Read More: Jared Allen (DE – MIN), Christian Ponder (QB – MIN), Minnesota Vikings

Supporters of a bill for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium project, including Gov. Mark Dayton, spent the weekend engaged in a furious round of fourth quarter lobbying to save the plan and possibly the team’s future in the state. The Minnesota House will vote on a $1 billion compromise plan, of which the state will pay roughly $400 million through gaming revenues.

Gov. Dayton and Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, who led the NFL with 22 sacks last season, held a rally at the Mall of America on Saturday urging supporters to press their legislators to support the bill. On Monday, Vikings fans and others supporting the bill, including the state’s labor unions and representatives of the business community, will rally on the capitol lawn. Second-year quarterback Christian Ponder will be on hand for that event.

Right now, Gov. Dayton believes the bill to be a few votes shy of passage, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. That should make for one of the most watched floor debates in this year’s legislative session, as supporters and opponents twist and turn to sway a handful of voters on the fence.

Behind the scenes, an unusual alliance of business and labor leaders have taken on a more direct lobbying effort. The Governor has also met with legislative leaders to press their support.

Complicating matters is a Republican tax bill that Gov. Dayton vetoed Friday. The tax bill could return, in some form, as part of a compromise to bring in Republican votes for the stadium bill which is the Governor’s top priority for the end of this legislative session.

If the bill passes a House vote on Monday, it would then go the Senate for approval before landing on Gov. Dayton’s desk for a signature.

The Vikings’ lease on the Metrodome lapsed at the end of last season. The team will play there again in 2012, but is under no obligation to stay beyond that.

Buried in the state’s preliminary agreement to use public subsidies to build the Minnesota Vikings a new stadium is this:

Once the team gets a new stadium, the Vikings want permission to play at least one home game a year “off site.”

Over a 10-year period, the team wants the ability to play up to four regular season home games and two exhibition home games off site.

National Football League spokesman Brian McCarthy said the language is all about the league’s ongoing attempt to expand the NFL to Europe and other countries. McCarthy said the provision is meant to boost the league’s “international series”, which in recent years has been scheduling one game annually in London.

The language, said McCarthy, is necessary “in the event the team plays in a game as part of our International Series.” The Vikings, he said, last played in an international game in 1994.

The actual language states:  “The Team shall have the ability to play a limited number of League mandated home games off-site or specialty games off-site, but not more than one (1) game per year or more than four (4) regular season games and two (2) preseason games over any ten (10) year period.”

Ted Mondale, Gov. Mark Dayton’s chief stadium negotiator, downplayed how often the Vikings would play home games away from the team’s new stadium, whose funding package is expected to be considered by the Legislature in the coming weeks. He said “it could, but [would] not likely” involve a regular season home game.

“It’s language to allow them to play in Europe or China or somewhere for exhibition purposes,” Mondale said. The preliminary stadium agreement calls for the Vikings to sign a 30-year lease at a new facility that would be built at the site of the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis..

In 2011, the Chicago Bears played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a regular season game in London.

The last NFL pre-season game played overseas, said McCarthy, was in Tokyo in 2005.

For those wondering why an agreement on a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is taking so long, the devil — as always — is in the details.

While there are multiple issues still being negotiated, one is the exact location of a new stadium. For weeks, the football team, the city of Minneapolis and Ted Mondale, Gov. Mark Dayton’s chief stadium negotiator, have been trying to determine whether a new stadium can be built adjacent to, and just east of, the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.

Building a stadium there would allow the Vikings to continue playing at least some games at the Metrodome during construction, and would mean fewer games at the University of Minnesota’s smaller TCF Bank Stadium. The more games at the university, the higher the stadium project’s overall cost would be.

In addition, the farther east the new stadium would be moved, the bigger a new plaza on the new stadium’s west side could be.

The new plaza, which would sit partially where the Metrodome stands, is now seen as a key ingredient to the project by both the city and the Vikings. The plaza has received “considerable interest and debate,” said Vikings spokesman Lester Bagley.

But pushing the new stadium to the east also would mean dealing with 11th Avenue S., a city street that runs just beyond a parking lot on the east side of the Metrodome.

Bagley said stadium negotiators have toyed with the idea of building the stadium over 11th Avenue S., and having the street run under the stadium. Doing that, however, would mean having to raise the elevation of the new stadium by 30 feet, which would create the added problem of having to line up the stadium’s elevation with the new plaza.

Then there is the National Football League’s concern about security, dating to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Having a public street running under a NFL stadium, with upward of 70,000 fans watching a game, would create obvious security issues. So the street, said Bagley, would have to be closed on game days.

“There’s all these complicated questions,” said Bagley, the Vikings’ vice president for stadium development and public affairs. “It’s not a matter of drawing a circle on a map and plopping it down, saying, ‘Hey, it’s here.’ “

It is a dilemma, said Bagley, that cannot be pushed aside to be solved later. Knowing exactly where the new stadium will be located is vital to knowing how much the project will cost — and a final price tag is needed for a stadium agreement to be complete.

