Franchise history
A in favor football saga in the Twin Cities began in August 1959, whenever 5 Minnesotthe business community were awarded a franchise in the recently American Football League. 5 months late within January 1960, a equivalent ownership class action mass produced higher of Bill Boyer, Ole Haugsrud, Bernie Ridder, H. P. Skoglund and Max Winter first forfeited its AFL membership and then was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise that was to begin play in 1961.

1960s
Minnesota's number 1 management team was led by general manager Bert Rose and head coach Norm Van Brocklin. From either the run, a Vikings embraced an industrious marketing program that produced a number 1-freshman year ticket low of just about 26,000 & an typical at home attendance of 34,586, about 85 percent of the capacity of 40,800 Metropolitan Stadium. At length a sports stadium capacity was increased to 47,900. Rose resigned from either his position inside 1964 & Van Brocklin quit short in the spring of 1967. A Vikings attend Canada for their replacements. Jim Finks, then general manager of the Calgary Stampeders, wwhen named as a freshly general manager. Bud Grant, head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, became the recently Vikings field leader.

In March 7, 1967, quarterback Fran Tarkenton was traded to the New York Giants for the First & Second-spherical selection inside 1967, a First-spherical selection inside '68 & a second-spherical guide within '69. By owning a picks Minnesota selected Clinton Jones and Bob Grim in '67, Ron Yary in '68 and Ed White in '69.

A Vikings defeated a Cleveland Browns, 27-7, in the NFL Championship Game on Jan. Four, 1970, at Metropolitan Arena. Minnesotthe became a First modern NFL expansion team to win an NFL Championship Game, which gave the children a berth to the Super Bowl which the heavy favorite Vikings dropped to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7.

1970s
Inside 1972 the Vikings traded Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements & a First-spherical selection around '72 & '73 to a Future York Giants to reacquire the popular Tarkenton.

In January 13, 1974, a Vikings played around the 2d Very Bowl in franchise history against the Miami Dolphins at Rice Stadium in Houston, TX. A Dolphins prevailed, Two dozen-7. Minnesota earned a hike to Super Bowl VIII by defeating Dallas, 27-10, in the NFC Championship game.

A Vikings played in their 2d straight Very Bowl, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-6, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans in January 12, 1975. Minnesotthe earned a hike to Super Bowl IX by defeating the Los Angeles Rams, 14-10, at Metropolitan Stadium on December 29, 1974.

A Vikings played inside their Tertiary Extremely Bowl in Quartet years against a Oakland Raiders at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, on January 9, 1977. A Vikings nevertheless, couldn't break its bad luck in the Very Bowl. Minnesota misused, 32-14. the Vikings earned a hike to Super Bowl XI by defeating the Rams, 2 dozen-13, at Metropolitan Stadium in December 26, 1976, in what ended higher existence a previous Vikings playoff game at a Met.

In January 1, 1978, the Vikings played Dallas Cowboys inside their 4th NFC Championship Game in Phoebe years at Texas Stadium. Minnesota misused to the eventual Extremely Bowl Champs, 23-6.

1980s
In May 15, 1981, a Vikings go into the freshly facility around Eden Prairie that houses the team's agents, locker room & practice fields. A complex was known as "Winter Park" fallowing Max Winter, one of a Vikings founders world health organization served when a team's president from either 1965-87.

the Vikings played their First game at a Metrodome inside a preseasin match-up against Seattle on Aug. Xxi, 1982. Minnesota prevailed, 7-Three. A First touchdown in the recently facility was scored by Joe Senser in an Eleven-front yard pass from either Tommy Kramer. A First regular-year game in the Metrodome was a 1982 opener in September 12, while the Vikings defeated Tampa Bay, 17-10. Rickey Young scored the First regular-year touchdown in the facility in a Three-front yard start in the Second quarter.

In January 27, 1984, Bud Grant retired as Head Coach of the Vikings. Around Seventeen seasons Grant led Minnesota to Dozen playoff appearances, Xi section titles & Foursome Extremely Bowls. His career regular-year record was 151-87-Five (.632). A individual that would choose his place would become Les Steckel.

Les Steckel, who was an offence adjunct by using a Vikings for Cinque seasons, was known as a Tertiary head coach within franchise history in January 29, 1984. Steckel, world health organization come to a Vikings witharound 1979 fallowing working as an supporter sustaining a 49ers, was the immature head coach in the NFL in 1984 at age 38.

When Steckel's grim year, he was fired & in December 18, 1984, Bud Grant was re-hired as a head coach of the Vikings.

