Tag Archives: vikings

Three Great Teams=Three Great Blogs

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Okay, I realize not everyone will agree with me that all three of these teams are great! (Commence the arguing Packer and Viking fans) But the fact is The Minnesota Vikings, The Green Bay Packers and The North Dakota State University Bison all find themselves in post-season play this weekend, so all rivalries aside, one could argue these are pretty awesome teams.

To keep you in the loop, I wanted to recommend three Areavoices blogs that you’ll want to see. They provide in-depth analysis, injury reports and those little details only rabid fans would notice. Check them out:
And finally: Who are you rooting for?

 

Gregor’s Packer Analysis: Packer news and reports from fan Greg Gillis.
Gillis provides a detailed recap of Packer action from week to week and previews what’s to come.
http://packeranalysis.areavoices.com/

The Armchair Kicker – The Best Minnesota Vikings Blog in the Western Hemisphere. From the author: “My name is Mark Walters. Originally from Hibbing, Minn. My obsession with Vikings football started when my father took me to the Metrodome for the first time in October 1983. Win or lose, I bleed purple”
http://thearmchairkicker,areavoices.com

And for Bison fans, you need to get plugged into the Bison Media Blog. Forum sportswriter and columnist Jeff Kolpack and WDAY-TV sports director Dom Izzo run down the action (and occasionally each other) in this very popular blog. It usually in our top five most read blogs.
http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com

 

So enjoy the games this weekend everyone. And if you’re writing a Vikings, Packers or Bison blog you think we should feature or would like to start one, for heaven’s sake just email me. I’m happy to get you started. tracy.briggs@forumcomm.com

 

Areavoices Digest #76 – Running, Minnesota Vikings, and Season-Ending TV

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I decided for this week’s list of recommended blogs, I’d go with the real HOT TOPICS. What’s making news? What’s the buzz? What are you talking about around the water cooler?

At my office, it’s been a lot of chatter about the upcoming Fargo Marathon, which attracts 20 thousand runners from around the nation. We’re also talking about the newly-passed Viking stadium. And TV talk is always big:  “Who’s going to win American Idol or Dancing with the Stars?”

That being said these Areavoices blogs hit on those topics. Check them out! And if you’re interested in writing your own blog, don’t forget to drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you: tracy.briggs@fccinteractive.com

Fargo Marathon
http://fargomarathon.areavoices.com
The official blog of the Fargo Marathon written by race director Mark Knutson. This year’s race is expected to attract 20,000 runners from all over the United States.

Addicted to Running
runningspud.areavoices.com
Running enthusiast Steve Wagner talks about training, nutrition and more.

On TV
http://ontv.areavoices.com
TV talk from a TV lover. On TV covers the buzz from primetime and beyond.

Life in the Patch
http://patchlife.areavoices.com
“Life in the Patch” is a Forum Communications blog documenting the good, the bad, the ugly and the pretty in oil-rich Western North Dakota.

Minnesota Sports Shorts
http://louiestgeorge.areavoices.com
An overview of Minnesota’s often vexing sports scene with Duluth News Tribune copy editor Louie St. George III.

Areavoices Digest #61

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Here is this week’s list of recommended blogs. Enjoy!

Healthy Lifestyle

http://healthylifestyle.areavoices.com

Better health through nutrition

While you were in

http://fun.areavoices.com

Duluth News Tribune arts and entertainment reporter Christa Lawler covers “a hodgepodge of nonsense, including overflow from interviews with rock stars, reviews, and links to things you should read/watch/hear.”

Minnesota Sports Shorts

http://louiestgeorge.areavoices.com

An overview of Minnesota’s often vexing sports scene with Duluth News Tribune copy editor Louie St. George III.

North Dakota Outdoors and Beyond

http://dougleier.areavoices.com

Outdoors, hunting, fishing, trapping and more.

Fargo School Talk

http://fargopublicschools.areavoices.com

The official blog of Fargo public schools. Great pictures! Great info!

A childhood passion continues to thrive for “The Bridgehunter”

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Growing up in the 1970′s, I remember a little boy I knew who was completely obsessed with the Minnesota Vikings. It was easy to be back in the days of “The Purple People Eaters” and Fran Tarkenton. I can still remember this little boy, probably only 3 years old at the time, reciting the names of the player after his dad called out a number:44, 70, 81.

He would reply in his little voice: “Chuck Foreman, Jim Marshall, and Carl Eller.”

Lots of people develop life long passions as kids. For some it’s The Minnesota Vikings, for one man it’s historic bridges.

Jason Smith writes “The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles” for Areavoices. His interest in historic bridges goes as far back as his days in elementary school in his hometown of Jackson, Minnesota  where numerous vintage metal bridges had existed during his days. As they started dwindling rapidly, he started photographing and documenting them so that the public would know more about the bridges both past and present.

