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Randy Moss #84 Minnesota Vikings Signed Jersey Autographed given Anthony Carter

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Seller: carpal-tunnel-syndrome ✉️ (4,923) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE & many other countries, Item: 386925922550 Randy Moss #84 Minnesota Vikings Signed Jersey Autographed given Anthony Carter. An autographed Randy Moss jersey given his teammate Anthony Carter. Accompanied with a COA from Anthony Carter as well as a photo of him holding the Jersey Anthony Carter (born September 17, 1960) is an American former professional football player who played as a wide receiver for 13 years in the United States Football League (USFL) and National Football League (NFL). He finished his college football career as the University of Michigan's all-time leading receiver. He is also known as "AC".

Anthony Carter (born September 17, 1960) is an American former professional football player who played as a wide receiver for 13 years in the United States Football League (USFL) and National Football League (NFL). He finished his college football career as the University of Michigan's all-time leading receiver. He is also known as "AC". College career Carter played for Michigan from 1979 to 1982. Although the Wolverines employed an offense that relied mostly on its running backs, he was one of the most productive receivers in the school's history. Standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing only 160 pounds, Carter relied on his speed to make plays and provided an effective counterpoint to coach Bo Schembechler's running game plan. In addition to his duties as a receiver, he was also the team's kickoff and punt returner for most of his career. During his freshman season, Carter was used sparingly. He caught more than two passes in a game only once that season, but made the most of it when the ball was thrown to him. Seven of his 17 receptions were touchdowns, and he averaged 27.2 yards per catch. His 45-yard TD catch and run against Indiana as time ran out to give Michigan a 27–21 victory is considered one of the greatest plays in Michigan football history, and the radio call by the legendary Bob Ufer is also considered a classic. In that game, Lee Corso's Indiana Hoosiers had tied it up with about a minute to go. At that time, college games could end in a tie, and Michigan had a 6–1 overall record, 4–0 in the Big Ten. While a tie was essentially as good as a win from Indiana's perspective, a tie was as good as a loss from Michigan's perspective. On the ensuing drive, Michigan was only able to get to the Indiana 45-yard line with time fast running out. Things looked grim, but with six seconds remaining, Carter told quarterback John Wangler in the huddle, "Hey, Johnny. Throw the ball to me. I'm going to be open." On the next play, Carter, sprinting left to right, met Wangler's pass in a seam over the middle at the Hoosier 25. He made a one-step cutback to his left to avoid one tackle and slipped another tackle at the 5-yard line before bounding into the endzone after time had expired. By his sophomore year, Carter was the Wolverines primary option at receiver. That season, he became the first second-year player to be voted Michigan team Most Valuable Player. A three-time All-American, he was named Big Ten Conference MVP his senior season, and finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He was the third NCAA Division I FBS athlete to total 1000 career yards on both kick returns and punt returns. He holds the NCAA career record for highest average gain per play (Min. 5,000 yards, 275-374 plays, 5,197 on 298).[1] In 2001 Carter was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. On December 12, 2014 the Big Ten Network included Carter on "The Mount Rushmore of Michigan Football", as chosen by online fan voting. Carter was joined in the honor by Charles Woodson, Tom Harmon, and Desmond Howard. Statistics Season     Receiving     Rushing Rec     Yds     Avg     TD     Att     Yds     Avg     TD 1979     17     462     27.2     7     4     17     4.3     0 1980     51     818     16.0     14     10     68     6.8     0 1981     50     952     19.0     8     12     67     5.6     1 1982     43     844     19.6     8     10     61     6.1     0 Totals     161     3,076     19.0     37     29     173     6.0     1 Records When he graduated, Carter held nearly every Michigan career receiving and return record. He was the school's all-time leader in:     touchdowns: 40 (now ranks fifth; record held by Anthony Thomas with 55)     receptions: 161 (now ranks fifth; record held by Braylon Edwards with 252)     receiving yards: 3,076 (now ranks second; record held by Braylon Edwards with 3,541)     touchdown receptions: 37 (now ranks second; record held by Braylon Edwards with 39)     punt returns: 79 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 127)     punt return yardage: 907 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 1,599)     kickoff returns: 63 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 81)     kickoff return yardage: 1,606 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 1,993) His average of 17.4 yards-per-play was an NCAA record. Awards     University of Michigan MVP: 1980, 1982     Big Ten Conference MVP: 1982     All-Big Ten: 1980, 1981, 1982     All-American: 1980, 1981, 1982     Heisman Trophy voting: 1980—10th; 1981—7th; 1982—4th Professional career Upon graduating from college, Anthony Carter chose to play in the upstart USFL, rather than in the NFL. The league employed a territorial draft, aimed at sending players to teams whose fans were already familiar with them. Because of this unique system, the Michigan Panthers were allowed to select Carter prior to the league's traditional draft. 1983 was Carter's first season with the Panthers and one of his most successful as a professional. Although the team started 1-4, they finished the regular season 12-6 and went on to defeat the Philadelphia Stars to win the first USFL championship. With his team behind late in the fourth quarter, he scored the game-winning touchdown on a 48-yard pass from Bobby Hebert. He finished the game with nine receptions for 179 yards. For the season, he gained 1,081 yards on 60 catches, nine of them touchdowns. Carter's 1984 season was cut short after only six games when his arm was broken in a game against the San Antonio Gunslingers. Before the 1985 season the Panthers merged with the Oakland Invaders. In his last USFL season, he led his team in receiving yards (1,323), receptions (70), and receiving touchdowns (14). After the 1985 USFL season, Carter signed with the NFL's Miami Dolphins, who drafted Carter back in 1983 in order to secure his NFL rights. However, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings before playing a game with the team. He led the Vikings in receptions five of his first six seasons with the team, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1987, 1988, and 1989. In the 1987 season, Carter helped his team reach the NFC championship. He set an NFL playoff record (since surpassed) with 143 punt return yards in their wildcard win over the New Orleans Saints, and caught 10 receptions for a then NFL playoff record 227 yards, along with 1 carry for 30 yards and two punt returns for 21 in the Vikings 36-24 upset win over the 13-2 San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoff round. The 642 all purpose yards he gained in the 1987 playoffs remain a single postseason record. The following season, he caught 4 passes for 102 yards in a 28-17 wild card round win over the Los Angeles Rams. Although Cris Carter became the team's number one receiver in 1991, Anthony Carter remained an effective offensive weapon through 1993, his final season with the team. The final two years of Carter's pro career were spent in the same state where it began, this time with the Detroit Lions. Most of his time with the Lions was spent attempting to come back from injury. He played in only four games in 1994, and failed to catch a pass in 1995. Carter finished his 11 NFL seasons with 486 receptions for 7,733 yards and 55 touchdowns. He also rushed for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns, returned 15 punts for 165 yards, and returned 4 kickoffs for 65 yards. Achievements and records     Carter scored a touchdown in NFL games played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday     Carter holds the record for most all-purpose yards in a single postseason (1987): 642     Carter holds the record for most punt return yards in a single postseason (1987): 221 Awards     1983 Sporting News All-USFL team (as a punt returner)     1985 Sporting News All-USFL team     1987 Second-team All-NFC     1988 Second-team All-NFC The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division.[8] Founded in 1960 as an expansion team, the team began play the following year. They are named after the Vikings of medieval Scandinavia, reflecting the prominent Scandinavian American culture of Minnesota.[9] The team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis. The Vikings have an all-time overall record of 537–455–11,[b] the highest regular season and combined winning percentage among NFL franchises who have not won a Super Bowl, in addition the most playoff runs, division titles, and (tied with the Buffalo Bills) Super Bowl appearances.[10][11] They also have the most conference championship appearances of non-winning Super Bowl teams, with them being one of four (along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams) to appear in a conference championship every decade since the 1970s. History Main article: History of the Minnesota Vikings See also: List of Minnesota Vikings seasons and Ownership of the Minnesota Vikings Professional football in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area (the "Twin Cities") began with the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets, an NFL team that played intermittently in the 1920s and 1930s.[12] However, a new professional team in the area did not surface again until August 1959, when Minnesota businessmen Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund, and Max Winter were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League (AFL). Five months later, in January 1960, after significant pressure from the NFL, the ownership group, along with Bernard H. Ridder, reneged on its agreement with the AFL and then was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise, with play to begin in 1961.[13] Ole Haugsrud was added to the NFL team ownership because, in the 1920s, when he sold his Duluth Eskimos team back to the league, the agreement allowed him 10 percent of any future Minnesota team.[14] The teams from Ole Haugsrud's high school, Central High School in Superior, Wisconsin, were also called the Vikings and had a similar purple-and-yellow color scheme.[15] From the team's first season in 1961 to 1981, the team called Metropolitan Stadium in suburban Bloomington home. The Vikings conducted summer training camp at Bemidji State University from 1961 to 1965. In 1966, the team moved to their training camp to Minnesota State University in Mankato.[16] The training camp at Minnesota State was one of the longest continuously running training camp events in the NFL and is remembered as part of the golden era history of the team. The Vikings played their home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis from 1982 to 2013. The Vikings played their last game at the Metrodome on December 29, 2013, defeating the Detroit Lions 14–13 to end the season. Since the team's first season in 1961, the Vikings have had one of the highest winning percentages in the NFL.[17] As of 2022, they have won at least three games in every season except in 1962, and are one of only seven NFL teams to win at least 15 games in a regular season. The Vikings have won one NFL Championship, in 1969, before the league's merger with the American Football League (AFL) in 1970.[18][19] Since the merger, the team has qualified for the playoffs 28 times, third-most in the league (trailing only the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers). The team played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI, but failed to win any of them. In addition, they have lost in their last six NFC Championship Game appearances, stretching back to 1978. The Vikings have 15 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[20][21] 1960s The team was officially named the Minnesota Vikings on September 27, 1960; the name is partly meant to reflect Minnesota's place as a center of Scandinavian American culture.[22] From the start, the Vikings embraced an energetic marketing program that produced first-year season ticket sales of nearly 26,000 and an average home attendance of 34,586, about 85 percent of Metropolitan Stadium's capacity of 40,800. Eventually, the capacity of Met Stadium was increased to 47,900. Bert Rose, former public relations director for the Los Angeles Rams, was appointed the team's first general manager. The search for the first head coach saw the team court then-Northwestern University head coach Ara Parseghian, who, according to Minneapolis Star writer Jim Klobuchar—the Vikings' first beat reporter for that newspaper—visited team management in the Twin Cities under the condition that his visit was to be kept secret from his current employer. His cover was blown by local columnist Sid Hartman, who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials. Philadelphia Eagles assistant Nick Skorich and a man with Minnesota ties who was working in the CFL, Bud Grant, were also candidates until a different Eagle, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, was hired on January 18, 1961. Van Brocklin had just finished his career as a player on a high note, having defeated the Green Bay Packers in the 1960 NFL Championship Game.[22] Head Coach Bud Grant (1967–1983 and 1985) The Vikings were upset by the Chiefs 23–7 in Super Bowl IV. As a new franchise, the Vikings had the first overall selection in the 1961 NFL Draft, and they picked running back Tommy Mason of Tulane. They also took a young quarterback from the University of Georgia named Fran Tarkenton in the third round. Notable veterans acquired in the offseason were George Shaw and Hugh McElhenny. The Vikings won their first regular-season game, defeating the Chicago Bears 37–13 on Opening Day 1961; Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and run for another to lead the upset. Reality set in as the expansion team lost its next seven games on their way to a 3–11 record.[22] The losing continued throughout much of the 1960s as the Vikings had a combined record of 32 wins, 59 losses, and 7 ties in their first seven seasons with only one winning season (8–5–1 in 1964).[23][24] On March 7, 1967, quarterback Fran Tarkenton was traded to the New York Giants for a first-round and second-round draft choice in 1967, a first-round choice in 1968 and a second-round choice in 1969. With the picks, Minnesota selected Clinton Jones and Bob Grim in 1967, Ron Yary in 1968 and Ed White in 1969.[1] On March 10, 1967, the Vikings hired new head coach Bud Grant to replace Van Brocklin, who had resigned on February 11, 1967. Grant came to the Vikings from the Canadian Football League as head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, whom he led to four Grey Cup Championships in 10 years.[22][1] Replacing Tarkenton at quarterback was eight-year CFL veteran and Grey Cup champion Joe Kapp. During the late 1960s, the Vikings built a powerful defense known as the Purple People Eaters, led by Alan Page, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, and Jim Marshall.[25] In 1968, that stingy defense earned the Vikings their first Central Division title and their first playoff berth.[22] In 1969, the Vikings secured a 12–2 record.[1] The team had 12 straight regular-season victories after a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, which was the longest single-season winning streak in 35 years.[26] The Vikings defeated the Cleveland Browns 27–7 in the last pre-merger NFL Championship Game on January 4, 1970, at Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings became the first modern NFL expansion team to win an NFL Championship Game,[1] and earned a berth in Super Bowl IV; however, the heavily favored Vikings lost that game to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23–7.[27][28] The team MVP that season was Joe Kapp, who threw for seven touchdowns against the Baltimore Colts – still an all-time NFL record; however, Kapp refused to accept the award, stating, "There is not one most valuable Viking... there are 40 most valuable Vikings!"[29] 1970s The team continued to dominate in 1970 (moving into the newly formed NFC Central) and 1971, reaching the playoffs behind the stubborn "Purple People Eaters" defensive line. In 1971, Alan Page won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award given by the Associated Press.[30] He was the first defensive player to win the award.[31] The Vikings' famed Purple People Eaters defensive line stopping a Rams rush in the 1977 NFC Divisional Playoff game. On January 27, 1972, the Vikings traded Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements and first-round draft picks in 1972 and 1973 to the New York Giants to reacquire the popular Fran Tarkenton.[1] While the acquisitions of Tarkenton and wide receiver John Gilliam improved the passing attack, the running game was inconsistent and the Vikings finished with a disappointing 7–7 record. The Vikings addressed the problem by drafting running back Chuck Foreman with their first pick in the 1973 Draft. Co-owner Bill Boyer died on February 19, 1973 and was replaced on the team's board of directors by his son-in-law Jack Steele.[1] The Vikings won their first nine games of 1973 and finished the season with a 12–2 record.[22] They then advanced to their second Super Bowl in franchise history, Super Bowl VIII, against the Miami Dolphins at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas; however, the Dolphins prevailed, 24–7.[1] The Vikings won the Central Division again in 1974 with a 10–4 record.[1] In the playoffs they built on their cold-weather reputation, defeating both the St. Louis Cardinals 30–14 and the Los Angeles Rams 14–10 in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings played in their second straight Super Bowl, Super Bowl IX (3rd overall), losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16–6, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.[22][1] Led by Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman, the 1975 Vikings got off to a 10–0 start and easily won another division title.[22][1] However, the Vikings lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, 17–14, on a controversial touchdown pass from the Cowboys' quarterback Roger Staubach to wide receiver Drew Pearson that became known as the Hail Mary.[32] The touchdown was controversial because many felt that Pearson pushed off on Vikings defensive back Nate Wright, committing pass interference. As the Metropolitan Stadium crowd was stunned to learn that no penalty was called, debris was thrown on the field for several minutes. A Corby's Whiskey bottle struck game official Armen Terzian, rendering him unconscious.[33] The Vikings played in Super Bowl XI, their third Super Bowl (fourth overall) in four years, against the Oakland Raiders at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on January 9, 1977. The Vikings, however, lost 32–14.[1] In 1977, the Vikings again won the Central Division with a 9–5 record and advanced to their 4th NFC Championship Game in 5 years,[1] but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Cowboys, 23–6, at Texas Stadium.[22] By 1978, age was taking its toll on the Vikings, but they still made the playoffs with an 8–7–1 record. There was no more playoff magic as the Rams finally defeated the Vikings, 34–10 in Los Angeles[22] after having lost in their previous four playoff matchups (in 1969, '74, '76 and '77). Quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired following the season holding league passer records in attempts (6,467), completions (3,686), yards (47,003), and touchdowns (342).[34] In December 1979, ground was broken for construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.[1] 1980s On May 15, 1981, the Vikings moved into a new facility in suburban Eden Prairie that housed the team's offices, locker room and practice fields. The complex was named "Winter Park" after Max Winter, one of the Vikings' founders, who served as the team's president from 1965 to 1987.[1] The Vikings played their final game at Metropolitan Stadium on December 20 to conclude the 1981 NFL season by losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, 10–6.[22][1] "Two-minute" Tommy Kramer (1977–1989) The Vikings played their first game at the Metrodome in a preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on August 21, 1982, in a game Minnesota won, 7–3.[1] The first touchdown in the new facility was scored by Joe Senser on an 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer.[1] The first regular-season game in the Metrodome was the 1982 opener on September 12, when the Vikings defeated Tampa Bay, 17–10. Rickey Young scored the first regular-season touchdown in the facility on a 3-yard run in the 2nd quarter.[1] That year the defense led by Joey Browner began a dominant 10-year run as a premier NFL defensive back. The Vikings beat the St. Louis Cardinals 28–10 on August 6, 1983, at Wembley Stadium in London in the first international game in the NFL. On January 27, 1984, Bud Grant retired as head coach of the Vikings. With a career regular-season record of 151–87–5 (.632) in 17 seasons with Minnesota, Grant led the franchise to 12 playoff appearances, 11 division titles, and four Super Bowls.[1] Les Steckel, who was an offensive assistant with the Vikings for 5 seasons, was then named the 3rd head coach in franchise history. Steckel, who came to the Vikings in 1979 after working as an assistant with the 49ers, was the youngest head coach in the NFL in 1984 at age 38.[1] However, the Vikings lost a franchise-worst 13 games.[22] After the season Steckel was fired, and on December 18, 1984, Bud Grant came out of retirement and was rehired as the head coach of the Vikings.[1] On January 6, 1986, following the 1985 season, Bud Grant re-retired, this time permanently, as head coach of the Vikings. At the time of his retirement he held the 6th best winning record for a coach in NFL history with 168 career wins, including playoffs. In 18 seasons, he led the Vikings to a 158–96–5 regular-season record.[35] Longtime Vikings assistant coach Jerry Burns was named the fourth head coach in team history on January 7, 1986.[1] He served as the Vikings' offensive coordinator from 1968 to 1985, when the team won 11 division titles and played in four Super Bowls. In his first season, the Vikings, led by the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Tommy Kramer, went 9–7,[22] their first winning record in four years. On August 2, 1986, Fran Tarkenton was the first player who played the majority of his career with the Vikings to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[1][34] Following the strike-shortened 1987 season, the 8–7 Vikings, who had finished 8–4 in regular games but 0–3 using strike-replacement players,[36] pulled two upsets in the playoffs. They defeated the 12–3 New Orleans Saints 44–10 at the Louisiana Superdome in the Wild Card game.[37] The following week, in the Divisional Playoff game, they beat the 13–2 San Francisco 49ers 36–24 at Candlestick Park.[38] During that game, Anthony Carter set the all-time record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 227 yards.[39] The Vikings played the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game on January 17, 1988, at RFK Stadium. Trailing 17–10, the Vikings drove to the Redskins' 6-yard line with a little over a minute left in the game, but failed to get the ball into the end zone. The Vikings' hopes of a Super Bowl ended when Darrin Nelson dropped a pass from Wade Wilson on fourth down at the goal line.[40] On October 12, 1989, the Vikings acquired Herschel Walker from Dallas. The final result of the trade gave the Vikings Walker, third-round choice Mike Jones, fifth-round choice Reggie Thornton and 10th-round choice Pat Newman in 1990 and a third-round choice Jake Reed in 1991. Dallas received Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrin Nelson, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, a first-, second- and a sixth-round choice in 1990, first- and second-round choices in 1991 and a first-, second- and third-round choice in 1992. Two of those selections turned into Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson. Walker's performance fell short of expectations in his three seasons with the Vikings, while the Cowboys rode their draft picks to three Super Bowl victories in the early-to-mid-1990s.[41] 1990s Cris Carter's Hall of Fame display. Carter was a Viking from 1990 to 2001. On December 3, 1991, Jerry Burns announced his retirement effective at the end of the 1991 season. In six seasons as head coach of the Vikings, Burns compiled a career record of 52–43 (.547).[42] He also led Minnesota to three playoff appearances, including a division title and an NFC Championship Game.[43] Dennis Green was later named the fifth head coach in team history, after turning around a struggling Stanford University football program as head coach from 1989 to 1991.[44] In his 10 seasons as the coach of the Vikings, Green won four NFC Central division titles, had eight playoff appearances, two NFC Championship Game appearances and an all-time record of 97–62.[45] The Vikings therefore had the fifth highest winning percentage among all NFL teams during the regular season in the 1990s.[46] 1998 Main article: 1998 Minnesota Vikings season 1998 was a year to remember for the franchise. With a spectacular offense led by quarterback Randall Cunningham (who replaced an injured Brad Johnson), running back Robert Smith, veteran wide receiver Cris Carter, and explosive rookie Randy Moss, the Vikings set a then-NFL record by scoring a total of 556 points, never scoring fewer than 24 in a game. The Vikings finished the season 15–1, their only loss was to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27–24 in Week 9.[47] In the playoffs, the Vikings rolled past the Arizona Cardinals 41–21,[48] and came into the Metrodome heavily favored for their NFC title showdown with the Atlanta Falcons, who had gone 14–2 in the regular season. After kicker Gary Anderson, who had just completed the first perfect regular season in NFL history (not missing a single extra point or field goal attempt the entire year), missed a 38-yard field goal attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining, the Falcons' ensuing drive tied the game. This led to a controversial decision by head coach Dennis Green to run out the clock and let the game go to overtime. Though the Vikings won the coin toss, Atlanta went on to win it 30–27 in overtime on Morten Andersen's 38-yard field goal.[49] The Vikings became the first 15–1 team to fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Falcons lost Super Bowl XXXIII to John Elway and the Denver Broncos.[50] 1999 Randy Moss (1998–2004 and 2010) Main article: 1999 Minnesota Vikings season Cunningham resumed duties again in 1999, but after a lukewarm 2–4 start, Jeff George replaced him as starting quarterback. He finished the season with an 8–2 record, and led the Vikings into the postseason once again, with an overall team record of 10–6.[51] Minnesota beat Dallas in the Wild Card game 27–10,[52] and faced playoff newcomer Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams in the Divisional matchup. The game was a shootout that Minnesota led 17–14 at halftime, but the Rams outscored Minnesota 35–20 in the second half to win 49–37.[53] St. Louis would go on to win Super Bowl XXXIV.[54] 2000s The Vikings entered the decade by winning the divisional championship and an appearance in the NFC Championship game, where they were defeated 41–0 by the New York Giants. The following season, they struggled by posting a 5–11 record in 2001.[55] The team made the playoffs again in 2004,[56] but did not win a divisional title again until 2008. Since the merger, the 2000s became the decade with the fewest playoff berths for the franchise.[46] 2000 Main article: 2000 Minnesota Vikings season In 2000, the Vikings went 11–5. The Vikings were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the Rams, Packers and Colts while starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper was hampered by injury. Nonetheless, the Vikings made the playoffs for the fifth straight year. After easily beating the Saints in the Divisional game 34–16, they traveled to New York City to face the Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Though they were the road team, the Vikings were favored to win the game (since most considered their 11–2 record with Culpepper more indicative than their 0–3 record when he was out); instead, the Vikings were defeated 41–0, their worst defeat in playoff history.[57] Robert Smith, who ran for 1,521 yards that season,[58] retired at the end of the year after only playing eight NFL seasons.[59] 2001–2005 In 2001, after a disappointing 5–11 season, the Vikings bought out the contract of Dennis Green, despite his successful coaching tenure with the team. Mike Tice coached the final game of 2001, losing to the Ravens 19–3.[60] Tice was named the permanent coach after the season, but he would not lead the Vikings back to the playoffs until 2004.[61] In 2002, as part of the league's realignment with the addition of the Houston Texans, the Vikings and their other traditional NFC Central rivals became part of the newly formed NFC North. During the 2003 season, the Vikings came close to getting into the playoffs. However, the Arizona Cardinals completed a game-winning touchdown on 4th-and-28 with 0:00 left, knocking the Vikings out of the playoffs. The moment of Arizona's touchdown was actually the first moment the entire season in which the Vikings hadn't led their division. The Vikings became the second team in football history to miss the playoffs after getting off to a 6–0 start, following the 1978 Washington Redskins. In 2004, Daunte Culpepper amassed MVP-like statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards (leading the NFL), 39 passing touchdowns (a Viking record), and 5,123 total yards (an NFL record).[62] In the wild card game, the Vikings defeated the rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in their first-ever playoff meeting, 31–17.[63] In doing so, the Vikings became the second team in NFL history to have a .500 record (8–8) in the regular season and win a playoff game (The St. Louis Rams did the same thing only a day earlier). In the divisional round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.[64] On March 2, 2005, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris and the Raiders' first-round draft pick. After struggling to a disappointing 2–5 start to the 2005 season, Vikings lost quarterback Daunte Culpepper to a season-ending knee injury. This injury was a very significant part to this Minnesota Vikings team due to the fact they also lost Moss. The dynamic duo from years earlier was now gone and a new leader would eventually emerge. The Vikings finished the 2005 season with a 9–7 record. However, this season would be more notable for off-the-field events. In October, 17 team members were part of a party of about 90 that went out on a pleasure cruise on local Lake Minnetonka. The incident erupted into scandal when media reported that a number of the players had performed sex acts and that prostitutes had been flown in. Four players were ultimately charged with misdemeanors related to the party.[65] Mike Tice was let go after the 2005 season and was replaced by Brad Childress. This was one of many significant front office moves made by the new ownership team, led by Zygi Wilf.[66] 2006–2008 All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson was selected 7th overall by the Vikings in the 2007 NFL Draft, and played for the Vikings from 2007 to 2016. Minnesota began the 2006 season 4–2 (with Childress becoming the first Vikings coach to start his career 2–0), but finished the year at 6–10,[67] receiving the 7th pick in the NFL Draft; with it, the Vikings selected Adrian Peterson out of the University of Oklahoma.[68] Peterson's first career touchdown was a 60-yard screen pass against the Atlanta Falcons in his first career game. When the Vikings played the Chicago Bears in Week 6, Peterson broke the record for single-game All-Purpose (rushing, receiving, kick returning) yards (361 total yards, 224 rushing). In Week 9, Peterson broke the NFL single-game rushing record set by Jamal Lewis in 2003 by rushing for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers.[69] Despite a strong push in the middle of the season, winning five straight games, the Vikings lost their final two games to finish the season at 8–8 and missed the playoffs.[70] In Week 13 of the 2008 season against the Bears, Gus Frerotte hooked up with Bernard Berrian and set the record for longest play in franchise history with a 99-yard touchdown pass.[71] In the 2009 season, Adrian Peterson led the NFL with 1760 rushing yards, breaking the franchise record. The Vikings clinched the NFC North championship for the first time after defeating the New York Giants 20–19 in Week 17, when kicker Ryan Longwell made the game-winning field goal.[72] Peterson had 19 carries for 109 yards and added a touchdown during the game. On January 4, 2009, the Vikings hosted the Philadelphia Eagles for the wild-card round, their first home playoff game in eight years. The Eagles led the Viking 16–14 at halftime and, coming off a 44–6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, went on to defeat the Vikings 26–14.[73] Since 2006, the Vikings have been known especially for their strong run defense (#1 in the NFL in 2006, 2007, and 2008; they are the first NFL team to accomplish this since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970), anchored by the Williams Wall consisting of defensive tackle Kevin Williams and nose tackle Pat Williams (no relation).[74] With the addition of sack-leader Jared Allen in 2008, the dominant front four began being called by several nicknames, including "Thunder and Plunder" and "Shock and AWE" (an acronym of their surname initials).[75] 2009 Brett Favre played for the Vikings in 2009 and 2010. On August 18, 2009, after months of speculation and negotiations, twice-retired veteran quarterback Brett Favre, who until 2007 had played 16 years for division archrival Green Bay Packers, signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Vikings. On October 5, 2009, the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers as Favre played his former team for the first time. With a 30–23 victory on Monday Night Football, the Vikings moved to a 4–0 record.[76] Favre became the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 current teams as a starter. Over 21.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the game, beating the previous record for a cable television program set by a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 (18.6 million viewers).[77] The Vikings beat the New York Giants, 44–7, in Week 17 to help the team clinch the second seed in the conference and a first-round-bye with an Eagles loss later that same day.[76] The Vikings ended the regular season with a 12–4 record, their best record since 2000 and the first 11-plus win season since their record-setting 1998 campaign.