Fowler agrees to buy Vikings, would be NFL's first black owner
 

Soror LadyGreek, I know you are ecstatic!!

Fowler agrees to buy Vikings, would be NFL's first black owner

By DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer
February 14, 2005
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Arizona businessman Reggie Fowler agreed to buy the Minnesota Vikings in a deal that would make him the NFL's first black owner.

Fowler declined to say how much he would pay for the team. Published reports and a rival bidder, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, put the price at about $625 million.

Owner Red McCombs had the team on the block since 2002. Taylor had offered about $600 million, though some of that money was contingent on a new stadium being built. If the league approves the deal, McCombs will make a huge profit -- he paid $246 million for the team in 1998.


READ REST HERE

Almost
 

Holding my feelings in check for right now.

It has to pass the hurdle of the NFL owners and folx are saying that will be hard. Glenn Taylor (stupid owner of the T'Wolves) is waiting in the wings if the NFL denies the sale. It doesn't want to pay the asking price so he knows it will come down if Red McCombs has to go back to the drawing board.

And that would be all we need--a dunce owning both of the teams. :(

I really hope this deal goes through. African-American leadership in the sports boardroom will hopefully show our young boys that their "brainpower" is indeed more important, if not more exciting, than their ability to "dribble," "tackle," and otherwise entertain...

as for the T'Wolves, aside from my man K. Garnett, they are a trainwreck!

^^
For real. Kevin Garnett's transcendent game hasn't been able to lift Minnesota up this year, and that's sad to see. Of course, I'm happy about Miami, although I think Diesel may be mailing it in at times.

I hope Mr. Fowler has the resources to pull this through.

excellent point.

My coworker played football with Fowler in HS, and said he (fowler) had more talent in his pinky than my coworker had in his whole body. My coworker has followed this guy's career as he became a success in football and real estate and now possibly in football ownership. It seems that this guy is really a self-made success (keeping in mind that no one gets to be a success without SOME help along the way, right), and should be applauded. I hope this deal goes through too.

*sigh* and so it begins:

Questions arise regarding Fowler

New 'fact sheet' issued on potential Vikings owner

Posted: Wednesday February 16, 2005 4:15PM; Updated: Wednesday February 16, 2005 4:28PM


Reggie Fowler would be the NFL's first black owner.
AP


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A public relations firm representing prospective Minnesota Vikings owner Reggie Fowler issued a revised "fact sheet" on Fowler Wednesday after questions were raised about the accuracy of an official biography.

Fowler's original bio claimed he played in the NFL and CFL and in the Little League World Series as an 11-year-old, and implied that he earned a business administration and finance degree from the University of Wyoming.

The Star Tribune reported Wednesday that the claims were incorrect or overstated. Fowler, a former University of Wyoming linebacker, never made it out of an NFL training camp and doesn't appear in player databases for either league.

Here is the link for the rest of the story:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

^^
Oh, God, no. I hope he checks out.

He's not mailing it in, Steeltrap. He's "pacing" himself. Just making sure the there's enough gas in the tank for when the big boys get to it .... and Kobe is home watching it and saying to himself "I could pass the ball in to Shaq like that. I really could."

And I also hope Fowler can overcome his "difficulties" and buy the Vikings. If so, does he keep Randy Moss?

Playing devil's advocate...
What does his "embellishments" have to do with him having the "dough" to purchase a NFL team?

That would be my first question too, followed by a quick "nothing" as a response. But hey, maybe there is something that I don't know.

Yeah, I think Kob**** is thinking that being the man isn't all that it's cut out to be.
Not sure whether Fowler would keep Randy Moss. I would, because even with the disruptions, he's still a talent.

I suspect they are probably first checking to see if he has the "dough" he says he has. If he's suspect in "a" he may also be suspect in "b" as well, so the conventional thinking goes.

But, hey, if you're looking for "honorable men," the NFL owners group would probably not be the first group that comes to mind. (except for the ones down 'Lousiana way) :p

There is already talk about trading Randy separate from this. :(

Fowler has 2 partners, both real estate developers. It does appear they have the "dough." So we will see in a couple of weeks.

Steeltrap,

You get the Gold Star award for this ^^ observation. At the professional level, you play to win. Coaches are paid, IMO, to manage "prima donas." Should R. Moss' oddities ever exceed his talent, trust and believe he'd be on the first thing out of town. But until then---Play the Freak!!

TTT/Vikes won't take my advice
 

http://msn.foxsports.com/id/3415844

Randy Moss is going to be traded to the Raiders.

