Wobby & Cris Depart
A Mystery, Part 1: Wobby Departs
Mike “Wobby”Wobschall, the Vikings senior digital content manager, abruptly left/was fired by the team this week.
Wobschall had a very public role with the team. He appeared often on KFAN, the Vikings flagship radio station, alongside host Paul Allen; he teamed with Allen for in-stadium programming, including the “Between the Lines” post-game video segment.
He was also a regular on the “Winning Forumula” game preview video segments.
Wobschall hosted “Skol Stories,” a series of interviews with Vikings alumni.
And he handled the “Monday Morning Mailbag” column on Vikings.com.
Neither the Vikings nor Wobschall himself would say why he is no longer employed by the team. The Vikings simply confirmed that he was no longer an employee. Star Tribune‘s Paul Walsh has Wobschall’s reaction:
“I’m not going to say anything about that now.”
Mike Wobschall
And since no one is saying anything, that leaves the field rife for speculation. And you know the interent will speculate.
These are the two prevailing theories:
Fired For Pro-Trump Views
I have heard from a source close to the Vikings that Wobschall was a virulent Trump supporter and made those views known within the walls of the Vikings organization. His Facebook profile shows he follows both Trump and his daughter.
But people do not think he was fired simply for his conservative political views. The online chatter centers around a since-deleted Twitter tirade in October about the need for Trump to build his wall.
I find this theory dubious. There are plenty of conservatives employed by the Vikings, both as staff and players.
The analytics site Five Thirty-Eight conducted a survey in 2017 of the political leanings of every NFL Team’s fans. While Vikings fans lean somewhat Democratic, there are plenty of conservative fans as well.
Firing a very public face of the team for his political views would be asking for a public backlash.
Erin Andrews
The other theory is that he was fired for something involving Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews, presumably harassment.
Though this is strictly speculation, there is at least a timeline that would support the theory.
Wobschall conducted an interview with Andrews when she was in town to cover the Vikings’ Thursday night game against Washington. That interview was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday, October 23, the day before the game.
Wobschall’s most recent tweet was from late during the game against Washington at US Bank Stadium.
He recorded his regular “Between the Lines” post-game segment from the field.
He did not appear, as he usually does, on the following week’s segment of “Winning Formula”.
Nor did he appear, as he usually does, on the post-game “Between the Lines” segment following the loss to the Chiefs, with Ben Leber joining Paul Allen as his replacement.
Bring Me The News noted that the “Monday Morning Mailbag” column that Wobschall usually handles is now in the hands of team reporter Eric Smith.
Bring Me The News also reported that Wobschall’s weekly KFAN show “Vikings Final Preparation” on November 1 was hosted by “Vikings’ Chris Corso, not Wobschall.”
KFAN did not give them a statement about Wobschall’s role at the station, so it appears that relationship has ended as well.
Fired For Negativity
I prefer Patrick Reusse‘s take on the situation:
I’ve made no secret of my disdain for “The Voice of the Vikings,” Paul Allen.
Look, Wobschall’s politics are as opposite of mine as you can get. And all of the above is speculation absent any actual facts beyond his dismissal from the team. So ultimately, I don’t know whether any of it is true. And generally speaking, you don’t root for someone to lose their livelihood.
But in terms of his “coverage” of the team, I’ll just say that his unrelentingly positive take in the face of obvious problems with the team’s performance is not my cup of tea. That, and, like Allen, I’ve never really learned a thing about the game of football or the team from “Wobby” that I didn’t already know.
Perhaps, that’s exactly what the Vikings wanted out of him: Homerism, pure and true. Perhaps he was secretly a much savvier football mind than it appeared but was never allowed to demonstrate.
There certainly is a significant percentage of Vikings fans who only want to hear that kind of glass-entirely-full perspective.
Filling The Open Role
Speaking for the more sophisticated Vikings fans, I’d like whoever the team brings in to take Wobschall’s place to be given the latitude to air more objective views about the state of the team.
I have written before about how the NFL, and the Vikings by extension, are not merely a sports league/team but also a content company.
If you take a look at how the NFL produces content, it is clear that they hire reporters to be journalists, not homers of the Allen/Wobschall variety.
