Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a National Football League team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally, the team was to be a charter member of the American Football League, but its ownership group withdrew from the AFL and agreed to join the NFL as a 1961 expansion team.

Franchise traditions, trends

Viking horn

A two-note clarion call mimicking an authentic warrior horn. Often played over the Metrodome PA system to incite the crowd into a frenzy, particularly when the Vikings are on defense.

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Helga hats

Viking fans are known to dress up in "Helga Hats", or purple hats with white horns and blond braids, mimicking the helmets worn by Viking warriors while invading rival lands.

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Fight song

Often during Vikings games, the fans will be led to sing the Minnesota Vikings fight song, which has the following lyrics:

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:Skol, Vikings! Let's win this game. Skol, Vikings! Honor your name.

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:Go get that first down, then get a touchdown,

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:Rock 'em, sock 'em, fight, fight, fight, fight!

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:Skol, Vikings! Run out the score; You'll hear us yell for more.

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:V-I-K-I-N-G-S! Skol, Vikings, let's go!

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Skol is the Norwegian word for a salute or a toast, as to an admired person or group.

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Mascot

The current team mascot is Ragnar, possibly the only "human" mascot in professional sports, meaning that he doesn't wear anything over his head. Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch) has been working for the Vikings since 1994, and claims to be the most widely-recognized mascot in the world. Jurantich admits to being somewhat of an eccentric—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a beard with an axe. Ragnar drives onto the field at the beginning of games on a loud motorcycle.

Related Topics:
Mascot - Ragnar - 1994 - Eccentric - Beard - Axe - Motorcycle

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Curses

The Vikings, even though they are a very successful franchise, are faced with championship futility, much like the Chicago Cubs, the Toronto Maple Leafs and many other successful franchises in other sports. Many attribute their futilities to "curses", such as the Cubs' Billy Goat curse. The Vikings have the more esoteric rune stone curse, named for the Kensington Runestone, claimed to be Viking in origin, which was found near Alexandria, Minnesota. Legend has it that the runestone predicts the fate of the Minnesota Vikings in the future.

Related Topics:
Chicago Cubs - Toronto Maple Leafs - Billy Goat curse - Rune stone - Kensington Runestone - Alexandria, Minnesota

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:22 Norwegians on

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:discovery voyage from

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:Vinland over (the) west we

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:had camp by 2 skerries one

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:days journey north from this stone

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:we were and fishe(ed) one day after

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:we came home found 10 men red

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:with blood and dead.

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The 22 Norwegians in this reference are a reference to the 22 players that play on a starting offense and defense on an NFL football team. The 10 dead are usually a reference to a massive group of injuries or an offense or defense that plays sub par.

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They also have the 0 for 4 Curse. They have played in four Super bowls, but have won none.

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