Minnesota Sports Forum

He came from that 80's coaches mindset, like Parcells and Riley, where he was way too into himself. But he was a Viking before all that happened. And Eller/Page/Larson/Sutherland/Marshall never played better. Two things stick out about him, from an S/I article from the Mid-90's:

1. Rashad said that after he changed his name, Buddy still called him "Bobby" or "Moore".
2. They listed many negative quotes from guys who worked with and/or played for him. Then they had a quote from Bud Grant: "Buddy never gave me any problems". Can you sum up Bud any better? It's almost like if he kept talking he would have said "...and if he would have, he would have been out on his ass."

And the answer to the "46" trivia question is Doug Plank, not Gary Fencik.

RIP Buddy.

Buddy was a beauty. He got a bad rap because of his quote about why he cut Cris Carter..."all he does is catch touchdowns". The real story is Buddy knew Carter's crack addiction and alcoholism was holding him back and he just didn't know how to help him. Buddy cut him, but promised he would never reveal the true reason...and he never did, even though he was ridiculed for it.

Three weeks ago I went to the funeral of a dear friend who was able to get Carter into Hazelden...and after he got clean, to a Hall of Fame career with the Vikings. Carter gave one of the eulogy's at the funeral, and it was perhaps the most powerful one I have ever heard...not a dry eye in the house as he told how this man saved his life.

The only problem I have with this story is that I don't think Carter has been vocal enough in explaining that Buddy had to cut him because he was killing himself with booze and crack, and as a result Ryan seems like a buffoon to many. Too many people in town here (and maybe around the country) hear the name Buddy Ryan and think "Oh yeah, the nitwit who cut Carter because all he did was catch touchdowns". Ryan was perhaps the greatest defensive coach of all time, and should not be tarnished because he cut CC,

longstrangetrip wrote:Buddy was a beauty. He got a bad rap because of his quote about why he cut Cris Carter..."all he does is catch touchdowns". The real story is Buddy knew Carter's crack addiction and alcoholism was holding him back and he just didn't know how to help him. Buddy cut him, but promised he would never reveal the true reason...and he never did, even though he was ridiculed for it.

Three weeks ago I went to the funeral of a dear friend who was able to get Carter into Hazelden...and after he got clean, to a Hall of Fame career with the Vikings. Carter gave one of the eulogy's at the funeral, and it was perhaps the most powerful one I have ever heard...not a dry eye in the house as he told how this man saved his life.

The only problem I have with this story is that I don't think Carter has been vocal enough in explaining that Buddy had to cut him because he was killing himself with booze and crack, and as a result Ryan seems like a buffoon to many. Too many people in town here (and maybe around the country) hear the name Buddy Ryan and think "Oh yeah, the nitwit who cut Carter because all he did was catch touchdowns". Ryan was perhaps the greatest defensive coach of all time, and should not be tarnished because he cut CC,

I don't know. I think people know the story, and it is probably hard for Carter to talk about. Nobody likes to admit they are beholden to anything, and when that thing is expensive and against the law, that goes threefold.

If anything tarnishes Buddy's legacy, I think its the checks he wrote that he couldn't cash in PHI and ARZ