Hey Vikings Fans, What Team Do You Hate the Most? (Poll)
Nov 23, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) passes against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Green Bay Packers win 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
As a young boy, one of the first things I learned to do was love the Vikings, so at the same time, I learned young to hate the Green Bay Packers.
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This is not just a fly by night hate. It is a dyed in the wool, seething hate. Two of the worst days of my life were when the Packers won the Super Bowl after the 1996 and 2010 seasons. Living in Duluth, I am five minutes away from Superior, WI, which means I am a mere five minutes from thousands of cheeseheads, as I have mentioned previously. As my middle school’s resident Vikings fanatic, every time the Packers happened to beat the Vikings, I knew my next day at school was going to be miserable. On the other side of the coin, the day the Vikings knocked the Packers out of the playoffs in Lambeau in 2004 was one of my best days, even though I was battling a crippling case of mononucleosis at the time.
For much of my life, I always assumed all Vikings fans were like me, and hated the Packers above and beyond all other teams. Based on some conversations I have had recently, it turns out that is not the case. One of my buddies dislikes the Chicago Bears more than the Packers. Personally, as much as I hate the Bears, the only time I have ever wanted Green Bay to beat them was when it helped the Vikings in the standings, and even that made me feel sick to my stomach.
Since the 2009 NFC Championship Game, the New Orleans Saints are another contender. Between BountyGate, the terrible way the game ended and Drew Brees’ fake nice guy act, there is a lot to dislike. Also, that terrible roughing the passer penalty on Captain Munnerlyn from this season still grinds my gears, especially because Brees absolutely should have been hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Still, at least for me, the hatred for the Saints does not have the deep roots and staying power as my saltiness for the Packers does.
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Many older fans hate the Dallas Cowboys more than any other. In fact, there are even some Vikings fans that hate the Cowboys so much, they would rather see Green Bay win their playoff game this weekend. While I understand the Drew Pearson push off was awful and the Cowboys were super annoying when they were winning a bunch of Super Bowl rings in the 1990s, I still can’t drum up as much animosity towards them as I can with our border rivals.
Now I am curious what you, our readers, think. Are you with me and despise the Packers more than any other team in the NFL, or does your hatred run hotter for another squad? I’ve given options for the most common choices, but also for “Other”. If there is a team not listed that is your least favorite, let us know in the comments. Thanks!