Thursday's an off day for the Minnesota Fightin' Vikings in Mankato, but we're still on the grind with our man Daniel House (@DanielHouseNFL) of Vikings Corner. He stops in to recap the first week of Vikings Training Camp, show a little love to the nice surprises of camp (Danielle Hunter, MyCole Pruitt, Mike Wallace, Gerald Hodges, and Antone Exum), as well as some of the not so great surprises (You'll never guess who...).

All that and other "Is Yankey International?" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

The Minnesota Vikings continue to grind on in absolutely, in no shape or form, not hot and humid Mankato - The Crown Jewel of South Central Minnesota. Eric Thompson (@Eric_J_Thompson) of the Daily Norseman joins the show to talk about his exploits at Training Camp, which players are rising in Mankato (Teddy, Diggs, Kendricks, Exum) and which are falling (Kali, Babs, Waynes), as well as what it's like to walk away from exploding fire (the worst kind of fire) with Arif Hasan.

All that and other "Eric is a VIP" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

Our Minnesota Vikings Training Camp coverage rolls on (on down the line) with Austin Belisle (@austincbelisle) joining us talking about his journey from California to experience a real state. We also dig into what he saw during the fan tour of the new US Bank Stadium (The USB) pad, how the Vikings looked this afternoon in Mankato, and what it's like to be a foot+ taller than our homegirl Lindsey Young. Oh, and all of the awesome stuff he's been writing at Vikings Territory too.

All that and other "Mankato is South" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

Luke Inman (@Luke_Spinman) of eDraft and Cold Omaha rejoins the show to give us an update LIVE from Mankato as our Minnesota Fightin' Vikings continue their pursuit of the 2015 brass ring. (Or completely gaudy, blinged out Super Bowl Ring, but you know what I mean.)

Luke hits us with updates on the freshly paid Adrian Peterson return, the start of the second camp for young Teddy Bridgewater, Eric Kendricks looking like a beast in coverage, Trae Waynes struggling early on (as ALL rookie cornerbacks do), and if Cordarrelle Patterson is going to cash in on his last chance with Mike Zimmer and the Vikings.

All that and other "Love Me Some Mankato" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

I had the good fortune to sit in with The Wake Up Call with Cold Omaha on 105 The Ticket Sunday. We talked a ton about Vikings Training Camp, the upcoming NFL season, and I even gave my own STONE COLD HOT TAKE. Big thanks to Sam Ekstrom, Tom Schreier, and Zach Wright. Those guys work their butts off at 105 to give Minnesota sports talk fans some diversity. AND they put up with me for an honor, so they should be in line for sainthood.

Show them some love every Sunday from 8-11am by tuning in on 105.7/105.3/105.1 FM or hit their live player.

[Audio used with permission]

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Training Camp is a time to figure things out. I have a laundry list of things I want to shake out in Mankato and I'll rattle a few off on the podcast. We'll also talk about our production schedule for this week (at least one episode a day!), as well as rough outline of our Mankato adventure this weekend, and us singing the praises of Boulder Tap House. A place ya'll should come swarm us after each Vikings practice. Do it.

A Few of the 37 Thing I Want to Figure Out in Mankato Include
• Nothing about Adrian
• “How does Teddy look?”
• How much does Chad Greenway have left?
• That Zimmer Hellfire Defense in year two.
• Who wins at right guard? Harris – Berger/Yankey/Thompson/Shepherd/ FUSCO?
• With Clemmings staying at tackle, could he be the eventual replacement for Loadholt/Kalil?
• What's Stefon Diggs gonna be?
• What's the deal with Spielman's arms?
• Will Trae Waynes even start as a rookie?
• Cordarelle has one strike left. Will he strike out?
• Tune in for the other 27!

All that and other "Love Me Some Mankato" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

It's time! It is time for the only camping that Andy actually likes to do. The Minnesota Fightin' Vikings report to Mankato on Saturday to begin the hopefully fruitful 2015 campaign. Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) - Vikings writer at 1500 ESPN as well as BAWS on their Purple Podcast - joins the show to drop some knowledge on us before the Vikings Nation descends on the Jewel of South Central Minnesota that is Mankato.

