Minnesota Vikings
| Minnesota Vikings | |||||
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 Current season | |||||
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| Established 1961 Play in Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, Minnesota Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota | |||||
| League / conference affiliations | |||||
National Football League (1961–present)
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| Uniforms | |||||
| Team colors | Purple, Gold, White | ||||
| Fight song | Skol, Viqueens | ||||
| Mascot | Viktor the Viking, Ragnar | ||||
| Personnel | |||||
| Owner(s) | Zygi Wilf | ||||
| General manager | Rick Spielman | ||||
| Head coach | Brad Childress | ||||
| Team history | |||||
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| Team nicknames | |||||
| The Vikes, The Purple, Purple Pride, The Purple People Eaters | |||||
| Championships | |||||
| League championships (1) | |||||
Conference championships (4)
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Division championships (17)
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| Playoff appearances (25) | |||||
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| Home fields | |||||
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The Minnesota Vikings are a professional football team based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings compete in the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Prior to divisional realignment in 2002, they had been a member of the Central Division, also known as the Black & Blue Division. The Vikings have won one NFL championship (Pre-1970 AFL-NFL Merger), but subsequently lost 23-7 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. The Vikings were the first team to both play in and lose four Super Bowls. The Viqueens have won their division 17 times, third most among teams currently playing in the NFL.
The team played home games at Metropolitan Stadium through the 1981 NFL season and have played their home games at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (former home of the American League baseball team Minnesota Twins) since 1982.
Franchise history
Pro football in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area (the "Twin Cities") began with the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets, an NFL team that played intermittently in the 1920s-30s.[1] However, a new professional team in the area did not surface again until August 1959, when three Minneapolis businessmen Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund and Max Winter were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League. Five months later in January 1960, the ownership group along with Bernie Ridder forfeited its AFL membership and then was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise with play to begin in 1961.[2] Ole Haugsrud was added to the NFL team ownership because of an agreement he had with the NFL since the 1920s when he sold his Duluth Eskimos team back to the league. The agreement allowed him 10% of any future Minnesota team.
1960s
The team was officially named the Minnesota Vikings on September 27, 1960; the name is partly meant to reflect Minnesota's place as a center of Scandinavian American culture.[3] From the start, the Viqueens embraced an energetic marketing program that produced a first-year season ticket sales of nearly 26,000 and an average home attendance of 34,586, about 85 percent of the capacity of 40,800 for Metropolitan Stadium. Eventually Met Stadium capacity was increased to 47,900. The search for the first head coach had the team court then-Northwestern University head coach Ara Parseghian, who according to Minneapolis Star writer Jim Klobuchar -- the Viqueens' first beat reporter for that newspaper—visited team management in the Twin Cities under the condition that his visit was to be kept secret from his current employer. His cover was blown by local columnist Sid Hartman who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials. Philadelphia Eagles assistant Nick Skorich and a man with Minnesota ties who was working in the CFL, Bud Grant, were also candidates until a different Eagle, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, was hired early in 1961. Van Brocklin had just finished his career as a player on a high note, having defeated the Green Bay Packers in the 1960 NFL championship.[3]
With the first overall selection in the 1961 NFL Draft, the Viqueens selected running back Tommy Mason of Tulane. They took a young quarterback from the University of Georgia named Fran Tarkenton in the third round. Notable veterans acquired in the offseason were Norm Snead and Hugh McElhenny. The Viqueens won their first regular season game, defeating the Chicago Bears 37–13 on Opening Day 1961. Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and run for another to lead the upset. Reality set in as the expansion team lost its next seven games on their way to a 3-11 record.[3]
On March 7, 1967, quarterback Fran Tarkenton was traded to the New York Giants for a 1st and 2nd-round choice in 1967, a 1st-round choice in 1968 and a 2nd-round choice in 1969. With the picks Minnesota selected Clinton Jones and Bob Grim in 1967, Ron Yary in 1968 and Ed White in 1969.[4] Three days later on March 10, the Viqueens hired new head coach Bud Grant to replace Van Brocklin, who resigned following the 1966 NFL season. Grant came to the Viqueens from the Canadian Football League as head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who he led to four Grey Cup Championships in 10 years.[3][4] During the late 1960s, the Viqueens were building a powerful defense known as the Purple People Eaters, led by Alan Page, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, and Jim Marshall.[5] In 1968, that stingy defense earned the Viqueens their first Central Division Title and their first playoff berth.[3]
In 1969 the Viqueens went 12–2, the best record in the NFL.[4] The team had 12 straight victories, the longest single-season winning streak in 35 years.[6] The Viqueens defeated the Cleveland Browns, 27–7, in the NFL Championship Game on Jan. 4, 1970, at Metropolitan Stadium. Minnesota became the first modern NFL expansion team to win an NFL Championship Game,[4] and earned a berth in Super Bowl IV. The heavily favored Viqueens lost that game to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7.[7]
1970s
The team continued to succeed in 1970 and 1971 reaching the playoffs due to the effort of a stubborn defense that gave the team the nickname "The Purple People Eaters". In 1971 the defense was impressive enough that Alan Page won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award given by the Associated Press. He was the first defensive player to win the award.
