Fire and Rain, Records and Pain, Vikes fans 'Bear Down' in Chi-town!
By Marcus "Mookie Vike" Anderson
The following is a review of a Roadtrip by a gang of Purple Tailgaters to Chicago, IL for the October 15, 2000 NFL nationally televised game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. It was truly a great tailgate and we enjoyed meeting the Bears fans and partying with them!
The Accidental Norseman is Hunted by BearsI was walking up the stairs toward exit of the South End Zone of Soldier Field screaming to anyone within earshot, "6-0, BABY! The VIKES ARE 6-0! YOU Like That? Woo Hooo!" It had been at least 10 minutes since the Vikes ran out the clock on the Bears 2 yard line, clinching a 28-16 Central Division victory. And it had been at least one-hour hour since the first wave of Bears fans realized their fate, engaging in a mass exodus into the Chicago Night.
I could hear the din of Vikings fans in the Northeast endzone, cheering on their Nordic victors as they left the field. I turned back to see Vikings tossing things into the stands, and scanned the stadium to find the three other Purple buddies who I had roadtripped with for over 6-hours and stayed overnight in a cheap Chicago suburb hotel the previous day. They were nowhere to be found. After many hours of tailgating with Vikings fans in the Bears parking lot, and cheering with them for 60 minutes of NFL football, I was suddenly "solo riding in enemy territory!"
As I caught the eye of a pack of Bears fans about 20 rows up to my left, I felt as if I was now the hunted! Wearing my size 4X #84 jersey over my Vikings hooded sweatshirt and raincoat, I must of looked like the biggest version of a Randy Moss Superfreak that these Bears fans had ever seen! In this scenario, I felt ridiculous, but not ashamed. I was proud to be a Viking fan with a 6-0 record.
"Hey you Fat Ass Vike Queen!" they yelled at me in retaliation to the 28-16 smacking that the purple had just laid on them, "Your TEAM SUCKS! You will NEVER, win a Super Bowl! We at least have the rings!"
Forget the fact that I had recently lost 30 pounds, and had been trying like hell to get back in shape! Forget the fact that I was all alone with no Vikings fans within reasonable distance to cover my back side! Forget the fact that it was just me against them! These Bears fans were taunting my beloved Vikes, and they deserved an earful of "Loudmouth Soup"!
"Who's House is THIS?," I taunted them, "The Vikes are 6-0! BABY!!! What's yer Record?" I wasn't drunk on alcohol, I was inebriated on Daunte, Robert, Randy and CC, and I was feeling confident that I could handle their verbal onslaught! Much like the Vikes had handled the Bears that Sunday Night on National TV, I had a gameplan and I was sticking with it. I continued my ascent, walking toward their verbal onslaught.
"Go home you bandwagon loser, FAT F--K VIKEQUEEN!" My adrenaline was pumping, and with every step I took, it seemed like more Bears fans would take their shots at me. I was an easy target; a slow moving, solo roving, and very cocky purple fan who had came into town and stole their "Mojo!" I was determined to meet them face-to-face and outwit them with Vikings history, and dazzling stats that would prove once-and-for-all the Vikes were indeed winners. Before I could reach them I was quickly interrupted by a loud yell that was no more than 3 yards away from my left ear.
"HEY! Take my picture!" Startled, I looked to my left and saw a Bears fan who was wearing a paper sack on his head. He was holding up a sign on which the words were written in black sharpie marker, "Bring Ditka back home!" Apparently he saw the camera hanging around my neck and wanted to be publicized somewhere, anywhere. I took the photo and told the fan that I empathized with his "Ditka plight" and then continued my walk up the cement stairs. With every step, the taunts of that angry Bear posse grew louder.
"What's Your record in the Super Bowl? 0-4? Go Home ALREADY!!!" I knew they would continue this onslaught, and they were using predictable Viking slams. The same type of slams that I have grown accustomed to reading in the NFL chatrooms and bulletin boards throughout the world wide web. If you're a Vikings fan, you've heard them, you've read them, and you are aware of the fact that our team has indeed choked in the past. It's no use denying history, and I didn't have a leg to stand on. They had me, they knew our Viking history as much as anybody, and I was setting myself up for a "turkey shoot" from Bear fans. But I held my ground, and planned on telling them off by citing them with undeniable facts:
The Vikings have won more Central Division titles than any other team.
The Vikings have one of the best winning percentages of any NFL franchise since the merger.
The Vikings are a team that is always in playoff contention.
The Vikings have made more appearances in post-season than 2/3 (if not more) of the entire league.
The Vikings were winners in my book and they would not be able to convince me otherwise! As I reached the source of the yelling, I was greeted with the most unorignal Viking slam of all-time,
"Yo, Suckwad! Your Vikings are CHOKERS! You always CHOKE in the Big Games! Your team is nothing but a loser! They are CHOKERS!!" For some reason, at that moment in time, my strategy changed. Instead of engaging in a rhetorical debate full of black and blue banter, I started laughing, and I did not mince words.
