2006 Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings managed a one-win improvement in 2005, completing the season with 9 wins and 7 losses. Not yet what they were hoping for, but the Vikings have plenty of loyal fans, thousands of whom bought tickets and showed up at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to cheer them on. In fact, their paid attendance averaged just shy of 64,000 tickets sold per game.

Get your tickets to see the Vikings' new uniforms—and a lot of other changes. Owner Zygi Wilf has brought on new head coach Brad Childress, who has in turn replaced QB Daunte Culpepper with the steadying force of Brad Johnson. Bryant McKinnie and Matt Birk return to the offensive line, and they'll be joined by Steve Hutchinson, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks. The defensive line featuring Kevin and Pat Williams just keeps getting better. Solid additions from the college draft include Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway and CB Cedric Griffin from Texas.

Some Minnesota Vikings history: The Vikings joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1961 and selected Fran Tarkenton in the NFL draft. The franchise got off to a slow start, producing only one winning record in its first seven seasons. In 1967 Minnesota traded Tarkenton to the New York Giants.

In the 1968 season Bud Grant guided the Vikings to the NFC Central Division championship. A year later, Minnesota's 'Purple People Eaters,' the league's toughest defense, powered the Vikings to Super Bowl IV, where the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7. The Vikings' offensive performance in 1969 was also the league's best, led by QB Joe Kapp.

In the 1970s, Minnesota dominated the NFC Central Division, and in 1971 Alan Page became the first defensive player to receive the most valuable player (MVP) award. Fran Tarkenton returned to the Vikings in 1972 and subsequently piloted the team to three Super Bowl appearances. Running back Chuck Foreman and wide receivers John Gilliam and Ahmad Rashad were his favorite targets. An elusive scrambler, Tarkenton also used his agility to confound opponents. He was named league MVP in 1975.

Although they were clearly the NFC's dominant club, the Vikings repeatedly fell to their American Football Conference (AFC) opponents in the Super Bowl. Minnesota lost to the Miami Dolphins 24-7 in 1974, to the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-6 in 1975, and to the Oakland Raiders 32-14 in 1977.

Many of the star Viking players retired by 1979, and the team entered a period of decline, but Minnesota soon recovered its success with a collection of new stars. From the mid-1980s through the late 1990s, the Vikings consistently recorded winning records, and the club reached the NFC Championship Game after the 1987 and 1998 seasons. Stars for the Vikings during this time included quarterbacks Tommy Kramer, Warren Moon, and Wade Wilson, and wide receiver Anthony Carter, who produced three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Safety Joey Browner and linemen Chris Doleman, Keith Millard, and John Randle were among the league's premier defensive players.