Since the Vikings became a part of the National Football League in 1961, fans in Minnesota have seen the team spend a great deal of time in the playoffs. From 1967 to 1984, head coach Bud Grant built a powerful offense. During Grant’s reign in Minnesota, the Vikings made 12 trips to the playoffs, finishing first in the NFC Central division 11 times. Although Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton spent two different terms with the team because of a trade in 1967, he played the most important role in the Vikings’ success. Upon the quarterback’s return from the New York Giants in 1972, the Vikings appeared in the Super Bowl in three of the next four years.
While the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl Championship, they were the first team in NFL history to reach the coveted game four times. During the 1990s, fans at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome bought Vikings football tickets during the team’s most consistent years of success. Head coach Dennis Green guided the team to eight trips to the postseason before the new millennium, during which wide receiver Cris Carter earned a reputation as one of the most dominant offensive players in the game. Despite numerous quarterback changes throughout the decade, Carter remained the team’s most dependable target. When he left the team after their dismal season in 2001, Carter held the team records for receptions and touchdown catches.
While the management hopes to replace the old stadium, the Vikings must prove that they are worthy of the investment. As Childress assumes the head coaching duties, he will begin the quest for the level of achievement that Minnesota Vikings ticket holders enjoyed before Tice’s five years at the helm. Their new division, the NFC North, has been the home to some of the league’s worst records over the last two years, and the Vikings will need to separate themselves from the rest of the losing squads.