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Greatest Viking Of All Time Tournament: (1) Cris Carter vs (8) Matt Blair

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, for the second round of our Greatest Viking Of All Time Tournament. In this match-up for the right to go to the Sweet 16, the most recent Viking to be enshrined in Canton does battle with the most recent Viking to be placed in the team's Ring of Honor.

Cris Carter

Alma Mater: The. . .dramatic pause. . .Ohio State University
Acquired by Minnesota: Acquired on waivers prior to the 1990 season
Seasons in Minnesota: 12 (1990-2001)
Position: Wide receiver

The waiver claim the Vikings put in on Cris Carter likely represents the smartest $100 the Minnesota Vikings franchise has ever spent. He leads the Minnesota Vikings in every significant receiving category, having hauled in 1,004 passes for 12,383 yards and 110 touchdowns. (Yes, those are just his numbers as a member of the Vikings.) Rated by the NFL Network as having the best pair of hands in the history of the league and possibly the best "boundary receiver" the league has ever known thanks to his ability to use the sidelines, Cris Carter is truly among the all-time greats. After being passed over a ridiculous five times, Carter will finally be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.


Matt Blair

Alma Mater: Iowa State University
Acquired by Vikings: Round 2, 1974 NFL Draft
Seasons in Minnesota: 12 (1974-1985)
Position: Linebacker

Matt Blair was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor in 2012, and most deservedly so. Playing all 12 of his NFL seasons in purple and gold, Blair made the NFL's All-Rookie team in 1975, and followed that up with six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, starting in 1977. He was also named an All-Pro in 1980. Primarily known as an outstanding linebacker, Blair was a huge force on special teams as well, as he currently stands third in NFL history with 20 blocked kicks. He also collected 16 interceptions in his Minnesota career. A great all-around linebacker, Blair was one of the cornerstones of the Vikings' defense of the late 70s and early 80s.


If you need a primer on how the voting for our contest works, we have one for you at this link here. Remember, rec the comments to register your vote. Putting "Vote - Name" in the subject line of a post does not count.

If you want to vote for Cris Carter, rec the comment that says "Vote - Cris Carter"
If you want to vote for Matt Blair, rec the comment that says "Vote - Matt Blair"

Voting is open for 24 hours, just like always, folks. Have at it!