Vikings’ Robinson gets open for winning TD
I’m a Texans fan- unless, of course, they happen to be playing the Minnesota Vikings…and guess who was in town yesterday? I’d always said that if the Vikings were ever in town to play the Texans, I’d move Heaven and Earth to get tickets. Turns out I didn’t have to. My friend Rune, who I met in Minneapolis, talked me into moving to Houston way back when, and was the best man at my wedding, has season tickets to the Texans, so he took me to the game yesterday.
Yesterday’s game was the first NFL game I’ve been to since I was eight years old. My father took me to see the Vikings play the LA Rams on December 3, 1968 at the old Metropolitan Stadium (which is now the Mall of America). The Vikings lost 31-3, it was about 20 degrees, and all I remember is being miserably cold. I was eight years old, and at that age I didn’t suffer with grace or equanimity. Thankfully, I didn’t need a parka yesterday.
Despite the best efforts of Minnesota to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, the Vikings held on to win in overtime. Up 21-0 in the third quarter, Houston roared back with 21 fourth-quarter points to tie the game at 28. Thankfully, order was restored in overtime, but a game that was thoroughly devoid of drama in the third quarter had become far too interesting late in the fourth.
Regardless of the outcome, I had a blast. I got to see my Vikings win, and I ran across a surprisingly large number of people wearing purple. I had no idea there were so many Minnesota refugees in the Houston area- and yes, I can still speak the language.
Next month, Bret Favre and the evil, blood-sucking Green Bay Packers come to Houston for an ESPN Sunday night game. I’ll be there, and this time I’ll be back to rooting for the Texans. Then again, I’d root for the Devil himself if he were playing Green Bay.