In 1972 the Viqueens traded Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements and a 1st-round draft choice in 1972 and 1973 to the New York Giants to reacquire the popular Tarkenton.[4] While the acquisitions of Fran Tarkenton and wide receiver John Gilliam improved the passing attack, the running game was inconsistent and the Viqueens finished with a disappointing 7–7 record. The Viqueens addressed the problem by drafting running back Chuck Foreman with their first pick in the 1973 draft. Co-owner Bill Boyer died in 1972 and was replaced on the team's board of directors by his son-in-law Jack Steele.[4]
The Viqueens won their first 9 games of 1973 and finished the season with a 12–2 record.[3] The Viqueens then advanced to their second Super Bowl in franchise history, Super Bowl VIII, against the Miami Dolphins at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. However, the Dolphins prevailed, 24–7.[4]
The Viqueens won the Central Division again in 1974 with a 10–4 record, which was a tie for the best record in the conference.[4] In the playoffs they built on their cold weather reputation, defeating both the St. Louis Cardinals 30–14 and the Los Angeles Rams 14–10 in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. The Viqueens played in their second straight Super Bowl, Super Bowl IX (3rd overall), losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16–6, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.[3][4]
In 1975, the Viqueens, led by Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman, got off to a 10–0 start and easily won another division title.[3][4] However, the Viqueens lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, 17–14, on a controversial touchdown pass from the Cowboys' quarterback Roger Staubach to wide receiver Drew Pearson that became known as the Hail Mary.[8] The touchdown was controversial because many felt that Pearson pushed off on Viqueens defensive back Nate Wright, which is pass interference, a violation of the rules. As the Metropolitan Stadium crowd was stunned to learn that no penalty was called, debris was thrown on the field for several minutes. One bottle (Jack Daniels) struck a game official, rendering him unconscious.
