Tice coming back

[Down to Earth]

Just heard one ESPN Radio that McCombs has picked up the optin on Tice's contract for next year. I feel sorry for you Viking fans, you deserve better. I'm starting to think more and more that Tice isn't the problem, but in fact it is your owner who is at fault. The sooner he is more concerned about putting a better product on the playing field than he is about how much more money he can make on the sale of the Vikings the better off you guys will be.

[fishyguy]

The great coaches have certain traits. Tice has many of these but he still does not have the ability to find a way to win, or are his players fearful of him. Parcells, Shula, Landry, Grant were all loved by their players but the players also knew that their time with the team would be short if they didn't do it the coach's way. That is the fine line Tice needs to find, in my opinion.

[Tonka Boy]

Just plain stupid!! There goes any hope for 2005.

[lawdog]

I think it was inevitable he would extend that contract. I don't know that Tice is head coach material as some of the things he does obviously show he might not be (clock/time mgmt, challenges, etc.). BUT, with the injuries this year and with them making the playoffs, there would be no way Red wouldn't retain the cheapest coach in the league.

IF they draft and sign through free agency some linebackers and maybe another cornerback they can be a good team. They aren't that far off really.

I do think its horrible the way they play down to their competition though. I don't know where that comes from but its got to stop. They don't beat all the bad teams they should and they don't seem to win the big games they need either...

[Bigins]

Hi everyone, I'm new here.

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I do think its horrible the way they play down to their competition though. I don't know where that comes from but its got to stop. They don't beat all the bad teams they should and they don't seem to win the big games they need either...

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I have to agree. It's all Red McCumbs, he's too (Contact US Regarding This Word) cheap to bring in a good coach, I just hate the guy. He wants $600+ million for the team, yet he hasn't paid the coach $1 million in each of his first 3 years.

Tice is terrible at game management, he's been better in the last 2 games but that's been frustrating as well.

[northman]

Well if Mccombs just picked up tice's option, then its a 1 year deal for 1 million I believe. I believe that by this time next year. Mccombs will have the team sold. This way, he is making it the easiest and cheapest for himself. I do not believe that Mccombs has the vikings best interests at heart. Maybe just maybe, it is impossible for a rich Texan to become minnesota'isd ! Lets get rid of him and then maybe there will be some hope for the Vikes !?! - northman

[ICE RAT]

The Vikes Nightmare Continues !!!!!!

Tice Lives - Boo !

Northman - you are right on

Red ( the car salesman ) doesn't give a rat's (Contact US Regarding This Word) about the Vikes

He can make his money by selling them to Los Angles

[Scott M]

Yep, only doing it because Tice is so cheap for him. Any other owner would have thrown him on his butt after seeing all the mistakes and missed opportunities.

[Eric Wettschreck]

He isn't, but Tice could be a good coach. Before everyone jumps on me for saying that let me repeat....COULD be a good coach. I'm not defending him, I think he's done a poor job the last couple years. However, he does have some good potential.

He was a tough player and a good player. He needs to instill that toughness into his team. No more excuses, no more talk, no more, no more, no more.........toughen up.

Of course, getting a couple linebackers that know how to play the game wouldn't hurt either.

How you do that I don't know. That's why I'm a boilermaker and not a head coach in the NFL.

[Guest]

Here's a question for all of you....

If you got rid of Tice, who would you get to replace him?

There really are not very many good coaches out there that are available. With Tice we know what we have, but by bringing in someone new and unproven, then you might as well scrap the entire team and start over because it will take another 3 years plus just to get back where we are right now if you install a new sysyem and a new philosophy.

Just look at the defense....3 years, 3 different coordinators and probably the worst D in the league. You can't be changing all the time and expect any drastic improvement.

[lawdog]

Tom I think you make a great point. I don't know who would be the guy to bring in either and some continuity is really needed for a team. Bad enough what continuity you loose in free agency every year, you don't need to keep having new systems. Even though the D is pathetic, Cottrell needs to stay and further develop his system, for instance, but he needs players to do that.

