What's your favorite memory as a Vikings fan?

[LanceBoyle]

The NFC Championship game at the Met the day after Christmas, 1976.  The weather, the blocked kick, the pick, (Bobby Bryant? who'da thunk?) and a great game/run by my hero, Chuck Foreman.

 

[gopherwrestler]

I still will never forget the Moss Flip to Williams for the TD. Other than the Jim Marshall taking the ball to the wrong End Zone that is probably the most popular plays in Vikings history.

[Robb_K]

The whole 1998 season, up until Anderson's first FG miss of the season.  Before that miss, I was so happy that The Vikes had the game locked up, and that win would get them back into The Super Bowl, and they looked like a decent bet to win it. 

Otherwise, all 4 seasons they made it to The Super Bowl game, before they started playing those Super Bowl Games.  I hope they win it within the next 3-4 years, with this new core, adding more talented young players each draft, until they have a super-dominant defence, and a very good offence to go along with it.  

 

[RedRider]

Any long bomb from Culpepper to Moss. It was the reason all of my friend and I became Vikings fans back in elementary school.

Or perhaps when we drafted Teddy. I felt like we had the QB that would in time become the greatest Viking QB ever (behind Fran). I was watching the draft with my now-wife, I hugged her so hard when Goodall announced the pick that to this day, whenever she see Teddy in a game, all she talks about is "broken ribs."

I also loved the entire 09 season. I know it is a bit terrible to admit but I always loved Favre as a player, even when he was a Packer because of how he played the game and was down to Earth. Getting Favre on the team and having the season that we had... yeah, a great memory. Favre wasn't the only player I cared about on that team, either. Winfield will forever be my favorite cornerback, and I miss the Williams Wall + Allen, and EJ Henderson. Damn Saints. Damn Bountygate.

Or when Zimmer became the Vikings head coach. I felt then, still feel, and always will feel that Zimmer is a top 5 head coach in the NFL. I'd only swap him for Belicheck. He's gotten a bad break with Teddy, his guy, going down, and the offense consequently falling apart and losing a first round pick to boot. If that hadn't happened, I believe we're in a much better place than we are now. Remember the 3 preseason games last year before Teddy got hurt? He and the offense looked so crisp. Hopefully the O pulls itself together before Zimmer misses his window.

last and not least, I always enjoyed watching Kleinsasser, the true Viking, carrying the rock.

[Vikes_Bolts1228]

On 8/10/2017 at 2:45 PM, marshpit23 said:

Cool. Walmart, though? Lol. I actually met him at Bunker's Bar in Mpls. Bought him a Miller Lite and got his autograph as well. Unfortunately, it was before mobile devices became  so popular and I didn't get a pic.

He signed at my local Wal-Mart as well. A LONG time ago. Maybe early-mid 2000's? Completely free. Like 2 people were there. Chester Taylor did one too in 2006-2007. I was the only one there again.

Good luck finding those signings again.

[vike daddy]

1 hour ago, RedRider said:

I felt then, still feel, and always will feel that Zimmer is a top 5 head coach in the NFL. I'd only swap him for Belicheck. He's gotten a bad break with Teddy....

Zimmer has had some bad breaks in life when you think about it.

his wife dropping dead in the bathroom one day. his multiple eye surgeries and still possibly facing blindness.

 

[Duff34man]

On 8/3/2017 at 7:57 PM, wcblack34 said:

 

This may be my favorite play, but the whole 2009 season may be my favorite memory. That was the most fun I've ever had watching football in my life. It made me quite jealous that the Packers got to have Favre for so long. 

This play because I was there and it was so unexpected. Our whole section just said did he really catch it? Did he really keep his feet in? It was just great to be there.

On 8/4/2017 at 10:10 PM, Klomp said:

1. Smith retired after the 2000 season.....shouldn't he be under the 90s, or are you specifically referring to one of his 20-yard runs from the 2000 season?

2. My earliest memory as a Vikings fan (don't mock my youth, vd) was the floppy sock play

 

Thanks for the video. Made my Monday a little better.

