The Brett Favre UnJinx

Athletes and fans can be notoriously superstitious.  Long time Viking fans, branded with the invisible but real Scarlet Letter of 0-4, tend to be even more prone to reading tea leaves than the average fan.

The Sports Illustrated cover jinx is perhaps the most well known harbinger of looming disaster in the sports world.  From a superstitious perspective, the writings of SI's Peter King don't carry the same weight as the cover.  However, King's recent flip flop from his preseason bashings of the Favre signing are now worrying some Vike fans.  Fans, again, who are more prone to read between the lines and worry than most.

Here's why I feel we need not worry:  Brett could be the perfect Unjinx.

Our first, last, and only NFL Championship was won in 1969.  (Yes, young 'uns, we lost that Super Bowl, but we'd already been crowned as NFL Champs.  The Chiefs were from the AFL.)

When was Brett born?  1969.

He was also born a few days after we'd beaten the Packers.  And just begun a 12-game win streak, the streak that would vault the franchise into the illustrious ranks of the NFL elite for the first time in its history.

As mentioned, we did end up losing the Super Bowl that season.  Joe Kapp, the emotional leader who could will the team to win with his heart, couldn't win the Super Bowl with his arm. 

After a brief fling with lesser talents, GM Jim Finks brought back the efficient arm and rare football intelligence of Fran Tarkenton.  But did he have Joe's heart?  Not all his teammates or fans would say so.  The result?  Three more Super Bowl losses.

Could Brett be the one who combines strengths of those two great QBs of the Purple People Eater era:  Heart, head, and arm?  Could that be the formula for finally winning one?

Personally, I haven't put much weight on superstition since my days of playing youth baseball many decades ago.

But if Brett can bring the Lombardi Trophy to the Vikings this year, I'm willing to convert.  I'm willing go to work dressed as Zoltar, if Brett makes us 1-4.

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