Kalamazoo Vikings

(HOUGHTON, MI) There may not be any team in the PWFFL under more pressure to win this year than the Kalamazoo Vikings. After going two years without winning the Puck Bowl, the Vikings came oh-so-close to making it back to the championship game in 2002 before losing at the last minute to the upstart Rocko Bengals. Viking fans have been used to Puck Bowl trips in the team�s recent history, and the lack of an appearance last year is starting to renew some of the hunger that may have been absent from the locker room.

If the Vikings plan to make it back to the promised land, they�re not going to surprise anybody. Owner Puck is reporting that everyone expected to perform well in camp, is; including returning stars Ricky Williams, Tony Gonzalez, and Joe Horn. Tucked away on the campus of Michigan Tech University, the Vikings have been running full-on drills with pads pretty much from the get-go.

Add to a potentially powerful lineup, a superstar from the team�s biggest rival. The Vikings may have landed the key missing piece of their puzzle in the offseason by picking up WR Randy Moss in a trade with Seattle. The Slimy Slugs get RB Eddie George and WR Isaac Bruce, but as we�ll soon learn, Seattle is still without a reliable signal-caller to hold its own offense together.

The quarterback position will be closely monitored in Kalamazoo, as well. Daunte Culpepper has shown signs of stardom when he�s not plagued by turnovers. Meanwhile, QB Kurt Warner has been receiving less than half of the snaps Culpepper has, so it�s unclear if he�s 100% healthy.

Even if the Vikings fall victim to injuries and old age in 2003, Puck is counting on depth to ride the team through any potential problems. Kalamazoo expects to sport five runningbacks and at least five wideouts heading into opening day. And while they�ll all likely be on call when the Vikings take on Seattle in Week 4, it may be �position by committee� while the team works out some of its problem spots.

Even if the Vikings start off slow, this team could be ready to make a run at the Puck Bowl once again this year. Their fans won�t settle for anything less.