His love of bridges is as strong as ever as you can see on his impressive blog. And this month he’s doing something a little different. This month is National Historic Bridge Month and he’s planning a couple of contests for readers dealing with historic bridges. They include awards for bridge engineering and preservation and awards in bridge photography. You can read more about the contests by clicking on the link to his blog. The contests are listed as #3 and #4 on his most recent blog post.

Help him honor those people with a passion for history.

Areavoices Digest #50 – Our most popular blogger and more!

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In this week’s digest of recommended blogs, I wanted to highlight a couple of old favorites and three newbies. Enjoy!

Astrobob
http://astrobob.areavoices.com
Celestial happenings you can see from your own backyard. I realize many of you are already reading this blog from Bob King of the Duluth News Tribune. But I thought I’d remind you about him just in case.He is consistently the #1 blog on Areavoices (excluding the Topics blog). His blog is well written, visual, and interesting. 41,000 people around the world read it. It’s really a great blog!

 

Confessions of a [Former] Fatgirl
http://fatgirl.areavoices.com
The emotional rollercoaster of losing – and – gaining weight over and over again. I really love this blog written by Celeste Beam. She writes about what so many of us live. The ups and downs of trying to live a healthy lifestyle. She gives us a weekly healthy recipe, but she also writes very honest, inspirational and sometimes funny posts about falling off the wagon. For example, she writes one morning about how she replaced her yogurt and fruit breakfast with 2 cupcakes and tortilla chips. But then she reminds us not to give up and shows us how to get back on track. Great information!

 

A Pinch of This
http://apinchofthis.areavoices.com
Home-created meals and ideas to fit anyone’s budget. This stay at home mom says she’s not a chef, but she wants to chronicle how she manages to put food on the table for her family every night.

 

Cobbers on the Brain
http://cobbersonthebrain.areavoices.com
Neurochemistry students at Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) break down technical information on brain science so the average reader can understand it. I love this idea. A chemistry professor at Concordia College wanted to teach her students, some of whom will go onto medical school, how to communicate complicated medical information to the average person. This blog is their effort in doing this. I hope it leads to some future doctors with great communication skills!

 

The Armchair Kicker
http://thearmchairkicker.areavoices.com
Mark Walters describes his blog as “The Best Minnesota Vikings Blog” in the Western Hemisphere.

Areavoices Digest #46 – Should I watch the game or read a book?

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I was torn this past Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings were playing late that afternoon but I was also smack dab in the middle of a great book. I’ve never claimed to be a huge Vikings fan. In fact, I grew up cheering for the Washington Redskins because my family is originally from that area. But over the last couple of years, I’ve started to become a Vikings fan too. I think its a combination of a couple of things. First, I now have three members of my family liking the team. I didn’t pay much attention when it was just my husband cheering for the Vikes, but now that both daughters are joining in it’s hard to stem that tide. I guess I figured if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em. Second, I kind of liked watching the Vikings when Brett Favre joined the team. I enjoyed watching a player about my age still out there playing the game. Inspired my old creaky bones. But I’m not going to lie. I think Brett Favre is also kind of cute in that Wrangler rugged stubbly kind of way. But I digress.

I was saying that I was torn this weekend. I did want to watch the game, but I was just about finished reading “The Help,” the bestselling book about the relationship between black maids in the South and their employers in the 1960′s. Great book! Should I read it or watch the game?

For those of you torn between a good book and a good game, this digest is for you. My recommended blogs of the week are geared around football and literature. Enjoy! And for those of you, like me, torn between a good book and a good game, remember that’s what timeouts are for.

Literary Engineer
http://literaryengineer.areavoices.com
Suzi Retzlaff writes this blog “because reading and writing are my two obsessions.”

The Book Nook
http://thenook.areavoices.com
A collaborative Areavoices blog where writers review local literature.

Purple Haze
http://purplehaze.areavoices.com
Random thoughts on the Minnesota Vikings by fan Eric Coughlin.

Minnesota Vikings Talk with Brian Shawn
http://bshawnsblog.areavoices.com
Fan Brian Shawn recaps Minnesota Vikings football throughout the season

Gregor’s Packer Analysis
http://packeranalysis.areavoices.com
Greg Gillis previews and reviews Green Bay Packer action

The Catch with Jeff Plattner
http://thecatch84.areavoices.com
Professional and collegiate sports with a Minnesota feel.

 

 

 

Areavoices Digest #45 – Skol Vikings!

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You can almost hear all of those Minnesota Vikings fans out there gearing up for the season. They might not being singing the Vikings fight song, but many of them are choosing to blog. In the past few weeks, we’ve told you about our newest Minnesota Vikings bloggers. I thought I’d introduce you to one more and remind you about the others. Later in this post, check out our other hot blogs of the week.

But first this is for the purple in all of us:

Diehard Purple Fan
http://diehardpurplefan.areavoices.com
Thoughts from a Vikings fan, husband and father of two daughters.

Sound the Horn
http://soundthehorn.areavoices.com
A Minnesota Vikings fan Jared wants his blog to be a place where fans can discuss and debate the team.

