The Minnesota Vikings kicked off their franchise in September of 1960. With the large number of Scandinavians in the area, the name seemed to be natural. The Vikings were also called the Purple People Eaters, back in the day when their defensive line was a force to be feared. Although the Vikings don't sell out every game from year to year, they have a loyal following of nearly 25,000 season ticket holders. Marquee games and great seat locations are always in high demand. When the Green Bay Packers come to town, the game is always sold out.
The Vikings have made the NFL playoffs 25 times. They have 17 division championships to their name. In four Super Bowl appearances, they have yet to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Minnesota.
In the first twenty years, the Vikings played at Metropolitan Stadium. Starting in the 1982 season, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was where you would find the team playing their home games. Considering the brutal winters in Minnesota, the location saved fans from freezing while they cheered their team to victory.
High profile players have come through Minnesota. Some stayed, and some went on to other teams. Fran Tarkenton passed for over 2600 yards in 1972. The team went 7-7 that year. Alan Page was part of a punishing defense in 1971, and won the MVP honors that year. The Vikings lost to the Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs that same season.
The Vikings represented the NFC in Super Bowl VIII. The Dolphins scored a quick 14 points, putting the team behind the eight ball in short order. The Vikings went on to lose 24-17. They returned to Super Bowl IX to face the Steelers. They played one solid half of football, only to lose 16-6 to Pittsburgh. Super Bowl XI was yet another disappointing loss for Vikings fans. The Raiders trounced Minnesota 32-14.
Herschel Walker was one of the bright spots on the Vikings roster throughout the late 1980's and into 1990. The trade that involved Walker is now seen as one of the bigger blunders in NFL history. The Cowboys went on to dominate the NFC for years to come.
In this decade, Vikings fans cheered on high profile names like Chris Carter, Duante Culpepper, Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, and now the world famous, Super Bowl winning, three time MVP, and former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
Favre seems to be the missing piece to the puzzle for Minnesota, as they are in the midst of one of their best seasons in decades. The Vikings fans feel that with the former Packers star, they can now go on to the playoffs, with hopes of shaking off the numerous Super Bowl losses.
