Game Thread - ATL @ MIN (1 Viewer)

[Biabreakable]

I think my arguement is being somewhat white-washed or confused with the ticket-sales scenario. I see them as completly separate. As an example, I have numerous friends who have been season ticket holders for 10 years, and yet when you ask them about the team, they always harp on what is wrong. Another example: In 1998 and 2000 when the Vikings were on their runs, everywhere you went, you saw Vikings jerseys, car flags, banners, bumper stickers, window clings etc. Now those same exact people whine and nag about the team. There is no joy in them about their rapport with the Vikings. It is so hard to explain if you haven't lived somewhere where the entire fan base is completely rabid. Do I think people here suck? No, so that term was overly aggressive and too broad of a stroke. But as sports fans, their fair-weather nature drives me nuts. If the Vikings go 4-0 (very possible with our schedule) you will start to see more jerseys, more buzz, etc from the exact same people who were whining about the team two weeks ago. And they will also say 'Yeah, we're 4-0, but we'll collapse again.' That is what I am talking about. In my mind, that's lame.

I agree with this and your assessment of the wide cross section of Minnesotans and Viking fans. And make no mistake about it the Vikings are the most important team to Minnesotan's. There are a lot of reasons to not be optimistic about the team its true. They have lost 4 Super Bowls. Been so close to many other Super Bowls to only fall apart against superior teams (and sometimes not superior teams) in the playoffs. Steve Young scramble.Hershel Walker deal.Da Knee.So because the team has a history of failure it seems that this is what fans come to expect from the team. I have watched half the fans walk out of the Dome in the 3rd quarter if the Vikings are down sometimes missing a great come back victory. Similarly I have seen them turn off the TV in disgust when the Vikings still have time and a chance to win the game.

 

[reg]

I think my arguement is being somewhat white-washed or confused with the ticket-sales scenario. I see them as completly separate. As an example, I have numerous friends who have been season ticket holders for 10 years, and yet when you ask them about the team, they always harp on what is wrong. Another example: In 1998 and 2000 when the Vikings were on their runs, everywhere you went, you saw Vikings jerseys, car flags, banners, bumper stickers, window clings etc. Now those same exact people whine and nag about the team. There is no joy in them about their rapport with the Vikings. It is so hard to explain if you haven't lived somewhere where the entire fan base is completely rabid.

Do I think people here suck? No, so that term was overly aggressive and too broad of a stroke. But as sports fans, their fair-weather nature drives me nuts. If the Vikings go 4-0 (very possible with our schedule) you will start to see more jerseys, more buzz, etc from the exact same people who were whining about the team two weeks ago. And they will also say 'Yeah, we're 4-0, but we'll collapse again.' That is what I am talking about. In my mind, that's lame.

Guess what? I saw a LOT of Steeler flags/clings/sweatshirts/t-shirts/hats/etc the year they won the superbowl. Now, those same people don't display any team colors and rarely talk about them. I guess that makes most Steeler fans bandwagoners, or maybe it is just a total Minnesota thing?

 

[az_prof]

snogger- I totally hear you about the fans here. I was born here, but was in Boston from when I was 10-18, and I lived through the great years of the Celtics, and the brutal years of the Sox/Patriots/Bruins. When I moved back to Minnesota, I used to invite friends over to watch the Vikings games. I stopped because as fans, the people here suck. They are all worst-case-scenario whiners. The problem is the clowns like Tom Bernard and Barreiro and the other hacks who write for the papers.. Even during the record-setting 1998 run, all they would do is whine about Denny Green and our defenive issues. I hate our band-wagon fans. /endrantAs for T-gunz - I still haven't forgiven Texas for two of the most egregious offenses against Minnesotas sports: 1) The Trade 2) Stealing our NHL teamMy AP man-crush is growing, especially since he helped me crush Shick this week in No Mercy. :X

Don't forget the Catch that wasn't a catch (ala Drew Pearson in the 1975 NFC Championship game). That year the Vikings had their best team of the 70s and they were robbed of a chance to play in the Superbowl. Foreman was unstoppable that year.

