While perusing the official site of the Minnesota Vikings, I came across a timeline of the team’s history. The newfound bandwagon jumpers of Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson have no recollection of the lean years and near misses in the playoffs of this sometimes proud franchise. Favre changes his mind about playing more than a middle school girl switches her best friend forever. It is quite certain that his recent bout with uncertainty had everything to do with restructuring his contract in order to receive a substantial raise for the upcoming season.
But Favre will have to achieve a lot of glory in order to overcome the failures of the past.
By Patrick Herbert
-Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith should have the former front office of the Vikings’ on their Christmas card list for eternity. The Herschel Walker debacle helped create the Cowboys’ dynasty in the 90’s. The Vikings lost numerous top draft picks that turned into stars for that franchise. That deal put America’s team back to the glory that existed in the Tom Landry era.
-The Vikings hold the distinction of losing four Super Bowls. There are youth coaches all over the country that subscribe to the theory that second place is first loser. This is a fool’s philosophy, because second place obviously demonstrates greatness. Almost every other team in the NFL would love to be in that position. Marv Levy’s tenure in Buffalo was a resounding success even though the Bills struggled to win it all. That ability to almost reach the top can be more frustrating to some of fan bases than being dismal every year. At least then they didn’t get their hopes up and were mentally prepared for subpar seasons.
-In the 90’s there was a new sheriff in town named Dennis Green. He, along with owner Red McCombs, brought a swagger back to the franchise. The team reached the NFC championship in 1998 against the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota had finished the regular season with only one loss, but they failed to make it to the Super Bowl largely due to kicker Gary Anderson. The usually reliable leg let the team down on the biggest stage and the southerners advanced while the Vikings went home.
-The Mike Tice incident doesn’t deserve much time. The hiring was a mistake from the get go and a decision like that can set a franchise back years. When Brad Childress arrived from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006, there was renewed optimism in the Twin Cities. The team has recently drafted quality receivers in Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. The addition of Brett Favre has given the team national prominence and unprecedented exposure. However, heartbreak arrived again in the NFC title game last season when New Orleans finished the job with a crushing interception.
-The team may disappoint the fans once again by relocating. Mall of America Field does not provide a suitable revenue source. The recession has made a stadium tough to push through local government. Workers are erecting a stadium in the Los Angeles area. Roger Goodell and company do not want to leave that market vacant for much longer.
Is the ultimate heartache still coming?