Counting Down the Days Topics Include
• Purple FTW!'s plans for Mankato
• Come see us at the Boulder Tap House July 31st - August 2nd!
• I'm gonna be on 105 The Ticket's The Wake Up Call with Cold Omaha Sunday at 10am
• Andrew Krammer: What's his story
• Andrew is Kenny Albert
• Initial thoughts on the "new" Adrian Peterson deal
• Never play poker or 3-card monty with Rick Spielman
• The main Vikings stories headed into camp
• Some love & optimism for Matt Kalil
• Offensive line Week 1: Left to Right
• Who wins the right guard spot? (Surprise contender)
• Will Phil Loadholt be a Viking in 2016?
• Worries about TJ Clemmings' health
• Teddy Bridgewater Year 2: Reasons for optimism are lengthy & multiple
• NORV!!!!!!!!!
• Advantage: Middle/bottom of the roster matchups
• Andrew's STONE COLD HOT TAKE - WR Edition
• The Gauntlet
• CB depth chart Week 1: Who's the starters, nickel & dime?
• Over/Under 1300 yards rushing Adrian this year?
• Over/Under 35 offensive touches for Cordarrelle Patterson
• Over/Under 1.5 Zimmer Dog Houses for Mike Wallace
• Bigger year 2: David Yankey, Scott Crichton or Antone Exum
• Anthony Barr or Jadeveon Clowney going forward. Who ya got?
• Least likely to stay on the 53: Marcus Sherels or Adam Thielen
• 2015 Mr Mankato Top 3: Win. Show. Place.
• Who's more of a crotecty old man Judd or Reusse?
• Has Mackey gone soft?
• Derek Wetmore kinda looks like Detlef Schrempf
• You can listen to Andrew & the rest of the 1500 crew on the Purple Podcast (We raise all boats)

All that and other "Dogra thinks he won!" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

US Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Fightin' Vikings new stomping grounds, is flying through construction and the new addition to the Minneapolis skyline is nearing completion. We had our man Sam Ekstrom (@SamEkstrom) -- Cold Omaha and 105 The Ticket -- back on the show to talk about his recent media tour of the new digs as well as squawk about our favorite local professional football team as the Vikings are set to invade Mankato at the end of the week.

Counting Down the Days Topics Include
• Purple FTW! T-Shirt Available for Pre-Order!
• Amazon, Baby
• No Vikings arrests so far this "offseason"
• ESPN is becoming a daytime infomercial
• Media Tour of US Bank Stadium (aka The USB)
• New features of the stadium taking shape
• Ultra-lounges? Cool.
• Say something nice about Mankato
• What's the buzz heading into training camp?
• Will any safety (besides Harrison) pass the BTB (Better-Than-Blanton) Scale?
• How will the offensive line battle shape up? #TeamAustinShepherd
• Will Babatunde Aiyegbusi make the 53?
• Wide receivers: Who will make the cut? #TeamThielen
• Cordarrelle = Josh Cribbs until further notice
• NFC North: Who do you fear?
• Matt Miller ranks Blanton as the 7th best safety in the NFL (Dohkay)
• "Russell Wilson probably has a necklace of ears"
• McKinnon's usage with Adrian back?
• Sam's STONE COLD HOT TAKE 2.0 (This one is HOTTTTT)
• Surprise cut of camp will be who?
• Surprise riser of camp will be who?
• Do we care that the Pluto mission cost less than the new stadium?
• I got followed by Blanton on Twitter
• What's coming up from Cold Omaha?

All that and other "This is the only camping I like" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

I was multi-tasking today and got Uncle Nick (@nickasun) on the phone to ask me Minnesota Fightin' Vikings related questions while I cooked some homemade General Tso's Chicken & Lo-mein. Yes. This really happened and it turned out damn good. The food that is!

Sweet & Spicy Questions Include
• Which team or teams outside the NFC north poses the biggest threat?
• What do you think will be the vikings record verses the NFC north this season
• Which QB will have a better statistical record this year? Teddy or Wilson
• Will the home record be better or worse this year compared to last? (5-3) last year
• Which WR/TE will receive the most yards?
• Which WR/TE will receive the most touchdowns?
• Who will be the better back up RB? Mckinnon, Aisiata, banyard
• Most points Vikings will score in a regular season game?
• Who will last longer with the vikings? Wilfs, Zimmer or Speilman?
• Which player seems to be most likely traded mid-season?