Read a few stories from NFL.com and then compare that coverage to what we’ve become accostumed to the Vikings’ content producers.
The league’s reporters don’t shy away from citical analysis. Sure, there are certain topics they’ll tip-toe around but overall, the nature and tone of NFL Network fare is what you’d expect from ESPN, the Star Tribune or Skor North.
The Vikings should use the NFL as the model for their content shop. That doesn’t mean they can’t do the warm and fuzzy stuff but it would require a greater objective distance between the Vikings Entertainment Network and the actual team.
A Mystery, Part 2: Cris Carter Fired
A lot of the online commentary about Wobschall’s dismissal included a call to bring in former Vikings Hall of Fame wide receiver and recently-available Cris Carter as his replacement.
The problem with that is that Carter was fired from Fox Sports under as equally mysterious circumstances as Wobschall’s release from the Vikings.
Neither Fox nor Carter have said anything about why he’s no longer with the network.
Much of the speculation about Carter’s dismissal argued that he was unhappy with being passed over for a spot on the Thursday Night Football pre-game crew for the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, and Reggie Bush.
But Ryan Glasspiegel of The Big Lead reports that Carter was suspended from his popular show First Things First “pending the results of a Fox investigation.”
Internal investigations are typically conducted for much more serious transgressions than temper tantrums, so Carter is likely not an option.
I have been a hard line Minnesota Viking fan for 49 years. That doesn’t mean I give up my right to be critical. I have however found some strange circumstances in how they deal with team coverage.#1.) They have silenced the voice of the “Viking Faithful”. Example: They control all narratives and have made sure the “Fans” can’t make comments on any of their team sites. #2.) In the past I’ve talked with staffers in the building, through email and on the phone. Viking officials would not comment on any criticism. Head coach and GM would not take direct questions. You will often find that the GM hides and dodges questions when things aren’t going well. The coach doesn’t like to be challenged when it comes to tough football questions. He has a hard time with accountability. I asked this question to both: “How long in your opinion should a coach and or a Gm be given to implement their program in order to win the Super Bowl?” Crickets could be heard in the room. The sound of silence suddenly shed its light on the truth.
Speaking of Wobby, I can tell you I have had some heated discussions with him in the past because of his one sided view of the Vikings. God he had more excuses than the coach himself. Wobby was a conformist who always toed the corporate line. He was never willing to be critical of the team. You certainly can’t question the brass medal of management. He knew if he did, the Vikings would fire him. That is not being a journalist. That is not freedom of speech either. Even though I didn’t like Wobby I can tell you he was loyal to the team in purple. If only the management had the same loyalty to its fans and former employees. Do as I say, not as I do. Right, Spielman?
The organization is not willing to take responsibility for not winning the Super Bowl even though they have the best stadium, facilities and fans. The coach remarked when questioned by a Viking Fan, “What the hell do the fans know about football?” As if only he knew better. 6 years, no Championships to speak for, lol.
So if your a Viking fan, you best spend your hard earned money on over priced jersey’s (price gauging on merchandise), outlandish game tickets, parking(ridicules stealing), stadium food/beverages (greed and lack of quality), toe the team line (or you will be shamed and punished) and you best never question management ( How many Championships have they won again?). After all, your just a fan who supports his team loyally and spends money on the team they love; Apparently you don’t know what’s best for the team, ONLY THEY DO. And “they” have no championships to show for it.
I keep waiting for the day when the fans from across the country get to ask the tough questions. It’s obvious the media doesn’t have the ability to ask what is obvious to the fans.
super bowl i agree , but iam more hard. on zimmer, what does he base his air of having. all the answers without a lambarde. ay where. if your team wins 5 or 6 titles this attitude would. be easy to understand. zim is a great defensive coach but has not shown me he is a good let alone great head coach. the know nothing fans have seen the heed for a more effective o-line. i also question his ability to get his team up after a big win or loss. zimmer is not why the vikings can not win a title but i do not think he is the road to our first super bowl.
Totally agree with you….managemet stinks.If coach said that he should be fired. Years ago a chicago cubs manager was fired for why fans were at the park being critical. Instead of working.
