December 12th, 2010 the historic Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome collapses under 17.1 inches of snow. The picture perfectly summarizes the position of the franchise at the time. A combination of high hopes, terrible let downs and an outdated quarterback and stadium resulted in disappointment being cast throughout the twin cities.
While the collapse marked the end of an era for the Vikings fans of old, the collapse simultaneously marked the start of a new and exciting era of Vikings fandom. While some may see tragedy, others see the collapse as the point of rebirth for the Vikings and their fanbase. The end of an era for the Randy Moss and Cris Carter led teams and the beginning for the future superstars of Minnesota. With the help of $1.06 billion in funds and an Icelandic Soccer team, this is the story of US Bank Stadium. The Magnum Opus of Minneapolis.
The collapse of the metrodome had without a doubt a profound impact on the Vikings. It made a minor issue of a slightly outdated stadium built in 1982 into a major one with a desperate need to play somewhere dependable for the future. In 2014 and 2015 the Vikings made the move to Huntington Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Gophers. The stadium had its positives but the consistently cold Minnesota winters would regularly ware on fans and players alike. It was clear that a team as historic and important for the Minnesota area as the Vikings would be best playing in a dome.
Plans for a new stadium were nothing new for 21st century Vikings fans. As early as 2008, plans for a new stadium were being discussed with the initial projected opening as early as 2012. Through several modifications and other untimely events, the dates were pushed back to open the unnamed stadium in 2016. In June 2015, US Bank purchased the naming rights to the stadium for 25 years for a total of $220 million. The stadium was built over a three year period with a variety of important events taking place.
The stadium construction process was met with tragedy with the death of construction worker Jermaine Gruber on August 26, 2015. After several fines and one lawsuit attempting to prevent the project’s construction, US Bank saw its opening day on July 22, 2016. Met with amazement from fans of both the Vikings and the team they host that Sunday, the stadium has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews with the Vikings winning their stadium opener against the Green Bay Packers 17 – 14 September 18, 2016. While US Bank was an impressive endeavor undertaken by the Vikings ownership group, a secret weapon belonging to the Vikings fanbase was ready to make its journey from Iceland to America.
The Skol chant is one of the most well known pregame celebrations in all of American sports at this point. The energy of thousands of people simultaneously shouting “SKOL!!!” can bring goosebumps to the arms of almost anyone. But surprisingly, this chant is one of the more recent additions to the Vikings. Believe it or not, this chant has its origins in the Vikings culture of Iceland. The Skol chant has been the chant of the national Icelandic football team for years prior. Below is a video of the Icelandic form of the now famous Skol Chant
The Vikings took this chant and made it their own with a handful of additions. The first being the use of the Gjallarhorn to mark the end of the chant. The second being the use of the word Skol following the clap. The Vikings made sure to pay their dues to the team that inspired their chant, with Iceland team captain Aron Gunnarsson showing the Vikings fans how to do the clap.
After several seasons with many “Skols” under their belt, the Vikings’ use of the Icelandic chant has only grown in popularity. At the end of the day, the real value behind the new stadium and new catchy chant is the atmosphere the environment provides. Atmosphere is a heavy emphasis in the eyes of Vikings ownership, with a great deal of care being put into the locker rooms of players, the stadium seats and even the architecture of US Bank. When asked about what US Bank Stadium means to him, Purple Insider Host and Vikings Beat Reporter Matthew Coller stated the following.
“There are some newer stadiums and more expensive ones around the NFL but I haven’t visited any that check off as many boxes as US Bank Stadium. It’s Among the top in the NFL in noise level in the game’s biggest moments, the sightlines for fans are good from anywhere in the building, it’s spacious for media and the locker rooms are as good as it gets. The stadium is one of the first thing players mention when they sign with the Vikings.”
The care put into the Vikings image is something that has had a profound effect on the team and the way they are viewed in Minnesota. The investment made by Vikings ownership towards the care of their stadium, their practice facilities and even something as trivial as a chant has without a doubt made a serious impact on the team’s home presence. Perhaps the most obvious example of the impact of these investments occurred January 14, 2018. Fresh off of one of the most miraculous plays of the 21st century, Vikings quarterback Case Keenum leads the newly created Skol chant with all 66,612 Vikings fans in attendance. Certainly one of the most electric environments in Vikings history.
