Purple Pain

Let me start by introducing myself. I am a long-time Vikings fan, almost 60 years old. I have been through just about anything a Vikings fan can imagine. I became a fan when my Dad introduced me to the Vikings when I was about 6 years old. He was a long-time fan himself. He took us (my two brothers my age and I) to old Met stadium for many a game. I remember the seeing the Vikings playing the Los Angeles Rams on December 26th, 1976, in the NFC Conference Championship. Bobby Bryant got the team started after he returned a blocked Rams field goal 90 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and the Vikings were off to the Super Bowl after a 24-13 victory. Unfortunately, we all know the Super Bowl history of the Vikings and, alas, the Vikings lost to the Oakland Raiders 32-14. Actually, lost isn't really the right word that comes to mind. Perhaps a better word would be dominated. The Raiders were a much better team that day, and it showed.

Since then, the Vikings have not been back to the Super Bowl. There were several times when they came close: the 1987 championship game loss to the Redskins; the crushing loss to the Falcons in 1998; the 41-0 clobbering by the Giants in 2000; losing to the Saints in New Orleans in 2009, when we all knew the Vikings were the better team, and the 2017 letdown in Philadelphia one week after the Minnesota Miracle. 

There are so many diehard fans like me, who could die happy if the Vikings ever made a Super Bowl and won. I know in my heart that it's going to happen again, and soon. This new Vikings team has a chance to excel, now that our defense has been shored up, and the offense has new weapons. I believe that resigning Kirk Cousins gives us our best chance to win. I know I am excited to see what happens this year. Here's to a great season - SKÖL!!!