Get to know @captain_41 Captain Munnerlyn #skol #vikings

I was able sit down with one of the newest Minnesota Vikings members and ask him a few questions. We talked about his childhood role models, his views on the 2014 Vikings draft picks, and his stay in Minnesota so far. I want to give a special thanks to AME Sports in Rosedale Mall for giving me  the opportunity to talk to Mr. Munnerlyn before his autograph signing hosted by their store, and to Captain Munnerlyn himself for giving me a few moments of his time. You can see the interview below, or view it on my YouTube channel Athlete Views. Be sure to subscribe, and follow along for give aways and more interviews.

Roger Craig autographed 8x10 giveaway! #thehobby #collect #ninernation #skol #vikings

Enter here to win an autographed 8x10 signed by Roger Craig right after I did my interview with him! a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Get to Know @histepper33 Roger Craig

I was recently given a chance to do my first video interview, it happened to be with Roger Craig. I had a limited amount of time and was only able to ask him a few questions, but he was very thorough with his answers. Check out the interview below.

Get to know @Soathehulk (Soa Palelei)

Soa Palelei is an Australian born heavyweight MMA fighter currently fighting in the UFC. In 2002 Soa started his MMA career going undefeated in his first seven fights over the span of two years. Soa how did it feel to have an undefeated record over the span of two years, and out of those seven fights did you think you were going to lose one and end your streak? "Theres always a possibility of losing, i use those loses and learning curves, at time we need to be knocked down and get back up to open our eyes and learn something it all happens for a reason. I don't want to feel that again so i use it to fuel me in all my training and fights."  MMA isn't the traditional sport that younger people start off with. What influenced your decision to start competing in MMA? "As a child i always kept active i started of with boxing and moved onto to other aspects of martial arts and doing well on each one of them it was only fitting to move onto MMA and i was able to incorporate all of them together, i can truly say i have a passion for the sport and that's whats kept me going I've not lost interest in the sport and I'm always wanting to learn more."  MMA seems like a very physically demanding sport, do you train hard all year round, or is it a more laid back approach until you have a fight scheduled? "I do train hard, this is my job, my 9-5 so call it its not the generic job but as a professional athlete i know i have to be in great shape all year long, we amp it up come time to fight but i train hard regardless, i love what i do and there for i don't see it as work, more like a passion and i enjoy every minute of it even the sore days after a killer work out." So what does your daily training regimen consist of? "Depending on where i am whether its camp time or just general fitness it varies, right now I'm prepping for my UFC164 bout so i would do an early morning session at crossfit work on the strength and conditioning, then midday i work on technique with sparring and ground partners and in the evening i pad pad work with my boxing and kickboxing coaches, everything is structured in regards to training i rest on Sunday and take it back a notch on saturday but we keep active all the time." Your record is currently 18-3 a very impressive record out of all of those fights is one of them more memorable than another? "All of them are memorable in their own way, i take all of them and work on improving form these on to the next one."

What goals are you currently working towards in your MMA career? "To be the best i can possibly be, the chance to fight for the tittle is definitely something i aspire for who wouldn't? Keeping my fans happy and being active in the octagon should there be a opportunity for the tittle u betcha i will be ready and do my absolute best." MMA is obviously a very a physical sport. Do you think MMA is more physical or mental? "Both you can have one and not the other this is something I've come to find out and I've applied this in my last 8 fights and it seems to work i don't think that having the best body and being in the best shape is worth anything if you don't have the right mental attitude, when you walk into that octagon if your mind isn't right it wont work something will go wrong and cost you the fight, the mind is very powerful and we need to utilize it to our best abilities, i recommend 20 mins of visualization a couple of days a week you will see changes."  You seem to average between 2-4 fights a year. How do you typically spend your downtime between fights? "I'm pretty down to earth i like to unwind at home and spend time with my family, time is precious and its something we cant get back so i make the most of it, when back in Perth i like to see friends and just hang out. I love a good movie or karaoke yes you heard it right The Hulk likes to sign and i like playing the guitar. I'm just a normal guy in the end and i do the same things everyone else does."


