So if you’re reading this you probably know, I tend to get a little worked up over Minnesota Vikings football. This off-season especially has been one of the most exciting to follow in all my years of being a Viking fanatic, from the acquisition of players such as Jared Allen, Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams, to division rivals Green Bay and Chicago losing many key players to their teams of a year ago making the Vikings the pre-season favorite in the NFC ‘Norse’ division. In the last three months the Vikings have made a bigger splash than any other team in the NFL, so it’s probably surprising to some of you to hear me say: we’re getting too much love.
Don’t get me wrong Brad Childress and the gang attacked this off-season exactly the way they needed to. They got the best available players at the positions they needed most, if there were an award for off-season MVP it would have to go to Minnesota GM Rick Spielman for putting his non playoff team from 2007 into Super Bowl conversations for 2008.
I think I speak for all Viking fans when I say that the attention from the national media has been nice considering we haven’t had much in recent years, but we all need to take a deep breath and slow down. There’s no one happier than me about the big time additions to my favorite sports team but the 2008 Vikings haven’t won a game yet and they’re being treated like first ballot hall of famers.
Jared Allen hasn’t registered a sack in a Vikings uniform, and Viking fans are comparing him to John Randle and beyond.
Bernard Berrian hasn’t scored a touchdown in Minnesota yet, and suddenly no one seems to care that the days of Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed are long gone.
Brad Childress hasn’t taken this team to the playoffs yet, but after the off-season he just turned Viking fans again seem to be forgetting that you have to play the regular season first before you go the playoffs.
My point is that even though my favorite sports team proved to be a young team with loads of talent and even more potential a year ago, they are now not just the talk of the town they’re the talk of the nation. You can’t turn on the NFL network without hearing “Are the Vikings for real?”
All these additions have been great but they not only add talent, they add expectations. This 8-8 football team last year is going to have to play at division championship level for a whole season before any of these expectations come true. I have loads of confidence in this team but I don’t think anyone is attributing the fact that they still have a season to play and if all goes well: the playoffs.
If all does go according to plan it should be a fun season in Minnesota and I’m sure it will be. Just hold out on calling them the best thing since The Beatles, let them play some football games, and we’ll see what we got. Who knows? If these Vikings really are different than the Vikings before them then they might even exceed these great expectations. However I’d settle for a win at Lambeau Field, week one on Monday night football.
Until then we can only imagine, just don’t let your imagination run away from you like Adrian Peterson from opposing defenses. Trust me your imagination isn’t that fast.
Terry Horstman
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