A Minnesnowta’s night’s dream

I don't remember that 10-6 loss to Kansas City, obviously (although some might think I would), but I'll definitely remember Monday night's 40-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in front of 40,504 Eskimos.

The score hardly mattered.

The first touchdown – accompanied by the huge snow party – was the highlight on the field. The Vikings played like a 1981 DeLorean in a snowstorm, but I wouldn't go back to the future to watch Monday night's game from home.

My old man was at the coldest Vikings game of all time (windchill-wise), and although Monday's temperatures ONLY dipped to a windchill of 9, it's a cold-weather contest I'll always have a story about.

From the beginning:

Monday, Dec. 20

11:30 a.m. - Started layering … two pairs of long-johns – top and bottom, Wrangler jeans, purple hooded sweatshirt, Brad Johnson No. 14 jersey (to honor the below-average quarterback play I expect to see) and a Minnesota Vikings Santa hat. A thick fleece vest and snow pants are brought along for the game. All in all – five layers, winter boots and a thick post-Movember beard.

12:13 p.m. - Shortly after departing for TCF Bank Stadium, an ESPN fantasy football update arrives in my text inbox. Brett Favre upgraded from OUT to QUESTIONABLE. Glad I wore the Wranglers.

1 p.m. - Realize Joe Webb is No. 14. Expect to be the only person in the stadium with a No. 14 jersey besides Joe Webb's mom (if she attends).

2 p.m. - Numerous old outdoor Vikings stories were brought up in the days leading up to the game. By far the most popular game to talk about is the Drew Pearson push-off game, which included one particular story about a whiskey bottle. A local teacher (who likes to remain nameless in newspaper articles), admitted his dad was at that game and witnessed the incident when the large whiskey bottle was chucked onto the field and hit a referee. My uncle, who I picked the tickets up from, knew the guy who threw it.

2:30 p.m. - Finally park and arrive a few blocks away from the Bank. Walk into an Applebee's and see Falls High graduate Erik Moe. Since I was by myself and he was sitting in a group, I decided not to bother him and move along and take the one open spot at the bar.

2:45 p.m. - If the Moe small-world moment isn't enough, the two Vikings fans randomly sitting next to me at the bar know my cousin from Park Rapids. One graduated from Park Rapids and the other could be argued as a distant family member.

3:30 p.m. - Small world moment No. 3 – A guy named Chad Sellmow sits next to me … and he's roommates with FHS grad Aaron Ginter ('94).

3:40 p.m. - Moe recognizes me and swings over and says hello. He's also going to the game.

SIDENOTE: All the while at Applebee's, ESPN reporter Ed Werder is constantly doing updates from the snowy field. He's wearing a stocking hat AND wrap-around ear muffs. Really? Welcome to Minnesota, Ed.

4:30 p.m. - It's not small world, but the final stamp on an eventful time waiting for a friend and my cousin at Applebee's comes from Rod Simons, a former lead sports anchor for KSTP-TV (ABC) in Minneapolis. He takes Sellmow's spot at the bar. “What channel are you from?” I asked. Formerly from channel 5, Simons currently works as the host of Game On!, the top-rated Sunday morning sports show in the Minneapolis market. Ironically, the show is filmed in my hometown (Anoka) and Vikings punter Chris Kluwe (The Journal's newest contributor), was featured in Tuesday night's filming. The show airs Sunday and can be viewed at www.gameontvmn.com.

5:20 p.m. - Meet up with a college buddy who forgot his ticket at home. Luckily, we had an extra one. He looks like the kid from The Christmas Story, bundled up to the point his arms are sticking out.

5:58 p.m. - ESPN reports Adrian Peterson is out (thanks to Tarvaris Jackson's bunk hand-off last week).

6:04 p.m. - ESPN reports Brett Favre will start. This immediately brings me back to Favre's last start as a Packer against the Vikings at Lambeau Field on Dec. 21, 2006. “GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – It might have been Brett Favre's final fling at Lambeau Field, and it wasn't pretty.”

That was the lead to the game story by the Associated Press the following day, and it was referring to a pass former Viking Fred Smoot returned for a touchdown. Favre rallied the Packers to a 9-7 win, but look how long ago that was? I still have the commemorative No. 4 towel they passed out to all the fans at that game, but it's finally time for the Silver Fox to retire.

6:12 p.m. - Receive a call from my cousin. He just witnessed the Chicago Bears leaving the hotel to board the buses and get to the field. “Glad I wasn't still playing,” gets yelled from behind my cousin. It's THE John Randle, one of the top 50 Vikings.

6:41 p.m. - Receive a “You freezing yet?” text message from L-BF (and Concordia College) grad Sarah Antones.

