Vikings fans this weekend will have a chance to not only purchase Joe Kapp's new memoir but have it autographed by the Vikings Legend.
Joe Kapp, "The Toughest Chicano": A Life of Leadership, which was released on Tuesday, offers a candid glimpse into Kapp's inspiring life as one of the most unique quarterbacks and voices for justice in the history of football.
From Kapp's earliest days as a young boy organizing competitive street games in vibrant 1940s immigrant neighborhoods across California to his migration through the Canadian Football League, Purple People Eater days, and his current battle with dementia, The Toughest Chicano—co-authored by his son J.J. Kapp, Robert G. Phelps, and Ned Averbuck—lays bare everything about Kapp's life with his signature tenacity and irreverent sense of humor.
Football fans will relish in Kapp's extensive, game-by-game analysis of the break-out 1969 Vikings season – where he led the team to a 12-2 record, NFL Championship and the franchise's first Super Bowl – and his refusal to accept the Vikings MVP award in favor of highlighting the team's success as a whole.
The book also weaves through his post-Vikings days as the head coach of the California Golden Bears, where he was awarded the 1982 Coach of The Year honors in his first season. Kapp notably led three out of five wins against school rival Stanford, including the five-lateral, winning kickoff return known as "The Play."
Additionally, cherished memories from the Hollywood sets of sports films like _The Longest Yard _are humorously recounted.
"We all want the world to know and enjoy his unique life and learn whatever lessons he has to share," said J.J. Kapp about the memoir.
Fitting with Kapp's unwavering dedication to teamwork and "doing the right thing," Kapp and his co-authors are donating proceeds from The Toughest Chicano to help fund scholarships through the Joe Kapp and Family Scholarship Fund.
Joe Kapp, "The Toughest Chicano": A Life of Leadership ($25) is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Itasca Books, Magers and Quinn, and other major and independent retailers.
Fans can attend an autograph signing with Kapp this Sunday after the Vikings-Broncos game; he will be at AME Sports (Rosedale Mall) from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
The book release party for The Toughest Chicano will be at Magers and Quinn at 7 p.m. on Monday.
PFF: Cook's season 'rivaling' Adrian Peterson in 2012
Dalvin Cook has impressed across the board this season, currently leading the league in rushing yards (991) and yards from scrimmage (1,415).
Is Cook following in the cleats of former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson?
James Fragoza of analytics site Pro Football Focus said that Cook's 2019 campaign is "rivaling" Peterson's 2012 season in Minnesota, for which he garnered MVP honors. That year, Peterson racked up 2,097 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 348 carries. He added 217 yards and one score through the air.
Fragoza wrote:
Peterson's 2012 performance was one for the ages, and his 92.8 single-season rushing grade is the highest we have ever awarded an NFL running back since we started recording data in 2006. Seven years later, though, the Vikings once again find themselves with an All-Pro caliber running back on their roster, and he himself is having the best season of his career. This time, it is Dalvin Cook leading the charge on offense, gaining yards and shaking defenders on nearly every play. The third-year back out of Florida State is quietly piecing together a performance analogous to that of Peterson in 2012 and is giving Vikings fans all over the country flashbacks of No. 28.
[…]
A large reason for his distinguished grade is his ability to create yards after contact and his ability to force missed tackles in the open field. His 37 missed tackles are tied for fourth-most in the league along with the ever-elusive Christian McCaffery, and his 3.31 yards after contact per attempt is sixth among running backs with at least 100 attempts. To further highlight his capability running outside of his offensive line, Cook boasts 25 carries that have gone for 10-plus yards downfield, which is tied with Cleveland Browns back Nick Chubb for the most in the NFL. Not only has he been gaining yards at an elite clip, but he has also picked up first downs and touchdowns on 25.0 [percent] of his carries, which is tied for the third-highest rate among backs using the same 100-attempt threshold.
Fragoza said that Cook has "the ability and skill to be a perennial All-Pro running back for years to come."
Kyle Rudolph to host Darius Rucker concert at Elder High School
Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph is focused on a strong final stretch of the 2019 season.
But he also recently announced a big event for his calendar this spring: a Darius Rucker concert at his high school.
According to Sarah Brookbank of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Rucker will play at the Pit, the football stadium at Elder High School in Rudolph's hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo and his band will open for the country artist. Brookbank wrote:
Rudolph, a 2008 Elder graduate, had been leading efforts to build the Panther Fitness Center. Proceeds from the event will benefit Elder's Altiora Fund, which will assist with the completion of the fitness center and help provide scholarships to Elder students in need, organizers said.
The concert will also benefit Cincinnati based Kids2Camp, which helps send children to sports camps over the summer. Rudolph runs his own camp and over the summer, 200 kids were able to attend on scholarship.
For Rudolph, it's an opportunity to add to the storied history of the Pit.
He said the idea came to him after he saw big-name artists selling out professional and college stadiums, like Garth Brooks playing at Notre Dame Stadium.
Rudolph acknowledged that a concert at the Pit will be a "more intimate" production.
"It's really special because, first and foremost, it lets us complete the Panther Fitness Center, but it also provides scholarships to students in need," Rudolph told Brookbank. "This really hits home for me because this is about getting kids into Elder and giving them opportunities to further their education."
Tickets will range from $45 to $129 and will go on sale to the public next week.
