Wilf's

[hogjowlsjohnny]

The Max Winter group owned the Vikings during their hay days. There were those who tried to buy the Vikings but couldn't find the funding when they were up for sale. Roger Hendrick and Carl Pohlad bought the Vikings in the late 80's. Red McCombs bought them in '98. McCombs was only interested in making money and moving them to San Antonio.
The Wilfs bought them from Red and said they would keep them in Minnesota., and they did.
Not too long after that, just before the first game of the season, I had the opportunity to talk to Zygi Wilf. The conversation was brief and lasted about 5 minutes. But from that short conversation I was, and still am, absolutely convinced that he wants a championship above all else.
The Wilfs are fantastic owners that have invested significant capital in facilities, players, and coaches.
The reason they haven't quite achieved the results they desire is their quest to be innovative.
Their methods have been unique.
It started with the Triangle of authority. When that didn't work they decided to hire the coach that no other team would hire, Mike Zimmer. 
Their outside the box, or innovative approach, continued when they hired a GM with little football knowledge and a head coach who had never called plays. Both lacked experience.
If I look back all those years ago when the 49'ers hired Shanahan as head coach and Lynch as GM, that was innovative and unique. But those guys knew football.
I can only hope the Wilfs take a more traditional path in their future hirings or maybe they can find a guy like Don Coryell or Bill Walsh who were ahead of their time. But KOC is not it. He's a real good coach and could get there, but he is still learning.

This will be my last post here. I have grown weary of know it alls who know nothing. If you take offense to that, then you are probably one of them. 
SKOL Vikings.

[StickierBuns]

I don't blame you. This site is turning into every other site on the 'Net, 'fans' rolling around like pigs in the mud in their negativity. I've stopped reading/watching a decent portion of sports social media because of it. Its everywhere. Venting for a bit is one thing, shitting on every single aspect of the team and entering every thread to do so is quite another. I can't even get on X since the KAM firing, its a sports idiocracy.

I think I'm with you here.....I'm too old for this crap. Its a waste of time and energy honestly. I've been considering it. Positive perspective with called-for criticism just isn't the way anymore. Or maybe better put: its not for me anymore.

Maybe sometime before the dirt nap comes we'll get there, SKOL and peace everyone.

[IceRatz16]

The Max Winter group owned the Vikings during their hay days. There were those who tried to buy the Vikings but couldn't find the funding when they were up for sale. Roger Hendrick and Carl Pohlad bought the Vikings in the late 80's. Red McCombs bought them in '98. McCombs was only interested in making money and moving them to San Antonio.
The Wilfs bought them from Red and said they would keep them in Minnesota., and they did.
Not too long after that, just before the first game of the season, I had the opportunity to talk to Zygi Wilf. The conversation was brief and lasted about 5 minutes. But from that short conversation I was, and still am, absolutely convinced that he wants a championship above all else.
The Wilfs are fantastic owners that have invested significant capital in facilities, players, and coaches.
The reason they haven't quite achieved the results they desire is their quest to be innovative.
Their methods have been unique.
It started with the Triangle of authority. When that didn't work they decided to hire the coach that no other team would hire, Mike Zimmer. 
Their outside the box, or innovative approach, continued when they hired a GM with little football knowledge and a head coach who had never called plays. Both lacked experience.
If I look back all those years ago when the 49'ers hired Shanahan as head coach and Lynch as GM, that was innovative and unique. But those guys knew football.
I can only hope the Wilfs take a more traditional path in their future hirings or maybe they can find a guy like Don Coryell or Bill Walsh who were ahead of their time. But KOC is not it. He's a real good coach and could get there, but he is still learning.
This will be my last post here. I have grown weary of know it alls who know nothing. If you take offense to that, then you are probably one of them. 
SKOL Vikings.

I’m with you on the Wilfs, completely and have said as much to whomever wants to listen.  Everything they’ve shown over the years points to owners who genuinely want a championship, not just a profitable franchise.  I haven’t had the chance to meet them like you did, but their actions, keeping the team in Minnesota, investing heavily in facilities, staff, and players, back that up.  You don’t spend the way they do if you’re content with mediocrity.

Where I think it’s fair to critique them is exactly where you landed: their willingness to try innovative or unconventional structures.  Sometimes that’s forward-thinking, sometimes it’s learning the hard way.  They’ve clearly been willing to trust people, open the checkbook, and swing big, even if not every swing has connected.

And on the board dynamic you mentioned… I feel that too, but not in here.  Go to other boards and you'll quickly realize that this board is like rainbows and unicorns...a breath of fresh air.  The constant negativity and certainty from people who see everything in absolutes wears thin fast.  Some folks thrive on arguing, some push back for a while and then step away, and others just quietly disengage.  I think most of us have been all three at different points.