In January 6, 1986, following a 1985 year, Bud Grant re-retired when head coach of the Vikings. At a period of his retirement he was a Sixth winningest coach inside NFL history by owning 168 career wins, including playoffs. Within Xviii seasons he led the Vikings to a 158-96-Five regular year record.

Longtime Vikings adjunct coach Jerry Burns was named a Fourth head coach around team history in January 7, 1986. He served after a Vikings offensive coordinator from either 1968-85, when a team won 11 section titles & played inside Quaternion Extremely Bowls. Inside his 1st year, a Vikings led per NFL Comeback Player of the Year Tommy Kramer, went 9-7, their first winning record around Quatern years. Within his 2nd year, he led a Vikings to the NFC championship game.

A Vikings played a Redskins in the NFC Championship Game in January 17, 1988, at RFK Stadium. Trailing 17-10, a Vikings drove to the Redskins' Captain hicks-front yard line by using a bit on top a microscopic left in a game however failed for the ball into the prevent zone. Minnesota upset Up to date Orleans, 44-10, at a Superdome & San Francisco, 36-2 dozen, at Candlestick Park in the first Two cycles of the playoffs to earn the hike to the conference title game.

A Vikings would produce what would become considered its large bungle around team history. In October 12, 1989, the Vikings acquired Herschel Walker from Dallas for Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrinside Nelson, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, a number 1-aaround selection inside 1992, misdirect First-round options in 1990 & '91, misdirect Second-spherical options inside 1990, '91 & '92, & the mislead 3rd-around selection around 1992. the resultant of the trade gave the Vikings Walker, the Tertiary (Mike Jones), Fifth (Reggie Thornton) & 10th-aaaspherical selection (Patrick cooper Newman) inside 1990 & the 3rd-spherical selection witharound 1991 (Jake Reed), when Dallas received whole Fivesome players, the First, 2d & 6th-round guide witharound 1990, a First & Second-round guide in 1991 & a First, 2d & 3rd-round guide in 1992.

1990s
In December 3, 1991, Jerry Burns announced his retirement. Around Half the dozen seasons when Head Coach of the Vikings, Burns compiled a career record of 52-43 (.547). He besides led Minnesotthe to Threesome playoff appearances, including a section title & an NFC Championship Game.

In January 10, 1992, the controversial Dennis Green was named a Fifth Head Coach inside team history. He come to Minnesotthe fallowing reversal a struggling Stanford University football program when head coach there from either 1989-91.

Around his Ten seasons when a coach of the Vikings, he won Four NFC Central section titles, experienced Eighter playoff appearances, Two NFC championship game appearances & an everthing-period record of 97-62.

A team experienced Deuce disappointing losses of note in the period of Green's tenure: A 1998 NFC Championship game and a 2000 NFC Championship game. A previous was misused 30-27 within overtime to the Atlanta Falcons at a Metrodome & the latter was misplaced 41-0 to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands.

2000s
Tragedy struck a Minnesota Vikings in the summertime of 2001, whenever Offensive Lineman Korey Stringer died of heat stroke around step by step instruction camp in Mankato, Minnesota.

That equivalent year, Dennis Green, world health organization got get the polarizing inflict in the Viking fan base despite his successful coaching job tenure by owning the team, got his contract bought out when a Five-10 season. Mike Tice coached a final game of 2001.

In January 10, 2002, Mike Tice was named a Sixth Head Coach inside Vikings history. Tice is a 3rd of the Six Vikings Head Coaches to exist as promoted from either in the team's coaching job ranks however is the First Head Coach to own played for the Vikings.

Inside Tice's number one year, the Vikings got the grim 6-10 record, which he reversal around 2003 sustaining a convenient 6-0 run. Even so, the Vikings finish up running Three-7 a rest of a year, missing the playoffs by owning a endure 2nd touchdown reception per Arizona Cardinals' receiver Nate Poole. Green Bay won a section at 10-6, when a Vikings were 9-7. Ironically, a resulting year a Cardinals hired Dennis Green when their Head Coach.

History repeated itself within 2004 when a Vikings went Three-7 on top a survive Ten weeks, however this period it manufactured a playoffs despite merely running 8-8. A Vikings mass produced history in a playoffs by beating their competitor, the Green Bay Packers, in their 1st ever playoff meeting. It as well became a 2nd team within NFL history to last .Five hundred (8-8) in the regular year then win the playoff game. Regrettably, it would lose to the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles the following week 27-14.

A ensuing offseason, Minnesota traded a hero of that Green Bay game (& arguably their better streaming video player), WR Randy Moss, to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris and the Raiders' pick in the 1st spherical of the 2005 NFL Draft (pick total Seven, finding WR Troy Williamson of South Carolina). By owning a salary cap now freed, a Vikings as well signed Little phoebe recently defensive starters to shore higher their antecedently Twenty-eighth graded defense. It remains to exist as seen around case this is a large boo-boo in franchise history, or even one of their greatest moves.

