NFC North Watch: What Do Football And Boxing Have in Common?

Ponder, Vikings to begin Florida workouts soon

There've been rumors linking Donovan McNabb and Kyle Orton to the Vikings. However, current Viking Christian Ponder will be working out with some of his current Vikings teammates in Tampa. And good for them; the last thing a team needs is an all-encompassing search to find the next young or veteran quarterback to be tagged as a franchise guy, right? Right?

And in the continuing Tom Zbikowski-esque tradition of NFL players assuming boxing careers, Vikings DE Ray Edwards scored a four-round unanimous decision at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minn. With seven inches and 36-and-a-half pounds advantage on the smaller T.J. Gibson, and several of his teammates in the arena, all said and done, it sounds like he's set in his mind if the labor negotiations aren't solved - if the labor situation is solved, he's an unrestricted free agent, so regardless, he won't be with the Vikings. However, I still think, just a hunch, but Manny Pacquiao would beat him to a pulp.

Wetzel: The lockout comes at a horrible time for the Lions.

I don't understand this notion that a lockout is bad for certain teams and it's better timed for others. Well, I do, but you get the idea. Anyway, Wetzel says the Lions are stuck worse because of their point in transition between awful, "lol"-ful, and now to the brink of being hyped as contenders.

Matt Flynn has Starter Talent, not a Rocket Arm

Matt Flynn received a 7.7 grade by Sporting News as they analyze a veteran quarterback a day based on their 2010 play. If he decides he wants a chance to start, he has the fundamentals, intermediate accuracy and intelligence to get out from behind Rodgers be a good fit in Arizona, Buffalo, Seattle or Miami.

Everson Griffen says he's a changed man

The other Vikings' defensive end, Everson Griffen, was not charged by police in Los Angeles after being tased during an attempted escape during a traffic stop. Currently, he's working out with teammates in Minnesota.

Pat Williams Says Vikings Want Him Back in 2011

Large defensive terror Pat Williams turns 39 in October, faces a four game suspension for a 2008 positive test for a banned diuretic, is coming off surgery to repair a torn left triceps, and was just cleared to lift weights last week. Unless having an awesome alliterative name like the Williams Wall is actually conducive to winning football games or something, doesn't this sound like too much of a stretch? He's clearly not the same player he was.