The Minnesota Vikings have been on top of their division for quite some time now. Only the Dallas Cowboys made more playoff appearances than the Vikings during the same span of time. The Vikings also played in four Super Bowls, namely Super Bowl IV, VIII, IX, and XI. Only four other teams have surpassed this record.
The professional football saga of the Vikings started in August 1959 in Minneapolis when five businessmen were awarded the franchise in the American Football League. The Minnesota businessmen who started it all were Bill Boyer, Bernie Ridder, Max Winter, Ole Haugsrud, and H.P. Skoglund. However, five months after they were awarded with an AFL franchise, they forfeited it yet was awarded with the National Football League’s 14th franchise. This franchise started to play in 1961.
There is no other team in history that made a spectacular debut as did the Vikings in their first game as a team in September of 1961. Then rookie Fran Tarkenton made an outstanding debut when he threw four touchdown passes coming off fresh from the bench. He also did a run for a fifth score which lead to the defeat of their opponent, the Chicago Bears. Twenty-five years later, Tarkenton became the first Vikings player who became a part of the professional football Hall of Fame.
The first management team of the Minnesota Vikings was led by GM Bert Rose and head coach Norm Van Brocklin. Not only is the Viking an excellent team, they have also done an innovative marketing campaign which encouraged the people to watch every game held in their home stadium. Because of this spectacular campaign, almost all of the seats of the Metropolitan Stadium where they play their home games are full each time a game is played. Eventually, the stadium capacity was increased to accommodate 47,900 people.
Pioneering manager and coach both resigned in 1964 and 1967 and the team resorted to Canadian replacements of their management team. Jim Finks was named as the new general manager and Bud Grant as the new field leader. The success that followed the Vikings in the next few decades have already been associated with a hard-faced Grant on the sidelines of the Metropolitan Stadium. He is ranked at number 8 for coaches of winning teams before he retired permanently in 1985.
It was only in 1982 that the Vikings moved into the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It was the site of the Super Bowl XXVI having a seating capacity of 63,000. And here, the winning tradition of the Viking still continues to reveal itself to its millions of fans worldwide. Which is a good thing because consistency plays a very important role as a team. Even if the players have changed, they should still uphold the greatness and efforts that their previous players have put into the name of the team. There is only one Minnesota Vikings and all must be done to preserve the integrity of a winning team. And it should be done no matter what it takes.
Rick Grantham is an avid NFL fan. Most of Rick’s articles focus on Minnesota Vikings Merchandise. Many articles are related to nfl products and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village
