My Super Bowl Memories of Viking Defeats

On January 15, 1967 the first Super Bowl was held in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  It was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.  The name Super Bowl wasn't used until the first game the Vikings were involved in and the Commissioner of the league at that time reportedly hated it.

The term super was suggested by Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt because his kids were playing with a super ball.  The Chiefs happened to be the team that defeated the Minnesota Vikings in what is now referred to as Super Bowl IV.

Roman numerals didn't actually start until Super Bowl V and have been used every year except for Super Bowl 50 in 2016.  Those first three AFL-NFL Championship games have since been renamed Super Bowls by the league.

The cheapest price for a Super Bowl 52 ticket earlier this week was  around $3,000.

A ticket for the first Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs was $12.00 and the game was not close to a sell out.  It is the only Super Bowl not to be a sell out according to the league.

I checked a couple of different ticket websites around 2:30 p.m. the day of the game and prices ranged from $3,400 for a seat in Section 310 to a lower level 50 yard line seat for $13,905.  Another listed the cheapest seat for $2,346 and the maximum price $148,063.

The Minnesota Vikings took part in four of the first eleven Super Bowls.  I'm sure all of you know they were defeated in each game.

January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans the Kansas City Chiefs won 23-7 and Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson was the MVP.  Dawson threw for 142 yards and one touchdown.

I was 11 years old at the time and remember going to my bedroom after the game and crying.

January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium in Houston the Miami Dolphins beat Minnesota 24-7 and the MVP was running back Larry Csonka with 33 rushes for 145 yards and two scores. This was also my Mom's 51st birthday.

I was 15 and didn't cry but went to my room and replayed the game on my electric football game with the Vikings coming out on top. I still have that game.

January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans again the Vikings lost to Pittsburgh in their closest Super Bowl contest 16-6.  Running back Franco Harris was the MVP rushing for 158 yards and a touchdown

I was 16 and remember after the game a bunch of my friends gathered to play some football in the neighborhood.  I believe we played at halftime and then went to our respective homes to watch before resuming our game after the professional contest.  I do believe our game was more exciting.

January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California the Oakland Raiders rolled over Minnesota 32-14.  Raider receiver Fred Biletnikoff was the MVP with four receptions for 79 yards.

I was 18 and remember Vikki Carr sang America the Beautiful before the game.  There was no national anthem played.  The neighborhood got together again, but we played  some basketball this time after the game. This was during my senior year in high school.

I would love to see the Minnesota Vikings win one of these but I have to admit the passion is not the same as when I was a kid.  There are more important  things going on in the world.

Although I was pretty pumped when the Twins won the World Series in 1987 and 1991.