Happy Father's Day!

Fellow fans of the Minnesota Vikings, today is the day where we have to recognize the men who played a role in bringing us into the world. Yes, today is Father's Day, and whether you're celebrating it for the first time as a father (like Eric), for the first time as a grandfather (like Ted), if you've been doing the Father's Day thing for a while (like Kyle and Mark), or even if you don't have any kids and are just celebrating your own fathers, today is a pretty big day.

Personally, my dad (who is a registered member of the site, even. . .you've probably seen him here before) played a big role in pointing me in the direction of Vikings fandom. I was even born on a Vikings game day (September 26, 1976, when the Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 10-9 at the Silverdome). The story I've always been told is that I was polite enough to wait until halftime to show up. I can't verify that one way or another. I really don't remember much about that day.

My dad would watch the games every Sunday, and when I was old enough to actually understand and/or care about what was going on, I'd sit and watch and ask lots of questions. The first season I actually remember was probably the worst in Vikings' history, the 1984 season when the team went 3-13 and spent the second half of the year just getting slaughtered week in and week out. But, through all that time, we stayed the course, and without him I likely wouldn't be a fan on the level that I am today.

Did you father play a big role in your becoming a Vikings fan? If you're a father, are you attempting to point your children in that direction or letting them chart their own course of becoming a fan?

Regardless, to all of the fathers out there, here's hoping that all of you have an outstanding Father's Day this year!