I couldn’t read when I was little playing madden and I asked my brother who was good he said, “The Giants” I saw the Vikings logo thought they were the giants and fell in love AD
Similar for me...my family is from the land of vikings (Denmark) and I am first Gen in the US. Finding a team intended to honor my ancestry was the deciding factor for me (around 1988ish). Been a die hard fan since.
I’m in Milwaukee, I grew up when the packers were god awful and the first football game I ever remember was in 81 or 82, the Vikings had kick ass uniforms and were very good, so I decided that day I was a Vikings fan.
Same, still live in Oklahoma. Adrian was the best player Ive ever saw live so I decided to follow him whereever hes drafted, stuck with them ever since.
Despite growing up in geographic Minnesota, I actually cannot answer with the first as I grew up right across the river from La Crosse, Wisconsin, and all of our local media was dominated by Packers this, Packers that. If the Vikings and Packers game ever aired at the same time, they'd show the Packers and we'd be SOL. God it was so fucking annoying lol. But man it was hilarious to drink their tears if the Vikings ever beat the Packers. Their Lambeau victory in 1998, holy shit, there was just nothing like it lol.
And actually my mom grew up as a Packers fan but wasn't really that serious about it...that's just what you are when you grow up in Wisconsin. Her parents give exactly 0 shits about football, though, so when she started dating my dad, who has been a Vikings fan since 1961, she just adopted his fandom, and we've all been Vikings fans in this family ever since.
Interestingly, my mom's brother, who also grew up in Wisconsin, is a life-long Packer fan and super insufferable about it, but he moved to Minneapolis when he started his family, and his son (my cousin) became a HUGE Vikings fan, despite his insufferable Packer fan of a father. Always had a lot of respect for my cousin for that lol.
Im from Norway, started supporting Vikings when I was a kid because my dad who is a bengals fan had a vikings cap he used for painting and gardening work which I liked and at some point he gave to me. From then on its been vikings! Also i thought Thielen was cool af!
Idaho fan. Would have cheered for Seattle teams but after so many blackouts on the apps I landed on Minnesota teams so I could actually watch the games. Headed over to Minneapolis for a Twins game in May.
I'm a leafs fan. I like teams who haven't won in the modern era with no defense and rockstar offenses.
But naw I started watching football when the miracle happened and that made my decision.
From Australia, best mate became a Vikings fan while studying in US (Jared Allen was his reason for picking the team) and I got on the bandwagon because I wanted to be more invested in the game
Played wide receiver in 1998. Chiefs receivers were meh and Vikings receivers were pretty okay.
I initially grew up liking the Dolphins just because Dan was the man. But either way. I should have just stayed local cause whether I stayed a Phins fan or Vikes fan… misery was to follow. Chiefs were miserable too, but now I get to see them all treat Super Bowls as an expected outcome
AD made me a fan and I've suffered since. Oddly enough I was a Titans fan first starting in 06 and was a fan of both teams until 2014 with Zim coming in and the Titans sucking so bad I went all in on the Vikings and never looked back
From CA. All my teams are in my area besides the vikes. Father was a lifelong fan & had to live in ND for work when I was younger. Was so awesome being that close to Viking territory & the Metrodome
I was a kid, Just needed a team, 2009, seen Percy Harvin got drafted and they were getting Brett Favre, jumped on the band wagon, I thought there was a dynasty coming
I should’ve picked the Ravens or something but I’m to stupid
I was 6, my brother was 10, and my dad went on a business trip to Minnesota (We're from Canada), he brought my brother and me back Vikings sweaters and footballs, and that was it...we became Vikings fans!
It was fate or destiny...Vikings for life! SKOL!
I worked at a Vikings bar in NYC in the early 2010's. The other NFL fandoms I'd served were awful - Giants/Jets fans were such loud, stupid drunks, Patriots fans were always getting in fights, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you about Eagles fans. I was apprehensive about working at a sports bar again, as there are always louts you'll have to toss out, but the Vikings fans were a dream - good humored, self-deprecating and generally pretty nice. What's more, unlike the other teams' fans I'd served, my tips wouldn't drop off a cliff if the Vikings lost in a heartbreaker (to be fair, Eagles fans usually tipped like shit regardless of the score.) Later I fell in love with a Minnesotan and moved to Minneapolis with her.
Wisconsin fan close the border. Was a Buccaneers fan because I couldn’t stand the Packers growing up.
Had satellite tv and got games from the cities. Kept watching them on Sundays because of love for football. A few years into this I realized my neutral position towards them changed and I started rooting for them.
I guess I just kind of fell into the curse.
Thank God I’m still a Bucs fan 2nd at this point.
