Vikings to Bring Back Fan-Favorite Look
Did you enjoy the Minnesota Vikings throwback uniforms from Week 1?
If so, a sequel is on the way.
Vikings to Bring Back Fan-Favorite Look
Paying homage to Bud Grant foremost, the Purple People Eaters, and the 1970s Vikings teams in general, the club revealed the threads this summer, wearing them to start the season during a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The uniforms were so popular among fans — like universal approval — that Minnesota has opted to fire up the throwbacks in 10 days when the Vikings host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
Here’s the announcement from the Vikings’ main social media account:
Too, the tweet from the Vikings also confirms the Monday night showdown with Chicago will not be flexed into a different time slot. This season, the NFL piloted power to get rid of underwhelming Monday Night Football matchups in favor of “better” games but also assigned a 12-days-in-advance deadline to notify teams and fans. The deadline passed, and although the Bears aren’t really going anywhere this season, they will remain on the MNF docket against Minnesota in Week 12.
In June, via streaming event exclusive to season-ticket holders, the Vikings unveiled the new apparel, paying tribute to the Purple People Eaters and the four Vikings teams that reached Super Bowls decades ago. The uniforms were scheduled for a one-game-only appearance at the time, but the team changed plans midseason and will wear them at least twice in 2023.
For non-Vikings fans, the uniforms will probably incite the Spider-man meme — the outfits don’t really look different to outsiders. The helmets appear unchanged, aside from gray facemasking. The logo — the horns — of course, are untouched. But the jersey pattern, number-lettering, and style are indeed a clock turnback to 50+ years ago.
Minnesota is among the few NFL teams that seldom change anything with logos or uniforms. The club produced a ‘white-out’ event against the New York Giants last December, where players wore all-white uniforms, and fans were asked to join. And they mostly obliged, creating a charming effect at U.S. Bank Stadium. The white-out effect is also on deck this season, as well, for Christmas Eve when the Vikings take on the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Next to color rush uniforms, which are also called Primetime Purple, the ‘new’ throwbacks to the 1960s mark the most significant tweak to Minnesota’s attire in years.
Minnesota will wear ordinary road uniforms at the Denver Broncos this weekend during a Sunday Night Football game. The Broncos are favored to win by 2.5 points.
One Vikings fan, Aime DeWitt, commented on the X app, “How about you just bring them back permanently?! They’re so clean.”
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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