The Minneapolis Miracle: One Year Later

I wish I was doing these blogs back then. My blog from that game would have certainly been in all caps and been completely unintelligible.

Hard to believe it's only been a year. I've probably watched that play a thousand times since. It never gets old. Every game I went to this season I sort of mentally recreated the play. It's become completely intertwined into my very Viking fandom.

I remember the snow on the way to the game.
I remember watching the concourse TVs to see the Jaguars get their clinching score in Pittsburgh.
I remember the absolute chills of player intros.
I remember thinking at halftime that the game was over, that there was no way this defense could blow a 17 point lead at home.
I remember that creeping horror when Case threw that ungodly pick.
I remember that utter depression when the Saints took the lead 21-20.
I remember watching TONS of people streaming out of the stadium.
I remember not even being excited by the next drive, cause no way were we ever getting a clutch field goal.
I remember getting the clutch field goal!
I remember the impossibly empty feeling when the Saints converted that 4th down, then got the field goal.

I remember standing there, as the Vikings offense took the field for that last drive, wondering if I even wanted to do this anymore. Did I even want to invest in this team anymore on any kind of emotional level. How many times can I go to that well only to get smacked in the face? I was just numbed.

And moments later I knew that, for better or worse, I will never NOT be a fan. I had a perfect vantage point, so I maybe knew Diggs was going to score sooner than most. I went out of body. My hands grasped my head. I just screamed "OH MY GOD" I don't even know how many times in a row. I wasn't jumping around of anything. I just stood there in total shock for at least a couple minutes. I didn't even go to tweet right away. I wasn't even looking around at the rest of the crowd. I think maybe only after the scoreboard showed the replay, and I knew it was real, did I snap out of it.

The aftermath was just perfect for soaking it in, since they first had to review the play, then had to get the field cleared for the obligatory PAT. I mean, I sure as hell didn't want to leave. I could have stayed in that moment forever, hearing the crowd and basically just having one of those plays go our way. For once. Finally.

Between the rather long walk out the concourse and then outside the stadium, I can guarantee I hugged or high fived more strangers than the entire rest of my life combined. I remember getting on the shuttle bus and literally every single person on the bus was watching replays of the miracle on their phones, most with the sound on and at all different points so it was like this crazy audio collage.

I wasn't even thinking about the NFC championship game yet. That came later. I understand the hangover factor just from that. I wish the miracle had not been the last amazing moment from the season. But it was still the single greatest experience of my life as a sports fan to be there for it.