There are a ton of fighters in MMA if you could fight any of them who would it be and how do you think you would do? "To be back in the UFC is an honor and a dream come true, there isn't one person i could pin point, whom ever the UFC believe i should fight i will fight, i respect the organization and all the athletes in there." That is a great view to take. What if you could see any two fighters battle it out in the octagon, who would it be and what is your predicted outcome? "That would have to be Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, this is a fight everyone wants to see there no doubt that it wouldn't be a fight for history. Jon Jones is whom i think would win but it would be a very close fight." You spent some time in Pride in between your chances in the UFC. What are the biggest differences between Pride and UFC? "The most obvious ones would be the arena UFC is fought in an Octagon and Pride was in a ring, the other one is Pride was held in Japan and the UFC is worldwide, the UFC is a worldwide phenomenon and as great Pride was it is no longer but the UFC is an amazing organization." 


We have covered the serious questions now lets ask a couple of fun ones. What is the weirdest thing a fan has asked you to sign? "Their baby lol, when in Japan people would go nuts for the sport there, they wait for you everywhere you go and i was handed a baby and asked to sign it" That is quite the interesting request! What if you could be a super hero or villain? Who would you pick and why? "That's already answered i couldn't be any one else but "The Hulk" and he's most definitely and hero, i like to smash things up whether its smashing weights in training or simply smashing some KFC i always do it Hulk Smash Styles."  You post a lot of inspirational messages on Twitter, what led you to start doing that? "I've said it in my blogs time and time again, time is precious don't spend it being negative,i want to inspire people to pursue their dreams and goals it can happen u can achieve it with hard work and dedication, it sounds cliche but its true I've been busting my ass for 3 and a half years and look at where I'm at today back in the UFC working on my fight coming up. I was told by many people i would make it and that i wouldn't amount to nothing should i have listened to them i would be in the same position as them sitting at home wishing i had worked for what i wanted. Life short spend it being positive." One last question for you, how far off is the typical stereotype on fighters (aggressive inside and outside of the octagon)?

"So so far, when you actually get to sit down with us fighters you will see where the same as everyone else we just compete for a living. As the saying goes don't judge a book  by its cover."
Is there anything else you would like to add? "I would like to thank you guys for this opportunity, my sponsors without them i could do what i do to the best of my abilities, Grant Tuckett from @MackBoots be sure to order my signature Soa boot from their website www.mackboots.com.au, Deon and the guys at MUS HD @MyUrbanSwagga www.mus.ae, David Filman and the team at Osborne Park Chrysler Jeep Dodge www.osbornepark.cjddealer.com.au, my management team at Paradigm sports management @paradigmsm follow them for a free bucket of KFC lol, Andrew and the team at Skinx @_SKINX make sure you check them out athlete or not  www.skinx.com.au, Paul Jols and the team at Adidas, The team at Southern Crossfit, Limousine Excursions if theres any one ive forgotten i apologize. My family without your support i couldn't keep on, and my fans thank you for the kind posts tweets etc, for buying tickets and if you're not following me and you're ready this check me out on @soathehulk on Twitter and Instagram." 

Get to know @feliceherrig (Felice Herrig)

 Felice Herrig is a MMA fighter from Buffalo Grove, Illinois. In her early career Felice participated in Muay Thai and Kickboxing before moving to MMA in 2009. Felice is currently ranked #5 in the world for the women's strawwight division.
  What influenced your decision to switch from kickboxing and Muay Thai to MMA?  "I started off with kickboxing and just loved fighting and competing. I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to fighting. At that time it was all i knew. A few years into fighting I was on a reality tv show "Fight Girls" and started competing muay thai. From the show many more opportunities arose and I was exposed to more than just kickboxing. After the show I was contacted to host a local MMA show called "Combat Wire" on the show I had the chance to work with and interview MMA fighters like Clay Guida, Bas Rutten and Miguel Torres. This exposed me to MMA and really made me want to get into it so I would have more opportunities to fight. And it really seemed like that was the way to go as far as really making a career out of fighting. I started training at Clay Guidas gym and continued to compete in muay thai and also MMA." 
    