Randy Moss Going to Oakland
 

Vikings Sending Pro Bowl WR Moss to Raiders, Agent Says
Possible Deal Cannot Become Official Until March 2


MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 23) - Randy Moss' electrifying talent was no longer enough for the Minnesota Vikings to put up with his distracting antics.

Dante DiTrapano, Moss' agent, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Vikings and the Oakland Raiders had "come to an agreement on Randy playing for Oakland next year."

Neither the Vikings nor the Raiders would confirm the deal, which was first reported by The St. Paul Pioneer Press.

"We have had discussions with the Oakland Raiders, but there's nothing to announce," Rob Brzezinski, Minnesota's vice president of football operations, told The Associated Press.

Raiders spokesman Mike Taylor said, "I cannot comment on the deal specifically, however, this organization has always been tremendously aggressive and Randy Moss rates with the great players of all time. Great players want to play for the Raiders."

DiTrapano said he didn't know the terms of the deal, but the Pioneer Press reported the Vikings would get linebacker Napoleon Harris, along with the seventh overall pick and a late-round pick in the upcoming draft.

The deal cannot become official until March 2, the start of the NFL's fiscal year.

"It's just like any other contract. There's a meeting of the minds between the people who negotiate for the Vikings and the people who negotiate for the Raiders," DiTrapano said. "It just hasn't been reduced to writing and it won't be until March 2."

Moss is due to make $7.25 million next year. Harris is due to make $5.41 million.

Oakland's renegade owner Al Davis has long embraced combustible players and the vertical passing game, so adding Moss seems to be a perfect fit.

The timing of the move comes as a bit of a surprise with the Vikings in the midst of an ownership change. Red McCombs has agreed to sell the team to Arizona businessman Reggie Fowler, a deal that still needs to be approved by the NFL.

A spokeswoman for Fowler said it would be "inappropriate for Reggie to be commenting at this point" because McCombs still owns the team and is making all the decisions.

Trade rumors have surrounded the flamboyant Moss all offseason. He struggled with a hamstring injury, but still finished with 13 touchdown catches last season. He was fined $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during Minnesota's playoff win. He also drew criticism for leaving the field with 2 seconds left in a regular-season loss against Washington.

Team leaders Matt Birk and Daunte Culpepper confronted Moss after he walked off at Washington, and the organization's patience with the receiver seemed to dwindle in the past year or so.

"He's my good friend, but you almost get to thinking that maybe enough is enough," Culpepper said earlier this month at the Pro Bowl. "And maybe the Vikings organization has had enough."

Last year's transgressions were the latest in a long line of headline-grabbing negative behavior for Moss that included bumping a traffic control officer with his car in 2002, verbally abusing corporate sponsors on a team bus in 2001 and squirting an official with a water bottle in 1999.

But when he was focused and healthy on the field, there was no denying his considerable ability.

His 9,142 career receiving yards are the most by any player over his first seven seasons. The Vikings' offensive identity was built around Moss' uncanny ability to leap over smaller defensive backs to catch deep passes.

Moss burst into the league in 1998 and has been a big reason why the Vikings have sold out every game, including preseason, since he arrived. "The Freak" caught 17 TD passes - many of them long, high-arching throws from Randall Cunningham - to help lead the Vikings to the NFC championship game in his rookie season.

He had his best season in 2003 with 111 catches for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He'll leave Minnesota as the only receiver in NFL history to start his career with six straight 1,000-yard seasons. Last year, he had 49 catches for 767 yards and 13 touchdowns.

But after the Vikings lost to Philadelphia in the playoffs this season, coach Mike Tice talked of molding the Minnesota into a running team.

Perhaps in a veiled reference to Moss, Tice also said the Vikings needed leaders to emerge.

"I've said many times before - until the leadership takes over the locker room we're not going to make the big jump to where we need to be," Tice said in January. "The teams that are playing now - New England and Philadelphia - have tremendous leadership in their locker room. They take care of everything."

In Oakland, Moss will team with Jerry Porter to form a formidable receiving duo.

On Tuesday, the Raiders re-signed Porter to a five-year, $20 million contract.

DiTrapano said Moss was "very pleased to be going to Oakland and looking forward to playing with a team that's promised they're going to throw the ball deep a whole lot to him and having a chance at winning the Super Bowl."

"He doesn't leave Minnesota with any grudges," DiTrapano said. "It just was frustrating for him to lose."

Dave Campbell, in Fort Myers, Fla., and Doug Glass, in Minneapolis, contributed to this report.


02/23/05 17:02 EST