Minnesota Vikings: 5 Reasons Moving to Los Angeles Remains a Terrible Idea

Unfortunately for us Vikings fans, the past years have brought about uncertainty in the future of the franchise.  

Rumors of the possibility that the Vikings could move to Los Angeles have grown from whispers to screams. These rumors have been planted by the lack of fiscal success in comparison to other NFL teams around the league. Currently the Vikings are the bottom dwellers of the NFL in the area of generating revenue.

As of now, I believe the future of Minnesota’s professional football team lies in the success of the proposed Arden Hills stadium.

Lately there has been speculation and indications that moving the Vikings could become a reality.  While some of the speculation is just ridiculous (Rush Limbaugh buying the Vikings), indications such as the Wilf’s meeting with representatives from AEG (a group that purposed the L.A. sports complex) make this possibly seem real. 

While I hope Minnesota does everything that it can to keep this great franchise around for personal reasons, here are five reasons moving the Minnesota Vikings to L.A. is a bad idea.

1. Loss of Identity and Tradition

The black and blue NFC North has a tradition of heated rivalries, hard-hitting defenses and smash-mouth football. 

The yearly battles between the bordering foes Green Bay and Minnesota is enough to make you look forward to the NFL season all by itself. Many families (like mine) are split when it comes to the Packers and the Vikes and it makes for an interesting, fun and sometimes heated rivalry.  

If the Vikings move to L.A., the only way that I can see that rivalry staying even minutely meaningful is the simple fact that Minnesotans will look forward to every NFC team playing and hopefully beating the new L.A. team, and that is even including the Packers.

2. Loss of Fan Base

You can call us crazy or nuts, but you can never say there is a lack of passionate Vikings fans in Minnesota.

I remember being up in Minneapolis during the 1998 football season and how crazy the fans in the city were. There were people painting their cars purple, people waiting in three-hour lines to get an autograph from Vikings players, and random strangers would walk up to you in the mall and say things like "Yep, so uhh how do ya like them Vikings this year...a?" (In their heaviest Minnesotan accent.)

Now, imagine that team in Los Angeles. Not only would the team lose most of its current fan base, but they wouldn't come close to being able to establish the kind of fan support which Minnesota has been built upon generation after generation.

3. L.A. Has Already Proven It Doesnt Have the Support for an NFL Team

L.A. Rams?

L.A. Raiders?

I don't understand. If L.A. has already had two teams come and go, then what makes people think that a new team will be any different? 

Is it that they think a new sports complex will make people L.A. Vikings fans? In my opinion, the stadiums are not what draws the fans to the sport. Whether in a giant sports complex or the old Metrodome, I would be perfectly content just getting to see my favorite sports team play.

Do we really want the Vikings to turn into the Lakers, where going to a game is more a social status than being a passionate fan of the team?

4.California Does Not Need Another NFL Team

California already has the 49ers, Raiders and Chargers. What benefit is bringing in another team going to give? Why take a state and divide its fanbase up among four different teams?

I think it is crazy how states like Florida, California and New York have three NFL football teams, and there is the possibility of Minnesota having none.

Now I do understand the populations and markets are larger for those states, but do we really want to see the NFL teams moving and condensing into a few states?

5. Integrity of the Sport

I keep hearing the same phrase over and over again, "The NFL is a business!" I think that's crap! Football is a sport and the NFL is a governing body that supports it.

Most fans are bound to a team by geographical locality and have grown up supporting and cheering for a team (which is the way it should be). To rip a team away from its city and and its fanbase for the grand idea of riches is a disgrace to the sport.  Especially in this case and the Cleveland Browns case (when they were moved to Baltimore), where the problem wasn't a lack of a fanbase.

Conclusion

It is my hope that no city ever has to lose it's team, especially a city with such rich history, tradition and a passionate fan base.

Let us all give our support and show that a new stadium can and should be built for the Minnesota Vikings.  The last thing we need is to have the Vikings move to L.A.

Hopefully this stadium will be built and the people of Minnesota will be able to rest easy knowing that their team, the Minnesota Vikings, will be around for future generations.