Being a Fan-Worth It?

Joe Brockman, my Grandpa, showed me at a very young age the amount of anxiety that comes along with being a true fan. As a lifelong Notre Dame college football fan, every game day, no matter how the game was going, he would sweat out the entire game.  No lead was ever big enough or safe enough. He was so superstitious that if my Grandma walked in the room and Notre Dame had a bad play he would tell her “That’s because you walked in the room. Get outta here!” If Notre Dame lost, his week would be ruined.  If they won, he felt more relief than joy. Luckily for him, Notre Dame was always very good in his lifetime (1924-1989) winning 11 National Championships.  As Notre Dame has had little success since his death (until this year of course), I imagine that if he were still alive today, he would be a very bitter old man.

I don’t think my Grandpa is a rare case, as I have seen the same type of behavior with several of my friends and family. Some people I know well (who will remain nameless) have certain affection for the Wisconsin Badgers and/or the Green Bay Packers. When their team is playing poor, and if you were watching these nameless people from afar, you would think that someone or something was putting great harm on someone they love.  When their team is playing especially poor (i.e. Wisconsin vs. Utah State 9/15/2012 or Green Bay vs. San Francisco 01/12/2013) you wouldn’t guess they are actually choosing to put themselves through this pain. There is no way anybody would put himself or herself in such an uncomfortable situation, right?

Watching this, and remembering my Grandpa, I sometimes wonder, is it all worth it? When have you gone too far, and started to care a little bit too much about a sports team?

I hate to say it, but I know these same emotions very well. However, I think that my team has brought more heartache than my Grandpa or these nameless people will ever know. The Packers have won 2 Super Bowls in the last 15 years, (not to mention many more before that) and the Badgers have been to what, 6 Rose Bowls since ’94? No matter how bad certain games are, these nameless people can always say to me, well, at least we’ve had all the good times. At least this doesn’t happen all the time. At least next year we’ll probably be good again. At least we’re not like you. Anything is better than being a Minnesota Vikings fan.

This sounds pathetic. I am actually taking time to explain my grief as a fan for my favorite team in sports. You could say that there are WAY worse things going on in this world. People are at war. People are starving. People are sick. There are literally billions of people in the world who do not have the basic liberties I have as to even root for a team. I get it.

Still, I can’t help it. Being a Minnesota Vikings fan in my lifetime hasn’t been easy.

Even in the sports world, it could be worse. Far worse. I could be a Chicago Cubs fan where my team hasn’t won a World Series since 1908. I met a guy last summer who has been a lifelong Cubs fan. He told me true Cubs fans actually hate the Cubs. I think I get it.

I could be a Cleveland (any team) fan (Cleveland Sports Worst Moments).  Even after the Browns came back as an expansion team, they are still brutal.

Or even worse, I could be a former Seattle Supersonics fan.  They left Seattle after choosing Kevin Durant 2^nd overall, and then have to watch a dynasty get established in Oklahoma of all places!

Still, the Vikings have given me a laundry list of disappointing defeats. Losses so painful, that they have literally stayed with me for more than a decade. Losses that have trained me to never get too excited about their success, because just when you think you have it in the bag…KERPLUNK!…season over.

I know there is more to being a true fan than to always see your team win. But, is there? Really?  Yes, the Vikings have had a lot of success in my lifetime, going to the playoffs about half the time since 1990, and having many exciting runs in the playoffs (especially this year). But guess how many Super Bowls the Minnesota Vikings have been to in my lifetime? Forget winning a Super Bowl (which they also haven’t done EVER), the Minnesota Vikings are the only NFC team besides the Detroit Lions (yep, the Lions) to not PLAY in a Super Bowl since I was born in 1983. C’mon!

You know your team is used to giving you disappointment when all you ask for is a Super Bowl LOSS. I don’t even care if they lose. Just give me the Vikings in the Super Bowl, some overrated commercials, Dr. Dre featuring Kayne West, Xzibit, Snoop Lion and Eminem at Halftime, and I will be happy as a clam.

You might think it sounds like I hate the Vikings, or I should give up and like another team. Or maybe I could get a different hobby when the leaves start to change. But, I love the Minnesota Vikings. I do. I will probably explain why I do in another entry. Every year I know anything can happen, and I convince myself we might have a chance to make a deep run.  I really have had some wonderful times with this franchise.

But, the truth is, for some reason, I remember the really bad moments (i.e. Spergon Wynn starting games in 2001) over some of the Best Moments. That is why these 5 moments stick out in my head when I think of my team, the Minnesota Vikings. None of these are good memories, and I can literally remember where I was, and who I was with when I witnessed these plays.  Some of these are no-brainers, and others maybe not so much. Such events as the Love Boat Scandal, the Whizinator, Metrodome Collapse, or the Herschel Walker trade do not count. Those weren’t games. And who cares about the Metrodome anyways? Also, I know I am missing like half of the Vikings over a 50 year history. I know I missed some good teams in the 70’s that equally disappointed. But, I wasn’t there, so it doesn’t count.

Ok, here we go:

5. Daunte Culpepper 2005 Knee Injury-Up until then, Daunte Culpepper’s career had been pretty fantastic. He had led to the Vikings to a NFC Championship, and had an unbelievable 2004 season. He gave Vikings fans hope. Hope that we might have finally found another franchise QB. Plus he was 265 lbs., and he could throw, and he could run. Well, not too well after this injury. Good bye potential Super Bowl. Welcome back Brad Johnson!

4. 2000 Lambeau Miracle Catch on Monday Night Football-This play had little significance in the long scope of things for the 2000 season, except this is just a typical bad play against our rival that has stayed with me. Packers win in OT. Oh, and I remember the game ended after 11, and I had a crappy cold for some reason. I should have been sleeping, but instead I stayed up to watch this: Monday Night Disgust

3. Brett Favre’s Interception in the 2009 NFC Championship Game-This could very well be 1 or 2, but everyone knew Favre had yet to throw that pass like he did so many times in his career. Just like he did when he played for the Packers in the 2007 NFC Championship Game against the NY Giants. I was just hoping he could have saved it for the Super Bowl. But, no.

He couldn’t resist. Sidney Rice was open, right? Didn’t matter. Saints win in Overtime, and end up winning their first Super Bowl. Not the Vikings. 

2. Arizona Cardinals QB Josh McCown TD pass against the Vikings in 2003. Oh man, this was tough. This play literally kicked the Vikings out of the playoffs ending their season, while also putting the Packers in. The 2003 Vikings became the first team in NFL history to start 6-0 and not make the playoffs. This video however is priceless. “NO!” Ahh man. Did This Really Happen?

1. Gary Anderson “Wide Left” in the 1998 NFC Championship Game. This moment has to be number one. The ’98 Vikings were literally one of the best teams in the last 20 years in the NFL. Yes, they were. If I ever had a chance to see my team in the Super Bowl with Dr. Dre, ‘98 was the year. And even at 14 Years Old, witnessing Gary Anderson’s miss was the moment I knew that this was a major opportunity blown and it wouldn’t come again anytime soon.

So after all of this, is it worth it to be so concerned about your favorite team year in and year out? Well, I suppose it depends on who you ask. I bet if you asked my Grandpa before he passed away, he would probably say it was. Or, the nameless Wisconsin/Green Bay fans, I’m sure it has been worth it for them too.

For me too, the time and energy I have put into the Minnesota Vikings has absolutely been worth it. I was reminded this year how fun it is to see your team to overachieve and play well. For every disappointing season we’ve had, it will make that season when we finally get to the Super Bowl and win it, SO worth it.