BORDER BATTLE

If you’ve still been visiting Border Battle, you’ve probably been wondering where the hell we are. Well, the blog isn’t dead (yet), but we’ve been working on some other big projects involving our beloved Packers/Vikings on the interweb.

About a month ago, a producer from AOL Sports contacted the two of us about writing for their new sports blog portal, the FanHouse. Seeing that the opportunity offer potential to expose our writing to a potential audience of proportions we could only dream of capturing here (along with offering some small monetary compensation), we couldn’t turn it down.

So Eric is now the featured Packers blogger on the AOL Sports NFL FanHouse, while Aaron is still in the process of getting involved in the Vikings section. Please check it out as we’ve been writing there on a pretty consistent basis or in other words, much more than we ever did here (we have an agreement than requires this sort of effort).

So is the Border Battle blog done for? Don’t count on it. While the posting will be much less frequent, we’re going to come at you full force during the weeks of Packers vs. Vikings games. And if when the Twins make the playoffs, we’ll be all over that. So keep us in mind and in the meantime, keep it posted to the AOL Sports FanHouse for all of the Packers and Vikings (as well as Badgers and Gophers) content you can handle.

Cheers,

Eric and The Mayor

We’re still alive, but taking a much-needed break from all things work, including blogging. You’ll just have to look elsewhere for a few days to find out who the latest Viking was to get arrested.

Check back next weekend before the NFL season kicks off. We’ve been getting involved in a blog project with a major media company that we’ll tune you into as well.

Have a good Labor Day weekend and go Twins!

Yesterday marked the celebration of an annual ritual, a ritual in which young boys and grown men alike wait in lines down the blocks of video game shops at midnight to purchase the latest edition in the hallowed Madden video game franchise. The release of the game has become a cultural phenomenon or even an unofficial holiday of sorts to the legion of Madden fans (so is it any coincidence that the ad campaign for Madden ‘07 was even built around a “Maddenoliday” theme?). With this year’s release, the hype may have reached an all-time high and though we haven’t played it, we must say the gameplay looks astonishing.

In addition to adjustments and additions to game play, the main thing the Madden faithful looks forward to is new rosters, complete with rookies, free agent acquisitions, and new player ratings based upon conjecture of players’ improving or declining skill. Thanks to the Tecmo Blog — which does a fine job of exclusively covering all things Tecmo Bowl and other football games — we present the rankings of your Packers and Vikings squadsin Madden 2007.

Coming in at #18 is the Green Bay Packers. Madden’s unconditional love for Favre surely played a bit of a role here, but we wouldn’t argue with the individual rating of 88 that Favre received when Brad Johnson is sitting right behind him at 87.

And the Vikes? Look way down at #27 with the following explanation for validation:

“Sure they have a lot of 90s, but they all play offensive line. You can try your luck with Chester Taylor (85) and Brad Johnson (87). Personally I’d rather pass. And if you were hoping that Tavaris Jackson might be fun to sub in, don’t hold your breath, he’s saddled with 73 speed which is less than backup Mike McMahon’s.”

Ranking criteria is at the top of the rankings page. If you’re a bitter fan of the purple, please be reminded that itwould be better to complain to “Madden” producers rather than the Tecmo Blog — they’re simply summarizing the talent levels in the game.

Personally, I can’t wait to see Favre connect with Jennings on bombs all day over Fred “Double Coverage” Smoot. Madden rules.

Posted by Eric

• Liriano is placed on the 15-day disabled list. What, me worry?
• Bump ponders the presence of the Human Delusion Hormone in Quarterbacks on both sides of the border. Let’s just say Favre doesn’t look like the fool here.
• The following sequence of events has virally unravelled (right under our noses): Dr. Z writes column disparaging the greatness of Brett Favre’s career. Packer journalists and bloggers write venomous rebuttals. People of Wisconsin begin march to SI offices with beer and weapons in tow.
• Purplepride.org has lots of pretty pictures of Vikings training camp.

While Joe Mauer’s bat has cooled off ever so slightly, the BWE-worthy material keeps comin’ on in. Although he’s known as a shy guy off the field, to the camera he’s anything but, as demonstrated by the cover of last week’s Sports Illustrated. If the casual baseball viewer didn’t know Mauer before the All-Star break, they sure do now.

It wouldn’t be fair to only focus on Joe with the week his roommate — and other half of the “M&M” duo — had against the Royals. Mr. Morneau brought it to the house in the four game series in Kansas City, going 6-for-16 with two doubles, a homerun, and 10 RBI. Now batting .321 with 29 dingers and 99 RBIs, Morneau has even found himself the subject of a little MVP candidacy talk as of late. My counterpart may have put best it earlier in the season with the statement “as Morneau goes, so do the Twins.” Let’s hope the engine doesn’t run out of steam.

Last week was a great one for a lot of folks of the professional sports ilk. The Minnesota Twins swept the Chicago White Sox, temporarily tying them for second place in the AL Central. Dwight Smith was reunited with his Tampa Bay pal Mike Tomlin after signing with the Vikings. And the Brewers added another agile racing sausage to the stable for their classic seventh inning stretch entertainment. But no one had a week quite like A.J. Hawk.

The burly linebacker from Ohio State must’ve had plenty of bubbly around (or at least the champagne of beers) as he married his fiancee Laura Quinn and signed a 6-year, $37.5 million contract within a matter of days. Laura might even deserve the “Best Week Ever” title for that as the marriage — conducted in a Green Bay law office — was likely snuck in before that contract signature to assure she receive all of the great benefits that are available to NFL wives. But the fact that A.J. Hawk did not have to wait any extra days to get to camp and start hitting people is an intangible that should not be overlooked, and is thus the extra ingredient that solidifies his “Best Week Ever” status.

Marriage. Making millions. Hitting people. It doesn’t get any better for a linebacker.

Read carefully because while you probably won’t see this name here ever again, it deserves to be remembered.

Last week St. Paul Saints first baseman Brian “Buck” Buchanan had the performance of a lifetime. He only hit a team record 9 RBIs in the Saints’ 12-5 win over St. Joseph Thursday night, going 5-for-5 in the game, with three doubles (tied for a team record) and a home run. But he wasn’t finished there. The next two nights, Buchanan hit home runs as well, which also tied a team mark for consecutive games with home runs. Regardless of the level of play (we don’t even know what level the Northern League is considered) that is a pure hitting tear. And there couldn’t have been a guy that deserved it more — we found out via KFAN that Buchanan is a journeyman who spent years bouncing around minor and major league teams, including as a Right Fielder the Minnesota Twins, only to never fully catch on. Enjoy that moment in the sun, Mr. American Association Batter Of The Week.

The weekend’s almost here and we have just the medicine to get you through your drudging Thursday afternoon. No it’s not an ice cold ale, but it is a local sports links round-up!

• Apparently all the superstars throw themselves a public party when they land in Mpls. Now, for only $10 you can stand around in the same room as *drumroll*…Mike James!!!
• Thousands of stockholders descended upon Green Bay this week to see how their “investment” was doing. There were no dividends paid this year.
• If you’re frustrated by the Brewers’ inconsistent play, you can always harken back to what happened in a game on this day thirty years ago.