    A majority of your fights have been won by way of decision. Is your strategy usually to outlast and outperform your opponent or would you prefer to win by KO or submission?  "I have been so consistent with fighting over the past 10 years and have never gotten away from training so my body is really always conditioned to go the distance in a fight. I think just like when I started training in kickboxing I took a lot more risks. With MMA one mistake could cost you the entire fight. Or if you lose a dominant position you could be fighting from the back that entire round and lose because of that. My fights strategy  has always been to think a step ahead and stay safe and not make mistakes that can cost me the fight.  But I'm trying to break away from that and be more dynamic and take more risks. I have the athletic ability to do that but I've been so focused on just controlling the fight. I know a lot of it comes a little bit from ego. I was so use to winning and being at the top of the game in kickboxing and muay thai. When I started MMA I had to start as a pro and started out 0-2 .  But I knew I was better than that. After that I just focused more on knowing the sport and what judges look for. And it's all about controlling a top dominant position. But now I'm ranked #5 in the straw weight division and have proved I can hang with the best. I have been working with my coaches on being more dynamic and stepping out of my comfort zone. I believe in my fights to come; you will see a much more dynamic Felice Herrig. Don't get me wrong I always bring it and I always show up to fight. I'm constantly evolving and working my weakness's and this is just  the next step for me." 

    What is your most memorable MMA moment? "Every fight is my most memorable fight. Because no fight is the same and the level of competition just keeps going up and up. Every fight feels like the most important fight of my career and the biggest test. For me I have to over come a lot of mental battles with my fights. Most of the girls I fight end up trying to trash talk me so it puts more pressure on me to beat them. My last fight against Heather Clark was a huge test for me, knowing she was a 125 pound fighter and at one time was ranked in the top 10. She came down to fight me and had been running her mouth for the past 2 years. So for me it was a great victory to beat her. And there was a lot of controversy afterward because I let my emotions get the best of me when I screamed in her face. I know it was not the right thing to do and it showed lack of sportsmanship on my part. But it's very hard to contain your emotions at a time like that. Especially when I kept quiet my entire training camp as she was running her mouth and talking poorly of me. So for me it was such a memorable moment. But again it may be just because it was the last fight I had. I don't think I will really be able to pick out the most memorable moment of my career until I'm all done with fighting. Even then it's like picking a favorite child. All my fights are special to me in a different way." 

    What goals are you currently working towards in your MMA career?  "I'm always working on setting new goals and becoming a more well rounded and complete fighter. I am always looking at the areas in my game I need to improve on. I don't wish to share them just because that's information I don't' really want future or potential opponents to see. But aside from MMA I really want to use my experience in MMA to break off into doing something in the ways of the entertainment industry. It's always been my dream since I was a little girl to be an actress and play a super hero in a movie. I can't fight forever. I would like to make my mark in MMA and solidify myself as one of the pioneers who helped pave the way for the future of WMMA"

    You lost your MMA debut fight against Iman Achhal, did that discourage you at all or was it a driving force? "Of course it discouraged me. Most fighters are very competitive and don't take loses so easily. And I was use to winning. I went 27-3 in kickboxing so It was very frustrating to come into MMA and have to start all over again. What was even more discouraging was she won by stalling. All she did was push me up against the cage and hug me, without even improving her position. I'm a fighter and I want to fight. But it showed me that that was the name of the game in MMA and I couldn't sit around and know why I lost without making the adjustments that I needed to. It really made me focus on getting the training that I needed to improve my grappling. I tried out so many gyms across the country. I wanted to do whatever it took to make sure that I would get to the top in MMA just as I did in kickboxing."


    What is the weirdest thing a fan has asked you to autograph? "I have had so many items sent to my gym to sign and send back. None of them are really weird to me because we all have our own quirks. I'm just thankful to have fans care enough to support me. I remember though one time at a fight event a drunk guy came up to me and took his shirt off and had me sign his chest. That was a little weird. But for me nothing is really too weird. I like to have fun and just enjoy life and please the fans."

    You seem to be very active on twitter often interacting with fans, what is the strangest thing tweeted to you? "The strangest thing I've ever been tweeted is probably not even appropriate to write down. Guys get pretty vulgar on twitter. One guy sent me a message saying " I would like to lick the soles of your dirty, stinky feet" other guys send me naked pictures on my fan page. I get some really weird messages. But a lot of the ones that are so off the top I'm sure are just to get attention .But I've really seen it all when it comes to weird, creepy tweets." 
 