[76] The Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round on January 17, 2010, and won the game by a score of 34–3, advancing the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, the ninth in franchise history. This would also be the first NFC Championship game for the team since the 2000 season. Minnesota would travel to New Orleans the following week to face the top-seeded Saints in the first conference championship game held at the Superdome. Despite out-gaining the Saints on offense by nearly a twofold margin, the Vikings were severely hindered by five turnovers, including a Favre interception in the final minute of the fourth quarter in Saints territory. They were ousted in overtime, 31–28, as the Saints won the coin toss and kicked a 40-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime.[note 1] 2010s The Vikings performed similarly in the 2010s, only making the playoffs four times and going 2–4 in those games. Additionally, there was inconsistency at the quarterback position, with thirteen quarterbacks starting at least one game for the team during this decade. Despite their performance, the team performed better in the regular season overall after the 2013 season, including an NFC Championship appearance in 2017. 2010–2013 In the first week of the 2010 NFL regular season, the Vikings played the defending Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings lost 14–9.[78] In Week 2, the Vikings played the Miami Dolphins and lost 14–10. The Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions 24–10 in the third week of the season. After a week four bye-week, the Vikings received star wide receiver Randy Moss in a trade with the New England Patriots. Even with the addition of Moss, the Vikings lost to the New York Jets 29–20 in Week 5. The Vikings won a crucial victory against another struggling team in the form of the Dallas Cowboys 24–21, but in Week 7 the Vikings lost to the arch-rival Green Bay Packers 28–24. In Week 9, the Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals at home and won 27–24 in overtime, coming back from a 24–10 deficit in the final four minutes of regulation. Favre threw for a career-high 446 passing yards.[79] The Vikings then went on to face the Chicago Bears, but were defeated, and then went on to be blown out 31–3 at home by the Packers the following game. Head coach Brad Childress was fired the following Monday.[80] With Leslie Frazier filling in for the fired Childress, the Vikings won two games in a row. One against the Washington Redskins on the road, and a blowout win over the Buffalo Bills at home.[81] Defensive end Jared Allen played for the Vikings from 2008 to 2013. After a winter storm dropped nearly 17 inches (430 mm) of snow in the Minneapolis/St Paul area the Saturday before the Vikings December 12 home game versus the New York Giants and 30 mph (48 km/h) gusts drove snow removers off the dome's roof overnight, several panels were damaged as the weight of the snow caused the roof to collapse. After viewing the damage, Vikings management and the NFL decided to move the game to Monday and play it at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.[82] Because of ongoing repairs to the roof of the Metrodome, the Vikings played their December 20 game versus the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium.[83] Favre threw the final touchdown pass of his career (to Percy Harvin) in this game. The game was played 29 years to the day after the last outdoor game at old Met Stadium. On December 26, the NFL announced that the game versus the Philadelphia Eagles was being postponed to Tuesday, December 28, 2010, because of blizzard conditions.[84] This marks the third consecutive venue or date change for a Vikings game and was the first NFL game played on a Tuesday since 1964.[85] The Vikings proceeded to upset the dynamic Eagles offense, led by a resurgent Michael Vick, 24–14 with rookie Joe Webb at the helm.[86] The Vikings finished the season 6–10 with a 20–13 loss against the Detroit Lions.[78] The 2010–11 season was a step down for the Minnesota Vikings. After coming within a few plays of Super Bowl XLIV, Minnesota ended the 2010 season with a 6–10 record and a last place finish in the NFC North for the first time since 1990.[87] During the season, the Vikings had many distractions, including trading for Randy Moss and then waiving him only a month later,[88] Brett Favre's NFL investigation for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages to Jets' employee Jenn Sterger while he was with the team in 2008,[89] the Metrodome's collapse and resulting venue changes,[90] and finally head coach Brad Childress' firing on November 22 following a 31–3 loss at the hands of the rival Green Bay Packers.[78] After serving as the interim head coach for the final six games of the season (finishing with a 3–3 record), defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was officially named the head coach on January 3, 2011, after signing a three-year contract. On January 17, Brett Favre retired for the third, and officially last, time, leaving the team in search of a long-term replacement at the quarterback position. Wasting no time after being appointed head coach, Frazier began to restructure the team's coaching staff, including letting go of offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and hiring Mike Singletary as linebackers coach and Bill Musgrave as the new offensive coordinator. Their first-round draft pick was Christian Ponder, a quarterback from Florida State University. The team finished with a 3–13 record, tied with the 1984 Vikings for the second-worst record in franchise history. In 2012, Adrian Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards – 8 yards short of Eric Dickerson's single-season record. During the 2012 NFL Draft, the team selected USC lineman Matt Kalil with the 4th overall pick after a trade with the Cleveland Browns,[91] and Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith in the first round.[92][93] Both players were instrumental in helping the Vikings reach the playoffs for the 27th time in franchise history,[94] as was fellow draftee, sixth-round kicker Blair Walsh.[95] After beating the Packers in the final game of 2012 to reach the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed, the Vikings lost 24–10 to the Packers in the rematch at Lambeau Field in the wild-card round.[96] The team was forced to play backup Joe Webb during the game after Ponder was sidelined due to an arm injury sustained from the previous week.[97] Peterson was later named the league's MVP, after rushing for 2,097 yards,[98] the second most rushing yards in a season in NFL history.[99] In the 2013 season, the Vikings finished with five wins, ten losses, and one tie, with no road wins. Notable moments include acquired free agent Matt Cassel outplaying Christian Ponder at the quarterback position and the defense allowing a league-worst 480 points, coming within four points of matching the franchise's worst set in 1984. This was also the last season played at the Metrodome as a new stadium deal was reached. Leslie Frazier was fired after the regular season ended. 2014–2019 The Vikings moved to U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016 The team hired former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to replace Leslie Frazier as head coach on January 16, 2014.[100] Former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner replaced Bill Musgrave,[101] and George Edwards replaced Alan Williams as defensive coordinator. In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Vikings selected Anthony Barr, a linebacker out of UCLA, and Teddy Bridgewater, a quarterback out of the University of Louisville. Bridgewater would later lose the starting job to Matt Cassel[102] only to become the starter for the Vikings when Cassel was lost to a season-ending foot injury in week 3. Star running back Adrian Peterson only played in one regular-season game due to his ongoing child abuse trial, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell placing Peterson on the Commissioner's Exempt List indefinitely. On April 16, 2015, the league released a statement issuing Peterson's reinstatement to occur on April 17, 2015.[103] The Vikings concluded their season with seven wins and nine losses, winning only one game against a divisional opponent, although Bridgewater set a franchise record for wins by a rookie starting quarterback. On January 3, 2016, the Vikings beat divisional rival Green Bay 20–13 to win the NFC North for the first time since 2009. The Vikings, led by their top 5 defense, ended the 2015 season with an 11–5 record, and a #3 seed in the playoffs. However, they lost to the Seattle Seahawks 10–9 after Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal in the third coldest game in NFL playoff history. The Vikings were responsible for a historic milestone in the late rounds of the 2016 NFL draft. Their sixth-round selection, German wide receiver Moritz Böhringer, was the first European player ever to be drafted by an NFL team without having previously played at any level in North America.[104] After Teddy Bridgewater went down with a knee injury in the preseason of 2016, the Vikings traded their 2017 first round pick and a conditional fourth round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Sam Bradford, who threw for 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 3,877 yards, and while starting the season a league best 5–0, completed the season 3–8 for a season total of 8–8.[105] Following the knee injury, the Vikings declined to pick up the fifth-year option on Bridgewater. Running back Adrian Peterson went down to injury in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers with a torn meniscus and was placed on the Injured Reserve until Week 15. On February 28, 2017, the Vikings announced they would not exercise Peterson's 2017 contract option which made him a free agent. Had they exercised the option, Peterson would be owed $18 million for the 2017 season.[106] On April 25, 2017, the New Orleans Saints signed Peterson to a 2-year, $7 million contract, ending his tenure with the Vikings since his debut in 2007 as a rookie.[107] He holds several Vikings records including most career rushing touchdowns, career rushing yards, and most rushing yards in a season.[108] In the summer of 2017, the Vikings ownership announced they would end the 52-year annual tradition of summer training camp in Mankato at Minnesota State University, Mankato as they built a large new headquarters building, training facility and area property development in Eagan on the site of the former Northwest Airlines offices completed in the spring of 2018 in time for the 2018 summer training camp that July.[109][110] The Vikings won the NFC North for the second time in three years in 2017, finishing with a 13–3 record that saw them go into the playoffs as the number 2 seed in the NFC. In the divisional round, they came up against the New Orleans Saints. With less than 10 seconds remaining in the game and trailing by a single point, the Vikings lined up on 3rd-and-10 on their own 39-yard line. Quarterback Case Keenum threw the ball to wide receiver Stefon Diggs inside field goal range near the right sideline, giving the receiver a chance to get out of bounds with just enough time for a game-winning field goal attempt; however, safety Marcus Williams missed his attempted tackle, allowing Diggs to run down the sideline unopposed for the first walk-off game-winning touchdown in NFL playoff history.[111] On KFAN 100.3, radio announcer Paul Allen called the play the 'Minneapolis Miracle'.[112][113] The Vikings went on to the NFC Championship for the opportunity to play in Super Bowl LII in their own stadium, only to lose 38–7 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. On March 15, 2018, quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a three-year fully guaranteed $84 million contract with the Vikings.[114] The signing made Cousins the highest paid football player at the time.[115] On September 22, 2019, the Vikings defeated the Oakland Raiders for their 500th win as a franchise, with an overall record of 500–427–11 at that point.[116] The team finished the 2019 season at 10–6, clinching a wild card spot. The Vikings went on to pull an upset victory in the wild card round against the New Orleans Saints 26–20 in overtime. The victory advanced the team to the divisional round, where they lost to the eventual NFC Champions San Francisco 49ers 10–27. 2020s The Vikings recorded two straight losing seasons in 2020 and 2021. 2020–2021 After falling to the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Day, the Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from the 2020 playoffs.[117][118] The Vikings finished 7–9 in 2020, the first losing season since 2014 and only the second under Zimmer. In 2021, the Vikings missed the playoffs for the second straight season after a 37–10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. After a 31–17 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 18 to finish the season 8–9, the team fired head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman on January 10, 2022.[119] 2022 On January 26, 2022, the Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, former vice president of football operations at the Cleveland Browns and Director of R&D at the San Francisco 49ers, to be the team's new general manager.[120] After the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, the Vikings subsequently named then-Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their franchise's 10th head coach on February 16.[121] The Vikings finished the regular season as NFC North champions with a 13–4 record.[122] They also set an NFL record by winning eleven one-score games, the most in any NFL season.[123] The Vikings entered the playoffs as the number three seed in the NFC but lost in the wild-card round to the New York Giants 31–24.[124] Logo and uniforms The Vikings' trademark horned helmet and purple-and-gold uniforms were designed by Los Angeles Examiner cartoonist Karl Hubenthal. Bert Rose and Norm Van Brocklin both knew Hubenthal from their days with the Los Angeles Rams organization. Hubenthal also designed the original Norseman logo.[125] From the team's debut in 1961 to 1995, the Vikings' logos and uniforms essentially remained the same. Reflecting Minnesota's Scandinavian cultural heritage, one of the team's two primary logos consists of a profile of a blond Norseman, while the other consists of a white Viking horn.[126] Minnesota Vikings wordmark (1982–2003) The team's helmet is purple with a Viking horn logo on each side.[127] Each horn is outlined in gold. The horn logo was slightly revised in 2006. The original uniform design consisted of white pants, gold trim, and either purple or white jerseys. On the jersey's sleeves was the Northwestern stripe pattern in white with gold trim. For the white uniform the stripes were purple with gold trim as well. From 1962 to 1964, the Vikings wore purple pants with their white jerseys (The Vikings, with their current uniform, still wear, purple pants with yellow and white trim). In 1969, the design for the white uniforms had changed to a completely different stripe pattern, which was over the shoulders, then the purple ones, which were around the sleeve cuff. These unique shoulder stripes were first worn in 1969, the year they went to their first Super Bowl. There have also been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the color of the face mask from gray to white in 1980, and then to purple in 1985. In addition, the Norseman logo was added to the sleeves in 1996, and the purple jersey stripes were toned down with that change; the TV numbers, previously located on the jersey sleeves, moved up to the shoulders as well that year. The Vikings continued to wear black shoes until Les Steckel became head coach in 1984; they were the last NFL team to make the change from black to white shoes. In 2006, the team returned to black shoes for the first time since the 1983 season.[128][129] The Vikings tweaked their Norseman logo, which involved updating the shading, altering the shape and base of the horns, thickening the mustache and face, making the gold tones brighter, and shortening the braid. The new logo was unveiled on February 14, 2013.[130][131] On March 28, the team reported that new uniforms will be unveiled on April 25.[132] On April 25, 2013, the Minnesota Vikings unveiled the club's new uniforms during its annual NFL Draft party.[133] From 1969 through 1973, the Vikings had an alternate purple jersey without stripes for warm-weather games.[128][129] The team's uniforms were redesigned in 2006, the first significant change in the franchise's 46-year history. Although the team colors remained the same, trim lines were added to the outside shoulders and sleeves, and the sides of the jerseys and pants. In addition, the horn on the helmet was slightly more defined. Included in the new design are both white and purple pants, the purple pants have not been regularly used since 2007, but resurfaced twice in 2010.[128] The team wore black armbands for the last four games in 1978 in memory of Jack "Jocko" Nelson, an assistant coach who died during the season. In 1985 the team wore a 25 years patch on their jerseys. In 1989, they wore a "40 for 60" patch honoring the 1969 NFL championship team. They wore a 35 years patch in 1995, 40 years in 2000 and 45 years in 2005. They also wore patches in 1999 for assistant coach Chip Myers who died in the offseason and in 2001 for Korey Stringer. The Vikings, like other teams, wore NFL 50th and 75th-anniversary patches in 1969 and 1994.[134] They also wore "TS" decals on their helmets in memory of Tony Sparano in the 2018 NFL season, their offensive-line coach who died before the season started. On December 24, 2022, in a Week 16 game against the New York Giants, the Vikings wore all-white uniforms at home in the regular season for the first time. As part of the "Winter Whiteout" event, the team painted its logo and end zones white with purple accents, and encouraged fans at the stadium to wear white.[135] In 2023, the Vikings unveiled throwback uniforms based on the 1960s purple uniforms, which had gold trim on the numbers. However, the current matte purple helmet would be used, with gray facemasks and throwback horn decals.[136] All-purple uniforms On October 11, 1964, for a home game against the Detroit Lions, the Vikings decided to wear their road uniform of white jerseys and purple pants; however, the Lions mistakenly only brought their white jerseys to Minnesota. The game began with both teams wearing white, but it proved too confusing, and ahead of the second quarter, the Vikings changed into their purple jerseys; however, they did not change their pants, resulting in the first time the Vikings wore all-purple for a game.[137] It was not until 43 years later, on December 17, 2007 (a Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears) that the Vikings again wore both purple jerseys and purple pants—the first time they wore all-purple intentionally. They repeated this three years later, the wearing all-purple for the November 7, 2010, home game against the Arizona Cardinals.[138] The NFL introduced "Color Rush" uniforms for all 32 teams in the 2016 season, specifically for Thursday Night Football games. The Vikings had an all-purple uniform with gold numbers and stripes on the pants, which made its only appearance as a Color Rush uniform in Week 13 at home against the Dallas Cowboys. After the program was discontinued in 2018, these uniforms have become the team's primary alternate and are now known under the name "Primetime Purple"; however, the Vikings only wear these uniforms during home Thursday Night games. They wore the uniforms under the Primetime Purple name for the first time during a game against the Washington Redskins in 2019. In the team's Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints during the 2019 season, the Vikings wore all purple again; however, instead of the regular alternates, they wore the regular home uniforms with the away purple pants.[139] Following the Vikings' win in this game, they have worn this combination in two subsequent games against the Saints, which took place in 2020 and 2022. In 2020, despite the Vikings not having a Thursday Night game scheduled, the Primetime Purple uniforms made an appearance for a late-afternoon game against the Cowboys. The following season, they were worn again for a Thursday Night home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The most recent appearance for these uniforms came during a Thanksgiving Day game against the New England Patriots in 2022. Team culture Mascots After several failed attempts at developing an official team-owned mascot, the Vikings finally introduced Viktor the Viking during the 2007 Vikings' season.[140] Team officials had long indicated that they were after a mascot concept that would primarily appeal to the team's younger fan base.[141] Viktor the Viking, a muscle-bound, blond-haired and mustachioed character, wears a Vikings' #1 jersey and an oversized Vikings helmet with protruding horns and a small yellow nose guard. From 1970 to 1992, truck driver Hub Meeds dressed as a Viking and served as the team mascot.[142][143] Meeds asked to become the mascot after being accidentally let onto the field by security during Super Bowl IV in New Orleans.[144] From 1994 to 2015, the team mascot was Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch) and was based on the legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrok.[145] Juranitch admits to being somewhat of an eccentric—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a beard with an axe,[146] but hasn't shaved his beard since he won the Ragnar job among 3,000 applicants.[147] Ragnar drove onto the field at the beginning of a game dressed in Viking garb, on a motorcycle,[146][147] while a cheerleader used to ride a snowmobile. Although never one to shy away from confrontations with opposing players, notably Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson,[148][149] he had a soft spot for Brett Favre while the quarterback started for the rival Green Bay Packers.[150] In 2015, the Vikings announced that they were not able to reach a new contract agreement with Juranitch which he wanted $20,000 per game,[151] and released him.[152][153] Another mascot associated with the Vikings was "Vikadontis Rex", a purple foam dinosaur.[154] Vikadontis was the official mascot of the Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund and took part in the 1995 Celebrity Mascot Olympics. Vikadontis was retired starting with the 2000 season. The team also had an NFL Huddles mascot in the mid-1980s (somewhat similar to Viktor the Viking). Krazy George Henderson was also employed as a cheerleader from 1982 to 1985.[155] Fight song Further information: Skol, Vikings "Skol, Vikings" is the fight song of the Minnesota Vikings.[156] It was introduced around the time the team was founded in 1961. It is always played whenever the team scores a touchdown, field goal or safety, at the end of each half, and upon victory. The song "Purple and Gold" was recorded in 2010 by Minneapolis native Prince to be used as a fight song for the Minnesota Vikings.[157] Helga hats Vikings fans are known to dress up in "Helga hats", purple hats with white horns and blonde braids, mimicking the helmets popularly believed to have been worn by Viking warriors. The original Helga Hats are still hand assembled in the Twin Cities area.[158] Vikings horn The gjallarhorn at U.S. Bank Stadium During home games, the Vikings' Gjallarhorn is played during its pre-game ceremonies, a tradition that started in 2007. The ceremony has been an opportunity to honor past Viking greats (most notably Randy Moss) along with Minnesota-related folks (such as the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey team when they won the NCAA hockey championship). The first horn broke right before the playing of the 2016 playoff game in Minnesota versus the Seattle Seahawks, owing to below-zero temperatures (at the time, the Vikings were playing at Huntington Bank Stadium, an outdoor stadium) that cracked it. Both the first and second horns were created by Todd Johnson, a general manager at a music store.[159][160] Skol Chant The Skol Chant is a cheer that is used in U.S. Bank Stadium for Minnesota Vikings games. It involves fans clapping their hands above their heads and yelling "Skol", in response to the beat of a drum.[161] The chant is a modified take on the Viking War Cry used at the Iceland national football team's games and popularized by Iceland supporters at UEFA Euro 2016.[162] Skol (written "skål" in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish and "skál" in Faroese and Icelandic or "skaal" in archaic spellings or transliteration of any of those languages) is the Danish–Norwegian–Swedish word for "cheers" or "good health", a salute or a toast, as to an admired person or group. Rivalries Chicago Bears Main article: Bears–Vikings rivalry The Vikings' rivalry with the Chicago Bears began when the Vikings entered the league as an expansion team in 1961. The first time these two teams met, the Vikings managed an upset over the Bears 37–13 in Minnesota. Both teams are members of the NFC North, and play at least twice a year. The Vikings lead the overall series 65–57–2. The teams have met once in the postseason, a 35–18 Bears win in the 1994 Wild Card Round. Detroit Lions Main article: Lions–Vikings rivalry The Vikings and Detroit Lions have played twice annually since the Vikings entered the league's Western Conference in 1961. The two teams moved to the NFC Central after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, which became the NFC North after the NFL's 2002 realignment. This is the only NFC North rivalry without any head-to-head postseason meetings. The Vikings lead the all-time series 80–41–2. Green Bay Packers Main article: Packers–Vikings rivalry The rivalry between the Vikings and the Green Bay Packers began in 1961, similarly to their other divisional rivalries. Much like other Minnesota-Wisconsin sports rivalries, such as that between the Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers, it is also considered to be one of the most intense rivalries in its league[according to whom?]. Events such as Randy Moss mooning the Green Bay crowd in the first playoff game between these two teams (won by the Vikings), and former Packer great Brett Favre's move to the Vikings have created more resentment between these teams. The Packers lead the all-time series 65–57–3, despite the two teams splitting their two playoff contests. New Orleans Saints Main article: Saints-Vikings rivalry The Vikings have developed a heated NFC rivalry with the New Orleans Saints, who have become known as the Vikings' biggest out-of-division rival. The Vikings lead the overall series 23–13, including 4–1 in the playoffs. This rivalry has featured many notable playoff matchups, such as the 2009 NFC Championship Game and the 2017 NFC Divisional Round game. Dallas Cowboys/Los Angeles Rams See also: Cowboys-Vikings rivalry and Rams-Vikings rivalry The Vikings also share historical rivalries with the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams, both of which became hottest in the 1970s. The Cowboys and Rams are tied for the most played playoff opponent for the Vikings, with seven playoff games played in each series. The Vikings trail their series with Dallas 18–15 overall and have lost four out of seven playoff meetings, but lead their series with the Rams 27–18–2 overall and have won five out of seven playoff meetings. Players See also: Minnesota Vikings all-time statistical leaders Current roster Minnesota Vikings roster     viewtalkedit Quarterbacks     15 Joshua Dobbs     16 Jaren Hall     12 Nick Mullens Running backs     32 Ty Chandler     30 C. J. Ham FB      2 Alexander Mattison     26 Kene Nwangwu Wide receivers      3 Jordan Addison     13 N'Keal Harry     83 Jalen Nailor     17 K. J. Osborn      4 Brandon Powell Tight ends     87 T. J. Hockenson     86 Johnny Mundt     34 Nick Muse     84 Josh Oliver         Offensive linemen     78 Hakeem Adeniji T     56 Garrett Bradbury C     64 Blake Brandel G     71 Christian Darrisaw T     67 Ed Ingram G     75 Brian O'Neill T     62 Chris Reed G     65 Austin Schlottmann C     76 David Quessenberry T     66 Dalton Risner G Defensive linemen     90 Jonathan Bullard DE     52 Sheldon Day DE     97 Harrison Phillips NT     93 Jaquelin Roy DE     95 Khyiris Tonga NT         Linebackers     33 Brian Asamoah ILB     55 Andre Carter II OLB     45 Troy Dye ILB     99 Danielle Hunter OLB     91 Patrick Jones II OLB     40 Ivan Pace Jr. ILB     59 Nick Vigil ILB     98 D. J. Wonnum OLB Defensive backs      5 Mekhi Blackmon CB     23 Andrew Booth Jr. CB     24 Camryn Bynum FS      6 Lewis Cine FS     21 Akayleb Evans CB     25 Theo Jackson FS     44 Josh Metellus SS      7 Byron Murphy CB     22 Harrison Smith SS     11 NaJee Thompson CB     20 Jay Ward SS Special teams     42 Andrew DePaola LS      1 Greg Joseph K     14 Ryan Wright P                 Reserve lists     31 Cam Akers RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)      8 Kirk Cousins QB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)      0 Marcus Davenport OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)     58 Jordan Hicks ILB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)     18 Justin Jefferson WR (IR-DFR)     -- Malik Knowles WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)     47 William Kwenkeu ILB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)     94 Dean Lowry DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)     92 James Lynch NT (IRTooltip Injured reserve)     74 Oli Udoh OT (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad     73 Junior Aho NT (Int.)     85 Daylen Baldwin WR     54 Anthony Barr ILB     41 Austin Bryant OLB     63 Coy Cronk T     82 Troy Fumagalli TE     37 Myles Gaskin RB     81 Lucky Jackson WR     19 Sean Mannion QB     27 DeWayne McBride RB     48 Quincy Roche OLB     79 Tyrese Robinson G     50 T. J. Smith NT     89 Thayer Thomas WR     38 Jaylin Williams CB     29 Joejuan Williams CB Rookies in italics Roster updated November 22, 2023     Depth chartTransactions 53 active, 10 inactive, 17 practice squad → AFC rosters → NFC rosters Retired numbers Minnesota Vikings retired numbers No.     Player     Position     Tenure     Retired 10     Fran Tarkenton     QB     1961–1966 1972–1978     October 7, 1979 53     Mick Tingelhoff     C     1962–1978     November 25, 2001 70     Jim Marshall     DE     1961–1979     November 28, 1999 77†     Korey Stringer     OT     1995–2000     November 19, 2001 80     Cris Carter     WR     1990–2001     September 14, 2003 88     Alan Page     DT     1967–1978     September 25, 1988     † = Posthumous Pro Football Hall of Famers Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famers[163] Players No.     Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted 1     Warren Moon     QB     1994–1996     2006 3     Jan Stenerud     K     1984–1985     1991 4     Brett Favre     QB     2009–2010     2016 7     Morten Andersen     K     2004     2017 10     Fran Tarkenton     QB     1961–1966 1972–1978     1986 22     Paul Krause     S     1968–1979     1998 39     Hugh McElhenny     RB     1961–1962     1970 44     Dave Casper     TE     1983     2002 53     Mick Tingelhoff     C     1962–1978     2015 56     Chris Doleman     DE     1985–1993, 1999     2012 58     Jim Langer     C     1980–1981     1987 64     Randall McDaniel     G     1988–1999     2009 65     Gary Zimmerman     OT     1986–1992     2008 73     Ron Yary     OT     1968–1981     2001 76     Steve Hutchinson     G     2006–2011     2020 80     Cris Carter     WR     1990–2001     2013 81     Carl Eller     DE     1964–1978     2004 84     Randy Moss     WR     1998–2004, 2010     2018 88     Alan Page     DT     1967–1978     1988 93     John Randle     DT     1990–2000     2010 Coaches and Executives Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted Jim Finks     GM     1964–1973     1995 Bud Grant     HC     1967–1983, 1985     1994 Italics = played only a minor portion of their career with the Vikings, and are recognized primarily based upon achievements with other teams Ring of Honor Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor[164] Players No.     Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted 10     Fran Tarkenton     QB     1961–1966 1972–1978     September 9, 1998 22     Paul Krause     S     1968–1979     November 15, 1998 28     Ahmad Rashad     WR     1976–1982     October 1, 2017 30     Bill Brown     RB     1962–1974     September 26, 2004 44     Chuck Foreman     RB     1973–1979     September 30, 2007 47     Joey Browner     S     1983–1991     October 27, 2013 53     Mick Tingelhoff     C     1962–1978     November 25, 2001 55     Scott Studwell     LB     1977–1990     November 29, 2009 56     Chris Doleman     DE     1985–1993, 1999     October 23, 2011[165] 59     Matt Blair     LB     1974–1985     October 25, 2012[166] 64     Randall McDaniel     G     1988–1999     December 17, 2006 69     Jared Allen     DE     2008–2013     October 30, 2022[167] 70     Jim Marshall     DE     1961–1979     November 28, 1999 73     Ron Yary     OT     1968–1981     September 9, 2001 77     Korey Stringer     OT     1995–2000     November 19, 2001 80     Cris Carter     WR     1990–2001     September 14, 2003 81     Carl Eller     DE     1964–1978     November 10, 2002 83     Steve Jordan     TE     1982–1994     October 24, 2019[168] 84     Randy Moss     WR     1998–2004, 2010     September 11, 2017[169] 88     Alan Page     DT     1967–1978     September 20, 1998 93     John Randle     DT     1990–2000     November 30, 2008 93     Kevin Williams     DT     2003–2013     October 3, 2021 Coaches and Executives Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted Jerry Burns     HC     1986–1991     November 6, 2005 Jim Finks     GM     1964–1973     October 18, 1998 Bud Grant     HC     1967–1983, 1985     November 8, 1998 Dennis Green     HC     1992–2001     September 23, 2018 Fred Zamberletti     Medical adviser     1961–2011     December 20, 1998 25th Anniversary Team (1985)     Fran Tarkenton QB, #10     Bill Brown RB, #30     Chuck Foreman RB, #44     Ahmad Rashad WR, #28     Sammy White WR, #85     Stu Voigt TE, #83     Ron Yary T, #73     Grady Alderman T, #67     Ed White G, #62     Milt Sunde G, #64     Mick Tingelhoff C, #53     Jim Marshall DE, #70     Alan Page DT, #88     Gary Larsen DT, #77     Carl Eller DE, #81     Matt Blair OLB, #59     Scott Studwell ILB, #55     Jeff Siemon ILB, #50     Roy Winston OLB, #60     Bobby Bryant CB, #20     Ed Sharockman CB, #45     Paul Krause S, #22     Karl Kassulke S, #29     Fred Cox K, #14     Greg Coleman P, #8     Bud Grant HC 40th Anniversary Team (2000)     Fran Tarkenton QB, #10     Chuck Foreman RB, #44     Robert Smith RB, #26     Ahmad Rashad WR, #28     Cris Carter WR, #80     Steve Jordan TE, #83     Ron Yary OT, #73     Randall McDaniel OG, #64     Mick Tingelhoff C, #53     Ed White OG, #62     Tim Irwin OT, #76     Jim Marshall DE, #70     Alan Page DT, #88     John Randle DT, #93     Carl Eller DE, #81     Matt Blair LB, #59     Scott Studwell LB, #55     Jeff Siemon LB, #50     Bobby Bryant CB, #20     Carl Lee CB, #39     Paul Krause S, #22     Joey Browner S, #47     Greg Coleman P, #8     Fred Cox K, #14     Darrin Nelson KR, #20     Bill Brown ST, #30 50 Greatest Vikings (2010) In connection with the team's 50th anniversary, the Vikings announced a group of 50 top players on December 19, 2010.[170] Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.     