1 day Ago
The moving truck arrived in Minnesota 25 years ago this week. I had visited Minnesota a few times previously. Now it was a place that I was calling home.
Home for how long? I wasn’t sure, especially since that kid from southeast Tennessee had never lived through a Minnesota winter and I don’t recall even owning a pair of snow boots or long underwear at the time. I still haven’t gotten around to purchasing a snowblower, but there’s still time to shake being a cheapskate, I suppose. My first day at the Star Tribune was January 10, 2000.
Lighter on the scale and without a hint of gray hair, the goal then was the same as it is now — make deadline, tell great stories. That’s the best hope of any sportswriter fortunate enough to do the job, to be able to witness and chronicle a great story. Something dramatic, unique, thrilling, goofy, historic, memorable.
Anything but boring. Seasons and bylines blur together over time, but every so often, a team stokes the fire with something wholly unexpected that sucks you completely into the moment. The 2024 Vikings have done that, which is why this season shoots to the top of my most enjoyable experiences in a quarter century of covering Minnesota sports.
Wilfs understand ‘how important the Vikings are to this state.’ The final chapter has yet to be written, but a 14-2 record with a chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs in Detroit on Sunday has reminded all of us that seasons like this don’t come along very often.
(I feel envious when colleagues talk about covering the Twins championship teams.) There have been a few other teams that felt special both in the moment and in memory. The 2003 Wild.
The 2009 Vikings. The 2019 Twins. All ridiculously fun seasons to cover for different reasons.
The Wild’s ‘03 postseason run was the definition of unexpected. They were a young team slaying giants, overcoming a pair of 3-1 series deficits to reach the conference finals. And the most likable group of players and coaches I’ve encountered in this profession.
The 2009 Vikings had the most assembled talent of any team I’ve covered. That team featured colorful personalities and tons of star power, led by Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen and Kevin Williams. It’s a shame that team didn’t finish the deal with a championship parade.
The Twins Bomba Squad hit a record number of home runs and made going to the baseball park fun again. Nelson Cruz provided a case study in the importance of locker room leadership. The ’24 Vikings are a hoot.
This season contains all the ingredients that make being a fan of sports so captivating: Unexpected success (14-2 record), compelling story lines (Sam Darnold’s renaissance), high drama (eight one-score victories), stars shining (Justin Jefferson, Jonathan Greenard, Jordan Addison, Andrew Van Ginkel, etc.), emotion (Kevin O’Connell’s locker room speeches), fun personalities (Camryn Bynum’s and Josh Metellus’ choreographed celebration dances). The vibe just feels different with this team.
The term “culture” gets overused in the sports and corporate world, but it can be a powerful thing when it takes root and spreads. O’Connell has created a positive work environment that allows players to thrive and feel confident. The Vikings are a tight-knit group that has straddled the line perfectly between having fun and being serious and accountable in their preparation.
Everyone has the same agenda. That’s not always the case in a locker room of 50-plus pro athletes at different stages of their careers and contract status. It’s hard to image a more important regular-season game in Vikings history than what takes place Sunday night in Detroit because the stakes can’t get any higher for a non-playoff game.
Two 14-win teams battling for No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs in the final game of the season. “I’m definitely not going to be able to sleep Saturday and just be awaiting all day Sunday,” Jefferson said.
Vikings fans likely will be right there with him in their excitement. These are moments we will remember for a long time, even more so if the magic carpet ride continues in the playoffs..
