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 theI have been tracking the whole uniform change buzz very closely the last several weeks. Last week I had informed you that I had an inside track to the final helmet design and that I would be given a first glimpse in the near future. The future has arrived:
Yes, that is your new Minnesota Vikings helmet to be first displayed this coming preseason when our Vikings take the field against the Randy Moss-led Oakland Raiders on August 14 at the Metrodome. I may have stopped crying uncontrollably by that time. A report that the horn would remain on the helmet was actually untrue and unfounded. Well, maybe not unfounded. You see Zygi had a change of heart on Thursday. The Love Boat issue continues to dog him and the organization. The final blow was struck this week in Orlando on the final day of the NFL annual meetings. Zygi heard the beloved horn referred to as "resembling a sperm" and "[was sex] all anyone in Minnesota thought about?"
That was when the horned helmet died. The helmet design you see above was reportedly the #2 choice before Zygi changed his mind. Damn! We were that close to holding onto our horns!
I learned all this Thursday as I was visiting with some people at Winter Park. I had gone to confirm my credentials for attending one of the first mini-camp sessions that will be held April 7-9. That is the good news, as I plan to be at the Friday, April 7 session and photos will be coming as early as April 8.
It is not that I am against changing the uniform. I could have put up with purple pants and white jerseys. I could have found it acceptable to place swoosh’s and such on the side of the uniforms themselves. But the helmet was sacred, man. Hallowed. Revered. Deified.
I especially am of the opinion that we fans were snowballed. If Zygi was so hell-bent on a new helmet design, why not take a few weeks or a month and have a contest? Or give us three or four designs (including the legendary horns) to select from and have a fan poll? That way, we fans would have ultimately made the decision. We would have felt part of the decision making process. Not this sneaky "fly by night" pronouncement that leaves us fans out in the cold.
Excuse me; I have to go throw up.
Other Notes
The Vikings front office also let me know that the Vikings first ever draft pick, Tommy Mason, will be a part of a roundtable discussion at the Vikings Draft Party on April 29th.
April Fools a day early?
Posted by: matt at March 31, 2006 7:36 AMApril Fool's?
Posted by: Chris at March 31, 2006 7:41 AMSay it isn't so! Who the heck said they look like sperm? One of the dancers from the "Love Boat"? Let me start here by saying I support the new owner and coach but...
There is a troubling deeper problem at Winter Park. First Childress says the PQ#1 problem is done and nobody is going to talk about it anymore, then he proceedes to talk at length about it at the coaches press conference during the owners meetings. He was right in everything he said but a "No Comment" should have been his answer. Second Zygi says the horns are sacred and within a week they are gone. The credibility with the new regime is starting to get thin with me.
Sorry Cheer or Die...April Fools isn't until tomorrow.
Posted by: Ltrey at March 31, 2006 8:30 AMIn my opinion -
Awful
Pathetic
Repugnant
Intolerable
Loathsome
Foul
Odious
Offensive
Ludicrous
Could this be an early April Fool's joke?
Posted by: Chris at March 31, 2006 8:51 AMI hate the new design. Hate it.
I thought the reason Wilf changed his mind was going to be a "horny" pun.
Mr. Cheer or Die, what can we do? Surely you know some way to contact the brass and tell them what we think.
Oh my God, please tell me that is not the helmet. I hate the stylized "V" and the other text that we have in the endzone. It's just uncreative and reminds me of a Georgia O'Keefe painting. Zygi, please keep your words about keeping the horns on the helmet, because this is just embarassing.
Posted by: Thiazi at March 31, 2006 9:42 AMThis is atrocious.
Posted by: J. Lichty at March 31, 2006 9:44 AMIf it were April 1 I would have thought you were joking, but this is March 31. If you are simply trying to get a jump on April Fools day, I call foul.