    Do you have any per or post fight rituals? "Every fight i keep adding pre and post fight rituals so its hard to keep up now. All my fights have a theme. I design and have all my fight outfits custom made. And then I always look for little signs before the fight . For instance, my last fight I did an entire super girl theme. So leading up to the fight if i saw someone in a super man shirt or such I would say to myself or whoever I'm with " look its a sign" Its so quirky but I think it helps take my mind off of the fight. Everything involving my fight has to match. I go shopping and make sure everything for weigh ins matches my fight outfit and even my after fight party outfit and the ribbons in my hair. I'm not sure if that's more of a ritual or OCD lol. :) After weigh ins I always go to Outback steakhouse and get 2 lobster tails, a baked potato and salad. And I have a charm bracelet specifically for my fights. I get a new charm after every fight. Its like my trophy bracelet. Even when I get down and think sometimes maybe things aren't going my way I look down at it as see how much I've accomplished. As you can see I'm a very complex person." 

 Felice I want to thank you for your time, is there anything else you would like to add?

"Everyone make sure to follow me on twitter @feliceherrig and like my fan page. 
And thank you to all my sponsors- Alienware, Allmax, Americana MMA , Battleware, SoldierFit, Extreme Fit nutrition and Dom Fight Gear. and my management SuckerpunchEnt and all my coaches at Team Curran." 

Matt Blair autographed 8x10 #giveaway #vikings #legend

Here is your chance to win one of two autographed Matt Blair 8x10's. These pictures were mailed to Mr. Blair so that he could sign them and then sent back to me. The picture is of Matt blocking a punt during Super Bowl IX. I will post pictures of the signed item once I receive them back from Matt with in the next few days. Thank you for participating and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is the signed version! 

An Unsigned copy of the photo up for grabs.

Get to know @mattblair59 (Matt Blair)

     Matt Blair is an All American Linebacker out of Iowa State. He was selected 51st overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1974 NFL draft. Matt what influenced your decision to play football? " I needed a scholarship to get my education. I walked on at NEO ( North Eastern Oklahoma)  in Miami, OK and received a 1/2-year scholarship. My parents were sending me their rent money to pay for my education, so I made a decision to go out for the basketball team so I could earn the other 1/2 of the scholarship. I didn't start for the football team but we won the Junior College Championship my freshmen year. I started my sophomore year but the difference for me came when I went home between my freshman and sophomore year when I came back to NEO, I had grown 3 inches and gained 40 pounds!" You played a few different sports through out your school years, what is your favorite besides football? " Basketball. During the off-season, the Vikings players formed a traveling basketball team to earn money. I played in 68 games my rookie year. There were days we would drive from one game in Fargo, ND to Wyoming to Colorado in a Winnebago. Most often, we'd play in the 4 state region (WI, MN, IA, ND, SD). One season there were 112 games that were played. It was our off-season job."
     
     Being drafted in the second round must have been quite an experience, tell us about it from your side. " Players today, when they're drafted, they have family, friends, friends, girlfriends, wives, etc all around them, including agents or lawyers. When I was drafted it was just me and my German Shepard, Slick, waiting in my apartment, for the phone to ring. When the call actually came in, the Vikings said they were interested in having me and if I was interested in coming to them. There was another league developing at that time who showed an interest in me, so the Vikings were wondering where I was at it that and if they had a chance. So I told the Vikings I would rather play for them, so they said they would call me back. When they did (about a half-hour later), it was a dream come true. So Slick and I went down to the local Hardees and he had two burgers and I had one to celebrate." That sounds like a great memory, what is your best football memory Matt? " Playing in the NFL for 12 years is the best memory that you can have. Just knowing you'd made it to that level and all the things that came with it- coaches, friends, other players... it was a memory of a lifetime." 
     
     It sounds like you really appreciated the game and the opportunities that you had. Was there ever a day when you woke up and thought to yourself " I don't want to go to work today?" " I always wanted to 'work' and get there early so I wouldn't miss anything. I was pretty disciplined." It sounds like you were very dedicated to the game. You have a couple of records, are any one of them more special than the others? " Yes. You set goals for yourself and my focus and anticipation of each play. You imagine yourself doing those things and my personal goal was to try and intercept a pass and return it 100 yards.  It's what you dream about - each play being 'THE PLAY.' We'd talk about that as teammates. In the preseason game against the LA Rams, I ran an interception back 99 1/2. My only wish was that it was during the regular season, not the pre-season. As you know, the stats don't apply to pre-season games. My other goal was to block 3 kicks in one game. That happened as well. I'm not sure which game, but you can check into that.  The bottom line, pre-season or regular games, I'd come to play and try to give it my all. I just loved the game!"
     