Grady Alderman OT, #67     Jared Allen DE, #69     Matt Birk C, #75/78     Matt Blair LB, #59     Bill Brown RB, #30     Joey Browner S, #47     Bobby Bryant CB, #20     Anthony Carter WR, #81     Cris Carter WR, #80     Fred Cox K, #14     Daunte Culpepper QB, #11     Chris Doleman DE/LB, #56     Carl Eller DE, #81     Chuck Foreman RB, #44     John Gilliam WR, #42     Bud Grant Coach     Wally Hilgenberg LB, #58     Steve Hutchinson G #76     Tim Irwin OT, #76     Steve Jordan TE, #83     Tommy Kramer QB, #9     Paul Krause S, #22     Gary Larsen DT, #77     Carl Lee CB, #39     Jim Marshall DE, #70     Randall McDaniel G, #64     Keith Millard DT, #75     Randy Moss WR, #84     Dave Osborn RB, #41     Alan Page DT, #88     Adrian Peterson RB, #28     John Randle DT, #93     Ahmad Rashad WR, #28     Ed Sharockman CB, #45     Jeff Siemon LB, #50     Robert Smith RB, #20/26     Scott Studwell LB, #55     Doug Sutherland DT, #69     Fran Tarkenton QB, #10     Henry Thomas DT, #97     Mick Tingelhoff C, #53     Stu Voigt TE, #83     Gene Washington WR, #84     Ed White G, #62     Sammy White WR, #85     Kevin Williams DT, #93     Antoine Winfield CB, #26     Roy Winston LB, #60     Ron Yary OT, #73     Gary Zimmerman OT, #65 All-Mall of America Field Team (2013) In 2013, in recognition of their final season at the Metrodome, the Vikings organized a fan vote to determine the best players at each position to play for the team in their time at the stadium. They named 12 players on offense, 11 on defense, four special teams players and a head coach.[171] Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Offense     QB – #11 Daunte Culpepper, 1999–2005     RB – #28 Adrian Peterson, 2007–2013     RB – #26 Robert Smith, 1993–2000     WR – #81 Anthony Carter, 1985–1993     WR – #80 Cris Carter, 1990–2001     WR – #84 Randy Moss, 1998–2004, 2010     TE – #83 Steve Jordan, 1982–1994     OT – #76 Tim Irwin, 1981–1993     OT – #65 Gary Zimmerman, 1986–1992     OG – #76 Steve Hutchinson, 2006–2011     OG – #64 Randall McDaniel, 1988–1999     C – #78 Matt Birk, 1998–2008 Defense     DE – #69 Jared Allen, 2008–2013     DE – #56 Chris Doleman, 1985–1993, 1999     DT – #93 John Randle, 1990–2000     DT – #93 Kevin Williams, 2003–2013     LB – #52 Chad Greenway, 2006–2013     LB – #58 Ed McDaniel, 1992–2001     LB – #55 Scott Studwell, 1977–1990     CB – #39 Carl Lee, 1983–1993     CB – #26 Antoine Winfield, 2004–2012     S – #24 Robert Griffith, 1994–2001     S – #47 Joey Browner, 1983–1991 Special teams     K – #8 Ryan Longwell, 2006–2011     P – #5/#4 Chris Kluwe, 2005–2012     KR – #12 Percy Harvin (WR), 2009–2012     ST – #81 Chris Walsh (WR), 1994–2002 Head coach     HC – Dennis Green, 1992–2001 Coaches Head coaches Main article: List of Minnesota Vikings head coaches Name     Years     Won     Lost     Ties     Winning %     Postseason Norm Van Brocklin     1961–1966     29     51     4     .345     — Bud Grant     1967–1983     151     87     5     .621     1968–71, 1973–78, 1980, 1982 Les Steckel     1984     3     13     0     .188     — Bud Grant     1985     7     9     0     .438     — Jerry Burns     1986–1991     52     43     0     .547     1987–89 Dennis Green     1992–2001     97     62     0     .610     1992–94, 1996–2000 Mike Tice     2001–2005     32     33     0     .492     2004 Brad Childress     2006–2010     39     35     0     .527     2008, 2009 Leslie Frazier     2010–2013     21     32     1     .398     2012 Mike Zimmer     2014–2021     72     56     1     .562     2015, 2017, 2019 Kevin O'Connell     2022–present     13     4     0     .765     2022 Total     516     425     11     .548     31 Current staff Minnesota Vikings staff     vte      Front office     Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf     Owner/president – Mark Wilf     Owner/vice chairman – Leonard Wilf     Chief operating officer – Andrew Miller     General manager – Kwesi Adofo-Mensah     Executive vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski     Senior vice president of player personnel – Ryan Grigson     Vice president of football operations – Demitrius Washington     Director of player personnel – Ryan Monnens     Assistant director of player personnel – Chisolm Opara     Senior assistant director of pro personnel – Sam DeLuca     Director of college scouting – Mike Sholiton     Assistant director of college scouting – Pat Roberts     Senior personnel executive – Jamaal Stephenson Head coaches     Head coach – Kevin O'Connell     Assistant head coach – Mike Pettine Offensive coaches     Offensive coordinator – Wes Phillips     Quarterbacks – Chris O'Hara     Assistant quarterbacks/chief of special projects – Grant Udinski     Pass game specialist/game management coordinator – Ryan Cordell     Running backs/running game coordinator – Curtis Modkins     Wide receivers – Keenan McCardell     Assistant wide receivers – Tony Sorrentino     Tight ends/passing game coordinator – Brian Angelichio     Offensive line – Chris Kuper     Assistant offensive line – Justin Rascati     Quality control/offense – Derron Montgomery     Offensive assistant – Ben Ellefson               Defensive coaches     Defensive coordinator – Brian Flores     Defensive line – Chris Rumph     Assistant defensive line – Patrick Hill     Outside linebackers/pass rush specialist – Mike Smith     Inside linebackers – Mike Siravo     Assistant inside linebackers – Thad Bogardus     Defensive pass game coordinator – Daronte Jones     Assistant defensive backs – Michael Hutchings     Defensive assistant – Imarjaye Albury     Defensive quality control – Lance Bennett Special teams coaches     Special teams coordinator – Matt Daniels     Assistant special teams – Dalmin Gibson Strength and conditioning     Director of player performance – Josh Hingst     Assistant director of player performance – Derik Keyes     Assistant player performance – Marquis Johnson → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs Radio and television Map of radio affiliates The Vikings' flagship radio station is KFXN-FM (100.3), which uses the branding "KFAN" based on its former calls on 1130 AM before a format flip between the AM and FM stations before the 2011 season; 1130 AM also continues to broadcast game play-by-play as KTLK. The games are also heard on the "KFAN Radio Network" in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as well as many other outlets. Paul Allen has been the play-by-play announcer since the 2002 NFL season with Pete Bercich filling in as analyst, who began his first season in 2007.[172] Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on KMSP (Channel 9) in the Twin Cities with a simulcast of KFAN's radio broadcast while Fox Sports North shows a tape delay later.[173] Radio affiliates Minnesota City     Call sign     Frequency Aitkin     KKIN-FM     94.3 FM Albert Lea     KQPR     96.1 FM Alexandria     KIKV     100.7 FM Bemidji     KBUN     1450 AM KBHP     101.1 FM Benson     KSCR     93.5 FM Blue Earth     KBEW     98.1 FM Brainerd     KBLB     93.3 FM Crookston     KROX     1260 AM Dassel     KARP     106.9 FM Detroit Lakes     KBOT     104.1 FM KDLM     1340 AM Duluth     KJOQ     1490 AM KQDS     94.9 FM Ely     WELY     1450 AM WELY     94.5 FM Eveleth     KRBT     1340 AM Fergus Falls     KBRF     1250 AM Frazee     KDLB     94.5 FM Grand Marais     WFNX     95.3 FM Grand Rapids     KMFY     96.9 FM Hibbing     WNMT     650 AM International Falls     KSDM     104.1 FM Jackson     KUXX     105.7 FM Mankato     KFSP     1230 AM KNUJ     105.9 FM KXLP     94.1 FM Marshall     KARL     105.1 FM Morris     KKOK     95.7 FM New Ulm     KNUJ     107.3 FM Pine City     WCMP     100.9 FM Rochester     KFAN     1270 AM KRCH     101.7 FM Roseau     KCAJ     102.1 FM St. Cloud     WJON     1240 AM Spring Grove     KQYB     98.3 FM Thief River Falls     KTRF     1230 AM Twin Cities     KFXN     100.3 FM KTLK     1130 AM Wadena     KSKK     1070 AM Waseca     KFOW     1170 AM Willmar     KWLM     1340 AM K242CF     96.3 FM Winona     KWNO     1230 AM Worthington     KWOA     730 AM      Iowa City     Call sign     Frequency Des Moines     KXNO     1460 AM Sioux City     KMNS     620 AM Spencer     KICD     1240 AM K252EX     98.3 FM Mason City     KLKK     103.7 FM North Dakota City     Call sign     Frequency Bismarck     KXMR     710 AM Carrington     KDAK     1600 AM Devils Lake     KDLR     1240 AM Dickinson     KLTC     1460 AM Fargo     KFGO     790 AM KFGO     104.7 FM Grand Forks     KKXL     1440 AM Jamestown     KQDJ     1400 AM K246AM     97.1 FM Minot     KRRZ     1390 AM Oakes     KDDR     1220 AM K240CJ     95.9 FM Valley City     KOVC     1490 AM Williston     KEYZ     660 AM South Dakota City     Call sign     Frequency Aberdeen     KGIM     1420 AM K296FW     107.1 FM Milbank     KMSD     1510 AM K252FB     98.3 FM Mobridge     KMLO     100.7 FM Pierre     KPLO     94.5 FM Sioux Falls     KWSN     1230 AM K251BH     98.1 FM Sisseton     KBWS     102.9 FM Watertown     KPHR     106.3 FM Yankton     WNAX     570 AM K260BO     99.9 FM Wisconsin City     Call sign     Frequency Amery     WZEZ     104.9 FM Eau Claire     WMEQ     880 AM W292EG     106.3 FM Hayward     WHSM     101.1 FM Rice Lake     WKFX     99.1 FM Source:[174] See also     Pro Football Hall of Fame     List of Minnesota Vikings seasons     List of Minnesota Vikings starting quarterbacks     List of Minnesota Vikings head coaches     List of Minnesota Vikings first-round draft picks     Minnesota Vikings draft history     List of Minnesota Vikings broadcasters Notes Does not include the AFL or NFL championships won during the same seasons as the AFL–NFL Super Bowl Championships prior to the 1970 AFL–NFL merger     As of the end of the 2022 season.     Due in part to this outcome, during the subsequent off-season the NFL rules committee adjusted the overtime rules for the 2010 postseason, and in 2011 for both regular season and postseason games. The new rules state that unless the first possession of overtime ends in a touchdown or safety, both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball. Under the new rules, the Vikings would have had an opportunity to possess the ball after the Saints kicked a field goal on the overtime's first possession in the NFC Championship.[76] References Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time,[2][3][4][5][6][7] he holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007), as well as the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17 in 1998). All-time, Moss ranks second in career touchdown receptions (leading the league five times in touchdown receptions, third most all-time) as well as fourth in career receiving yards. In addition to possessing extraordinary speed at his size (4.38 40-yard dash at 6 ft 4 in) and superior leaping ability (33-inch vertical), he was famously known for often securing spectacular contested catches in tight coverage by physically overpowering defenders. The term "mossed", referring to this ability, has since become a common term in the football lexicon.[8] Moss played college football for Marshall University and earned All-American honors. A six-time Pro Bowl and four-time first-team All-Pro selection, Moss was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft, where he set the single-season record for touchdown receptions in a rookie season and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In his first stint with the Vikings, Moss caught 90 touchdown receptions in his first seven seasons, as well as having more than 1,200 yards in each of his first six seasons. He was traded in 2005 to the Oakland Raiders, where he experienced a slump in play, notably due to the lack of talent surrounding him and perceived decline. In 2007, Moss was then traded to the New England Patriots, where he experienced a career resurgence and set the single-season record for total touchdown receptions. That season, he helped lead the Patriots to a record breaking 16–0 regular season record. During both the 1998 and 2007 seasons, Moss was the catalyst of the two highest scoring offenses of all time at the time they occurred (556 points in 1998, 589 points in 2007), now ranking sixth and second all-time. In October 2010, Moss returned to the Vikings in a trade from the Patriots but was waived less than a month later and then claimed by the Tennessee Titans. After sitting out the 2011 season, Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 before retiring following the season.[9] He played in two Super Bowl games, XLII with the Patriots and XLVII with the 49ers, both losses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, and is a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Post-football, he began working for ESPN as a studio analyst for its Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown programs.[10] In 2022, Moss left Monday Night Countdown.[11] Early life Moss was born in Rand, West Virginia.[1][12] He attended DuPont High School, one of two schools that later consolidated into Riverside High School, where he excelled in football, basketball, baseball, and track. Randy was also on the school's debate team.[13] On the football field, Moss led the DuPont Panthers to back-to-back state championships in 1992 and 1993. He was a star at wide receiver, but also played free safety, returned kickoffs and punts, and was the team's kicker and punter. In 1994, he was honored with the Harrison H. Kennedy Award as the West Virginia Football Player of the Year. Parade magazine named him to their annual All-American high school football team in 1995[14] and in 2009 named him one of the 50 greatest high school football players of all time.[15] At DuPont, he was a teammate of future Chicago Bears linebacker Bobbie Howard.[16] In addition to playing football at DuPont, Moss was twice named West Virginia Player of the Year in basketball (in 1994 when he was co-player of the year and in 1995), where he was a teammate of future NBA player Jason Williams.[17] In his senior season of basketball, Moss averaged 30.2 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.1 steals, 3.8 blocks, and 3.1 assists while shooting 60% from field; he scored a school-record 1,713 career points.[18] As a sophomore in 1992, at the age of 15, Moss joined the track & field team and was the West Virginia state champion in the 100 and 200 meters with times of 10.79 seconds[19] and 21.95 seconds,[20] respectively. This was the only year he competed on the school's track team, but he would later join the Marshall track team and lower his 200 m time to 21.15 seconds. He also played center field for the baseball team. College career Moss's dream was to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish,[21] but he also considered going to Ohio State, where his half-brother, Eric, had played offensive tackle. Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz said "Randy Moss was the best high school football player I've ever seen."[22] Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden said "He was as good as Deion Sanders. Deion's my measuring stick for athletic ability, and this kid was just a bigger Deion."[23] After originally signing a letter of intent to play college football with Notre Dame in 1995, Moss took part in a racially charged fight at his high school that left one person hospitalized.[24] On March 23, 1995, Moss had backed a friend in a hallway fight against a white student who had allegedly used racist comments towards Randy's friend.[23] Moss was initially charged with a felony for kicking the student, but it was later reduced to a misdemeanor. On August 1, 1995, Moss pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 30 days behind bars at the South-Central Regional Jail in Charleston, West Virginia. He served 3 days in jail starting that night and would be required to serve the remaining 27 days within the following 18 months, after he completed his freshman year in college.[25] Moss was expelled from DuPont and completed his education at Cabell Alternative School.[24] Notre Dame subsequently denied his enrollment application, but this did not stop another high-profile college football program from giving him a chance. Notre Dame officials suggested he attend Florida State due to the reputation of its coach, Bobby Bowden, for handling troubled players.[26] Freshman (1995) Because of his signed letter of intent at Notre Dame, the NCAA considered him a transfer student to Florida State,[27] so he had to redshirt the 1995 football season.[28] Redshirt freshman season (1996) In 1996, while serving his 30-day jail sentence in a work-release program from 1995, Moss tested positive for marijuana, thus violating his probation, and was dismissed from Florida State.[29] He served an additional 60 days in jail for the probation violation.[30] Ultimately, Moss transferred to Marshall University, about an hour's drive from his home. Because Marshall was then a Division I-AA school, NCAA rules allowed him to transfer there without losing any further eligibility.[31] In 1996, he set the NCAA Division I-AA records for the most games with a touchdown catch in a season (14), most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (13), most touchdown passes caught in a season (28 – tying Jerry Rice's 1984 record), and most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season (1,709 on 78 catches), a record which still stands. Moss was also the leading kickoff returner in Division I-AA on the season, with 612 total yards and a 34.0-yard average. The 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd went undefeated and won the Division I-AA title, with Moss having four touchdown receptions in the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.[32] It was Marshall's last season before moving to Division I-A.[33] At the Southern Conference indoor track championships, Moss ran the 200 meters in 21.15 seconds, missing the conference record by only .02 seconds.[34] Although Moss had not raced competitively for four years, his time was one of the best in the country that year.[35] Sophomore season (1997) In the 1997 season, Marshall's first in Division I-A, Moss and Quarterback Chad Pennington were the centerpiece of an explosive offense that led the Thundering Herd to the Mid-American Conference title.[36] Moss caught 26 touchdown passes that season, at the time a Division I-A record, and was a first-team All-American.[37] The first game of the season was on the road against the West Virginia Mountaineers where Marshall lost 42–31.[38] The second game of the season saw Moss pick up right where he left off in 1996. Facing Army, Moss had five receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns.[39] Against Army, Moss's first touchdown went for 79 yards and the second touchdown marked a career-long of 90 yards.[40] A week later, Moss posted his third career 200+ yard receiving game, against Kent State in a 42–17 victory.[41] Two weeks after that was his fourth and final 200+ yard game in college, recording 13 catches for 205 yards and a Marshall single-game record of five touchdown receptions against Ball State.[42] In the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl against Ole Miss, Moss added his 26th touchdown of the season on Marshall's first offensive play from scrimmage. He streaked down the right sideline and caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Pennington to tie the score at 7–7.[43] NCAA rules at the time did not allow for statistics from bowl games to be combined with regular-season stats, so the touchdown did not officially increase his season touchdown record. The two teams traded the lead several times in the fourth quarter before Ole Miss running back Deuce McAllister scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds to play, giving them a 34–31 lead. Trying to pull out a last-second win, Pennington connected with Moss on a 40-yard pass on the final play of the game, but he was stripped of the ball as time expired. Moss finished the game with six receptions for 173 yards.[44] Moss finished his career at Marshall having scored at least one touchdown in all 28 games that he played.[43] He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the season's outstanding receiver regardless of position, and was a finalist for the 1997 Heisman Trophy, finishing fourth in the balloting.[45][46] He was a Consensus All-American and won MAC Offensive Player of the Year.[47][48] A controversial comment was made by Randy Moss in 1997 at a ceremony at Marshall University where he was commenting in regards to the 1970 plane crash that killed most their football team that the crash "was a tragedy, but it really wasn't nothing big". Moss later claimed that the quotes were taken out of context.[49] Nate Ruffin, who is a surviving member of the 1970 Football Team, later met with Randy Moss.[citation needed] College statistics Season     Team     GP     Receiving     Rushing     Kick returns     Punt returns Rec     Yds     Avg     Lng     TD     Att     Yds     Avg     Lng     TD     Ret     Yds     Avg     Lng     TD     Ret     Yds     Avg     Lng     TD 1995     Florida State     0     Redshirted 1996     Marshall     15     78     1,709     21.9     —     28     1     2     2.0     2     0     18     612     34.0     88     0     —     —     —     —     — 1997     Marshall     13     96     1,820     19.0     —     26     2     29     14.5     32T     1     14     263     18.8     49     0     25     271     10.8     58     0 Total     28     174     3,529     20.3     90T     54     3     31     10.3     32T     1     32     875     27.3     88     0     25     271     10.8     58     0     Includes stats from the 1997 Motor City Bowl against Ole Miss[13][39][43] NCAA records Division I-AA – regular season     Most games with a touchdown reception in a season – 11 (1996)[50]     Most consecutive games with a touchdown reception in a season – 11 (1996)[50]     Most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season – 1,073 (1996)[50]     Most touchdown receptions caught by a freshman in a season – 19 (1996 – record for all NCAA divisions)[50] Division I-AA – playoffs     Most touchdown receptions in a single game – 4 (vs. Montana, December 21, 1996)[50]     Most yards receiving in a single game – 288 (vs. Delaware, November 30, 1996)[50]     Most touchdown receptions in a tournament – 10 (4 games in 1996)[50]     Most yards receiving in a tournament – 636 (4 games in 1996)[50] Professional career Pre-draft measurables Height     Weight     Arm length     Hand span     40-yard dash     Vertical jump     Wonderlic 6 ft 3+5⁄8 in (1.92 m)     194 lb (88 kg)     34 in (0.86 m)     9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m)     4.25 s     47.0 in (1.19 m)     12[51] All values from 1998 Marshall Pro Day/private workout. Moss did not attend the 1998 NFL Combine.[52][53] 1998 NFL Draft Moss skipped his junior and senior seasons at Marshall and entered the NFL Draft. He did not attend the NFL Combine,[54] opting instead for an individual workout at Marshall's pro day. After the pro day was complete, Marshall head coach Bob Pruett informed the media that Moss had run two 40 yard sprints which timed at 4.24 and 4.28 by scouts' hand timers. Moss also posted a vertical leap of 47 inches.[52] Numerous teams had scouts on hand with many noting the work-out was jaw dropping, with one Cowboys scout naming Moss the "most gifted prospect in football history".[55] During the 1998 NFL Draft, Moss, who was projected as a high first-round pick,[13] was taken by the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st overall pick after a number of NFL clubs—even those in need of a WR—were concerned with Moss's well-documented legal problems.[56] Before the draft Moss was quoted as saying teams that passed on him "will regret it once they see what kind of a player I am and what kind of guy I really am."[57] The team most often cited for passing on Moss is the Dallas Cowboys. Moss grew up a Cowboys fan and wanted to play for the Cowboys. The Cowboys wanted Moss,[58] but because of many off-field incidents of their own, team owner and GM Jerry Jones did not feel the team could draft Moss.[59] Moss felt that the Cowboys lied to him because they had told him they would draft him.[60] On draft day, Dallas went so far as to have a scout in Charleston, West Virginia, the same town where Moss and his mother were watching the draft.[61] Dallas star receiver Michael Irvin even called to apologize to Moss, because Irvin's own off-field problems were a main reason Moss was not drafted by Dallas.[62] After the draft, Moss made a point of beating the Cowboys any time he faced them,[63] getting his first opportunity to do so in Week 13 of his rookie season. In a game held at Texas Stadium, Moss torched Dallas with a 163-yard, 3-receptions for 3-touchdowns performance. After the draft, Moss signed a 4-year, $4.5 million contract that included an additional $4 million in bonuses and incentives.[64] As part of the deal, he received a $2 million signing bonus.[65] Moss originally wore #18 in training camp (a number he would eventually wear for Oakland) but switched to the more conventional #84 before the regular season began.[66][67] Minnesota Vikings 1998 season In 1998, Moss helped the Vikings to become the number 1 rated offense ever at the time, setting the single-season record for scoring (later surpassed by the 2007 New England Patriots, a team that also featured Moss) with 556 points.[68] The Vikings opened the season with a 31–7 rout against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Moss's first NFL game would also be his first multi-touchdown game as he recorded four receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. His first NFL reception came on the third play of the game on an 11-yard pass from Brad Johnson. His first touchdown was a 48-yard reception He added a 31-yard touchdown reception on the Vikings' first possession of the second quarter to give the Vikings a 21–0 lead.[69] His first Monday Night Football game came in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. He had five receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns, including touchdown receptions of 52 yards and 44 yards, and two other receptions of 46 yards and 41 yards. He also had a 75-yard touchdown catch on the Vikings' first possession of the game that was nullified due to an offensive holding penalty.[70] In Week 12, against the Packers in a second divisional matchup, Moss had eight receptions for 153 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 28–14 victory. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against Green Bay.[71][72] In Week 13, against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, Moss finished with three catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns all for 50+ yards as the Vikings beat the Cowboys 46–36. Moss was the first rookie to score three touchdowns on Thanksgiving.[73][74] For his game against Dallas, Moss earned another NFC Offensive Player of the Week nomination.[75] In the following week against the Chicago Bears, Moss had another three-touchdown performance in the 48–22 victory.[76] The Vikings finished with a 15–1 record and were in position to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIII.[77] Moss had four receptions for 71 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 41–21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the Divisional Round.[78] However, the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Vikings by winning the NFC Championship 30–27 in overtime. Moss had six receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown in the loss.[79] At the end of the 1998 regular season, Moss was named to the Pro Bowl, earned first team All-Pro honors, and won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie-record and league-leading 17 touchdown receptions and the third-highest receiving yardage (1,313) total.[80][81][82][83] As a rookie, he finished third in voting for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.[84] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team for 1998.[85] 1999 season In Week 4, Moss had four receptions for 120 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 21–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[86] The game against Tampa Bay started a three-game streak of going for at least 120 receiving yards for Moss, with 122 against the Chicago Bears the following week and 125 in the game after that against the Detroit Lions.[87][88] In Week 10, against the Chicago Bears, Moss had 12 receptions for a career-high 204 receiving yards in the 27–24 victory.[89] Moss earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game verses the Bears.[90] In the following game, he had seven receptions for 127 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 35–27 victory over the San Diego Chargers.[91] In Week 15, against the Green Bay Packers, he had five receptions for 131 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 24–20 victory.[92] In Week 16, against the New York Giants, he threw a touchdown pass to Cris Carter in the 34–17 victory.[93] In the regular season finale against the Detroit Lions, he had five receptions for 155 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 24–17 victory.[94] Overall, Moss had another impressive season, catching 80 passes for 1,413 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a punt return for a touchdown.[95] He went on to record five receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings 27–10 NFC Wild Card Round playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.[96] Minnesota lost in the Divisional Round to the St. Louis Rams 49–37, despite Moss catching nine passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.[97] Moss was fined $40,000, which was later reduced to $25,000, during that game due to squirting an NFL referee with a water bottle. There was a stipulation that he would have to pay the difference in addition to any other fine if he had another run-in with the league.[98] Moss earned his second straight Pro Bowl appearance, and turned in a record-breaking performance.[99] He had nine receptions for a Pro Bowl record 212 yards and was given the game's Most Valuable Player award.[100] 2000 season The 2000 season featured second-year quarterback Daunte Culpepper leading the team.[101] Culpepper had been the team's first-round draft pick in 1999; with a pick they received from the Redskins for quarterback Brad Johnson.[102] He had been selected largely due to his extremely strong arm, which the team believed was perfectly suited for Moss's deep routes.[citation needed] The decision proved correct. Culpepper was a rookie sensation, the Vikings started 7–0, and Moss was a leading MVP candidate.[103] In that stretch was a Week 4 game against the Detroit Lions, where Moss had seven receptions for 168 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 31–24 victory.[104] For the second time in three seasons, Moss punished the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, including a spectacular second half touchdown in which Moss caught the ball with his entire body out of bounds, aside from his toes.[105] The play would be the feature shot in NFL commercials for years to come.[citation needed] In Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, Moss had four receptions for 136 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 33–28 loss.[106] Moss finished the season with a career-high 1,437 yards and league-leading 15 touchdown receptions.[107][108] In doing so, he became the youngest and fastest player to ever catch over 3,000 yards and 45 touchdowns, earning him a third consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl, and second selection to the All Pro team.[109][110] In the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, Moss had two receptions for 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 34–16 victory.[111] In the NFC Championship, the Vikings were defeated 41–0 by the New York Giants. Moss was held to two receptions for 18 yards in the game[112] 2001 season In the offseason, Moss and his agent Danté DiTrapano began negotiating a new contract with the Minnesota Vikings. He was scheduled to earn $3.5 million in 2001. However, Moss, who was entering the final year of the rookie contract he signed in 1998, was seeking a long-term deal that would make him the highest-paid player in the NFL.[113] His agent said, "We want to break the tradition of quarterbacks being the highest-paid players." One option the Vikings had would be to apply the franchise tag after the season ended, but sources stated that Moss would request a trade if that happened because it would still be less than what he could command on the open market.[113] Just prior to the start of training camp in July, Vikings owner Red McCombs signed Moss to an 8-year, $75 million contract extension.[114] The extension included a $10 million signing bonus and another $8 million in guarantees.[65] In Week 10, against the New York Giants, Moss had ten receptions for 171 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 28–16 victory.[115] He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[116] In Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had eight receptions for 144 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 21–16 loss.[117] In the following game against the Tennessee Titans, he had seven receptions for 158 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 42–24 victory.[118] In the next game, against the Detroit Lions, he had seven receptions for 144 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 27–24 loss.[119] Despite finishing the season with 10 touchdowns and posting at least 1,000 receiving yards (1,233) for the fourth consecutive season, Moss failed to make the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.[120] The Vikings finished with a 5–11 record and missed the playoffs.[121] 2002 season After replacing Dennis Green on an interim basis to end the 2001 season, Mike Tice was officially named head coach on January 10, 2002.[122] One of the strategies the Vikings' first-year head coach came up with was a formula to get Moss the ball more often. Coach Tice called it the Randy Ratio. It was an effort on the coaches part to throw 40% of the passes to Moss as a way to keep him involved in the offense more than he had been in the 2001 season when he had stretches in games where he was being shut out, and partly to use more game clock by sustaining long drives to give the Vikings defense a chance to rest.[123] An assistant coach would stand on the sidelines during games and track how many times Moss had been thrown to, and then inform Tice of the percentages so that he is always aware of it. In the 2001 season, the Vikings record was 4–1 when Moss had 40% of the passes thrown his direction, and 1–10 in other games.[114] The strategy was a response to the 'Randy Rules,' as Vikings receiver Chris Walsh called them. The Randy Rules, similar to the Jordan Rules, were a defensive strategy that teams employed when facing the Vikings to try and eliminate or reduce Randy's impact on the game, and to prevent Moss from being matched up one-on-one with defenders because of his ability to burn them deep or outjump them in single coverage. Opposing teams would routinely double cover Moss with techniques such as having a cornerback attempt to jam him at the line of scrimmage, having a corner defend underneath with a safety defending against the deep ball, having a zone defense roll to Moss's side of the field, and assigning "spies" to follow Moss everywhere he went. Coach Tice discussed the strategy, explaining that Moss would be running more short and intermediate routes and fewer deep patterns. In training camp, Moss worked specifically on 12 new routes that he had rarely run in his first four NFL seasons, such as crossing patterns over the middle of the field and hook routes.[123] Coach Tice said, "When we say Randy Ratio, everybody in the league thinks, 'OK, now they're going to throw the ball down the field to Randy more and more and more.' That's so far from the truth. In fact, we'll probably throw the ball down the field to Randy this year even less."[123] The Randy Ratio did not last very long, as Tice scrapped the idea midway through the 2002 season. Randy Moss said "I didn't really care much about the Randy Ratio when it was brought up. I just wanted to win."[124] In Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints, he had 11 receptions for 113 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 32–31 victory.[125] In Week 16, Moss threw a touchdown pass to D'Wayne Bates in the 20–17 victory over the Miami Dolphins.