Why the Vikings?

Being a Vikings fan means that you are happy in the middle. You’re rarely terrible, rarely great—just pretty good. This is sort of a midwestern attitude in general (or a Minnesotan one anyway). Having never won a Super Bowl in 64 attempts…that takes a special kind of (lack of) talent or (lack of) luck!

And I wouldn’t give it up for anything!

I remember sitting as a 7-year-old kid in the freezing cold and snowy Met Stadium watching Fred Cox belting straight toed kick-offs all the way to the opponents 20 yard line. Chuck Foreman juking and spinning for first downs. The Purple People Eaters dominating the defensive front line and most of the time coming home with frostbite…but with a smile on my face…because Bud Grant’s boys won another regular season game!

Chuck Foreman slipping past the defence

After the Twins moved into last place every summer, the turning of the leaves in the fall always meant it’s Vikings season! Playing endless games of pick-up football in the neighborhood. I had to either be Tommy Kramer or Ahmad Rashaad. Never had the jerseys though…just not that easy to find back then. Any t-shirt or 4th grade rec football jersey would do.

Watching games on Sundays with dad yelling “You could drive a truck through that damn hole – what are you doing defence?” or “I could have made that play, butterfingers!” Yes, my father, who was a Lutheran Pastor, indoctrinated me into the sport and more particularly into becoming a Vikings fan. It was at the church Father Son Banquet where I first met a Viking: Legendary Middle Line Backer Jeff Siemon.

Linebacker Jeff Siemon who the author met at Church

Over the rest of my life as a Vikings fan, I wouldn’t meet many more team members, but I would witness the highs of 4 Super Bowl appearances…the 1998 season where we had 15 regular season wins…Bret Favre and Adrian Peterson rejuvenating our Championship Aspirations…and even a Minneapolis Miracle!

Kenny Anderson in the 1999 NFC Championship Game

Unfortunately, I also endured 4 Super Bowl losses…Kenny Anderson’s only missed field goal of the season to lose the 1999 NFC Championship Game…Brett Favre tossing a useless interception to lose the 2010 NFC Championship Game…Blair Walsh missing a sure-thing in 2016 to lose another home play-off game…the Hershell Walker trade…Les Steckel…Uff Duh!!!

Brett Favre in the 2010 Championship Game

But every year, we come back and honestly say, “THIS IS OUR YEAR!” We would have had some nice draft picks, made some decent trades, picked up some good free agents and BAM we’re right back in the picture! The national sports media will never give us our due respect, but that’s ok, we know we’ll win.

The Vikings are regular-season MANIACS! We will crush you in regular season games. The play-offs is another story! Although we live and work in the frozen tundra, somehow the Vikings just do not know how to play football in January!

Well, that’s what it’s like to be a fan of the Vikings. If you’re a fan, you’d have 20 other stories to tell. Happy, sad, family, friends, no matter what, they’ll put a smile on your face. Now grab a Schlitz and get to your fantasy draft!