     I can tell you really enjoyed your time in the NFL but you must have enjoyed some of the time off as well. What was your favorite thing to do on the road? " Fred McNeill and I would just sit and hang-out talking. Occasionally I would bring my camera and take photos of the guys. I did sneak one in on Bud going to Detroit on the way to the game. Otherwise, the camera was off limits on game day. I was more into concentrating on the game." You actually first got into photography during your rookie year in 1974, what was the most difficult thing to learn about photography? " The hardest thing is being patient and taking the time to take the photo. Not rushing- waiting for the right shot." After 12 years in the NFL I'm sure you played in a lot of different places. What was your favorite city to play in? " I'd have to say Chicago, since that's where I had my best games. I had my first interception against the Bears as a rookie. On two Monday night games, I blocked a kick and returned it for a touchdown and another time, Mark Mullaney stripped the ball and lateraled it to me and I went in for another touchdown."
     

Matt Blair blocking the punt during
Super Bowl IX

     You played in a lot of important games during your NFL career, possibly the most notable was Super Bowl IX. How did it feel playing in that game as a rookie and blocking a punt that led to the only points the Vikings scored that day? " It didn't feel good, after the game was over and we lost. But at moment that I blocked it, I thought it would get us going to win but that didn't happen. Now that I'm retired, I'm happy to say I blocked it and it was the only point, as I was part of Special Teams who managed to give us points and not be shut-out." You were also selected to six pro bowls during your twelve year career. How did it feel being selected that often? " Let me clarify that they were six CONSECUTIVE years. Each year I tried improving to be better than the previous year. That was my goal - to do a little more than the year before." We have covered a few of the big games now lets go back to your first career sack, how did it feel making that play? " I looked at is as part of the job. Going for the quarterback wasn't the goal, it was to get whoever had the ball." To kind of cap off your career with the Vikings, you were added to the Vikings Ring of Honor in 2012. How special was it to have so many former teammates and Vikings greats there to celebrate with you? " Without my teammates, I would NOT be in the Ring of Honor and the same goes for my family. And without Fred McNeill, the Vikings #1 draft pick my year (1974). If he hadn't pushed me each play, each game, each day, and each year, I wouldn't have made the team of the Ring of Honor. He made me a better player."

     We have talked about the serious stuff, now lets talk about the fun stuff. What is the best locker room prank you have seen or been part of?  We would often tease the kickers, saying that they are not real athletes. So one day, we took Greg Coleman and tied him to the goalpost. We left him out there while we changed and went home. One of the equipment people went out and cut him loose! hahahaha... We also smashed Wally Higenburg with a cream pie in the face for his birthday. I actually have photos of that!" Staying with the fun theme, what is the weirdest thing a fan has asked you to sign? " That's a good question! Cell phone would be the weirdest, but a golf ball is the hardest!" I can only assume a handful of your autograph requests come in the form of fan mail, what are your feeling towards it? " I enjoy reading what the fans have to say. Especially to hear their thoughts on the game of football. But I will say, I don't like receiving fan mail that isn't signed - generic letters asking for autographs without even hand-writing the request or signing the bottom of the letter. So those I mail back to them asking them to sigh the letter and then I'll sign the card."

     In your opinion Matt, what have been the best and worst changes made in the NFL since you last played? " The best changes are the salary they pay the players these days. The average player is stronger, taller, faster than we were back then, so the conditioning is improved. The worst things are the amount of injuries that are happening and are coming to light from the former players." 

     Matt is there anything else you would like to add? " The hardest thing as a former player who had the opportunities to win a Super Bowl, to not come away with one, is probably the most agonizing thing ever. Regardless how many times you get there. Some players never get to play in one in their careers, but to get there numerous times and not come away with ' the ring ' is painful. It will haunt you for the rest of your life. Even other former players will remind you of that."



Matt I want to sincerely thank you for the depth of your answers. You made it much easier to understand the game of football during an era in which I was unfamiliar with it, at some points I could even imagine you sitting with your dog, or snapping pictures with your camera. If you need anything from me, please do not hesitate to ask.