At the end of the day, reasonable disagreement is part of fandom.  What gets exhausting is the volume, not the debate.  Appreciate your perspective and the history you shared; those kinds of posts are why some of us still come back.

SKOL.

[pattersaur]

The Max Winter group owned the Vikings during their hay days. There were those who tried to buy the Vikings but couldn't find the funding when they were up for sale. Roger Hendrick and Carl Pohlad bought the Vikings in the late 80's. Red McCombs bought them in '98. McCombs was only interested in making money and moving them to San Antonio.
The Wilfs bought them from Red and said they would keep them in Minnesota., and they did.
Not too long after that, just before the first game of the season, I had the opportunity to talk to Zygi Wilf. The conversation was brief and lasted about 5 minutes. But from that short conversation I was, and still am, absolutely convinced that he wants a championship above all else.
The Wilfs are fantastic owners that have invested significant capital in facilities, players, and coaches.
The reason they haven't quite achieved the results they desire is their quest to be innovative.
Their methods have been unique.
It started with the Triangle of authority. When that didn't work they decided to hire the coach that no other team would hire, Mike Zimmer. 
Their outside the box, or innovative approach, continued when they hired a GM with little football knowledge and a head coach who had never called plays. Both lacked experience.
If I look back all those years ago when the 49'ers hired Shanahan as head coach and Lynch as GM, that was innovative and unique. But those guys knew football.
I can only hope the Wilfs take a more traditional path in their future hirings or maybe they can find a guy like Don Coryell or Bill Walsh who were ahead of their time. But KOC is not it. He's a real good coach and could get there, but he is still learning.

This will be my last post here. I have grown weary of know it alls who know nothing. If you take offense to that, then you are probably one of them. 
SKOL Vikings.

I hope you find your way back to the forum someday. I always like reading your takes.

[supafreak84]

There are definately two sides to the Wilfs as owners. Facilities, spending money on players, keeping the team in Minnesota...all great. The bad is everything else related to the actual football team. For reference, I wonder how that contract extension for Kwesi tastes after all the bad shit thats come out about him and the dysfunction within the organization. It makes the Wilfs look worse than they already do. They have proven they are incapable of making good football decisions and the best thing they could possibly do is bring in a respected consultant to help them identify the next GM and streamline that process. Admit to themselves that they have a problem with decision making (as confirmed by 21 years of ineptitude) and take it out of their own hands. From there, go take your naps in New Jersey and leave the actual business of football decisions in the hands of the general manager.

The other big issue with the Wilfs is this "competitive rebuild" philosophy, which is flawed, unrealistic, and it's gotten us nowhere. Sometimes teams need a reset/change in leadership, and in doing so you are going to take some lumps recordwise. The hope is in that process, it lands you a high enough draft pick to take a franchise quarterback (like a Drake Maye or Caleb Williams) and build the team around them.

To me, it's even between the good and bad with Wilf ownership. They want to win, we all do, but the sooner they take the decision making out of their own hands...the better

[purplefaithful]

Sports can be nice diversion from the derision and division in the real world these days...I was trying to find one more word that began with "D" but ran out of brain power.

2024 was that for me.

I wont take it too seriously anymore. Just like I wont post on the Sensitive Topics forum any longer. No disrespect to anyone, but for me it was not something that was joyful or productive. Life taught me some hard lessons and life is too short for pursuit of non-joy.

It's not about venting or not, expressing a pov or not about the team. There is room for that, lots of room. But there is a fine line that gets crossed when it comes to respecting other posters and threads.

And yah, I see it elsewhere, not just here. You can expect it more when the team is way below .500 or at .500. Almost winning is purgatory lol!

C'mon back when the seasonal timing is right and topics present themselves. I dont always agree with you, but I always enjoy your perspective and posts OP

[MaroonBells]

Sports can be nice diversion from the derision and division in the real world these days...I was trying to find one more word that began with "D" but ran out of brain power.

2024 was that for me.

I wont take it too seriously anymore. Just like I wont post on the Sensitive Topics forum any longer. No disrespect to anyone, but for me it was not something that was joyful or productive. Life taught me some hard lessons and life is too short for pursuit of non-joy.

It's not about venting or not, expressing a pov or not about the team. There is room for that, lots of room. But there is a fine line that gets crossed when it comes to respecting other posters and threads.

And yah, I see it elsewhere, not just here. You can expect it more when the team is way below .500 or at .500. Almost winning is purgatory lol!

C'mon back when the seasonal timing is right and topics present themselves. I dont always agree with you, but I always enjoy your perspective and posts OP

I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did. I admire your patience.