The Forgotten Championship Game

[losperros]

In the end, Green was as bad for the Vikings as Childress. I just think he was a better coach and early on, he was good for the team.

It's interesting that ultimately big egos got in the way of both coaches. Neither guy was probably the best game day coach, with Childress too often being an absolute bullhead about it. At least Green would listen to his stud players (Carter, Moss, Randle) about what they were seeing on the field.

I felt Green actually was fairly innovative at first and seemed to have the Vikings heading in the right direction. At that point, I was supportive of him. But then Green tried to establish his own personal kingdom at the Winter Park facility and seemed to care about that more than running the team properly.

Regarding Childress, I liked him for about two or three games of the first season he was the HC. Then I saw the egomania bug in him and never liked the guy again. Even with Zygi's attempt to pull a Daniel Snyder-esque "we'll buy ourselves a championship roster" in 2009, Chili's ego led to stubborn roadblocks that finally spelled his doom.

IRRC, Jim, you not only wanted Green gone a couple years before he left, but you wanted Childress fired after his first season as the HC. Looking back, I wish the Vikings would have done both.

[hibbingviking]

I think Green was a good-but-flawed who knew how to win in the regular season but obviously didn't have what it takes to be very successful in the postseason. His ego became a bigger issue over time and as he gained more power within the organization but I'd take him over Childress as the head coach 10 times out of 10...

... and I say that as a fan who wanted to see Green replaced years before that actually happened.

dennis green continually got out coached in big games even with the Arizona cardinals. like they say teams take on the personality of there coach. dennis green always sounded over confident when mic'd up.

[Mothman]

It's interesting that ultimately big egos got in the way of both coaches. Neither guy was probably the best game day coach, with Childress too often being an absolute bullhead about it. At least Green would listen to his stud players (Carter, Moss, Randle) about what they were seeing on the field.

I felt Green actually was fairly innovative at first and seemed to have the Vikings heading in the right direction. At that point, I was supportive of him. But then Green tried to establish his own personal kingdom at the Winter Park facility and seemed to care about that more than running the team properly.

Regarding Childress, I liked him for about two or three games of the first season he was the HC. Then I saw the egomania bug in him and never liked the guy again. Even with Zygi's attempt to pull a Daniel Snyder-esque "we'll buy ourselves a championship roster" in 2009, Chili's ego led to stubborn roadblocks that finally spelled his doom.

IRRC, Jim, you not only wanted Green gone a couple years before he left, but you wanted Childress fired after his first season as the HC. Looking back, I wish the Vikings would have done both.

You're remembering correctly. Normally, I wouldn't want to see a coach fired after just one season but in Childress' case, I just thought there were way too many warning signs that he was ultimately the wrong coach and would be bad for the team in the long run. I really wanted to see the Vikes just recognize their mistake and move on.

[hibbingviking]

In the end, Green was as bad for the Vikings as Childress. I just think he was a better coach and early on, he was good for the team.

green was a terrific regular season coach. I personally look at those years fondly, even with those heartaches. green got too big for his britches near the end however imo.

[Knoxx]

Greens problem was that he allowed his subordinates call the plays during the regular season then he would call them in the play-offs breaking what wasn't broke. I believe if he would checked his ego at the door in 98" we would have attended the super bowl that year .

[PurpleMustReign]

Greens problem was that he allowed his subordinates call the plays during the regular season then he would call them in the play-offs breaking what wasn't broke. I believe if he would checked his ego at the door in 98" we would have attended the super bowl that year .

Then he hired Ray Sherman as his OC after Billick left. Sherman was the thing that ruined the Vikings offense IMO. He was a terrible play caller, almost as bad as Childress/Bevell.

[soflavike]

Then he hired Ray Sherman as his OC after Billick left. Sherman was the thing that ruined the Vikings offense IMO. He was a terrible play caller, almost as bad as Childress/Bevell.

Don't forget Richard Solomon, his college buddy, who "coached" the DB's.

[Hunter Morrow]

For me, 2000 was emotionally worse than 1998. I watched 98 by myself. In 2000, I was 14 and I was watching it with my family (father and two brothers) at my principal's house. We knew the spread was about 2 or 3 points and that was just some home team advantage spread. We thought we had a legit chance to win it.

We'd all talked about it all week because the person's house we were going to had a 72 inch screen with surround sound and all the works. Was going to "break it in with a championship win" with the first use of it. Today it'd be pretty impressive but in 2000 to a 14 year old kid the thing was the friggin' 8th Wonder of the World.

I remember that was like a 10 year period in Vikings history where every year we had a historically bad secondary or were at least capable of making marginal quarterbacks look like first ballot HOF material. That first drive, Kerry Freakin' Collins looked like a God as he just vaporized our pass "defense." As soon as that kick off was muffed, you could just feel it in the air. It was 14-0 before we even knew what had hit us and we still had 3 ####ing hours to go.

It is the ONLY Vikings game I'll never watch again. I'd give up nuclear launch codes to avoid watching that game.

[losperros]

Don't forget Richard Solomon, his college buddy, who "coached" the DB's.

Oh man...Richard Solomon...the dreaded Anti-Coach. He was worthless. Well, the opposing offenses probably liked him.

[PurpleMustReign]

The Vikings were favored against the Giants I thought.

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[PacificNorseWest]

The Vikings were favored against the Giants I thought.

Heavily by pundits, but Vegas had the Giants favored by 2.5. If you gamble at all or are familiar with how lines are set, then on a neutral field the Vikings are probably favored, but because it was in N.Y., the Giants got the edge by less than a FG.

[John_Viveiros]

My memory of that Sunday: I had something going on, so I taped the game on two VCR's (old style tech). When I got home, I left one VCR recording so I could start to catch up by watching the other. I watched the Giants roll through for the first TD. Then saw the kickoff fumble and quick TD, and thought "Um. This isn't looking good. Perhaps I should peek at the live score." When I switched to the live feed, it was already the final score.

I just turned the TV off and found something else to do while I recovered - and in those days, I really lived and died with the team, so I'm sure it took more than two weeks...

[VikeMike]

I live in New Jersey and I went to that game; it certainly isn't forgotten by me. Oh, i have tired to forget that game. A horrible experience, and I stayed for the entire game. I was amazed that the coaching staff never made any adjustments on defense early on. The Giants outplayed and out-strategized the Vikes that day. But, to be fair, that wasn't the strongest team we've ever fielded. If memory serves, they played badly down the stretch and had a bad December.

[losperros]

It is the ONLY Vikings game I'll never watch again. I'd give up nuclear launch codes to avoid watching that game.

I'm absolutely with you on that. I'd rather relive a shark attack than see that game again. It's an ugly blemish on Vikings history.

[PurpleMustReign]

I'm absolutely with you on that. I'd rather relive a shark attack than see that game again. It's an ugly blemish on Vikings history.

I can't watch any of the Vikings NFCC Game losses, but 98 and 09 are the ones that hurt the most. That 00 game was over before it started.