The Viqueens played in Super Bowl XI, their third Super Bowl (4th overall) in 4 years, against the Oakland Raiders at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California,on January 9, 1977. The Viqueens, however, couldn't break their bad luck in the Super Bowl. Minnesota lost, 32–14.[4]
In 1977, the Viqueens again won the Central Division with a 9–5 record and advanced to their 4th NFC Championship Game in 5 years,[4] but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Cowboys, 23–6, at Texas Stadium.[3]
By 1978, age was taking its toll on the Viqueens, but they still made the playoffs with an 8–7–1 record. There was no more playoff magic as the Rams finally defeated the Viqueens, 34–10 in Los Angeles.[3] Quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired following the season holding league passer records in attempts (6,467), completions (3,686), yards (47,003), and touchdowns (342).[9]
In December, 1979, ground was broken for construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.[4]
1980s
On May 15, 1981, the Viqueens moved into a new facility in suburban Eden Prairie that houses the team's offices, locker room and practice fields. The complex was named "Winter Park" after Max Winter, one of the Viqueens' founders, who served as the team's president from 1965 to 1987.[4] The Viqueens played their final game at Metropolitan Stadium on December 20 to conclude the 1981 NFL season by losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, 10–6.[3][4]
The Viqueens played their first game at the Metrodome in a preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on August 21, 1982 in a game Minnesota won, 7–3.[4] The first touchdown in the new facility was scored by Joe Senser on an 11 yard pass from Tommy Kramer.[4] The first regular-season game in the Metrodome was the 1982 opener on September 12, when the Viqueens defeated Tampa Bay, 17–10. Rickey Young scored the first regular-season touchdown in the facility on a 3 yard run in the 2nd quarter.[4]
On January 27, 1984, Bud Grant retired as head coach of the Viqueens. With a career regular-season record of 151–87–5 (.632) in 17 seasons with Minnesota, Grant led the franchise to 12 playoff appearances, 11 division titles, and four Super Bowls.[4] Les Steckel, who was an offensive assistant with the Viqueens for 5 seasons, was then named the 3rd head coach in franchise history. Steckel, who came to the Viqueens in 1979 after working as an assistant with the 49ers, was the youngest head coach in the NFL in 1984 at age 38.[4] However, the Viqueens lost a franchise-worst 13 games.[3] After the season Steckel was fired, and on December 18, 1984, Bud Grant was rehired as the head coach of the Viqueens.[4]
On January 6, 1986, following the 1985 season, Bud Grant re-retired as head coach of the Viqueens. At the time of his retirement he was the 6th winningest coach in NFL history with 168 career wins, including playoffs. In 18 seasons, he led the Viqueens to a 158–96–5 regular season record.[10] Longtime Viqueens assistant coach Jerry Burns was named the 4th head coach in team history on January 7, 1986.[4] He served as the Viqueens' offensive coordinator from 1968–85, when the team won 11 division titles and played in 4 Super Bowls. In his first season, the Viqueens led by the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Tommy Kramer, went 9–7,[3] their first winning record in 4 years. On August 2, 1986, Fran Tarkenton was the first player who played the majority of his career with the Viqueens, to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[4][9]
Following the strike-shortened 1987 season, the 8–7 Viqueens --- who had finished 8–4 in regular games but 0–3 using strike-replacement players --- pulled two upsets in the playoffs by beating the two teams with the best regular season records. They beat the 12–3 New Orleans Saints, 44–10, at the Louisiana Superdome in the Wild Card Playoff game. The following week, in the Divisional Playoff game, they beat the 13–2 San Francisco 49ers, 36–24;, at Candlestick Park. During that game Anthony Carter set the all-time record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 227 yards. The Viqueens played the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game on January 17, 1988, at RFK Stadium. Trailing 17–10, the Viqueens drove to the Redskins' six yard line with a little over a minute left in the game but failed to get the ball into the end zone. Darren Nelson dropped a pass from Wade Wilson at the goal line to officially end the Viqueens' hopes of a Super Bowl.
The Viqueens would make what would be considered its biggest personnel blunder in team history. On October 12, 1989, the Viqueens acquired Herschel Walker from Dallas. The final result of the trade gave the Viqueens Walker, third-round choice Mike Jones, fifth-round choice Reggie Thornton and tenth-round choice Pat Newman in 1990 and a third-round choice in 1991 Jake Reed, while Dallas received Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrin Nelson, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, a 1st, 2nd and 6th-round choice in 1990, 1st and 2nd-round choices in 1991 and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd-round choice in 1992. Two of those selections turned into Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson. Herschel's performance fell short of expectations in his three seasons with the Viqueens, while the Cowboys rode their draft picks to three Super Bowl victories in the early to mid 1990s.
