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 14, at San Francisco thoughts.

Week Fourteen: at San Francisco

The hottest horse will oft be cool,
The dullest will shew fire;
The friar will often play the fool,
The fool will play the friar.
Old Folk Song

There are terrible disasters in history, and there are always great catastrophes just waiting to happen.

But the most unbelievable one this year, the thing we’ve been holding our breath against, the capo de tutti capi of impending disasters, has happened to the Minnesota Vikings.

Like the Titanic steaming for its chunk of polar ice, like the Hindenberg looking for its Lakehurst, like the guy at Chernobyl wondering what that switch would do, it was inevitable, inexorable, a psychic juggernaut.

The once high-scoring Minnesota Vikings have not led in a game for sixteen straight quarters, not since winning against the Chicago Bears on November 9. Four straight games of trailing the opposition. Once tied atop the NFC Central division, they now are fighting for their playoff lives.

The latest NFL playoff possibilities show the Vikings can clinch a playoff berth with a win. Either beat the Detroit Lions or the Indianapolis Colts, and we are in the second season where everyone starts 0-0.

So why am I not leaping for joy? Look at the injury list alone: Cris Carter (broken finger and probable), Jeff Brady (neck and doubtful), Orlando Thomas (hamstring and probable), Brad Johnson (herniated disk and out), Jeff Christy (broken ankle and out), Scott Dill (back and doubtful), Todd Steussie (ankle and probable), Fernando Smith (various ailments and questionable) and Robert Smith (ankle and probable).

The Lions come to town this coming Sunday with an offense in full gear ready to take on a Viking defense that seems more adept at giving a tongue-lashing after plays than a good old butt-kicking during them.

The Colts arrive the following Sunday with a team that has nothing to lose and will let it all hang out, already having upset the team in green and yellow to the east and the New York Jets...at the Meadowlands no less.

So why have hope at all? Because with two Viking wins and one Tampa Bay loss, we are hosting a wildcard playoff game. And with the ankle injury that Buccaneer starting quarterback Trent Dilfer sustained Sunday coupled with an away game against the Jets (who Tuna WILL have ready to play) and a home game against the Bears (who have defeated the Bucs already this year), the odds seem good.

What can we do as fans? Put away the paper bags. Buy a ticket to the Lions or Colts game, and whenever the Viking defense is on the field, make as much noise as you may be able to generate short of a initiating a stroke. Let’s make those paper dragons into a fire-breathing, slashing, attacking force that will set up a playoff run reminiscent of the 1987-88 season.

One and we are in. Two and some help and we are at home to start.