Star Tribune Article

i seen this and thought i would share with my Viking Brothers!

Add former Oakland and MVP quarterback Rich Gannon to the people at Winter Park who look for quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to have a great 2008 season. "I'm excited. I got a chance to go out there a little bit, and I watched -- really, I wanted to look at Tarvaris and see where he has come in just the one short year -- and I got a chance to watch some film and sit down with [coach Brad] Childress and really look at him, and talk about him, and evaluate him," said Gannon. "I think he's made great strides. I think he's a very athletic guy, very gifted, and the big thing for him this year is just consistency." -- Star Tribune

I was never a hater or a supporter, i am one of those ppl that believes if they show promise then give them atleast 3 years to delvelope and if they don't then you better have a backup plan and in which case we do in John David Booty. (wonder if he is making any booty calls in Packers land...lol

Go Vikings

Peace

I think its encouraging that ex-Viking and Raider QB Rich Gannon thinks highly of Tarvaris Jackson and I believe he is truthful in his assesment of TJ for the coming year...

I too believe that if Jackson doesn't develop this year as expected, the Vikings have a backup plan with John David Booty and Gus Frerotte as the backup. I think that Gannon may be used as a mentor/tutor/consultant to Jackson this year and possibly for Booty also. Gannon has been sucessful in the NFL and his opinion and insights could be very helpfull to the Viking organization..

67

Nothing against Gannon. But wouldnt somebody more his style be better suited to mentor him?

Would you have wanted Jon Unitas mentoring Vince Young?

I'm secretly hoping Booty is the starting QB in 2009. Shhhh. But, I support Jackson going into this year.

As a long-time and staunch perpetrator of the anti-TJack movement, I scoff at this article.  Those of you familiar here will recall my many posts ripping Tarvaris Jackson and his complete inability to do anything remotely resembling quarterbacking a successful team on the football field.  I have not changed my belief.

Reading this article, I chuckled to myself.  Oh, the merry ways of mini camps and spring training, where everybody's got a shot to win it all this year, everyone has a chance to "make strides" and "do big things".  Everybody in the offseason works hard for next year and there are always "definite improvements" in everybody's game, especially those whose games couldn't get any worse.  I love how everyone in the offseason has confidence in everyone else on their team.  Take Matt Birk's statement for example.  Always the team player and leader, Birk states commitment and confidence in his young QB.  What do you think he's saying to his wife behind closed doors?  Something to the effect of "This kid better figure out how play, and soon, cause I'm not getting any younger", I wager.  Very soon, very soon Vikings fans, you will all learn to truly appreciate the day the Vikings selected John David Booty in the 5th round of the 2008 NFL Draft.  At his press conference, they should have introduced him in someway similiar to this:

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press....the starting quarterback of YOUR 2009 Minnesota Vikings, John David Booty."

I love it. If T-Jack improves only a quarter as much as he did last year, I will be excited to see his stats and the Vikings win total. I thought he improved by leaps and bounds as the seasson wore on. Reading defenses, when to pull it down and run, and pocket presence kept getting better. I think he is the Purple's leader of the future.

I'm starting to warm a little to the Booty pick. I think next year he could be a passable NFL back-up. He was worth a 5 round pick. He does have that big school pedigree. Still question his arm a little though.

Most of us realize that it takes 2-3 years for the majority of QB's to come into their own and reach the so called "next level".  Look at Eli Manning for example, he's sitll nothing like his brother or Tom Brady after his third year of play but he is now almost a servicable QB.  Phillip Rivers the same.  TJ has shown IMO just enough last year to have a shot at this years starting QB position. 

Since I brought up Eli and Rivers, let's also note that TJ was raw as hell coming from a nothing program and stepped onto a NFL field and perormed well enough concidering this fact.  For me, If TJ shows little or no progress by midseason or a little later (1st half of schedule is tough), then Childress might need to rethink things.  I think TJ will show alot of improvement though (I'm hoping) and will be turning it on by the end of the season just when we really will need good QB play. (playoffs baby!)  However, Childress and Bevell need to remove the shackles and open up the playbook more as well.

Booty can ride the pine all of this year and if TJ progresses he can sit a few years more.

The_Game_MGH

I have to agree with you.  I like their qb situation much more than last year.  If Jackson had played poorly last year, we were screwed.  I'd rather have Ferrotte as back up than either of the jokers we had last year.  It will be Jackson, Ferrotte, and Booty as the qb's. 

"Maybe we can get him some of those pills that rock stars take before concerts to stay calm. My golf coach mentioned them after i consistently shot worse that my potential and abilities suggested. I get too nervous....and choke...like T-Jax does."

What pills might you be speaking of.....I'm not sure but Ridilan and Barbiturates are probably not allowed by the league substance policy. I think he needs to deal with the stress like everyone else. If he can't then the team moves on and we have the only team putting some booty on the field.