1990s
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On December 3, 1991, Jerry Burns announced his retirement. In six seasons as Head Coach of the Viqueens, Burns compiled a career record of 52–43 (.547). He also led Minnesota to three playoff appearances, including a division title and an NFC Championship Game. Dennis Green was later named the fifth Head Coach in team history. He came to Minnesota after turning around a struggling Stanford University football program as head coach from 1989–91. In his 10 seasons as the coach of the Viqueens, Green won 4 NFC Central division titles, had 8 playoff appearances, 2 NFC Championship game appearances and an all-time record of 97–62.
1998
1998 was a year to remember for the franchise. With a spectacular offense led by quarterback Randall Cunningham (who replaced an injured Brad Johnson), running back Robert Smith, veteran wide receiver Cris Carter, and explosive rookie Randy Moss, the Viqueens set a then-NFL record by scoring a total of 556 points, never scoring fewer than 24 in a game. The record was later broken by the 2007 New England Patriots, (who also had Moss as a player), with 589 points. The Viqueens finished the season 15–1, their only loss by 3 points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9. In the playoffs, the Viqueens rolled past the Arizona Cardinals 41–21, and came into the Metrodome heavily favored for their NFC title showdown with the Atlanta Falcons, which lost only one game more than the Viqueens, at 14–2. After kicker Gary Anderson, who had just completed the first perfect regular season in NFL history (not missing a single extra point or field goal attempt the entire year), missed a 38-yard attempt with less than 2 minutes remaining, the Falcons tied the game. This led to a controversial decision by head coach Dennis Green to run out the clock and let the game go onto overtime. Though the Viqueens won the coin toss, Atlanta went on to win it 30–27 in overtime on Morten Andersen's 38-yard field goal. The Viqueens became the first 15–1 team to fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Falcons lost Super Bowl XXXIII to John Elway and the Denver Broncos.
1999
Cunningham resumed duties again in 1999, but after a lukewarm 2–4 start, Jeff George was given the starting job. He finished the season with an 8–2 record, and led the Viqueens into the postseason once again, with an overall team record of 10–6. Minnesota beat Dallas in the Wild Card game 27–10, and faced playoff newcomer Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams in the Divisional matchup. The game was a shootout which Minnesota led 17–14 at halftime, but the Rams outscored Minnesota 35–20 in the second half to win 49–37.[11] St. Louis would go on to win Super Bowl XXXIV.
2000s
2000
In 2000, the Viqueens went 11–5. The Viqueens were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the Rams, Packers and Colts while starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper was hampered by injury. Nonetheless, the Viqueens made the playoffs for the fifth straight year. After easily beating the Saints in the Divisional game 34–16, they went to New York to face the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Though they were the road team, the Viqueens were actually favored to win the game (since most considered their 12–2 record with Culpepper more indicative than their 0–3 record when he was out). But the Viqueens were humiliated by the Giants 41–0, the worst loss in franchise history.[12] Robert Smith, who ran for a team record (and NFL best) 1521 yards that season, retired at the end of the year after only playing eight NFL seasons.[13]
2001–05
In 2001, after a disappointing 5–11 season, the Viqueens bought out the contract of Dennis Green, despite his successful coaching tenure with the team. Mike Tice coached the final game of 2001, losing to the Ravens 19-3.[14] Tice was named the permanent coach after the season, but he would not lead the Viqueens back to the playoffs until 2004.
During the 2003 season, the Viqueens came close to getting into the playoffs. However, the Arizona Cardinals completed a game winning touchdown with 0:00 left knocking the Viqueens out of the playoffs. The moment of Arizona's touchdown was actually the first moment the entire season in which the Viqueens hadn't led their division. The Viqueens became the second team in football history to miss the playoffs after getting off to a 6–0 start. The first team was the 1978 Washington Redskins.
