Vikings Camp 2025: Because We’re Nothing If Not Hopeful
Todd Swank's Diary Entry for August 3, 2025
We kicked off a couple lake outings this week with a Thursday night cruise alongside the Browns and Zitzewitzes. Before hitting the water, we grabbed dinner at Charlie’s—now with dock seating that’s equal parts charming and anxiety-inducing. Great view, great company, but one wrong elbow bump and your phone’s fish food.
We spent a couple hours cruising around Prior Lake, and thanks to the higher water levels, I got brave enough to venture into a few sketchy channels I usually avoid for fear of turning my prop into shrapnel. No damage this time—just smooth sailing, shoreline snooping, and good conversation with good people.
Friday night brought us back on the lake—Luke rounded up the crew, we loaded the worms, armed the poles, and set out like we actually knew what we were doing. No shortage of action—lines in the water, jokes flying, and enough chaos on board to make the fish think twice about getting involved.
Miss Sheri and Jen were along for the ride—Sheri wisely skipped the fishing, while Jen hauled in a beast so small we nearly needed tweezers to unhook it. Still counts. Still bragging rights.
Andy came to play. He hauled in a couple solid bass and even snagged a baby northern, officially claiming the title of Bass Master and making the rest of us look like we were just holding sticks and hoping for miracles.
Luke tried matching Andy’s mojo—same bait, different pole, and a solid dose of determination. Took a bit, but when this sunfish hit, he lit up like he’d cracked the code. A few more catches later and suddenly he was acting like the lake owed him royalties.
Saturday brought us to TCO Performance Center for Vikings Training Camp—where optimism flows, expectations soar, and no one's been tackled yet. Are you ready for some football? We are. Until the season starts and reality reintroduces itself.
The Vikings know how to keep season ticket holders coming back—four free camp tickets, a couple drinks, museum access, and just enough swag to feel like VIPs for the day. It’s a fun tradition we look forward to every summer.
Avery and Abby couldn’t make it, so I recruited my buddy Orlando Mazzolini to step in. He’s a die-hard Bears fan from Chicago, but he still found a way to represent Minnesota—by rocking a Brett Favre Jets jersey. Technically accurate, emotionally confusing, but solid commitment to the bit.
We were pumped to finally get a look at JJ McCarthy—healthy, confident, and making up for lost time after his redshirt rookie year. He’s got the arm, the swagger, and currently leads the league in Training Camp Hype—an unofficial stat, but undeniably real. Here’s hoping it carries beyond the practice field… and maybe, just maybe, all the way to a Super Bowl.
Lucky for JJ, he’s got the QB whisperer in his corner. Kevin O’Connell, last year’s NFL Coach of the Year, took Sam Darnold from castoff to comeback story—until things unraveled in the final game and the playoffs. Still, for most of the season, Darnold looked like a guy reborn. If KOC can pull that off, there’s real hope he can shape JJ into something special.
We would’ve loved to see the other JJ in action, but Justin Jefferson sat out with a hamstring tweak—hopefully just a preseason precaution. Still, the thought of JJ-to-JJ has us dreaming. If McCarthy and Jefferson ever get in sync, it won’t just be a connection… it’ll be Jackpot Junction. And for once, maybe Vikings fans will be the ones holding the winning ticket!
Training camp gave us just enough to believe—again. The drills were crisp, the hype was loud, and the hope? Irrational as ever. But that’s the gig. The real story kicks off September 8 under the lights of Monday Night Football against the Bears. Until then, we’ll keep circling the word “maybe” and pretending this year feels different.
@toddswank The new Hop House Brewery at Mystic Lake Casino opens on August 7, 2025! #twincities #brewery #hophouse #mysticlake #minnesota ♬ The Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim
@toddswank Andy caught a nice little bass on Prior Lake! #bass #fishing #lakelife #priorlake ♬ original sound - Todd Swank
@toddswank Learn AI! Invest in a plus subscription for ChatGPT. It will change your life! #learnai #chatgpt #adviceoftheday #creatorsearchinsights ♬ NO AUDIO - Sok Baraby
@toddswank Spread positive energy in the world! #positiveenergy #positivity #imaynotbeperfect #butatleast #creatorsearchinsights ♬ Manifestation - Perfect, so dystopian
@toddswank Luka Doncic looks he has something to prove! #lukadoncic #lakers #mavericks ♬ original sound - Todd Swank
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