This “Anti-Vikings” Vikings Team Just Broke Our Hearts. Again.
Joe Johnson
|
The third quarter just ended and this game just ended, I watched the game with my parents and my mom made an amazing arrangement of all of my and my dad’s favorite foods. My dad went to bed a few minutes after the second half began, I emotionally checked out before that (check our Facebook page). I shouldn’t be surprised by this, I’ve been alive (unfortunately) since 1984 and I’ve been cognizant of football for three NFC Championships. Every single time I thought that the Vikings would win and every single time they’ve done this. However, if you’ve listened to the purpleJOURNAL Podcast at all this year, I’ve said multiple times that this is the most “anti-Vikings Vikings team” I’d ever seen. They never choked, they never folded, even if they seemed to let a team back into a game they’d respond accordingly and kill their momentum, the Minneapolis Miracle was part of that. So, with all of that in mind, I’m sitting here watching this Vikings team, or rather this Vikings defense (not to let the offense off the hook with those turnovers), somehow reverted back into the late 90’s Vikings defense and… I really don’t understand how that happened and I’m sure there’ll be countless articles about how the Eagles/Foles found a flaw in this Zimmer-lead Vikings defense, but really, as of the writing of this article (as the Eagles scored another touchdown to go up by 31)… I’m not sure I can care anymore.
Now, that’s quite the statement by a guy whose role as the owner of TWO Vikings sites (and who has put his life on hold to “go for” a dream and pursue a life as someone who covers the team that I grew up obsessing about) and who writes from the perspective of the guy who cares, the guy who is emotionally invested in this team (more so than intellectually invested). So, I’m not saying that I’m going to board up purplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, or our podcast(s), or our brand new message board (plug?). I’m just saying that I’ll watch this team from a distance (emotionally), I’ll be able to write recaps of games that they either win or lose immediately because I won’t be outside smoking or inside high-fiving no one. The sites have gotten to the point that we may get a press pass for the season at some point soon and I’ve wrestled with whether or not I’d be able to go to the games/press box because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to sit down/not pace nervously or not instinctually react to good or bad plays with profanity either way. That’s a big no-no there, and since I’ve always been the one to react emotionally (thanks, Dad), I didn’t want to ruin the good reputation of all of the writers who have joined me in pursuing this dream by getting banned from US Bank stadium for screaming an expletive during a Packers game.
So, it looks like that won’t be a problem because I genuinely feel nothing right now. I was angry for awhile, and I have a temper that burns so brightly that it typically ends up burning out quickly. That’s when the sadness kicked in, and it’s been the type of sadness that created this article, I guess. It’s really so disappointing that I’m at the point that I really just can’t bring myself to get this involved anymore. This team was special and they still have a young, great core and I understand that but it’s still the same core that played like this, against NICK FOLES. That was historically great on third down and as of the writing of this piece let Foles and company complete 80% of third downs. How can you get emotionally invested in a team that does that? I hate to bring up the battered spouse comparison, but at some point you have to stop doing the same thing over and over again when that thing brings you THIS much genuine pain. I understand, it’s “just” football, I’m sure I’ll get that response from people who read this. But, it’s not “just” football to me, clearly, I own two sites and have over ten writers on the payroll. I love this game, I love how it brings me and my dad closer together, I love looking forward to Sundays and I love the idea of one day being able to celebrate a Super Bowl championship with my mom and dad. I just now realize that that day isn’t coming anytime soon and that I need to stop pretending that it will.
If you still believe or are proud of the team, that’s totally okay too. I’m not saying that’s wrong or that I’m a bigger fan than you. Everyone interprets things differently and has different coping mechanisms. I’m just saying that for me, I can’t keep putting myself in this situation. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep writing or covering the team or pouring every last dollar I making into this or that I’m mad at the team or the players individually. I’m not. I know they’re devastated too and that it hurts them more than it hurts me. I feel for them and just wish this didn’t happen. But it did, because of course it did. It always does. So, it was a great regular season and we did get to all celebrate the Minneapolis Miracle together and no one will be able to take that away from us. It’s just really, really too bad that not only did we not get to celebrate the first Super Bowl appearance by this team in my lifetime but that it had to end like this. It makes it next to impossible for us to get this excited about any future seasons because, again, it’s same people playing on defense (not to mention the mess that is figuring out who is going to be the Vikings QB(s) next year.
Now there’s a State Farm commercial super-imposed over the screen with Clay(face) Matthews and Aaron Rodgers. This is officially the worst day of my life. So, thanks to everyone who supports the sites and we’re going to be plugging along, covering the off-season and really the Super Bowl with a detached irony that you typically only get from 50’s era beatniks. That should be fun (/s). See? It’s already starting…