In 2004, Daunte Culpepper amassed MVP-like statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards (leading the NFL), 39 passing touchdowns (a Viking record), and 5,123 total yards (an NFL record). In the wild card game, the Viqueens defeated the rival Green Bay Packers in their first-ever playoff meeting, 31–17.[15] In doing so, the Viqueens became the second team in NFL history to have a .500 record (8–8) in the regular season and win a playoff game (The St. Louis Rams did the same thing only a day earlier). In the divisional round, the Viqueens were defeated by the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.[16]
On March 2, 2005, Viqueens wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris and the Raiders' first round draft pick. After struggling to a disappointing 2–5 start to the 2005 season, Viqueens lost quarterback Daunte Culpepper to a season ending knee injury. This injury was a very significant part to this Minnesota Viqueens team due to the fact they also lost Randy Moss. The dynamic duo from years earlier were now lost and a new leader would eventually emerge. The Viqueens finished the 2005 season with a 9–7 record, one win away from the playoffs.
Head Coach Mike Tice was let go after the 2005 season and was replaced by Brad Childress. This was one of many significant front office moves made by the new ownership team, led by Zygi Wilf.
2006–present
Minnesota began the 2006 season 4–2 (and Childress becoming the first coach in Vikings history to start 2–0 in his first year), but would finish the year at 6–10, tying for the 7th worst record in the NFL and receiving the 7th pick in the NFL Draft; with it, the Vikings selected Adrian Peterson out of the University of Oklahoma.
Peterson's first career TD was a 60 yard screen pass in his first career game against the Atlanta Falcons. When the Minnesota Vikings played the Chicago Bears in the first of their two games, Peterson broke the record for single game All-Purpose (rushing, receiving, kick returning) yards (361, 224 of them rushing yards). In Week 9 of the 2007 season, Peterson broke the NFL record set by Jamal Lewis in 2003 for most rushing yards in one game by rushing for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers. Despite a strong push in the middle of the 2007 season winning five straight games, the Vikings lost their final two games to finish the season at 8–8, missing the playoffs. In week 13 of the 2008 season against the Bears, Gus Frerotte hooked up with Bernard Berrian for a 99 yard touchdown pass after goal line stand by the Vikings. This was the longest play in Vikings history. Adrian Peterson had 1760 rushing yards, first in the NFL, in front of Atlanta's Michael Turner. Chicago Bears, Bernard Berrian led the team in receiving yards with 795, and Bobby Wade led the team in catches. In Week 15 the Vikings beat the Arizona Cardinals 35 to 14. Tarvaris Jackson started this game and threw for four touchdowns. Bernard Berrian caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for a touchdown. Adrian Peterson broke the franchise record for most single season rush yards. In Week 16, the Vikings faced the Atlanta Falcons at the Metrodome, looking to clinch the NFC North with a victory. However, they suffered from 7 fumbles, 4 of them resulting in turnovers, and lost 24–17. Starter Tarvaris Jackson had another good game for Minnesota, as did tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who caught 2 touchdowns from Jackson. The Vikings clinched the NFC North championship by defeating the New York Giants 20–19 in week 17 of the 2008 NFL Season, when kicker Ryan Longwell was successful in his attempt at the game-winning field goal.
On January 4, 2009, the Vikings hosted the Philadelphia Eagles for the Wild Card round and for the first time in eight years, the Vikings hosted a playoff game. The Vikings held the Eagles 14–16 at halftime, but the Eagles, coming off of a 44–6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, defeated the Vikings, 26–14. The Eagles would go on to defeat the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the Divisional round only to lose to the Arizona Cardinals (who in turn lost Super Bowl XLIII to the Pittsburgh Steelers) in the NFC Championship Game.
Since 2006, the Vikings are particularly known for their strong defense against the run (#1 in the NFL in 2006, 2007, and 2008; they are the first NFL team to accomplish this since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970) anchored by the nicknamed “Williams Wall”/"Williams Wrecking Crew" consisting of defensive tackle Kevin Williams and nose tackle Pat Williams (no relation).[17]. Starting with the addition of Jared Allen in 2008 the front four began being called the Four Norsemen of the Apocalypse.
On August 18, 2009, after months of speculation and negotiations, often retired Quarterback Brett Favre, who, until 2007 played for division rival Green Bay Packers, signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Vikings. Favre is universally acknowledged to be a future hall of fame player, holding the NFL all-time record for most touchdown passes. Coincidentally, he took the record from Dan Marino (420 TD passes) in 2007 while playing for the Green Bay Packers against the Vikings.
