Vikings in the Playoffs

This work tells the story of the Minnesota Vikings capturing the hearts of fans during an unprecedented run in the 10-year period from 1968 to 1977. It all started at Philadelphia’s historic Franklin Field, where in December of 1968 the Vikings secured their first playoff berth. Like Roger Kahn’s beloved Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s, a collection of players known as the “Boys of Summer,” the Vikings were always on the precipice of a championship, but could only break through once, in 1969. While the Dodgers were tormented by the dreaded New York Yankees, it was the likes of the Dallas Cowboys who broke the hearts of Vikings fans some 20 years later. Yet, it was during this time the Purple and Gold birthed a vehement and long-suffering horde of followers who, despite the club’s many disappointments, remain steadfast today. As Kahn so aptly said in “The Boys of Summer,” his classic narrative of growing up a Dodgers fan and covering the team for the Herald Tribune: “Losing after great striving is the story of man, who was born to sorrow, whose sweetest songs tell the saddest thought.” The book will detail specific and unknown aspects of the team’s triumphs and disappointments of this special era, largely focusing on the Vikings’ nine playoff victories, with valuable insights by those who were there, including many players they lined up against.

Rick Bowman served as the sports editor for Record Publishing, a newspaper chain in Northeast Ohio, for 10 years. He lives in Akron, Ohio.

Rick Bowman
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 5 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9762-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5550-5
Imprint: McFarland