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Why you should root for the Minnesota Vikings Published: Jun 21, 2017 at 02 Curtis Samuel Jersey :08 AM NFL.com Writer What you need to know so you don't sound stupid Here's the good news: The have played in four Super Bowls. Just a handful of teams have appeared in more. So that's great, right? The bad news? Yeah, Minnesota lost all four games. The Vikes do have one NFL title to their credit. They beat the for the NFL title in 1969 (no, this is real life), the year before the merger in 1970. But then they lost to the in IV. So you're in kind of a dubious gray area with this one. I mean, it's an NFL title. But it seems kind of hollow without the , you know? It would be like if Prince actually took the time to write you a fight song, but it ended up being pretty bad. Oh wait, . But still, it's Prince writing you a fight song, so there is a certain level of cool. It's just that you didn't quite reach the top of the mountain. Skol My immediate conjecture is that "SKOL" is really just Norwegian for "Dude!" kind of backs that up. There you go. So if you choose to become a fan of the team and folks yell "skol" at you, they are giving you a greeting for something great happening, and not looking to bum a dip. (I do not condone the notion that the Norwegian phrase for the in the is "uff da," because that's just mean.) Life after A.D. It's going to be pretty weird to see playing for a team other than the . Just as it must have been weird to see Brett Favre playing in a uniform. (Seriously, how did you bring yourself to wear that jersey?) But again, Peterson is probably the greatest Viking of all time, so it will be weird. Well, until busts an 80-yard touchdown run. Then everybody is going to be like, Seriously, sports fanatics break up with players like you do an ex. That's just what fans do. Look, I know it's not the same level, but I wanted the to keep . Then he moved to the , and I was like, "Dude's always hurt and scored just two touchdowns, so who needs his forever, though. As you will find out Jonathan Williams Jersey in the installment of this exercise.) In any event, let me tell you this: Cook was too good to slip into the second round of the draft. Oh, I know, off-the-field stuff. There were off-the-field concerns for Randy Mo s, and he was fine. Cook will blow past and that other guy to be the lead back. So enjoy him when he becomes the next Edgerrin James and Peterson's career mirrors that of Earl Campbell, the New Orleans years. Sam Bradford Let's talk about the current quarterback, , who was, well, pretty good last year. And it surprised just about everyone. He even garnered some MVP buzz for a while. The former No. 1 overall pick for St. Louis feels like he has finally found his stride for the and could be in the MVP mix again. And of course some jerk fan (probably cheering for the Packers) will be all, But Bradford's made double-digit starts in five of his seven NFL seasons, and he has started 29 games the last two years. So, relax. This stadium is pretty sweet The opened U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016 and will play host to the this season. And before you ask, no. No team has played a in its home stadium, though two teams came close. Kendall Fuller Jersey The played in XIV at the Rose Bowl and the played in XIX in Palo Alto (Stanford Stadium). I know, they used to play s in college stadiums. Oh, shoot. All four of the s have been played in college stadiums. Tulane (twice), Rice and the Rose Bowl. So the have never lost a played in an NFL stadium. Deal with it, haters! Two of my guys, Sherbs and WWE superstar Curtis Axel (humblebrag!) have been to the new stadium. Both told me it was pretty rad. And yes, it does look like that thing the Jawa scavengers cruised around in on Tatooine. Speaking of Curtis Axel, his dad, "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, had with former tight end Steve Jordan. I want a "30 for 30" on Mr. Perfect and these promos. Get on that! Damn, mi sed field goals against the in the playoffs two years ago. Rather horrifically. But was it bad enough to get mentioned on "How I Met Your Mother" like the Gary Anderson kick in 1998? It was actually a punchline for the famed episode. In that, any time a Minnesotan slams his/her hand on a table and screams, "Damn!," . (And if you know the episode, they mistakenly call it the 1999 NFC Championship Game. But the rule is the year always refers to the season, not the actual date of the game. So the 1998 NFC Championship Game was played in 1999.) BTW, Marshall wears a sick Jim Marshall throwback in this episode, too. Oh deity damn it. Is he really wearing a Jim Marshall jersey because his name is Marshall? How did this just hit me right now? I'm so stupid. Way overrated But seriously, the 1998 team was very good. A lot of people talk about the epic we mi sed between Minnesota and Denver. Those Vikes went 15-1 and set the all-time mark for points scored in a season. But the were 14-2 that season and were pretty damn good themselves. Sure, . But give the credit (and leave Gary Anderson alone). I've talked to a member of the staff about this before (and I don't remember if this was off the record or not), but he said they wouldn't have done well against the . Remember: John Randle, Randall McDaniel, Dixon Edwards, Bobby Fuller and others were injured and might not have played. So it would have been great to be in another . But 0-5 wouldn't have been so great. Not enough credit Who was the first defensive player to win the NFL MVP award? No, it wasn't Lawrence Taylor. It was the ' Alan Page. The dude played in 218 consecutive games for the "Purple People Eaters" (great name) and was a pretty dominant Tim Settle Jersey player. And any defensive lineman who wears a number in the 80s (88 for Page) is already pretty cool. He also went on to serve as an a sociate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. And in HIMYM, ! Mind. Blown. Hipster jersey Only wear a Herschel Walker No. 34 jersey if you have a sense of humor -- or death wish. The basically enabled the dynasty in the 1990s when . But yeah, unfortunately that bomb detonated on the ' roster. Use caution if you do this. If not, go with Page's No. 88. Closing fun fact Coach Bud Grant led the to four Super Bowls. He was the greatest. two postseasons ago -- at age 88. But it stands to reason because . And every year, Bud has on his birthday. Final snap Here's the thing with the Vikings: It's kind of like . You basically have to choose if you look better in Honolulu Blue or purple. I look great in both, so that would be a tough choice for me. The Vikes do seem to have a franchise QB. is going to beast. is fun. I really like the defense, too. and were two of my favorites when they played at UCLA. The are going to be sneaky-good this season. They sort of surprised most (not me) two years ago when they won the NFC North and were kind of a hipster pick last year before . They struggled to 8-8, but I foresee another playoff run looming this year. They play in a cool stadium. And I don't mind saying that Minneapolis is one of the most underrated cities in America. Honestly, you Kyle Allen Jersey will read so many "I never knew Minneapolis was so cool" thinkpieces coming out of this season's . Believe me. This isn't a bad choice. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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