The more and more I think about it Father’s Day should be the first Sunday of the NFL season. Countless number of years have I sat in my parents rocking chair on opening day looking at my Dad saying “this is the year I can feel it.” Yet to be disappointed at the end of the season.
Well Father’s Day is not on that glorious day. I do know thousands of girls and boys, women and men can tell stories about their Dad’s and Vikings football. I do have one as well. July 1998 (Can’t remember the exact date) Mankato MN I’m 25 or something close to that age. My Dad asked if I would like to go up to Mankato and see Vikings Training Camp. “Sure” why not we drafted this kid named Randy Moss and the interviews that I have read and heard he was saying he was going to tear up the league. Plus I have never been to a Training Camp. Well I’m sure my Dad heard those comments as well and it had him curious as he as seen some great’s play with the Vikings of the past.
Being from Sioux Falls South Dakota and Mankato a nice 3 hour drive and my Dad likes being early for things. “Let’s leave at 5:30am” I’m 25 and still do not have that maturity of an adult yet but If I’m going to see my first training camp so I’m game. So threw in the golf clubs, to golf in-between those long breaks that the Vikings have. Tossed in the camera (and kids this thing had film) to see who I could get pictures of.
Well we get there and it’s cloudy and cool not your typical July day. I can’t remember if my dad has been in Mankato before for a training camp or someone said the players come out of there and you can try to get autographs and pictures. 1998 was before all the fan fair that it is now, there were no fences between you and the players and with it being a cool day there were not many people there.
John Randle (my favorite of all time), Robert Smith, Brad Johnson, Chris Walsh to name a few that year. Well here come Cris Carter and this skinny kid wearing the number 18. That’s Randy Moss the kid that thinks he is going to tear up the league.
Watching morning practice was nothing special though was able to see some defensive drills and listen to Johnny Randle talk is talk. Did not see too much of Moss. So morning practice ended and we proceeded to drive past Gage Towers, Dad almost hits a player who is riding his bike to get back for lunch I’m assuming. Thank the lord the player smiled as I almost had a young heart attack and Dad just like what Dads do said “what the hell does he think he’s doing.”
We get back from golf and ready to watch the afternoon session. We sit in the bleachers to watch 7 on 7. This has Moss in it with the 2 nd team offense and I don’t even know who threw him the ball but he was torching the corner back. Now he steps in with the 1 st team against the 1 st team defense. Wow! Moss again flew down the field with so much ease it was not even funny. His routes were a thing of magic.
Well we both looked at each other saying that he looks as good as advertised and that we may have witnessed something special. We did but you know the rest and how the 1998-1999 season went.
Well Happy Father’s Day Dad thanks for taking me up to Mankato in 1998. Can’t wait till we can get up to Mankato to see the 2016 Training Camp and the 2016 Super Bowl Champions MINNESOTA VIKINGS!
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