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Bryant McKinnie
In this match involving Vikings' McKinnie, it's advantage Venus
Viking Bryant McKinnie seems content with his Ebone Starr, for the moment, while Tarvaris Jackson is looking and Adrian Peterson is hitting on the playbook.

At the American Indian Magnet School's playground-raising in St. Paul on Friday, members of the Vikings lent their muscles to the one-day project.

While most Vikings were using one shovel to move chips onto a tarp, McKinnie was twice as efficient with a shovel in each hand. The way the offensive tackle was working two shovels made me think that he might, indeed, be able to juggle Serena and Venus Ebone Starr Williams simultaneously (as offensive as that would be to the sensibilities of most). Because he was holding potential weapons, I opened with a sly question, asking whether McKinnie was bummed that no American had made either final of the French Open.

"I know," he replied. "They've got Wimbledon coming up."

Will McKinnie be there? "Possibly," he said, mischievously.
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Courting a Williams sister or playing the field? A newly demure Bryant McKinnie isn't saying
Vikings bad boy Bryant McKinnie wasn't exactly shedding much light on the subject of what's going on, if anything, between him and Venus or Serena Williams.

The tennis world's most exciting sister act reportedly visited the left tackle in Miami when the Vikings played the Dolphins a few weeks back. (Go ahead and admit it: You whined every time they dominated a major tournament, and now that they are not around so much, women's tennis is boring.)

Word has it that Venus and Serena are coming to see McKinnie play a home game. There are only two left, this weekend's against the Jets and, McKinnie volunteered, on "New Year's Eve" against St. Louis.
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McKinnie gets nastier - Talented tackle says Hutchinson has made him more aggressive
All-Pro left guard Steve Hutchinson is rubbing off on him, Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie said.

"I'm probably a little more aggressive," McKinnie said. "I'm still trying to do some of the things he does."

Laid back by nature, McKinnie is tremendously athletic and would be described as a finesse player. Hutchinson tries to drive his opponent into the ground. McKinnie said that nastiness is affecting him, and he's making more pancake blocks as a result.

"When I get on a block, I explode through the guy," McKinnie said. "But he stays on a guy and keeps his feet moving."
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MCKINNIE SIGNS RECORD DEAL
The Minnesota Vikings have signed offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie to a seven-year contract extension, according to a report on the Pioneer Press website.

The deal is reportedly worth $48.5 million, including a league-record $18.1 million in guaranteed money for an offensive lineman.

The Vikings had to be careful when constructing the contract as Steve Hutchinson has a clause in his deal that stipulates he must be the team's highest-paid lineman.

The All-Pro left guard signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with Minnesota in the off-season.

Along with Hutchinson, McKinnie should give the Vikings one of the league's most formidable offensive line tandems.

Selected seventh overall in 2002, McKinnie has started 55 of 56 career games, including all 48 over the last three years.

The 6ft 8in, 335lb McKinnie is slated to make $900,000 in base salary in 2006.

(sportinglife.com)
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Bryant McKinnie Update
Left tackle Bryant McKinnie will wear a small wrap on his injured left hand Thursday. That is a big improvement from earlier in the preseason when he was forced to wear a club-like device to protect the injury. McKinnie, who suffered a fracture around his middle finger in a training-camp practice, plans to play without any wrap on his hand during the season opener at Washington.
(startribune.com)
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McKinnie's hand injury improving
Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie continues to play with a club-like wrap on his injured left hand but plans to have it off by the Vikings' Sept. 11 opener at Washington.
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