The 1997 Season

Note: 1997 was the first season that I wrote down thoughts the entire year. Therefore, the 1997 season summary will come in multiple additions to my blog. Today's 1997 entry will be Week 6, at Arizona thoughts.

Week Six: at Arizona

Early Sunday afternoon I was standing along the Minnesota Viking sideline inside Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. And I was shaking and shaking like the filament in a light bulb just before it blows.

You see, in a stadium with no roof but the blue sky above and a red mountain in one corner behind its walls, I was next to the Big Dog himself. John Randle. He was wearing his trademark black war paint on his face, standing just inside the line designating the player boundary.

I had barely stepped inside from a tailgate party, and my life was suddenly clipping along just fine. This wonderful stadium was crammed with many Viking fans, young and old, skin tan and dried. In between them and me, this enormous man in purple was holding a football in his oversized hand, his eyes scanning the Arizona Cardinals while warming up.

“OK, don’t stare,” my wonderful life said to me. “Don’t ruin his concentration now. Try and talk to him later.”

I took a stroll around the field and then I was back where I started. I took out my cameras and began taking pictures. Mostly of Randle. So much energy. I hoped it could somehow be captured on film. The game began and the photos I took were of Randle. The second quarter started and still I concentrated my lens on Randle. Coming out of the tunnel after half-time, Randle spied me and said, “Nice to see you again.”

The rest of the third quarter this went on, trying to get up the nerve to say a few lines to the Big Dog. “Okay,” I told myself. “It will be the fourth quarter.” Then, late in the fourth quarter, with a scrap of wind coming off the mountain and the red desert sunset quickly approaching, I saw him huddled over a cup of Gatorade.

When he looked at me, he brushed away the sweat from his eyes with the back of his hand in the way I’d seen him do it so many times before. He was so huge, you would notice him in a very large room or in no room at all.

“Mr. Randle,” I said, going up to him, those words a stone in my throat, “Mr. Randle,” I said, “I’m out of film.”

Trip Reflections

My trip to the desert could be summed up by my flight back to Minnesota. The America West airplane was full of Viking fans returning to the homeland, proudly wearing purple hats and Cris Carter jerseys, and standing by their seats talking with people around them about the game.

Then a Cheesehead appeared. First there was one boo, then came a flood. Cat-calls followed, “Hey buddy! This is a cheese-free flight!” And, “When’s Holmgren bringing back T.J. Rubley to replace that bumblin’, stumblin’ idiot you got now?”

Unity. Pure, unadulterated Viking unity, the likes I have not seen since childhood. A new breed of Viking fan is coming. Present sideline season-ticket holders need not apply.

Observing from the field on Sunday, I witnessed a wondrous thing. Half of the 45,550 fans filling Sun Devil Stadium were Viking fans, and the great majority were behind the Viking bench, giving them the best sideline support they’ve had in quite some time, including home games. Chief amongst these purple faithful was Mike England of the Arizona Viking Fan Club, although he caught me taking pictures of the Cardinal cheerleaders at several points during the game.

The Cardinals fans there chose an easy target to pick on: Mitch Berger, especially after his botched hold on an Eddie Murray field goal attempt. “Hey, Cheeseburger! Way to go,” was called over and over again. (I didn’t say these were highly witty fans.) Finally, I walked over to Mitch and told him he would have another chance. He just smiled and shook his head in the affirmative.

The field conditions were unbearably hot. The thermometers read over 120 degrees and would have gone higher had they not already been maxed out. The Cardinals, also desiring a new stadium, gave free tickets to all the Phoenix media, placing them on the sunny side to let them roast.

Ingenious, I thought. I only wish they had given free tickets to our favorite Minneapolis media All-Negative team of Dan Barrerio and Bob Sansevere. Then, when they would have passed away from dehydration and sun stroke, the Vikings road-trip would have been a complete victory.

By the way, Phoenix wants the taxpayers to foot the bill for a proposed $600+ million sports complex which will include a retractable-roof football stadium. And the Arizona legislature decides the fate, not the taxpayer. Sound familiar?

The field was in good shape but the grass was cut short, and as Dewayne “Toast” Washington said during warm-ups, it was “tight.” I thought it felt almost like Astroturf. Two huge cooling fans were placed at each end of the Viking bench, with the hierarchy effect placing John Randle closest to the fan when the defense was off the field and Cris Carter nearest when the offense was off.

Then there was my man Chris Walsh who laid out Cardinal reserve safety Tommy Bennett twice right in front of me. The second time he was knocked cold, Bennett finally regained consciousness when smelling salts were applied. And I have the pictures to prove it.

After the game I talked to Chris about the hits as he posed for photos for the Viking Underground. He just smiled, reiterating what he had already said in the locker room. He had run a route with Cris Carter catching the ball and running up the field while Bennett gave chase. And then, lights out.

Carter enjoyed this victory a great deal. The Cardinals fans had started to express their collective dislike for him when they thought they had the game in hand. I’m sure Cris, now an ordained minister, did not appreciate what was coming out of their mouths. Carter held court in the locker room, enjoying every moment of the aftermath, and was the last person to board the bus.

It was a very enjoyable day for Brad Johnson, as well. Brad’s father made the trip to see his son play a game in which Brad talked his offense into the confident mindset needed to make the comeback. Outside after the game, the two hugged, mingled, and soaked up the victory.

Also posing for pictures afterwards for the Viking Underground were Jeff Christy, Charles Evans, Todd Steussie with his victory cigar, David Dixon, Robert Griffith, and Mitch Berger. The mail service and my photo shop willing, begin looking this weekend for these and other selections from the 396 photos I took from the sidelines.

I also meet with Stew Widdess, the Vikings’ V.P. of Marketing, in the locker room following the game. Stew is not going to give up on the fight against the decision by the Duluth Fox affiliate to show the Viking game against the New York Jets on November 23. Scheduled to be shown instead is the Green Bay game.

Stew told me that he has spoken with FOX headquarters in New York, and they would intervene on the Viking’s behalf if, and only if, the Viking fans speak out.

Posted by maasx003 at October 21, 2004 7:13 AM