"Losing" question...

[PurpleMustReign]

My girlfriend and I were talking about this and I was wondering what you all thought...

In a general game, would you rather the Vikings lose by one, like against Chicago, or by 30, where the game is over from the beginning? To me, I would rather see them lose by 30 where the game is never close. But she would rather lose by one, where they were "oh so close" to winning.

What do you all think?

[The Breeze]

I'd rather not lose....but I would at least want them to be in the game and leave it all on the field. Sorry, gotta back up your lady on this one.

[DarthBrooks]

I feel worse about the loss to the Lions than I do about the loss to the Bears. A close game, decided by inches is less painful than a game you never had a chance at.

[Demi]

Where's the "Doesn't matter, loss is a loss" option?

[Eli]

Where's the "Doesn't matter, loss is a loss" option?

For you, we need to add an option of "Doesn't matter, a win and a loss are exactly the same. The team still sucks."

[Demi]

For you, we need to add an option of "Doesn't matter, a win and a loss are exactly the same. The team still sucks."

Well yeah when the best we can expect is beating a bum #### Browns team and maybe a bum #### Steelers and Panthers.

But woohoo let's win, that gets a ring right guys??? lmao.

[Eli]

Well yeah when the best we can expect is beating a bum #### Browns team and maybe a bum #### Steelers and Panthers.

But woohoo let's win, that gets a ring right guys???

So, lets get this straight. If you don't root for the Vikings to win, what exactly do you hope to see when you watch a Vikings game? Or do you not watch the games? You just come here to snivel and whine, like your diaper constantly needs changing?

[Demi]

I root for them to win, but what does that matter when they lose? Or does rooting for them to win mean more than them actually winning? Are you that delusional? Are homers that delusional? I don't understand...am I suppose to feel good because they tried hard? Do I mail them gold stars? Is this kindergarten?

[JellyBean2144]

The closes ones I can deal with. Because it pretty much comes down to a play or two. The blowouts are the ones that I can not deal with.

[CbusVikesFan]

It's gut wrenching either way. It's either they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory or "**** fire, they stink"! So, it really doesn't matter, a loss is a loss. It sucks when games do not finish in a victory formation or with a huge defensive stop to end a opposing rally.

[PurpleHalo]

Flame me all you want, I have been waiting a long time for a true bottom out year. Being mediocre every year, leads to long stretches of mediocrity, especially when you have a front office so inept at finding a legitimate quarterback. The path this team has taken, outside of 2008 / 2009, leads to nowhere. Speilman will only find more Chad Henne, Christian Ponder types in the 2nd and 3rd round. I am growing impatient with this outfit, and I am a paying customer. To me this doesn't make one a bad fan, this makes one a passionate fan, who is tired of coming up just short, or not getting close, for 37 years. I sorta hate the, you are a bad fan for wantimg a team to rebuild what has never worked, from the ground up. This team never does that, it wins bad divisions most years, with teams that have no real shot, because we have some no count throwing the ball. The fact I have stuck it out through all this pain, makes me a good fan, and I deserver more, as do all of you.

So to the original question: 16 close games with 14 losses wouldn't bug me a bit, I don't cheer a loss, but I don't become devastated. I have a bigger picture in mind.

[TheFoxInDetox]

To me, losing a close game hurts more but the pain is over sooner, replaced by optimism. A one sided a$$ whopping never really hurts, it just makes me not want to watch the game. That said, I'd take a last second loss every time over a one sided affair.

Both of the games this year have been very fluky. First play TD's, huge blunders by the opposition and good fortune kept us in games in which we were clearly outplayed. As much as I wanted that win outdoors, at Soldier filed I never felt like we deserved it. I felt like we were outplayed all around and knew it was just a matter of time before we crumbled. Did anybody here actually think we were going to stop them on that last drive? No.

I pin that Chicago loss on the coaching. If we had run the ball 4 straight times on our previous possession i believe that we would have won the game. Either AD puts 6 on the board or we leave them pinned inside the 5 with no timeouts. They would have been scrambling to get into FG position and not have been thinking about scoring a TD. Chicago's clock management was not going well, Cutler was frustrated and I believe they would have crumbled with their backs up against the endzone.

[Mothman]

I'd rather not lose....but I would at least want them to be in the game and leave it all on the field. Sorry, gotta back up your lady on this one.

I feel the same way. For example, I'll take the '98 NFCC game over the '00 NFCC game every time, pain and all. I'd rather just see the team I'm cheering for win though. I know from watching my favorite teams in other sports win it all that it's actually more fun. Hopefully, the Vikes will get one soon.

[admvp]

I feel the same way. For example, I'll take the '98 NFCC game over the '00 NFCC game every time, pain and all. I'd rather just see the team I'm cheering for win though. I know from watching my favorite teams in other sports win it all that it's actually more fun. Hopefully, the Vikes will get one soon.

HOW??? Goodness, you are a stronger man than I. I'd rather come away saying "we got beat by a better team, we didn't deserve to win" than saying "we were clearly the better team, we just #### choked." (Which, in my opinion, was the case in both '98 and '10)

'00 wasn't pain-free; it sucked watching us get shelled like that, but the Giants were better.

That Anderson kick and the Favre INT, however... Those will haunt me forever unless we finally win one (which doesn't appear to be happening soon). And there's nothing I wouldn't do to erase those from my memory. So yes, I would rather those games have been blowout losses.

I could go on forever about this. I still don't know that I've adequately articulated what I want to say. Basically, playing the "what if" game (if Anderson makes the kick, if Longwell gets a chance against the Saints) is extremely painful to me, but also impossible to avoid doing.

[maembe]

I hate losing, but if forced to choose one I will say I prefer close games. Close games can provide hope, which, as Vikings fans, is all we really have.