The Slap - my life as a Viking fan

[minny65]

At the age of 10 I decide to show my coming of age independence from my father and older brother.  They are NY Giants fans because my parents are from the Bronx.  The Giants were horrible back then but that is not the reason I declared myself a Viking fan true and true.  It was for multiple reasons, the PPE, snow, Grant but mostly because I was 10 and so was Fran-the-man

So the table is set for SB XI vs the Raiders.  The year I had shown my independence and love of the Vikings.  So just as our lives start with an ass slap for oxygen my Viking life also began with a slap heard around our 7 bedroom house (10 kids).  The Raiders score another TD and the game is out of reach  and just like the scene from "A Christmas Story" I proceed to let out my very first F-bomb!!!  Then comes the slap to the back of the head which at the time I thought was because I dropped the F-bomb.  Come to find out, after 45 more years, that the slap was not for the F-bomb but was my fathers way of telling me I was an idiot for being a Viking fan.  The END.   Oh, thanks Dad, you should have slapped me more    (not PC but true)

[Guest]

Love the story, I was also a huge Fran fan, had a 10 jersey that I wore until it fell apart!  When he was traded to the Vikes, I immediately became a Vikes fan and the rest is history!  Had my father given me a good slap back then, maybe I could have avoided the 0-4 Super Bowls and the consistent let downs every year!  

[Guest]

I was a Browns and Bill Nelson fan for exactly one week. The following week, the Vikings destroyed them The rest, as they say, is history. Mind numbing, brutal, unrelenting, soul crushing, history.

[Guest]

A friend of mine once asked me if something would happen to the Viking Franchise and they were no more...what other team would you cheer for?  I thought about it for maybe 30 seconds and said I'd stop watching football if their were no Vikings.

[Guest]

Great story.  My story is kind of similar.  Grew up in Northern California during the 49ers dynasty. My Dad and all my friends at school were 49ers fans. I never liked San Francisco and hated the constant gloating and my Dad throwing on his 49ers jacket with all his super bowl pins on them every time the 49ers would win. Couldn't stand Jerry Rice and Roger Craig.  In 1987 this no name team from Minnesota went into San Francisco and beat the unbeatable 49ers. Anthony Carter exploded for 227 yards.  I went to the mall that same day and bought me a Minnesota Vikings shirt to wear to school the next day and piss everybody off.  Been a long suffering fan of this team ever since. 

[Guest]

lived through the the ‘70s “glory” years too, but in So. CA..

All my friends were Rams fans, and the Vikings always beat the Rams in the playoffs....
Just couldnt win the big one.  

[Guest]

@supafreak84 said:
Great story.  My story is kind of similar.  Grew up in Northern California during the 49ers dynasty. My Dad and all my friends at school were 49ers fans. I never liked San Francisco and hated the constant gloating and my Dad throwing on his 49ers jacket with all his super bowl pins on them every time the 49ers would win. Couldn't stand Jerry Rice and Roger Craig.  In 1987 this no name team from Minnesota went into San Francisco and beat the unbeatable 49ers. Anthony Carter exploded for 227 yards.  I went to the mall that same day and bought me a Minnesota Vikings shirt to wear to school the next day and piss everybody off.  Been a long suffering fan of this team ever since. 

Carl Lee also shut down Jerry Rice in that game too.

[Guest]

@ArizonaViking said:
A friend of mine once asked me if something would happen to the Viking Franchise and they were no more...what other team would you cheer for?  I thought about it for maybe 30 seconds and said I'd stop watching football if their were no Vikings.

I would stop watching any team meaning could not just switch.  The Baltimore Colts becoming the Baltimore Ravens as an example.  I know I could not just auto become a Indy Colts fan.  I would prob become your typical young fan of today.  They root for players not teams usually based on fantasy which I haven't played in 15 years.  But I do gamble on draftkings and do end up watching games/players with little interest in outcome so it is a much watered down experience.  For example last night I had total of $40 on 3 players as to who would score the first TD.  I won $60 when Chubb scored but I would have won $700 if it was Mayfield.  So I am up a whopping $20.  I had also put a total of $30 on Dobbins the Balt RB.  I put $8 to win $18 if he got over 51 yards and he ended up with 53.  I had the other $22 dollars of the 30 on Dobbins to gain 71 yards and then 111 yards phased.  So I lost $6 dollars on Dobbins and won an overall $14 dollars on a game I probably would not have watched.  I was pulling for the Browns and Stefanski.  

So my question to all the financial experts on this site.  How/where would you invest $14 dollars?

[Guest]

put it all on bailey missing his next kick other than a kickoff.