Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder found success off the field Monday when he and ESPN sideline reporter Samantha Steele were married at the St. Croix County Courthouse in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Well, the headline may be a bit misleading – Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder wasn’t literally married in my backyard, but having grown up just a hop, skip and a poorly thrown Ponder pass from Hudson, Wisconsin, Ponder did indeed figuratively get married in my backyard.

According to the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Ponder and his bride-to-be, ESPN sideline reporter Samantha Steele, stole across the border Monday to Hudson and were married surreptitiously in the St. Croix County Courthouse by Court Commissioner Stephen Dunlap. Coincidentally, my Dad was the St. Croix County Court Commissioner many, many years ago – and he was a huge Vikings fan, too. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the opportunity to marry any Vikings players.

But I digress.

We all know that Ponder is the worst quarterback in the league – at least Jimmy Johnson thinks so and so do thousands of Minnesota Vikings fans. The question is this: Will being married make him any better under center? Only time will tell as the Vikings only have two games left – the final one being against the NFC North Division Champion Green Bay Packers.

No doubt, he will continue to be very good at handing off to Adrian Peterson, but we are uncertain if his passing completion percentages will go up. At least his pass to Steele hit home.

We wish him the best of luck off the field and, of course, the worst of luck on it.

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