"You are Right, my Chicago Bears friends!!", I told them in my best George Wendt character voice from the Saturday Night Live skit known as "Da Bears Fans" "Your facts, I cannot deny! Da Vikes have indeed choked in all the big games, including as you stated most recently, the'98 NFC Championship game vs. the Falcons. However, tonight, in the year 2000, I celebrate a Vikings victory over your beloved Bears on your home turf. My team is 6-0, so tonight, my friends, I party!"
I could not believe how easy the words came out, diffusing any anger or resent that they may have had towards me for being a Viking fan. It was a beautiful display of spontaneus diplomacy, and one that even Bears fans recognized as civil. I was quickly slapped on my back in a friendly manner and told, "Okay Viking Fan, Party on! But Next year you will get your ass kicked!"
I chuckled and walked toward the exit, hearing another Bears fans in the background say, "Hey! I like that guy! He has the right attitude!" In short that moment after the game summed up our entire experience in Chicago. We went to the city not knowing how we would be pereceived, or how we would be viewed or treated. But when we left the Windy City, we were confident that our ambassadorship on behalf of Vikings had a positive impact on the fans we encountered. We were satisfied with our teams victory on the NFL playing field, but more importantly, we were thrilled with our reception at the tailgating party before and after the game!
Saturday: The Roadtrip to Arlington Heights
Our tailgating fiesta didn't happen by accident. After months of careful planning and juggling through game possibilities, we chose Chicago as the game we wanted to attend. Once our decision was made we procured our tickets (in the last row of the stadium in Section 111). The trip started on Saturday, when Stier, FlemDog and myself met up at Saueey's house in Eagan, MN at 9:04 am and packed our bags, coolers, gas grill, tv, and goalposts into his Tahoe and headed east. The words from my wife, Mrs. Mookie Vike, echoed in my ears as we pulled onto I-494,
"Have fun, and remember, you are 35 years old, not 25! When you Saueey get together you somehow forget a decade, so be careful!"
As this is a Presidential election year, we naturally had many opinions about the upcoming decision 2000. If you know us, you know that politics, football, religion and women are many of our favorite topics, so naturally the conversation migrated to the National Elections. For some reason, Saueey adamantly believes that the key to the election was the Vice President, and by electing G.W. Bush, we would be setting ourselves up for a great President in Dick Cheaney in '04.
"I know for fact that he will run in '04 if G.W. wins so, I am voting Republican for at least that reason," he rationalized. It was 9:24 in the morning and we heard a familiar sound coming from the back seat, "click" kapeashhhhhh!" It was FlemDog, cracking open the first beer of the day, stating, "In Texas, this is totally legal! AND...somebody as to pick up the roadtripping responsibility!"
I was digesting what Saueey had just said about the Presidential Election and Vice President Candidates, and it struck me wrong. I just had to open my mouth and counter his political belief, much like I had done millions of times before in our 22-year old friendship! I just had to, it's my job!
"Saueey, what the "F" kind of logic is that? I mean if you elect Bush, he'll just run again in '04, and after he gets his ass kicked in his attempt at re-election, it will be at least 4 more years before Cheaney will run!" I raised my voice at him, "You'd think that by electing Al Gore, your boy would have at least a shot at running in '04 cuz Bush would disappear off the political radar for being such a loser in '00!" The words were barely out of my mouth when Saueey cut me off with his patented, "F- You! I was saying that..."
His rebuttal was quickly countered by Stier with a plea of sanity from the back seat, "Guys, let's make this trip BEARABLE and not argue poltics, religion or any other argumentative topics. I say we ban conversations about anything controversial so we can tolerate each other for at least 48 Hours!" Just like that, the fun was momentarily gone, and the car became silent for a few moments before FlemDog sarcastically retorted,
"I agree with Stier we should nip this political b.s. in the bud! So, who do you guys think that Randy Moss will vote for?"
The rest of the trip down was pretty uneventful except for the road tunes that included a kickass CD which was burned for the trip that included:
Holiday Road- Theme from National Lampoon's Vacation
Sweet Home Chicago- Multiple Versions by the Blues Brothers and Robert Johnson
Bear Down Chicago Bears- To be played for Bears fans
Who Let the Dogs Out- A special John Randle mix
We arrived in the Western Suburbs of Chicago at the same time that a radio station was announcing the Minnesota Gophers had upset the #5 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The Gophers were now the leaders of the Big Ten Conference and would probably be ranked nationally. Our timing was impeccable! Illinois was ours for the taking?
Sunday Morning Coming Down
It's in a Johnny Cash song called, "Sunday Morning Coming Down" where a reference is made to waking up in the morning with no way to move your head that doesn't hurt. I woke up Sunday morning feeling the same way but my headache was induced by the sounds of a local television broadcast:
"The Bears at 1-5 are looking for their first home field victory by avenging an earlier loss to the undefeated Vikings. Coming off a Monday night game, Minnesota has a short week to prepare..."