On October 5, 2009 the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers, the first time Brett Favre played his old team. With a 30-23 victory, the Vikings moved to a 4-0 record, and Brett Favre became the only player in NFL history to defeat all 32 current teams. Over 21.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the game, beating the previous record of 18.6 million viewers in 2008's game between the Philidephia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
Ownership
The team is currently owned by Zygi Wilf, Jeffrey Wilf, Leonard Wilf, David Mandelbaum, Alan Landis and Reggie Fowler. The Viqueens have been conducting summer training camp at Minnesota State University, Mankato since 1966. From 1961–65 they held camp at Bemidji State University.
Season-by-season records
Logo and uniforms
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From the team's debut in 1961 to 1995, the Viqueens' logos and uniforms essentially remained the same. One of the team's two primary logos consists of a profile of a blond norseman, while the other consists of a white Viking horn.
The team's helmet is purple with a Viking horn logo on each side. The horn logo was slightly revised in 2006. The original uniform design consisted of white pants, gold trim, and either purple or white jerseys. From 1961 to 1964, the Viqueens wore purple pants with their white jerseys (The Viqueens, with their new uniform, still wear, on occasion, purple pants with yellow and white trim). In a design that was unique among American football teams, the white jerseys had a completely different stripe pattern, which was over the shoulders, than the purple ones, which was around the sleeve cuff. These unique shoulder stripes on the white jerseys did not appear until 1969, the year they went to their first Super Bowl. There have also been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the color of the facemask from gray to white (1980), and then to purple (1985); and adding the Norseman logo to the sleeves (1996). The Viqueens wore black shoes until Les Steckel became the coach in 1984. In 2006 team returned to black shoes for first time since the 1983 season.
During the 1964 season, the Viqueens along with several other NFL teams wore their white jerseys for home games to allow their fans to see what the other teams primary jerseys looked like. The Lions played at Metropolitan Stadium on October 11. The Lions only brought their white jerseys. The Viqueens had also brought their white jerseys to the stadium. The team practiced at Midway Stadium in St. Paul and that is where they stored their equipment. Both teams started the game in their white jerseys. By the second quarter the Viqueens had been able to get their purple jerseys to Met Stadium. The team changed jerseys on the sidelines and finished the game in purple jerseys and purple pants. It wasn't until 43 years later, on December 17, 2007 (a Monday Night Football game versus the Chicago Bears) that the Viqueens again donned all purple jerseys and pants.
From 1969 through 1973, the Viqueens had an alternate purple jersey without stripes for warm-weather games.
The team's uniforms were redesigned in 2006, the first significant change in the franchise's 46-year history. Although the team colors remained the same, trim lines were added to the outside shoulders and sleeves, and the sides of the jerseys and pants. In addition the horn on the helmet was slightly more defined. Included in the new design are both white and purple pants.[18] However, the Viqueens have not worn the purple pants since the aforementioned 2007 home game vs. Chicago.
The team wore black armbands for the last four games in 1978 in memory of Jack "Jocko" Nelson, an assistant coach who died during the season. In 1985 the team wore a 25 years patch on their jerseys. In 1989, they wore a "40 for 60" patch honoring the 1969 NFL championship team. They wore a 35 years patch in 1995, 40 years in 2000 and 45 years in 2005. They also wore patches in 1999 for assistant coach Chip Myers who died in the offseason and in 2001 for Korey Stringer. The Viqueens like the other teams wore NFL 50 and 75 year patches in 1969 and 1994.
Mascots
Current mascots
The current team mascot is Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch). Ragnar has been working for the Viqueens since 1994 and claims to be the most widely-recognized mascot in the world.[citation needed] Juranitch admits to being somewhat of an eccentric—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a beard with an axe.[citation needed] Ragnar drives onto the field at the beginning of the game dressed in Viking garb, on a motorcycle, while a cheerleader used to ride a snowmobile.