[126] Moss had seven games with least 100 receiving yards on the year. While Moss caught a career-high 106 passes, he also had a career-low seven touchdown receptions, and the Vikings struggled to a 6–10 record.[127][128] Moss was named to his fourth Pro Bowl.[129] Tice suggested after the season that it was a mistake to inform opponents about his offensive gameplan, but that it was a tool "to motivate [Moss] and say he was the guy."[124] 2003 season Moss's fortunes took a better turn on the football field during the 2003 regular season, where he became the second wide receiver in NFL history (behind Jerry Rice in 1995) to play more than 12 games (he played 16) while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest. In Week 1, against the Green Bay Packers, he had nine receptions for 150 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 30–25 victory.[130] In Week 4, against the San Francisco 49ers, he had eight receptions for 172 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the 35–7 victory.[131] In Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, he had ten receptions for 151 yards in the 28–20 victory.[132] In the following game against the New York Giants, he had seven receptions for 125 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 29–17 loss.[133] In Week 13, against the St. Louis Rams, he had ten receptions for 160 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 48–17 loss.[134] In the following game against the Seattle Seahawks, he had eight receptions for 133 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 34–7 victory.[135] In Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had seven receptions for 111 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 45–20 victory.[136] Overall, he finished with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns.[137] All three numbers either tied or became a new personal best for Moss. The Vikings finished the season 9–7 but missed the playoffs.[138][139] One of Moss's memorable highlights that year was when he lateraled to Moe Williams for a last-second touchdown during a home game against Denver.[140] Moss was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.[141] In the offseason, he attended the Vikings strength and conditioning program and added five pounds of muscle to his frame.[124] 2004 season Moss started the season strong catching eight touchdowns in his first five games of the season, a 4–1 stretch for the Vikings.[142] However, he sustained a hamstring injury to his right leg against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6 that hampered him for the next five weeks.[143] He played in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans, but had no receptions in a game for the first time in his career.[142] He also played the following week against the New York Giants, but again recorded no receptions and was used mainly as a decoy.[142] The injury eventually sidelined him for three straight weeks.[142] He returned to the lineup in Week 12 with a touchdown catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars.[144] He closed out the regular season with consecutive games going over the 100-yard mark with a touchdown in Weeks 14 and 15 against the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.[145][146] Even though he finished the season with 13 touchdowns in 13 games, he posted career lows in receptions (49) and receiving yards (767). 2004 was the first season in his career that he failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark.[142] On January 9, 2005, the Minnesota Vikings played division rival Green Bay Packers in an NFC Wild Card Round. Moss finished the game with four catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 31–17 win.[147] After the second score, Moss trotted to the end zone goalpost and feigned pulling down his pants to moon the Green Bay fans.[148] NFL on Fox announcer Joe Buck called it a "disgusting act."[149] Moss was fined $10,000 for his actions. Though the Vikings would win the game, they would lose in the next round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Moss was traded at the end of the season.[150] Oakland Raiders Moss with the Raiders in 2006 On March 2, 2005, Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris and the Raiders' first (7th overall, which Minnesota parlayed into wide receiver Troy Williamson) and seventh-round picks in the 2005 NFL Draft.[151][152] Adding a player of Moss's caliber generated optimism in Oakland.[153] In his Raiders debut, Moss had five receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown in the 30–20 loss to the New England Patriots.[154] In the following game, he had five receptions for 127 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 23–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.[155] The Raiders' poor play was a theme throughout the season, while Moss suffered nagging injuries which limited his production.[citation needed][156] He surpassed the 1,000 mark on the final day of the 2005 season with seven receptions for 116 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns against the New York Giants.[157] He finished the year with 1,005 receiving yards on 60 catches as the Raiders went 4–12.[158][159] In Week 7 of the 2006 season, Moss had seven receptions for 129 yards and one touchdown in the 22–9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.[160] Moss recorded 553 yards and three touchdowns on 42 receptions in 2006.[161] Moss was not happy in Oakland, and on November 14, 2006, when he was honored as a kick returner by having a college football award named after him, he responded to questions about his dropped passes and lackluster effort in several games.[162][163] Moss said, "Maybe because I'm unhappy and I'm not too much excited about what's going on, so, my concentration and focus level tend to go down sometimes when I'm in a bad mood".[164] Days later, he reiterated his unhappiness with losing games and being a member of the Raiders on his weekly segment with Fox Sports Radio, saying, "I might want to look forward to moving somewhere else next year to have another start and really feel good about going out here and playing football".[165] New England Patriots 2007 season Moss on the sidelines speaking with Tom Brady There were rumors leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft that the Raiders were eager to part ways with Randy Moss through a trade. First-year Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin went so far as to contact their division rival Denver Broncos to "gauge interest",[166] but the Patriots and Green Bay Packers were the two teams most interested in acquiring Moss. Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who once said, "There is no one in this league who puts fear in people more than Randy Moss,"[167] tried to persuade team management to trade for him, but a deal that both sides could agree to did not get done.[168] During the first day of the NFL Draft, the Patriots and Raiders discussed the trade several times before reaching an agreement. Bill Belichick spoke with Moss for the first time about the possibility of joining the Patriots at 2:30 Sunday morning.[169] Moss boarded a plane and arrived in Boston later that morning on April 29 and was required to pass a team administered physical. Once he was cleared by Patriots officials, the teams completed a trade that sent Randy Moss to New England for a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. The Patriots had acquired the draft pick the previous day from the San Francisco 49ers, and the Raiders selected John Bowie.[166] One of the conditions of the trade was that Randy Moss would have to restructure his contract for salary cap reasons.[166] Just hours before the Moss trade was completed, New England quarterback Tom Brady converted $5.28 million of his 2007 base salary into a signing bonus that was spread out over the remaining portion of his contract so that it could free up cap room.[citation needed] This enabled the Patriots to absorb Moss's incoming contract under the salary cap.[170][171] Moss had two years remaining on his current deal and was scheduled to earn $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008. Once the Patriots had Moss on their roster, he quickly agreed to a new one-year contract to replace his old one. The new deal gave him a $500,000 signing bonus, a base salary of $2.5 million, and the ability to earn an additional $1.75 million in incentives.[170] "I'm still in awe that I'm a part of this organization,"[171] Moss said, clearly thrilled to join a team that could contend for the Super Bowl and to work with Coach Belichick. "I think that he's the kind of coach that can motivate me. He has a proven track record."[171] In the first week of training camp, during an 11-on-11 passing drill, Moss suffered a hamstring injury to his left leg.[169] As a precaution, the injury prevented Moss from participating in any preseason games and he missed much of the rest of camp. His first action in a Patriots uniform came against the New York Jets in Week 1. He quickly quieted critics who claimed that his skills had deteriorated by hauling in nine receptions for 181 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown reception in which he ran past three Jets defenders.[172] He followed up the Jets game with three consecutive games, wins over the San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals, going over the 100-yard mark with two receiving touchdowns in each.[173][174][175] In Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, he had four receptions for 122 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 49–28 victory.[176] In Week 9, against the Indianapolis Colts, he had nine receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown in the 24–20 victory.[177] He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Colts.[178] On November 4, 2007, James Black, NFL Editor for Yahoo! Sports wrote, "Every week, in addition to out-leaping at least one defender for a touchdown, [Moss] keeps making incredible one-handed grabs that make you mutter, 'How the heck did he come up with that?'"[179] Two weeks later, he caught a career-high four touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills, all in the first half.[180] He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Bills.[181] In Week 14, he had seven receptions for 135 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 34–13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.[182] On December 29, the Patriots defeated the New York Giants 38–35, finishing their regular season with a perfect 16–0 record.[183] Moss caught two touchdown passes for a total of 23, breaking the single-season record of 22 touchdown receptions previously set by Jerry Rice (in 12 games in the strike-shortened 1987 season). On the same play, Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single-season record set in 2004 with his 50th touchdown pass.[184] Moss recorded 98 catches for 1,493 yards in 2007, the highest yardage total in Patriots franchise history and the third-highest total number of catches, after teammate Wes Welker's 112 catches that same season and Troy Brown's 101 in 2001.[185] He earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection and fourth first team All-Pro nomination.[186][187] His 2007 season featured touchdowns in 13 of 16 games (including eight multi-touchdown games), nine 100-yard games, and six touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards.[188] For the second-time in his NFL career, Moss was part of a team that broke the NFL single-season scoring record.[184] Despite his record-breaking 2007 season, Moss was relatively quiet in the playoffs, going two consecutive games without a touchdown for the first time all season. The Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round and the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship.[189][190] However, in Super Bowl XLII, against the New York Giants, he scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:42 left in the fourth quarter on a six-yard pass from Tom Brady. The score was not enough for the heavily favored Patriots to end their only undefeated season with a Super Bowl win. Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field, connecting with Plaxico Burress for the game-winning touchdown and an upset over the Patriots. Two deep throws from Brady to Moss on 3rd & 20 and 4th & 20 on the Patriots final drive fell incomplete.[191][192][193] 2008 season Moss (with the Patriots) on the field prior to an away game against Oakland, 2008 On February 28, 2008, Moss became a free agent after the Patriots decided not to place the franchise tag on Moss. Although the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers were rumored to have interest in Moss,[194] he decided to return to the Patriots, signing a three-year, $27 million deal on March 3, 2008.[195] The contract included a $12 million signing bonus, and a total of $14.1 million guaranteed.[196] The first game of the 2008 season saw Brady suffer a torn ACL in his left knee while attempting a pass to Moss.[197] The play occurred in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs when safety Bernard Pollard dove at Brady's leg while in his throwing motion. Moss described what he saw on the play by saying "any time you see something like that, that looks foul, it looks dirty, it opens your eyes. So, me personally, it looked dirty."[198] Matt Cassel replaced Brady for the rest of the season.[199][200] In Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins, he had eight receptions for 125 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the 48–28 victory.[201] In 2008, Moss hauled in 69 catches for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns despite losing quarterback Tom Brady in the first game of the season.[202] 2009 season In the season opener of 2009, Moss caught a career-high 12 passes for 141 yards in a comeback 25–24 victory over the Buffalo Bills.[203] In Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, Moss was placed deep in coverage on a Broncos Hail Mary attempt to end the first half, and intercepted Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton.[204] In a snowy Week 6 game against the winless Tennessee Titans, Moss caught three touchdown passes from Tom Brady, two of them in the second quarter of the 59–0 victory as Brady set a record for most touchdown passes in a single quarter with five.[205][206] During the Patriots' bye week, Belichick stated that Moss "is the smartest receiver he's ever been around."[207] He compared Moss's ability to see the field and anticipate plays to that of Tom Brady, and to Lawrence Taylor, who Belichick coached with the New York Giants. He said Moss not only knows what he's doing on a play, but what everybody else on the field is doing as well. "That's what makes them special. They just have a sixth, seventh sense", Belichick said.[208] This sentiment was repeated when Moss was inducted into the Hall of Fame, as Belichick went further to say he learned from Moss.[209] In Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, Moss recorded six catches for 147 yards and one touchdown in the 27–17 victory.[210] The touchdown reception was the 140th of his career, which moved him into a tie for second place with Terrell Owens.[211] The following week, in a prime time Sunday night matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Moss had 179 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter that moved him ahead of Terrell Owens for sole possession of second place in career touchdown receptions.[212] In the 35–34 loss, he became just the 11th player in NFL history with 900+ receptions and the seventh player to reach 14,000+ career receiving yards.[citation needed] In Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Moss had three receiving touchdowns in the 35–7 victory.[213] He finished the season with 83 receptions for 1,264 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.[214] His 13 receiving touchdowns tied for the league lead.[215] New England lost in the AFC Wild Card Round to the Baltimore Ravens 33–14.[216] He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2000s first team.[217] Randy Moss with the Patriots in 2009 2010 season In the week leading up to the Patriots' 2010 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Moss, who was entering the final year of his contract told CBS Sports that he "did not feel wanted" in New England absent a contract extension offer.[218] Moss went on to catch five passes for 59 yards in Week 1.[219] After the game, Moss told reporters that it would be his final season with the Patriots.[220] The Boston Herald reported weeks later that Moss requested a trade following the game.[221] Moss had two receptions in Week 2 against the New York Jets, including a 34-yard touchdown that he caught one-handed after All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis pulled a hamstring.[222][223] The following week against the Buffalo Bills, Moss had two more catches, both for touchdowns.[224] His final game in New England came in Week 4 on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins; he did not record a catch in the game for the first time in his Patriots career as a touchdown pass attempt off a fake spike bounced off his hands in the end zone.[225] Minnesota Vikings (second stint) Two days after the Patriots' game against Miami, Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, in exchange for the Vikings' third-round selection (later used to select quarterback Ryan Mallett) in the 2011 NFL Draft.[226] The Patriots also sent a 2012 seventh-round selection to the Vikings as part of the trade.[227] On November 1, less than four weeks after being traded to Minnesota, Vikings head coach Brad Childress told Vikings players in a team meeting that Moss was going to be waived by the team, one day after he criticized Childress and teammates in a press conference following the Vikings' loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.[228] Just before the press conference, Moss reportedly told team owner Zygi Wilf that Childress was unfit to coach in the NFL and should be fired.[229] Wilf reportedly considered firing Childress and keeping Moss,[230] but Moss was officially waived the next day, November 2.[231] Childress was eventually fired on November 22.[232] Tennessee Titans Moss was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, the only team to submit a claim, on November 3, 2010.[233] Moss played eight games with the Titans, starting four. He made six catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns. Moss finished the 2010 season with career lows in receptions (28) and receiving yards (393).[234] The Titans stated that they did not plan to re-sign Moss for the 2011 season, and he became a free agent.[235] Initial retirement and comeback On August 1, 2011, Moss's agent, Joel Segal, announced Moss's decision to retire from professional football.[236][237] On February 13, 2012, his 35th birthday, Moss announced that he was coming out of retirement and was ready to play again.[238] San Francisco 49ers Randy Moss with the 49ers On March 12, 2012, Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers for undisclosed financial terms after a workout with the team's head coach Jim Harbaugh.[239] On September 9, 2012, Moss caught his 154th touchdown reception, and subsequently passed Terrell Owens for sole possession of second on the all-time receiving touchdown list.[240] After Alex Smith suffered a concussion against the St. Louis Rams in week 10, Colin Kaepernick took over as the team's quarterback, and Moss had at least two receptions in each of the remaining five games of the regular season. He finished the season with 28 catches for 434 yards and three touchdowns.[241] Since the retirement of Terrell Owens at the end of 2010, he had been the NFL's active leader in receiving yards. Moss eventually went on to play in Super Bowl XLVII, where he had two receptions for 41 yards in a 34–31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.[242] NFL career statistics Legend     NFL record     Led the league Bold     Career high Regular season Year     Team     Games     Receiving     Rushing     Returning     Passing     Fumbles GP     GS     Rec     Yds     Avg     Lng     TD     Att     Yds     Avg     Lng     TD     Ret     Yds     Avg     Lng     TD     Cmp     Att     Pct     Yds     TD     Int     Rtg     Fum     Lost 1998     MIN     16     11     69     1,313     19.0     61T     17     1     4     4.0     4     0     1     0     0.0     0     0     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     2     1 1999     MIN     16     16     80     1,413     17.7     67T     11     4     43     10.8     15     0     17     162     9.5     64T     1     1     1     100.0     27     1     0     158.3     3     3 2000     MIN     16     16     77     1,437     18.7     78T     15     3     5     1.7     9     0     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     2     0 2001     MIN     16     16     82     1,233     15.0     73T     10     3     38     12.7     18     0     —     —     —     —     —     1     1     100.0     29     0     0     118.8     0     0 2002     MIN     16     16     106     1,347     12.7     60     7     6     51     8.5     25     0     1     11     11.0     11     0     1     3     33.3     13     1     0     87.5     1     1 2003     MIN     16     16     111     1,632     14.7     72     17     6     18     3.0     11     0     1     22     22.0     22     0     0     1     0.0     0     0     0     39.6     1     1 2004     MIN     13     13     49     767     15.7     82T     13     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     1     2     50.0     37     0     1     56.2     1     1 2005     OAK     16     15     60     1,005     16.8     79     8     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     0     0 2006     OAK     13     13     42     553     13.2     51     3     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     0     0 2007     NE     16     16     98     1,493     15.2     65T     23     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     0     0 2008     NE     16     16     69     1,008     14.6     76T     11     2     0     0.0     2     0     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     3     2 2009     NE     16     16     83     1,264     15.2     71T     13     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     2     1 2010     NE     4     3     9     139     15.4     35T     3     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     0     0 MIN     4     4     13     174     13.4     37T     2     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     0     0 TEN     8     4     6     80     13.3     26     0     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     0     0 2012     SF     16     2     28     434     15.5     55     3     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     —     1     0 Career     218     193     982     15,292     15.6     82T     156     25     159     6.4     25     0     20     195     9.8     64T     1     4     8     50.0     106     2     1     95.8     16     10 NFL records and career notables     Most touchdown receptions in a season – 23 (2007)[243]     Most touchdown receptions by a rookie in a season – 17 (1998)[244]     Most seasons with 17 or more touchdown receptions – 3 (1998, 2003, 2007)[245]     Most seasons with 16 or more touchdown receptions – 3 (1998, 2003, 2007)[246]     Most seasons with 11 or more touchdown receptions – 8 – tied with Jerry Rice[247]     Most seasons with 10 or more touchdown receptions – 9 – tied with Jerry Rice[248]     Most games in a season with at least two touchdown receptions – 8 (2007)[249]     One of three players to have at least 1,600 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns in a season[250]     Most yards receiving in a Pro Bowl game – 212 (2000)[251]     Most touchdowns scored in first ten games with a new team – 16 (2007)     Most 1,200+ yard receiving seasons to start a career – 6 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)     Moss has averaged at least one receiving touchdown per game played in four different seasons: 1998 (17 TDs in 16 games), 2003 (17 in 16), 2004 (13 in 13), and 2007 (23 in 16)[252]     Youngest player in NFL history to record his 100th receiving touchdown (29 years, 235 days)[253]     Youngest player in NFL history to record his 120th receiving touchdown (30 years, 313 days)[253]     Most touchdown receptions before 30th birthday – 101[254]     Fastest player to reach 5,000 career receiving yards – 59 games (broke record of 61 games by Jerry Rice)[255]     Youngest player to reach 5,000 career receiving yards (24 years, 292 days)     Highest career yards per catch average for any player with 900+ receptions – 15.6 yards per reception     Most offensive touchdowns in first two seasons: 28 (Tied with Rob Gronkowski)[256] Career highlights     6× Pro Bowl selection[257]     4× First-team All-Pro selection[258]     6x Player of the Week (4 NFC, 2 AFC)[259]     November 2007 AFC Offensive Player of the Month[260]     1998 Offensive Rookie of the Year (Associated Press and PFWA)[261][262]     1998 Sporting News Rookie of the Year[263]     1998 PFWA All-Rookie Team[264]     2007 PFWA Comeback Player of the Year[265]     NFL 2000s All-Decade Team[266]     NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team[267]     Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor[268]     50 Greatest Vikings[269]     New England Patriots All-2000s Team[270]     New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team[271]     Second-place on the Minnesota Vikings all-time receiving touchdown list with 92.[272]     Tied for third-place with Ben Coates on the New England Patriots all-time receiving touchdown list with 50[273]     Caught his 100th touchdown pass in 2006 against San Francisco, the seventh player to do so[274]     Most receiving touchdowns in a single-season for the New England Patriots, with his NFL-record 23 in 2007[275]     Holds the record for most touchdowns in Minnesota Vikings playoff history with 9[276]     10× 1,000+ yard receiving seasons – 2nd all-time[277]     64 career 100-yard games – 2nd all-time; most recent November 15, 2009[278]     156 touchdown receptions – 2nd all-time[279]     15,292 receiving yards – 4th all-time[280]     Holds the Vikings record for most 100-yard receiving games with 41[281]     Has two touchdowns or more in 39 different games (including 3 in the postseason); most recent September 26, 2010     Has two touchdown receptions or more in 37 different games – (2nd all-time)[282]     Has three touchdown receptions or more in nine different games – (tied for 2nd all-time)[283]     Had an interception while playing defense in the last few seconds of the first half of the Patriots' game against the Denver Broncos on October 11, 2009[284]     Has four career two-point conversions[285] Outside football Charity Moss has participated in, founded, and financed many charitable endeavors since joining the NFL, particularly aimed at helping children. Many times when talking about his charity work, he has said he just looks forward to "seeing smiles."[286] He has donated clothing and food to needy families, given away free backpacks to Boston area school-children, and hosted autograph signings. He has also bussed children to amusement parks, NBA games, and even NFL games in which he has played.[287] On June 29, 2005, he hosted the Randy Moss Celebrity Charity Invitational Bass Tournament. The tournament was a one-day event that paired celebrities and corporate sponsors with pro fishermen to raise money for the Smile Network, which is a foundation that provides financial assistance to children with treatable mouth problems, such as cleft palate. The tournaments motto is "fish for a smile."[288] In 2008, Moss formed the Links for Learning foundation, which was established to help children in his home state of West Virginia, and to build learning centers for the most needy student populations.[289] In June, he and his former high school teammate Jason Williams hosted the foundations first annual charity golf tournament at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Hurricane, West Virginia.[290] In March 2009, Moss's foundation made a donation that enabled the Women and Children's Hospital of Charleston, West Virginia to purchase a Starlight Children's Foundation 'Fun Center' for their patients. The 'Fun Center' is a portable bedside entertainment system equipped with a TV, DVD player, and 22 Nintendo Wii games.[289] Randy Moss Motorsports Main article: Randy Moss Motorsports On April 29, 2008, Moss announced the formation of Randy Moss Motorsports, an auto racing team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.[291] In July 2008, Moss announced that he had bought a 50 percent share in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with the team's No. 46 entry switching to No. 81.[292] The team was reportedly shut down in 2012.[293] Analyst career Upon his release from the 49ers, Moss was hired as an analyst for Fox Sports 1's Fox Football Daily show.[294] Moss was hired as an associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Victory Christian Center High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June 2014, where his son was attending high school and playing football.[295] In July 2016, Moss joined ESPN as an analyst, appearing on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown.[296] He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.[297] In 2019, Moss was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.[298] Personal life Moss's parents are Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt. Moss has little contact with his father.[37] He has a sister named Lutisia and had a brother Eric, who had a short stint in the NFL as an offensive tackle with the Minnesota Vikings. Moss has five children: Lexi Adkins, Sydney, Senali, Thaddeus, and Montigo.[299] Moss is also a Christian, attested by his NFL Hall of Fame Speech. Traffic incident On September 24, 2002, in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, Moss was driving and was preparing to make an illegal turn. A traffic control officer, noticing what he was about to do, stood in front of his vehicle and ordered him to stop. Eyewitness accounts of the event differ at this point, but Moss did not comply with the officer's order, and she was bumped by his vehicle and fell to the ground. Moss was arrested, and a search of his vehicle revealed a joint amounting to less than a gram of marijuana in his ashtray.[300] Initially charged with felony Suspicion of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and a misdemeanor marijuana possession, Moss spent the night in jail and was released the following morning. Moss pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor traffic violation and was ordered to pay a $1,200 fine and perform 40 hours of community service.[301] While the criminal charges were thus disposed of, the civil lawsuit filed by the traffic control officer brought a substantial penalty fine[302] "in the low to mid six figures". Moss claimed that the joint was not his, and that he had let friends use his car prior to the accident.[303] Marijuana use In April 1996, Moss smoked a joint just prior to turning himself in to jail. He was scheduled to finish the remainder of his 30-day sentence for misdemeanor battery while in high school. During his first week in jail, Moss was given a drug test that came back positive. He was placed in solitary confinement for a week and had 60 days attached to his 27-day sentence. Coach Bobby Bowden revoked his scholarship and Moss was dismissed from Florida State University for the failed drug test.[23] Moss tested positive in 2001 for marijuana under the NFL's substance abuse program and was subject to additional random drug screening for two years.[303] A first time violation of the NFL's drug policy can result in up to 10 tests per month. Moss did not fail an NFL drug test again, and was rotated out of the program after two years.[304] In August 2005, during an interview with Bryant Gumbel, Moss admitted that he has smoked marijuana during his NFL career "every blue moon." When asked whether he still used marijuana currently, Moss replied "I might. I might have fun. And, you know, hopefully ... I won't get into any trouble by the NFL by saying that, you know. I have had fun throughout my years and, you know, predominantly in the offseason." The interview drew criticism from the league office, and his agent tried to spin it that his words were taken out of context. In response, Moss said "That was really me talking in the past tense of way back in the beginning of my career and my childhood – especially in high school and college."[304] Dating violence allegations On January 15, 2008, Orlando-based radio station WDBO reported that Moss "had" been hit with a temporary injunction for protection against dating violence. According to the affidavit, Moss committed battery upon Rachelle Washington,[305] causing serious injury, and then refused to allow her to seek medical attention. The affidavit out of Broward County reveals Moss cannot come within 500 feet of the victim and cannot use or possess firearms.[306] The next day, in a locker room press conference, Moss claimed the woman was simply looking for money "over an accident."[307] On March 3, 2008, Washington filed papers with the Broward County Circuit Court clerk's office requesting that the restraining order be dissolved.[308] No criminal charges were filed in the incident.[309] See also     List of Minnesota Vikings first-round draft picks     List of National Football League career receiving yards leaders     List of National Football League career receiving touchdowns leaders     List of National Football League career scoring leaders     List of National Football League annual receiving touchdowns leaders     List of National Football League records (individual)     List of NCAA major college football yearly receiving leaders     List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division.[8] Founded in 1960 as an expansion team, the team began play the following year. They are named after the Vikings of medieval Scandinavia, reflecting the prominent Scandinavian American culture of Minnesota.[9] The team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis. The Vikings have an all-time overall record of 523–435–11,[b] the highest regular season and combined winning percentage among NFL franchises who have not won a Super Bowl, in addition the most playoff runs, division titles, and (tied with the Buffalo Bills) Super Bowl appearances.[10][11] They also have the most conference championship appearances of non-winning Super Bowl teams, with them being one of four (along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams) to appear in a conference championship every decade since the 1970s. History Main article: History of the Minnesota Vikings See also: List of Minnesota Vikings seasons and Ownership of the Minnesota Vikings Professional football in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area (the "Twin Cities") began with the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets, an NFL team that played intermittently in the 1920s and 1930s.[12] However, a new professional team in the area did not surface again until August 1959, when Minnesota businessmen Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund, and Max Winter were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League (AFL). Five months later, in January 1960, after significant pressure from the NFL, the ownership group, along with Bernard H. Ridder, reneged on its agreement with the AFL and then was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise, with play to begin in 1961.[13] Ole Haugsrud was added to the NFL team ownership because, in the 1920s, when he sold his Duluth Eskimos team back to the league, the agreement allowed him 10 percent of any future Minnesota team.