In the end it all comes down to Red spending some of that money. What were they $20,000,000 below the cap this year? He's about as cheap as C. Montgomery Burns-Pohlad...

[fishyguy]

Tom and lawdog,

I like your optimistic views on this but I would like to think our options at the least would be another unproven guy who has not failed here yet (I believe Tice is living well below reasonable expectations). Although it is true we have had three D coord's in three years, I ask you these things. Who made the decision to make those changes? Who decided one failed year was enough for the others but Cotrell deserves two? I am only playing devil's advocate here as I am torn on this. I love Tice's attitude but question his ability.

[Guest]

O'Leary left for a head coaching job. Wish he would have stayed, did a good job with what he had to work with.

Shaw was pathetic. Tice needed to dump him and from what I have read the players were happy to see him go.

Cottrel is very respected in the league. He had great success with the Bills. I agree he needs to stay on at last another year. I guess he has a pretty complex scheme, not an excuse for poor play, but the players would benifit in keeping with one plan for another season.

[MJR]

The biggest problem with the vikes is Red.

Pays all coaches pretty much nothing in comparison to all other nfl coaches. Which doesn't mean they won't do a good job but means some of the good ones will go elsewhere.

Way under the salary cap, even with Winfields contract being mostly counted early. We could sign 4-5 more free agents for around the same as Winfield and still be under the cap.

Red doesn't care if we win he wants to sell the team at a profit while investing as little as possible in the team. It is going to be a shame if he doesn't sell it in a couple of years when Moss and Culpeper have had enough of it and go elsewhere or retire.

[JHansel7]

Yes red is not the best owner, we'll get someone else better, and no the team isnt going anywhere, so dont start saying that. And give tice one more year, i think you will be pleasantly surprised, you cant build a team in that amount of time, especially after Denny basically messed all things up.

[buzzsaw]

Draft defense period! Sign free agent defensive players that have game, not the slugs of the league. I agree Tice has made some wierd challenges and had some bad clock management but I really believe we just need to shore up this defense... oh and have Randy Moss running all of his routes at full speed!

[northman]

Well I can't think of a good replacement for Tice and since the situation is what it is. Tice will be back next year.

Here goes: Since at least one of you looked into your cristal ball last night and believes that tice has potential? My suggestion is: that Red ask and hire and PAY, BUD GRANT to tutor Tice! Bud is one of the few great coaches from the past. As nice a guy as he is. When he is with the team. He was a no-nonsense coach. Thats what tice is lacking in my opinion. His teams players make more plays off the field then on the field. All bad. Bud could give tice what he is currently lacking. - northman

[JHansel7]

I would have to disagree, Tice is more of a no-nonsense kind of guy than Denny Green, or most the coaches in the league, witht he acception of a few. On the field he is pretty verbal, and when someone does something stupid he lets them no, he doesnt sit there like a lump. And off the field decisions the guy makes, we arent in the locker room and we dont know what was said, he could chew their "hind end" and we wouldnt know?

[swampman]

I tend to agree that bringing in another coach will just set some things back a couple years. there is such a fine line between winning and losing, a play here or there and this team proably could have had 11 wins. this defense has stunk for along time, a couple linebackers and d backs would go along ways in making Tice look better. yea his time managment sucks and the red flag challenges have been a disaster but those are proably as much somebody elses fault as his. I think Daunte has a ways to go to, he is great at putting up some big numbers and scoring points, but I dont know if he has that winners edge yet when the game is on the line, dont get me wrong I think he is a great talent, but I dont have the feeling that he can pull it out at crunchy time yet.just my take.

[Chad711]

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Tom I think you make a great point. I don't know who would be the guy to bring in either and some continuity is really needed for a team. Bad enough what continuity you loose in free agency every year, you don't need to keep having new systems. Even though the D is pathetic, Cottrell needs to stay and further develop his system, for instance, but he needs players to do that.

In the end it all comes down to Red spending some of that money. What were they $20,000,000 below the cap this year? He's about as cheap as C. Montgomery Burns-Pohlad...

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Jim Fassell.

