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Vikings History

For five decades, the Minnesota Vikings have brought Minnesotans together and filled them with a sense of pride. The team had strong players from the outset, obtaining veterans Norm Van Brocklin, George Shaw and Hugh Mcelhenny in the off-season, as well as Fran Tarkenton and Tommy Mason in the 1961 NFL Draft. But after a victorious first game against the Chicago Bears, the Vikings struggled for the remainder of their first season, ending with a 3­11 record. Vikings fans were in for a hard first decade, during which the team had just one winning season in 1964.

A sudden reversal of the Viking's fortune occurred in 1969, when the team earned the best record in the NFL and made it to the Superbowl. This streak continued through the early 1970s, thanks to a strong defensive line appropriately dubbed the "Purple People Eaters." In 1973, the Vikings once again played in the Superbowl. Unfortunately, they lost to the Miami Dolphins. Determined to take the title of Superbowl Champs, the players fought tooth and nail to return to the Superbowl, where they again experienced a heartbreaking defeat, this time to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1975 was a controversial year for the vikings, who started off with a strong 10-0 lead. During a playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, Drew Pearson was believed to have pushed off on Vikings defensive back Nate Wright. No penalty was called for the pass interference, so the Cowboys ended up winning 17-14. This incident was dubbed the "Hail Mary" after an interview with in which Cowboy Roger Staubach said he "closed [his] eyes and said a Hail Mary" during the pass.

The team's shortage of Superbowl luck continued in 1977, when they lost to the Oakland Raiders, 32-14. The team was beginning to age, and most of the "Purple People Eaters" retired by the 1980s. With their retirement came a new era for the vikings, who were moved into the newly finished Metrodome in 1982. Two years later, long-time head coach Bud Grant retired and was replaced by Les Steckel. Although the Vikings made a few great acquisitions in the late 1980s (including former Cowboy Herschel Walker) they continued to come up short.

In the beginning of 1992, Dennis Green became the fifth Vikings coach. He had a reputation of turning around struggling teams, and was hoping to return the Vikings to the success of the 1970s. Green managed to return the Vikings to their former glory, earning them four NFC Central division titles and a spot in eight playoff games.

In 1998, players Randall Cuningham, Randy Moss and Cris Carter set an NFL record of 556 points. The team sailed through the playoff until their game against the Atlanta Falcons. They initially tied the game, but Green decided to play them into overtime, where they ultimately lost 30-27. This meant that the vikings were the only team in history with a record of 15-1 and no trip to the Superbowl.

The 2000s have been a difficult period for the Vikings. The team did manage to snare Brett Favre, but after a disappointing playoffs loss in 2009 and an even worse 2010 season, the Vikings are in need of a fresh start. But the team certainly has the potential to recapture their former success in the future.