That was not a question. That was an insulting statement with a weak pretense of being a “Question”. Just asking the question gives the pretext to do an insulting story that addresses the “Question” If I were GM I would bar any reporter who asked non question, “questions” just because I would not want the fans to have to endure having their intelligence questioned like that.
Casey is spot on. I have been a fan since 1968 and I just don’t get it. They get to the playoffs and fold. I would like the Vikings to add a comment section to their web site so we could at least vent our frustration. Another thing I would like to see happen with the Vikings is for them to knock off all the celebration crap. They celebrate for first downs, catches, sacks,TD’s and just about any other thing they are paid mega bucks to do. Every team does this and it makes them look like a bunch of fools. I like the old days when after a touch down the player would hand the ball off to a ref and go back to the sideline. These are grown college educated men. It’s about time they started acting like it. They can celebrate in the locker room. I have my doubts about them ever being in another Super Bowl, let alone winning one.
Well say your wrong football celebrations is it entertainment never know when going score a touchdown again yes there grown men playing a childs game dont forget that when the team has quality depth thats when they’ll win a Superbowl
That’s how we know you are 1000 years old
Listen to all these fossils complain about everything and at the same time spelling so many words incorrectly.
I agree with alot of what you guys are saying but MOST of what you are complaining about with stadium prices makes you sound old as dirt. Have you guys looked up how much more it is to watch a game in NY,CHI,LA,and Jerryland? I imagine its double from everything with parking,beer,tix…
Be thankful you don’t live in those markets.
Thats because there GM and head coach are incompetent.
I have been a fan of the Vikings since their inaugural season in 1961. Growing up in Detroit, I was able to witness with pride their domination of the hometown Lions, which to this day provides me with fodder for my buddies that still hope that the ‘Roar will be restored.’ I looked at the teams from then until now as a form of entertainment on Sunday afternoons. I played some sports as a youth and know for a fact that the majority of fans have no real knowledge of how to coach or GM a team to any kind of championship. So if fans want to vent their frustrations about how their alleged favorite team should perform, why should the people who put their money where their mouth is allow them space to vent their venom? If a fan is so frustrated with how their team doesn’t win the Super Bowl, then become a non fan and only root for the Super Bowl winner each year. The best part of being a Cubs fan was sticking with them until they won it all! I believe that the ‘real’ fans of the Vikings feel the same way! If any fan believes they can do it better, prove it, and fans will cheer you as a champion. If not, quit bellyaching and exercise your right to choose to not root for the team.
I liked Wobby. He’s very intelligent and tactful. Was wondering where he went so abruptly. Hope the item that got him fired was not too heavy. To Mike Wabschall: Thank you for your years of service. I think you did a good job. Hope all this hasn’t soured your own personal fanship. skol Vikes!
My take: Wobly got canned because he couldn’t stop talking / arguing about Trump. He was probably told at a certain point not to discuss politics and probably got repeated warnings but he couldn’t keep his far right (unwittingly facist and alt right) views from seeping out and creeping out everyone.
Yes, I’m sure there are some conservatives in the Vikings fold; but they ain’t that conservative that they’re going to put up with his diarehia of the mouth especially when 70% of the team is African American and you can bet 0% of them think Trump is wonderful.
As for Carter, he has a terrible reputation. Did you see his Hall of Fame Speech? The dude has zero humility. Did you see his impulsive and hyocritcal tirade against Adrian Peterson on ESPN? The dude has zero self-awareness and impuse control. Did you see his advice for newly drafted players at the NFL rookie symposium? The dude has questionable ethics. He’s also known to be a difficult person to work with and even mean to fans seeking autographs.
Now both of them suck big time. But I must admit, a “CC and Woby Show” sounds like an amazingly interesting podcast. It’s the Odd Couple! Can these two cast-offs share a mic without driving the other one crazy?