[14] The teams from Ole Haugsrud's high school, Central High School in Superior, Wisconsin, were also called the Vikings and had a similar purple-and-yellow color scheme.[15] From the team's first season in 1961 to 1981, the team called Metropolitan Stadium in suburban Bloomington home. The Vikings conducted summer training camp at Bemidji State University from 1961 to 1965. In 1966, the team moved to their training camp to Minnesota State University in Mankato.[16] The training camp at Minnesota State was one of the longest continuously running training camp events in the NFL and is remembered as part of the golden era history of the team. The Vikings played their home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis from 1982 to 2013. The Vikings played their last game at the Metrodome on December 29, 2013, defeating the Detroit Lions 14–13 to end the season. Since the team's first season in 1961, the Vikings have had one of the highest winning percentages in the NFL.[17] As of 2022, they have won at least three games in every season except in 1962, and are one of only seven NFL teams to win at least 15 games in a regular season. The Vikings have won one NFL Championship, in 1969, before the league's merger with the American Football League (AFL) in 1970.[18][19] Since the merger, the team has qualified for the playoffs 28 times, third-most in the league (trailing only the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers). The team played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI, but failed to win any of them. In addition, they have lost in their last six NFC Championship Game appearances, stretching back to 1978. The Vikings have 15 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[20][21] 1960s The team was officially named the Minnesota Vikings on September 27, 1960; the name is partly meant to reflect Minnesota's place as a center of Scandinavian American culture.[22] From the start, the Vikings embraced an energetic marketing program that produced first-year season ticket sales of nearly 26,000 and an average home attendance of 34,586, about 85 percent of Metropolitan Stadium's capacity of 40,800. Eventually, the capacity of Met Stadium was increased to 47,900. Bert Rose, former public relations director for the Los Angeles Rams, was appointed the team's first general manager. The search for the first head coach saw the team court then-Northwestern University head coach Ara Parseghian, who, according to Minneapolis Star writer Jim Klobuchar—the Vikings' first beat reporter for that newspaper—visited team management in the Twin Cities under the condition that his visit was to be kept secret from his current employer. His cover was blown by local columnist Sid Hartman, who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials. Philadelphia Eagles assistant Nick Skorich and a man with Minnesota ties who was working in the CFL, Bud Grant, were also candidates until a different Eagle, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, was hired on January 18, 1961. Van Brocklin had just finished his career as a player on a high note, having defeated the Green Bay Packers in the 1960 NFL Championship Game.[22] Head Coach Bud Grant (1967–1983 and 1985) The Vikings were upset by the Chiefs 23–7 in Super Bowl IV. As a new franchise, the Vikings had the first overall selection in the 1961 NFL draft, and they picked running back Tommy Mason of Tulane. They also took a young quarterback from the University of Georgia named Fran Tarkenton in the third round. Notable veterans acquired in the offseason were George Shaw and Hugh McElhenny. The Vikings won their first regular-season game, defeating the Chicago Bears 37–13 on Opening Day 1961; Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and run for another to lead the upset. Reality set in as the expansion team lost its next seven games on their way to a 3–11 record.[22] The losing continued throughout much of the 1960s as the Vikings had a combined record of 32 wins, 59 losses, and 7 ties in their first seven seasons with only one winning season (8–5–1 in 1964).[23][24] On March 7, 1967, quarterback Fran Tarkenton was traded to the New York Giants for a first-round and second-round draft choice in 1967, a first-round choice in 1968 and a second-round choice in 1969. With the picks, Minnesota selected Clinton Jones and Bob Grim in 1967, Ron Yary in 1968 and Ed White in 1969.[1] On March 10, 1967, the Vikings hired new head coach Bud Grant to replace Van Brocklin, who had resigned on February 11, 1967. Grant came to the Vikings from the Canadian Football League as head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, whom he led to four Grey Cup Championships in 10 years.[22][1] Replacing Tarkenton at quarterback was eight-year CFL veteran and Grey Cup champion Joe Kapp. During the late 1960s, the Vikings built a powerful defense known as the Purple People Eaters, led by Alan Page, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, and Jim Marshall.[25] In 1968, that stingy defense earned the Vikings their first Central Division title and their first playoff berth.[22] In 1969, the Vikings secured a 12–2 record.[1] The team had 12 straight regular-season victories after a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, which was the longest single-season winning streak in 35 years.[26] The Vikings defeated the Cleveland Browns 27–7 in the last pre-merger NFL Championship Game on January 4, 1970, at Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings became the first modern NFL expansion team to win an NFL Championship Game,[1] and earned a berth in Super Bowl IV; however, the heavily favored Vikings lost that game to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23–7.[27][28] The team MVP that season was Joe Kapp, who threw for seven touchdowns against the Baltimore Colts – still an all-time NFL record; however, Kapp refused to accept the award, stating, "There is not one most valuable Viking... there are 40 most valuable Vikings!"[29] 1970s The team continued to dominate in 1970 (moving into the newly formed NFC Central) and 1971, reaching the playoffs behind the stubborn "Purple People Eaters" defensive line. In 1971, Alan Page won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award given by the Associated Press.[30] He was the first defensive player to win the award.[31] The Vikings' famed Purple People Eaters defensive line stopping a Rams rush in the 1977 NFC Divisional Playoff game. On January 27, 1972, the Vikings traded Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements and first-round draft picks in 1972 and 1973 to the New York Giants to reacquire the popular Fran Tarkenton.[1] While the acquisitions of Tarkenton and wide receiver John Gilliam improved the passing attack, the running game was inconsistent and the Vikings finished with a disappointing 7–7 record. The Vikings addressed the problem by drafting running back Chuck Foreman with their first pick in the 1973 Draft. Co-owner Bill Boyer died on February 19, 1973 and was replaced on the team's board of directors by his son-in-law Jack Steele.[1] The Vikings won their first nine games of 1973 and finished the season with a 12–2 record.[22] They then advanced to their second Super Bowl in franchise history, Super Bowl VIII, against the Miami Dolphins at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas; however, the Dolphins prevailed, 24–7.[1] The Vikings won the Central Division again in 1974 with a 10–4 record.[1] In the playoffs they built on their cold-weather reputation, defeating both the St. Louis Cardinals 30–14 and the Los Angeles Rams 14–10 in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings played in their second straight Super Bowl, Super Bowl IX (3rd overall), losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16–6, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.[22][1] Led by Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman, the 1975 Vikings got off to a 10–0 start and easily won another division title.[22][1] However, the Vikings lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, 17–14, on a controversial touchdown pass from the Cowboys' quarterback Roger Staubach to wide receiver Drew Pearson that became known as the Hail Mary.[32] The touchdown was controversial because many felt that Pearson pushed off on Vikings defensive back Nate Wright, committing pass interference. As the Metropolitan Stadium crowd was stunned to learn that no penalty was called, debris was thrown on the field for several minutes. A Corby's Whiskey bottle struck game official Armen Terzian, rendering him unconscious.[33] The Vikings played in Super Bowl XI, their third Super Bowl (fourth overall) in four years, against the Oakland Raiders at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on January 9, 1977. The Vikings, however, lost 32–14.[1] In 1977, the Vikings again won the Central Division with a 9–5 record and advanced to their 4th NFC Championship Game in 5 years,[1] but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Cowboys, 23–6, at Texas Stadium.[22] By 1978, age was taking its toll on the Vikings, but they still made the playoffs with an 8–7–1 record. There was no more playoff magic as the Rams finally defeated the Vikings, 34–10 in Los Angeles[22] after having lost in their previous four playoff matchups (in 1969, '74, '76 and '77). Quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired following the season holding league passer records in attempts (6,467), completions (3,686), yards (47,003), and touchdowns (342).[34] In December 1979, ground was broken for construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.[1] 1980s On May 15, 1981, the Vikings moved into a new facility in suburban Eden Prairie that housed the team's offices, locker room and practice fields. The complex was named "Winter Park" after Max Winter, one of the Vikings' founders, who served as the team's president from 1965 to 1987.[1] The Vikings played their final game at Metropolitan Stadium on December 20 to conclude the 1981 NFL season by losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, 10–6.[22][1] "Two-minute" Tommy Kramer (1977–1989) The Vikings played their first game at the Metrodome in a preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on August 21, 1982, in a game Minnesota won, 7–3.[1] The first touchdown in the new facility was scored by Joe Senser on an 11-yard pass from Tommy Kramer.[1] The first regular-season game in the Metrodome was the 1982 opener on September 12, when the Vikings defeated Tampa Bay, 17–10. Rickey Young scored the first regular-season touchdown in the facility on a 3-yard run in the 2nd quarter.[1] That year the defense led by Joey Browner began a dominant 10-year run as a premier NFL defensive back. The Vikings beat the St. Louis Cardinals 28–10 on August 6, 1983, at Wembley Stadium in London in the first international game in the NFL. On January 27, 1984, Bud Grant retired as head coach of the Vikings. With a career regular-season record of 151–87–5 (.632) in 17 seasons with Minnesota, Grant led the franchise to 12 playoff appearances, 11 division titles, and four Super Bowls.[1] Les Steckel, who was an offensive assistant with the Vikings for 5 seasons, was then named the 3rd head coach in franchise history. Steckel, who came to the Vikings in 1979 after working as an assistant with the 49ers, was the youngest head coach in the NFL in 1984 at age 38.[1] However, the Vikings lost a franchise-worst 13 games.[22] After the season Steckel was fired, and on December 18, 1984, Bud Grant came out of retirement and was rehired as the head coach of the Vikings.[1] On January 6, 1986, following the 1985 season, Bud Grant re-retired, this time permanently, as head coach of the Vikings. At the time of his retirement he held the 6th best winning record for a coach in NFL history with 168 career wins, including playoffs. In 18 seasons, he led the Vikings to a 158–96–5 regular-season record.[35] Longtime Vikings assistant coach Jerry Burns was named the fourth head coach in team history on January 7, 1986.[1] He served as the Vikings' offensive coordinator from 1968 to 1985, when the team won 11 division titles and played in four Super Bowls. In his first season, the Vikings, led by the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Tommy Kramer, went 9–7,[22] their first winning record in four years. On August 2, 1986, Fran Tarkenton was the first player who played the majority of his career with the Vikings to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[1][34] Following the strike-shortened 1987 season, the 8–7 Vikings, who had finished 8–4 in regular games but 0–3 using strike-replacement players,[36] pulled two upsets in the playoffs. They defeated the 12–3 New Orleans Saints 44–10 at the Louisiana Superdome in the Wild Card game.[37] The following week, in the Divisional Playoff game, they beat the 13–2 San Francisco 49ers 36–24 at Candlestick Park.[38] During that game, Anthony Carter set the all-time record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 227 yards.[39] The Vikings played the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game on January 17, 1988, at RFK Stadium. Trailing 17–10, the Vikings drove to the Redskins' 6-yard line with a little over a minute left in the game, but failed to get the ball into the end zone. The Vikings' hopes of a Super Bowl ended when Darrin Nelson dropped a pass from Wade Wilson on fourth down at the goal line.[40] On October 12, 1989, the Vikings acquired Herschel Walker from Dallas. The final result of the trade gave the Vikings Walker, third-round choice Mike Jones, fifth-round choice Reggie Thornton and 10th-round choice Pat Newman in 1990 and a third-round choice Jake Reed in 1991. Dallas received Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrin Nelson, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, a first-, second- and a sixth-round choice in 1990, first- and second-round choices in 1991 and a first-, second- and third-round choice in 1992. Two of those selections turned into Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson. Walker's performance fell short of expectations in his three seasons with the Vikings, while the Cowboys rode their draft picks to three Super Bowl victories in the early-to-mid-1990s.[41] 1990s Cris Carter's Hall of Fame display. Carter was a Viking from 1990 to 2001. On December 3, 1991, Jerry Burns announced his retirement effective at the end of the 1991 season. In six seasons as head coach of the Vikings, Burns compiled a career record of 52–43 (.547).[42] He also led Minnesota to three playoff appearances, including a division title and an NFC Championship Game.[43] Dennis Green was later named the fifth head coach in team history, after turning around a struggling Stanford University football program as head coach from 1989 to 1991.[44] In his 10 seasons as the coach of the Vikings, Green won four NFC Central division titles, had eight playoff appearances, two NFC Championship Game appearances and an all-time record of 97–62.[45] The Vikings therefore had the fifth highest winning percentage among all NFL teams during the regular season in the 1990s.[46] 1998 Main article: 1998 Minnesota Vikings season 1998 was a year to remember for the franchise. With a spectacular offense led by quarterback Randall Cunningham (who replaced an injured Brad Johnson), running back Robert Smith, veteran wide receiver Cris Carter, and explosive rookie Randy Moss, the Vikings set a then-NFL record by scoring a total of 556 points, never scoring fewer than 24 in a game. The Vikings finished the season 15–1, their only loss was to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27–24 in Week 9.[47] In the playoffs, the Vikings rolled past the Arizona Cardinals 41–21,[48] and came into the Metrodome heavily favored for their NFC title showdown with the Atlanta Falcons, who had gone 14–2 in the regular season. After kicker Gary Anderson, who had just completed the first perfect regular season in NFL history (not missing a single extra point or field goal attempt the entire year), missed a 38-yard field goal attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining, the Falcons' ensuing drive tied the game. This led to a controversial decision by head coach Dennis Green to run out the clock and let the game go to overtime. Though the Vikings won the coin toss, Atlanta went on to win it 30–27 in overtime on Morten Andersen's 38-yard field goal.[49] The Vikings became the first 15–1 team to fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Falcons lost Super Bowl XXXIII to John Elway and the Denver Broncos.[50] 1999 Randy Moss (1998–2004 and 2010) Main article: 1999 Minnesota Vikings season Cunningham resumed duties again in 1999, but after a lukewarm 2–4 start, Jeff George replaced him as starting quarterback. He finished the season with an 8–2 record, and led the Vikings into the postseason once again, with an overall team record of 10–6.[51] Minnesota beat Dallas in the Wild Card game 27–10,[52] and faced playoff newcomer Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams in the Divisional matchup. The game was a shootout that Minnesota led 17–14 at halftime, but the Rams outscored Minnesota 35–20 in the second half to win 49–37.[53] St. Louis would go on to win Super Bowl XXXIV.[54] 2000s The Vikings entered the decade by winning the divisional championship and an appearance in the NFC Championship game, where they were defeated 41–0 by the New York Giants. The following season, they struggled by posting a 5–11 record in 2001.[55] The team made the playoffs again in 2004,[56] but did not win a divisional title again until 2008. Since the merger, the 2000s became the decade with the fewest playoff berths for the franchise.[46] 2000 Main article: 2000 Minnesota Vikings season In 2000, the Vikings went 11–5. The Vikings were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the Rams, Packers and Colts while starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper was hampered by injury. Nonetheless, the Vikings made the playoffs for the fifth straight year. After easily beating the Saints in the Divisional game 34–16, they traveled to New York City to face the Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Though they were the road team, the Vikings were favored to win the game (since most considered their 11–2 record with Culpepper more indicative than their 0–3 record when he was out); instead, the Vikings were defeated 41–0, their worst defeat in playoff history.[57] Robert Smith, who ran for 1,521 yards that season,[58] retired at the end of the year after only playing eight NFL seasons.[59] 2001–2005 In 2001, after a disappointing 5–11 season, the Vikings bought out the contract of Dennis Green, despite his successful coaching tenure with the team. Mike Tice coached the final game of 2001, losing to the Ravens 19–3.[60] Tice was named the permanent coach after the season, but he would not lead the Vikings back to the playoffs until 2004.[61] In 2002, as part of the league's realignment with the addition of the Houston Texans, the Vikings and their other traditional NFC Central rivals became part of the newly formed NFC North. During the 2003 season, the Vikings came close to getting into the playoffs. However, the Arizona Cardinals completed a game-winning touchdown on 4th-and-28 with 0:00 left, knocking the Vikings out of the playoffs. The moment of Arizona's touchdown was actually the first moment the entire season in which the Vikings hadn't led their division. The Vikings became the second team in football history to miss the playoffs after getting off to a 6–0 start, following the 1978 Washington Redskins. In 2004, Daunte Culpepper amassed MVP-like statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards (leading the NFL), 39 passing touchdowns (a Viking record), and 5,123 total yards (an NFL record).[62] In the wild card game, the Vikings defeated the rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in their first-ever playoff meeting, 31–17.[63] In doing so, the Vikings became the second team in NFL history to have a .500 record (8–8) in the regular season and win a playoff game (The St. Louis Rams did the same thing only a day earlier). In the divisional round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.[64] On March 2, 2005, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris and the Raiders' first-round draft pick. After struggling to a disappointing 2–5 start to the 2005 season, Vikings lost quarterback Daunte Culpepper to a season-ending knee injury. This injury was a very significant part to this Minnesota Vikings team due to the fact they also lost Moss. The dynamic duo from years earlier was now gone and a new leader would eventually emerge. The Vikings finished the 2005 season with a 9–7 record. However, this season would be more notable for off-the-field events. In October, 17 team members were part of a party of about 90 that went out on a pleasure cruise on local Lake Minnetonka. The incident erupted into scandal when media reported that a number of the players had performed sex acts and that prostitutes had been flown in. Four players were ultimately charged with misdemeanors related to the party.[65] Mike Tice was let go after the 2005 season and was replaced by Brad Childress. This was one of many significant front office moves made by the new ownership team, led by Zygi Wilf.[66] 2006–2008 All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson was selected 7th overall by the Vikings in the 2007 NFL Draft, and played for the Vikings from 2007 to 2016. Minnesota began the 2006 season 4–2 (with Childress becoming the first Vikings coach to start his career 2–0), but finished the year at 6–10,[67] receiving the 7th pick in the NFL Draft; with it, the Vikings selected Adrian Peterson out of the University of Oklahoma.[68] Peterson's first career touchdown was a 60-yard screen pass against the Atlanta Falcons in his first career game. When the Vikings played the Chicago Bears in Week 6, Peterson broke the record for single-game All-Purpose (rushing, receiving, kick returning) yards (361 total yards, 224 rushing). In Week 9, Peterson broke the NFL single-game rushing record set by Jamal Lewis in 2003 by rushing for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers.[69] Despite a strong push in the middle of the season, winning five straight games, the Vikings lost their final two games to finish the season at 8–8 and missed the playoffs.[70] In Week 13 of the 2008 season against the Bears, Gus Frerotte hooked up with Bernard Berrian and set the record for longest play in franchise history with a 99-yard touchdown pass.[71] In the 2009 season, Adrian Peterson led the NFL with 1760 rushing yards, breaking the franchise record. The Vikings clinched the NFC North championship for the first time after defeating the New York Giants 20–19 in Week 17, when kicker Ryan Longwell made the game-winning field goal.[72] Peterson had 19 carries for 109 yards and added a touchdown during the game. On January 4, 2009, the Vikings hosted the Philadelphia Eagles for the wild-card round, their first home playoff game in eight years. The Eagles led the Viking 16–14 at halftime and, coming off a 44–6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, went on to defeat the Vikings 26–14.[73] Since 2006, the Vikings have been known especially for their strong run defense (#1 in the NFL in 2006, 2007, and 2008; they are the first NFL team to accomplish this since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970), anchored by the Williams Wall consisting of defensive tackle Kevin Williams and nose tackle Pat Williams (no relation).[74] With the addition of sack-leader Jared Allen in 2008, the dominant front four began being called by several nicknames, including "Thunder and Plunder" and "Shock and AWE" (an acronym of their surname initials).[75] 2009 Brett Favre played for the Vikings in 2009 and 2010. On August 18, 2009, after months of speculation and negotiations, twice-retired veteran quarterback Brett Favre, who until 2007 had played 16 years for division archrival Green Bay Packers, signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Vikings. On October 5, 2009, the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers as Favre played his former team for the first time. With a 30–23 victory on Monday Night Football, the Vikings moved to a 4–0 record.[76] Favre became the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 current teams as a starter. Over 21.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the game, beating the previous record for a cable television program set by a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 (18.6 million viewers).[77] The Vikings beat the New York Giants, 44–7, in Week 17 to help the team clinch the second seed in the conference and a first-round-bye with an Eagles loss later that same day.[76] The Vikings ended the regular season with a 12–4 record, their best record since 2000 and the first 11-plus win season since their record-setting 1998 campaign.[76] The Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round on January 17, 2010, and won the game by a score of 34–3, advancing the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, the ninth in franchise history. This would also be the first NFC Championship game for the team since the 2000 season. Minnesota would travel to New Orleans the following week to face the top-seeded Saints in the first conference championship game held at the Superdome. Despite out-gaining the Saints on offense by nearly a twofold margin, the Vikings were severely hindered by five turnovers, including a Favre interception in the final minute of the fourth quarter in Saints territory. They were ousted in overtime, 31–28, as the Saints won the coin toss and kicked a 40-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime.[note 1] 2010s The Vikings performed similarly in the 2010s, only making the playoffs four times and going 2–4 in those games. Additionally, there was inconsistency at the quarterback position, with thirteen quarterbacks starting at least one game for the team during this decade. Despite their performance, the team performed better in the regular season overall after the 2013 season, including an NFC Championship appearance in 2017. 2010–2013 In the first week of the 2010 NFL regular season, the Vikings played the defending Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings lost 14–9.[78] In Week 2, the Vikings played the Miami Dolphins and lost 14–10. The Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions 24–10 in the third week of the season. After a week four bye-week, the Vikings received star wide receiver Randy Moss in a trade with the New England Patriots. Even with the addition of Moss, the Vikings lost to the New York Jets 29–20 in Week 5. The Vikings won a crucial victory against another struggling team in the form of the Dallas Cowboys 24–21, but in Week 7 the Vikings lost to the arch-rival Green Bay Packers 28–24. In Week 9, the Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals at home and won 27–24 in overtime, coming back from a 24–10 deficit in the final four minutes of regulation. Favre threw for a career-high 446 passing yards.[79] The Vikings then went on to face the Chicago Bears, but were defeated, and then went on to be blown out 31–3 at home by the Packers the following game. Head coach Brad Childress was fired the following Monday.[80] With Leslie Frazier filling in for the fired Childress, the Vikings won two games in a row. One against the Washington Redskins on the road, and a blowout win over the Buffalo Bills at home.[81] Defensive end Jared Allen played for the Vikings from 2008 to 2013. After a winter storm dropped nearly 17 inches (430 mm) of snow in the Minneapolis/St Paul area the Saturday before the Vikings December 12 home game versus the New York Giants and 30 mph (48 km/h) gusts drove snow removers off the dome's roof overnight, several panels were damaged as the weight of the snow caused the roof to collapse. After viewing the damage, Vikings management and the NFL decided to move the game to Monday and play it at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.[82] Because of ongoing repairs to the roof of the Metrodome, the Vikings played their December 20 game versus the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium.[83] Favre threw the final touchdown pass of his career (to Percy Harvin) in this game. The game was played 29 years to the day after the last outdoor game at old Met Stadium. On December 26, the NFL announced that the game versus the Philadelphia Eagles was being postponed to Tuesday, December 28, 2010, because of blizzard conditions.[84] This marks the third consecutive venue or date change for a Vikings game and was the first NFL game played on a Tuesday since 1964.[85] The Vikings proceeded to upset the dynamic Eagles offense, led by a resurgent Michael Vick, 24–14 with rookie Joe Webb at the helm.[86] The Vikings finished the season 6–10 with a 20–13 loss against the Detroit Lions.[78] The 2010–11 season was a step down for the Minnesota Vikings. After coming within a few plays of Super Bowl XLIV, Minnesota ended the 2010 season with a 6–10 record and a last place finish in the NFC North for the first time since 1990.[87] During the season, the Vikings had many distractions, including trading for Randy Moss and then waiving him only a month later,[88] Brett Favre's NFL investigation for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages to Jets' employee Jenn Sterger while he was with the team in 2008,[89] the Metrodome's collapse and resulting venue changes,[90] and finally head coach Brad Childress' firing on November 22 following a 31–3 loss at the hands of the rival Green Bay Packers.[78] After serving as the interim head coach for the final six games of the season (finishing with a 3–3 record), defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was officially named the head coach on January 3, 2011, after signing a three-year contract. On January 17, Brett Favre retired for the third, and officially last, time, leaving the team in search of a long-term replacement at the quarterback position. Wasting no time after being appointed head coach, Frazier began to restructure the team's coaching staff, including letting go of offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and hiring Mike Singletary as linebackers coach and Bill Musgrave as the new offensive coordinator. Their first-round draft pick was Christian Ponder, a quarterback from Florida State University. The team finished with a 3–13 record, tied with the 1984 Vikings for the second-worst record in franchise history. In 2012, Adrian Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards – 8 yards short of Eric Dickerson's single-season record. During the 2012 NFL Draft, the team selected USC lineman Matt Kalil with the 4th overall pick after a trade with the Cleveland Browns,[91] and Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith in the first round.[92][93] Both players were instrumental in helping the Vikings reach the playoffs for the 27th time in franchise history,[94] as was fellow draftee, sixth-round kicker Blair Walsh.[95] After beating the Packers in the final game of 2012 to reach the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed, the Vikings lost 24–10 to the Packers in the rematch at Lambeau Field in the wild-card round.[96] The team was forced to play backup Joe Webb during the game after Ponder was sidelined due to an arm injury sustained from the previous week.[97] Peterson was later named the league's MVP, after rushing for 2,097 yards,[98] the second most rushing yards in a season in NFL history.[99] In the 2013 season, the Vikings finished with five wins, ten losses, and one tie, with no road wins. Notable moments include acquired free agent Matt Cassel outplaying Christian Ponder at the quarterback position and the defense allowing a league-worst 480 points, coming within four points of matching the franchise's worst set in 1984. This was also the last season played at the Metrodome as a new stadium deal was reached. Leslie Frazier was fired after the regular season ended. 2014–2019 The Vikings moved to U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016 The team hired former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to replace Leslie Frazier as head coach on January 16, 2014.[100] Former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner replaced Bill Musgrave,[101] and George Edwards replaced Alan Williams as defensive coordinator. In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Vikings selected Anthony Barr, a linebacker out of UCLA, and Teddy Bridgewater, a quarterback out of the University of Louisville. Bridgewater would later lose the starting job to Matt Cassel[102] only to become the starter for the Vikings when Cassel was lost to a season-ending foot injury in week 3. Star running back Adrian Peterson only played in one regular-season game due to his ongoing child abuse trial, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell placing Peterson on the Commissioner's Exempt List indefinitely. On April 16, 2015, the league released a statement issuing Peterson's reinstatement to occur on April 17, 2015.[103] The Vikings concluded their season with seven wins and nine losses, winning only one game against a divisional opponent, although Bridgewater set a franchise record for wins by a rookie starting quarterback. On January 3, 2016, the Vikings beat divisional rival Green Bay 20–13 to win the NFC North for the first time since 2009. The Vikings, led by their top 5 defense, ended the 2015 season with an 11–5 record, and a #3 seed in the playoffs. However, they lost to the Seattle Seahawks 10–9 after Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal in the third coldest game in NFL playoff history. The Vikings were responsible for a historic milestone in the late rounds of the 2016 NFL draft. Their sixth-round selection, German wide receiver Moritz Böhringer, was the first European player ever to be drafted by an NFL team without having previously played at any level in North America.[104] After Teddy Bridgewater went down with a knee injury in the preseason of 2016, the Vikings traded their 2017 first round pick and a conditional fourth round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Sam Bradford, who threw for 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 3,877 yards, and while starting the season a league best 5–0, completed the season 3–8 for a season total of 8–8.[105] Following the knee injury, the Vikings declined to pick up the fifth-year option on Bridgewater. Running back Adrian Peterson went down to injury in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers with a torn meniscus and was placed on the Injured Reserve until Week 15. On February 28, 2017, the Vikings announced they would not exercise Peterson's 2017 contract option which made him a free agent. Had they exercised the option, Peterson would be owed $18 million for the 2017 season.[106] On April 25, 2017, the New Orleans Saints signed Peterson to a 2-year, $7 million contract, ending his tenure with the Vikings since his debut in 2007 as a rookie.[107] He holds several Vikings records including most career rushing touchdowns, career rushing yards, and most rushing yards in a season.[108] In the summer of 2017, the Vikings ownership announced they would end the 52-year annual tradition of summer training camp in Mankato at Minnesota State University, Mankato as they built a large new headquarters building, training facility and area property development in Eagan on the site of the former Northwest Airlines offices completed in the spring of 2018 in time for the 2018 summer training camp that July.