After several failed attempts at developing an official team-owned mascot, the Viqueens finally introduced Viktor E. Viking during the 2007 Viqueens' season.[19] Team officials had long indicated that they were after a mascot concept that would primarily appeal to the team's younger fan base.[20] Viktor the Viking, a muscle-bound, blonde-haired and mustachioed character wears a Viqueens' #1 jersey and an oversized Viqueens' helmet with protruding horns and a small yellow nose guard.
Historic mascots
During the 1970s and 1980s, Herb Meeds dressed as a Viking and served as the team mascot. It is said [by whom?] that Herb showed up for the very first regular season game against Chicago. He had no ticket but was dressed as a Viking and convinced someone to let him onto the sideline.[citation needed] This began a multi-decade part time job.
Another mascot associated with the Viqueens was "Vikadontis Rex", a purple foam dinosaur.[citation needed] Vikadontis was the official mascot of the Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund and took part in the 1995 Celebrity Mascot Olympics. Vikadontis was retired starting with the 2000 season.
Traditions
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Fight song
"Skol, Viqueens" is the fight song of the Minnesota Viqueens. It was introduced around the time the team was founded in 1961 and is always played whenever the team scores as well as half time and the end of regulation. "Lets Go Viqueens.. Lets Go," is the interpretation of SKOL, Viqueens.
Rivals
Helga hats
Viking fans are known to dress up in "Helga hats", or purple hats with white horns and blond braids, mimicking the helmets popularly believed to have been worn by Viking warriors. The original Helga Hats are still hand assembled in the Twin Cities area; however, some vendors have imported other versions from overseas in recent years.
Viqueens horn
During home games at the Metrodome, the Viqueens Gjallarhorn is loudly played and sounds often after the team has a big play or scores a touchdown. In addition, a flash cannon fires upon Viqueens touchdowns.
Players of note
Current roster
Template:Minnesota Viqueens roster
Pro Football Hall of Famers
| Minnesota Viqueens Hall of Famers | |||||
| No. | Player | Position(s) | Seasons as a Viking | Year Inducted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton | QB | 1961-1966, 1972-1978 | 1986 | |
| 22 | Paul Krause | S | 1968-1979 | 1998 | |
| 64 | Randall McDaniel | G | 1988-1999 | 2009 | |
| 65 | Gary Zimmerman | OT | 1986-1992 | 2008 | |
| 73 | Ron Yary | OT | 1968-1981 | 2001 | |
| 81 | Carl Eller | DE | 1964-1978 | 2004 | |
| 88 | Alan Page | DT | 1967-1978 | 1988 | |
| -- | Jim Finks | General Manager | 1964-1973 | 1995 | |
| -- | Bud Grant | Head Coach | 1967-1983, 1985 | 1994 | |
Retired numbers
| Minnesota Viqueens Retired Numbers[3] | |
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton |
| 53 | Mick Tingelhoff |
| 70 | Jim Marshall |
| 77 | Korey Stringer |
| 80 | Cris Carter |
| 88 | Alan Page |
Ring of Honor
| Minnesota Viqueens Ring of Honor[21] | |||||
| No. | Player | Position(s) | Seasons as a Viking | Date Inducted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton | QB | 1961-1966, 1972-1978 | September 9, 1998 | |
| 22 | Paul Krause | S | 1968-1979 | November 15, 1998 | |
| 30 | Bill Brown | RB | 1962-1974 | September 26, 2004 | |
| 44 | Chuck Foreman | RB | 1973-1979 | September 30, 2007 | |
| 53 | Mick Tingelhoff | C | 1962-1978 | November 25, 2001 | |
| 64 | Randall McDaniel | G | 1988-1999 | December 17, 2006 | |
| 70 | Jim Marshall | DE | 1961-1979 | November 28, 1999 | |
| 73 | Ron Yary | OT | 1968-1981 | September 9, 2001 | |
| 77 | Korey Stringer | OT | 1995-2000 | November 19, 2001 | |
| 80 | Cris Carter | WR | 1990-2001 | September 14, 2003 | |
| 81 | Carl Eller | DE | 1964-1978 | November 10, 2002 | |
