The NFL is Making Progress on the Lockout Which Means...

That I'm really excited about football. More importantly, I'm really excited about the Vikings. Hopefully they get this thing figured out sooon so that new Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder can practice with his teammates before the home opener.

The home opener is September 18th and against the Tampa Bay Bucaneers. They have an exciting young quarterback in Josh Freeman, who looks like a 13 year old boy in a 6-5 man's body. Nevertheless he is a very good player and it should be a very good game. Naturally, Adrian Peterson will do whatever he wants against the Bucaneers.

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NFL Lockout is Still Underway, but I can't Wait for the Vikings!

Yeah, yeah so the NFL Lockout is still going on. Talks have progressed, but there is still a lot for the two sides to hash out. Here are a couple of things I would like to say to both sides trying to figure this out.

To the players: I know you want more of your contracts to be be guaranteed and to be paid in retirement, but you have to understand how much it costs the owners to run your teams. Without them paying the checks, you really aren't worth anything

To the owners: You realize your leverage is dwindling right? The closer you get to the season the more risk you run of losing actual games in a season. Sure, NFL players careers are short, but that's because they get beat up playing these games. With the time off they can recover and most of them have enough money to sustain a lockout like this.

Sign Terrelle Pryor

I like Christian Ponder and am okay with him being the Vikings quarterback, but the Vikings should sign Terrelle Pryor. It's a low risk - high reward move. Pryor's value isn't very high yet he has the ability to be a very good quarterback in the NFL. How can a little competition hurt Ponder? Pryor won't come at a very high price and he might turn out to be really good. Considering the Vikings quarterback situation is so uncertain, it would make a lot of sense for them to go after him.

Minnesota Vikings' New Stadium Deal Progresses

Despite reservations held by Minnesota governor Mark Dayton, Rep. Mike Nelson, one of the authors of the Vikings stadium legislation, is encouraged that stadium financing may be passed this year. However, there have been cautionary statements by everyone at the capital that the state's $5 billion budget deficit is the No. 1 priority.

The biggest unresolved issue is the $131 million estimate for needed road improvements in the Arden Hills area to support the increased traffic.