I have talked to fans that have come many years in fact can remember no fences and the fans being able to walk with the players coming off the practice field.
This will be my 19th camp in Mankato. I always go to meet the players as they roll in to the Gage Towers on move in day. The one change I applaud is more security. In the past I would watch players drive in and then saw kids chasing the players vehicles until they parked. As a parent myself I was always hoping no one would get hurt. It was such as mad mess players driving, kids running.
The security now is much better and organized. I know not everyone can be pleased but for the safety of kids this seems to be a lot better.
The abililty to see practices and the fence lines for which players leave the field has changed as well.
I can remember being able to watch practice from the north side of the practice fields. There are 3 practice fields used, so to stand on the north side was easier to watch you just had to stand though. This is now closed off and is where the players walk. The major practice view now comes from the east side with 2 good size bleachers set up. There is a very small area view from the south corner side that has a small bleacher set up as well. The prime spot really is in the stands on the east side.
The view from the north field also had closer access to players as they came off.It was like you were right there with them.
The days of weightlifting outside for the team also happened on the north end in a parking lot. The team had a huge purple and yellow striped tent set up with all the equipment set up. It was so fun as the amount of players I met was incredible as they would come after lifting.
The weightifting now is inside at Minnesota State University and is off limits to people being able to watch.
The fenceline for fans has moved seemingly quite often. The fans had a fenceline to wait along which came right outside the locker room. It seems as each year the fence has moved back and given the players a chance to breathe.
I love people watching and seeing the craziness as players would come up to a fence to sign an autograph and 2 deep people turned into 7-8 deep. The one worry is the craziness that is trying to get an autograph kids getting bumped,stepped on whatever. I witnesed a child face pinned up against a fence and felt so bad for this litle boy. I enjoy an autogrpah or 2 but not at a price of a child getting hurt.
Brad Childress, fans have their opinion of, but one good thing he brought was the autograph alley. The team schedules different position players to come and sign for 20 minutes after morning practice. There are several lines set up and name plates are put on the tent above the player so fans know which line they want to stand on. There is a worker walking along the line that has a clipboard as well that contains the names and what line they are in. Once 20 minutes is up the players leave and the session is over. This does provide an opportunity to at least get 1 autograph rather than trying to fight the crowd. Some people like it and some could do without. It is like anything in life that you just can not please everyome.
One thing that has not changed for sometime is the players are given a bike when they arrive and that is their transportation from the dorms to the locker room, meeting rooms, or all over campus.
I feel and I could be wrong it is a way to keep the players legs going. I remember last year Donovan McNabb riding by when a fan yells out "Donovan can you stop and sign?" McNabb yells, I just got the bike going and I do not know how to stop as he is smiling."
The comments you hear from many rookies is I have not road a bike since I was a kid. You know what sometimes it looks like it.
The sight of a 6'6" 350 pound guy riding a bike is a sight to behold. You wonder if that bike has enough air in the tires.
The other frightening sight is players being daredevils on their bikes. As a fan what if they wiped out and got hurt and missed time at camp.
All in all camp is a ton of fun with people from all over the US coming together and supporting our favorite team, The Minnesota Vikings.
11 more days is all we have to wait
Next up- Special Teams
Thanks for reading
Purplestick
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