wcbleess
on
26th Jul 1998

I'm 30 years old, from Minnesota, USA.

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           FRANCHISE
FOUNDED

           Minnesota
is granted an NFL franchise at the league owners' meeting in Miami Fl.
on Jan. 28, 1960. The team

           will begin
play in 1961. The founding group consisted of Max Winter, E William Boyer,
H.P Skoglund, Ole

           Haugsrud
and Bernard H. Ridder Jr.

           ROSE NAMED
GENERAL MANAGER

           In late
summer, 1960 former Los Angeles Rams Public Relations Director Bert Rose
was named the team's first

           General
Manager.

           TEAM NICKNAMED

           When Bert
Rose was elected as General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961, one
of the first steps he

           took was
to recommend to the Board of Directors that the club be nicknamed the "Vikings."
He said a nickname

           should
serve a dual purpose. First, it should represent an aggressive person or
animal imbued with the will to

           win. Second,
if possible, it is desirable to have it connote the region that the particular
team represents. The

           "Vikings"
scores well on both points. Certainly, the Nordic Vikings were a fearless
race. Following many years

           of victories
in the British Isles and France, under Erik the Red, they sailed in open
boats across the North

           Atlantic,
seeking new peoples to conquer. Their entire history is punctuated with
the aggressive desire to will and

           win. While
Minnesota is populated by the descendants of settlers from many nations,
the area has a rich Nordic

           lore,
perhaps due to the mythology of Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox, perhaps due
to the preponderance of the

           'sons'
and 'sens' in the phone book. The Vikings, too, were Nordics; hence the
name represents in a large part

           the solid
stock of people who call Minnesota their home.

  ABOUT THE LOGO

           Karl Hubenthal
who was (and still may be) a sports cartoonist for the Los Angeles Times,
did the original

           drawing
of the Viking logo. He was contacted by Bert Rose, then the General Manager
of the Minnesota

           Vikings.

           FIRST HEAD
COACH

           Norm Van
Brocklin is selected as the first head coach in franchise history. He retired
as a player in 1960 after

           12 seasons
in the NFL.

           FIRST COLLEGE
DRAFT

           On Dec.
27, 1960 running back Tommy Mason of Tulane is taken with the first overall
choice and the first-ever

           draft
pick utilized by the Vikings. Also selected that year were quarterback
Fran Tarkenton (3rd round) and

           running
back Ed Sharockman (5th round).

            ASSIGNED
CONFERENCE

           On April
12, 1961, the National Football League assigned the Vikings to the Western
Conference. Minnesota

           joined
Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Los Angeles and San Francisco in
that conference.

 

 



           FIRST
REGULAR SEASON GAME

           In a stunning
upset, the Minnesota Vikings defeat the Chicago Bears, 37-13 at Metropolitan
Stadium in the

           Vikings'
first NFL regular- season game on September 17, 1961. Kicker Mike Mercer
scored the first points in

           team history
with a four-yard field goal. Bob Schnelker scored the team's first touchdown
on a 14 yard pass

           from Fran
Tarkenton. In his NFL debut Tarkenton came off the bench to complete 17
of 23 passes for 250

           yards
and four touchdowns. 

           FINKS HIRED

           In September,
1964, Jim Finks is named the team's second general manager, succeeding
Bert Rose, who

           resigned
in June 1964. Finks previously had served as general manager for Calgary
of the Canadian Football

           League
for seven years.

           FIRST WINNING
SEASON

           Minnesota
won its final three regular-season games in 1964 to achieve the first winning
season in team history

           with an
8-5-1 record. The Vikings tied for second in the NFL Western Conference
behind Baltimore.

           MET EXPANDED

           A new
grandstand is constructed on the east side of Metropolitan stadium that
increases capacity from 41,200

           to 47,200.
The new seats were formerly dedicated on Aug. 20, 1965, when Minnesota
played Philadelphia in a

           preseason
game.

 

           NFL RE-ALIGNED

           On Dec.
2, 1966 Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay were chosen

           
to make up the newly-formed Central Division of the Western Conference
of

           
the NFL.

 

           VAN BROCKLIN
RESIGNS

           After
compiling a 29-51-4 record while leading the Vikings in their first six
years of existence, Head Coach

           Norm Van
Brocklin resigned in February 1967. His best season was 1964, when he lead
the team to a tie for

           second
place in the NFL Western Conference with an 8-5-1 record.

           TARKENTON
TRADED

           On March
7,1967 quarterback Fran Tarkenton is traded to the New York Giants for
a first and second round

           choice
in 1967, a first round choice in '68 and a second round choice in '69.
With the picks Minnesota selected

           Clinton
Jones and Bob Grim in '67, Ron Yary in '68 and Ed White in '69.

