Before we start, I would like to give a shoutout to my good friend in Alaska, Ms. Renee Thony. Renee gave me the idea of this post after replying to a status on Facebook about Al Harris getting burned by Randy Moss, but yet destroying Adrian Peterson's knee. My response was about to compare the two by saying that Moss mooning the Packers was a top 5 moment in Vikings history, but Harris injuring Peterson was relatively irrelevant. (A consequence of not winning a Super Bowl.)
So, that got me to thinking. This is the 50th season of Vikings football. So now would be a perfect time to list my top 10 Viking moments in the history of the franchise. This could get interesting.
The moments listed are a mix of good and bad, happy and sad. (Just like a Mother Goose rhyme.) It took a while for me to think about it, but here are the 10 I thought of. To add suspense, I listed these from 10 to 1.
10. Vikings defeat Bears For First Win In Franchise History in 1961
There aren't a lot of old memories on this list because, well, I was born in 1986. However, this has to be put on the list for the simple fact that it was a huge upset. The Bears were one of the charter franchises of the NFL and they went to Metropolitan Stadium (aka The Old Met) and got rolled 37-13. Remember, the Vikings were an expansion team playing their first game on September 17, 1961. Probably only the Houston Texans beating the Dallas Cowboys rivals on the same magnitude that a franchise got their first victory.
9. Randy Moss Falls To The Vikings/Randy Moss Returns To The Vikings
Moss was a troublemaker heading into the 1998 NFL Draft. After getting kicked out of Florida State, Moss thrived with Chad Pennington at Marshall and was projected as a top 10 pick. However, teams had marked Moss down because of his character. The Dallas Cowboys had promised they would take Moss at 8, but that didn't happen. As we all know Moss fell all the way to the Vikings at 21 and the rest is history. Moss sparked the fan base, scoring 90 touchdowns and then was traded to the Oakland Raiders...
But Moss returned from his exile this season, a moment that Viking fans had always joked about, but never thought it was a real possibility. The return of Moss has once again raised expectations for the team, and only time will tell of Moss will go down as hero or goat in a Viking uniform.
8. The Hail Mary
Many people say that the Vikings had their best team in 1975. We all know that the Vikings went to four Super Bowls in the 70's, but it was almost five. The Vikings lead the Dallas Cowboys late in the Divisional Round game at The Old Met. After the Cowboys had driven all the way to midfield, they took a shot at the end zone. The play that ensued would include THREE holding penalties that weren't called by the referees and, depending on what team you cheer for, an offensive pass interference penalty by Drew Pearson (also not called) for the game winning touchdown.
The backlash was legendary. At the stadium, fans were livid and one went as far to hucking a Windsor bottle onto the field, and decking an official in the back of the head. Oh, this bottle was thrown from the UPPER DECK. This probably goes down as one of the greatest throws in Vikings history.
In the bizzare file, Viking QB Fran Tarkenton learned after the game that his father had died during the game due to a massive heart attack. Can't make that stuff up.
7. Korey Stringer Dies In Training Camp
This changed the way that most teams run their training camps. The Vikings had run another typical training camp practice in Mankato, MN and Korey Stringer was having trouble getting through it.
The temperature that day rivaled 100 degrees, and Stringer was seen vomiting on the sideline. Most coaches and players simply thought that Stringer was out of shape. They guessed wrong. Stringer was suffering from heat exhaustion and died after his core temperature was upwards of 110 degrees at one point.
Since then, training camps have toned down and when the weather gets that hot, teams are required to allow players to take water breaks. Stringer, who was one of the up-and-coming offensive lineman in the NFL, had his number 77 retired by the Vikings.
6. "This Isn't Detroit, Man!"
The Minnesota Vikings were on a magical season in 2009. Brett Favre had given the Vikings more than they thought he could, throwing 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions during the regular season. The Vikings went to New Orleans for the NFC Championship game, and dominated the entire game...with the exception of the scoreboard.
The Vikings fumbled the ball 5 times in the game, and the Saints capitalized on nearly all of them. Despite all of this, the Vikings were driving late in the game to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. At the 33 yard line, after a timeout, the Vikings were flagged for 12 men in the huddle. The next play, Favre rolled to his right and fired a pass right into Randall Gay's chest. The Saints would go on to win the Super Bowl.
5. "OH MY HEAVENS!!!"
The Vikings trailed the San Francisco 49ers with 13 seconds to go in the third game of the year in 2009. In previous years, the Vikings would have to lean on the likes of Tarvaris Jackson in hopes of leading them back, but this was the third game for Brett Favre in a Vikings uniform.
Favre, in a scary case of foreshadowing, rolled to his right and looked towards the end zone. After avoiding a sack, Favre simply threw the ball as hard as he could at Greg Lewis. Lewis made the catch, keeping both feet in bounds, for the game winning touchdown with 2 seconds left. This play would jumpstart the 2009 season, in which they would go 12-4 and lose to the Saints in the NFC Championship game.
