Sunday, January 24, 2010

Endure

I know this is going to sound really, really stupid, really, really melodramatic, but I'm half-serious.

Viking fans, go to a mirror. Look at yourself. Say these words.

"It's not my fault."

All you do is root for the Minnesota Vikings. All you do is invest emotional energy in the team. You can't do anything about them. It's not your fault that the players decided a fun contest for the NFC Championship game would be to see who could commit the most devastating turnover. It's not your fault that while in position for a long game-winning field goal attempt, the team committed an inexplicable 12 men in the huddle penalty, pushing the team back, leading to the QB forcing something to try gain some yardage back.

We just root. We know they'll disappoint us--we just add this game to the list. It's telling how much we've been through when we might actually have to debate whether this was the most heart-breaking loss in team history; it might actually rank THIRD (you tell me: is this worse than the '75 Hail Mary, or the '98 Gary Anderson game?). Every decade Viking fans get a gut-wrenching defeat. We just endure. It's not our fault.

We can still put on the purple clothes with pride, maybe even more pride. We endure. If you have Packer fan friends that want to mock you, just pull that Viking hat down a little lower and grimace. We deserve to have pride in our stoic endurance. We don't lose the games ourselves; we're just the ones that cry when the losses happen.

Then go hug somebody you love. Get up in the morning and remember it was just a football game, and that they're just a football team. Notice that the sun still rose, and go out and live your life however you live it. In two weeks, maybe you find the Super Bowl too painful to watch, or maybe you watch it anyway (a 55-0 Colt win would make me one iota happier). But just make sure to hug somebody.

Endure. We are Viking fans.

15 comments:

  1. There's more to life than the Vikings, and oh how sweet life will be when the Vikings win a Super Bowl! Our time will come...

    ...in the mean time I believe Jared Allen is leading a Zebra Hunting expedition down there in New Orleans tonight!
    I can't stand how the Refs made such game changing calls in OT! The Vikings gave the Saints the game, but the Game was still TIED!!! The Refs set up the Saints for the win in OT - that's the truth and oh does it sting my soul!

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  2. Anonymous11:56 PM

    Randall, Jeff, Brett, ? ?. Name one viking who isn't signed 4 next year.

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  3. There's no history, there's only today. And it sucks today. Again. December 27, 2010 will make it 40 years as a Vikings fan. I'll never give up. Go Vikings. Forever. Our time will come.

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  4. Anonymous12:15 AM

    i love and hate that i get so into these games.. every season turns out to be a hate but then i guess that means the joy i have during the season is enough to make me keep watching.. that game was hard to watch. hardest game i have ever watched, i was young for the 98 so it didnt mean as much... it just feels like if i did something different we would have won.. but i just have to remember, i wouldnt have won, i didnt do anything to begin with.. but that game was really really hard to watch. almost every drive we got moving and some dumb thing happened.. things that you can think "ok we got the fumble out early now we are set and will b more focussed" but they kept happening.. all that was riding on that game for favre got me so built up, i was just crushed wen he threw that interception. even if we won that game would have been hard to watch. but i wouldnt be feeling the effects of the turnovers, which i am, cuz the vikings lost.. its wasy to root for champions, but i think rooting for this team builds character. lol i think i have enough character vikings. now i want to feel what a win is like.

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  5. Anonymous12:30 AM

    Ray Edwards is at the end of his rookie contract, big priority. Other than that, C. Taylor?? who cares, ?i do like him?. Sage is signed, Tjack is not signed. other than J. Kennedy (getting nitty gritty here)every one is signed. we always seem to have the team, the dream, and stuck with sage varis. Maybe its time to DRAFT a qb.

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  6. Anonymous12:42 AM

    ps i thank god for madden nfl, ps2

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  7. Anonymous4:33 AM

    did anyone else find it ironic that Burger King ran those "guy with small hands" commercials while the vikings fumbled the game away? funny and sad all at the same time.

    I've been around since the van brocklin days (look it up, whippersnappers) and this game was tough to watch but it wasn't anywhere near the anguish level of the '98 gary freaking anderson game. The vikes were so dominant that season only to lose because a kicker choked at the worst possible time. That was really tough to take.

    And last night's give away game wasn't quite as disgusting as the hail mary game. Losing to the cowpies always stings, moreso when they got away with such an obvious cheaters move. Never forget - never forgive.

    Silver lining from last night's game: look how the Vikes were STILL in the game despite their many attempts at self sabotage. On the road. Against the saints offense. Haven't heard too many of the self proclaimed "experts" on tv mention that.

    I'm proud, yet disappointed, to be a Vikes fan. Again.

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  8. There are a whole lot of things in my life that I would not trade for a Vikings victory last night, so life must be pretty good.

    That said, that game was devastating. I feel terrible today. And I expect to feel pretty low tomorrow.

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  9. Thanks, I needed that this morning.

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  10. Anonymous11:29 AM

    Sometimes in sports the best team does not win. We were the better team. 5 turnovers and still get to OT!
    We lost a minimum of 6 points with fumbles in the red zone. Gave them 7 points with our fumble they got on our 8 yard line. 13 points in the game is a huge turn around.
    I thought I say Greg Williams tell the player who hit Favre while he was carrying out the fake, and it was a penalty, to "do it again". Cheap.

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  11. Anonymous1:32 PM

    ok so thinking ahead; should favre hang it up? should the vikes even want him back? I mean, the dude IS over 40 and what are the odds he can duplicate, or even come close to, the numbers he put up this year?

    So is it worth the gamble AND money? the thought of sage or tarvaris scares me but maybe, just maybe, either of those two mediocrities could perform just well enough to keep the vikings strong.

    Just some thoughts to keep from dwelling on all the negatives.

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  12. Anonymous1:52 PM

    RE: players, loss of Taylor, P. Williams AND Favre would be huge on this team. Griffin with his ACL/MCL is probably out until late next season and we’ll see about Henderson. Only so many lucky drafts when players like Harvin fall to you but the Vikes have been great in the draft and *excellent* on picking off high-caliber talent free agents where needed.

    Favre could be back in an ancillary role for the team either way – not only does he love the game but $12M for a few hard shots in tough games is a good incentive.

    We’ll see what Childress does in the offseason to make the team better. I think he’s got that Belichick-ian ability to make the team a perennial contender and the core (sans above) is returning.

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  13. Anonymous2:03 PM

    A couple of weeks ago, after the Vikings beat the Giants, I posted on here that it was disturbing that Childress had to blow a timeout during that game to decide whether to kick a field goal or go to OT. THIS is why I said that was disturbing; the man just doesn't know how to manage a game.

    I'm willing to concede that Childress is a good coach in certain ways. He went 12-4 and was very close to making a Super Bowl, so Monday through Saturday he must do something right. But on Sunday, he always manages to screw up some important in-game decision. It never fails.

    Against the Giants, he couldn't decide whether to kick a field goal or go for it. Last week against Dallas he inexplicably called for a pass at the end of the first half, giving Dallas a free tiimeout to get the ball back before the end of the half. Then yesterday was the grandaddy of them all.

    -Play for a long 50 yard field goal? CHECK (One running play is understandable there, but two is just overly conservative)
    -Inexplicable 12 men in the huddle? CHECK (And Favre tried to call timeout, which would have also been a penalty since Minnesota had just called a timeout)


    He also failed to challenge Pierre Thomas' non-TD run. Fatal flaws tend to show up at the worst possible times. For Childress, it's game management. For Favre, it's being reckless with the football. For Peterson, it's holding onto the football. And it all bit Minnesota in the ass yesterday.

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  14. Anonymous3:00 PM

    Good post -- needed that after last night...

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