          GRANT NAMED HEAD
COACH

           Bud Grant
was named the second head coach in Vikings history on March 10,1967. He
came to Minnesota

           after
leading the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to four Grey Cup Championships in 10
years as head coach.

           FIRST DIVISION
TITLE

           On December
15, 1968 the Vikings defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-17, at Franklin
Field the retired to the

           dressing
room to listen to the Chicago-Green Bay game on the radio. Minnesota needed
the Bears to lose to

           clinch
the Vikings' first division title. Chicago tried to rally from a 28-10
fourth quarter deficit but eventually fell,

           28-17.

           FIRST PLAYOFF
GAME

           On Dec.
22, 1968, in the first playoff game in franchise history, the Baltimore
Colts defeated the Vikings, 24-14,

           in the
Western Conference Championship Game at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. Minnesota
trailed 21-0 in the

           fourth
quarter but a late rally fell short.

           SECOND
DIVISION TITLE

           On Nov.
27, 1969 the Vikings shutout Detroit, 27-0, at Tiger Stadium to clinch
the franchise's second division

           title.
The victory over the Lions was the 10th of a 12-game win streak, the

           longest
in the NFL in 35 years. Minnesota finished the season with the NFL's best
regular-season record (12-2)

           of '69.

           FIRST PLAYOFF
WIN

           On Dec.
27, 1969 in the first NFL playoff game in Minnesota, the Vikings came from
behind to defeat the Los

           Angeles
Rams, 23-20, in the Western Conference Championship Game. Minnesota overcame
deficits of 17-7 at

           halftime
and 20-14 in the fourth quarter for the franchise's first postseason win.

           FIRST NFL
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

           The Vikings
defeated the Cleveland Browns, 27-7, in the NFL Championship Game on Jan.
4, 1970 at

           Metropolitan
Stadium. Minnesota became the first modern NFL expansion team to win an
NFL Championship

           Game.
The Vikings dominated the game, leading 27-0 before the Browns scored with
1:24 left in the game.

 

           FIRST
SUPER BOWL

           On Jan.
11, 1970 the Vikings lost to Kansas City, 23-7, in Super Bowl IV at Tulane

           
Stadium in New Orleans. Not only was the game the first Super Bowl in franchise

           
history, but it was the first Super Bowl played by a modern expansion team.

           THIRD DIVISION
TITLE

           On Dec.
5, 1970, the Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears, 16-13, at Metropolitan
Stadium to clinch their third

           straight
division title. Minnesota hosted San Francisco in a divisional playoff
game but lost, 17-14. For the

           second
consecutive season, the Vikings had the league's best regular-season record
with a 12-2 mark.

           FOURTH
DIVISION TITLE

           On Dec.
11, 1971 the Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions, 29-10, at Metropolitan
Stadium to clinch their fourth

           straight
division title. Minnesota finished the year with an 11-3 mark, which tied
Dallas for the league's best

           record
in '71. The Vikings lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Cowboys, 20-12,
in a divisional playoff

           game at
Metropolitan Stadium.

 

                       
PAGE NAMED NFL'S MVP

                       
In 1971 Alan Page became the first defensive player to be named the Most
Valuable Player of

                       
the National Football League by the Associated Press. Page headed a Vikings
defense that

                       
held opponents to fewer than 10 points a game to lead the league in scoring
defense for the

                       
third consecutive year.

           VIKINGS
RE-ACQUIRE TARKENTON

           In 1972
the Vikings traded Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements, a first-round
choice in '72, and a

           first-round
choice in '73 to the New York Giants for Fran Tarkenton. The Giants selected
Larry Jacobson in '72

           and Brad
Van Pelt in '73.

                     
FIFTH DIVISION TITLE

           The Vikings
began the '73 season with nine straight victories and clinched the NFC
Central championship before

           they even
lost a game. Minnesota clinched the division crown by defeating Detroit,
28-7, at Metropolitan

           Stadium
on Nov. 11, 1973. The Vikings finished with a 12-2 mark, which tied for
the best record in the league

           that year.

           SECOND
SUPER BOWL

           On Jan.
13, 1974 the Vikings played in the second Super Bowl in franchise history
against the Miami Dolphins

           at Rice
Stadium in Houston, TX. The Dolphins prevailed, 27-10. Minnesota earned
the trip to Super Bowl VIII

           by defeating
Dallas, 27-10, in the NFC Championship Game at Texas Stadium on Dec. 30,
1973.

           FINKS RESIGNS

           After
the 1973 season, Executive Vice President and General Manager Jim Finks
resigned. Under Finks, who

           was hired
in 1964, the Vikings won five division titles and appeared in two Super
Bowls. He also hired Bud

           Grant
as head coach in '67.

