Bleeding Vikings purple every fall

by MIKE SONNTAG

Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football

This past weekend marked the return of NFL football into our homes, bars & restaurants, and most importantly packed stadiums for the 20212022 season. As a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, I woke up Sunday morning and planned my morning to make sure I was on my couch in my mancave for the noon kickoff. After last year’s strange Covid season with empty stadiums followed by an unusual pre-season that left more questions about our beloved purple team than answers, I was optimistic about their chances of victory in Cincinnati against the Bengals.

Following the awesome 9/11 tribute and opening kickoff, it took all of five minutes for my aforementioned optimism to change to an attitude of frustration and anger. The Vikings took the opening kickoff and proceeded to have four penalties, three of them being offsides, before they punted the ball away. Following the opening series, I received text messages ranging from a friend who just booked a mid-afternoon tee time to golf because he refused to continue to watch, to complaints about the offense’s penalties from a friend sitting in the stands watching the game live in Cincinnati. I personally was watching with members of my family and following that frustrating opening series and quickly asked the question “why do I care.”

As the game wore on the Vikings were on the short end of not one, but two official reviews on whether or not a Vikings’ player’s butt was down prior to crossing the goal line and fumbling in overtime respectively. My biased opinion is the officials got it wrong both times. However, as I waited in nervous anticipation of the replay ruling on the crucial fumble in overtime I once again asked “why do I care.” Upon the game ending I decided to reflect and answer my own question.

To paint a better picture, I was five years old the last time the Minnesota Vikings played in a Super Bowl. To say I have any memory of that game would be a lie. My dad had season tickets until the team moved from Met Stadium to the Metrodome in 1982. I remember him getting so mad at times watching the games, that we once bought him a purple foam brick to throw at the television to let his frustration out.

In the 1990’s I was as close to a diehard as one could be, except I did not have season tickets. During this time my dad claimed to no longer care to watch the Vikings, yet my mom would not keep his secret safe and admit he still sat and watched their games.

In 1998 the Vikings were awesome! Led by Randall Cunningham, Randy Moss and others the Vikings were 15-1 and Super Bowl bound. I was a new father and dressed my firstborn son in Vikings attire every Sunday morning. In heartbreaking fashion, they lost the NFC Championship game to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. I recall being so far down in the dumps after that game that when I snapped out of my funk I asked myself why I would ever let an outcome that I had absolutely no control over bring me down so low.

Following that 1998 game I started to act like my father in trying to convince myself and others that it really didn’t bother me if they won or lost, yet I still watched every game. By 2009 my kids were now well into elementary school while Brett Favre led the Vikings on a magical season all the way to an NFC Championship game. Had the Vikings not been called for twelve men in the huddle when already in field goal range I remain convinced they were going to win that game. Instead, the old Gunslinger Favre threw an interception on the next play and the Vikings lost another heartbreaker in overtime to the New Orleans Saints by a field goal.

In 2016 I bought two season tickets when the Vikings moved into the awesome US Bank Stadium. My boys were in their late teens and I figured at the very least I could have some memories with them in the coming years. In 2017 I chose to sell my tickets to the NFC Divisional Playoff game for no other reason than anything short of the Super Bowl did not matter to me. Of course, that game later became the historic Minneapolis Miracle game. Forgive me for that lousy mistake, as I am not sure I will ever forgive myself.

Which brings me back to Sunday’s game and answering the question of “why do I care”. Well for the many of you who watched the outcome of the 27-24 loss in overtime, I am sure many water cooler conversations have been had with friends, co-workers, family, etc., about whether Dalvin Cook’s butt was down before he fumbled? With all the resources and technology available to the NFL, it is truly hard to comprehend how they got that call wrong. What seemed like a sure Viking’s victory waiting to happen after Kirk Cousins hit Justin Jefferson on a slant route into field goal range, suddenly turned on a butt cheek.

When the game concluded on a 33yard field goal for the Bengals, instead of being devastated or indifferent about the Vikings’ fortunes gone bad, I came to the conclusion that despite the loss I was still happy to watch the three-and-ahalf-hour NFL game played by the Minnesota Vikings. Like any fan, I hated that the Vikings lost, but I found perspective in that things seemed normal after some abnormal times these last couple years. I remain eternally hopeful that someday in my lifetime I will witness the Vikings raising the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the podium following a Super Bowl victory. Regardless I am heartened to consider there will be heartbreaking losses and miraculous wins in the future, because it comes with the territory of being a Minnesota Vikings fan. When they win we all feel a sense of common pride, and when they lose we are left frustrated and bleeding our purple blood. “Why do I care?”, because I wouldn’t have it any other way!