Ponder Confident Heading Into Make-Or-Break Season
Christian Ponder says he's feeling confident heading into what could be a make-or-break season for the young Minnesota Vikings quarterback. Ponder is entering his second full season as a starter.
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Christian Ponder says he's feeling confident heading into what could be a make-or-break season for the young Minnesota Vikings quarterback. Ponder is entering his second full season as a starter.
Joe Webb's athleticism was too much to part with for the Minnesota Vikings. After converting Webb to wide receiver this spring, following a failed emergency playoff start at quarterback when Christian Ponder was out with an injury, the Vikings kept the versatile former sixth-round draft pick for special teams value and depth at an important position. Webb, in the fourth and final year of his contract, was one of five wide receivers on the 53-man regular-season roster revealed Saturday after the cut deadline.
The public authority overseeing construction of a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is warning that the opening of the stadium could be delayed if the team doesn't quickly resume negotiations on a lease and development agreements.
Kyle Rudolph has some of the surest hands in the NFL, with a 6-foot-6, 260-pound frame fit for the type of tight end who can be one of his team's best passing targets. As long as he plays for the Minnesota Vikings, though, his potential is probably not on track to become the next Tony Gonzalez. No matter how much ability Rudolph has as a receiver, run blocking must be an equally important part of his skill set. "There aren't very many guys in our game anymore who are doing the run blocking and the pass catching," Rudolph said.
There is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the upcoming Minnesota Vikings season, which starts Sept. 8 at Detroit, followed by a Sept. 15 match-up at Chicago. But one CBS expert isn't convinced and thinks the Vikings will miss the playoffs this year.
Minnesota's favorite football player is experimenting with putting chocolate milk on his Wheaties and even admits he ratchets up his legendary debilitating handshake for reporters in particular. The Vikings star running back opened up in an Ask Me Anything forum Tuesday on reddit.com, the user-generated social news and entertainment website.
Veteran kicker Ryan Longwell is retiring as a Green Bay Packer. Longwell is the all-time leading scorer in Packers' history. He scored 1,054 points during his nine-year career in Green Bay (1997-2005). He connected on 226 field goals and 376 extra points. Longwell set a team record by leading the Packers in scoring in nine consecutive seasons, beating the previous mark of seven by Don Hutson from 1939-45.
Adrian Peterson is coming to a breakfast table near you. The Vikings running back is appearing on three limited-edition Wheaties boxes, one of which is released this week. According to Wheaties marketing manager Jim Wilson, A.P. is a natural fit for their product. "Adrian embodies the heart of a champion whether he's scoring touchdowns or giving back to his community," Wilson said.
When Minnesota's veteran defensive linemen are pulled from a game for a play or two to rest, the coaches are well-prepared for the response. Don't take me out. With the starters one year older and the Vikings even deeper at a position group already one of the team's strongest, these gripes are bound to grow louder this season.
Preseason games might not provide much in terms of seeing the starters, but they're a crucial audition for the guys trying to make a roster spot. Friday night, undrafted rookie fullback Zach Line made the most of his. He only touched the ball one time, but Line made it last as long as he could: 61 yards, all the way to the end zone. "[Wide receiver Stephen Burton] made a nice block for me, made it easy for me to get down the field. Seriously, he's just a, like a chariot riding down the sidelines," Line said.
It has been a long time since I have been to a Vikings game, far longer since I went anywhere with a toddler toting a diaper bag. A check on the Vikings' website for tickets to the upcoming Cleveland Browns game revealed the cheapest tickets in the upper deck of the Metrodome are a hefty $72.
At 31, Jared Allen is getting up there in defensive lineman years. He is set to play his 10th career season, looking ahead with the foresight to keep improving on the Vikings' pleasantly surprising 2012 campaign.
John Carlson wants this season to be a comeback year. He never got quite on track last season in his return to his home state, but there's a new sense of confidence that comes from good health and some continuity.
The Minnesota Vikings are planning to find even more playing time this season for defensive end Everson Griffen. Last year, Griffen had eight sacks, 27 quarterback hurries and an interception returned for a touchdown in limited action. The Vikings still have Jared Allen and Brian Robison on the depth chart in front of him in their base defense, but Griffen has forced his way into the rotation with his improvement both on and off the field.
