Week 6 Primer...The Minnesota Vikings

Hostile

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Right now, as we sit here today, the main thing we think about the Vikings is 34-3 to end a promising run in 2009. Revenge. I want to take a short look at the Vikings History and their battles with Dallas.

The Vikings were the NFL's 14th franchise, directly after the Cowboys. The NFL actually wanted the Cowboys to join the NFL in 1961 like the Vikings, but the introduction of the AFL with Lamar Hunt placing a team in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl would have put the Cowboys a year behind in fan loyalty.

The NFL argued that the 1960 Draft was already past. Clint Murchison, Tex Schramm, and Tom Landry said they would build the Cowboys anyway and take their chances. The Vikings originally were going to be an AFL team but when the NFL came calling to have a balanced number of teams the Vikings gladly accepted. Thus in 1961 an ownership group of Max Winter, Bill Boyer, and H. P. Skogland was formed. They also got a 4th owner named Ole Haugsrud who had previously owned an NFL team that played in the 1920's and 1930's. He had an agreement granting him part ownership in any future Minnesota NFL team.

In 1998 the Vikings ownership group sold the team to Red McCombs. He in turn sold the team to current owner Zygi Wilf in 2005.

The Cowboys and the Vikings series goes all the way back to the Vikings genesis. Here is a little known fact. The Vikings are the first team that the Cowboys ever swept in a home and home season series. That happened in the Vikings first season, 1961. The Vikings were the Cowboys 2nd and 3rd ever victories as a franchise.

The two teams have met each other 20 times in the Regular season. The all time series there stands at 10-10. Winner of the game Sunday doesn't just get a reprieve from the what is wrong questions, they take the lead in the head to head series.

The teams have met 7 times in the Post season. The Cowboys are 4-3 in those wars. They hold a 2-1 edge at Dallas and are 2-2 at Minnesota.

The Vikings have had an auspicious History when it comes to the Post Season. They are the first team to ever play in 4 Super Bowls, but they lost all 4 games. Their first trip to the big game was after the 1969 season. They beat the Rams and Browns for the right to represent the NFL in the Super Bowl. There they were heavily favored but lost to Lamar Hunt's now Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs were originally the Dallas Texans. It was the last Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger.

The Vikings returned to the Super Bowl in 1973. Along the way they beat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship for the right to go. The Vikings then lost to the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl. In 1974 the Vikings returned to the Super Bowl and became the first repeat losers in Super Bowl History when they lost to the Steelers.

In 1975 the Vikings were heavy favorites to go back to the Super Bowl and represent the NFC. They finished the season with a 12-2 record. In the playoffs they drew the Wildcard Dallas Cowboys. They seemingly had the game won until Roger Staubach threw an unbelievable touchdown pass to Drew Pearson. That pass came to be known as "The Hail Mary." Reportedly when asked by a reporter, Roger, a devout Catholic replied, "I just closed my eyes, said a Hail Mary, and threw it as far as I could." To this day desperation passes are called "Hail Marys."

The Vikings returned to the Super Bowl in 1976 and lost to the Oakland Raiders. had it not been for the Hail Mary they might have been the first team to lose 4 straight Super Bowls instead of the Buffalo Bills, and the first team to lose 5 overall. Instead they were the first team to go to 3 Super Bowls in 4 years, but unlike the Cowboys or the Patriots, they lost all 3 instead of winning all three.

In 1977 the Vikings were again a playoff contender, but they ran into the Cowboys in the Playoffs again. The game was the 1977 NFC Championship and the Cowboys won and went on to win their second Super Bowl.

The Cowboys and Vikings built a fierce rivalry in the 1970's but most of it was contained to the Post Season.

The Cowboys and Vikings are remembered for two other big incidents in NFL History. The first happened in the final game of the 1982 season. Tony Dorsett broke the NFL record for the longest Touchdown from scrimmage when he romped 99 1/2 yards for a score on Monday Night Football. The second Historical event that is remembered is the trade for Herschel Walker. It was supposed to propel the Vikings back to glory. Instead it propelled the Cowboys back to glory as they used the plethora of Draft picks to rebuild the team and return to Super Bowl dominance.

Can History repeat itself? Tune in on this website to find out.
 
Hostile;3619909 said:
In 1975 the Vikings were heavy favorites to go back to the Super Bowl and represent the NFC. They finished the season with a 12-2 record. In the playoffs they drew the Wildcard Dallas Cowboys. They seemingly had the game won until Roger Staubach threw an unbelievable touchdown pass to Drew Pearson. That pass came to be known as "The Hail Mary." Reportedly when asked by a reporter, Roger, a devout Catholic replied, "I just closed my eyes, said a Hail Mary, and threw it as far as I could." To this day desperation passes are called "Hail Marys."
Interesting little bit of info. I always figured that play got it's name a long long time ago in a college game.
 
Dallas VS Minnesota is one of the most richest rivalries in the NFL for sure. I used to read about these teams as a young kid.

In the 1970s (in the NFC), it was all about:

Dallas
S.F.
Minnesota
Los Angeles Rams

Those were the four teams who pretty much fought it out to see who would go to the Super Bowl.

Dallas and Minnesota met in the 1970 Divisional round, and Dallas won 20-12.

The two teams met in the 1996 Wildcard round, and Dallas won 40-15.

They met again in the 2000 Wildcard round, and Minnesota won 27-10.

The Vikings had several Hall of Fame players, and the 1970s and 1990s Cowboys ran into them:

Alan Page, Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, Paul Krause, Randall McDaniel, Gary Zimmerman, Ron Yary, Carl Eller, John Randle, and
Bud Grant.

