The last time the Minnesota Vikings had a home game blacked out was the finale of the 1997 season. In the thirteen seasons since then, they have sold out every home game and every home playoff game that the team has had at the Metrodome. Why? Because Viking fans are great, that's why. . .anyone that would say otherwise would be classified as what we in the industry would refer to as a "big, stupid jerk."
This weekend will be no exception, as the Vikings have once again sold out the Metrodome for this Sunday's contest against the Arizona Cardinals. That means that local fans will be able to watch the game from their homes if, for whatever reason, they're not heading to the Metrodome.
I'll be honest with you, folks. . .I really don't get the whole "blackout rule" thing, and I actually think it's really pretty stupid. Having grown up in North Dakota, which is outside of the main broadcast area for the Vikings games, I had no idea what the heck a "blackout" even was when I was growing up. The Vikings were on every Sunday, usually on KXJB-4 out of Fargo, but there was never a weekend where we turned the television on, expecting to see the Vikings play only to have another game on there.
Can someone out there possibly explain why the "blackout rule" is a good thing or makes any sense at all? Is the NFL just not making enough money as it stands right now? Seriously, I don't get the point of keeping local fans from watching a game if the stadium doesn't sell out.
Not that the Vikings will have to worry about that any time soon, in all likelihood.