[109][110] The Vikings won the NFC North for the second time in three years in 2017, finishing with a 13–3 record that saw them go into the playoffs as the number 2 seed in the NFC. In the divisional round, they came up against the New Orleans Saints. With less than 10 seconds remaining in the game and trailing by a single point, the Vikings lined up on 3rd-and-10 on their own 39-yard line. Quarterback Case Keenum threw the ball to wide receiver Stefon Diggs inside field goal range near the right sideline, giving the receiver a chance to get out of bounds with just enough time for a game-winning field goal attempt; however, safety Marcus Williams missed his attempted tackle, allowing Diggs to run down the sideline unopposed for the first walk-off game-winning touchdown in NFL playoff history.[111] On KFAN 100.3, radio announcer Paul Allen called the play the 'Minneapolis Miracle'.[112][113] The Vikings went on to the NFC Championship for the opportunity to play in Super Bowl LII in their own stadium, only to lose 38–7 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. On March 15, 2018, quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a three-year fully guaranteed $84 million contract with the Vikings.[114] The signing made Cousins the highest paid football player at the time.[115] On September 22, 2019, the Vikings defeated the Oakland Raiders for their 500th win as a franchise, with an overall record of 500–427–11 at that point.[116] The team finished the 2019 season at 10–6, clinching a wild card spot. The Vikings went on to pull an upset victory in the wild card round against the New Orleans Saints 26–20 in overtime. The victory advanced the team to the divisional round, where they lost to the eventual NFC Champions San Francisco 49ers 10–27. 2020s The Vikings recorded two straight losing seasons in 2020 and 2021. 2020–2021 After falling to the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Day, the Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from the 2020 playoffs.[117][118] The Vikings finished 7–9 in 2020, the first losing season since 2014 and only the second under Zimmer. In 2021, the Vikings missed the playoffs for the second straight season after a 37–10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. After a 31–17 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 18 to finish the season 8–9, the team fired head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman on January 10, 2022.[119] 2022 On January 26, 2022, the Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, former vice president of football operations at the Cleveland Browns and Director of R&D at the San Francisco 49ers, to be the team's new general manager.[120] After the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, the Vikings subsequently named then-Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their franchise's 10th head coach on February 16.[121] The Vikings finished the regular season as NFC North champions with a 13–4 record.[122] They also set an NFL record by winning eleven one-score games, the most in any NFL season.[123] The Vikings entered the playoffs as the number three seed in the NFC but lost in the wild-card round to the New York Giants 31–24.[124] Logo and uniforms The Vikings' trademark horned helmet and purple-and-gold uniforms were designed by Los Angeles Examiner cartoonist Karl Hubenthal. Bert Rose and Norm Van Brocklin both knew Hubenthal from their days with the Los Angeles Rams organization. Hubenthal also designed the original Norseman logo.[125] From the team's debut in 1961 to 1995, the Vikings' logos and uniforms essentially remained the same. Reflecting Minnesota's Scandinavian cultural heritage, one of the team's two primary logos consists of a profile of a blond Norseman, while the other consists of a white Viking horn.[126] Minnesota Vikings wordmark (1982–2003) The team's helmet is purple with a Viking horn logo on each side.[127] Each horn is outlined in gold. The horn logo was slightly revised in 2006. The original uniform design consisted of white pants, gold trim, and either purple or white jerseys. On the jersey's sleeves was the Northwestern stripe pattern in white with gold trim. For the white uniform the stripes were purple with gold trim as well. From 1962 to 1964, the Vikings wore purple pants with their white jerseys (The Vikings, with their current uniform, still wear, purple pants with yellow and white trim). In 1969, the design for the white uniforms had changed to a completely different stripe pattern, which was over the shoulders, then the purple ones, which were around the sleeve cuff. These unique shoulder stripes were first worn in 1969, the year they went to their first Super Bowl. There have also been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the color of the face mask from gray to white in 1980, and then to purple in 1985. In addition, the Norseman logo was added to the sleeves in 1996, and the purple jersey stripes were toned down with that change; the TV numbers, previously located on the jersey sleeves, moved up to the shoulders as well that year. The Vikings continued to wear black shoes until Les Steckel became head coach in 1984; they were the last NFL team to make the change from black to white shoes. In 2006, the team returned to black shoes for the first time since the 1983 season.[128][129] The Vikings tweaked their Norseman logo, which involved updating the shading, altering the shape and base of the horns, thickening the mustache and face, making the gold tones brighter, and shortening the braid. The new logo was unveiled on February 14, 2013.[130][131] On March 28, the team reported that new uniforms will be unveiled on April 25.[132] On April 25, 2013, the Minnesota Vikings unveiled the club's new uniforms during its annual NFL Draft party.[133] From 1969 through 1973, the Vikings had an alternate purple jersey without stripes for warm-weather games.[128][129] The team's uniforms were redesigned in 2006, the first significant change in the franchise's 46-year history. Although the team colors remained the same, trim lines were added to the outside shoulders and sleeves, and the sides of the jerseys and pants. In addition, the horn on the helmet was slightly more defined. Included in the new design are both white and purple pants, the purple pants have not been regularly used since 2007, but resurfaced twice in 2010.[128] The team wore black armbands for the last four games in 1978 in memory of Jack "Jocko" Nelson, an assistant coach who died during the season. In 1985 the team wore a 25 years patch on their jerseys. In 1989, they wore a "40 for 60" patch honoring the 1969 NFL championship team. They wore a 35 years patch in 1995, 40 years in 2000 and 45 years in 2005. They also wore patches in 1999 for assistant coach Chip Myers who died in the offseason and in 2001 for Korey Stringer. The Vikings, like other teams, wore NFL 50th and 75th-anniversary patches in 1969 and 1994.[134] They also wore "TS" decals on their helmets in memory of Tony Sparano in the 2018 NFL season, their offensive-line coach who died before the season started. On December 24, 2022, in a Week 16 game against the New York Giants, the Vikings wore all-white uniforms at home in the regular season for the first time. As part of the "Winter Whiteout" event, the team painted its logo and end zones white with purple accents, and encouraged fans at the stadium to wear white. The Vikings again wore the all-white uniforms at home against the Detroit Lions on December 24, 2023.[135] In 2023, the Vikings unveiled throwback uniforms based on the 1960s purple uniforms, which had gold trim on the numbers. However, the current matte purple helmet would be used, with gray facemasks and throwback horn decals.[136] All-purple uniforms On October 11, 1964, for a home game against the Detroit Lions, the Vikings decided to wear their road uniform of white jerseys and purple pants; however, the Lions mistakenly only brought their white jerseys to Minnesota. The game began with both teams wearing white, but it proved too confusing, and ahead of the second quarter, the Vikings changed into their purple jerseys; however, they did not change their pants, resulting in the first time the Vikings wore all-purple for a game.[137] It was not until 43 years later, on December 17, 2007 (a Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears) that the Vikings again wore both purple jerseys and purple pants—the first time they wore all-purple intentionally. They repeated this three years later, the wearing all-purple for the November 7, 2010, home game against the Arizona Cardinals.[138] The NFL introduced "Color Rush" uniforms for all 32 teams in the 2016 season, specifically for Thursday Night Football games. The Vikings had an all-purple uniform with gold numbers and stripes on the pants, which made its only appearance as a Color Rush uniform in Week 13 at home against the Dallas Cowboys. After the program was discontinued in 2018, these uniforms have become the team's primary alternate and are now known under the name "Primetime Purple"; however, the Vikings only wear these uniforms during home Thursday Night games. They wore the uniforms under the Primetime Purple name for the first time during a game against the Washington Redskins in 2019. In the team's Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints during the 2019 season, the Vikings wore all purple again; however, instead of the regular alternates, they wore the regular home uniforms with the away purple pants.[139] Following the Vikings' win in this game, they have worn this combination in two subsequent games against the Saints, which took place in 2020 and 2022. In 2020, despite the Vikings not having a Thursday Night game scheduled, the Primetime Purple uniforms made an appearance for a late-afternoon game against the Cowboys. The following season, they were worn again for a Thursday Night home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The most recent appearance for these uniforms came during a Thanksgiving Day game against the New England Patriots in 2022. Team culture Mascots After several failed attempts at developing an official team-owned mascot, the Vikings finally introduced Viktor the Viking during the 2007 Vikings' season.[140] Team officials had long indicated that they were after a mascot concept that would primarily appeal to the team's younger fan base.[141] Viktor the Viking, a muscle-bound, blond-haired and mustachioed character, wears a Vikings' #1 jersey and an oversized Vikings helmet with protruding horns and a small yellow nose guard. From 1970 to 1992, truck driver Hub Meeds dressed as a Viking and served as the team mascot.[142][143] Meeds asked to become the mascot after being accidentally let onto the field by security during Super Bowl IV in New Orleans.[144] From 1994 to 2015, the team mascot was Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch) and was based on the legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrok.[145] Juranitch admits to being somewhat of an eccentric—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a beard with an axe,[146] but hasn't shaved his beard since he won the Ragnar job among 3,000 applicants.[147] Ragnar drove onto the field at the beginning of a game dressed in Viking garb, on a motorcycle,[146][147] while a cheerleader used to ride a snowmobile. Although never one to shy away from confrontations with opposing players, notably Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson,[148][149] he had a soft spot for Brett Favre while the quarterback started for the rival Green Bay Packers.[150] In 2015, the Vikings announced that they were not able to reach a new contract agreement with Juranitch which he wanted $20,000 per game,[151] and released him.[152][153] Another mascot associated with the Vikings was "Vikadontis Rex", a purple foam dinosaur.[154] Vikadontis was the official mascot of the Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund and took part in the 1995 Celebrity Mascot Olympics. Vikadontis was retired starting with the 2000 season. The team also had an NFL Huddles mascot in the mid-1980s (somewhat similar to Viktor the Viking). Krazy George Henderson was also employed as a cheerleader from 1982 to 1985.[155] Fight song Further information: Skol, Vikings "Skol, Vikings" is the fight song of the Minnesota Vikings.[156] It was introduced around the time the team was founded in 1961. It is always played whenever the team scores a touchdown, field goal or safety, at the end of each half, and upon victory. The song "Purple and Gold" was recorded in 2010 by Minneapolis native Prince to be used as a fight song for the Minnesota Vikings.[157] Helga hats Vikings fans are known to dress up in "Helga hats", purple hats with white horns and blonde braids, mimicking the helmets popularly believed to have been worn by Viking warriors. The original Helga Hats are still hand assembled in the Twin Cities area.[158] Vikings horn The gjallarhorn at U.S. Bank Stadium During home games, the Vikings' Gjallarhorn is played during its pre-game ceremonies, a tradition that started in 2007. The ceremony has been an opportunity to honor past Viking greats (most notably Randy Moss) along with Minnesota-related folks (such as the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey team when they won the NCAA hockey championship). The first horn broke right before the playing of the 2016 playoff game in Minnesota versus the Seattle Seahawks, owing to below-zero temperatures (at the time, the Vikings were playing at Huntington Bank Stadium, an outdoor stadium) that cracked it. Both the first and second horns were created by Todd Johnson, a general manager at a music store.[159][160] Skol Chant The Skol Chant is a cheer that is used in U.S. Bank Stadium for Minnesota Vikings games. It involves fans clapping their hands above their heads and yelling "Skol", in response to the beat of a drum.[161] The chant is a modified take on the Viking War Cry used at the Iceland national football team's games and popularized by Iceland supporters at UEFA Euro 2016.[162] Skol (written "skål" in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish and "skál" in Faroese and Icelandic or "skaal" in archaic spellings or transliteration of any of those languages) is the Danish–Norwegian–Swedish word for "cheers" or "good health", a salute or a toast, as to an admired person or group. Rivalries Divisional Chicago Bears Main article: Bears–Vikings rivalry The Vikings' rivalry with the Chicago Bears began when the Vikings entered the league as an expansion team in 1961. The first time these two teams met, the Vikings managed an upset over the Bears 37–13 in Minnesota. Both teams are members of the NFC North, and play at least twice a year. The Vikings lead the overall series 65–57–2. The teams have met once in the postseason, a 35–18 Bears win in the 1994 Wild Card Round. Detroit Lions Main article: Lions–Vikings rivalry The Vikings and Detroit Lions have played twice annually since the Vikings entered the league's Western Conference in 1961. The two teams moved to the NFC Central after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, which became the NFC North after the NFL's 2002 realignment. This is the only NFC North rivalry without any head-to-head postseason meetings. The Vikings lead the all-time series 80–41–2. Green Bay Packers Main article: Packers–Vikings rivalry The rivalry between the Vikings and the Green Bay Packers began in 1961, similarly to their other divisional rivalries. Much like other Minnesota-Wisconsin sports rivalries, such as that between the Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers. It is also considered to be the most widely acknowledged rivalry within NFC North. Events such as Randy Moss mooning the Green Bay crowd in the first playoff game between these two teams (won by the Vikings), and former Packer great Brett Favre's move to the Vikings have created more resentment between these teams. The Packers lead the all-time series 65–57–3, despite the two teams splitting their two playoff contests. Conference New Orleans Saints Main article: Saints-Vikings rivalry The Vikings have developed a heated NFC rivalry with the New Orleans Saints, who have become known as the Vikings' biggest out-of-division rival. The Vikings lead the overall series 23–13, including 4–1 in the playoffs. This rivalry has featured many notable playoff matchups, such as the 2009 NFC Championship Game and the 2017 NFC Divisional Round game. Historic Dallas Cowboys Main article: Cowboys–Vikings rivalry The rivalry between the Cowboys and the Vikings heated up during the 1970s, with several of their games impacting the NFC playoff race during that decade. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 19–15, including a 4–3 record against the Vikings in the playoffs. Los Angeles Rams Main article: Rams–Vikings rivalry The Vikings' rivalry with the Los Angeles Rams was most heated in the 1970s when the two teams faced off in many consequential playoff games. To-date, the Vikings are the Rams' second most played playoff opponent with seven games, and the Rams are tied with the Cowboys as the most played playoff opponent for the Vikings.[163] The Vikings lead the all-time series 27–18–1 and are 5–2 in the playoffs. Players See also: Minnesota Vikings all-time statistical leaders Current roster Minnesota Vikings roster     viewtalkedit Quarterbacks     -- Sam Darnold     16 Jaren Hall     12 Nick Mullens Running backs     32 Ty Chandler     37 Myles Gaskin     30 C. J. Ham FB     -- Aaron Jones     27 DeWayne McBride     26 Kene Nwangwu Wide receivers      3 Jordan Addison     85 Daylen Baldwin     13 N'Keal Harry     81 Lucky Jackson      9 Trishton Jackson     18 Justin Jefferson     -- Malik Knowles     83 Jalen Nailor      4 Brandon Powell     -- Trent Sherfield     89 Thayer Thomas Tight ends     87 T. J. Hockenson     86 Johnny Mundt     34 Nick Muse     84 Josh Oliver         Offensive linemen     56 Garrett Bradbury C     64 Blake Brandel G     68 Henry Byrd G     63 Coy Cronk T     71 Christian Darrisaw T     -- Dan Feeney G     67 Ed Ingram G     75 Brian O'Neill T     76 David Quessenberry T     79 Tyrese Robinson G Defensive linemen     90 Jonathan Bullard DE     97 Harrison Phillips NT     93 Jaquelin Roy DE     -- Jerry Tillery DE     -- Jonah Williams DE         Linebackers     33 Brian Asamoah ILB     39 Abraham Beauplan ILB     55 Andre Carter II OLB     51 Blake Cashman ILB     58 Jonathan Greenard OLB     -- Kamu Grugier-Hill ILB     91 Patrick Jones II OLB     40 Ivan Pace Jr. ILB     43 Andrew Van Ginkel OLB     -- Jihad Ward OLB Defensive backs      5 Mekhi Blackmon CB     23 Andrew Booth Jr. CB     24 Camryn Bynum FS      6 Lewis Cine FS     21 Akayleb Evans CB     -- A. J. Green CB     -- Shaquill Griffin CB     25 Theo Jackson FS     44 Josh Metellus SS      7 Byron Murphy CB     22 Harrison Smith SS     11 NaJee Thompson CB     20 Jay Ward SS     38 Jaylin Williams CB     29 Joejuan Williams CB Special teams     42 Andrew DePaola LS     -- John Parker Romo K     14 Ryan Wright P                 Unrestricted FAs     31 Cam Akers RB     54 Anthony Barr ILB     52 Sheldon Day DE     92 James Lynch NT     62 Chris Reed G     66 Dalton Risner G     50 T. J. Smith NT     59 Nick Vigil ILB Rookies in italics Roster updated March 27, 2024     Depth chartTransactions 67 active, 8 free agent(s) → AFC rosters → NFC rosters Retired numbers Minnesota Vikings retired numbers No.     Player     Position     Tenure     Retired 10     Fran Tarkenton     QB     1961–1966 1972–1978     October 7, 1979 53     Mick Tingelhoff     C     1962–1978     November 25, 2001 70     Jim Marshall     DE     1961–1979     November 28, 1999 77†     Korey Stringer     OT     1995–2000     November 19, 2001 80     Cris Carter     WR     1990–2001     September 14, 2003 88     Alan Page     DT     1967–1978     September 25, 1988     † = Posthumous Pro Football Hall of Famers Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famers[164] Players No.     Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted 1     Warren Moon     QB     1994–1996     2006 3     Jan Stenerud     K     1984–1985     1991 4     Brett Favre     QB     2009–2010     2016 7     Morten Andersen     K     2004     2017 10     Fran Tarkenton     QB     1961–1966 1972–1978     1986 22     Paul Krause     S     1968–1979     1998 39     Hugh McElhenny     RB     1961–1962     1970 44     Dave Casper     TE     1983     2002 53     Mick Tingelhoff     C     1962–1978     2015 56     Chris Doleman     DE     1985–1993, 1999     2012 58     Jim Langer     C     1980–1981     1987 64     Randall McDaniel     G     1988–1999     2009 65     Gary Zimmerman     OT     1986–1992     2008 73     Ron Yary     OT     1968–1981     2001 76     Steve Hutchinson     G     2006–2011     2020 80     Cris Carter     WR     1990–2001     2013 81     Carl Eller     DE     1964–1978     2004 84     Randy Moss     WR     1998–2004, 2010     2018 88     Alan Page     DT     1967–1978     1988 93     John Randle     DT     1990–2000     2010 Coaches and Executives Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted Jim Finks     GM     1964–1973     1995 Bud Grant     HC     1967–1983, 1985     1994 Italics = played only a minor portion of their career with the Vikings, and are recognized primarily based upon achievements with other teams Ring of Honor Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor[165] Players No.     Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted 10     Fran Tarkenton     QB     1961–1966 1972–1978     September 9, 1998 22     Paul Krause     S     1968–1979     November 15, 1998 28     Ahmad Rashad     WR     1976–1982     October 1, 2017 30     Bill Brown     RB     1962–1974     September 26, 2004 44     Chuck Foreman     RB     1973–1979     September 30, 2007 47     Joey Browner     S     1983–1991     October 27, 2013 53     Mick Tingelhoff     C     1962–1978     November 25, 2001 55     Scott Studwell     LB     1977–1990     November 29, 2009 56     Chris Doleman     DE     1985–1993, 1999     October 23, 2011[166] 59     Matt Blair     LB     1974–1985     October 25, 2012[167] 64     Randall McDaniel     G     1988–1999     December 17, 2006 69     Jared Allen     DE     2008–2013     October 30, 2022[168] 70     Jim Marshall     DE     1961–1979     November 28, 1999 73     Ron Yary     OT     1968–1981     September 9, 2001 77     Korey Stringer     OT     1995–2000     November 19, 2001 80     Cris Carter     WR     1990–2001     September 14, 2003 81     Carl Eller     DE     1964–1978     November 10, 2002 83     Steve Jordan     TE     1982–1994     October 24, 2019[169] 84     Randy Moss     WR     1998–2004, 2010     September 11, 2017[170] 88     Alan Page     DT     1967–1978     September 20, 1998 93     John Randle     DT     1990–2000     November 30, 2008 93     Kevin Williams     DT     2003–2013     October 3, 2021 Coaches and Executives Name     Position(s)     Tenure     Inducted Jerry Burns     HC     1986–1991     November 6, 2005 Jim Finks     GM     1964–1973     October 18, 1998 Bud Grant     HC     1967–1983, 1985     November 8, 1998 Dennis Green     HC     1992–2001     September 23, 2018 Fred Zamberletti     Medical adviser     1961–2011     December 20, 1998 25th Anniversary Team (1985)     Fran Tarkenton QB, #10     Bill Brown RB, #30     Chuck Foreman RB, #44     Ahmad Rashad WR, #28     Sammy White WR, #85     Stu Voigt TE, #83     Ron Yary T, #73     Grady Alderman T, #67     Ed White G, #62     Milt Sunde G, #64     Mick Tingelhoff C, #53     Jim Marshall DE, #70     Alan Page DT, #88     Gary Larsen DT, #77     Carl Eller DE, #81     Matt Blair OLB, #59     Scott Studwell ILB, #55     Jeff Siemon ILB, #50     Roy Winston OLB, #60     Bobby Bryant CB, #20     Ed Sharockman CB, #45     Paul Krause S, #22     Karl Kassulke S, #29     Fred Cox K, #14     Greg Coleman P, #8     Bud Grant HC 40th Anniversary Team (2000)     Fran Tarkenton QB, #10     Chuck Foreman RB, #44     Robert Smith RB, #26     Ahmad Rashad WR, #28     Cris Carter WR, #80     Steve Jordan TE, #83     Ron Yary OT, #73     Randall McDaniel OG, #64     Mick Tingelhoff C, #53     Ed White OG, #62     Tim Irwin OT, #76     Jim Marshall DE, #70     Alan Page DT, #88     John Randle DT, #93     Carl Eller DE, #81     Matt Blair LB, #59     Scott Studwell LB, #55     Jeff Siemon LB, #50     Bobby Bryant CB, #20     Carl Lee CB, #39     Paul Krause S, #22     Joey Browner S, #47     Greg Coleman P, #8     Fred Cox K, #14     Darrin Nelson KR, #20     Bill Brown ST, #30 50 Greatest Vikings (2010) In connection with the team's 50th anniversary, the Vikings announced a group of 50 top players on December 19, 2010.[171] Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.     Grady Alderman OT, #67     Jared Allen DE, #69     Matt Birk C, #75/78     Matt Blair LB, #59     Bill Brown RB, #30     Joey Browner S, #47     Bobby Bryant CB, #20     Anthony Carter WR, #81     Cris Carter WR, #80     Fred Cox K, #14     Daunte Culpepper QB, #11     Chris Doleman DE/LB, #56     Carl Eller DE, #81     Chuck Foreman RB, #44     John Gilliam WR, #42     Bud Grant Coach     Wally Hilgenberg LB, #58     Steve Hutchinson G #76     Tim Irwin OT, #76     Steve Jordan TE, #83     Tommy Kramer QB, #9     Paul Krause S, #22     Gary Larsen DT, #77     Carl Lee CB, #39     Jim Marshall DE, #70     Randall McDaniel G, #64     Keith Millard DT, #75     Randy Moss WR, #84     Dave Osborn RB, #41     Alan Page DT, #88     Adrian Peterson RB, #28     John Randle DT, #93     Ahmad Rashad WR, #28     Ed Sharockman CB, #45     Jeff Siemon LB, #50     Robert Smith RB, #20/26     Scott Studwell LB, #55     Doug Sutherland DT, #69     Fran Tarkenton QB, #10     Henry Thomas DT, #97     Mick Tingelhoff C, #53     Stu Voigt TE, #83     Gene Washington WR, #84     Ed White G, #62     Sammy White WR, #85     Kevin Williams DT, #93     Antoine Winfield CB, #26     Roy Winston LB, #60     Ron Yary OT, #73     Gary Zimmerman OT, #65 All-Mall of America Field Team (2013) In 2013, in recognition of their final season at the Metrodome, the Vikings organized a fan vote to determine the best players at each position to play for the team in their time at the stadium. They named 12 players on offense, 11 on defense, four special teams players and a head coach.[172] Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Offense     QB – #11 Daunte Culpepper, 1999–2005     RB – #28 Adrian Peterson, 2007–2013     RB – #26 Robert Smith, 1993–2000     WR – #81 Anthony Carter, 1985–1993     WR – #80 Cris Carter, 1990–2001     WR – #84 Randy Moss, 1998–2004, 2010     TE – #83 Steve Jordan, 1982–1994     OT – #76 Tim Irwin, 1981–1993     OT – #65 Gary Zimmerman, 1986–1992     OG – #76 Steve Hutchinson, 2006–2011     OG – #64 Randall McDaniel, 1988–1999     C – #78 Matt Birk, 1998–2008 Defense     DE – #69 Jared Allen, 2008–2013     DE – #56 Chris Doleman, 1985–1993, 1999     DT – #93 John Randle, 1990–2000     DT – #93 Kevin Williams, 2003–2013     LB – #52 Chad Greenway, 2006–2013     LB – #58 Ed McDaniel, 1992–2001     LB – #55 Scott Studwell, 1977–1990     CB – #39 Carl Lee, 1983–1993     CB – #26 Antoine Winfield, 2004–2012     S – #24 Robert Griffith, 1994–2001     S – #47 Joey Browner, 1983–1991 Special teams     K – #8 Ryan Longwell, 2006–2011     P – #5/#4 Chris Kluwe, 2005–2012     KR – #12 Percy Harvin (WR), 2009–2012     ST – #81 Chris Walsh (WR), 1994–2002 Head coach     HC – Dennis Green, 1992–2001 Coaches Head coaches Main article: List of Minnesota Vikings head coaches Name     Years     Won     Lost     Ties     Winning %     Postseason Norm Van Brocklin     1961–1966     29     51     4     .345     — Bud Grant     1967–1983     151     87     5     .621     1968–71, 1973–78, 1980, 1982 Les Steckel     1984     3     13     0     .188     — Bud Grant     1985     7     9     0     .438     — Jerry Burns     1986–1991     52     43     0     .547     1987–89 Dennis Green     1992–2001     97     62     0     .610     1992–94, 1996–2000 Mike Tice     2001–2005     32     33     0     .492     2004 Brad Childress     2006–2010     39     35     0     .527     2008, 2009 Leslie Frazier     2010–2013     21     32     1     .398     2012 Mike Zimmer     2014–2021     72     56     1     .562     2015, 2017, 2019 Kevin O'Connell     2022–present     20     14     0     .588     2022 Total     523     435     11     .545     31 Current staff Minnesota Vikings staff     vte      Front office     Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf     Owner/president – Mark Wilf     Owner/vice chairman – Leonard Wilf     Chief operating officer – Andrew Miller     General manager – Kwesi Adofo-Mensah     Executive vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski     Senior vice president of player personnel – Ryan Grigson     Vice president of football operations – Demitrius Washington     Director of player personnel – Ryan Monnens     Assistant director of player personnel – Chisolm Opara     Senior assistant director of pro personnel – Sam DeLuca     Director of college scouting – Mike Sholiton     Assistant director of college scouting – Pat Roberts     Senior personnel executive – Jamaal Stephenson Head coaches     Head coach – Kevin O'Connell     Assistant head coach/outside linebackers – Mike Pettine     Assistant to the head coach – Henry Schneider IV Offensive coaches     Offensive coordinator – Wes Phillips     Assistant offensive coordinator/assistant quarterbacks – Grant Udinski     Quarterbacks – Josh McCown     Running game coordinator/running backs – Curtis Modkins     Wide receivers – Keenan McCardell     Assistant wide receivers – Tony Sorrentino     Passing game coordinator/tight ends – Brian Angelichio     Offensive line – Chris Kuper     Assistant offensive line – Shaun Sarrett     Pass game specialist/game management coordinator – Ryan Cordell     Senior offensive assistant – Chris O'Hara     Quality control/offense – Derron Montgomery     Offensive assistant – Ben Ellefson               Defensive coaches     Defensive coordinator – Brian Flores     Defensive line – Marcus Dixon     Assistant defensive line – Patrick Hill     Inside linebackers – Mike Siravo     Assistant inside linebackers – Thad Bogardus     Passing game coordinator/defensive backs – Daronte Jones     Safeties – Michael Hutchings     Quality control/defense – Lance Bennett     Defensive assistant – Imarjaye Albury Special teams coaches     Special teams coordinator – Matt Daniels     Assistant special teams – Dalmin Gibson Strength and conditioning     Director of player performance – Josh Hingst     Assistant director of player performance – Derik Keyes     Assistant player performance – Marquis Johnson → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs Radio and television Map of radio affiliates The Vikings' flagship radio station is KFXN-FM (100.3), which uses the branding "KFAN" based on its former calls on 1130 AM before a format flip between the AM and FM stations before the 2011 season; 1130 AM also continues to broadcast game play-by-play as KTLK. The games are also heard on the "KFAN Radio Network" in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as well as many other outlets. Paul Allen has been the play-by-play announcer since the 2002 NFL season with Pete Bercich filling in as analyst, who began his first season in 2007.[173] Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on KMSP (Channel 9) in the Twin Cities with a simulcast of KFAN's radio broadcast while Fox Sports North shows a tape delay later.[174] Radio affiliates Minnesota City     Call sign     Frequency Aitkin     KKIN-FM     94.3 FM Albert Lea     KQPR     96.1 FM Alexandria     KIKV     100.7 FM Bemidji     KBUN     1450 AM KBHP     101.1 FM Benson     KSCR     93.5 FM Blue Earth     KBEW     98.1 FM Brainerd     KBLB     93.3 FM Crookston     KROX     1260 AM Dassel     KARP     106.9 FM Detroit Lakes     KBOT     104.1 FM KDLM     1340 AM Duluth     KJOQ     1490 AM KQDS     94.9 FM Ely     WELY     1450 AM WELY     94.5 FM Eveleth     KRBT     1340 AM Fergus Falls     KBRF     1250 AM Frazee     KDLB     94.5 FM Grand Rapids     KMFY     96.9 FM Hibbing     WNMT     650 AM International Falls     KSDM     104.1 FM Jackson     KUXX     105.7 FM Mankato     KFSP     1230 AM KNUJ     105.9 FM KXLP     94.1 FM Marshall     KARL     105.1 FM Morris     KKOK     95.7 FM New Ulm     KNUJ     107.3 FM Pine City     WCMP     100.9 FM Rochester     KFAN     1270 AM KRCH     101.7 FM Roseau     KCAJ     102.1 FM St. Cloud     WJON     1240 AM Spring Grove     KQYB     98.3 FM Thief River Falls     KTRF     1230 AM Twin Cities     KFXN     100.3 FM KTLK     1130 AM Wadena     KSKK     1070 AM Waseca     KFOW     1170 AM Willmar     KWLM     1340 AM K242CF     96.3 FM Winona     KWNO     1230 AM Worthington     KWOA     730 AM      Iowa City     Call sign     Frequency Des Moines     KXNO     1460 AM Sioux City     KMNS     620 AM Spencer     KICD     1240 AM K252EX     98.3 FM Mason City     KLKK     103.7 FM North Dakota City     Call sign     Frequency Bismarck     KXMR     710 AM Carrington     KDAK     1600 AM Devils Lake     KDLR     1240 AM Dickinson     KLTC     1460 AM Fargo     KFGO     790 AM KFGO     104.7 FM Grand Forks     KKXL     1440 AM Jamestown     KQDJ     1400 AM K246AM     97.1 FM Minot     KRRZ     1390 AM Oakes     KDDR     1220 AM K240CJ     95.9 FM Valley City     KOVC     1490 AM Williston     KEYZ     660 AM South Dakota City     Call sign     Frequency Aberdeen     KGIM     1420 AM K296FW     107.1 FM Milbank     KMSD     1510 AM K252FB     98.3 FM Mobridge     KMLO     100.7 FM Pierre     KPLO     94.5 FM Sioux Falls     KWSN     1230 AM K251BH     98.1 FM Sisseton     KBWS     102.9 FM Watertown     KPHR     106.3 FM Yankton     WNAX     570 AM K260BO     99.9 FM Wisconsin City     Call sign     Frequency Amery     WZEZ     104.9 FM Eau Claire     WMEQ     880 AM W292EG     106.3 FM Hayward     WHSM     101.1 FM Rice Lake     WKFX     99.1 FM Source:[175] See also     Pro Football Hall of Fame Minneapolis,[a] officially the City of Minneapolis,[13] is a city in the state of Minnesota and the county seat of Hennepin County.[4] With a population of 429,954, it is the state's most populous city as of the 2020 census.[7] It occupies both banks of the Mississippi River and adjoins Saint Paul, the state capital of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding area are collectively known as the Twin Cities, a metropolitan area with 3.69 million residents.[14] Minneapolis is built on an artesian aquifer on flat terrain, and is known for cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. Nicknamed the "City of Lakes",[15] Minneapolis is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks, and waterfalls. The city's public park system is connected by the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. Dakota people originally inhabited the site of today's Minneapolis. European colonization and settlement began north of Fort Snelling along Saint Anthony Falls—the only natural waterfall on the Mississippi River.[16] The city's early growth was attributed to its proximity to the fort and the falls providing power for industrial activity. Minneapolis was the 19th-century lumber and flour milling capital of the world, and as home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has preserved its financial clout into the 21st century. A Minneapolis Depression-era labor strike brought about federal worker protections. Work in Minneapolis contributed to the computing industry, and the city is the birthplace of General Mills, the Pillsbury brand, Target Corporation, and of Thermo King mobile refrigeration. The city's major arts institutions include the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center, and the Guthrie Theater. Four professional sports teams play downtown. Prince is survived by his favorite venue, the First Avenue nightclub. Minneapolis is home to the University of Minnesota's main campus. The city's public transport is provided by Metro Transit and the international airport, serving the Twin Cities region, is located towards the south on the city limits. Residents adhere to more than fifty religions, and thousands choose to volunteer their time. Despite its well-regarded quality of life,[17] Minneapolis faces a pressing challenge in the form of stark disparities among its residents—arguably the most critical issue confronting the city in the 21st century.