It was officially, finally game day! We went to eat Breakfast at the Hop, that's IHOP- the International House of Pancakes, and chowed down on and read more local Game Day coverage. I read out loud from a Chicago Tribune article titled "Vikings Q&A: Vikings' Rally in Opener Sparks Stellar Season" that was written by Don Pierson:
"Hey Guys, check out this article in the paper that just kisses the Vikings ass?... ...Q--Why are they playing the Bears again? A--Everybody wants to play the Bears as often as possible...
...Q--Are the Vikings really this good? A--There's a popular saying in football: Nothing is ever as great as it seems or as bad as it seems. The Vikings and Bears, however, are planning to test that axiom...
...Q--Why didn't the Bears draft Daunte Culpepper? A--They liked him, but they liked Cade McNown better. They watched Culpepper at little Central Florida and McNown at big UCLA and thought McNown would adapt to the pros faster than Culpepper. They thought Culpepper's strength was operating in a short passing game and they wondered how fast he would develop...
...Q--Then why did the Vikings like him well enough to take him when they didn't even need a starting quarterback last season? A--Remember, coach Dennis Green got flak for taking him ahead of defensive star Jevon Kearse. But Green believed Culpepper was the best athlete of the quarterback class and had great potential. Coming off a 15-1 season, the Vikings had the luxury of taking a chance. The year before they hit big with Randy Moss, so they were allowed an extra roll of the dice, not that the NCAA's leading passer should be that much of a gamble...
...Q--How do the Vikings keep coming up with these players? A--Nobody in the NFL does a better job than the Vikings' scouting staff, led by Frank Gilliam, Jerry Reichow, Paul Wiggin and Scott Studwell. Plus Green has a knack for eyeing talent himself. They consistently find good players in every draft. They have all been together in the same system for years and know what they want...
...The Vikings have shocked preseason prognosticators by driving to the top of the NFC Central behind rookie quarterback Daunte Culpepper. However, when these teams last met it was the Bears' bad decisions that allowed the Vikings to snatch a 30-27 come-from-behind victory in the second half.
...Series Record: Minnesota holds a 43-33-2 edge over Chicago including two straight victories. Last year the Vikings beat the Bears 27-24 with an overtime field goal at Soldier Field...
After breakfast, we went to a local grocery store and loaded up on Polish Sausages, Chips, cookies, and other assorted tailgate gems. As we drove back to the hotel Saueey made a panic stop for traffic, slamming on the breaks and driving his seat-belted passengers into their respective front windows and seats.
"Holy S**t (cow) Saueey, you moved my breakfast right up my throat!," yelled a stunned Stier. Saueey not missing a beat, retorted "That's ok, you can have Flemdog push it back down"
Driving in to downtown Chicago, we could see the skyscrapers near the lake and I sarcastically belted out, "There it is...Chicago! The City by the Bay, the Big Easy, The City with Broad Shoulders and Brotherly Love, The Gateway to the North Baby!" Saueey picked up on the humor, "Chicago, home of the Braves and land of the Free! The BIG APPLE! Chicago, it's our kind of town, and if we can tailgate there we can tailgate ANYWHERE, it's up to us! Chicago!" Bewildered and confused, FlemDog sipped down another beer and said, "Chicago isn't the city of Brotherly Love you Dumbasses!"
The Tailgate Review: Why Outdoor Football is So Cool!
We pulled into Soldier Field and parked on the east side of the stadium next to Lake Michigan. Within 10 minutes, after we parked next to Vikings fans, we had the entire camp set up, including the goal posts, coolers full of beer, tv and grill! We were sipping on our homebrew stash (purchased from O'Brien's pub in Arlington Heights, IL the night before) and munching on pretzel rods when the FOX NFL Sports TV pre-game with Howie, Terry, Cris and JB came on. For the first time all year we actually had a reason to listen to the Super-hot-weather-chick as she presented the game day forecasts for all the games. At first, the prediction of rain did not phase us, but it soon dawned on us that we might actually have to break out the newly purchased rain gear that we dome dwellers don't normally have to worry about.
"This so cool!," I commented,"We might get wet DURING a game! That would be the first time in my life that I have ever had to wear rain gear DURING a game! "That's because you guys are a bunch of Pussies!" A loud neighboring voice barked at us. It was a Bears fan, and he was welcoming us to his turf, "You Vikings fans don't know nothing about football, I mean REAL football that is played in the elements" "C'mon, man, give us a break, it's not like WE CHOOSE to play inside!" Stier was quick to retaliate.
We had his attention and I walked over to introduce our party adding, "It's not like we were given an option and unanimously picked the Metrodome! We can still tailgate with the best of them, and that's why we roadtrip every year to an outdoor stadium!". It was the beginning of a long day of introductions and NFL Comraderie. As the day went on, we watched the Falcons lose to the Rams, and the Redskins defeat the Ravens in the first game. With every tick of the NFL gameclocks, our tailgating intensified.
It wasn't long before a Bear's fan affectionately known as "Farley" (a look-alike to the famous Chicago-based comedian Chris Farley of Saturday Night Live fame) came over and attempted the first field goal! The kick went well over the posts and towards the now traffic-jammed avenue that was filled with commuting tailgaters. Earlier in the day, Saueey's brother-in-law had suggested a game of skill that would utilize the goal posts and involve the entire tailgating community. With Farley's kick drawing so much attention, it was the perfect time to propose the plan! We moved the goalposts to the center of the lot and announced the the game. The crowd listened attentively as I announced the rules that Saueeys kin had proposed.
