What's on tap Banged-up Bennett July 10, 2003 Print it Archived Sports Bahr This is one of the few quiet periods in the NFL. Training camps are still a couple of weeks away, and there isn't much happening in the free-agency scene. This is the time of year when we get a ton of email from hopeful fans of just about every team. This year, the Vikings fans have been particularly upbeat about their team's chances. The defense, which has been a sore spot for several seasons, has improved. And the offense figured to get even better. However, the news from Wednesday could put a damper on that enthusiasm. We already knew that Michael Bennett, the team's star running back, had a bum foot, which he injured during the offseason. Missing part of training camp was a possibility, but now things look a lot more severe. According to an ESPN report, Bennett could miss some of or all of the regular season. This obviously is all speculation at this point, and team officials aren't saying much. But let's assume that Bennett isn't 100 percent now and might not be for much of the season. How much will that affect the Vikings' chances? Without a healthy Bennett, the high-powered offense, which ranked second overall in the NFL last season, loses a lot of steam. Minnesota led the league in rushing offense last season, and Bennett is one of the fastest backs in the league. He had nearly 1,300 yards on the ground last season and also was becoming a better receiver out of the backfield. His running ability opened up the passing attack and took a lot of pressure off of Daunte Culpepper. With Randy Moss, Culpepper, Bennett and a strong line, things looked great. Minnesota's backups won't be able to fill in and duplicate Bennett's numbers, and that will allow opposing defenses to load up against the pass. And we all know about Culpepper's struggles the past couple of seasons. Although the Vikings play in a weak division, Green Bay still is the clear favorite, meaning a wild card is Minnesota's best hope. But without a healthy Bennett for most of the season, that seems unrealistic. As I mentioned, it is much too early to write off Bennett. It is still July, and there is no way to know how his foot will respond to further treatment and how quickly the pain will go away. Still, this is not the kind of news you want to hear with camps approaching. What do you think? If Bennett misses significant time, can the Vikings still contend for the postseason? Why or why not? Send your thoughts to fans@sportingnews.com, and look for them in my next column. Thanks for reading. Chris Bahr The Sporting News

Still Brewin' Time to reseed? Here are some of your responses to my previous column, which discussed some changes to the NCAA Tournament and asked whether the selection committee should be able to reseed the teams that reach the Final Four. My biggest complaint about the NCAA Tournament is that one bracket always tends to get overloaded with talented teams, and one bracket has absolutely nobody in it (except for the top-seeded team). As far as the Final Four is concerned, leave it the way it is! Each team won its bracket and was obviously good enough to be there. To say we need to reseed it and make it harder for a No. 4 seed, for example, is a joke. I love the so-called Cinderella stories. These fans who want the reseeding are no better than the people who complain about the college football poll. They say to let the teams decide the "real" champion on the field, so do the same on the court. All four Final Four teams earned the right to be the best four teams in the country (proving the polls wrong again) and should be considered the "best" from their respective brackets. Fans have to remember, the polls are still a joke in basketball, as they are in football. We just have a tourney to find out who the best are. The best teams will end up in the Final Four -- as always. Leave it be. James Perry You've gone too far by suggesting the selection committee not have the power to reseed. Who really cares about office pools when it comes to the best college hoops has to offer? Of course we'd like to see the top seeds play each other because they've earned it. It would settle the argument as to which team is truly the best that year, and the TV powers would love it. Change is good, and reseeding makes the most sense for all concerned. If a Cinderella team makes it to the Final Four, more power to it if it can knock off a top seed. Nick It makes sense to have the two best teams in the finals, but there is a significant downside: Huge upsets become less likely. Unless your powerhouse team was involved, I bet that most remember the miracles of NC State, Villanova, etc., above all other champions. Mike Kleist New Albin, Iowa I like the idea of reseeding the regionals after every round (like other playoffs). That way, the top team always faces the bottom team. But this never would fly because it would make office pools more difficult to do (you would have to figure out your picks, where they rank and change the bracket accordingly). So, I guess they should just leave things alone. It allows the Cinderella teams to get further in the NCAA Tournament than they normally would get. Ken Bailey