Cris Carter has finished off the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions Saturday night, the final member of the Class of 2013 to be enshrined. The emotional Carter, an Ohio native, needed six tries to make the hall, even though he retired as the No. 2 career receiver behind Jerry Rice. He choked back tears talking about his mentor Reggie White during his speech after being presented by his son, Duron. Carter referred to his problems with alcohol while playing three years for the Eagles before being released.
Minnesota Vikings tackle DeMarcus Love has been suspended without pay for the team's first four games of the 2013 season for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances, according to the NFL. He will be eligible to return to the Vikings' active roster on Monday, Sept. 30, following Minnesota's Sept. 29 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
At training camp on Wednesday, the Vikings demonstrated the NFL's new bag policy. In an effort to ensure stadium safety, NFL teams are limiting the size and the type of bags that can be brought in. There are three types: a clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag that does not exceed 12 inches by six inches by 12 inches. Screeners will then easily be able to see if fans are carrying prohibited items.
Harrison Smith's rookie season was marked by hard-hitting play, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. His intense style gave the secondary a big boost. It also yielded one ejection and a $21,000 fine. But Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said he never saw his young safety back down from the pressure of being a starter on a playoff team.
The first week of training camp is an adjustment for everybody, leaving that offseason mindset behind and focusing entirely on football. For the new guys on the team, that adjustment is even bigger. But two days in to training camp, Packer linebacker Desmond Bishop feels like he's off to a good start. "It feels good. I never thought I'd look so good in purple," Bishop said. "I think I look pretty handsome."
The NFL is beginning a trial program of blood testing for HGH and performance enhancing drugs. Details of the pilot program are sketchy but Adrian Peterson is one player who is welcoming it. "I like it, I love it," Peterson said, as he believes it will reveal who the cheaters are.
Embracing the challenge has always been a part of Adrian Peterson's persona. Following his quick comeback from reconstructive knee surgery, surpassing the 2,000-yard mark and the league MVP award last season for the Minnesota Vikings, Peterson said Friday he'd eagerly accept another test: for human growth hormone. The NFL and the players union have been working on an agreement for HGH testing procedures.
Minnesota native Michael Floyd was a first round NFL Draft pick back in 2012. The Arizona Cardinal wide receiver was hot in high school at Cretin-Derham Hall, blossomed at Notre Dame and is now hoping to have a break-out sophomore season in the NFL.
Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is among the best in the game, and it all started in Minneapolis. Today the all-pro wide receiver brought a piece of the NFL to the first field he played on. Fitzgerald, who lives in Eden Prairie in the offseason, credits the beginning of his success to the adults who believed in him as a child. "The coaches that coached me here, I mean, so many people invested in me as a child, and they didn't have to," Fitzgerald said.
Chad Greenway came from the University of Iowa hoping to make an impact, but suffered a knee injury. He has since recovered, and eventually became a foundational part of the Vikings organization. He is now a leader and he wants to go out as a man who helped his boyhood team reach new heights. Greenway also has a deep passion for the giving back. Watch the video above to see Mike Max's interview with this charitable linebacker.
The Minnesota Vikings are in off-season mode or a few more weeks, so it's a good time to catch up with Kyle Rudolph, a tight end who's blossoming before our eyes. Rudolph's becoming a favorite target of Christian Ponder, and a player who looks like the future is bright. He's also coming in to training camp with the confidence of a veteran.
The sign is 51 feet tall and 63 feet wide. And when it was built 85 years ago it was one of the largest neon signs in the entire country.
The crew says specialized equipment and training completed last fall enabled them to pull off the nighttime rescue.
Joe Ryan matched his career high with 12 strikeouts over six innings, Ryan Kreidler hit a three-run home run against his former team and the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 4-1.
New fraud charges were unsealed Wednesday against a Minnesota daycare owner who federal prosecutors allege tried to flee the country just two days after shutting the center down.
Outside the Bell Museum on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus, honey bee researcher Isabell Dyrbye-Wright kept busy on World Bee Day.
The sign is 51 feet tall and 63 feet wide. And when it was built 85 years ago it was one of the largest neon signs in the entire country.
New fraud charges were unsealed Wednesday against a Minnesota daycare owner who federal prosecutors allege tried to flee the country just two days after shutting the center down.
Outside the Bell Museum on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus, honey bee researcher Isabell Dyrbye-Wright kept busy on World Bee Day.
Waymo already operates in cities like Phoenix, Miami and San Francisco and started testing their cars with drivers behind the wheel in the Twin Cities late last year.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent facing assault charges for allegedly pointing a gun at two people on a Twin Cities highway is going to turn himself in to authorities, according to his attorney.
