The joy of a Vikings fan

I’ve written two blogs after crushing Vikings playoff defeats called, “The Pain of a Vikings fan.” (https://chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2016/01/vikings-once-again-snatching-defeat.html) (https://chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2010/01/pain-of-vikings-fan.html) The pain was so evident that someone asked me if I needed counseling. So, it only seems fair to write a blog called, “The Joy of a Vikings fan,” after that thrilling Vikings victory yesterday.

As I’ve written, my relationship with the Vikings goes way back.  The first time I ever cried was the loss to Kansas City in the fourth Super Bowl. Yes I remember all of those Jan Stenerud field goals. And then there was Miami, and pushoff by Drew Pearson, and Pittsburgh, and Oakland (the one I thought we would win), and the dropped pass by Darrin Nelson, and Gary Anderson, and the Favre pick, and wide left by Blair Walsh. I could tell a story about every one of those events.

But today the story is of joy—intense happiness.  Did I think the Vikings would win yesterday? No. Did my pessimism stop me from rooting? No. (Don’t tell anyone, but I wore my Vikings socks when I led worship. Is it heretical to do that?)  Did I give a fist bump or appropriate hand gesture to the Vikings fans at Chain of Lakes who wore purple to worship yesterday? Of course.

To be honest I didn’t want to give my heart to the Vikings. I didn’t want to be yelling at the television and feel my pulse race faster than if I was running on a treadmill.  I’ve done that before.  I know how that has ended—with me writing blogs entitled, “The pain of a Vikings fan.”  Why do it again?

But my pessimism didn’t stop me from watching the game.

I got home at the end of the first quarter.  3-3.  Thank goodness I missed the Thielen fumble. I was putting on my purple “fans” uniform when the Saints scored their first touchdown. And by the way who is Taysom Hill? That guy almost single handedly won the game for the Saints. Caught a touchdown, practically threw a touchdown, and led the Saints in rushing? The Vikings could hardly tackle him in the fourth quarter.

But scoring towards the end of the first half and then Will Luz missed a field goal? Hmm.  "You're telling me there is a chance."  By the second half I was in full fan mode—standing up to watch the game, yelling at the television, (yes, pastors do yell when we root), and most significantly waiting for disaster to happen.

Part of being a Vikings fan is knowing that disaster can happen at any time. In particular, unforeseen disaster can happen at any time. 

So when the Vikings were ahead by ten going into the fourth quarter and the announcer says this was the same score as the “Minneapolis Miracle” game? Vikings fans take that as a foreboding signal and not a positive one.  At that point we don’t remember that the Vikings won that game. We only remember that the Saints came back to take the lead.

With a 20-17 lead and the Saints at the Vikings’ 20 with about four minutes to go, what is a Vikings fan expecting? Disaster.  We didn’t expect a Brees’ fumble.  When the Vikings had the ball at the end of regulation and needed one first down, what are we expecting?  Exactly what happened. Dalvin Cook fumbled and the Saints ran it back for a touchdown.  Except Cook’s knee was down and the play was overturned.  When the Saints had the ball at the end of the game, what are we expecting?  A Saints touchdown, of course.  I had to calm myself by saying that most likely the Saints would get a field goal.  (At the beginning of that drive I told myself that there was a 65 percent chance they would get a field goal; 30 percent chance a touchdown; only five percent chance they would not score.)

At this point of the game the pressure seemed too much. I made a Facebook post sharing that I needed a Vikings support group.  Over eighty people agreed with me.  When is the first meeting?

But then the tides seemed to turn. The Vikings won the toss—something we didn’t do in the 2009 championship game.  Cousins made a third down completion to Diggs.  Then the dagger—the long pass to Thielen.  I was jumping up and down like I had won the lottery. That was a tremendous throw and catch.  At that point I knew we were going to win.  But then the Vikings did what they frequently do—created doubt. First down—no gain; second down—sweep that lost yardage. (And by the way who runs a sweep on the goal line? I still remember Bob Sullivan—look him up—saying to never run a sweep on the goal line.) All of a sudden I saw the Thielen catch in the paradigm of Vikings fandom—raise our hopes only to be crushed.

And then—Cousins pass to Rudolph in the back corner of the end zone.  Touchdown!!  Mayhem in my home and the homes all across Minnesota.  I didn’t even pay attention to the possibility that he pushed off.  And maybe he did.  I’m too biased to share an opinion.

The rest of the afternoon was full of joy.  My daughter, Hannah, and I did the Skol chant that, of course, we put on Social Media.  I listened to almost the entire call-in radio show on two sports stations.  I spent much of a hour having text conversations with other Vikings fans. 

Does it make any difference in the grand scheme of life that the Vikings won yesterday?  No.  If I could choose between homelessness being ended and the Vikings winning the Super Bowl, I'd choose the former in a heart beat.  But—I know a lot of people who wore purple yesterday will have a skip in their step today. (And I’m wearing my Vikings socks again.)  Long ago I stopped trying to figure out why being a fan is so important.  All I know is I’m completely on the band wagon again. Do I think we’ll beat San Francisco? No. But I’ll be watching, and I’ll be rooting, and I’ll be hoping.

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