[icarus4321]

We never had a ton of money growing up, but my dad would get tickets from vendors at work a few times each year.  We were lucky enough to get first row tickets behind the Vikings bench for a Monday Night Football game against the Bears in '94.  It was a great game that went into OT.  Just as the Vikings offense was about to go onto the field, Cris Carter runs up to the guardrail.  Apparently, we were sitting next to the team chaplain.  They said a quick prayer and Cris ran out onto the field.  The very next play, Carter caught a 65 yard touchdown pass to ice the game.  Such a cool moment for my 9 year old self.

[JDBrocks]

So I was just looking back through box scores and somehow wound up in 1998 on Pro Football Reference. Sorry to bring it up in such a positive thread, but I had to talk about it with someone. 

While it may not be a favorite memory, the 1998 NFCCG cemented me as a lifelong die hard Vikings fan. That is the most vivid sports memory that I have. Even a bad memory can bind someone to a team in a positive way I suppose. Sorry again for the bad vibes. 

[Purplexing]

How could I have forgotten it?  I'll add Jerry "Burnsie" Burns' 11/5/89 defense of OC Bob Schnelker in a post game, rant template for future coaching rants/ meltdowns, presser. 

no link provided because it's NSFW....  NESFLR.*

 

* - Not Even Safe For a Locker Room.

[Uncle Buck]

High on the list is when Randy Moss mooned the Cheeseheads at Lambeau in the 2003 playoffs. 

Watching Brett Favre walk onto the field wearing purple was really fun too.  Both times we played the Packers in 2009, he came out to a chorus of boos from angry Cheeseheads.  Lord Favre just smiled and then proceeded to carve up their defense and "stick it" to Ted Thompson as he led us to victory in both games.  I LOVED it!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROzPQnmu2IM

Another day I will never forget was the first round of the 2007 draft.  When AD dropped to us, and the pick was announced, I sprang up out of my barq-a-lounger and screamed in victory.  My dog looked at me like I was crazy, but I knew we had just drafted the best running back in team history.  Now AD is gone, and my beloved dog has also passed on, but I will always remember that moment in my long tenure as a Vikings fan.

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/videos/Draft-Flashback-Peterson-Becomes-A-Viking/887d60c4-54a6-4bbb-a987-50b157ed0d05

Yet another favorite day was Herschel Walker's first game as a Viking.  Even though it didn't work out with him (to put it mildly), it was great to finally have one of the league's marquis players wearing purple.  The anticipation of that first kickoff was only surpassed by watching take that kick almost to the house.  It was a great feeling as a fan.

Finally, my all-time favorite memory was the day I went to a game at the Metrodome with my awesome Uncle Frank and a couple of my cousins.  My Uncle had a connection where he was able to get four tickets about 6 rows up from the field on the forty yard line.  We were playing the Lions, and the highlight of the game was when my all-time favorite Viking defensive player - Keith Millard, picked off a pass and started running it back.  He ran it back right in front of us and could have scored if he hadn't slowed up to look back and see if anyone was catching up to him.  The Lions player who ran him down was none other than the great Barry Sanders!  That was a great day.  The action on the field was incredible, and it was only surpassed by spending the afternoon with my favorite Uncle.  My Uncle Frank passed away a few years ago, and one of my cousins who was also at the game sadly died of cancer at a young age too.  It was a very special day in my life, and I have to thank Uncle Frank, my cousin Patrick, and the Vikings for the great memories.

Millard's INT comes at 35 seconds in on this video.  It was amazing being so close to the action.  Having two players who were the caliber of Doleman and Millard playing next to each other on the defensive line was incredible.  Chris Doleman is now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Millard would be in there right next to him, but his career was unfortunately shortened due to a knee injury.  IMO, he was even better than Doleman, and he was considerably better than Hall of Famer John Randle, who played the same position.  Those who never got to see them play really missed out on something special.

 

Edited September 21, 2017 by Uncle Buck