Welcome to today's edition of the Vikings Daily Opener. We are now 73 days away from the Vikings' week 1 season opener. In this episode, we discuss a variety of topics, including the disrespect towards Justin Jefferson, the Curse of 1998, the Vikings' training camp, the new NFLPA executive director, and the state of the Vikings' wide receiver position.

Pat McAfee made an unsupportable comment about Justin Jefferson on his show, claiming that Dalvin Cook's presence on the field was the reason behind Jefferson's high level of production. However, this argument ignores the reality of the Vikings' offensive strategy, which ran through Jefferson. The Vikings were also top 3 in passing attempts per game last season, further supporting the argument that Jefferson's success was not due to Cook's presence.

We also discussed the Curse of 1998 in an article that explores the Vikings' struggles after the tragic 1998 season. The team entered purgatory, missing the playoffs for six out of the next seven years, and never finishing better than 8-8. The article highlights the Vikings' draft incompetence and missed opportunities, leading to their struggles.

The Vikings will start their training camp for the upcoming NFL season on July 23rd, with rookies reporting first. Veterans are scheduled to report on July 25th. The team's headquarters, TCO Performance Center, will host the training camp, which is open to the public for 14 practices.

The NFL Players Association has announced that Lloyd Howell will be the new executive director, taking over from DeMaurice Smith by the end of 2024. Howell, who was the treasurer and chief financial officer of Booz Allen, will be the fourth executive director in the NFLPA's history, following in the footsteps of Smith, Gene Upshaw, and Ed Garvey.

We also discussed the current state of the Vikings' wide receiver position heading into the 2023 season. The article from Vikings Wire provides a comprehensive analysis of the position, highlighting Justin Jefferson's historic 2022 season and K.J. Osborn's development, but also acknowledging Adam Thielen's regression during the past season.

Lastly, we took a trip down memory lane and discussed the number 73 and its impact on the history of the Minnesota Vikings. From Ron Yary to Junior Aho, the impact of the number 73 on the team's history cannot be overstated.

Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of the Vikings Daily Opener. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That's all for today's Vikings Daily Opener. Stay tuned for more news and analysis from around Vikings land.

What do we say? SKOL VIKINGS!

Hosted by Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and with our podcast partner Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN where you get sports takes for the fan, from the fan!

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