6:55 p.m. - Receive a “Cold yet?” text message from RRCC baseball coach Josh Koenig.

For the record, at no point were we cold. It was too awesome to be cold.

7:25 p.m. - After finally arriving at the stadium (traffic was a bear in the snowstorm, delaying the arrival of my buddy and cousin), we took our spots in Section 217, Row 17, Seats 14 and 15. My cousin sat elsewhere with friends a few sections over.

7:40 p.m. - Vikings first drive ends in a touchdown right below us. Snow chaos ensues. Snow is flying everywhere and the stadium is in pandemonium. Little do we know this is one of the lone highlights of the night. Didn't matter, it was awesome.

7:45 p.m. - A sign shows up on the big screen with something to the tune of “We're from the Icebox,” on it. Not sure who it was, but they had money seats.

7:50 p.m. - Kluwe comes out for his first punt to a loud round of boos. Later, a “Too Cold For Kluwe” sign gets put on the big screen.

8:30 p.m. - Favre goes down. Welcome to the snowstorm, Webb. No. 14 jersey back in play.

9:01 p.m. - The 50 greatest Vikings join the sidelines in preparation for the halftime show.

9:10 p.m. - Littlefork-Big Falls girls basketball coach John Larson reports Monday night's Orr 64, L-BF 27 score to me. Larson missed the memo I was on vacation.

9:11 p.m. - “That wasn't you who ran on the field and got taken away was it?” a college roommate texted me. Nope, and he wasn't the only one who asked me that.

10 p.m. - We sit down for the first time. It took roughly 2 1/2 hours, but it's come to a point where it's time to relax for a little.

10:01 p.m. - Dad sends me a text, “So glad you're there! Isn't it great!”

10:10 p.m. - My buddy notices a Joe Webb jersey a few sections over. Really? I guess I'm not the only one sporting No. 14.

10:15 p.m. - “We'll always have 7-0,” my buddy quips sitting next to me. The 40-14 blowout was as bad as it gets, but the score was a small footnote in the first outdoor home Vikings game in 29 years.

10:20 p.m.: Pack a huge snow ball in anticipation of lofting it toward a Bears fan dressed as Santa about 12 rows in front of us. Reconsider and destroy snowball in row behind us.

10:21 p.m. - Security guard taps my shoulder and politely reminds me there is no throwing snowballs.

10:43 p.m. “Helluva time,” I text my old man.

10:44 p.m. “Just like the old days!!” he replies.

The night ends in the hotel bar with former Vikings Daunte Culpepper, Robert Griffith, Bob Lurtsema, and Steve Jordan a few bar stools away. Shook Chuck Foreman's hand on the way into the establishment. We also met Vikings super fan Kathleen Anderson, who had more than enough autographs on her bikini T-shirt (how Minnesota is that?). Griffith was the only one we talked to, and he quickly brushed off my cousin asking about the interception he didn't make that would've clinched the 1998 NFC championship game.

The next day after it was all said and done, my cousin uttered the phrase, “That's the best loss I've ever seen.”

A perfect line for a great night, and now we both have our outdoors Minnesota Vikings story.

The 10 coldest Vikings games ever

Temp: -2; wind chill: -26 vs. Chicago, Dec. 3, 1972 (partly cloudy, wind N at 11 mph)

Temp: 0; wind chill: -18 vs. Green Bay, Dec. 10, 1972 (sunny, SW 9)

Temp: 6; wind chill: -14 vs. Los Angeles, Nov. 29, 1964 (sunny, NW 12)

 Temp: 8; wind chill: -17 vs. Cleveland, Jan. 4, 1970 (sunny, NW 12)

 Temp: 9; wind chill: -30 vs. Chicago, Dec. 5, 1970 (cloudy, NW 25)*

 Temp: 9; wind chill: -10 vs. San Francisco, Dec. 27, 1970 (sunny, N 10)

Temp: 10; wind chill: -16 at Cleveland, Dec. 17, 1989 (cloudy, N 12)

Temp: 11; wind chill: 6 at Green Bay, Dec. 8, 2002 (clear night, W 5)

Temp: 12; wind chill: -12 vs. Los Angeles, Dec. 26, 1976 (sunny, NW 13)

Temp: 14; wind chill: 8 at Green Bay, Dec. 11, 1988 (sunny, NW 7)

Monday actually marks the third game the Vikings have played on the Gophers campus. They played the Green Bay Packers at Memorial Stadium in the regular season in 1969 and held a preseason game against New England at Memorial in '71.

*Sports editor Jim Johnson's dad attended this game as a junior in high school