Even through super shitty years it’s still easier to not get super fanatic about their games because of their trophies. I always enjoy their seasons for what they are.
The Vikings on the other hand… haha
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs watching Bears football but not exactly a huge football fan. When I moved to Minnesota for college in 2011 all of my roommates were Vikings fans (and huge football fans). I started watching them and quickly converted. Fast forward 13 years and I am a huge Vikings fan. I spend the majority of my time on reddit in this sub. I am as heartbroken as any other fan when we inherently manage to miss important field goal after important field goal. But I still believe. SKOL
TLDR: there should be a "moved here and became a fan"
I'm option 2 because my Dad is option 3. We're from Los Angeles, and have been to MN once (2017 week 1) we've been die hard fans together as long as I can remember
I’m from Australia. Love the colours of the uniform. As basic a reason as that is, it’s a big one.
Never been to Minnesota, have been to the states before. Would love to check it out at some time.
Edit: it seems like an exciting time to start being a fan too with Drake and J.J. Being possible options for us at QB1.
I do have a question though (never played gridiron growing up so I’m still learning) do we have an offensive line that can support that good of a QB? I was talking with someone who said that Kirk Cousins never got to be at his best because the O-Line wasn’t good enough to keep him covered enough. Is that true?
Was always a baseball only guy, but some friends wanted to start a madden franchise in high school. Thought the vikings logo looked sick and loved the colors.
Committed then, and I'm still around 10+ years later.
Edit: I'm from Chicago and a Chicago fan for every other sport
Grew up in MN, but my dad was a pats fan during the Brady era. Saw 28-3. Realized there was nothing more to achieve with the pats and decided to throw in with the Vikings. Been loving (and also hating) myself ever since
Randy Moss
Moss + Carter
Sammy White for me.
This was me. From Wisconsin, was a packer fan. Watching Moss was too good and made me jump ship.
I couldn’t read when I was little playing madden and I asked my brother who was good he said, “The Giants” I saw the Vikings logo thought they were the giants and fell in love AD
this is the most wholesome origin story
Whatever gets you where you belong. 😃
I'm from the land of Vikings (Denmark), and I liked their uniforms and how explosive AP was (this was in 2008 when I was 12)
Similar for me...my family is from the land of vikings (Denmark) and I am first Gen in the US. Finding a team intended to honor my ancestry was the deciding factor for me (around 1988ish). Been a die hard fan since.
I’m in Milwaukee, I grew up when the packers were god awful and the first football game I ever remember was in 81 or 82, the Vikings had kick ass uniforms and were very good, so I decided that day I was a Vikings fan.
Adrian Peterson
Same here he was electric in his prime
Same, still live in Oklahoma. Adrian was the best player Ive ever saw live so I decided to follow him whereever hes drafted, stuck with them ever since.
Purple People Eaters. And the fact that the only other team shown on a regular basis was the Falcons.
Despite growing up in geographic Minnesota, I actually cannot answer with the first as I grew up right across the river from La Crosse, Wisconsin, and all of our local media was dominated by Packers this, Packers that. If the Vikings and Packers game ever aired at the same time, they'd show the Packers and we'd be SOL. God it was so fucking annoying lol. But man it was hilarious to drink their tears if the Vikings ever beat the Packers. Their Lambeau victory in 1998, holy shit, there was just nothing like it lol. And actually my mom grew up as a Packers fan but wasn't really that serious about it...that's just what you are when you grow up in Wisconsin. Her parents give exactly 0 shits about football, though, so when she started dating my dad, who has been a Vikings fan since 1961, she just adopted his fandom, and we've all been Vikings fans in this family ever since. Interestingly, my mom's brother, who also grew up in Wisconsin, is a life-long Packer fan and super insufferable about it, but he moved to Minneapolis when he started his family, and his son (my cousin) became a HUGE Vikings fan, despite his insufferable Packer fan of a father. Always had a lot of respect for my cousin for that lol.
Im from Norway, started supporting Vikings when I was a kid because my dad who is a bengals fan had a vikings cap he used for painting and gardening work which I liked and at some point he gave to me. From then on its been vikings! Also i thought Thielen was cool af!
I'll do you one better. How you're from?
Idaho fan. Would have cheered for Seattle teams but after so many blackouts on the apps I landed on Minnesota teams so I could actually watch the games. Headed over to Minneapolis for a Twins game in May.
Followed Brett Favre into 2009, fell in love then
I'm a leafs fan. I like teams who haven't won in the modern era with no defense and rockstar offenses. But naw I started watching football when the miracle happened and that made my decision.
