Brought to you by Mr. Cheer or Die and the Vikes Geek, welcome to the
Views and Personal Photos on the Vikes from the Inaugural Hall of Fame fan.
Brought to you by Mr. Cheer or Die and the Vikes Geek, welcome to theThere were those fans who pooh-poohed my notion of community and fan-based backlash over the pinnacle of Vikings bad behavior. Those who refused to believe that the alleged 'Sex Romp' on Minnetonka would affect sponsorships, season ticket sales, or the stadium. Even before both sides of the story have been heard and anything proven or verified, the damage may already have been done and will take years to repair. So let's go straight to the quotes:
From the STrib
"Is this an aberration based on bad judgment? Does it happen in the NFL? Probably. In the NBA? Probably. In [major league] baseball? Probably. In the NHL? I hope not."
BOB NAEGELE Chairman of the Wild
"Frankly, it's upsetting. You expect the athletes to conduct themselves with the proper values, urge them to remember who they are and where they are. ... I can't remember how many times the last words I said in a meeting were, 'Take care of yourself.' "
LOU NANNE Former North Stars player, coach and executive
"You see guys giving community service, volunteering time and all that is great. I applaud that. But they're hurting their message by not being consistent."
TANI KINGSTON Vikings fan
"People say that Minnesota is not only the state with 20,000 lakes, but with 20,000 treatment centers. We were ahead of the curve in regards to alcohol and drug problems and doing something about that. I think the fans in Minnesota were well-educated about that problem, and understood the action that we took."
Mike Lynn Former Vikings executive
"These things happen - they come and go, we'll get by them."
DAN ERHART Anoka County commissioner
"If taxpayers pay for stadiums, team owners can pay the players more and more money, and that makes things more out whack and leads to irresponsible behavior. After a while, when you're treated like gods, you think you can do no wrong, and these ever-increasing salaries lead to that."
RON HOLCH Organizer, Taxpayers Against an Anoka County Vikings Stadium
"There were certain things that we shrugged our shoulders at. That will happen in every walk of life, in and out of football. But something like this? ... This is a serious blow to the aura and the perception of what their Vikings are. To the point where you could suggest that this ticket, which used to be the ticket in town, took a hit."
MIKE MORRIS Former Vikings player, radio talk-show host
"The poor guy [new owner Zygi Wilf] just came on board, but it's his team - he's got the reins in his hands. He's got to send a strong message to the coaches, the players and the community. Whether that's a suspension, whether that's booting someone off the team, he has to take decisive action. It's an absolute, rock-bottom, moral and ethical kind of thing. When it happens on your watch, you've got to deal with it."
DENNIS MCGRATH President, McGrath-Buckley Communications PR firm
"If all this were true, I think a lot of marketing partners would be hesitant to associate with the Vikings. Most professional sports - most businesses - survive these kinds of things if it's an individual involved. But if it is substantiated that the behavior is widespread, the concern will be directed not only at individuals, but at the entity, as well. If that were to happen, I think the Vikings would be very vulnerable in keeping sponsors and advertisers and marketing partners on board."
HOWARD LISZT Former CEO, Campbell Mithun, Twin Cities' largest ad agency
Coming Podcast
Later tonight or Friday morning, I'll be posting a double-header podcast. It will be with with KSTP's sports director, Rod Simon, who hosts two shows weekly with Mike Tice. We should learn, firsthand, what the mindset of Tice is at the moment...not to mention the team!
And also, I'll be speaking to fellow Class of 1999 Visa Hall of Fans member and Chicago Bears fan Don "Bearman" Wachter.
Prized Possession
Earlier this week I gave you a tour of my office that contains some of my Vikings memorabilia gathered over the years. Some of you asked for my favorite piece of memorabilia, and why. I give you the answer in the short videocast below.
Clueless Souhan
Jim Souhan, who still owes an apology to Zygi Wilf, again doesn't get it. He is so out of touch with the pulse of Vikings fandom that it has become an embarrassment to just read him. Stick and Ball Guy has referred to Souhan as Top Jimmy and has brought him to task on several occasions.
This is the man demanded that the Vikings get rid of Randy Moss. Souhan thought that once Moss was gone, all would be well. Team togetherness and everyone giving 110%. "Refreshing", as SBG wrote recently, was Jimmy's word.
This week the highly insightful Top Jimmy wrote this: "Last week, we missed only Randy Moss' talent. Today, we miss him as a role model. Oh, for the days when our biggest problems were end zone end-wiggling."
Today, Top Jimmy writes:
"Yes, the Vikings have spent the past 20 years orchestrating what appears to be a highly organized campaign to ruin their image and disgust their fans.
And it is in those 20 years that their popularity has grown exponentially.
The public ignored these crimes and misbehaviors, reacting to all things Viking with a fanaticism that has made the franchise the most-talked-about entity in Minnesota, that has turned purple-clad football players into local icons and national celebrities.