[18] Governed by a mayor-council system, Minneapolis has a political landscape dominated by the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), with Jacob Frey serving as mayor since 2018. History Main article: History of Minneapolis Dakota homeland, city founded Main articles: Dakota people, Ojibwe, Bdóte, and US–Dakota War of 1862 Line drawing of the location of villages and paths, map shows the Minnesota River (then called St Peter), the Mississippi, Minnehaha Creek, Saint Anthony Falls, and several lakes Area that became Minneapolis pictured c. 1820–1860 Two Indigenous nations inhabited the area now called Minneapolis.[19] Archaeologists have evidence to say at least since 1000 A.D.,[20] they are the Dakota (one half of the Sioux nation),[21] and, after the 1700s,[22] the Ojibwe (also known as Chippewa, members of the Anishinaabe nations).[23] Dakota people have different stories to explain their creation.[24] One widely accepted story says the Dakota emerged from Bdóte,[24] the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. Dakota are the only inhabitants of the Minneapolis area who claimed no other land;[25] they have no traditions of having immigrated.[26] In 1680, cleric Louis Hennepin, who was probably the first European to see the Minneapolis waterfall the Dakota people call Owámniyomni, renamed it the Falls of St. Anthony of Padua for his patron saint.[27] In the Dakota language, the city's name is Bde Óta Othúŋwe ('Many Lakes Town').[b] Around 1680, first French explorers and then the British arrived[30] and traded in furs for nearly 150 years[31] with the Dakota and Ojibwe as partners.[32] After the US became a country, the fur trade declined, and the Americans desired forests for timber and land for farms.[33] Purchasing most of modern-day Minneapolis, Zebulon Pike made the 1805 Treaty of St. Peter with the Dakota.[c] Pike bought a 9-square-mile (23 km2) strip of land—coinciding with the sacred place of Dakota origin[24]—on the Mississippi south of Saint Anthony Falls,[37] with the agreement the US would build a military fort and trading post there and the Dakota would retain their land use rights.[38] In 1819, the US Army built Fort Snelling[39] to direct Native American trade away from British-Canadian traders, and to deter warring between the Dakota and Ojibwe in northern Minnesota.[40] The fort attracted traders, settlers, and merchants, spurring growth in the surrounding region. Agents of the St. Peters Indian Agency at the fort enforced the US policy of assimilating Native Americans into mainstream American society, asking them to give up subsistence hunting and cultivate the land.[41] Missionaries encouraged Native Americans to convert from their religion to Christianity.[41] Under pressure from US officials[42] in a series of treaties, the Dakota ceded their land—which they consider to be living (a relative, and not property)[43]—first to the east and then to the west of the Mississippi, the river that runs through Minneapolis.[44][d] After Minnesota became a territory in 1849[44] cession treaties unleashed formerly prohibited[56] settlement and the belief of manifest destiny.[57] Dakota leaders twice refused to sign the next treaty until they were paid for the previous one.[58]In the space of sixty years, the US had seized all of Dakota land. In the decades following these treaty signings, the federal US government rarely honored their terms.[59] After closing in 1858, the University of Minnesota was revived using land taken from the Dakota people under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts in 1862.[60][61] Black and white photo of one end of an island covered with hundreds of teepees inside a stockade Dakota non-combatants living in a concentration camp at Fort Snelling during the winter of 1862 At the beginning of the American Civil War, annuity payments owed in June 1862 to the Dakota by treaty were late, causing acute hunger among the Dakota.[62][e] Facing starvation[64] a faction of the Dakota declared war in August and killed settlers.[65] Serving without any prior military experience, US commander Henry Sibley had raw recruits,[66] among them the only mounted troops were volunteers from Minneapolis and Saint Paul with no military experience.[67] The war went on for six weeks in the Minnesota River valley.[68] Some terrified American settlers traveled 80 miles (130 km) away from the massacre to Minneapolis for safety.[69] After a US kangaroo court,[70] 38 Dakota men died by hanging as ordered by Abraham Lincoln.[68] The army marched 1,700 non-hostile Dakota men, women, children, and elders 150 miles (240 km) to a concentration camp at Fort Snelling.[71] Minneapolitans reportedly threatened more than once to attack the camp.[72] In 1863, the US "abrogated and annulled" all treaties with the Dakota.[73] With Governor Alexander Ramsey calling for their extermination,[74] most Dakota were exiled from Minnesota.[75] While the Dakota were being expelled, Franklin Steele laid claim to the east bank of Saint Anthony Falls,[76] and John H. Stevens built a home on the west bank.[77] Residents had divergent ideas on names for their community. In 1852, Charles Hoag proposed combining the Dakota word for 'water' (mni[f]) with the Greek word for 'city' (polis), yielding Minneapolis. In 1851 after a meeting of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, leaders of east bank St. Anthony lost their bid to move the capital from Saint Paul.[82] In a close vote, Saint Paul and Stillwater agreed to divide federal funding:[82] Saint Paul would be the capital, while Stillwater would build the prison. The St. Anthony contingent eventually won the state university.[82] In 1855 with a charter from the legislature, Steele and associates opened the first bridge across the Mississippi; the toll bridge cost pedestrians three cents ($0.98 in 2023).[83] In 1856, the territorial legislature authorized Minneapolis as a town on the Mississippi's west bank.[78] Minneapolis was incorporated as a city in 1867, and in 1872, it merged with St. Anthony.[84] Water power, lumber, and flour milling Waterfall surrounded by sawmills and scaffolding Saint Anthony Falls c. 1850s Minneapolis developed around Saint Anthony Falls, the only natural waterfall on the Mississippi, which was used as a source of energy.[16] A 1989 Minnesota Archaeological Society analysis of the Minneapolis riverfront describes the use of water power in Minneapolis between 1880 and 1930 as "the greatest direct-drive waterpower center the world has ever seen".[85] Minneapolis earned the nickname "Mill City."[86][15] The city's two founding industries—lumber and flour milling—developed in the 19th century nearly concurrently. Flour milling overshadowed lumber for some decades; nevertheless, each came to prominence for about fifty years.[g] The city's first commercial sawmill was built in 1848, and the first gristmill in 1849.[88][h] A lumber industry was built around forests in northern Minnesota, largely by lumbermen emigrating from Maine's depleting forests.[91][92] Towns built in western Minnesota with lumber from Minneapolis sawmills shipped their wheat back to the city for milling.[93] The region's waterways were used to transport logs well after railroads developed; the Mississippi River carried logs to St. Louis until the early 20th century.[94] In 1871, of the thirteen mills sawing lumber in St. Anthony, eight ran on water power and five ran on steam power.[95] Minneapolis supplied the materials for farmsteads and settlement of rapidly expanding cities on the prairies that lacked wood.[96] White pine milled in Minneapolis built Miles City, Montana; Bismarck, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Omaha, Nebraska; and Wichita, Kansas.[97] Auxiliary businesses on the river's west bank in 1871 included woolen mills, iron works, a railroad machine shop, and mills for cotton, paper, sashes, and wood-planing.[98] Due to the occupational hazards of milling, by the 1890s, six companies manufactured artificial limbs.[99] Growing use of steam power freed lumbermen and their sawmills from dependence on the falls.[100] Lumber was the main Minneapolis industry in 1870,[101] before flour milling overtook it in the 1880s.[101] Lumbering reached a statewide peak in 1900 when its decline began.[102] After depleting Minnesota's white pine,[103] some lumbermen moved on to Douglas fir in the Pacific Northwest.[104] Sawmills in the city including the Minneapolis Weyerhauser mill closed by 1919.[105] Two men who loaded flour and a bag of flour that says Monahan's Minneapolis and a Pillsbury truck Loading flour, Pillsbury, 1939 Disasters struck the city in the late 19th century. Dug under the river at Nicollet Island, the Eastman tunnel leaked in 1869. Water sucked the 6 ft (1.8 m) tailrace into a 90 ft (27 m)-wide chasm.[106] Community-led repairs failed and in 1870, several buildings and mills fell into the river.[106] For years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers struggled to close the gap with timber until their concrete dike held in 1876.[106] In 1870, and again in 1887, fire destroyed the entire row of sawmills on the east bank.[107] In 1878, an explosion of flour dust at the Washburn A mill killed eighteen people[108] and demolished several mills.[109] The explosion cost the city nearly one half of its capacity, but the mill was rebuilt the next year.[110] In 1893, fire spread from Nicollet Island to Boom Island to northeast Minneapolis where wind stopped it at the stone Grain Belt Brewery. Twenty blocks were destroyed and two people died.[111] Cadwallader C. Washburn founded Washburn-Crosby, the company that became General Mills.[112][113] He learned of and adopted three flour milling innovations:[114] middlings purifiers blew out the husks that had colored flour;[115] gradual reduction by steel and porcelain roller mills combined gluten with starch;[115] and a ventilation system decreased the risk of explosion by reducing flour dust in the air.[116] Washburn and partner John Crosby[117] sent Austrian civil engineer William de la Barre to Hungary where he acquired some of these innovations through industrial espionage.[115] De la Barre carefully calculated and managed the power at the falls and encouraged steam for auxiliary power.[118] Charles Alfred Pillsbury and the C. A. Pillsbury Company across the river hired Washburn employees and began using the new methods.[115] The hard red spring wheat grown in Minnesota became valuable—$0.50 profit per barrel in 1871 ($12.72 in 2023) increased to $4.50 in 1874 ($121.00 in 2023)[119]—and Minnesota "patent" flour was recognized at the time as the best bread flour in the world.[115] By 1895, through the efforts of silent partner William Hood Dunwoody, Washburn-Crosby exported four million barrels of flour a year to the United Kingdom.[120] When exports peaked in 1900, fourteen percent of America's grain was milled in Minneapolis[115] and about one third of that was shipped overseas.[121] Overall production peaked at 18.5 million barrels in 1916.[122] Decades of soil exhaustion, stem rust, and changes in freight tariffs combined to quash the city's flour industry.[123] In the 1920s, Washburn-Crosby and Pillsbury developed new milling centers in Buffalo, New York, and Kansas City, Missouri, while maintaining their headquarters in Minneapolis.[124] Under increasingly consolidated management, plants on the Minneapolis mill properties generated hydroelectricity with surplus water.[125] Hydroelectricity became the equal of flour milling as a user of the falls's power.[126] Northern States Power bought the united mill companies in 1923,[127] and by the 1950s controlled over 53,000 horsepower at the falls.[128] In 1971, the falls became a national historic district.[129] Hitherto "the backside of the city",[130] the riverfront caught the attention of a convoluted network of private and government interests who sometimes fought. They developed townhouses and high rises, and rebuilt and renovated lofts—often neglecting affordability—revitalizing mills on both banks.[131] The upper St. Anthony lock and dam permanently closed in 2015,[132] and the region's three locks were under federal disposition study as of 2023.[133] panoramic view of Saint Anthony Falls and the Mississippi riverfront in 1915 Mississippi riverfront and Saint Anthony Falls in 1915. At left, Pillsbury, power plants and the Stone Arch Bridge. Today the Minnesota Historical Society's Mill City Museum is in the Washburn "A" Mill, across the river just to the left of the falls. At center-left are Northwestern Consolidated mills. The tall building is Minneapolis City Hall. In the right foreground are Nicollet Island and the Hennepin Avenue Bridge. Other industries develop Minneapolis Star humorist Don Morrison wrote that the city doubled, tripled, then quadrupled its population every decade, and in 1922, the city's assessed property value was $266 million, "nearly 10 times the price paid for the entire midcontinent in the Louisiana Purchase."[134] After the milling era waned, a "modern, major city"[134] surfaced in 1900, attracted skilled workers,[135] and depended on expertise from the university's Institute of Technology.[136] Refer to caption Seymour Cray and colleagues began work on the CDC 6600 (pictured) in downtown Minneapolis and completed the project in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.[137] In 1886, businessman George D. Munsing found that itchy wool underwear could be covered in silk. His Minneapolis textile business—known then as Munsingwear, today as Perry Ellis[138]—lasted a century and in 1923, was the world's largest manufacturer of underwear.[139] In 1922, inventor David W. Onan founded Onan Corporation (bought by Cummins in 1986[140]), that built and sold generators in Minneapolis.[141] Onan brought electricity to midwestern markets before power lines covered the country, and supplied about half the generator sets the US military used during World War II.[142] Frederick McKinley Jones invented mobile refrigeration in Minneapolis, and with his associate founded Thermo King in 1938.[143] Medtronic, founded in a Minneapolis garage in 1949,[144] and today domiciled in Ireland, as of 2022 usually appears in lists of the world's largest medical device makers.[145] Minnesota's computer industry was the largest and most varied in the US beginning in the 1950s, and in 1989 employed 68,000 people.[146][i] Minneapolis-Honeywell built a south Minneapolis campus where their experience regulating indoor temperature earned them contracts controlling military servomechanisms like the secret Norden bombsight and the C-1 autopilot.[148] In the 1960s, the Honeywell 316 and DDP-516 were nodes in ARPANET, the internet's precursor.[148] The Honeywell Project from 1968 until 1990 advocated for peaceful means to replace the company's military interests.[148] General Mills built computers for NASA in northeast Minneapolis in the 1950s.[149] In 1957, Control Data began in downtown Minneapolis, where in the CDC 1604 they replaced vacuum tubes with transistors. Later Control Data moved to the suburbs[j] and built the CDC 6600 and CDC 7600, the first supercomputers.[151] A highly successful business until disbanded in 1990, Control Data opened a facility in economically depressed north Minneapolis in 1967, bringing jobs and good publicity.[151] The University of Minnesota formed an educational computing group that placed three or four personal computers in every Minnesota school, and in 1991 the group's personnel released Gopher on a Macintosh SE/30 which ran until World Wide Web traffic surpassed Gopher traffic in 1994.[152] In the 1960s, developers and city leaders successfully contended with shopping attractions in suburbia[153]—the pioneering Southdale Center[154] and later the Mall of America.[155] The new Minneapolis Skyway System and the Nicollet Mall brought with them a heyday for downtown.[156] Social tension Main articles: List of incidents of civil unrest in Minneapolis–Saint Paul and 2020–2023 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial unrest In many ways, the 20th century was a difficult time of bigotry and malfeasance, beginning with four decades of corruption.[157] Known initially as a kindly physician, mayor Doc Ames made his brother police chief, ran the city into crime, and tried to leave town in 1902 according to historian Iric Nathanson.[158] Lincoln Steffens published Ames's story in "The Shame of Minneapolis" in 1903.[159] The Ku Klux Klan was a force in the city from 1921[160] until 1923.[161] The gangster Kid Cann engaged in bribery and intimidation between the 1920s and the 1940s.[162] After Minnesota passed a eugenics law in 1925, the proprietors of Eitel Hospital sterilized people at Faribault State Hospital.[163] group of men holding pipes confronting police on street seen from above Battle between striking teamsters and police, 1934. The May (pictured) and subsequent July battles killed four men, two on each side.[164] The city was relatively unsegregated before 1910,[165] with a Black population of less than one percent,[166] when a developer wrote the first restrictive covenant based on race and ethnicity into a Minneapolis deed.[167] Realtors adopted the practice, thousands of times preventing non-Whites from owning or leasing properties;[168] this practice continued for four decades until the city became more and more racially divided.[169] Though such language was prohibited by state law in 1953 and by the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968,[170] restrictive covenants against minorities remained in many Minneapolis deeds as of the 2020s, and in 2021 the city gave residents a means to discharge them.[171] During the summer of 1934 and the financial downturn of the Great Depression, the Citizens' Alliance, an association of employers, refused to negotiate with teamsters. The truck drivers union executed strikes in May and July–August.[172] Charles Rumford Walker explains in his book American City that Minneapolis teamsters succeeded in part due to the "military precision of the strike machine".[173] The union victory ultimately led to 1935 and 1938 federal laws protecting workers' rights.[174] From the end of World War I in 1918 until 1950, antisemitism was commonplace in Minneapolis—Carey McWilliams called the city the anti-Semitic capital of the US.[175] A hate group called the Silver Legion of America held meetings in the city from 1936 to 1938.[176] In the 1940s, mayor Hubert Humphrey worked to rescue the city's reputation,[177] and helped the city establish the country's first fair employment practices and a human-relations council that interceded on behalf of minorities.[178] However, the lives of Black people had not been improved.[165] In 1966 and 1967—years of significant turmoil across the US—suppressed anger among the Black population was released in two disturbances on Plymouth Avenue.[179] A coalition reached a peaceful outcome but again failed to solve Black poverty and unemployment. Prince, who was bused to fourth grade in 1967, said in retrospect, "he believed that Minnesota at that time was no more enlightened than segregationist Alabama had been".[180] Between 1958 and 1963—in the largest urban renewal plan undertaken in America as of 2022[181]—Minneapolis demolished "skid row". Gone were 35 acres (10 ha) with more than 200 buildings, or roughly 40 percent of downtown, including the Gateway District and its significant architecture, such as the Metropolitan Building.[182] Efforts to save the building failed but encouraged interest in historic preservation.[182] In 1968, relocated Native Americans founded the American Indian Movement[183] in Minneapolis,[184] and its A.I.M. Survival School, later called Heart of the Earth,[185] taught native traditions to children until closing in 2008.[186] In a backlash of the "dominant" White voters, Charles Stenvig, a law-and-order candidate, became mayor in 1969, and governed for a decade until 1977.[187][188] After their marriage license was denied in 1970, a same-sex Minneapolis couple appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court in Baker v. Nelson.[189] They managed to get a license and marry in 1971,[189] forty years before Minnesota legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, and Obergefell v. Hodges did so nationwide in 2015.[190] Immigration helped to curb the city's mid-20th century population decline. But because of a few radicalized persons, the city's large Somali population was targeted with discrimination after 9/11, when its hawalas or banks were closed.[191] On May 25, 2020, 17-year-old Darnella Frazier recorded the murder of George Floyd;[192] her video contradicted the police department's initial statement.[193] Floyd, an African American man, suffocated when Derek Chauvin, a White Minneapolis police officer, knelt on his neck and back for more than nine minutes. While Floyd was neither the first nor the last Black man killed by Minneapolis police,[194][195] his murder sparked international rebellions and mass protests.[196] Reporting on the local insurgency, The New York Times said that "over three nights, a five-mile stretch of Minneapolis sustained extraordinary damage"[197]—destruction included a police station that demonstrators overran and set on fire.[198] The Twin Cities experienced ongoing unrest over racial injustice from 2020 to 2022.[199] Structural racism Minneapolis has a history of structural racism[200] and has racial disparities in nearly every aspect of society.[201] Some historians and commentators have said White Minneapolitans used discrimination based on race against the city's non-White residents. As White settlers displaced the indigenous population during the 19th century, they claimed the city's land,[202] and Kirsten Delegard of Mapping Prejudice explains that today's disparities evolved from control of the land.[165] Discrimination increased when flour milling moved to the East Coast and the economy declined.[203] The I-35W highway built in 1959 under the Interstate Highway System[204] cut through Black and Mexican neighborhoods.[205] The foundation laid by racial covenants on residential segregation, property value, homeownership, wealth, housing security, access to green spaces, trees and parks, and health equity shapes the lives of people in 2022.[206] The city wrote in a decennial plan that racially discriminatory federal housing policies starting in the 1930s "prevented access to mortgages in areas with Jews, African-Americans and other minorities", and "left a lasting effect on the physical characteristics of the city and the financial well-being of its residents."[207] Discussing a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis report on how systemic racism compromises education in Minnesota,[208] Professor Keith Mayes says, "So the housing disparities created the educational disparities that we still live with today."[209] Professor Samuel Myers Jr. says of redlining, "Policing policies evolved that substituted explicit racial profiling with scientific management of racially disparate arrests. ... racially discriminatory policies became institutionalized and 'baked in' to the fabric of Minnesota life."[210][k] In 2020, government efforts to address these disparities include declaring racism a public health emergency,[212] and zoning changes passed by the 2018 Minneapolis City Council 2040 plan.[213] Geography Main articles: Climate of Minnesota, Climate of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Geography of Minneapolis, and Geology of Minnesota Clouds reflected in lake, IDS tower and downtown visible in the distance The city's largest lake, Bde Maka Ska[214] The history and economic growth of Minneapolis are linked to water, the city's defining physical characteristic. Long periods of glaciation and interglacial melt carved several riverbeds through what is now Minneapolis.[215] During the last glacial period, around 10,000 years ago, ice buried in these ancient river channels melted, resulting in basins that filled with water to become the lakes of Minneapolis.[216] Meltwater from Lake Agassiz fed the glacial River Warren, which created a large waterfall that eroded upriver past the confluence of the Mississippi River, where it left a 75-foot (23-meter) drop in the Mississippi.[217] This site is located in what is now downtown Saint Paul. The new waterfall, later called Saint Anthony Falls, in turn, eroded up the Mississippi about eight miles (13 kilometers) to its present location, carving the Mississippi River gorge as it moved upstream. Minnehaha Falls also developed during this period via similar processes.[218][217] Minneapolis is sited above an artesian aquifer[219] and on flat terrain. Its total area is 59 sq mi (152.8 km2), of which six percent is covered by water.[220] The city has a 12-mile (19 km) segment of the Mississippi River, four streams, and 17 waterbodies—13 of them lakes,[221] with 24 miles (39 km) of lake shoreline.[222] A 1959 report by the US Soil Conservation Service listed Minneapolis's elevation above mean sea level as 830 feet (250 meters).[223] The city's lowest elevation of 687 feet (209 m) above sea level is near the confluence of Minnehaha Creek with the Mississippi River.[224] Sources disagree on the exact location and elevation of the city's highest point, which is cited as being between 967 and 985 feet (295 and 300 m) above sea level.[l] Neighborhoods Main article: Neighborhoods of Minneapolis Cyclists on Midtown Greenway in Midtown Phillips, one of the 83 neighborhoods of Minneapolis Minneapolis has 83 neighborhoods and 70 neighborhood organizations.[227] In some cases, two or more neighborhoods act together under one organization.[228] Around 1990, the city set up the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP), in which every one of the city's eighty-some neighborhoods participated.[229] Funded for 20 years through 2011, with $400 million tax increment financing (TIF),[229] the program caught the eye of UN-Habitat who considered it an example of best practices. Residents had a direct connection to government in NRP, whereby they proposed ideas appropriate for their area, and NRP reviewed the plans and provided implementation funds.[229][230] The city's Neighborhood and Community Relations department took NRP's place in 2011[231] and is funded only by city revenue.[232] In 2023, two neighborhood organizations merged and others contemplated similar moves so they could combine reduced resources.[232] In his 2024 proposed budget, the mayor suggested an increase in base funding for neighborhood organizations.[233] In 2018, Minneapolis City Council approved the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which resulted in a city-wide end to single-family zoning.[234] Slate reported that Minneapolis was believed to be the first major city in the US to make citywide such a revision in housing possibilities.[235] At the time, 70 percent of residential land was zoned for detached, single-family homes,[236] though many of those areas had "nonconforming" buildings with more housing units.[237] City leaders sought to increase the supply of housing so more neighborhoods would be affordable and to decrease the effects single-family zoning had caused on racial disparities and segregation.[238] The Brookings Institution called it "a relatively rare example of success for the YIMBY agenda".[239] In 2023, a district court judge ruled that the plan violated the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act and that the city must abandon it.[240] The city reverted to its previous decennial plan for 2030.[241] Climate Minneapolis experiences a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa in the Köppen climate classification),[242] that is typical of southern parts of the Upper Midwest; it is situated in USDA plant hardiness zone 5a.[243][244][245] Minneapolis has cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers, as is typical in a continental climate. The difference between average temperatures in the coldest winter month and the warmest summer month is 58.1 °F (32.3 °C). The Minneapolis area experiences a full range of precipitation and related weather events, including snow, sleet, ice, rain, thunderstorms, and fog. The highest recorded temperature is 108 °F (42 °C) in July 1936 while the lowest is −41 °F (−41 °C) in January 1888.[246] The snowiest winter on record was 1983–1984, when 98.6 in (250 cm) of snow fell.[247] The least-snowy winter was 1930–1931, when 14.2 inches (36 cm) fell.[247] According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the annual average for sunshine duration is 58 percent.[248] Climate data for Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota (1991–2020 normals,[m] extremes 1872–present)[n] Month     Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec     Year Record high °F (°C)     58 (14)     65 (18)     83 (28)     95 (35)     106 (41)     104 (40)     108 (42)     103 (39)     104 (40)     92 (33)     77 (25)     68 (20)     108 (42) Mean maximum °F (°C)     42.5 (5.8)     46.7 (8.2)     64.7 (18.2)     79.7 (26.5)     88.7 (31.5)     93.3 (34.1)     94.4 (34.7)     91.7 (33.2)     88.3 (31.3)     80.1 (26.7)     62.1 (16.7)     47.1 (8.4)     96.4 (35.8) Mean daily maximum °F (°C)     23.6 (−4.7)     28.5 (−1.9)     41.7 (5.4)     56.6 (13.7)     69.2 (20.7)     79.0 (26.1)     83.4 (28.6)     80.7 (27.1)     72.9 (22.7)     58.1 (14.5)     41.9 (5.5)     28.8 (−1.8)     55.4 (13.0) Daily mean °F (°C)     16.2 (−8.8)     20.6 (−6.3)     33.3 (0.7)     47.1 (8.4)     59.5 (15.3)     69.7 (20.9)     74.3 (23.5)     71.8 (22.1)     63.5 (17.5)     49.5 (9.7)     34.8 (1.6)     22.0 (−5.6)     46.9 (8.3) Mean daily minimum °F (°C)     8.8 (−12.9)     12.7 (−10.7)     24.9 (−3.9)     37.5 (3.1)     49.9 (9.9)     60.4 (15.8)     65.3 (18.5)     62.8 (17.1)     54.2 (12.3)     40.9 (4.9)     27.7 (−2.4)     15.2 (−9.3)     38.4 (3.6) Mean minimum °F (°C)     −14.7 (−25.9)     −8 (−22)     2.7 (−16.3)     21.9 (−5.6)     35.7 (2.1)     47.3 (8.5)     54.5 (12.5)     52.3 (11.3)     38.2 (3.4)     26.0 (−3.3)     9.2 (−12.7)     −7.1 (−21.7)     −16.9 (−27.2) Record low °F (°C)     −41 (−41)     −33 (−36)     −32 (−36)     2 (−17)     18 (−8)     34 (1)     43 (6)     39 (4)     26 (−3)     10 (−12)     −25 (−32)     −39 (−39)     −41 (−41) Average precipitation inches (mm)     0.89 (23)     0.87 (22)     1.68 (43)     2.91 (74)     3.91 (99)     4.58 (116)     4.06 (103)     4.34 (110)     3.02 (77)     2.58 (66)     1.61 (41)     1.17 (30)     31.62 (803) Average snowfall inches (cm)     11.0 (28)     9.5 (24)     8.2 (21)     3.5 (8.9)     0.0 (0.0)     0.0 (0.0)     0.0 (0.0)     0.0 (0.0)     0.0 (0.0)     0.8 (2.0)     6.8 (17)     11.4 (29)     51.2 (130) Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)     8 (20)     9 (23)     8 (20)     2 (5.1)     0 (0)     0 (0)     0 (0)     0 (0)     0 (0)     0 (0)     4 (10)     7 (18)     9 (23) Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)     9.6     7.8     9.0     11.2     12.4     11.8     10.4     9.8     9.3     9.5     8.3     9.7     118.8 Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)     9.3     7.3     5.2     2.4     0.1     0.0     0.0     0.0     0.0     0.6     4.5     8.8     38.2 Average relative humidity (%)     69.9     69.5     67.4     60.3     60.4     63.8     64.8     67.9     70.7     68.3     72.6     74.1     67.5 Average dew point °F (°C)     4.1 (−15.5)     9.5 (−12.5)     20.7 (−6.3)     31.6 (−0.2)     43.5 (6.4)     54.7 (12.6)     60.1 (15.6)     58.3 (14.6)     49.8 (9.9)     37.9 (3.3)     25.0 (−3.9)     11.1 (−11.6)     33.9 (1.0) Mean monthly sunshine hours     156.7     178.3     217.5     242.1     295.2     321.9     350.5     307.2     233.2     181.0     112.8     114.3     2,710.7 Percent possible sunshine     55     61     59     60     64     69     74     71     62     53     39     42     59 Average ultraviolet index     1     2     3     5     7     8     8     7     5     3     2     1     4 Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)[250][251][252] Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[253] Cityscape The Minneapolis skyline rises to its highest point at the center of the image, with the three tallest buildings standing out against a clear blue sky. Before the skyline are trees, university buildings, and residential complexes. The Minneapolis skyline seen from the Prospect Park Water Tower Demographics Main article: Demographics of Minneapolis Historical population Census    Pop.    Note    %± 1860    5,809        — 1870    13,066        124.9% 1880    46,887        258.8% 1890    164,738        251.4% 1900    202,718        23.1% 1910    301,408        48.7% 1920    380,582        26.3% 1930    464,356        22.0% 1940    492,370        6.0% 1950    521,718        6.0% 1960    482,872        −7.4% 1970    434,400        −10.0% 1980    370,951        −14.6% 1990    368,383        −0.7% 2000    382,618        3.9% 2010    382,578        0.0% 2020    429,954        12.4% 2022 (est.)    425,096    [8]    −1.1% US Decennial Census[254] 2020 Census Racial and ethnic composition     2020[255]     2010[255]     1990[256]     1970[256]     1950[256] White alone     58.0%     60.3%     77.5%     92.8%     — Black or African American alone     18.9%     18.3%     13.0%     4.4%     1.3% Hispanic or Latino     10.4%     10.5%     2.1%     0.9%     — Asian alone     5.8%     5.6%     4.3%     0.4%     0.2% Other race alone     0.5%     0.3%     —     —     — Two or more races     5.2%     3.4%     —     —     — The Minneapolis area was originally occupied by Dakota tribes, particularly the Mdewakanton, until European Americans moved westward.[257] In the 1840s,[258] new settlers arrived from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, while French-Canadians came around the same time. [259][260] Farmers from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania later followed in a secondary migration. A small fraction of the populace, settlers from New England had an outsized influence on civic life.[261] Mexican migrant workers began coming to Minnesota as early as 1860, although few stayed year-round.[262] Latinos eventually settled in several neighborhoods in Minneapolis, including Phillips, Whittier, Longfellow and Northeast.[263] Before the turn of the 21st century, Latinos were the state's largest[262] and fastest-growing group of immigrants.[264] Settlers from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark found common ground with the Republican and Protestant belief systems of the New England migrants who preceded them.[265][266] Irish, Scots, and English immigrants arrived after the Civil War;[267] Germans[268] and Jews from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Russia, followed.[269] Minneapolis welcomed Italians and Greeks in the 1890s and 1900s,[270][271] and Slovak and Czech immigrants settled in the Bohemian Flats area on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Ukrainians arrived after 1900,[272] and Central European migrants made their homes in the Northeast neighborhood.[273] Chinese began immigration in the 1870s and Chinese businesses centered on the Gateway District and Glenwood Avenue.[274] Westminster Presbyterian Church gave language classes and support for Chinese Americans in Minneapolis, many of whom had fled discrimination in western states.[275] Japanese Americans, many relocated from San Francisco, worked at Camp Savage, a secret military Japanese-language school that trained interpreters and translators.[276] Following World War II, some Japanese and Japanese Americans remained in Minneapolis, and by 1970, they numbered nearly 2,000, forming part of the state's largest Asian American community.[277] In the 1950s, the US government relocated Native Americans to cities like Minneapolis, attempting to do away with Indian reservations.[278] Around 1970, Koreans arrived,[279] and the first Filipinos came to attend the University of Minnesota.[280] Vietnamese, Hmong (some from Thailand), Lao, and Cambodians settled mainly in Saint Paul around 1975, but some built organizations in Minneapolis.