Poll: Your First Vikings Head Coach

[PurpleMustReign]

The 1987 team was the first time I followed them (I was 8 years old, and the twins had just won the world series, so in my opinion all of the mn teams would win championships).i remember my mom screaming like crazy when they beat New Orleans in the playoffs,y dads stunned look when they beat San Fran, and their anger with Darrin Nelson when he dropped that pas in Washington. I loved the 1988 team. Keith Millard and Chris doleman are two of my top five favorite Vikings.

[PsyDanny]

Following the team: Les Steckel, shortly after moving here from Michigan. What else was there to watch?

Actually a fan: Although it was cool to see the legend coach that short stint, it was the Jerry Burns years, with the addition of Michigan hero Anthony Carter, when I truly became Purple.

[Mothman]

The 1987 team was the first time I followed them (I was 8 years old, and the twins had just won the world series, so in my opinion all of the mn teams would win championships).i remember my mom screaming like crazy when they beat New Orleans in the playoffs,y dads stunned look when they beat San Fran, and their anger with Darrin Nelson when he dropped that pas in Washington. I loved the 1988 team. Keith Millard and Chris doleman are two of my top five favorite Vikings.

I loved that team too.

[PurpleMustReign]

The 1987 team was the first time I followed them (I was 8 years old, and the twins had just won the world series, so in my opinion all of the mn teams would win championships).i remember my mom screaming like crazy when they beat New Orleans in the playoffs,y dads stunned look when they beat San Fran, and their anger with Darrin Nelson when he dropped that pas in Washington. I loved the 1988 team. Keith Millard and Chris doleman are two of my top five favorite Vikings.

I loved that team too.

Jim if it weren't for politics I'd swear we were the same person lol.

[MikethePurple]

Jerry Burns would have been my first exposure to them. I have memories as a kid of my dad listening to the radio cleaning deer in the garage in North Dakota and hearing names like Anthony Carter and Keith Millard being mentioned on the radio. I was a Bears fan (if you could call it that) mainly because I was always a contrarian as a kid (still am to an extent ) so I couldn't be cheering for the same team as my family. I remember cheering for the Bears during a game with the rest of my extended family in northern Minnesota when they were all Vikings fans. I think they probably would've been mad if I hadn't been so young!

I remember then watching them very casually in the mid nineties (for some reason the only legit reason my mom would take at the time for me skipping church was to watch the Vikings game so I grabbed that chance) during Denny Green's early years. Then I took another hiatus until I finished grad school and was living in Chicago. That was a bad time to decide that because I missed out on the fun year of 98 when I was living in the Twin Cities and in high school. I really could've ridden the high wave which of course would have come crashing down, so maybe on second thought I don't regret it!! I started casually watching again in 2006 and finally in 2007 I began my pretty dedicated fandom during the Childress era.

[MrPurplenGold]

Burns, but I was young and didn't watch seriously until Green.

same here

[J. Kapp 11]

Bud.

He was the greatest. I mean, THE GREATEST. I don't care that he didn't win a Super Bowl. He got us to four. And when teams came into the Met, they were doomed before they started, especially after it turned cold. I can still see the Vikings on the sidelines with no heaters, Bud acting like it's a summer afternoon at the lake, while the other team shivered and gathered around their heaters like Girl Scouts waiting for their s'mores. We all think New England is dominant at home in December. Well, they weren't more dominant than the Vikings under Bud. They were just about unbeatable in the cold.

I started following the Vikings on September 28, 1969. My dad took me to see the Vikings play the Colts at the Met. Joe Kapp threw for 536 yards and 7 TDs, and we beat Baltimore 52-14. I was 9 years old, and after watching that game, the first football game I ever saw, I thought Joe Kapp was not human. More like a Roman god or something. Hence my avatar.

Why do I like Mike Zimmer? Because by personality, he's the closest thing to Bud Grant I've seen in 50 years as a Vikings fan. Tough, no-nonsense, brutally honest. Problem is, he doesn't win like Bud, so apparently my theory is garbage.

[Cliff]

Making this a sticky because I think it's interesting and want people to vote as they see it.

