Howard Lestrud
ECM Online EditorThe Minnesota Vikings football team brought its game to Anoka County on last Tuesday night, showing off its 2004 squad to an estimated 10,000 fans at the National Sports Center in Blaine.
Players including superstars Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper thrilled their loyal fans by showing off their skills during a controlled passing scrimmage and by interacting with fans on many occasions.
ìHey Randy,î bellowed one fan at No. 84 (Moss) as he sat on the sideline bench after completing a successful series of offensive plays. Moss responded by holding his index finger high into the air indicating the Vikings were indeed No. 1.
A youngster hollered at new favorite Brock Lesnar (69) and asked him for an autograph. Going through his warmup drills, Lesnar, a former WWE wrestling champion, answered: ìNot now buddy, Iím a little bit busy.î
Viking players threw purple footballs into the crowd at the scrimmage's conclusion.
A local favorite has to be offensive lineman Adam Haayer (No. 72) of Forest Lake. He played his high school ball in Forest Lake and starred as an offensive lineman for the University of Minnesota. Haayer said he is ìhaving a blastî vying for a spot on the team and likely will be a backup offensive tackle. He weighs in at 308 pounds and stands 6-6.
The Blaine High School Marching Band was featured as halftime entertainment and proved to be a favorite of the fans. Viking quarterback Culpepper sought out several members of the band and shook their hands in appreciation.
Prior to the scrimmage, many Anoka County officials and Blaine city officials were schmoozing the benefits of locating a stadium and the Vikings in Anoka County. A brochure entitled: ìItís a whole new ballgameî was circulated to all fans attending.
The literature said that preliminary estimates indicate a Vikings stadium and development could result in a gain of $100 million per year.
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