Talkin Vikings
http://talkinvikings.areavoices.com
A blog written by self-proclaimed “rabid” Minnesota Vikings fan Jason Schufletowski.

Love Those Pants
http://lovethosepants.areavoices.com
Beth Olson unabashedly admits to liking football at first because of the pants. But she says she and her girlfriends have turned into serious fans.

And now…the rest of our recommended blogs of the week:

The Dale Carnegie Way ND
http://dalecarnegiewaynd.areavoices.com
Dale Carnegie is a training company which helps employees sharpen their skills and improve performance. This blog offers practical advice such as “Things NOT to say to your boss” or “Strategies for remembering people’s names.”

The Inside Scoop
http://insidescoop.areavoices.com
Not only is this official blog of The West Central Tribune newsroom in Willmar, MN, it also provides the stories behind the stories. It takes readers behind the scenes as reporters, editors and photographers gather the news.
Cass Lake Happenings and Events
http://casslake.areavoices.com
News and information about business from the Cass Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

State Senator Joe Gimse
http://endof2011specialsession.areavoices.com
St. Sen. Gimse is a Republican representing District 13 in the Minnesota counties of Pope, Stearns and Kandiyohi.

Areavoices Digest #44 – Share your September 11th stories

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Chances are if you were over the age of 7 on September 11, 2001 you can recall in great detail where you were when you heard the news that America was under attack. It’s a news event much like the assassination of President Kennedy or the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It will not be forgotten by those who lived through it. Those stories are cathartic for some; sharing a common tragedy bonds us together and perhaps helps us grieve even 10 years later.

That’s part of the reason behind one of our recommended blogs of the week. Remembering 9/11 is an attempt to share stories of that tragic day. We invite you to participate. Check it out along with our other blogs of the week.

Remembering 9/11: Your stories and reflections 10 years after a day that changed us
http://september11.areavoices.com
Forum Communications has set up this blog as a forum to allow readers, viewers and listeners throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin the opportunity to share their thoughts on the 10th anniversary of the attack on America.

Ross and Dr. Dan:A Tale of Two Centuries
http://rossfcollins.areavoices.com
A clever blog written by North Dakota State University Professor Ross Collins. As himself, Collins writes about current events and assorted topics. As the persona of Dr. Dan, Collins writes as an historian from the next century looking back on our life today. This is a fun, yet thought-provoking blog.

No Cows No Pigs No Problems
http://nocowsnopigsnoproblems.areavoices.com
Susie Ekberg Risher is an accomplished writer who decided to give up red meat and pork products to see if she would feel spiritually lightened. This blog documents her fascinating journey of discovery.

Talkin Vikings
http://talkinvikings.areavoices.com
A blog written by self-proclaimed “rabid” Minnesota Vikings fan Jason Schufletowski.

Love Those Pants
http://lovethosepants.areavoices.com
Beth Olson unabashedly admits to liking football at first because of the pants. But she says she and her girlfriends have turned into serious fans.

Areavoices Digest #43 – Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah or is it Shish Boom Bah?

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Remember those first few days of school? Your notebooks remain undoodled upon, your pencils sharpened, and your new Keds were still unscuffed? But after a few days, the novelty of the new school year wears off and then it’s all about getting up early for class and doing homework when you get home. But in between the humdrum of the school routine, you did have something to look forward to: the big game. There’s just something about going to a high school or college football game. The smell of the popcorn in the crisp fall air, the night getting chillier as the sun goes down. It’s just good fall fun! That’s why I’m excited to tell you about some of our latest Areavoices bloggers. Over the summer, we’ve been working to get more school sports blogs up and running. We met with athletic directors and sports information officials from high schools and colleges. We’re happy to say, a few of them have jumped on board and are ready to share their sports news by setting up their own blog. So check out some of our newest Areavoices blogs and Go team!

NDSU Athletics – http://bisonathletics.areavoices.com News and Information from North Dakota State University’s athletic department

Cobber Sports Information – http://cobbersportsinformation.areavoices.com The official blog from the Concordia College sports information office.

Park Christian Athletics -http://parkchristianschoolathletics.areavoices.com – Sports news from Park Christian School in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Fargo Force – http://forcetoreckonwith.areavoices.com – The official blog for the Fargo Force hockey team.

Sound the Horn – http://soundthehorn.areavoices.com – A Minnesota Vikings Fan blog

Sioux Football Insider – http://siouxfb.areavoices.com – Celebrating University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux football 365 days a year.

UND Sports – http://undsports.areavoices.com – The official blog from UND’s athletic department.

Dragon News – http://dragonnews.areavoices.com This is the news blog for Minnesota State University Moorhead, but it also includes information from the athletic department.

Western Wisconsin Sports – http://westwisport.areavoices.com – Stories from the local and regional sports scene in Western Wisconsin.

Up North Sports Report – http://northsports.areavoices.com Eric Stromgren’s blog on sports in Bemidji and Minnesota.