Today's Vikings fans paint their faces . . . adorn their cars with team flags. They eagerly pay high prices. They guarantee sellouts no matter how incompetent the Vikings have been, no matter how badly they have behaved.
I don't get it."
Yes, that's right Top Jimmy. You are totally clueless. The team did not have sellouts until the 15-1 '98 season. Before then, barely 35K showed up for preseason games. Before that season and Randy Moss, General Mills had to buy the remaining seats just so the local television blackout would be lifted. Before then, a fan could show up sixty minutes before kick-off and find plenty of parking options available in the tailgate lot on Washington Avenue.
On all the Vikings message boards and comments left on blogs I read disgust with this latest episode. The majority of fans, while awaiting the whole story, are not satisfied with just letting bad behavior go without punishment.
So do not take your broad brush and paint all Vikings fans as uncaring, unlawful, miscreants.
Now then Top Jimmy, I'm still awaiting your public apology to Mr. Wilf for your story on Wednesday.
What to do? OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! We do not want to wait for the facts, they are guilty. No matter no charges have been brought thus far. I believe the he said she said story, it fits right in with a multi-millionaire athlete they all think they are gods and above the law everyone knows that. As a matter of fact too show good will Zygi should forfiet the next 3 games and require the players to all go under counseling. He should start by putting all players on a lie detector and those that were on the boat should be suspended until the end of the season and cut immediatly. He then can start all over building a winning team, just in time for the first year LA Vikings to win a Super bowl.
I mean what do people want? Really what do they want?
Posted by: Lonnie at October 13, 2005 10:48 AMI can tell you what they don't want, Lonnie. They don't want anymore of this B.S. like what happened out at Lake Minnetonka. It is flat out embarrassing. The organization should be taking steps to make sure it NEVER happens again. The organization should be UP FRONT with the people of Minnesota to explain HOW they are going to stop this kind of nonsense.
Posted by: SBG at October 13, 2005 12:37 PMWell I don't want to turn this into a chat room. But what did they do? Have a party with strippers? Drink too much? Have sex with prostitutes? Scream at the hostess and upset her? Get sea sick? The point I'm trying to make is anyone can say anything against the Viking players or coaches and it's atoumatically gospel. One lady says someone (supposed Viking player accused) urinated in her front yard, they were looking face to face she follows them to the dock and then can't identify him. Charges dropped. What's up with that? Moore is the only one so far that admitted he was on the boat and nothing happened, but nobody believes him. We'll see where these allegations go. I just think it's entirely too early to start passing judgement based soely on rumors.
Posted by: Lonnie at October 13, 2005 03:19 PMI think you are misconstruing Souhan's point. All he's saying that the fan base continues to grow despite how despicable some members of team and management have behaved over the past twenty years. You can't deny that. Maybe it wasn't as popular before Randy Moss, but the Vikings and the entire NFL have been on a 20 year surge of popularity making it the most dominant of all the professional sports.
The Vikings are by far the most popular game in town. They have endured and thrived despite what should be some crippling PR gaffes.
For the purpose of the exercise, I'll use myself as an example.
As a person, I try and pick my friends carefully. For the most part, the people who I choose to be friends with share my values, ethics and abide by the same social mores I do. I am a person who tries to set a good example for my daughter. And yet, I personally, over the course of my 35 years have spent many hours watching games, reading newspapers and buying tickets. I'm one of many people who have made these athletes and owners obscenely rich along the way. Souhan is spot on that we've all let the tail wag the dog. It's not a slam to the fans; it's a wake-up call. What could we all have been thinking? Wife-beating quarterbacks, drunk-driving defensive linemen, pot-smoking running backs, ticket scalping coaches. The list goes on. If this event is the so-called tipping point, finally, will we show enough disgust to walk away for good?
You obviously enjoy the Vikings. Would you be disgusted enough to take down this site and stop going to games if the accusations prove to be true? Even if you and I quit following the Vikings will the stands be filled this year if they make an epic run to the Super Bowl? It's a fair question. If I were a betting man over time, even if the accusations are true, the business of Football will continue to thrive and grow.
I am not the type of person who idolizes these athletes, but I love sports. I love to watch sports on TV and go to games. I love to read about sports and formulate opinions on coaches, players and strategies. It is a complicated issue - should I care what these guys do in their personal lives if all I care about is watching them play a game? Or is my fandom perpetuating a culture which allows them the means to run roughshod over society?
Posted by: Mike at October 13, 2005 08:41 PMFire 'em all...starting with Tice...and the 17 (or 20?)...
We want names!!! Quit fookin' pussyfooting around. We want the WHOLE story who was on those boats.
The stadium is dead....wonder what our Jersey boys must have bought into now.
Posted by: Greg at October 14, 2005 03:18 AM