Tricky Vikings

"Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in"
~Michael Corleone

The Vikings are getting to me. I'm trying to hold them off, but after yesterday's win, I can feel it. I can feel the hope starting to grow inside again. The hope I thought I had locked away safely prior to the season (I was wrong--I bought into the Super Bowl hype). The hope that had been squashed by horrible performance after horrible performance so far this year.

But now it's back. I can feel it. I've caught myself looking at other possible playoff teams. I've looked at Da Beahorrible team. rs' schedule to see if we have a shot to catch them. I've started to look at all the crappy teams the Vikes have left as a good thing. I even asked my friend (a Steelers fan) if Big Ben was going to still be injured when the Steelers came to Minnesota because I was hoping that the Vikings defense could go to work on Chaz Batch or Tommy Maddox (and not because I was hoping that Big Ben would be picking apart the secondary, like I would have last week).

Basically, after that win yesterday, the win that the Vikings didn't deserve, the win they manufactured out of thin air, I can feel myself hopping back on the bandwagon. I'm trying not to, but it isn't realistic to hope for the high draft pick necessary for the Reverse Herschel Walker. And mediocrity isn't worth rooting for. In my book it's only a top pick or the playoffs are worth rooting for.
So I'm starting to look towards the playoffs. Maybe even a playoff win. And I'm starting to think that it's possible, because a horrible team doesn't win that game yesterday. Before yesterday, I would have called the Vikings a horrible team. Now I don't think they are. Now I see that they may have something to build with. If they add a few good free agents and draft picks, a good coach and return a healthy Daunte, the Vikings might actually have a shot at the Super Bowl next year. I'm not a big enough rube to think they have a shot this year (Ok, I'll be honest, visions of the Pats 31-0 loss to the Bills two years ago keep dancing through my head, but then I remember that the Vikings head coach is a mental midget, whereas Billichek is a genius), but I can see how they might be only one year away. This might be 1997 all over again (Of course, I thought that about last year.)

Which means I've started caring again. Which means they're going to rip my heart out again (Anyone else feeling a blowout loss to the Packers this week? And just because I can feel it coming doesn't mean it won't ruin my week when it happens). Bastards pulled me back in again.