           SIXTH DIVISION
TITLE

           On Dec.
1, 1974 the Vikings clinched the NFC Central crown by defeating the New
Orleans Saints, 29-9, at

           Metropolitan
Stadium, while the Green Bay Packers lost, 36-14, at Philadelphia. Minnesota
tied for the best

           record
in the NFC with a 10-4 mark.

           THIRD SUPER
BOWL

           The Vikings
played in their second straight Super Bowl, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers,
16-6, at Tulane

           Stadium
in New Orleans on Jan. 12, 1975. Minnesota earned a trip to Super Bowl
IX by defeating the Los

           Angeles
Rams, 14-10, at Metropolitan Stadium on Dec. 29, 1974.

           FRONT OFFICE
CHANGES

           In the
spring of 1975, Max Winter, one of the team's founders and its president
since 1965, takes over active

           management
of the franchise. In addition Mike Lynn, who was hired as an assistant
to the president on Aug. 15,

           1974,
is named the team's general manager.

           SEVENTH
DIVISION TITLE

           The Vikings
clinch their third straight NFC Central title and their seventh division
championship in eight years on

           Thanksgiving
Day on Nov. 27, 1975, when the Detroit Lions lost to the Los Angeles Rams,
20-0. Minnesota

           won 10
consecutive games to start the season and finished the year with the best
record (12-2) in the NFL. The

           Vikings
were upset, 17-14, in the divisional playoffs at Metropolitan Stadium on
Dec. 28, 1975, when the Dallas

           Cowboys
scored on a last minute 50-yard touchdown pass.

           TARKENTON
NAMED LEAGUE MVP

           Quarterback
Fran Tarkenton is named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for 1975 after leading
the Vikings to the

           league's
best record (12-2). He led the NFC and finished second in the NFL in passing
with a 91.7 rating.   He

           completed
273-of-425 passes for 2,994 yards with 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

  

 

   EIGHTH DIVISION TITLE

           The Vikings
clinched their fourth consecutive NFC Central championship and their eight
division title in nine

           years
by defeating the Green Bay Packers, 17-10, at Milwaukee County Stadium
on Nov. 21, 1976. Minnesota

           finished
the season with an 11-2-1 record, the best in the NFC in '76.

 

FOURTH SUPER BOWL

           The Vikings
played in their third Super Bowl in four years against the Oakland Raiders
at the Rose Bowl in

           Pasadena,
CA. on Jan. 9, 1977. Minnesota lost, 32-14. The Vikings earned a trip to
Super Bowl XI by

           defeating
the Los Angeles Rams, 24-13, at Metropolitan Stadium on Dec. 26, 1976 in
what ended up being the

           last Vikings
playoff game at the Met.

     

  NINTH DIVISION TITLE

           The Vikings
clinched the NFC Central crown on the season's final weekend by defeating
the Detroit Lions,

           30-21,
at the Pontiac Silverdome on Dec. 17, 1977. Minnesota wrapped up its fifth
straight NFC Central title

           and its
ninth division championship in 10 seasons.

           FOURTH
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

           On Jan.
1, 1978 the Vikings played in their fourth NFC Championship Game in five
years against the Dallas

          Cowboys at Texas
Stadium. Minnesota lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champions, 23-6.

 

 

TENTH DIVISION TITLE

           Despite
losing in the regular-season finale to the Oakland Raiders, 27-20, on Dec.
17, 1978 at

           Oakland-Alameda
County Coliseum, the Vikings captured the NFC Central title when the Green
Bay Packers,

           who played
at the same time as Minnesota, lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 31-14, at
the L.A. Coliseum. It was

           the Vikings'
sixth straight NFC Central crown and their 10th division championship in
11 years.

   METRODOME GROUND
BREAKING

           In December,
1979, ground is broken for construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
in downtown

           Minneapolis.
The stadium, which will house both the Vikings and Twins, is scheduled
to open in April, 1982.

           ELEVENTH
DIVISION TITLE

           Minnesota
clinched its seventh NFC Central title in eight years by defeating the
Cleveland Browns, 28-23, at

           Metropolitan
Stadium on Dec. 14, 1980. It also was the Vikings' 11th division title
in 13 seasons. Minnesota lost

           to the
eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, 31-16, at Veterans Stadium on
Jan. 3, 1981 in the

           divisional
playoffs.

           WINTER
PARK OPENS

           In 1981
the Vikings moved into a new facility in Eden Prairie that houses the team's
offices, lockerroom and

           practice
fields. The complex was named "Winter Park" after Max Winter, one of the
Vikings founders who

           served
as the team's president from 1965-87.

 

                                   
FAREWELL MET

                          
On Dec. 20, 1981 the Vikings hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in Minnesota's

                                   
final game at Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings lost, 10-6. The final points
at

                                   
the stadium were scored on a 33-yard field goal by Minnesota kicker Rick

                                   
Danmeier. The last Vikings touchdown at Metropolitan Stadium was scored

                    &