4. Arizona Knocks The Vikings Out Of The Playoffs
In 2003, the Vikings started 6-0 and were the talk of the lead. However, the Vikings had since nosedived into a 9-6 record and needed a win against woeful Arizona. Even with a loss, if the Green Bay Packers had been defeated by the Denver Broncos at Lambeau Field, the Vikings would make the playoffs.
Well, the Broncos didn't do their part. They were getting throttled by the Packers, so the Vikings would have to do it themselves. The Vikings held a late lead and with :04 left (on 4th and 26), Cardinals QB Josh McCown threw a prayer towards the corner of the end zone. Nathan Poole made the catch, but only got one foot in bounds. However, the officials ruled that he was pushed out by E.J. Henderson and ruled a touchdown. The Vikings became the first team in the history of the NFL to start a season 6-0 and not make the playoffs.
3. Gary Anderson Chokes
The 1998 season was too good to be true. The Vikings looked unstoppable as they raged to a 15-1 record and home field advantage in the 1998 NFC Championship game. All that was standing in their way were the 14-2 Atlanta Falcons.
The Vikings held a 7 point lead in the game when Gary Anderson, who had not missed a place kick all year (the first kicker in NFL history to do so) missed a chip shot field goal which would have buried the Falcons.
Instead, the Falcons drove down the field, tied the game, and ultimately won in overtime. Many Viking fans still believe that this was the Vikings best chance to win a Super Bowl.
2. Randy Moss Moons Lambeau Field
The Vikings lost the two regular season meetings against the Packers in 2004. In the first game, Derek Ross recovered an onside kick for the Vikings, but it was ruled by the officials that he never had possession of the ball despite clear replays that Ross had indeed obtained the football. The Vikings lost by 3.
The second game was a Christmas Eve brawl which turned out to be the NFC North Championship Game. Late in the 2nd quarter, the Packers were driving. Donald Driver made a catch right at the sticks and got an obvious first down. Yet, the officials stopped the clock for a measurement. This was convienient for the Packers, as they were out of timeouts. The Packers got the field goal unit on the field (which was not possible had the clock not stopped) and Ryan Longwell kicked a field goal to get the Packers within 7 at halftime. The Packers would come back and win by 3.
The Vikings would back into the playoffs at 8-8 and face the 10-6 Packers in a NFC Wild Card playoff game. The Vikings came out with battle afros and took a 24-17 lead late in the game. Daunte Culpepper rolled to his right and fired a deep ball to Randy Moss. Moss made the catch to put the Vikings ahead 31-17, but he wasn't done there. Moss strolled over to the field goal post and pretended to moon the crowd at Lambeau.
This incident set off many quotes that ring true in Vikings history...
"Daunte takes the snap, rolls out to right...Moss! Wide open! HE BURNED AL HARRIS!!! TOUCHDOWWWWWN!!! THAT'S A COLD BLOODED CONNECTION" - Paul Allen
"That's a disgusting act by Randy Moss." - Joe "The Worst Broadcaster In Sports" Buck
And of course...
Reporter: Write the check yet Randy?
Moss: When you're rich, you don't write checks.
Reporter: How do you pay, man?
Moss: Huh?
Reporter: If you don't write checks how do you pay these guys?
Moss: Straight cash homie.
Later, Moss explains that the fine "ain't nothing but ten grand" and the next time he'd "shake his @#$% at them". I guess we'll find out Sunday?
Moss was traded to Oakland the following offseason.
1. Brett Favre Comes To Minnesota
The ultimate example of hell freezing over in sports: Brett Favre, the Viking. Even from my side, it was one of those "No chance in hell" scenarios. I didn't want him, he was Brett Favre. The man who ruined most of my hopes and dreams over and over again.
I hated how the announcers talked about him like a God. I hated how he would run around like a kid after EVERY touchdown. I hated how it was never just Brett or Favre...he had to be referenced by both names to make sense. Hell, I boycotted Wrangler jeans!!!
But, after thinking...and thinking...and thinking about it, Favre officially became a Viking on August 18, 2009. Hell had indeed frozen over.
News choppers were following the motorcade that brought Favre to Winter Park like it was the O.J. Simpson police chase all over again. People lined the streets of the Viking practice facility to welcome Favre. And thousands of Viking fans rushed into their nearest sporting goods outlet to get their purple #4 jerseys.
All this time, it was almost a giant slap in the...no piss in the...no, shit on the chest of Packer fans, who worshiped him for the 18 seasons he played for the Packers. If there was a Favre statue, it would have been torn down Saddam style.
The one move turned an entire fan base into entire hypocrites. But that day, nobody cared. No matter how against it they were (I personally was against it at first), they knew what Favre could do. It turned Favre from villain to hero in Minnesota and from hero to anti-Christ in Green Bay.
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