Players begin reporting for training camp today, with one notable exception, which means that it's time for the 2009 Viking of the Year nominees. But first, an apology for last year - Garrett Mills? Sorry about that.

And now another apology for this paragraph, which I'm sure no one wants to read but it needs to be said anyway. There are some local and national media who criticize Vikings fans who didn't want Favre, claiming that it was wrong to not want your favorite team to improve at a key position. But the common complaint about sports in the modern free agency period is that, with players constantly moving, rivalries don't exist and we're really only rooting for laundry. Favre, because he spent a generation playing for a hated rival needs to be the exception. Rooting for Brett Favre in a Vikings uniform would take all intrinsic meaning from sport and would force fans to see it for what it really is - billionaires paying millionaires to trick you into watching commercials. Let's all agree that booing Brett Favre, no matter what the reason, is better than the other option. Even if it means the Vikings don't go to the Super Bowl, the team and the sport are better off with Favre's retirement.

So no Brett Favre, which is too bad since the Committee had two good nicknames for him (which have since been forgotten and will never be discussed again). To those fans who think any chance of team success left with #4 - a brief history lesson. Prior to the 2000 season, certain people in the Viking's front office were unsure about the abilities of young quarterback Dante Culpepper. So they contacted and had many conversations with Dan Marino, whose contract with the Dolphins had expired and who was considering retirement. Marino ultimately decided in favor of retirement, thanked the Vikings for their interest, then appeared in Bad Boys II. The Vikings, with Culpepper, advanced to the NFC Championship game. (I forget how the game ended.) So clearly this season is not automatically without hope. And the possibility for Brett Favre to have a cameo in the next Transformers movie is still alive.

The nominees for the 2009 (and final) VOTY are:

Phil Loadholt: A rookie right tackle, drafted in the second round, is supposed to be the savior of what was the weakest position on the Vikings' offense last season, and will strengthen an already potent rushing attack. Didn't we say the same thing about Ryan Cook three years ago? (I know, he was a center and was playing out of position... the comparison isn't apt.) Nevertheless, the Committee sees good things coming from Loadholt, whose name leads itself to many possible nicknames: Landphil; Pantload, etc. Ultimately, the committee decided on "Ghost Dog" because that name is just too cool and has to be used by someone sometime.

Percy Harvin: When producers wanted to restart the Final Destination movie franchise, they didn't name the new movie Final Destination V (or whatever number they're on now); the named it The Final Destination. Likewise, when Sylvester Stallone recently brought back the characters Rocky and Rambo, the movies weren't called Rocky VI and Rambo:First Blood, Part IV; they were called simply Rocky Balboa and Rambo. So the Committee says, with all due respect to Kelly "Pruple Haze" Campbell, what's the harm in bringing back a good idea? So the choice is for Percy "The Purple Haze" Harvin.

Kevin Williams and Pat Williams: Like it or not, these guys will forever be connected - same last name, linemates for going on 5 years, both involved in a lawsuit regarding the league's substance abuse policy. Fortunately, they've been the most dominant duo of interior linemen going on for some time now. It's only right that they should share a nickname. So for making opposing quarterbacks and runningbacks sick, they'll be collectively known as "H1N1." Perhaps this could also lead to a celebratory sack dance involving one or both on all fours acting like a pig... but the Committee is getting ahead of themselves. (FAQ - "Which of the two is H1 and which is N1?" Committee's response - "If you have to ask...")

Brad Childress: There's been conflicting opinions about whether coaches are eligible, but since this is likely his last chance, let's throw him a bone. Childress' M.O. has generally been decent coaching and playcalling throughout the meat of the game, with terrible decisions made at the end of halves and games. (Perfect example, the playoff loss to Philly - the Vikings dominate the game by running and controlling the field, but after giving up one flukey touchdown and losing the lead, Chilly goes pass-happy for the fourth quarter and everything falls apart.) So to capture this, his nickname will be Brad "Apatow" Childress. His namesake Judd Apatow excels at making movies which are rather entertaining and humorous for the first three quarters, but with long drawn out endings that are generally unnecessary and take away from the rest of the movie. Apatow's equivalent of the Philly game? The last 20 minutes of Role Models. (What's that? Apatow had nothing to do with that movie? The committee doesn't believe you.)

As Always, the Committee will listen to other nominees and encourages participation. Voting will be done after the final preseason game.