Posted by: J. Lichty at March 31, 2006 9:45 AMThis can't be right. Who in the world of Vikings fans, players, management could possibly think this is a good idea? The only group that comes to mind are the idiots who were paid to come up with this crap. I'm sure they think it is 'edgy' and have lots of market research to back up their design. In my opinion it looks like they scrolled through the different available fonts on Microsoft Word and chose one that looked 'cool'.
Actually, having just looked at MS Word, I am now convinced this is a joke. The 'V' looks almost exactly the same as a 'V' using the 'Viner Hand ITC' font.
If this thing is actually unveiled in a few weeks, I urge all Vikes fans to hold a protest demonstration at Winter Park immediately! Let the team know that we can get over Boat-gate, Ice-Fishing-gate, trading good players for no return, but this will not stand!
Posted by: CDW at March 31, 2006 10:00 AMMr. Cheer or Die's Viking Underground is reporting that he has some inside information on the new uniform design, and that the horns are NOT on the helmet...
I'm here to tell you, this is a joke. It is in fact COD's annual April Fool's joke...
Last year Cheer or Die reported that he got a peek in the Vikings draft room and saw the big board, and that Matt Jones was the Vikings BPA...
As we all know, that was garbage, as is this rumor...
Vikingsboard has been in direct contact with Jeff Anderson and Bob Hagan for the past couple of weeks. They both know full well about the Save The Horns Petition, as does Zygi Wilf himself... We have confirmation of this...
We also know that Wilf's comments the other day to Don Seeholzer were a direct result of that petition. Wilf had no plans on releasing ANY information about the new design, but in lieu of the concern surrounding the removal of the horns, he felt it was necessary to address the fans on that issue..
DO NOT TAKE THIS RUMOR SERIOUSLY.
Obviously Mr. Maas decided that the best way to make this year's gag go over would be to do it the day before April Fools....
Unfortunately, we are NOT "Fools" and the only one he's "fooling" is himself if he thinks any of us are going to fall for this.
The Horns are staying, this is a fact!
Posted by: VikingHal at March 31, 2006 10:03 AMThe only way I am ok with this is if this is only an alternate helmet for special games!
Posted by: Goose at March 31, 2006 10:12 AMCOD,
Is it true that the same V will be represented at various places throughout the uniform--including on the tips of the shoes?
Posted by: vg at March 31, 2006 10:24 AMThat is one butt ugly and unimaginative design. This new organization is changing everything. I'm willing to settle for a reworked horn after looking at the purple V. I'm happy that their redesigning the web page. It's one of the worst in the league.
One more thing, can Childress please shut up. I thought the Viking brass was going to be tight lipped. What could possibly be served by continuing to rip Culpepper. Then Childress has a problem with Seattle's "intent" of their offer sheet. Give me a break!
Posted by: pa viking at March 31, 2006 10:43 AMWell, Wilf has pretty much destroyed the rest of the team, why not take this chance to also mess with our proud history by changing the helmet.
Hopefully this story is false, Wilf had just said a few days ago that the only change would be to make the horn look 3D, but given the way he is ruining the team otherwise, why not this as well?
I was worried there for a moment, until I saw that tomorrow was April 1st.
Nice try!!!
Posted by: Muggsy at March 31, 2006 11:20 AMNice attempt at an April fools joke Cheer or Die...you crafty bugger. I remember your draft joke last year...not funny. I know its funny to get all the old-timers worked up, but your crazy...lol. You could have at least done a decent photoshop job. The helmet's the wrong shade of purple, the V is too big and too high on the helmet...and Zygi knows the fans love the horns. Good try, those of us who can smell a fake know when you're lying...better luck next year!
Posted by: AudioGhost from P.P.O. at March 31, 2006 11:30 AMThis is a great analogy from aarongleeman.com:
My football counterpart at Rotoworld, Gregg Rosenthal, asked me the other day what I thought about the whole Steve Hutchinson/Nate Burleson situation between the Vikings and the Seahawks. Here's the analogy I came up with: It's like you slept with my sister and I said, "Oh yeah, well I'm going to sleep with your brother!" And then you'd just look at me funny and say, "Whatever, go ahead." Gregg thought it was a good analogy, but then again he might be insane.