 

[az_prof]

I think my arguement is being somewhat white-washed or confused with the ticket-sales scenario. I see them as completly separate. As an example, I have numerous friends who have been season ticket holders for 10 years, and yet when you ask them about the team, they always harp on what is wrong. Another example: In 1998 and 2000 when the Vikings were on their runs, everywhere you went, you saw Vikings jerseys, car flags, banners, bumper stickers, window clings etc. Now those same exact people whine and nag about the team. There is no joy in them about their rapport with the Vikings. It is so hard to explain if you haven't lived somewhere where the entire fan base is completely rabid. Do I think people here suck? No, so that term was overly aggressive and too broad of a stroke. But as sports fans, their fair-weather nature drives me nuts. If the Vikings go 4-0 (very possible with our schedule) you will start to see more jerseys, more buzz, etc from the exact same people who were whining about the team two weeks ago. And they will also say 'Yeah, we're 4-0, but we'll collapse again.' That is what I am talking about. In my mind, that's lame.

What you are talking about is how the fans relate to the perceived direction the franchise is moving. In 98-2000 the feeling was that we were very close to a SB. THe team was very exciting to watch. People felt we were moving in the right direction.The last several years there have been a number of moral controversies and on top of it our franchise players are gone: Cpep, Moss, Carter, and after several years of Mike Tice mismanagement (missed draft picks; abysmal play calling) people are a bit down. We don't have a sene yet of whether the new staff has a going in the right direction or not.

 

[Steve in Minneapolis]

snogger- I totally hear you about the fans here. I was born here, but was in Boston from when I was 10-18, and I lived through the great years of the Celtics, and the brutal years of the Sox/Patriots/Bruins. When I moved back to Minnesota, I used to invite friends over to watch the Vikings games. I stopped because as fans, the people here suck. They are all worst-case-scenario whiners. The problem is the clowns like Tom Bernard and Barreiro and the other hacks who write for the papers.. Even during the record-setting 1998 run, all they would do is whine about Denny Green and our defenive issues. I hate our band-wagon fans. /endrantAs for T-gunz - I still haven't forgiven Texas for two of the most egregious offenses against Minnesotas sports: 1) The Trade 2) Stealing our NHL teamMy AP man-crush is growing, especially since he helped me crush Shick this week in No Mercy.

Don't forget the Catch that wasn't a catch (ala Drew Pearson in the 1975 NFC Championship game). That year the Vikings had their best team of the 70s and they were robbed of a chance to play in the Superbowl. Foreman was unstoppable that year.

 

[Steve in Minneapolis]

I think my arguement is being somewhat white-washed or confused with the ticket-sales scenario. I see them as completly separate. As an example, I have numerous friends who have been season ticket holders for 10 years, and yet when you ask them about the team, they always harp on what is wrong. Another example: In 1998 and 2000 when the Vikings were on their runs, everywhere you went, you saw Vikings jerseys, car flags, banners, bumper stickers, window clings etc. Now those same exact people whine and nag about the team. There is no joy in them about their rapport with the Vikings. It is so hard to explain if you haven't lived somewhere where the entire fan base is completely rabid.

Do I think people here suck? No, so that term was overly aggressive and too broad of a stroke. But as sports fans, their fair-weather nature drives me nuts. If the Vikings go 4-0 (very possible with our schedule) you will start to see more jerseys, more buzz, etc from the exact same people who were whining about the team two weeks ago. And they will also say 'Yeah, we're 4-0, but we'll collapse again.' That is what I am talking about. In my mind, that's lame.

Guess what? I saw a LOT of Steeler flags/clings/sweatshirts/t-shirts/hats/etc the year they won the superbowl. Now, those same people don't display any team colors and rarely talk about them. I guess that makes most Steeler fans bandwagoners, or maybe it is just a total Minnesota thing?

Reg - You are right. And I am sure all successful teams will have 'peripheral fans' that hop on board while the team is successful. That isn't really what I am talking about. If you go to Boston and talk to a fan who has followed the Red Sox for 40 years, you will understand what I grew up with... The Red Sox had generations of misery, and yet they still had a die-hard fan base who was excited about the team, and supported the team, year in and year out. People all over the area lived and died by how that team performed. In Minnesota, it is just different. I haven't seen that as the rule... I certainly have friends that are like that, and many of my fellow purple supporters on FBG are like that...but it is more the exception than the rule.