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Sept. 13, 1999
Vikings fans cheer new seasonBy TONY ZIEBOL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- Traffic was minimal, and the streets were relatively bare Sunday afternoon. Many of the city's residents stayed indoors to watch the Minnesota Vikings football game. It was the first step on a journey football fans hope will end in a Super Bowl berth. Bars on Minnesota street, including the Lamplighter Sports Bar & Grill and Rodney's Tavern, had their share of people with their eyes glued to the TV. Rodney's in particular was was filled with cheering people in purple attire. Jerseys with names like Robert Smith, Randy Moss and John Randle were worn proudly, and even a bartender got in the act with his Cris Carter uniform. Other patrons also had the Vikings insignia on their clothing, including one noticeable T-shirt with the words Purple Reign. Beer was the drink of choice and a taco bar proved popular with the customers. Most importantly, everyone seemed to be happy that the Vikings were back on the field after months of waiting since the heart-breaking loss against the Falcons in last season's NFC title game. Minnesota had a chance Sunday to avenge that painful loss with the first game of the 1999 season at Atlanta. Without a doubt, the three television sets at Rodney's captured patrons' attention. Fans were amazed when Mitch Berger raced downfield and dove to recover a Falcons' fumble after he had kicked off. They questioned the play-calling when Minnesota ran the ball on a third and long, deep in Atlanta territory. They cheered when Cris Carter grabbed a second-quarter touchdown pass from Randall Cunningham. In reality, they either clapped or groaned, shouted or cussed, when anything substantial happened during the game. Larry Steinmetz, who grew up in Wisconsin, but has lived in New Ulm for the past 30 years, had the nerve to wear the dreaded Green Bay jersey. "Once a Packer fan, always a Packer fan," he said. "I'm still cheering for Minnesota as long as they don't play the Packers. I gotta feel sorry for these guys." His favorite team won, but it took a miraculous comeback by Brett Favre to squeak past the Oakland Raiders. Steinmetz was never worried, though. "There was never any doubt (that the Packers would win)," he said. The close Vikings-Falcons game did make some Minnesota fans nervous, however. "The first half was good," said Dianna Otto of New Ulm, sporting a purple Robert Smith Jersey. "This (second) half is tough." In the end, it was close, but Minnesota came out on top with a 17-14 win. The Vikings looked good at times, and suspect in others, but Otto still thinks Minnesota will return to Atlanta for this season's Super Bowl. "I'll say they're going," she said.
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