"Okay! ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO KICK...NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP!" Many were curious to hear what I was screaming, "HERE'S THE DEAL... EACH KICK WILL COST YOU A BUCK, A DOLLAR IF YOU WILL..." I could hear the boos mixed in with some catcalls as people misunderstood the announcement as implied commercialism, so I had to clarify quickly, "NO...NO...NOT FOR OUR PROFIT! THE DOLLAR IS FOR A POT- WINNER TAKE ALL... THE LONGEST KICK WINS THE ENTIRE BOOTY...WHO'S IN?
Loud cheers of excitement were followed by a rush to enter the contest. The entire parking lot was engaged in this impromptu affair, and they were digging the excitement. I thought to myself that this is what it must be like for "Carnies", or "Gypsies" when they first come into town! It was an awesome sight as 30-40 people entered the contest. Two Bears kids volunteered to be the Refs, and a young Viking kid wearing a Daunte Culpepper jersey ("Lil Daunte") volunteered to be "All-Time Holder" to keep the contest fair. It was beautiful!
The first kick of the contest was wide left, and you could hear the moans and groans of the 100's of people who had suddenly gathered to watch. I again went out to the center of the crowd and cocked off,
"OKAY FOR ALL YOU NFL FANS WHO THINK KICKING IS EASY, JUST WATCH THESE GUYS KICK! AND TONIGHT... WHEN YOU SEE THEM KICKING EXTRA POINTS & FIELD GOALS MAYBE YOU'LL APPRECIATE THE SKILL OF THEIR TRADE! IT AIN'T THAT EASY FOLKS...AND... FOR YOU BEARS FANS THAT LIKE TEASING US VIKES FANS FOR THAT NFC CHAMPIONSHIP CHOKE...NOW YOU CAN GET OFF GARY ANDERSON'S WIDE LEFT BACK"
Many in the crowd were laughing, and cacking with excitement. It was a great tailgating moment. The next kick went wide right, and people were engaged chirping, "LACES OUT LIL DAUNTE, LACES OUT!" A few missed kicks later, we had our first controversial call by the Bears kids. The boot went straight above the left upright, high into the air and into the wind. It hooked left, but looked like it may have crossed true. One Bears kid signalled, no Good, while the other signaled good. It was chaos! I had to go out and make another announcement.
"HOLD IT! HOLD IT! FOR ALL YOU FANS THAT THINK NFL REFEREES HAVE IT EASY, NOW YOU KNOW HOW TOUGH IT IS FOR THEM! SO WHEN YOU SEE A BAD CALL TONIGHT, TRY TO REMEMBER... ZEBRAS ARE HUMANS TOO- JUST LIKE THESE KIDS!"
Again, laughs at catcalls. We broke the tie by involving the large gallery of fans who were standing in the tailgating end zone. We declared them as the tiebreakers and took their vote by asking them to signal if it was good, or no good. The vote showed no good, and the game continued. Soon it was Farley's turn, and the crowd went nuts! They began chanting,
"FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!" The Big Bears fan accomodated his audience by putting on an act. He worked the crowd by clapping his hands together and getting everyone to follow along, "FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!" The clapping and chanting grew louder, and many more bystanders worked their way to our booming party.
"FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!" The big guy was like a Rock Star presenting an encore! He picked up a beer and shotgunned it, then tore of his Bears jersey and exposed his big belly to the delight of the crowd, "FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!... FARLEY!...FARLEY!" In his final act he picked up another beer and poured it all over his head and stomach, then charged the ball like bull in heat. The ball sailed 10 feet off the ground like a scud missle misfiring and banked off an innocent bystander. The crowd burst into laughter and the new center of attention took his bow. It was good old fashioned tailgating, and it was at its best!
The contest ended when a Bears fan boomed a long 40-yard field goal almost an hour after the event had started. Like Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka after the Bears Super Bowl triumph years ago, he was lifted up onto the shoulders of his fellow tailgate friends and handed his cash prize. We had our first champion of the day! Soon after, many more fans took part in several more rounds of the kicking contests with our homemade goalposts. It got to the point that everyone in parking lot took the contests for granted as they continued into the night. Meanwhile, we continued our tailgate dance and sing contest as if it was "American Bandstand" featuring the music of the NFL.
We told Bears fans that we had their favorite songs on CD, including "Bear Down Chicago Bears" and even the "Super Bowl Shuffle!" With much hype we invited the fans to come over to our camp to isten to their tailgate music. Most were in shock, that an opposing teams fans would bring such music, but appreciated our respect none-the-less. With a large crowd gathered and ready to jam, Saueey pulled a "switch-er-roo" played the Berserker mix called "The Bears Still Suck" We were almost booed out of the lot, but he was quick to skip to "Bear Down" tune before a riot started. After listening to their cheers, and singing, it was now the Vikings fans turn. We cranked up "Skol Vikings" and sang it better than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's version of "The Messiah!" It was truly a blast.