Posted by: Mat at March 31, 2006 11:38 AMThis combined with last years possible draft strategy of moving up to take Matt Jones are perhaps the most absurd thinking to ever come out of Winter Park!!! I am flabergasted and disgusted by this travesty of a design on our helmets!! Maybe time will heal this wound and in a day or two or a week everything will seem normal again.....
'bote
Posted by: Rowebote at March 31, 2006 11:51 AMApril Fools!!!
Posted by: Philly Vike at March 31, 2006 12:22 PMI think you all are being gullible.
What day is tomorrow?
There is your answer if you did not get it with the sperm comment.
Posted by: Rob Blake at March 31, 2006 12:29 PMNice april fools joke CoD you got me again! You set this one up nicely by posting that you would have some insight to the new design in an earlier post. Man when will I learn. I am marking my calendar for next year though. You will not get me again!!!
Posted by: Goose at March 31, 2006 12:40 PMAre you guys really getting burned again? Come on everybody, look what day it is, or look what day it is near.
Remember last year when he said that he saw the Vikings' draft board and a player that sounded eerily similar to Matt Jones was the #1 player? Remember what day he posted that on? That's right, it was March 31st. It was an April Fools joke. For some reason, Mr. Die doesn't understand that April Fools is on April 1st, not March 31st.
Posted by: Jimmy at March 31, 2006 12:46 PMAprils Fools right?
Inside track my butt!
Posted by: Dan at March 31, 2006 1:01 PMIF this is the new design..... I feel my purple passion staring to fade away.... On the other hand, I'm hoping, praying, prostating myself before the picture of the Viking statue in Alexandria MN I have at home, that since today is Friday Mar 31, and the blog isn't updated on weekends, that this is an early April 1 (April Fools' Day) prank.
-Dan
Posted by: Dan McGowan at March 31, 2006 1:05 PMThis isn't the infamous April 1st column...is it?
Posted by: Viking Warrior at March 31, 2006 1:35 PMa day early on the april fools joke are we.
Posted by: ?? at March 31, 2006 1:57 PMTell me that's an April Fool's joke.
Seriously. Tell me that. I won't be mad. Heck, I'll laugh about it--this will be a great joke.
Really. I'd much rather find out it was a joke than, you know, find out I have to watch these cruddy, Ravensesque helmets.
Posted by: Jeff Fecke at March 31, 2006 2:09 PMYou are so full of sh!t, man. There is no way in he11 they would change the horn to the V. I don't believe any of it. You hear from so-and-so who heard from so-and-so...give me a break.
Posted by: Jason at March 31, 2006 2:34 PMPlease tell me this is a pre-April Fool's joke. Just a terrible design.
Posted by: Mark at March 31, 2006 3:47 PMRe: the new helmet design--
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Posted by: Jeff A. at March 31, 2006 4:11 PMIf this is the helmet the Vikes play in this season, the Vikings will be getting none of my money this year.
I'll be too busy retching to attend the games.
Posted by: Ron at March 31, 2006 4:50 PMConsidering tomorrows date, I am leaning toward this being an April Fool's Day prank. Please, please tell me I'm right!
Posted by: Greg at March 31, 2006 6:52 PMI don't believe you. The whole story sounds made up. What proof do you have that any of this is true? When the new uni's are revealed and your inside track information is wrong, I'd like to see a blog explaining yourself.
Posted by: Jack at March 31, 2006 7:10 PMThis helmet just plain sucks! The contest idea would have been tolerable as you said. How embarrassing. My packer fan in-laws will be giving me grief this summer. This is the first major boner made by the Wilfs....and a big one at that.
Posted by: Daren "The Hiking Viking" at March 31, 2006 9:19 PMCOD,
This is an April Fool's joke, right!!!
Mike
You posted this story one day early.
Posted by: LuvYaVikes at April 1, 2006 10:13 AM