Adrian Peterson: The Last Great Viking

The greatest ambassador of Purple since Donatello. (Photo “courtesy” of AP and Newsday.com)

We have no reason to believe that Adrian Peterson is the last great Viking, just as we have no reason to believe that George Clooney is the last great movie star or that Steve Jobs is the last great genius. But, sometimes, you can’t see anything or anyone else down road, and you just come to accept that the person in front of you is better than anyone else, and may be for some time.

For Adrian Peterson, the once-in-a-generation running back who was injured in today’s win over the Washington Redskins, you must learn to see him as a comet. He’s a shooting star, and a solar eclipse. If you blink, you’ll miss him. If you’re not watching him now, you better start.

And, with worry that today’s injury was an ACL tear, you better have been watching him already.

The fact is, knees are to running backs what words are to writers and cheese is to mac. Knees are all they have, all they use, and what they need. Gale Sayers was the NFL’s first real great illusionist. He threw fakes on guys he had already beaten. He would be 50 yards downfield, with one man in front of him and another half a mile behind, and he’d put a move in both. He’d score six points faster than Shaq, and he’d make you cry doing it – either out of pain, or joy.

But, when his knees caved, he turned up Dodo.

Adrian Peterson’s knee injury better not be as serious as Murphy’s Law says it will. (I’d hope even Packers fans agree with me on that.)

Otherwise, the greatest man to ever wear a white horn on his helmet (Leif Ericsson included) will have already passed through our solar system, and we all blinked.

Sincerely,
a Canadian who cares.