AS I SEE IT
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
If you are not a Minnesota Vikings football fan, please forgive me for this week’s column. But with Minnesota pulling out what could only be called the “Miracle in Minneapolis,” Vikings fans across the country are in complete shock with their 29-24 win over the New Orleans Saints.
If you didn’t watch this game on Sunday, then you probably missed the greatest finish of any professional football game in the history of the NFL. And if you did happen to watch it all the way to the end, then you are probably as shocked as everyone else with the Vikings’ win that now sets the stage for the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday. The winner of that game will play in the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
Before going too much further, let’s go on record as acknowledging that the Vikings are one of the most “snake-bitten” teams playing professional sports. They’ve made it to the Super Bowl four times and in of those games, the Vikings came away the loser. They have seemingly found a way to lose more games than they should have won than most fans would care to remember.
This past Sunday’s game seemed to bring back the sickening feeling that Vikings fans have become so familiar with. After dominating the Saints for the first half, the wheels started coming off for the Vikings - a couple of bad penalties, an interception that went for a New Orleans’ touchdown, a missed field goal. With 10 seconds left in the game, Minnesota and their fans felt that old familiar feeling settling in again as New Orleans held a 24-22 lead and the Vikings faced a 3rd and 10 situation 61 yards from the end zone.
And then the miracle of miracles, or the Skol Mary as some are calling it, happened as Case Keenum threw one last sideline pass to Stefon Diggs. A New Orleans player missed the tackle and the rest is history as the Vikings pulled off the miracle win.
Vikings fans, who just seconds ago were reeling in despair, exploded in rejoicing. And as one Facebooker posted, at 7:11 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2018, a new world record was set for the most people yelling “holy sh**” at the same time.
It was a moment and a play that will live forever in Vikings history. It was the play that proved that the Vikings do not always have to suffer losses at the hands of opponent’s miracles, but they are a team that can produce their own miracles.
Skol Vikings. And good luck against the Eagles. May the next game you play be at home and in the 2018 Super Bowl!