Our tailgate buddies from Section 205 in the Metrodome found their way to our camp. Lil Buddy, Notre Dame Dan, Niners Girl on Moss and their Bears fan Buddy, all showed up and proclaimed that they could see the "Goalposts from miles away!" Stier welcomed them by adding, "Imagine that, we come all the way to Chicago and hook-up with Lil Buddy and Notre Dame Dan... This is just like home!"
The Packers were playing the Niners in the late game on our TV and no one cared! Vikings fans and Bears fans exchanged beers and salutations, and chanted "PACKERS SUCK!" When we played the "Super Bowl Shuffle" many Vikings and Bears fans danced together. The songs seemed to bring out all the fond memories of old-time Bears fans who reminesced with us about the days of Sweetness, The Fridge and the Punky QB with the headbands.
By the tine we saw the Packers kick a last second field goal to squeak out a game against the once-mighty Niners, we were all tailgate neighbors. It was almost sad that we had to start shutting down the pre-game festivities and wind-down party. As night fell, and the ESPN pre-game show started we packed-up our goods and held an impromtu pep rally. Vikes fans started putting on their game faces and the friendly rivalry was about to begin inside the "stadium of strangers."
Purple Rain: Why Outdoor Football is So Cool!
Forget about the economics and the business aspects of building a new stadium for Red McCombs and his Minnesota Vikings, and focus on the one and only justification that makes sense for a new Purple home:
VIKING FANS DESERVE OUTDOOR FOOTBALL!
Yes it's true. Outdoor football kicks ass! We walked into the Stadium and hiked 30 rows up to the very top of Soldier Field. The coin toss was just taking place and it began to rain. That's right, rain! I looked up and saw nothing but dark sky and dim lights in the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago. The intensity of a Nationally Televised game was even more obvious when a gaudy Fireworks display light up the night sky for well over 5 minutes of intense bombing before the opening kick, prompting me to comment loudly, "You don't see that in the Humpty Hump!"
For the first 15 minutes of the game, the Vikes looked awful, but many of the surrounding Bears fans in our nosebleed section get predicting the ultimate doom of their beloved team.
"What are you guys worried about, it's only 9-0, and you'll still win by 20!, loathed a loyal season ticket holder to our right. "Oh come on!" I countered, "Have faith! You guys are controlling the game, and I have not seen the Vikes play this awful since the Lambs kicked our ass in the 2nd half of the playoffs last year. We are not looking like we want it right now, and we don't deserve this one the way we are playing right now." No sooner were the words out of mouth before Robert Smith broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, and sprinted down the sidelines for a 72-yard touchdown. From our vantage point, it was hard to appreciate the great downfield blocking he had from both Cris Carter and Randy Moss which led to the Touchdown.
"OH YAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" This baby is OVER! proclaimed Stier "The momentum has changed and this game is now OURS! It was only the second quarter, but the Purple had taken the reigns and were clearly in control the rest of the game!
Game Notes:
Some of my favorite plays and Game Night Observations:
Nothing in the first 12 minutes of the game is worth mentioning... The Vikes sucked! That Bears guy Urlacher is Awesome! Just ask anyone in a Bears jersey!... Robert Smith became the all-time leading Viking ground gainer on his long TD run... The offensive line with Matt Birk, Korey Stringer, David Dixon and Todd Steussie deserve a lot of credit for being the beef that opens up the holes for the leading ground attack in the NFL!...The Vikings Special Teams- sticking hard and keeping them in bad field position... The start of the 2nd half, Chris Walsh just pummelled the return man and the Bears were toast sitting deep in their own territory ...Daunte Culpepper's scramble and run in the 3rd Qaurter on 2nd and 10 from the Vikings 31. He should have been sacked for a 10-yard loss, but instead spun out of it like a Giant Fran Tarkenton of yore, and ran toward the sidelines for and 7-yard gain. On the play, Randy Moss made a killer block and Daunte put a Bears DB (#25) on his ass. That's some Balls and Nuts football! ...The running game is the NFL's best right now. Who would have thought that about a Vikings team known more for its freakish pass attack...Going for it on 4th and inches in the 3rd quarter, and of course, making it with the BIG PURPLE HEAVIES up front blasting the tiny Bears back enough for Robert Smith to lunge forward. Question: How do you defend that? I mean, it's physics and that's law you can't change...
We spent a lot of time down in the line to the Port-o Potties. Yes, inside Soldier Field are Porto Potties, and from row 30 in Section 211 at Soldier Field, the Port O Potties are a long ass hike. Surrounded by pictures of Butkus, Ditka and some guy need Gino or something, are 2 beer stands separated by 6 individual port o potty stalls. The first mass exit of the Bears fans had started after Matthew Hatchette's early in the 3rd quarter.
We didn't know about this until the next day, when Stier told us during our breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Rockford, IL, that he had encountered some issues with the Soldier Field Security. After one of these hikes down to the port o potty's Stier encountered some trouble with the Solider Field Security..Stier humbly admitted that security told him to politely return to his seat after he had harassed the exiting Bears fans.
