This past weekend, Taylor Swift brought The Eras Tour to the Twin Cities. It was a joyous time for Swifties as the megastar packed U.S. Bank Stadium for two shows, cranking out some of her top hits and displaying the type of pyrotechnics that made Minnesota Vikings fans jealous.
But massive flames weren’t the only reason Vikings fans were upset. Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller brought these two fanbases together when he declared that the first night of the Eras Tour was louder than the Minneapolis Miracle. Just like the random guy at the bar who got upset when Ron Burgandy said, “Go f— yourself, San Diego,” many Vikings fans took this as a slight.
How could a pop star who’s had countless boyfriends and made a foundation of teenage drama compare to the 63-year legacy of the Minnesota Vikings? And how could a concert on a June evening be louder than one of the greatest moments in the history of that franchise?
As it turns out, Vikings fans and Swifites have more common ground than you think.
Swift’s latest tour is focused on the eras that have defined her career. Crafted after her albums, there are names for each era such as “Fearless,” “Reputation,” and “Lover.” Those names alone have no meaning to Vikings fans, but like Taylor Swift, the Vikings have had their own eras.
There was the early era in which Norm Van Brocklin was such a jerk that he ran Fran Tarkenton out of town. There was the Purple People Eaters era where the Vikings became one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL. The Post-Bud Era introduced the world to Les Steckel and Jerry Burns’ magnificent vocabulary, and The Green Era when Dennis Green gradually build one of the most dominant offenses the league has ever seen.
Like Swift, the Vikings even had their own “Red” Era when Red McCombs bought the Vikings and turned them into a hot mess that nobody could look away from. There was the Brett Favre Era, which had its highs and lows, and the Adrian Peterson Era that didn’t really amount to much. Then there was the Mike Zimmer Era, which gave the Vikings its longest run of prolonged success since Grant was stoically marching down the sidelines at Metropolitan Stadium.
Even today, the Vikings are embarking on the Kwesi Era, which has already referenced Swift’s hit “Champagne Problems.” But just as you think this is a coincidence, a lot of Swift’s songs have direct correlations to the Vikings.
When it comes to their relationship with Green Bay Packers fans, Vikings fans are like Swift’s nerdy alter ego in the Fearless Era. What Vikings fan hasn’t looked at the Vikings trophy and thought “You Belong With Me?” Or thought “Why you got to be so mean?” as Cletus from Appleton spouts off about his four Super Bowls.
These songs even bleed into the current era as Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks to “Begin Again.” Fans hope Justin Jefferson signs a “Blank Space” on a contract that will keep him in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.
Okay, maybe all of that is a reach, but here is something that’s not. When it comes to Swift’s long list of significant others, the list of Vikings quarterbacks may be one of the only things that come close.
This list has everything. The Silver Fox trying to recapture his younger years like Favre and Warren Moon. The bad boy hoping for a change of scenery like Jim McMahon. Ones that make you ask What were they thinking? like Christian Ponder and Donovan McNabb, and ones that you look back fondly on but didn’t work out like Daunte Culpepper.
The current state of the Vikings’ quarterback position is no exception. There are a lot of people who think that Kirk Cousins is the Vikings’ forever quarterback. However, another group of fans believes the Minnesota “Should Have Said No” to signing him to the past two extensions. That group may also have its own ties to Swift, locked into a stable relationship but longing for their true love – Teddy Bridgewater.
If anything, Swift could create “Taylor’s Version” based on the Vikings’ franchise history. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if she connected with Minnesota so much she decided to come back to blow the Gjallarhorn this fall.
Put it all together and everybody needs to calm down. Why are we arguing about who was louder? Does it really matter that Swift got flames and the Vikings didn’t? Some would say “Yes!” but others would admit we’re basically on the same team.
This weekend was a victory for everyone involved, because while the Vikings have often left their supporters walking out of U.S. Bank Stadium disappointed, it appears Swift made sure her fans did not have the same feelings.
