By Shane Frederick
Free Press Staff Writer
MANKATO — As the game approached the final minute of regulation, it was hard not to think, “I’ve seen this movie before.”
The Vikings were driving for a game-winning field goal in the NFC Championship Game, and it was inevitable that history was going to repeat itself.
If you’re a Minnesota fan, you could only think of Darrin Nelson’s drop, Randall Cunningham’s knee and 41-doughnut.
If you’ve watched Brett Favre since his lone Super Bowl victory with the Packers 13 years ago, you could only think of those six interceptions in St. Louis, that wounded duck in Philadelphia and that ill-timed pick in overtime against the Giants on a frigid night in Green Bay.
On Sunday, when a gimpy, 40-year-old Favre rolled out to the right on third-and-15 and looked to turn what would have been a 56-yard game-winning field goal attempt into something a little more manageable, his fate was sealed.
As someone who grew up rooting for the Packers and — I won’t mince words here — loathing the Vikings, I actually was torn by what happened next.
I was sitting on my coach as the play unfolded, flanked by my two sons — one in a purple Favre jersey, the other with an Adrian Peterson jersey sticking out of his sweatshirt.
In his book, “Fever Pitch,” the author Nick Hornby wrote: “There must be many fathers around the country who have experienced the cruelest, most crushing rejection of all: Their children have ended up supporting the wrong team.”
I am one of those fathers.
Still, how could I revel in yet another Vikings playoff loss when my boys went to bed disappointed after Favre threw that ugly interception and the Saints ended up winning in overtime?
To their credit, the kids handled the defeat probably much better than a lot of their fellow Vikings fans and certainly better than I handled some of those old Green Bay losses.
As big as the rivalry is between the Vikings and the Packers and as heated as it often becomes between their fans — even in my own home — Favre’s last throw linked us all together.
For years, Packers fans have experienced the great highs and heartbreaking lows that only Favre could provide. Win or lose, it was almost always great theater.
Favre provided that drama to Minnesota fans this year. Amazingly, it came with very few lows along the way.
In just one season — maybe even in one game — in purple, Favre packed in 16 years worth of shining moments for his new fans. He not only won the hearts and minds of a people who had been bred to hate him, but he easily became the team’s most popular player.
Against the Saints, Favre had a chance to become a Minnesota hero and put the Vikings into the Super Bowl, just as he had done twice for the Packers.
You can blame the loss on Peterson’s fumbles, or know that the phrase “12 men in the huddle” will become as big a slur as “take a knee” in these parts, but that last toss was the ultimate heartbreaker.
Packers fans know how you feel, Vikings fans. We expected more during our time with Favre, too.
Perhaps we can come together for a brief spell and hug this one out.
Then again, maybe I’ll just hug my kids.
Shane Frederick is a Free Press staff writer. Read his blog PucKato for all things college hockey.