The crew says specialized equipment and training completed last fall enabled them to pull off the nighttime rescue.
Outside the Bell Museum on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus, honey bee researcher Isabell Dyrbye-Wright kept busy on World Bee Day.
The money will go toward finding and replacing lead pipes that deliver water to homes, also known as service lines.
Wildfire-hit residents of Minnesota's North Shore can now return home to assess damage, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System.
Several students were injured Monday afternoon after a school bus crashed in central Minnesota.
A driver went airborne during a high-speed police chase in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, after fleeing a traffic stop.
Fifty beagles rescued from animal testing in Wisconsin are set to arrive in Minnesota Thursday.
A 100-mile stretch of Mississippi River towns is hosting its annual 100 Mile Garage Sale this weekend, drawing shoppers and sellers from across the region and beyond.
Minnesota animal rescues are stepping up to take in dogs from a Wisconsin research facility accused of animal abuse.
You may have heard of Give to the Max Day, where people donate millions of dollars to hundreds of nonprofits and organizations across Minnesota on a single day. That idea has spread to western Wisconsin, called Give Big Valleys.
Quincy Street isn't just at the center of Art-A-Whirl, it's at the heart of the Arts District in northeast Minneapolis. The road itself, however, is falling apart. And the only thing bumpier than the exposed brick is the reaction to the city's plans to fix it.
Somali and Muslim leaders in Minnesota played a threatening voicemail at a public gathering Friday, saying businesses in their community are being targeted with messages warning of death.
The Black homeownership rate in the Twin Cities dropped to 29% in 2024, and the region had the largest gap between Black and White homeownership rates of any comparable metro in the country.
Bobby Rogers once came to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to sketch and study; now he leads its design and editorial work, shaping what visitors see and experience.
Moses Cooper, who has cerebral palsy, met running partner Mark Hulsey through My Team Triumph Minnesota two years ago and the pair qualified for the Boston Marathon at Grandma's Marathon last summer.
Waymo already operates in cities like Phoenix, Miami and San Francisco and started testing their cars with drivers behind the wheel in the Twin Cities late last year.
The U.S. Department of Justice and other federal officials will announce a "major law enforcement action involving fraud" in the state on Thursday.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz went to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis Wednesday to talk about how the state is going to help the hospital financially.
Gov. Tim Walz went to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis Wednesday to talk about how the state is going to help that hospital financially.
Former Cuban leader Raúl Castro was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in connection with the Cuban military's fatal downing of two planes in 1996 — an escalation in the U.S. pressure campaign against the Cuban government.
Target, which embarked on a turnaround plan under its new CEO earlier this year, reported an increase in first-quarter sales Wednesday.
The federal commodities regulator filed suit against Minnesota to stop a new state law, signed by Gov. Tim Walz, that would criminalize operating or participating in prediction markets starting Aug. 1.
Part of the end-of-session deal in the Minnesota Legislature rolls back skyrocketing tab renewal fees. Those fees have electric vehicle owners especially revved up.
In Minnesota, you'll be able to try one at St. Paul's CHS Field.
With more Americans opting to drive rather than fly amid higher costs, South Dakota tourism officials say the state is well-positioned as a regional road trip destination.
New fraud charges were unsealed Wednesday against a Minnesota daycare owner who federal prosecutors allege tried to flee the country just two days after shutting the center down.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent facing assault charges for allegedly pointing a gun at two people on a Twin Cities highway is going to turn himself in to authorities, according to his attorney.
Police think popular spots like Elsie's and The Northeast Yacht Club have been hit by the trio of burglars.
So far this year, the Minneapolis Police Department has seen about 2,300 motor vehicle thefts.
A man accused of impersonating a high school student in the Twin Cities has been arrested after failing to show up to a court appearance late last month.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz went to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis Wednesday to talk about how the state is going to help the hospital financially.
Minnesota has legalized marijuana. Could magic mushrooms be next?
At least 80 deaths have been reported in a new Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda, authorities said.
It comes after insurers stopped paying for their kids' daily care, which they argue was covered as part of a 15-year-old state law. As the end of the Minnesota session nears, lawmakers have four days to make a change.
A Twin Cities teenager is facing an unimaginable battle: terminal cancer. She's fortunate enough to have family by her side through her fearless fight as they all hope for a miracle.