“You have to have a site plan, and you have to know everything that’s in the site because that determines the cost,” he said. “From the project cost, you then go to the financing, [who] pays for what — state, city, team.”

For now, Bagley said negotiators are trying to settle on a “hybrid” solution — building the new stadium so that it goes up to, but not across, 11th Avenue S.

“That’s one of those issues that is being buttoned up right now,” he said.

This Sunday’s tilt against the Chicago Bears at the Metrodome will mark the final game for long-time Minnesota Vikings’ tight end Jim Kleinsasser. Kleinsasser, who was the team’s second-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of North Dakota, has spent all 13 of his NFL seasons in a Minnesota uniform, and recently set the record for most games played by a Vikings’ tight end.

As a way to honor him this Sunday, the Vikings have distributed this little beauty. It’s a cut-out beard, designed to look like Kleinsasser’s, that the team wants folks to print out, cut out, and wear to this Sunday’s game. Not only that, but if you take a picture of yourself wearing the beard and upload it to the Vikings’ official FaceBook page, you can win prizes. (Prizes have not been specified.)

So, if you’ll be at the Metrodome this Sunday for the season finale, show your respect for one of the more unheralded players in Vikings’ history.

Fear the beard!

MOORHEAD – Minnesota Vikings fans may have to curb their newfound enthusiasm about news of an agreement for a new stadium.

State Representative Morrie Lanning of Moorhead responded on Monday to reports made by NBC’s Football Night in America contributor Peter King that a stadium deal between the National Football League team and the state was close and no longer a matter of “if” but “when.”

“He (King) did not talk with me, and as far as I know there is nothing new to report,” said Lanning about King’s report that was televised Sunday evening. “My understanding is that he talked with one or two people either from the Vikings or the NFL and put the most positive spin on whatever he heard from those people.”

Lanning, who represents District 9A, also said he could see why people reading King’s report would think there would be something new to report on the stadium issue.

The Minnesota Vikings (3-12) are set to play their final game under its current lease agreement with the Metrodome on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. The team has played at the Metrodome since 1982.

The Vikings have said they will not renew their lease with the Metrodome at the end of this season if there is not a deal for a new stadium in place.

Los Angeles land developers have expressed interest in bringing football to the city and there is a belief that the Vikings would be a leading candidate to relocate if the state legislature can’t pass a stadium bill to keep the team in Minnesota.

Lanning said lawmakers are set to meet again this week to continue discussions.

“Later in the week and next week will be a critical time to set forth a proposal,” Lanning said.

Lanning also said the naming of the new Senate majority leader will be a big development in future stadium discussions. He told The Forum it was his understanding the new Senate majority leader could be decided as early as today, but also said it could be delayed if not all members of the Republican caucus are in agreement.

Currently there a several parties working on keeping the Vikings in Minnesota, including the team itself.

There are plans for a stadium to be built in Arden Hills, Minn. – located in Ramsey County – along with possible building sites being discussed in Minneapolis.

The Vikings have played in Minnesota since they entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1961.

The key problem surrounding the stadium has been funding.

Minnesota is in a budget crunch and many state legislators have publicly voiced concerns over giving large amounts of state funds for the construction of a stadium.

Lanning, along with State Senator Julie Rosen of Fairmont and Governor Mark Dayton, have been the key figures in the stadium debate.

“We remain hopeful and optimistic of putting a reasonable plan to submit to the legislature,” Lanning said. “We’re just not there yet.”

Readers can reach Forum copy editor

Tom Mix at (701) 451-5750

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sports, viking, football

Video from the St. Paul Pioneer Press | TwinCities.com.

STORY LINES

Woeful pass D: The Vikings have lost four in a row, six of their past seven, and nothing can be blamed more than their inept pass defense. Over the past seven games, the Vikings’ secondary has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71% of their passes and throw for 1,808 yards, 18 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Vikings’ pass defense ranks 26th overall and has only six interceptions.

Will Ponder, Peterson play? The game-time decisions of starting running back Adrian Peterson and quarterback Christian Ponder will impact the Vikings’ game plan and the Lions’ defensive scheme drastically. If Peterson, who has missed the past two games, can’t go, third-year running back Toby Gerhart will start. Gerhart is strictly a between-the-tackles runner who doesn’t have the speed to get outside like Peterson can. If Ponder can’t start due to a hip pointer, backup Joe Webb will make the third start of his career. Webb was 0-2 in two starts last season, including a 20-13 loss to the Lions.

Allen-Cunningham Feud: The Vikings’ best defensive player, Jared Allen, ripped on Detroit this past week, saying he would not want to live here because it is gloomy, among other things. Lions defensive coordinator — and Allen’s former defensive coordinator in Kansas City — Gunther Cunningham fired back at Allen on Friday, saying he’s “not good enough to live here. I know him well; he should go back to California, Los Gatos, where all those nice people live. This is too tough of a town for him.”

