| The 2009 season is close at hand and the pro | | | | NFL team was announced in 1960 Minnesota |
| draft is about to begin. For the devout Minnesota | | | | Vikings ticket sales have always been brisk. In |
| Vikings fans these are some of those special | | | | 1961 alone there were nearly 26,000 season |
| moments to savor. Talk is rampant about the | | | | tickets bought by devoted fans and supporters. |
| possibility of acquiring quarterback Jay Cutler. | | | | The 40,800 seat Metropolitan Stadium was the |
| Having Cutler lead the team would be appealing to | | | | site where the Vikings began their first season, |
| a large number of fans and would certainly send | | | | and the average attendance for the home games |
| the demand for Minnesota Vikings tickets into the | | | | was almost 35,000 people. |
| stratosphere. Although he seems to be a perfect | | | | Purple People Eaters Thrill the Fans |
| fit for the offensive play of this team Cutler's | | | | The Purple People Eaters were what fans called |
| fate is still in limbo, but that doesn't stop the fans | | | | Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and Gary Larsen |
| from dreaming about watching one of the top 10 | | | | in the late 1960s. This was the strong core group |
| NFL quarterbacks play for the Vikings. | | | | of defensive linemen that the Vikings were |
| The Minnesota Vikings Have Many Franchise | | | | putting onto the field at every game. These |
| Moments to Remember | | | | players were one of the reasons that the |
| At their very first kickoff the Minnesota Vikings | | | | Minnesota Vikings won the Central Division NFL |
| quickly proved that they were a team that could | | | | title and a playoff slot in 1968. This was the first |
| win, and win big. When this football squad first | | | | year that the team had brought home a |
| took the field they scored a triumphant upset | | | | championship. A year later the powerful Minnesota |
| over the powerful Chicago Bears. The young | | | | Vikings posted a record of 12 and 2 which was |
| quarterback who led the Vikings on this occasion | | | | the most successful for any of the NFL teams. In |
| was none other than Fran Tarkenton. During the | | | | 1970 the Vikings were the first NFL expansion |
| next 4 decades this football franchise would add | | | | franchise of modern times to clinch an NFL |
| an NFL title and three NFC titles to their record | | | | Championship. This feat earned them a spot in |
| books. | | | | Super Bowl IV where they lost to the Kansas |
| The Twin Cities have a long and impressive | | | | City Chiefs. |
| football history beginning with their NFL football | | | | The Super Bowl Championship Eludes the Vikings |
| squad in the 1920s and 1930s. This team was | | | | 3 Times |
| known as the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets. | | | | During the 1970s the Vikings enjoyed some huge |
| After this sports club folded pro football was | | | | successes on the field. As they posted strong |
| dormant in Minnesota until 1959. This was when a | | | | winning records the fans became more frenzied |
| trio of businessmen snagged an American Football | | | | as they ratcheted up their searches for Minnesota |
| League franchise. The AFL opportunity was | | | | Vikings tickets. The team's second Super Bowl |
| forfeited 5 months later when the National | | | | appearance took place in 1974, and another one |
| Football League awarded the city the rights to a | | | | followed in 1975. Although the Vikings did not win |
| new football expansion team. | | | | the team continued to post strong ticket and |
| The first games for the new Minnesota Vikings | | | | merchandise sales. Their 3rd Super Bowl trip in |
| squad began in 1961. The name of the team is | | | | just 4 years occurred in 1977. This time the |
| meant to reflect the Scandinavian American | | | | Vikings team would lose to the Oakland Raiders. |
| history of this area of the US. From the day this | | | | |