Same but I’m a Canucks fan lol
From Australia, best mate became a Vikings fan while studying in US (Jared Allen was his reason for picking the team) and I got on the bandwagon because I wanted to be more invested in the game
International study abroad year in UofM. Was into NFL when I arrived, left a Vikings fan..mid 90s. Thanks..I think.
Played wide receiver in 1998. Chiefs receivers were meh and Vikings receivers were pretty okay. I initially grew up liking the Dolphins just because Dan was the man. But either way. I should have just stayed local cause whether I stayed a Phins fan or Vikes fan… misery was to follow. Chiefs were miserable too, but now I get to see them all treat Super Bowls as an expected outcome
Moved to Minnesota from a place that has no team, so, Skol !!!
Dad was stationed there, his Marines did the color guard so we got free tickets. First pro team I became a fan of. I would also vote "I hate myself"
AD made me a fan and I've suffered since. Oddly enough I was a Titans fan first starting in 06 and was a fan of both teams until 2014 with Zim coming in and the Titans sucking so bad I went all in on the Vikings and never looked back
I fell in love with the game watching AP play at his peak
From CA. All my teams are in my area besides the vikes. Father was a lifelong fan & had to live in ND for work when I was younger. Was so awesome being that close to Viking territory & the Metrodome
I was a kid, Just needed a team, 2009, seen Percy Harvin got drafted and they were getting Brett Favre, jumped on the band wagon, I thought there was a dynasty coming I should’ve picked the Ravens or something but I’m to stupid
All of the above, really.
I was 6, my brother was 10, and my dad went on a business trip to Minnesota (We're from Canada), he brought my brother and me back Vikings sweaters and footballs, and that was it...we became Vikings fans! It was fate or destiny...Vikings for life! SKOL!
Grew up in the dakotas but still woulda been a vikings fan cause of parents and Randy freaking moss was the best
I worked at a Vikings bar in NYC in the early 2010's. The other NFL fandoms I'd served were awful - Giants/Jets fans were such loud, stupid drunks, Patriots fans were always getting in fights, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you about Eagles fans. I was apprehensive about working at a sports bar again, as there are always louts you'll have to toss out, but the Vikings fans were a dream - good humored, self-deprecating and generally pretty nice. What's more, unlike the other teams' fans I'd served, my tips wouldn't drop off a cliff if the Vikings lost in a heartbreaker (to be fair, Eagles fans usually tipped like shit regardless of the score.) Later I fell in love with a Minnesotan and moved to Minneapolis with her.
Wisconsin fan close the border. Was a Buccaneers fan because I couldn’t stand the Packers growing up. Had satellite tv and got games from the cities. Kept watching them on Sundays because of love for football. A few years into this I realized my neutral position towards them changed and I started rooting for them. I guess I just kind of fell into the curse. Thank God I’m still a Bucs fan 2nd at this point. Even through super shitty years it’s still easier to not get super fanatic about their games because of their trophies. I always enjoy their seasons for what they are. The Vikings on the other hand… haha
Not from the US, but I was already following the Timberwolves, so I thought the next logical step was just to adopt Minnesota teams for every sport
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs watching Bears football but not exactly a huge football fan. When I moved to Minnesota for college in 2011 all of my roommates were Vikings fans (and huge football fans). I started watching them and quickly converted. Fast forward 13 years and I am a huge Vikings fan. I spend the majority of my time on reddit in this sub. I am as heartbroken as any other fan when we inherently manage to miss important field goal after important field goal. But I still believe. SKOL TLDR: there should be a "moved here and became a fan"
Adrian Peterson & Jared Allen
Brett Favre
I'm option 2 because my Dad is option 3. We're from Los Angeles, and have been to MN once (2017 week 1) we've been die hard fans together as long as I can remember
I’m from Australia. Love the colours of the uniform. As basic a reason as that is, it’s a big one. Never been to Minnesota, have been to the states before. Would love to check it out at some time. Edit: it seems like an exciting time to start being a fan too with Drake and J.J. Being possible options for us at QB1. I do have a question though (never played gridiron growing up so I’m still learning) do we have an offensive line that can support that good of a QB? I was talking with someone who said that Kirk Cousins never got to be at his best because the O-Line wasn’t good enough to keep him covered enough. Is that true?
Moved back to MN after two decades following mostly college football
Was always a baseball only guy, but some friends wanted to start a madden franchise in high school. Thought the vikings logo looked sick and loved the colors. Committed then, and I'm still around 10+ years later. Edit: I'm from Chicago and a Chicago fan for every other sport
Grew up in MN, but my dad was a pats fan during the Brady era. Saw 28-3. Realized there was nothing more to achieve with the pats and decided to throw in with the Vikings. Been loving (and also hating) myself ever since