My roommate is currently going through a difficult period in his athletic career. We live in Georgia, and he is a Falcons and Georgia Tech fan. Following disappointing losses by both of his teams, he has repeatedly stated that there is no pain like that of a Falcons or Tech fan.
Jordan, I apologize, but you do not understand pain.
If there is one thing all Vikings supporters can agree on, it is that no fan base has witnessed more devastating, tear-jerking events in its history than the Norsemen in purple and gold. So grab some tissues, tune on R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts,” and prepare to take a sorrowful trip down memory lane. These are the lowest points in Minnesota Vikings history.
The Vikings led the Cowboys 14-10 in the Divisional round of the 1975 playoffs with only 24 seconds remaining. Roger Staubach took the snap and delivered a prayer to Drew Pearson in the end zone. Pearson made what looked to be contact, and the ball landed safely against his hip as he waltzed into the end zone. Fans were so upset over the absence of a penalty against the Cowboys that one tossed a whiskey bottle at him, hitting him in the head and knocking him unconscious.
As a Georgia Bulldogs and Minnesota Vikings fan, I’ve seen Herschel Walker’s finest and worst performances. Every time I travel to Athens for a game, I hear or see something about Walker. When Dawg fans discover old footage from his college days, they go berserk.
When Vikings fans see old film of Walker, they become excited for a completely other reason.
In 1989, the Vikings believed they were just one component away from a Super Bowl run. The Cowboys were rebuilding and sold their only bargaining chip. Mike Lynn, the Vikings’ general manager at the time, agreed to trade eight (!) draft picks, including three first-rounders, and five players to the Cowboys for #34. Walker carried for only over 2200 yards over three seasons, never exceeding 1000 yards in a single year. The Cowboys, on the other hand, used the picks they received to draft players such as Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson, among others, who helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. The Vikings largely established the Cowboys dynasty of the 1990s.
seeing the unquestioned most agonizing moment in Vikings history may plunge you into sad
ness, cause convulsions, or, at the very least, send you into a rage that can only be quenched by seeing highlights of the Vikings’ offense that year.
While Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell may be the biggest draft disappointments to play for their original teams, Dimitrius Underwood did not even make it out of training camp with the Vikings. Underwood, selected with the 29th choice in 1999, walked out of camp one day after signing, citing a conflict between football and his Christian religion. Then, after signing with the Dolphins and being wounded in a playoff game, he was arrested for failure to pay child support and attempted suicide. If Leaf and Russell are the two biggest failures in draft history, Underwood must be among the top five, if not number three.
The 2000 season. Daunte Culpepper had emerged as the league’s leading touchdown passer. Cris Carter and Randy Moss continued to terrorize opposition secondaries, while my favorite player, Robert Smith, had the best season of his career, rushing for 1500 yards.
Then they traveled to the Meadowlands, where they were heavily favored to defeat the Giants and advance to the Super Bowl.
Yeah, about that.
The Vikings looked nothing like the squad that won 11 games in the regular season, and they lost 41-0. There’s not much to say about that.
A little anecdote: When I was in sixth school, I was brutally teased every Monday. The Vikings were rebuilding and losing nearly every week, and all of the Falcons supporters at my school were ecstatic about their new star, Michael Vick. The following year, Vick was injured, the Falcons finished last, and I was ecstatic as the Vikings started 6-0. Culpepper and Moss were lighting up the highlight reels, and the defense was doing well enough to avoid blowing all of their leads from last season. All those students who said “Vikings terrible!” every week were silent.
It eventually came down to a single game in Arizona against a 3-12 Cardinals team. If the Vikings won, they would take the NFC North. If they lose, the Packers will.
Even though the game was closer than it should have been, it appeared that the Vikings would win. Up 17-12, they had just sacked Josh McCown on third down, and with no timeouts left and unable to spike the ball, the Cards had only one no-huddle shot downfield.
Paul Allen’s call expresses it well.
The 2005 season was expected to be a great one. Daunte Culpepper had just finished a record-breaking season, Randy Moss was no longer an issue, the defense had added players like Darren Sharper and Pat Williams, and Minnesota appeared to be on track for the Super Bowl. Instead, as the next three slides will show, the season was a complete catastrophe. While a final record of 9-7 might not appear to be too bad, the events leading up to it were disastrous.
First, the draft. After dealing Randy Moss to the Raiders, Minnesota received picks 7 and 18. They drafted Troy Williamson and Erasmus James. While this didn’t seem so horrible at the time, 7 years later it’s been dubbed a “draft of squandered opportunities.” Troy Williamson could never catch the ball and was traded after just three seasons. Erasmus James battled with injuries and left after just three seasons. To make matters worse, All-Pros DeMarcus Ware and Roddy White were available at selections seven and eighteen. (Yes, I realize Aaron Rodgers was available, but as I mentioned, Daunte Culpepper was coming off the best season of his career, and the Vikings had no need
When CNN reports on a sports team, you know they must have done something really wrong.
Some players prefer to spend their off weeks relaxing or visiting family. Some people apparently enjoy renting boats and hosting sex parties on lakes. Seventeen players, including Daunte Culpepper and Fred Smoot, hired two house boats and partied with roughly 90 others on Lake Minnetonka. Prostitutes from Atlanta and Florida engaged in sex activities with some of the athletes in front of crew members, among other things.
For obvious reasons, I’m not going to go into detail about what happened that night, but needless to say, it’s certainly one of the most embarrassing parts of
How can you make a poor season worse? How about your franchise quarterback suffering a career-altering injury?
Despite having a terrible season, Daunte Culpepper remained a powerful playmaker for the Vikings. Culpepper tore three ligaments in his knee on one play during an October game against the Carolina Panthers. After the season, he was traded to the Dolphins, but he was never the same player again, even playing in the United Football League. Yeah, Brad Johnson won six games in a row and nearly led the Vikings to the playoffs, but he was a 37-year-old journeyman, whereas Culpepper was at the height of his career.
The Vikings only had three TRUE