Season-by-season
|- |1961 || Terzetto || Eleven || Cipher || Seventh West || -- |- |196Two || 2 || Eleven || I || Sixth West || -- |- |1963 || Quintuplet || Eighter || One || Fourth West || -- |- |1964 || Eight || Phoebe || Unity || Second West || -- |- |1965 || Sevener || Septet || Zero || Fifth West || -- |- |1966 || Quaternity || Niner || One || Sixth West || -- |- |1967 || Trio || Eighter || Three || Quaternary Telephone exchange || -- |- |196Eighter || 8 || Sextuplet || Nought || First Exchange || Misplaced Conference Playoff Game (Colts) |- |1969 || Xii || Two || Zero || First Exchange || Misused Super Bowl IV (Chiefs) |- |197Cipher || Dozen || Ii || 0 || First NFC Exchange || Wasted Divisional Playoffs (49ers) |- |1971 || Eleven || Trine || Nought || First NFC Telephone exchange || Wasted Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) |- |1972 || Septenary || Sevener || Nought || Tertiary NFC Exchange || -- |- |1973 || Dozen || Two || Nought || First NFC Telephone exchange || Wasted Super Bowl VIII (Dolphins) |- |197Iv || Decade || 4 || Cypher || First NFC Exchange || Misplaced Super Bowl IX (Steelers) |- |1975 || Twelve || Deuce || Nought || First NFC Exchange || Misplaced Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) |- |1976 || Xi || Deuce || I || First NFC Exchange || Wasted Super Bowl XI (Raiders) |- |1977 || Ix || Little phoebe || Cipher || First NFC Telephone exchange || Misused Conference Championship (Cowboys) |- |197Eighter || 8 || Sevener || I || First NFC Exchange || Misplaced Divisional Playoffs (Rams) |- |197Nina from carolina || Septenary || 9 || Nought || Third NFC Telephone exchange || -- |- |198Cipher || Nine || Seven || 0 || First NFC Telephone exchange || Misplaced Divisional Playoffs (Eagles) |- |1981 || Septenary || Nina from carolina || Zero || Fourth NFC Telephone exchange || -- |- |1982 || V || Little joe || Nought || Fourth NFC Conf. || Wasted Second Round (Redskins) |- |1983 || Eighter from decatur || Octonary || Nought || Fourth NFC Exchange || -- |- |1984 || Terzetto || Long dozen || Cipher || Fifth NFC Telephone exchange || -- |- |1985 || Septet || Nina from carolina || Zero || Third NFC Exchange || -- |- |1986 || Ennead || Septet || Zero || 2d NFC Exchange || -- |- |198Heptad || Viii || 7 || Cipher || Second NFC Exchange || Misplaced Conference Championship (Redskins) |- |1988 || Xi || V || Cypher || 2d NFC Exchange || Wasted Divisional Playoffs (49ers) |- |1989 || Decade || Captain hicks || Nought || First NFC Exchange || Misplaced Divisional Playoffs (49ers) |- |199Cipher || Sextet || Tenner || 0 || Fifth NFC Exchange || -- |- |1991 || Eighter from decatur || Octad || Zero || Tertiary NFC Telephone exchange || -- |- |1992 || Eleven || Pentad || Cypher || First NFC Exchange || Misplaced Wild Card Playoffs (Redskins) |- |1993 || Niner || Sevener || Zero || Second NFC Telephone exchange || Wasted Wild Card Playoffs (Giants) |- |1994 || Ten || Sise || Cipher || First NFC Exchange || Wasted Wild Card Playoffs (Bears) |- |1995 || Octad || Octonary || Cipher || Quaternary NFC Exchange || -- |- |1996 || Nina from carolina || Heptad || Cypher || 2d NFC Exchange || Wasted Wild Card Playoffs (Cowboys) |- |199Seven || Nine || 7 || Cypher || Fourth NFC Exchange || Wasted Divisional Playoffs (49ers) |- |1998 || Xv || One || Zero || First NFC Telephone exchange || Misused Conference Championship (Falcons) |- |1999 || Ten || Vi || Zero || 2d NFC Exchange || Wasted Divisional Playoffs (Rams) |- |200Zero || Xi || Phoebe || 0 || First NFC Telephone exchange || Wasted Conference Championship (Giants) |- |2001 || Pentad || Eleven || Cypher || Quaternary NFC Telephone exchange || -- |- |2002 || Sixer || X || Cipher || Second NFC Northward || -- |- |2003 || Ix || Septet || Cypher || 2d NFC N || -- |- |2004 || Eighter || Viii || Cypher || 2d NFC Northerly || Misplaced Divisional Playoffs (Eagles)

Franchise traditions, trends

Viking horn
The both-note clarion call for mimicking an authentic warrior horn. Typically played above a Metrodome PA technique to incite a crowd into a fury, particularly once the Vikings get on defense.

