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The
Minnesota Vikings are a National Football
League team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
along with fellow major pro sports
franchises Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild
and the Minnesota Timberwolves.Bert Rose,
the first general manager of the Minnesota
team that began NFL play in 1961, selected
the Vikings name because so many people in
Minnesota and the surrounding area traced
their heritage to Scandinavia. The team's
nicknames are Purple People Eaters and The
Norse Force.The Vikings is one of four teams
that plays in the North Division of the
National Football Conference. |
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The pro football saga in the Twin
Cities began in August 1959, when
five Minnesota businessmen were
awarded a franchise in the new
American Football League. Five
months later in January 1960, the
same ownership group made up of Bill
Boyer, Ole Haugsrud, Bernie Ridder,
H. P. Skoglund and Max Winter first
forfeited its America Football
League (AFL) membership and then was
awarded the National Football
League's 14th franchise that was to
begin play in 1961.The Vikings
joined the NFL as an expansion team
in 1961 and selected Fran Tarkenton
in the NFL draft.From their very
first game, the Minnesota Vikings
proved that winning is a big part of
the team's makeup.Rookie quarterback
Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to
lead Minnesota to a shocking 37-13
upset of the Chicago Bears in the
franchise's debut. |
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He
threw four four touchdown passes and run for
a fifth score leading his team to a victory
over the Bears. In 1967 Minnesota traded
Tarkenton to the New York Giants for the
rights to four draft picks. These picks
yielded several talented rookies, including
Alan Page. In 1986, Tarkenton became the
first Vikings player to be elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame.Although they were
clearly the NFC’s dominant club, the Vikings
repeatedly fell to their American Football
Conference (AFC) opponents in the Super
Bowl. Minnesota lost to the Miami Dolphins
24-7 in 1974, to the Pittsburgh Steelers
16-6 in 1975, and to the Oakland Raiders
32-14 in 1977. |
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The Vikings have also lost Super Bowl IV
to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-7, in
1970. They have however won one League
championship (1969 (NFL)), four
Conference Championships (1969 (WFC),
1973 (NFC), 1974 (NFC), 1976 (NFC)),
sixteen Division Championships and have
made twenty three playoff appearances
since 1968. The Vikings Hall of Famers
include Carl Eller, Bud Grant,Paul
Krause, Alan Page, Fran Tarkenton and
Ron Yary. They have retired the numbers
(#10) Fran Tarkenton,(#53)Mick
Tingelhoff, (#70)Jim Marshall,(#77)Korey
Stringer, (#80)Cris Carter and (#88)
Alan Page. |
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The
teams uniform consists of the colors Purple
and Gold (or White, Purple and Gold) and
helmet purple while it's design is a white
viking horn. The Vikings play their home
games at the Metrodome, which was opened on
September 12, 1982,and can hold 64,035
people. The Vikings have been among the
league's elite that has included one NFL
championship and three NFC crowns. |
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