Hey there, Viking fans! Do you feel as though this football season has kicked you in the face frequently enough?
No? Well, then, you're in luck, because in the words of Rocket J. Squirrel, now we've got something we think you'll really like.
The folks from the National Football Post have compiled their list of the 25 greatest NFL teams to not win the Super Bowl. Naturally, with a team that has been as snake-bitten over the years as the Minnesota Vikings, they find themselves on the list numerous times, including an appearance in the top five.
So, which Vikings' teams were among the best to not bring home the trophy?
The first one on the list, coming in as number three overall, is the 1998 edition of the Minnesota Vikings, the team that went 15-1 and set a record for the most points scored in a season in NFL history, only to fall in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons in the 1998 NFC Championship Game thanks to Gary Anderson's only missed field goal of the season. The only teams that the NFP put ahead of the 1998 Vikings are the 2007 New England Patriots (who lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl with a chance to go 19-0) and the 1983 Washington Redskins.
The Vikings second appearance in the top ten comes at number eight, with the 1969 squad that went 12-2. They had a rare triple crown in the NFL, leading the league that season in points scored, points allowed, and point differential. However, they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV, the last game before the NFL-AFL merger.
Lastly, at number 20, we find the 1975 Minnesota Vikings. The '75 Vikings started the season with a 10-0 mark before finishing 12-2. . .and managed to not lose in the Super Bowl. How did that happen? Well, the 1975 Vikings were the team that was victimized by the Dallas Cowboys and DREW PEARSON PUSHING OFF in the NFC Championship Game that season. Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, and Alan Page have said on numerous occasions that the '75 Vikings were the best team the Vikings fielded during their run. Thank you, Armen Terzian.
So, in case Viking fans have forgotten just how snake-bitten their team has been over the years, the National Football Post have given us a nice reminder. Thanks, guys!