Yep, your post is the point of my post. Its been a part of me & my family, the memories.
The only thing missing to bring it all together is the one season a million+ viking fans and a whole slew of players & coaches desire.

"Just once b4 im worm food"
I think it was SP/ slippery pete that I 1st heard/read say that. And it wasnt but A year or2 later. The SP moniker went silent. Just quietly faded out of the realm. No fanfare. No acknowledgement.

A story encapsulates that empty longing. When my pops passed. It was football season. I had convinced my brother to come see pops 1 last time before dads rapidly declining health removed the old mans lucidity.. The brother came, He arrived saturday evening, That sunday, "T" spent the morning hooking up the tv so he could watch Vikings at lions with dad. He nestled in to the chair next to the hospice bed. "This might be the year dad" my brother whispered to the fading family hero. Through milky eyes & dry lips. Pops, who never dropped f-bombs, choked out the words. "fk the vikings". He rolled over & fell asleep. My brother was pissed. Kinda chewed me out in the kitchen for "wasting" his time.

When the game ended, ny bro hopped in his short man penis envy truck and began the drive back to idaho. That night, when dad awoke. He asked where "T" was. "He has work in the morning. He left when the game ended".

About 5 weeks later, the old man was worm food.
It still pains me to this day that the memory of my dads passing is buggered by my brothers eager respect for a football team and the simultaneous lack of respect for his own father. AYE-RONNY!

As they say, you dont get to chose your fanily, you do get to chose your friends.
Me? In my wanning days, I like dogs, squirrels & horses. Critters never dissapoint.