THE VIKINGS FILE
Location: Minnesota, USA
Home field: U.S. Bank Stadium
Coach: Kevin O’Connell
Offensive star: WR Justin Jefferson
Defensive star: SS Harrison Smith
2021 Season: Failed to Make Playoffs
Super Bowls: Lost 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977
Greatest Player: WR Randy Moss
Factoid: Vikings' Gjallarhorn (Icelandic for "yell" and "horn") blasted before kickoff sends the Vikings onto the field for their next great battle.
By Lenn Robbins
The Vikings have some of the coolest traditions in the NFL. Many fans wear "Helga hats,” purple hats adorned with white horns and blonde braids. Very Viking. They sound the Gjallarhorn before games, which according to Viking myth, assembles the Gods for battle. They clap their hands over their heads while chanting, “Skol,” symbolic of a Viking war cry.
They also have a less fearsome tradition: They lost four Super Bowls and never won one.
Stick that in your Gjallarhorn and smoke it.
OK, maybe we’re being a bit harsh on the once-feared Purple People Eaters, the nickname of their feared defenses of the 70s. This century, however, there have been no Super Bowl losses. The Vikings have fielded some talented teams of late but they haven’t been able to put it all together. To throw cheese in the wound, that team from Green Bay has dominated the division.
We at BetBasics.com believe there could be a changing of the guard in the NFC North this season but we’re minority.
Part of the reason for our belief in a Purple Reign is a changing of the coaching staff, Kevin O’Connell, a sharp offensive mind replaces Mike Zimmer, a longtime defensive stalwart. The Vikes indeed played good defense under Zimmer but the offense was inconsistent and they were tied for the eighth most penalized team in the league. Skol? No.
The Vikings would surely be a welcome addition in the NFC Championship game if not the Super Bowl. They’re the only team in the league that has purple as its dominant color. Add in the Helga hats, the Gjallarhorn and the Skol cheer, maybe purple can be the new black.