Dave Ryan has been a pillar of Minnesota radio for over three decades who last week made the surprise announcement that he would retire from his morning show at KDWB.
If you're a Smashing Pumpkins fan in Minnesota, today may be the greatest day you've ever known. Billy Corgan and his band are bringing their next tour to Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
The Library of Congress revealed this year's list of 25 recordings to be preserved for future generations on the National Recording Registry.
Dave Ryan announced Wednesday that May 22 will be his last day at KDWB, ending a 33-year run at the Twin Cities station.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are calling their Aug. 29 show "Homecoming: A Celebration of the Minneapolis Sound."
Joe Ryan matched his career high with 12 strikeouts over six innings, Ryan Kreidler hit a three-run home run against his former team and the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 4-1.
While Tim Connelly doesn't see this season as a total failure, he knows the team needs to evolve, whether by internal or external means, to compete for a championship.
The joint filing from attorneys on both sides also said Flores' team has made more than 1,000 document requests, which, along with the subpoenas, seek "wide-ranging information related to distinct hiring and employment practices."
Isaac Paredes hit a two-run homer in the first inning, Jason Alexander scattered four hits over six scoreless innings and the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1.
The Minnesota United have one more game left before the hiatus starts.
Amy Klobuchar is putting her gubernatorial campaign into high gear. She faces no significant opposition in the race for the DFL endorsement and her existing record of statewide wins is formidable.
The legislation establishes a list of requirements aimed at improving transparency and reducing conflicts within HOAs. Minnesota estimates that 25% of its residents live in an HOA, and 82% of new homes are built within one.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Dana Ohman, an attorney who handles HOA disputes, about some of the most common questions homeowners have.
Sen. Tina Smith is using her last months in office to vocally campaign for progressive and environmental causes. She hopes that a progressive will succeed her when Minnesotans go to the polls next November.
The sign is 51 feet tall and 63 feet wide. And when it was built 85 years ago it was one of the largest neon signs in the entire country.
There's a place in Wabasha County, Minnesota, where people go wild for wildflowers.
For nearly 50 years, Farmamerica has been sowing agricultural knowledge near Waseca, Minnesota.
The carillon has 56 bells, and the Mayo Clinic said that makes it one of the largest instruments in the world and the largest instrument in Minnesota.
When you think of masterful, memorable works of art, grain elevators don't typically come to mind. But in towns across the country, including in Minnesota, they're becoming an unlikely canvas for creativity.
If Minnesota lawmakers won't vote on a bill, why can't the people? That's what Carol from Stillwater wants to know after the gun reform bill never made it to the House floor. In Good Question, Jeff Wagner explains how statewide ballot measures are created.
Dozens of recreational marijuana dispensaries can now be found across Minnesota. Many of them opened last year, but it's still relatively new. And if you've visited dispensaries in other states, the rules can be different.
President Trump's idea to save drivers a few dollars at the pump could cost them in the long run.
More people than the entire population of Minneapolis, or half a million, were estimated to go fishing in Minnesota this past weekend. WCCO looks at how the tradition stacks up with other outdoor events that keep the state's economy running.
A deadly virus that's killed cruise ship passengers can be traced to small critters found hiding in homes.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says it won't be as cold overnight, but it will still be cool.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says it will be a bit warmer tomorrow with highs in the mid-60s.
It will be a few degrees milder Thursday in the metro ahead of increasing clouds and shower chances Friday, says NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer.
Wednesday brings the best weather of the workweek, but a rainy Saturday is expected before warmer, sunnier conditions return for the rest of the holiday weekend, WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak reports.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says it won't be as cold overnight, but it will still be cool.
It's featured in pictures, puzzles, books, and even movies. The Grain Belt sign has been a part of the Minneapolis skyline for more than 80 years. In this week’s Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen shares why it remains a cool and refreshing part of city history.
Federal prosecutors filed the first charges related to daycares after raiding more than a dozen facilities in the Twin Cities last month. Ubah Ali is here to explain how the woman charged is connected to not just one, but two fraud schemes.
Investigators say in February, Gregory Morgan Jr. drove illegally on the shoulder of Highway 62, rolled down his window, and pointed a gun at people in another car who had tried to cut him off.
A story of survival in the Boundary Waters marks a new milestone for a Minnesota rescue team. Two people were airlifted to safety last week after their canoe capsized and sunk in the remote wilderness near Canada. Ashley Grams is here to explain why this mission was so meaningful.