[PurpleMustReign]

There are a lot of old farts on this board lol.

[Dames]

There are a lot of old farts on this board lol.

[PurpleMustReign]

There are a lot of old farts on this board lol.

I include myself... Anyone from before Green. I was a Burns guy myself.

[Dames]

I include myself... Anyone from before Green. I was a Burns guy myself.

I'm just barely in. Really the last few years of Grants first tenure. I arrived shortly after all the failed Superbowls basically, so I have that at least. I have plenty of other heartbreaks to deal with. I was alive during those, but I just hadn't quite discovered the thrill of sports yet

[VikingBolt]

Bud Grant here. Born in 64 and was wearing Vikings pjs by time I was walking. I was brought up right. The day that Drew Pearson pushed off on Nate Wright.. the beginning of refs screwing us for me.. on the stupid Hail Mary pass was the 1st time my mom heard her little son drop the F bomb. Thankfully Dad was as mad as me and gave me a pass lol

I remember that day like it was just last week. I became a fan in 1961 and yes I'm old.
Last January I went to the ER and almost died, now I have Afib and on several heart pills. So, I think I can declare that I will never see my Beloved Vikings win a Super Bowl, and as bad as Monday night's game was I will still cheer for them to win.

[PurpleMustReign]

Bud Grant here. Born in 64 and was wearing Vikings pjs by time I was walking. I was brought up right. The day that Drew Pearson pushed off on Nate Wright.. the beginning of refs screwing us for me.. on the stupid Hail Mary pass was the 1st time my mom heard her little son drop the F bomb. Thankfully Dad was as mad as me and gave me a pass lol

I remember that day like it was just last week. I became a fan in 1961 and yes I'm old.
Last January I went to the ER and almost died, now I have Afib and on several heart pills. So, I think I can declare that I will never see my Beloved Vikings win a Super Bowl, and as bad as Monday night's game was I will still cheer for them to win.

I hope you recovered well. Afib isn't necessarily a death sentence. The company I work for makes a lot of great devices to help thst.
With that said, anything is possible... Some day the Vikings will win it all. They just have to for the sanity of everyone in Minnesota.

[Bowhunting Viking]

Bud Grant here. Born in 64 and was wearing Vikings pjs by time I was walking. I was brought up right. The day that Drew Pearson pushed off on Nate Wright.. the beginning of refs screwing us for me.. on the stupid Hail Mary pass was the 1st time my mom heard her little son drop the F bomb. Thankfully Dad was as mad as me and gave me a pass lol

I remember that day like it was just last week. I became a fan in 1961 and yes I'm old.
Last January I went to the ER and almost died, now I have Afib and on several heart pills. So, I think I can declare that I will never see my Beloved Vikings win a Super Bowl, and as bad as Monday night's game was I will still cheer for them to win.

Well buddy I feel for ya and understand. Let me tell u about me and we will make a pact to hang on to see them win the Big one someday.
I just turned 54 this past Oct. When I was 25 I was playing in a softball double header. At the end of 2nd game starting feeling real bad. Tightness in chest ,then neck and jaw. Sweating way more than usual. It was June 26th. Ended up in ER with a bad heart attack. Ended up getting an angioplasty. Had other blockages after that that had to be ballooned also. Then 16 yrs later.. ON June 26th AGAIN.. to boot my daughters birthday, I was finishing up stuff for her b day party that afternoon as the wife and her ran to store to get a few forgotten items. Boom outta no where I collapsed in the yard. Crawled into the house but couldn't get to the phone. They finally got home. Before I knew it I was in a helicopter being life flighted to emergancy surgery. 3 of the largest stents they make are layed right up against each other in main artery. Surgeon said I had prob 5 mins.. 10 mins tops left before I was gone. So every June 26th we all stay close to the hospital lol. I also had a time during another cath my heart stopped for 54 secs and they had to zap me 3 times to get me going again.
So I figure I survived a heart attack at 25 and 41.. and several other uncloggings, so I WILL survive to see the Vikes finally win it. So hang in there brother and just think positive that we r gonna see it happen!!! Stay healthy buddy!!