The Chicago Boo Birds in the 3rd quarter came out when the Bears trailed 21-9 and Cade McNown through the ball away on 3rd down forcing a punt...
Big Dog John Randle's Sack of McNown in the 4th quarter. He just bulldogged him down. Randle is back, my friends.
Post Game Tailgate:
Barking out "who's house is this?" and "see ya, get out of our house!" to any Bears fan might not be a wise idea, but we barked out the words none-the-less. In the parking lot after the game we partied until the last car left and talked about how this '00 season for the Vikings might be turning into something special. After this weekend's victory over the Chicago Bears, the Vikings are 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the division. Teams with that type of record can justifiably be cocky, but the Vikings fans, being victims of false hopes and high expectations from past Viking failures, are still reserved. We know that we can't win, we aren't supposed to win, yet for some reason in the Year 2000, we continue to win games. It's been very enjoyable so far, but if you've ever been in a car accident, you'll understand the cautious optimism of the Viking fan. We don't want to endure the pain of losing, and know that it's just around the corner. We aren't this good, but people keep telling us that we are, and the scores of our teams' games show that we can win.
Roll Call & Game Day Grades:
Stier, Mookie, Lil Buddy, Notre Dame Dan, Niners Chick on Moss, FlemDog and Saueey Grades: A+ Have you read the pre-game tailgate notes? That's all you need to know!
: All No doubt about it, we all broke the sound barrier on this event, even FlemDog, who wore a Vikings cap the entire night! Also, Little Buddy got Keith Thibodeaux's glove at the end of the game...
"Ya, I yelled at him, and threw right up to me!... THIB-O-DEAUXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!
Quotes:
"I think we should ban all conversations about polictics and religion for the duration of this trip" Stier on Saturday.
"Okay, that's fair, so who do you think Randy Moss will vote for?" John sarcastically responding to the new rule.
"Hey, thanks for coming! Oh, by the way - Get out of our House!" Mook's post game chant, over and over and over!
"SAUUUUUEEEEEEEYYYYYY!!!!" Saueey's Brother-in-law as he surprisingly pulled into the same tailgate lot just 10 cars down from the Berserker's Camp just 1/2 hour after we had arrived!
"Remember when you and Saueey get together, you are 35, not 25!" Mrs. Mook 9:24 Saturday morning.
"Bobby Smith, Bobby Smith, Bobby Smith! That guy is the best Viking Running Back of all-time!" Stier proclaiming his allegience to his new favorite Viking, several times immediatlely after the game.
"Every time I break a long one, it's one of those wideouts running with me stride for stride and springing me for a touchdown!" Robert Smith
"We might suck, but it's a 6-0 SUCK!"Saueey to a taunting Bears fan!
"Who's House is this?" Mook to Bears fans in the stadium as they left in droves late in the 3rd Quarter and early in the 4th.
"You'll find that Bears fans have accepted their fate, and they are very humbled" Commisioner of Tailgating Joe Kahn (who had just been to the Bears loss to the Saints the day before)to Mookie after the Monday Night Game against the Bucs on October 9th.
"Can any of you so-called Bears fans tell me who the hell that was?" Stier taking an informal poll with nearby Bears fans to find out the name of the Receiver who caught the Bears first Touchdown. It must be noted that there was 1 such fan who knew the player was Dez White, and proceeded to sarcastically tell Stier all of his lifetime stats including the obscure fact that his mom's name is Georgia and he attended Georgia Tech.
"Who the hell is Frankie Smith and why is trying to tackle Daunte?"Mook to neighboring Bears fan in closing minutes of the 2nd Qaurter.
"1-0 is okay, 2-0, you kind of start thinking, 'that's a good start!' 3-0, Hmm... we might be on to something. 4-0, c'mon, this can't be happening, 5-0, Wow, is this our team? 6-0 THIS AIN'T NO F'N FLUKE MOFO... WE ARE FOR REAL!!!" Lil Buddy's post-game speech.
"It takes a lot of pressure off me and it' is big for our offense to be able to either run the ball or throw the ball effectively in a game," said Culpepper. "Hopefully we can continue to get better and continue this process."
"I am getting me a Bobby Smith Jersey! I love that guy" Stier praising the new all-time leading Vikings rushing leader.
"We may suck; but, this is 6-0 suck baby!!!" Mook repeating Saueeys earlier quote
Post Game E-Mails from People who attended the Tailgate:
This one came from the father of Lil Daunte:
"My son is "Lil Daunte" the holder for the field goal contests. It was his first Pro Football game live (only my third) and he (we) had a blast. I haven't had a chance to read all the comments and quotes but the Web site looks great and you guys sure know how to party.
