.
Haha
I have a 35 hp New Holland tractor, no cab 4×4.
Nice! My little green SCUT is 23 hp.
That’s why we lost. Oh, Sam. YOU TOOK IT FROM ME!
Cadbury Creme Eggs are on the shelves again.
The Teacher agrees with this sentiment.
I can take them or leave them.
Usually leave them as there are usually better options.
You have two months to enjoy them.
Easter is way late this year.
Vikings move Murphy’s Void date.
https://www.wdayradionow.com/sports/vikings-delay-void-date-for-murphy/
I think they will extend him
They will try, we will see how successful they are.
Hopefully they can find a decent price point.
Good morning!
FTP
FT*
FTL
And Happy Hump Day! 🐫
Also, FIRST
Good morning, SKOL!
FTP!
FTP Auto Rec.
As He intended.
Too fat.
Hi, five.
Glad that doosh isn’t here any more.