Christ was at FedEx field on Saturday

I am a lifetime resident of the Washington DC area who has cried a lot of Purple Tears. A Vikings vs Redskins rivalry exists. Call me selfish, but I am not the only Viking fan in attendance at FedEx field on Christmas Eve that wanted a Vikings victory. This team deserves POSITIVE ENERGY and not constant criticism.

The tragic events on Christmas Eve will never be forgotten. However, we have to believe that it is just a temporary setback. Everything happens for a reason. I do not know the reason but I know Christ is alive and was at FedEx Field on Saturday. Ridicule me at your own eternal peril, but please explain to me the following Incidents.

I managed to track down the Minnesota Vikings at the hotel where they were staying at on Friday night. My 12 year old son and I were the only TRUE fans in the lobby as they arrived at about 5:45 PM. There were several other people actively seeking autographs, but they were the professional autograph hounds who find a way to make money selling autographs.

We had a great time at the Hotel. We were not completely prepared for it because it was a dream coming true. We could not speak. We stuttered and stammered in AWE. The players were great. By some stroke of Divine Intervention my son got the following autographs and pictures.

Leslie Frazier Adrian Peterson Christian Ponder Joe Webb
Toby Gerhart Kyle Rudolph Mistral Raymond Letroy Guion
Kenny Onatolu Devin Aromashodu Greg Camarillo Sage Rosenfeld
Mike Singletary

He could have gotten more, but the helmet was almost full and we were conserving space for Jared, Percy, Chad and hoping to see Antoine.

I met the Director of Public Relations for the Minnesota Vikings. He gave us 2 pre-game field passes. We shouted "Happy Birthday" to Chris Kluwe as he came out of the tunnel. He heard it and gave us a wave as he took the practice field. It was the perfect Christmas until the third quarter started. That is why I am writing this. The injury to A.P. has really dampened our spirits.

A.P. has been so nice to us. I wish I could eloquently talk about him, but words can not convey what he has meant "in-person" to my son. As the team entered the hotel, we recognized and called out to many of them. Some paused and seemed surprised at our exuberant display of appreciation. The first one to come over and acknowledge us was A.P. This was our 3rd time finding him and requesting an autograph. He even recognized us ! Please Minnesota, embrace this man through his LONG but temporary rehab. He will return and he will continue to be special; both on and off the field.

While you are at it, BUILD the DARN STADIUM before you permanently lose what you have been blessed with. I came into this world at about the same time as the Minnesota Vikings and I don’t want them to die before I do.

Back to the 2nd half of the game. I had been vocal throughout the game but it was hard to stay positive when we lost 2 players on consecutive plays. Not just any 2 players. The team showed spark and we began to feed off each other. The Dark Cloud was lifting at Fed Ex Field. Long before it happened, people who sat in Section 123 will attest to the fact that I was loudly proclaiming "Joe Webb is gonna score 3 Touchdowns"

We were sitting on the Vikings sideline near the 30 yard line, front row, but blocked by 3 rows of Dan Snyder’s money grubbing Dream Seats. It was the middle of the 3rd quarter and the Redskin had just taken the lead at 20 - 17 . Percy Harvin was near a space heater, I'm sure he heard me when I improvised my version of Hail to the Redskins. As the band was playing and the crowd was quiet, I shouted
Hail to Perrrcy Harrrvin ,
He is the Mannnnn,
Viking on the Warpath
Fight for Old Minneapolis!

There was no Viking safe from my POSITIVE energy. I must have yelled "Big Phil" 20 times until he had to acknowledge me. The game continued and I screamed at every Percy sighting, "Percy Harvin scores the Game Winning Touchdown". When he scored, I shouted it for the 10 th time, I was ridiculed by Redskin fans, they said "there are still 10 minutes to go". They did not know what I did. Thenl Mistral made his interception and the stands started to empty.

WE WON. This makes a lifetime Washington resident ecstatic. The Redskins won a Super Bowl in the Vikings stadium. Then there is the Darrin Nelson play from 1987; that should have been OUR SUPER BOWL. Life here among these creatures is miserable.

We are no longer the worst team in Vikings History. Do not believe the 1984 comparison. The Purple Faithful is in pain because of everything that has happened since the devastating loss in New Orleans. The events on Christmas Eve will hurt and haunt us for some time. It is always darkest before sunrise. We will persevere. We will do it and All Day will be part of it !

God Bless the Viking Nation, watch over us, and heal our Warrior.