While travelling to Chicago I thought we might be entering enemy turf but was pleasantly surprised as we pulled into the parking lot by the sea of Purple and Gold. I was also somewhat surprised by how hospitable the Bears Fans are. We live in northern Wisconsin and the "Puke"er fans can get pretty obnoxious. We have a pretty good office rivalry going and each year we have a lot of fun taking shots at each other. A couple of years back I made a video of a "Puke"er's Title Towel getting blown to shreds with a shotgun. With each shot it flipped up to reveal a Viking Sweatshirt strategically place behind it. One of the local TV stations came into the office and taped it and it ended up on the 6:00 news described as being created by an "unruly Viking Fan", unfortunately that was the year they went on to win the SuperBowl."
Gordy
This was Mookie's Response:
Great to hear from you! We certainly enjoyed the Bears tailgate and the game. You son is one of the MVP candidates for this last weeks tailgate for his holding for all the kicks. He did a great job! Sorry, there really is no prize for winning, it's just a status thing. It was one of the better roadtrips we have ever made, and I truly think it was because of the mood of both the Bears and Vikes fans! Sorry to hear that you have to put up with Packer jerks! They really are awful. For some team who professes so much success, ther fans take it way to seriously (like they actually play the games) and talk about the team like they were on it. Both Viking and Bears fans share a dislike for their arrogance. As a matter of fact, in KC last year, we learned that the Chiefs fans look at Packer fans as a-holes too. The told us that they were rude and pompous, and generally hold themselves in a higher regard than any other team's fans. This is not what we think makes for fun tailgating. The best type of tailgating is when fans from both teams can play together, drink together, laugh together and tease each other in good natured fun. You saw a GREAT example of this in Sunday Night! We were all there, and this is how an NFL tailgate should be. Not like in Green Bay, where I get flipped off and spit at just beacuse I am walking into their damn precious stadium.
Thanks for showing up and sharing the GREAT Time.
Mookie Vike from VikingsTailgate.com and FanStop.com
This e-mail came from a Bears fan named Max:
I was one of the Bear fans tailgating with you guys. You sure know how to have a great party. One of my guys (Bobby K) participated in the fieldgoal kicking contest. Even though he got screwed (his field goal was good but somebody said it was wide) we all had a great time. I don't know if you stayed after the game, but we were with the ESPN guy. It's amazing how much attention media people get. I was wondering if you could tell me where you guys got the goal posts or if somebody just made them if you could give me the dimensions. We want to do that at a Super Bowl party.
You're a great bunch of guys.
Max Achium
This was Mookie's Response:
Agreed. We had a blast with you crazy Bears fans! That's how NFL fans should party, always. There certainly was something unique about how the whole day evolved and I think that all who were involved are better fans for the experience. You guys are more than welcome to come visit us next year when the Bears come to town. As for the goal posts, my friend "Saueey" was the guy who built them, but they were my idea. Saueey was the Engineer. I will defer to him, by CC'ng him on this e-mail to give you the Job Specifications for the "Berserker VikingsTailgate.com Goalposts." We will soon have them posted on the internet, and are actually looking into assembling them and shipping them for a fee, so you won't have to go through the clumsy building phase. But for now, I'll defer to the Engineer... Thanks again for letting us share your parking lot. It was fun. Check the website sometime in the next few days and you'll see the write up review of the days events, which will include your comments.
Thanks Again
Mookie Vike from VikingsTailgate.com and FanStop.com
I felt that this years season ticket would be the funnest to date for the simple reason that we would be witness to the trials and tribulations of a maturing NFL quarterback, who would learn his trade via O.J.T. (On the Job Training). My expecxtations were low, but I felt that the Vikes might still be able to sneak into the playoffs as underdogs and "make some noise." We fans would get to see Daunte Culpepper develop into a potential weapon, while watching established Pro Bowlers Cris Carter and Randy Moss "will" the Vikes into the playoffs.
The tailgating heartbeat kept on clicking this week, despite the last minute cancellations for family emergencies and personal illness. Saueey was unable to attend due to the passing of his Grandma, and Strawjamms did not make the Saturday Trip from South Dakota with Chester beause of a flu bug. Once again, the Berserkere reserves were tapped into and we brought up Austin, MN natives Scahvs and Mayor Barry (Rocky's girlfriend) to come play with us at the last minute.
Tennessee Jim brought alcohol to exchange and we swapped Minnesota and Tennesse brewed beers and liquor. Meanwhile, a good old fashioned Minnesota snowball fight was breaking out between Berserkers, with Hagen declaring to have created the perfect snowball! In between sips of J.D. and small-talk conversation about the purple, and occasional groan of pain would emerse from the lips of a Berserker who had just been pelted with one of Hagen's perfect weapons!
The National Anthem was sung by the lead singer of the Bodeans, who are in town for a Thanksgiving concert.
"Yo, Suckwad! Your Vikings are CHOKERS! You always CHOKE in the Big Games! Your team is nothing but a loser! They are CHOKERS!!" For some reason, at that moment in time, my strategy changed. Instead of engaging in a rhetorical debate full of black and blue banter, I started laughing, and I did not mince words.
...Q--Are the Vikings really this good? A--There's a popular saying in football: Nothing is ever as great as it seems or as bad as it seems. The Vikings and Bears, however, are planning to test that axiom...