The 1970s Vikings defense was called the Purple People Eaters.
 
Real weird game. I have no feel for it. I feel good that they will turn it on now that they are in a hole but there so many variables in this one.

If they are +1 in TO's at worst they win, how about that.....
 
MarionBarberThe4th;3620113 said:
Real weird game. I have no feel for it. I feel good that they will turn it on now that they are in a hole but there so many variables in this one.

If they are +1 in TO's at worst they win, how about that.....

I said it last week which Dallas team is going to show ?. Right now I am guessing that we lose but I would not be surprised if they win either
 
Kangaroo;3620184 said:
I said it last week which Dallas team is going to show ?. Right now I am guessing that we lose but I would not be surprised if they win either

So far we have basically "showed up" for 1 game this year, the Houston game.


Now will we show up this Sunday??? I have no idea, I would think probably not but you never know.

We will find out Sunday.
 
Beast_from_East;3620198 said:
So far we have basically "showed up" for 1 game this year, the Houston game.


Now will we show up this Sunday??? I have no idea, I would think probably not but you never know.

We will find out Sunday.

I don't expect this team to show up to this one. Unfortunately.
 
MarionBarberThe4th;3620113 said:
Real weird game. I have no feel for it. I feel good that they will turn it on now that they are in a hole but there so many variables in this one.

If they are +1 in TO's at worst they win, how about that.....

Yep. Win the TO battle, play our game otherwise, and we win. I hope.

Unrelated. Anybody know where I can find the box score for the 1996 playoff game? I keep getting that we ran up the score on them in that game and that last year's garbage time touchdown by Favre and company was payback. Frankly, I can't remember the 1996 game well at all, but I don't recall running up the score on them in the same fashion.
 
Myself, I think that this team has guts from Jerry down to the newest addition. I think this team is made up of players who had to work their posteriors off to get each everyone of their shots in the NFL. They are going to go into Minnesota and no one is going to have to figure out if a game was played this Sunday. The game is on.....NOW. :starspin
 
Kangaroo;3620184 said:
I said it last week which Dallas team is going to show ?. Right now I am guessing that we lose but I would not be surprised if they win either
I'll tell you which Dallas team better show up. I don't think we can dig out if we go a foot deeper.
 
Hostile;3620540 said:
I'll tell you which Dallas team better show up. I don't think we can dig out if we go a foot deeper.

Definitely agree. 2-3 isn't so bad. 1-4 is full blown catastrophe (at least on the internet)....
 
41gy#;3620109 said:
Dallas VS Minnesota is one of the most richest rivalries in the NFL for sure. I used to read about these teams as a young kid.

In the 1970s (in the NFC), it was all about:

Dallas
S.F.
Minnesota
Los Angeles Rams

Those were the four teams who pretty much fought it out to see who would go to the Super Bowl.

Dallas and Minnesota met in the 1970 Divisional round, and Dallas won 20-12.

The two teams met in the 1996 Wildcard round, and Dallas won 40-15.

They met again in the 2000 Wildcard round, and Minnesota won 27-10.

The Vikings had several Hall of Fame players, and the 1970s and 1990s Cowboys ran into them:

Alan Page, Fran Tarkenton, Warren Moon, Paul Krause, Randall McDaniel, Gary Zimmerman, Ron Yary, Carl Eller, John Randle, and
Bud Grant.

The 1970s Vikings defense was called the Purple People Eaters.

Chuck Foreman was a pretty good RB in his time also.
 
Hostile;3620540 said:
I'll tell you which Dallas team better show up. I don't think we can dig out if we go a foot deeper.


You say that now....

Good thread though, I think this is my favorite "series" thread there is, I really enjoy the history and anecdotes. Its too bad Minni does not play outdoors anymore, watching NFLN films makes me wish I could have seen that, some real football there it looks like, back when football players were men, fans were tough and the thought of indoor stadiums was reserved for figure skating and other lesser forms of creation.
 
Idgit;3620223 said:
Yep. Win the TO battle, play our game otherwise, and we win. I hope.

Unrelated. Anybody know where I can find the box score for the 1996 playoff game? I keep getting that we ran up the score on them in that game and that last year's garbage time touchdown by Favre and company was payback. Frankly, I can't remember the 1996 game well at all, but I don't recall running up the score on them in the same fashion.

It wasn't really the same fashion. We lead 30-0 at the half, and the entire fourth quarter offense featured Jason Garrett, Sherman Williams and Herschel Walker. We passed twice for 14 yards in that quarter and Williams and Walker ended up with a combined 25 carries for 125 yards. This was apfter Emmitt gashed them for 117 yards already.

Final score, 40-15.
 
Anyone remember any of the details of the 1996 game? My searches are turning up very little by way of details.
 
windward;3620636 said:
It wasn't really the same fashion. We lead 30-0 at the half, and the entire fourth quarter offense featured Jason Garrett, Sherman Williams and Herschel Walker. We passed twice for 14 yards in that quarter and Williams and Walker ended up with a combined 25 carries for 125 yards. This was apfter Emmitt gashed them for 117 yards already.

Final score, 40-15.

Ah! Thank you. I remember that one, now that you told me all about it. Good. I'm going to make my business partner in his damn purple jersey eat it. :D
 
Idgit;3620643 said:
Anyone remember any of the details of the 1996 game? My searches are turning up very little by way of details.

Look up. ;) ah, I see you got it.
 
windward;3620646 said:

You and I are hitting 'submit', like, thirty seconds after each other here. :)

Thanks again, windward. So much smack flying for me this week, and it was killing me that I couldn't find anything solid re: that game.
 
I've always wanted to see the full Hail Mary game, from beginning to end...never have!
 

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