[northman]

I don't disagree with anything you last 3 guys have said. Your right. Red needs to spend the money required to put a winning team out there. I thought they did that this year? I guess not. Remember When tampa bay replaced tony Dungy. Tampa won the superbowl, so it can be done. You can replace a coach sometimes and win. I also don't want to just keep tice because he is better then Denny green either. Sure he is. All I can say is that when I watch a game where the teams that are playing have real good winning records. They play like good teams. They act like a good team. They act like they know what they are doing. Watch minnesota. To me they play like they hope they can win. yes, Tice is vocal very much during the game. Usually because so many things are going wrong and he gets frustrated. yes he is terrible on game and time and red flag management. You want to keep tice anyway, so - so be it.

Can anyone explain that every year now. They start out good. Like 6 and 0 or 5 an 1 and then they fall apart again?

Why? I was also thinking back about Bud Grant. He was a quiet man but his look goes right through you. Heck, Just looking at a picture of Bud, I would feel like he was looking right through me and I was only looking at a picture of him. You new he was in control of his team. I do not sense that tice is really in control? Your right, I and we are not in the locker room and I do not hear what tice is saying or acting like with the players? I am only judging by what I see. How his players act. How the team acts on the field and while on the sidelines. Part of the problem to now with the defense is that they have to spend too much time on the field because the offense has dropped way down. Not enough first downs any more. The defense is wore out. Why is the offense faltering. The experts are saying that minnesota has the second best quarterback? That minnesota has 3 now, very good receivers? Other teams have injuries and they muster up wins. we will have to see if philly can handle the loss of T.O., however? All I am really saying is, can anyone explain it ?? I still vote for someone to tutor Tice since you want to keep him. Thats fine. - northman

[northman]

Oh Ya, there was one other point I wanted to make but forgot. Tice did alright this sunday night. but sometimes on sunday night schmidt's sports wrap on channel 5 at 10:35 pm. I have seen him talk about the game and wonder if he was watching the same viking game I did. I believe that on occasion. three million minnesota fans can see the game one way and he alone sees it another way. Are we all wrong? I don't think so and it does make me wonder about his coaching? - what do you think? - northman

[fishyguy]

I am glad I don't make the decision on Tice because I would have a tough time but I think that is because he is so refreshing compared to Denny. That said, there are many arguments out there for continuity and not taking a step back with a new regime. If it takes going back to go forward, I will take it. It is better than 3 more seasons of spinning our wheels.

Many peoples definition of insanity is doing the same thing, the same way and expecting different results. I am sick of this team driving us insane. Much more of this mental stress and we may start acting like Packer fans.

[Ely Lake Expert]

This may get jumped on, but I don't think that they ever should have gotten rid of Denny Green, he did a good job, but never had a defense to work with.

As to tice, he does some stupid things but I think he has the ability to be a good coach.

[eyecrosser2000]

Two comments.

1. My take on Denny Green is that he got rid of himself. He alienated Red, the media, and the fans to the point that it almost looked like he wanted to get fired to get out of this situation without being called a quitter. Remember, when Red said Denny wouldn't be back next year, Denny said "why wait 'til next year" and left with one game left--enter Tice. Red reminds me a an old grandpa who might get huffy once in a while, but isn't going to pull the trigger on contracts unless it is absolutely necessary.

2. As far as why this team doesn't win, how many athletic supporters (pun intended) of other teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL (can you remember the NHL?) ask themselves the same question? You know, only one team each year does it right. The formula is a combination of front office, coaching staff planning and teaching, players with skills and heart and a lot of good bounces along the way. I don't know much about the Vikes front office--but they sell out the dome every Sunday so they must be doing something right. Tice is a great motivator, but struggles with X' and O's (IMO). There is talent on the O side of the ball--but other than K Williams not one guy I'd keep on the Defense. The only guy with heart is Pep; and, FINALLY we all know the Vikes haven't sniffed out a break for two years other than the bad snap in Detroit couple weeks ago. (Although, I believe you put yourself in a position to be "lucky"--who said "the harder I work, the luckier I get"?)

I'm glad I could answer all your questions. Let's all hope for a strong playoff run starting Sunday so we can put our demons to rest--Boston did it, why can't we?