[281][282] In 1992, 160 Tibetan immigrants came to Minnesota, and many settled in the city's Whittier neighborhood.[283] Burmese immigrants arrived in the early 2000s, with some moving to Greater Minnesota.[284] The population of people from India in Minneapolis increased by 1,000 between 2000 and 2010, making it the largest concentration of Indians living in the state.[285] The population of Minneapolis grew until 1950 when the census peaked at 521,718—the only time it has exceeded a half million. The population then declined for decades; after World War II, people moved to the suburbs, and generally out of the Midwest.[286] In 1910, there were approximately 2,500 Black residents,[287] and by 1930, Minneapolis had one of the nation's highest literacy rates[288] among Black residents.[289][290] However, discrimination prevented them from obtaining higher-paying jobs.[291] In 1935, Cecil Newman and the Minneapolis Spokesman led a year-long consumer boycott of four area breweries that refused to hire Blacks.[292] Employment improved during World War II, but housing discrimination persisted.[293] Between 1950 and 1970, the Black population in Minneapolis increased by 436 percent.[292] After the Rust Belt economy declined in the 1980s, Black migrants were attracted to Minneapolis for its job opportunities, good schools, and relatively safe neighborhoods.[294] In the 1990s, immigrants from the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, began to arrive.[295] Immigration from Somalia slowed following a 2017 executive order.[296] As of 2022, about 20,000 Somalis reside in Minneapolis.[297][o] The Williams Institute reported that the Twin Cities had an estimated 4.2% LGBT adult population in 2020.[299] In 2022, the Human Rights Campaign gave Minneapolis its highest score possible on the Municipal Equality Index of support for the LGBTQ+ population.[300] Census and estimates Minneapolis is the country's 46th largest city.[301] and, by 2023 population, the state's largest city.[302] According to the 2020 US census, the population of Minneapolis was 429,954.[303] Hispanic and Latinos comprised 44,513 (10.4 percent).[304] For those who were not Hispanic or Latino, 249,581 people (58.0 percent) were White alone (62.7 percent White alone or in combination), 81,088 (18.9 percent) were Black or African American alone (21.3 percent Black alone or in combination), 24,929 (5.8 percent) were Asian alone, 7,433 (1.2 percent) were American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 25,387 (0.6 percent) some other race alone, and 34,463 (5.2 percent) were multiracial.[303] The most common ancestries in Minneapolis according to the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) were German (22.9 percent), Irish (10.8 percent), Norwegian (8.9 percent), Subsaharan African (6.7 percent), and Swedish (6.1 percent).[305] Among those five years and older, 81.2 percent spoke only English at home, while 7.1 percent spoke Spanish and 11.7 percent spoke other languages, including large numbers of Somali and Hmong speakers.[305] About 13.7 percent of the population was born abroad, with 53.2 percent of them being naturalized US citizens. Most immigrants arrived from Africa (40.6 percent), Asia (24.6 percent), and Latin America (25.2 percent), with 34.6 percent of all foreign-born residents having arrived in 2010 or earlier.[305] The 2021 ACS reported that the median household income in Minneapolis was $69,397. It was $97,670 for families, $123,693 for married couples, and $54,083 for non-family households.[306][307] The median gross rent in Minneapolis was $1,225, and 92.7 percent of housing units in Minneapolis were occupied. Housing units in the city built in 1939 or earlier comprised 43.7 percent.[308] About 15.0 percent of residents lived in poverty.[309] The percentage of residents who had obtained a bachelor's degree or higher was 53.6 percent, and 92.1 percent had at least a high school diploma.[310] US veterans made up 3.2 percent of the population.[305] In Minneapolis, African Americans comprised approximately 20% of the population as of 2020.[303] Blacks owned homes at a rate one-third that of White families.[311] In the metro area, Black home ownership declined between 2000 and 2018; in the Twin Cities for that period, 93 percent of new Black households rented their homes.[312] In 2018, the median income for a Black family was $36,000, which was $47,000 less than a White family's median income. This income gap was one of the largest in the country, with Black Minneapolitans earning about 44% of what White Minneapolitans earned annually.[311] Religion Christ Church with its tower and cross Christ Church Lutheran is one of the city's four National Historic Landmarks.[313] The indigenous Dakota people believed in the Great Spirit, and were surprised that not all European settlers were religious.[314] Twin Cities residents are 70 percent Christian according to the most recent Pew Research Center religious survey in 2014.[315] Settlers who arrived in Minneapolis from New England were for the most part Protestants, Quakers, and Universalists.[314] The oldest continuously used church, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, was built in 1856 by Universalists and soon afterward was acquired by a French Catholic congregation.[316] St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral was founded in 1887;[317] it opened a missionary school and in 1905 created a Russian Orthodox seminary.[318] Edwin Hawley Hewitt designed St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral and Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, both of which are located south of downtown.[319] The Basilica of Saint Mary, the first basilica in the US and co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, was named by Pope Pius XI in 1926.[314] The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was headquartered in Minneapolis from the 1950s until 2001.[320] Christ Church Lutheran in the Longfellow neighborhood was the final work in the career of Eliel Saarinen, and has an education building designed by his son Eero.[321] Aligning with a national trend, the metro area's next largest group after Christians is the 23 percent non-religious population.[315] At the same time, more than 50 denominations and religions are present in Minneapolis, representing most of the world's religions.[314] Temple Israel was built in 1928 by the city's first Jewish congregation, Shaarai Tov, which was formed in 1878.[269] By 1959, a Temple of Islam was located in north Minneapolis.[322] In 1971, a reported 150 persons attended classes at a Hindu temple near the university.[322] In 1972, a relief agency resettled the first Shi'a Muslim family from Uganda in the Twin Cities.[323] Somalis who live in Minneapolis are primarily Sunni Muslim.[324] In 2022, Minneapolis amended its noise ordinance to allow broadcasting the Muslim call to prayer five times per day.[325] The city has about seven Buddhist centers and meditation centers.[326] Economy See also: Economy of Minnesota Largest downtown Minneapolis employers[327] 2023 Rank     Company/Organization 1     Hennepin Healthcare 2     Target Corporation 3     Hennepin County 4     Wells Fargo 5     Ameriprise Financial 6     U.S. Bancorp 7     Xcel Energy 8     City of Minneapolis 9     SPS Commerce 10     RBC Wealth Management Largest Minneapolis companies by revenue 2023[328] Minneapolis rank     Corporation     US rank     Revenue (in millions) 1     Target Corporation     33     $109,120 2     U.S. Bancorp     149     $27,401 3     Xcel Energy     271     $15,310 4     Ameriprise Financial     289     $14,347 5     Thrivent     412     $9,347 Early in the city's history, millers were required to pay for wheat with cash during the growing season, and then to store the wheat until it was needed for flour.[329] The Minneapolis Grain Exchange was founded in 1881; located near the riverfront, it is the only exchange as of 2023 for hard red spring wheat futures.[330] Along with cash requirements for the milling industry, the large amounts of capital that lumbering had accumulated stimulated the local banking industry and made Minneapolis a major financial center.[331] The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis serves Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, and parts of Wisconsin and Michigan; it has the smallest population of the twelve districts in the Federal Reserve System, and has one branch in Helena, Montana.[332] Minneapolis area employment is primarily in trade, transportation, utilities, education, health services, and professional and business services. Smaller numbers of residents are employed in manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, mining, logging, and construction.[333] In 2022, the Twin Cities metropolitan area tied with Boston as having the eighth-highest concentration of major corporate headquarters in the US.[334] Five Fortune 500 corporations were headquartered within the city limits of Minneapolis:[328] Target Corporation, U.S. Bancorp, Ameriprise Financial, Xcel Energy, and Thrivent.[328] Other companies with offices or headquarters in Minneapolis include Accenture,[335] Bellisio Foods,[336] Canadian Pacific,[337] Coloplast,[338] RBC,[339] Deloitte,[340] PricewaterhouseCoopers,[341] and Voya Financial.[342] Arts and culture Visual arts Main article: Arts in Minneapolis center of imposing facade of a block-long, white classical building The Minneapolis Institute of Art admission is free except for special exhibitions.[343] During the Gilded Age, the Walker Art Center began as a private art collection in the home of lumberman T. B. Walker who extended free admission to the public.[344] Around 1940, the center's focus shifted to modern and contemporary art.[345] In partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, the Walker operates the adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden which has about forty sculptures on view year-round.[346] The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is located in south-central Minneapolis on the 10-acre (4 ha) former homestead of the Morrison family.[347] The collection of more than 90,000 artworks spans six continents and about 5,000 years.[348] Perhaps reflecting the ambitions of the founders, competition winner McKim, Mead & White designed a complex seven times the size of what opened in 1915.[349] Frank Gehry designed Weisman Art Museum, which opened in 1993, for the University of Minnesota.[350] A 2011 addition by Gehry doubled the size of the galleries.[351] The Museum of Russian Art opened in a restored church in 2005, and hosts a collection of 20th-century Russian art and special events.[352] Northeast Minneapolis Arts District hosts 400 independent artists, a center at the Northrup-King Building, and recurring annual events.[353] Theater and performing arts Main article: List of theaters in Minnesota Midnight blue modern building seen from green area The Guthrie Theater originated as an alternative to Broadway.[354] Minneapolis has hosted theatrical performances since the end of the American Civil War.[355] Early theaters included Pence Opera House, the Academy of Music, Grand Opera House, Lyceum, and later the Metropolitan Opera House, which opened in 1894.[356] Fifteen of the fifty-five Twin Cities theater companies counted in 2015 by Peg Guilfoyle had a physical site in Minneapolis. About half the remainder performed in variable spaces throughout the metropolitan area.[357] In his social history of American regional theater, Joseph Zeigler calls the Guthrie Theater the "granddaddy" of regional theater.[358] Tyrone Guthrie founded the Guthrie in 1963 with an inventive thrust stage—a collaboration by Guthrie, designer Tanya Moiseiwitsch, and architect Ralph Rapson[359]—jutting into the seats and surrounded by the audience on three sides.[360] French architect Jean Nouvel designed a new Guthrie that opened in 2006 overlooking the Mississippi River.[360] The design team reproduced the thrust stage with some alterations, and they added a proscenium stage and an experimental stage.[360] Minneapolis purchased and renovated the Orpheum, State, and Pantages Theatres, vaudeville and film houses on Hennepin Avenue that are now used for concerts and plays.[361] Another renovated theater, the Shubert, joined with the Hennepin Center for the Arts to become the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, which represents more than 20 performing arts groups.[362] Youth make up the Somali Museum Dance Troupe who perform and teach Somali dances.[363] Music Main article: Music of Minnesota Hip height portrait of Prince playing guitar at night wearing white suit with metallic silver ornament Prince studied at the Minnesota Dance Theatre[364] through the Minneapolis Public Schools.[365] Minnesota Orchestra plays classical and popular music at Orchestra Hall under music director Thomas Søndergård.[366] The orchestra won a 2014 Grammy for their recording of Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4 by Sibelius,[367] and a 2004 Grammy for composer Dominick Argento with their recording of Casa Guidi.[368] Minneapolis's opera companies include Minnesota Opera,[369] the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company,[370] and Really Spicy Opera.[371] Singer and multi-instrumentalist Prince was a child prodigy,[372] born in Minneapolis and an area resident for most of his life.[373] Minneapolis became what Pitchfork called the "center of music in the '80s" thanks to the nightclub First Avenue and musicians like Prince, Hüsker Dü, and The Replacements.[374] The city hosts several other concert venues including the Cedar and the Dakota,[375] and Live Nation books the Armory and the Uptown Theater.[376] As her fame increased, Lizzo lived in Minneapolis for about five years,[377] and other hip hop acts such as Atmosphere featured the city and Minnesota in their lyrics.[378][379] Charity Philanthropy and charitable giving have been part of the Minneapolis community since the 1800s.[380] According to AmeriCorps, in 2017,[p] Minneapolis–Saint Paul, with 46.3 percent of the population volunteering, had the highest proportion of volunteers among US cities.[381] Catholic Charities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the state, and a provider of several social services.[382] A decades-old NGO with a $75 million annual budget located in Minneapolis,[383] Alight helps millions of refugees in Africa and Asia with water, shelter, and economic support.[384] Historical museums Black Lives Matter mural (2020) organized by the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery[385] Exhibits at Mill City Museum feature the city's history of flour milling.[386] The Bakken, formerly known as the Bakken Library and Museum of Electricity in Life,[387] shifted focus in 2016 from electricity and magnetism to invention and innovation, and in 2020 opened a new entrance on Bde Maka Ska.[388] Hennepin History Museum is housed in a former mansion.[389] Minnehaha Depot was built in 1875.[390] The American Swedish Institute occupies a former mansion on Park Avenue.[391] The American Indian Cultural Corridor, about eight blocks on Franklin Avenue, houses All My Relatives Gallery.[392] In 2013, the Somali Museum of Minnesota opened on Lake Street.[393]The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery was founded in 2018.[394] Literary arts The nonprofit literary presses Coffee House Press, Graywolf Press, and Milkweed Editions are based in Minneapolis.[395] The University of Minnesota Press publishes books, journals, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.[396] The Open Book facility houses The Loft Literary Center, Milkweed, and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.[397] Other Minneapolis publishers are 1517 Media,[398] Button Poetry,[399] and Lerner Publishing Group.[400] Cuisine See also: Cuisine of the Midwestern United States § Minneapolis and Saint Paul After the flight to the suburbs began in the 1950s, streetcar service ended citywide.[401] One of the largest urban food deserts in the US developed on the north side of Minneapolis, where as of mid-2017, 70,000 people had access to only two grocery stores.[402] When Aldi closed in 2023, the area again became a food desert with two full-service grocers.[403] The nonprofit Appetite for Change sought to improve the diet of residents, competing against an influx of fast-food stores,[404] and by 2017 it administered ten gardens, sold produce in the mid-year months at West Broadway Farmers Market, supplied its restaurants, and gave away boxes of fresh produce.[405] West Broadway is one of twenty farmers markets and mini-markets operating in the city, and among them, four are open during winter.[406] Minneapolis-based individuals who have won the food industry James Beard Foundation Award include chef Gavin Kaysen,[407] writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl,[408] television personality Andrew Zimmern,[409] and chef Sean Sherman,[410] whose restaurant Owamni received James Beard's 2022 best new restaurant award.[411] Conceived in Minneapolis as a malted milkshake in candy form, the Milky Way bar of nougat, caramel, and chocolate was made in the North Loop neighborhood during the 1920s.[412] Both purported originators of the Jucy Lucy burger—the 5-8 Club and Matt's Bar—have served it since the 1950s.[413] East African cuisine arrived in Minneapolis with the wave of migrants from Somalia that started in the 1990s.[414] The Herbivorous Butcher opened in 2016; the shop offers natural alternatives to meat that were described by CBS News as "meat-free meat" from the "first vegan 'butcher' shop in the United States".[415] Annual events Each January and February, a series of events called The Great Northern is held in Minneapolis.[416] The series includes the annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis;[417] and the City of Lakes Loppet, a 13-mile (21-kilometer) or 26-mile (42-kilometer) cross-country ski race that is part of the American ski marathon series.[418] The annual MayDay Parade is held in south Minneapolis in May.[419] Other events include Art-A-Whirl[420] in May; Twin Cities Pride,[421] the Stone Arch Bridge Festival,[422] and Twin Cities Juneteenth[423] in June; Sister Cities Day,[424] Minnehaha Falls Art Fair, and Loring Park Art Festival in July;[425] the Minneapolis Aquatennial,[426] the Minnesota Fringe Festival,[427] the Uptown Art Fair, Powderhorn Art Fair, and Downtown Minneapolis Street Art Festival in August;[425] the Minneapolis Monarch Festival in September that celebrates the monarch butterfly's 2,300-mile (3,700 km) migration;[428] and in October, the Twin Cities Marathon which is a Boston Marathon qualifier.[429] Libraries In 2008, the Minneapolis Public Library merged with the Hennepin County Library. Fifteen of the system's 41 branches serve Minneapolis.[430] The downtown Central Library, designed by César Pelli, opened in 2006.[431] Seven special collections hold resources for researchers.[432] Sports Main articles: Sports in Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Sports in Minnesota Remodeled bronze exterior in October 2018. White dog with red target around eye above signage that says Target Center Target Center Nighttime shot of a green ball field and large scoreboard and flood lights lit up behind it Target Field Night aerial shot of large angular modern building lit from within U.S. Bank Stadium Minneapolis has four professional sports teams. The American football team Minnesota Vikings and the baseball team Minnesota Twins have played in the state since 1961. The Vikings were a National Football League expansion team and the Twins were formed when the Washington Senators relocated to Minnesota.[433] The Twins won the World Series in 1987 and 1991, and have played at Target Field since 2010.[434] The Vikings played in the Super Bowl following the 1969, 1973, 1974, and 1976 seasons, losing all four games.[435] The basketball team Minnesota Timberwolves returned National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball to Minneapolis in 1989, and were followed by Minnesota Lynx in 1999. Both basketball teams play in the Target Center.[436] In the 2010s, the Lynx were the most-successful Minnesota professional sports team and a dominant force in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), winning four WNBA championships from 2011 to 2017.[437] Minnesota Wild, a National Hockey League team, play at the Xcel Energy Center;[438] and the Major League Soccer soccer team Minnesota United FC play at Allianz Field, both of which are located in Saint Paul.[439] In addition to professional sports teams, Minneapolis hosts a majority of the Minnesota Golden Gophers' college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The Gophers football team plays at Huntington Bank Stadium and have won seven national championships.[440] The Gophers women's ice hockey team is a six-time NCAA champion.[441] The Gophers men's ice hockey team plays at 3M Arena at Mariucci, and won five NCAA championships.[442] Both the Golden Gophers men's basketball and women's basketball teams play at Williams Arena.[443] Six golf courses are located within the Minneapolis city limits.[444] The 1,750,000-square-foot (163,000 m2) U.S. Bank Stadium was built for the Vikings at a cost of $1.122 billion, $348 million of which was provided by the state of Minnesota and $150 million by the city of Minneapolis. The stadium, which was called "Minnesota's biggest-ever public works project", opened in 2016 with 66,000 seats, which was expanded to 70,000 for the 2018 Super Bowl.[445] U.S. Bank Stadium also hosts indoor running and rollerblading nights.[446] Parks and recreation Main article: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Seven young people in canoe, shoreline is green, women paddling, all wearing life vests, bridge span and university visible behind them Canoeing on the Mississippi Landscape architect Horace Cleveland's "crowning achievement" is the Minneapolis park system.[447] In the 1880s, he preserved geographical landmarks and linked them with boulevards and parkways.[448] In their introduction to a modern reprint of Cleveland's treatise on landscape architecture, Nadenicek and Neckar add that "Cleveland was successful in Minneapolis in great measure because he operated with kindred spirits" like William Watts Folwell and Charles M. Loring.[449] In his book The American City: What Works, What Doesn't, Alexander Garvin wrote Minneapolis built "the best-located, best-financed, best-designed, and best-maintained public open space in America".[450] The city's parks are governed and operated by the independent Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board park district.[451] Beyond its network of 185 neighborhood parks,[452] the park board owns the city's canopy of trees,[453] and nearly all land that borders the city's waterfronts.[454] The park board owns property outside the city limits including the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary which is part of its largest park, Theodore Wirth Park, shared with Golden Valley, Minnesota.[455] Theodore Wirth, park superintendent from 1906 to 1935, built parkways for the automobile, dredged lakes, sculpted land, and managed details of park expansion.[456] Superintendent in the 1960s and 1970s, Robert W. Ruhe created neighborhood parks and recreation centers in hitherto underserved areas.[457] In 2022, 500 participants[458] ages 14 to 24 served as Teen Teamworks recruits for on-the-job training in green careers[459] or as future park employees.[460] Minnehaha Falls in the summer As of 2020, approximately 15 percent of land in Minneapolis is parks, in accordance with the national median, and 98 percent of residents live within one-half mile (0.8 km) of a park.[461] The city's Chain of Lakes, consisting of seven lakes and Minnehaha Creek, is connected by bicycle paths, and running and walking paths, and is used for swimming, fishing, picnics, boating, and ice skating. A parkway for cars, a bikeway for riders, and a walkway for pedestrians[462] run parallel along the 51-mile (82 km) route of the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway.[463] Parks are interlinked in many places, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area connects regional parks and visitor centers.[464] Among walks and hikes running along the Mississippi River, the five-mile (8 km), hiking-only Winchell Trail offers views of and access to the Mississippi Gorge and a rustic hiking experience.[465] Cleveland lobbied for a park on the riverfront to include the city's other waterfall.[466] In 1889, George A. Brackett arranged financing, and his associate Henry Brown paid the state to cover the condemnation of surrounding land.[467] The 53-foot (16 m) waterfall Minnehaha Falls is one of Minnesota's first state parks.[468] The falls became what historian Mary Lethert Wingerd calls a "civic emblem", appearing on products and in placenames.[469] Minneapolis's climate provides opportunities for winter activities such as ice fishing, snowshoeing, ice skating, cross-country skiing, and sledding at many parks and lakes between December and March.[470] Scaling back on skate rental and warming houses since the COVID-19 pandemic, as of 2021, the park board maintained 20 outdoor ice rinks in winter.[471] Government Main articles: Minneapolis City Council, Government of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Police Department, Timeline of race relations and policing in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, and 2021 Minneapolis Question 2 Built between 1889 and 1906, Minneapolis City Hall (seen from The People's Plaza) is on the National Register of Historic Places.[472] The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), which is affiliated with the Democratic Party, holds the majority in Minneapolis. The city has not elected a Republican mayor since 1975.[473] At the federal level, Minneapolis is situated in Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which has been represented by Democrat Ilhan Omar since 2018. Both of Minnesota's US Senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, were elected or appointed while residing in Minneapolis and are Democrats as well.[474][475] Jacob Frey, a former DFL city council member, was elected as the mayor of Minneapolis in 2017 and re-elected in 2021.[476] In 2006, the city adopted instant-runoff voting and first used it during the 2009 elections.[477] The Minneapolis City Council has 13 members who represent the city's 13 wards.[478] In 2021, a ballot question shifted more weight from the city council to the mayor, a change that proponents had tried to achieve since the early 20th century.[479] The mayor and city council now share responsibility for the city's finances.[480] The city's primary source of funding is property tax,[481] and there is a sales tax of 9.03 percent[482] on purchases made within the city, which is a combination of state, county, special district taxes, a city sales tax of 0.50 percent, and a local use tax for out-of-state purchases.[483][484] The Park and Recreation Board is an independent city department with nine elected commissioners who levy their own taxes, subject to city charter limits.[451] The Board of Estimation and Taxation, which oversees city levies, is also an independent department.[485] The restructured mayor's role created a new Minneapolis Office of Community Safety, with its commissioner overseeing the police and fire departments, 911 dispatch, emergency management, and violence prevention.[486] In 2023, the city renewed[487] a pilot cooperation with the police department and a mental health services company, Canopy Mental Health & Consulting, to respond to some 911 calls that do not require police.[488] A half-dozen officers wearing light blue shirts, black gas masks and black bullet-proof vests, carrying long tear gas launchers, standing in front of a corner brick and glass building with boarded up windows, identified with the seal of Minneapolis and "Minneapolis Police" in large white letters Police guard the third precinct the day before it was burned down during the George Floyd protests. After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, about 166 police officers left of their own accord either to retirement or to temporary leave—many with PTSD[489]—and a crime wave resulted in more than 500 shootings.[490] A Reuters investigation found that killings surged when a "hands-off" attitude resulted in fewer officer-initiated encounters.[491] Violent crime rose three percent across Minneapolis in July 2022 compared with 2021,[492] and in 2020, it rose 21 percent compared to the average of the previous five years.[493] Violent crime was down for 2022 in every category except assaults. Carjackings, gunshots fired, gunshot wounds, and robberies decreased, and homicides were down 20 percent compared to the previous year.[494] In 2023, the US Justice Department (DOJ) proposed 28 immediate "remedial" steps as it completed its investigation of the city's policing practices.[495] Among DOJ findings, Minneapolis police officers routinely used excessive force, discriminated against people, and, with the city, violated people's rights.[496] In 2022, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights completed its two-year investigation of the police department[497] that found a "pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act".[498] The state stipulated that the federal decree would take precedence in the case of conflicts, and city leaders sought one monitor to oversee both, to assure a single measure of compliance.[495] The 2023 city budget planned for one negotiated consent decree, and the statutory minimum of 731 officers in the police department, which had been short of that minimum.[499] In 2015, the city council passed a resolution making fossil fuel divestment city policy,[500] joining 17 cities worldwide in the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. Minneapolis's climate plan calls for an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.[501] In 2021, the city council voted unanimously to abolish its required minimum number of parking spaces for new construction.[502] Minneapolis has a separation ordinance that directs local law-enforcement officers not to "take any law enforcement action" for the sole purpose of finding undocumented immigrants, nor to ask an individual about his or her immigration status.[503] Education Primary and secondary Volunteer missionaries,[504] the Pond brothers received permission from the US Indian agency[505] at Fort Snelling in 1834 to teach new farming techniques and a new religion to Chief Cloud Man and his community on the east shore of Bde Maka Ska.[314] That year, J. D. Stevens and the Ponds built an Indian mission near Lake Harriet, which was the first educational institution in Minneapolis.[314] When more settlers moved to the area, by 1874, ten school buildings served nearly 4,000 students. The city of Minneapolis joined with St. Anthony and by 1922, together they enrolled 70,000 students.[506] Teacher faces a full classroom, children raising arms to speak, teacher is holding a sign that says "Aislador" (insulator) Dual language science outreach at Emerson, one of nine[507] magnet elementary schools Minneapolis Public Schools served 28,689 K–12 students as of October 2022,[508] in more than fifty schools, divided between community and magnet.[509] As of 2023, enrollment was declining about 1.5 percent per year, and approximately 60 percent of school age children attended district schools.[508] Many students enrolled in alternatives such as charter schools, of which the city has thirty as of 2023.[510] By state law, charter schools are open to all students and are tuition free.[511] In 2022, about 1200 at-risk students attended district Contract Alternative Schools.[512] The public school district adopted a comprehensive district design beginning with the 2020–2021 school year to address academics, equity, financial sustainability, and to end disadvantages for students of color and students from low-income neighborhoods. The design changed student placement, changed the boundaries for almost all schools, moved magnet schools to central locations and narrowed the magnet types, standardized many start times to improve bus service, and gave every student a community elementary and middle school in their neighborhood. Students may attend a community school by request and be accepted to the school in their neighborhood. Students entered a lottery to be enrolled in a magnet school.[509] Eight high schools had school-based clinics with a doctor, nurses, a mental health counselor, and a registered dietitian.[513] School district demographics differed from the city's. White students made up 41 percent, Black students 35 percent, Hispanic 14 percent, and 5 percent each were Asian and Native American.[514] English-language learners were about 17 percent,[514] in a district that spoke 100 languages at home.[515] About 15 percent were special education students.[514] As of fall 2023, every public school student in the state receives one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day.[516] In 2022, the district's graduation rate was 77 percent, an improvement of three percent over the previous year.[517] Colleges and universities See also: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system striking geometric metallic building in front of more traditional ones University of Minnesota teaching art museum, teaching hospital, and student union (left to right) The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus is headquartered in Minneapolis.[518] With more than 50,000 students in 2023, it is the sixth largest campus in the US by enrollment.[519] College rankings for 2023 place the school in the range of 44th[520] (2022) to 185th for academics worldwide.[519][518] QS found a decline in rank over a decade.[518] Shanghai found excellence in ecology, business management, library & information science, and biotechnology.[520] Among the 2,000 schools U.S. News & World Report compared in its 2022–2023 best global universities rankings, the University of Minnesota was 57th.[521] The state's land-grant university,[522] the school has unusual autonomy that has existed in Minnesota since 1858, when the state constitution included the provision: regents are in control, independent of city government.[523] Augsburg University, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and North Central University are private four-year colleges; the first two offer master's programs.[524] The public two-year Minneapolis Community and Technical College[525] and the private Dunwoody College of Technology[526] provide career training and associate degrees and the latter offers a bachelor's program. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota has a Twin Cities campus for its graduate and professional programs.[527] Opening a new Minneapolis site in 2023, Red Lake Nation College is a federally recognized tribal college site that teaches Ojibwe culture.[528] The large, principally online universities Capella University[529] and Walden University[530] are both headquartered in the city. The public four-year Metropolitan State University[531] and the private four-year University of St. Thomas[532] are post-secondary institutions based elsewhere that have campuses in Minneapolis. The city has more than twenty-five licensed career schools. These institutions offer short term training, some diplomas, and certificates in a wide variety of fields including business, yoga, Pilates, portfolio development, CompTIA certification, floral design, cosmetology, construction, healthcare, information technology, and for those who wish to become a personal trainer, ophthalmic technician, or phlebotomy technician.[533]
  • Player: Randy Moss
  • Sport: Football
  • Signed: Yes
  • Original/Reprint: Original
  • Product: Jersey
  • Team: Minnesota Vikings

PicClick Insights - Randy Moss #84 Minnesota Vikings Signed Jersey Autographed given Anthony Carter PicClick Exclusive

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