Helga hats
Viking fans come known to dress higher inside "Helga Hats", or even purple hats using whiten horns & blonde braids, mimicking a helmets worn by Viking warriors when invading rival lands.

Fight song
Typically in a period of Vikings games, a fans is led to sing a Minnesota Vikings fight song, which has the resulting lyrics:

Skol (written skål inside norwegian, & periodically "Skoal" within English) is the Norwegian word for even even the salute or a toast, when to an admired individual or class action.

Mascot
A todays team mascot is Ragnar, possibly a merely "human" mascot within office sports, meaning that he doesn't get into anything across his head. Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch) has been working for the Vikings since 1994, and claims to exist as a virtually all widely-recognized mascot in the globe. Jurantich admits to existence somewhat of an eccentric—he holds the todays globe record for fastest period shaving the beard with an axe. Ragnar causes onto the field at a beginning of games in a loudly motorcycle.

Curses
a Vikings, possibly though it is a super successful franchise, come faced by owning championship futility, lot prefer the Chicago Cubs, the Toronto Maple Leafs and many more successful franchises inside more sports. Several attribute their futilities to "curses", like a Cubs' Billy Goat curse. A Vikings own a other esoteric rune stone curse, named for the Kensington Runestone, claimed to be Viking within origin, which was discovered touching Alexandria, Minnesota. Legend has it that a runestone predicts a fate of the Minnesota Vikings later.

the Twenty-two Norwegians in that informatiin come the informatiin to the Twenty-two players that play on a starting offense & defense on an NFL eleven. the X dead come unremarkably the information to a massive class action of injuries or even even an offense or defense that plays sub par.

It too use a 0 for 4 Curse. It keep around played inside quaternary Extremely bowls, however keep around won none.

The Minnesota Vikings sex scandal

When you took October, 2005 a major scandal rocked the Minnesota Vikings. Allegations surfaced that Vikings players were exposed inside incompatible intimate behavior when you took the sail in Lake Minnetonka. There are no charges develop been filed when of however, although Vikings creator Zygmunt Wilf has apologized to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty for the team's conduct. State Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson has indefinitely close down the proposal for the freshly sports stadium because of the scandal. A scandal became locally called Danglegate 2005 on the October 19, 2005, episode of "Bumper to Bumper with Dan Barreiro" in KFAN-AM 1130.

Players of note

Pro Football Hall of Famers
Carl Eller Jim Finks Bud Grant Paul Krause Alan Page Fran Tarkenton Ron Yary

Current players
Michael Bennett RB Matt Birk C Ralph Brown CB Nate Burleson WR Corey Chavous SS Sam Cowart LB Daunte Culpepper QB Rod Davis LB Jeff Dugan TE/FB Paul Edinger K Melvin Fowler OL Dustin Fox S Adam Goldberg G Napoleon Harris LB E.J. Henderson LB Shaun Hill QB Keenan Howry WR/KR Ken Irvin S Erasmus James DE Brad Johnson QB Spencer Johnson DT Lance Johnstone DE Jim Kleinsasser TE Chris Kluwe P Chris Liwienski G Bryant McKinnie OT Mewelde Moore RB Willie Offord S Richard Owens TE/FB Koren Robinson WR Marcus Robinson WR Mike Rosenthal OT Darrian Scott DE Darren Sharper FS Onterrio Smith HB Raonall Smith LB Fred Smoot CB Travis Taylor WR Dontarrious Thomas LB Kenechi Udeze DE Jermaine Wiggins TE Brian Williams CB Kevin Williams DT Moe Williams RB Pat Williams DT Troy Williamson WR Antoine Winfield CB

Retired numbers

Fran Tarkenton 10 Mick Tingelhoff 53 Jim Marshall 70 Korey Stringer 77 Cris Carter 80 Alan Page 88

Not to be forgotten
Gary Anderson Darren Bennett P Matt Blair Joey Browner Anthony Carter Randall Cunningham Jack Del Rio Chris Doleman Chuck Foreman Jeff George Ryan Hoag Steve Jordan Joe Kapp Tommy Kramer Randall McDaniel Keith Millard Warren Moon Randy Moss Darren Nelson David Palmer John Randle Ahmad Rashad Jake Reed Fuad Reveiz Scott Studwell Herschel Walker Wade Wilson Gary Zimmerman