The care put into ensuring one of the most exciting atmospheres in football has ushered in a new era of Vikings football, already filled with the history of Stefon Diggs’ playoff heroball, the jaw dropping catches of Justin Jefferson and the future stars of Minnesota. US Bank has shown itself to be far more than just a stadium but rather the Magnum Opus of Minneapolis. For all things Vikings and more. Keep it right here on NFCNorthReport.com
While the collapse marked the end of an era for the Vikings fans of old, the collapse simultaneously marked the start of a new and exciting era of Vikings fandom. While some may see tragedy, others see the collapse as the point of rebirth for the Vikings and their fanbase. The end of an era for the Randy Moss and Cris Carter led teams and the beginning for the future superstars of Minnesota. With the help of $1.06 billion in funds and an Icelandic Soccer team, this is the story of US Bank Stadium. The Magnum Opus of Minneapolis.
The collapse of the metrodome had without a doubt a profound impact on the Vikings. It made a minor issue of a slightly outdated stadium built in 1982 into a major one with a desperate need to play somewhere dependable for the future. In 2014 and 2015 the Vikings made the move to Huntington Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Gophers. The stadium had its positives but the consistently cold Minnesota winters would regularly ware on fans and players alike. It was clear that a team as historic and important for the Minnesota area as the Vikings would be best playing in a dome.
Plans for a new stadium were nothing new for 21st century Vikings fans. As early as 2008, plans for a new stadium were being discussed with the initial projected opening as early as 2012. Through several modifications and other untimely events, the dates were pushed back to open the unnamed stadium in 2016. In June 2015, US Bank purchased the naming rights to the stadium for 25 years for a total of $220 million. The stadium was built over a three year period with a variety of important events taking place.
The stadium construction process was met with tragedy with the death of construction worker Jermaine Gruber on August 26, 2015. After several fines and one lawsuit attempting to prevent the project’s construction, US Bank saw its opening day on July 22, 2016. Met with amazement from fans of both the Vikings and the team they host that Sunday, the stadium has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews with the Vikings winning their stadium opener against the Green Bay Packers 17 – 14 September 18, 2016. While US Bank was an impressive endeavor undertaken by the Vikings ownership group, a secret weapon belonging to the Vikings fanbase was ready to make its journey from Iceland to America.
The Skol chant is one of the most well known pregame celebrations in all of American sports at this point. The energy of thousands of people simultaneously shouting “SKOL!!!” can bring goosebumps to the arms of almost anyone. But surprisingly, this chant is one of the more recent additions to the Vikings. Believe it or not, this chant has its origins in the Vikings culture of Iceland. The Skol chant has been the chant of the national Icelandic football team for years prior. Below is a video of the Icelandic form of the now famous Skol Chant
The Vikings took this chant and made it their own with a handful of additions. The first being the use of the Gjallarhorn to mark the end of the chant. The second being the use of the word Skol following the clap. The Vikings made sure to pay their dues to the team that inspired their chant, with Iceland team captain Aron Gunnarsson showing the Vikings fans how to do the clap.
After several seasons with many “Skols” under their belt, the Vikings’ use of the Icelandic chant has only grown in popularity. At the end of the day, the real value behind the new stadium and new catchy chant is the atmosphere the environment provides. Atmosphere is a heavy emphasis in the eyes of Vikings ownership, with a great deal of care being put into the locker rooms of players, the stadium seats and even the architecture of US Bank. When asked about what US Bank Stadium means to him, Purple Insider Host and Vikings Beat Reporter Matthew Coller stated the following.
“There are some newer stadiums and more expensive ones around the NFL but I haven’t visited any that check off as many boxes as US Bank Stadium. It’s Among the top in the NFL in noise level in the game’s biggest moments, the sightlines for fans are good from anywhere in the building, it’s spacious for media and the locker rooms are as good as it gets. The stadium is one of the first thing players mention when they sign with the Vikings.”
The care put into the Vikings image is something that has had a profound effect on the team and the way they are viewed in Minnesota. The investment made by Vikings ownership towards the care of their stadium, their practice facilities and even something as trivial as a chant has without a doubt made a serious impact on the team’s home presence. Perhaps the most obvious example of the impact of these investments occurred January 14, 2018. Fresh off of one of the most miraculous plays of the 21st century, Vikings quarterback Case Keenum leads the newly created Skol chant with all 66,612 Vikings fans in attendance. Certainly one of the most electric environments in Vikings history.
The care put into ensuring one of the most exciting atmospheres in football has ushered in a new era of Vikings football, already filled with the history of Stefon Diggs’ playoff heroball, the jaw dropping catches of Justin Jefferson and the future stars of Minnesota. US Bank has shown itself to be far more than just a stadium but rather the Magnum Opus of Minneapolis. For all things Vikings and more. Keep it right here on NFCNorthReport.com
