A Minnesota Vikings Win in NFC Championship Will Change Life as We Know It

If you are a longtime die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan, not a new or bandwagon/fair weather fan, a Vikings victory in today’s NFC Championship game, will change your life as you know it.

For the old-time fans that have experienced any of the four Super Bowl losses, a win against the New Orleans Saints is still likely to hold major significance. Getting to the big game again, will change how any true fan acts.

A true fan will experience euphoria like he/she hasn’t felt since their first time witnessing a Vikings Super Bowl appearance. No matter if that first time was as the 1969 NFL Champions or the 1973, '74, or '76 NFC Champion Vikings, post-NFL/AFL merger.

After losses In Super Bowls, IV, VIII, IX and XI, you have experienced anguish like no other NFL fan has experienced, outside of the Minnesota and Buffalo areas. Since those days, Metrodome era fans—err Mall of America field era fans like myself—have been familiar with getting to the NFC Championship on three prior occasions, but zero trips to the Super Bowl.

The first regular season Vikings game that I watched in its entirety, was also the first regular season NFL game played in the dome. It was Sep 12, 1982 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Vikings were 17-10 victors.

I was hooked since that game. I’ve hardly ever missed a Vikings game, with the exception of military commitments getting in the way, and an occasional family requirement preventing me from viewing it. But in the days of DirecTV NFL Ticket and DVRs, I rarely miss a game anymore.

I can only remember missing one postseason Vikings game. I was deployed with the Navy during most of the 1993 Jim McMahon season. I did catch part of the fourth quarter on military radio. And I am still bitter that McMahon was benched for this 17-10 wild card defeat against the New York Giants. But nothing compares to the feelings I have had after the NFC Championship losses.

After just one playoff appearance in the first six season of watching the Vikings, 1987 was a pleasant surprise. The Vikings snuck into the NFC Championship game against Joe Gibb’s and his Washington Redskins.

The Vikings went into New Orleans and trounced the heavily favored Saints, in their first ever playoff game. The following week, it was a huge upset in San Francisco that sent the Vikes to the Championship game.

Doug Williams and the Hogs were heavily favored against the overmatched Minnesota team. However, the Vikings made a game of it. And as much as it still pains me to remember, Minnesota had a chance to tie it on fourth down, as time was running out. But the pass went in and out of Darren Nelson’s hands at the goal line. It ended up a 17-10 Redskins victory.

In what was no doubt Minnesota’s best season ever, in a decade where the Vikings went to the postseason seven times, the Vikings were 15-1 with home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

After an easy victory against the Arizona Cardinals, the Vikings welcomed the Dirty Birds of Atlanta into the dome. The Falcons had almost an equally impressive season, but were still the overwhelming underdog in this matchup.

Gary Anderson had a shot to seal the victory for the Vikings with a 38 yard kick. He hadn’t missed a kick all year, until this one. The Falcons two-minute drill tied the game up, and Atlanta eventually won 30-27 in overtime.

This NFC Championship in New York against the Giants didn’t prove to be as stressful on the nerves. But it made most of us diehards, just as angry. If not more furious towards our beloved purple. It wasn’t because we thought we were the best team in the NFL. It wasn’t because we blew it at the buzzer again. It was because we were totally embarrassed 41-0.

I am hoping that this season never needs to written about in the same manor. I am hoping that our lives will be different from here on out. Those of us who have never witnessed a Vikings Super Bowl will get to talk at the water cooler with Packers fans, and we will be able to relate.

We can to talk to the Titans and Panther fanatics, and don’t have to be disgusted that those relatively new fans on the scene, have experienced a Super Bowl, and we haven’t. Hopefully we get what we deserve as Vikings die-hards.

Those that witnessed the Vikings Super Bowl defeats possibly didn’t have their current spouse or children. These family members don’t understand how important it is to you, to have another chance to watch your team on Super Sunday. They also don’t understand how it can affect your mood on all future Sunday’s. A Vikings victory can make you a more cheerful person for the rest of your life.

Here is to you and happiness!

Notes:

A facebook group has been created titled “the NFL should allow Percy Harvin to smoke weed to relieve his migraines." Harvin has a history with smoking marijuana and he is possibly the most famous migraine sufferer since Terrell Davis in the Denver Broncos Super Bowl victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Harvin missed practice this week, but flew to New Orleans with the team. He missed a game against Cincinnati this season, due to migraines, but Harvin is expected to play today.

Brett Favre’s nephew Dylan Favre, has chosen Mississippi State over Brett’s alma mater Southern Miss. Dylan will be in attendance at today's Vikings/Saints game.

The Houston Texans have signed former Vikings backup quarterback John David Booty to a futures contract.

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