Distraught Fair Weather Viking Fans And Russian Cockroaches! - Jan. 19, 1999 - Newsletters - http://maxpages.com/ljwbthisweek/Dark_Day_For_Vikings

By Larry J. W. Brown

Published in the "So. Washington County Bulletin" newspaper of Minnesota.

The true champions after the Viking's NFC playoff defeat? The players, coaches AND the fans that realize what a great season we had!

I received an email from a missionary family in Russia over the weekend. They always want to know how the Vikes are doing, and they were also telling me of the wins and losses of their battle against the Russian cockroaches. They are open to good suggestions as to how to deal with the problem.

My advice: Just pretend you are still in Minnesota and dealing with the fair weather Viking fans, armchair pro-want-a-bees! Put up with them, no matter how disgusting they can be. You're stuck with them.

On Sunday, I settled back with the family to watch the Vikings win the NFC playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. It was a great game with lots of intense, anxiety-provoking moments - the kind that make football fun to watch!

After the winning field goal, I was stunned! There were a lot of Minnesota zombies on the roads driving home after the game. Most of the flags were no longer flying from the cars. Someone rolled down a window and tossed a Vikings Victory Towel onto the snow-covered highway. It was once a victory towel, now a discarded crying towel.

The "no-brainer complainer" radio call-in shows were a classic example of pretend Minnesota fans! Everyone whining and looking for some one to blame! One female caller was openly wailing,, "How can we ever have faith in this team again?" Send her a free purple and gold pacifier. Maybe that will calm her down for a while.

The talk show host, who sounded like he'd cried in one too many brewskies, was even worse - a real delight (but with a handle like "Dark Star," what could you expect?). He wanted to blame the brilliant coaching staff for the snafu, as if he had all the right moves they should have made. I wonder how you get one of those jobs where you get paid for slobbering all over yourself while you complain and point your fat fingers, still dripping with chip dip and nose-blow.

Wake up folks! The Vikings are not losers, they are winners who have finally suffered a narrow loss! Remember, they were one of the final four teams still alive! I don't see the Vikes as being dead. The fair weather fickles are the ones who don't seem to have what it takes to hang in there.

On the following Monday morning, Minnesota was one quiet part of the world. However, local Christian radio station KTIS was singing the praises of the players, proclaiming their victories and calling for a parade in their honor! What a difference in attitude! By Tuesday night, TV station KARE-11 finally came around and ran a special showing some fun season highlights to help lift the mood, and I understand another station did the same. It would be nice to see more of that sooner, after the players have worked so hard and given us so much fun this year!

One thing I'm quite sure of is that once the fans here get a chance to think about it, they will cheer up and pick up their little flags and horns and towels and find new hope for next year.

Because they are just like those little Russian cockroaches, no matter how many times they give up and run and hide, when it's feeding time, they get hungry and they always come back!

ljwb@mail.com

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