01-08-2018, 03:34 AM
The Vikings, with Dennis Green as coach, entered the 1998 NFL playoffs with a 15-1 record and were favored to win Super Bowl XXXIII but were stunned by Atlanta in overtime in the NFC championship game.
Although this season’s Vikings, with Mike Zimmer as coach, enter the playoffs with a 13-3 record, they are not favored to win the Super Bowl.
That’s a good thing, Ted Brown said.
“They don’t have the expectation that the Randy Moss team had hanging over their heads, so they should be a little more relaxed,” Brown said.
Brown played eight seasons for the Vikings, including 1981, when he rushed for 1,063 yards.
“There’s ‘nobody thinks we can do it anyway’ because a home team has never hosted a Super Bowl,” Brown said. “So for old Case (quarterback Keenum) and (wideout Adam) Thielen and the boys, just relax and take a moment and ‘we’ll be all right,’ you know. Just relax, everybody take a chill pill, we’re going to do what we do.”
Another advantage the Vikings have is Zimmer as coach, Brown said. Brown played seven of his eight seasons for Bud Grant, the hall of fame coach.
“There seem to be a lot of similarities between Bud and Zim,” Brown said. “Zim seems to be a no-nonsense guy who’s good with the players — the players seem to like him, and that’s all you can ask.
“Zim’s got the calm, cool demeanor on the sidelines — you never see him get too excited. Bud never showed expression — maybe one time at the old (Metropolitan Stadium) Met I think he smiled the last 14 seconds of a game.”
Brown said he doesn’t expect the Vikings to have a letdown.
“Zim’s got the boys playing really, really well — I expect them to play well,” Brown said. “If somebody’s going to beat them, they’re going to have to beat them — they’re not going to just give away the game.
“The Vikings look pretty awesome, and they’ll probably go as far as the defense takes them — usually that’s what you need. They can play on the road and in weather. They’ve got to get some breaks here and there, and that’s what it’s all about.
“If they can play clean, without holding and different penalties at the wrong time, they can beat anybody and they’ve shown that.”
Brown, 60, who was born and raised in North Carolina but lives in Apple Valley, has retired after 20 years as a Ramsey County probation officer. His son J.T. Brown, a former Rosemount High and Minnesota Duluth hockey star, has a goal and an assist in 22 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning (29-8-3), who are favored to win the Stanley Cup.
“Very proud of him,” Ted said.
https://www.twincities.com/2018/01/06/ch...uper-bowl/
Although this season’s Vikings, with Mike Zimmer as coach, enter the playoffs with a 13-3 record, they are not favored to win the Super Bowl.
That’s a good thing, Ted Brown said.
“They don’t have the expectation that the Randy Moss team had hanging over their heads, so they should be a little more relaxed,” Brown said.
Brown played eight seasons for the Vikings, including 1981, when he rushed for 1,063 yards.
“There’s ‘nobody thinks we can do it anyway’ because a home team has never hosted a Super Bowl,” Brown said. “So for old Case (quarterback Keenum) and (wideout Adam) Thielen and the boys, just relax and take a moment and ‘we’ll be all right,’ you know. Just relax, everybody take a chill pill, we’re going to do what we do.”
Another advantage the Vikings have is Zimmer as coach, Brown said. Brown played seven of his eight seasons for Bud Grant, the hall of fame coach.
“There seem to be a lot of similarities between Bud and Zim,” Brown said. “Zim seems to be a no-nonsense guy who’s good with the players — the players seem to like him, and that’s all you can ask.
“Zim’s got the calm, cool demeanor on the sidelines — you never see him get too excited. Bud never showed expression — maybe one time at the old (Metropolitan Stadium) Met I think he smiled the last 14 seconds of a game.”
Brown said he doesn’t expect the Vikings to have a letdown.
“Zim’s got the boys playing really, really well — I expect them to play well,” Brown said. “If somebody’s going to beat them, they’re going to have to beat them — they’re not going to just give away the game.
“The Vikings look pretty awesome, and they’ll probably go as far as the defense takes them — usually that’s what you need. They can play on the road and in weather. They’ve got to get some breaks here and there, and that’s what it’s all about.
“If they can play clean, without holding and different penalties at the wrong time, they can beat anybody and they’ve shown that.”
Brown, 60, who was born and raised in North Carolina but lives in Apple Valley, has retired after 20 years as a Ramsey County probation officer. His son J.T. Brown, a former Rosemount High and Minnesota Duluth hockey star, has a goal and an assist in 22 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning (29-8-3), who are favored to win the Stanley Cup.
“Very proud of him,” Ted said.
https://www.twincities.com/2018/01/06/ch...uper-bowl/