The Tailgate Review: Why Outdoor Football is So Cool! 
It wasn't long before a Bear's fan affectionately known as "Farley" (a look-alike to the famous Chicago-based comedian Chris Farley of Saturday Night Live fame) came over and attempted the first field goal! The kick went well over the posts and towards the now traffic-jammed avenue that was filled with commuting tailgaters. Earlier in the day, Saueey's brother-in-law had suggested a game of skill that would utilize the goal posts and involve the entire tailgating community. With Farley's kick drawing so much attention, it was the perfect time to propose the plan! We moved the goalposts to the center of the lot and announced the the game. The crowd listened attentively as I announced the rules that Saueeys kin had proposed.
: All No doubt about it, we all broke the sound barrier on this event, even FlemDog, who wore a Vikings cap the entire night! Also, Little Buddy got Keith Thibodeaux's glove at the end of the game...
Little Buddy returned to his seat and laughed at his lap dance's shocky tactics. Within minutes, the Metrodome security, along with the Buc's fan walked up the aisle and pointed a lazer flashlight in Little Buddy's face to summon him down for questioning. The Buccaneers chick was giddy with the revenge she was about to impose. The Busted Berserker walked down the stairs to the sound of thunderous applause, laughter and "Let him Stay!" chants. It was the 3rd quarter of the game, and the momentum had been taken away from the Berserkers.
Fortunately both Little Buddy and the Buc's Chick came back to their seats laughing. "All she wanted was an apology," said Little Buddy, "I had to apologize, or I was going to Jail, so I bought her a beer and we made up."
MVP: Strawjamms- The purple wig was great, and he lead the charge across the street in the middle of traffic as the early faction went in to the Metrodome
Opening Day greetings are supposed to be friendly and courteous if not at least cordial, but when we showed up to pay our $12 tailgating fee at 6:30 am there was no person in the booth to collect the money. Seeing others already scattered throughout the tailgate lot who were setting up their camps for the day, we assumed we could drive in and pay the attendant when they drove around to collect the fees. No sooner had we started our drive past the booth when a large pick up truck with even a larger man behind the wheel came barreling in from behind us and slammed on his breaks after cutting in front of us. The large Santa Claus figure jumped out of his truck and started SCREAMING at us like a dissed housewife on a Jerry Springer repeat.
"I'll take the leftovers from your draft, choose a team and still beat all of your sorry asses." Calling his bluff, Stier, Liberty and Brent procured the draft sheet and the 15th team of their league was created. The team was named the "Scraps" and will play every team in the league every week as an exhibition of humility.
Much has happened since that first game in 1976, and with my dad's presence at this game I could not stop reflecting on how much life has changed in for both the Vikings and myself. 
Pregame Tailgate:
Rocky and I were downtown whooping it up for nearly 2 hours before Saueey and John showed up. We did not grill out or bring any of the regular season supplies as it was still just preseason. We admired from afar the Purple Battlewagon, noting it's improvements from last year, and waxing philosophical about someday buying ourselves a killer tailgate vehicle. Although, the tailgate vehicle is purely a pie-in-the-sky idea and will probably never happen, we still tease each other with the possibilities.
Little Schmidty showed up sporting a new Packer Sucks purple t-shirt, and found his way to the beer and free tension release. It was about 6:00 and we were nearly an 1 1/2 hours from game time when I saw an #85 Kleinsasser and #57 Rudd walking toward us in an anxious gait. When Dad and lil bro Steve arrived, the pre-game tailgate was complete. Before the pre-season, many Viking fans were questioning the decision of Dennis Green to not sign Randall Cunningham or Jeff George to be the Vikings starter in '00. It seemed like everybody in purple land had an opinion on who the Vikings quarterback should be, and the consensus was that Duante Culpepper would not be their choice. The Berserkers posted a poll, asking Viking fans, "If You Could Bring Back 1 QB from the Vikes history in his prime to play in 2000, it would be _________. " We announced the winner at the tailgate and shared memories about these Viking fan choices:
The chore of putting together the replacement team fell onto Rocky and Mook, who noted that the task would be like casting for MTV's Real World, or CBS's Survivor. "We tried to invite interesting and controversial characters that would maximize the tailgating experience on Washington Avenue for this Vikings pre-season game," noted Rocky. Knowing that the familiar Watertown, SD 205 Berserkers Chapter of Steve and Chester would be driving in via a stop at Mankato, MN, Rocky and Mook put together a team of rag-tag partiers that would surround the core of regulars and carry the Berserker torch for the pre-season. 
We arrived at Tailgate Central around 3 pm and joined several Vikings fans who had already made their way to the stadium tailgate lot on Washington Avenue. The beer started flowing, and the Packer Boys stuck out like green albinos in a sea of purple. Needless to say, the sore-thumbs were easy targets for Viking passerby's.
We tailgated for nearly 4 hours, talking about the past years and new expectations of '00. J-Rock caught the eye of KSTP Channel 5 reporters and was filmed playing catch with a kid. He made is Berserker appearance on local TV later that evening when they ran the segment about tailgaters outside the Metrodome.