All that and other "Kikkoman soy sauce is the ONLY soy sauce" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

What do you do when you're out of material & have no guest lined up? A MAILBAG! We put it out to you the listeners and we came back with some great Vikings, food, and life related questions.

Andy Was Lazy and Did a Mailbag Questions Include:
• What to watch for in this year's preseason?
• Even after the draft, are there concerns with the roster?
• How do I convince my gf to go to a Vikings game when we do Honeymoon drive around the US?
• F-Marry-Kill: Zimmer, Spielman, Teddy
• Gas or charcoal?
• Realistically when can we hope to take back what is ours? The NFC North?
• What fruit do you not have with breakfast?
• Who wins in an arm wrestling contest: Everson Griffen or Danielle Hunter or [me]?
• 2015 Statline predictions for the major Vikings
• Would you rather the Vikings win the Super Bowl this year & in 2018, or [my daughter] get into an Ivy League school?
• Game Day Food?
• What 80s rock song best describes your feeling about the 2015 season?
• Also promo our Mankato dates, support us on Amazon!, and listen to the Dad Mode Podcast

All that and other "Is it Mankato Time Yet? on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

Vikings linebacker and all-around great guy Chad Greenway (@chadgreenway52) joins the show to talk football, philanthropic work with his Lead the Way Foundation, the #MoreThanWords campaign, and his upcoming Day to Reach football camp.

Other "Chad Could've Been a Gopher" Talking Points Include
• The Regional Boy Done Good backstory
• Glen Mason didn't offer Chad a scholarship
• The genesis of the Lead the Way Foundation
• Day to Reach: A well-rounded football camp
• The Lake Minnetonka boat rescue story
• The #MoreThanWords campaign in concert with Vikings Territory, The Daily Norseman, Vikings Journal, Vikings Corner & The Vikings Age
• Breakdown of the Chad's Locker Program
• Chad's thoughts on the 2015 Vikings
• Is Mike Zimmer the "ZIMMER" we see in the media?
• Impact of Adrian Peterson's return
• What's different about Teddy Bridgewater
• Eric Kendricks assessment
• Coolest moment giving back: TendHER Heart Luncheon
• What will Chad do after he retires from football?
• When is retirement?...
• "The Andy & Chad Show"???

For more information on the programs run by Chad Greenway's Lead the Way Foundation, visit chadgreenway.org.

To donate to the #MoreThanWords campaign & help us reach our goal of $10,000, hit it here!

All that and other Vikings & Giving Back chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb

Matt Vensel (@mattvensel) of the Star Tribune joins the show to talk about our Minnesota Fightin' Vikings as we count down the days until we're back in the hood in Mankato ready to launch this 2015 season into orbit. This year's version of 4th of July has come and gone (without any Vikings pulling a JPP, FTW), so grab some leftover BBQ, toss some aloe on the sunburns, and listen to some Purple FTW! goodness!

Other "Clark Griswold was a Vikings Fan, not a Bears fan" Talking Points Include:
• Training Camp dates for us (July 31st - Aug 2nd)
• 2015 Sponsor Prospectus
• Chat with Matt Venzel
• His background, why Minnesota?
• What was it like meeting Sid for the 1st time?
• How was the 1st year covering the Vikings? Teddy/Zim/NORV
• Thoughts on the Adrian drama "ending"
• Adrian/McKinnon Backfield split
• Mike Wallace - Run Fast & Shut Up
• Preview of Mankato
• Week 1 Offensive Line is ____?
• Position battles to watch for (Blanton vs... ANYONE, one time?)
• Matt Kalil takes
• Matt's STONE COLD HOT TAKE
• Over/Under 1300 Rushing Yards for Adrian Peterson this season?
• When does Harrison get extended?
• Bigger Impact in 2015: Trae Wayne or Eric Kendricks?
• Who has a longer stay in Minnesota: Mike Zimmer or Matt Venzel?

All that and other "Josh Robinson tore a pec holding back history" chatter on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast!

An Andy Carlson Joint.

Follow us on Twitter: @PurpleForTheWin - http://twitter.com/purpleforthewin
Visit the Website: http://purpleftw.com
Subscribe to Podcast on iTunes: http://purpleftw.com/itunes
We're also on Stitcher! http://purpleftw.com/stitcher

Music for the Purple FTW! podcast is
   created by & produced by deeB.
To hear more of his tracks, check out http://soundcloud.com/deeb