While Vikings Coach Dennis Green said a scenario in his
autobiography, "No Room For Crybabies," for taking over the
team "was not meant as a threat, one of the Vikings' owners
said four team owners want to fire" him, according to Jeff
Seidel of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. The anonymous owner
said he feels three other owners "won't commit to
disciplining" Green because "they fear" a lawsuit, and that
three other team owners want to keep him (PIONEER PRESS,
10/27). Vikings Vice Chair Philip Maas: "My personal opinion
is that he's shot himself in the foot. I know if one of my
employees did that he'd be gone tomorrow. Or gone this
afternoon" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/25). Green: "I
talked about buying the team as an afterthought ... kind of
thinking out loud. ... I didn't threaten anybody as far as
what I would do" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/27).
REAX: ESPN's Chris Mortensen: "[I]t's clear there are
several board members, several part owners, who want Dennis
Green fired at the end of this season. So this is going to
get messy" ("NFL Countdown," 10/26). In MN, Sid Hartman
speculates that Green, "convinced that he will be fired at
the end of this season unless he wins a couple of playoff
games, has decided to put himself in position to get a big
contract settlement from the Vikings" (STAR TRIBUNE, 10/26).
