Bring the Scotch, Kerosene and Horse Tranquilizer: Vikings Fans React to Our ’98 Oral History

The response to our story on the electrifying, heartbreaking 1998 Vikings elicited painful responses on social media

Getty Images

When talking about stories The MMQB could do in conjunction with SI’s annual Where Are They Now project, the idea of looking back at the great, heartbreaking Vikings team of 1998 was an obvious one. Twenty years on from that season, those Vikings of Randall Cunningham, Cris Carter, Randy Moss et al still fascinate football nation for the way they lit up the scoreboard—and they way they lost in the NFC Championship Game when the Super Bowl seemed their destiny. It was a crushing loss—Brian Billick told writer Conor Orr he wasn’t sure if the city has ever gotten over it. Judging by the responses to the story on Twitter, it’s clear the wounds are still there. It was a story that had to be done, not that folks in Minnesota necessarily wanted to relive it ... 

Not ready to read this yet, don't think I'll ever be https://t.co/bI8DLQCZdW

— dave (@djp4516) June 27, 2018

Good thing i have half a bottle of scotch left... https://t.co/UxXNFEdtEX

— Josh Mensch 👿 (@JoshMenschNFL) June 27, 2018

Yeah....that sucked. Again. And Again. And Again. And Again.

— Jeff Kiecker (@jeffkiecker) June 27, 2018

I hate thinking about it. Seriously.

— THEVikingsFan (@TheLogosIsHim) June 27, 2018

I was eight years old. I locked myself in the bathroom and cried for two hours after Morten Anderson made the game winning field goal.

— Rob Searles (@RobBob17) June 27, 2018

great. i wanted to cry today. https://t.co/HSs39fYkBy

— Josh Berhow (@Josh_Berhow) June 28, 2018

Cool, yeah, would love to read more about the worst moment in my Sports life. https://t.co/zicRqZuM7R

— Cory Hepola (@CoryHepola) June 28, 2018

A friend sent me this tweet and I saw the photo and went “Ugh” do I have to relive this? Apparently I do.

— Lightime81 (@Lightime) June 27, 2018

I was 12, at the game, cried my f-ing eyes out. My dad had to literally peel me off my tiny, uncomfortable Metrodome seat after the game. I'll never forget listening to @KFAN1003 after the game -- it was a veritable mental health hotline for weeks on end.

— Devin C-V (@DevConn5) June 27, 2018

I was only a year old and this article still has me TRIGGERED https://t.co/8q2kfqthSz

— Mia (@mjblondin) June 27, 2018

If I somehow manage to read this I may not be heard from again. https://t.co/r8sMpwdpd0

— Michael Schwalen (@Schwa444) June 27, 2018

I feel my heart race just seeing the article. Too painful to read. SMH!

— MPLSun Devil (@CoryMpls) June 27, 2018

Good thing my dad doesn’t do Twitter. He hasn’t watched an entire Vikings game since. https://t.co/ul7zJSdyDY

— Chris Kosiak (@C_K_42) June 27, 2018

FML

— Dusty Powers (@DusPow) June 27, 2018

Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.