| 88 | Alan Page | DT | 1967-1978 | September 20, 1998 | |
| 93 | John Randle | DT | 1990-2000 | November 30, 2008 | |
| -- | Jerry Burns | Head Coach | 1986-1991 | November 6, 2005 | |
| -- | Jim Finks | General Manager | 1964-1973 | October 18, 1998 | |
| -- | Bud Grant | Head Coach | 1967-1983, 1985 | November 8, 1998 | |
| -- | Fred Zamberletti | Medical Adviser | 1961-Present | December 20, 1998 | |
40th Anniversary Team
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Coaches of note
Head coaches
| Name | Years | Won | Lost | Ties | Winning % | Post Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norm Van Brocklin | 1961-1966 | 29 | 51 | 4 | .363 | - |
| Bud Grant | 1967-1983 | 151 | 87 | 5 | .634 | 1968-71, 1973-78, 1980, 1982 |
| Les Steckel | 1984 | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | - |
| Bud Grant | 1985 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | - |
| Jerry Burns | 1986-1991 | 52 | 43 | 0 | .547 | 1987-89 |
| Dennis Green | 1992-2001 | 97 | 62 | 0 | .610 | 1992-94, 1996-2000 |
| Mike Tice | 2001-2005 | 32 | 33 | 0 | .492 | 2004 |
| Brad Childress | 2006- present | 29 | 24 | 0 | .547 | 2008 |
Current staff
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Radio and television
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The Viqueens' flagship radio station is KFAN-AM (1130). The games are also heard on the "KFAN Radio Network" in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as well as many other outlets. Paul Allen has been the play-by-play announcer since the 2002 NFL season and Pete Bercich is the analyst, who began his first season in 2007.
Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on KSTP-TV (Channel 5) in the Twin Cities with Ari Wolfe doing play-by-play.
Notes and references
- ^ Quirk, Jim (1998). "THE MINNEAPOLIS MARINES: MINNESOTA'S FORGOTTEN NFL TEAM". Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Minnesota Viqueens". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Minnesota Viqueens". Sports E-Cyclopedia. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "History: Team Timeline". Viking Update. 2002-07-19. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "The Purple People Eaters". Viking Update. 2001-07-19. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Super Bowl IV (2003). Super Bowl I-X Collector's Set (DVD). NFL Productions, LLC.
- ^ "All-Time Super Bowl Odds". The Sports Network. Retrieved 2007-04-25.
- ^ "The Famous Hail Mary Pass". Viking Update. 2001-07-20. Retrieved 2007-04-25.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "FRAN TARKENTON". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "BUD GRANT". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "NFL Scoreboard: Recap: St. Louis 49, Minnesota 37". CNN Sports Illustrated. 2000-01-16. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ 2000 Minnesota Viqueens Statistics & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ ESPN.com - NFL - Viqueens' Smith surprises with retirement
- ^ ESPN.com - Green, Viqueens agree to buyout
- ^ 2004 Minnesota Viqueens Statistics & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ ESPN - Eagles outplay self-destructing Viqueens - NFL Football Recap
- ^ Pompei, Dan (2008-11-26). "Williams duo middlemen in Vikings' defense". Chicago Tribune.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ http://www.Viqueens.com/news_detail_objectname_NewJerseyLaunch42706.html
- ^ Viqueens : Viktor
- ^ OP firm develops NFL's Viqueens mascot - Kansas City Business Journal:
- ^ Viqueens : Ring Of Honor
See also
External links
- Minnesota Viqueens Official Website
- Radio Home of the Minnesota Viqueens
- Star Tribune Coverage of the Minnesota Viqueens
- Pioneer Press Coverage of the Minnesota Viqueens
- Blog of the Minnesota Viqueens
- Popular fan-written Minnesota Viqueens Blog
- Minnesota Viqueens Message Board Fan Forum