I can vouch for the being mean to fans because I was the team doctor of a high school team that’s playing against his son’s team in the playoffs several years ago. His team was behind at half-time which was unexpected. I Saw him standing outside the locker room door and just went up actually not even to ask him for anything but just tell him thanks for all those great years of watching him play for the Vikings when I was a kid. He screamed at me to get out of his face and he wasn’t giving any autographs and I said I didn’t ask for an autograph I just said thanks and I walked away
This franchise is a joke
Wobby started out great but he started getting to cocky and opinionated for my taste and I didn’t even know his political views. I stopped watching him mid 2018 season. This was a good move! Always enjoy Allen and Leber!
Same can be said for Carter.. I always placed carters character above Moss during their playing years but after both got media roles, It’s clear Moss is the more genuine person and does a great job for ESPN.
Cousins played the Vikings like a fine-tuned instrument. Way to go Spielman. 28 million a year for a guy so stiff and immobile, that he can’t get out of his own way. Cook goes down, you’re screwed. Thielen goes down, you’re screwed. O line a sieve. Do us a favor, Zim……QUIT. Go be an asshole somewhere else. Time to wake up, Wilffs!!!!
All you liberals are nuts. All Trump has done is keep government out of my business. We can’t support the world. Where would money come from? The crap that come here now don’t want to work. Why don’t liberals read the constitution..Its WeThe People….not we the government.
Huh? You think that’s all trump has done? That makes you a special kind of stupid, doesn’t it?
“the crap”….Unless you are Native American, you come from immigrants.
I don’t know the real reason Wobby got fired. Maybe it was just a simple End of Season housecleaning? Maybe not. I think the fact that Wobby won’t discuss it is kind of revealing. If he was dumped as a simple “Change of Direction” type move by the Vikings, he would have said so. Maybe Wobby took a payout to keep quiet–for whatever reason. If Wobby got fired for something scandalous, the Vikings are doing a terrific job keeping a lid on it.. The speculation is that Wobby got the boot for something involving Erin Andrews. I doubt the Vikings could keep that one quiet. Maybe they could, but I kinda doubt it. I think what happened is the Vikings decided they wanted to go in another direction with their Media output, so Wobby had to go. And the Vikings gave Wobby a nice “Voluntary Separation” check to keep his mouth shut.
At firest I wasn’t gonna put it this way, but now I will. Wobby’s quick dismissal has the very distinct smell of a sexual harassment issue. This would explain both Wobby’s and the Vikings reluctance to discuss the matter. Was it the Erin Andrews interview? Is this where it started? Maybe. Andrews won a $134 million settlement from the Hotel where that video of her was secretly recorded. Maybe Andrews said something negative about Wobby? We all know Erin Andrews will sue at the drop of a hat. This is all just speculation, but if it quacks like a Duck and it looks like a Duck…You get the idea.
Wobby was very pro Viking no matter what and was actually accessible via e-mail and actually responded to a concern I had about the press interviews with coaches and players at podiums where we as the audience could hear the answers but not the questions. Technology might correct this over time….but Wobby although a homer for the Vikings expressed our frustration as fans while providing hope
Miss you Wobby!
Tim
I would have gotten rid of goofball announcer Paul Allen any day before Wobby.
Allen is about as irritating as an announcer can get.
Mike was sacked DURING THE SEASON.
These days conservative politics have been quite cozy with the “alt-right”, openly racist crowd, and the Vikings count Latinos and of course African Americans as a large part of their fanbase. There’s even a Spanish language broadcast of Vikings games.
When Trump started out with that “Mexicans are murderers and rapists, and a few good people”
garbage lots of his followers felt it was okay to express similar sentiments in their daily lives, not even realizing that it was considered hate speech, racism, white supremacist, whatever.
I’m guessing that that was probably the likely reason. I cant imagine him doing anything else that egregious to get sacked so abruptly….but who knows?
I enjoyed Cullen the Cubs fan’s comment. Most adult fans complaining could not throw the ball 25 yards, run 100 yards without stopping, or block a 12-year-old! And many of them never even made their junior high school football team. Yet when it comes to running the offense, defense, or selecting players, they know more than any football coach.
Often they are the ones with the foul and crude language, too. They think yelling at the referee is the American way, and they do it at pre-school soccer matches! It’s hard to criticize the man who is in the arena. I always liked Mike Wobschall, but obviously, there could have been a competitive reason for firing him. He may even have agreed with the decision!