For all the heartbreak that comes with cheering for the Vikings, why do the fans stick around? 

The Minnesota Vikings heard a song all too familiar this Sunday, losing to the Browns 31-27 at Mall of America Field making this years record 0-3. 

The Vikings stuck with the Browns all the way until the fourth quarter but once again the Vikings could not finish. 

 “We’ve got a lot to figure out,” said head coach Leslie Frazier. 

Although the Vikings have not had a good team recently, the upper Midwest still loves their Vikings. 

Growing up in the Midwest has pushed a lot of fans to the Vikings. The next closest team to South Dakota is the Kansas City Chiefs. Vikings appreciation has also passed down in Midwest families. 

“It is a family tradition,” said sophomore biology major Lindsay Vik. “My dad and brother are huge Vikings fans and that’s how I came to be as well, not to mention my last name is in their name (VIKings).” 

The Vikings were fun to watch back in the day and they had great teams. There have only been four teams in the NFL who have made it to the Super Bowl more than the Vikings. Only the Dallas Cowboys have made to the playoffs more than the Vikes.

 “As a kid on the playground all I wanted to do was become Cris Carter or Randy Moss because they could catch anything that was thrown to them,” said junior music education major Trevor Bailey. “Back in the days the Vikings were fun to watch.”

The past Vikings teams are what keep hold of so many fans. They have had so many talented players that have paved the way for today’s big names. Cris Carter, Jim Marshal, Randall McDaniel and Matt Blair are all players that Vikings fans hold on to. 

Perhaps you are a giant fan of today’s team. Whether it be number 69 Jared Allen, or the big man on campus, Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings still have players with character. 

“I have always cheered for the Vikings,” said Brock Gomer, a sophomore athletic training major. “I started because my family cheered for them while I was younger, plus when Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen came it became more fun to watch games. I stick with them for the small chance that someday they will get a good quarterback and do well for a few years.”

The Minnesota Vikings are the classic underdog story but have yet to reach their defining moment. The Vikings have gone to the Super Bowl four times but have not won. They keep the fans hooked with the anticipation of a Super Bowl Championship.

The fans have also established a reputation for themselves. The crazy gold and purple painted and horn wearing fans are at the games through sunshine and blizzards. 

“It’s exciting not knowing which team is going to show up,” Bailey said. “Sometimes it looks like Christian Ponder plays with his eyes closed while other times Adrian Peterson carries the team to victory.”

It’s the not knowing that makes you a true Vikings fan. Not knowing if they are going to win or lose but always knowing you will still be a fan tomorrow.