LAST GAME

The Vikings led in each quarter but couldn’t stop Broncos QB Tim Tebow from orchestrating another fourth-quarter comeback in a 35-32 loss. Broncos kicker Matt Prater’s 23-yard field goal as time expired capped the scoring and sent the Vikings to their fourth consecutive defeat. Vikings WR Percy Harvin had a career-high 156 receiving yards, and Gerhart gained 91 yards on 21 carries to lead the offense. Ponder was picked off twice, lost a fumble and was under constant pressure.

LAST MEETING

The Lions trailed, 20-0, at halftime in the Metrodome in September before a furious second-half comeback forced overtime. Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes in the second half, and Jason Hanson kicked a 32-yard field goal to win it in overtime. Calvin Johnson had seven catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions, who started 3-0 for the first time since 1980. This also was the Lions’ first win at the Metrodome since 1997, snapping a 13-game skid.

Join Free Press special writer Nick Meyer for a live blog of the Lions-Vikings game Sunday at freep.com/sports.

I seriously think the football gods set up this weekend to torture Minnesotans. As if a Gophers-Badgers game isn’t bad enough, the Minnesota Vikings have yet another face off against the Green Bay Packers. And this time, the Vikes won’t have the home field advantage.

The Packers are currently at 8-0, and many enthusiastic fans are predicting a 16-0 season and another Super Bowl victory. This week, the Vikings’ big job is to wipe that smug smile off the Packer Backers’ faces.

There are a few signs of hope for Sunday’s game. First, there’s Christian Ponder(notes). I really wish Leslie Frazier would have gotten Ponder in the game several weeks ago, because the Vikings might have had more than two wins by now. My Packer-loving friends like to point to the fact that Christian Ponder is nowhere near Aaron Rodgers(notes) in playing ability. Still, watching a Vikings game led by Ponder is far less embarrassing than watching one with Donovan McNabb(notes) as starting quarterback.

Another promising development: better use of running back Adrian Peterson. Everybody knows Peterson can rush, but he also makes a great receiver. Peterson’s abilities were not fully utilized during the first few weeks of the football season. He complained about this in a recent interview: ” Sometimes I don’t get the ball and I’m like grrr I was wide open.” But when the Minnesota Vikings played the Carolina Panthers, Peterson had five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Green Bay Packers when they hosted at the Metrodome three weeks ago, but they did not lose by much. In fact, for a brief period, they were actually leading the Packers. If they can pull it together this week, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t hand the Pack their first loss of the season. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe says it best: “[The Green Bay Packers] need a loss, don’t they? They need one. We’re going to see what we can do about that.”

Born and raised in Minnesota, S. Gustafson has remained faithful to the Vikings through their many ups and downs.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Vikings are disputing a reading of their lease that suggests they might have to play in the Metrodome for one more season after this one.

Vice President Lester Bagley tells The Associated Press the team is on “firm legal footing” in its understanding that the lease expires after this season.

That has long been the understanding as the team pushed for a new stadium, with new urgency in the Legislature in recent weeks.

But the head of the commission that runs the Metrodome, Ted Mondale, told the Star Tribune that a clause in the lease triggers a one-year extension if the team is forced to play elsewhere for part of a season. That’s just what happened last year when a snowstorm collapsed the Dome’s roof.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – Minnesota‘s governor said on Wednesday that plans for a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings National Football League team had been thrown into “limbo” after legislative leaders spurned a special session and called for public hearings.

Governor Mark Dayton, whose budget impasse with the Republican-controlled Legislature led to a three-week state shutdown this year, said the lack of support for a session cast doubt on whether any deal could be reached over the next six months.

“We were making progress, I thought, until today,” the Democratic governor told reporters after a meeting with legislative leaders. “It just throws it all into limbo now and the clock is ticking.”

The Vikings, whose stadium lease expires early next year, allowing the team potentially to leave Minnesota after 50 years, said in a statement it was “concerned about the turn of events surrounding a stadium solution in Minnesota.”

“The Vikings stadium issue has been heavily debated in the public for over 10 years,” the team said. “With less than 90 days left on the team’s lease, the urgency to act is on us.”

The Vikings have played at the Metrodome in Minneapolis since 1982 and have not stressed relocation as a possibility.

But an NFL executive said in October it could be a concern if the Vikings’ lease expired with no new stadium plan in place and other cities providing options.

With support for a special session lacking, Dayton scrapped plans to release recommendations for a stadium funding plan on Monday and canceled meetings with the Vikings on Friday. He had planned a special session for later in November.

Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and House Speaker Kurt Zellers, both Republicans, told reporters the consensus was to hold public hearings on stadium funding proposals.

The Vikings and officials from Ramsey County reached a deal earlier this year to build a $1.1 billion stadium at the site of a former Army munitions plant in the Minneapolis/St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills.

The funding plan called for $350 million backed by a Ramsey County sales tax increase, $300 million from the state and more than $400 million from the Vikings.

The Ramsey County funding portion hit a snag when state lawmakers refused to support an exemption to allow the sales tax increase without a public referendum, something most people believe would be rejected.

At the least, delays in adopting a funding plan would push the stadium’s opening beyond the 2015 date expected by the Vikings and increase its cost, team and state officials say.

(This version corrects to Vikings in headline)

(Editing by Jerry Norton and Peter Cooney)