TOUCHDOWN VIKINGS (again)!
Moments after the TD that made it 34-9, the suddenly unstoppable Sidney Rice runs over to the corner of the end zone. Rice had just made his 2nd TD grab of the day. He hands the football to one of the 63,854 fans. What a lucky recipient. The young boy no more than 10 years old, with glasses, wearing a purple Vikings cap and draped in a white Adrian Peterson jersey stares at the ball. Shock had set in. The man next to him excitedly pats the boy on the shoulder.
For Rice it was just one of his six catches on the day as the home team defeathered the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Vikings (more on that in a bit) improved to 9-1. For that young boy and (presumably) his father standing next to him, that moment in life will be shared forever.
I remember my first Vikings game. December 26, 1988. I was 10. First round of the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams came to town to be part of my memory at the Dome and battle it out with the Purple and Gold. We sat in lower deck end zone seats however I don’t remember sitting. A “Get Your Sheep Off Our Carpet!” banner hung behind the opposite end zone. #47 Joey Browner. He intercepted Rams quarterback Jim Everett twice that game leading the Vikings to a 28-17 playoff victory. I loved the Vikings so much that day I lost my voice the next day. A fan was born.
Today, I own one Vikings jersey. Yep, you guessed it…a retro #47 Joey Browner jersey.
Could memories like those disappear for the next generation of Minnesota Viking fans?
It’s no secret Los Angeles wants a football team--again. I’m sorry for thinking that 1988 banner was funny L.A. But please don’t take my Vikings.
The Vikings have stadium issues. I know. I know. As tiresome as it is for all involved to talk about building stadiums, nothing is getting resolved. The Vikings are amongst the bottom of the league in revenue and with a top market like L.A. willing to build a stadium this should cause concern for the new Brett Favre nation.
But how far will we go in this economy to help save the Vikes? I asked the question on Facebook to LeRoy Connections:
Kevin Hovde: “Do everything we can to keep the Vikes. Look at all the money that comes in from the Vikings, and if they move the taxpayers are going to pick up that tab. Keep the Vikes in MN. BUILD THE STADIUM!”
Joey Miller: “I say they should get some sponsors and use their own money to build it (the stadium)…Wilfs (the owners) are billionaires.”
Stephanie Orum: “I will stop watching NFL football if the Vikes go to L.A. We need to keep them!”
Dave Farlinger: “The people in MN have to look at the long term picture! If we help build a new stadium it will last…We can’t afford to let the Vikings leave! Building a new stadium would create around 3,000 construction jobs…It’s time to get creative. Remember what happened to the North Stars after they went to the Stanley Cup Finals? Let’s not let that happen to the Vikings!”
Grant Lunning: “You have to try and keep the Vikes, but asking taxpayers to shell out more money I don’t think is an option.”
Rob Richardson: “This is the best economy for a stadium project. Interest rates and building costs are down. Large projects create jobs and stimulate the economy on a very real level. This is an investment in our state’s future. The Dome is outdated. Our revenue is low only because of that. We need far-sighted politicians…The state should be sitting down with the Vikings and finding a solution that will be profitable long term.”
Kellen Bucknell: “Coming from a Packer fan (Columnist’s positive note: Kellen’s Packers are 0-2 against Vikes this year), the Vikings have one of the lowest revenues in the NFL…Gotta go if they can’t boost it.”
Barb Hovde: “MN can’t afford to lose the tax revenue—generated from payroll taxes alone is 29 million. That’s huge. Plus the affect on the economy that’s generated because of people coming to the games…We love the Vikings—Go Purple!”
And now it’s my turn. A lot of good points were made by our LeRoy connections. Once upon a time L.A. took our Lakers. “Fool me once…” You know the rest.
It’s definitely 4th down. Build a casino. Make it work with the Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. Change the name to the Minnesota Targets or the General Mills Vikings. Much like the air we breathe, we don’t care where it comes from, as long as we have it.
Just make sure our team stays where they belong, Minnesota. Please keep my list to be thankful for this Thanksgiving complete: Faith, Family, Freedom, Favre, Finding my soulmate, and Football memories.
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